5.60. Maximianus, or rather Maximus.
Maximianus, or rather Maximus.
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1
Maxi|mianus, or Ma|ximus.
[figure appears here on page 95] AFter the deceaſe of Octauius or Octa|uiã
(as the old Engliſh chronicle nameth him)
Maximianus or Ma|ximus, as the Romain writers name him begã to rule the
Britõs in ye yere of our Lord .383. he was ye ſon of one Leo|nine,383. & couſin germain to Conſtantine the
great, a valiant perſonage, & hardie of ſtomacke: but yet bicauſe he
was cruell of nature, (and as Fabian
ſaith) ſomwhat perſe|cuted the chriſtians, he was infamed by writers: but
the chief cauſe that he was euil reported, was for that he ſlew his
ſoueraign Lord, the emperor Gratianus, as after ſhall appeare, for otherwiſe
he is ſuppoſed worthie to haue hadde the rule of the empire cõmitted to his
handes in eche reſpect.
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1 Betwixte him and the
abouenamed Conan Meridoc duke of Cornwall, chaunced ſtrife and debate, ſo
that Conan got him into Scotlande, and
there purchaſing ayde, returned, and coming ouer Humber, waſted the countrey
on eche ſide. Maximianus therof hauing aduertiſement, rey|ſed his power and
went againſt him, and ſo figh|ting with him diuers batayles, ſometime
depar|ted away with victorie, and ſomtime with loſſe. At length through
mediation of frends, a peace was accorded betwixt thẽ. Finally this
Maxi|mianus, or as the Romaine hiſtories haue, Ma|ximus, was by the
ſouldioures choſen and pro|claimed Emperour here in Britayne: although ſome
write, that this was done in Spayn.
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1 After he had taken vpon
him the imperial dig|nitie, vpon deſire to haue enlarged his dominion,
Galfr. Mon. Fabian. Caxton. Mat. VVest. The Britishe youth led
forth of the realme by Maximia|nus. hee aſſembled togyther all the
choſen youthe of thys lande meete to doe ſeruice in the warres, with the
whiche hee paſſed ouer into Fraunce, and there (as our writers recorde) he
firſt ſubdued the countrey aunciently called Armorica, & ſlew in
bataile the king therof called Imball. This done he gaue ye country vnto
Conan Meridock,Britayne in France. the whiche was
there with hym, to hold the ſame of him, & of the kings of great
Britayne for euer. He alſo commaunded that the ſayde countrey from
thenceforth ſhould be called Little Britaine, and ſo was the name
changed. What people ſo euer inhabited there before, the ancient name
ar|gueth that they were rather Britons than anye other: for
Armorica in the Britiſhe tong ſigni|fieth as muche as a countrey
lying vpon the ſea.
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1 Conan then placing
himſelf and his Britons in yt quarter of Gallia, auoyded all the old
inha|bitãts, peopling ye coũtry only wt Britõs, which abhorring to ioyn
themſelues with women born in Gallia, Conan was counſailed to ſende into
Britayn for maydes to be coupled with his peo|ple in mariage.Dionethus duke of Corn|vvall. Herevpon a meſſenger
was diſ|patched vnto Dionethus at that tyme Duke of Cornewal &
gouernor of Britayn vnder Maxi|mianus,Maydes ſente
foorth requiring him to ſende ouer into little Britaine .xj.
thouſand maydes, that is to witte, viij. M. to be beſtowed vpon the meaner
forte of Conans people, and .iij. thouſand to be ioyned in mariage with the
nobles and Gentlemen. Dro|nethus to ſatiſfie the Conans requeſt, aſſembled
the appoynted number of maydes, and amongſt them, he alſo appointed his
daughter Vrſula, a lady of excellẽt beautie, to go ouer to be
giuen in mariage vnto the foreſayd Conan Meridock, as he had earneſtly
requeſted.
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1 Theſe number of maydes
were ſhipped in Thames, and paſſing forewarde toward Bri|tayne, were by
force of wether and rage of winde ſcattered abrode and part of them
drowned,Vrſula the daughter of Dionethus.
