Roman Britain

"But the Roman came with a heavy hand, And bridged and roaded and ruled the land, And the Roman left and the Danes blew in— And that's where your history-books begin!"

"Then, ’twas before my time, the Roman At yonder heaving hill would stare. The blood that warms an English yeoman, The thoughts that hurt him, they were there.There, like the wind through woods in riot, Through him the gale of life blew high; The tree of man was never quiet: Then ’twas the Roman, now ’tis I.The gale, it plies the saplings double, It blows so hard, ’twill soon be gone: To-day the Roman and his trouble Are ashes under Uricon."