he did besides that there are many errata in erratis But perhappes some wil merueile what is my reason that I haue termed this worke in English the Breuiary of Britayne since it is not intitled so in Latine To them I answere that if they deeme of the Latine title a right they shal perceaue that I haue not strayed one iote from the authours meanyng For where he calleth this booke CommeÌ„tarioli Britannicae descriptionis fragmentum that is to say a fragment of a litle treatise or discourse of the description of Britayne waygh and iudge indifferently good Reader how muche I haue gone byside the purpose And here peraduenture it may be looked for accordyng vnto the custome of some translatours I should fine and picke my penne to set foorth the commendation of mine authour as in very deede some of them had neede to do But I feare me much least in myne ouer rash attempt in takyng so worthy a writer in hand not beyng furnished with any greater skyll and learnynge in this his kinde then I am knowne to be I haue deserued iust blame and M. Lhuyd if he were liuynge woulde haue desired me of lesse acquaintance Whose passyng earnest traueile in attaynyng skil and knowledge hath deseruedly purchased vnto him immortal fame and so much the rather for that he hath therin endeuoured him selfe to doo his countrie good wherevnto all men are naturally bounden And not only contented to take the paynes for his owne knowledge sake but willing to pleasure other therby hath communicated the same vnto the worlde Which commendable example of his I trust shal be a prouocation vnto some other in this Realme that haue traueiled longe time and taken much paines in the searching out of antiquities and anncient Monuments of Britayne not without their greate charges Whose singular learnyng without suspition of partialitie I may not commende to attempte the lâ—kâ— â–ª 〈◊〉 that they be hindred b◠〈…〉 lâ—ng to do nothyng th 〈…〉 tie ought to be furtherers an 〈…〉 â—o others And for my parte I 〈…〉 en the paynes with hazard of mine eâ—emation for the English Readers sake whiche vnderstandeth not the Latine â—ongue To whom I thought it as 〈…〉 h appertayning to know the state and description of his owne country as to the learned be he Englishman or stranger Only for recompence gentle Reader let me haue thy good woorde and lawfull fauour and I aske no more Farewell hartly and enioy it ¶ A freind in prayse of the Authour THE British soyle with all therin that lies The surging Seas which compasse it about In what estate of heate or colde of skies It stands with many thinges of other rout Lhuyd in this booke hath put theÌ„ out of doubt Which though in viewe it be of body smale in breif discourse it doth comprise them all ¶ Ptolom his pen it seemes he had in hand Somtimes in Seas with NEPTVNE he did dwel IVNO to skies pluckt him to view the land Els surely could he not haue done so well That thus so right of euery thing doth tell As though he stoode aloft and downe did looke And what he saw wroat straight into his booke ¶ Ech Hill ech dale ech water worth the name With Forests wide and many a standing Wood Ech Citie Towne ech Castle great of fame Ech King prince spronge forth of noble blood Were bad his reigne or were it iust and good So much as skild him for to touch therin To tell the truth he forced not a pin ¶ Thy couÌ„try Lhuyd is bounden much to thee Which makest it vnto vs not only knowen But vnto such as in far countries be Wherby thy fame the greater way is flowen And eke thy countries praise the more is groweÌ„ So by one deede two noble thinges are chanced Britayne and Lhuyd to heauen are aduanced ¶ In Latine thou the learned sort to please In single payne a double skill didst show In English Twyne hath turned for greater ease To those the ROMAN tongue that do not know The worke is one though tongues be twaynel trow The Latin thou the English Twyne did twyst The learned laud you both disprayse who lyst Finis Thomae Brounei Praebendarij VVestm in Commentariolos Britannicae descriptionis Humfredi Lhuyd Denbyghiensis Cambri Britanni FLumine Lhuyde fluis laxis effusus habenis Dulcis irrigno flumine LHVYDE fluis Nereides viridesque Deae pater Inachus aiunt Parnassi ex ipso vertice Lhuyde venis In mare dulcisono Lhuydus fluit amne BritannuÌ„ Clamant Cluydae flumina Lhuydus adest Et nouus ille nouis auxit faelicius vndis Fontes Annales inclite Brute tuos Nomina vera docet Regionis fluminis vrbis Et cuiusque loci quae sit origo docet Vt vere scripsit sic vero interprete gaudet Sed Lhuydus Latij fluminis amne fluit Anglus hic interpres Romanum iam facit AngluÌ„ Scripsit vterque bene laus sit vtrique sua Ed. Grant Scholemaster of VVestminster in coÌ„mendation of this treatise of Britanie pende in Latin by HuÌ„frey Lhuyd and translated into English by Tho. Twyne IF for to write of Brutus broode eche Britaynes brayne be bounde For zeale he owes to country soyle and eke his natiue grounde Then Wales may boast and iustly ioy that such a Britayne bred which hath with serious serche of brain and toylyng trauell spred Throughout the coasts of Britany and forrayne countries strange The liuely fame of Brutus name that through the world doth range That longe lay hid in dungeons darke obscurde by tract of time And almost smouldred with the smokâ— of ignorances crime But now reuiude and polished by Lhuyd his busie brayne And brought to light former frame by his exhausted payne Whose diligence and iudgement great I can but muse to see That with such skill doth paynt the prayse of Brute and Britanie That with such loue to countryes soyle doth bryng agayne to light The shinyng shape and stately stampe of that was darckned quight By whose endeuour Polidore must now surseace to prate To forge to lie and to defame kynge BRVTVS worthy state By whose great paynes proude Hector must now leaue of to bable Such vaunts as of his Scottish soyle Scot he whilom seemd to fable By Lhuid their brags be beaten downe their forgyng lies be spide And Britaine needs must chaleng fame that erst it was denide Lhuid findeth forth hir former fame and antique names doth tell And doth refute their forged lies that did of rancor smell Brutes worthy race is blazed here by trumpe of flickering fame And Lhuid it is a flowyng flud that hath reuiude the same Who though enterred now in earth yet shall he neuer die But liue amongs his Britanists by this his Britanie whose thread of life wold god the Fates had yet not sought to spoyle Then had wee had a larger scope of Brutus sacred soyle Go litle volume go thy wayes by Lhuid in Latin pende And new attir'd in English weede
accompayned with many Erles and Lordes of VVales which loued not the prince Untill that the prince him selfe beyng forsaken by many of his owne men was by the men of Buelt betrayed not far from the riuer Vaga or wye whether he came with a very few souldiers And by one Adam Francton whiche faught vnder the conduct of Helias walwin far from the residew of his owne power beynge accompayned with one only Page and vnarmed with certain other noble men of that country which had tolde y same before to his enemies was there slayne most dishonorably After whose death the VVelshmen came in subiection to the Englishmen and had alwayes afterwarde to their prince the kyng of Englandes eldest sonne or daughter if male issue fayled This kynge builded certeyne townes and Castles there whiche he compassed with stone walles and left garisons in them to keepe the VVelshmen in awe And prouided by special lawes for that intent made that VVelshmen should enioy no such liberties nor freedoms as they and their posteritie had graunted vnto the Englishmen But by many Edictes Decrees set foorth agaynst the VVelshmen especially by Henry the fourth who by reason of a Rebellion made by one Owen whiche dwelt neare the Vally of Dee was verie highly offended with al that nation the kynges of England kept them vnder the yoke of seruitude abolishinge their owne proper Lawes brought in the English Lawes prouidyng by generall coÌ„maundement that no man should vse the welshe tongue in any Court or Schoole Howbeit the honour of thâ— most auncient tongue so much preuayled that not only the welshmen themselues but also the inhabitours of the English townes through VVales beyng now called by the name of welshmen doo gladly frequent the same And hath remooued the boundes into Englandwardes ouer the Riuer Dee cheifly since the beginnyng of the reigne of Henry the seuenth a moste prudent Prince vntill this day Who lineally desceÌ„dyng from his grandfather Owen Tudyr a welshman borne in the I le of Anglysey quite deliuered all the welshmen from such lawes of bondage as in other kynges dayes they were subiect vnto And the most mightie Prince kynge Henry the eight his sonne deliuered them wholy from all seruitude and made them in all poyncts equall to the Englishmen Wherby it commeth to passe that laying aside their old manners they who before were wonte to liue most sparingly are now enritched and do imitate the Englishmen in diet apparell howbeit they be somedeale impatient of labour and ouermuch boastyng of the Nobilitie of their stocke applying them selues rather to the seruice of noble men then geuynge them selues to the learnyng of handycraftes So that you shall finde but few noble men in England but that the greater parte of their retinew wherin Englishmen exceede al other nations are welsh men borne For men cheifly brought vp with Milke meates beyng â—ymble and well set of bodie are very apt to do any kynde of businesse Besides beyng somwhat high minded and in extreame pouertie acknowledgyng the nobilitie of their famely are more giuen to the culture and trimmyng of their bodies like Spayniards then to ritches or the belly and beynge very apt to learne courtlike behauiour are therfore by the English nobilitie preferred before Englishmen Howbeit also of late they haue very commendably begun to inhabite Townes to learne occupations to exercise merchandise to till the grounde well and to doo all other kindes of publique and necessary functions as wel as Englishmen And in this one thing surpassyng them that there is no man so poore but for some space he setteth forth his children to Schole and such as profitte in studie sendeth them vnto the Uniuersities where for the most part they enforce them to studie the Ciuile law Wherby it chaunceth that the greater sort of those whiche professe the Ciuile or Canon lawes in this Realme are VVelshmen And you shall finde but few of the ruder sorte whiche cannot reade and write their owne name and play on the Harpe after their maner And now also the holy Scriptures and dayly seruice are printed in their tongue And like as this nation as Tacitus reporteth beyng very impacient of iniuries was alwayes at variance in continuall warres and slaughter within it self so now through feare of lawes whiche they doo very ciuilly obey they striue in actions and controuersies vnto the consumyng of all their gooddes And thus much touchinge the manners and demeanure of the VVelshmen at this day but now heare of their olde out of Gyraldus Whiche writeth thus If is a light nation a sharpe nation rather then a rough a nation wholy giuen vnto warres For here not only the noblemen but all the multitude is redy so arinur For the Trumpet no sooner soundeth alarme but the husbandman cometh as spedely to battaile from the Plough as doeth the courtier from the court For not here as in other places The Ploughmans toyle in circle rounde doth runne For in March and Aprill only they steere once for Otes but they fallow not twise in Sommer and the thyrde Winter after for wheatland The most part of the people is fead with Rudder beastes for the payle They fead on Otes Cheese Mylke and Butter on Fleash more abundantly on Breade more sparyngly They trouble them selues with no Marchandize with no trauell by Sea with no handycraftes neither with any affayres els sauynge Martial And yet they seeke for preseruation of peace and their liberty They fight for their country they labour for theyr libertie For whiche not only to blade it out but also to leese their liues they compt it sweet Wherby it cometh that they thinke it shame to die in their Beds and an honour to die in warre And these beyng now the remnantes of Aeneas trayne would runne foorthe headlongewise in Armur for their libertie Of whom this is verie notable to be marked that many times beyng naked they dare encounter with those whiche beare weapon vnarmed with those which are armed and footemen with horsemeÌ„ In which coÌ„flict many times only through their nimblenesse courage of minde they become the conquerours And are not vnlike vnto those in place and nature of whom the Poet speaketh Subiect vnto the Northen Beare Most happie folke by their mischance on whom those heapes of feare And cheefest dread of death doth nothing daunt Wherby doth rise To them a redie minde to runne to fight and death dispise Accompting for to spare life that will come againe great cowardise And in another place A nation slenderly armed trustyng rather to theyr agilitie then the force of their men For if they be ouercome to day and shamefully turned in to blouddie fight notwithstandinge tomorow they prepare a new expedition not mindefull of theyr losse nor shame And althoughe they preuayle not when Warre is proclaymed with open meetynges yet in secret ambushments and breakynges in by night they wil vexe their enemy So that beyng
