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History Of The Britons
(Historia Brittonum)
by
Nennius
Translated by J. A. Giles

I. The
Prologue.

1. Nennius, the lowly
minister and servant of the servants of God, by the grace of God,
disciple of St. Elbotus, [Or Elvod, bishop of Bangor, A.D. 755, who
first adopted in the Cambrian church the new cycle for regulating
Easter.] to all the followers of truth sendeth
health.

Be it known to your charity, that being dull in
intellect and rude of speech, I have presumed to deliver these
things in the Latin tongue, not trusting to my own learning, which
is little or none at all, but partly from traditions of our
ancestors, partly from writings and monuments of the ancient
inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans, and
the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymus, Prosper,
Eusebius, and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons, although
our enemies, not following my own inclinations, but, to the best of
my ability, obeying the commands of my seniors; I have lispingly put
together this history from various sources, and have endeavored,
from shame, to deliver down to posterity the few remaining ears of
corn about past transactions, that they might not be trodden under
foot, seeing that an ample crop has been snatched away already by
the hostile reapers of foreign nations. For many things have been in
my way, and I, to this day, have hardly been able to understand,
even superficially, as was necessary, the sayings of other men; much
less was I able in my own strength, but like a barbarian, have I
murdered and defiled the language of others. But I bore about with
me an inward wound, and I was indignant, that the name of my own
people, formerly famous and distinguished, should sink into
oblivion, and like smoke be dissipated. But since, however, I had
rather myself be the historian of the Britons than nobody, although
so many are to be found who might much more satisfactorily discharge
the labour thus imposed on me; I humbly entreat my readers, whose
ears I may offend by the inelegance of my words, that they will
fulfil the wish of my seniors, and grant me the easy task of
listening with candour to my history. For zealous efforts very often
fail: but bold enthusiasm, were it in its power, would not suffer me
to fail. May, therefore, candour be shown where the inelegance of my
words is insufficient, and may the truth of this history, which my
rustic tongue has ventured, as a kind of plough, to trace out in
furrows, lose none of its influence from that cause, in the ears of
my hearers. For it is better to drink a wholesome draught of truth
from the humble vessel, than poison mixed with honey from a golden
goblet.

2. And do not be loath,
diligent reader, to winnow my chaff, and lay up the wheat in the
storehouse of your memory: for truth regards not who is the speaker,
nor in what manner it is spoken, but that the thing be true; and she
does not despise the jewel which she has rescued from the mud, but
she adds it to her former treasures.

For I yield to those who
are greater and more eloquent than myself, who, kindled with
generous ardour, have endeavoured by Roman eloquence to smooth the
jarring elements of their tongue, if they have left unshaken any
pillar of history which I wished to see remain. This history
therefore has been compiled from a wish to benefit my inferiors, not
from envy of those who are superior to me, in the 858th year of our
Lord's incarnation, and in the 24th year of Mervin, king of the
Britons, and I hope that the prayers of my betters will be offered
up for me in recompence of my labour. But this is sufficient by way
of preface. I shall obediently accomplish the rest to the utmost of
my power.

II. The Apology
of Nennius

Here begins the apology of
Nennius, the historiographer of the Britons, of the race of the
Britons.

3. I, Nennius, disciple of
St. Elbotus, have endeavoured to write some extracts which the
dulness of the British nation had cast away, because teachers had no
knowledge, nor gave any information in their books about this island
of Britain. But I have got together all that I could find as well
from the annals of the Romans as from the chronicles of the sacred
fathers, Hieronymus, Eusebius, Isidorus, Prosper, and from the
annals of the Scots and Saxons, and from our ancient traditions.
Many teachers and scribes have attempted to write this, but somehow
or other have abandoned it from its difficulty, either on account of
frequent deaths, or the often recurring calamities of war. I pray
that every reader who shall read this book, may pardon me, for
having attempted, like a chattering jay, or like some weak witness,
to write these things, after they had failed. I yield to him who
knows more of these things than I do.

III. The
History

4, 5. From Adam to the
flood, are two thousand and forty-two years. From the flood of
Abraham, nine hundred and forty-two. From Abraham to Moses, six
hundred. [And forty, according to Stevenson's new edition. The rest
of this chronology is much contracted in several of the manuscripts,
and hardly two of them contain it exactly the same.] From Moses to
Solomon, and the first building of the temple, four hundred and
forty-eight. From Solomon to the rebuilding of the temple, which was
under Darius, king of the Persians, six hundred and twelve years are
computed. From Darius to the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
to the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, are five hundred and
forty-eight years. So that from Adam to the ministry of Christ and
the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, are five thousand two
hundred and twenty-eight years. From the passion of Christ are
completed nine hundred and forty-six; from his incarnation, nine
hundred and seventy-six: being the fifth year of Edmund, king of the
Angles.

6. The first age of the
world is from Adam to Noah; the second from Noah to Abraham; the
third from Abraham to David; the fourth from David to Daniel; the
fifth to John the Baptist; the sixth from John to the judgment, when
our Lord Jesus Christ will come to judge the living and the dead,
and the world by fire. The first Julius. The second Claudius. The
third Severus. The fourth Carinus. The fifth Constantius. The sixth
Maximus. The seventh Maximianus. The eighth another Severus
Aequantius. The ninth Constantius. [This list of the Roman emperors
who visited Britain, is omitted in many of the MSS.]

Here beginneth the history
of the Britons, edited by Mark the anchorite, a holy bishop of that
people.

7. The island of Britain
derives its name from Brutus, a Roman consul. Taken from the
south-west point it inclines a little towards the west, and to its
northern extremity measures eight hundred miles, and is in breadth
two hundred. It contains thirty three cities, [V.R. Twenty-eight,
twenty-one. ] viz.

1. Cair ebrauc
(York).
2. Cair ceint (Canterbury).
3. Cair gurcoc
(Anglesey?).
4. Cair guorthegern [Site unknown]
5. Cair
custeint (Carnarvon).
6. Cair guoranegon (Worcester).
7. Cair
segeint (Silchester).
8. Cair guin truis (Norwich, or
Winwick).
9. Cair merdin (Caermarthen).
10. Cair peris
(Porchester).
11. Cair lion (Caerleon-upon-Usk).
12. Cair
mencipit (Verulam).
13. Cair caratauc (Catterick).
14. Cair
ceri (Cirencester).
15. Cair glout (Gloucester).
16. Cair
luillid (Carlisle).
17. Cair grant (Grantchester, now
Cambridge).
18. Cair daun (Doncaster), or Cair dauri
(Dorchester).
19. Cair britoc (Bristol).
20. Cair meguaid
(Meivod).
21. Cair mauiguid (Manchester).
22. Cair ligion
(Chester).
23. Cair guent (Winchester, or Caerwent, in
Monmouthshire).
24. Cair collon (Colchester, or St. Colon,
Cornwall).
25. Cair londein (London).
26. Cair guorcon
(Worren, or Woran, in Pembrokeshire).
27. Cair lerion
(Leicester).
28. Cair draithou (Drayton).
29. Cair
pensavelcoit (Pevensey, in Sussex).
30. Cairtelm (Teyn-Grace, in
Devonshire).
31. Cair Urnahc (Wroxeter, in Shropshire).
32.
Cair colemion (Camelet, in Somersetshire).
33. Cair loit coit
(Lincoln).

These are the names of the
ancient cities of the island of Britain. It has also a vast many
promontories, and castles innumerable, built of brick and stone. Its
inhabitants consist of four different people; the Scots, the Picts,
the Saxons and the ancient Britons.

8. Three considerable
islands belong to it; one, on the south, opposite the Armorican
shore, called Wight; [Inis-gueith, or Gueith] another between
Ireland and Britain, called Eubonia or Man; and another directly
north, beyond the Picts, named Orkney; and hence it was anciently a
proverbial expression, in reference to its kings and rulers, "He
reigned over Britain and its three islands."

9. It is fertilized by
several rivers, which traverse it in all directions, to the east and
west, to the south and north; but there are two pre-eminently
distinguished among the rest, the Thames and the Severn, which
formerly, like the two arms of Britain, bore the ships employed in
the conveyance of riches acquired by commerce. The Britons were once
very populous, and exercised extensive dominion from sea to
sea.

