what hard and stern spirit, and a strong feeling of patriotism; they were not a refined, sensitive, artistic, literary people, like the ancient Greeks; their spirit of enterprise and ambition did not, as in the modern English, take the channel of commerce; but they became the greatest race of conquerors, and rulers, and civilizers of men which the world ever saw. At the end of the period which we have mentioned, these simple, virtuous, hardy, enterprising, patriotic, ambitious Romans, began to wage wars of conquest against their neighbours; and gradually, by the end of 200 years, they had conquered all Italy. After that they came into collision with the great rival state of Carthage, and became engaged in a life and death struggle with it, which extended over 116 years. The end of the contest was that Rome triumphed, and Carthage was destroyed. At this very time its ruins are being explored, and its interesting remains are being brought to England, to be placed in the British Museum. When the Romans had recovered from this great struggle, they soon began again their career of conquest, and gradually, during the next 100 years, made themselves masters of Greece, Southern Gaul, Spain, and parts of Africa and of Asia. strangers came to visit Britain. The set to work earnestly to civilise it; to British chiefs and wealthy men began to introduce the language and manners of introduce the arts and manners and dress the Roman people, and all the useful and customs of the Romans: one striking and ornamental arts with which they were token of the change and progress which acquainted. We have seen that after now took place is that the British kings Casar's brief invasions the great men now, for the first time, began to coin among the Britons adopted the Roman money, and many of their coins remain to civilisation; the same thing took place this day. after its conquest, on a greater scale. The For nearly one hundred years, during Romans constructed noble highways and the rest of the reign of Julius, and convenient cross roads throughout the through the reigns of the Emperors island; they founded and built many great Augustus and Tiberius, the Britons thus cities, and the vast and luxurious villas of continued really independent, though pay- the great landed proprietors were scattered ing tribute to Rome, and cultivating the over the country; they established manufriendship of that powerful empire. During factures, worked the mines, promoted this period the empire itself was being ex-commerce, introduced the fine arts; and tended and consolidated, until Rome had the better classes of the Britons adopted become the undisputed mistress of all all this new civilisation; dressed like the southern Europe, northern Africa, and Romans, spoke the Latin language, were western Asia, in short, of the whole of the educated like Romans, intermarried with then civilised world. Romans, in short, became themselves The next Roman emperor, Caligula, Romans. And the Roman troops who conceived the idea of gaining renown by occupied the island (in number, about the conquest of Britain. He marched at 20,000 infantry, and 1,700 cavalry) far the head of an army to the coast of Gaul, from being really natives of Rome or even but instead of embarking to cross the of Italy, were in great part as little or less channel, he bade his troops fill their hands Roman than these Romanized Britons. with the shells on the seashore, and then The city of Rome, even the land of Italy, led them back to Rome to triumph over could not supply the troops which were what he was pleased to style "the spoils required to garrison the world-wide empire About fifty-five years before the birth of the ocean." But his successor Claudius of Rome. The emperors raised great of our Lord, Julius Caesar was one of set to work in earnest to accomplish the bodies of auxiliary troops, just as we have the most powerful of the Roman citizens, conquest which his predecessor had pro- a native army in India; but they were careand he was already pursuing the schemes jected and then shrunk from; and his first ful to remove these troops from their own of personal ambition, which at last made armies landed in Britain in the year him master of the State. Having finished 43, A.D. We do not propose to go through the conquest of Gaul, he made military the history of the conquest, which would expeditions into Germany and into Britain only leave on the mind the soon forgotten -partly to punish them for having given names of a number of British princes and help to the Gauls, and partly in preparation Roman generals, in whom our readers for further conquests in those countries. would take but little interest, and a conWe shall not dwell upon the history of fused notion of many marchings and Julius Caesar's invasions of Britain, because counter marchings, successes and defeats, their results were not lasting. He made which are not very intelligible even when his first expedition in the year 55 B.C., and most carefully studied. Let it suffice to though he found the native Britons fine say, that the conquest was not an easy stalwart and courageous men, who offered one, and took forty years to finish; the a brave resistance to the invaders, yet his Romans met with an obstinate resistance; disciplined troops defeated them in several the conquered tribes were continually battles, and made them sue for peace. This breaking out into fresh efforts to throw off vians, Hungarians, Gauls, Dalmatians, was granted, and Cæsar re-embarked his the yoke, and sometimes inflicted heavy troops and returned to Gaul, after a cam-reverses upon their enemies; and it was not paign of five weeks. The next year he until the year 84, A.D. that the conquest of invaded the Island again on a larger