passe by Good lorde what a thyng is this that alwayes from some furthermost ende of the worlde there come downe new powers from God to be worshipped of all the earth Thus farre he What of Bonosus out of the captaynes of the boundes of Rheticus a more couragious then fortunate Emperour What of Carausius Augustus who the space of seuen yeres together ware his princely Robes contrary to the will of Iouius and Herculius What of Allectus Caesar for subdueynge whom Mamertinus seemeth to prefer Maximianus before Caesar Iulius whose woordes I will not sticke to alledge And truly sayth he so foorth After him sprange the Emperour Maximus a Britayne and nephew to Helene a man both stoute and vertuous and worthy of Augustus but that in his youth leadyng an army agaynst Gratianus whom he vanquished he had sacked his countrie Who by Helene his wife daughter to Euda lefte his sonne Victor Emperour And as Paulus Diaconus writeth Bitayne also acknowledgeth Marcus and Gratianus the Emperours Moreouer Constantinus with his Sonne Constans when Gratianus their countriman was slayne were created Emperours in Britayne in name like to the aboue sayde but not in happinesse agaynste whom Gerontius theyr Captayne of whose death there are extant very auncient British Rhymes made another Maximus then the first was Augustus And after all these Ambrosius Aurelius is by Panuinius accompted the last Emperour of the British bloud Besides these xij Emperous Britayne hath also brought foorth to the worlde the moste puissant and inuincible kynge Arthur whose euerlastynge renowme and moste noble deedes our freende Mayster Leland hath set foorthe and made more apparant by infinite testimonies and moste weightie argumentes agaynst the gnarrynge and doggysh mouthe and hatred more then euer was Vatinians of Polydorus Vrbine and of the gresie Monke Rhicuallensis more conuersant in the Kitchin then in the hystories of olde writers And not only our countrymen but also Spayniardes Italians Frenchmen and the Sueones beyonde the Sea Baltheum as Gothus reporteth out of their Hystories doo celebrate and aduance vnto this day in theyr bookes the worthy actes of this puissant kyng Caduanne also who from prince of Gwynedh became Kynge of the Britaynes and his sonne Cadwalla whom BEDE calleth a Tyranne because he persecuted the Saxons with cruell Warre whilâ—st the BRITISH Empyre was in decayinge were valient Kynges And after the Brityshe destruction there rose vp noble gentelmen in VVales not to be debarred of theyr due prayse as Rodericke the greate and his Nephue by his Sonne Howell surnamed GOOD both famous as wel in warre as peace Also Gryffith the Sonne of Lhewelin the Sonne of SESYLâ—IVS â–ª who most stoutly defended VVales his natiue country And after him Owayn prince of Gwynedh who moste hardely withstoode at COL Henry the seconde the most mightiest kynge of all that euer reygned in England thrise entrynge into Wales with greate armies whose sonne also he slow in Anglysey and the greater part of his armie as Gyraldus reporteth And his nephew likewise borne of his sonne Lewellyn the great whose innumerable triumphes that I may vse the woordes of Parisiensis the Englishman doo require speciall treatises And not these only but also the Cornishmen beynge the remnantes of the olde Britaynes as they are the stoutest of all the British nations so are they coumpted to this day the most valiant in warlike affayres Neither yet the Britons which dwell nigh Fraunce a nation of the same broode doo any whit degenerate from their forefathers When as they â–ª did not only many huÌ„dred yeres prosperously defend amoÌ„gst the thickest of stoute sturdie nations those seates whiche they had purchased with their manhood and prowes but also haue vanquished the Gothes and Frenchmen in great battels and stoutly withstoode the most mightie prince Charles the Mayne put to flight the armie of his sonne Lewes the Emperour whiche was sent agaynst them vnder conduct of Murmanus ouercame Charles Caluus then Emperour and kynge of Fraunce in open fight twise vanquishynge his armie Numenius beynge kynge the Emperour priuely flyinge thence leauynge there his Pauilions and Tentes and all other his kinglike prouision as Regino writeth But Herispous sonne to Numenius compelled the same Charles to make shamful and dishonorable truce with him Whom Salomon also sonne to Herispous a valiant and warlike gentleman enforced to retyre backe when he was coÌ„mynge agaynst him with a mightie armie But when Salomon was deade the Britons through desier to reigne and contention who should next be kynge fell vnto Ciuile warres amonge them selues as Sigisbertus sayth and so they were constreyned to leaue of the destruction and ouer runnynge of Fraunce which they had determined What shall I speake of the noble deedes of Vrfandus an inuincible captayne agaynst Hastynge the Norman and Pastquitanus the Briton Of Iudicaël also and Alane who manfully draue the Normans out of their coastes which pitifully wasted and spoyled all Fraunce What shall I neede to touche such Warres as they made longe after vpon the kynges of Fraunce beyng therein ayded by thâ—impregnable power of the Englishmen since it is well knowne to all men that it was alwayes a most potent nation And that I may at length stop Polydorus mouth together with his Gyldas thus much I say that if he sticke in any poynte vnto him he was no Hystoriographer but a Preist and a Preacher Whose custome is very sharpely to inueigh agaynst the faultes of their hearers Wherfore if wee seeke authorities out of Sermons as Polydorus Vrbine hath done What Parish what Towne what nation or kyngedome may escape infamie What hath Bernhard written of the Romans Thus surely terming them impious vnfaith full seditious dishonest traytrous great speakers but litle doers These thynges are by Deuines spoken in the Pulpit according vnto their manner that the like faultes might be amended and the life reformed not that the Romans or Britaynes were such in deede Neither is there any man vnlesse he be a shameles Sycophant that lieth in wait for al occasions to dispraise and accuse which will go aboute by wrestynge of sentences foorth of the sermons of preachers sclaundrously to tax infamously to note any whole couent shire citie or people Wherfore let such idle ill disposed sclaunderers leaue of and suffer the true renowme of Britayne appeare to the worlde neither iudge me good Reader of two sharpe a tongue Seyng so god helpe me neither enuie of any forreine name neither thyrst of vayn glory neither hatred of any natioÌ„ but alonly the loue of my country which is euill spoken of vndeseruedly and desier to set forth the truth haue prouoked me to write thus much And touchyng this rude and disordred litle treatise truly I woulde not haue suffred it to haue come to light had I not well hoped that all learned men would accept this my endeuour in good parte and also take occasion by this
appeare that through the default of writers necligence of such as wrote afterwardes amonge whom Liuius euen of the Romanes themselues is touched with want of trust many thinges of greater importance then the departure of Brutus are yelded to obliuion And although Caesar call the Britaynes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say borne in the same countrey where they dwell And Diodorus siculus saieth that they were from the beginning yet doo I beleeue that Brutus came into Britayne with his traine of Troians and there tooke vpon him the gouernement of the auncient inhabitantes and of his owne men therof were called Britaynes For our coūtrymen vnto this day doo call a Britayne Brituun whiche woorde cometh not from the auncient name of the Ilande Prydain but from Brutus the kynge and our hystories call the Britaynes in the plurall numbre Brytaniaid and Brython whiche woordes are deriued from the name of Brutus For in deriuation of woordes our countrymen doo often turne V into Y the ignorance wherof did very much trouble my freende M. Leland But bycause this whiche wee haue sayd touchyng the name of the Ilande and the first inhabitantes therof seemeth sufficient for our purpose wee will now intreate of other matters Britayne which more rightly how beit more strangely ought to be called Prydain is deuided into three partes Lhoegria Albania and Cambria Lhoegria is called of our countrymen reseruyng as yet the old name that same parte of Britayne which beyng possessed by the English Saxons the Iuthi peoples of Germany is now of all nations called England For when Britayne by Maximus the Tyranne was bereft of all the youth a greate parte wherof was slayne with him at Aquilaeia the residew stoutly inuaded and possessed a parte of Fraunce called Armorica sleayng and driuyng thence the country dwellers Wherby that country at this day is called by the name of the Lesse and the Continent Britayne And here I must not let passe with silence that BEDE the Englishman Volaterranus and Polydorus Italians were shamfully ouerseene in saying that this Ilande tooke his name of that other beynge euident to all men that the same was termed Armorica whiche in our tongue is as muche to say vpon the Sea and this ours Britannia Neither was there euer any of the auncient Britaynes or Britons in Fraunce so farre as I knowe before Sidonius Apollinaris whiche liued a litle after this migracion that lefte anie remembrance of it But in an Epistle to Vincentius of Aruandus secretary which accused his Lorde of highe Treason thus he writeth This letter seemed to be sent to the kyng of Gothes or Gutland diswadynge him from peace with the Emperour of Greece and shewynge that the Britaynes vpon Ligeris ought to be set vpon So farre he But if as they dreame and also Coenalis whiche hath erroniously followed them the Britaynes had possessed some parte of Fraunce before that time and suche a parte as shoulde haue byn called Britayne as they doo affirme impudently enough it should not haue escaped vnspoken of of all the Romane writers vnto whom Fraunce was as wel knowne as Italy Howbeit our countrymen say that the Cornishmen and those were one nation whiche bothe the kynges names beyng like in bothe countries as Conane Meriadoc by whiche name a par cell of Denbygh shyre in north-Northwales is called to this day Hoel Alane Theodore Rywallone with diuers other and also the proper woordes and names for all thinges almost one although in theyr ioynynge and construction of speach they seeme a litle to differ as it chaunceth somtimes in one countrie do proue manifestly Our countrymen call it in theyr mother tongue Lhydaw which woorde seemeth to me to be derined from the Latine woorde Littus signifiyng the shoare as who should say it were a country liynge on the shoare of Fraunce For like as the Latines doo change D. in all our woordes into T euen so our countrymen do turne their