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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

¶ 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 alteration therof vnder diuers as wel natural as forren princes Conquerours Together with the Geographicall description of the same such as neither 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 1573. To the Right honorable Edward Deuiere Lorde Bulbeck Erle of Oxenford Lorde great Chamberlayne of England Tho. Twyne wisheth long life perfect health encrease of honour and endlesse felicitie NObilitie is a precious gift whiche so glittereth in the eyes of al men that there is no one corporall thyng in this worlde wherof we make a greater accompt For so is it esteemed of all desired of all and reuerenced of al. Vertue saith TVLLY and before him PLATO if it might be seene with our bodely eyes doubtlesse it woulde procure merueilous loue and good likynge vnto it self the shew therof would appeare so faier and amiable The vniting of which two most noble graces with al other furniture of Nature Fortune with in your person right honorable and my very good Lord hath so bent my iudgement and brought me into such likyng admiration therof that I haue rested no smale time not only not satisfied in being one of the admiratours but also desierus to be one of the participatours of those your honours most laudable dispositions wherunto I do now hūbly submit my selfe And in token of my dutiful meaning herein am so hardi as to presēt your honour with this simple traueyle which I so terme in respect of my paines in translatyng the same Howbeit I am perswaded that it cost M. Lhuyd who first and not longe since wroate the same in Latin no smale labour and industry in the gatheryng and pennyng Regarding your honour to be amongst therest a very fit patrone for it in consideration that beynge as yet but in your flower and tender age and generally hoped and accompted of in time to become the cheefest stay of this your common welth and country you woulde receaue into your salf tuition the writen name and descriptiō of that Britayne whiche as it is in part your natiue soyle so your duty biddeth you to defend and mantayne it Here on when your hono●r shal be at lea sure to looke bestowynge suche regard as you are accustomed to doo on bookes of Geographie Histories and other good lernynge wherin I am priuy your honour taketh singular delight I doubt not but you shall haue cause to iudge your time very well applied And so much the rather for that in the studie of Geographie it is expediēt first to know exactly the situation of our owne home where wee a bide before that wee shal be able to iudge how other countries doo lie vnto vs which are farre distant from vs besides that it were a foule shame to be inquisitiue of the state of forreyne landes and to be ignorant of our owne As your honour beynge already perfectly instructed is not now to learne at my ●ande But for my part it shal be sufficient that your honour would dayn to accept this smale present or rather therein my harty good wyl which beyng no otherwise able to gratefie the same shall neuer cease to pray to God that he would alwayes direct you in the commendable race of vertue and learnynge which you haue begun augment your honour with many degrees and in the end reward you with immortall felicitie Your honours most humble at commaundement Thomas Twyne ¶ THE PREFACE OF THE TRANSLAtours to the Reader WHen I first tooke in hande this Booke gentle Reader was determined to translate it into English I considered the great iudgement and learnyng of the Author mine owne simplicitie and vnskilfulnesse By conference wherof I was eftsoones driuen from my determination For I perceiued how dangerous a thyng it was for me who God knoweth am but a simple antiquarie and but slenderly practised in the antiquities of this Ilande to geue foorth my absolute sentence in suche matters as are in controuersie not only amongst the moste approued and best learned auntient writers in this behalfe but also between suche as haue been very well seen therin in our time wherof some be dead and some be yet liuyng Which I saw that of necessity I must doo As for this one example among many Although it be not yet fully agreed vpon what towne in Englande the auntient name of Caleua doth signifie and the place therof be also as vncerteine as vpon whiche side of the Thames it should lie yet followynge myne author so neare as I may I am enforced to determine some way I am sure