5.67. Aurelius Ambroſius.
Aurelius Ambroſius.
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1
2
[figure appears here on page 122] AVrelius Am+broſius,Aureli|us Am|broſius. ye ſe|cond ſon of king Conſtantine,
& brother to Con|ſtãtius, murthe|red by the trea|ſon of Vorti|gerne
(as before ye haue hearde) was made king of Brytons, in the yere of our Lord
.481.Mat. VVeſt. hath. 466.
which was about the thirde yeare of the reigne of the Emperour Zeno,
and the .xxiij. of Childericus, King of Fraunce. Odocer King of the
Heruli as then vſurping the gouernement of Italy. Af|ter that
this Aurelius Ambroſius had diſpatched Vortigerne, and was nowe eſtabliſhed
Kyng of the Britaynes, hee made towardes Yorke,Galfr.
M [...]. and paſſing the Riuer of Humber, encountred with the
Saxons at a place called Maeſbell, and ouer|threwe them in a ſtrong battell,
from the which as Hengiſt was fleeing to haue ſaued himſelfe,Hengiſt taken & beheaded, hee was taken by
Edoll Earle of Glowceſter (or as ſome haue Cheſter) and by him ledde to
Conningeſbourrowe and was there beheaded EEBO page image 123 by the counſell
of Eldade then Biſhop of Col|cheſter.Mat. VVeſt.
But ther be that write how Hengiſt was taken at an other battell fought vpon
the Riuer of Dune, in the yeare of our Lord .489. and not in the chaſe of
the battell whiche was foughte at Maeſbelle in the yeare .427. as the ſame
au|thors do alledge.Occa. Occa the ſonne of
Hengiſt, by flight eſcaped to Yorke, and being there beſieged, at length was
conſtreyned to yeelde hymſelfe to Aurelius: the which dealing fauorably with
him, aſſigned foorth to him and other of
the Saxons a countrey borduring neere to the Scottes, whych (as ſome
affirme) was Galloway, where the ſayd Occa and the Saxons began to inhabite.
Then did Aurelius Ambroſius put the Saxons out of all other partes of the
land, and repared ſuche Ci|ties, Townes, and alſo Churches, as by them had
bin deſtroyed or defaced, and placed agayne Prieſtes, and ſuch other as
ſhoulde attende to the miniſterie and ſeruice of God in the ſame Chur|ches.
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1 Alſo for a perpetuall
memorie of thoſe Bri|taynes that were ſlayne on the playne of Saliſ|burie by
the treaſon of Hengiſt, he cauſed ſtones to bee fetched out of Irelande, and
to be ſet vpon the ſame place where that ſlaughter was com|mitted and called
the place Stonheng, whiche name continueth vnto this day. There were ſent
fifteene thouſand men as Galfride ſaith,Galfrid.
for thoſe ſtones, vnder the leading of Vter Pendragon the Kings brother, the
whiche giuing battell vnto Gillomanus King of Ireland that went aboute to
reſiſt the Britaynes, and would not permittte them to fetche away the ſame
ſtones out of hyr countrey; diſcomfyted him and his people, and ſo maugre
his will broughte the ſtones away with him.
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1 Shortly after Paſcentius
that was Vorti|gernes yongeſt ſonne, and had eſcaped into Ire|land (when
Aurelius Ambroſius came into Bri|tayne) returned with a greate power of
ſtraunge nations, and toke ye Citie of Meneuia in Wales, afterwardes called
Saint Dauid, and did much hurt in the countrey with fire and ſworde. At
whiche time the ſame Aurelius Ambroſius laye ſicke at Wincheſter, and beeing
not able to goe foorth himſelfe, deſired his brother Vter Pendra|gon to
aſſemble an army of Britaines, and to goe againſt Paſcentius and his
adherents. Vter according to his brothers requeſt, gathering hys people,
wente forthe, and encountring with the e|nimies, gaue them the ouerthrowe,
ſlew Paſcen|tius and Gillomare or Gilloman King of Ire|lande that was come
ouer with him in ayde a|gainſt
[figure appears here on page 123] the
Britaynes.
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1 In the meane while, a
Saxon, or ſome other ſtranger,Hec. Boetius. whoſe
name was Eopa or Copa [...] long before procured thereto by Paſcentius, fay|ned himſelfe to be a Britayne, and for a couloure
counterfeyting himſelfe a Monke, and ſo haue great knowledge in Phiſicke,
was admitted to miniſter as it were medicines vnto Aurelius: but in ſtead of
that whiche ſhoulde haue broughte him health, he gaue him poyſon, whereof
hee dyed ſhortly after at Wincheſter aforeſayde,Fabian. when hee had raigned after moſt accorde of writers
nine|teene yeares: his body was co [...]hed to Stone|heng and there buried.