T into D and doo alwayes in woords whiche beginne with L write them with aspiration as Lhadron borowyng the woorde Latrones from the Latines that is to say in English Theeues But to returne agayne from whēce wee haue digressed when as I haue sayd before the youth of Britayne was lead by Maximus into Fraunce those that were left at home were oppressed by the most cruell and sauage nations the Readshankes and Scottes lookyng for no succour from the Romanes whiche were then otherwise busied aboute the yeare of our Lorde 450. They called vnto them the Saxons whiche were then practising Pyracie on the coastes of Fraunce and Britayne gaue them wages to ayde them And whereas some write that before that time the Britaynes neuer knew the Saxons it may appeare to be false out of sundrie Authours For Claudianus where he inueigheth against Eutropius speaketh of them in these woordes aboute the yere of our Lorde 400. What I may do since thou my prince hast bin Thinges not farre hence can shew for Tethis doth begin To waxe more milde since Saxons thou hast quailde c. Lykewise of the forteth Consulship of Honorius The Orchades were wet with bloud of Saxons slayne And in another place Britayn speaketh And me she sayth with countries neare about who was destroyd Almost defenced well hath Stilico By whose helpe now it is that Scottish warres I doo not doubt Ne doo I dread the Picts ne doo I feare the Saxon rout By standinge on the shoare to see them come with doubtfull windes c. Also Sidonius Apollinaris whiche wrote aboute their commyng into England hansomly describeth their Pyracie in an Epistle to Lampridius Wee may behold the vvannish Saxons here Vsd to the Sea before to dread the shoare From of whose heads where outward they appere Their bittes content to hold not any more The shires their toppes of heare do clip shore So that their lockes cut hard vnto the skinne Do make their head decreace but face to winne And in his Panegiricus vnto Socer But also the Amorick coast the Saxons pyracie Wel hoped for ▪ to whom the British salts but playe it was All naked and with clouted boate the graysh Sea to pas Moreouer Sextus Rufus in his booke de Notitia Prouinciarum of the knowledge of Prouinces speaketh of the Earle of the Saxon shoare alonge both the Britaynes These I say beynge sufficiently knowne to the Britaynes before they sent them against the Scots and Readshankes vnder the conduct of one Hengischus Whom when they had ouercome they entred a Trayterous league with them and like false men turned theyr face agaynst theyr maisters And hauing slayne the whole nobilitie of Britayne by crafte at Ambrose hill and sendynge for ayde from amonge the Englishmen and Iuthj beyng Germans they vsurped the same countrie which wee call Lhoëgria And after almost infinite battels they draue the auncient inhabitantes into the ends and edges of the Ilande and parted the same between themselues
were parted into twayne Wherof the one were called Scordisci and dwelled in Hungarye the other by the name of Brenni possessed parte of the Alpes by the mount Brennerus in Tirolensis shier whom Appianus calleth all by the name of Cymbri Which doo all shew that they were Britaynes For Bathynad in our country language signifieth a formed Iudge For Bath is beautie or forme Ynad with vs is a Iudge in authoritie next to the kynge For when Brennus was dead they chose him to their captayne Farther Yscar with vs is to seperate Yscaredic signifieth those which be seperated Wher of this part of Fraunce when it departed from the residew was termed Yscaredic from whence Scordisci is deriued retaynyng the name of Brennus captayne And Brynn in British is a Mountayne or Hill of whiche woorde Brynnerus was so called Ouer and besides this Gatheli or the Irishmen when as about this time they departed out of Cantabria now Biscay wandring vpon the Sea to seeke new dwellings called al Britaynes Brennach of Brennus their famous captayne by which name they call our countrimen to this day And thus much sufficeth to haue sayde of Brennus But wheras some affirme that the Frenchmen vsed the British tongue by certayne French wordes cited by Rhenanus Sidonius and Lazius it appeareth to be most false Notwithstanding I can not sufficiently marueyle that of the tongue of this most mighty nation whose bowndes are comprised by the Rhyn the Pyrenei mountes Appeninus and the Oceane there is almost no shew or token to be founde remayninge And that it was most auncient it appeareth out of Berosus Annius Giambularius and Postellus Wherby Gallia now Fraunce was so called of Rayne whiche the Hebrues call GAL and the Britaynes Glaw as who should say berayned or ouerslowed by the Diluge Notwithstanding the Spayniards although they were afflicted by the Romans the Catti the Alani the Vandali the Gothes the Sueui and Mauri or Moores yet in Cantabria called now BISCAY and ASTHVRIA â–ª for these are onlye the verie true Spanyardes and Hiberi they haue preserued their auncient spéeche For that which is coÌ„monly called the Spanish tongue is but a medly made out of the Latine Gothish and Arabick But let vs omit all these thynges and returne agayne vnto our Cambria called VVales whiche wee in our mother tongue doo terme Cymbri This more then foure hundred yeres since as Gyraldus hath very well noted the Englishmen after the fashion and maner of the Germans haue called VVallia that is VVales For when the auncient Almaines had sometime ioynyng next vnto them of Forreyners the Frenchmen whom they called VValli it came to passe that afterwarde they called all straungers and those whiche dwelt in other prouinces VValli and VVallisei Like as at this present as well Frenchmen as Italians and Burgundians they call VValli al thinges that come foorth of strange countries Walshe This coâ—ntry I say whiche that I may vse the woordes of Gyraldus by a false name yet most frequented at these dayes but lesse proper is called VVallia Wales conteyneth in length two hundred myles and aboute one hundred in breadth For it reacheth in length from the Hauen Gordwr in Mona called Anglysey vnto the hauen Eskewyn in Venta eight dayes iorney In breadth from Porth Mawr that is to say the greate hauen of Meneuia vnto Rhyd helig which the Britaynes cal VaduÌ„ Salicis the Englishmen Wyllowford aboute foure dayes iorney A land muche aboundynge and very well fortified with high Mountaines low Ualleyes great Woddes Waters â–ª Fennes In such sort that from time the Saxons first vsurped this Iland the residew of the Britaynes which departed into those coastes neither by the Englishmen longe agoe neither since by the Normans coulde be altogether subdued As for those which betooke them selues to the South corner whiche of their Captaynes name was called Conauia bycause it is not so well defensed were not able to resist For the thyrd part of the Britaynes whiche doo now remayne possessyng the Southerly sea coast of Fraunce a singulare good country was not traÌ„slated thither after the destruction conquest of Britayne but longe euer that by Maximus the Tyran Who after many sharpe battayles which the British youth sustayned vnder him durynge those warres was with this farthermoste shoare of Fraunce rewarded by the Emperours liberalitie Thus far Gyraldus This country sometime was inhabited only by the Britaynes but after ward the Englishmen began to possesse it vnto Offas ditch agaynst whom the welshmen made infinite warres vntill the commynge of VVylliam the Norman Under whose sonne Henry the Flemminges beyng then driuen out of their country by breaking in of the sea tooke vpon them the possession of Rosse a prouince of Demetia Who in many warres were prouoked by the Princes of VVales but alwayes valiantly defended them selues and theirs and at this day differyng from the VVelshmen in tongue and maners are yet in the same place recompted for Flemmynges The kynges of Englande especially Henry the First the Second and Third of that name callynge vnto them the Scots Irishmen and Cantabre Gascons did very much prouoke and molest this nation with continuall warres But the VVelshmen beyng deuided vnder three kynges whome they called Princes whiche was the very cause of theyr destruction defended them selues and their owne stoutly Howbeit certaine Regions of South wales as Rosse Gla Morgan Wenta Brechnocke and parte of Powys by Robert sonne to Hammon and certeyne worthy Erles of Glocester the Brussij the Bohunes Brian Gylford Adam of Newmercate but specially by Roger Mountgomery and his sonnes Hago whiche was slayne in Anglysey Robert of BELISINE and ARNVLPH whiche builded the Castell of Penbroke and the Fytzalanes Lordes of Oswastrey Clun were quayled and tamed in many battayles came into the right possession of the conquerours And Gwynedh although that part therof whiche lieth on this side Conway was first weakned by the erles of Chester afterwarde by the forenamed kynges which at the Riuer Cluda sundrie times wasted all with fier and sworde noÌ„twithstandyng after the departure of the kynges they draue the Englishmen thence and raced their Castels downe to the grounde and alwayes defended theyr boundes Untill the yere of our Lorde a thousande two hundred fourescore two Edward the first of that name leading a mighty armie agaynst prince Lewâ—lyn and an other arriuyng in the I le of Anglyâ—ey and vanquishynge the same from whence they entred into Aruon a region exceedyngly well fortified by naturall situation by a bridge made of boates in the very same place where sometime Agricola lead ouer his Souldiers Where the two armies ioynyng together vanquished a great multitude of the Gascons and Biernes with diuers other noble men brought them in subiection to the Englishmen When as also at the same time his third armie vnder the Erle of Glocestâ—e and Roger Martumar sacked and spoyled Southwales beyng
nothyng troubled with hunger nor cold neither wearied with martial affayres neither fallynge into desperation by aduersitie but soone redie to rise vp after a fall and prest by and by agayne to assay the peril of war as in battayle easie so in continuance of warre harde to be ouercome Wherby Claudianus seemeth to speeke of the nature of the same nation saying If that their harts you let a whyle To rest so many slaughters they deuoyd of sence doo seeme To take and of smale price the losse of so much bloud to deeme Thus much he and more whiche shortly god willyng shal be set forth Now let vs come to the description of the lande This lande after the British destruction was deuided into six RegioÌ„s as I read of late in a very auncient booke written of the lawes of the Britaynes For sayth that booke after that the Saxons had vanquished the Britaynes obtayned the Scepter of the Realme and the crowne of London all the people of Wales assembled together at the mouthe of the Riuer Deuey to choose a kynge And yno i Doethant Gwyr Gwynedh à Gwyr Powys à Gwyr Deheubarth à Reynnwc ac Esylluc à Morganuc That is to say and thither came men of Gwynedh and men of Powys and men of Deheubarth and of Reynnucia and of Syllucia and Morgania they chose Maylgun whom others call Maclocunius of Gwynedh to be their kynge This was aboute the yere of our Lorde â—60 Howbeit afterward in the lamentable conflict agaynst Ethelfredus kynge of Northumberland are recited the kings of Dynetia whiche falsly they call Demetia of Guenta of Powysia and of Northwales And in another place â—ention is made of the kinges of Stra 〈…〉 Cluyde So that hereby it is easely 〈…〉 ered that this country was subiect 〈…〉 iuers petikinges or Erles vnto 〈…〉 e of Roderike the great who ob 〈…〉 the Monarchie of al VVales the yere of our Lorde 843. deuidyng it into three partes whiche he left in possession of his three sonnes For vnto Meruinius as Gyraldus termeth him to whom I consent his eldest sonne he gaue Gwynedh to Anaraudus whome some make the eldest Powys to Cadelhus the youngest Deheubarth And that I may vse the woords of Gyldas Southwales was alotted to Cadelhus with the blessyng and goodwil of all the people which they call Deheubarth which is as much to say as the right side Which although in quantity it be farre the