not without mislikynge of many The like reprehension I haue incurred in the Englishyng of names of diuerse places moe some English some Scottish but especially VVelsh or Britysh In so much that I was determined to haue set them downe as I had founde them in M. Lhuyds Latin booke which he for that he wroate in Latine had so nigh as he coulde made them al Latin words in sounde termination But beyng therin much lightned especially by the helpe of the rightworshipfull M. Doct. Yale of London I trust I haue deserued lesse blame in that then in any other one parte of my translation how be it for my litle skill in that tongue I am the more I hope to be borne with all And where as the authour in the Latine copie recitynge the peculiar Letters the pronunciation of them with the proprietie of the British tongue in stéede of a double letter as DD or a lettre with an aspiration as LH would for breuety sake haue them writen with the same letter a pricke vnder the foote for want of the like letters wée haue throughout the whole worke expressed the same to that very effect in the double letter or with aspiration from place to place wher he hath vsed the same vnder pricked letter So that hereby sauing for his conceit of writing there is no errour committed at al. And herein I thought it needeful to admonish thée Moreouer if there shall haply appeare any fault by vs now committed either in misnamynge any person Towne or other thynge wronge placing of wordes euell allegation of writers altering of the authours meaning by false poynting one woord put for an other or such like the truth wherof I coulde not exactly try out by diligent animaduersion or due conferrence in so short time I most hartely craue pardon and must néedes impute the most parte therof vnto the falsenesse an disordre of the Latine copie printed at Colone Whose errata are moe then I haue commonly seene in a booke of no greater quantitie yet if the Printer woulde haue noted all he shoulde haue noted twise so many as

they come of Englishmen where as they and the Englishmen coumpte the other Scots but rude and barbarous These nations as I say vntill that Honorius came to the Empyre whiche was aboute the yere of the Lorde foure hundred and twentie molested the North parte of Britayne with incursions and robberies at whiche time hauyng called a power out of Ireland to helpe them as Gyldas and Bede doo auouch vnder conducte of Reuda established them selues a kyngdome in the West parte of Albania But the Readshanks possessed the East region whereas first they made warre agaynst the Romans and the Britaynes and afterwarde with the Englishmen and Danes sometime they were confederate sometime they warred diuersly vntill aboute the yere of our Lorde eight hundred and fortie all the Readshankes were destroyde by Kennethus kinge of Scottes in somuch that their name and kyngedome ceased to be any longer in Britayne Whose country the Scottes added vnto theyr owne whiche to this day is renowmed in Britayne This much I had to say of the Scots and Readshankes according to the verity of the hystory Howbeit I know well how Boethius a most vayne reporter of Fables impudently affirmeth that they reigned in Britayne three hundred yeres before Christe was borne And he feineth that there were so many kinges so many warres by them most valiently waged agaynst the Romans so many holsome lawes and statutes in Britayne by them instituted as neither Lucian in his Fabulous narrations neither the author of the booke of Amadis of Gaule nor wittie ARIOSTVS in his Orlando Furioso haue euer commended vnto vs in Fables But to the intente that I may set foorth the most beastly man in his colours that the sleight and subtelty wherwith he endeuoureth to bleare all mens eyes may be displayed I will briefly touche certayne of his most vayne trifles suche as all men of wit and vnderstandynge may easely perceaue to be starke lies And here I let pas Aegiptian fables and of the stocke and race of Scottish kynges in Britayne before Caesars cōmyng Where he affyrmeth that Caesar was vanquished by the Scots and fled out of Britayne Who afterwarde sent Ambassadours vnto the Scots and Readshankes to request their freindship and that at last he conducted his Roman armie in to the Forest Caledonia Also that Augustus sent his messengers vnto Metellus kynge of Scots to entreate him for peace Moreouer he maketh Cataracus a Britaine and sonne to kynge Cynobellinus as Dion a most famous author reporteth Kynge of Scotland He sticketh not to