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HELENA OF BRITAIN：
THE GIRL OF THE ESSEX FELLS。
＇Afterward known as 〃St。 Helena；〃 the mother of Constantine。＇
A。D。 255。
Ever since that far…off day in the infancy of the world； when
lands began to form and rivers to flow seaward； the little river
Colne has wound its crooked way through the fertile fields of
Essex eastward to the broad North Sea。
Through hill…land and through moor…land； past Moyns and Great
Yeldham； past Halstead and Chappel and the walls of Colchester；
turning now this way and now that until it comes to Mersea Island
and the sea； the little river flows to…day even as it sped along
one pleasant summer morning sixteen hundred and forty years ago；
when a little British princess； only fairly in her teens；
reclined in comfortable contentment in her gilded barge and
floated down the river from her father's palace at Colchester to
the strand at Wivanloe。
For this little girl of fourteen； Helena； the princess； was a
king's daughter； and； according to all accounts； a very bright
and charming girl besideswhich all princesses have not been。
Her father was Coel； second prince of Britain and king of that
part of ancient England； which includes the present shires of
Essex and of Suffolk； about the river Colne。
Not a very large kingdom this； but even as small as it was； King
Coel did not hold it in undisputed sway。 For he was one of the
tributary princes of Britain； in the days when Roman arms； and
Roman law； and Roman dress； and Roman manners； had place and
power throughout England； from the Isle of Wight； to the Northern
highlands； behind whose forest…crowned hills those savage natives
known as the Picts〃the tattooed folk〃held possession of
ancient Scotland； and defied the eagles of Rome。
The monotonous song of the rowers； keeping time with each dip of
the broad…bladed oars； rose and fell in answer to the beats of
the master's silver baton； and Helena too followed the measure
with the tap； tap； of her sandaled foot。
Suddenly there shot out around one of the frequent turns in the
river； the gleam of other oars； the high prow of a larger galley；
and across the water came the oar…song of a larger company of
rowers。 Helena started to her feet。
〃Look； Cleon；〃 she cried； pointing； eagerly towards the
approaching boat； 〃 't is my father's own trireme。 Why this haste
to return； think'st thou？〃
〃I cannot tell； little mistress；〃 replied the freedman Cleon； her
galley…master； 〃the king thy father must have urgent tidings； to
make him return thus quickly to Camalodunum。〃
Both the girl and the galley…master spoke in Latin； for the
language of the Empire was the language of those in authority or
in official life even in its remotest provinces； and the
galley…master did but use the name which the Roman lords of
Britain had given to the prosperous city on the Colne； in which
the native Prince； King Coel； had his courtthe city which
to…day is known under its later Saxon name of Colchester。
It was； indeed； a curious state of affairs in England。 I doubt if
many of my girl and boy readers； no matter how； well they may
stand in their history classes； have ever thought of the England
of Hereward and Ivanhoe； of Paul Dombey and Tom Brown； as a Roman
land。
And yet at the time when this little Flavia Julia Helena was
sailing down the river Colne； the island of Britain； in its
southern section at least； was almost as Roman in manner； custom；
and speech as was Rome itself。
For nearly five hundred years； from the days of Caesar the
conqueror； to those of Honorius the unfortunate； was England； or
Britain as it was called； a Roman province； broken only in its
allegiance by the early revolts of the conquered people or by the
later usurpations of ambitious and unpincipled governors。
And； at the date of our story； in the year 255 A。D。； the
beautiful island had so far grown out of the barbarisms of
ancient Britain as to have long since forgotten the gloomy rites
and open…air altars of the Druids； and all the half…savage
surroundings of those stern old priests。
Everywhere Roman temples testified to the acceptance by the
people of the gods of Rome； and little Helena herself each
morning hung the altar of the emperor…god Claudius with garlands
in the stately temple which had been built in his honor in her
father's palace town； asked the protection of Cybele； 〃the
Heavenly Virgin；〃 and performed the rites that the Empire
demanded for 〃the thousand gods of Rome。〃
Throughout the land； south of the massive wall which the great
Emperor Hadrian had stretched across the island from the mouth of
the Solway to the mouth of the Tyne； the people themselves who
had gathered into or about the thirty growing Roman cities which
the conquerors had founded and beautified； had become Roman in
language； religion； dress； and ways； while the educational
influences of Rome； always following the course of her conquering
eagles； had planted schools and colleges throughout the land； and
laid the foundation for that native learning which in later years
was to make the English nation so great and powerful。
And what a mighty empire must have been that of Rome that； in
those far…off days； when rapid transit was unknown； and steam and
electricity both lay dormant； could have entered into the lives
of two bright young maidens so many leagues removed from one
anotherZenobia； the dusky Palmyrean of the East； and Helena；
the fresh…faced English girl of the West。
But to such distant and widely separated confines had this power
of the vast Empire extended； and to this thoughtful young
princess； drifting down the winding English river； the sense of
Roman supremacy and power would come again and again。
For this charming young girlsaid； later； to have been the most
beautiful woman of her time in Englandthough reared to Roman
ways and Roman speech； had too well furnished a mind not to think
for herself。 〃She spake；〃 so says the record； 〃many tongues and
was replete with piety。〃 The only child of King Coel； her doting
old father had given her the finest education that Rome could
offer。 She was； even before she grew to womanhood； so we are
told； a fine musician； a marvellous worker in tapestry； in
hammered brass and pottery； and was altogether as wise and
wonderful a young woman as even these later centuries can show。
But； for all this grand education； she loved to hear the legends
and stories of her people that in various ways would come to her
ears； either as the simple tales of her British nurse； or in the
wild songs of the wandering bards； or singers。
As she listened to these she thought less of those crude and
barbaric ways of her ancestors that Rome had so vastly bettered
than of their national independence and freedom from the galling
yoke of Rome； and； as was natural； she cherished the memory of
Boadicea； the warrior queen； and made a hero of the fiery young
Caractacus。
It is always so； you know。 Every bright young imagination is apt
to find greater glories in the misty past； or grander
possibilities in a still more misty future than in the too
practical and prosaic present in which both duty and destiny lie。
And so Helena the princess； Leaning against the soft cushions of
her gilded barge； had sighed for the days of the old…time British
valor and freedom； and； even as she looked off toward the
approaching triareme； she was wondering how she could awake to
thoughts of British glory her rather heavy…witted father； Coel
the Kingan hereditary prince of that ancient Britain in which
he was now； alas； but a tributary prince of the all too powerful
Rome。
Now； 〃old King Cole；〃 as Mother Goose tells usfor young
Helena's father was none other than the veritable 〃old King Cole〃
of our nursery jinglewas a 〃jolly old soul；〃 and a jolly old
soul is very rarely an independent or ambitious one。 So long as
he could have 〃his pipe and his bowl〃 not； of course； his long
pipe of tobacco that all the Mother Goose artists insist upon
giving himbut the reed pipe upon which his musicians playedso
long； in other words； as he could live in ease and comfort；
undisturbed in his enjoyment of the good things of life by his
Roman over…lords； he cared for no change。 Rome took the
responsibility and he took things easily。 But this very day；
while his daughter Helena was floating down the river to meet him
on the strand at Wivanloe； he was returning from an unsuccessful
boar…hunt in the Essex woods； very much out of sortscross
because he had not captured the big boar he had hoped to kill；
cross because his favorite musicians had been 〃confiscated〃 by
the Roman governor or propraetor at Londinium （as London was then
called）； and still more cross because he had that day received
dispatches from Rome demanding a special and unexpected tax levy；
or tribute； to meet the necessary expenses of