biggest notwithstandyng by reason of noble men which in the welsh tongue are called Vchelwyr that is to say high men wherwith it aboundeth whiche were wont to rebell agaynst their Lordes to defie them in armur it séemed to be the worser This diuision whilst their posteritie conteÌ„ded among themselues in Ciuill warre and ech of them alone with the Englishmen in externall at last destroyed the kyngedome of wales The cheefest of these kyngdomes whiche the inhabitantes call Gwynedh Englishmen Northwales the Latine writers corruptly Venodotia had in auncient time these limites On the Weast and North sides it hath VergiuiuÌ„ or the Irish Oceane at the Southwest and by South the Riuer Deuye Wherby it is cut of from Southwales On the South and East sides it is seuered from Powys and England with high Hilles and somtime with waters vnto the force of the Riuer Dee The same also was parted into foure Regions which conteined fiftéene Cantredi which signifieth an hundred villages The principallest of these Regions was the I le of Anglysey of whom wee haue spoken in another place in the same was a kynges Palace the seate of Northwales in Aberfraw whereof the kinges of Gwynedh haue the name of the kinges of Aberfraw For in the lawes of Howel Dha that is to say good Howel of walles both kynge and lawier which I haue seen written both in the British and Latin tongues it was decreed that like as the kynge of Aberfraw ought to pay threescore and thrée poundes for tribute vnto the kynge of London So likewise the kinges of Dinesur an Matrafall were seuerally bounde to pay so much Whereby it appeareth that this kinge was the cheefest prince of al wales About Anglysey be diuers litle Ilands as Ynis Adar that is to say the I le of Byrdes sometime but now it is called Ynis Moylrhoniaid to witte the I le of Whales in English Ysterisd Also Ynis Lygod that is the I le of Myse and the I le Seirial in english Preêstholme The seconde Region of Gwynedh called Arfon as who should say aboue Anglysey the best fortified parte of all VVales For it centeyneth the highest Mountaynes and Rockes of all Britayne which wee terme Yriri the Englishmen Snowdowne because they carie Snow For height and plentie of cattayle scarce inferiour to the Alpes It hath in it many Riuers and standing Waters Beyonde whose farthest promontory called Lhynus lieth an I le whiche Ptolomaeus termeth Lymnos our countrymen Eulhi the EnglishmeÌ„ Bardesey that is to say the I le of the Bardi In Arfon oueragaynst Anglysey stoode an auncient Citie called of the Romans SegontiuÌ„ of the Britaynes Caërsegont of a Riuer whiche passeth therby But now out of the ruynes therof there is a new Towne and a Castle founded by Edward the first of that name kyng of England called Caër Arfon that is to say a Towne vpon Anglysey And not farre from thence oueragaynst Anglysey lieth the Byshops See of Banchor And vpon Conway water which there ebbeth and sloweth standeth Conway of our countrie men called Aberconwy a walled towne builded by the same kynge Then followeth Meridnia with vs Merionydh and Gyraldus calleth it the land of the sonnes of Conauius The same as he sayeth is the most roughest and sharpest of al VVales hauynge in it moste highest Mountaynes The people vse longe Speares wherwith they be of greate force as the Southwales men with their Bowes so that an Harnies cannot beare it of So much he The Sea coast there by occasion of great Herryng takyng is much frequented by people of diuers countries In the same standeth the Towne Harlechia by the Sea side And within the lande is the great lake Tegid through which the riuer Dee whiche wee call Douerduwy that is to say the water of Dee floweth Where it is worthe the notyng that there is in that Ponde a peculiar kinde of Fish which is neuer founde in the runnynge water neither the Salmons wherof the Riuer is full doo euer entre into the Lake In this country and in Arfon are seene greate multitude of Deare and Goates vpon the high Hilles And these two countries of all Wales cam last into the power of the EnglishmeÌ„ Neither did the people of this country euer frequent domestical incursioÌ„s but before our time alwaies séemed to obey lawes rightfully The farthest last part of Gwynedh is called of our couÌ„trimen Berfedhwlad that is to say the inward and midland region and is seuered from
deuidyng it into many kingdomes namely Kent the South Saxons the VVestsaxons the Eastsaxons East Englishmen the kingdome of March whom Lazius a man very well learned and well deseruing of posteritie in vayne seeketh for in Germany supposing the hystorie of Bede to be written of the inhabitantes of Germany and not of England and Northumberland which was also deuided into twayne Bernicia and Deira Whose kynges beynge Paganes destroyed with fier and sworde all Churches Monasteries and Libraries And after that they had receaued Christianitie by Augustine the Monke they fought many battels both among them selues and against the Britaynes Untill that aboute the yeare of our Lorde 620. Egbert kynge of the westsaxons beynge made Monarch of all began to rule alone and first of al commaunded that the countrie should be called England and the people Englishmen Englishmen were a very famous people of Germany wherof the Captaynes and cheif of Saxony as Crantzius reporteth were longe time called Captaynes of Anglaria And there remayneth yet as I haue read a Castle where they sometime abode termed now Engern in the frontires of Westphalia between Osnabrugh and Heruordia Wherby it cometh that our countrymen retayning the first name doo call all Englishmen Saison and theyr tongue Saissonaëg and know not what this words England or an Englishman meaneth Shortly after the Danes ouer came the Englishmen possessed this Lande vntill the yere of the incarnate word 1066 VVilliam bastarde of Normandy with his Normans vanquishynge bothe Englishmen and Danes vsurped the coūtry From which stocke almost the whole nobility of this Realme vnto this day doo fetche their descent But let vs returne to Lhoëgr whiche in times past was enuironed with the British Oceane the riuers of Seuerne Dee and Humber but now since the Realme of England stretchefoorth beyonde Humber to Twede wée wil also stretche foorth the name of Lhoëgr so farre And although the Englishmen doo possesse beyonde Seuern Hereford shyre the Forest of Deane and many other places yet wee holde that they dwell in VVales not in Lhëogr and are taken almost euery where of all other Englishmen for Welshmen But the riuer Dee is accompted at this day one of the auncient bonds sauing that in certein places both the people the welsh tongue haue incroched more into England These thinges beynge thus presupposed let vs now discend to the particulared escription of Lhoëgr or England In which the countrie called Cantium of the Romanes of our countrimē Caint of Englishmen Kent commeth first vnto our view From whēce there is but a narow cut ouer into Fraunce to the hauen Gessoriacus which is now termed Bollen as S. Rhenanus gathereth out of the auncient Chart of warly descriptions And not only Marcellinus amongst the old writers speaketh of the sea towne of Bollen in the life of Iulian the Emperour but also in his Panegiricus called Constantinus the sonne of Constantius these are founde Constātinus the father being made Emperour at his first cumming with an innumerable fleet of enemies pend out the fierce Oceane enuironed tharmy which lay vpon the shoare of the towne Bollen c. Coenalis affirmeth the hauen Gessoriacus is Caslete of Flāders which towne standyng vpon the top of an high hill xiiij miles from the Sea sufficiently declareth the authors vnskilfulnesse And I take Iccius to be the same hauē whiche now they terme Caletum for Calitium Calice But I cannot agree with those whiche make Selusas of Flaunders to be Iccius beyng vnlike that the Romanes woulde haue vsed so longe a course by Sea when they might haue passed ouer sooner more commediously from that place There were in Kent in olde time three famous Portes well knowne to the Romanes Doris Rhutupis and Lemanis Doris vndoubtedly is the same whiche both Englishmen and Britaynes reseruinge the auncient name at this daye doo call Douer For wee call Water Dour or Duúr And I am not ignorant that the Douarians stoutly defende that theyr towne heretofore was called Rutupium and that Aruiragus kyng of Britaynes builded there a noble Castle Yet I had rather giue credite to Antoninus who speaketh of bothe And I suppose that to be Rutupium which of the Englishmen is called Repcestre nigh Sandwiche not farre from the yle of Thanat For that I lande wee call Ynys Rhuochym as much to say Rutupina wherof the shoare deserued to be termed Rutupinum and the Porte Rutupis Lemanis or as some call it Linienus is that Riuer which is now called amongst the Englishmen Rotler and floweth into the Oceane sea nigh Apuldore Moreouer besides these famous Portes are Rye and VVynchelsea two townes farther within the mayne lande Durobreuis and Durouernum the same Englishmen do call Cantorbury that is to say the court of the Kentyshmen and with vs Caërgant and is cheife Metropolitant Sea of al Englande and VVales The tother is termed Rofcester But Antoninus placeth Vagniacū between London and Dorouernum between that and Durouernum Durolernum but what names they haue at this day I am not altogether ignorant Howbeit it is manifest that these townes tooke their names of Water whiche is Duur in British and Duriuerne amongst vs playnly signifieth water which floweth out of a place where Alders growe Wherby I am perswaded that the same towne in times past therof obtained his name But before I depart forth of Kent I must breifly touche that great Wod wherof both British and English writers haue spoken The Britaynes call it Coëd Andred but the Englishmen Andedreswald And Huntington affyrmeth that it conteineth in length one hundreth and twentie miles and in bredth thirtie miles and that the worthy citie called Caër Andred and Andredecester stoode therin which Dalla kyng of the Southsaxons vtterly ouerthrew so that there remayneth no token nor rubbish therof The Kentishmen and Southsaxons to this day doo call a place where Wodde hath byn VValden not knowyng for all that whence the woorde is deriued When others but falsely call it VVelden others VVylden For the English Saxons cal a Wodde VValden as the Germans doo now terme a playne without trees VVolden as in these woordes Cottiswolden and Porke wolden it appeareth Next vnto the Kentishmen on the Southside of the Thames are those whiche in times past were the seconde kyngdome of Southsaxsons and were termed Southsaxon but is now deuided into twoo shyres Southsex and Southtrey And I am of beleife that Neomaguin was their Citie where Gylford now standeth Chichester the cheefest Citie of Southsaxons was called Caërceri in British After these come the Atrabates whiche now are called the people of Barkshyre whose principall Citie in olde time was called Caleua but now VValyngford Wherein I cannot consent to those which cal Oxford Caleua standing on the North shoare of the Thames There is also a village named Cilcester not far from Basinge which before time was called Caërsegent and Segontium of
