‘Full twenty thousand beeves and deer Were slain to find the guests with cheer.’ Britain was not subdued by the Romans till the time of Claudius Cæsar. When conquered it was still permitted to possess a king of its own, on condition that he should acknowledge the authority of Rome, and pay tribute to her. The first king in the world to confess the faith of Christ was a British king, tributary to Rome. This king, whose name was Lles ap Coel, made his confession as early as the year 160. The Christian faith is supposed by some to have been first preached in Britain by Joseph of Arimathea; by others, by St. Paul himself. After remaining several centuries under the sway of Rome, the Britons again became independent, the Roman legions being withdrawn from the island for the defence of their own country, threatened by barbarian hordes. They did not, however, enjoy their independence long; a ferocious race, of mysterious origin, whom they called Gwyddelian Fichti, invaded them, and filled their country with horror and devastation. Unable to offer any effectual opposition to these invaders, they called to their assistance, from the neighbourhood of the mouth of the Elbe, the Saxons or _men of the knives_, a bold and adventurous, but treacherous and bloody people, who at first fought stoutly for them, but soon turned against them, and eventually all but extirpated them from Southern Britain:— ‘A serpent that coils, And with fury boils, From Germany coming with arm’d wings spread, Shall subdue and enthral The broad Britain all From the Lochlin ocean to Severn’s bed; And British men Shall be captives then To strangers from Saxonia’s strand; They shall praise their God, and hold Their language, as of old, But except wild Wales they shall lose their land.’ {22} _Taliesin_.