By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 



115 



late period that they became acquainted with the arts of dressing 

 spinning and weaving flax and wool. But other arts of personal 

 adornment were not wholly unknown to the ancient Britons: brace- 

 lets, collars, necklaces, and other bead ornaments, formed of wood, 

 glass, bone, jet, amber, and cannel coal, 1 have been frequently 

 found in the barrows, 2 and attest the love of finery, so prevalent 

 among all nations ; so that, when invaded by the Romans, they 

 presented in this, as in other respects, a certain advance towards 

 civilization. 



Such was their personal appearance ; let us now see what was 

 their general disposition. 3 On the one hand they are described as 

 brave, bold, intrepid, fearless, careless of danger, ingenious, grateful, 

 docile, hospitable and kind to strangers ; simple and frugal in their 

 manner of living ; sincere and plain-dealing; knowing no deceit or 

 flattery; famous for their natural affections, and above all for attach- 

 ment to their chieftains : on the other hand these good traits are 

 counter-balanced by most of the vices conspicuous among barbarous 

 tribes : they were intolerably proud, vain, and boasting; insolent, over- 

 bearing, and presumptuous ; weak, impulsive, and unintelligent; 4 

 they were of a fiery temper, liable to paroxysms of extreme 

 passion ; ever ready to quarrel ; and in their rage cruel and 



1 Archaeological Journal, vol. i., p. 352, ii., 368—380, iii,, 27—38. 



2 See Sir R. Hoare's Ancient Wilts, passim, especially vol. i., pp. 27,46, 

 161—2, &c. 



3 Homer's Illiad, xiii., 6. 

 Horace Odes, iii., 24. 

 Justin, ii., 2. 



.Mian Yar: Hist: lib. 12, c. 23. 



Seneca de ira, lib. iii., c. 3. 



Polyb: lib. ii., p. 122. 



Camden's Britannia, p. 15. 



Rollin's Ancient History, vol. ii., p. 219, 237. 



Strutt's Chronicles of England, vol. i., p. 1. 



Henry's History of Great Britain, vol. ii., p. 279, chap. vii. 



Cartes' History of England, p. 72. 



Sharon Turner's History of England, p. 71. 



Tyrrell's History of England, vol. i., p. 21. 



Lingard's History of England, vol. i., p. 11, 22. 



The English at Home, by Alphonse Esquiros. 



4 Professor Pearson's Early and Middle Ages of England, p. 6. 



1L 2 



