Dominican Fryar who thus telleth the story OF THE Famous MONASTERY OF BANGOR AND THE Conference held between AUGUSTINE and DINOTH Abbot of that place DOnc puis que Seint Augustin lestoit venuz trova en Wales un Arcevesque un Abbeie tresnoble en la cite de Bangor e estoit devisee en sept portions e en chescune estoient tres cenz moines q' vivoient de lur labour Lur Abbe fu apele Dinooth sage elerc e ben apris en les sept arz que sont liberals apelez E qnant Seint Augustine li auoit perle li demaunda subjection a li com a celi qestoit mande legat en la terre per le Pape e per la court de Rome Et outre ceo li priast q'il li eidast de praecher Mes il li denia l'un e l'autre Puis apres la mort Seint Augustin Adelberd Roy de Kent trop corouce entisa Ethelfrid Roy de Northumbre e les autres Rois de Sessons encountre le dit Dinooth Abbe de Bangor pour ceo qu'il auoit despit Seint Augustin L'an de grace sis cenze e unze e fu set son successor Laurens A cel temps Ethelfrid Roy de Northumbre a la request Adelberd Roy de Kent sen ala oue graunt ost sur les Britouns venant par Leycestre dona bataile a lamestre de la cite Brocmaill e puis q'il auoit ses genz tue e nausre adrein lenchasa e puis q'il estoit entre la cite troua leinz graunt nombre de moines e de hermites q'estoient Britouns e pour ceo les ocist trestuz al nombre de mil e deus cenz dont li auint male fortune Quar alant outre vers Bangor encountre treis Duks de Bretons cest a savoir Blederik Duc de Cornwaile 〈◊〉 Duc de Demethe q'ore est Southwales e Cadwan Duc de Venedoce q'ore est dit Northwales lur dona bataile mes il le naufrent e fuerent de ses genz dis mil e sessaunte Lors se aniuerent les Princes de Bretons e par acord fesoient Canwan le Duc de Venedoce lur Roy. Puis Cadwan pursui Ethelfrid jusques a Humbre mes il acomparnant a li les Rois de Sessous le reumt encontre mes acordee estoit par 〈◊〉 Cadwan regnast de sa Humbre q'est de part le South e Ethelfrid de la q'st depart le North. WHen St. Augustine was come he found in Wales an Archbishop and a famous Monastery in the City of Bangor divided into four Societies every one of which contained three hundred Monks who lived on their own labour Their Abbot was called Dinoth a prudent Clerk and well learned in the seven liberal Sciences with whom Angustine entring into Conference demanded subjection to him as being sent Legat into the land from the Pope and Court of Rome And moreover required that he would be assisting to him in preaching but he refused both the one and the other It sell out that after the death of St. Augustine Ethelbert King of Kent highly incensed thereat stirred up Edelfrid King of Northumberland and other Saxon Princes against the said Dinoth Abbot of Bangor because he had slighted St. Augustine And then after other Narratives he goeth on In the year of Grace 611 his Augustin's Successor was Laurence at which time Edelfrid King of Northumberland at the instigation of Ethelbert King of Kent leads a great Host against the Britains and coming to Leicester gives battel to Brocmail Governour of the City and cutting and hewing apieces his People puts them to flight When he was entred the City he found a great number of Monks and Hermits whom because they were Britains he slow everyone to the number 1200 upon which account he had afterwards ill fortune For proceeding on towards Bangor he was met with by three British Captains viz. Blederick Duke of Cornwal Margeduc Duke of Demetia which is Southwales and Cadwan Duke of Venedocia which is north-North-wales who giving him battol wound him and slay of his Nation ten thousand and sixty Then the British Princes meet and with general consent make Cadwan Duke of Venedocia their King who chased Edilfrid as far as the River Humber but he making head again through the assistance of the Saxon Princes the quarrel was took up by Friends and agreed that Cadwan should possess all on the South of Humber Edelfrid the North. These are the chief Records extant concerning the foundation of the first Christian Church among the English-Saxons which was begun in Kent under King Ethelbert But the long Catalogue of Bulls Charters