10. [The whole of this, as
far as the end of the paragraph, is omitted in several MSS.]
Respecting the period when this island became inhabited subsequently
to the flood, I have seen two distinct relations. According to the
annals of the Roman history, the Britons deduce their origin both
from the Greeks and Romans. On the side of the mother, from Lavinia,
the daughter of Latinus, king of Italy, and of the race of Silvanus,
the son of Inachus, the son of Dardanus; who was the son of Saturn,
king of the Greeks, and who, having possessed himself of a part of
Asia, built the city of Troy. Dardanus was the father of Troius, who
was the father of Priam and Anchises; Anchises was the father of
Aeneas, who was the father of Ascanius and Silvius; and this Silvius
was the son of Aeneas and Lavinia, the daughter of the king of
Italy. From the sons of Aeneas and Lavinia descended Romulus and
Remus, who were the sons of the holy queen Rhea, and the founders of
Rome. Brutus was consul when he conquered Spain, and reduced that
country to a Roman province. He afterwards subdued the island of
Britain, whose inhabitants were the descendants of the Romans, from
Silvius Posthumus. He was called Posthumus because he was born after
the death of Aeneas his father; and his mother Lavinia concealed
herself during her pregnancy; he was called Silvius, because he was
born in a wood. Hence the Roman kings were called Silvan, and the
Britons from Brutus, and rose from the family of Brutus.

Aeneas, after the Trojan
war, arrived with his son in Italy; and Having vanquished Turnus,
married Lavinia, the daughter of king Latinus, who was the son of
Faunus, the son of Picus, the son of Saturn. After the death of
Latinus, Aeneas obtained the kingdom Of the Romans, and Lavinia
brought forth a son, who was named Silvius. Ascanius founded Alba,
and afterwards married. And Lavinia bore to Aeneas a son, named
Silvius; but Ascanius [Other MSS. Silvius] married a wife, who
conceived and became pregnant. And Aeneas, having been informed that
his daughter-in-law was pregnant, ordered his son to send his
magician to examine his wife, whether the child conceived were male
or female. The magician came and examined the wife and pronounced it
to be a son, who should become the most valiant among the Italians,
and the most beloved of all men. [V.R. Who should slay his father
and mother, and be hated by all mankind] In consequence of this
prediction, the magician was put to death by Ascanius; but it
happened that the mother of the child dying at its birth, he was
named Brutus; ad after a certain interval, agreeably to what the
magician had foretold, whilst he was playing with some others he
shot his father with an arrow, not intentionally but by accident.
[V.R. He displayed such superiority among his play-fellows, that
they seemed to consider him as their chief.] He was, for this cause,
expelled from Italy, and came to the islands of the Tyrrhene sea,
when he was exiled on account of the death of Turnus, slain by
Aeneas. He then went among the Gauls, and built the city of the
Turones, called Turnis. [Tours.] At length he came to this island
named from him Britannia, dwelt there, and filled it with his own
descendants, and it has been inhabited from that time to the present
period.

11. Aeneas reigned over the
Latins three years; Ascanius thirty three years; after whom Silvius
reigned twelve years, and Posthumus thirty-nine [V.R. Thirty-seven]
years: the latter, from whom the kings of Alba are called Silvan,
was brother to Brutus, who governed Britain at the time Eli the
high-priest judged Israel, and when the ark of the covenant was
taken by a foreign people. But Posthumus his brother reigned among
the Latins.

12. After an interval of
not less than eight hundred years, came the Picts, and occupied the
Orkney Islands: whence they laid waste many regions, and seized
those on the left hand side of Britain, where they still remain,
keeping possession of a third part of Britain to this day. [See
Bede's Eccles. Hist.]

13. Long after this, the
Scots arrived in Ireland from Spain. The first that came was
Partholomus, [V.R. Partholomaeus, or Bartholomaeus] with a thousand
men and women; these increased to four thousand; but a mortality
coming suddenly upon them, they all perished in one week. The second
was Nimech, the son of..., [A blank is here in the MS. Agnomen is
found in some of the others.] who, according to report, after having
been at sea a year and a half, and having his ships shattered,
arrived at a port in Ireland, and continuing there several years,
returned at length with his followers to Spain. After these came
three sons of a Spanish soldier with thirty ships, each of which
contained thirty wives; and having remained there during the space
of a year, there appeared to them, in the middle of the sea, a tower
of glass, the summit of which seemed covered with men, to whom they
often spoke, but received no answer. At length they determined to
besiege the tower; and after a year's preparation, advanced towards
it, with the whole number of their ships, and all the women, one
ship only excepted, which had been wrecked, and in which were thirty
men, and as many women; but when all had disembarked on the shore
which surrounded the tower, the sea opened and swallowed them up.
Ireland, however, was peopled, to the present period, from the
family remaining in the vessel which was wrecked. Afterwards, other
came from Spain, and possessed themselves of various parts of
Britain.

14. Last of all came one
Hoctor, [V.R. Damhoctor, Clamhoctor, and Elamhoctor] who continued
there, and whose descendants remain there to this day. Istoreth, the
son of Istorinus, with his followers, held Dalrieta; Buile had the
island Eubonia, and other adjacent places. The sons of Liethali
[V.R. Liethan, Bethan, Vethan] obtained the country of the dimetae,
where is a city called Menavia, [St. David's] and the province
Guiher and Cetgueli, [Guiher, probably the Welsh district Gower.
Cetgueli is Caer Kidwelly, in Carmarthenshire] which they held till
they were expelled from every part of Britain, by Cunedda and his
sons.

15. According to the most
learned among the Scots, if any onedesires to learn what I am now
going to state, Ireland was a desert, and uninhabited, when the
children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, in which, as we read in the
Book of the Law, the Egyptians who followed them were drowned. At
that period, there lived among this people, with a numerous family,
a Scythian of noble birth, who had been banished from his country
and did not go to pursue the people of God. The Egyptians who were
left, seeing the destruction of the great men of their nation, and
fearing lest he should possess himself of their territory, took
counsel together, and expelled him. Thus reduced, he wandered
forty-two years in Africa, and arrived, with his family, at the
altars of the Philistines, by the Lake of Osiers. Then passing
between Rusicada and the hilly country of Syria, they travelled by
the river Malva through Mauritania as far as the Pillars of
Hercules; and crossing the Tyrrhene Sea, landed in Spain, where they
continued many years, having greatly increased and multiplied.
Thence, a thousand and two years after the Egyptians were lost in
the Red Sea, they passed into Ireland, and the district of Dalrieta.
[North-western part of Antrim in Ulster] At that period, Brutus, who
first exercised the consular office, reigned over the Romans; and
the state, which before was governed by regal power, was afterwards
ruled, during four hundred and forty-seven years, by consuls,
tribunes of the people, and dictators.

The Britons came to Britain
in the third age of the world; and in the fourth, the Scots took
possession of Ireland. The Britons who, suspecting no hostilities,
were unprovided with the means of defence, were unanimously and
incessantly attacked, both by the Scots from the west, and by the
Picts from the north. A long interval after this, the Romans
obtained the empire of the world.

16. From the first arrival
of the Saxons into Britain, to the fourth year of king Mermenus, are
computed four hundred and twenty eight years; from the nativity of
our Lord to the coming of St. Patrick among the Scots, four hundred
and five years; from the death of St. Patrick to that of St.
Bridget, forty years; and from the birth of Columeille [V.R.
Columba] to the death of St Bridget four years.[Some MSS. add, the
beginning of the calculation is 23 cycles of 19 years from the
incarnation of our Lord to the arrival of St. Patrick in Ireland,
and they make 438 years. And from the arrival of St. Patrick to the
cycle of 19 years in which we live are 22 cycles, which make 421
years.]

17. I have learned another
account of this Brutus from the ancient books of our ancestors.
[This proves the tradition of Brutus to be older than Geoffrey or
Tyssilio, unless these notices of Brutus have been interpolated in
the original work of Nennius.] After the deluge, the three sons of
Noah severally occupied three different parts of the earth: Shem
extended his borders into Asia, Ham into Africa, and Japheth in
Europe.

The first man that dwelt in
Europe was Alanus, with his three sons, Hisicion, Armenon, and
Neugio. Hisicion had four sons, Francus, Romanus, Alamanus, and
Brutus. Armenon had five sons, Gothus, Valagothus, Cibidus,
Burgundus, and Longobardus. Neugio had three sons, Vandalus, Saxo,
and Boganus. From Hisicion arose four nations--the Franks, the
Latins, the Germans, and Britons: from Armenon, the Gothi,
Balagothi, Cibidi, Burgundi, and Longobardi: from Neugio, the
Bogari, Vandali, Saxones, and Tarinegi. The whole of Europe was
subdivided into these tribes. Alanus is said to have been the son of
Fethuir; [This genealogy is different in almost all the MSS]
Fethuir, the son of Ogomuin, who was the son of Thoi; Thoi was the
son of Boibus, Boibus of Semion, Semion of Mair, Mair of Ecthactus,
Ecthactus of Aurthack, Aurthack of Ethec, Ethec of Ooth, Ooth of
Aber, Aber of Ra, Ra of Esraa, Esraa of Hisrau, Hisrau of Bath, Bath
of Jobath, Jobath of Joham, Joham of Japheth, Japheth of Noah, Noah
of Lamech, Lamech of Mathusalem, Mathusalem of Enoch, Enoch of
Jared, Jared of Malalehel, Malalehel of Cainan, Cainan of Enos, Enos
of Seth, Seth of Adam, and Adam was formed by the living God. We
have obtained this information respecting the original inhabitants
of Britain from ancient tradition.

