their colonies crossed the sea into Britain; for it is agreed by British antiquaries, that the most ancient inhabitants of our island were called Cymri, or, as it is sometimes pronounced, Cimbri; and the Welsh, to this day, call themselves Kumero, Cymro, and Kumeri, and their language, Kumeraeg.

Tacitus, in his Life of Agricola, intimates, that the religion of the Gauls and Britons may be proved to be the same, from their superstitions being of a similar nature. We have no authentic account when the Kimmerians first passed out of Asia, but that they were in Europe seven hundred years before the Christian Æra, may be safely stated.‡

About the fifty-fourth year before the birth of Christ, Britain was invaded by the Romans, at which time its inhabitants were divided into many small tribes, under distinct and independent chieftains; but a general commander was, in cases of imminent danger, chosen to direct the whole. The landing of Cæsar, the bold resistance he met with, and the uneasiness of the sturdy Britons under a foreign yoke, have been often related and are well known. The victories of Cæsar were, however, unproductive, and of little moment. The Britons, who are represented as being stout and valiant, were allowed to remain unmolested for nearly a century afterwards, and were rather allies than tributaries of the Romans, until about the seventh year of the reign of the

Camden, p. 11.

+ The words of Tacitus are "Eorum sacra deprehendas, superstitionum "persuasione." Vit. Agricola.

Turner's Anglo-Saxons, vol. i. p. 2.

emperor Claudius, (A. D. 49.) when, jealousies arising, and civil wars breaking out among the natives, the Romans seized the opportunity of reducing them more completely under their power.

Caractacus (an eminent British warrior of the tribe of the Silures *) stood forward to rescue his country from its proud invaders, and by his bravery harassed his enemies for several years; but, in the end, his troops were defeated, and the noble Caractacus, having sought the protection of Cartismandua, queen of the Brigantes,† was betrayed by her, and delivered up into the hands of the conquerors, and afterwards carried a captive to Rome, where he made his powerful and celebrated harangue before the assembled senate. About this time that part of the island which comprehends the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, and Huntingdon, was inhabited by the "Iceni," probably so termed from the wedge-like form of their territory-the Britons in their language calling a wedge "Iken."+ The Iceni, who were a powerful people, and not yet wasted by war, next attacked the Roman settlements, but were at length defeated, and Prasutagus, their king, then in a dying state, with the hope of preserving his kingdom to his family in peace, made the emperor Nero and his own daughters co-heirs to his great treasures. This disposal of his power failed to produce its intended effect; for after his decease, his territories were seized upon and plundered by the Roman troops; his illustrious wife,

* People inhabiting Herefordshire, &c.

+ Inhabitants of the tract now called Yorkshire, Durham, Lancashire, Westmoreland, and Cumberland.

Some imagine it to be derived from Uic or Uicon, that is, "Brave "Men," but Whitaker says the genuine name was Ceni, Y-cen-i, the "Head ones."

Boadicea, having opposed these unjust proceedings, suffered, with her daughters, the most shameful treatment, through their lust and cruelty, and many of the nobles were deprived of their paternal estates. Exasperated by these insults and injuries, the Iceni again took up arms, and their example was speedily followed by the other states. Boadicea was appointed to head the common forces; her military exploits were glorious, and she gained several successive victories; but on sustaining a defeat by Suetonius, an experienced Roman commander, she hastily terminated her existence by poison.

Although frequent revolts ensued, the Britons could never afterwards make head against their invaders, but gradually fell into a supine and slothful state. At length the great strength of the Roman empire began to consume itself; the imperial armies found sufficient employment in supporting their own power at home; and as their interest declined, the barbarous nations of the north broke into their rich provinces, and the whole frame of their affairs became so disordered, that about the year 448 after Christ, the empire of Rome in Britain finally expired.

From this period, no author of credit having noticed the Iceni, we can infer nothing certain about them from history. Their ancient name may, however, still be traced in Ikenild Street, one of the four Roman highways running through the island, which extended from Yarmouth in Norfolk, to and beyond Barley in Hertfordshire, giving in its course names to several villages, as Ickworth, Icklingham, Ickleton, Iksnig, now Exning, &c.*

* From Barley to Royston, it divides the counties of Cambridge and Hertford. From Ickleford, it runs by Tring, crosses Buckinghamshire and

This part of the island was next occupied by the warlike Saxons, who, under their leaders, Hengist and Horsa, landed in the isle of Thanet about the year 449 or 450, having been invited over, after the departure of the Romans, to assist the natives against the Scots and Picts. These auxiliaries, quarrelling with their friends, soon found means to settle themselves in different parts of the country, and succeeded in establishing therein seven kingdoms, one of which, comprising, among other counties, that of Cambridge, was called East Anglia, or the kingdom of the East Angles.

*

The Danes afterwards gained possession of this country, and held it until king Edward the Elder wrested it from them by force, and added it to his own kingdom of the West Saxons.+

The country of East Anglia is described by an historian who flourished in the year 970, as being encompassed on the south and east by the ocean, and on the north by the moisture of large fens, which, arising almost in the heart of the island, descended in great rivers into the sea; the inner parts being a rich soil, and famous for pasturage, presented in summer a most delightful green prospect. The south part of this

Oxfordshire, passes the Thames at Goring, and extends to the west part of England.

* The Saxons, though they were divided into seven kingdoms, were for the most part subject only to one head, who was stiled King of the English Nation of these kings Hengist was the first.

† A. D. 908. Egbert was the first sole monarch of the English. He conquered Kent, and laid the foundation of the sole monarchy about the year 827, which put an end to the Saxon heptarchy.

+ Abbo Floriacensis, in his Life of king Edmund. Also Camden, p. 366.

country, belonging to the county of Cambridge, was called by the Saxons Elig, (now the isle of Ely) which some derive from the Greek Eλos, a marsh; or it may be deduced from the old British word "Helig," signifying a willow, or from "Heli," salt or marsh land gained from the sea. *

The inhabitants of this and the rest of the low country were called by the natives Gyrvii, "Gyr," in English, signifying the same as " Palus," a deep fen, in Latin.

At the northern extremity of the county of Cambridge is situated the town of WISBECH, the most considerable place in the isle, the ancient and present state of which, it is the principal object of this work to describe. But inquiry shall first be made into the origin of the Great Level of the Fens or Low Country; how it became overflowed by the sea, and how afterwards gained therefrom, and into the course and outfalls of the rivers passing through the same.

* Salt was formerly made in great abundance upon the sea shore. The hills all along upon the sea bank are called Salt Hills, such as at Fleet, Holbeach, &c. and we find the name given to places, as Salter's-Lode, Saltash, Saltfleet, &c.