5.64. Vortigerne.
Vortigerne.
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1
Vorti|gerne 446THus was Vortigerne choſen and made king
of Brytain, in the yere of our Lord .446. third Cõſulſhip of Aetius, 1197.
of Rome .4. of the 305. Olympiade .4112. of the worlde, the Dominicall
letter going by F, the Prime by ten, whiche fell about the .xxj. yeare of
the Emperour Valenti|nianus, the ſame yeare that Meroueus began to raigne
ouer the Frenchmen.
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1 Before hee was made king,
he was Earle or Duke of the Geuiſſes, a people which helde that part of
Brytaine where afterwardes the weſt Saxons inhabited.
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1 Nowe after that
Vortigerne had with trea|ſon, fraude, and greate deceyte, at length
at|teyned that for the whiche hee had long looked,Hector
Bo. hee fyrſte of all furniſhed the Tower of Lon|don wyth a ſtrong
garriſon of menne of warre.
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1 Then ſtudying to aduaunce
onely ſuch as he knew to be his eſpeciall friendes and fauourers, he ſought
by all meanes how to oppreſſe other, of whoſe good will hee had neuer ſo
little miſtruſt,415 namely thoſe that were
affectionate towardes the lynage of Conſtantine he hated deadly, and
de|uiſed by ſecrete meanes which way he might beſt deſtroy them: but theſe
his practiſes being at the firſt perceyued, cauſed ſuche as had the
gouer|nance of the two yong Gentlemen with all ſpeede to get them ouer (as
yee haue heard) into Bry|tayne Armorike, there to remaine out of daun|ger
wyth theyr Vncle the King of that lande,Fabian.
and dayly did dyuerſe of the Brytaynes, that knewe themſelues to bee in
Vortigerne his diſ|pleaſure ſayle ouer vnto them, whiche thyng brought
Vortigerne into great doubt and feare of his eſtate.
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1 It chaunced alſo the ſame
tyme, that there was greate plentye of corne, and ſtore of fruite,Gildas. the lyke whereof had not beene ſeene in manye
EEBO page image 111 yeares before,
[...]entie of [...]ealth accom| [...]nied with [...]re of ſinnes. and therevpon enſued ryote, ſtrife, lecherie,
and other vyces right heynous, and yet accounted as then for ſmall or rather
none offen|ces at all.
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1 Theſe abuſes and great
enormities, raigned not onely in the temporaltie, but alſo in the
ſpiri|tualtie and chiefe Rulers of the ſame: ſo that euerye man turned the
poynt of his ſpeare (euen as if he had conſented of purpoſe) agaynſt the
true and innocent perſon.
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1 The Commons alſo gaue
themſelues to vo|luptuous luſt, drunkenneſſe, and ydle loytering, whereof
followed fighting, contention, enuie, and much debate.
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1 Of this plentie therfore
inſued great pride, and of this abundaunce no leſſe hautineſſe of minde,
whereupon followed great wickedneſſe, lacke of good gouernment and ſober
temperancie, and in the necke of theſe as a iuſt puniſhment, death and
mortalitie, ſo that in ſome Countreys vneth the quicke ſuffiſed to burie the
dead.
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1 And for an augmentation
of more miſchiefe, the Scottes and Pictes hearing howe theyr Countreymen
through the falſe ſuggeſtion of Vortigerne had beene wrongfully and moſt
cru|elly put to death at London,Hector. Bo.
Scottes and Pictes inuade the Brytayne. beganne
wyth fyre and ſworde to make ſharpe and cruell warre agaynſt the Brytains,
waſting their Countrey,
[figure appears here on page 111] ſpoyling and burning
their townes, and giuing them the ouerthrowe in a pight fielde, as in the
Scottiſh hyſtorie more plainly appeareth.
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1 To be briefe, the
Brytaynes were brought into ſuch daunger and miſerie, that they knewe not
what way to take for remedie in ſuch pre|ſent perill, likely to bee
ouerrunne and vtterlye vanquyſhed of their
enimies.
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1 In the meane tyme
Vortigerne not onely troubled with theſe imminent euilles, but fearing alſo
the return of the two brethren, Aurelius Am|broſe, and Vter Pendragon, began
to conſider of the ſtate of things, and eſteeming it moſt ſure to worke by
aduice, called togither the Lordes and chiefe men of the Realme to haue
theyr counſaile and opinion howe to proceede in ſuch a weightie buſineſſe:
and ſo debating the matter with them,
meaſured both his own force, and alſo the force of his enimies, and
according to the condition and ſtate of the tyme, diligently conſidered
& ſearched out what remedy was to be had and prouided.