the Romans Antoninus also mentioneth PontiuÌ„ which appeareth now to be called Reading Thantique name of Spinae which signifieth Thornes continueth to this day in the one side of Neubery which is as much to say as New courte From whence a good way of vpon the riuer Cunetio standeth a famous Citie called Cunetio by the Romanes but now Marlborow Betweene these and the Sea lye the Simeni whose Metropolitane or cheif Citie is Venta which in fore times was a Citie of greate renowne and of the Britaynes called Caërwynt of the Englishmen VVynchester And at the Sea there is the great port called now Portesmouth at whose mouth there standeth a Citie called of olde Caërperis but now Portchester Also Tris Antonis an haueÌ„ now South hampton retaynyng the olde name Ouer against these lieth the I le of VVyght celebrated by the auncient Romane wryters and first subdued by Vespasian The same is in length xx miles and. x. in bredth in forme like to an egge in some places seuen miles distant from the mayne shoare and in others but twayne It hath very rough and craggie Cliffes it is very plentifull of Corne. The cheifest and only market towne of all the Iland is Newport There is also a Castle called Caërbro that is to say the tract for Nettes expressynge the Britysh antiquitie The VVestsaxons when they had driuen away the Britaynes added the same to their dominion vntill Cadwalla a Britayn hauing slaine Aruald recouered it to him self Englishmen call it the VVyght Britaynes terme it Gwydh whiche in our tongue signifieth perspicuous or easy to be seene as Gwydhgruc that is to say a perspicuous heape Gwydhfa a perspicuous place by which terme the most highest Mountayne of all Britayne in Carnaruanshyre is called The inhabitants of this Iland are wont to glory that their country is destitute of three greate discommodities that are founde in other countries to wit Foxes beggynge Fryers and Lawiers They are vnder the precincte and dioces of Southampton By the same Sea shoare alonge follow the Seueriani called now the inhabitantes of VVylshyre whose cheef citie is Caërseuerus called also Caër Câ—radoc and now by Englishmen Sarysbury Twixt these is S. Ambrose hyll celebrated by reason of the slaughter of the Nobilitie of Britayne there committed Also Shaftes bury knowne of olde to the Britaynes by the name of Caërbaladin and Caërsepton At the Westside of thâ—se lie the Durotriges called of vs Durugueir of the Englishmen Dorsetshyre men From whence more westerly are the Damnonij wée cal them at this day Dyfynnaint whiche signifieth deepe narow valleys not of the Danes as some affyrme These are called in English DeuonshyremeÌ„ and they lye betweene two Seas the Seuern and the British Oceane Their principall Citie is Isca called also AVGVSTA before time Caërwisk of the water passynge bie but now of the Englishmen Excestre Howbeit I know well enough that some affyrme that before it was called by the olde Britaynes Penuchelgoëd Last of all cometh Cornauia of the inhabitantes and our countrymen called Cernico of Englishmen Cornwal Here it is to be noted that the Saxons did thrâ—st the Reliques of the auncient Britaynes into those streightes Who because they vsed the Britysh tongue whiche the Saxons vnderstoode not they termed them Cornwalas that is to say WelshmeÌ„ of Cornauia or Cornwall as they called also our countrymen Welsh Britaynes after the German guyse This is the true Etimologie or cause of the name and farewel to them whiche pleasinge them selues in the inuention of the name doo call it Cornu Galliae to saye an horne of Fraunce wherein Polydorus as in other thynges also vttereth his ignorance As for mine opinion very auncient bookes doo confirme it written in the saxon tongue and the name also wherby those whiche inhabite the countrie do vsually cal it They speake the British language al their wordes almost are founde like vnto ours but that they differ sumdeale in construction of speache The promontorie of Cornauia now Cornwall is famous amongst our countrymen coÌ„monly called Penrhyngwaed that is to say the promontory of bloud whiche I suppose to be called of Ptolomaeus Antiuestaeum Beyonde the Damnonij or Deuonshire men nigh the course of Seuern lieth sometime the region of Murotriges wee call it Guladyr haf Englishmen Somersetshyre where are many notable auncient places séene as the Mounts of Caërmalet otherwise called Camalet There standeth also Iscalis now Ilcester and the Isle of Auolonia whose Citie is Venta now Brystow but in antique time the Britaynes called it Caër oder yn Nant Badon that is to say the Citie Odera in the vally of Badon Another towne of the Belgae with Ptolomaeus Aquae Calidae that is of hot water with Antoninus Aquae Solis of water of the Sunne the Britaines cal it Caërbadon the Englishmen Bathe and is very renowmed for holsom Bathes of hot waters Of whiche thynge I am a most certayne witnesse For when as by the stroke of an horse whiche I had caught at Myllayne in Italy I was greuously pained with the Sciatica continually the space of one whole yeare and hauing assayde the helpe of many excellently learned Phisitions was nothynge the better I vsed these Bathes but only sixe dayes and was restored to my former health Between these and the Thames head were the Dobuni now Claudiani whose cheefe towne in old time was called CoriniuÌ„ of the Britaynes Caër Cory the English men now terme it Cycestre And Claudia commonly called Glocester a famous Citie standyng vpon Seuern the head of all the shyre I suppose not to haue bin knowne to the Romanes but was afterward as Gyldas reporteth builded by Glouy a Britayne who after that the Romanes were driuen thence reygned there and not so named by Claudius Caesar as hereafter shal be shewen In the same shyre also standeth Malmesbury called before time Caërbladhon These shyres doo make the thyrde Kyngedome of Saxons in Britayne whiche they call VVestsaxons whose kynge was Egbert who hauinge subdued all the other first of the Germans obtayned the Monarchie of Lhoëgr Thus hauynge described the countries that lie on the Southside of the Thames let vs now come to the other in ordre And first ouer agaynst Kent on the other side of the Thames lie the Trinouantes whose prince was Mandubratius or as other write Androgorius our countrymen cal him Audâ—wy the same sent for Caesar intâ— Britayne and when he was come asisted him with his power and followed him into Italy and Thessalie Theyr chief Citie was builded by Brutus and was called Troynewith that is to say New Troy howbeit there be some whiche call it Trenouantum bycause Tre signifieth in British a Towne But afterwarde it was called of Belus whiche dwelt there Dinas Beli that is to say Belinus Palace or Courte Last of all of Lud brother to Caswallane whiche wonderfully adorned it with beutifull
called in Latin Deua of the riuer whiche wee terme Dourdowy to say the water of Dee The Englishmen call it Legancestre and afterward clippyng the name shorter called it Chester and the Citizens doo glory that they haue the body of Henry the fourth Emperour whome they affirme to haue yelded vp the Empyre and haue betaken him selfe to an Hermites life And so are they likewise perswaded of Herald who was the last kynge of the Danish bloud More East from these are the Doruentani now Derbishyremen so termed of theyr cheifcitie Dwrguent whiche is as muche to say as white Water All these shyres and conuentes with a great parte of VVales as farre as the renowmed ditche of Kyng Offa of whiche wee will speake hereafter made vp the sixt kingedome of English Saxons in Britayne which of the ryuer Merse was called the kyngedome of Mercij or March. Here now I cannot sufficientlye merueile how VVolfangus Lazius a man excellently learned and very well deserued of all that be studious of antiquitie in his greate worke of the Migration of nations should be so muche deceaued as to say that the Mertij or people of March were Marcomanni and the their kynges Penda Offa with all the rest reigned in the lower Germany Beyng most euident in all hystories that there was neuer any such kyngdome there and that these kynges peoples whom he affirmeth to haue dwelled in Germany inhabited that country of Britayne whiche wée now describe Likewise while he endeuoreth to lynke together the discentes and pedegrees of the Norman bloud of the kynges of England he handleth them so confusely so far besides truth that it seemeth he neuer read either the names or order or deedes of the kinges but it is rather likely that he learned theÌ„ by hearesay of some babling vnlearned foole that had no regarde of his good same or honestie As a nother hath â—oone of late dayes a man famously learned in the Mathematikes in his Geographical chart of this Ilande And besides these Hieromus Ruscellus in his Ptolomaeus lately printed at Venice while he goeth aboute to set foorth new names correspondent to the olde confoundeth places an hundreth miles distant one from another namely Colchester and VVynchester Neither in other places ar his gheasses any thynge more certayne wherefore I exhorte men not to trust him in this behalfe There remayneth the seuenth and last kyngedome of Saxons in Englande whiche they termed Nordan Humbrorum because it standeth at the Northecoast of Humber The same was afterwarde deuided into two kyngedomes of the Deeres and Bernices The kyngedome of Deera contayned all the country from Humbre and Trent to the Riuer Tyssa Bernicia reached from Tyssa to the Scottish Sea whiche they call now Fyrthew the Britaynes terme this same Brennich the other Deifyr The inhabitantes of this region especially south warde are called Snotyngomenses but now most coÌ„monly NotingamshiremeÌ„ Next vnto these are Yorkeshyremen who of the Romans were called Brigantes of whom Tacitus writeth thus Petilius Caerealis fought many batailes wherof some were not vnblouddy agaynst the Citie of the Brigantes which is reported to be the place of resorte to the whole populous prouince and obtayned a greate parte of the Brigantes either by victory or els by fight All these the liyng champion of the Scottysh name Hector Boëthius sticketh not to put into his Gallouidia and to proue the same by argumentes gathered out of Ptolomaeus and Tacitus But how much Ptolomaeus was deceaued trustyng to the report of others in describing the length and bredth of places in Britayne for he writeth that Scotland lieth forth to the East that the farthest Promontorie therof is viij degrees more Easterly then any place of England whiche in this paralelle do make aboute 240 miles whiche is altogether vntrue seyng Englande standeth more to the East then Scotlande â—â—the is as cleare as day light to all those that haue tasted of Cosmography But Ptolomaeus is to be pardoned beyng an Egyptian borne and excellently well learned in Mathematicals who hath done the best he coulde but not foolish and impudent Boëthius borne and brought vp no farther of then ScotlaÌ„d He speaketh thus of Tacitus that he beyng a graue author affyrmeth that the Brigantes were a Spanish broode dwellyng in a farre corner of Britayne farther then any durst auouche that at his time the Britaynes had passed O impudent face where aboute did Tacitus speake thus of the Brigantes He seemeth to deriue the Siluri by a colour from the Spanish broode because they lye ouer agaynst Spayne Gallouida is farther from Spayne then any Region of Englande or VVales And that in Tacitus time the Brigantes were first knowne to the Romans I confesse it but he findeth it not in Tacitus and not mindefull of him selfe as it behoueth a lier to be he calleth not to remembrance that he wrote in another place that Claudius the Emperour adioyned also vnto his Empyre the Orchades whiche lie beyonde Scotland But let vs bid faythlesse Hector a dieu and let vs now also see what the auncient writers haue writen of the Brigantes Ptolomaeus reciteth the Cities of Brigantes Eboracum Epiacum Calatum Bimonium CaturactoniuÌ„ Rhigodunum Isurium Olicana with others All men know that Eboracum is that Citie whiche the Britaynes call Caër Efroc the Englishmen Euerwyke and now shorte Yorke Of the rest wee doo but coniecture as Bimonium to be Bincestre Calatum which Antoninus and Bede cal Calcaria to be Helicastre now Tadcastre Rhigodunum Rippon and Olicana Haligfex And that Isurium is called Aldburg There was neuer any man that dreamed that these Cities were in Scotland But Antoninê° ascribeth theÌ„ to the BrigaÌ„ts placeth them in the way which leadeth to London from the Ually PraetoriuÌ„ for that there was a vally from the riuer Soluathianus to the mouth of Tine al do knowe I conclude therfore that it is impossible that the Brigants were euer in Scotland In so muche that the remembrance of this name remaineth vntill this day amongst vs For when we sée any man not duly obeing lawes coÌ„maundements him wée cal Chwaret Brigans that is to say one that plaieth the Brigant And like as they were rebelles agaynst the people of Rome so doth he contempne the lawes of Magistrates and of Elders And surely I am of beleefe that all Deera before time was called Brigantia Ptolomaeus placeth the Vernicones and Taiazalos betweene the Riuers Tine and Tweede This country alonely now refayneth the name of Northumberland when al the region before time from that riuer to the Scotish Sea was called by that name For there is no riuer in all Britayne that hath the name of Humbre but only the water into whom many notable streames do flow Wherby our freend M. Leland not with out good cause supposed that the same should be called Aber whiche amonge the Britaynes signifieth an arme of the Sea either swiftnesse or fall of any