and Grants of Lands given by this King or by Popes and Archbishops of Canterbury during his reign to particular places Churches and Societies of Men I have purposely omitted because they tend not to the substance of Religion and being most of them forged all suspected shew rather the cunning of later Ages in contriving than the possible magnificence of these times they are fixed to when perhaps the simplicity of the Christian Religion and the poverty of them who first propagated it in the Island gave no pretence for such large Possessions and Immunities to flow in of a sudden upon them But it was not long before pomp and state grew up in our Church by the continual influence of Rome and that most excellent Religion which was ever observed to gain most ground by the meekness and humility of those who professed it those vertues being spent and pride and luxury succeeding was fain to be propped up with Secular advantages and the life and substance gone shadows and forms introduced and Secular liberties being preached up as the interest of Christ which were ever found to be the most destructive to his Gospel ETHELBERT reigned fifty three years Bede sets his reign higher and allotteth him fifty six years but it is generally agreed that he died in the year six hundred and seventeen EADBALD EADBALD the Son of Ethelbert by his first Wife Birtha succeeded his Father in the Kingdom of Kent Being young at his entrance he was no sooner freed from the awe of his Father saith Bede but he renounced the Christian Profession whose severity was not agreeable with the licence of a Crown and was likely to prove too great a curb to his exorbitant lusts and unnatural passions For whether tempting for Lust or tempted out of an ambition of Rule he took to wife his Father's second wife whose Name hath not had the honour of being recorded And being actually engaged in a sin which Heathenism it self did alwaies abhor he made it his business so much the more to discourage Christianity by how much he knew its Doctrine condemned such Incestuous practices And now might be seen what influence the Religion of the Prince had upon the lives of the People for they who had embraced Christianity only as the Religion most fashionable in the daies of the old King now thought
King and his Nobility which seemeth to me very improbable having before shewn that the occasion of that invitation was solely grounded upon the Politick intentions of causing the King to fall in love with his Daughter meerly to gain the Crown This Vortigern was Duke of the Guises a Prince of a Noble extract Vortimer and Pascentius were his Issue by his first Wife By Rowena the Daughter of Hengist he had a Daughter whom afterwards he incestuously married of whom he begat a Son named Faustus who after mature judgment knowing himself to be the Off-spring of such impious Parents hoping thereby to divert those heavy Judgments which by reason thereof might otherwise fall upon him spent his time in continual Prayers and solitary Meditations The Nobility and Clergy being much disturbed at the sordid and inhumane Actions of this Prince endeavoured what in them lay to reclaim and reprehend his Insolencies and more especially to shew their dislike to his incestuous Marriage with his own Daughter and the spreading of the poysoning Doctrine of Pelagianisme which was again about to revive by the promotion of his Saxon kindred as appears by their second meeting in Councel which was as followeth Concilium aliud Britannicum à Sancto Germano Altisiodorensi Episc. magnoque Clericorum Laicorum numero contra renascentia ut videtur Pelagianae Haeresis virgulta contra incestuosas Regis Vortigerni cum filiâ suâ nuptias celebratum EOdem anno viz. 449 nunciatum est in Britannia Pelagianam perversitatem iterato paucis Authoribus de novo pullulasse rursusque ad Beatissimum Virum Germanum preces Saccrdotum omnium deseruntur ut causam DEI quam prius obtinucrat tuerctur Quornm petitioni festinus obtemperat Nam adjuncto sibi Severo totius Sanctitatis viro qui erat Discipulus Beatissimi Patris Lupi Trecassenorum Episcopi tunc Treveris ordinatus Episcopus gentibus