The Converted Britons
By William Holman Hunt
(English painter, 1827-1910)
IN the latter part of the second century, Britain, then
a Roman province, was converted to Christianity. The
new religion was not introduced, however, without a
bitter struggle on the part of the Druid priesthood.
An episode of this struggle is shown in the
illustration. A party of Britons, incited by the Druid
priests, has attacked the Christian missionaries. One,
at least, is already captured, but another has escaped
to the protection of the frail but of a family of
Christian natives. He is exhausted by his flight, and
they are caring for him and trying to revive him. Two
men are anxiously guarding the doorway, and a young boy
with his ear to the ground is listening to the sounds
without. One woman supports the fainting form of the
missionary, looking fearfully toward the door. Another
is bathing his forehead. A little boy at the left is
holding a cup, into which an older brother is squeezing
the juice of a bunch of grapes from the vines overhead.
A girl is tenderly removing a brier from the victim's
robe. The father of the family is evidently a
fisherman, for a net hangs on the post at the right,
and the cabin stands beside a stream. Against the wall
of the but stands a Druidic stone; but upon it a cross
is rudely drawn to indicate a change of faith.
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