scale. the island was completed. We pass over The various British nations in the south- the history of these forty years of war, in east of the Island united for defence under order to have space to devote to the more the most powerful of the chiefs, whose native important and profitable subject of the name the Romans latinized into Cassivel-progress which Britain made under the launus. The Britons made a brave resist- Roman rule in civilisation and the arts of ance, but could not successfully oppose the veteran troops of Rome, commanded by one of the greatest generals that the world has ever seen. At length they again made their submission, acknowledged themselves tributary to Rome, and gave hostages; and Cæsar the second time re-embarked all his troops and returned to the continent. life. The common notion is, that the Romans held only military occupation of Britain by means of armies and fortresses scattered over the land, something in the same way that we Britons now hold India; that the people continued in their native semibarbarism, as the Jews, in gospel times After this the Britons were not dis- under their Roman governors, continued to turbed by the Romans again till near one have their own laws, language and manhundred years later; but these invasions of ners, or, as in our day the Hindoos, under Cæsar had some effect upon them. Britain our own rule, continue to retain their nahad been hitherto, almost unknown to the tional character; and that the occupying civilised world; these invasions opened up troops were sent from Italy to hold the these islands to the rest of the world, and land, just as our soldiers are sent to India introduced to the Britons a knowledge of to keep it under. All this is erroneous. the civilisation of Rome. We find that As soon as the conquest of the Britons began to make visits to Rome, and island was completed the conquerors country to garrison some other of the conquered provinces, just as Austria used to employ Hungarian troops in her Italian provinces, and Italian troops in Hungary. Thus we find Hungarians at Dover, Gauls at Lymne, Spaniards at Pevensey, Belgians at Reculver, Germans at Burgh Castle in Norfolk, Dalmatians at Broughton in Lincolnshire, a people from the Danube at Doncaster, Cicilians at Greta Bridge in Yorkshire, and Portuguese at Pierce Bridge; and at the fortresses and along the rampart of the Roman wall, between the Solway Frith and Wallsend, we find (among others) Belgians, Spaniards, BataDacians, and Moors. On the other hand, we find British auxiliary troops stationed in Egypt, Armenia, Spain, Illyrium, Germany, Gaul, Italy, and on the Rhine. Morcover these troops were not constantly moved from station to station, as our own troops are moved about among our colonies and possessions; there is evidence that these troops occupied the same stations for many years, and doubtless they had been accompanied, in the first instance, by wives, children, relatives, and others of their country folk, and, in short, formed so many foreign colonies, set down permanently in the land, much as we lately tried to establish a military colony of Germans on the frontiers of our possessions at the Cape of Good Hope. Even the legions, the troops of the line, who in theory were specially Roman, were in reality, in Britain, recruited to a great extent not from Italy but from Germany. In fact, from the period of its complete conquest in 84, A.D., down to the time when the Roman Emperor withdrew his troops and his government in 410, that is for a space of 326 years, we must look upon Britain as a portion of the Roman empire, following the customs, speaking the language, ruled by the laws, sharing the privileges of the Romans; its cities great, and built after the Roman manner, adorned with temples, baths, basilicas (or courts of justice), theatres, amphitheatres, and all the other public buildings usually found in Roman cities; its lands extensively and well cultivated; the peasantry only, perhaps, retaining much of their old manners and language, as they do through all political and social revolutions. This description will especially apply to the southern and eastern parts of the island; in the northern and western, the social revolution seems to have been less decided, the people of all ranks in the country districts retaining more of their native habits, and ideas. pose it is necessary to go a little more men of the several occupations were united together into guilds or societies, which they called colleges, having officers of their own, and regulating their respective trades by their own rules, just as the guilds did in the middle ages and in more modern times; indeed, in some trades, the power of the middle-age guilds is hardly yet entirely abolished, they still live in the city companies of London-the Draper's Company, the Grocer's Company, &c.; and the similar companies of provincial towns, as the Cutler's Company of Sheffield, &c.; and the modern Trades Unions are attempts to revive these old guilds. Britain was a province of the Emperor of Rome, and was governed by officers appointed by him. But there were many cities in Britain having municipal rights, which made them, to a great extent, independent of the authority of the Emperor's officials; each city consisted not only of the walled town itself, but of a certain extent of land around it; and they formed so many little self-governing republican states in the midst of the agricultural territory, which But it will need a whole chapter, at was subject to the absolute rule of the some future time, to sketch the history of Emperor. The citizens were obliged to these guilds; we only desire here to point defend their own town, but were not out that they were introduced into England