both Naval and Land supplies to his Enemies and entertaining such as run from him took up a resolution to make the Puissance of Rome known to these Islanders which being discovered by Merchants some particular States sent Ambassadors to him promising to put in Pledges and yeild obedience to the Roman Empire Caesar commending their Prudence and exherting them to continue in the same mind sends them back with Comius in their company whom he had made King of Artois giving him instructions to work them to a suller submission and prepare them to give him a quiet admission with his forces into their Countrey Hereupon the British Princes joyn to oppose him of whom Geffrey nameth these Caswallan Androgeus and Tenerantius with Crederus King of Albania Guitellus of Venedotia and Britael of Demetia Lhud as he writes though falsely was dead some years before and therefore is not here mentioned and King Belinus as I said before is only brought in to be his Son's General Caesar having gained what knowledge he could of the British coast from C. Volusenus whom he had sent out to descry it embarques two Legions in eighty Ships of burthen and some Gallies and endeavours to land in Kent Here Dolobellus General to King Belinus as appears by Nennius who calls him his Proconful stood ready to receive him and performed his part so bravely that the noble Roman confessed the terror of such resolute opposition made his Veteran Soldiers forget their wonted valour But in the end they gained the Shore and put the Britans to flight with extraordinary slaughter In Caesar â—â— Caesar is brought in by Julian attributing to himself the honour if it be at all an honour to that person which he suâ—â—ained of being the first that left his Ship and 〈◊〉 Land but this were to make him not understand what became him and he acknowledges it was the Eagle-bearer of the tenth Legion Lib. 4. de bello Galliâ—â—o Caesar marching forwards encamps upon a great Plain supposed to be Barham-Down where he beheld the dispersion and loss of a considerable part of his Flect by the violence of an unexpected storm Comius found not such entertainment as he expected being imprisoned as a Spy by the Britans who were wise enough to perceive that the Romans aimed at more than they should be willing to grant yet finding by the late conflict that there was an apparent inequality in the match between the Roman and Britain Arms and discipline they judged it convenient to make their best termes and submit to which end they dispatcht Ambassadors to him and with them sent back Comius thinking by the one to moderate his anger and by the other in consequence to procure a peace which they obtained the â—aslier by reason of the late Wrack and the approach of Winter yet were enjoyned to deliver Hostages But understanding his want of Horsemen and the losses he had sustamed by the Tempest they took courage again and slew to Arms. About a thousand Horsemen were coming after him in eighteen Ships which being got within view of the Camp were driven by a sudden storm some back to the Gallick coast others upon the Western part of the Island from whence they had much adoe to recover the Continent again and those Ships that were with him fared as ill for the Gallies which were drawn up to the Shore were filled with the Tide and the Ships of burden that lay at Anchor were so shaken with the Tempest that they were almost rendred unserviceable The seventh Legion being sent out to fetch in Corn was set upon by the Britans and in danger of being cut off if Caesar had not seasonably come to the rescue who contenting himself with putting his Enemies to a stand considering it was not now a fit time to offer Battel while his men were scarce recovered of so late a fear only keeps his ground for a while and soon after returns to his Camp The Britans giving themselves out for Victors sent straight to all the neigbouring States for more forces and getting together a great multitude drew towards the Romans but Caesar encouraging his Soldiers received these Guests with a battel before his Camp put them to rout with slaughter and burnt and laid wast all round about Daunted with this ill success they again crave peace which he granted them but withal severely reproved them for their breach of faith and imposed a double number of Hostages to be sent after him into Gaul whither the season of the year required him to hasten so that all his Ships but twelve being by this time made able to abide the Sea by incessant labour of the Soldiers he hoisted sail about midnight and arrived safely with all but eleven Ships of burden upon the Continent these not keeping their course landed at a Port of the Morini who would have put them to the sword in hopes of prey if Caesar hearing of their peril had not sent his Horsemen to fetch them off The Senate advertised of these passages by his Letters decreed a solemn Procession and Supplication of twenty dayes and himself ordering Labienus to chastise the rebellious Morini went to Rome as he used to do every Winter to look after his concernments there About this time died King Belinus having reigned forty years yet did not his death hinder the Britans from celebrating a solemn Festival in Trinovant for joy of Caesar's departure But here fell out an unlucky accident which proved of very ill consequence As the Youth were exercising themselves at Martial sports it chanced that two young Noblemen fell out the one named Hireldas is by Geffrey of Monmouth said to be Nophew to Caswallan the other named Evelinus to Mandubratius Henry of Huntington saith they were their Sons In this quarrel Hireldas was slain by Evelinus whem Caswallan would therefore have had to be put to death but Mandubratius prevailed with his Father Immanuentius to protect him Caswallan thought it too difficult a matter to contest at that time with his Brother in his own Royal City he departs therefore but quickly returns with strong Forces which he had in readiness kills Immanuentius seizes the greatest part of his Kingdom and compells Mandubratius to flee for safety of his life into Gaul Nennius who adhered so saithfully to him in his war against the Romans may seem likely to have sided with him now there being a grudg between him and Immanuentius for going about to change the name of Trinovant to Caer Lud as the * Lib. 1. cap. 10. Monmouth Writer tells us These proceedings of Caswallan allarm'd the Neighbour-States who thereupon took up Arms against him And thus were the Britans embroiled in Civil wars not fearing belike Caesar's return whose hasty departure they looked upon as little better than flight and thought he was as desirous to leave them as they were to have him and therefore all the States but two neglected the sending of their Hostages after him Here now
