Blair Collection > Celtic gleanings, or, Notices of the history and literature of the Scottish Gael

18 LECTURE I.
into Britain, save that of the army. In fact,
the Eomans were conquerors, not colonists.
And we have no reason to believe that they
extirpated the native Britons. If they did so,
it was a proceeding at complete variance with
their usual policy in similar circumstances.
The only instance of the dispersion of a people
by them was that of the Jews, and the reasons
which led to this were altogether singular.
We have not one Roman author from whom we
can gather that there was either the extirpation
or dispersion of the British people during the
occupancy of his countrymen. They would
appear to have settled down quietly under the
Eoman government, and to have become orderly
and loyal citizens, swelling to no inconsiderable
extent the ranks of the Eoman legions. Nor
could their numbers have been inconsiderable.
The length and fierccDess of their struggle with
the Eoman power indicate the existence of a
numerous and energetic people. From 60,000
to 70,000 men are related to have fallen in a
single battle in this conflict. In the reign of
Boadicea, the Britons seem to have been capable
of bringing an almost unlimited number of men
into the field, and we know that afterwards the
Eoman government suffered some sections of
the native population to settle down under the