24 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

I.

attempt to trace any higher the origin of thoseprinces and nations. It is evident what fruitlesslabour it must be to search, in those barbarousand illiterate ages, for the annals of a people,when their first leaders, known in any true history,were believed by them to be the fourth in descentfrom a fabulous deity, or from a man, exaltedby ignorance into that character. The dark industryof antiquaries , led by imaginary analogies ofnames, or by uncertain traditions, would in vainattempt to pierce into that deep obscurity, whichcovers the remote history of those nations.

These two brothers, observing the other pro-vinces of Germany to be occupied by a warlikeand necessitous people, and the rich provinces ofGaul already conquered or over run by otherGerman tribes, found it easy to persuade theircountrymen to embrace the sole enterprise, whichpromised a favourable opportunity of displayingtheir valour and gratifying their avidity. Theyembarked their troops in three vessels , and aboutthe year 449 or 450 carried over 1600 men,who landed in the ifie of Thanet, and immediatelymarched to the defence of the Britons against thenorthern invaders. The Scots and Picts wereunable to resist the valour of these auxiliaries ; andthe Britons , applauding their own wisdom incalling over the Saxons, hoped thenceforth toen;oy p°ace and security under the powerful pro-tection of that warlike people.

’’ Saxon Chronicle, p. 12. Gul. Malm. p. II. Hun-tington, lib. 2. p. 309. Ethelwerd. Brompton, pag. 728.