3.8. A Chapter of digression, shewing the diuersitie of writers in opinion, touching the computation of yeares from the beginning of the British kings of this Iland downewards; since Gurguintus time, till the death of Elidurus; and likewise till king Lud reigned in his roialtie, with the names of such kings as ruled be|tweene the last yeare of Elidurus, and the first of Lud. The eight Chapter.

EEBO page image 22

A Chapter of digression, shewing the diuersitie of writers in opinion, touching the computation of yeares from the beginning of the British kings of this Iland downewards; since Gurguintus time, till the death of Elidurus; and likewise till king Lud reigned in his roialtie, with the names of such kings as ruled be|tweene the last yeare of Elidurus, and the first of Lud. The eight Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _HEre is to be noted, that euen from the beginning of the British kings, which reig|ned here in this land, there is great diuersitie amongest writers, both touching the names, and also the times of their reignes, speciallie till they come to the death of the last mentioned king Elidurus.Polydor. Insomuch that Polydor Virgil in his historie of England, finding a manifest error (as he taketh it) in those writers whome he followeth tou|ching the account, from the comming of Brute, vnto the sacking of Rome by Brennus, whome our histo|ries affirme to be the brother of Beline, that to fill vp the number which is wanting in the reckoning of the yeares of those kings which reigned after Brute, till the daies of the same Brenne & Beline, he thought good to change the order, least one error should follow an other, and so of one error making manie, he hath placed those kings which after other writers should séeme to follow Brenne and Beline, betwixt Dun|uallo and Mulmucius, father to the said Beline and Brenne, and those fiue kings which stroue for the go|uernement after the deceasse of the two brethren, Ferrex and Porrex, putting Guintoline to succéed after the fiue kings or rulers, and after Guintoline his wife Martia, during the minoritie of hir sonne, then hir said sonne named Sicilius.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 After him succéeded these whose names follow in or|der, Chimarius, Danius, Morindus, Gorbonianus, Archigallo, who being deposed, Elidurus was made king, and so continued till he restored the gouerne|ment (as ye haue heard) to Archigallo againe, and after his death Elidurus was eftsoones admitted, and within a while againe deposed by Uigenius and Peredurus, and after their deceasses the third time restored. Then after his deceasse followed successiue|lie Ueginus, Morganus, Ennanus, Idunallo, Ri|mo, Geruntins, Catellus, Coilus, Porrex the second of that name, Cherinus, Fulgentius, Eldalus, An|drogeus, Urianus and Eliud, after whom should fol|low Dunuallow Molmucius, as in his proper place, if the order of things doone & the course of time should be obserued, as Polydor gathereth by the account of yeares attributed to those kings that reigned before and after Dunuallo, according to those authours whom (as I said) he followeth, if they will that Bren|nus which led the Galles to Rome be the same that was sonne to the said Dunuallo Mulmucius, and brother to Beline.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But sith other haue in better order brought out a perfect agréement in the account of yeares, and suc|cession of those kings, which reigned and gouerned in this land before the sacking of Rome; and also a|nother such as it is after the same, and before the Ro|mans had anie perfect knowledge thereof; we haue thought good to follow them therein, leauing to eue|rie man his libertie to iudge as his knowledge shall serue him in a thing so doubtfull and vncerteine, by reason of variance amongst the ancient writers in that behalfe.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 And euen as there is great difference in writers since Gurguintus, till the death of Elidurus, so is there as great or rather greater after his deceasse, speciallie till king Lud atteined the kingdome. But as maie be gathered by that which Fabian and other whome he followeth doo write,Fabian there passed aboue 185 yeares betwixt the last yeare of Elidurus, and the beginning of king Lud his reigne, in the which time there reigned 32, or 33, kings, as some wri|ters haue mentioned, whose names (as Gal. Mon. hath recorded) are th [...]se immediatlie héere named; Reg [...] the sonne of Gorbolian or Gorbonian, a worthie prince, who iustlie and mercifullie gouer|ned his people; Margan the sonne of Archigallo a noble prince likewise, and guiding his subiects in good quiet; Emerian brother to the same Margan, but far vnlike to him in maners, so that he was de|posed in the sixt yeare of his reigne; Ydwallo sonne to Uigenius; Rimo the sonne of Peredurus; Ge|runtius the sonne of Elidurus; Catell that was bu|ried at Winchester; Coill that was buried at Not|tingham; Porrex a vertuous and most gentle prince; Cherinus a drunkard; Fulginius, Eldad, and Androgeus; these thrée were sonnes to Cherci|nus, and reigned successiuelie one after another; after them a sonne of Androgeus; then Eliud,Vrianus. De|daicus, Clotinius, Gurguntius, Merianns, Ble|dius, Cop, Owen, Sicilius, Bledgabredus an ex|cellent musician: after him his brother Archemall; then Eldol, Red, Rodiecke, Samuill, Penisell, Pir, Capoir; after him his sonne Gligweil an vpright dealing prince, and a good iusticiarie; whom succee|ded his sonne Helie, which reigned 60 yeares, as the forsaid Gal. Mon. writeth, where other affirme that he reigned 40 yeares, and some againe say that he reigned but 7 moneths.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 There is great diuersitie in writers touching the reignes of these kings, and not onlie for the number of yéeres which they should continue in their reignes but also in their names: so that to shew the diuersi|tie of all the writers, were but to small purpose, sith the dooings of the same kings were not great by re|port made thereof by any approoued author. But this maie suffice to aduertise you, that by conferring the yéeres attributed to the other kings which reigned before them, since the comming of Brute, who should enter this land (as by the best writers is gathered) a|bout the yéere before the building of Rome 367, which was in the yéere after the creation of the world 2850 (as is said) with their time, there remaineth 182 yéeres to be dealt amongst these 33 kings, which reigned betwixt the said Elidure & Lud, which Lud also began his reigne after the building of the citie of Rome (as writers affirme) about 679 yéeres, and in the yéere of the world 3895, as some that will séeme the precisest calculators doo gather.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Polydor Virgil changing (as I haue shewed) the order of succession in the British kings, in bringing diuerse of those kings, which after other writers fol|lowed Beline and Brenne, to precéed them so succes|siuelie after Beline and Brenne, reherseth those that by his coniecture did by likelihood succéed, as thus. After the decesse of Beline, his sonne Gurguntius, being the second of that name, succeeded in gouern|ment of the land, and then these in order as they fol|low: Merianus, Bladanus, Capeus, Ouinus, Sici|lius, Bledgabredus, Archemallus, Eldorus, Rodia|nus, Redargius, Samulius, Penisellus, Pyrrhus, Caporus, Dinellus, and Helie, who had issue, Lud, Cassibellane, and Neurius.