primae Germaniae verbum Dci praedicabat mare conscendit consentientibus elementis tranquillo navigio Britannias petiit Praedicationis igitur antidoto vulnera sanat incredulitatis apostema Blasphemiae doctrinae curat medicina omniumque sententia pravitatum perversitas cum suis authoribus condemnatur factumque est ut in illis locis multò ex eo tempore sides intemerata perduraret It a compositis omnibus beati Sacerdotes ea qua venerant prosperitate redierunt Et super haec omnia mala adjiciens Guorthigirnus accepit filiam suam proximam in uxorem sibi quae peperit ei filium hoc autem cum compertum est à Sancto Germano venit corripere Regem cum omni Clero Britonum dum conventa esset Magna Synodus Clericorum Laicorum in uno Concilio ipse Rex praemonuit filiam suamut exiret ad Conventum ut daret filium suum in sinum Germani diceretque quod ipse erat pater cjus ipsa secit sicut edocta erat Sanctus Germanus eum benignè accepit dicere coepit Tibi Pater ero necte permittam nisi mihi novacula cum forcipe pectineque ad Patrem tuum carnalem tibi dare liceat Mox ut audivit puer obedivit verbo Senioris Sancti ad Avum suum carnalem patremque carnalem Guorthigirnum pertexit dixit illi Pater meus Tu caput meum tonde comam capitis mei pecte Ille autem siluit puero respondere noluit sed surrexit iratusque est vehementer ut à facie Sancti Germani sugeret quaerebat maledictus est damnatur â Beato Germanno omni Concilio Britonum Thus translated A second British Councel held by St. German Bishop of Auxerre and a great number of the Clergy and Laity against the arriving of the Pelagian Heresie and against the Incestuous marriage of King Vortigern with his Daughter THe same year viz. 449. 't was reported that the Pelagian Heresie in BRITAIN by the means of some few Abettours and Authors began to revive and bud out again afresh whereupon the prayers and earnest desires of the Clergy were forthwith sent to that Holy Man St. German beseeching him once more to take upon him the Cause of GOD in which but a little before he had been so victorious The Good Man very readily condescended to a compliance with their desires For joyning with himself in this Affair Severus a Man of eminent Sanctity who had been the Disciple of St. Loup Bishop of Troy's and then ordained Bishop of Triers and who had preached the Word of God to the People of the I'rov nce of Germania prima took Shipping and happily the Elements consenting arrived in Britain where by the antidote of Preaching he perfectly healed the wounds of Incredulity and by the medicine of his Doctrine cured the Imposthume of Blasphemy This Perversity or Heresie with its Authors in the Judgment of all men being condemned for a long time after the Faith remained pure and undefilable in these places All things being thus composed these Blessed Priests returned with the same happiness they arrived Besides all these Evils Vortigern took his own Daughter to Wife which bore him a Son but when this was fully known to St. German he came to reprehend the King with all the British Clergy but whilest a great Senate of Clergy and Laity were consulting the King praeinstructed his Daughter that she should go to the Assembly and deliver up her Son into St. German's Arms and say that he was the Father of it and so she did as she had been taught St. German received the Child with a great deal of Courtesie and began to say I will be to thee a Father but I will not suffer thee unless I have a Razor with a pair of Scissors and Comb which shall be lawful for thee to present to thy Carnal Father The Child as soon as he heard it very readily obeyed the good Old Man and going towards his carnal Grandfather and carnal Father Vortigern said My Father clip and comb the Hair of my head at which the King was silent and would return no Answer again to the Child but rose up exceeding angry seeking how he might conveniently flie from the face of St. German so that he was censured and condemned not only by St. German but all the British Clergy For some time many of Vortigern's Subjects as we have shewn at first applauded his Vertues but by the proofs of his succeeding Actions were sound to be vailed over only with the appearance of a dissembling Sanctity How long did he commit that Incestuous Marriage with his own Daughter yea the Off-spring of a Pelagian before it was discovered to the Councel How unworthily did he discard his first Wife who was a Christian to obtain through the dictates of his untamable Lusts and Concupiscence the Pagan Daughter of Hengist How politick was he in endeavouring to acquit himself of the blame and reproof of a whole Senate for begetting a Son of his own
