sends an Ambassador to Honorius requesting to be held excused for suffering the Purple to be forcibly put upon him by the Soldiers who knowing nothing as yet of the death of his Kinsmen in hopes of saving their lives sent him of free gift the Imperial Robe To confirm this Agreement and to excuse the deaths of Didymius and Verenianus Constantine dispatches another Ambassador named Jovius who told the Emperour that they were slain by the Soldiers without the privity of Constantine and against his will But finding Honorius highly incensed at it he advised him that considering the present posture of Assairs he should remit his anger against Constantine for what was past remedy promising that if he would give him leave to repair to his Master and inform him of the state of Italy he would return to his assistance with the Forces of Gaul Spain and Britain and upon this assurance he was safely disinist For Strlico's design to make away the young Theod sius and thereby to get the Eastern Empire for his Son Eucherius being discovered he was put to death by the command of Honorius whereupon Alarick the Goth who feared none but him entred Italy again which Expedition proved so much the more prosperous to him than the former that he took and spoiled Rome and many other Cities so that the Emperour stood in great need of help against him In Gaul Constantine holding his condition now secure becomes supine and negligent giving himself over to Gluttony and Belly-chear His Son Constans he sends back into Spain who taking with him one Justus to be General of his Army there gave thereby such offence to Gerontius that he set up one of his friends named Maximus for Emperour at Tarracon and excited the Vandals and other Barbarous people in Gaul to break their league with Constantine who was too weak for them in this conjuncture the greatest part of his Forces being in Spain and siding with his Enemies This advantage was espyed and taken by the Nations beyond the Rhine who hereupon cruelly afflicted several parts of Gaul with their incursions and the Maritime Cities of Britain with their Piracies Which when Constantine could not redress the Britans addressed themselves to Honorius and craved aid of him But he having his hands full of the Gothick War advises them to take courage and defend themselves and by his Letter acquits them of their subjection to the Roman Empire They therefore thus discharged took Arms and defended themselves as well as they could whose example was quickly followed by the Britans of Armorica At the same time the Franks crossing the Rhine took the Imperial City of Triers and the Vandals Sueves and Alans passed over the Pirenaean Hills and joyning with the Forces which Constans had left there in Garrison entred Spain Constantine now declares his Son Constans Augustus and Associate in the Empire and displacing Apollinaris from his Praetorian Prefecture bestows it upon another Ellobichus or Allobichus a man of great power and trust with Honorius upon some distaste privily invites Constantine into Italy who passing the Alps marched to Verona and was ready to cross the Po when news was brought him of the sudden death of Ellobichus upon which he returned back to Arles where he kept his residence having caused that City to be called after his own name Constantina and ordained that the Assemblies for Assizes of seven Provinces should be there held Honorius being hereof advertised as he returned from a journey immediately alighted to give God thanks for so great a deliverance from an unsuspected Domestick Conspiratour And now he had leisure to think of revenge against Constantine since his greatest Enemy Alarick King of the Goths was also lately dead at Consentia In the mean time Gerontius leaving Maximus in Spain marches for Gaul whereupon Constantine orders his Son Constans to stay at Vienna while he sends Edobichus to the Franks and Almans for aid But Gerontius takes Vienna by Assault and kills Constans and from thence conducts his Forces against Constantine himself and layes Siege to Arles Thither comes Constantius General for the Emperour Honorius and sits down before the City too At whose coming Gerontius finding that many of his Soldiers deserted him and fearing a general Revolt in case of longer stay there broke up his Leaguer and hasted for Spain with those that would follow him in such sort as little differed from plain flight The remainder of his Army went over to Constantius who hearing that Edobichus was advancing against him sent his Lieutenant General Vlphilas and part of his Army before with orders to conceal themselves in some convenient place while their Enemy passed by himself follows marching directly against Edobichus between whom was fought a cruel Battel but in the end Edobichus being charged by Constantius before and by Vlphilas behind was with great slaughter defeated and in this distress flees to an ancient friend of his named Ecdicius whom he had many ways obliged formerly Ecdicius receives him with a feigned kindness and in the night cuts off his head which he presents to Constantius in hopes of being well rewarded for it But when he would have stayed in the Camp the