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1 Thus finde wee in the
Britiſhe and common Engliſh hiſtories of the doings of Aurelius Am|broſius,
which as ye haue heard make him a Bri|tayne borne, and diſcended of the
bloud of the an|cient Britaynes. But Gildas and Beda reporte him to be a
Romayne by diſcent as before is mẽ|tioned.
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1 Polydore Virgill writeth
in this ſorte of the victorious actes atchieued by the foreſayde Aure|lius
Ambroſius. Then ſaith he,Polidor. the Saxons
ha|uing EEBO page image 124 already gotten the whole rule of the Iſle,
practiſe their outragious cruelty ſpecially againſt the Princes of the
Britaynes, to the end, that the ſayde Princes beeing ouercome and deſtroyed,
they might with more eaſe obteyne poſſeſſion of the whole Iſle, whiche thing
they only ſoughte for. But the fauor of almightie God was not wanting to the
miſerable Britaynes in that greate neceſſitie, for beholde, Aurelius
Ambroſius was at hande, the which had no ſooner cauſed the Trumpet to blowe to armour, but euery man for himſelfe
prepareth and reſorteth to him, praying and beſieching him to help to
defende them, and that it might ſtand with his pleaſure to goe forth with
them againſt the enimies with all ſpeede.
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1 Thus an army beeyng
aſſembled, Aurelius Ambroſius goeth againſte them, and valiantly aſſayleth
them, ſo that within the ſpace of a fewe dayes, they foughte three battayles
with greate fierceneſſe on both ſydes in triall of their high diſ|pleaſures
and vttermoſt forces, in which at
lẽgth the Britaynes put the Saxons to flight, Horſus the brother of Hengiſt
being ſlayne with a greate number of his people. But yet notwithſtanding the
enimies rage was little abated heereby, for within a fewe dayes after
receyuing out of Ger|many a newe ſupply of menne, they brake foorth vpon the
Britaynes with greate confidence of victory. Aurelius Ambroſius was no
ſooner ad|uertiſed thereof, but that withoute delay he ſette forwarde towardes Yorke from whence the eni|mies
ſhould come, and hearing by the way that Hengiſt was encamped about ſeuen
and twentie miles diſtante from that Citie, neere to the banke of a Riuer at
this day called Dune, in the place where Doncaſter now ſtandeth, he
returneth out of his way and marcheth towards that place, and the nexte daye
ſetteth on the enimie and vanqui|ſheth him,Hengiſt is
ſlayne. Hengiſt at the firſt meeting of the bat|tels beeyng
ſlayne, with a greate number of the Germanes. The fame of this victory
(ſaith Po|lidore) is had in memory with the inhabitantes of thoſe parties
euen vnto this day, the which victo|ry did ſore diminiſh the power of the
Saxons, in ſomuch that they began now to thinke it ſhoulde be more for their
profit to ſit in reſt with that diſ|honor, than to make any newe warres to
theyr great diſaduantage and likelyhod of preſent loſſe.
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1 Hengiſt lefte behynde him
two ſonnes, Ofea and Otha, the which as menne moſt ſorrowfull for the
ouerthrowe of late receyued, aſſembled ſuche power as they could togither,
and remooued there with towardes the Weſt parte of the Iſle, ſuppoſing it to
bee better for them to drawe that way foorth, than to returne into Kent,
where they thought was already a ſufficient number of their people to reſiſt
the Britaynes on that ſyde.
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1 Nowe therefore, when they
were come into the Weſt partes of the land, they waſt the coun|trey, bre [...]ne Villages, and abſtayne from no ma|ner
[figure appears here on page 124] of crueltie that might be ſhewed.
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1 Theſe things beeing
reported vnto Aurelius Ambroſius, hee ſtraightwayes haſteth thither to
reſiſt thoſe enimies, and ſo giuing them battell, eftſoones diſcomfiteth
them:Aurelius dieth a wounde. but he himſelfe
recey|uing a wounde, dyed thereof within a few dayes after.
