5.65. Vortimer.
Vortimer.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 [figure appears here on page 115] THis Vor|timer be|ing eldeſt ſon to Vortigern,Vorti|mer. by the com|mon aſſent of the Brytaines was made K. of Brytayne,Fabian. Galf. Mon. in the yeare of our Lorde 464.Math. Weſt. hath 454. 464 which was in the fourth yeare of the Em|perour Leo the fifth, and about the ſixth yeare of Childericus King of Fraunce, as our common account runneth, which is farre diſagreeing from that whereof William Hariſon doth ſpeake in his Chronologie, who noteth Vortigerne to be depo|ſed in the .viij. after his exaltation to the crowne, 454. of Chriſt, and .5. currant after the comming of the Saxons, which concurreth with the .4420. of the worlde. & .8. of Meroueus, as by his Chro|nologie doth more at large appeare.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 But to proceed, Vortimer being thus aduan|ced to the gouernment of the realme, in all haſt made ſore warre againſt the Saxons, & gaue vn|to them a great battel vpon the riuer of Derwẽt,The riuer of Derwent. where he had of thẽ the vpper hand:Epiforde. And the ſecõd time he fought with them at a place called Epi|forde, or Agliſthorp, in which encoũter Catagrine [figure appears here on page 115] EEBO page image 116 or Catigernus the brother of Vortimer, and Horſus the brother of Hengiſt, after long com|bate betwixt them two, either of them ſlue other: [figure appears here on page 116] But the Brytaynes obteyned the fielde (as ſayth the Brytiſh hyſtorie.The Ile of Tenet.) The thirde battail Vorti|mer fought with them neare to the ſea ſide, where alſo the Brytaynes chaſed the Saxons, & droue them into the Ile of Tenet.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 H. Hunt. Colemoore. The fourth battaile was ſtryken neare to a Moore called Colemoore, the whiche was ſore fought by the Saxons, and long continued with great daunger to the Brytayns, bycauſe that the foreſayde Moore encloſed a part of their hoſt ſo ſtrongly, that the Brytaynes could not approch to them, being beaten off with the enimies ſhot, albeit in the ende the Saxons were put to flight, and many of them drowned and ſwalowed vp in the ſame Moore.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Beſide theſe foure principall battailes, Vor|timer had diuerſe other conflictes with the Sax|ons, Fabian. Tetfort in N [...]rffolke. Colcheſter. as in Kent and at Tetford in Norffolk, alſo neare to Colcheſter in Eſſex: for he left not till he had bereft them the more part of all ſuch poſſeſſi|ons as before time they had got, ſo that they were conſtrayned to keepe them within the Ile of Te|net, where he oftentymes aſſayled them with ſuch ſhippes as he then had.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 When Ronowen the daughter of Hengiſt perceyued the great loſſe that the Saxons ſuſtey|ned by the martiall prowes of Vortimer, ſhee found meanes that within a while the ſayd Vor|timer was poyſoned, after he had ruled the Bry|tayns by the ſpace of ſixe or ſeuen yeres and odde Monethes, (as William Har. reporteth.)
Compare 1587 edition: 1 By the Brytiſh Hyſtorie it ſhould ſeeme that Vortimer before his death handled the Saxons ſo hardly, keeping them beſieeged within the Ile of Tenet, till at length they were conſtrayned to ſue for licence to depart home into Germanie in ſafetie: and the better to bring this to paſſe, they ſent Vortigerne (whome they had kept ſtyll with them in all theſe battayles) vnto his ſonne Vortimer, to be a meane for the obteining of their ſute. But whileſt this treatie was in hande, they got them into theyr ſhippes, and leauing theyr wyues and children behinde them, returned into Germanie. Thus farre Gal. Mon.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 But howe vnlikely this is to be true, I will not make any further diſcourſe, but onely referre euery man to that whiche in olde autentique Hy|ſtoriographers of the Engliſhe Nation is found recorded, as in William Malmeſ. Henrie Hunt. Marianus, and others. Vnto whome in theſe matters concerning the doings betwixt the Sax|ons and Brytaynes, we may vndoubtedly ſafe|ly giue moſt credite.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 William Malmeſ. wryting of this Vorti|mer, or Guortigerne,VVil. Mal [...] and of the warres which he made agaynſt the Saxons, varyeth in a maner altogither from Geffrey of Monmouth, as by his wordes here following ye may perceyue.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Guortimer the ſonne of Vortimer (ſayth he) thinking not good long to diſſemble the matter, for that he ſawe himſelfe and his Countreymen the Brytayns preuented by the craft of the Eng|liſhe Saxons, ſetteth his full purpoſe to dryue them out of the Realme, and kyndleth his father to the like attempt.
