24. yeares About this time the Saduces and Pharisees beganne their sects in Iewry now the warre of Iurguth began and ended nowe Tully was borne in the yeare of the world 3859 an hundred and three yeares before Christ Bledgabrede began 3860. and raigned 20. yeares in this time was Pompei borne into the world Redargy began 3880. and ruled 3. yeares in this time was I. Caesar borne into the world Samuly ruled two yeares Penisell three yeares Pirry raigned 2. yeares foure kinges in 10. yeares and ended in the yeare of the worlde 3890 in which time Antony and Crassus the Oratours of Roome and in Q.M. Scaeuola the Lawyer liued So these 24. kinges continued 166. yeares in the Gouernment of Brutanie Heere is no Topography heere is no place named they were now I may well say kinges Abstracts that they did it no where either incomprehēsibly like Gods or metaphisically like strange men The musicke of Bledgabred and the actions of the rest were belike in no place of any great account Yet because they were kinges and enioyed their kingdomes theyr doomes must needes be giuen somewhere and their cunning must needes be shewed in some place and that was euen the generall Land of Brutany without any particular nomination of lesse places Right Soueraignes and perfit kings whose Actes were vniuersall common to the whole realme not appropriate or fancied to any one Region therein If the head moue and guide the body it doth more then if it moue or guide one part thereof A generall praise is greatest and this was these kinges speciall glory aboue others to rule all places to rule the Land The best vse of one commendation or other is to encounter some one dispraise or other that hath been or may be but they that do all thinges well haue no neede themselues of particular History If Sily ruled 2. yeares suppose in reason hee was no silly one If the other kinges were kinges that was all in all A king cannot possibly be without his excellencies and memorials Now I diuine modestly heere were actors without recorders of their actions patrons of learning but no learned men or they were of both sortes but their studies came to no effect by some force or they were very old when they came to the Crown and could do nothing or the furies and helhoundes raged so extreamely that the Muses and Graces coulde not bee quiet for them or their actes were wrought in needle-worke onely and so worne out or the senses and senslesse desires so ruled them that theyr liues were not so short as their actes or the Histories were written in some strange kind of polygraphy and steganography and coulde neuer yet be read but remaine in some obscure place or they made little account of writers and these set as light by them or they that take most pains at their booke were not most regarded and thereupon studied to themselues or some infortunate and maleuolent configuration of mouable skies and starres and spirites remoued all Histories out of the way or the Kinges and People agreed among themselues to bee remembred by being not remembred wishing to haue their time called The vnknowe Regiment adiudging secrecie greatest wisedome or our Countrimen listened so much after other Noble Actors in the earth that they had no leisure to doe any thing themselues or they disdained to haue them theyr iudges after their death whom they would scorne to haue their iudges in their life or some outlandish enuy destroyed the rowles and registers of our Histories to make vs seem barbarous or the Vniuersitie men of Stamford had by some Priuiledge got them wiues and so forth and had no leisure to do any thing but liue or before the kings were crowned they were worthy men and after theyr coronations they fell to make books of nothing or they could tell how to get a Soueraigntie but they knewe not how to keepe it or they writ their Chronicle hieroglyphically and set the pictures of other creatures in the places of their kinges and by the ignorance of some carelesse men were esteemed as gaies and not otherwise regarded or it was not thus or so perhaps neither this nor that but some other way I cannot tell howe nor I care not greatly for feare I may bee thought neither idle nor well occupied Now good Reader albeit I ioyne a morall genealogy with a naturall and seeme to breake the stile of history yet because affections rule otherwhile asmuch as kinges I may truely say my deuise is allowable in itselfe Where issue wanteth in the Prince there the issue of the people is considered seeing some Princes are begotten of the people as some are of their parents these are heires by the law of particular nature and they by the reason of vniuersall nature and of grace As for the other partes of this third Offspring I hope they are seemely and fit enough for this place It is lawfull to make the best vse and most gaine that wee can honestly of anie thing that we read or write probable