〈◊〉 Dion Cass. BOADICIA described in Person by the Greeks Tacitus Tacitus vit Agric. Ann. Dom. 60. An. Dom. 70. Suet. vit Ner. Josephus Suet. vit Galbae Suet. vit Otho Ann. Dom. 71. Tacitus Tacitus Ann. Dom. 72. Tacit vit Agr. Ann. Dom. 80. Count Palat. 〈◊〉 Count Palat. Anna Dom. 81. * Tweed as some think Ann. Dom. 82 Ann. Dom. 83. An. Dom. 84. Anne Dom. 85. * Trinobantes rather The Order of the Battles on both sides Anno post Christum 86. Hol. Hist. of Brit. Suet. vit Domitian Tacitus Juvenal Agricola poysoned by Domitian in reward of his good Service and Vertues Juvenal Ann. Dom. 86. Martial Joh. Bale Matt. Parker An. Dom. 98. Ann. Dom. 96. Anno Dom. 98. Gal. l. 9. c. 8. Method Med. Tacitusi Beda Am. Marcel Beda An. Dem. 118. Cambden Spartianus in vit Hadriani Speed Chron. Ann. Dom. 80. Bishop Usher William of Malmsbury An. Dom. 132. Ann. Dom. 139. Digest lib. 36. An. Dom. 162. Capitolinur Capitolinus vit Macrin Ann. Dom. 181. AElius Lamp Fol. 1119 Anno à Passione Christi 169a al. 156 ex Leg. St. Edv. Reg. Confesità inscribitur M S. Guil. Lond. †Rege dimicabunt * degunt consistunt MS. ibid. †Rege dimicabunt MS. ibid. The first Bishops in Britain †Ante adventum Augustini Gal-Arturius Vodinus Mart. Christian Religion establisht in Britain 181 years after the death of our Saviour Christ. Capitolinus Beda * Pope †Princeps magna gloriae Ninnius Fabianus Harding Count Palat. An. Dom. 183. Xiphilinus out of Dio. Cass. * Tilia and in Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tree bearing fruit as great as a Bean round within seeds like Antiseeds AElius Lamp in vit Comm. Hel. Pertinax Propraetor Jul. Capitol in vit Pertin Clo. Albinus Jul. Capitolinus * Crassus Julius Severus Propraetorl Commodus requited for designing Martia's death Camb. Brit. Lampridius vit Commod This is said to PERTINAX the following Emperour An. Dom. 1941 Jul. Capitol Clo. Albinus again Propraetor Ann. Dom. 194. Eutrop. Spart Dio. Ann. Dom. 194. †Constantinople Herodian Onuphrius Herodian An. Dom. 198. Digest lib. 28. tit 6. Speed Chron. An. Dom. 208. Dio. Cass. Herodian Spartianus Orofius Spart Eutrop. Victor Hect. Boet. Hier. Surita Guid. Pauc Bede Cambd. Brit. Xiphiline ex Dion Speed Chron. An. Dom. 〈◊〉 Spartianus Homer Spartianus Cod. lib. 3. Tit. de Ret vindicatione lig 1. Liv. Dicad 1. lib. 1. Flor. Val. Max. Varro de Ceremontis Note No Emperour was capable of this Honour in being Deified but such as left Children and near Relations behind them according to the Customs at first instituted by Augustus and afterwards reinforced by Tiberius Herodotus vit Severi †The Senate mourning in Black Via Sacra †FORUM f viz. FORUM Eoarium Piscarium Olitorium Lipsius lib. 3. cap. 7. * Tarq. Superb deposed An. Dom. 212. Aurel. Victor Sabellicus Bede Eutropius An. Dom. 284. An. Dom. 218. Count Palat. An. Dom. 219. Lamprid. Herodian Aurel. Vict. Euseb. Onuph An. Dom. 223. Lampridius Sabellicus Lampridius An. Dom. 236. Basinstoke Not. 18. ad lib. 5. Not. 15. ad lib. 3. An. Dom. 236. Capitolinus An. Dom. 238. †Old Carlile An. Dom. 243. British Hist. Basing stoke An. Dom. 245 Eusebius Camb. Brit. Eusebius Eutrop. Vicior An. Dom. 250. An. Dom. 252. An. Dom. 254. An. Dom. 261. Porphyrius An. Dom. 269. Pollio Not. 22. adl 5. FATHERS That is according to the British Hist. the Trojans Basingstoke An. Dom. 271. Vopiscus An. Dom. 276. An. Dom. 277. Vopiscus vit Benosi Camb. Brit. Vopiscus An. Dom. 282 Vopiscus An. Dom. 285. Aur. Vict. Bede Eutrop. Ninius Cambd. Trinobantes Eumenius Sigonius †Caraucius or Alectus Caraucius This seemeth to be spoken to Constantiuque * Alectus †Caraucius or Alectus Caraucius This seemeth to be spoken to Constantiuque †Caraucius or Alectus Caraucius This seemeth to be spoken to Constantiuque The acknowledgment of perpetual Obedience Tacitus Camb. Brit. Tacitus Dio Cass. Herod Vopisc al. Basingstoak Not. 14. ad 1. 