The Count of the Saxon Shore by Alfred John Church
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Count of the Saxon Shore by Alfred John Church This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license Title: The Count of the Saxon Shore Author: Alfred John Church Release Date: October 31, 2013 [Ebook 44083] Language: English ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COUNT OF THE SAXON SHORE*** ii The Count of the Saxon Shore THE BURNING OF THE VILLA. The COUNT of the SAXON SHORE or The Villa in VECTIS ATALE OF THE DEPARTURE OF THE ROMANS FROM BRITAIN BY THE REV. ALFRED J. CHURCH, M.A. Author of “Stories from Homer” WITH THE COLLABORATION OF RUTH PUTNAM iv The Count of the Saxon Shore Fifth Thousand London SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED 38 GREAT RUSSELL STREET Entered at Stationers’ Hall By SEELEY & CO. COPYRIGHT BY G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS, 1887 (For the United States of America). PREFACE. “Count of the Saxon Shore” was a title bestowed by Maximian (colleague of Diocletian in the Empire from 286 to 305 A.D.) on the officer whose task it was to protect the coasts of Britain and Gaul from the attacks of the Saxon pirates. It appears to have existed down to the abandonment of Britain by the Romans. So little is known from history about the last years of the Roman occupation that the writer of fiction has almost a free hand. In this story a novel, but, it is hoped, not an improbable, view is taken of an important event—the withdrawal of the legions. This is commonly assigned to the year 410, when the Emperor Honorius formally withdrew the Imperial protection from Britain. But the usurper Constantine had actually removed the British army two years before; and, as he was busied with the conquest of Gaul and Spain for a considerable time after, it is not likely that they were ever sent back. A. J. C. R. P. CONTENTS. Preface . vi Contents . vii List of Illustrations . viii I. A British Cæsar . .1 II. An Election . .9 III. A Prize . 15 IV. The Villa in the Island . 23 V. Carna . 33 VI. The Saxon . 40 VII. A Pretender’s Difficulties . 50 VIII. The News in the Camp . 60 IX. The Departure of the Legions . 68 X. Dangers Ahead . 78 XI. The Priest’s Demand . 84 XII. Lost . 90 XIII. What Does it Mean? . 98 XIV. The Pursuit . 104 XV. The Pursuit (continued) . 110 XVI. The Great Temple . 118 XVII. The British Village . 125 XVIII. The Picts . 131 XIX. The Siege . 139 XX. Cedric in Trouble . 149 XXI. The Escape . 156 XXII. A Visitor . 162 XXIII. The Stranger’s Story . 169 XXIV. News from Italy . 177 XXV. Consultation . 186 XXVI. Farewell! . 193 viii The Count of the Saxon Shore XXVII. Martianus . 196 XXVIII. A Rival . 203 XXIX. An Unexpected Arrival . 211 XXX. At Last . 221 Transcriber’s Note . 225 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. The Burning of the Villa . ii Constantine elected Emperor . 13 The Panther and the Saxon Pirate . 21 Cedric at the Forge . 42 Javelin throwing . 56 The Departure of the Legions . 75 British Conspirators . 82 The Capture of Carna . 94 The Sacrifice . 120 Cedric and the Pict . 142 Cedric’s Fury . 154 Cedric’s Escape . 161 Claudian’s Tale . 170 The Count receiving the letter of Honorius . 183 Carna and Martianus . 200 Carna on the Hillside . 220 [1] THE COUNT OF THE SAXON SHORE. CHAPTER I. A BRITISH CÆSAR. “Hail! Cæsar Emperor, the starving salute thee!”1 and the speaker made a military salute to a silver coin, evidently brand- new from the mint (which did not seem, by the way, to turn out very good work), and bearing the superscription, “Gratianus Cæsar Imperator Felicissimus.” He was a soldier of middle age, whose jovial face did not show any sign of the fate which he professed to have so narrowly escaped, and formed one of a group which was lounging about the Quæstorium, or, as we may put it, the paymaster’s office of the camp at the head of the Great Harbour.2 A very curious medley of nationalities was that group. [2] There were Gauls; there were Germans from the Rhine bank, some of them of the pure Teuton type, with fair complexions, bright blue eyes, and reddish golden hair, and remarkably tall of 1 A reference to the well-known salutation of the gladiators as they passed the Emperor in his seat at the Public Games. “Ave Cæsar Imperator! Morituri te salutant.” Hail! Cæsar Emperor, the doomed to death salute thee. 2 Now known all over the world as Portsmouth Harbour. 