4.23. Of Carausius an obscure Britaine, what countries he gaue the Picts, and where|vpon, his death by Alectus his successor, the Romans foiled by Asclepiodotus duke of Corne|wall, whereof Walbrooke and the name, the couetous practise of Carausius the vsurper. The xxxiij. Chapter.

Of Carausius an obscure Britaine, what countries he gaue the Picts, and where|vpon, his death by Alectus his successor, the Romans foiled by Asclepiodotus duke of Corne|wall, whereof Walbrooke and the name, the couetous practise of Carausius the vsurper. The xxxiij. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _CArausius a Britan of vn|knowne birth,Carau|sius. as witnesseth the British histories, after he had vanquisht & slaine Bassi|anus (as the same histories make mention) was of the Britains made king and ru|ler ouer them, in the yeare of our Lord 218,218 Galfrid. as Galfridus saith: but W. H. no|teth it to be in the yeare 286. This Carausius either to haue the aid & support of the Picts, as in the Bri|tish historie is conteined, either else to be at quiet|nesse with them, being not otherwise able to re|sist them,Polychron. Fabian. gaue to them the countries in the south parts of Scotland, which ioine to England on the east marshes, as Mers, Louthian, and others.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 ¶But here is to be noted,Galfridus. that the British wri|ters affirme, that these Picts which were thus placed in the south parts of Scotland at this time, were brought ouer out of Scithia by Fulgentius, to aid him against Seuerus, and that after the death of Seuerus and Fulgentius, which bother died of hurts receiued in the batell fought betwixt them at Yorke: the Picts tooke part with Bassianus, and at length betraied him in the battell which he fought against Carausius: for he corrupting them by such subtile practises as he vsed, they turned to his side, to the ouerthrow and vtter destruction of Bassianus: for the which traitorous part they had those south coun|tries of Scotland giuen vnto them for their habita|tion. But by the Scotish writers it should appeare, that those Picts which aided Fulgentius and also Carausius, were the same that long before had in|habited the north parts of Britaine, now called Scotland. But whatsoeuer they were, truth it is (as the British histories record) that at length one Alectus was sent from Rome by the senat with 3 legions of souldiers to subdue Carausius, which he did, and slue him in the field, as the same histories make mention, after he had reigned the space of 7, or 8, yeares: and in the yeare of our saluation two hundred, ninetie, three.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 A Lectus in haung vanquished and slaine Ca|rausius tooke vpon him the rule and gouern|ment of Britaine, Alectus. Of whom our British histo|ries doo write after their maner. 293. in the yeare of our Lord 293. This Alectus, when he had restored the land to the subiec|tion of the Romans, did vse great crueltie against such Britains as had maintained the part of Ca|rausius, by reason whereof he purchased much euill will of the Britains, the which at length conspired a|gainst him, and purposing to chase the Romans al|togither out of their countrie, they procured one As|clepiodotus (whome the British chronicles name duke of Cornewall) to take vpon him as chiefe cap|taine that enterprise. Wherevpon the same As|clepiodotus assembling a great armie, made such sharpe warres on the Romans, that they being cha|sed from place to place, at length withdrew to the of London, and there held them till Asclepiodo|tus came thither, and prouoked Alectus and his Ro|mans so much, that in the end they issued foorth of the citie, and gaue battell to the Britans, in the which much people on both parts were slaine, but the grea|test EEBO page image 57 number died on the Romans side: and amongst others, Alectus himselfe was slaine. the residue of the Romans that were left aliue, retired backe in|to the citie with a capteine of theirs named. Li|uius Gallus, and defended themselues within the walles for a time right valiantlie. Thus was Alec|tus slaine of the Britains, after he had reigned (as some suppose) about the terme of six yeares,Fabian. Matth. West. or (as some other write) thrée yeares.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 ASclepiodotus,Asclepio|dotus. duke of Cornewall, began his reigen ouer the Britains in the yeare of our Lord 232.Gal. Mon. Matt. West. after he had vanquished the Romans in battell, as before is recited, he laid his siege about the citie of London, and finallie by knightlie force entred the same, and flue the forenamed Liuius Gallus néere vnto a brooke which in those daies ran through the citie, & threw him into the same brooke: by reason whereof long after it was called Gallus or Wallus brooke. And at this present the streete where the same brooke did run,Walbrooke. is called Walbrooke.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Then after Asclepiodotus had ouercome all his enimies, he held this land a certeine space in good rest and quiet, and ministred iustice vprightlie, in rewarding the good, and punishing the euill. Till at length, through slanderous toongs of malicious per|sons, discord was raised betwixt the king and one Coill or Coilus, that was gouernour of Colchester: the occasion whereof appeareth not by writers. But whatsoeuer the matter was, there insued such ha|tred betwixt them,Asclepiodo|tus slaine. Matt. West. hath x. yeares. that on both parts great armies were raised, and méeting in the field, they fought a sore and mightie battell, in the which Asclepiodo|tus was slaine, after he had reigned 30 yeares.Eutropius. Thus haue Geffrey of Monmouth and our com|mon chroniclers written of Carausius, Alectus, and Asclepiodotus, which gouerned héere in Britaine.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But Eutropius the famous writers of the Romane histories, in the acts of Dioclesian hath in effect these woords.

About the same time Carausius, the which being borne of most base ofspring, atteined to high honour and dignitie by order of renowmed chiualrie & seruice in the warres, receiued charge at Bolein, to kéepe the seas quiet alongst the coasts of Britaine, France, and Flanders, and other countries therea|bouts, bicause the Frenchmen, which yet inhabited within the bounds of Germanie, and the Saxons sore troubled those seas. Carausius taking often|times manie of the enimies, neither restored the goods to them of the countrie from whome the eni|mies had bereft the same,The couetous practising of Carausius. nor yet sent anie part ther|of to the emperours, but kept the whole to his owne vse. Whervpon when suspicion arose, that he should of purpose suffer the enimies to passe by him, till they had taken some prises, that in their returne with the same he might incounter with them, and take that from them which they had gotten (by which subtile practise he was thought greatly to haue inriched him selfe) Maximianus that was fellow in gouernment of the empire with Dioclesianus, remaining then in Gallia, and aduertised of these dooings,Maximianus purposeth to slea Carausi|us. commanded that Carausius should be slaine, but he hauing war|ning thereof rebelled, and vsurping the imperiall or|naments and title, got possession of Britaine, against whom (being a man of great experience in all war|like knowledge) when warres had béene attempted and folowed in vaine,Polydor. at length a peace was conclu|ded with him, and so he enioied the possession of Bri|taine by the space of seuen yéeres,Eutropius. & then was slaine by his companion Alectus, the which after him ruled Britaine for the space of thrée yéeres, and was in the end oppressed by the guile of Asclepiodotus gouer|nour of the pretorie, or (as I maie call him) lord lieu|tenant of some precinct and iurisdiction perteining to the Romane empire.

Also so was Britaine reco|uered by the foresaid Asclepiodotus about ten yéeres after that Carausius had first vsurped the gouern|ment there, and about the yéere of our Lord 300,300. as Polydor iudgeth, wherein he varieth much from Fa|bian and others.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 ¶But to shew what we find further written of the subduing of Alectus, I thinke it not amisse to set downe what Mamertinus in his oration written in praise of Maximianus dooth report of this matter,Mamertinus. which shall be performed in the chapter following.