5. Bede Hect. Boet. Pompo Latus Avent Fort. Prisc. in Laud. Virg. Bede Speed Chron. Aurel. Vict. Eusebius An. Dom. 289. An. Dom. 269. An. Dom. 299. An. Dom. 300. An. Dom. 305. Eusebius Eutrop. Niceph. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Religious devout godly merciful honest just and bountiful In Essex Hist. Bede Angl. l. 1. c. 8. Ex Orat. Ambrosii in laud. HELENAE Reg. Basingstoak cut of Mekurchus †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Religious devout godly merciful honest just and bountiful In Essex An. Dom. 306. Panegyrick Oration to Constantine the Great Euseb. vit Constant. Gelasius Ciz lib. 〈◊〉 Act. 〈◊〉 Nicen. cap. 3. An. Dom. 310. Camb. Euscbius †Pecunia Londini notata Zosimus Malmsbury An. Dom. 319. Ammianus Pancirolus Gildan And in the Laws Basiggstoak lib. 6. Gaufrid 1. 2. c. 3 4. Fabian An. Dom. 337. Socrates lib. 2 cap. 31 An. Dom. 340. Jul. Firmicus Speed Chron. Basingstoak lib. 6. An. Dom. 344. Am. Marcel lib. 15. cap. 2. Basingstoak lib. 6. Gildas Socrates Zosimus Basingstoak lib. 6. An. Dom. 361. An. Dom. 364. An. Dom 365. * Called otherwise Attigotti Catalotti Cattiti Erasmus giveth them the name of Azoti They were Cannibals as st Hierom writeth lib. 2. cont Jov. An. Dom. 370. Amm Marcel lib. 27 and 28. †Simmachus Speaking to his Son THEODOSIUS the Emperour An. Dom. 376. MAXIMUS the Tyrant Orosius Gregor Turonensis Gildas Bede * Bono Reipublicae 〈◊〉 now Little-Britain An. Dom. 379. CHRYSAN An. Dom. 395. Claudian Claudian MARCUS chosen Emperour by the Britains GRATIAN Emperour CONSTANTINE a Souldier chosen Emperour * Constant. Sosom lib. 9. Olympiador apud Photium Rutil Claud. Malmsbury Ninnius Prosp. Aquit Nicepharus Gildas An. Dom. 4104 Gildas An. Dom. 418. An. Dom. 423. Buehanan Gildas Gildas An. Dom. 430. Gildas Mat. Westm Constantius vit Germ. Gildas An Dom. 446. Bede Gildas Gildas An. Dom. 446 or 447. Witichindus †BRETS Saxons An. Dom. 448 or 449. German An. 431 to 447. Prosp. Tyro * Rusus in the copy First Duke of the Guisses and Earl of Cornwal then King of Britain †Elsewhere Decius Paulinus A Pagan Prince †Elsewhere Decius Paulinus A Pagan Prince * Rusus in the copy First Duke of the Guisses and Earl of Cornwal then King of Britain Polider Virg. †The Daughter of Hengist †Deposed after six years Government Strabo lib. 5 p. 159. Livy Suetonius †The Ceremony of the Roman Freedom Dion lib. 3. Livy lib. 9. Note Titles of Honour originally were conferred for the sake of vertue not estate witness Sir Walter Rawleighs Hist. of the World Plutarch in Romulo †De Leg. 6. fol. 759. Varro Ant. * Note This Custome was much in use among the Britains Cicero de Divin 〈◊〉 Ovid. 〈◊〉 lib. 15. Rev. 17. 15. Plat. in Crat Plutarch in the Life of Pericles Ter. Varro Dio. Halicar The God JANUS The God JUPITER The Goddess
to Southampton The fourth Hekencldis-street or Kikeneldis-street which goeth forth by Worcester Wickham Bermingham Leichfield Darby Chester-field and by York to Tinmouth By this time Brennus had got so sar into favour with Seginus the Duke of Armorica that he married his Daughter and by the consent of his Nobles in case he failed of Issue-Male the same Duke was admitted Heir of the Crown and not long after by the death of the said Prince he was accordingly received as their lawful Prince all States of the Realm swearing Fealty to him Being now in the possession of a Kingdom Brennus raiseth a powerful Army and Lands in Britain intending to revenge the wrongs done him by his Brother Belyn And now was it that both Armies were ready to give Battle when their Mother Conwenna interposed as a Mediatress between them and by her many tears and powerful perswasions brought them to a Friendly accord so that embracing each other they were heartily Reconciled to the exceeding joy of all Spectators After their Arrival at Troy-Novant they consulted which way best to employ their Armies where the motion was made by