5.68. Vter Pendragon.
Vter Pendragon.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 AFter that Aurelius
Ambroſius was dead, his brother Vter Pendragon (whome Harriſon calleth,Math. Weſt. noteth. Aurelius Vterius Ambroſianus) was
made King in the yeare of our Lorde.500 500. in
the ſeuenth yeare of the Emperour Anaſtaſius, and in the ſixteene yeare of
Clodoueus King of the Frenchmen. The cauſe why hee was ſurnamed Pendragon,
was, for that Merlyne the greate Prophete likened him to a Dragons head,
that at the tyme of his natiuitie maruellouſly appea|red in the firmamente
at the corner of a blaſing Starre as is reported. But Harriſon ſuppoſeth
that hee was ſo called of his wiſedome
and ſer|pẽtine ſubtiltie, or for that he gaue the Dragons head in his
Banner.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2
3 Thys Vter, hearing that
the Saxons with their Captaynes Occa or Octa the ſonne of Hengiſt, and his
brother Oſra hadde beſieged the Citie of Yorke, haſted thither, and giuing
them battell diſcomfited their power, and tooke the ſayd Occa and Oſra
priſoners. From this varieth Hector Boetius in his Chronicle of Scotland,
writing of theſe doings in Britaine:Hec. Boetius.
for he affir|meth that the counterfet Monke whiche poyſo|ned Aurelius
Ambroſius, was ſubornate, and ſent to worke that feate by Occa, and not by
his brother Paſcentius: and further, that about the very ſelfe time of
Aurelius his deathe, his brother Vter Pendragon lay in Wales, not as yet
fully recouered of a ſore ſickneſſe wherewith of late he had bin greeuouſly
vexed. Yet the Lords of Bri|tayne after the Buriall of Aurelius Ambroſius,
came vnto him, and crowned him king & though he was not able to goe
againſt yt Saxons which as then by reaſon of Aurelius Ambroſius hys death
were very buſie, and more earneſt in pur|ſuing the war than before) an army
was yet pre|pared and ſente foorth with all conuenient ſpeede [...] leading of one Nathaliod, a man neyther of any greate auntiente
houſe, not yet of ſkill i [...] warlike affaires. The noble men were nothyng pleaſed herewith, as
miſliking altogither ye lack of diſcretion in their new king, and doubted
ſore, leaſt in time to come he would haue more delight to aduance the baſe
degree, than ſuch as were diſ|cended of noble parentage. Yet bicauſe they
wold [...] the ſtate of the common wealth in daun|g [...]
[...] any muteny, they agreed to goe forth with him in that iourney. Occa
had aduertiſe|mente giuen by ſecrete letters ſente to him from ſome cloſe
friendes amongſt the Britaines of the whole matter, and therefore in hope of
the better ſpeed he haſted foorth to encounter the Britaines, and ſo the one
army comming within ſight of yt other, they prepare to the battell, and
ſhortly af|ter buckling togither, the Britaines were ſoone
[figure appears here on page 127] diſcomfited, by reaſon that one of their chiefeſt
Captaines called Gothlois diſdeyning to bee at the appointmente of
Nathaliod, gote him vp to the next hill with the battell which he led,
leauing the other Britaines in al the daunger: which they perceyuing
ſtraight wayes began to flee. There dyed no greate number of the Britaines,
excepte thoſe that were killed in the fighte: for Occa mi|ſtruſting what
Gothlois meant by his withdra|wing aſide, woulde not ſuffer the Saxons to
followe the chaſe, but in the nyghte followyng, Gothlois gote hym away, and
reſted not till EEBO page image 128 hee was out of daunger. Occa then
perceiuing himſelfe to haue the vpper hand, ſent an Herrauld vnto King Vter
with a certayne meſſage, thret|ning deſtruction to him and to his people, if
he re|fuſed to do that which he ſhould appoynt.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2
3
4 Vter perceyuing what diſloyaltie reſted in the harts of his owne
ſubiectes, agreed that the mat|ter might be committed to eyght graue and
wiſe Counſellers, foure Britaines and foure Saxons, which might haue full
power to make an ende of all controuerſies
and variaunces depending be|twixt the two nations. Occa was likewiſe
con|tented therewith, where vppon were named on eyther part four perſons, of
ſuch wiſedom, know|ledge and experience, as were thought meéeteſt to take
direction for the ordering of ſuch a weightie buſineſſe. By the arbitrement,
warde and dome then of thoſe eighte perſons ſufficiently authori|ſed
thereto, a league was concluded vppon cer|taine articles of agreement,
amongſt the whyche the chiefeſt was, that
the Saxons from thence|foorth ſhould quietly enioy all that part of
Brit|tayne whiche lyeth fore aneynſt the Almayne Seas, the same to bee
called euer after Engistlaunde, and all the residue shoulde remayne to the
Britaines as their owne rightfull and aunciente inheritance. Thus hathe
Hector Boetius, but nowe to returne vnto Vter according to that wee finde in
the Brittish histories: but to proceede after our owne writers, that when he
had vanquished the Saxons and taken their two chiefetaines prisoners, in
processe of time, he fell in loue with a righte beautifull Lady called
Igwarne or Igerna, Go [...]l [...]
