these Presidents subsequently abused their power, and offended the natives, the Emperor Hadrian abridged their authority, by an edict passed about A. D. 131. Another Roman governor was the Imperial Procurator, who received and conducted the revenues, and sometimes acted as a spy between the Provincial Governor and the Emperor. When they agreed together, however, they oppressed the colonists, and alike defrauded the Emperor and the State. When Constantine established a Prefect in Gaul, he instituted, under him, an officer called the Vicar of Britain, whose authority extended over all the Roman provinces. His residence was chiefly in London, where he had a court, with numerous officers; and to him might appeals be made from Provincial Governors, and from him to the Prefect of Gaul. He was entitled His Excellence, and his official badge was a book of instructions in a green cover, with the triangular form of the island, and five castles representing its provinces. Until the time of Severus, the Roman possessions in Britain formed only one province, but about A. D. 208, he divided them into two, and at length, when they comprised the whole tract of country lying between the two walls, they were parted into the five following: 1. Flavia Cæsariensis, extending from the Land's-end in Cornwall to the North Foreland in Kent, and comprising six nations and ten modern counties. 2. Britannia Prima, enclosed by the Thames, the British Ocean, the Humber, and the Severn; it comprised five nations and seventeen modern counties. 3. Britannia Secunda, enclosed by the Bristol Channel and the Severn, St George's Channel, the Irish Sea and Britannia Prima; it comprehended four nations and eighteen of the western counties. 4. Maxima Cæsariensis, enclosed by the Humber, the German Ocean, the Irish Sea, and the Wall of Severus; it contained two nations and five of the northern modern counties. 5. Valentia, the most Northern Province of Britain, established by Theodosius A. D. 369, and called in honour of the Emperor Valens. It contained all the country between the Walls of Severus and Antoninus Pius, which was inhabited by several British nations. Over each of these provinces were established governors, courts, and officers; the northern two being of Consular dignity, but the others were only entitled Presidents. In this subdued state, the Britons had their arms taken from them; and such of their youth as were fit for war, were impressed and sent over to the continent. But the better to secure their conquests, the Romans erected numerous fortresses in the most advantageous parts of the island, filling them with soldiers, and maintaining a strong standing army, which was a great oppression to the inhabitants. Indeed, in the greatest of their power, it is supposed to have consisted of 19,200 foot and 1700 horse. The British taxes raised by the Romans, appear to have been readily paid, whilst they were humanely and equitably levied. A duty on grain, however, they were frequently obliged to carry to a considerable distance, to places appointed for its reception; but this was remitted by Agricola in the very first year of his government, about A. D. 78. It is supposed, however, that as much corn was still collected as might be sufficient for the army, a certain sum being taken for the remainder. The Britons also paid a tax for their orchards, which was of greater amount, from there being less labour in the cultivation; and a fifth of the produce was generally exacted. On pasture-lands was an imposition called Scriptura, for the payment of which, the owners had sometimes to sell their cattle, or procure the aid of the wealthy Romans. Seneca, alone, is reported to have lent the Britons 320,000l. on such occasions; which being rigorously demanded when they were unable to pay, was one of the principal causes of Boadicea's revolt, in A. D. 61. It is also supposed, that certain pasture-lands were appropriated for the forage of the Roman soldiers. The speech of Queen Boadicea to the Britons, before her fatal battle with Suetonius, notices other taxes imposed by the Romans. "Have they not deprived us," said she, "of our most valuable possessions, and do we not pay grievous taxes for what is left? Besides all those heavy impositions on our estates and goods, are not our persons taxed? Do we not pay for the very heads on our shoulders? and Why should I dwell on the exactions from those who are living? Even the dead are oppressed with taxes; for you all know that we are forced to pay for the bodies of our deceased friends." Such was the Roman policy to keep this nation in a subdued state; and it is not at all improbable, that the numerous provincial duties laid on houses, pillars, hearths, &c., were at some period or other imposed in Britain. The effect of this government was fatal to the country, since it overthrew its ancient customs, expatriated its youth, and left it, A. D. 421, in ignorance of arms, open to its rapacious foes, in a state worse than even its servitude. The common miseries of the inhabitants, obliged them, in some degree, to restore their former government; but they were either unhappy in their choice of kings, er so capricious as to dethrone them, and elect others who were worse. At this time, A. D. 422, they were invaded by the Scots and Picts, when they summoned a general council, in which Vortigern, Prince of the Silures, who appears to have had the principal sway, advised the calling in of the Saxons, who soon after completed the ruin of the British nation. 2. Anglo-Saxon Government, Constitution and Laws.-The Cyning, or King, who was at the head of the polity of this nation, had a real and regal rank and power, which elevated him far above his subjects, in wealth, influence, and authority, though he was equally removed from absolute despotism. Like the British chiefs, however, the Saxon sovereigns appear originally to have been War-Kings, whose dignity was conferred on them for life; for the office of Cyning was bestowed by election of the Witenagemote, or General Council, which, in some degree, had the power of controlling him. In electing their Prince, the members of this assembly generally observed the natural order of succession, though they sometimes departed from it, and gave the crown to a collateral descendant. At the Cyning's Coronation, before he was anointed or crowned, he promised his subjects, in the name of Christ, to preserve the Church of God and Christian people in true peace; to forbid rapacity and all iniquities in every condition, and to command equity and mercy in all judgments. This oath was taken by Ethelred II. in 978, and is supposed to be the oldest now extant: the ceremonies used at the inauguration of the Anglo-Saxon and English Sovereigns, will be found described in Mr Arthur Taylor's Glory of Regality, Lond. 1820, 8vo; and in Mr Turner's excellent History of the Anglo-Saxons, vol. iii. pp. 147-152, from which work the present sketch of their constitution is principally abstracted. It is probable that the privileges and prerogatives of the ancient Anglo-Saxon Cynings were procured by their intellect, their valour, or their virtue; since as generals of the nation, they possessed little more than military command. The establishment of Christianity was also the establishment of the throne; and in the year 600, in the laws of Æthelbert, the first baptized sovereign in England, offences against the Cyning are estimated -by that peculiarity of the Saxon law which set a pecuniary value upon every person, to be about four times the worth of a forfeiture to an Eorle, and nine times the amount to be paid to a Ceorl, or countryman. He also received a certain mulct, paid for misdemeanours, and his style was regal, like that of succeeding sovereigns; as, " I, Ina, King of the West-Saxons," about A. D. 688; "I Æthelbald, by divine dispensation, King of the Mercians, in A. D. 716. The Popes, too, occasionally addressed them by the titles of "your glory, "most glorious, your highness," and your excellency." The precincts of the royal 66 " 99 66 |