St. Albans St. Albanus. ("Doomsday Book.") Under the title of "Oppidum," the stronghold of Cassivelaunus, St. Albans is frequently mentioned by Cæsar and Tacitus. At the time of Cæsar's first visit to England, which was in 46 B.C., the Britons led a wandering life, and it was only in war time that they gathered together and took refuge in towns. Tacitus and Cæsar describe the Britons as people who had no cities, towns, or buildings of any durable materials. The sites of their towns were chosen with a view to turning to good account all the assistance that Nature could lend, such as woods, ditches, and bogs. Though Cæsar names no particular town, yet he describes his attack and occupation of the "Oppidum" over which Cassivelaunus was the chief. And from what is known of the progress and distance of Cæsar from the Thames, there seems no doubt that "Verulamium," as it was then and afterwards called, is identical with that of the stronghold of the Britons. It was situated on the low ground on the banks of the river Ver. Cæsar's occupation was brief. Until the conquest of Britain by Claudius in 43 A.D. it remained an important city in the hands of the Britons. Finally, in 420 A.D., the Romans quitted Britain. During their stay they had greatly opened up the country, constructing the famous high roads, one of which is the great North Road, called Watling Street, which stretches from London to York. In the fifth century Verulamium, as we shall still continue to call St. Albans for a while, was occupied by the Saxons. They changed the site of the Roman city from the low ground, on which now stands the Church of St. Michael, to the higher ground. At the same time they renamed it Watling-ceaster, after Watling Street, which passed through it. From the ruins of the ancient city of Verulamium arose in the tenth century the celebrated monastery in honour of St. Alban. To account for the erection of this building it is necessary to give a brief sketch of its patron saint. During the Diocletian persecution of the Christians, in the year 304 A. D., a distinguished citizen, Alban of Verulamium, of Roman origin, but converted to Christianity, suffered martyrdom for giving shelter to Amphibalus, a Christian. For this crime he was executed on the site of the present abbey, and in 772 was canonised. * * * * * Nearly five hundred years after, in 793, Offa, the King of Mercia, was very much exercised in mind as to the best means of expiating his murder of Æthelbert.