5.51. Lucius.
Lucius.
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1
[figure appears here on page 74] LVcius the
ſon of Coi|lus,Lucius. whoſe ſur|name (as ſayth
William Har|riſon) is not ex|tant, began his raygne ouer ye Britaynes
a|bout the yeare of oure Lorde .180. as
Fabian following the authoritie of Pee|ter Pictanienſis hathe, although
other writers ſeeme to diſagree in that accompt, as by the ſame Fabian in
the table before his Booke partly ap|peareth, whereto Mathaeus VVeſt
monasterienſi: af|firmeth, that this Lucius was borne in the yeare
of our Lord .5. and was Crowned King in the yeare .124. as ſucceſſor to his
father Coilus, which dyed the ſame ye [...]re, being of great age ere the ſaid Lucius was borne. William Harriſon
in the ſe|cond part of his chronologie
noteth his entraunce to be in the .1 [...]2. of the world .916. after the buyl|ding of Rome .220. after the
comming of Ceſar into Britayne, and .165. after Chriſt,165 whoſe ac|comptes I followe (as before is ſayde) in this
treatiſe.
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1 This Lucius is highly
renowmed of the wri|ters, for that hee was the firſte King of the Bri|taynes
that receyued the faith of Ieſus Chriſt: for being inſpired by the ſpirit of
grace and truth euẽ from the beginning of hys raigne, he ſomewhat l [...]ned to the fauoring of Chriſtian Religion, being moued with the
manifeſt miracles whyche the Chriſtians dayly wroughte in witneſſe and
proofe of their ſound and perfect doctrine: for euen from the dayes of
Ioſeph of Aramathia and hys fellowes, or what other godly men firſt taughte
the Britaynes the Goſpell of our Sauiour, there remayned amongſt the ſame
Britaynes ſome Chriſtians which ceaſſed not to teach & Preache the
word of God moſt ſincerely vnto them: but yet no king amongſt them openly
profeſſed that Religion, till at length this Lucius perceyuyng not only ſome
of the Romayne Lieutenantes in Britayne as Trebellius and Pertinax, with
o|ther, to haue ſubmitted themſelues to that pro|feſſion, but alſo the
Emperour himſelfe to begin to be fauorable to them that profeſſed it, hee
tooke occaſiõ by their good enſample to giue care more attentiuely to the
Goſpell, and at length ſent vn|to Eleutherius Biſhop of Rome, two learned
men of the Brittiſh nation, Eluane and Med|uin, requiring him to ſende ſome
ſuche miniſters as might inſtruct him and his people in the true faith more
plentifully, and to baptiſe them accor|ding to the rules of the Chriſtian
Religion.
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1 Herevpon were ſent from
the ſayd Eleuthe|rius two godly learned mẽ, ye one named Fuga|trus and ye
other Damianus, the which baptiſed the King with all his family and people.
And
[figure appears here on page 74]
EEBO page image 75 therewith remoued the worſhipping of Idolles and
falſe Gods,
[...]ayne re| [...]eth the [...]. and taught the right meane and way howe to worſhippe the
true and immortall God. There were in thoſe dayes within the boundes of
Britayne .28. Flamynes, and three Archflamynes, which were as Biſhops
& Arch|biſhops, or ſuperintendentes of the Pagane or Heathen
religion, in whoſe place (they being re|moued) were inſtituted .28. Biſhops
and three Archbiſhops of the Chriſtian Religion. One of the which Archbiſhops held his ſee at London, a|nother at
Yorke, and the third at Caerleion, Ar|wiſke in Glamorgan ſhire.
[...]ath. VVeſt. To the Archbiſhop of London was ſubiect
Cornewall, and all the middle part of England, euen vnto Humber. To the
Archbiſhop of Yorke all the North partes of Britayne from the Riuer of
Humber vnto the furtheſt partes of Scotlande: and to the Archbi|ſhop of
Caerleon was ſubiect all Wales, within whiche countrey as then were ſeuen
Biſhops, where nowe there are but foure.
