on the ruin of britain-第5节

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should　occupy　the　country　to　which　they　were　sailing　three　hundred
years；　and　half　of　that　time；　a　hundred　and　fifty　years；　should
plunder　and　despoil　the　same。　　They　first　landed　on　the　eastern
side　of　the　island；　by　the　invitation　of　the　unlucky　king；　and
there　fixed　their　sharp　talons；　apparently　to　fight　in　favour　of
the　island；　but　alas！　more　truly　against　it。　　Their　mother…land；
finding　her　first　brood　thus　successful；　sends　forth　a　larger
company　of　her　wolfish　offspring；　which　sailing　over；　join
themselves　to　their　bastard…born　comrades。　　From　that　time　the
germ　of　iniquity　and　the　root　of　contention　planted　their　poison
amongst　us；　as　we　deserved；　and　shot　forth　into　leaves　and　branches。
the　barbarians　being　thus　introduced　as　soldiers　into　the　island；
to　encounter；　as　they　falsely　said；　any　dangers　in　defence　of
their　hospitable　entertainers；　obtain　an　allowance　of　provisions；
which；　for　some　time　being　plentifully　bestowed；　stopped　their
doggish　mouths。　　Yet　they　complain　that　their　monthly　supplies
are　not　furnished　in　sufficient　abundance；　and　they　industriously
aggravate　each　occasion　of　quarrel；　saying　that　unless　more
liberality　is　shown　them；　they　will　break　the　treaty　and　plunder
the　whole　island。　　In　a　short　time；　they　follow　up　their　threats
with　deeds。

24。　For　the　fire　of　vengeance；　justly　kindled　by　former　crimes；
spread　from　sea　to　sea；　fed　by　the　hands　of　our　foes　in　the　east；
and　did　not　cease；　until；　destroying　the　neighbouring　towns　and
lands；　it　reached　the　other　side　of　the　island；　and　dipped　its
red　and　savage　tongue　in　the　western　ocean。　　In　these　assaults；
therefore；　not　unlike　that　of　the　Assyrian　upon　Judea；　was　fulfilled
in　our　case　what　the　prophet　describes　in　words　of　lamentation；
〃They　have　burned　with　fire　the　sanctuary；　they　have　polluted　on
earth　the　tabernacle　of　thy　name。〃　　And　again；　〃O　God；　the　gentiles
have　come　into　thine　inheritance；　thy　holy　temple　have　they
defiled；〃　&c。　　So　that　all　the　columns　were　levelled　with　the
ground　by　the　frequent　strokes　of　the　battering…ram；　all　the
husbandmen　routed；　together　with　their　bishops；　priests；　and
people；　whilst　the　sword　gleamed；　and　the　flames　crackled　around
them　on　every　side。　　Lamentable　to　behold；　in　the　midst　of　the
streets　lay　the　tops　of　lofty　towers；　tumbled　to　the　ground；　stones
of　high　walls；　holy　altars；　fragments　of　human　bodies；　covered
with　livid　clots　of　coagulated　blood；　looking　as　if　they　had
been　squeezed　together　in　a　press；*　and　with　no　chance　of　being
buried；　save　in　the　ruins　of　the　houses；　or　in　the　ravening
bellies　of　wild　beasts　and　birds；　with　reverence　be　it　spoken
for　their　blessed　souls；　if；　indeed；　there　were　many　found　who
were　carried；　at　that　time；　into　the　high　heaven　by　the　holy
angels。　　So　entirely　had　the　vintage；　once　so　fine；　degenerated
and　become　bitter；　that；　in　the　words　of　the　prophet；　there　was
hardly　a　grape　or　ear　of　corn　to　be　seen　where　the　husbandman
had　turned　his　back。

