"The girl is right, uncle," he said, breaking in upon the king's
cautious speech. "Too long have we bowed the neck to Roman
tyranny. We, free princes of Britain that we are, have it even
now in our power to stand once again as altogether free. The
fleet is mine, the people are yours, if you will but amuse them.
Our brothers are groaning under the load of Roman tribute, and
are ripe to strike. Raise the cry at Camalodunum, my uncle; cry:
'Havoc and death to Rome!' My fleet shall pour its victorious
sailors upon the coast; the legions, even now full of British
fighters, shall flock to out united standards, and we shall
rule--Emperors in the North, even as do the Roman conquerors rule
Emperors in the South."
Young blood often sways and leads in council and in action,
especially when older minds are over-cautious or sluggish in
decision. The words of Carausius and Helena carried the day with
Coel the king, already smarting under a sense of ill-treatment by
his Roman over-lords.
The standard of revolt was raised in Camalodunum. The young
admiral hurried back to France to make ready his fleet, while
Coel the king, spurred on to action by the patriotic Helena, who
saw herself another Boadicea--though, in truth, a younger and
much fairer one--gathered a hasty following, won over to his
cause the British-filled legion in his palace-town, and,
descending upon the nearest Roman camps and stations, surprised,
captured, scattered, or brought over their soldiers, and
proclaimed himself free from the yoke of Rome and supreme prince
of Britain.
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