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1 At length after they had
throughly pondered al things, the more part of the nobles with the king alſo
were of this minde, that there could be no bet|ter way deuiſed, than to
ſende into Germanie for the Saxons to come to theyr ayde: The whiche Saxons
in that ſeaſon were highly re|nowmed for theyr valyauncie in armes, and
ma|nifolde aduentures heretofore atchieued.
Gildas. VVil. Malm. Beda. The Saxons ſent for. And ſo
forthwith Meſſengers were diſpatched in|to Germanie, the which with money,
giftes, and promiſes, might procure the Saxons to come to the ayde of the
Brytaynes agaynſt the Scottes and Pictes.
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1 The Saxons glad of this
meſſage, as people deſirous of entertaynment to ſerue in warres, chooſing
forth a piked companie of luſtie yong mẽ vnder the leading of two brethren
Hengiſt and Horſus,10000. hath Hector Bo. Gildas
& Beda mention onely but of .3 plates or gallies, but Hector Bo.
hath .30. 449 VVil. Malm.
got them abourde into certain veſſels ap|poynted for the purpoſe,
and ſo with all ſpeede directed their courſe towardes great Britain.
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1 This was in the yeare of
our Lorde .449. and in the ſecond yeare of Vortigerns raigne, as the moſt
autentike wryters both Brytiſh and Eng|liſhe ſeeme to gather, althoughe the
Scottiſhe wryters, and namely Hector Boetius doe varie herein, touching the
iuſt accounte of yeares, as to the pervſers of the wrytings aſwel of the one
as the other may appeare. But William Ha|riſon taketh it to bee in the
fourth yeare of his EEBO page image 112 raigne whereto Beda ſeemeth to agree,
who no|teth it in the ſame yere that Martianus the Em|perour beganne to rule
the Empyre, which was (as appeareth by the conſularie table) in the
Con|ſulſhippe of Protogenes and Auſterius, and thirde yere of Meroueus king
of France.
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1 Theſe Saxons thus
arryuing in Brytayne, were curteouſly receyued, and heartily welcomed of
King Vortigerne, who aſſigned to them places in Kent to in habite, and
forthwith ledde them agaynſt the Scots and
Pictes, which were entred into Brytaine, waſting and deſtroying the Countrey
before them.
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1 Herevpon comming to ioyne
in battail, there was a ſore fight betwixt the parties for a while, but at
length when the Saxons called to re|membraunce that the ſame was the day
whiche ſhoulde eyther purchaſe to them an euerlaſting name of manhoode by
victorie, or elſe of reproche by repulſe,Scootues [...] qui [...]
[...] the [...]
beganne to renew the fight with ſuche violence, that the enimies not
able to abyde theyr fierce charge, were ſcattered and beaten down on
[figure appears here on page 112] eche ſide with great ſlaughter.
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1 The King hauing got this
victorie, highlye rewarded the ſtraungers
according to their well deſeruings, as by whoſe prowes he had thus
van|quiſhed his enimyes,Henric. Hut. whiche as
ſome write were come as farre as Stanfourde, and vſed at that tyme to fight
wyth long Dartes, and Speares, whereas the Saxons fought onelye wyth long
ſwordes and Axes.
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1
2 There bee that haue
written howe the Sax|ons, were not ſent for, but came by chaunce into the
Ile,Calf. Mon. and the occaſion to be this:
There was an auncient cuſtome amongſt the
Engliſh Sax|ons a people in Germanie, as was alſo at the firſt among other
Nations, that when the multi|tude of them was ſo increaſed, that the
Coun|trey was not able to ſuſtayne and finde them, by commaundement of their
Princes, they ſhoulde chooſe out by lottes a number of yong and able
perſonages, fitte for the warres, which ſhould go forth to ſeeke them newe
habitations: and ſo it chaunced to theſe, that they came into great
Bri|taine, and promiſed to ſerue the king
for wages in his warres. But by what meane ſoeuer they came hither, truth
is, that Hengiſtus being a man of great wit, rare policie, and high wiſdome,
was their Captaine,Hengiſt pur|poſeth at the firſt to
con|quere the Bry|taynes. who vnderſtanding this Kings minde,
which now wholy truſted to the valiancie of the Saxons, and herewith
perceiuing the fruit|fulneſſe of the Countrey, ſtreight wayes began to
conſider with himſelfe, by what wyles and craft he might by little and
little ſettle here, and obteine a kingdome in the Ile, and to eſtabliſh the
ſame to him and to his for euer.