25。　Some　therefore；　of　the　miserable　remnant；　being　taken　in
the　mountains；　were　murdered　in　great　numbers；　others；　constrained
by　famine；　came　and　yielded　themselves　to　be　slaves　for　ever　to
their　foes；　running　the　risk　of　being　instantly　slain；　which　truly
was　the　greatest　favour　that　could　be　offered　them：　some　others
passed　beyond　the　seas　with　loud　lamentations　instead　of　the　voice
of　exhortation。　　〃Thou　hast　given　us　as　sheep　to　be　slaughtered；
and　among　the　Gentiles　hast　thou　dispersed　us。〃　　Others；　committing
the　safeguard　of　their　lives；　which　were　in　continual　jeopardy；
to　the　mountains；　precipices；　thickly　wooded　forests；　and　to　the
rocks　of　the　seas　（albeit　with　trembling　hearts）；　remained　still
in　their　country。　　But　in　the　meanwhile；　an　opportunity　happening；
when　these　most　cruel　robbers　were　returned　home；　the　poor　remnants
of　our　nation　（to　whom　flocked　from　divers　places　round　about　our
miserable　countrymen　as　fast　as　bees　to　their　hives；　for　fear　of
an　ensuing　storm）；　being　strengthened　by　God；　calling　upon　him
with　all　their　hearts；　as　the　poet　says；〃With　their　unnumbered
vows　they　burden　heaven；〃　that　they　might　not　be　brought　to　utter
destruction；　took　arms　under　the　conduct　of　Ambrosius　Aurelianus；
a　modest　man；　who　of　all　the　Roman　nation　was　then　alone　in　the
confusion　of　this　troubled　period　by　chance　left　alive。　　His
parents；　who　for　their　merit　were　adorned　with　the　purple；　had
been　slain　in　these　same　broils；　and　now　his　progeny　in　these
our　days；　although　shamefully　degenerated　from　the　worthiness
of　their　ancestors；　provoke　to　battle　their　cruel　conquerors；
and　by　the　goodness　of　our　Lord　obtain　the　victory。

26。　After　this；　sometimes　our　countrymen；　sometimes　the　enemy；
won　the　field；　to　the　end　that　our　Lord　might　in　this　land　try
after　his　accustomed　manner　these　his　Israelites；　whether　they
loved　him　or　not；　until　the　year　of　the　siege　of　Bath…hill；　when
took　place　also　the　last　almost；　though　not　the　least　slaughter
of　our　cruel　foes；　which　was　（as　I　am　sure）　forty…four　years　and
one　month　after　the　landing　of　the　Saxons；　and　also　the　time　of
my　own　nativity。　　And　yet　neither　to　this　day　are　the　cities　of
our　country　inhabited　as　before；　but　being　forsaken　and　overthrown；
still　lie　desolate；　our　foreign　wars　having　ceased；　but　our　civil
troubles　still　remaining。　　For　as　well　the　remembrance　of　such
terrible　desolation　of　the　island；　as　also　of　the　unexpected
recovery　of　the　same；　remained　in　the　minds　of　those　who　were
eyewitnesses　of　the　wonderful　events　of　both；　and　in　regard
thereof；　kings；　public　magistrates；　and　private　persons；　with
priests　and　clergymen；　did　all　and　every　one　of　them　live　orderly
according　to　their　several　vocations。　　But　when　these　had　departed
out　of　this　world；　and　a　new　race　succeeded；　who　were　ignorant
of　this　troublesome　time；　and　had　only　experience　of　the　present
prosperity；　all　the　laws　of　truth　and　justice　were　so　shaken　and
subverted；　that　not　so　much　as　a　vestige　or　remembrance　of　these
virtues　remained　among　the　above…named　orders　of　men；　except　among
a　very　few　who；　compared　with　the　great　multitude　which　were
daily　rushing　headlong　down　to　hell；　are　accounted　so　small　a
number；　that　our　reverend　mother；　the　church；　scarcely　beholds
them；　her　only　true　children；　reposing　in　her　bosom；　whose
worthy　lives；　being　a　pattern　to　al　men；　and　beloved　of　God；
inasmuch　as　by　their　holy　prayers；　as　by　certain　pillars　and　most
profitable　supporters；　our　infirmity　is　sustained　up；　that　it　may
not　utterly　be　broken　down；　I　would　have　no　one　suppose　I　intended
to　reprove；　if　forced　by　the　increasing　multitude　of　offences；
I　have　freely；　aye；　with　anguish；　not　so　much　declared　as　bewailed
the　wickedness　of　those　who　are　become　servants；　not　only　to　their
bellies；　but　also　to　the　devil　rather　than　to　Christ；　who　is　our
blessed　God；　world　without　end。





End