water either into the Sea as Aberconwy Abertiui Abertawy that is to say the mouth of Conway Tibius and Tobius or into some great Riuer as Aber hodni Abergeuenni to say the fall of Hodnus and Geuenus into Osca Moreouer wee call mouthes and entrances of Riuers Aber without addynge any thynge more thereto as in Carnaruanshyre between Conouium and Banchorium in the same maner so that I thinke Aber to signifie as much as Aestus doth whiche is the rage fall or force of Water as is most agreeable with Ptolomaeus Aboue these were the Damnij whose cheife Citie Antoninus maketh Vandagora to be not far from the valley Ofdam wherby I coniecture that they be those whiche wee call now VVestmerlandshyremen The Selgouij and Otadeni in times past inhabited Cumberland At the verie brimme of the Uallie standeth a most auncient citie Ptolomeus calleth it Lucopibia Antoninus Luguballia the Britaynes and Englishmen terme it Caerloyl and it standeth in the Frontirs of the Nouantes Not farre from this Citie as Malmsburiensis reporteth there was a Stone founde with this inscription In token of Marius victorie whiche token of triumph I suppose to haue bin erected by Meurigus whom some of the Romans haue termed more aptly Aruiragus othersome Marius in token that the Readshankes were there vanquished Rodericus beyng theyr kynge whiche at that season as the Saxons did exercised Pyracie in our Seas vntill at length one parte of them setled in Albania and other in Fraūce And it is wel knowne that these countries together with Gallouidia so farre as the Riuer Cluda vnto the yere of our Lorde 870 were in the Britaynes possession at what time beyng by the Scottes Danes and Englishmen disquieted with many batayles and in the ende their kynge Constantinus slayne at Lochmaba in Anādra they were enforced to returne into VVales to their countrymen and dryuing away the English Saxons forcibly chalenged to them selues the greater parte of the country which lieth twixt Conway and the water of Dee whiche they possessed and there appoynted a kyngdome whiche of the riuer Cluda on whose shoare they dwelt is of our countrymen called Struteluyd of Marianus Scotus corruptly Streadiylead of the VVallanes They had many conflictes agaynst the kynges of England as the same author reporteth vntill at length their last kynge dying at Rome they submitted themselues to the princes of Gwynedh This Marianus the chiefest Hystoriographer of his time one of late hath caused to set foorth in Printe being imperfect and lackynge the better parte of set purpose as him selfe confesseth because of the ambiguitie of the British Hystorie In like maner Sleydan while he turneth his abbridgement of Frossard into Latine beyng too too muche partiall to the Frenchemen either ouerpasseth with silence the most noble valiant deedes of the Englishmen or variynge from his author reporteth them otherwyse then Frossard hath written Wherefore me seemeth that the sayinge of Martial the Poet verye well agreeth with them That which now thou doest turne O Fidentine the booke is mine But when thou turnest him ill then he begins for to be thine But this much by the way The laste of the Northumberlandshyremen and almost of all Lhoëgr follow the inhabitantes of Lancashyre to be intreated of whom the Ryuer called of the Englishmen Merssee deuideth from the Kyngedome of March of whom the kyngdome of March in Englande was so called It is soone prooued out of Ptolomaeus that these were called Ordouici in olde time For the Ordouici saieth he lie more Southwest then the Brigantes doo Since therefore that Yorkeshyre is the kyngedome of Brigantes in vayne with Boethius wee seeke them in Scotland and muche more in Northfolke with Polydorus Wherefore renouncing these fables for my part I am perswaded that the ORDOVICI are not only the Lancas hyremen but also the Deuani or Ches hyremen and Shrops hyremen beyng recompted of Tacitus for a greate Citie In this place I call a Citie as Caesar doeth an whole conuent or kyngedome For looke how many Cities there are so many kyngedomes in olde time were in Britayne whiche seuerally wagyng batayle agaynst the Romans were all the sooner ouercummen Amongst the Cities of these kingdomes Ptolomaeus reciteth Mediolanū called now Lancastre Mancunium as appeareth out of Antoninus is called Māchestre Their kynge in times past was Cataracus whose fame was knowne aboue the Skies who the space of nine continuall yeres very muche molested the Romans with Warre at length was taken by treason of a Woman and led to Rome in triumphe And Claudius the Emperour deserued no lesse prayse for vanquishynge Cataracus then did Scipio for Syphax or Lucius Paulus for Perses as Tacitus writeth two moste puissant kynges brought home in shew to the people of Rome And here can I not maruel enough what came in minde to that Boëthius not the Troiane but the Scotte for Ahlas what one was he how farre from that same Hector sore He chaunged was that in Achilles spoyles came home before Impudently to affirme that he was a Scot seeyng that there was no suche nation at that time in the worlde But if there were it was so enfolded in darkenesse that it was vnknowne to the Romans and Britaynes or as Haymo Armenius writeth of a certayn nation it had so bleared the eyes of all peoples and countries that the Scots were inuisibly conuersant between the Romans and Britaynes Polydorus also writeth that he was kynge of the Ordulacae when neither Tacitus nor Ptolomaeus mentioneth the same but of the Ordouici And Tacitus reporteth that he was not onely gouernour of the Ordouici but also of the Siluri Which Siluri dwelled not in Scotland but in Southwales as in another place it shal be prooued more playnly And I remember very well that a few yeres agoe when I was in the frontirs of Shrops hyre with others about certain businesse of my Lordes the right honoble Erle of Arundell where some parte of his inheritance lieth I chaunced to fall into the view of a place exceedingly well fortefied both by nature art The situation whereof was vpon the toppe of an high hill enuironed with a triple ditche of greate depth There were iij. gates not directly but a shoshe the one agaynst the other and on three sides steepe headlonge places and compassed with twoo Riuers on the lifte hande with Colun or Clun on the right with Themis which our countrymen call Teuidia and accessible but on the one side therof These thinges when I beheld I vnderstoode by the inhabitants that this place was called Caër Caradoc that is to say the citie Caradoc and that there haue bin many fierce battayles fought there agaynst a certaine kyng called Caradoc who at last was vanquished and taken of his enemies For our coūtrymen ca◠not only walled Cities townes but also al maner places which are entrenched and walled by the name Caër as I wil proue afterward by
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 coÌ„myng 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 mentioÌ„ of a certeine Erle of Ireland taken by Agricola knew not also the names of Scots and Readshankes with whom Boethius â—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 â—ead on mans â—leash such as it shal be prooued that the Scots were long time after rather then the Britaynes which were sufficieÌ„tly 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 bâ—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 coÌ„maunded them to innaâ—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 Seuerê° 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 â—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 ReadshaÌ„ks 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 Claudianê° 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 scieÌ„ces 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 coÌ„mon 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 natioÌ„s 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 Maximinianê° 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 coÌ„monwealth 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
call it Mur seuerus that is to say Seuerus wall and in another place Gual seuerus Seuerus vally at this day In this region standeth EdeÌ„burge the seat of the kinges of Scotland somtime builded by Eboracus kyng of Britaynes called also Castle Mynyd agnes that is to say the castel of S. Agnes hil afterward the Castel of Virgins The water there which is now called Forthea was called the Picticum Sea and afterward the Scottish Sea and thus farre stretched the kyngedome of Northumberland Tacitus calleth the same Bodotua howbeit Polydorus so termeth the Riuer Leuinus whiche out of the lake Lomundus floweth into Cluyda For saith he Glota and Bodotua two diuers armes of the Sea ruÌ„nyng forth a greate length are kept a sundre with a narrow peece of grounde Wherfore Bodotua floweth not into Glota neither is it any riuer but an arme of the Sea therefore it cannot be Leuinus by any meanes Beyonde these armes of the Sea dwelled the Caledonij the most nobliest nation of Albania where now the inlande Scots inhabite At the East parte was Horestia now Angusia Fisa and Mernia At the VVest were the Epidij and more towards the North the Creoni And after these the Canouaci where now Lennosia Argadia and Lorna are The Carini possessed Loguhabria the Logi Strathnauernia And at the other Sea coast the Cauti Morauia and Rossia And the Cornabij which are farthest of al inhabited Sutherlandia and Cathanisia And wheras Boethius writeth that in the time of Claudius the Emperour the Moraui came by an whole Nauie into Scotland it is most false as appeareth in Hystories For the nation of the Slaui wherof the Moraui tooke theyr beginnyng was altogether vnknowen to the worlde vntil the time of the Emperour Mauritius aboute the yere of our lorde 600. The Marcomanni also and the Quadi inhabited those places whiche afterward the yere of our Lorde 900. beyng vnder Arnulphus began by Zuentebaldus kynge of the SLAVI to be called the kyngdome of Morauia Beyonde Scotlande in the Germane Oceane are the Ilandes called Orchades wherof the biggest is called Pomonia And on the other side of Albania in the sea Vergiuium which the Britaynes call Norweridh as who should say the Irishe Sea from whence I coniecture that the antique name Vergiuium was deriued lie the Iles Hebrides in nuÌ„bre two and fortie of others called Euboniae The I le of Anglisea is none of these as I will shew in another place And not far hence lieth Ireland an Iland also whiche our countrymen call Ywerdhon the inhabitants Verni Wherby in my opinion they do farre better which terms it Iuernia as Mela and Iuuenal in his seconde Satyre or Ierna as Claudianus and Dionysius rather then Hibernia now Ireland The Britaynes and Scots doo call the inhabitantes by one name Guyddhyl THus hauynge â–ª ended the description of Scotland with the Ilandes liyng thereabout let vs now proceede to wales the third part of Britayne The same is deuided froÌ„ Lhoëgr that is England by the Riuers Seuern d ee and on euery other side is enuironed by the VergiuiuÌ„ or Iris he Oceane And it was called Cambria as our Chronacles doo report of Camber the thyrde sonne of Brutus like as Lhoëgr of Locrinus and Albania of Albanactus his other sonnes also This same only with Cornwal a most auncient country of Britaynes enioyeth as yet the olde inhabitants The welshmen vse the British tongue and are the very true Britaynes by birth And although some doo write that VVales doth not stretch foorth on this side the Riuer Vaga or VVye this can be no fraud to vs For we haue taken