shire is the massacre of three hundred British nobles, {on the spot where Stonehenge is situated, by the orders of Hengist, (leader of the first Saxon expedition to England,) who had invited them hither to a banquet, under the pretence of effecting a reconciliation between the Britons and himself. The truth of this dreadful catastrophe, however, is extremely doubtful, as it does not appear to be mentioned in any of the Saxon writers, and seems to rest solely upon the authority of Nennius, and a few of the British, or Welsh, bards, who were evidently interested in the propagation of stories calculated to excite feelings of enmity and revenge in the breasts of their countrymen, against a people, once their allies, but afterwards their inveterate and barbarous enemies. Carte says that this "story was borrowed from Witikind, who relates it of the Thuringians, that were murdered by the Saxons on a like occasion, and upon a signal given in the very same words made use of by the British writers."+ Turner regards it as an incident which can neither be authenticated nor disproved; and Whitaker asserts that the conquests of Hengist never extended beyond the limits of Kent; a circumstance, which, if fully established, would no doubt tend strongly to invalidate our belief of the transaction.§ Hume calls it a story "invented by the Welsh authors, in order to palliate the weak resistance made at first by their countrymen, and to account for the rapid progress, and licentious devastations of the Saxons." ||

We come now to the period of the arrival of Cerdic, another Saxon

Jeffrey of Monmouth says, "the Saxons upon the signal given, drew out their daggers, and falling upon the princes, that little suspected any such design, assassinated to the number of four hundred and sixty of the barons and consuls; to whose bodies St. Eldad afterwards gave Christian burial not far from Kaercaradane, now Salisbury, in the burying place by the monastery, of Ambrius, the abbot, who was the founder of it." Thomson's Translation, p. 195. edit. Lond. 1718.

+ Carte, Hist. England, Vol. I. p. 195.

History of the Anglo-Saxons, Vol. I. p. 92. quart. edit.

§ History of Manchester, Vol. II. p. 28.

|| History of England, Vol. I. p. 28.

Saxon prince, who, according to the Saxon Chronicle, landed at "Certicesfore," which Matthew of Westminister supposes to have been a port on the western, or south-western coast of our island. Camden, however, assigns Cerdicland, near Yarmouth,* as the place of this prince's landing, but that opinion is justly considered by Carte + to be improbable, as the scene of his actions lay chiefly, if not wholly, in the counties of Hants, Wilts, and Dorset. We are inclined to regard neither of these conjectures as correct, and conceive that his descent with the view of establishing the kingdom of Wessex must have taken place somewhere on the southern coast. That he may have previously touched at some other part of England on his passage from his native country we do not deny; but if he did so, we presume it was assuredly only for the sake of refreshment, or from stress of weather, and not with any idea of permanent conquest.This we conceive to be sufficiently corroborated by the fact, that no military transactions of Cerdic are noticed in the early writers, excepting those which occurred in Hampshire, and the southern portions of the counties immediately adjoining to it.§ Hampshire,

Gough's Camden, Vol. II. p. 96.

History of England, Vol. I. p. 199.

"Certicesore" is evidently considered by Henry of Huntingdon, as being situated on the southern side of England. Saville's edition of English writers after Bede, p. 312.

To ascertain, at present, the precise point on this coast, at which he ac tually did land is perhaps impossible; but as several conjectures have been hazarded on this subject it may not be improper to mention them here. Gibson, in Chron. Sax. says that some learned men have conjectured" Certiscore to be Calshot, quasi Caldshore," at the entrance to the Southampton river. Carte places it at Charford, in Dorsetshire; and Dr. Milner thinks it more probably "was at Hengisbury-head, near Charford, or Cerdicesford, where a tradition of the inhabitants still testifies that a battle was fought between the Saxons and Britons, similar in its circumstances to that which took place at the landing of Cerdic." Milner's History of Winchester, Vol. I. p. 66. Carte's History of England, Vol. I. p. 199.

§ Camden, indeed, asserts that Cerdic maintained a fierce contest with the Iceni; but, contrary to the usual accuracy of this writer, he quotes no autho rity in support of the statement. Britannia, Vol. II. p. 98,

Hampshire, and a very small part of Dorsetshire, long constituted his whole principality; and this extent he seems to have encountered no less difficulty in subduing, than in retaining when subdued. Though frequently successful over the Britons in pitched battles, Cerdic found them not to be disheartened, but, on the contrary, to gain additional resolution, even from defeat. By reason of this intrepid and dauntless conduct of the natives, it was not till after the lapse of twentyfive years, from his first landing, that the Saxon general was enabled to advance into Wiltshire.* In the year 520, however, having received considerable reinforcements from Saxony, and cut off a body of Britons which had been dispatched to intercept. them, he collected all his disposable forces, and advanced to Mount Badon, or Badbury Castle,+ a British post, then reckoned of great strength and importance, on account of its commanding situation, and its proximity to the concurrence of the Roman roads which intersect the north-eastern division of this county.

Whitaker's History of Manchester, Vol. II. p. 56, 57.