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1
2
3 The Engliſh Saxons hauing
thus ſuſteined ſo many loſſes within a few monethes togither, were contented
to bee quiet nowe that the Bri|taynes ſtirred nothing agaynſte them, by
reaſon they were brought into ſome trouble by the death of ſuch a noble
Captayne as they had nowe loſt.Vortimer de|parteth this
life. In the meane time Vortimer died, after whome ſucceeded Vter
ſurnamed Pendragon. Thus hath Polidore written of the foreſayde Aurelius EEBO page image 125 Ambroſius, not naming him to be King of Bri|tayne,
and differing indeede in ſundry poyntes in this behalfe from diuers
aunciente writers of the Engliſh hiſtories, for wher he attributeth the
vic|tory to the Britaynes in the battel fought, wher|in Horſus the brother
of Hengiſt was ſlayne by the reporte of Polychronicon, and other,
the Sax|ons hadde the victory in that reencounter, and William of
Malmeſburie ſayeth,VVil. Mal that they de|parted
from that battell with egall fortune, the
Saxons loſing their Captayne Horſus,Katigerne. and
the Britaynes their Captayne Katigerne (as before yee haue hearde) but there
is ſuche [...]
[...]arietie in writers touching the doings bet [...]
[...] Bri|taynes and Saxons in thoſe dayes [...] well in accompte of yeares, as in the reporte of thynges done, that
ſetting affection aſide, hard it is to iudge to which part a man ſhould giue
credite. Where Fabian and other authors write, that Aurelius Ambroſius began
his raigne ouer the Britaines about the
yeare of our Lord .481. Hor|ſus was ſlayne about the yeare .458.458 during the raigne of Vortimer, as aboue is
mentioned, ſo that it cannot ſtande with the froth of the Brit|tiſh
hiſtories (the whiche Fabian followeth) that Horſus was ſlayne by Aurelius
Ambroſius, if according to the ſame hiſtories hee returned not into
Britayne, till the time there ſuppoſed. But diuers ſuch manner of
contrarieties ſhall ye [...]nde in peruſing of thoſe writers that haue written the Chronicles of the Britaynes and Saxons, the which in
euery point to recite would be too te|dious and comberſome a matter, and
therefore we are forced to paſſe ye ſame ouer, not knowing how to bring
them to any iuſt accorde for the ſa|tiſfying of all mens mindes, and namely
the cu|rious, whiche may with diligente ſearche ſatiſfye themſelues happily
muche better than any other ſhall be able to doe in vttering his opinion
neuer ſo much at large, and agreeable to a troth: onely therefore haue we thought good as it were by the way to
touch what diuers authors do write, lea|uing it ſo to euery mans iudgemente
to conſtrue therof, as his affection leadeth him. We fynde in the writings
of thoſe that haue regiſtred the do|ings of theſe times,Sigebertus. that Aurelius hauing vanqui|ſhed the Saxons, reſtored
Churches to the fur|therance of the Chriſtian Religion, which by the
inuaſion of the Saxons was greatly decayed in diuers partes of
Britayne,488. as Math. Weſt hath. and thys
chanced in the days of the Emperour
Theodoſius ye yonger.
5.67.1. The beginning of the Kingdome of Suſſex.
The beginning of the Kingdome of Suſſex.
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1
2
Ella entred this land as M. VVeſt. hath anno.
477.IN the time of the foreſayd Aurelius Ambroſius one Ella a
Saxon with his three ſonnes Cy|men, Plettinger & Ciſſa, came out
of Germany with three Shippes, and landed in the South partes of
Britayne, and being encountred with a power of Britaynes at a place
called Cuneue|ſhore, diſcomfited them, and chaſed them vnto a wood then
called Andredeſwold, and ſo tooke that countrey, and inhabited there with
his people the Saxons which he brought with him, and made himſelfe King
and Lord thereof, in ſomuche that afterwardes the ſame countrey was named
the kingdome of the South Saxons,The kingdom of the
South Saxons doth begin. whiche had for limittes on the Eaſt
ſide Kent, on the South, the Sea and Iſle of Wight, on the weſt Hamſhire,
and on the North part Southerie. This Kyng|dome (after ſome) began vnder
the forſayd El|la, aboute the .32. yeare after the firſte commyng of the
Saxons into this lãd, which by following that accompt, ſhould be about
the ſecond yeare of the raigne of Aurelius Ambroſius, and about the yeare
of oure Lord .482. But other write,482 that it
did begin about the .30. yeare after the firſte com|ming of Hengiſt,
which ſhould be two yeares ſoo|ner. William Harriſon differing from al
other, noteth it to begin in the fourth yeare after ye death of Hengiſt
.4458. of the worlde .2. of the .317. O|lympiad .1243. of Rome .492. of
Chriſte, and .43. after the comming of the Saxons: his words are theſe.
