Page:An Essay Concerning Parliaments.djvu/38

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and Scots, and took into their Boſoms a Warlike and Fierce Nation, whom at a diſtance they were afraid of. And they indeed of Courſe beat thoſe that infeſted Severus’s Wall, but they made mine Hoſts that invited them in, Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water. And thoſe of the Britains that oppoſed them, the Saxons drove out of their Countrey, whereby as Gildas ſays all their Records were loſt. But out of that Venerable Author we plainly ſee, that the Lamentable Letter which was ſent the Year before to the Senate of Rome, was Written by a Britiſh Parliament. For whoſe ſake I beg of all Nations not to let in Legions of Foreign Nations to be their Maſters, for when they want them and their Protection moſt, they ſhall go without it. For when the Roman Legions were withdrawn out of Britany, (which cauſed our Enemies to make an Inſult) and the Britiſh Parliament begg’d hard to have them return, the Roman Senate’s Anſwer was, that they were otherwiſe engaged; and they muſt help themſelves as they could, which made them betake themſelves to the Saxons. A very fair Anſwer to a Nation that was diſabled and diſarmed, after their Kings and Parliaments had been only Tax-gatherers to the Romans for ſeveral Hundreds of Years; as if you have no True Lord Mayor, you muſt ſtill have

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