Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	age_n	write_v	year_n	1,957	5	4.7409	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68397	The breuiary of Britayne As this most noble, and renowmed iland, was of auncient time deuided into three kingdomes, England, Scotland and Wales. Contaynyng a learned discourse of the variable state, [and] alteration therof, vnder diuers, as wel natural: as forren princes, [and] conquerours. Together with the geographicall description of the same, such as nether by elder, nor later writers, the like hath been set foorth before. Writen in Latin by Humfrey Lhuyd of Denbigh, a Cambre Britayne, and lately Englished by Thomas Twyne, Gentleman.; Commentarioli Britannicae descriptionis fragmentum. English	Llwyd, Humphrey, 1527-1568.; Twyne, Thomas, 1543-1613.	1573 (1573)	STC 16636; ESTC S108126	73,902	228

to accomplish the better wee must something say before Caesar which first of all the Romanes hath celebrated the name of this Iland in the Latine tongue called it Britannia Whom almost all other Latine writers imitating haue not changed the same name Notwithstandynge onely Syr Thomas Eliote a Knight whose learninge is not to be contemned hath stande vp of late amongst vs who contendeth not without good reason and probabilitie that it was called in olde time Prytannia whiche he proueth by a very auncient Copie that he had in his handes But where he saieth that it was termed so in Greke for the plentie and abundance therof surely I which doo quite reiect suche deriuations do not allow it yet yeldyng rather to the name of Prytannia then Britannia the authoritie of which auncient fragment I wil endeuour to confirme with weightie reasons But because in so doing I shall appeare to bryng forth certaine paradoxes and opinions not heard of before the better to satisfi● both my countreimen the Britaynes in Wales and others I will lay foorth my purpose before all mens eyes not cleauyng so precisely to mine owne opinions but that if any man can bryng me more better and more certayne I will quickly yelde vnto them In the meane while alwayes reseruinge the iudgement of the learned you shall haue mine opinion When I chaunced of late yeres to come to the sight of Polydorus Virgilius the Italian and Hector Boethius the Scot their British histories wherof the first maynfully sought not onely to obscure the glory of the British name but also to defame the Britaynes them selues with sclandrous lies The other while he goeth about to rayse his Scots out of darknesse and obscuritie what euer he findeth that the Romanes or Britaynes haue doone worthy cōmendation in this Ilande all that he attributeth vnto his Scottes like a foolish writer Wherfore beyng prouoked by these iniuries that I might the better guard my sweet country from suche inconueniences vnto my smale power I began to peruse all suche auncient hystories both Greeke and Latine as euer had wroten of Britayne or the Britaynes causing not onely all such sentences but eche woord also to be copied foorth to the intent that thereout as of a thicke and plentifull wood I might gather sufficiēt timbre to frame a British hystorie And not only continued in readyng straunge writers but also the most antique fragments of our Poetes which at this day retaining therin as in all other thinges els the olde name are called Bardi together with hystories written in the British tongue which of late so farre as I suppose were by me first translated into English And not onely conferred the deeds but also the names of Kynges and places in both tongues where I haue noted that Britannia was first called Prydain amongst vs as appeareth in the most auncient bookes of pedegrees Wherin the Welshmen are too too curious hauing amongst them cōtinually certaine regesters of pedegrees and discentes which some call Hierhauts which perpetually doo recorde in writynge and memory the names of parentes with their children contriuinge them into Tribes as thei wer deuided in olde time They thinke as well of them selues as either the Frenchmen the Turkes or Latines deriuing their originall from the Troians In these bookes as I saye it is many times founde that this Iland was called Prydain as Paun post Prydain that is to say the cheefist Post or Piller of Britayne A certeyne writer also whiche wrote many hundreth yeares agoe amongste the olde valiant Britaynes sheweth the same besides that the Poetes and those whiche they call Bardi at this day doo frequent commonly that woorde as Post Prydáin olh Pryd à nerth that is to say the piller of all Britayne the beutie and strength Moreouer it is vsually founde in all our bookes Ynys Prydain that is to say the Iland of Britayne and Phrainc à Phrydain that is Fraunce and Britayne Wherby those that vnderstande the tongue may easely gather that our Britaynes called this Iland Prydain in their language which the Latines