auouche that the Brigantes Siluri and Ordouici were Scots He sheweth how dangerous the expedition was of Claudius the Emperour and describeth greate warres betweene him and Canus the kynge of the Orchades He writeth that Voadicia the most renowmed queene of Iceni whose valient deedes agaynst the Romans Tacitus and also Dion haue made knowne to the world Veusius Earle of Brigantes Cartimandua the Queene were all Scots And finally there is no one thinge wherein the Romans or Britaynes behaued them selues couragiously or wysely in Britayne which this monstre doth not ascribe vnto his fayned Scots and whiche at that time were vnknowen to the worlde And he hath not only transcribed the minde but also whole sentences and orations of Tacitus into his booke alwaies changynge the names of nations and cities like a malicious falsefier with out al shame or honestie He sayth Caesar Tacitus wrote these thinges of the Readshankes and those of the Scots that these nations made suche and so many Warres when as in deede the names of Scots or Readshankes are not at all to be founde in these most noble writers And truly it is not like that Caesar beyng avery wise gentleman when he had throughly learned the state maners of the Britaynes and Irishmen would with silence haue ouerpassed the names of the Scots and Readshankes specially hauynge sent Embassadours vnto their kynges Neither is it probable that Tacitus a famous man and very expert in the state of Britayne and other countries when he describeth the expeditions of Agricola his father in lawe in to Britayne and as it were depeynteth foorth the Sheyres Peoples Portes and Riuers of that region by their proper names maketh mentiō of a certeine Erle of Ireland taken by Agricola knew not also the names of Scots and Readshankes with whom Boethius ●ayneth he waged that warre when as in euery place he seemeth to cal the inhabitants of Albion Britaynes And it had stoode much more with Agricolas honour beyng a worthy man whom Tacitus also by his workes endeuoreth to make more noble to haue subdued vnknowen nations and suche as ●ead on mans ●leash such as it shal be prooued that the Scots were long time after rather then the Britaynes which were sufficiētly knowne to the Romans Also Dion a man which had byn Consul and familiar with Seuerus the Emperour and vnto him dearly beloued whilst he declareth his expedition into Britayne at large not once speaketh of the Scots or Readshankes b●yng very well knowne to all men that he conueyed all his force and power into Albania or Scotland For quoth Dion the Meati Caledonij two diuerse kindes of Britaines reuolted from the Romans and Seuerus callyng together his souldiers cōmaunded them to inna●e theyr countrie and kill all that euer they met and thus he charged them in these woordes Let none escape your hands away nor cruell blouddy broyle No tender impe though in her wombe the dame ther with do toyle Let him not scape a woful death When Seuerus came into Caledonia he fought neuer a battell neither saw he any power of his enemies in a redinesse and so passyng throughout all his enemies land hauyng not lost in fight but by water and hunger fiftie thousand men returned vnto his fellowes If the Scots had bin in Britayne at that time the reporter herof being a freend neither after him Herodian who in sufficient longe discourse hath set foorth that viage woulde haue defrauded an Emperour so ambitious and thirsty of honour as Seuerꝰ was of his due praise Wherefore it is as euident as noone dayes that at this time whiche was about two hundred and two yeres after the incarnation of our Lorde the Scots had no seat in Britayne Ouer and besides al this neither Eutropius neither Spartianus neither Capitolinus neither Lampridius neither Vopiscus nor Aurelius victor who haue all written the expeditions and warres of the Roman Emperours in Britayne haue in any plate made mention of the Scottish or Readshank name Although therefore I suppose that these arguments are sufficient to improoue and condemne the ●eere trifles of Boethius notwithstandynge I will lightly touche twoo of his Hystories which by the author are setfoorth at large enough with woordes a foote and an halfe longe But I pray you When ye be let to looke your laughter freends you would refraine In the seconde booke of his fables he writeth how that Ptolomaeus Philadelphus kynge