[...] of [...]
wife to one Gorolus or Gorloys Duke of Cornewaile, the which Duke he
slew at length neere to his owne Castell called Diuulioc in Cornewaile, to
the ende that he mighte enioy the sayd Lady the which he afterwards married,
and begate on hir that noble Knighte Arthur, and a daughter named Amye or
Anna. Oca and Ossa escaping also out of prison assembled eftsoones a power
of Saxons, and made warre againste the Britaynes, whereof Uter hauing
aduertisement prepared to resist them, and finally went himselfe in person
againste them, and at Saint Albanes (as some write) gaue them battel
[...]
and slew them
[figure appears here on page 128] both in the fielde. By
that which Polydore Ver|gill writeth it ſhoulde ſeeme that Germane the
Biſhop of Auxerre came into Britayne in the dayes of this Vter, by whoſe
preſence the Bryt|taynes had victory againſte the Saxons (as be|fore yet
haue hearde) after whiche victory bothe parties reſted from troubling eyther
other for a time, the Saxons as it were aſtonied with that preſente miracle, and the Britaynes not follo|wing their
good ſucceſſe ſhortly after fell at diſ|cord amongſt themſelues, which
finally brought them to vtter decay, as after ſhall appeare. But ye Saxons
being deſirous to ſpoyle the Britaines of the whole poſſeſſion of that parte
of the Iſle which they held, whereas they accompted the Ci|ties and Townes
of ſmall ſtrength to be difen|ded, they gote them to an high Mountaine
called Badon hill,Badon hill. whiche Polidore
ſuppoſeth to bee Blackamore ye lieth neere to the water of Theiſe, which
deuideth the Biſhoprike of Durham from Yorkſhire, hauing at the mouth
thereof a [...] ha|uen meete to receyue ſuch Shippes as come out of Germany, from
whence the Saxons looked dayly for ayde, hauing already ſent thither for the
ſame. The Britaynes being thereof aduerti|ſed, make haſt towards the place,
and beſieged it on euery ſide. They alſo lay the Sea coaſtes full of
Souldiers to keepe ſuche of the enemies from landing as ſhoulde come out of
Germany. The Saxons kept themſelues for a certayne ſpace a|loſt vpon the
high grounde, but in the ende con|ſtreyned through wante of vittayles, they
come EEBO page image 129 downe with their armie in order of bataile to
the next plaines, and offring to fight, the batayl was anon begun, which
continued from the morning till farre in the day, with ſuche ſlaughter, that
the earth on euery ſide flowed with bloud: but ye Sa|xons ſuſteyned the
greater loſſe, their capitaines Occa and Oſca beyng bothe ſlayne, ſo that
the Britons might ſeme quite deliuered of al danger of thoſe enimies: but
the fatall deſtenie could not be auoided, as hereafter may apere. And this
was the ſlaughter made of the Saxons at
Badon hil,Gildas. wherof Gildas maketh mention,
and chanced the ſame yere that he was borne, which was in the 44. yere after
the firſt cõming of the Saxons in|to this land,492 the yere of grace .492. & .15. indiction (as Hariſon
alſo noteth.)