Land was Brutain call'd from Brute's own name One Woman caus'd the Trojan Warr whose name Was Helen Dardan Prince of noble fame Was Ancestor to Brute first British King From whom the Stemmes of British Princes spring No small question is raised about his Father Sylvius whom Monumethensis will have to be the Son of Ascanius supposing probably that after the difference between Julus and his Uncle the Son of Lavinia was reconciled whereby Sylvius Postbumus was adjudged to succeed his deceased Brother and the Pontificate being the next degree of Honour to the Kingly Dignity was assigned to Julus He in respect to the King and to ingratiate himself with the Albans among whom the name of Sylvius was in great request as Virgil in his Sixth Book of his Aeneads denotes Sylvius Albanum nomen the fair Daughter of Tyrrhus the chief Herd-master to King Latinus being also named Sylvia might assume that name for his praenomen and for a straiter linking of their Friendship married the Neece as Geffrey saith of Queen Lavinia Some conceive Sylvius the Father of Brutus to be the same with Posthumus and Son to Aeneas really but to Ascanius adoptively which opinion cannot be admitted because he after about Nine and twenty years Reign dyed a natural death which our British Historians deny of the other making him to be slain by his mistaking Son so that their relation would better agree with Sylvius Aeneas the Son of Posthumus of whose immature death there is some shew of a conjecture out of * Aen. 6. Virgil who makes a doubt whether he ever attained to be King Sylvius Aeneas paritèr pietate vel armis Egregius sin unquam regnandam acceperit Albam Aeneas Sylvius renown'd for Arms and Piety If e're of Alba he attain the Royal Monarchy And * Met. 15. Ovid favours this leaving him out of his Catalogue of Alban Kings and making Latinus the immediate Successour to Posthumus Successit Sylvius illi Quo satus antiquo tenuit repetita Latinus Nomina cum Sceptro Sylvius succeeds whose Son upholds with fame The old Latinus 's Scepter and his name And if Sylvius Posthumus were also named Ascanius as well as his Elder Brother which Livy seems to hint in the beginning of his * Pec. 1. History then may Brutus be this way too the Grandson of Ascanius and being banished for his Parricide leave his Brother Latinus to succeed his Grandfather in the Kingdome Though I am not ignorant that others understand Virgil speaking in that place of Sylvius Aeneas not to mean that he dyed before his Father but that it was very long before regained his right which his usurping Guardian had withheld from him And in leed as Livy saith who can positively determine about things so ancient As concerning the Original of this People Learned Cambden proves them to be descended from the Gauls by solid Arguments drawn from their agreement in Religion Customes and Language their vicinity their very name For they did most generally as still they do call themselves Kumero Cymro and Kumeri and a British Woman Kumeraes and their Tongue it self Kumeraeg And hence we have the names of Cambri and Cambria Cumbri and Cumbria which proves them a stock of the famous Cimbrians who were the same with the Gauls being one Nation called by two names So * Dâ— Pâ—â—coâ—sul Cicero speaking of Marius saith that he repressed the Armies of the Gaules etring in great numbers into Italy when yet Historiographers witness that they were Cimbrians and Lucan calls the Fellow that was hired to kill Marius a Cimbrian whom Livy and others affirm to have been a Gaule And out of Plutarch's Errours Reinerius Reineccius averreth That the Gauls and Cimbrians used the same Language And hereunto Appian in his Illyricks gives his suffrage The Celts or Gauls saith he whom they call Cimbrians And as all other Nations fetch their first Original from Asia so do these from the Asiatick Cimmerians the posterity of Gomer the Son of Japhet from whom also as Josephus and Zonaras report the ancient Gaules were called Gemari Gomeraei and Gomeritae from whence the name of Kumeri is easily deduced Mr. Humfrey Lhuyd in his short Description of Britain conceives these Kumeri or Kymri to be those very Cimbrians who so terribly endangered the state-of Rome and finding in the Book of Triads that one Irpus of Scandia by subtlety under pretence of Kindred and Honour to be atchieved induced a great number of Britans to assist him in his Enterprise who never returned home again he concludes it probable that the British Kymri passed over into the Danish Chersonesse whereby it came to be termed Cimbrica and after some Exploits there joyning with the neighbouring Teutons and afterward with the Ambrens a people of Gaule made sharp Warre upon the Romans vanquished Papyrius Scaurus Manlius Silanus and Caepio and were at length with much difficulty overcome by Marius and Catulus After which the remainders of the Cimbrians and Teutons seem to have retired to the Chersonesse These Ambrons who aided the Cimbrians in this Warre were a people so mischievously addicted to Spoyl and Rapine that in Tract of time the word Ambro came to be commonly used to signifie a Devourer as Isidore long ago hath told us whence John Caius his mistake in thinking that Gildas joyns these Ambrons with the Picts and Scots when he speaks of their second vastation of his Countrey saying that they came aesi Ambrones Lupi like Ambrones Wolves is very obvious it being clear that by Ambrones Lupi he meant devouring Wolves in which sense Geffrey of Monmouth termeth the Saxons also Ambrones Mr. Lhuyd to strengthen his opinion produces Plutarch's testimony in his life of Marius that it was not known whence the Cimbrians came onely that it was from a far Countrey and that like clouds they issued into France and Italy with the Teutons tacitely inferring a likelyhood that they might come from this Island And to this he adds divers other Arguments drawn from the agreement of that people with the Britans in Language and names of their Kings and their Customes as their neglecting of Gold and Silver their Reverence towards Women and Priests their sacrificing men to Mercury their Shields Armour and Swords and the very shape of their Bodies Nor was this the first time that the Britans made Warr upon the Romans if we may believe the relation of the British History and the constant Tradition of that people concerning Brennus Sir John Price in his Defence of the British History is offended with Polydore Virgill for saying that the Insular Britans had both their Name and Original from the Britans of Armorica and will not allow that any Britans were before the time of Constantine the Great Yet Pomponius Laetus saith That they were descended from the Armorican Cities And Pliny among the Maritime people over against Britain near the County of Bullen reckoneth the Britans from whom a Haven of the
