The Count of the Saxon Shore; or The Villa in Vectis. Read online

  The Burning of the Villa.]

  The COUNT of the SAXON SHORE _or_ The Villa in VECTIS

  _A TALE 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

  _Fifth Thousand_

  LondonSEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED38 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 ofDiocletian in the Empire from 286 to 305 A.D.) on the officer whose taskit was to protect the coasts of Britain and Gaul from the attacks of theSaxon pirates. It appears to have existed down to the abandonment ofBritain by the Romans.

  So little is known from history about the last years of the Romanoccupation that the writer of fiction has almost a free hand. In thisstory a novel, but, it is hoped, not an improbable, view is taken of animportant event--the withdrawal of the legions. This is commonly assignedto the year 410, when the Emperor Honorius formally withdrew the Imperialprotection from Britain. But the usurper Constantine had actually removedthe British army two years before; and, as he was busied with the conquestof Gaul and Spain for a considerable time after, it is not likely thatthey were ever sent back.

  A. J. C. R. P.

  CONTENTS.

  CHAP. PAGE I. A BRITISH CAESAR 1 II. AN ELECTION 13 III. A PRIZE 21 IV. THE VILLA IN THE ISLAND 32 V. CARNA 47 VI. THE SAXON 57 VII. A PRETENDER'S DIFFICULTIES 70 VIII. THE NEWS IN THE CAMP 83 IX. THE DEPARTURE OF THE LEGIONS 94 X. DANGERS AHEAD 107 XI. THE PRIEST'S DEMAND 115 XII. LOST 124 XIII. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? 135 XIV. THE PURSUIT 144 XV. THE PURSUIT (_continued_) 152 XVI. THE GREAT TEMPLE 164 XVII. THE BRITISH VILLAGE 173 XVIII. THE PICTS 182 XIX. THE SIEGE 194 XX. CEDRIC IN TROUBLE 207 XXI. THE ESCAPE 216 XXII. A VISITOR 224 XXIII. THE STRANGER'S STORY 234 XXIV. NEWS FROM ITALY 245 XXV. CONSULTATION 256 XXVI. FAREWELL! 266 XXVII. MARTIANUS 271XXVIII. A RIVAL 281 XXIX. AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL 293 XXX. AT LAST 306