Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/452

Chap.XIL O F MA N C H E S T ER. 417 and die Irifh t muft have been derived from fbme feparation that was common to them, both, and muft therefore have denoted the iepararionof >both from the tribes of the Roman Britons and the pofitioii of both without the pfeie of the Roman-Britiih em- - It isfcrte 6f %he moft (mgular events in the Roman annals, and refto&sa peculiar honour tfpaa the: bravery of the Britons, that ttvthe l<Mig*out4e of mo* that* three ceftturiee the Romans could never «make an entire xxmqueftef 4hfe ifiand. This was the only. Country in the worid iawhidh the Romans reduced the greatefb part r of the naWves^ a^ydtv^we for e^er beat off by the fmall' remainder of them. The ceoqueft was -attempted by feme of the greateft gtibttik that were produced m the armies of Rome, was pix>fecuted with the grea^ vigour and conduit, and yet was tfever MtcmplkbtoA. Alt «he cforts of th^. Romans, How-' ^T^fUceefsftir^firfU "wire Anally baffled by th*Brkons. They flill lived independent in their native mountains; and looked- down With pity^upon the reft of> their brethren, Hooping to the/ povter'and adbptkigthe htfnner*' of the Romans. When the. gidlaatSilurei had fubmifted t«> theRoirfam, and thfc equal high- lands of Wafbtt had fu&tod ftoman ftati&ns tabe planted among them; Wheh tfven the hill* of Athol and the mountains of Badenoeh had been fcaled by the Rtfman armies and were tra- " verftdhytke Rooiftn rtatis ; ftittwfth a refolute obftiaaty of ibul did tfcfeCalidortktis maintain their liberty, at laft drove theenqmy back to the fiitfis, and eveffe pwiued thetai ihtothe provinces* Wljeo Agricola invadfed the' country,* though he came recent from the conqUeft of Half-Britain; they oppofed his advance and encountered his army. ' Though h^.came attended by a gallant fleet arid at the head of a powerful afmy, though he gained njore than one victory over them, and 5 though he fpent no left than three years in his expedition f they .bravely periifted in their ! own defence and defeated all his attempts' to reduce them **• They were not, as the Britons of Valentia and, Maxima feem to have been before, a number of independent tribes unconnefted t Hfch - hy