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1 Therefore firſt he
indeuoured with all ſpeede poſſible to fence that part of the Countrey which
was giuen to him and his people,Polidor. and to
enlarge and furniſh it with gariſons appointed in places moſt
conuenient.
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1 After this he did what he
could to perſwade the king, that a great power of men might be brought ouer
out of Germanie, that ye land being fortified with ſuch a ſtrength, the
enimies might be put in feare, and his ſubiects holden in reſt.
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1 The King not foreſeeing
the happe that was to come, did not deſpiſe this counſell contriued to the
deſtruction of his Kingdome, and ſo was more ayde ſent for into Germanie:
wherevpon now at this ſeconde tyme there arriued here.
VVil. Mal 13.
[...]oy [...] pla [...]es ſaye the Scottiſh wryters, and M. men in [...] ſame.
The Saxons call theſe V [...]|ſels Cooles, Keeles, and [...] old hyſtori [...] Cogi [...].
xvj. veſſels fraught with people, and at the ſame time came the
Ladie Rowen or Ronix, daughter to Hengyſt, a Mayde of excellent beautie and
come|lyneſſe able to delite the eyes of them that ſhoulde behold hir, and
ſpecially to win the heart of Vor|tigerne with the dart of concupiſcence,
whervnto he was of nature much inclyned, and that did Hengeſt well
perceyue.
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1 There came ouer into thys
lande at that tyme and ſoone after, three manner of people of the Germaine
Nation, as Saxons, Vita (or EEBO page image 113 Iutes,
[...]e Vitae or [...]e are called [...]ri.
[...]lex. Now.
and Angles, ouer the whiche the ſayde Hengiſt and Hors beeing
brethren, were Cap|taines and rulers, men of right noble parentage in theyr
Countrey, as diſcended of that aunci|ent Prince W [...]den, of whom the Engliſh Sax|on kings doe for the more part fetche
theyr pede|gree as lineally deſcended from him, vnto a whom alſo the Engliſh
people falſely reputing him for a God) conſecrated the fourth day of the
weeke, as they did the ſixth to his wyfe fr [...]e, ſo that the ſome dayes tooke more
of them, the one beeing called Wodenſday,
[...]edneſday, [...]d Fryday, hereof they [...]me. and the other F [...]readay, which wordes after in continuance of time by corrupti|on of
ſpeech were ſomewhat altred, though not much, as from Wodenſday, to
Wedneſday, and from Freaday to Fryday.
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1
[...]da.The foreſayde Woden was father to Vecta, father to
Wetgiſlus, that was father to the fore|ſayd Hengiſtus and Horſus.
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1 But nowe to rehearſe
further touching thoſe three people whiche
at this time came ouer into Brytayne oute of Germanie of the Vites, or
Iutes, (as Beda recordeth) are the Kentiſhmen diſcended, and the people of
the Ile of Wlight, with thoſe alſo that inhabite ouer agaynſte the ſame
Ile.
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1 Of the Saxons, came the
Eaſt Saxons, the South Saxons, and Weſt Saxons.
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1 Moreouer, of the Angles
proceeded the Eaſt Angles, the middle Angles, or Mercies, and the Northren men.
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1 That theſe Angles were a
people of Germa|nie,Cor. Tacitus. it appeareth
alſo by Cornelius Tacitus, who calling them Anglij, which worde is
of three ſil|lables, (as Polidore ſayth:) But ſome wryte it Angli,
with two ſillables.
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1 And that theſe
Angli, or Angli [...]
were of no ſmall force and authoritie in Germanie before their comming
into this lande, may appeare in that they are numbred amongeſt the twelue
na|tions there, whiche had lawes and
auncient or|dinaunces a part by them ſelues, according to the whiche the
ſtate of theyr common wealth was gouerned, they beeing the ſame, and one
people with the Thoringers, as in the tytle of the olde Thuringers lawes wee
finde recorded, whiche is thus, Lex Angliorum & VVerinorum, hoc
eſt, Thuringorum. The law of the Angles and VVe|rinians that is to
witte the Thuringers,
(whiche Thuringers are a people in Saxonie, as in the deſcription of that Countrey it may appeare) is
this.
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1
Polidor.But nowe to the matter. Hengiſt perceyuing
that his people were highly in Vortigernes fa|uour, beganne to handle him
craftily, deuyſing by what meanes hee mighte bring him im loue with his
daughter Ronix,Rowen, or Ronowen Hengiſtes
daughter. or Rowen, or Rono|wen (as ſome write) which he beleeued
wel would eaſily be brought to paſſe, bycauſe he vnderſtoode that the King
was much giuen to ſenſuall luſt,VVil. Malm. which
is the thing that often blindeth wiſe mens vnderſtanding, and maketh them to
dote, and to loſs theyr perfite wittes, yea, and oftentymes bringeth them to
deſtruction, though by ſuche pleaſant poyſon, as they feele no better taſte
tyll they be brought to the extreeme poynt of confu|ſion in deede.