18. The Britons were thus
called from Brutus: Brutus was the son of Hisicion, Hisicion was the
son of Alanus, Alanus was the son of Rhea Silvia, Fhea Silvia was
the daughter of Numa Pompilius, Numa was the son of Ascanius,
Ascanius of Eneas, Eneas of Anchises, Anchises of Troius, Troius of
Dardanus, Dardanus of Flisa, Flisa of Juuin, Juuin of Japheth; but
Japheth had seven sons; from the first named Gomer, descended the
Galli; from the second, Magog, the Scythi and Gothi; from the third,
Madian, the Medi; from the fourth, Juuan, the Greeks; from the
fifth, Tubal, arose the Hebrei, Hispani, and Itali; from the sixth,
Mosoch, sprung the Cappadoces; and from the seventh, named Tiras,
descended the Thraces: these are the sons of Japheth, the son of
Noah, the son of Lamech.

19. [Some MSS. add, I will
now return to the point from which I made this digression.] The
Romans, having obtained the dominion of the world, sent legates or
deputies to the Britons to demand of them hostages and tribute,
which they received from all other countries and islands; but they,
fierce, disdainful, and haughty, treated the legation with
contempt.

Then Julius Caesar, the
first who had acquired absolute power at Rome, highly incensed
against the Britons, sailed with sixty vessels to the mouth of the
Thames, where they suffered shipwreck whilst he fought against
Dolobellus, (the proconsul of the British king, who was called
Belinus, and who was the son of Minocannus who governed all the
islands of the Tyrrhene Sea), and thus Julius Caesar returned home
without victory, having had his soldiers Slain, and his ships
shattered.

20. But after three years
he again appeared with a large army, and three hundred ships, at the
mouth of the Thames, where he renewed hostilities. In this attempt
many of his soldiers and horses were killed; for the same consul had
placed iron pikes in the shallow part of the river, and this having
been effected with so much skill and secrecy as to escape the notice
of the Roman soldiers, did them considerable injury; thus Caesar was
once more compelled to return without peace or victory. The Romans
were, therefore, a third time sent against the Britons; and under
the command of Julius, defeated them near a place called Trinovantum
[London], forty-seven years before the birth of Christ, and five
thousand two hundred and twelve years from the creation. Julius was
the first exercising supreme power over the Romans who invaded
Britain: in honour of him the Romans decreed the fifth month to be
called after his name. He was assassinated in the Curia, in the ides
of March, and Octavius Augustus succeeded to the empire of the
world. He was the only emperor who received tribute from the
Britons, according to the following verse of Virgil: "Purpurea
intexti tollunt aulaea Britanni."

21. The second after him,
who came into Britain, was the emperor Claudius, who reigned
forty-seven years after the birth of Christ. He carried with him war
and devastation; and, though not without loss of men, he at length
conquered Britain. He next sailed to the Orkneys, which he likewise
conquered, and afterwards rendered tributary. No tribute was in his
time received from the Britons;  but it was paid to British
emperors. He reigned thirteen years and eight months. His monument
is to be seen at Moguntia (among the Lombards), where he died in his
way to Rome.

22. After the birth of
Christ, one hundred and sixty-seven years, king Lucius, with all the
chiefs of the British people, received baptism, in consequence of a
legation sent by the Roman emperors and pope Evaristus. [V.R.
Eucharistus. A marginal note in the Arundel MS. adds, "He is wrong,
because the first year of Evaristus was A.D. 79, whereas the first
year of Eleutherius, whom he ought to have named, was A.D. 161."
Usher says, that in one MS. of Nennius he found the name of
Eleutherius.]

23. Severus was the third
emperor who passed the sea to Britain, where, to protect the
provinces recovered from barbaric incursions, he ordered a wall and
a rampart to be made between the Britons, the Scots, and the Picts,
extending across the island from sea to sea, in length one hundred
and thirty-three miles: and it is called in the British language
Gwal. [Or, the Wall. One MS. here adds, "The above-mentioned Severus
constructed it of rude workmanship in length 132 miles; i.e. from
Penguaul, which village is called in Scottish Cenail, in English
Peneltun, to the mouth of the river Cluth and Cairpentaloch, where
this wall terminates; but it was of no avail. The emperor Carausius
afterwards rebuilt it, and fortified it with seven castles between
the two mouths: he built also a round house of polished stones on
the banks of the river Carun [Carron]: he likewise erected a
triumphal arch, on which he inscribed his own name in memory of his
victory.] Moreover, he ordered it to be made between the Britons,
and the Picts and Scots; for the Scots from the west, and the Picts
from the north, unanimously made war against the Britons; but were
at peace among themselves. Not long after Severus dies in
Britain.

24. The fourth was the
emperor and tyrant, Carausius, who, incensed at the murder of
Severus, passed into Britain, and attended by the leaders of the
Roman people, severely avenged upon the chiefs and rulers of the
Britons, the cause of Severus. [This passage is corrupt, the meaning
is briefly given in the
translation.]

25. The fifth was
Constantius the father of Constantine the Great. He died in Britain;
his sepulchre, as it appears by the inscription on his tomb, is
still seen near the city named Cair segont (near  Carnarvon).
Upon the pavement of the above-mentioned city he sowed three seeds
of gold, silver and brass, that no poor person might ever be found
in it. It is also called Minmanton. [V.R. Mirmantum, Mirmantun,
Minmanto, Minimantone. The Segontium of Antoninus, situated on a
small river named Seiont, near Carnarvon.]

26. Maximianus [This is an
inaccuracy of Nennius; Maximus and Maximianus were one and the same
person; or rather no such person as Maximianus ever reigned in
Britain.] was the sixth emperor that ruled in Britain. It was in his
time that consuls [Geoffrey of Monmouth gives the title of consul to
several
British generals who lived after this time. It is not
unlikely that the town, name, and dignity, still lingered in the
provinces after the Romans were gone, particularly as the cities of
Britain maintained for a time a species of independence.] began, and
that the appellation of Caesar was discontinued: at this period
also, St. Martin became celebrated for his virtues and miracles, and
held a conversation with him.

27. The seventh emperor was
Maximus. He withdrew from Britain with all his military force, slew
Gratian, the king of the Romans, and obtained the sovereignty of all
Europe. Unwilling to send back his warlike companions to their
wives, children, and possessions in Britain, he conferred upon them
numerous districts from the lake on the summit of Mons Jovis, to the
city called Cant Guic, and to the western Tumulus, that is, to Cruc
Occident. [This district, in modern language, extended from the
great St. Bernard in Piedmont to Cantavic in Picardy, and from
Picardy to the western coast of France.] These are the Armoric
Britons, and they remain there to the present day. In consequence of
their absence, Britain being overcome by foreign nations, the lawful
heirs were cast out, till God interposed with his assistance. We are
informed by the tradition of our ancestors that seven emperors went
into Britain, though the Romans affirm there were nine.

28. Thus, aggreeably to the
account given by the Britons, the Romans governed them four hundred
and nine years. After this, the Britons despised the authority of
the Romans, equally refusing to pay them tribute, or to receive
their kings; nor durst the Romans any longer attempt the government
of a country, the natives of which massacred their deputies.

29. We must now return to
the tyrant Maximus. Gratian, with his brother Valentinian, reigned
seven years. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, was then eminent for his
skill in the dogmata of the Catholics. Valentinianus and Theodosius
reigned eight years. At that time a synod was held at
Constantinople, attended by three hundred and fifty of the fathers,
and in which all heresies were condemned. Jerome, the presbyter of
Bethlehem, was then universally celebrated. Whilst Gratian exercised
supreme dominion over the world, Maximus, in a sedition of the
soldiers, was saluted emperor in Britain, and soon after crossed the
sea to Gaul. At Paris, by the treachery of Mellobaudes, his master
of the horse, Gratian was defeated and fleeing to Lyons, was taken
and put to death; Maximus afterwards associated his son victor in
the government. Martin, distinguished for his great virtues, was at
this period bishop of Tours. After a considerable space of time,
Maximus was divested of royal power by the consuls Valentinianus and
Theodosius, and sentenced to be beheaded at the third mile-stone
from Aquileia: in the same year also his son Victor was killed in
Gaul by Arbogastes, five thousand six hundred and ninety years from
the creation of the world.

