Beric the Briton | Page 3

does
from the Romans. We live in towns, and if our houses are rude they are
solid. We no longer depend solely on the chase, but till the ground and
have our herds of cattle. I daresay there were many of our ancestors
who set themselves as much against the Gaulish customs as you do
against those of the Romans; but we adopted them, and benefited by
them, and though I would exult in seeing the last Roman driven from
our land, I should like after their departure to see us adopt what is good
and orderly and decent in their customs and laws."
Beric's companion growled a malediction upon everything Roman.
"There is one thing certain," he said after a pause, "either they must go
altogether, not only here but everywhere--they must learn, as our
ancestors taught them at their two first invasions, that it is hopeless to
conquer Britain--or they will end by being absolute masters of the
island, and we shall be their servants and slaves."
"That is true enough," Beric agreed; "but to conquer we must be united,
and not only united but steadfast. Of course I have learned much of

them while I have been with them. I have come to speak their language,
and have listened to their talk. It is not only the Romans who are here
whom we have to defeat, it is those who will come after them. The
power of Rome is great; how great we cannot tell, but it is wonderful
and almost inconceivable. They have spread over vast countries,
reducing peoples everywhere under their dominion. I have seen what
they call maps showing the world as far as they know it, and well nigh
all has been conquered by them; but the farther away from Rome the
more difficulty have they in holding what they have conquered.
"That is our hope here; we are very far from Rome. They may send
army after army against us, but in time they will get weary of the loss
and expense when there is so little to gain, and as after their first
invasions a long time elapsed before they again troubled us, so in the
end they may abandon a useless enterprise. Even now the Romans
grumble at what they call their exile, but they are obstinate and
tenacious, and to rid our land of them for good it would be necessary
for us not only to be united among ourselves when we rise against them,
but to remain so, and to oppose with our whole force the fresh armies
they will bring against us.
"You know how great the difficulties will be, Boduoc; we want one
great leader whom all the tribes will follow, just as all the Roman
legions obey one general; and what chance is there of such a man
arising--a man so great, so wise, so brave, that all the tribes of Britain
will lay aside their enmities and jealousies, and submit themselves to
his absolute guidance?"
"If we wait for that, Beric, we may wait for ever," Boduoc said in a
sombre tone, "at any rate it is not while we are tranquil under the
Roman heel that such a man could show himself. If he is to come to the
front it must be in the day of battle. Then, possibly, one chief may rise
so high above his fellows that all may recognize his merits and agree to
follow him."
"That is so," Beric agreed; "but is it possible that even the greatest hero
should find support from all? Cassivelaunus was betrayed by the
Trinobantes. Who could have united the tribes more than the sons of
Cunobeline, who reigned over well nigh all Britain, and who was a
great king ruling wisely and well, and doing all in his power to raise
and advance the people; and yet, when the hour came, the kingdom

broke up into pieces. Veric, the chief of the Cantii, went to Rome and
invited the invader to aid him against his rivals at home, and not a man
of the Iceni or the Brigantes marched to the aid of Caractacus and
Togodamnus. What wonder, then, that these were defeated. Worse than
all, when Caractacus was driven a fugitive to hide among the Brigantes,
did not their queen, Cartismandua, hand him over to the Romans?
Where can we hope to find a leader more fitted to unite us than was
Caractacus, the son of the king whom we all, at least, recognized and
paid tribute to; a prince who had learned wisdom from a wise father, a
warrior enterprising, bold, and indomitable--a true patriot?
"If Caractacus could not unite us, what hope is there of finding another
who would do so? Moreover, our position is far worse now than it was