+ Though we have adopted the opinion of Whitaker, in placing "Mons Badonicus" at Badbury Castle, and have little doubt of its correctness, yet it seems necessary to state that the situation of this post is a matter of considerable dispute amongst antiquaries and historians. Camden fixes it at the hill called Bannesdowne in the immediate vicinity of the village of Bathstone, apparently on the authority of Gildas, who says it lay near the Severn. Usher supposes it to be at modern Bath; but these suggestions are rendered improbable by the known anterior relative situation of the territories of the West Saxons, and of those belonging to the Britons. Badbury Castle, on the other hand is not liable to these objections; but on the contrary is a most likely place for the po sition of a British post of observation, at a time when Cerdic's dominions were confined to Hampshire. It is stationed on a lofty hill, in an open country, over which it commands a very widely extended prospect. Carte differs from all of these authors, and affirms that the "Mons Badonicus" is Badon hill, in Berkshire, by which we suppose he means the hills near the village of Baydon which lies on the immediate confines of Wiltshire. Our objection to this opinion is, that there is no appearance of any extensive fortified works in that neighbourhood, Gough's Camden, Vol. I. p. 62. Turner's Hist. of the Anglo-Saxons, Vol. I. p. 100. Carte's History of England, Vol. I. p. 205.

county. The illustrious Arthur, who so long upheld the falling fortunes of his country, immediately resolved to advance and relieve the garrison with a large army, which had been formed and disciplined under his own immediate inspection, and now burned with enthusiastic ardour to avenge the disasters of their countrymen. Cerdic, apprised of his intention, deemed it prudent to abandon the siege, and wait the approach of the enemy in battle array. The conflict was fierce and bloody, but in the end the genius of Arthur and British heroism prevailed over the superior science of the Saxon general, and the more steady conduct of his veteran troops. So complete, indeed, was the overthrow sustained by the invaders in this battle, that they are said not to have been in a condition to take the field again for the period of seven years; and most certainly did not renew their attempts to subjugate Wiltshire till the year 552. This victory, says Whitaker, was a most extraordinary oué," and completes the circle of Arthur's military glories. It was utterly unexpected by the Britons. It was considered by them nearly as miraculous; the effect of supernatural causes, and the work of interposing divinity. And it was attended with every circumstance of honour and advantage. The Saxons expected perpetual victories, and uninterrupted triumphs. Their fond hopes were effectually repressed, and a long peace ensued."+

At

One of these roads leads from Cirencester, by Wanborough and Baydon, above mentioned, to Winchester, then the capital of Cerdic's dominions; the other, which is a vicinal way, strikes off from this road at Wanborough, and runs by Badbury, through Savernake forest, to Great Bedwin, Old Sarum, &c. Both the roads are intersected by the Ridgeway, which Whitaker likewise calls a Roman road, but which is certainly a British path.

+ The circumstance of peace having been granted to the Saxons, immediately after this battle, is considered by Mr. Turner as decided evidence that though it may have been gained by the British, it must have been dearly purchased; else why not have pursued the success, and drive the invaders from their settlements in Hampshire and Dorsetshire. History of the Anglo-Saxons, Vol. I. p. 103, 4.

At length, however, this peace terminated, and offensive warfare was renewed, as already noticed, in the year 552. Kenric, the son of Cerdic, and his successor in the West Saxon monarchy, once more passed the frontiers of his dominions; and, marching over the Downs, threatened Sorbiodunum, or Old Sarum.* Aware of the importance of that fortress, the British army immediately took up a position to secure its safety; but Arthur had long before then paid the debt of nature, and seems to have carried with him to the grave the mystic charm of victory which accompanied his person. The Britons fought with their usual intrepidity, and though defeated by the superior discipline of the Saxons, their conduct did not tarnish the ancient glory they had acquired, To verify this circumstance, it is only neces sary to observe that, notwithstanding the capture of Sorbiodunum immediately following their victory, the Saxons took no less than four years to advance to "Beranbyrig," or Barbury Castle, in the vicinity of Marlborough, where another decisive battle was fought, in which fortune again favoured the invaders; and Wiltshire, in consequence, became incorporated in the kingdom of Wessex.†

After the death of Kenric, his son Ceaulin succeeded to the throne. This prince, like his predecessors, delighted in war, and carried his conquests a considerable way beyond the limits of his original dominions. In the midst of his career of glory, however,

he

• Whitaker. Hist. Manch. Vol. II. p. 75. Hen. Huntingdon. Hist. Savile, Rer. Angl. Script. p. 314.

↑ Whitaker. Hist. Manch. ubi supra. Hen. Huntingdon. Hist. ubi supra. The question concerning the northern boundary of Wessex is no less involved in obscurity than that concerning the limits of the Belgic dominions. Camden regarded the Wansdyke as a Saxon work, formed to separate the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex; and seems to think that no part of Wiltshire, lying to the north of it, was ever included in the latter. Whitaker, on the other hand, appears to embrace the opinion that it comprehended the whole of Wiltshire; and this idea certainly receives considerable support from the statement of some of the ancient writers. Gough's Camden. Whit. Hist. Manch Vol. II. p. 91. Wm. Malmsbury, Savile. Rer. Ang. p, 249.