30. Thrice were the Roman
deputies put to death by the Britons, and yet these, when harassed
by the incursions of the barbarous nations, viz. Of the Scots and
Picts, earnestly solicited the aid of the Romans. To give effect to
their entreaties, ambassadors were sent, who made their entrance
with impressions of deep sorrow, having their heads covered with
dust, and carrying rich presents, to expiate the murder of the
deputies. They were favourably received by the consuls, and swore
submission to the Roman yoke, with whatever severity it might be
imposed. The Romans, therefore, came with a powerful army to the
assistance of the Britons; and having appointed over them a ruler,
and settled the government, returned to Rome: and this took place
alternately during the space of three hundred and forty-eight years.
The Britons, however, from the oppression of the empire, again
massacred The Roman deputies, and again petitioned for succour. Once
more the Romans undertook the government of the Britons, and
assisted them in repelling their neighbours; and, after having
exhausted the country of its gold, silver, brass, honey, and costly
vestments, and having besides received rich gifts, they returned in
great triumph to Rome.

31. After the above-said
war between the Britons and Romans, the assassination of their
rulers, and the victory of Maximus, who slew Gratian, and the
termination of the Roman power in Britain, they were in alarm forty
years. Vortigern then reigned in Britain. In his time, the natives
had cause of dread, not only from the inroads of the Scots and
Picts, but also from the Romans, and their apprehensions of
Ambrosius. [These words relate evidently to some cause of dispute
between the Romans, Ambrosius, and Vortigern. Vortigern is said to
have been sovereign of the Dimetae, and Ambrosius son to the king of
the Damnonii. The latter was half a Roman by descent, and naturally
supported the Roman interest: the former was entirely a Briton, and
as naturally seconded by the original Britons.]

In the meantime, three
vessels, exiled from Germany, arrived in Britain. They were
commanded by Horsa and Hengist, brothers, and sons of Wihtgils.
Wihtgils was the son of Witta; Witta of Wecta; Wecta of Woden; Woden
of Frithowald; Frithowald of Frithuwulf; Frithuwulf of Finn; Finn of
Godwulf; Godwulf of Geat, who, as they say, was the son of a god,
not [V.R. not the God of gods, the Amen, the Lord of Hosts, but one
of their idols which they worshipped.] of the omnipotent God and our
Lord Jesus Christ (who before the beginning of the world, was with
the Father and the Holy Spirit, co-eternal and of the same
substance, and who, in compassion to human nature, disdained not to
assume the form of a servant), but the offspring of one of their
idols, and whom, blinded by some demon, they worshipped according to
the custom of the heathen. Vortigern received them as friends, and
delivered up to them the island which is in their language called
Thanet, and, by the Britons, Ruym. [Sometimes called Ruoichin,
Ruith-in, or "river island," separated from the rest of Kent and the
mainland of Britain by the estuary of the Wantsum, which, though now
a small brook, was formerly navigable for large vessels, and in
Bede's time was three stadia broad, and fordable only at two
places.] Gratianus Aequantius at that time reigned in Rome. The
Saxons were received by Vortigern, four hundred and forty-seven
years after the passion of Christ, and, [The rest of this sentence
is omitted in some of the MSS] according to the tradition of our
ancestors, from the period of their first arrival in Britain, to the
first year of the reign of king Edmund, five hundred and forty-two
years; and to that in which we now write, which is the fifth of his
reign, five hundred and forty-seven years.

32. At that time St.
Germanus, distinguished for his numerous virtues, came to preach in
Britain: by his ministry many were saved; but many likewise died
unconverted. Of the various miracles which God enabled him to
perform, I shall here mention only a few: I shall first advert to
that concerning an iniquitous and tyrannical king, named Benlli.
[King of Powys. V.R. Benli in the district of Ial (in Derbyshire);
in the district of Dalrieta; Belinus; Beluni; and Benty.] The holy
man, informed of his wicked conduct, hastened to visit him, for the
purpose of remonstrating him. When the man of God, with his
attendants, arrived at the gate of the city, they were respectfully
received by the keeper of it, who came out and saluted them. Him
they commissioned to communicate their intention to the king, who
returned a harsh answer, declaring, with an oath, that although they
remained there a year, they should not enter the city. While waiting
for an answer, the evening came on, and they knew not where to go.
At length, came one of the king's servants, who bowing himself
before the man of God, announced the words of the tyrant, inviting
them, at the same time, to his own house, to which they went, and
were kindly received. It happened, however, that he had no cattle,
except one cow and a calf, the latter of which, urged by generous
hospitality to his guests, he killed, dressed and set before them.
But holy St. Germanus ordered his companions not to break a bone of
the calf; and, the next morning, it was found alive uninjured, and
standing by its mother.

33. Early the same day,
they again went to the gate of the city, to solicit audience of the
wicked king; and, whilst engaged in fervent prayer they were waiting
for admission, a man, covered with sweat, came out, and prostrated
himself before them. Then St. Germanus, addressing him, said "Dost
thou believe in the Holy Trinity?" To which the man having replied,
"I do believe," he baptized, and kissed him, saying, "Go in peace;
within this hour thou shalt die: the angels of God are waiting for
thee in the air; with them thou shalt ascent to that God in whom
thou has believed.: He, overjoyed, entered the city, and being met
by the prefect, was seized, bound, and conducted before the tyrant,
who having passed sentence upon him, he was immediately put to
death; for it was a law of this wicked king, that whoever was not at
his labour before sun-rising should be beheaded in the citadel. In
the meantime, St. Germanus, with his attendants, waited the whole
day before the gate, without obtaining admission to the tyrant.

34. The man
above-mentioned, however, remained with them. "Take care," said St.
Germanus to him, "that none of your friends remain this night within
these walls. Upon this he hastily entered the  city, brought
out his nine sons, and with them retired to the house where he had
exercised such generous hospitality. Here St. Germanus ordered them
to continue, fasting; and when the gates were shut, "Watch," said
he, "and whatever shall happen in the citadel, turn not thither your
eyes; but pray without ceasing, and invoke the protection of the
true God." And, behold, early in the night, fire fell from heaven,
and burned the city, together with all those who were with the
tyrant, so that not one escaped; and that citadel has never been
rebuilt even to this day.

35. The following day, the
hospitable man who had been converted by the preaching of St.
Germanus, was baptized, with his sons, and all the inhabitants of
that part of the country; and St. Germanus blessed him, saying, "a
king shall not be wanting of thy seed for ever." The name of this
person is Catel Drunlue: [Or Cadell Deyrnllug, prince of the Vale
Royal and the upper part of Powys.] "from hence-forward thou shalt
be a king all the days of thy life." Thus was fulfilled the prophecy
of the Psalmist: "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and
lifteth up the needy out of the dunghill." And agreeably to the
prediction of St. Germanus, from a servant he became a king: all his
sons were kings, and from their offspring the whole country of Powys
has been governed to this day.

36. After the Saxons had
continued some time in the island of Thanet, Vortigern promised to
supply them with clothing and provision, on condition they would
engage to fight against the enemies of his country. But the
barbarians having greatly increased in number, the Britons became
incapable of fulfilling their engagement; and when the Saxons,
according to the promise they had received, claimed a supply of
provisions and clothing, the Britons replied, "Your number is
increased; your assistance is now unneccessary; you may, therefore,
return home, for we can no longer support you;" and hereupon they
began to devise means of breaking the peace between them.

37. But Hengist, in whom
united craft and penetration, perceiving he had to act with an
ignorant king, and a fluctuating people, incapable of opposing much
resistance, replied to Vortigern, "We are, indeed, few in number;
but, if you will give us leave, we will send to our country for an
additional number of forces, with whom we will fight for you and
your subjects." Vortigern assenting to this proposal, messengers
were despatched to Scythia, where selecting a number of warlike
troops, they returned with sixteen vessels, bringing with them the
beautiful daughter of Hengist.  And now the Saxon chief
prepared an entertainment, to which he invited the king, his
officers, and Ceretic, his interpreter, having previously enjoined
his daughter to serve them so profusely with wine and ale, that they
might soon become intoxicated. This plan succeeded; and Vortigern,
at the instigation of the devil, and enamoured with the beauty of
the damsel, demanded her, through the medium of his interpreter, of
the father, promising to give for her whatever he should ask. Then
Hengist, who had already consulted with the elders who attended him
of the Oghgul [V.R. Who had come with him from the island of Oghgul,
Oehgul
(or Tingle), Angul. According to Gunn, a small island in
the duchy of Sleswick in Denmark, now called Angel, of which
Flensburg is the metropolis. Hence the origin of the Angles.] race,
demanded for his daughter the province, called in English, Centland,
in British, Ceint, (Kent.) This cession was made without the
knowledge of the king, Guoyrancgonus, [ V.R. Gnoiram cono,
Goiranegono, Guiracgono. Malmesbury, Gorongi; Camden, Guorong,
supposed to mean governor, or viceroy.] who then reigned in Kent,
and who experienced no inconsiderable share of grief, from seeing
his kingdom thus clandestinely, fraudulently, and imprudently
resigned to foreigners. Thus the maid was delivered up to the king,
who slept with her, and loved her exceedingly.

