1.1. [figure appears here on page 1] Who inhabited this Iland be|fore the comming of Brute: of Noah & his three sonnes, among whom the whole earth was di|uided: and to which of their portions this Ile of Bri|taine befell. The first Chapter.

[figure appears here on page 1]

Who inhabited this Iland be|fore the comming of Brute: of Noah & his three sonnes, among whom the whole earth was di|uided: and to which of their portions this Ile of Bri|taine befell. The first Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _WHat manner of peo|ple did first inhabite this our country, which hath most generallie and of longest continu|ance béene knowne a|mong all nations by the name of Britaine as yet is not certeinly knowne; neither can it be decided frõ whence the first inhabitants there of came, by reason of such diuersitie in iudgements as haue risen amongst the learned in this behalfe.The originall of nations for the most part vncerteine. But sith the originall in ma|ner of all nations is doubtfull, and euen the same for the more part fabulous (that alwaies excepted which we find in the holie scriptures) I wish not any man to leane to that which shall be here set downe as to an infallible truth, sith I doo but onlie shew o|ther mens coniectures, grounded neuerthelesse vp|on likelie reasons, concerning that matter whereof there is now left but little other certeintie, or rather none at all.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 To fetch therefore the matter from the farthest,whither Bri|taine were an Iland at the first. and so to stretch it forward,Geog. com. lib. it séemeth by the report of Dominicus Marius Niger that in the beginning, when God framed the world,No Ilands at the first, as some coniec|ture. and diuided the waters apart from the earth, this Ile was then a parcell of the continent, and ioined without any separation of sea to the maine land. But this opinion (as all other the like vncerteinties) I leaue to be discussed of by the learned: howbeit for the first inhabitation of this Ile with people, I haue thought good to set downe in part, what may be gathered out of such writers as haue touched that matter, and may séeme to giue some light vnto the knowledge thereof.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 First therefore Iohn Bale our countrieman, who in his time greatlie trauelled in the search of such an|tiquities,In the first part of the acts of the English vota|ries. dooth probablie coniecture, that this land was inhabited and replenished with people long be|fore the floud, and that time in the which the generati|on of mankind (as Moses writeth) began to multi|plieBritaine in|habited before the floud. vpon the vniuersall face of the earth:Genesis. 6 and ther|fore it followeth, that as well this land was inhabi|ted with people long before the daies of Noah,Berosus ant. lib. [...] as any the other countries and parts of the world be|side. But when they had once forsaken the ordinan|ces appointed them by God, and betaken them to new waies inuented of themselues, such loosenesse of life ensued euerie where, as brought vpon them the great deluge and vniuersall floud, in the which peri|shed as well the inhabitants of these quarters, as the residue of the race of mankind, generallie dis|persed in euerie other part of the whole world, onelie Noah & his familie excepted, who by the prouidence and pleasure of almightie God was preserued from the rage of those waters, to recontinue and repaire the new generation of man vpon earth.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 AFter the flood (as Annius de Viterbo recordeth)Noah. and reason also enforceth,In comment. su|per 4. lib. Berosus de anti|quit. lib. 1. Annisus vt supr. Noah was the onlie monarch of all the wrold, and as the same Annius ga|thereth by the account of Moses in the 100. yeare af|ter the flood, Noah diuided the earth among his thrée sonnes; assigning to the possession of his eldest sonne all that portion of land which now is knowne by the name of Asia; to his second sonne Cham, he ap|pointed all that part of the world which now is called Affrica: and to his third sonne Iaphet was allotted all Europa, with all the Iles therto belonging, wher|in among other was conteined this our Ile of Bri|taine, with the other Iles thereto perteining.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 IAphet the third son of Noah, of some called Ia|petus,Iaphet and his sonnes. and of others, Atlas Maurus (because he departed this life in Mauritania) was the first (as Bodinus affirmeth by the authoritie and consent ofIohannes Bodi|nus ad fac. hist. cogn. the Hebrue, Gréeke & Latine writers) that peopled the countries of Europe, which afterward he diuided among his sonnes:Franciscus Tarapha. of whom Iuball (as Tarapha affirmeth) obteined the kingdome of Spaine. Go|mer had dominion ouer the Italians, and (as Bero|sus and diuers other authors agrée) Samothes was the founder of Celtica, which conteined in it (as Bale witnesseth) a great part of Europe, but speciallie those countries which now are called by the names of Gallia and Britannia.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Thus was the Iland inhabited and peopled with|inBritaine in|habited short|lie after the floud. 200 yéeres after the floud by the children of Ia|phet the sonne of Noah: & this is not onlie prooued by Annius, writing vpon Berosus, but also confirmed by Moses in the scripture, where he writeth, that of the offspring of Iaphet, the Iles of the Gentiles (wherof Britain is one) were sorted into regions in the time of Phaleg the sonne of Hiber, who was borne at the time of the diuision of languages. Herevpon Theo|philus Theophilus epis|cop. Antioch. ad An [...]ol. lib. 2. hath these words: Cùm priscis temporibus pauei forant homines in Arabia & Chaldaea, post linguarum di|uisonem aucti & multiplicati paulatim sunt: The words of Theophi|lus a doctor of the church, who liued an. Dom. 160. hinc quidam abierunt versus orientem, quidam concessere ad partes maioris, continentis, alij porrò profecti sunt ad septentrionem sedes quae|siu [...]i, nec priùs desierunt terram vbi occupare, quàm etiam [...] annos in Arctois climatibus accesserint, &c. That is; EEBO page image 2 When at the first there were not manie men in Ara|bia and Chaldaea, it came to passe, that after the diui|sion of toongs, they began somewhat better to in|crease and multiplie, by which occasion some of them went toward the east, and some toward the parts of the great manie land: diuers went also north|wards to seeke them dwelling places, neither staid they to replenish the earth as they went, till they came vnto the Iles of Britaine, lieng vnder the north pole. Thus far Theophilus.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 These things considered, Gildas the Britaine had great reason to thinke, that this countrie had bene inhabited from the beginning. And Polydor Virgil was with no lesse consideration hereby induced to confesse, that the Ile of Britaine had receiued inha|bitants foorthwith after the floud.