additions and reasonable collections are neuer amisse it is better of the two extreames to make more then wee neede of our Countreimen rather than make lesse of them then wee should superfluitie is not best nor scarcitie that history is most worth which doth a man most good THE FOVRTH GENEALOGY or issue of Capor LAbour the sonne of Parsimony the daughter of Queene Temperance made Capor a man of infinite wealth then Order the sonne of Reason the daughter of the Empresse Truth made him a man of greatest fauour in this Land by these two meanes ioyned with his royall bloud he became Ruler of Brutany and begat Dinel Dinel begat Hely Hely begat three sonnes the first Lud the second Cassiuelan the third Stenny Lud begat 2. sonnes the first Androgy the second Tenancy Then came Death and tooke away Lud and hys brother Stenny while his two sonnes were children and Age made Cassiuelan Ruler then came Discontent and begat Rage in the minde of Androgy that hee went away then arose Parentage and created Tenancy for the king Tenancy begat Cimbelin Cimbelin begat 2. sonnes the first Guinder the second Aruirage then came Deceite and slew Guinder then Deuise set forth Aruirage and made him right king Aruirage begat Marius of his wife Senissa the daughter of Claudius the Emperour Marius begat Coil the 2. Coil begat Lucy which dyed without issue These are the 11. heires males and successors of Capor in his kingdom for the Generation of Cassiuelan of Stenny of Androgy and of Guinder are vnknown the more is the pity seeing they were very singular men in their kinds Albranches of a tree prosper not euer some are withered rotten The Arts and Actes of Capor and the Caporites are seene by their Vertues and Vices Their Vertue or Iustice is in Defending and regarding Lud and Stenny were at great variance betweene themselues because Lud would haue the City of Troy new
loue hitherto for feare of Corin and not for liking Deceit by weapons Memprise slewe his manly brother Manlius by faithlesse craft to be out of his emulatiue danger and dangerous emulation Magicals Bladud dedicated his Bathes to Minerua a dead woman he taught Necromancy in all parts of his country he vndertooke to flie aloft in the ayre with deuised winges and meanes artificially and so fell downe inartificially and died sensibly neither could he become admirable this way as he hoped Wordes Leyr forgetting his Honour asked his three daughters a fond needlesse question as some vse to dally with young children and would forsooth heare of them that were women grown How much they loued him they might haue shewed on their finger Ignorance the Gyantes of this Iland being onely strong and wild men without any great forecast were subdued for want of arte and gouernment Sisill let all matters go and runne at auenture Iago had the same vile fault and died of a frensie as he liued with a megrim Their vertue fortitude is known by their Acts in Peace These honourable Rulers approoued their Princely magnificence and Philotimy in a braue maner Brute the first named this Iland Brutanie of his owne Noble and famous Name He built a fortunate Cittie by the Tems and called it Troy-new in perpetuall honour of his owne Countrey Ebranke built a faire Cittie in hys land Northward which he called Caerbranke after his owne name He built another Cittie with a Castle in Albany and called it Edenbrough in regard of his daughters Leyl built a Citie in this land Northward which he called Caerleyl by his own name Leyr built a Citie in the midst of his land and called it Caerleyr in respect of his owne name Thus they purchased their Glorie with heroicall expences and publicke actions profitably Then the vertuous subiectes shewed their excellent magnanimitie in good sorte They suffered not Madian to rule ouer them till hee was able to carry armour in the Field and lead an armie Duke Corin went to king Locrin with his ordinary battle Axe in his hand and behaued himselfe so manly and plainly with the king that he would not or durst not reiect Guendolin his spouse as he before had purposed Good warly rhetoricke Warre at home Those Dukes Maglan and Hennine suffred not their wiues king Leyrs two eldest daughters to be kept frō the Crowne by Cordeil the youngest daughter Locrin fought with Humber and flewe him in battle because he had slaine his younger brother Albanact the Prince and ruler of Albany Conedag and Morgan the sons of those two Dukes deposed euen Cordeil their aunt from hir vsurpation and royall gouernment Conedag defended his land against Morgan and put him to flight and slewe him and ioyned Morgans kingdome to his owne Guendolin the queene gathered an army against her husband Locrin the king and in their conflict he was slaine with an arrow abroad Ebranke got great victories and rich spoiles both in strange countries far off neere hand then returned home with his mony