38. Hengist, after this,
said to Vortigern, "I will be to you both a father and an adviser;
despise not my counsels, and you shall have no reason to fear being
conquered by any man or any nation whatever; for the people of my
country are strong, warlike, and robust: if you approve, I will send
for my son and his brother, both valiant men, who at my invitation
will fight against the Scots, and you can give them the countries in
the north, near the wall called Gual." [Antoninus's wall.] The
incautious sovereign having assented to this, Octa and Ebusa arrived
with forty ships. In these they sailed round the country of the
Picts, laid waste the Orkneys, and took possession of many regions,
even to the Pictish confines.[Some MSS. add, "beyond the Frenesic,
Fresicum (or Fresic) sea," i.e. which is between us and the Scotch.
The sea between Scotland and Ireland. Camden translates it "beyond
the Frith;" Langhorne says, "Solway Frith."]

But Hengist continued, by
degrees, sending for ships from his own country, so that some
islands whence they came were left without inhabitants; and whilst
his people were increasing in power and number, they came to the
above-named province of Kent.

39. In the meantime,
Vortigern, as if desirous of adding to the evils he had already
occasioned, married his own daughter, by whom he had a son. When
this was made known to St. Germanus, he came, with all the British
clergy, to reprove him: and whilst a numerous assembly of the
ecclesiastics and laity were in consultation, the weak king ordered
his daughter to appear before them, and in the presence of all to
present her son to St. Germanus, and declare that he was the father
of the child. The immodest [V.R. "Immodest" is omitted in some MSS]
woman obeyed; and St. Germanus, taking the child, said, "I will be a
father to you, my son; nor will I dismiss you till a razor,
scissors, and comb, are given to me, and it is allowed you to give
them to your carnal father." The child obeyed St. Germanus, and
going to his father Vortigern, said to him, "Thou art my father;
shave and cut the hair of my head." The king blushed, and was
silent; and, without replying to the child, arose in great anger,
and fled from the presence of St. Germanus, execrated and condemned
by the whole synod.

40. But soon after, calling
together his twelve wise men, to consult what was to be done, they
said to him, "Retire to the remote boundaries of your kingdom; there
build and fortify a city [V.R. You shall find a fortified city in
which you may defend yourself.] to defend yourself, for the people
you have received are treacherous; they are seeking to subdue you by
stratagem, and, even during your life, to seize upon all the
countries subject to your power, how much more will they attempt,
after your death!" The king, pleased with this advice, departed with
his wise men, and travelled through many parts of his territories,
in search of a place convenient for the purpose of building a
citadel. Having, to no purpose, travelled far and wide, they came at
length to a province called Guenet; [V.R. Guined, Guoienet, Guenez,
North Wales.] and having surveyed the mountains of Heremus, [V.R.
Heremi, Heriri, or Eryri, signifying eagle rocks, the mountains of
Snowdon, in Carnarvonshire. The spot alluded to is supposed to be
Dinas Emrys, or the fortress of Ambrosius.] they discovered, on the
summit of one of them, a situation, adapted to the consturction of a
citadel. Upon this, the wise men said to the king, "Build here a
city: for, in this place, it will ever be secure against the
barbarians." Then the king sent for artificers, carpenters,
stone-masons, and collected all the materials requisite to building;
but the whole of these disappeared in one night, so that nothing
remained of what had been provided for the constructing of the
citadel. Materials were, therefore, from all parts, procured a
second and third time, and again vanished as before, leaving and
rendering every effort ineffectual. Vortigern inquired of his wise
men the cause of this opposition to his undertaking, and of so much
useless expense of labour? They replied, "You must find a child born
without a father, put him to death, and sprinkle with his blood the
ground on which the citadel is to be built, or you will never
accomplish your purpose."

41. In consequence of this
reply, the king sent messengers through-out Britain, in search of a
child born without a father. After having inquired in all the
provinces, they came to the field of Aelecti, [V.R. Elleti, Electi,
Gleti. Supposed to be Bassalig in Monmouthshire.] in the district of
Glevesing, [The district between the Usk and Rumney, in
Monmouthshire.] where a party of boys were playing at ball. And two
of them quarrelling, one said to the other, "O boy without a father,
no good will ever happen to you." Upon this, the messengers
diligently inquired of the mother and the other boys, whether he had
had a father? Which his mother denied, saying, "In what manner he
was conceived I know not, for I have never had intercourse with any
man;" and then she solemnly affirmed that he had no mortal father.
The boy was, therefore, led away, and conducted before Vortigern the
king.

42. A meeting took place
the next day for the purpose of putting him to death. Then the boy
said to the king, "Why have your servants brought me hither?" "That
you may be put to death," replied the king, "and that the ground on
which my citadel is to stand, may be sprinkled with your blood,
without which I shall be unable to build it." "Who," said the boy,
"instructed you to do this?" "My wise men," answered the king.
"Order them hither," returned the boy; this being complied with, he
thus questioned them: "By what means was it revealed to you that
this citadel could not be built, unless the spot were previously
sprinkled with my blood? Speak without disguise, and declare who
discovered me to you;" then turning to the king, "I will soon," said
he, "unfold to you every thing; but I desire to question your wise
men, and wish them to disclose to you what is hidden under this
pavement:" they acknowledging their ignorance, "there is," said he,
"a pool; come and dig:" they did so, and found the pool. "Now,"
continued he, "tell me what is in it;" but they were ashamed, and
made no reply. "I," said the boy, "can discover it to you: there are
two vases in the pool;" they examined and found it so: continuing
his questions, "What is in the vases?" they were silent: "there is a
tent in them," said the boy; "separate them, and you shall
find  it so;" this being done by the king's command, there was
found in them a folded tent. The boy, going on with his questions,
asked the wise men what was in it? But they not knowing what to
reply, "There are," said he, "two serpents, one white and the other
red; unfold the tent;" they obeyed, and two sleeping serpents were
discovered; "consider attentively," said the boy, "what they are
doing." The serpents began to struggle with each other; and the
white one, raising himself up, threw down the other into the middle
of the tent, and sometimes drove him to the edge of it; and this was
repeated thrice. At length the red one, apparently the weaker of the
two, recovering his strength, expelled the white one from the tent;
and the latter being pursued through the pool by the red one,
disappeared. Then the boy, asking the wise men what was signified by
this wonderful omen, and they expressing their ignorance, he said to
the king, "I will now unfold to you the meaning of this mystery. The
pool is the emblem of this world, and the tent that of your kingdom:
the two serpents are two dragons; the red serpent is your dragon,
but the white serpent is the dragon of the people who occupy several
provinces and districts of Britain, even almost from sea to sea: at
length, however, our people shall rise and drive away the Saxon race
from beyond the sea, whence they originally came; but do you depart
from this place, where you are not permitted to erect a citadel; I,
to whom fate has allotted this mansion, shall remain here; whilst to
you it is incumbent to seek other provinces, where you may build a
fortress." "What is your name?" asked the king; "I am called Ambrose
(in British Embresguletic)," returned the boy; and in answer to the
king's question, "What is your origin?" he replied, "A Roman consul
was my father." Then the king assigned him that city, with all the
western Provinces of Britain; and departing with his wise men to the
sinistral district, he arrived in the region named Gueneri, where he
built a city which, according to his name, was called Cair
Guorthegirn. [An ancient scholiast adds, "He then built Guasmoric,
near Lugubalia [Carlisle], a city which in English is called
Palmecaster." Some difference of opinion exists among antiquaries
respecting the site of vortigern's castle or city. Usher places it
at Gwent, Monmouthshire, which name, he ways, was taken from
Caer-Went, near Chepstow. This appears to agree with Geoffrey's
account, {illegible} See Usher's Britan. Eccles. cap. v. p.23.
According to others, supposed to be the city from the ruins of which
arose the castle of Gurthrenion, in Radnorshire, Camden's Britannia,
p.479. Whitaker, however, says that Cair Guorthegirn was the
Maridunum of the  Romans, and the present Caermarthen. (Hist.
Of Manchester, book ii. c. 1.) See also Nennius, sec.47.]

