xn 



PREFACE. 



mony the Saxons must be concluded to be very far 

 removed from that pasturage upon the lierb of the 

 field whicli was the regale of human innocence, and 

 that feeding upon grass which was the doom of an 

 arrogant Oriental king. They seem to dine like Eng- 

 lishmen. 



The Saxon imported purple palls, and silk, precious 

 gems, gold, rare vestments, drugs, wine, oil, ivory, ori- 

 chalclium (a very fine mixed metal of gold and silver), 

 brass, brimstone, glass, and many more such articles.^ 

 Tin came by water from Cornwall. Their enterprise by 

 sea was distinguished ; the}^ pursued the dangerous 

 whale, and were known for their adventurous hostile 

 landings upon the Gallic coasts before they had settled 

 in this country.^ 



When the Saxons got possession of Britain, they 

 found it, not such as Julius C?esar describes it, but 

 cultivated and improved by all that the Romans knew 

 of agriculture and gardening. Hence rue, hyssop, fennel, 

 mustard, elecampane, southernwood, celandine, radish, 

 cummin, onion, '"' lupin, chervil, flower de luce, flax 

 probably, rosemary, savory, lovage, parsley, coriander, 

 olusatrum, savine, were found in their gardens and 

 available for their medicines. Among the foreign drugs, 

 or the like, which are mentioned in this volume, we find 

 mastich, pepper, galbanum, scamony, gutta ammoniaca, 

 cinnamon, vermilion, aloes, pumice, quicksilver, brim- 

 stone, myrrh, frankincense, petroleum,'* ginger. 



The Saxons and Engie for the supply of their tables, 

 thus, as we have seen, abundantly supplied, kept herds 

 of cattle. The agriculture was in great measure, with 

 alterations adapted to the moister climate, and with 

 improvements from lapse of time and from other coun- 



' Col. Mon. p. 27. 



■-' Ainmianiis Marcellinus, xxviii. 



^ Ynneleac has for its first ele- 

 ment a Latinism, unionem, onion. 



'Lb. pp. 53, .'iT, 01, 101, 125 

 289,297. 