The Riuer of Seuerne in thoſe dayes deuided Wales (then cal|led Cambria)
from the other partes of Britayne. Thus Britayne partly by the meanes of
Io|ſeph of Aramathia (of whome ye haue hearde be|fore) and partly by the
wholeſome inſtructions & doctrine of Fugatius and Damianus,
[...]ſephus of [...]amathia. was the firſt of all other regions that openly
receyued the Goſpell, and continued moſt ſtedfaſtly in yt pro|feſſion, till
the cruell furie of Diocletian perſecu|ted
the ſame in ſuche ſorte, that as well in Bri|tayne as in all other places of
ye world, the Chri|ſtian religion was in manner extinguiſhed, and vtterly
deſtroyed.
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1
2
3
4
[...]olidor.
[...]eſtminſter [...]hurch built.Ther be that affirme, how this Lucius ſhould
build the Church of Saint Peter at Weſtmin|ſter, though many attribute that
acte vnto Si|bert King of the Eaſt Saxons, and write, howe the place was
then ouergrowen with thornes & buſhes, and thereof tooke the name,
and was cal|led Thorney. They adde
moreouer (as Harriſon ſayeth) howe Thomas Archbiſhop of London preached,
redde, and miniſtred the Sacraments there to ſuch as made reſorte vnto him.
Howbeit by the tables hanging in the reueſtry of Sainte Paules at London,
and alſo a table ſometyme hanging in Saint Peters Church in Cornehill, it
ſhoulde ſeeme, that the ſayd Church of Saint Peter in Cornehill was the ſame
that Lucius builded. But herein (ſayth Harriſon anno mundi 4174) doth lie a ſcruple, ſure Cornell might ſoone be
miſtaken for Thorney, eſpecially in ſuch olde recordes, as time, age, euill
handling, hath often|times defaced. But howſoeuer this caſe ſtãdeth, troth
it is, that Lucius reioycing muche in that he had brought his people to the
perfect light and vnderſtanding of the true God, that they needed not to bee
deceyued any longer with the craftie temptations and feigned miracles of
wicked ſpi|rites, he aboliſhed all prophane worſhippings of falſe Gods, and
conuerted ſuche Temples as had bin dedicated to their ſeruice, vnto the vſe
of the Chriſtian Religiõ: and thus ſtudying only how to aduance the glory
of the immortall God, and the knowledge of his worde, without ſeeking the
vayne glory of worldly triumph whiche is gote with ſlaughter and bloudſhed
of many a giltleſſe perſon, hee lefte his kingdome (though not enlar|ged
with broder dominion than hee receyued it,) yet greatly augmented and
enriched with quiet reſt, good ordinances, and (that which is more to be
eſteemed than all the reſt) adorned with Chri|ſtes religion, and perfectly
inſtructed with hys moſt holy worde and doctrine. He raigned as ſome write
.21. yeares,Polidor. Fabian. Iohn. Hard. though as
other affirme but twelue yeares. Agayne, ſome teſtifie that he raigned .77.
other ſay .54. & Harriſon .43. More|ouer, heere is to bee noted,
that if he procured the faith of Chriſt to be planted within his Realme in
the time of Eleutherius the Romayne Bi|ſhop, the ſame chanced in the dayes
of the Em|perour Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. And about the time that Lucius
Aurelius Commodus was ioyned & made partaker of the Empire wt his
fa|ther, which was ſeuen yeres after ye death of Lu|cius Aelius Aurelius
Verus, and in the .177. af|ter the birth of our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, as by
Harriſons chronologie is eaſie to bee collected. For Eleutherius beganne to
gouerne the ſea of Rome in the yeare .169. according to the opinion of ye
moſt diligent chronogrophers of our time, & gouerned fifteene yeeres
and thirteene days. And yet there are that affirme, howe Lucius dyed at
Glowceſter in the yeare of our Lorde .156.Galfridus. Mat.