and men in safety ioy it is no lesse courage to get out of troble then to go through it This was their Fortitude in doing for their friends and vndoing their foes Their vice or extream fortitude is knowen by Couetous ambition Manly warred with his elder brother Memprise to depriue him of the kingdome accounting it his owne if he could win it Leyrs two sons in law Maglane and Hennine expelled him out of his land and vsurped his place a while no time to count of Morgan raised war against Conedag his coosin german with whom he liued neighbourly aforetime but now he aspired to Conedags kingdome Porrex made sodaine war vpon Ferrex his brother and put him to flight and slewe him to be ruler himselfe alone Audacious anger When the people might do what they would in the raigne of Sisill they being naturally giuen to fighting fell to ciuil war among themselues and spilt much innocent bloud Rage is blinde villanes somtime turne wars to their vile vses Pusillanimity or base idlenesse Leyl for want of a good heart coulde not rule his subiectes when he was olde Cordeyl being at her wits end despaired of her libertie and murdered her selfe in prison Gorbodug liued without any memorable act like an idiote or a verie swaine Sisill by continuall ease fell into many colde and phlegmaticke diseases and at last a lethargy made an end of him as hee sowed so hee reaped of a lasie life came a lothsome death Their vertue or Iustice is proued in Diuiding in the generations of the eighteene kings the Crown is euer iustly possessed either by the sons or by the brethren or by the next of the kings bloud except the next to king Leyr Brute the first deuided Brutany among his three sonnes the eldest had the best third the youngest the worst part the middle sonne the meane part not so good as the best nor so ill as the worst Ebranke built a Temple in Caerbrank and appoynted an archflamin to ouersee it Leyl built a Temple in Caerleyl and ordained a flamin to rule ouer it Hurdibras built Caerkent Caeruin and Caerpalladour for the benefit of the countrey and in euery of them he made a Temple Bladud built a Temple in his Citie Caerbadon which was made by him for theyr vse that kept the Bathes or came to them Conedag and Morgan the sonnes of two sisters parted Brutany betweene them and liued quietly So did Ferrex and Porrex two brethren for a time but the comedie became a tragedie Rewarding Brute the first gaue Cornewall to Corin his fellowsouldier for ouercomming Gogmagog the Gyant in wrastling Locrin bestowed the spoyles of Humbers armies vpō the souldiers that woon them in battell Cordeil welcomed her father Leyr most reuerently when he fled vnto her for succour and restored him to his kingdom Kymar kept his land in right frame and order by giuing all braue men that they truely deserued the chiefe pollicy with good natures Challenging Corin seeing changeable affections of Locrin charged him with a promise and contract made betweene him and Guendolin and vrged him so straitly and seuerely that hee made him content to stand to his word the rather for that good seruice which Corin did his father Brute Reuenging Locrin reuenged the death of Albanact his brother with the death of Humber Guendolin fought against her owne husband to plague him for his whoredome and other iniuries and prouided so well for her selfe that in the triall of their Cause hee was slaine and his whore drowned with her base daughter the fiery and deceitfull roote Baaras with the leafe Conedag and Morgan deposed Cordeil from the kingdom which she held from them a long time with some title by her father though insufficient seeing these were the sonnes of her eldest sisters Wyden with her waiting women chopped her sonne Porrex in peeces by night for killing his brother Ferrex without any iust cause
called Caerlud by his owne name but Stenny would haue it keepe the olde name in honour of the predecessors and Troians from whom he came It is iustice both to respect our auncestors and iustice to consider our own glory This were a pretty question for discourse which name ought to take place and stand in force if it were well handled Diuiding and deposing Cassiuelan the 2. sonne of Hely was the Protectour and Gouernour of the Realme in the minoritie and nonage of Luds two sonnes hys two nephewes Kingdomes are too heauy for childrens shoulders Cassiuelan ordained a common sacrifice to God that gaue him the victory against the Romanes and a publicke feast to his Nobles that helped him in the battels deuised many pastimes in honour of God and men Tenancy was made king by the treasonable absence of his elder brother Androgy Euery one of these kings hath his right succession except Cassiuelan which vsurpeth Punishing and correcting Cassiuelan summoned Eueline to appeare before him the Councell to answere for the death of Hirelda When he could not preuaile with Androgy