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1 A greate Supper therefore
was prepared by Hengiſt, at the whiche pleaſed the King to be preſent.
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1 Hengiſt appoynted his
daughter when eue|rie man beganne to bee ſomewhat [...]er [...]ie wyth winke,Gal. Mon. to bring in a Cuppe
of Golde full of good and pleaſant wine, and to preſent it to the King
ſaying, VVaſſail. Which ſhee did in ſuch comely and decent maner,
as ſhe that knewe howe to doe it well ynough, ſo as the King marueyled
great|lye thereat, and not vnderſtanding what ſhee ment by that
ſalutation,Waſſail, what it ſignifieth.
demaunded what it ſig|nified. To whom it was aunſwered by Hingiſt, that the
wiſhed him well, and the meaning of it was, that he ſhould drinke after hir
ioyning ther|vnto this anſwere, drinke haile. Wherevpon the king (as he was
enformed) tooke the cuppe at the Damſels hand, and dranke.
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1 Finally this yong Ladie
behaued hirſelfe with ſuch pleaſant wordes, comely countenaunce, and amiable
grace, that the king behelde hir ſo long, till he felt himſelfe ſo farre in
loue with hir perſon, that he burned in continuall deſyre to enioy the ſame:
inſomuch that ſhortly after he forſooke his owne wife, by the which he had
three ſonnes,Polidor Fabian. na|med Vortimerus,
Catagrinus, and Paſcentius, and requyred of Hengiſt to haue his daughter,
the ſayde Rowen, or Ronowen in mariage.
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1 Hengiſt at the firſte
ſeemed ſtraunge to graunt to his requeſt, and excuſed the matter,VVil. Malm. for that his daughter was not of eſtate
and dignitie meete to be matched with his maieſtie. But at length as it had
beene halfe agaynſt his will hee conſented, and ſo the mariage was concluded
and ſolemnized, all Kent beeing aſſigned vnto Hengiſt in rewarde, the whiche
Countrey was before that tyme gouerned by one Guorongus, (though not with
moſt equal iuſtice) which Guo|rongus was ſubiect vnto Vortigerne, as all
other the Potentates of the Ile were.
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1 This maryage and
liberalitie of the King towardes the Straungers, muche defended the myndes
of his ſubiectes, and haſtened the fi|nall deſtruction of the lande. For the
Saxons nowe vnderſtanding the affynitie had betwixte the King and Hengiſt,
came ſo faſt ouer to in|habite here, that it was wonder to conſider in howe
ſhorte a tyme ſuche a multitude coulde come togyther: ſo that bycauſe of
theyr greate EEBO page image 114 number and approued puiſſaunce in warres,
they began to be a terrour to the former inhabitants the Brytaynes.
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1
VVil. Malm.But Hengiſt beeing no leſſe politike in
coun|ſaile than valiaunt in armes, abuſing the kings lacke of diſcretion, to
ſerue his owne turne, per|ſwaded him to call out of Germanie his brother
Occa and his ſonne named Ebuſa,Gal. ſayth he was Hengiſts
ſonne, and E|buſa his vn|cles ſonne. Occa and E|buſa leaders of
Saxons. beeing men of great valure, to the ende, that as Hengiſt
defended the lande in the South parte: ſo
mighte they keepe backe the Scottes in the North.
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1 Herevpon by the Kings
conſent, they came with a power out of Germanie, and coaſting a|boute the
lande, they ſayled to the Iles of Ork|ney, and ſore vexed the people there,
and like|wyſe the Scottes and Pictes alſo, and final|ly arriued in the North
partes of the Realme, nowe called Northumberlande, where they ſet|led
themſelues at that preſent, and ſo continued there euer after: but none of them taking vppon him the tytle of
King,VVil. Malm. de Regib. till about .99.
yeares after theyr firſt comming into that Countrey, but in the meane time
remayning as ſubiects vnto the Saxon kings of Kent.
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1 After theyr arryuall in
that Prouince, they oftentymes fought with the olde Inhabitaunts there, and
ouercame them, chaſing away ſuch as made reſiſtance, and appeaſed the
reſidue by recey|uing them vnder allegiance.
