habitants; for his severity equalled his courage, and he unjustly wreaked upon them his revenge for the indignities to which his proud spirit was subjected by his own countrymen.*

Such were the mutual feelings of the victors and the vanquished, when it happened that a party of Roman soldiers, consisting principally of a small detachment from the 9th legion were sent to explore the country between Clausentum, a Roman station in the vicinity of Southampton, and the new, but flourishing colony of Bath.†

;

In their progress through the neighbourhood of old Sarum, then called Sorbiodunum, the Romans were attacked by a party of Britons and after a desperate resistance, in which they lost their leader, the veteran Valens, being overwhelmed by the superior numbers of their

Tac. Vit. Agric. s. 16.

Richard of Cirencester (lib. 11. c. 1. s. 15.) states that Bath and Gloucester were occupied by the Romans, A.D. 47. The Romans were probably attracted to the former place by its famous hot springs, which they called the waters of the sun, and after which they named the city Aqua Solis. I need hardly add that Bath had existed long previously as a British city; for few traditions are more generally known than that relating to the discovery of the medicinal virtues of its waters, and its consequent foundation by Bladud.

been almost wrested from her conquerors, having been recently crushed by the intrepidity of the Roman general Suetonius Paulinus.

The native spirit of liberty was, however, rather checked than extinguished by this dire blow, and began to revive under the encouragement which it received from the dissensions existing between the general and the procurator of the province. These dissensions at last prevailed to such a degree, that Nero dispatched his freedman, Polycletus, to take cognizance of the matter; expecting that the pomp and ostentatious equipage of this court favourite would not only overawe the Roman disputants, but also strike terror into the indomitable islanders. In this expectation, the emperor was disappointed, for the measure produced a precisely contrary effect. The freeborn Britons cared not to conceal their contempt for the manumitted slave; and the terror which the victorious arms of Suetonius had inspired, was much diminished, when they beheld him submit to the haughty dictation of Polycletus.* Nor were the manners of Suetonius calculated to conciliate, or sooth the wounded feelings of the half-conquered in

Taciti Annales, lib. xiv. s. 39.

habitants; for his severity equalled his courage, and he unjustly wreaked upon them his revenge for the indignities to which his proud spirit was subjected by his own countrymen.*

Such were the mutual feelings of the victors and the vanquished, when it happened that a party of Roman soldiers, consisting principally of a small detachment from the 9th legion were sent to explore the country between Clausentum, a Roman station in the vicinity of Southampton, and the new, but flourishing colony of Bath.†

In their progress through the neighbourhood of old Sarum, then called Sorbiodunum, the Romans were attacked by a party of Britons; and after a desperate resistance, in which they lost their leader, the veteran Valens, being overwhelmed by the superior numbers of their

Tac. Vit. Agric. s. 16.

Richard of Cirencester (lib. 11. c. 1. s. 15.) states that Bath and Gloucester were occupied by the Romans, A.D. 47. The Romans were probably attracted to the former place by its famous hot springs, which they called the waters of the sun, and after which they named the city Aqua Solis. I need hardly add that Bath had existed long previously as a British city; for few traditions are more generally known than that relating to the discovery of the medicinal virtues of its waters, and its consequent foundation by Bladud.

been almost wrested from her conquerors, having been recently crushed by the intrepidity of the Roman general Suetonius Paulinus.

The native spirit of liberty was, however, rather checked than extinguished by this dire blow, and began to revive under the encouragement which it received from the dissensions existing between the general and the procurator of the province. These dissensions. at last prevailed to such a degree, that Nero dispatched his freedman, Polycletus, to take cognizance of the matter; expecting that the pomp and ostentatious equipage of this court favourite would not only overawe the Roman disputants, but also strike terror into the indomitable islanders. In this expectation, the emperor was disappointed, for the measure produced a precisely contrary effect. The freeborn Britons cared not to conceal their contempt for the manumitted slave; and the terror which the victorious arms of Suetonius had inspired, was much diminished, when they beheld him submit to the haughty dictation of Polycletus. Nor were the manners of Suetonius calculated to conciliate, or sooth the wounded feelings of the half-conquered in

• Taciti Annales, lib. xiv. s. 39.

habitants; for his severity equalled his courage, and he unjustly wreaked upon them his revenge for the indignities to which his proud spirit was subjected by his own countrymen.*

Such were the mutual feelings of the victors and the vanquished, when it happened that a party of Roman soldiers, consisting principally of a small detachment from the 9th legion were sent to explore the country between Clausentum, a Roman station in the vicinity of Southampton, and the new, but flourishing colony of Bath.†

In their progress through the neighbourhood of old Sarum, then called Sorbiodunum, the Romans were attacked by a party of Britons ; and after a desperate resistance, in which they lost their leader, the veteran Valens, being overwhelmed by the superior numbers of their

Tac. Vit. Agric. s. 16.

Richard of Cirencester (lib. 11. c. 1. s. 15.) states that Bath and Gloucester were occupied by the Romans, A.D. 47. The Romans were probably attracted to the former place by its famous hot springs, which they called the waters of the sun, and after which they named the city Aqua Solis. I need hardly add that Bath had existed long previously as a British city; for few traditions are more generally known than that relating to the discovery of the medicinal virtues of its waters, and its consequent foundation by Bladud.