by faire meanes he made warre vpon him to plague him for his stubbornesse Ought Androgy to bee at his call a disputable matter of great vse Nature preferreth the kings son to the Crowne before the kings brother but Pollicie preferred Cassiuelan before Androgy a good man before a bad Their Vice or Iniustice is in Diuiding Cassiuelan appointed vnto Androgy the eldest sonne of Lud the Citty of Caerlud and the land of Kent and to Tenancy the younger sonne the Land of Cornewall and kept the kingdome from them though they were his elder brothers true sons and vsurped it himselfe by force He is not fit to be a Protector that is ambitious it is a wofull thing to be a childe among our enimies or amongst the enuious sectaries Reuenging Androgy being vnable of himselfe to withstand Cassiuelan sent letters to I. Caesar in Gallia and certified him that if he would come into Brutany he should be welcome when hee had gotten Caesars Army to set vppon Cassiuelan in the valley of Dorobernia or Canterbury and the fight had endured till both partes were almost weary he came vpon Cassiuelan with a fresh reply and put him to flight and thus he displeased the whole realme to please himself yet his owne hurt was neuer the lesse for making the misery of his Country greater But when Cassiuelan thought to punish Androgy he punished himselfe as much as him he did euen put fire to Brimstone and flaxe to the flame It was traiterously done of him to warre against his legitimate king and of Androgy to make his natiue Country subiect to outlandish Powers Their Vertue or Prudence is in Order Cassiuelan brought vp Androgy and Tenancy Princes sonnes princely in all points Cassiuelan considering that the two victories which he had gotten of the Romans concerned himselfe and all his Noblemen most specially caused an assembly of them to be made that in a generall meeting there might bee a generall thankesgiuing to God almighty and to one another for their seruices and actes done in the Field Nothing teacheth men more courage then a beleefe of heauenly assistance with an honourable remembrance of their vertues this way of harting men is chiefest Desire of knowledge Lucy seeking al means to make his people true and louing among themselues and hearing that Christians were without hatred and falshood desired to heare their religion and receiue their doctrine and sent two Noble schollers Eluane and Meduine to Eleuthery Bishop of Roome with letters desiring to be taught Christianitie Reformacion Lucy changed the three Archflamins and the 28. Flamins into three Archbishops and 28. Bishops he destroyed the Temple of Apollo in the Ile Thorney and made a Temple in honour of the Almighty God which we now call Westminster Discipline Lucy seeing that men were executed for disobeying the law because heerein they disobeyed God and that the kings pardon was not so much to be esteemed as a pardon from God and perceiuing the heartie and vnfained repentance of some offenders and knowing that God forgaue such men thought it no reason that such Penitents should be put to death but reserued to a better vse wherefore he ordained that if any man did offend by mischance and repent him or any one were oppressed and could not otherwise escape oppression then by appealing to Gods word that such men should get them into the Temple of God and ther approue themselues to be true godly men and so be safe both body and goods Their vice or folly is in Permission the Brutans forgetting the true title that Luds two sonnes had to the kingdom of their father and feeling the liberall gifts of Cassiuelan an vsurper suffered him to keep the Rule Key of all the Land and taught one another to disinherit one another by causelesse and deceitfull popularitie and flattery Hatred the Brutans could not agree vpon a king no not in fifteene yeares space when Lucy was dead though euery countrey must needs see one nearer the Crowne then another if they could aduise thēselues marke euery family in good māer They could not foresee the miseries of forrain Dominion they were blinded with malice selfewill among themselues Improuidence Cymbelin was brought vp in Roome both in contempt of all his own countrey learning in slauery to outlandish with Coil the second was brought vp in Roome as if hee were borne to serue Roome and not to serue Brutany Of the two extreames it is safer to haue our men vplandish then outlandish plain then perilous Deceit the Brutans set great long sharp stakes closely in the bankes where the Romanes should arriue and so troubled them extreamely in theyr landing a poore and pittifull inuention to slay and Host Their vertue or temperance is in Behauiour Lud was bountifull in housekeeping and by that means beloued generally Cimbelin with the moderate vsage of himselfe so pleased the Emperour that he loued him greatly and receiued manie good words and gifts