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1 When the Nobles of
Brytayne ſaw and per|ceyued in what daunger the lande ſtoode,
Fabian. The great nũ|bers of ſtraun|gers ſuſpected to the
Bry|taynes. by the dayly repayre of the huge number of Saxons
in|to the ſame, they firſt conſulted togither, and af|ter reſorting to the
King,
[...]
mooued him that ſome order might be taken for the auoyding of them,
on the more part of them, leaſte they ſhoulde with their power and great
multitude vtterly oppreſſe the Britiſh Nation. But all was in vayne, for
Vortigerne ſo eſteemed and highly fauoured the Saxons, and namely by reaſon
of the great lo [...]e which he bare to his wife, that hee lyttle regar|ded his owne
Nation, no nor yet anye thing e|ſteemed hys owne naturall kinneſmen and [...] friendes,
[...] depriued. by reaſon wherof the Brytains in [...] depriued him of all kingly honor, after that he had raigned .xvj.
yeares, and in his ſtead crowned his ſonne Vortimer.
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1 Gildas and Beda make no
mention of Vor|timer,Gilda. Beda. H. [...]
but declare howe after that the [...]|ons were receyued into thys lande, there was a couenaunt made
betwixte them and the Brytaynes, that the Saxons ſhoulde defende the
Countrey from the inuaſion of enimyes by theyr Knightly force: and that in
conſide|ration thereof, the Brytaynes ſhould finde the [...] prouiſion of vy [...]ayles: wherewith they helde their contented for a time.
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1 But afterwardes they
beganne to pyke qua|relles, as thoughe they were not ſufficiently fur|niſhed
of their due proportion of vytayles, threat|ning that if they were not
prouided more large|ly thereof, they would ſurely ſpoyle the Coun|trey.
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1 And withoute deferring
time, they perfour|med their wordes with effect of deedes, beginning in the
Eaſt part of the Ile, and with fire & ſword paſſed forth waſting and
deſtroying the Coun|trey
[figure appears here on page 114] tyll they came to
the vttermoſte parte of the Weſt:The miſerable
deſtruction made by the Saxons in this lande. ſo that from Sea to
Sea, the lande was waſted and deſtroyed in ſuche cruell and outragious
manner, that neyther Citie, towne, nor Churche was regarded, but all
committed to the fyre: the Prieſtes ſlaine and murthered euen afore the
Aulters, and the Prelates with the people without any reuerence of their
eſtate or EEBO page image 115 degree, diſpatched with fire and ſworde,
moſt la|mentably to beholde.
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1 Many of the Brytaynes
ſeeing the demea|nour of the Saxons, fledde to the Mountaynes, of the whiche
dyuerſe beeing apprehended, were cruelly ſlaine, and other were glad to come
forth and yeelde themſelues to eternall bondage, for to haue reliefe of
meate and drinke to aſſwage theyr extremitie of hunger.
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1 Some other got them out
of the realme in|to ſtraunge landes, ſo to
ſaue themſelues, and o|thers abyding ſtill in theyr Countrey, kept them
within the thicke Wooddes, and craggie Rockes, whether they were fledde,
lyuing there a poore wretched lyfe, in great feare and vnquietneſſe of
mynde.
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1 But after that the Saxons
were departed and withdrawne to theyr houſes, the Brytaynes began to take
courage to thẽ againe, iſſuing forth of thoſe places where they had lyen
hid, and with one conſent calling for ayde
at Gods hande, that they might bee preſerued from vtter deſtruction, they
beganne vnder the conduct of theyr leader Aurelius Ambroſe, to prouoke the
Saxons to battaile, and by the helpe of God they obteyned the victorie,
according to theyr owne deſyres. And from thence forth, one while the
Brytaynes, and an other while the Saxons were victors, ſo that in this
Brytiſh people, God (according to hys accuſtomed maner) as it were preſent
Iſraell, tryed them from tyme to tyme,
whether they lo|ued him or no, vnto the yeare of the ſiege of Badon hill,
where afterwardes no ſmall ſlaugh|ter was made of the enimies: whiche
chaunced the ſame yeare in the whiche Gildas was borne, (as he himſelfe
witneſſeth,
[...]o Gildas was [...]orne in the feare of our Lord .493. being aboute the
.xliiij. yeare after the comming of the Saxons into Brytaine.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Thus hath Gildas and alſo
Beda (follo|wing by likelyhoode the authoritie of the ſame Gildas) written
of theſe firſt warres begonne be|twene the Saxons and Brytains.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 But nowe to goe foorth
with the Hyſtorie: according to the order of oure Chronicles, thus wee finde
recorded touching the doings of Vor|timer that was elected King (as yee haue
hearde) to gouerne in place of his father Vorti|gerne.