for the hardnesse and euill sounde therof haue reiected and haue called the countrey Britannia and the people Britanni for the more gentle and pleasant soundes sake Whiche I wil prooue by these stronge arguments followyng Euery Britysh woorde as wee haue sayde before whose first radicale is P hath three variations in construction namely into B PH and MH The name of Britayne amongst vs sometime beginneth with B sometime with PH and sometime with MH Wherefore the first radicale therof must needes be P. And another infallible argumēt thereis that B is not the first radicale of that name Theris no British woord whose first radicale letter is B that abideth any change into P or PH. But the name of Britayne amonge the Britaynes as the proprietie of the tongue requireth sometimes beginneth with P sometime with PH as I haue shewed before wherfore the name of Britayne hath not B for his first radicale letter Neither is it necessarie that we● should seeke the deriuation of this name from the Greekes since wee may finde the reason of it in our owne tongue wherin almost all names of men and places are of them selues significant Pryd amongst vs signifieth comlinesse or beutie Cain signifieth white So that by the ioyning of these two wordes together taking away C in composition for the better soundes sake is made Prydain that is to say a white or excellent bewtie or comlinesse As who shoulde say the first borderers therto called it a fayre and fertile lande But seynge this is but a bare coniecture I am not against it but that euery man holde his owne opinion Neither am I ignorant that some very well learned men and expert in the British tongue doo write the Ilandes name with B. which I thinke they doo rather followynge therein the Latines then iudginge the same to be the true name knowyng the proofes which I haue before alledged to b● so vndoubtedly certaine that themselues cannot deny thē Perhaps here wil stande foorth som enemie to the British name sayinge that by these arguments I do disproue both the commyng of Brutus into this Ilande and Polydorus himselfe with his Britysh hystorie But god forbyd I should be so impious in such wyse to dispise the maiestie of Antiquitie Nay rather when opportunitie shal be offered I purpose to confirme by bringinge foorth many weighty reasons and authorities whiche I haue readie in stoare for a British Hystorie both his cumming and also to establish the credite of the British hystorie Nothinge regardinge the folly of those who bycause they finde not the name of it in the Romane hystories boldely denie that there is any suche in the worlde at all seynge vnto those that shall reade Halicarnasseus and Liuius so much disagreyng and also considerynge the obscuritie of the Latine name at that time when Brutus passed out of Italy into Greece it shall easely

Germans because they had bigge bodies with sharpe and horrible eyes Thus much ●e Since therfore he hath left their originall vnknowne and our Chronacles doo testifie how that the Britaynes had alwayes greate familiaritie with the Northerne Germans it is like enough that the Britysh Cymbri passed ouer into Denmark whereby it was termed Cymbrica and so ioynyng with the Almaynes made warre vpon the Romans and first vanquished Papirius with his armie in Illyrica Afterward ouercame Aurelius Scaurus with his Legions in Fraunce him self being slayne by kinge Belus whiche name is also familiar amongst the welshmen at this day Besides that Manlius and Caepio were discomfited nigh Rhodanus when there were 12000. of the Romans slayne In the ende at Athesis in Italy they were ouerthrowen and almost al slain And those whiche remayned after the battayle escaped into Germany and were deuided into two partes Wherof th one returnyng into Britayne gaue name to the countrie Cymbria the other departyng out of Germany rested nigh to the Sea Balteum afterward were called of the Germans Aestiones whose tongue as Tacitus writeth is like the Britysh And to confirme all this I read of late in a most auncient fragmēt of the Britysh tongue how that longe since there departed a very great army of Britaynes into Denmarck Whiche after many valiant Warres stoutly made in moste partes of the worlde neuer returned agayne But wheras diuerse do affirme that these were the indwellers of the Danish Chersonesus hereby it appeareth false that the Danes longe before that time possessed that lande as their Hystories do declare Neither is there any Danish or Suetish writer that euer made mention of the Cymbri Othersome affirme that they descended of the inhabitantes of Cymerius Bosphorus But neither the nations name neither their maners neither their kings names doo agree Which if you respect ours are all one For Clodic Lhes Bel Lhud Thudfach Berich by whiche the kynges of the Cymbri were called be very common names amongst the Britaynes Their neglectyng of golde