revolved in his mind the eventful career of its once mighty possessor, and contrasted the immortal fame of Cæsar with his own galling obscurity. "Oh, Cæsar, Cæsar," he burst forth at last, "shall a Briton deem death cheaply purchased to disarm thee; and shall I, to whose ears thy exploits have been familiar from infancy, and whose heart even now beats with the same love of glory as prompted thee to discover a new world in order to conquer it; shall I slumber in the very scenes in which thou didst gather thy laurels? Forbid it, ye Gods! I ask not fortune, but deny me not fame: I ask not for a long life, but oh, let not my name perish!" As Pudens thought himself unobserved, he uttered the latter part of this passionate apostrophe aloud; and old Morgan, who was creeping along with the silent step of decrepitude, overheard it. "Oh, seek not fame with such eagerness, my son," said he; "it is an unsubstantial thing; it is like the lightning-it burns, but warms not; it dazzles, but lights not; and it too often destroys the cloud which · gives it birth." Pudens blushed at being thus surprised, but soon recovered himself, and with great readiness VOL. I. H pursued the bard's simile, "Yes," said he, "but fame resembles the lightning in another particular, which you have not mentioned: they are both kindled in heaven!" "True," said the bard, pleased with the thought, as well as with the feeling which inspired it; "the love of fame is a gift of the gods, and partakes of their divine nature, and, in moderation, purifies the soul, even as the lightning clears the air. Nay, more than that,” he added, "after musing for a moment or two, it seems to vouch the truth of what we Druids teach as to the immortality of the soul; for why should a youth, such as thou, rush on death for the sake of glory if there were not something within which tells him that the worm doth not destroy all? He knows well, I ween, that his helpless corpse will little hist the bray of the herald's trump. What then should tempt him to throw away the chalice of life, when he has scarcely raised it to his lips, and thinks, in the simplicity of his heart, that it is filled to the brim with bliss? What should tempt him, almost untasted, were it I say, to dash it aside not that nature tells him that his soul is im- . mortal?" The eloquent old man pursued this strain much further, as it was particularly his wont as described by Shakspeare, To draw him a profit from all things he saw; but, perhaps, some of my readers have the same horror as Brennus had of any thing prosy, and we will, therefore, give him the slip as Brennus did; only adding that the sight of Cæsar's sword seemed to inspire Pudens with a new impulse and fresh energies, which developed themselves in planning several improvements in the royal domains. Here the river was to be widened, there deepened; this marsh was to be drained; that hill to be levelled; roads were to intersect them; walls to surround them; towers to defend them; and, indeed, the whole place was to be changed from a British palace to a Roman fortification. CHAPTER IV. While the sun shines with even light, Let even measure for justice's sake Be given in sight of God and man, PALGRAVE'S ENGLISH RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE SOON after the Arch Druid's departure, Arviragus and his judges held a royal assize; of which, as it is curious to observe the laws, and through them the manners of nations in their infancy, we shall give a brief account. The first day of assize was spent at the King's house, in assessing and receiving the crown rents, and also certain fines and services similar to the copyhold heriots of modern times; and a more stirring scene has rarely been witnessed than ushered in that morning. The creaking of wicker waggons, the lowing of oxen, and the din of a thousand disputing voices, awoke Pudens at break of day; who naturally enough supposed that some battle must have been recently fought, and that the victors were returning home laden with the spoil. He hastened to make inquiries; but instead of seeing the King arrayed in the accoutrements of war, he saw him attired in more than usual state, and one of his most distinguished subjects holding his feet in his bosom, and rubbing them with a flesh-brush; this personal service being the tenure under which he held his lands! The bustle which had disturbed his slumbers, he was informed, was occasioned by the arrival of two or three uchelwyrs, or high-men, to pay their rent in kind; and the nature and extent of the business transacted on that day, may be estimated from the rent paid by these magnates, each of whom held a fee of about one hundred acres of land from the King, for which they remitted to the royal stores a horse-load of the best wheat reduced to flour, one ox, a barrel of mead, nine palms in length, and eighteen in breadth, or two of braget, or four of common ale, and 168 equal threaves of |