liable to serve as soldiers elsewhere. They together with other Roman institutions, as Now, in these papers, we are not aiming were governed by a constitution, from a part of the municipal institutions, by at giving interesting historical anecdotes which that of our corporate towns is which these free towns were governed in for the amusement of the careless reader, derived. First there were the citizens the internal arrangements of their trade. but are endeavouring to give a sketch of generally; then a senate or town At present we desire only to call special the history of Englishmen, for thoughtful council, partly hereditary, partly elected attention to the existence of these free men who desire to know how England by the citizens; then a number of towns, because they played a very imcame to be the country that it is, and officers elected out of the senate, thus portant part in the after history of the Englishmen the people they are; who have answering to our aldermen; while the chief country, and because they have had a an enlightened desire to know how our magistracy, sometimes committed to one mighty influence upon the growth of our laws and liberties, and constitution and man, was more usually divided between political institutions and our national customs have grown, and how our national two, so that these corporations had a pair character. character has been formed. For this pur- of mayors. In these cities, also, the crafts THIS singular and very striking animal belongs to the order of edentuta, or toothless quadrupeds. Earlier in the world's history animals of this class were numer ous, especially in the tropical forests of America. Few are now found except the sloth, the armadillo, and the anteater, which in external shape is most unlike either of its cousins. This curious creature measures nearly five feet in length. The mouth is SO small as to be scarcely visible. Having no teeth the anteater is provided with a long snake-like slimy tongue, with which it gathers up the small insects on which it dines. Its strong hooked claws serve, like four-pronged mattocks, to scratch up the anthills. When the animal walks these talons are folded up under the soles of the feet, making him look as if he had rheumatism in his fore-legs, as he THE GREAT AMERICAN ANT-EATER. (To be continued.) awaking, put forth its long .snipe-like head, uncoil its droop ing tail, raise itself upon its pillar-like legs, and send out its slender tongue 16 to 18 inches in search of food. In the whole structure of this strange creature we see a marvellous fitness for its appointed task. namely, to keep down the everincreasing numbers of insects, which, in the warm climates of the South American forests, would, if unchecked, devour all the fruits provided for the food of man. The colour of this animal is brown washed with grey on the head and face, and interspersed with pure white hairs on the head, body, and tail. The throat is black, and a long triangular black mark arises from the throat, and passes obliquely over the shoulders. There are four toes on the fore-feet, and five on the hinder. The eye of this stands on the padded edge of his awkward paws. | tail conceals his head and limbs, and in that state he | creature has a peculiar and indescribably cunning When he takes his rest he rolls himself up like closely resembles a huge muff. It is a most curious expression. The ant-eater possesses considerable a hedgehog or a woodlouse, the long hair of his sight to see this ball of silky hair unroll itself on grasping power in the toes of its fore-limbs. THE FELLOW TRAVELLERS. dent CANY A LASTING friendship travel day by day, or week by week In our engraving we see three travellers, has been formed between travellers together, there must be something very who for many a market day have jogged upon the road, and journeyed some distance side by side. But if two persons turnpike. Though differing in age, in habits, in form, and even in nature, they are fast friends. There is no rivalry between them, for each has a peculiar duty to perform, and is not interfered with by the others. Poor Jack bears the burden; gravely and steadily on notwithstanding the cackling and the quacking which never wholly cease, and ring in his ears a perfect Babel of confused tongues, when at each sharp descent of the road the fowls, web footed or spurred, are tossed from one side to the other of their wicker prison. In spite of the clatter, he meditates as he walks; but as no man, however closely allied to the species, ever yet read a donkey's thoughts, we shall not presume to guess the subject of his meditations. Old Trusty has his duty also. He guards the little party. With him by her side the good housewife fears not to cross the lonely common, or to thrid the shady lane. She would, on occasion, leave Jack and his precious burden for ten minutes, with a quiet mind, if Trusty lay with watchful eye guarding him as he grazed. You may see pretty plainly that he is conscious of the trust reposed in him, and means to fulfil it. It is a thoughtful group; for the woman has her duty too. She carries to market the produce of her farm-yard care and diligence: and she feels that it is incumbent on her to make the most she fairly can of her live stock and the contents of her basket, for her husband and her children, and yet leave something for the sick and poor. But it seems to us that her thoughts at this moment go beyond mere market gains. It is not the foresight of a profitable sale which has fixed her eye on some object invisible to the companions of her journey. A living soul beams in that placid face, and shows there the shadowings of thoughts above the world. But a few moments ago a village spire came in sight as she and her two friends