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1 He being therefore the
Authour and procurer, ſeuen yeares after their firſt comming into thy [...] land, the league was broken, and by the ſpace of xx. yeres they
fought oftentymes togither in ma|ny light encounters, but foure times they
fought puiſſance agaynſte puiſſaunce in open fielde: in the firſt battayle
they departed with like fortune,
Hengiſt had the victorie this battaile ſayth R [...]ll [...] 458 Hors and Ca+tegerne [...]
Compare 1587 edition: 1 In the other battails, when the Engliſhmen went euer away with the vpper hand, at length a peace was concluded, Guortimer being taken out of this worlde by courſe of fatall death, the which muche differing from the ſofte and milde nature of his father, right nobly would haue gouerned the realme, if God had ſuffred him to haue liued.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 But theſe battailes which Vortimer gaue to the Saxons (as before is mentioned) ſhould ap|peare by that which ſome wryters haue recorded, to haue chaũced before the ſuppoſed time of Vor|timers or Guortimers atteyning to the crowne, about the ſixt or ſeuenth yeare after the firſt com|ming of the Saxons into this realme with Hen|giſt. And hereunto William Hariſon giueth his conſent alſo in his Chronologie, referring the mutuall ſlaughter of Horſus and Cati|gerne, to the ſixth yeare of Martianus, and .455. of Chriſt.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Howbeit Pol: Virg. ſayth,Polidor. that Vortimer ſuc|ceded his father, and that after his fathers deceaſſe EEBO page image 117 the Engliſh Saxons, of whom there was a great number as then in the Ile, comming ouer dayly like ſwarmes of Bees, and hauing in poſſeſſion not onely Kent, but alſo the North partes of the Realme towardes Scotlande, togither with a great part of the weſt Countrey, thought it now a fit tyme to attempt the fortune of warre: and firſt therfore concluding a league with the Scots and Picts, vpon the ſodaine they turne their wea|pon poynts agaynſt the Brytaines, and moſte cruelly purſue them, as though they had receyued ſome great iniurie at their handes, and no benefit at all. The Brytaynes were marueylouſly aba|ſhed herewith, perceyuing that they ſhoulde haue to do with Hengiſt, a captain of ſo high renowm, and alſo with their auncient enimies the Scottes and Pictes, thus all at one time, and that there was no remedie but eyther they muſt fight or elſe become ſlaues. Wherfore at length dread of bon|dage ſtyrred vp manhood in them, ſo that they aſ|ſembled togither, and boldly began to reſiſt theyr enimies on ech ſide: but beeing too weake,The Brytaynes diſcomfited by the Saxons. they were eaſily diſcomfited and put to flight, ſo that all hope of defence by force of armes being vtter|ly taken awaye, as menne in diſpayre to preuaile agaynſt theyr enimyes, they fled as ſheepe ſcat|tered [figure appears here on page 117] abroade, ſome following one Captaine and ſome another, getting them into deſart places, wooddes, and marriſh groundes, and moreouer left ſuch townes and fortreſſes as were of no no|table ſtrength, as a pray vnto their enimies.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 Thus hath Polidore Virgile of the firſt brea|king of the warres betwixt the Saxons and Bri|tayns, which chaunced not (as ſhould appeare by that which he wryteth thereof,) till after the death of Vortigerne. Howbeit he denieth not ye Hengiſt at his firſt comming got ſeates for him and hys people within the Country of Kent, and there be|gan to inhabite.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 This ought not to bee forgotten, that king Vortimer (as Sigebertus hath written) reſtored the chriſtian religion after he had vanquiſhed the Saxons, [...]gebertus. in ſuch places where the ſame was de|cayed by the enimies inuaſion.