& the reſidue (amongſt whom was the forſayd Vrſu|la) were ſlayn by
Guanius king of the Hunnes, and Melga king of the Picts, into whoſe hands
they fell, the which Guanius and Melga were ſent by the emperor Gratian to
the ſea coaſts of Germanye, to oppreſſe & ſubdue all ſuch as were
frendes & maynteyners of the part of Maximus.
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1 We fynde in ſome bookes
that there were ſent ouer at that tyme .lj. M. maydes, that is to ſay, xj.M.
of Gentlewomen, and .xl.M. of others.
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1 After that Guanius and
Melga had mur|thered the foreſayd Virgins,Guanius and
Melga. they entred into the EEBO page image 96 north partes of
Britayn, where the Scots now inhabite, and beganne to make ſore warre on the
Britons, whereof when Maximus was aduertiſed, hee ſente into Britayne one
Gra|tianus, with three Legions of Souldiours, the whiche bare himſelf ſo
manfully againſt the eni|mies, that he conſtrayned the ſaid Guanius and
Melga to flee out of the land, and to withdraw into Irelande.
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1 In this meane while,
Maximus hauing ſlain the Emperour Gratian
at Lyon in France, and after entring into Italy, was ſlain himſelf at
A|quileia, (after he had gouerned the Britons eight yeares) by the Emperour
Theodoſius, whyche came in ayde of Valentinian, brother to the ſaid Emperor
Gratian, as in the Abridgement of the hiſtories of Italy ye may fynde
recorded.
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1 But heere yet before wee
make an ende with this Maximus or Maximianus, I haue thou|ghte good to ſet
downe the wordes whiche wee fynde in
Gildas, where he writeth of the ſame Maximus,
Conſobrinus. Helenae impe|ratricis.
Gildas.
vndoubtedly a Briton born, nephew to the empreſſe Helena, and begot
by a Romain. At length (ſayth Gildas) the ſpring of Tyrants budding vp, and
nowe increaſing into an huge woodde, the Iſle being called after the name of
Rome: but holding neyther maners nor lawes according to that name, but
rather caſtyng the ſame from it, ſendeth foorthe a braunche of hir moſt
bitter planting, to witte Maximus, accom|panied with a great number of warriors to gard him, and
apparelled in the imperiall robes, which he neuer ware as became him, nor
put them on in lawful wiſe, but (after the cuſtome of tyrants) was put into
them by the mutening ſouldiours: whiche Maximus at the firſt by a craftie
policie rather than by true manhood winding in (as nets of his periurie and
falſe ſuggeſtion) vnto his wic|ked gouernement, the countreys and prouinces
next adioyning, gainſte the Imperiall ſtate of Rome, ſtretching one of his wings into Spayn, &
the other into Italy, placed the throne of his moſte vniuſt empire at Trier,
and ſhewed ſuche rage in his woodde dealing agaynſt his ſoueraine lordes,
that the one of the lawfull Emperors he expulſed foorth of Rome, and the
other hee be|refte of his moſte religious and godly lyfe. And without long
tariance, compaſſed aboute with ſuche a furious and bolde garde as he hadde
got together, at the Citie of Aquileia hee loſeth his wicked head, whiche had caſt downe the moſte honourable
heades of all the worlde from theyr kingdome and Empire.
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1 From thencefoorth
Britayne bring depriued of all hir warlyke ſouldiours and armies, of hir
gouernours alſo, though cruell, and of an huge number of hir youthe (the
whiche following the ſteppes of the foreſayde tyraunt, neuer retour|ned home
agayne, ſuche as remayned beyng vt|terly vnſkilfull in feates of warre, were
trodden downe by two nations of beyonde the ſeas,
[...]
the Scots from the Weaſt, and the Pictes from the North. And as men
thus quite diſmayed, la|mente their myſerable caſe, not knowing what elſe to
doe for the ſpace of manye yeares togy|ther. By reaſon of whoſe greeuous
inuaſion and cruell oppreſſion wherewith ſhe was miſe|rably diſquieted, ſhe
ſendeth hir Ambaſſadours vnto Rome, makyng lamentable ſute euen with teares
to haue ſome power of men of warre ſent to defend hir againſt the enimies,
promiſing to be true ſubiects with all faithfulneſſe of mynd, if the enimie
might be kept off and remoued.