worthy General commanded him to depart as detesting the sight of him who had been perfidious to a deserving friend This success so discouraged Constantine that to save his life he turn'd Priest when he had reigned four years and so Arles after a Siege of four months was surrendred Constantine being taken with his Son Julian whom he had named Nobilissimus was sent into Italy and near the River Mincius beheaded by the order of Honorius in the year four hundred and eleven In the mean time Jovinus who commanded in Gaul under Constantine drawing together all the Forces of that Countrey with strong supplies of Franks Burgundians and Alans in stead of endeavouring the relief of his Master sets up for himself and puts on the Imperial Robes at Auverne which added to the dejection of the Besieged in Arles and hastened their yielding In Spain Gerontius after his shameful return grew into such contempt with the Soldiers that they beset his house in the night where with the help of his friend Alanus and a few Servants he defended himself stoutly and slew above three hundred of them and when his Darts and other weapons were spent he might at last have escaped at a private door as his Servants did but not enduring to leave his wife Nonnichia whom he entirely loved to the violence of enraged Mutineers he first cut off the head of his dear friend Alanus then of his own Wife Nonnichia at the earnest entreaty of them both who loved him so affectionately that they would not survive him Last of all he turns his sword against himself but missing the mortal place finishes his work with his Poniard more fortunate in his friend than Edobichus though less deserving it for his Disloyalty Of the death of this Gerontius Mr. Humfrey Lhoyd
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
succour After whose flight his Enemy was received with all honour by the Cities of Italy and Africk readily submitted to him so that he was now sole Monarch of the Western Empire But Theodosius first checking Valentinian for favouring Auxentius and the Arians and laying down before him the justice of God's Judgments upon him at last prepares to restore him and levies a mighty Army which he encreases with numerous Aids of Goths Hunnes and Alans Maximus nothing daunted hereat resolves to be on the assailing hand and advancing into Pannonia superior takes in Petovio now Petow in Stiria seated upon the River Dravus and leaving in it a strong Garrison marches to Syscia now Sysseg upon the River Savus in Windischland and takes that too meaning to make it the Seat of the War And hearing that Theodosius intended to send Valentinian and his Mother by Sea into Italy being now consident of his strength in field he commands Andragathius whom he had ordered to guard the Alps to embarque his Forces and intercept them which yet he failed of performing they being landed and joyfully received by their friends before his coming Yet he continued out at Sea by reason of a report that Thodesius designed to follow them with his whole Army In the mean time some of the Barbarous people who served under the Eastern Emperour were by his Fnemies bribed into a Conspiracy against him which being discovered they withdrew themselves and fled towards Maccedon to the Boggs and Lakes but were found out by the Pursuers and almost all of them put to the sword Having thus prevented that danger I atinus Pacatus in Paneg he marches up to Syseia in Pannonia where Maximus abode his coming between whom was fought a cruel Battel in which Maximus was overthrown with great slaughter and forced to fly to Petovio where his Brother Marcellinus meets him with brave Recruits Theodosius follows and sights another Battel with him there where after a sharp contest he again defeats him but night drawing on gave him opportunity to escape The Conquerour pursues and by the way receives into his service some Squadrons of his Enemies Forces which submitted to him At his entrance into Italy he is triumphantly received by the Inhabitants and Soldiers of Haemona a City situated at the Foot of the Alps and passing forward sate down before Aquileia whither Maximus was fled who appearing too much dejected at the late change of his fortune made his followers despair of all possibility of standing out Whereupon to make their own peace they seized him as he was dealing money to the Soldiers and stripping him of his Imperial Robes delivered the City and him to Theodosius in which extremity he recollected his Spirits and behaved himself undauntedly before his Adversaries But when the victorious Emperour discovered some inclinations to piâ—y and commiseration of his condition his Officers drew this unhappy Prince out of his sight and three miles off from the City beheaded him Andragathius who was scouring the Ionian Sea with his Fleet hearing of his Master's death and knowing that he must now expect the utmost severity upon the Emperour Gratian's account threw himself headlong into the Sea and there perished This Victory was thence forward as Prâ—cipius saith celebrated by the Romans with an Anniversary Festival St. Ambrose taxeth this Maximus of favouring the Jews too much and saith of him