Ella erecteth the Kingdome of the South Saxons, in the .1 [...]. after his arriuall, and raigned 32. yeares, the chiefe Citie of
his Kingdome alſo was Chicheſter, & after her had enioyed the
fame his Kingdome awhile, he ouerthrew ye Citie cal|led Andredeſceſter,
whiche as then was taken for one of the moſt famous in all the South ſide
of England. For my parte I thinke my dutie diſ|charged, if I ſhew the
opinions of ye writers: for if I ſhould thereto adde mine owne, I ſhould
but increaſe coniectures, whereof already we haue ſu|perfluous ſtore. To
proceede therfore as I fynde.
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1
2
3 About the ninth yeare
after the comming of Elle, the Britaynes perceyuing that he with hys
Saxons ſtill enlarged the boundes of his Lord|ſhip by entring further
into the lande, aſſembled themſelues togither vnder their Kings and
Ru|lers, and gaue battell to Elle and his ſonnes at Mecredeſbourne, where
they departed with dout|full victory, the armies on both ſides being ſore
diminiſhed, and ſo returned to their homes. Elle after this battell ſente
into his countrey for more ayde. But nowe touching Hengiſt which as yre
haue hearde, reigned as King in the prouince of Kente, the writers of the
Engliſhe Kings varie ſomewhat from the Brittiſhe hiſtories, bothe in
reporte of the battels by him foughte againſte the Britaynes, and alſo
for the manner of his deathe: as thus. After that Vortimerus was dead,
which departed this life (as ſome write) in the firſt yeare of the
Emperour Leo, ſurnamed the greate,Policron. and
firſt of that name that gouerned the Empire, who began to rule in the
yeare of our Lorde .457.457 wee fynde that
Hengiſt and his ſonne Occa or Oſta EEBO page image 126 gathered their
people togither that were before ſparkled,H.
Hunt. and hauing alſo receyued new ayde out of Germany,VV. Mal. fought with ye Britaynes at a place
called Crekenforde,Creyſourd. wher were ſlayne
of the Bri|taynes foure Dukes or Captaynes, and foure thouſand of other
men,Britaynes o|uerthrowen. and the reſidue
were cha|ſed by Hengiſt out of Kent vnto London, ſo that they neuer
returned afterwards againe into Kẽt: and ſo the Kingdome of Kent began
vnder Hen|giſt the twelfth yeare after the comming of the Saxons into Britayne, and Hengiſt raigned in
Kent after this (as the ſame writers agree) foure and twentie
yeares.Polychron. It is remembred that thoſe
Germanes whiche lately were come ouer to the ayde of Hengiſt, beeing
choſen men, mightie and ſtrong of body, with their axes and ſwords made
great ſlaughter of the Britaynes in that battell at Crekenford or
Creyforde, whiche Britaynes were aranged in foure battayles vnder their
a|foreſayd foure Dukes or Captaynes, and were (as before is mentioned) ſlayne in the ſame
battel.H. Hunt. About the ſixth yere of the
ſayd Emperour Leo, which was in the .17. yeare after the comming of the
Saxons.
VVipers field Mat. VVeſt. This battell was fought anno
.473. as the ſame Mat. VVeſt noteth Wipet
Hen. Hunt.
Hengiſt and his ſonne Occa or O|ſca fought at Wyptiſhe fielde in
Kent, neere to a place called Tong with the Britaynes, & ſlewe of
them twelue Dukes or Captaynes, and on the parte of the Saxons was ſlayne
beſyde common Souldiers but onely one Captayne that highte Vipet, of
whome ye place after yt day tooke name.
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1 This victory was
nothing pleaſaunte to the Saxons, by reaſon of the great loſſe whiche
they ſuſteyned, as well by the death of the ſayd Vipet, as of a greate
number of others: and ſo of a long time neyther did the Saxons enter into
the con|fynes of the Britaynes, nor the Britaynes pre|ſumed to come into
Kent. But whileſt outward warres ceaſſe among the Britaynes, they
exer|ciſe ciuill battell, falling togither by the eares a|mong
themſelues, one ſtriuing againſt another. Finally, Hengiſt departed this life by courſe of nature,Fortie yeares hath H. Hunt. in the .39. yeare
after his firſte comming into Britayne, hauing proceeded in his buſineſſe
no leſſe with craft and guyle than with force and ſtrength, following
therewith his natiue crueltie, ſo that he rather did all things with
rigoure than with gentleneſſe.By this it is euident
that he was not driuen out of the lande after he had once got foote
within it. After him ſucceeded a ſonne whiche hee left behinde
him, who beeing attentiue rather to defende than to enlarge his
King|dome, neuer ſet foote out of his fathers boundes, duryng the ſpace of .24. yeares, in the whiche hee
raigned.
