Its ancient one, as far as I can learn,
is no way discoverable; and its modern one may be owing either to this
town's belonging formerly to, or being countenanced in a particular manner
by a Bishop Brighthelm, who, during the Saxon government of the island,
lived in this neighbourhood: or perhaps may be deduced from the ships of
this town having their helms better ornamented than those of their
neighbouring ones.
It is true here are no hypocausts, Mosaic pavements, inscriptions, or any
other delicate monuments of Roman antiquity,[4] that might corroborate in
a stronger manner this supposition: these, if any such existed here, have
been defaced by time, or destroyed by the undiscerning inhabitants of the
place.
During the Saxon aera, this town was almost the centre of the kingdom of
the South Saxons; and consequently could not be the scene of much action.
It submitted to the various revolutions which prevailed at different times,
until the Norman conquest.
The conqueror landed at Hastings forty miles distant to the east of this
town; so that his troops never came near it.
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