[1] _NOw let vs consider what is to be noted out of this part of the foresaid oration. It should seeme that when the emperour Maximian was sent into Gallia by appoint|ment taken betwixt him and Dioclesian, after he had qui|eted things there, he set his mind foorthwith to reduce Britaine vnder the obe|dience of the empire, which was at that present kept vnder subiectionof such princes as mainteined their state, by the mightie forces of such number of ships as they had got togither, furnished with all things necessarie, & namelie of able seamen, as well Britains as strangers, among whome the Fran|keners were chiefe,Franci, or Frankeners, people of Ger|manie. a nation of Germanie, as then highly renowmed for their puissance by sea, néere to the which they inhabited, so that there were no ro|uers comparable to them.
[1] But because none durst stirre on these our seas for feare of the British fléet that passed to and fro at pleasure, to the great annoiance of the Romane sub|iects inhabiting alongst the coasts of Gallia, Maxi|mian both to recouer againe so wealthie and profi|table a land vnto the obeisance of the empire, as Britaine then was, and also to deliuer the people of Gallia subiect to the Romans, from danger of be|ing dailie spoiled by those rouers that were main|teined here in Britaine, he prouided with all dili|gence such numbers of ships as were thought re|quisite for so great an enterprise, and rigging them in sundrie places, tooke order for thier setting for|ward to his most aduantage for the easie atchiuing of his enterprise. He appointed to passe himselfe from the coasts of Flanders, at what time other of capteines with their fleets from other parts should likewise make saile towards Britaine. By this meanes Alectus that had vsurped the title & digni|tie of king or rather emperour ouer the Britains, knew not where to take héed, but yet vnderstanding of the nauie that was made readie in the mouth of Saine, he ment by that which maie be coniectured, to intercept that fléet, as it should come foorth and make saile forwards: and so for that purpose he laie with a great number of ships about the Ile of Wight.
[1] But whether Asclepiodotus came ouer with that nauie which was rigged on the coasts of Flanders, or with some other, I will not presume to affirme either to or for, because in déed Mamertinus ma|keth no expresse mention either of Alectus or As|clepiodotus: but notwithstanding it is euident by that which is conteined in his oration, that not Maxi|mian, but some other of his capteins gouerned the armie, which slue Alectus, so that we maie suppose that Asclepiodotus was chiefteine ouer some num|ber of ships directed by Maximians appointment to passe ouer into this Ile against the same Alectus: and so maie this, which Mamertinus writeth, agrée with the truth of that which we doo find in Eutro|pius. Eutropius.
[1] Héere is to be remembred, that after Maximi|ans had thus recouered Britaine out of their hands that vsurped the rule thereof from the Romans, it should séeme that not onelie great numbers of arti|ficers & other people were conueied ouer into Gal|lia, there to inhabit and furnish such cities as were run into decaie, but also a power of warlike youths was transported thither to defend the countrie from the inuasion of barbarous nations. For we find that in the daies of this Maximian, the Britains expel|ling the Neruians out of the citie of Mons in He|naud, held a castell there, which was called Bretai|mons after them, wherevpon the citie was after|ward called Mons, reteining the last syllable onlie, as in such cases it hath often happened.
[1] Moreouer this is not to be forgotten, that as Humfrey Lhoyd hath very well noted in his booke intituled Fragmenta historiae Britannicae, Mamertinus in this parcell of his panegyrike oration dooth make first mention of the nation of Picts, of all other the ancient Romane writers: so that not one before his time once nameth Picts or Scots. But now to re|turne where we left.