South London . ight or die. Like the King of the Grove,the Usurper held his throne on that condition. Carausius, forsome unknown reason, would not fight when the chance wasoffered—therefore he died. Another King of the Grove,Allectus by name, one of his officers, killed him and reignedin his stead. Then he, too, had to fight for crown and accepted the challenge; he awaited with an army ofFranks and Britons the arrival of the Roman forces sent toquell him : he awaited them in London. When the enemy THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS t9 drew near, he led out his men across the Bridge, and gavebattle
South London . ight or die. Like the King of the Grove,the Usurper held his throne on that condition. Carausius, forsome unknown reason, would not fight when the chance wasoffered—therefore he died. Another King of the Grove,Allectus by name, one of his officers, killed him and reignedin his stead. Then he, too, had to fight for crown and accepted the challenge; he awaited with an army ofFranks and Britons the arrival of the Roman forces sent toquell him : he awaited them in London. When the enemy THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS t9 drew near, he led out his men across the Bridge, and gavebattle to the Roman general, Asclepiodotus, on the wild heathsouth of London, immediately beyond the rising ground—wenow call the place Clapham Common—and there he fell bravelyfighting. He had enjoyed the purple for three years. Per-haps, when he crossed the Bridge, conscious that he was goingto meet his fate—cither to continue an Emperor for anotherspell or to die—he reflected that for such a splendid three. OK THE IJRONZE AGE years run it was worth while to risk, and even to lose, his lifeat the end. This is, I say, the first glimpse we get of South Londonin history. We see the army marching across the Bridgeand along the Causeway, .shouting and singing. We .seethem a few hours later, flying from the field, rushing head-long over the Causeway, through the lines of \illas to theBridge. The terrified people, those who lived in the villas, C2 20 SOUTH LONDON are running over the Bridge after tliem. Once across theBridge, the soldiers found that there was left in the Cityneither order nor authority. They therefore began to sackand pillage the rich houses, and to murder the that all over the Roman Empire none werepermitted to carry arms except the soldiers. Thereforethere could be no defence. The pillage went on until thevictorious general had got his army—or some of it—acrossthe Bridge. How long it would take to bring up his troops,whether the
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbesantwa, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1912
