4.33. Gratians rough regiment procureth his owne destruction, the comming of his two brethren Guanius and Melga with their armies, the Scots and Picts plague the Britains, they send for aid to Rome, Valentinian sendeth Gal|lio Rauenna to releeue them, the Romans refuse anie longer to succour the Britains, whom they taught how to make ar|mour and weapons, the Scots and Picts enter afresh into Bri|taine and preuaile, the Britains are brought to extreme mi|serie, ciuill warres among them, and what mischiefe dooth follow therevpon, their lamentable letter to Actius for succour against their enimies, their sute is denied, at what time the Britains ceased to be tributaries to the Romans, they send ambassadors to the K. of Britaine in France, and obteine their sute. The xxxiij. Chapter.
EEBO page image 70Gratians rough regiment procureth his owne destruction, the comming of his two brethren Guanius and Melga with their armies, the Scots and Picts plague the Britains, they send for aid to Rome, Valentinian sendeth Gal|lio Rauenna to releeue them, the Romans refuse anie longer to succour the Britains, whom they taught how to make ar|mour and weapons, the Scots and Picts enter afresh into Bri|taine and preuaile, the Britains are brought to extreme mi|serie, ciuill warres among them, and what mischiefe dooth follow therevpon, their lamentable letter to Actius for succour against their enimies, their sute is denied, at what time the Britains ceased to be tributaries to the Romans, they send ambassadors to the K. of Britaine in France, and obteine their sute. The xxxiij. Chapter.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 _GRatianus then,Gratia|nus. whome Maximus or Maximinus had sent into Britaine (as before ye haue heard) hearing that his maister was slaine, tooke vpon him the rule of this our Britaine, and made himselfe king therof, in the yeare 390. He was a Britaine borne, as Polydor writeth, coniecturing so,390. by that he is named of authors to be Municeps, that is to saie, a frée man of the countrie or citie where he inhabited. For his sternehesse and rough gouernement, he was of the Britains (as the histories alledge)Of the Ro|mane souldi|ers as Blon|dus saith. slaine and dispatched out of the waie, after he had reigned the space of foure yeares, or rather foure moneths, as should seeme by that which is found in autentike writers. Then the forenamed kings Guanius and Melga, which (as some write) were brethren,Galfrid. Caxton. returned into this land with their armies increased with new supplies of men of warre, as Scots, Danes, the Norwegi|ans, and destroied the countrie from side to side. For the Britains in this season were sore inféebled, and were not able to make anie great numbers of souldiers, by reason that Maximus had led foorth of the land the floure and chiefest choise of all the Bri|tish youth into Gallia,Galfrid. Matth. West. Caxton. as before ye haue heard.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Gyldas maketh no mention of these two kings Guanius and Melga of the Hunnes,Gyldas. but rehear|sing this great destruction of the land, declareth (as before ye haue heard) that the Scots and Picts were the same that did all the mischiefe, whome he calleth two nations of beyond the seas, the Scots comming out of the northwest, and the Picts out of the northeast, by whome (as he saith) the land was ouerrun, and brought vnder foot manie yeares af|ter. Therefore the Britains being thus vexed, spoi|led, and cruellie persecuted by the Scots and Picts (if we shall so take them) sent messengers with all spéed vnto Rome to make sute for some aid of men of war to be sent into Britaine. Wherevpon imme|diatlie a legion of souldiers was sent thither in the yéere 414,414. which easilie repelled the enimies, and chased them backe with great slaughter, to the great comfort of the Britains, the which by this meanes were deliuered from danger of vtter destruction, as they thought.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 But the Romans being occasioned to depart a|gaine out of the land, appointed the Britains to make a wall (as had béene aforetime by the em|perours Adrian, Antoninus and Seuerus ouer|thwart the countrie from sea to sea,Beda and Polychron. stretching from Penuelton vnto the citie of Aclud, whereby the eni|mies might be staid from entring the land: but this wall being made of turfs and sods, rather than with stones, after the departure of the Romans was easi|lie ouerthrowne by the Scots and Picts, which eut|soones returned to inuade the confines of the Bri|tains, and so entring the countrie, wasted and de|stroied the places before them, according to their former custome. Herevpon were messengers with most lamentable letters againe dispatched towardsGyldas. Polychron. Beda. Matth West. Rome for new aid against those cruell enimies, with promise, that if the Romans would now in this great necessitie helpe to deliuer the land, they should be assured to find the Britains euermore obedient subiects, and redie at their commandement. Ua|lentinianus (pitieng the case of the poore Britains)Blondus. appointed another legion of souldiers (of the which one Gallio of Rauenna had the leading)Gallio Ra|uenna sent into Brit|taine. to go to their succours, the which arriuing in Britaine set on the enimies, and giuing them the ouerthrow, slue a great number of them, and chased the residue out of the countrie.