VVeſt. other ſay that he dyed in the yeare .201. and other .208.
So that the troth of this hiſtorie is broughte into doubt by the diſcorde of
writers, concerning the time and other circumſtances, although they all
agree that in this kings days the Chriſtian faith was firſt by publique
conſent openly receyued & profeſſed in this lande, whiche as ſome
affirme, ſhould chance in the twelfth yeare of his raigne,Polidor. and in the yeare of our Lord .177. Other iudge, that it
came to paſſe in the eyght yeare of his re|giment, and in the yeare of our
Lord .188. where other (as before is ſayd) alledge that it was in the yeare
.179. Nauclerus ſayth, that this happened about the yeare of our Lord
.156.Nauclerus Henricus de Herford. And
Henricus de Erphordia ſuppoſeth, that it was in the yeare of our Lorde .169.
and in the nineteenth yeare of the Emperour Marcus Antonius Verus: &
af|ter other, about the ſixth yeare of the Emperoure Comodus. But to
proceede: King Lucius dyed without iſſue, by reaſon whereof, after his
deceſſe the Britaynes fell at variance,Fabian.
whiche continued about the ſpace of fiftene yeares (as Fabian thin|keth)
EEBO page image 76 howbeit, the olde engliſhe Chronicle affir|meth,Caxton. Iohn. Hard. that the contention betwixte them
remai|ned .50. yeares, though Harding affirmeth but 4. yeares. And thus much
of the Britaynes, and their kings Coylus and Lucius. Now it reſteth to
ſpeake ſomewhat of the Romaynes whyche gouerned here in the meane while.
After that A|gricola was called backe to Rome, the Britaines (&
namely thoſe that inhabited beyond Twede) partly being weakened of their
former ſtrength, and partly in
conſideration of their pledges, whi|che they had deliuered to the Romaynes,
remay|ned in peace certayne yeres.
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1
Cn Trebelli|us Lieutenãt.
[figure appears here on page 76] IN the meane time, the Romayne Lieu|tenant
Cn. Trebellius that ſucceded Iulius Agricola, hee coulde not foreſee all
things ſo preciſely, but that ye
ſouldiers waxing vn|ruly by reaſon of long reſt, fell at variance a|mongſt
themſelues, & would not in the ende obey the Lieutenante, but
diſquieted the Britanes beyond meaſure. Wher|fore the Britaynes perceyuing
themſelues ſore oppreſſed with intollerable bondage, & that dayly
the ſame increaſed, they conſpire togither, vppon hope to recouer libertie,
and to defende their coũ|trey by all
meanes poſſible, and heerewith they take weapon in hand againſt the
Romaines, and boldly aſſaile them: but this they did yet warely, and ſo,
that they might flee vnto the Wooddes & bogges for refuge vpon
neceſſitie, according to the manner of their countrey. Herevpon diuers
ſlaughters were committed on both parties, and all the countrey was now
ready to rebell: where|of, when the Emperour Adrian was aduertiſed from
Trebellius the Lieutenant, with all conue|nient ſpeede he paſſed ouer into Britayne, & quie|ted
all the Iſle, vſing great humanitie towardes the inhabitants, and making
ſmall accompte of that part where the Scottes nowe inhabite, ey|ther bycauſe
of the barrenneſſe thereof, or for that by reaſon of the nature of the
coũtrey he thoughte it would be hard to be kept vnder ſubiection, hee
deuiſed to deuide it from the reſidue of Britayne, and ſo cauſed a wall to
be made from the mouth of Tyne vnto the water of Eſke,The
wall of Adrian built. Spartianus.
whyche wall conteyned in length
.xxx. mile.