escaped from the City and the Battel sled to the City of Veij and afterwards under the conduct of Camillus who before was banished to Ardea but now made Dictator relieved those Senators which still held out the Capitol who compelled by famine had newly bought their lives and were paying the Gold Brennus had received the greatest part when Camillus came upon him and worsting him in a tumultuary skirmish forced him to quit Rome and following the Enemy fought a pitcht battel with him eight miles off in the Gabine Way where after a sharp dispute the Romans prevailed and the valiant Brennus with all his Gauls and Britans lost their lives upon the spot not one escaping as Livy writes Dec. 1. lib. 5. to carry the news Here was most of the Gold regained the rest being a long time after recovered by Livius Drusus Propraetor of Gallia Cisalpina Suâ—t in Tib. which at the first appearance of the Dictator had been sent away for Tuscany where the Gauls had then divers Colonics with some Troops to guard it who hearing the loss of their Companions entred into the Service of the Tyrant Dionysius Belinus had better fortune and subdued Pannonia where he settled the Gauls and most of his Britans married his Daughter Cambra a warlike Lady to Antenor King of the Sicambrians and returning home with Honour died in peace Next to him reigned his Son Gorguntius who slew the Danish King and conquered his countrey because he refused to pay the promised Tribute Then Guiteline Son to Gorguntius and Husband to the Learned Queen Martia Sisillius Son to Guiteline Chiomarus Son to Sisillius Danius Brother to Chiomarus and Morindus Son to Danius by his Concubine Tangustella by whom the King of the Morini invading this Land was overthrown and slain This victory he used cruelly putting all to the Sword that were taken Morindus is said to have aided the King of Orkney against Basanus King of the Sicambrians but lastly adventuring to fight singly with a Sea-monster he was devoured by it the Monster dying presently after of the wounds he had given it After his death the Kingdom was divided between his five Sons Gorbonian Archigallo Elidurus Eugenius and Peridurus Of these Gorbonian a just Prince dyed peaceably and was succeeded by his Son Regin Archigallo for Tyranny was expelled by his Nobles who gave his Kingdom to his Brother Elidurus through whose intercession he was restored and reigned afterwards very nobly parting his Principality at his death between his two Sons Morgan and Eneon But Elidurus found not the same kindness from his other two Brothers who took him prisoner and shared his Province between them till Eugenius dying first and then Peridurus he again recovered his Kingdom and left it to his Son Gerontius Edwal the Son of Eugenius or Owen and Runo the Son of Peridurus succeeded their Fathers like wise in their Provinces Thus was Britain cantoned into sundry parcels besides that the Descendents of those Princes who acknowledged the Soveraignty of Dunvallo and his Successors hitherto now renounced all manner of Subordination Which caused Tacitus to write of the Britans thus In vita Agric Heretofore they were governed by Kings now they are drawn by petty Princes into Partialities and Factions After Gerontius reigned his Son Cadellus for the British History takes no notice of the Posterity of the other Princes Then followed Coelus the Son of Cadellus Porrex the Son of Coelus Cherinus the Son of Porrex whose three Sons shared their Father's Inheritance between them Their names were Fulgentius Eldadus and Androgeus To this last succeeded his Son Vrianus after whom reigned these Kings in a direct line from Father to Son Flind Clidacus Clotenus Gorguntius Merianus Bladud Capys Owen and Sisillius who made another partition between his two Sons Blegâ—red and Archivallo Eldon the Son of Archivallo ruled after his Father and then followed in a lineal Succession Redion Rodericus Sawyl sirnamed Penissel Pyrrhus Caporius Gilquellus sirnamed Minocanus and Belinus he by his valour much enlarged his Hereditary Dominions for which he was entitled The Great For this is that B. M. Beli Maur so famous among the Cambrian Genealogists He had three Sons whom in his old age for he lived till the first coming of Caesar he assumed as Partners in his Kingdom assigning each of them a Province with Regal Authority and Title Immanuentius had the Trinobantes and was Sirnamed Lhud that is to fay Russet or Tawny it being usual with the Britans both ancient and modern to impose Names and Sirnames from colours Caswallan had the Cattieuchlani and is by Dion Cassius called Suellan corruptly for Cassuellan And indeed it is very likely that the same causes which lost us so many Books of that excellent Author might make some corruptions in them that were left unless we shall think Suellan or Swallan was his true name Cas being a Praeaddition taken from the Cassii the chief Sept of the Cattieuchlani as Cattimarus Teutobochus and Decebalus had the beginnings of their Names from the Catti Teutâ—nes and Daci though afterwards the name of Swallan grew out of use and Caswallan was used in its stead in honour of this Prince Nennius I conceive had Kent and might be the Father of Cyngetorix Carvilius Taximagulus and Segonax These three Princes acknowledged a subordination to their Father Belinus whom Geffrey of Monmouth will have to be dead some years before the Romans arrived here vainly esteeming it a disparagement to Lhud to reign under his Father and aiming to give Caswallan the entire honour of managing all the war from the first beginning and therefore makes that Belinus which then lived to be Caswallan's General and Counsellor not his Father contrary to Nonnius who expresly termes him King of the Britans And Henry of Huntington will needs have him to be his Brother and Cambden takes him for Caswallan himself contrary to the Cambrian Genealogists who all consent that he was his Father Thus far have we waded through the Maeandrian Intrigues of Antiquity from Samothes obtruding nothing upon the Reader 's belief of this that we have taken either from Annius of Viterbo or Geffrey of Monmouth though both those Authors have been followed and owned by some Learned men Neither is there any thing herein more incongruous or incredible than what the Greek and Roman Writers have delivered concerning the Originals of their Nations which things are yet allowed a place in many Authentick Historians and Chronologers What follows comes from the hands of more approved Authors In the year of the World's Creation Three Thousand Eight Hundred Ninety five according to the common Computation Pompey and Crassus being Consuls the second time Calus Julius Caesar having now by Conquests over-run Gaul out of an innate desire of Glory allured also as Suetonius saith with hope of Pearls which as he was informed were ingendred and gathered in the Creeks of the British Sea and being incensed against the Britans for sending
