164 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



XV. JT. The Hiftory of Great Britain, or of 

 the kingdoms of England and Scotland, and tnc 

 hiftory of Ireland. The hiftory of England is r 

 like mod others, eafily divifible into three pe- 

 riods, which comprehend, 



1. The ancient hiftory of England, whofe ori- 

 ginal name was Albion, fo called from the white 

 chalky mountains with which the coafts of that 

 ifland are furrounded. The hiftorians begin this 

 period with a king named Brutus, the ion of 

 /Eneas Sylvius, king of the Latins, and grand- 

 fon\>f Afcanius, the fon of ^Eneas the Trojan. 

 They pretend that he began to reign in Albion 

 in the year of the world 28:8. This period 

 continued to the year 3895, and confequently 

 till within about a century of the Chriftian era. 

 This is a period of obfcure and fabulous con- 

 jectures, when England was governed by kings 

 that may be called Aborigines, or originally of 

 the country, of which, however, they pretend to 

 have a regular chronological lift. 



2. The hiftory of the middle age of England 

 The Romans invaded England, under the con- 

 duct of Julius Gsfar ; and though it appears 

 they were but b:i;Uy received, yet it is certain 

 that the fucceeding kings of this country paid an 

 annual tribute to the Romans, and were obliged 

 to fufter their prefect to refide there. This go- 

 vernment lailed 503 years, under a long fuccef- 

 fion of kings who were natives of the country, 

 and of whom Arthur, one of the laft, was the 

 moft famous. In the fifth century the Saxons 



and 