from him if this were not intemperance to please an enemy Aruirage got into such fauour with Claudius the Emperor that he married his daughter Genissa if this were not incontinence to be linked with outlandish that was mightier then himselfe He was beloued of his subiectes for his vsage toward them in all cases Marius was of honourable demeanour euery way He accepted the pitition of the vanquished Pictes he allotted to them the fardest part of Albany afterward he gaue himselfe to the wealth of the realme Lucy was loued of all his subiectes for his good life hys loynes were in the cloudes and hys seed among the starres he had rather be a father in Morals then in Naturals such was his abstinence It may be Galaxias the milky bright way in heauen was made in honour of such men as Lucy was no meaner then a Saint Marriage the Brutans would not in any case ioyne their daughters
and in the Temple of Caerwin was he buried Bladud built a Temple in Caerbadon there Sisill was buried Bladud fell downe vpon the aultar of Apollo when his flying failed him Prophane places Ebranke built a Castle in Edenbrough The Caue of Elstrid built by Locrin. The bellies of beastes were the toombers of Madian and Memprise Places out of this Iland mentioned are Neerer vs Germany thence Elstrid was brought by Humber thence Ebranke brought great spoyles Gallia whence Ebranke got many riches there Aganip the husband of Cordeil was Ruler Leyr and Ferrex in their neede fled thither Farder from vs Latium in Italy whether Ebranke sent his 30. daughters Athens in Greece where Bladud was taught and schooled For the trauailes of Brute before hee came to vs pertaine not to vs in respect of the places or otherwise Till hee was of our Commonwealth he was not with vs but against vs. THE GENEALOGY OR ISSVE OF CLOTO CLoto Duke of Cornwall descending from Corin Great Brutes nephew began the second family of the Brutan kinges and begat Mulmucie Mulmucie begat two sonnes of Conwen his wife the first was Belin the second was Brenne a verie personable man yet hee left no knowne seede behinde him Belin begat Gurguint Gurguint begat Guintelin Guintelin begat Sisill the second of Martia his wife Sisill begat Kymar the second Kymar begat Elane Elane begat Morind of his concubine Tanguestela Morind begat 5. sonnes the first Gorboman the second Archigall the third Elidure the fourth Vigeny the fift Peridure which died without any naturall issue onely Elidure begat Gorboman the second These are the 14. Generations of Cloto in the kingdome of Locry which 14. onely are well registred and acknowledged as true heires in the succession of the Brutan Crowne There are differences of Houses aswel for number as for time but opinion destroieth nature often or else some families would last euer the force of education is mightie THE ARTES AND ACTES OF Cloto and the Clotoans are in their Vertues and Vices Their vertue or Iustice appeareth in Diuiding Mulmucy of all the kings was first crowned with gold hee founded the Temple of Troynew Belin the first brother possessed the first part and Bren the second inherited the second after that Bren fled out of this Iland and left no children Belin tooke his kingdome for his owne Elidure being a younger brother to Archigall gaue ouer the kingdome vnto him accounting it rightly Archigals good for his life time Peridure after the death of his elder brother Vigeny tooke the kingdome into his handes because Vigeny died without issue and ioyned his owne kingdome and this in one Rewarding Mulmucy made of his Temples priuiledged sanctuaries that none should die or suffer any violence in them his lawes which he writ approue his righteousnesse Belin repaired the olde Citties which other kinges had built aforetime hee offered sacrifices and giftes freely to the Gods and most solemnly thanked them for the victorie he got against Brenne and his Norwaies He ordained three archflamins in three Citties hee confirmed his fathers lawes Martia was generally allowed for Ruler and king of the realme euen in the dayes of her husband and her sonne because her gift in iudgement was most singular and vnmacheable Gorboman repaired all the Temples in his whole kingdome throughout Elidure was chosen king three sundry times for his vpright dealing in all cases That constant vertue is happy that findeth her friendes constant like herselfe Punishing Belin would not restore Brens kingdome vnto him because hee had lost it by falshoode and in triall of warre Belin would not deliuer Guilthdake the Danish intruder out of prison and send him home to his kingdome in Denmarke vntill hee had taken a most sure order for a yearely tribute in consideration of his present deliuery to bee payd to Belin and his heires for euer Gurguint when the Dane denyed hys yearely tribute plagued the Dane incessantly by fire and sword till hee agreed to pay him the yearely