A STUDY ON THE INVASION OF BRITAIN, &C. 19 



partly by the leading of Aulus Plautius and partly by that of 

 Claudius himself." Tacitus V. H. (A.D. 95) : " Divus Claudius 

 auctor operis, transvectis legionibus auxilis que et adsumpto 

 npartem rerum Vespasiano, quod initium venturse mox fortunse 

 fuit. Domitse gentes, captireges, monstratus satis Vespasianus.'' 

 "Claudius was the author of the undertaking, legions' "and 

 auxiliaries being brought over, and Vespasian being taken into 

 a share of the work, which was the beginning of a soon coming 

 good fortune. Tribes were overcome, Kings were taken, and 

 Vespasian was clearly enough shown forth as a general. 

 Eutropius (A.D. 360): "Vespasianus huic (Vitellio) successit, 

 privata vita illustris, ut qui Claudio in Germaniam, demde in 

 Britanniam missus, tricies et bis, cum hoste conflixit, duas 

 validissirnas gentes, viginti oppida, insulam Vectem Britanniee 

 proximam Imperio Romano adjecerit." " Vespasian followed 

 this man (Vitellius), illustrious in his private life, as one who, 

 being sent by Claudius into Germany and then into Britain, 

 fought thirty-two times with the foe, and add,ed two very strong 

 tribes. 20 strongholds, and the Isle of Wight, very near to Britain, 

 to the Roman Empire." Richard of Cirencester gives by name 

 %e very strong tribes, whom, as we are told by the Latin writers, 

 Vespasian overcame, the Belgse and Damnonii (R. of Cirenc., Bk, 

 2, ci., xiv.), and we can find reasons for the truth of this part of 

 his history. Now. Roman history does not tell us where Ves- 

 pasian landed or first fought with the Britains, or where was the 

 first stronghold that he took, or who were the Kings whom he 

 brought into homage to the Roman power ; put it may be worth 

 while to see what light may be cast on these points by British 

 history, as in the " Brut y Brenninoedd " Chronicle of the 

 Kings. Some classical scholars may be ready to believe that 

 where British history tells of things of which Roman writers 

 have also spoken, and does not wholly confirm them, the Roman 

 history is the true one and that the British must be untrue, 

 wherever it does not match the Latin truth so taken, but in war- 

 fare, as in other matters, all tribes of men are wont to make 

 before the world the best of their doings and misdoings. If 