Brennus and accepted by Belinus to joyn Forces and undertake the Conquest of all Gallia which Enterprize was attended with a Fortune beyond expectation For they did not only Conquer all Gallia but Italy and great part of Germany also and in the end sacked Rome it self where some say Brennus lost his life others that he survived that great and general Overthrow Some make Belinus a Partner with him in his Greatness others say he went not into Gallia with him or if he did that he soon returned leaving the management of all those Forreign employments to the Conduct of his Brother Brennus whom we will leave to the Histories of the Romans as if so be this were the same Brennus that sackt Rome to receive what Fate in most probability is assigned to him Vitus maketh him to have killed himself at his Repulse before Delphos BELYN now absolute Monarch of Britain sets himself to the beautifying of his Dominions He built Caerleon upon Uske called from thence Caer Uske and Caer Huth where he placed an Arch-Flamen He also adorned Troy-novant with a Gate called to this day Belings-Gate on the top of which he caused a Tower to be made and at the Basis or Foundation thereof an Harbour for Ships to Ride in He is said to be the first Founder of the Tower of London After he had Reigned two and twenty years he died being the first of all the British Kings whose Corps was consumed in a Funeral-pile and his Ashes carefully gathered in a Brazen some say a Golden Urne and preserved on the highest Pinnacle of the Gate or Arch he had built as some think for that purpose GURGUINT Sir-named Brabtruc according to others Barbarous i. e. the Red-beard the English Chronicle calleth him Corinbratus and was the Son of Belyn and succeeded him Anno Mundi 1596. In his daies the Danes refused the payment of their Tribute whereupon he sailed into Denmark and by sorce of Arms obliging them to renew their Treaty received Homage of their Kings and Chief Nobility then Embarked again for Britain In his Return he met with a Fleet of thirty Sail about the Isle of Orkney these he Encounter'd and having taken their Captain Bartholoin or Partholoin he demanded of him what he was and the reasons of his Adventures into those Parts Partholoin answers That He and his Followers were named Balences or Basclenses and were Exiles of Spain and banished their Country with their Wives and Children and thereupon struck out to Sea to seek out an Habitation It is said the King gave them Ireland being a place not then Peopled After his Arrival into Britain the King made it his business to establish and confirm the Laws of his Ancestors and in his Reign that Famous University of Cambridge was Founded by Cantaber Brother of Bartholin This King also built Caer-werith or Lancaster Caer-Peris or Porchester in Hampshire the Seat of a Flamen and Caer-Gaurvie now Warwick where he was buried after he had reigned nineteen years GUINTELINUS or Guintellus the Son of Gurguint was Crowned King Anno Mundi 3615 He was a Prince learned prudent and of singular Justice and Moderation and that which conduceth more to the Glory of his Reign was that he was blest with a Lady with no less Endowments and Excellencies her names was Martia From this Lady that Law called Mathehelage or Marchenelaghe had its beginning and Name translated by King Alphred out of the British into the Saxon Tongue Mr. Hollinshead wonders and admires at Providence that two such wise Princes should come at once to the management of the Kingdom especially at a time when so many Civil Discords were reigning But I find none of these Civil Discords reigning either in his own his Fathers Grandfathers or Great-Grandfathers daies 'T is true Belyn had War with his Brother but in a few years it was wholly ended to the great satisfaction of them both Where then are these Civil Discords Indeed Polidore Virgil out of his great Providence placeth this King before his Great-Grandfather which I suppose he did for the wonderful wisdom of this Prince and his Wife whom he thought best able to end the Civil dissensions caused by the Pentarchy and therefore where Polidore admires the wonderful Providence