emerged from a wooded glen. For seven years the same sight has again and again met her eyes at the same spot; yet still it has not lost its power to shadow her sweet homely face with solemn thoughts, and fix her absent gaze upon some objects invisible to other eyes. You may not now, as years ago, see the silent tear trickle down her face and drop unnoticed on the green sward; but you see plainly that the silent influence of the past is upon her spirit. And, as we are human, we may, without presumption, read for you the woman's thoughts. No wonder, therefore, that a grave and holy thoughtfulness may be seen in her face-not sorrowful nor joyful; but stayed in peace, and ripening towards the fulness of joy. sadness alone remains when she sees that resources and expedients, and accordingly THE LITTLE BARBER. He looked like a respectable tradesman, prepared, as indeed he was, when the time came, to go to church. However, Mr. Johnson simply said that he was come to be shaved. "I am sorry, sir," said Mr. Brooks, "but I cannot shave you." "Why not." "I never do any work on Sundays for money, sir; I never have, and I hope I never shall." This was said very quietly and yet firmly, and Mr. Johnson was not at all more disgusted than he was surprised at his reception. "Now my good fellow," he said, “what in the world do you mean?" 66 Job Johnson-should go to church and exhibit himself generally to the citizens of Exeter for a whole day, and that day Sunday, in an unshaven state! But there was such a look of good humour and sincerity on Mr. Brooks's face when he made this unheard of suggestion, that his startled visitor being himself rather a good-humoured man, found it impossible, though he did his best, to be angry. So he only said A TRUE STORY. Well, sir," the other rejoined, "I only (Continued from page 10.) mean exactly what I say, that I never F COURSE Mr. Johnson arrived slave gentlemen on Sundays. I should rather late at the capital city of be very sorry to lose your custom, sir. If the county of Devon. And luckily you will come to me to-morrow morning, Seven, ten, twelve years ago, that vil- he had nothing to do then, except to I shall be very glad to shave off your lage was Susan's home. There the first get his supper, make himself comfort- two days' beard without any extra charge." five years of her married life were passed, able in his hotel, and go to bed. On Mr. Johnson could scarcely believe his and there her first three little ones were Sunday morning he rose in excellent ears. It was coolly suggested that heborn. But this was not all. Her thoughts spirits and proceeded to dress himself yes, no other than he, the smart and natty are not of life alone, much less of life in with even more than his usual care, before this world, but of life cut short by death, displaying the graces of his figure and the and of life that never ends beyond the tastefulness of his costume to the admiring grave. She thinks of that dark shadowy rustics and citizens of the west. But, week which she and her Edward passed alas! he found to his dismay, that he had, through seven years ago. She sees her in his haste, entirely forgotten to bring sweet boy, her first-born, the loving, his razors. beautiful, too thoughtful child, who had Now it must be remembered that these seemed to her the brightest and purest of events happened long before the war in the all earthly things-the child who might Crimea re-introduced in England the good have been her soul's idol, if He who gave old fashion of allowing hair to grow where had not, in His wisdom, taken to Himself nature intended it to be-on the chins of again His precious gift. She sees her third men. And every man who valued himself born fairy-like baby girl-so happy, so on his personal appearance, which, as was winning, so full of grace. The earthly hinted before, Mr. Job Johnson most beauty was overshadowed; both those surely did, was in those days careful to bright visions of love faded from her and have a clean smooth shaven chin, and two her husband. Six years ago it seemed as clean smooth shaven lips, and to a great if no power of will could close her mind's extent, cheeks also to match. Here was eye against all the sad heart-rending a vexatious circumstance for a smart man visions of that time of sorrow. But now like Mr. Johnson; but happily he was the bitterness of grief has passed. A sweet not only a smart man, but a man of "You don't mean to say that you think there would be any harm in shaving me to-day because it is Sunday?" "I mean to say," Mr. Brooks answered, "that I believe in my Bible, and my Bible tells me that they who keep God's day holy, shall ride on the high places of the Earth.'"* 6 Now Mr. Johnson was not an irreverent *Isaiah lviii., 14. nor an irreligious man, but there was a had spent a good many years at sea, yet and much to tell also from the records of In this way about ten days were passed, and then the friends found themselves in the town of Ilminster. The lawyer was here busier than ever, and Mr. Brooks, after seeing all that was to be seen in the town, strolled out into the neighbouring villages. "Come," at length said Mr. Johnson, One day, when he was in one of these after a long pause in their conversation, villages, he seemed to have a feeling that "I will tell you what you must do. I am it was not altogether new to him. There "Well," said Mr. Brooks, "I do believe going to the neighbourhood of Ilminster was a village green which he thought he the words I have quoted to be true; I be- for a week or a fortnight, as I have some had seen before in his dreams, and a blacklieve they mean that God will take care of little matters of business in that neigh-smith's shop which, somehow or other, he his own people. Don't be angry