near Oatlands still Nennius ascribes this to Dolobellus chief Commander now under Caswallan as he had been under his Father before But all was spoiled by Traiterous Fugitives and discovered to Caesar who sending over a party of Horse first ordered his Foot to follow which they resolutely performed wading up to the neck with such speed and violence and fell on so boldly that they soon put the amazed Britans to slight whom Polyaenus falsly reports to have been frightned at the sight of an Elephant with a Turret upon his back Caswallan now despairing of success by open force resolves to try if he can weary out his Enemy and therefore retaining with him only four thousand Charioteers he attends the motions of the Romans By the advantage he had in the knowledge of the Countrey he saved himself from being forced to fight and as often as their Horsemen went forth and strayed out in the fields for Forrage or Booty he sent out his Chariots upon them from the Woods who slaughtering some and terrifying others made them afraid to range abroad and Caesar himself was induced to give strict command that none should part from the Legions who in all their march had nothing left them in their way but empty Fields and Houses which they spoil'd and burnt the Cattel being before driven away by the Britans In the mean time the Trinobantes submit to Caesar requesting him to send their Prince Mandubratius to them and to protect him against Caswallan's violence Of them Caesar required and received forty Hostages and Corn for his Army and therewith sent Mandubratius to them The Cenimagni Segontiaci Ancalites Bibroci and Cassij follow their example and yield to Caesar who learns by the last that Caswallan's chief Town supposed to be Vernlam was not far off Thither he speeds and assaults it in two several places the Britans soon quitting it of whom many were taken in their flight and put to the sword In Kent Cyngetorix Carrilius Taximagulus and Segonax by Caswallan's orders assail the Roman Camp but were repulsed by those that were left to guard it who in a Sally did good execution upon them and took Cyngetorix Prisoner Caswallan after so many losses finding himself basely deserted by the other States by means of Comius of Artois sought and obtained at Caesar's hands a Peace upon these termes That he should pay a certain Tribute yearly and no wayes molest Mandubratius or the Trinobantes and that Hostages should be given for the performance which was accordingly done And thus the Victor having spent almost all the Summer here with a great number of Captives returns into Gaul being forced to transport his Army at two several passages by reason of the loss of Ships which the forementioned Storm had caused After this Caswallan whom Caesar calls Cassivellaunus reigned seven years and dyed in peace having reigned in all nineteen years eleven with his Father as likewise did Lhud and eight after his death Mandubratius is by Beda called Androgorius by Orosius and Monumethensis Andregeus and is in the Book of Triads reckoned the first of the Three most infamous persons that Britain ever bred as who was not content to have recovered his own but also procured by his insinuating solicitations the submission of those other Cities which ruined all the brave endeavours of his Heroick Uncle for his Countreys liberty who as Caesar tells us was Maximè permotus defectione Civitatum Most of all troubled with the Revolt of the States The Monmouth Writer makes this Androgeus in stead of Comius the procurer of his Uncles peace and the valiant Scaeva to be his Son and one of the thirty Hostages abating ten of the true number whereas the Traitor Bericus of whom anon had been a sitter Son for such a Father and Scaeva by better Authors appears to be a Roman and to have been in Caesar's Service before the delivery of those Hostages Then he tells us that Androgeus forsook his Principality and went with Caesar to Rome which is evinced to be false by the injunction laid upon Caswallan not to meddle with him His Brother Tenevantius was of a more publick spirit and would not seek to revenge the wrongs done to his Family by the enslaving of his Countrey but joyned with his Uncle against the common Enemy whereby he so won upon him that dying issueless he left him his Kingdom which was enlarged by the accession of the Province of the Trinobantes upon the death of Mandubratius who also had no Children This King withheld the Tribute whereupon Augustus about twenty years after Julius Caesar's last Invasion resolved upon an Expedition hither rather than put up such a contempt from a Countrey of little note in those dayes but being come into Ganl he there heard news of the Revolt of the Pannonians which diverted him for that time Seven years after he was coming again but finding Gaul in an unsettled condition he accepted the offers of the British Ambassadors who promised Obedience and Satisfaction for the Tribute detained But upon fail of payment he the next year prepared for a third Expedition which to prevent the Britans again send Ambassadors to him who coming to Rome offered Gifts in the Capitol and sacrificed to the Roman Gods swore him Fealty in the Temple of Mars agreeing to pay Tolls and Customs for all Wares which they transported into other parts and paid him their Tribute By this obsequious address Augustus was pacified not being over-ambitious to catch at all opportunities of enlarging his Empire which he thought was already great enough as likewise did his Successor Tiberius To Tenevantius after twenty three years Reign succeded his Son Cunoheline Augustus was now in peace with all the world a fit time for our Saviour the Prince of Peace to be born in at whose very Birth the Devil's Oracles began to cease For about this time that mighty Emperour consulting the Oracle about his Successor received this Answer as Suidas saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Hebrew Child whom the Blest Gods adore Hath bid me leave these Shrines and pack to Hell So that of Oracle I can no more In Silence leave our Altar and sarewell Hereupon at his coming home he in the Capitol erected an Altar and therâ—â—n in Captial 〈◊〉 caused this Inseription to be engraven HAEC EST AKAPKIMO-GENITI DEI This is the Altar of the First-begetten Son of God In Tiberius his time the Britans kept very fair correspondence with the Romans as may be gathered out of Tacitus from their friendly sending back to Germanious â— then warring in Germany such of his Soldiers as had been cast upon their Coasts Caligula intended to invade them but that by his shittle head sudden repentance and foolish attempts against Germany it came to nothing Yet he came on as far as Batavia where Adminius the Son of Cunobeline being for some offence banished by his Father was with those few that