43. At length Vortimer, the
son of Vortigern, valiantly fought against Hengist, Horsa, and his
people; drove them to the isle of Thanet, and thrice enclosed them
within it, and beset them on the Western side.

The Saxons now despatched
deputies to Germany to solicit large reinforcements, and an
additional number of ships: having obtained these, they fought
against the kings and princes of Britain, and sometimes extended
their boundaries by victory, and sometimes were conquered and driven
back.

44. Four times did Vortimer
valorously encounter the enemy; [Some MSS. here add, "This Vortimer,
the son of Vortigern, in a synod held at Guartherniaun, after the
wicked king, on account of the incest committed with his daughter,
fled from the face of Germanus and the British clergy, would not
consent to his father's wickedness; but returning to St. Germanus,
and falling down at his feet, he sued for pardon; and in atonement
for the calumny brought upon Germanus by his father and sister, gave
him the land, in which the forementioned bishop had endured such
abuse, to be his for ever. Whence, in memory of St. Germanus, it
received the name Guarenniaun (Guartherniaun, Gurthrenion, Gwarth
Ennian) which signifies, a calumny justly retorted, since, when he
thought to reproach the bishop, he covered himself with reproach."]
the first has been mentioned, the second was upon the river Darent,
the third at the Ford, in their language called Epsford, though in
ours Set thirgabail, [According to Langhorne, Epsford was afterwards
called, in the British tongue, Saessenaeg habail, or 'the slaughter
of the Saxons.'] there Horsa fell, and Catigern, the son of
Vortigern; the fourth battle he fought was near the stone [V.R. "The
stone of Titulus, thought to be Stone in Kent, or Larger-stone in
Suffolk.] on the shore of the Gallic sea, where the Saxons being
defeated, fled to their ships.

After a short interval
Vortimer died; before his decease, anxious for the future prosperity
of his country, he charged his friends to inter his body at the
entrance of the Saxon port, viz. upon the rock where the Saxons
first landed; "for though," said he, "they may inhabit other parts
of Britain, yet if you follow my commands, they will never remain in
this island." They imprudently disobeyed this last injunction, and
neglected to bury him where he had appointed. [Rapin says he was
buried at Lincoln; Geoffrey, at London.]

45. After this the
barbarians became firmly incorporated, and were assisted by foreign
pagans; for Vortigern was their friend, on account of the daughter
[V.R. Of his wife, and no one was able manfully to drive them off
because they had occupied Britain not from their own valour, but by
God's permission.] of Hengist, whom he so much loved, that no one
durst fight against him-in the meantime they soothed the imprudent
king, and whilst practising every appearance of fondness, were
plotting with his enemies. And let him that reads understand, that
the Saxons were victorious, and ruled Britain, not from their
superior prowess, but on account of the great sins of the Britons:
God so permitting it.

For what wise man will
resist the wholesome counsel of God? The Almighty is the King of
kings, and the Lord of lords, ruling and judging every one,
according to his own pleasure.

After the death of
Vortimer, Hengist being strengthened by new accessions, collected
his ships, and calling his leaders together, consulted by what
stratagem they might overcome Vortigern and his army; with insidious
intention they sent messengers to the king, with offers of peace and
perpetual friendship; unsuspicious of treachery, the monarch, after
advising with his elders, accepted the proposals.

46. Hengist, under pretence
of ratifying the treaty, prepared an entertainment, to which he
invited the king, the nobles, and military officers, in number about
three hundred; speciously concealing his wicked intention, he
ordered three hundred Saxons to conceal each a knife under his feet,
and to mix with the Britons; "and when," said he, "they are
sufficiently inebriated, &c. cry out, 'Nimed eure Saxes,' then
let each draw his knife, and kill his man; but spare the king, on
account of his marriage with my daughter, for it is better that he
should be ransomed than killed."

The king with his company,
appeared at the feast; and mixing with the Saxons, who, whilst they
spoke peace with their tongues, cherished treachery in their hearts,
each man was placed next to his enemy. After they had eaten and
drunk, and were much intoxicated, Hengist  suddenly
vociferated, "Nimed eure Saxes!" and instantly his adherents drew
their knives, and rushing upon the Britons, each slew him that sat
next to him, and there was slain three hundred of the nobles of
Vortigern. The king being a captive, purchased his redemption, by
delivering up the three provinces of East, South, and Middle Sex,
besides other districts at the option of his betrayers.

47. St. Germanus admonished
Vortigern to turn to the true God, and abstain from all unlawful
intercourse with his daughter; but the unhappy wretch fled for
refuge to the province Guorthegirnaim, [A district of Radnorshire,
forming the present hundred of Rhaiadr.] so called from his own
name, where he concealed himself with his wives: but St. Germanus
followed him with all the British clergy, and upon a rock prayed for
his sins during forty days and forty nights.

The Blessed man was
unanimously chosen commander against the Saxons. And then, not by
the clang of trumpets, but by praying, singing hallelujah, and by
the cries of the army to God, the enemies were routed, and driven
even to the sea. [V.R. This paragraph is omitted in the MSS.] Again
Vortigern ignominiously flew from St. Germanus to the kingdom of the
Dimetae, where, on the river Towy, [The Tobias of Ptolemy] he built
a castle, which he named Cair Guothergirn. The saint, as usual,
followed him there, and with his clergy fasted and prayed to the
Lord three days, and as many nights. On the third night, at the
third hour, fire fell suddenly from heaven, and totally burned the
castle. Vortigern, the daughter of Hengist, his other wives, and all
the inhabitants, both men and women, miserably perished: such was
the end of this unhappy king, as we find written in the life of St.
Germanus.

48. Others assure us, that
being hated by all the people of Britain, for having received the
Saxons, and being publicly charged by St. Germanus and the clergy in
the sight of God, he betook himself to flight; and, that deserted
and a wanderer, he sought a place of refuge, till broken hearted, he
made an ignominious end. Some accounts state, that the earth opened
and swallowed him up, on the night his castle was burned; as no
remains were discovered the following morning, either of him, or of
those who were burned with him.

He had three sons: the
eldest was Vortimer, who, as we have seen, fought four times against
the Saxons, and put them to flight; the second Categirn, who was
slain in the same battle with Horsa; the third was Pascent, who
reigned in the two provinces Builth and Guorthegirnaim, [In the
northern part of the present counties of Radnor and Brecknock.]
after the death of his father. These were granted him by Ambrosius,
who was the great king among the kings of Britain. The fourth was
Faustus, born of an incestuous marriage with his daughter, who was
brought up and educated by St. Germanus. He built a large monastery
on the banks of the river Renis, called after his name, and which
remains to the present period. [V.R. The MSS. add, 'and he had one
daughter, who was the mother of St. Faustus.']

49. This is the genealogy
of Vortigern, which goes back to Fernvail, [Fernvail, or Farinmail,
appears to have been king of Gwent or Monmouth.] who reigned in the
kingdom of Guorthegirnaim, [V.R. 'Two provinces, Builth and
Guorthegirnaim.'] and was the son of Teudor; Teudor was the son of
Pascent; Pascent of Guoidcant; Guoidcant of Moriud; Moriud of Eltat;
Eltat of Eldoc; Eldoc of Paul; Paul of Meuprit; Meuprit of Braciat;
Braciat of Pascent; Pascent of Guorthegirn, Guorthegirn of
Guortheneu; Guortheneu of Guitaul; Guitaul of Guitolion; Guitolion
of Gloui. Bonus, Paul, Mauron, Guotelin, were four brothers, who
built Gloiuda, a great city upon the banks of the river Severn, and
in Birtish is called Cair Gloui, in Saxon, Gloucester. Enough has
been said of Vortigern.

50. St. Germanus, after his
death, returned into his own country. [V.R. All this to the word
'Amen,' in other MSS. is placed after the legend of St. Patrick.] At
that time, the Saxons greatly increased in Britain, both in strength
and numbers. And Octa, after the death of his father Hengist, came
from the sinistral part of the island to the kingdom of Kent, and
from him have proceeded all the kings of that province, to the
present period.