1.2. Of Samothes, Magus, Sarron, Druis, and Bardus, fiue kings suc|ceeding each other in regiment ouer the Celts and Samotheans, and how manie hundred yeeres the Celts inhabited this Iland. The second Chapter.

Of Samothes, Magus, Sarron, Druis, and Bardus, fiue kings suc|ceeding each other in regiment ouer the Celts and Samotheans, and how manie hundred yeeres the Celts inhabited this Iland. The second Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _SAmothes the first begot|ten sonne of Iaphet called by Moses Mesech,Gen. 2. Dis,De migr. gen. by others receiued for his portion (according to the report of Wolfgangus Lazius) all the countrie lieng betwéene the riuer of Rhene and the Py|renian mountains, where he founded the kingdome of Celtica ouer his people called Celtae. Which name Bale affirmeth to haue bene indifferent to the inha|bitants both of the countrie of Gallia,Cent. 1. and the Ile of Britaine, & that he planted colonies of men (brought foorth of the east parts) in either of them, first in the maine land, and after in the Iland.Anti. lib. 1. He is reported by Berosus to haue excelled all men of that age in lear|ning and knowledge:Bale script. Brit. cent. 1. and also is thought by Bale to haue imparted the same among his people; name|lie, the vnderstanding of the sundrie courses of the starres,Caesar commen [...]. lib. 8. the order of inferiour things, with manie o|ther matters incident to the morall and politike go|uernment of mans life: and to haue deliuered the same in the Phenician letters: out of which the Gréekes (according to the opinion of Achilochus) deuised & deriued the Gréeke characters,In epithes. temp. De aequiuocis contra Appio|nem. insomuch that Xenophon and Iosephus doo constantlie report (although Diogenes Laertius be against it) that both the Gréekes and other nations receiued their letters and learning first from these countries.Lib. de Magic. success. lib. 22. Of this king and his learning arose a sect of philosophers (saith An|nius) first in Britaine, and after in Gallia, the which of his name were called Samothei. They (as Aristo|tle and Secion write) were passing skilfull both in the law of God and man: and for that cause excéeding|lie giuen to religion,Script. Brit. cent. 1. De ant. Cant. cent. lib. 1. especiallie the inhabitants of this Ile of Britaine, insomuch that the whole nation did not onelie take the name of them, but the Iland it selfe (as Bale and doctor Caius agree) came to be called Samothea, This Ile cal|led Samo|thes. which was the first peculiar name that euer it had, and by the which it was especiallie knowne before the arriuall of Albion.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 MAgus the sonne of Samothes,Magus the son of Samothes Lib. 9. after the death of his father, was the second king of Celtica; by whome (as Berosus writeth) there were manie townes builded among the Celts, which by the wit|nesse of Annius did beare the addition of their foun|der Magus:Annius in co [...] men. super [...]|dem. Geogr. of which townes diuers are to be found in Ptolomie: And Antoninus a painfull surueior of the world and searcher of cities, maketh mention of foure of them here in Britaine, Sitomagus, Neo|magus, Niomagus, and Nouiomagus. Neomagus sir Thomas Eliot writeth to haue stood where the ci|tie of Chester now standeth; Niomagus, George Lillie placeth where the towne of Buckingham is now remaining. Beside this, Bale dooth so highlie commend the foresaid Magus for his learning re|nowned ouer all the world, that he would haue the Persians, and other nations of the south and west parts, to deriue the name of their diuines called Ma|gi from him. In déed Rauisius Textor, and sir Iohn Prise affirme, that in the daies of Plinie, the Britons were so expert in art magike, that they might be thought to haue first deliuered the same to the Per|sians. What the name of Magus importeth, and of what profession the Magi were, Tullie declareth at large,De diui. lib. 1. DE fastis li. 5. and Mantuan in briefe, after this maner:

Ille penes Persas Magus est, qui sidera norit,

Qui sciat herbarum vires cultumú deorum,

Persepoli facit ista magos prudentia triplex.