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 The Romans thus hauing obteined the victorie, declared to the Britains, that from thencefoorth they would not take vpon them for euerie light oc|casion so painefull a iournie, alledging how there was no reason why the Romane ensignes, with such a number of men of warre, should be put to tra|uell so far by sea and land, for the repelling and bea|ting backe of a sort of scattering rouers and pilfring théeues. Wherfore they aduised the Britains to looke to their dueties, and like men to indeuour them|selues to defend their countrie by their owne force from the enimies inuasions. And because they iud|ged it might be an helpe to the Britains, they set in hand to build a wall yet once againe ouerthward the Ile, in the same place where the emperour SeuerusA wall built ouerthwart the Iland Beda. caused his trench and rampire to be cast. This wall which the Romans now built with helpe of the Bri|tains, was 8 foot in bredth and 12 in length, trauer|sing the land from east to west, & was made of stone.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 After that this wall was finished,Gyldas and Beda. the Romans exhorted the Britains to plaie the men, and shewed them the way how to make armor & weapons. Be|sides this, on the coast of the east sea where their ships lay at rode, & where it was douted that the enimies would land, they caused towers to be erected, with spaces betwixt, out of the which the seas might be dis|couered. These things ordered, the Romans bad the Britains farewell, not minding to returne thither againe.Gyldas. The Romans then being gon out of the land, the Scots and Picts knowing thereof, by & by came againe by sea, & being more emboldened than before, bicause of the deniall made by the Romans to come any more to the succor of the Britains, they tooke in|to possession all the north and vttermost bounds of the Ile, euen vnto the foresaid wall, therein to re|maine as inhabitans.This chanced in the yere 43. as M. W. saith And wheras the Britains got them to their wall to defend the same, that the eni|mies should not passe further into the countrie, they were in the end beaten from it, and diuers of them slaine, so that the Scots and Picts entred vpon them and pursued them in more cruell maner than before, so that the Britains being chased out of their cities, townes, and dwelling houses, were constreined to flie into desert places, and there to remaine and liue after the maner of sauage people, and in the end be|gan to rob and spoile one another, so to auoid the dan|ger of staruing for lacke of food: and thus at the last the countrie was so destroied and wasted, that there was no other shift for them that was left aliue to liue by, except onelie by hunting and taking of wild beasts and foules. And to augment their miserie, the commons imputing the fault to rest in the lords and Hector Boet. Rebellion. gouernors, arose against them in armes, but were vanquished and easilie put to fight at two seuerall times, being beaten downe and slaine (through lacke of skill) in such numbers, especiallie the latter time, EEBO page image 71 that the residue which escaped, withdrew into the craggie mounteins, where within the bushes and caues they kept themselues close, sometimes com|ming downe and fetching away from the heards of beasts and flocks of shéepe which belonged to the no|bles and gentlemen of the countrie, great booties to relieue them withall. But at length oppressed with ex|treme famine, when neither part could long remaine in this state, as néeding one anothers helpe, necessi|tie made peace betwixt the lords and commons of the land, all iniuries being pardoned and cléerelie for|giuen. This ciuill warre decaied for force of the Britains,Ciuill warre decaied the force of the Britains. What mis|chiefe follow of ciuill warres. little lesse than the tyrannicall practises of Maximus, for by the auoiding of the commons thus out of their houses, the ground laie vntilled, whereof insued such famine for the space of thrée yéeres togi|ther, that a woonderfull number of people died for want of sustenance.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Thus the Britains being brought generallie in|to such extreame miserie, they thought good to trie if they might purchase some aid of that noble man Ac|tius,Actius. which at that time remained in France as yet called Gallia, gouerning the same as lieutenant vnder the emperor Honorius: and herevpon taking counsell togither, they wrote a letter to him, the te|nor whereof insueth.