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1 After this, the Britaynes
bearing a malici|ous hatred towards the Romayne Souldiers, &
repyning to be kepte vnder the bond of ſeruitude, eftſoones goe aboute to
recouer libertie againe. Whereof aduertiſement being giuen, the Empe|rour
Pius Antonius ſendeth ouer Lollius Vr|bicus as Lieutenant into
Britaine,Lollius Vrbi|cus Lieutenãt who by
ſun|dry battayles ſtryken, conſtreyned the Britaines to remaine in quiet,
and cauſing thoſe that inha|bited in the North partes to remoue further off
from the confines of the Romaine prouince,Iulius [...] An other [...] built. rey|ſed another wall beyond that whiche the
Empe|rour Adrian had made, as is to be ſuppoſed, for ye more ſuretie of the
Romayne ſubiectes agaynſte the inuaſion of the enimies. But yet Lollius dyd
not ſo make an end of the war, but that the Bri|taynes ſhortly after
attempted of newe, eyther to reduce their ſtate into libertie, or to bring
the ſame into further daunger.
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1
[figure appears here on page 76] WHerevpõ Mar|cus Antonius that ſucceeded
Pius,
Iulius C [...]tolinus. Of the [...] of this Cal|phurnius [...] Britaynes may [...] more in [...] Scotti [...]h [...]. ſendeth Calphurnius Agricola to ſucceede Lollius in the
gouerne|mente of Britayne, the which eaſily ouercame and ſubdued all his
eni|mies. After this, there chanced ſome trouble in the dayes of the
Emperoure Commodus the ſonne of Marcus Antonius and his ſucceſſor in the
Empire: for the Britaynes yt dwelled North wardes beyond Adrians wall,
brake through the ſame, and ſpoyled a great part of the countrey, a|gainſt
whom the Romayne Lieutenant for that time beeing come foorthe, gaue them
battell:Dion [...]
but both he and the Romayne Souldiers that were with him, were
beaten downe and ſlayne.
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1
2 With whiche newes
Commodus being ſore amaſed,Vlpius Mar|cellus Lieu [...]naunte. ſent againſt the Britaynes one Vlpius Marcellus, a
man of great diligence & temperan|cy, but therwith rough &
nothing gentle. He vſed the ſame kinde of diet that the common ſouldiers did
vſe. He was a Captayne much watchfull, as one contented with very little
ſleepe, & deſirous to haue his ſouldiers alſo vigilante and carefull
to keepe ſure watch in the night ſeaſon. Euery eue|ning hee would write
twelue tables, ſuch as they vſed to make of ye linde tree, &
deliuering them to one of his ſeruants, appointed him to beare them at
ſeueral houres of ye night to ſundry ſouldiers, wherby ſuppoſing that their
Generall was ſtyll watching and not gone to bed, they might be in doubt to
ſleepe. And although of nature he could wel abſteyne from ſleepe, yet to be
the better able to forbeare it, he vſed a maruellous ſpare kinde of dyet:
for to the end yt he would not fil hymſelfe too much with bread, he woulde
eate none but ſuche as was brought to him frõ Rome, ſo that more than
neceſſitie compelled him, he could not eate, by reaſon that the ſtalneſſe
toke away ye pleaſant taſt therof, & leſſe prouoked his appetite.
He was a maruellous cõtẽner of money, ſo yt bribes might not moue him to
do otherwiſe thã dutie required.
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1
EEBO page image 77Thus Marcellus beeing of ſuch diſpoſition, ſore afflicted
the Britaynes, and put them often|times to greate loſſes, through fame
whereof, Commodus enuying his renoune, was after in minde to haue made him
away, but yet ſpared him for a further purpoſe, and ſuffered hym to
de|parte.