of God we ought to take him as applauding his own Invention for never before him was ever such an Invention made for the stating of the British Kings But Mr. Hollinshead who followeth on the Received course of the Succession ought not to complain of Civil Discords in this Kings Reign because they had been long since ended And this I take notice of more especially because I find the same Errour in other Authors who have written after Polidore which was grounded from the delight of their own Fancies rather than to deliver the truth exactly down to the People This King Reigned twenty six years and was Interr'd at Troy-Novant now London SICILIUS the second and Son of Guintolin being about seven years of Age was received as King under the Regency of his Mother Martia Anno Mundi 3641 and it seemeth that those Laws called Martiae were exacted by this Queen during the Minority of her Son rather than in the life of her Husband The Count Palatine will have this King to have reigned fifteen years alone but it is generally thought he Governed not above fifteen in all seven under the Tuition of his Mother and eight after his full Age and having given the signs of a hopeful Prince he was suddenly snatcht out of this World by Death and then the Government fell to KIMARUS the Son of Sicilius who began his Reign over Britain A. M. 3656 and being of a wild and ungoverned disposition as given up to all manner of Lusts and Exorbitances was kill'd in the Woods in his pursuit after his game of Hunting some say by
but the only Argument to prove this a British Monument is Catigern's Tomb who fell in a Battle against Horsa where the Tomb only differs from this in bigness and as being fixed without Mortises and Tenons as we have it expressed by Mr. Cambden in his description of Kent wherein he sets down several other things worthy of observation relating to that Country THE CONTINUATION OF THE British KINGS In the Daies of the SAXONS TO Aurelius Ambrosius succeeded his Brother UTER PENDRAGON a Prince nothing inferiour to him either in Valour or Fortune he is reported a Roman but the greatest demonstration we have of his being so was that whilest he lived he not only buoyed up the sinking genius of Britain by his own Vertues but had also freed this ISLE from a troublesome Intruder as the Saxon in all probability was like to prove had not Divine providence preordained to the contrary si Pergama dextra Defendi potuisse etiam hac defensa fuisset Before he came to the Crown he was sent by Aurelius who then lay sick to oppose Pascentius Vortigern's second Son a Man likely to prove a dangerous Enemy as pretending to the Crown and at that time in conjunction with another malevolent Planet GILLAMARE King of Ireland Against these Uter prudently made all the haste he could with resolution upon the first opportunity to give them Battle lest this new Pretender through length of time might steal away the Affections of the unstable Britains and he himself bring his own Credit in question by delaying the Engagement insomuch that the one being actuated by his own natural fierceness from whence termed UTER the other spurr'd on by Ambition the Fight for a long time stood doubtful but in the end Pascentius and his Irish Associates were slain ill defending their claim to that which their Fathers before them held by as bad a Title Aurelius being dead and himself freed from all Competitors in the Kingdom he began to have an eye upon the proceedings of the Saxons For understanding how Esk and Occa Hengist's Sons had harrassed and spoiled the Country as far as the City of York with all the speed therefore imaginable he wade after these Free-Booters and as suddenly defeated them taking the two Brethren prisoners A good natured Prince without doubt that spared the Lives of those that were by piece-meal stealing his Kingdom and whose Father but a little before had sacrificed 300 of his Nobility In this Prince his time landed Kerdic the Saxon a new Enemy sierce and hardy who notwithstanding all opposition Pendragon could make daily discomsited the Britains and gained Territories large enough for himself and his Followers