Idcirco Syscia Petovione atque ubique terrarum victus est Therefore was he overcome at Syscia and Petovio and every where else In the mean time Nannienus and Quintinus Greg. Turon whom he left in Gaul to assist his Son Victor vanquished the Franks at a place called Carbonaria after which Armorica was given to Conan who had done good Service in the fight whereupon he with a considerable number of his Britans quitting Brittia settles himself among the other Britans who had been formerly planted there by Constantius and Constantine The aforesaid victory so encouraged Quintinus that he would fain have perswaded his companion to carry the War into their countrey who warily refused and returned to Mentz But Quintinus resolute in his way passes on by Nuys and falls into the Ambushes which Genebald Marcomer and Sunnon had laid for him by whom he is soundly beaten and Heraclius Tribune of the Jovij and the greatest part of the Army cut off the rest escaping by the benefit of the night and shelter of the Woods But Arbogastes is now dispatched into Gaul by Valentinian who vanquishes and takes Victor and puts him to death and places Carietto and Syrus in the rooms of Nannienus and Quintinus This end had the Empire of Maximus in the year three hundred eighty eight when he had reigned six years whom Sulpitius Severus Orosius and Bede affirme to have been a worthy man and fit to be Emperour if he had attained it lawfully and so this Island returned to the obedience of Rome Soon after this we find our Britans going in Pilgrimage to Palestine and Syria to visit Jerusalem and Simeon Stylites but others of them we meet with not so well employed For now Pelagius contries his Heresie which some few years after he vents with his two Disciples Celestius an Irish Scot and Julianus an Italian of Campania This Pelagius was a Britan and as * Polychron lib. 4. c. 31. Ranulphus Cestrensis and †Tinm in vita Sancti Albani Joannes Tinmuthensis say was Abbot of Bangor and some will have him to be called Morgan in his own countrey language for Morgan in British signifies the same with Pelagius His Heresie shrewdly disturbed the Church for many years of which I shall say nothing here because so many have written largely of it Chrysanthus the Son of a Bishop named Martian governed Britain as Vicar at this time with great reputation having formerly been a Consular Deputy of Italy under Theodosius and was afterwards for his integrity against his will made Bishop of the Nâ—vatian Churches about Constantinople and was so charitable that of all Ecclesiastical Revenues and Profits he reserved nothing to himself but two loaves of Bread on the Lord's day In the year three hundred ninety three the Emperour Theodosius being then Consul with Abundantius the Sâ—ots from the North-west Florent Vi gorn and the Picts from the North wasted this Isle of Britain and three years after Joannes Major lib. 2. caâ—â— 1. the Scots again joyning with the Picts invaded the Roman Province to repress whom Stilico Guardian to the Emperour Honorius sent over a Legion under the command of Victorinus of Tolosa who drove them home and new fortified the Wall placing a Legion there against all occasions The Scotish Writers say that he went near to have reduced the Picts into absolute subjection It should seem the Saxons also did then infest this Land and were repulsed by him Claud. lib. 2. de laud. Stilic from these words of Claudian in which Britain is brought in speaking to Stilico
saith in his brief Commentaries there were extant in his time very ancient British Rhymes if he mistake him not for another Gerontius that was Prince of Danmonia many years after this man's time Upon the surrendry of Arles Constantius goes against Jovinus whom he overcomes and drives out of the countrey In his room up starts his Brother Sebastian whom Constantius soon defeated and slew together with his Complices Salustius and Rusticus Next he conducts his Forces into Spain against Maximus whom with like success he vanquishes and takes Prisoner but after a short time dismisses him as one who had not aspired to that usurpation through his own ambition but was only made a Stale to the Politick ends of his Advancers Those Britans that came over with Constantine when the War was ended never went home but joyned themselves with their Brethren in Armorica Procop. de bello Vand. lib. 1. Bed lib. 1. cap. 11. yet did not the Romans at all look after the recovery of Britain as Procopius and Bede with others tell us having still work enough nearer home And for some time indeed the Britans defended themselves pretty well but in the year four hundred and eighteen their old Enemies assailed them so fiercely doing so much mischief both by Sea and Land and threatning more that the residue of those Romans who had planted themselves here thought it their wisest and safest course to remove into Gaul Annal. Saxon Athelward lib. 1. hiding for hast under ground great part of their Treasure which was never after found Gildas stiles this Invasion which lasted some years A Trampling under foot a most cruell Infestation and Depression and calls it the First accounting all their former Hostilities as