the Lieutenant's endeavours to have any peace with the Romans Against him therefore Ostorius bends all his Force having given some Cities to a British King named Cogidunus to engage him against those that should raise any disturbances while he was dealing with the Silures Caradock considering how Siluria was hemm'd in between the Severn and the Sea marched into the countrey of the Ordovices who were confederated with him where all the odds were to his own party all the difficulties to his Enemies Ostorius follows and near Clun-castle in Shropshire forced him to a Battel wherein though he and his Britans fought stoutly yet the fortune of Rome prevailed Here his Wife and Daughter were taken Prisoners and some Brothers of his yielded themselves himself escaping to Cartisinandua Queen of the Brigantes was by her command unworthily bound with Irons and delivered to his Enemies in the ninth year of the war and the seventh year of his Reign Which being made known at Rome all desired to see this Warriour who had so long held out against their power Thither he was sent and at his coming the people were assembled as to a solemn spectacle and the Emperour's Guard stood in Arms. First passed his Servants bearing his Trophies won in former Wars next his Brothers Wife and Daughter last of all himself who coming to the Emperour's Tribunal without any manner of dejectedness thus spake to him If my moderation in prosperity had been as great as my Nobility and Fortune was I had come rather a Friend into this City than a Captive neither would you have disdained to receive me with Covenants of Peace being a Prince descended of Noble Ancestors and commanding many Nations My present estate as it is to me dishonourable so to you it is glorious I had Horses Men Armour Wealth no wonder if I was unwilling to lose them If you will reign over all all must obey If I had sooner yielded and been delivered into your hands neither had my Fortune nor your Glory been so renowned and in your severest determining of me both will be quickly buried in oblivion But if you spare me I shall be an Example of your Clemency for ever Caesar moved with the bravery of his Carriage pardoned him with his Wife and Brethren and most probably his Daughter too though forgotten by Tacitus who being unbound did their reverence to the Emperour and the Empress Agrippina Then the Senators being called together discoursed of the Shew and affirmed it to be no less Honourable than when Scipio shewed Syphax or Aemylius Perseus or whosoever else exhibited conquered Kings to the people wherefore the ornaments of a Triumph were decreed to Ostorius This Caradock Sirnamed Frichfras viz. with the strong Arm is in the Book of Triads named First of the Three most valiant Britans the Roman Writers call him Caratacus Caractacus Cataractacus and Catacratus what became of him afterwards I find not but I suppose that he did not long survive his entrance into Rome for else it is likely he would have returned to his Kingdom and in point of Gratitude have restrained his Silures from continuing Hostility against the Romans Caradock had one Brother yet at liberty which was the brave Arviragus who succeeding in the Kingdom soon made the Enemy know that the Britans wanted not a General He took old Caswallan's course to avoid set Battels and to watch for Advantages The Prefect of the Camp with his Legionary Cohorts who were ordered to build Fortresses in the Countrey of the Silures he surprised and killed with eight Centurions and many of the stoutest Soldiers and had cut them all off if speedy Succours had not come from the neighbouring Villages and Castles Shortly after he fell upon the Forragers and routed them and the Troops of Horse that were sent to help them nor could Ostorius stay their flight by sending out some Cohorts lightly appointed till the weighty Legions coming on put a stop to the violence of the Pursuers and made them retreat After this passed divers Skirmishes the Silures omitting no opportunity commanded or without command to assail the Enemy from their Woods and Bogs being strongly incensed at a Report that Claudius was resolved to extinguish their very Name They in thâ—s heat intercepted two Auxiliary Cohorts who were forraging too securely to feed the Avarice of their greedy Prefects and by sending abroad liberal shares of the Spoils and Captives which they took drew other Nations to joyn with them These and some other adverse Accidents so troubled Ostorius that worn out with cares and travels he dyed whom Avitus Didius Gallus succeeded in the Lieutenantship He was dispatched hither in great hast that the Province might not be destitute of a Governour yet could not make such speed but that before his coming the Legion of Manlius Valens had been defeated by the Silures who made large excursions into the Roman Pale till the Lieutenant marching out kept them somewhat more within their own Bounds The Brigantes would willingly have engaged in their Countreys cause against Ostorius at his first coming if their King Venutius could have been induced to own the Quarrrel but he reigning in right of his Wife Cartismandua suffered himself to be wholly guided by her who judging the friendship of the Romans very conducible to her designs restrained the peoples forwardness and made up the breach with Osterius to his full satisfaction But growing weary of her Husband and falling in love with Velocatus who was his Servant and Armour-bearer she abused her marriage-bed and laboured to make the Adulterer King Venutius nettled with these injuries and the intercepting of his Brother and some of his nearest Kindred took Arms against the faithless Queen and brought her to such Exigencies that Didius was fain to send some Cohorts to her Aid by whose help she won a Battel of her Husband and in another conflict Caesius Nasica with his Legion had somewhat the better But Venutius quickly recruited his Forces the people flocking to him apace out of indignation against the Adulteress whose Treachery to him and Caradock had made her generally odious And so stoutly he maintained the War against the Romans that though they rescued Cartismandua from his just vengeance yet he kept possession of the Kingdom in despight of them so that Didius being aged had enough to do to keep up a Defensive War which he was fain to manage by Deputies only building here and there a Fortress further into the Countrey that he might seem to enlarge his Province Nero was now Emperour who but for very shame would have withdrawn his Forces out of Britain To Didius succeeded Verannius who dyed in the first year of his Government having only made a few Inrodes upon the Silures and left a great Boast behind him That if he had lived but two years more he would have conquered all thereby at his death manifesting his vanity though while he lived he had carried a great name of precise