with me, bourhood which require attention. Now could not help stopping and gazing at for sir, come again to-morrow morning, and II see you know something of that part of some time. The figure of the blacksmith shall be glad to shave you, but to-day I the country, and you understand the seemed also familiar to him, and the little cannot." people much better than I do, and will be man came away with a pretty strong conable, now and then, to help me in my viction that he had found the place where inquiries. Just shut up that little shop of his early years had been past. yours, and come and have a run in the country. You shall shave me every morning, and I will undertake to pay all your expenses, in consideration of the help which I expect to receive from your local knowledge and experience." (To be continued.) THE LAST SUNDAY. Ir was a Sabbath day, the air was bright and cold, I While on a cottage bed, hard by, a Christian child lay thee, For thou wast always a good child, a dear good child, to me." Mr. Brooks at first shrank from this proposal, on the ground that he should lose his custom if his shop were shut up so many days together; but, after a little consideration, he said, "Well, I must confess I think a little run in the country would do me good. I have not been very well lately, and besides, I have rather a fancy to see But little Martha answered quick, though her voice that part of the country. I believe I was was faint and low, "Oh! Mother, do not say I'm good; I am not good, born there, or at least I lived there as a I knowboy, though I went to sea so young that I remember very little about it. But I have some faint recollections of a little village, which I think was near Ilminster; I"Oh! happy child," with swelling heart, the thankful should very much like to find it. And now I think of it, I know a poor man, who would be extremely glad to take charge of my shop for a week or two. He would keep the business together, and it would be quite a charity to him to let him earn a few shillings." Mr. Johnson tried to look put out, but failed. He went away however, crossed the street more slowly than before, and sat down to his breakfast in an unusually thoughtful frame of mind. "Queer little man that," he thought. "But I do think he is honest, and he looks as if he had some brains too. He who keeps God's day holy shall ride on the high places of the earth,' shall he? Well perhaps he's right after all. But it seems preciously absurd too, to hear a poor little miserable barber in a country town, city I should say, talk about riding on the high places of the earth." With such cogitations Mr. Johnson accompanied the discussion of his hot muffins and broiled ham, and the result of all his meditations was one that was extremely astonishing to himself. He made up his mind that, as Mr. Brooks would not shave him, he would not be shaved at all that day. He was rather ashamed and vexed with himself to find the little barber's words had had so much weight with him; and his vexation was further increased when he found that he had made up his mind to go to church twice that day instead of going in the morning, as he had intended, and then having a good stretch, as he called it, into the country, in the afternoon. But strange as it was, and in some degree vexing as it was, he could not get the little man's words out of his head, and he And a very agreeable intelligent and accordingly went twice to church and useful companion Barber Brooks proved spent altogether a quieter and more himself to be. Mr. Johnson became quite Christianlike Sunday than he had done fond of him. The weather was fine, and for some time past. I believe he did not sometimes they went from one village to feel at all more unhappy in consequence; another on foot; sometimes they stayed certainly he did not seem to have any a couple of nights in one village. Now and cause of anger against Mr. Brooks, for the then Mr. Brooks got leave to prove pracnext morning at an early hour, he crossed tically the excellence of the fishing flies over the street, entered the little shop, which he manufactured for the young and finding the barber with his apron anglers of Exeter and the neighbourhood, on, and some hot water all ready stand- while Mr. Johnson was pursuing his ining on the table, he at once sat down quiries, as he usually, though not always, and requested to be shaved. This ope- did, by himself, and the evenings were ration having been accomplished in a always spent in cheerful conversation, highly satisfactory manner, Mr. John- which was equally agreeable to both son began to talk with Mr. Brooks, and parties. The lawyer was eagerly listened could not but acknowledge to himself that to when he spoke of the ways and wonders the foolish little barber, as he tried to call of London, and the strange things that had him in his own mind, was a man of thought- happened under his own observation in the fulness and intelligence a good deal above profession to which he was ardently atwhat could be expected from one in his tached. The barber, on the other hand, station. He found also that though he had many west country stories to recount, So it was settled, and Mr. Job Johnson proceeded on his voyage of discovery, accompanied by the once despised little barber, Herbert Brooks, of Exeter. know I am a sinful child, though I hope to be And that God will find, for Jesus' sake, a place for me forgiven, in Heaven." pastor thought, "To shrink from words of loving praise, by God's own spirit taught. The goodness that we loved in her, she counts it but as dross, And clings with childhood's fearless faith to her dear Saviour's cross." Then the church bells rang out at the accustomed But one seven days before, her willing feet had trod, |