Cæsar and the Veneti—Battle at the mouth of the Loire—British co-operation against the Romans—Cæsar's invasions—Submission of the Britons—Relatitions with the Roman Empire—Carausius—Relations with the Mediterranean pirates—Siege of Boulogne—Treachery of Allectus—Decline of the Roman power—Defencelessness of the Britons—The Scots and Picts—The pirates as saviours—Hengest and Horsa—Norse invasions—Foundation of the Saxon states—Their dissensions—Danish successes—Naval battle off Sandwich—Alfred and the sea—Hasting in the Thames—Treatment of Danish pirates—Athelstan and continental politics—His naval victories—Naval organisation under Edgar—Successes of Olaf Tryggvesson—The Danes bought off, but in vain—Untrustworthiness of Ethelred's navy—Massacre of the Danes—Sweyn's invasions—Desertion of Wulfnoth—Invasion of Thurcytel—Thurcytel as a mercenary—Treachery of Edric Streona—Triumph of the Danes—Canute—English participation in the conquest of Norway—The Huscarls—Rise of the house of Godwin—Hardicanute's invasion—Irksomeness of Heregeld—Edward the Confessor—Godwin, and England for the English—His popularity and naval ability—Norse piracies—Futility off Edward's naval armaments—Turbulence of Godwin and his family—Godwin as rebel—Harold at sea—Edward's surrender to Godwin and Harold—Harold as mayor of the palace—His naval successes—Harold's popularity and energy as king.
IN the course of his reduction of Gaul, Cæsar encountered few more determined and troublesome opponents than the Veneti, a people living in and around what is now the town of Vannes, about thirty miles to the north of the estuary of the River Loire. The Veneti were formidable, not only because they were good fighting men, but also because they were a maritime folk, well supplied with shipping. Moreover, their fleet was reinforced to a strength of two hundred and twenty sail by a contingent from Britain. Thus, for the first time did Britain and Rome face one another, and the result was ominous. The vessels of the allies seem, upon the whole, to have been more powerful, and much loftier than the vessels which Cæsar had hastily constructed in the Loire for the purpose of dealing with the enemy, and had the Romans fought merely with their ordinary weapons, they might possibly have been defeated. The Venetan