Franks and Batavians was hereat so surprised that flying up and down like a mad-man he lighted upon Marcus Aurelius Asclepiodotus Grand Seneschal of the Praetorium and not staying for the coming up of all his Forces only with the Accessaries of his Treason and his mercenary Germans and those not marshalled in good order desperately began the Battel in which his Army was routed and himself slain having first cast off his Purple Robe his body being hardly found among the dead Carcasses The slaughter fell heavy upon the Barbarians of whom such as escaped hasted to London designing to sack it and so take their flight but part of the Roman Army which in the Mist had been sever'd at Sea from the rest coming thither at the same time put them to the Sword with their Commander Livius Gallus at a place near a Rivulet which from him was called Gallbrook now Wallbrook Thus was Britain restored to the Romans after it had been withheld for ten years space by the two Usurpers And because so many Tyrants had from the time of the Emperour Galienus born sway in Britain therefore Porphyrius the Philosopher who lived in those dayes termed it A fertile Province of Tyrants And here by the way it will not be amiss to observe that this Porophyrius is the first and ancientest Writer that makes mention of the Scots which he doth in his very next words as his contemporary the Oratour Eumenius is the first that mentions the Pictis As for Geffrey's narration of Bassianus Carausius Allectus Asclepiodotus and Coelus I do not hold it worth the reciting as being contrary to the truth of all History and Chronology This Asclepiodotus had been Consul with Afranius Hannibalianus in the year two hundred ninety two of whom Vopiscus speaks with Honour in his Lives of Aurelianus and Probus Constantius leaving him to govern Britain departed hence to war against the Almans whom he overcame with the slaughter of sixty thousand of their men In the year three Hundred and three while Asclepiodotus ruled here the tenth Persecution began in the month of March wherein this Land which had escaped all the former bore a great share Here on the two and twentieth day of June suffered Alban the Protomartyr of this Island and the Soldier Heraclius who being appointed for his Executioner preferred death before the employment This Alban was by Birth a Britan by Descent a Roman of a Noble Family and of great Authority whose dwelling at Verulam and dying near it did much ennoble that City The place where he dyed was called Derswold and Holmhurst where now stands a noted Mercate Town which bears his Name His Death is said to have been accompanied with divers Miracles and particularly Gildas tells us That by his Prayers he made a way through the River for himself and a thousand others to pass over dry-footed This River now named Colne passing by Colnebroke a Mercate Town runneth into Thames of which Gildas therefore accounted it an Arm and called it by the name of Tamisis The men which followed Alban through the River soon after laid down their lives for the same cause among those that suffered with Amphibalus On the first of July suffered Aaron and Julius Citizens of Caerleon upon Vske and on the sixteenth of September the forementioned Amphibalus a famous Doctor of the Monastery of Caermarden but born at Caerleon by whom Alban was converted after whose death he fled to the borders of Wales whither he was followed by a great many Christian Verulamians to the number of nine hundred ninety nine But a party of Soldiers were sent to bring them and their Instructor back who quickly seizing their prey in their return put the Verulamians to death by the way at Lichfield and bringing Amphibalus with nine others of his Companions to a place called Redburn about three Miles from St. Albans there cruelly slew them at which time about a Thousand more of the same City of Verulam declaring themselves to be Christians were likewise Martyred with them On the next day being the seventeenth of September here suffered Socrates and Steven of whom the latter is conceived to be that Steven whose name we meet with in the Catalogue of the Archbishops of London which if we take for granted we may then suppose that Socrates might be Archbishop of York seeing we find his Name placed before Stevens in the Roman Martyrology and others But if Steven was Archbishop of London there can be then but little time allotted to his Successor Augulius whom some call Augurius Augulus and Agulinus For we find that he also suffered Martyrdom here on the seventh day of February following About the same time Nicolas a British Bishop suffered and was buried at Peblis in Lauden near the Monastery of Meilros where in the Reign of King Alexander the Third was sound an Urn of Stone with Ashes and Bones of a man's body which seemed to have been torn piece-meal Some three or four paces off was found a stately Cross in a certain Coffer of Stone on which Coffer was engraven this Inscription Locus sancii Nicholai Episcopi The place of St. Nicholas a Bishop In this place King Alexander built a Church and gave it to the Monks of the Holy Trinity Dempster would have this Nicholas to be a Scot but alledgeth no Authority for his opinion and it is as well known for evidence of the contrary that Lauden in the time of this Persecution was in the possession of the Britans as that Dempster is a notorious Hagiocleptes Melior or Melorus and many others were then invested with the Crown of Martyrdom in this Island But in the year three Hundred and four the Emperours Diocletian and Maximian freely resigned to Galerius and Constantius which latter presently put an end to the Persecution in Britain Gaul and Spain though in the other parts of the Empire under Galerius and his Caesars it lasted eight years longer In the East that renowned Soldier St. George was martyred about the beginning of this Persecution He was born in Cappadocia of Christian Parents and after the death of his Father was carried by his Mother into Palestine whereof she was a Native and Heiress to a great Estate there which upon her decease fell to him For his valour and good Service in the Persian War he was first made a Military Tribune and afterwards a Count Imperial and was in high esteem with Dioclesian and Galerius till they set up their Edict at Nicomedia against the Christians For then our George coming thither could not contain himself but moved with Zeal and pious Courage tore it down and putting off his Military Habiliments and making Doal of all his Substance to the Poor on the third Session of the Senate when the Imperial Decree was to be confirmed he boldly avouched himself to be a Christian And when neither by allurements nor threatnings he could be drawn to renounce his Religion after sundry cruel Torments which he
