Page:The child's pictorial history of England; (IA childspictorialh00corn).pdf/31

 Saxons to come and help them, and they thought it would be a good plan.

11. The Saxons inhabited the north of Germany, and parts of Holland and Denmark, which were then poor and barren countries.

12. Many of their chiefs were pirates, that is, they lived by going out on the seas to fight and plunder; nor did they think it wicked so to do; but, on the contrary, imagined it was brave and noble.

13. Two of them, Hengist and Horsa, happened to be cruising near the British coast, when they received a message from Vortigern; who made a bargain with them, and offered to give them the little island of Thanet, if they would come with all their men, to assist him in driving out the Picts and Scots.

14. Thanet is that part of Kent where Margate is now situated, but was then separated by an arm of the sea, so that it was a small island, standing alone, nearly a mile from the coast.

15. The Saxons were very ready to come, for they knew that Britain was a pleasant, fertile country, and hoped to get some of it for themselves; but they did not let the Britons know they thought of doing so.

16. Hengist and Horsa were very brave, and their men were well armed, so they soon forced