You have acted lightly, and by reason of vanity have
wrought mischief to us who are the front and avengers of the world.
You resemble a blind man, whose eyes the leech prepares to open. You
know not yet, but very soon you will have learned, the presumption of
him who teaches law to the justice of Rome. It is not enough to say
that you have acted after your kind, and sinned according to your
nature. Know you not whom you are, and from what dust you have come,
that you dare to dispute the tribute to Rome! Why do you steal our
land and our truage? Why do you refuse to render Caesar that which is
his own? Are you indeed so strong that we may not take our riches
from your hand? Perchance you would show us a marvellous matter.
Behold--you say--the lion fleeing from the lamb, the wolf trembling
before the kid, and the leopard fearful of the hare. Be not deceived.
Nature will not suffer such miracles to happen. Julius Caesar, our
mighty ancestor--whom, maybe, you despise in your heart--conquered the
land of Britain, taking tribute thereof, and this you have paid until
now. From other islands also, neighbours of this, it was our custom to
receive truage. These in your presumption you have taken by force, to
your own most grievous hurt.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182