nothing in comparison of this and those that ensued the Picts he terms here a Transmarine Nation because parted from the rest of Britain in a manner by two Armes of the Sea now named the Friths of Edenborough and Dunbritton The Britans thus overpower'd and oppressed send Ambassadors to the Emperour Honorius and humbly beseech him with pittious prayers and promises of perpetual Subjection and Loyal Obedience for the future to succour them in this their distress whereupon in the year four hundred twenty two a Legion strongly provided for the War was by Aetius General of the Forces in Gaul dispatched hither who encountring with the Enemies and killing a huge number of them drove them out of the Province and by so bloody a victory delivered their Friends and Subjects from imminent peril Then they ordered them to build across the Island between the aforesaid Friths of Edenborough and Dunbritton from Abercorne to Kirk Patrick as Lollius and Cerausius had done before a Wall which being made with Garrisons of Soldiers might be a terror to their Foes and a safeguard to themselves But the Romans being recalled to be employed against other Enemies could not stay to see the work done so that it being made without fit Directors by the common people and unreasonable Rout not so much of Stone as of Turs proved to little purpose This year the two forementioned Usurpers Maximus and Jovinus going about to raise new Stirs with the assistance of the Barbarous Nations were taken in Spain by Castinus and Boniface who sent them into Italy where they served to adorn the Trinmph of the Emperour Honorius About this time flourished two famous British Bishops Fastidius and Ninianus of whom the former wrote to one Fatalis a worthy Book concerning Christian Life as some Copies of Gennadius have it or as others concerning Christian Faith and another of continuing in the state of Widowhood the other converted the Southern Picts inhabiting between Forth and Grantzbain and was the first Bishop of Candida Casa now Whitleerne in Galloway where he built a Church of Stone which as Joannes Tinmuthensis saith was the first Church of Stone in Britain and in Ireland he founded a large Monastery at a place called Cluayn Coner both he and his Brother Plebeias were Canonized for Saints In the year four hundred twenty five the Picts and Scots knowing that the Romans were returned home again invaded the Britans breaking down the Rampire and all other Fences committing all sorts of cruelty and sending out their Piratick Vessels robbed and ransackt their Coasts in a miserable manner The Britans therefore again send suppliant Ambassadors to entreat the Romans in meer commiseration of their case and for their own Honour once more to relieve them Whereupon Aetius by the Emperour Valentinian's command in the year four hundred twenty six sends over another Legion under the conduct of Gallio of Ravenna wo forthwith marched against those spoiling Enemies and giving them a notable Overthrow chased them home with a terrible slaughter After this Exploit the Romans declare to the Britans That the present condition of the Empire would not permit them to take any more such troublesome Journeys and therefore they must resolve to defend themselves and not be afraid of Nations no wayes more valiant than they if by sloth and idleness they did not weaken themselves So giving Manful Exhortations to a Fearful People and teaching them to make and handle Arms they together with the Inhabitants at the common charge of all and with the private additional helps of many built a Wall of Stone from Sea to Sea in the same place where as Bede and others say Bed lib. 5. cap. 12. Severus built his Wall and on those Shores which used to be most infested with Pirats they erected Watch-Towers in divers places at convenient distances and beyond the Wall they fortified up and down Stations for Soldiers as was done in Severus his time And so the Romans never to return again bid adieu to the Britans and the year following Gallio who had done this Service Mavortius and Sinnox were sent into Africk against Boniface in which War the two former lost their lives the same year by the treachery of their companion Sinnox who himself received the just reward of a Traitor from the hands of Boniface being by him put to death In the year four hundred twenty nine Presp Florentius and Dionysius being then Consuls Agricola the Pelagian the Son of Severianus a Pelagian Bishop comes into Britain and here diffuses the contagion of his pestilent opinion against whom the British Clergy more Pious than Learned in those calamitous times knowing his Doctrine to be Heretical and yet not able to confute him crave aid of the Gallick Bishops whom Pope Celestine at the Suit of Palladius a Deacon of Rome excites to help their British Brethren in this exigence Whereupon a Council is assembled wherein German Bishop of Auxerre and Lupus Bishop of Troyes men famous for their Learning and Sanctity are assigned to the work These crossing the Sea in the dead of Winter had a very stormy passage which was attributed to Evil Spirits and at their arrival found a great deal of hurt had been done here in a short