3.18. Of Theomantius, the tearme of yeares that he reigned, and where he was inter|red; of Kymbeline, within the time of whose gouernment Christ Iesus our sauiour was borne, all nations content to obeie the Romane em|perors and consequentlie Britaine, the customes that the Britaines paie the Romans as Strabo reporteth. The xviij. Chapter.

Of Theomantius, the tearme of yeares that he reigned, and where he was inter|red; of Kymbeline, within the time of whose gouernment Christ Iesus our sauiour was borne, all nations content to obeie the Romane em|perors and consequentlie Britaine, the customes that the Britaines paie the Romans as Strabo reporteth. The xviij. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _AFter the death of Cassi|bellane,Theomã|tius. Theomantius or Te|nantius the yoongest sonne of Lud was made king of Bri|taine in the yéere of the world 3921, after the building of Rome 706, & before the com|ming of Christ 45. He is na|med also in one of the English chronicles Tormace:Fabian. in the same chronicle it is conteined, that not he, but his brother Androgeus was king, where Geffrey of Monmouth & others testifie,Gal. Mon. that Androgeus aban|doned the land clerelie, & continued still at Rome, be|cause he knew the Britains hated him for treason he had committed in aiding Iulius Cesar against Cassibellane. Theomantius ruled the land in good quiet, and paid the tribute to the Romans which Cas|sibellane had granted, and finallie departed this life after he had reigned 22 yeares, and was buried at London.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 KYmbeline or Cimbeline the sonne of Theo|mantius was of the Britains made king after the deceasse of his father,Kymbe|line. in the yeare of the world 3944, after the building of Rome 728,Fabian [...]ut [...] Guido de Co|lumna. and before the birth of out Sauiour 33. This man (as some write) was brought vp at Rome, and there made knight by Augustus Cesar, vnder whome he serued in the warres, and was in such fauour with him, that he was at libertie to pay his tribute or not. Little o|ther mention is made of his dooings, except that du|ring his reigne,Christ our sa|uiour borne. the Sauiour of the world our Lord Iesus Christ the onelie sonne of God was borne of a virgine, about the 23 yeare of the reigne of this Kymbeline, & in the 42 yeare of the emperour Octa|uius Augustus, that is to wit, in the yeare of the world 3966,3966 in the second yeare of the 194 Olympi|ad, after the building of the citie of Rome 750 nigh at an end, after the vniuersall floud 2311, from the birth of Abraham 2019, after the departure of the Israelits out of Egypt 1513, after the captiuitie of Babylon 535, from the building of the temple by Salomon 1034, & from the arriuall of Brute 1116, complet. Touching the continuance of the yeares of Kymbelines reigne, some writers doo varie, but the best approoued affirme, that he reigned 35 years and then died, & was buried at London, leauing be|hind him two sonnes, Guiderius and Aruiragus.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 ¶But here is to be noted, that although our histo|ries doo affirme, that as well this Kymbeline, as al|so his father Theomantius liued in quiet with the Romans, and continuallie to them paied the tri|butes which the Britains had couenanted with Iu|lius Cesar to pay, yet we find in the Romane wri|ters, that after Iulius Cesars death, when Augu|stus had taken vpon him the rule of the empire, the Britains refused to paie that tribute: whereat as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth,Cor Tacitus. in vita Iu. Agr. Augustus (being other|wise occupied) was contented to winke; howbeit, through earnest calling vpon to recouer his right by such as were desirous to sée the vttermost of the Bri|tish kingdome; at length, to wit, in the tenth yeare after the death of Iulius Cesar, which was about the thirtéenth yeare of the said Theomantius, Au|gustus made prouision to passe with an armie ouer into Britaine, & was come forward vpon his iour|nie into Gallia Celtica: or as we maie saie,Dion Cassius. into these hither parts of France.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But here receiuing aduertisements that the Pan|nonians, which inhabited the countrie now called Hungarie, and the Dalmatians whome now we call Slauons had rebelled, he thought it best first to sub|due those rebells neere home, rather than to séeke new countries, and leaue such in hazard whereof he had present possession, and so turning his power a|gainst the Pannonians and Dalmatians, he left off for a time the warres of Britaine, whereby the land remained without feare of anie inuasion to be made by the Romans, till the yeare after the building of the citie of Rome 725, and about the 19 yeare of king Theomantius reigne, that Augustus with an armie departed once againe from Rome to passe o|uer into Britaine, there to make warre. But after his comming into Gallia, when the Britains sent to him certeine ambassadours to treat with him of peace, he staied there to settle the state of things a|mong the Galles, for that they were not in verie good order. And hauing finished there, he went into Spaine, and so his iournie into Britaine was put off till the next yeare, that is, the 726 after the buil|ding of Rome, which fell before the birth of our sa|uiour 25, about which time Augustus eftsoons meant the third time to haue made a voiage into Britaine, EEBO page image 33 because they could not agrée vpon couenants. But as the Pannonians and Dalmatians had afore|time staied him,He kept not promise with the Romans. when (as before is said) he meant to haue gone against the Britans: so euen now the Sa|lassians (a people inhabiting about Italie and Swit|serland) the Cantabrians and Asturians by such re|bellious sturrs as they raised,Those of Ca|lice and Bis|kate. withdrew him from his purposed iournie. But whether this controuer|sie which appeareth to fall forth betwixt the Britans and Augustus, was occasioned by Kymbeline, or some other prince of the Britains, I haue not to a|uouch: for that by our writers it is reported, that Kymbeline being brought vp in Rome, & knighted in the court of Augustus, euer shewed himselfe a friend to the Romans, & chieflie was loth to breake with them, because the youth of the Britaine nation should not be depriued of the benefit to be trained and brought vp among the Romans, whereby they might learne both to behaue themselues like ciuill men, and to atteine to the knowledge of feats of warre.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But whether for this respect, or for that it pleased the almightie God so to dispose the minds of men at that present, not onlie the Britains, but in manner all other nations were contented to be obedient to the Romane empire. That this was true in the Bri|tains, it is euident enough by Strabos words,Strab. Geog. which are in effect as followeth.

At this present (saith he) certeine princes of Britaine, procuring by ambassa|dors and dutifull demeanors the amitie of the empe|rour Augustus, haue offered in the capitoll vnto the gods presents or gifts, and haue ordeined the whole Ile in a manner to be appertinent, proper, and fami|liar to the Romans. They are burdened with sore customs which they paie for wares, either to be sent foorth into Gallia, or brought from thence, which are commonlie yuorie vessels, shéeres, ouches, or eare|rings, and other conceits made of amber & glasses, and such like manner of merchandize: so that now there is no néed of anie armie or garrison of men of warre to kéepe the Ile, for there néedeth not past one legion of footmen, or some wing of horssemen, to gather vp and receiue the tribute: for the charges are rated according to the quantitie of the tributes: for otherwise it should be néedfull to abate the customs, if the tributes were also raised: and if anie violence should be vsed, it were dangerous least they might be prouoked to rebellion.

Thus farre Strabo.