Then it was, that the
magnanimous Arthur, with all the kings and military force of
Britain, fought against the Saxons. And though there were many more
noble than himself, yet he was twelve times chosen their commander,
and was as often conqueror. The first battle in which he was
engaged, was at the mouth of the river  Gleni. [Supposed by
some to be the Glem, in Lincolnshire; but most probably the Glen, in
the northern part of Northumberland.] The second, third, fourth, and
fifth, were on another river, by the Britons called Duglas, [Or
Dubglas. The little river Dunglas, which formed the southern
boundary of Lothian. Whitaker says, the river Duglas, in Lancashire,
near Wigan.] in the region Linuis. The sixth, on the river Bassas.
[Not a river, but an isolated rock in the Frith of Forth, near the
town of North Berwick, called "The Bass." Some think it is the river
Lusas, in Hampshire.] The seventh in the wood Celidon, which the
Britons call Cat Coit Celidon. [The Caledonian forest; or the forest
of Englewood, extending from Penrith to Carlisle.] The eighth was
near Gurnion castle, [Variously supposed to be in Cornwall, or
Binchester in Durham, but most probably the Roman station of
Garionenum, near Yarmouth, in Norfolk.] where Arthur bore the image
of the Holy Virgin, [V.R. The image of the cross of Christ, and of
the perpetual virgin St. Mary.] mother of God, upon his shoulders,
and through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the holy Mary,
put the Saxons to flight, and pursued them the whole day with great
slaughter. [V.R. For Arthur proceeded to Jerusalem, and there made a
cross to the size of the Saviour's cross, and there it was
consecrated, and for three successive days he fasted, watched, and
prayed, before the Lord's cross, that the Lord would give him the
victory, by this sign, over the heathen; which also took place, and
he took with him the image of St. Mary, the fragments of which are
still preserved in great veneration at Wedale, in English Wodale, in
Latin Vallis-doloris. Wodale is a village in the province of
Lodonesia, but now of the jurisdiction of the bishop of St.
Andrew's, of Scotland, six miles on the west of that heretofore
noble and eminent monastery of Meilros.] The ninth was at the City
of Legion, [Exeter.] which is called Cair Lion. The tenth was on the
banks of the river Trat Treuroit. [Or Ribroit, the Brue, in
Somersetshire; or the Ribble, in Lancashire. ] The eleventh was on
the mountain Breguoin, which we call Cat Bregion. [Or Agned
Cathregonion, Cadbury, in Somersetshire; or Edinburgh] The twelfth
was a most severe contest, when Arthur penetrated to the hill of
Badon. [Bath.] In this engagement, nine hundred and forty fell by
his hand alone, no one but the Lord affording him assistance. In all
these engagements the Britons were successful. For no strength can
avail against the will of the Almighty.

The more the Saxons were
vanquished, the more they sought for new supplies of Saxons from
Germany; so that kings, commanders, and military bands were invited
over from almost every province. And this practice they continued
till the reign of Ida, who was the son of Eoppa, he, of the Saxon
race, was the first king in Bernicia, and in Cair Ebrauc
(York).

When Gratian Aequantius was
consul at rome, because then the whole world was governed by the
Roman consuls, the Saxons were received by Vortigern in the year of
our Lord four hundred and forty-seven, and to the year in which we
now write, five hundred and forty-seven. And whosoever shall read
herein may receive instruction, the Lord Jesus Christ affording
assistance, who, co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Ghost,
lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. In those days Saint
Patrick was captive among the Scots. His master's name was Milcho,
to whom he was a swineherd for seven years. When he had attained the
age of seventeen he gave him his liberty. By the divine impulse, he
applied himself to reading of the Scriptures, and afterwards went to
Rome; where, replenished with the Holy Spirit, he continued a great
while, studying the sacred mysteries of those writings. During his
continuance there, Palladius, the first bishop, was sent by pope
Celestine to convert the Scots [the Irish]. But tempests and signs
from God prevented his landing, for no one can arrive in any
country, except it be allowed from above; altering therefore his
course from Ireland, he came to Britain and died in the land of the
Picts. [At Fordun, in the district of Mearns, in
Scotland-Usher.]

51. The death of Palladius
being known, the Roman patricians, Theodosius and Valentinian, then
reigning, pope Celestine sent Patrick to convert the Scots to the
faith of the Holy Trinity; Victor, the angel of God, accompanying,
admonishing, and assisting him, and also the bishop
Germanus.

Germanus then sent the
ancient Segerus with him as a venerable and praiseworthy bishop, to
king Amatheus, [V.R. Germanus "sent the elder Segerus with him to a
wonderful man, the holy bishop Amathearex." Another MS. "Sent the
elder Segerus, a bishop, with him to Amatheorex."] who lived near,
and who had prescience of what was to happen; he was consecrated
bishop in the reign of that king by the holy pontiff, [V.R.
"Received the episcopal degree from the holy bishop Amatheorex."
Another MS. "Received the episcopal degree from Matheorex and the
holy bishop."] assuming the name of Patrick, having hitherto been
known by that of Maun; Auxilius, Isserninus, and other brothers were
ordained with him to inferior degrees.

52. Having distributed
benedictions, and perfected all in the name of the Holy Trinity, he
embarked on the sea which is between the Gauls and the Britons; and
after a quick passage arrived in Britain, where he preached for some
time. Every necessary preparation being made, and the angel giving
him warning, he came to the Irish Sea. And having filled the ship
with foreign gifts and spiritual treasures, by the permission of God
he arrived in Ireland, where he baptized and preached.

53. From the beginning of
the world, to the fifth year of king Logiore, when the Irish were
baptized, and faith in the unity of the individual Trinity was
published to them, are five thousand three hundred and thirty
years.

54. Saint Patrick taught
the gospel in foreign nations for the space of forty years. Endued
with apostolical powers, he gave sight to the blind, cleansed the
lepers, gave hearing to the deaf, cast out devils, raised nine from
the dead, redeemed many captives of both sexes at his own charge,
and set them free in the name of the Holy Trinity. He taught the
servants of God, and he wrote three hundred and sixty-five canonical
and other books relating to the catholic faith. He founded as many
churches, and consecrated the same number of bishops, strengthening
them with the Holy Ghost. He ordained three thousand presbyters; and
converted and baptized twelve thousand persons in the province of
Connaught. And, in one day baptized seven kings, who were the seven
sons of Amalgaid. [King of Connaught.] He continued fasting forty
days and nights, on the summit of the mountain Eli, that is
Cruachan-Aichle; [A mountain in the west of Connaught, county of
Mayo, now called Croagh-Patrick.] and preferred three petitions to
God for the Irish, that had embraced the faith. The Scots say, the
first was, that he would receive every repenting sinner, even at the
latest extremity of life; the second, that they should never be
exterminated by barbarians; and the third, that as Ireland [V.R.
that no Irishman may be alive on the day of judgment, because they
will be destroyed seven years before in honour of St. Patrick.] will
be overflowed with water, seven years before the coming of our Lord
to judge the quick and the dead, the crimes of the people might be
washed away through his intercession, and their souls purified at
the last day. He gave the people his benediction from the upper part
of the mountain, and going up higher, that he might pray for them;
and that if it pleased God, he might see the effects of his labours,
there appeared to him an innumerable flock of birds of many
coulours, signifying the number of holy persons of both sexes of the
Irish nation, who should come to him as their apostle at the day of
judgment, to be presented before the tribunal of Christ. After a
life spent in the active exertion of good to mankind, St. Patrick,
in a healthy old age, passed from this world to the Lord, and
changing this life for a better, with the saints and elect of God he
rejoices for evermore.

55. Saint Patrick resembled
Moses in four particulars. The angel spoke to him in the burning
bush. He fasted forty days and forty nights upon the mountain. He
attained the period of one hundred and twenty years. No one knows
his sepulchre, nor where he was buried; sixteen [ V.R. Fifteen.]
years he was in captivity. In his twenty-fifth year, he was
consecrated bishop by Saint Matheus, [V.R. By the holy bishop
Amatheus.] and he was eighty-five years the apostle of the Irish. It
might be profitable to treat more at large of the life of this
saint, but it is now time to conclude this epitome of his
labours.[Here ends the Vatican MS. collated by Mr. Gunn.]

[Here endeth the life of
the holy bishop, Saint Patrick.] (After this, the MSS. give as 56.,
the legend of king Arthur, which in this edition occurs in
50.)

Genealogy of the kings of
Bernicia. [These titles are not part of the original work, but added
in the MSS. by a later hand.]

57. Woden begat Beldeg, who
begat Beornec, who begat Gethbrond, who begat Aluson, who begat
Ingwi, who begat Edibrith, who begat Esa, who begat Eoppa, who begat
Ida. But Ida had twelve sons, Adda, Belric, Theodric, Ethelric,
Theodhere, Osmer, and one queen,  Bearnoch, Ealric. Ethelric
begat Ethelfrid: the same is Aedlfred Flesaur. For he also had seven
sons, Eanfrid, Oswald, Oswin, Oswy, Oswudu, Oslac, Offa. Oswy begat
Alfrid, Elfwin, and Egfrid. Egfrid is he who made war against his
cousin Brudei, king of the Picts, and he fell therein with all the
strength of his army, and the Picts with their king gained the
victory; and the Saxons never again reduced the Picts so as to exact
tribute from them. Since the time of this war it is called Gueithlin
Garan. But Oswy had two wives, Riemmelth, the daughter of Royth, son
of Rum; and Eanfled, the daughter of Edwin, son of Alla.