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1 After he was remoued from
the gouernement of Britayne,
[...]rhennis [...]ptayne [...] the Empe| [...]rs garde. one Perhennis Captayne of the Emperours garde (or
Pretorian Souldiers, as they were then
called) bearing all the rule vnder the Emperour Commodus, appoynted certaine
Gentlemen of meane calling to gouerne the ar|my in Britaine. The Souldiers
therefore in the ſame army repining to be gouerned by menne of baſe
degree,
[...]elius Lam| [...]dius. in reſpect of thoſe that had borne rule ouer them
before, being honorable perſonages, as Senators, and of the conſuler
dignitie, they fel at ſquare among themſelues, and about fifteene hũ|dred
of them departed towardes Rome to exhi|bite their complaynte againſte Perhennis: for whatſoeuer was amiſſe, the blame
was ſtill layd to him. They paſſed foorthe withoute impeach|mente at all,
and comming to Rome, the Em|perour himſelfe came foorth to vnderſtande what
they meant by this their comming in ſuche ſorte from the place where they
were appoynted to ſerue. Their aunſwer was, that they were come to informe
him of the treaſon which Perhennis had deuiſed to his deſtruction, that hee
mighte make his ſonne Emperoure. To the
whiche ac|cuſation, when Commodus too lightly gaue eare, and beleeued it to
be true, namely, through the ſetting on of one Cleander, who hated
Per|hennis, for that he brid led hym from doyng dy|uers vnlawfull actes,
which he went about vpon a wilfull minde, (without all reaſon or modeſtie)
to practiſe: The matter was ſo handled in the ende, that Perhennis was
deliuered to the Soul|diers, who cruelly mangled him, and preſently put him
to death.
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[figure appears here on page 77] BVt nowe to the tu|multes in Britayne.Pertinax Lief|tenant of Britayne. It was thought
nedeful to ſende ſome ſufficiente Captayne of authoritie thither, &
therefore was one Pertinax that hadde bin Conſul and ruler o|uer foure
ſeuerall conſu|ler prouinces, appointed by Commodus, to goe as Lieutenãt
into that Ile, both for that he was thought a mã moſt meete for ſuch a
charge, and alſo to ſatifie his credite, for that hee had bin diſ|charged by
Perhennis of bearing any rule, & ſent home into Liguri [...] where hee was borne, & there appoynted to remayne.
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1 This Pertinax comming
into Britayne, pa|cifyed the army,The Lieute|nant in
dan|ger. but not without danger to haue bin ſlayne by a mutinie
reyſed by one of the Le|gions: for he was ſtriken downe, and left for dead
[figure appears here on page 77] among the ſlayne carcaſſes. But he
worthily re|uenged himſelfe of this
iniurie. At length, hauing chaſtiſed the Rebels, and broughte the Ile into
meetely good quiet, hee ſued and obteyned to bee diſcharged of that roomth,
bicauſe as he alledged, the Souldiers could not brooke him, for that hee
kept them in dutifull obedience, by corrrectyng ſuch as offended the lawes
of Armes.
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1
[figure appears here on page 77] THen was Clodius Albinus appoynted to haue
the rule of the Romayn army in Bri|tayne:Clodius Albi|nus
Lieutenãt. whoſe deſtruction whẽ Seuerus the Em|peroure ſought,
Albinus eſteemed it quickly: and therefore chooſing foorth a greate power of
Bri|taynes, paſſed with the EEBO page image 78 ſame ouer into Fraunce
to encounter with Se|uerus, who was come thither towards him, ſo that neere
to the Citie of Lions, they ioyned in battell & fought right ſore,
in ſo much that Seue|rus was at poynt to haue receyued ye ouerthrow by the
high proweſſe and manhoode of the Bri|taynes: but yet in the ende, Albinus
loſt ye fielde, & was ſlayne. Then Heraclitus as Lieutenant began
to gouerne Britayne (as writeth Sparci|anus) being ſent thither by Seuerus
for that pur|poſe before. And ſuch was the
ſtate of this Iſle a|bout the yere of our Lord .195. In which ſeaſon,
bycauſe that King Lucius was dead, and hadde left no iſſue to ſucceede him,
the Britaynes (as before ye haue heard) were at variance amongſt themſelues,
and ſo continued till the commyng of Seuerus, whom the Britiſh
Chronographers affirme to raigne as King in this Iſle, and that by righte of
ſucceſſion in bloud, as diſcended of Androgeus the Britaine, which went to
Rome with Iulius Ceſar, as before ye haue
heard.