Compare 1587 edition:
1 About the ſame time Vter
departed out of this life (ſaith Polydore) ſo that his accompte agreeth
nothing with the cõmon accompte of thoſe au|thors, whom Fabiã and other haue folowed. For either muſt we
preſuppoſe, that Vter reigned be|fore the time apointed to him by the ſaid
authors, either elſe that the ſiege of Badon hill was before he began to
reigne, as it ſhould ſeeme in deede by that which Wil. Malmſbury writeth
therof, as hereafter ſhal be alſo ſhewed. Finally, according to the
agreemente of the Engliſhe writers, Vter Pendragon died of poyſon when he
had gouer|ned this land by the ful terme of .16. yeres,The deceaſſe of Vter Pen|dragon. Stonchenge, chorea gigantn
& was after buried dy his brother
Aurelius at Stonhẽg otherwyſe called Chorea Gigantũ, leauing his
ſon Arthur to ſuccede him. Here muſt ye not that the ſcottiſh chronicles
declare, that in al the war|res for the more parte wherein the Britons
ob|teyned victorie againſt the Saxons, the Scots ayded them in the ſame
warres, and ſo likewyſe did the Picts, but the ſame chronicles do not on+ly
varie from the Brytiſh writers in accompt of yeres, but alſo in the order of
things done, as in the ſame Chronicles
more playnly may appere, and namely in the diſcourſe of the incidẽts which
chanced during the reign of this Vter. For wher as the Britiſh hiſtories, as
ye haue heard, attri|bute great praiſe vnto the ſame Vter for his vic|tories
atchieued againſt the Saxons and theyr king Occa, whom he ſlew in battaile,
and obtei|ned a greate victorie, the Scottiſhe writers make other report,
affirming in deed that by the preſẽce of biſhop Germane hee obteyned
victorie in one battaile againſt them: but ſhortly after the Bri|tons
fought again with the Saxons, &
were diſ|comfited, although Occa in following the chaſe ouer raſhly chaunced
to be ſlaine: after whoſe de|ceaſſe the Saxons ordeyned his ſonn [...] named al|ſo Occa to ſucceede in his place, who to make himſelfe
ſtrong againſt all his enimies, ſent in|to Germanie for one Colgerne, the
whiche with a greate power of Tentſhmen came ouer into this our Britayne,
and conquered by O [...]s ap|pointment, the countrey of Northumberland, ſi|tuate betwene Tyne
& Tweede, as in the Scot|tiſh chronicles it may further appeare.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2 Alſo this is to be
remembred that the victorie which was got againſt the Saxons by the
Bry|tons, at what time Germane biſhop of Aurerre was preſente: Hector
Boetius affirmeth (by the authoritie of Veremond that wrote ye Scottiſhe
chronicles) to haue chanced the ſecõd time of his cõming ouer into this
lande, where Beda anon|cheth it to be at his firſt bring here. Againe, the
ſame Boetius writeth, that ye ſame victory chã|ced in the dayes of Vter
Pendragon, whiche can not be if it be true that Beda writeth, touchyng the
tyme of ye death of ye ſayd German: for where he departed this life before
the yere of oure Lorde 459. as aboue is noted, Vter Pendragon began not his
reigne till the yere of our Lord .500.475. ſayth [...] a|riſon. or as the ſame Hector Boetius hath .503. ſo that
biſhop Germane was dead long before that Vter began to reign. In deede ſome
writers haue noted, that the third bataile which Vortimer ſought againſt the
Saxons, was the ſame wherin S. Germane was preſent, and procured the
victorie with the crie of Alleluya, as before ye haue heard whiche
ſeemeth to be more agreeable to a truthe, and to ſtand alſo with that which
holie Bede hath wri|ten, touching the time of the beeing heere of the ſayd
German, than the opinion of other, whiche affirme that it was in the tyme of
the reigne of Vter. The like is to bee founde in the reſidue of Hector
Boetius his booke, touching the tyme ſpecially of the reignes of the Brytiſh
kings that gouerned Brytaine aboute that ſeaſon. For as he affirmeth,
Aurelius Ambroſius beganne his reigne in the yeare of our Lorde .498. and
ruled but ſeuen yeres, and then ſuceeded Vter, whiche reigned .xviij. yeres,
and departed this life in the yeare of our Lorde .521.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 BVt here is to be
remẽbred, that whatſoeuer the Britiſh writers haue recorded touching the
victories of this Vter had againſt ye Saxos, and how that Oſca the ſonne of
Hengiſt ſhould be ſlaine in battayle by him and his power: In thoſe olde
writers whiche haue regiſtred the Acts of the Engliſhe ſaxon kyngs wee fynde
no ſuche matter, but wee fynde that after the deceaſſe of Hengiſt. hys ſonne
Oſca or Occa reygned in Kente .24. yeares,Oſca. 34. hath
Hen|ry Hnnt. in cor+rupted copies. defendyng hys kyngdome onely,
and not ſeekyng to enlarge it (as before is touched.)