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1 Thus farre Gildas and
more, as in place hereafter ye ſhall fynde recited.
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1 But nowe where the
Britiſhe hiſtories, and ſuche of our Engliſhe writers as followe them make
mention of one Gratianus a Romayne ſente ouer with three Legions of
ſouldiours by Maximus, as before ye haue hearde: We may ſuppoſe that it was
Gratianus the Briton, that afterwardes vſurped the imperial dignitie here in
Britayn, in the days of the emperor Honorius: for it ſtandeth neyther with
the concurrence of tyme, nor yet with reaſon of the hiſtorie,Sextus A [...]+relius. that it ſhould be Gratianus, ſurnamed Funarius,
fa|ther to Valentinian, and grandfather to the Em+perour Gratianus, agaynſt
whome Maximus rebelled. And yet I remember not that any of the Romayn
writers maketh mention of any other Gratianus, beeyng a ſtraunger, that
ſhould be ſent hither as lieutenant to gouerne the Romain armie, except of
the foreſayd Gratianus Funa|rius,
Lib. 30. who as appeareth by Am. Marcellinus was general
of ye Romain army here in this yle, and at lengthe being diſcharged,
returned home (into Hungarie, were he was borne) with ho|nour, and there
remayning in reſt, was at length ſpoyled of his goodes by the Emperoure
Con|ſtantius as confiſcate, for that in tyme of the ciuill warres, he had
receyued Magnentius, as he paſt through his countrey.
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1
2 But lette vs graunte,
that eyther Gratianus the Briton, or ſome other of that name, was ſente ouer
into Britayne (as before is ſayd) by Maximus, leaſt otherwyſe ſome errour
maye bee doubted in the writers of the Britiſh hiſto|ries, as hauyng haply
myſtaken the tyme, and matter, bringing Eratianus Funarius to ſerue vnder
Maximus, where peraduenture that whi|che they haue redde or hearde of hym,
chaunced long before that tyme by them ſuppoſed: And ſo thorough myſtaking
the thyng, haue made a wrong reporte, where neuertheleſſe it ſtandeth with
greate lykelyhoode of trouthe, that ſome not able ſeruice of Chyualrie was
atchieued by EEBO page image 97 the ſame Gratianus Funarius whileſt he
remay|ned heere in this Iſle, if ye troth might be knowẽ of that whiche
hathe bin written by authors, and happily by the ſame Am. Marcellinus, if
his firſt thirteene Bookes might once come to lighte and be extãt. But now
to end with Maximus. Wil|liam of Malmeſburie (as yee haue hearde) wri|teth,
that not Maximus, but rather Conſtantine the Great firſte peopled Armorica:
but yet hee a|greeth, that both Maximus, and alſo Conſtanti|nus the vſurper, of whome after yee ſhall heare, ledde
with them a great number of the Britaines out of this lande, the which
Maximus or Max|imianus and Conſtantinus afterwardes beeyng ſlayne, the one
by Theodoſius, and the other by Honorius, the Britaynes that followed them
to the warres, parte of them were killed, and the re|ſidue eſcaping by
flighte, withdrewe vnto the o|ther Britaynes whiche Conſtantine the Greate
had firſt placed in Armorica. And ſo when the Tyrantes had left none in the countrey but rude people,
nor any in the Townes but ſuch as were giuen to ſlouth and glutony, Britayne
beeyng voyde of all ayde of hir valiant youth, became a pray to hir next
neyghbors the Scottes & Pictes.
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1 Here is yet to bee
conſidered in what price the Souldiers of the Brittiſh nation were hadde in
thoſe dayes, with whoſe onely puiſſance Maxi|mus durſt take vpon him to goe
againſt all other the forces of the whole Romayne Empire: and how he proſpered in that daungerous aduenture, it
is expreſſed ſufficiently in the Romayne Hi|ſtories, by whoſe report it
appeareth, that hee dyd not only conquere all the hither partes of France
and Germany, namely on this ſide the Rhine, but alſo founde meanes to
entrappe the Emperoure Gratian by this kind of policie.William Har| [...]ſon out of Paulus Diaco. [...]ib. 12. & aliis. He had a faithfull friend called
Andragatius, who was Admirall of the Seas perteyning to the Empire. It was
therefore agreed betwixte them, that this An|dragatius (with a choſen company of the army) ſhould be carried in
ſecret wiſe in a coch towards Lions,Triparti. hiſt. lib.