of Aegypt sent foorth his oratours vnto Reutha kynge of Scots that by the view taken and report of his neare countrymen namely such as had come lyneally from the Egiptians he might vnderstand the situation and forme of the countrie together with the conditions and maners of the people to the intent that he might set downe the same in his woorke of Cosmographie whiche he had then in hand Whiche oratours beyng right courteously intertayned were afterward led through all the regions and townes of Scots and Readshankes at last beyng largely rewarded returned into Aegypt O noble and worthie deede of a Gentleman but moste vnthankfull Ptolomaeus and vnmindeful of so great rewards Who after that he had sent his Embassadours into countries so farre distant hath left no shire yea almost no towne in all Britayne in that woorthy woorke of his vnspoken of whiche was set foorth not by the kynge but longe time after by another Ptolomaeus Pheludensis a Philosopher very well learned onely his welbeloued cosins the Scots and Readshāks he hath lefte raked vp in their owne darkenesse neither once vouchsaued in his booke wherin he made a most perfect description of all Albania to expresse so muche as their names Nay rather Boethius it is a sinne to beleeue that suche a kyng when he had sent thither his Legates and recited all the Cities and people of Albania to haue bin ignorant of the nations name and in describynge the situation of the Region so to haue varied from the trueth For he whiche sette foorthe that noble woorke aboute the yere of our redemption one hundred and fortie appeareth in no place to speake of the Scottes and Readshankes which at that time were vnknowen to the worlde This beyng omitted let vs come to the second Fable wherein gentle reader whether I shal mooue thee to laugh ter or lothsomnesse I am vncertayn He writeth that one Gyllus vsurped by force the kyngedome of Scotland before the commynge of Caesar into Britayne who after that he had committed many cruell deedes at length by Euenus the lawfull heyre one Cadallus beyng captayne was in Ireland vanquished in blouddie fight and afterwarde slayne Of this slaughter by reason that the Irishmen were afflicted with the force armes of the Albion Scots the Poete Claudianus other writers haue entreated Wherby he maketh the noble poete Claudianꝰ which liued vnder Honorius 410. yeres after the incarnate woord author of the Scottish war against Gyllus which vnto him seemeth no inconuenience who in other places most impudently fathereth his follies fables vpon Caesar the Dictator Tacitus In very deede Claudianus hath writen of the Gyldonicum warre made in Africk by Masticelis brother to Gyldo cheiftaine therin and of the expedition which Honorius tooke in hande against the brother that rebelled But I besech you my freend Hector tell me whether you affirme this geare in iest or in good earnest that thereby wee may iudge of the residue or whether that you thought you could deceaue all men with your lies This Gyldo was a Goth no Scot the warre was in Africk not in Ireland This visible tyranne liued in the yere of our Lorde 398. but theyr feyned inuisible Gyllus is deuised to haue flowrished 400. yeres before Besides these insulse and vnsauored lies he affirmeth that all the knowledge and learnynge of the Druydes came first vnto the Scots when as it playnely appeareth vnto suche as are excercised in the readyng of Hystories that Phylosophy and the liberal sciēces were knowen to the Celtae and Britaynes longe before they were to the Greekes and Latines But as touchyng the holsome lawes institutes whiche he falsely attributeth vnto the Scots vnto those whiche reade Solinus and Mela depayntyng foorth the maners and nature of the Irishmen the truth will appeare Likewise out of S. Hierome whom wee may better credite then Boethius it is euident that at his time that is as muche to say as in the yere of our Lorde 400. the Scots were accustomed to eate mans fleash For saieth he what shall I say of other nations when as I my selfe beyng but a yonge man saw in Fraunce Scottes whiche fead on mans fleash And when as they chance to finde in the wooddes any heards of Hogges also any droues of catayle or beastes they vse to cut of the buttockes of the Heards men and keepers and the Pappes of women accomptyng those partes for a most delicate dish These Scots as though they followed Platoes cōmon wealth haue no peculiar wiues of their owne but as their lechery moueth them saith he runne lasciuiously about after the maner of beastes This much S. Hierome Since therfore it is certainly prooued out of this true author that they were so barbarous at his time