Now whether this happened whilst he was doting on the fair Dutchess of Cornwall and so could not spare time to attend their Motions sure it is we read that the Britains to recover what they had lost set upon the Saxons under the Conduct of Natanleod or Nazeleod a certain King of Britain but were sufficiently routed by Kerdic and his Saxons from whence the place in Hantshire as far as Kerdicsford now Chardford was called of old Nazaleod Now some and not improbably suppose this Nazeleod to be the right name of Uter Pendragon who for the terrour of his eagerness in fight became more known by the Sir name of Uter signifying in the Welch Tongue dreadful as Edward was termed the Black Prince for the same Reason We shall speak nothing here of his lying with Igren Dutchess of Cornwall nor how by the art of Merlyn he was made so like the Duke of Cornwall that neither the Dutchess nor Servants could perceive the cheat contenting our selves since it cannot be helped that from that adulterous Bed the vertuous Prince Arthur sprang ARTHUR after the death of Pendragon his Son Arthur by the Dutchess of Cornwall was advanced to the Throne being then not above fifteen years old early he came by his honour and as early troubles the usual Concomitants of it overtook him but on purpose as it seems to make him more glorious For Lotho King of the Picts and Gouran King of the Scots having married Anna and Alda the Sisters of Uter laid claim to the Crown in right of their Wives These had Justice on their side and Arthur eleven points of the Law Possession and a good Sword to make it good they often backt their Pretences with a good Army and were as often defeated by this young Prince yet not so throughly but that they held him in Plea all his life-time upon occasions assisting the Saxon against him and at Cambula in Cornwall saith Leland this British Hector encountering Mordred Lotho's Son slew him outright and received of him his own deaths wound Ninnius reports that he over-threw the Saxons in twelve great Battels but with what credit I know not Kerdic the Saxon during all the time of Arthurs Reign continually gained ground of him and possest himself of Somerset and Hantshire in defyance of all the opposition he could make against him but after the fight at Mount Badon the Saxons are said to have sate down quietly for a good while after which those restless Spirits would scarce have done had they not stood in fear of an Army more powerful than their own Therefore we may with some Reason believe he gave the Saxons some considerable defeat and might with all probability have eased the Kingdom of that troublesom Enemy had not his generous Spirit been almost consumed and over-wearied by their continual Supplys Fame has done no Prince more Injury than this for by representing him so far beyond all proportion she has made him Monstrous and by her over-fond talking hath made Posterity suspect with some reason whether there ever was any such Person The Bards styled him IMPERATOR BRITANNIAE GALLIAE GERMANIAE DACIAE now who can believe that he should ramble so far to purchase new Countreys especially with the blood of his own People that could not defend his own against the Enemy at home Caradoc relates that Melvas King of that Country which is now called Somerset detained from him his wife Guenever in the Town of Glaston for the space of a whole year and afterwards restored her at the desire of Gildas not by any compulsion or force that Arthur could make against him If this be true then Arthur seems to be a very unlikely Man to run-over Germany that could not chastise the affront of a little Prince of Somerset that had so much defiled his Bed Now the greatest Argument we have to prove there was ever such a Man as ARTHUR is this King HENRY the Second whilest he was at Pembroke diligently hearkning to a Welch Bard that was singing the notable Exploits of King ARTHUR and taking particular notice of the place of his Burial the Song designing it to be in the Churchyard of Glastonbury and that betwixt two Pyramids commanded for his further satisfaction that they should dig thereabouts When they came some