9. cap. 21.
as if it hadde bin Conſtantia-Poſthumia the Empreſſe, wife to the
Emperoure Gratian, bruting abrode therewithall, that the ſayd Em|preſſe was
comming forwardes on hir way to Lions, there to meete with hir huſbande, for
that vpõ occaſion ſhe was very deſirous to commune with him about certayne
earneſt buſineſſe.
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1 When Gracian hearde
heereof, as one mi|ſtruſting no ſuche
diſſimulation, he made haſt to meete his wife, and comming at length without
any great gard about hym, as one not in doubte of any treaſon, approched the
coche, where ſuppo|ſing to find his wife, he found thoſe that ſtraight|wayes
murthered him: and ſo was hee there diſ|patched out of life by the ſayd
Andragatius, who leapte foorthe of the coche to worke that feate when he had
him once within his daunger.
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1
2 Thus did the Emperoure
Grocian finiſh hys life in the .29. yeare of his age, on the .25. of
Au|guſt, in the yeare of Chriſt .383. and then dyed.
383
This Flauius Victor he be|gate of his wife Helena the daughter of
Eudes.
H. Llhuyd.
Maximus ſucceded him (making his ſonne Fla|uius Victor Nobiliſſimus
aſſiſtante with hym in the Empire) raigning fiue yeares and two dayes. In
the beginning of his raigne Valenti|nian the yonger made great ſuite to him
to haue his fathers body, but it woulde not be graunted. Afterwardes alſo
Maximus was earneſtly re|queſted to come to an enterviewe with the ſame
Valentinian, who promiſed him not only a ſafe conduct, but alſo many other
beneficiall good turnes beſyde. Yet Maximus durſt not putte himſelfe in any
ſuch hazard, but rather meant to purſue Valentinian as an vſurper, and ſo at
length chaſed hym into Slauonie, where he was driuen to ſuch a
ſtreight,Valentinian put in danger by Maximus.
that if Theodoſius had not come to releeue him, Maximus hadde driuen him
thence alſo, or elſe by ſlaughter ridde hym out of the way. But when Maximus
thoughte himſelfe moſt aſſured,VV. Hariſon. and ſo
eſtabliſhed in the Empire, as hee doubted no perils, hee liued care|leſſe of
his owne ſafegard, and therefore diſmiſſed hys Brittiſhe Souldiers, who
retiring into the Northweſt partes of Gallia, placed themſelues there among
theyr countreymen whiche were broughte ouer by the Emperoure Conſtantius,
whileſt Maximus paſſing the reſidue of hys time in delites and pleaſures,
was ſurpriſed in the ende and ſlayne by Theodoſius, neere vnto Aquileia the
.27.Eutropius. of Auguſt in the yeare of grace
388. and in the beginning of the ſixth yeare of hys raigne, or rather
vſurpation,388 as more rightly it may be
tearmed.
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1 His ſonne Flauius Victor
ſurnamed Nobi|liſſimus was alſo diſpatched and brought to hys ende, not
farre from the place where his father was ſlayne,Arbogaſtes. by the practiſe of one Arboga [...]es a Goth, whiche Flanius Victor was by the ſayde Maximus made Regente
of the Frankey [...]ers, and partaker (as before is ſayde) with him in the Empire.
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1 After this, the Ile of
Britayne remayned in meetely good quiet by the ſpace of twentie yeares, till
one Marcus (that was then Legate or as we may call him Lorde Lieutenante or
deputie of Britayne for the Romaynes) was by the Souldiers heere proclaymed
Emperour againſt Honorius, whiche Marcus was ſoone after killed in a tumult
rayſed among the people within few dayes after his begunne vſurpation.