it is not like that so many hundred yeres before as Boethius doth fayne they were ruled with so many good lawes and holsome institutes Neither doo I for my part write this to the intent I woulde detract any thinge from the Scottish glory in so much as I know very well that this nation after that it had departed from barbarousnesse and embraced Christian religion and obeyed lawes and rightes precisely like other people was so firmlye ioyned in league of friendship with our Britaynes that wee reade how in many warres th`one nation ayded the other I acknowledge also that many thinges haue bin by them doone both wisely valiently in Britayne Fraunce and Italy and that the Englishmen howbeit a stronge nation seldome assayed the Scots in war but that they were alwaies readie with al their force to ioyne with them in battayle which is no signe of a cowardly or hart lesse people But I write this only to this entent that the truth of the history may be knowne and that the Scots themselues may contemne this fabler hold them selues contented with this that together with the Saxons Frenchmen Englishemen most noble natiōs they were first knowne to the Roman world And now let vs see what substantiall approued writers whom bothe wée they must credit haue transported to memorie touchyng the Scots and Readshankes The first therfore of the Romans so far as I know Mamertinus in his Panegyricus called Maximinianꝰ maketh mention of the Readshankes by these woordes And truly not like as there is but one name of Britayne so should the losse be but smale to the cōmonwealth of a lande so plentifull of corne so flowrishyng with numbers of pastures so flowynge with riuers of metalles so gaynefull for reuenewes so welbeset with hauens so wide in circuit Which when Cesar first of the Romans the beginner of this your name entred into wroate that he had founde another world supposing it to be so bigge that it seemed not to be compassed with the Oceane but rather to compasse the Oceane about But at that time Britayne was nothynge furnished with shippes for Warre by Sea and the Romans after the Punick and Asiatick warres had

had purposed ended the warre requiryng yet moe pleadges of whom notwithstandyng he receaued but few So Caesar returned in to the continent such thynges as were vnquiet durynge his absence he appeased gayning nothyng to him selfe nor to the Citie of Rome out of Britayne but only the glorie of the expedition taken in hande Which both he himselfe did very much set foorth in woordes and the Romans extolled wonderfully at Rome In so muche that in consideration of these deedes so happely atcheeued they decreed a supplication or thankes gyuyng of twentie dayes And in another place The Britaynes callyng foorth their fellowes and communicatynge the effect of their entent vnto Suella who amongst all the Petiroyes or Erles of that Ilande was of greatest power they marched vnto the Roman shyppes where they rode at anker With whom the Romans meetynge at the first encounter were troubled with the Wagons but anon making a lane amongst them and auoyding the Wagons they cast their Dartes agaynst the enemie which cam runnyng in sidelonge vpon them and so restored the battell After this battell bothe partes stoode still in the same place and in another conflict when the barbarous people had ouercome the Roman footemen yet being discomfited by the horsemen retyred backe to the Riuer Thames Moreouer Herodian in the life of Seuerus writeth thus of the Britaynes For diuers places of Britayne sayeth he by common wasshyng in of the Oceane doo become Marish In these Marishes therefore the Earbarous people doo swymme and wade vp to the belly not regardyng the mierynge and durteynge of their naked bodies For they know not the vse of garments but they arme their bellies their neckes supposing that to be an ornament a token of ritches like as other barbarous people doo Golde They paynte also their bodies with diuers pictures and shapes of al manners of beastes liuyng thynges Wherfore they weare on nothinge least thereby they should hide the payntyng of their body It is a very warlike Nation and greedie of slaughter contented only with a narow Sheild and a Speare and a Sworde hangyng downe by their naked side They are altogether ignorant of the vse of the breastplate and headpeece taking them to be a let vnto them in passing ouer the Fennes and Marishes Besides these Eutropius of the French warre writeth thus Caesar passeth ouer into Britayne hauynge thereto prepared lxxx