tribute which was lawfully due to the king of Brutanie Archigall was depriued of the kingdome by his subiectes for his wicked life When Morind had ouerthrowne the Mores that inuaded his land hee burnt them before his face because they had burnt in some partes of this Countrey Heere wee may well consider the Iustice of Heauen which slewe many of Brens souldiers and wounded him to death when hee had spoyled a Temple Their Vice or Iniustice appeared in Diuiding Archigall sought by all meanes to aduaunce base men and rude vassals whom hee fauoured most and to pull downe the great and rich men whom hee liked not so much as them Like will to like tyranny respecteth onely herselfe Peredure and Vigeny enuying the grace and glory of their brother Elidure made warre against him and tooke him prisoner and kept him in hold while they liued without any other reason but the vnreasonable power of forcible entry Punishing Kymar the second being hated of some vngratious and desperate subiectes was slaine by them most wrongfully the more vnhappy man hee that coulde not foresee Morind was of so violent and boisterous a nature that whosoeuer offended him should surely dye for his fault though it were but a small trespasse because hee was displeased Euery offence is not deadly no man liueth without offences but a Prince without patience doth euer most mischiefe Their Vertue or fortitude is seene in Peace at home Mulmucy built Blackwell Hall and Malmesbury hee beganne to cut and lay out 4. High-waies vniuersall to this Land he restored chiualry Belin built those 4. waies and finished them he built a Citie and a Hauen with faire gates in Troynew and a Tower Guintelin built a Cittie Gorboman the first built two Citties Peace abroad Bren built some Citties in Italy and repayred some Warre at home Mulmucy vanquished 4. great Dukes which warred with him for the crowne of this kingdome Belin ouerthrew Brens armies twise he took Guilthdake prisoner and those ships that were sent against the Land Morind slewe an Irish Sea Monster he destroyed a Duke of the Mores and hys men that arriued in this Iland to destroy it Warre abroad Belin and Bren sayled together with both their forces into Gallia and subdued it Bren sought afterward newe kingdomes abroad he vanquished great partes of Italy and sacked Rome it selfe he got infinite spoyles in Macedonia Gurguint sayled into Denmarke and forced the king there in his owne Land to yeald vnto him Reuenging Bren gathered himselfe an Army in Norway to recouer his kingdom of Belin thereby So he prouided for himselfe afterward in Armoricke against Belin vppon the same cause and for the like purpose Their Vice or extreme Fortitude is in Ambition Bren arose with all his powers against Belin to take from him his right Dominion if hee could Vigeny and Peredure conspired against Elidure and tooke his kingdome from him by open force Rage Bren threatned Belin with wordes of great defiance
Persecuting Maximinian liuing quietly and honourably both because he was a chosen Prince married a Brutan kings daughter was not content with the Brutans due reuerence toward him but he sought meanes to destroy them yea the most honest and innocent men among them euen the good Christians which were like harmelesse lambes in the Land whom he persecuted vnrighteously vpon the opinion of his owne heathenish religion more then any right iudgement A true christian neuer deserueth death he is so moderate and reasonable in al points so that he is most vniust that will trouble such a man Hee that aforetime was iniurious to a Philosopher was accounted a tyrant but he that tormenteth a true Christian which is a true Philosopher and a perfite wise man is worthy to be iudged a deuill incarnate a bloudsuccour a monstrous man Such a man was Maximinian and may well be chronicled the king with the hellish heart and bloudy hand Their vertue or temperance is in Marriage Helen the daughter of Coil the third married Constantius a Roman by the agreemēt of the Brutans not on her owne head lesse she should seeme incontinent she was but a part of hir countrey not aboue it or out of it Octauy married his daughter to Maximinian a Roman by the consent of his Lordes lesse he should seeme to make more of his owne will then the benefite of all other men a publicke matter must be allowed publikly of them whom it concerneth most Dionote Duke of Cornwall sent his daughter Vrsula and 11000. Virgins with her to Conan a Brutan the king of Armorica that he should not ioyne himselfe and his knightes and men with strange bloud but with very right Brutans Conan desired this and Dionote perfourmed it both constant and prouident to auoide confusion of nations which causeth all Tragedies and Rages in the end Wordes and liberalitie Constantius was a man of speciall affabilitie familiaritie with all his men which propertie if he had not at Roome he