A Brave Briton Queen and the Romans

Q UEEN BOADICEA ruled in a part of England where there were many Romans. The Romans were cruel to her and her children. They robbed her of her money. They beat her. They nearly killed her daughters.

Now the queen knew that the Britons loved her, and she told them her wrongs.

"My people," she said, "we had all better die than be slaves of the Romans. We are larger and stronger and braver than they. Help me to drive them out of our land."

The Britons set up a great shout.

"We are ready to fight for you, brave queen. Lead us against the Romans, and we will follow."

Just then most of the Romans were miles away, fighting in another part of the country. There was nobody to stop the queen and her men. They marched to the places where the Romans lived, and burned their houses and killed the people. They drove the Romans out of London, which at that time was only a poor little town.

Every day more Britons came to help the queen. She had more soldiers than the Romans.

At last there was a great battle. Before the fighting began, the queen stepped into her chariot and drove before her army.

Queen Boadicea was taller and larger than most women. She wore a long, dark cloak, and carried a spear in her hand. Around her neck was a gold collar. Her yellow hair hung below her waist and streamed in the wind. Her voice was strong and clear. Once more she told her soldiers the story of the great wrong done her by the Romans.

"I will win this battle, or die. You may live and be the slaves of the Romans."

The Britons rushed at the Romans many times, and with great force. But it was of no use. The Romans knew much better how to fight, and won the day. Many of the Britons were killed. The rest hid themselves in the great forest, where the sun never shone. The poor friendless queen fled after her people, and took her own life, that she might not fall into the hands of her enemies.

And so the Romans became masters of the land. They ruled it more than three hundred years. At first they were hated. But finally the Britons became friendly to them.

The Roman soldiers made great changes in the island. They built roads through the gloomy forests. They made bridges over the rivers. They taught the Britons to build good houses. They also made two long stone walls across the country from sea to sea. These walls were three times as high as a man. They were to keep out the wild Picts and Scots of the north, who had often robbed and killed the Britons of the south.

All this was long ago. But even now, when men dig in the ground, they sometimes find money that the Romans used, or bits of plates from which they ate, or pieces of goblets from which they drank. Wells that the Romans made are still in use. And the Roman roads are now streets or highways.

In many parts of England you can still see grassy mounds beneath which heaps of Britons lie buried. The great walls have fallen, and moss and weeds have grown over and hidden them. They say that in the warm summer afternoons shepherds and their dogs sleep in the tall grass where the Britons and the Romans once fought so fiercely.