Compare 1587 edition:
1 After whoſe death his
ſonne Oth, and Ir| [...]rike ſonne to the ſame Oth ſucceeded, more reſemblyng their father
than their grandfather or greate grandfather. To their reignes are aſſig|ned
fiftie and three yeares by the Chronicles: but whether they reigned ioyntely
together, or EEBO page image 130 ſeuerally a parte, eyther after
other, it is not cer|taynly perceyued.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 But nowe to the
incidentes whiche happened during the reigne of Vter Pendragon we fynde that
one Porth a Saxon with his .ij. ſonnes Me|gla
[figure appears here on page 130]
and Beda,Port entred
this land about the yere of our Lord . [...]01. as Math. VVeſt. noteth. came a lande at Port [...]ſmouth in Suſſex, about the beginning of the ſayde Vters reigne and
ſlewe a noble yong man of the Bry|tons, and many other of the meaner ſorte
with him. Of this Porth the towne and hauen of Porteſmouth tooke the name as
ſome haue thou|ght.Hariſo [...]
[...]ſeth the [...] to bee [...] Poets, [...] vvorde [...] i [...] the [...] fr [...]h [...] the ſea. Moreouer about .lx. yeres after the coming of the
Saxons into this lande with their leader Hengiſt, one Nazaleod, a mightie
king amongſt the Britons, aſſembled all the power hee coulde make to fight
with Certicus king of the Weſt|ſaxons, who vnderſtandyng the greate power of
his enimies, required ayd of Oſca King of Kent, alſo of Elle king of Suſſex,
and of Porth and his ſonnes whiche were lately before arriued as ye haue
heard. Certicus being then furniſhed with a conuenient armie, deuided the
ſame in|to two batayls, reſeruing the one to himſelf, and the other he
appointed to his ſonne Kenrike.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 King Nazaleod perceiuing
that the wing which Certicus ledde was of more ſtrength than the o|ther
whiche Kenrike gouerned, he ſet fyrſt vpon Certicus, thinking that if he
might diſtreſſe that part of the enimies armie, he ſhould eaſily ouer|come
the other.
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1 Herevpon he gaue ſuch a
fierce charge vppon that wing that by pure force he opened the ſame, and ſo
ouerthrew the Saxons on that ſide, ma|king great ſlaughter of them as they
were ſtate|red, the whiche maner of dealing when Kenrike ſawe, he made
forwarde with all ſpeed to ſuccor
[figure appears here on page 130] his father,
and ruſhing in amongſt the Brytons on their backs,The
Bryton [...] ouerth [...]ovven. he brake their armie in peeces, and ſlew their king
Na [...]alcod, and with all put his people
to flight.
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1
Mat. VVeſt. Hen. Hunt. Stuff and VVi|ghtgar. Math. VVeſt. noteth
the yere of their riual to be .514.There died of the Brytons that
daye .v. M. men and the reſidue eſcaped by fleeing as wel as they might.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 In the vj. yeare after
this battayle Stuff and Wightgar ye were nephues to Certicus, came wyth
three ſhippes, and landed at Certiceſt|ſhore, and ouerthrew a number of
Britons that came againſte them in order of battayle, and ſo by the comming
of thoſe his nephews being right valyant
and hardie capitaines the part of Certi|cus became much ſtr [...]nger. About the ſame time Elle king of the Southſaxons departed this
lyfe, after whome ſucceeded his ſonne Ciſſa, of whom wee fynde little lefte
in writing to bee made ac|compte of.
