the moment I myself felt half a Roman when he told us of the brave
youth who thrust his hand into the flames, and suffered it to be
consumed in order to impress the invader with a knowledge of the
spirit that animated the Romans, and of the three men who held
against a host the bridge that their friends were breaking down
behind them.

"If he could stir me thus by his tales of the deeds of our enemies,
what will it be when some day he makes the heroes of Britain his
theme, and calls upon his countrymen to imitate their deeds! I have
heard him called 'the Roman,' Parta. Now that I have listened to
him I know that he will, when the time comes, be one of Rome's most
formidable foes. I will tell you now that Prasutagus, our king,
and his queen Boadicea, spoke to me about Beric, and begged me to
come hither to see for myself this youth of whom they had heard
reports from others, some saying that he had returned a Roman
heart and soul, while others affirmed that, while he had learned
much from them, he had forgotten nothing of the injuries he had
received at their hands in the death of his father, and the disaster
of the tribe. I shall know now what to tell them. To Prasutagus,
whose fear of the Romans is even greater than his hatred for them,
I shall say that the lad is full of the glories of Roman story,
and that there is no fear of his doing or saying aught that will
excite the anger or suspicion of the Romans. To Boadicea, who hates
the Romans far more than she fears them, I shall tell the truth,
and shall inform her that when the time comes, as assuredly it some
day will, that the Iceni are called upon to defend their liberties
against Rome, in Beric she will find a champion of whom I predict
that he will be worthy to take his place in our history by the
side of Caractacus and Cassivelaunus. May our gods avert that, like