2 The Count of the Saxon Shore stature, others showing an admixture of the Celtic blood of their Gallic neighbours in their dark hair and hazel eyes; there were swarthy Spaniards, fierce-looking men from the Eastern Adriatic, showing some signs of Greek parentage in their regular features and graceful figures; there were two or three who seemed to have an admixture of Asian or even African blood in them; it might be said, in fact, there were representatives of every province of the Empire, Italy only excepted. They had been just receiving their pay, long in arrear, and now considerably short of the proper amount, and containing not a few coins which the receivers seemed to think of doubtful value. “Let me look at his Imperial Majesty,” said another speaker; and he scanned the features of the new Cæsar—features never very dignified, and certainly not flattered by the rude coinage—with something like contempt. “Well, he does not look exactly as a Cæsar should; but what does it matter? This will go down with Rufus at the wine-shop and Priscus the sausage-seller, as well as the head of the great Augustus himself.” [3] “Ah!” said a third speaker, picking out from a handful of silver a coin which bore the head of Theodosius, “this was an Emperor worth fighting under. I made my first campaign with him against Maximus, another British Cæsar, by the way; and he was every inch a soldier. If his son were like him3 things would be smoother than they are.” “Do you think,” said the second speaker, after first throwing a cautious glance to see whether any officer of rank was in hearing—“do you think we have made a change for the better from Marcus?4 He at all events used to be more liberal with his money than his present majesty. You remember he gave us ten silver pieces each. Now we don’t even get our proper pay.” 3 Honorius and Arcadius, who ruled over the Western and Eastern Empires respectively, were the weak sons of the vigorous Theodosius. 4 Marcus was the first of three usurpers successively saluted Emperor by the legions of Britain. I. A British Cæsar 3 “Marcus, my dear fellow,” said the other speaker, “had a full military chest to draw upon, and it was not difficult to be generous. Gratianus has to squeeze every denarius out of the citizens. I heard them say, when the money came into the camp yesterday, that it was a loan from the Londinium merchants. I wonder what interest they will get, and when they will see the principal again.” “Hang the fat rascals!” said the other. “Why should they sleep [4] soft, and eat and drink the best of everything, while we poor soldiers, who keep them and their money-bags safe, have to go bare and hungry?” “Come, come, comrades,” interrupted the first soldier who had spoken; “no more grumbling, or some of us will find the centurion after us with his vine-sticks.” The group broke up, most of them making the best of their way to spend some of their unaccustomed riches at the wine- shop, a place from which they had lately kept an enforced absence. Three or four of the number, however, who seemed, from a sign that passed between them, to have some secret understanding, remained in close conversation—a conversation which they carried on in undertones, and which they adjourned to one of the tents to finish without risk of being disturbed or overheard. The camp in which our story opens was a square enclosure, measuring some five hundred yards each way, and surrounded by a massive wall, not less than four feet in thickness, in the construction of which stone, brick, and tile had, in Roman fashion, been used together. The defences were completed by strong towers of a rounded shape, which had been erected at frequent intervals. The camp had, as usual, its four gates. That which opened upon the sea—for the sea washed the southern [5] front—was famous in military tradition as the gate by which the second legion had embarked to take part in the Jewish War and the famous siege of Jerusalem. Vespasian, who had 4 The Count of the Saxon Shore begun in Britain the great career which ended in the throne, had experienced its valour and discipline in more than one campaign,5 and had paid it the high compliment of making a special request for its services when he was appointed to conduct what threatened to be a formidable war. This glorious recollection was proudly cherished in the camp, though more than three centuries had passed, changing as they went the aspect of the camp, till it looked at least as much like a town as a military post.