The genealogy of the kings
of Kent.

58. Hengist begat Octa, who
begat Ossa, who begat Eormenric, who begat Ethelbert, who begat
Eadbald, who begat Ercombert, who begat Egbert.

The origin of the kings of
East-Anglia.

59. Woden begat Casser, who
begat Titinon, who begat Trigil, who begat Rodmunt, who begat Rippa,
who begat Guillem Guercha, [Guercha is a distortion of the name of
Uffa, or Wuffa, arising in the first instance from the pronunciation
of the British writer; and in the next place from the error of the
transcriber--Palgrave.] who was the first king of the East Angles.
Guercha begat Uffa, who begat Tytillus, who begat Eni, who begat
Edric, who begat Aldwulf, who begat Elric.

The genealogy of the
Mercians.

60. Woden begat Guedolgeat,
who begat Gueagon, who begat Guithleg, who begat Guerdmund, who
begat Ossa, who begat Ongen, who begat Eamer, who begat Pubba. [Or
Wibba.] This Pubba had twelve sons, of whom two are better known to
me than the others, that is Penda and Eawa. Eadlit is the son of
Pantha, Penda, son of Pubba, Ealbald, son of Alguing, son of Eawa,
son of Penda, son of Pubba. Egfert, son of Offa, son of Thingferth,
son of Enwulf, son of Ossulf, son of Eawa, son of Pubba.

The kings of the
Deiri.

61. Woden begat Beldeg,
Brond begat Siggar, who begat Sibald, who begat Zegulf, who begat
Soemil, who first separated [V.R. Conquered.] Deur from Berneich
(Deira from Bernicia.) Soemil begat Sguerthing, who begat Giulglis,
who begat Ulfrea, who begat Iffi, who begat Ulli, Edwin, Osfrid and
Eanfrid. There were two sons of Edwin, who fell with him in battle
at Meicen, [Hatfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. See Bede's
Eccles. Hist.] and the kingdom was never renewed in his family,
because not one of his race escaped from that war; but all were
slain with him by the army of Catguollaunus, [Cadwalla, king of the
Western Britons.] king of the Guendota. Oswy begat Egfrid, the same
is Ailguin, who begat Oslach, sho begat Alhun, who begat Adlsing,
who begat Echun, who begat Oslaph. Ida begat Eadric, who begat
Ecgulf, who begat Leodwald, who begat Eata, the same is Glinmaur,
who begat Eadbert and Egbert, who was the first bishop of their
nation.

Ida, the son of Eoppa,
possessed countries on the left-hand side of Britain, i.e. of the
Humbrian sea, and reigned twelve years, and united [V.R. United the
castle, i.e. Dinguerin and Gurdbernech, which two countries were in
one country, i.e. Deurabernech; Anglice Diera and Bernicia. Another
MS. Built Dinguayrh Guarth Berneich.] Dynguayth
Guarth-Berneich.

62. Then Dutgirn at that
time fought bravely against the nation of the Angles. At that time,
Talhaiarn Cataguen [Talhaiarn was a descendant of Coel Godebog, and
chaplain to Ambrosius.] was famed for poetry, and Neirin, and
Taliesin and Bluchbard, and Cian, who is called Guenith Guaut, were
all famous at the same time in British poetry.

The great king, Mailcun,
[Better known as Maelgwn.] reigned among the Britons, i.e. in the
district of Guenedota, because his great-great-grandfather, Cunedda,
with his twelve sons, had come before from the left-hand part, i.e.
from the country which is called Manau Gustodin, one hundred and
forty-six years before Mailcun reigned, and expelled the Scots with
much slaughter from those countries, and they never returned again
to inhabit them.

63. Adda, son of Ida,
reigned eight years; Ethelric, son of Adda, reigned four years.
Theodoric, son of Ida, reigned seven years. Freothwulf reigned six
years. In whose time the kingdom of Kent, by the mission of Gregory,
received baptism. Hussa reigned seven years. Against him fought four
kings, Urien, and Ryderthen, and Guallauc, and Morcant. Theodoric
fought bravely, together with his sons, against that Urien. But at
that time sometimes the enemy and sometimes our countrymen were
defeated, and he shut them up three days and three nights in the
island of Metcaut; and whilst he was on an expedition he was
murdered, at the instance of Morcant, out of envy, because he
possessed so much superiority over all the kings in military
science. Eadfered Flesaurs reigned twelve years in Bernicia, and
twelve others in Deira, and gave to his wife Bebba, the town of
Dynguaroy, which from her is called Bebbanburg. [Bambrough. See
Bede, iii. 6, and Sax. Chron. A.D. 547.]

Edwin, son of Alla, reigned
seventeen years, seized on Elmete, and expelled Cerdic, its king.
Eanfled, his duaghter, received baptism, on the twelfth day after
Pentecost, with all her followers, both men and women. The following
Easter Edwin himself received baptism, and twelve thousand of his
subjects with him. If any one wishes to know who baptized them, it
was Rum Map Urbgen: [See Bede's Eccles. Hist. From the share which
Paulinus had in the conversion of the Northumbrian king, it has been
inferred that he actaully baptized him; but Nennius experssly
states, that the holy sacrament was administered by Rhun, the son of
Urien. The Welsh name of Paulinus is Pawl Hen, or Polin Eagob. ] he
was engaged forty days in baptizing all classes of the Saxons, and
by his preaching many believed on Christ.

64. Oswald son of
Ethelfrid, reigned nine years; the same is Oswald Llauiguin;
[Llauiguin, means the "fair," or the "bounteous hand."] he slew
Catgublaun (Cadwalla), [This name has been variously written; Bede
spells it Caedualla (Cadwalla); Nennius, Catgublaun; the Saxon
Chronicle, Ceadwalla; and the Welsh writers, Cadwallon and
Kalwallawn: and though the identity of the person may be clearly
proved, it is necessary to observe these particulars to distinguish
him from Cadwaladr, and from another Caedualla or Caedwalla, a king
of the West Saxons; all of whom, as they lived within a short time
of each other, have been frequently confounded together.--Rees's
Welsh Saints.] king of Guenedot, [Gwynedd, North Wales.] in the
battle of Catscaul, [Bede says at Denis's brook.] with much loss to
his own army. Oswy, son of Ethelfrid, reigned twenty-eight years and
six months. During his reign, there was a dreadful mortality among
his subjects, when Catgualart (Cadwallader) was king among the
Britons, succeeding his father, and he himself died amongst the
rest.[The British chronicles assert that Cadwallader died at Rome,
whilst Nennius would lead us to conclude that he perished in the
pestilence at home.] He slew Penda in the field of Gai, and now took
place the slaughter of Gai Campi, and the kings of the Britons, who
went out with Penda on the expedition as far as the city of Judeu,
were slain.

65. Then Oswy restored all
the wealth, which was with him in the city, to Penda; who
distributed it among the kings of the Britons, that is Atbert Judeu.
But Catgabail alone, king of Guenedot, rising up in the night,
excaped, together with his army, wherefore he was called Catgabail
Catguommed. Egfrid, son of Oswy, reigned nine years. In his time the
holy bishop Cuthbert died in the island of Medcaut. [The isle of
Farne] It was he who made war against the Picts, and was by them
slain.

Penda, son of Pybba,
reigned ten years; he first separated the kingdom of Mercia from
that of the North-men, and slew by treachery Anna, king of the East
Anglians, and St. Oswald, king of the North Men. He fought the
battle of Cocboy, in which fell Eawa, son of Pybba, his brother,
king of the Mercians, and Oswald, king of the North-men, and he
gained the victory by diabolical agency. He was not baptized, and
never believed in God.

66. From the beginning of
the world to Constantinus and Rufus,  are found to be five
thousand six hundred and fifty-eight years. Also from the two
consuls, Rufus and Rubelius, to the consul Stilicho, are three
hundred and seventy-three years. Also from Stilicho to Valentinian,
son of Placida, and the reign of Vortigern, are twenty-eight years.
And from the reign of Vortigern to the quarrel between Guitolinus
and Ambrosius, are twelve years, which is Guoloppum, that is
Catgwaloph. [In Carmarthenshire. Perhaps the town now called
Kidwelly.] Vortigern reigned in Britain when Theodosius and
Valentinian were consuls, and in the fourth year of his reign the
Saxons came to Britain, in the consulship of Felix and Taurus, in
the four hundredth year from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus
Christ.

From the year in which the
Saxons came into Britain, and were received by Vortigern, to the
time of Decius and Valerian, are sixty-nine years.

End of History Of The
Britons, by Nennius