4.5. Ioseph of Arimathia came into Britane and Simon Zelotes, the antiquitie of chri|stian religion, Britaine gouerned by Lieute|nants and treasurers of the Romane emperors, the exploits of Ostorius Scapula and the men of Ox|fordshire, he vanquisheth the Welshmen, ap|peaseth the Yorkshiremen, and brideleth the rage of the Silures. The fift Chapter.

Ioseph of Arimathia came into Britane and Simon Zelotes, the antiquitie of chri|stian religion, Britaine gouerned by Lieute|nants and treasurers of the Romane emperors, the exploits of Ostorius Scapula and the men of Ox|fordshire, he vanquisheth the Welshmen, ap|peaseth the Yorkshiremen, and brideleth the rage of the Silures. The fift Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _IN the daies of the said Aruiragus, about the yeare of Christ 53, Ioseph of Ari|mathia, who buried the bodie of our sauiour, being sent by Philip the Apostle (as Iohn Bale following the authoritie of Gildas and other British writers reciteth) after that the Christians were dis|persed out of Gallia, came into Britaine with di|uers other godlie christian men,Polydorus. & preaching the gos|pell there amongst the Britains, & instructing them in the faith and lawes of Christ, conuerted manie to the true beliefe, and baptised them in the wholsome water of regeneration, & there continued all the resi|due of his life, obteining of the king a plot of ground where to inhabit, not past a foure miles from Wells, and there with his fellowes began to laie the first foundation of the true and perfect religion, in which place (or néere therevnto) was afterward erected the abbeie of Glastenburie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Nicephorus writeth in his second booke and fourth chapter, that one Simon Zelotes came likewise into Britaine. And Theodoretus in his 9. booke De curandis Graecorum affectibus, sheweth that Paule being released of his second imprisonment, and suffered to depart from Rome, preached the gospell to the Britains and to other nations in the west. The same thing in manner dooth Sophronius the patriarch of Ierusalem witnesse. Tertullian also maie be a witnesse of the ancientnes of the faith receiued here in Britaine, where he writing of these times saith: Those places of the Britains, to the which the Ro|mans could not approch, were subiect vnto Christ, as were also the countries of Sarmatia, Dacia, Germania, Scithia, and others. ¶Thus it maie ap|peare, that the christian religion was planted here in this land shortlie after Christes time, although it certeinlie appeareth not who were the first that preached the gospell to the Britains, nor whether they were Gréekes or Latins.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Cornelius Tacitus writeth, that the Romane emperours in this season gouerned this land by lieutenants and treasurers,Treasurers or receiuers. the which were called by the name of legats and procurators, thereby to kéepe the vnrulie inhabitants the better in order.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 And Aulus Plautius a noble man of Rome of the order of consuls,Aulus Plau|tius. was sent hither as the first legat or lieutenant (in maner as before ye haue heard) & after him Ostorius Scapula, who at his comming found the Ile in trouble,Ostorius Scapula. the enimies hauing made inuasion into the countrie of those that were friends to the Romans, the more presump|tuouslie, for that they thought a new lieutenant,Cor. Tacitus lib. 12. with an armie to him vnacquainted and come o|uer now in the beginning of winter, would not be hastie to march foorth against them. But Ostorius vnderstanding that by the first successe and chance of warre, feare or hope is bred and augmented, ha|sted forward to encounter with them, and such as he found abroad in the countrie he slue out right on e|uerie side, and pursued such as fled, to the end they should not come togither againe. Now for that a displeasing and a doubtfull peace was not like to bring quietnesse either to him or to his armie, he tooke from such as he suspected, their armour. And after this, he went about to defend the riuers of A|uon & Seuerne, with placing his souldiers in camps fortified néere to the same. But the Oxfordshire men and other of those parties would not suffer him to accomplish his purpose in anie quiet sort, being a puissant kind of people, and not hitherto weake|ned by warres: for they willinglie at the first had ioined in amitie with the Romans. The countries adioining also being induced by their procurement,Cornelius Ta|cit. lib. 12. came to them, & so they chose forth a plot of ground, fensed with a mightie ditch, vnto the which there was no waie to enter but one, & the same verie narrow, so as the horssemen could not haue anie easie pas|sage to breake in vpon them. Ostorius, although he had no legionarie souldiers, but certeine bands of aids, marched foorth towards the place within the which the Britains were lodged, and assaulting them in the same, brake through into their campe, where the Britains being impeached with their owne inclosures which they had raised for defense of the place, knowing how that for their rebellion they were like to find small mercie at the Romans hands, when they saw now no waie to escape, laid about them manfullie, and shewed great proofe of their valiant stomachs.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 In this battell,Which was a certaine crowne, to be set on his head called ci|uica cornona. the sonne of Ostorius the lieute|nant deserued the price and commendation of pre|seruing a citizen out of the cruell enimies hands. But now with this slaughter of the Oxfordshire men, diuers of the Britains that stood doubtfull what waie to take, either to rest in quiet, or to moue warres, were contented to be conformable vnto a reasonable order of peace, in so much that Ostorius lead his armie against the people called Cangi,Cangi. who inhabited that part of Wales now called Den|bighshire, which countrie he spoiled on euerie side, no enimie once daring to encounter him: & if anie of them aduentured priuilie to set vpon those which they found behind, or on the outsids of his armie, they were cut short yer they could escape out of dan|ger. Wherevpon he marched straight to their campe and giuing them battell, vanquished them: and v|sing the victorie as reason moued him, he lead his armie against those that inhabited the inner parts of Wales, spoiling the countrie on euerie side. And thus sharplie pursuing the rebels, he approched néere vnto the sea side, which lieth ouer against Ireland. While this Romane capteine was thus occupied, he was called backe by the rebellion of the Yorkshire men, whome forthwith vpon his comming vnto them, he appeased, punishing the first authors of that tumult with death.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In the meane time, the people called Silures,Cor. Tacitus. lib. 12. being a verie fierce kind of men, and valiant, pre|pared EEBO page image 38 to make warre against the Romans, for they might not be bowed neither with roughnesse, nor yet with anie courteous handling, so that they were to be tamed by an armie of legionarie souldiers to be brought among them.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Therefore to restraine the furious rage of those people and their neighbours, Ostorious peopled a towne néere to their borders, called Camelodunum with certeine bands of old souldiers, there to inha|bit with their wiues and children, according to such maner as was vsed in like cases of placing na|turall Romans in anie towne or citie, for the more suertie and defense of the same. Here also was a temple builded in the honor of Claudius the em|perour, where were two images erected, one of the goddesse Uictoria, and an other of Claudius him|selfe.