How the Romans taught the Britons many things, and how some of them
became Christians.
You remember, I hope, what you read in the first chapter, about the
uncomfortable houses of the Britons, how badly they were dressed, and
how often they were obliged to be hungry when they could not catch
the birds or beasts in the woods.
Now when God allowed the Romans to come and take part of the country
of the Britons, and to make servants of the people, He put it into
the hearts of the Romans to teach the Britons most of the things they
knew themselves; and the Romans who came to Britain wrote books, from
which we learn the way in which these things were done.
By employing the Britons to help them to build their houses and
walls, of stone or brick, they taught them how to make good ones for
themselves; then by making them learn to spin and weave the wool that
grew upon their sheep, they gave them means to make better clothes,
both for winter and summer, than they had thought of before; and they
left off staining their skins with the juice of plants, and began
to wash themselves, and to keep their hair neat, and even to put on
ornaments like the Romans.
When they saw how the Romans ploughed the fields, and made corn
enough grow to make bread for everybody, as well as for the rich
people, they began to do the same; and they began to like to have
gardens for cabbages and onions, and apples and roses, all four of
which the Romans taught them to plant, besides some other useful
things which I have forgotten.
But, what was much better than all the rest, the Romans built some
schools, and had school-masters to teach their children to read and
write, and the little Britons were allowed to go to these schools as
well as the little Romans; and, as the Britons were very clever, you
may think how soon they learned to read and write, and how glad their
fathers and mothers were to see them so improved.
You see, therefore, that when God allowed the Romans to conquer the
Britons, He made them the means of teaching them a great many useful
things; above all, how to read.
Many years after the Romans first took the country for themselves,
there came some very good men, who brought the Bible with them, and
began to teach both the Romans and the Britons, who could read, all
about the true God, and how they ought to serve Him and love Him.
And they told them to love one another, instead of fighting. And
by degrees, they made the Britons forget the Druids, and leave off
praying under the oaks. And they built several churches, and a great
many Britons became Christians, and learned to thank God for sending
the Romans to their country to teach them to be wiser and better and
happier than they were before.
You may suppose that all these things took a good deal of time to do;
indeed, they took a great many years, and in that time there were
many different Roman governors. And when you are a little older, and
know more about England, you will read something about them in the
large History of England, and in some other books.