and siluer the shape of their bodies theyr sheildes armour swordes yea made of brasse wherof I saw twayne whiche of late were founde in hollow rockes in Northwales their reuerēce towards women and preistes their custome to sacrifice men vnto Mercury declareth that they were British Cymbri Neither will I deny that which many doo write that the Sicambri and afterward the Franci were of theyr broode vnlesse that their owne Historicians affirmed that they were so called three hundred yeres before of one Cambra daughter to Belinus whiche was kynge of Britayne and maried to Antenor theyr kynge Wherfore I conclude that the Cymbri either departed foorth of Britayne about that time or els were the remnantes of the greate army whiche was gatherd in Britayne and Fraunce and setled with Brennus in the Marches of Greece at the same time For it is vndoubtedly knowen that Brennus was a perfect Britayne and brother to kynge Belinus and sonne to Dunwallus which not only our Chronacles doo testifie but also the countries name where the ambitious man fought with Belinus his brother and was called of him Brennich Diuers riuers also amongst vs called by that name and also a most auncient castle standyng vppon the toppe of an exceedyng high hill in Gwania called Dinas Bran that is to say Brennus Courte or Palace are a very good argument hereof Besides this there remayne most auncient Rimes in the prayse of Cornwenna theyr Mother because that when Brennus came foorthe of Fraunce with ayde agaynst his brother with her naked breast and pappes she reconciled them together which one hath thus interpreted O out Ahlas what meaneth this doo you my bowels harme What wicked cause doth mooue two brothers powers to be so warme Cannot all Britayne you contayne since it is very sure That both you twayne within this wombe of mine did once endure May not your mothers teares nor torne heares from purpose pluck Nor naked dolefull breastes in tender age which both did suck Who then ioyninge theyr armies ●anne ouer all Fraunce and Italy vanquished the Romans and tooke the citie and departed out of Italy as Polybius reporteth And Belinus returned into Britayne but Brennus with 15000 ▪ thousand footemen 61200. thousand ●orsemen as Pausanias writeth set vpō the Greekes And hauyng subdued the Macedonians Thessalians Thracians the Poeonians all the other people of the Greekes he ouerthrew at Thermopilae in a most horrible blouddie battayle In fine when as he was aboute to sack the Temple of Apollo of Delphos his army was wholy almost miraculously slayne by the fal of a mightie great cliffe a wonderfull Rayne from Heauen Wherwith Brennus beynge strooke with sorowe a most coragious gentleman as he was slew him-selfe And I wot wel how Polydorus complaineth of the supputation of yeres whē as in déed the time agréeth very wel with the British history But where as he maketh two Brennus that is altogether beside credit since no writer before him euer yelded the same to memory And as concerning the true supputation of the age of the world diuers authors haue diuersly written Besides these reasons by theyr owne tongue whiche is the best proofe that may be wee will easely conuince that they were Britaynes and that Brennus souldiers spake the Britysh tongue wee will likewyse soone declare Pausanias in his tenth booke writeth thus Brennus had with him forth 20400. thousande horsemen whiche were all fightynge men for the truer numbre of them in deede were aboue threescore thousand and two hundred For there followed euery horseman two seruants on horsebacke These when their maysters were fightynge stoode alwayes in the rearewarde and assisted them that if by chance they wer vnhorsed thei shuld se● them on theirs and if the man were slayne the seruant should succede in his place but if they were both killed by force of fight then was the third at hand readie to supplie for them that were dead If the first and cheif had receaued a wounde one of these other conueyed him out of the battayle the third fulfilled the room●h of him that was hurt And this practise of fightynge on horsebacke they terme in their country language Trimarchisia for they call an horse Marcha Thus far Pausanias What can be spoken more playnly Our Britaynes at this day cal Tres in the masculine gendre Tri and in the feminine Tair that is Three And an horse they call march Wherby Tri-march vnto them signifieth three Horses Hereby therfore all must needes confesse either that the Frenchmen spake the Britysh tongue whiche almost all Hystories doo deny or that these were naturall Britaynes And afterwarde he saieth that the Frenchmen call a Shield Tyren in their country speache whiche woorde wee doo likewise vse at this present calling a shield Taria Moreouer Atheneus writeth that the Reliques of the Frenchmen vnder Bathanasius their captayne tooke vp their dwelling about Ister and after that