in hand to describe Cambria and not VVallia Wales as it is now called by a new name and vnacquaynted to the welshmen In Northwales the welshmen keepe their olde boundes But in Southwales the Englishmen are come ouer Seuern and haue possessed al the lande between it and VVye So that al Herefordshyre the Forest of Deane and Glocestreshyre a great part of worcestershyre Schreupshyre on this side Seuern are inhabited by Englishmen at this day These regions with certayne corners of Fluitenshyre and Denbyghshyre were sumtime vnder the kings of March. And our countrymen vnto this day do call their neare borderers Gwyry Mers that is to say the men of March. For OFFA a most mightie kynge of March the yere of the incarnate worde seuen hundred and seuentie to the intent that the boundes of his kyngdome towardes the Britaynes in Wales might the better be knowne caused a verie deepe ditch with an exceedynge high wall to be made from the water Deuanus a litle aboue the Castle called Filix through â—ie hilles and deepe valleyes Fennes Kockes Cliffes Riuers vnto the mouth of the Riuer wye about an hundred myles longe The same reseruyng the olde name for of our countrymen it is called Clauddh Offa that is to say Offas ditch it may easely be seene of all throughout the whole coast And all the townes and villages almost whiche be on the East side therof haue their names endynge in these terminations ton or ham wherby it appeareth that the Saxons sometime dwelled there Howbeit now the VVelshmen in all places beyond that ditch towards Ihoëgr haue planted them selues The inhabitants of this region are called in their mother tongue Cymbri In whiche word the force of the sounde of the letter B is scarcely perceaued in pronouncing And it is very likely that this was the moste auncient name and that Cambria a region of England was therof so called When I perceaued that the Cymbri whiche fought with the Romans so manie blouddy battels were called by the same name that ours are it came into my mynde to enquyre and search what good writers haue thought of the beginnyng of that nation And hauyng read much therof I founde also very much wherby I am so perswaded that I dare auouche that it was this our British nation First the name is all one with ours then their tongue which is a very great argument For Plinius in his fourth booke and. 13. chapter saieth that PhilemoÌ„ was of the Cymbri called Mori marussium that is to say Mare mortuuÌ„ the Dead Sea vnto the promontory Rubeas c. And our countrimen call the Dead Sea in their tongue Mor Marw And as for these words neither the Germans neither the Danes neither Suenones neither the Slaui neither the Lithuani nor the Lyuones doo vnderstand them Wherfore it is manifest that the Cymbri were none of these nations But our Cymbri doo speake so wherfore it is euident that they were of the same name and tongue Moreouer Plutarchus in the life of Marius affirmeth that they departed out of a farre country and that it was not knowne whence they came nor whether they went but the like cloudes they issued into Fraunce and Italy with the Almaynes Whervpon the Romans supposed that they had byn
Germans because they had bigge bodies with sharpe and horrible eyes Thus much â—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 fragmeÌ„t 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 reuereÌ„ce 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 â—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 â–ª thousand footemen 61200. thousand â—orsemen as Pausanias writeth set vpoÌ„ 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 wheÌ„ 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 seâ— 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 roomâ—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
Arfon by the ryuer Conway of whom Antoninus Ptolomaeus do speake vnder the name of Nouius In this besides the forenamed Riuer standeth a most antique citie of the Britaynes called Dyganwy in Rosse of the Englishmen Gannock famous in Tacitus by the name of Cangorum wherof the people of that countrie were called of the Romans CANGI And Ptolomaeus mentioneth the Promontorie of the Iangani which they call now Gogarth A place so fortified by nature that it can scarse be taken by maÌ„s strength This citie as I say was the seate and Palace of the later kynges of Britayne when as now their power began to quayle as namely of Maylgun Caduanus Cadwalla whom Bede termeth a most cruell Tyranne bicause he persecuted his enemies very fiercely and of Cadwalladar who was the last kynge of Britayne of the Brittish bloud This Citie the yere of our redemption eight hundred and sixteen Cananus Dyndaythuy reygnynge in VVales was stroken with lightnynge from Heauen and burned in suche sort that it could neuer be afterwarde restored howbeit the name remayneth to the place to this daye out oâ— whose rubbish Conouia was builded Moreouer in this Territory in Rhyfaniacum Henry Lacey Erle of Lincolne to whom the conquer our therof Edward the first gaue that land erected a very stoute Castle not only by naturall situation but also by a Wall of wonderfull thicknesse made of a very harde kinde of stone in my opinion the strongest and best defensed thynge in England Addyng also therto a towne walled about whiche by the auncient name he called Dynbech although those which cam afterwarde termed it Denbigh This fine Towne and my sweet country beynge compassed welnigh aboute with very fayre Parkes standyng in the entrance of an exceedynge pleasant Ualley aboundeth plentifully with all thinges that are necessarie to the vse of man The Hilles yéelde Fleash and white meates The most fertile Ualley very good Corne and grasse The sweet Riuers with the Sea at hande minister all sortes of Fishe and Foule Strange Wynes come thither foorth of Spayne FrauÌ„ce Greece abundantly And being the cheif towne of the shyre standyng in the very middle of the countrie it is a greate market Towne famous and much frequented with wares and people from al partes of north-Northwales The indwellers haue the vse of both tongues And beyng endued by kinges of England with many Priueledges and Liberties are ruled by their owne lawes The valley nigh wherto this Towne standeth is termed amongst vs Dyphryn Clwyd that is to say the Ualley of Clwyd It is almost eighteene miles in length and in breadth in some place foure miles in other some sixe On the East west and South sides it is enuironed with high Hilles on the North with the Oceane Sea. In the midst it is cut in twayne by the Riuer Clwyd wherof it taketh name into whom diuers other litle streames fallyng out of the Hilles doo discharge them selues by reason wherof irriguous and pleasant Medowes plentifull pastures doo lie aboute the bankes therof In the entrance of whiche Ualley Ruthyn an auncient towne and Castle of the Grayes from whence the most noble famely amoÌ„gst the Englishmen tooke beginninge is to be seene And not farre from the Sea standeth Rudhlan in Tegengyl sometime a greate Towne but now a litle Uyllage In the same Prouince is a Cathedrall Churche of our country men called LHANEL WEY of the Englishmen S. Assaph builded between twoo Ryuers CLWYD and ELWEY I remember that I haue read that there was one ELBODIVS Arch bisâ—hoppe of north-Northwales preferred vnto that honour by the Byshoppe of Rome Who fyrst of all the yere of our Saluation seuen hundred thrée score and two reconciled the VVelshmen to the Romishe Churche from whiche before they had disagreed For the Britaynes imitatynge the Asiaticke Churche celebrated theyr EASTER from the foureteene day of the Moone vnto the twentie When the Romans followynge the Nicene counsell keepe theyr Easter from the fifteene to the one and twentie Whereby it commeth to passe that these Nations haue celebrated that Feast on diuers Sundayes But let the Byshoppes take regarde how farre they doo erre from the Decrees of the NICENE Counsell whyle they followe that vncertayne rule of the motion of the Sonne and Moone whiche they call the Golden Number beynge therein very fowly deceaued Whiche thinge in times paste was obiected for a cryme agaynst the Britaynes by the ouer superstitious Mounke Augustine and lykewyse by Bede whiche to muche attributed vnto suche tiâ—les in somuch that for the same cause he durst terme them Heretiques But now howbeit vnder curse of the Nicene counsell it be otherwyse commaunded it is reiected by the Prelates them selues and the whole Churche of Europe But let vs returne to our purpose In that place where the See of S. Assaph is was sometime a Colledge of learned Agonists that I may vse Capgraues woordes celebrated for multitude vnder Centigeme a Scot whiche was called Elguense or Eluense of a Riuer This Prouince Tegenia is called of the Latines Igenia and after beynge vanquished by the Englishmen began to be termed Tegengel that is to say the Englishmens Tegenia Afterward being inhabited by Britaynes cuÌ„minge foorth of Scotland driuyng the Englishmen thence with the Ualley of Clwyd Ruthyn and Rosse make one kyngdome whiche Marianus calleth Streudglead our countrymen terme it Stradclwyd that is to say the soyle of Clwyd For this woord Strat with the name of some Riuer ioyned therto doth vsually signifie amongst the welsh men a veyne or soyle of lande nigh to a Riuer as Strad Alyn Strad Towyn with many such like Theyr last prince called Dunwallon forsakyng his kingdome when the Danes afflicted all Britayne departed to Rome the yere after the incarnation 971. where shortly after he died In Tegenia is a well of a meruaylous nature whiche beyng sixe myles from the Sea in the parish of Kilken ebbeth and floweth twise in one day Yet haue I marked this of late when the Moone ascendeth from the East Horizon to the South at what time all Seas do flowe that then the water of this Wel diminisheth and ebbeth And not far from this place is the famous Fountayne takynge name of the superstitious worshyppinge of the Uirgin VVenefride which boyling vp sodenly out of a place which they call Sychnant that is to say a drie vallye rayseth forth of it self a greate streame which runneth immediatly into Deuanus This water besides that it bredeth Mosse of a very pleasant sauour is also most holsome vnto mans body bothe for washyng and drinkynge and of verie good tast in so much that many beinge washed therin were cured of diuers infirmities wherwith they were borne Moreouer in Tegenia there is a certayne auncient monument of an olde building in a place called Pot Vary somtime renowmed by Roman letters and Armes The towne whiche they call Flynt standynge vpon the water Deua is
