Had Parta consulted her own wishes she would have retired with a
few followers to the swamps and fens of the country to the north
rather than surrender her son, but the Brigantes, who inhabited
Lincolnshire, and who ranged over the whole of the north of Britain
as far as Northumberland, had also received a defeat at the hands
of the Romans, and might not improbably hand her over upon their
demand. She therefore resigned herself to let Beric go.

"My son," she said, "I need not tell you not to let them Romanize
you. You have been brought up to hate them. Your father has fallen
before their weapons, half your tribe have been slain, your country
lies under their feet. I will not wrong you then by fearing for a
moment that they can make a Roman of you.

"You have been brought up to lie upon the bare ground, to
suffer fatigue and hardship, hunger and thirst, and the rich food
and splendid houses and soft raiment of the Romans should have no
attraction for you. I know not how long your imprisonment among them
may last. For the present I have little hope of another rising; but
should I see a prospect of anything like unity among our people, I
will send Boduoc with a message to you to hold yourself in readiness
to escape when you receive the signal that the time has come. Till
then employ your mind in gaining what good you may by your residence
among them; there must be some advantage in their methods of warfare
which has enabled the people of one city to conquer the world.

"It is not their strength, for they are but pigmies to us. We stand
a full head above them, and even we women are stronger than Roman
soldiers, and yet they defeat us. Learn then their language, throw