Royal Prophet Thou lovest Righteousness and hatest wickedness Ps 45.7 therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows And again according to the same Royal Prophet Ps 72.1 Give the King thy Judgments O God c. for he said not the Judgments nor the Righteousness of Caesar For the King's Sons are the Christian Nations and people of the Realm who live and abide in the Kingdom under your Protection and Peace according to the Gospel Mat. 23.37 even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings The Nations and people of Britain are your people whom however divided you ought to gather into one to reclaim to Concord and Peace and the Faith and Law of Christ and to the Holy Church to cherish maintain or to lead by hand protect govern and always defend them from injurious and malitious Folks and from their Enemies Eccl. 10.16 Wo to the Kingdom whose King is a Child and whose Princes eat in the morning I do not term a King a Child for Infant-age but for Folly Iniquity and Madness according to the Royal Prophet Ps 55.23 Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their dayes By Eating we understand Gluttony by Gluttony Luxury by Luxury all filthy perverse and wicked things according to King Solomon Into a malicious Soul Wisdom shall not enter nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin Rex dicitur à Regendo non à Regno A King hath his name from his Ruling not from his Kingdom As long as you govern well you shall be a King which if you do not the Name of King will not be evidenced in you and you will lose that Name which God forbid Almighty God grant you so to govern the Kingdom of Britain that you may reign for ever with him whose Vicegerent you are in the said Realm This Letter was written in the year one Hundred seventy nine when the Emperour Commodus was Consul with Vespronius and is to be seen in Lambard's Archaeonomia Printed at London in the years 1560 and 1644 among Edward the Confessor's Laws and in a Copy of our old Laws written in Edward the fourths time now kept in Sr. John Cotton's famous Library and likewise in an Ancient Manuscript Chronicle called Brutus and Breton William Harrison hath inserted it into his description of Britain Lib. 1. c. 9. having translated it into English out of sundry ancient Copies Theon Bishop of London is said to have built St. Peter's Church in Cornhil London with the help of Ciranus the King 's Cup-bearer which Lucius liberally endowed and made it to be the Episcopal Sea for the Diocess of London But Fagan and Dwywan not confining their endeavours only to Lucius his Kingdom converted the greatest part of Britain with the assistance of Elvan and Medwin of whom the former had been made a Bishop at Rome the other a Doctor as Johannes Tinmuthensis and Capgrave in the life of Dubricius and an old Tract concerning the first state of the Church of Landaffe assirm meaning Presbyter or Priest as I suppose by Doctor for the title of Doctor doth not appear to have been so ancient in the Church in the sence wherein it hath been since used Divers other Bishopricks are reported to have been erected about this time as York Carleon upon Vske Winchester Gloucester Congresbury Landaffe and other places Philippus Berterius and Archbishop Vsher of Armagh take York to have been the Metropolis of Britain at that time as being a Roman Colony and honoured with the Emperour's Palace and the Praetorium of Britain in regard whereof Spartianus terms it by way of Excellency In vita Severi The City And in the Council of Arles Eborius of York subscribed before Restitutus of London He that in the year one Thousand four hundred and sixty wrote the History of the Archbishops of York makes Fagan the first Archbishop of that Sea but Harrison in his description of Britain saith Lib. 1. cap. 7. that one Theodosius was Bishop there in the time of Lucius who might be so indeed in the latter end of Lucius his Reign after Fagan's death The Church of Winchester being finished in the fifth year of Lucius his Conversion viz. in the year one Hundred and eighty was then Dedicated by Fagan and Dwywan at which time also one Devotus was made Abbot of the Monastery which the King had founded for certain Monks professing the Egyptian Rule of St. Mark And about the same time was also founded the renowned Abbey of Bangor And now the Northern men are up in arms again and passing Lollius his Fence were come as far as Adrian's Wall which they broke down putting most of the Soldiers that defended it with their commander to the sword and entring the Province wasted and spoiled it at their pleasure against whom Vlpius Marcelius was sent who valiantly beat them back to their own homes and governed the country with such same and reputation that the Emperour Commodus whose Vices were as notorious as his Lieutenant's Virtues fearing the growth of his Credit with the Romans in an envious mood sent him Letters of Discharge After his departure the Army which he had kept in excellent Discipline fell to mutinying and civil Dissensions the Officers abusing and defrauding the common Soldiers whereupon fifteen Hundred of them went to Rome and complained against the Emperour's grand Favourite Perennis as the cause of those and many other distempers in the State for which he was put to death Yet did not this compliance so appease the British Army but that they would have set up another Emperour and Helvins Pertinax who here succeeded in the Lieutenancy endeavouring to suppress their insolency by severe means provoked them to an Insurrection in which divers were slain and himself left for dead whereupon he was glad for his own safety to get himself revoked In his place came Clodius Albinus who so worthily demeaned himself that Commodus either for fear or favour honoured him with the Title of Caesar which yet he accepted not but upon a false report of the Emperour's death having in a set speech discovered himself to be better affected to the old Government of the Senate and Consuls than to Monarchical Empire he was commanded to resign to Junius Severus But Pertinax suceeding Commodus was not long after murdered by the Praetorian Guards who sold the Empire to Didius Julianus who enjoyed his Purchase but a very little time being soon after slain by Septimius Severus This Emperour to keep Albinus who during the late Broils had made bold to keep his place from attempting any thing against him during his Wars with Pescennius Niger created him his Caesar which he now accepted as having a greater esteem for him than for Commodus But Niger being defeated and slain Severus falls to practising the death of his new Caesar and therein failing proclaims him Traitour and publick Enemy and comes in person
