Bath during British Independence. 27 



Empire, and were to all intents and purposes Roman. As 

 the people of Britain were called Bret-Walas, so the people 

 of Gaul were called Gal-Walas, and these terms signified 

 respectively Romans of Gaul, and Romans of Britain. 



Of all the barbarian settlements on our coasts, the most 

 important for the general history of England is the one 

 which also absorbed our city. The earliest date that has 

 been assigned for the landing of the West Saxons under 

 Cerdic is 495. A long time was to elapse before they 

 reached this western country, an4 the steps of their progress 

 in the interval would have formed no legitimate part of the 

 present narrative, but for the fact that by a grotesque mistake 

 a marked event which happened at an early stage of that 

 interval has imbedded itself in the history of Bath. The 

 memorable siege of Mons Badonicus, where the Walas 

 dealt a severe blow upon the Saxons, has been fixed, by the 

 help of data in the book of Gildas, to the year 520. Dr. 

 Guest identified Mons -Badonicus with Badbury Rings, near 

 Wimborne, and that identification is now generally accepted. 

 Previously it had been identified with Bath, and Banner Down 

 was the spot fixed upon for the battle-field, because it seemed 

 to offer a sort of translation of Mons Badonicus, as well as a 

 vague echo in similarity of sound. But it was upon Bath 

 that the word fastened itself etymologically, as if Badonicus 

 were equivalent to Bathonicus, which might pass for an adjec- 

 tive of Bathonia. It did not trouble the old antiquarians 

 that they were elucidating a word of the sixth century by 

 help of another word which had no existence until the tenth. 

 In 552 we find the West Saxons driving the Walas out of 

 Old Sarum; and twenty-five years later, in 577, they are at 

 our doors. For in that year was fought the decisive battle 

 of Dyrham, in which the Saxon Kings, Cuthwine and 