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1
H. Hunt. Brytons ouer|throvven by Saxons.About the yeare
of our Lorde .51 [...]. and in the yeare after the commyng of the Saxons .71. whyche was in
the .xxvj. yeare of the Emperor Anaſtatius, the Brytons fought with Certicus
and his ſonne Kenrike at Certiceſforde, where the Captaynes of the Brytons
ſtoode to it man|fully: but in the ende they were diſcomfyted, and greate
ſlaughter was made there of them by the Saxons, and greater had bene, if the
nyghte commyng on, had not parted them, and ſo ma|ny were ſaued.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 From that daye forewarde
Certicus was re|puted and taken for king of Weaſtſaxon,The kingdom of VVeſt [...]
and ſo the ſame kyngdome at that tyme, whyche was as Harriſon noteth
it (whoſe orderly pro|ce [...]dyng in this beha [...]ten, for the accoumpte of tyme, giueth greate lyght to our hiſtorie)
the yeare of Chriſte fiue hundred and ninteene: af|ter the buylding of Rome,
a thouſande, two hundred and ſeuentie, of the worlde, foure thou|ſande foure
hundred eyghtie and fiue: of the cou [...]nyng of the Saxons ſeuentie of Iuſtinus Anicius Emperoure of the
Eaſte, the fyrſte EEBO page image 131 and thirde of the renouned
prince Patricius Ar|thurus then reygnyng oure the Brytaynes.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 The ſayd kingdom alſo
conteyned the countreis of Wiltſhire, Somerſetſhire, Berkeſhire,
Dor|ſetſhyre, Deuonſhire, and Cornewall, hauing on the Eaſt Hamſhire, on the
North the [...] of Thames, and on the South and Weaſt the O|cean ſea: Howbeit at the
firſte the kinges of the Weaſtſaxons had not ſo large dominion, but
they dayly wanne grounde vpon the
Brytons, & ſo in the rude by enlarging their confines they came to
enioy all the ſayde countreys, and the whole at the laſt.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 In the nynthe yeare of
the reigne of Certi|cus, he eftſoons fought with the Saxons at
Cer|ticeſforde aforeſayde,Certiceſford. where
great ſlaughter was made on bothe partes. This Certiceſforde was in times
paſt called Nazaleoy of the late remem|bres Nazaleod king of the
Brytons.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Aboute this ſeaſon at
ſundry tymes dyuerſe greate companies of
the Saxons came ouer in|to Britayne out of Germanie, and got poſſeſſi|on of
the countreys of Mercie and Eaſtangle: but as yet thoſe of Mercie had no one
king that gouerned them, but were vnder certayne noble men that got
poſſeſſion of diuers partes in that countrey, by meanes wherof great warres
and many encounters enſued.
5.68.1. The kingdome of the Eaſtſaxons.
The kingdome of the Eaſtſaxons.
[figure appears here on page 131]
Compare 1587 edition:
1 IN thoſe dayes alſo
the kyngdome of the Eaſtſaxons began,Erchen|wyn. the chiefe Citie where|of was London. It conteyned
in effect ſo much as at this preſente belongeth to the Dioceſſe of
London.The kingdom [...] of the Eaſtſax|ons. One Erchenwyn a Saxon was the fyrſt
king thereof, the whiche was ſonne to one Offa, the ſixte in lineall
deſcent from one Sax|not, from whom the kings of that countrey fet|ched
their originall.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Hariſon noteth there
exacte yeare of the erection of the kingdom of the Eaſtſaxons to begin
with the end of the eight of Cerdicius K. of the Weſt|ſaxons that is, the
.527. of Chriſte, and .7. after the commyng of the Saxons.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 In the . [...]iij. yeare of the reigne of Cerdicius, he with his ſonne Kenrike,
and other of the Sa|xon
[figure appears here on page 131] capitayns fought
with the Brytons, [...] the Iſle of Wight at Witgartſbridge, where they ſlewe a greate
number of Brytons, and ſo con|quered the Iſle, the whiche aboute foure
yeares after, was giuen by Cerdicius vnto hys ne|phues Stuff and
Witgar.