449-1066. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE LAXD IN ITS COXXECTIOX WITH CHURCH AND STATE. 



It is clear from what has been already said, that the Saxon 

 Polity was utterly- unsuited to the cultivation of commerce, 

 agriculture, or fine arts, though Camden quotes the eulogistic 

 lines of a German poet in proof of the contrary.^ If this bard 

 did not sing falsely, the Continent of Europe must have been in 

 worse plight still, since Britain is represented as spreading re- 

 ligion and the arts of peace amongst the neighbouring nations. 

 It was not, however, till the reign of Edward the Confessor 

 that the country began to take breath again and recover some 

 of the lost advantages of civilization which she had enjoyed in 

 Roman days. 



AVe can then only reconcile the German poet's views Tvith 

 what we know was taking place in England during the stormy 

 era of the Heptarchy by looking forward to some fresh and 

 foreign influence which could have tamed and civilized the 

 wild peoples now occupying England. And sure enough a 

 peaceful invasion did at this time occur which vastly affected 

 for the better the laws and manners of the times. 



This was the conversion of the people to Christianity. 

 The Faith had already obtained a footing in this country 

 during Roman times, perhaps even before, through the trade 

 intercourse between southern France and western Britain, 

 which had brought the respective peoples into friendly contact. 



' Vide Camden, Britannia. 



lOG 