against him with the strength of the Empire Albinus hereupon bestirs himself and encreasing his Army with the Flower of the British Youth crosses over into Gaul where near Lyons a Battel was fought between them in which at first Albinus had the better but was at last overthrown and killed his Head being sent to Rome by the Conquerour as a token of the Victory After which Severus divided the Roman Province here into two Prefectures of which the Southern part was termed the Higher and the Northern was termed the Lower About the beginning of Albinus his Government here Fagan and Dwywan went to Glastonbury where they found nothing but ruine and desolation for the Hermits who took care of the Church were all dead long ago This Church they repaired and placed there twelve of their Associates procuring King Lucius to confirm to them and their Successors by Charter the Donation of such Lands as had been given by his three Predecessors to Joseph and his Companions Nine years they are said to have spent in this place and then having visited their Converts and confirmed them in the Faith to have deceased in Britain where divers Churches were afterwards erected and consecrated to their memory After Theon's death Elvan was Bishop of London and is said to have built a Library adjoyning to his Cathedral and to have converted many of the Druids to Christianity King Lucius having built St. Peter's Church at Westminster St. Maries at Dover and a Church at Canterbury which was afterwards called St. Martins dyed and was buried in the Cathedral of Gloucester as Geffrey saith in the year two Hundred and eight as Hollinshed out of ancient Writers tells us having reigned three and forty years according to the Author of the Genealogicon de Gestis Anglorum I know there is great difference in Writers about the time of his Reign and Conversion which I conceive was partly occasioned through the variety of Computations of the years both of Christ's Nativity and Passion As for his Reign some allot him but twelve years as Caxton Bale Grafton Stow and Basing stochius too short a space by far for the many memorable works done in his time others allow him seventy seven years as Matthew Westminster the Chronicle of Salisbury and the Pensile-Table of St. Peter's Church in London but these then take from the years of his Predecessors and make his Great Grandfather Arviragus and his Grandfather Marius to be dead before Domitian's time They generally give him the Character of a Religious and Munificent Prince and say that he did very liberally give Possessions and Territories to Churches and Church-men which he confirmed to them by Charters and that he priviledged Churches and Churchyards to be Sanctuaries and places of Refuge for such Offenders as fled to them He was the first Europaean King that we read of who received the Christian Faith and Britain the first Land in which it was by Publick Authority professed A high and singular Honour for our Country and which next to Divine Providence is in a great measure to be ascribed to the clemency of the Emperour Aurelius to the Christians upon his miraculous victory over the Germans Some with a manifest Antichronisme confound this King with Lucius the Apostle of the Rhetians and Bavarians but Achilles Cassarus in his description of Augspurg as we have him in Munster's Cosmography and Archbishop Vsher of Armagh Cap. 6. in his Treatise De Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Primordiis do judiciously distinguish the one from the other Again others in opposition to a whole cloud of Eminent Witnesses make him a meer Larva denying that ever there was any such King because Britain was then subject to the Romans But these do not consider that it was customary with the Romans to permit Kings to reign in several Countreys which they had subdued as in Judaea Herod in Cilicia Tarcondemus in Cappadocia Archelaus in Pontus Polemon in Mauritania Juba and here in Britain Cogidunus and that even at this time the Emperour Lucius Verus having finished the Parthian War did as Julius Capitolinus saith distribute Kingdoms to Kings and Provincial Governments to his Counts I do not fondly suppose that he was King of all Britain as Geffrey would perswade us nor yet of the greater part of it but I rather think that after Arviragus was driven out of Siluria by Frontinus and out of Ordovicia by Agricola the Province of the Belgae with part of the Province of the Dobuni might upon his submission be granted to him as places not so difficult to be reconquered if he or his Successors should revolt being an open Champaine Countrey of easie access and surrounded in a manner with Roman Garrisons That Arviragus Marius Coelus and Lucius bore some sway in this part of the Island I am the rather inclined to believe because I read of their Sepulture at Gloucester and their Bounty to Glastonbury besides the last King's Liberality to Winchester and Congresbury all which places stand within this Territory Neither did Lucius restrain his Beneficence within the limits of his own Kingdom but piously extended it to several other parts of Britain where Christianity had taken any footing This we find written of him by Bale Lucium pium Coeli filium unicum Romanorum fautorem Caesaris Marci Antonini Veri tum benevolentiâ tum autoritate Britannis post patrem imperâsse That Lucius the Godly the onely Son of Coelus a friend to the Romans by the favour and authority of the Emperour Marcus Antoninus Verus reigned over the Britains And Archbishop Vsher in his Primordia saith Cap. 3. that there were found here in England two ancient pieces of Coin one of Silver which was in the keeping of M. Josephus Hollandus the other of Gold which himself saw among the Cimelia in Sr. Robert Cotton's Library stamped with the effigies of a Christian King as appeared by the Cross upon which these three Letters LVC were inscribed In the mean time Virius Lupus was so overmatched by the Maeatae and Caledonians that he was constrained to buy his Peace and the liberty of some Prisoners with great Sums of Money but understanding that Severus had now ended his other Wars he sends him an account of the British Affairs who thereupon taking with him his two Sons Bassianus and Geta sets forward with a mighty Army to revenge his Lieutenant's disgrace he arrives in Britain in the same year that Lucius dyed and finding divers Competitors striving to succeed him puts an end to the Conquest by laying the Kingdom to the Higher Province The Northern people terrified with his coming crave peace but in vain whereupon the Prince of the Caledonians whom Fordon Boetius and Lesley call Fulgentius though Geffrey names him Fulgenius and saith that he was Brother to Martia the first wife of Severus sails over to Scandia to procure a fresh Supply of Picts with which and his own Subjects and Confederates by the advantage of Loughs Bogs Mears