5.59. Octauius.

Octauius.

[figure appears here on page 92] Octa|uius.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 THis Octauius then beginning his reigne o|uer the Britons in the yeare of our Lorde,Galfridus. 329.329 prouoked Conſtantine to ſend agaynſt him one of his mothers vncles the foreſayd Trahern This Trahernes,Fabian. or as ſome name him Tra|herne, entred this lande with three Legions of ſouldiours, and in a fielde neere vnto Winche|ſter, was encountred by Octauius and his Bri|tons,Galfridus. EEBO page image 93 by whome after a ſore battayle there ſtri|ken betwixte them,This agreeth [...] altogither [...] that [...]hich Hector Socius vvri| [...], as in the [...]ottish Chro| [...]cle appereth. in the ende Traherne was put to flight and chaſed, in ſomuche that he was conſtrained to forſake that part of the lande, and to drawe towardes Scotlande.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Octauius hauing knowledge of his paſſage, followed him, and in the countrey of Weſtmer|lande eftſoones gaue him [...]attaile, but in that da|tayle, [figure appears here on page 93] Octauius was put to the worſſe, and con|ſtrayned to forſake the lande, fled into Norway, there to purchaſe ayde: and being redy with ſuch power as he there gathered, what of Britons and Norweygians, to returne into Britayn. Before his landing, he was aduertiſed, that an Earle of Britayne whiche bare him heartie good will,Traherne ſlain. See in the ſcot+ [...]ish Chronicles [...]ore of theſe matters. had by treaſon ſlayne Traherne. Octauius then cõ|ming to lande, eftſoones got poſſeſſion of Bri|tayne, whiche ſhould be as Fabian gathereth) a|bout the yeere of our Lorde .329. in the .20. yeere of the reigne of the Emperour Conſtantine,Mat. VVest. [...]eth. 326. and about two yeares after that the ſayd Octauius firſt toke vpon him as king.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 After this, (as the Britiſhe Chronicle affir|meth) Octauius gouerneth the lande right nobly and greatly to the contentation of the Brytons. At length when he was fallen in age, and had no iſſue but one daughter, he was coũſayled to ſend vnto Rome for one Maximianus,Maximianus is ſent for. a noble yong man, couſin to the Emperour Conſtantine, on the part of his mother Helene, to come into Bri|tayne, and to take to wyfe the ſaide daughter of Octauius,Conan Meri|doc duke of Cornevvall. and ſo with hir to haue the kingdome.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 Octauius at the firſt mente to haue giuen hir in mariage vnto one Conan Meridoc Duke of Cornewall, whiche was his nephue: but when the Lordes would not therto agree,This agreth not vvith that vvhich is found in the Scottish chronicles. at length he apointed one Maurice ſonne to the foreſaid Co|nan to goe vnto Rome to fetche the forenamed Maximian. Maurice according to his commiſ|ſion & inſtructions in that behalf receyued, came to Rome, and declared his meſſage in ſuch effec|tuall ſorte, that Maximianus conſented to go with him into Britayne, and ſo taking with him a conuenient number ſet forwarde,Maximianus commeth into Britayne. and did ſo muche by his iourneys, that finally he landed here in Britayn and notwithſtanding that Co|nan Meridock paſt not much to haue bin doing with him, for malice that he conceyued towards him, bicauſe he ſaw that by his meanes he ſh [...]ld be put beſide the crowne, yet at length was Ma|ximianus ſafely brought to the kinges preſence, and of him honourably receyued, and finally the mariage was knitte vp, and ſolemniſed in all princely maner.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Shortly after,Octauius de|parteth this life Octauius departed out of this lyfe, after he had reigned the terme of fyftie and foure yeares, as Fabian gathereth by that that diuers authors doe write, howe he reigned till the dayes that Gratian and Valentinian ruled the Romaine Empire, whiche began to gouerne in the yeare of our Lord (as he ſayth) 382.382. which is to bee vnderſtoode of Gratian his reigne after the deceaſe of his vncle Valens, for otherwyſe a doubt may ryſe, bicauſe that Valentine the fa|ther of Gratian admitted the ſayde Gratian to the title of Auguſtus in the yeare of our Lorde CCClxxj.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 But to leaue the credite of the long reigne of Octauius, with all his and others gouernement and rule ouer the Britains ſith the time of Con|ſtantius, vnto our Britiſhe and Scottiſh wry|ters, lette vs make an ende with the Gouerne|ment of that noble Emperour Conſtantine, an aſſured braunche of the Britons race, as borne of that worthie Ladye the Empreſſe Helene, daughter to Coell Earle of Colcheſter, and after king of Britayn (as our hiſtories doe wit|neſſe. Vnto the whiche Empreſſe Conſtantine EEBO page image 94 bare ſuche dutifull reuerence, that he did not on|ly honour hir with the name of Empreſſe, but alſo made hir as it were partaker with him of all his wealth, and in many things was led and ru|led by hir vertuous and godlye admonitions, to the aduancement of Gods honour, and mainte|nance of thoſe that profeſſed the true Chriſtian religion.Hariſon. For the loue that ſhe bare vnto Colche|ſter and London, ſhe walled them aboute, and cauſed great huge bricke and tyles to be made for the performaunce of the ſame, whereof there is great ſtore to be ſeene euen yet to this preſente, both in the walles of the town and caſtel of Col|cheſter, as a teſtimonie of the workemanſhip of thoſe dayes. She lyued .lxxix. yeares, and then departed this lyfe about the .xxj. yeare of hir ſon|nes reigne.Nicephorus. The Empreſſe Helene depar|teth this lyfe Firſt ſhe was buried at Rome with|oute the walles of the Citie with all funerall pompe, as to hir eſtate appertayned: but after hir corps was remoued and brought to Conſtã|tinople, where it was eftſoones enterred. Hir ſon the Emperour Conſtantine lyued tyll about the yeare of Chriſte .340. and then deceaſſed at Ni|comedia in Aſia, [...] after he had ruled the Empire xxxj. yeares and odde monethes.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 We fynde not in the Romain writers of any greate ſturre here in Britayne during his reigne more than that whiche the Britiſhe and Scot|tiſhe writers haue recorded: ſo that after Tra|herne had reduced this land to quietneſſe, it may be ſuppoſed, that the Brytons liued in reſte vn|der his gouernement, and lykewyſe after vnder his ſonnes that ſucceeded him in the Empire, till about the yeare .360.360. Har [...]. at what tyme the Picts and Scottes inuaded the ſouth partes of the land, as hereafter in place ſhall further appeare.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 But now to ende with Octauius. That the Chriſtian faith remayned ſtill in Britayne, du|ring the ſuppoſed tyme of this pretenced kings reigne, it may appere in that amongſt the .xxxvj. prouinces, out of the whiche there were aſſem|bled aboue .iij. C. Biſhops in the citie of Sardi|ca [figure appears here on page 94] in Dacia,Synodus an. 351. at a Synode holden there agaynſte the Euſebians, Britayne is numbred by Atha|naſius in his ſeconde Apologie to be one. And a|gayn, the ſayd Athanaſius in an Epiſtle whiche he writeth to the Emperor Iouinianus reciteth, that the Churches in Britayne did conſent with the Churches of other nations in the Confeſſion of faith articled in the Nicene councell.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Alſo there is mencion made by writers of cer|taine godlie learned men, whiche liued in offices in the Churche in theſe dayes, as Reſtitutus bi|ſhop of London, whiche wente ouer to the Sy|node holdẽ at Arles in France, and alſo one Ky|bius Corinnius that was ſon to Salomon duke of Cornewall, and biſhop of Angleſey, and in|ſtructed the people whiche inhabited in the partes now called Northwales, and them of Angleſey aforeſayd verie diligently,