4.33.1. To Actius thrise consull.
To Actius thrise consull.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 _THe lamentable request of vs the Bri|tains, beseeching you of aid to bee ministred vnto the prouince of the Romane empire, vnto our countrie, vnto our wiues and children at this present, which stand in most extreame perill. For the barbarous people driue vs to the sea, and the sea driueth vs backe vnto them againe. Hereof rise two kinds of death, for either we are slaine, or drowned, and against such euils haue we no remedie nor helpe at all. Therefore in respct of your clemencie, succor your owne we most instantlie require you, &c.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Notwithstanding the Britains thus sought for aid at Actius hands as then the emperours lieutenant,The Bri|tains could get no aid frõ the Romans. yet could they get none; either for that Actius would not, as he that passed litle how things went, bicause he bare displeasure in his mind against Ualentinian as then emperor; or else for that he could not, being o|therwise constreined to imploie all his forces in o|ther places against such barbarous nations as then inuaded the Romane empire. And so by that means was Britaine lost, and the tribute which the Bri|tains were accustomed to pay to the Romans ceas|sed, iust fiue hundred yéeres after that Iulius Ce|sar first entred the Ile.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 The Britains being thus put to their shifts, ma|nie of them as hunger-starued were constrained to yéeld themselues into the griping hands of their eni|mies, whereas other yet kéeping within the moun|teins, woods and caues, brake out as occasion ser|ued vpon their aduersaries, and then first (saith Gyl|das) did the Britains not putting their trust in man but in God (according to the saieng of Philo, Where mans helpe faileth, it is needfull that Gods helpe be present) make slaughter of their enimies that had béene accustomed manie yéeres to rob and spoile them in maner as before is recited, and so the bold attempts of the enimies ceassed for a time,Punishment ceaseth, but sin increaseth. but the wickednesse of the British people ceassed not at all. The enimies departed out of the land, but the inha|bitants departed not from their naughtie dooings, being not so readie to put backe the common eni|mies, as to exercise ciuill warre and discord among themselues. The wicked Irish people departed home, to make returne againe within a while after. But the Picts settled themselues first at that season in the vttermost bounds of the Ile, and there conti|nued, making insurrections oftentimes vpon their neighbours, and spoiling them of their goods.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 This with more also hath Gyldas, and likewise Beda written of this great desolation of the British Galfridus. Gyldas his words are to be considered. people: wherein if the words of Gyldas be well weighed and considered, it maie lead vs to thinke, that the Scots had no habitations here in Bri|taine, but onelie in Ireland, till after this season, and that at this present time the Picts, which before inhabited within the Iles of Orkenie, now placed themselues in the north parts of Scotland, and after by processe of time came and nestled themselues in Louthian, in the Mers, and other countries more neere to our borders. But to procéed.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 The British histories affirme, that whilest the Bri|tains were thus persecuted by these two most cruell and fierce nations the Scots and Picts, the noble and chiefest men amongst them consulted togither, & concluded to send an honorable ambassage vnto Al|droenus as then king of little Britaine in Gallia,An ambassage sent from the Britains vn|to Aldroenus king of Bri|taine in France. which Aldroenus was the fourth from Cnoan Meri|doc the first king there of the British nation. Of this ambassage the archbishop of London named Gue|theline or Gosseline was appointed the chiefe and principall, who passing ouer into little Britaine, and comming before the presence of Aldroenus, so decla|red the effect of his message, that his suit was gran|ted. For Aldroenus agréed to send his brother Con|stantine ouer into great Britaine with a conuenient power,Constantine the brother of Aldroenus. vpon condition, that the victorie being ob|teined against the enimies, the Britains should make him king of great Britaine.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 ¶Thus it is apparent, that this land of Britaine was without anie certeine gouernour (after that Gratian the vsurper was dispatched) a number of yéeres togither, but how manie, writers in their ac|count do varie.Fabian. Fabian deposeth by diuers coniecturs that the space betwixt the death of Gratian, and the beginning of the reigne of the said Constantine, brother; to Aldroenus, continued nine and thirtie yéeres, during which time the Britains were sore and miserablie afflicted by the inuasions of the Scots and Picts, as before ye haue heard by testimonies taken out of Beda, Gyldas, Geffrey of Monmouth, and other writers both British and English.