[1] _HEere note by the waie a thing not to be be forgotten, that of the foresaid Helie the last of the said 3 [...] kings, the Ile of Elie tooke the name,whereof the Ile of Elie tooke name. bicause that he most commonlie did there inhabit, building in the same a goodly palace, and ma|king great reparations of the sluces, ditches & cau|sies about that Ile, for conueiance awaie of the wa|ter, that els would sore haue indamaged the coun|trie. There be that haue mainteined, that this Ile should rather take name of the great abundance of éeles that are found in these waters and fennes wher|with this Ile is inuironed. But Humfrey Llhoyd holdeth, that it tooke name of this British word He|lig, which signifieth willowes, wherwith those fennes abound.
[1] [2] After the decesse of the same Helie,Lud. his eldest son Lud began his reigne, in the yéere after the cre|ation of the world 3895, after the building of the ci|tie of Rome 679, before the comming of Christ 72, and before the Romances entred Britaine 19 yéeres. This Lud proued a right worthie prince,A worthie prince. amending the lawes of the realme that were defectiue, aboli|shing euill customs and maners vsed amongst his people, and repairing old cities and townes which were decaied: but speciallie he delited most to beau|tifie and inlarge with buildings the citie of Troino|uant,London inclo|sed with a wal which he compassed with a strong wall made of lime and stone,Iohn Hard. in the best maner fortified with di|uerse faire towers: and in the west part of the same wall he erected a strong gate, which he commanded to be called after his name, Ludsgate, and so vnto this daie it is called Ludgate, (S) onelie drowned in pronuntiation of the word.
[1] In the same citie also he soiorned for the more part,Fabian. by reason whereof the inhabitants increased,Gal. Mon. and manie habitations were builded to receiue them,Matt. West. and he himselfe caused buildings to be made betwixt London stone and Ludgate, and builded for himselfe not farre from the said gate a faire palace, which is the bishop of Londons palace beside Paules at this daie,The bisshops palace. as some thinke; yet Harison supposeth it to haue bin Bainards castell, where the blacke friers now standeth. He also builded a faire temple néere to his said palace, which temple (as some take it) was after turned to a church, and at this daie called Paules. By reason that king Lud so much esteemed that ci|tie before all other of his realme, inlarging it so greatlie as he did, and continuallie in manner re|mained there, the name was changed, so that it was called Caerlud,The name of Troinouant changed and called London that is to saie, Luds towne: and after by corruption of spéech it was named London.
[1] Beside the princelie dooings of this Lud touching the aduancement of the common wealth by studies apperteining to the time of peace, he was also strong & valiant in armes, in subduing his enimies, boun|tious and liberall both in gifts and kéeping a plenti|full house, so that he was greatlie beloued of all the Britaines. Finallie, when he had reigned with great honour for the space of 11 yéeres, he died, and was buried néere Ludgate, leauing after him two sons, Androgeus and Theomancius or Tenancius.