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1 Then one Gracianus a
Britaine borne;Gracianus a Britayne. He raigned four
yeares if we ſhall be|leeue the Brittiſh hiſto|rie. ſuc|ceeded in
his place, who was alſo ſlayne in the fourth moneth after he had taken vppon
hym the imperiall ornamentes.
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1
2
3 The Souldiers not yet
heerewith pacifyed, EEBO page image 98 proceeded to the election of an
other Emperoure, or rather vſurper, and ſo pronounced a noble Gentleman
called Conſtantine, borne alſo in Britayne, to be Emperoure, who tooke that
ho|nour vpon him in the .409.409 yeare after the
birth of our Sauiour, continuing his raigne by the ſpace of two yeares and
odde monethes, as the Ro|mayne hiſtories make mention. Some reporte this
Conſtantine to be of no great towardly diſ|poſition worthy to gouerne an
Empire, and that the Souldiers choſe him
rather for the names ſake, bycauſe they would haue another Conſtan|tine,
more than for anye vertues or ſufficiente qualities found in his perſon. But
other commẽd him, both for manhoode and wiſedome, wherein to ſpeake a
troth, hee deſerued ſingular commen|dation, if this one note of vſurpation
of the Im|periall dignitie had not ſtayned his other noble qualities. But
heerein he did no more than many other woulde haue done, neyther yet after
his in|ueſture he did ſo muche as was
looked for at hys handes. Beeyng placed in the Imperial throne, he gathereth
an army with all poſſible endeuour, purpoſing out of hande to goe ouer
therewith in|to France, and ſo did, thinking thereby to winne the poſſeſſion
of that countrey out of the handes of Honorius, or at the leaſt to worke ſo
as hee ſhoulde not haue the Souldiers and people there to be againſt him if
he miſſed to ioyne in league with the Suabeyners, Alanes, and Vandales,
which he ſought to performe: but in the ende, whẽ neyther of theſe his
deuiſes coulde take place, hee ſendeth ouer for his ſonne Conſtans, (whome
in his abſẽce his aduerſaries had ſhorn a Monke) and making him partaker
with him in the Em|pire, hee cauſed him to bring ouer with him ano|ther
army, whiche vnder the conduct of the ſame Conſtans hee ſente into Spayne to
bring that countrey vnder his obeyſance. This Conſtans therefore comming
vnto the paſſages that leade ouer the Pyrenine Mountaynes, Dindimus and
Verianianus two brethren, vnto whom the kee|ping of thoſe paſſages was
committed to defende the ſame againſte the Vandalles and all other enemies
of the Empire,His Souldi [...] were P [...] and p [...]
[...]+mong [...] men of [...] that ſerued vnder the [...]+ſignes of the Empire, a [...] were [...] after Ho|us, H [...]|ciani. Bl [...]d [...].
were ready to reſiſt hym with their ſeruants and countreymen that
inha|bited thereaboutes, giuing him a right ſharpe en|counter, and at the
firſt putting him in great dan|ger of an ouerthrow, but yet at length by the
va|liant prowes of his Brittiſhe Souldiers Con|ſtans put his aduerſaries to
flighte, and killed the two Captaynes with diuers other men of name that
were partakers with him in the neceſſary de|fence of the countrey againſt
the enimies.