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1 About three yeares
after the deceſſe of Hengiſt, a new ſupply of men of warre came out of
Ger|many vnto the ayde of Elle King of Suſſex,Mat.
VVeſt. the which hauing his power ſo encreaſſed,Hen. Hunt. beſieged the Citie of
Andredeſceſtre,The Citie of Andredeſce|ſtre.
which was very ſtrõg & well furniſhed with men & all
things neceſſary.
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1 The Britaynes alſo
aſſembling togither in companies, greatly annoyed the Saxons as they lay
there at ſiege, laying ambuſhes to de|ſtroy ſuche as wente abrode, and
ceaſſing not to giue alarmes to the campe in the night ſeaſon: &
the Saxons could no ſooner prepare themſelues to giue the aſſault, but
the Britaynes were ready to aſſayle them on the backes, till at length
the Saxons deuiding themſelues into two compa|nies, appoynted the one to
giue the aſſault, and the other to encounter with the army of the
Bri|taynes without, and ſo finally by that meanes preuayled, tooke the
Citie, and deſtroyed manne, woman and childe. Neyther ſo contented, they
did alſo vtterly raſe the ſayde Citie, ſo as it was neuer after that daye
builded or reedified a|gayne.
5.67.2. The Kingdome of the Eaſtangles.
The Kingdome of the Eaſtangles.
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1
[figure appears here on page 126] MOreouer,The Kingdome
of the Eaſt|angles beg [...]. This King|dome a [...]
[...]+riſon much began nor till Aurelius Conanus raigned. in
the dayes of the fore|named Aurelius Am|broſius about the yeare of our
Lorde .561. the kingdome of the Eaſt|angles began vnder a Saxon named
Vffa.561 This Kingdome con|teyned Northfolke
and Suffolke, hauing on the Eaſt and North partes the Sea, on the
North|weſt Cambridge ſhire, and on the Weſt Sainte Edmonds ditch with a
part of Hertfordſhire, and on the South ſide lieth Eſſex. This Kingdome
at the firſte was called Vffines dominion, and the Kings that raigned, or
the people that inha|bited there, were at the firſte named Vffines, but
at length they were called Eaſtangles.
[figure appears here on page 126]
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1 FVrthermore about ye
yere of oure Lorde 495.Cerdic. VVil. Mal. and
in the eyght yeare af|ter that Hen|giſt was dead,495 one Cerdicus, and his ſonne Kenricus came out of Germa|ny
with fiue Shippes,Fabian. Policrus. and landed
at a place cal|led Cerdiceore, whiche as ſome thinke is nowe called
Yermouth in Northfolke. Hee was at the firſt receyued with battell by the
Britaynes,VVil. Mal. but beeing an olde
ſkilfull warriour, hee eaſily beate backe and repulſed the inconſtante
multitude of his enimies, and cauſed them to flee: by whyche good
ſucceſſe hee procured for the time to come, both vndoubted aſſurance to
himſelfe, and to the EEBO page image 127 inhabitantes good and perfect
quietneſſe, for they thinking good neuer after to prouoke him more by
reſiſtãce, ſubmitted themſelues to his pleaſure: but yet did not he then
gyue himſelfe to ſlouthful reſt, but rather extending his often atchieued
vic|tories on eache ſyde [...] foure and twentith yeare after his comming into this land he
obtey|ned the title of the Weſt partes thereof, and go|uerned there as
King ſo that the Kingdome of Weſt Saxons began vnder the ſayde [...]icus in the .519.519 of Chriſt as [...] ſhall be ſhewed.
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1 Thus may yee ſee that
if Aurelius Ambroſius did ſucceede after Vortigerne, and raigned in the
tyme ſuppoſed by the Brittiſh hiſtories, [...] before is alledged, the lande euen in his dayes was full of
trouble, and the olde inhabitauntes the Bri|taynes ſore vexed by the
Saxons that [...]ed the ſame, ſo that the Britaynes dayly were hampe|red, and
brought vnderſubiection to the valiante Saxons, or elſe driuen to remoue
further off, and to giue place to the
victorers. But nowe to pro|ceede with the ſucceſſion of the Brittiſhe
Kings as in their Hiſtories wee fynde them regiſtred, whiche I delyuer
ſuche as I fynde, but not ſuche as I do wiſhe, being written with no
ſuche cou|loure of credite as we may ſafely put foorthe the ſame for an
vndoubted truth.