learned in Brutanie where the people are generally of freest heartes fardest from bondage and must bee well vsed in speach of all thinges he was of a singular liberalitie he cared more for his subiects goodes then his owne his saying was That wealth doth more good in many handes then in few or none or in the Princes Treasure house a saying farre enough from tyranny Octauy so behaued himselfe toward the Brutans of all sortes in the time of his Royal Lieuetenantship that all men for the moste part fauoured and furthered him greatly euen to the attainement of the kingdome it selfe the chiefest wonders and noblest acts and famous thinges haue euer commonly begunne and ended with the power of wordes the ordering of wordes maketh a man aboue beastes and that man a king of men that can order them best of all other Maximinian gaue the country of Armorica to Conan a Brutan to hold it from him and his heires for euer and to content him for missing the kingdome of great Brutany by this meanes they were good friendes at the last and forgat old enmities Toleration Constantine the sonne of Helen suffered the Brutans to vse their religion he was no tyrant in forcing them against their consciences as other had been although he were a Pagan because he desired chiefly to keep them in peace See what a good mother doth otherwhile in time of neede I beleeue Helen played the Princely Oratour for Christians and defended them before her sonne for good men and good subiects and was their best friend in Brutany next the inuisible and immortall defence that came from heauen and bred a desire of peace in Constantines minde by besetting him with businesse on euery side Their vice or intemperance is in Flattery Carasse being vnable to ouerthrow the Picts and louing them somwhat for helping him against the Romanes stoode in a maze betweene hope and feare and gaue them a part of Albany for their possessions that they might be quiet and not stirre vp warre against him liberalitie or courtesie shewed to a barbarous nature is a weapon turned vpon your selfe Bores and Bares cannot vnderstand fayre wordes and deedes neuer hold vp a candle to the diuell Rusticitie Constantius was of so vile prouision in housekeeping though he were a king that on festiuall dayes hee borrowed plate of his friendes to furnish his tables and cupbordes therewith It is an vnseemly thing for any man to set forth himself with other mens goodes it is small credite for a scholler to seeke credite by vsing that oration or sermon that is not his owne among all men a Prince must be sufficient of himselfe for all matters that pertaine vnto him if he be deficient his grace is lost his maiestie diminishyd and hee euen rurified like a priuate subiect Let not the beastes eate mans flesh in anie case lesse they loue it Their vertue or prudence is in Discerning Helen in her virginitie was learned in all points of true morall wisedome afterward eyther by some diuine inspiration or by some humane information at Hierusalem shee found the Crosse whereon Christ was crucified and the three nayles wherewith he was nayled they that seeke in zeale shall finde in ioy Constantine vsed to haue the booke of God which is the Spirite and Rule of Regiment carried before him wheresoeuer he want he caused the Bible to be copyed out and sent into the partes of his kingdome he sawe by a vision a crosse in heauen with these wordes vpon it In this signe is victory Such are the heauenly fruites of a heauenly minde so we shall reape euer as we sowe Prouiding Octauy being restored to his kingdome gathered together infinite riches to be better able then he was aforetime to wage warre against the ambitious and laborious Romanes Souldiers run to the greatest pay He sent for Maximinian coosin german to Constantine the Emperor and offered him his daughter in his life time lesse hee should be marred with ill Counsell and married to another after his death which he perceiued to be at hand guide them that cannot guide themselues Maximinian made his sonne Victor fellow with the Emperour of Roome that he might strengthen himselfe on both sides both at home and abroad it is surer standing on two legges then on one surer holding with two handes then with one Their vice or imprudence is in Murder An Earle of Brutany that fauoured Octauy much seeing how wofully he was fled into Norway for feare of Traherne and the Romanes which ouercame him in Westmerland considering in his hot wit that Traherne being Helens vncle and a Brutan ought not to haue done such wrong for the Romans sakes to the king of Brutany but haue rather fought for him neither vndermined him one way nor other but with a butcherly wisedome layd violent handes vpon him and slewe him that Octauy might returne safely into the realme againe Defect of inuention turneth a man into a bloudy beast Improuidence Maximinian gathered his riches