[figure appears here on page 98]
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1
2 When Conſtans had thus
repulſed thoſe that reſiſted him, the cuſtodie of the paſſages in the
Pi|renine Mountaynes was committed vnto ſuche bandes of Pictes and other as
were appoynted to to goe with him about the atchieuing of this en|terpriſe,
who hauing the poſſeſſiõ of thoſe ſtreites or paſſages in their handes,
gaue entrie vnto o|ther barbarous nations
to inuade Spayne, who being once entred, purſued the former inhabitants with
fire and ſworde, ſettled themſelues in that coũtrey, and droue out the
Romaines. The Em|peror Honorius perceyuing the reeling ſtate of ye Empire,
determined foorthwith to recouer it be|fore it fell altogither into ruine:
& therefore he ſent one Conſtantius an Earle to driue Conſtantine
out of Gallia, which he acordingly performed: for after certayne bickerings,
he ſlew ye ſayd Conſtã|tine at Arles, although not without great
bloud|ſhed. He purſued alſo ye reſidue of ye Britains, dri|uing thẽ to
ye very Sea coaſts, where they ſhrou|ded thẽſelues amõg the other
Britayns, yt before wer ſettled in the countrey there, antiently called (as
before we ſayd) Armorica, yt is, a region lying on ye ſea coaſt: for
Ar in the Brittiſh tong ſignifi|eth vpon, &
Moure perteining to the Sea. And as this Conſtantine ye father
was ſlayn by Cõſtan|tius, ſo was Cõſtans ye ſon killed at Vienna by one
of his owne Captaynes named Gerontius, wherby it came to paſſe, ye Honorius
ſhortly after hauing thus obteined ye victory of both theſe vſur|pers EEBO page image 186 recouered the Iſle,
[...]. Harriſon. but yet not till the yeare next following, and
that by the high induſtrie & great diligence of that valiant
Gentleman Earle Conſtantius. The ſlaughter of Conſtantine and his ſonne
hapned in the firſt yeare of the .297. O|lympiade 465. after the comming of
Ceſar .162. after the building of Rome, the dominicall letter being A. and
the golden number .13. ſo that the re|couering of the Ilande fell in the
yeare of oure Lord .411.
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1
2
3
411Heere alſo is eftſoones to bee conſidered the
valure of the Brittiſhe Souldiers, who follo|wing this laſt remembred
Conſtantine the vſur|per, did put the Romayne ſtate in great daunger, and by
force brake through into Spayne, van|quiſhing thoſe that kept the ſtreights
of ye moun|taynes betwixt Spayne and Gallia, nowe called France, an exployt
of no ſmall conſequence, ſith thereby the number of Barbarous nations gote
free paſſage to enter into Spayne,
whereof enſued many battayles, ſackings of Cities and townes, and waſting of
the countreys accordingly as the furious rage of thoſe fierce people was
moued to put their crueltie in practiſe. If therefore the Bri|tayne writers
hadde conſidered and marked the valiant exploytes and noble enterpriſes
which the Brittiſh aydes, armyes and legions atchieued in ſeruice of the
Romayne Emperours (by whome whileſt they had the gouernement ouer thys Iſle,
there were at ſundry times notable numbers cõ|ueyed forth into the parties of beyonde the Seas, as by Albinus
and Conſtantius, alſo by his ſonne Conſtantine the great, by Maximus, and by
this Conſtantine, both of them vſurpers) if (I ſay) the Brittiſh writers had
taken good note of the num|bers of the Brittiſhe youth thus conueyed ouer
from hence, and what notable exploytes they boldly attempted, and no leſſe
manfully atchie|ued, they needed not to haue giuen eare vnto the fabulous reportes forged by their Bardes of
Ar|thur and other their Princes worthy indeede of high cõmendation. And
pitie it is, that theyr fame ſhoulde bee brought by ſuche meanes out of
cre|dite by the incredible and fonde fables whyche haue bin deuiſed of their
actes ſo vnlike to be true, as the tales of Robin Hood, or the ieſtes
written by Arioſt the Italian in his booke entituled Or|lando
Furioſo, ſith the ſame writers had other|wiſe true matter ynough to
write of concernyng the worthy feates by
their countreymen in thoſe dayes in forraine parties boldly enterpriſed and
no leſſe valiantly accompliſhed, as alſo ye warres whiche nowe and then
they maynteyned a|gainſt the Romaynes here at home, in times whẽ they felte
themſelues oppreſſed by their tyranni|cal gouernement, as by yt which is
written before of Caratacus, Voadicia, Cartimãdua, Venuſi|us, Galgagus or
Galdus (as ſome name him) and diuers other, who for their noble valiancies
de|ſerue as much prayſe, as by tong or pen is able to be expreſſed. But nowe
to returne vnto the Brit|tiſh hiſtorie: we will proceede in order with theyr
Kings as wee fynde them in the ſame mentio|ned, and therefore we haue
thought good to ſpeake ſomewhat further of Gracian from whome [...] haue digreſſed.