knowne not only to be the head of Tegenia but also the whole shire After the discription of Gwynedh let vs now come to Powys the seconde kyngedom of VVales Which in the time of German Altisiodorensis which preached sometime there agaynst Pelagius Heresie was of power ▪ as is gathered out of his life The kynge wherof as is there read bycause he refused to heare that good man by the secret and terrible iudgement of God with his Palace and all his householde was swallowed vp into the bowels of the Earth in that place whereas not farre from Oswastry is now a standyng water of an vnknowne depth called Lhunclys that is to say the deuouryng of the Palace And there are many Churches founde in the fame Prouince dedicated to the name of German The Citie of Schreusbury in olde time was the Princes seate of this Kyngdome But when the Englishmen had taken it it was translated to Mathraual a place fiue myles from Pole of Powys This Region had on the Northside Gwynedh on the East from Chestre vnto Herford England on the South West the Riuer Wey and very high Hylles whereby it was disioyned from Southwales And bycause the lande was plain and neare to England and much vexed with continuall Warre by Englishmen and afterward by the Normans this parte of VVales did first experiment the yoke of English subiection Which brooding stoute men and such whose nature coulde not abide to be at rest but giuen to Murther and excursions not only procured infinite trouble vnto the kynges of England but wrought also greate iniurie vnto theyr neighbours the VVelshmen But afterward beynge parted between twoo brothers as was the custome of the Britaynes it began to wax weake And the part which lieth on the Northside of Tanat Murnia and Seuern befel vnto Madoc wherof it was called Powys Fadoc The other parte came bothe in name and possession of Gwenwynwyn The first lost the name of Powys for beyng subdued by the Normans it came into the power and right of the conquerours The first region therof Mailor is deuided into twaine by the Riuer Dee namely the Saxon and Welsh wherof the first appertayneth vnto Flyntshyre and the other vnto Denbyghshyre in the which standeth the Castle of Lion now commonly called Holt. And not farre from thence are seene the rubbish and relliques of the moste notable and famous Monasterie of Banchor while the glory of the Britaynes flowrished In the same were two thousand one hundred Moonkes very well ordred learned and deuided into seuen sortes dayly seruyng god Amongst whom those whiche were simple and vnlearned by their handie labour prouided meate and drinke and apparell for the learned and suche as applied their studie And if any thyng were remainyng they deuided it vnto the poore That place hath sent foorth many hundreds of excellētly wel learned men amongst whom it hath also vomited forth to the worlde the most detestable Archeheretick Pelagius And afterward through the enuie and malice of Augustine not the Bishop of Hippo but the most arrogant Moonke and the most cruell execution of his Ministre Ethelfrede worthy men of far more perfect ordre then he was of were made away and the whole house from the very foundations together with their most noble Liberary more precious then Golde was raysed downe and destroyde with fier and sworde It were ouerlonge to repeate what Latine and British chronicles doo reporte of the intollerable pride of this man For when he sittyng in his regal seat disdayned to ryse vp vnto the British Bysshops whiche came vnto him humbly and meekely as it became Christians to doo they beholdynge the same both iudged and sayde that he was not the ministre of y most gentle and meeke lambe Christe but of Lucifer as they had learned in the holy scriptures so they departed home againe For whiche contempt and reproche and partly also bycause they agréed not in some poynctes with the Archbishop of Cantorbury which he had appointed with the Church of Rome he so stirred the hate of the Englishmen agaynst them that shortly after as I sayde by Ethelfred through the ayde and helpe of Ethelbert king of Kent prouoked therto by Augustine the Mounkes whiche desired peace were most cruelly slaine And afterward the Britaynes vnder the conduct of Brochwell kynge of Powys were vanquished Until that at length being ayded with power from Belthrusius Duke of Cornwall Caduane kyng of Northwales Meredoc kyng of Southwales and hartned forward by the Oration of their most learned Abbot Dunetus who commaunded as our Chronacles reporte that euery one should kisse the grounde in remembrance of the cōmunion of the Body of our Lord should take vp water in their handes foorth of the Riuer Dee and drinke it in commemoration of the moste sacred Bloud of CHRIST which was shead for them Who hauynge so Communicated they ouercame the Saxons in a famous battayle and slew of them as Huntyngton writeth a thousande threescore and sixe and created Carduanus theyr kynge in the Citie of Legions Next ensue Yale and Chyrk hilly countries In this last standeth that antique Castle which at this day is called Brennus Palace And these apperteyne vnto Denbighshyre But more to the North are Stradalin so named of the Ryuer ALYN and Hope of Fluitenshire Towardes SCHREVSBVRY lieth VVhittington and Oswastrey a noble Market and enwalled rounde at the charges of the FITZALANES a moste auncient famely of Englande whose inheritaunce it is and these belonge vnto Schropshire Aboue these in the West are the Edeirnion men ioyned now vnto the Merionydh men vpon the Ryuer Dee And all these at this presente are called Gwynedhij or men of Gwynedh for the name of the mē of Powis is perished amongst thē The seconde Region of Powys conteyned the same Prouince whiche now only enioyeth the name of Powys and sometime stretched very wide but now contayneth only three Cantredes lyinge wholy on the Northside of the Riuer Seuern whiche is the seconde riuer of Britayne fallyng from the high Mountaynes of Plymnonia and risinge foorth of the same head with Wey and Rhydwely and runnyng throuhh Arwistli and Kedewen in Powys maketh speede to Schreusbury and so floweth forward through Brydgenorth VVorcestre and Glocestre from whiche not farre of it ebbeth and floweth and between VVales Deuonshyre and Cornwall beareth name of the Seuern Sea. Our countrymen terme it Hafren and not Seuern as the Englishmen doo The cheif towne and kyngs seate of Powys called Matrafal retayneth the aunciēt name howbeit the buildynges be defaced and worne And one myle from Seuern standeth a Towne the only market of all that Region of the Englishmen Pole of the VVelshmen called Tralhung that is to say the towne of the standynge water so called of the Lake whereto it is nigh where there stande aloft two Castels builded sometime by the Princes of Powys This princedome came by
to Hamo and ioynynge with other Rebelles out of WENTA and BRECHINIA mette with RHESVS in Black hill and there slew him And so payinge the Englishmen theyr Wages discharged them But they takynge regarde vnto the goodnesse of the soyle and the greate variance whiche was then amongst the VVelshmen as inforetime the Saxons had done they turned theyr force of Armes agaynst those whiche entertayned them and soone displaced them wholy of all the champion and the best of the countrie Whiche HAMO deuided amongst twelue knights which he brought with him reseruing the better part to himself Who buildynge there certein Castels and ioynyng their power together defended their Farmes and Lordeships which they had possessed and taken Whose heyres peacebly enioy the same vnto this day But Iestinus scarsly reserued to him selfe and his the hillye countrie The twelue knightes names were these London Stradlyng Sanct Iohn Turberuille Granuille Humfreyuille Sanctquintin Sorus Sullius Berkerolus Syward and Fleminge In this prouince are NETH vpon a Riuer of the same name Pontfayn that is to say Stone brydge Englishmen falsly call it Cowbridge Lantwyd Wenny Dynwyd Townes and Castels besides Caër Phili a most auncient Castle and Fortresse Whiche as reporte goeth was erected by the Romans and Caerdid the principall towne of the shyre standyng vpon the ryuer Taf English men terme it Cardyd And not far from thence is Landaf to say a Churche standynge on Tauus ennobled with a Byshops See. Next vnto this region lieth Wenta vnder Momuthshyre This in olde time was called Siluria which may easely be proued contrarie vnto the ridiculous authoritie of Boethius and Polydorus And first to beginne with Tacitus who affirmeth that the Siluri lye ouer agaynst Spayne But these are farre more neare Spayne then any parte of Scotland wherefore it is more like that they dwelt here rather then in Scotland Moreouer whereas in a fayre discourse he describeth the expedition of Agricola agaynst the Albani or Scots and there reciteth all the people and nations of Albania he neuer maketh mention of the Siluri whiche was the most Warlike nation of them all And vndoubtedly if they had bin in Scotland he would neuer haue passed them ouer with silence Considering also how he telleth that ther were exceedyng greate Forestes in Siluria the tokens whereof remayne as yet in VVenta Ptolomaeus also and after him Marius Niger layeth the Siluri next vnto the Demeti and Maridunum but somdeale more Casterly Besides these authorities the moste auncient booke of the British lawes mentioneth Syllwc a prouince of VVales whose inhabitantes wee must needes call in the British tongue Syllwr wherby they were of the Romans termed Silures And one parte of VVenta is at this day called Gwent lhwc leauyng out one silable as though it were Went silluc Also Chepstow a fine market Towne in VVenta before a few yeres since passed was called by the name of Strigulia whiche seemeth to come somwhat neare to Siluria Moreouer Antoninus a very graue author maketh mention how Venta of the Siluri was not farre from this towardes the ferrie or place of passedge ouer the Seuern Wherfore it were but a iest hence foorth to seeke for the Siluri in Scotland And although that Plinius writeth that out of the Region of the Siluri ouer into Ireland was but a very shorte cut wee must thus take it that at his time Britayne was not sufficiently knowne nor the people of Albania longe after that subdued Wherby when certeyne of the Romanes as Englishmen vse now a dayes had passed ouer into Ireland out of Southwales others whiche neuer saw Britayne supposed it to be a very short cut In this Region is situate the most auncient noble citie of Legions which our countrymen call Caerlheon ar Wisk that is to say the citie of Legions vpon Vsk for difference sake between it and the other which is builded in Northwales vpon the Riuer Dee Of whom Gyraldus writeth thus The same was an auncient and noble Towne the tokens whereof remayne as yet an huge Palace a Giantlike Tower goodly Bathes and Hotte houses Reliques of Churches and places like Theatres compassed with beautifull Walles partlye yet standynge Also buildynges vnder the grounde conductes secreat passages and vautes vnder the earth Stewes framed by wonderfull workemanship There lie two martyrs Iulius Aron which had churches dedicated vnto thē There was also a Cathedral Church of an Archbishop vnder Dubricius which fell to Dauid This much he Also on the otherside of Vsk in the way which leadeth to Strigulia ar seen auncient Ditches and the remnants of towne Walles of the Siluri of Venta which now also they call Caerwent to wit the Citie Venta wherof the name grew to the whole countrie At the mouth of Wey whiche wee call Gwy is a famous Market Towne in olde time Strigulia but now called the Castle of Gwent The Erles Martials their heirs of this place did very much weaken the state of VVales Not farre hence is Monmuth of vs Monwy so called by the meeting of Mona Wey together the head of the whole shyre Aboue at Osca are the Castle of Osca called Brynbuga in the vpper Venta at the meetyng of Vsk and Geuenna is Abergeuenny the Lorde whereof Brienne Guilford wrought muche mischeif agaynst the VVenti But afterwarde VVillus Brustius Lorde of Brecknoc vnder pretence of loue and freendship called the nobles of Wenta into this Castle to Feastyng and Banquettynge Who commynge thither with Sesylius sonne to Dunwallan cheif man of all that Region and his sonne Gryf fith suspectyng no deceate and vnarmed were euerychone most cruelly slayne by Brustius gward which were put readie in armour for that purpose And afterward sodenly breakynge into Sesylius house the vnmercifull Butchers murdred the yonge Infant Cadwaladar his sonne despiteously before the Mothers face Whose sonnes notwithstandyng takyng the Castle and hauyng sleyne Ranulphe Poerius with many other noble men at Lhandyuegad manfully reuēged their fathers death But BRVSTIVS beyng reserued vnto greater mischeif was famished to death with his Mother in the Castle of VVindelesour And here I thought good to note that the name of Sesylius beynge common among the Britaynes and welshmen ought to be written not with C. which alwayes expresseth the nature of the English K but with S. For els it should be read amongst the VVelshmen Kyllius There remayneth yet the last Inland Region of Southwales which maketh the shyre of Brechnock the head wherof Brechnock or as the VVelshmen terme it Aberhodni standeth in vsk vpon the fall of HODNI Bernhard of Newmarcat first of all Englishmen by force of armes subdued the same Aboue this Region lieth Bogwelth which they terme Buellt a rough and hilly countrie reachynge from VVey to Tobius Beneath is Ewias woonne by the power of Paganus the sonne of Iohn Which afterward was parted in twayne Herold and Lacey And not farre thence is Haya