shippes partly for burthen and partly to fight and maketh warre vpon the Britaynes Where beyng first wearied with a sharpe battayle and afterward fallyng into a cruell tempest returned into Fraunce and so foorth And afterward Agayne at the beginnynge of the sprynge he sayled into Britayne where at the first encounter of the Horsemen he was vanquished and there was Labienus the Tribune slayne and at the seconde battayle with greate perill of his owne men he ouercame the Britaynes and constrayned them to flie Suetonius Tranquillus affirmeth that Vespasianus ouercame in battell two mightie and valiant nations of Britayne and that he faught thirtie times with the enemy which is a token of no cowardly but of a most stoute and warlike nation Eutropius also in the. ix booke of his hystory writeth thus When notwithstandyng Warre was in vayne made agaynst Carausius the Britayne a man very expert in martial assayres in the ende peace was concluded And Sextus Ruffus recityng the Roman Legions amonge the Legions of the mayster of the footemen reckneth vp Britannicians and British and amonge the Legions Comitalensis the seconde British Legion And again among the Legions of the mayster of the horsemen the French Britons and agayne Britons And afterward with the worthy approued erle of Spayne the inuincible yonger Britons And in an other place he numbreth the yonger British carriars with the Earle of Britayne But what shall it be needfull to tu●n ouer the woorkes of so many learned men that the glory of Britayne may appeare When as so many puissant kynges so many inuincible captaynes so many noble Roman Emperours spronge forth of the British bloud haue made manifest vnto the world by their noble actes wel worthy immortality what maner men this Iland bringeth foorth For what shall I speake of Brennus the tamer of the Romans and Grekes and almost of all the nations in the worlde What of Caswallan to whom as Lucane reporteth Iulius Caesar did turne his fearfull backe What of Cataracus who molested the people of Rome with warre the space of ix yeres What of Bunduica that valiant manlike dame Who to beginne with all and for han●●ll sake slew lxx thousand Romans Of whom such feare inuaded Rome and Italy as Virunnius writeth as neuer the like before neither at commynge of Brennus nor of Hannibal What of Aruiragus the inuincible kynge of Britayne Who in despite of the Romans whiche were Lordes of all the worlde preserued his libertie What of those noble Captaynes which faught thirtie times with Vespasian Who also with sorow and angwise of minde killed Seuerus the moste valiant Emperour bycause he coulde not ouercome them What as I say shal I speake of these when as Britayne hath yelded foorth communicated to the rest of the world Constantinus Magnus not only a most valiant and fortunate Captaine but that more is a perfect goodman and the first Emperour of the Christians instructed by Helene his Mother a Britayne also How much Fraunce and Italy for their deliuerie from Tyrannes are indebted vnto Britayne for this man which was brought foorth out of the midst of the bowels therof all men do well know only Polydorus excepted and William Petit the Monke his scholemayster of late brought to light vnworthy euer to haue seene light by the slaunderers detra●tours of the British glory And for as much as a certeine Frēchman of late daies and also an auncient Greeke author of the name of Maior affirme that he was borne at Dyrachiū called now Durazo I meane to brynge foorthe the most auncient wordes of the Panegyricus whiche was pronounced before Constantinus himselfe O sayth he most fortunate and now aboue all landes most blessed Britayne whiche diddest first beholde Constantinus the Emperour Nature hath worthely endued thee with all benefites of ayer and soyle in whom is neither ouermuch colde of Wynter nor heate of Summer Where there is also suche plentie of Corne that it suffiseth for the vse of Ceres and Liber that is to say for Bread and Drinke Where are also Wooddes without wilde and cruell beastes the Earth without hurtfull Serpentes Contrarywise of tame Cattell an innumerable multitude stroutyng with Milke and laden with Flieses with all other thynges necessarie and commodious for our life verie longe dayes and no nightes without some light whylst that vttermoste playnes of the Sea shoare rayseth no shadowe and the shew and aspect of the Starres of Heauen deo exceede the boundes of night that the Sunne which to vs seemeth to goe downe appeareth there but to