Compare 1587 edition: 1 But now to ſpeake ſomwhat of things chan|cing in Britain about this ſeaſon (as we find re|corded by y^e Romain writers) ſome trouble was likely to haue grown vnto the Britons by recei|uing certain men of warre that fled out of Ita|lie into Britayn,Marcelli [...] lib. 1 [...]. Pa [...] [...]+rie. whom the Emperor Conſtan|tius would haue puniſhed, bycauſe they had takẽ part with Maxentius his aduerſarie. Paulus a Spaniard and Notarie was ſente ouer by him with cõmiſſion to make enquirie of them, and to ſee them brought to light to anſwer their tranſ|greſſions: which Paulus began to deale roughly in the matter, wherof he was called Ca [...]era, and to rage againſt the Britons and partakers with the fugitiues, in that they had receiued & mayn|teyned them, as he alledged:Martinus li [...]|tenant. but in the end being certified by Martinus the lieutenant of their in|nocencie, and fearing leaſt his extreme rigours EEBO page image 95 mighte alienate the heartes of the inhabitauntes altogither, and didde cauſe them to withdrawe their obedience from the Romaine Empire, hee tourned the execution of hys furie from them vnto the Romaines, and made hauocke of thoſe whiche he ſuſpected, till the ſaid Martinus fell at ſquare with him, and thinking on a tyme to kill him, he drew his ſword & ſmote at him, but ſuch was his age & weakenes, y^t he was not able to kil or giue him any deadly wound: wherfore he tur|ned y^e point of his ſword againſt himſelf, & ſo en|ded his life, being contẽted rather to die than ſee his countreymen & ſubiects of the empire ſo to be abuſed. After this, the ſaid Paulus returned backe again into Italy frõ whẽce he came, after whoſe departure, it was not long ere he alſo was ſlain, and then al the Scots & Picts ſore diſquieted the Romain ſubiects, for the ſuppreſſing of whoſe attempts Lupicinus was ſent ouer out of Gal|lia by Iulianus, as ſhal be declared out of Ami|anus Marcellinus, after wee haue firſte ſhewed what we find written in our owne writers con|cerning the Scots & Pictes, who nowe began to robbe & ſpoile the Britiſh inhabitants within the Romain prouinces here in this yle, & that euen in moſt outragious maner.