The Persians terme him Magus, that

the course of starres dooth knowe,

The power of herbs, and worship due

to God that man dooth owe,H. F.

By threefold knowledge thus the name

of Magus then dooth growe.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 SArron the third king of the Celts succéeded his father Magus in gouernement of the contrie of Gallia,Sarron the sonne of Magus. De ant. Cant. lib. 1. Bale script. Brit. cent. 1. and the Ile Samothea, wherein as (D. Caius writeth) he founded certaine publike places for them that professed learning, with Berosus affirmeth to be done, to the internt to restraine the wilfull outrage of men, being as then but raw and void of all ciui|litie. Also it is thought by Annius, that he was the first author of those kind of philosophers, which were called Sarronides, of whom Diodorus Siculus wri|teth in this sort:Lib. 6.

There are (saith he) among the Celts certaine diuines and philosophers called Sarronides, whom aboue all other they haue in great estimation. For it is the manner among them, not without a philosopher to make anie sacrifice: sith they are of be|léefe, that sacrifices ought onelie to be made by such as are skilfull in the diuine mysteries, as of those who are néerest vnto God, by whose intercession they thinke all good things are to be required of God, and whose aduise they vse and follow, as well in warre as in peace.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DRuis, whom Seneca calleth Dryus,Druis the son of Sarron. being the sonne of Sarron,De morte Claud was after his father establi|shed the fourth king of Celtica, indifferentlie reig|ning as wel ouer the Celts as Britons, or rather (as the inhabitants of this Ile were then called) Samo|theans. This prince is commended by Berosus to be so plentifullie indued with wisedome and lear|ning, that Annius taketh him to be the vndoubted author of the beginning and name of the philosophers called Druides, whome Caesar and all other ancient Gréeke and Latine writers doo affirme to haue had their begining in Britaine, and to haue bin brought from thence into Gallia, insomuch that when there arose any doubt in that countrie touching any point of their discipline, they did repaire to be resolued therein into Britaine, where, speciallie in the Ile of Anglesey (as Humfrey L [...]oyd witnesseth) they made their principall abode.Anti. lib. 5. Annius super eu [...]ndem. De bello Gal|lico. lib. 9. De belio Gal|lico. 6; Touching their vsages many things are written by Aristotle, Socion, Plinie, La|ertius, Bodinus, and others: which I will gather in briefe, and set downe as followeth. They had (as Cae|sar saith) the charge of common & priuate sacrifices, EEBO page image 3 the discussing of points of religion, the bringing vp of youth, the determining of matters in variance, with full power to interdict so manie from the sacri|fice of their gods and the companie of men, as diso|beied their award.Hist. an. lib. 1. Polydore affirmeth, how they taught, that mens soules could not die, but departed from one bodie to another, and that to the intent to make men valiant and dreadlesse of death. Tullie writeth,De diui. lib. 1. that partlie by tokens, and partlie by surmi|ses, they would foretell things to come. And by the report of Hector Boetius, Hi [...]t. S [...]oti, li. 2. some of them were not ig|norant of the immortalitie of the one and euerla|sting God.Demigr. gen. [...] 2. All these things they had written in the Greeke toong, insomuch that Wolf Lazius (vpon the report of Marcellinus Marcellinus.) declareth how the Gréeke let|ters were first brought to Athens by Timagenes from the Druides. And herevpon it commeth also to passe, that the British toong hath in it remaining at this day some smacke of the Gréeke. Among other abuses of the Druides, they had (according to Dio|dorus) one custome to kill men, and by the falling, bleeding, and dismembring of the, to diuine of things to come: for the which and other wicked prac|tises, their sect was first condemned for abhomina|ble (as some haue written) and dissolued in Gallia (as Auentinus witnesseth) by Tiberius and Cladius the emperours;Anna. B oiorum. lib. 22. and lastlie abolished here in Bri|taine (by the report of Caius) when the gospell of Christ by the preaching of Fugatius and Damianus was receiued among the Britaines,De ant. Caut. vnder Lucius king of Britaine, about the yeare of our sauior, 179.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 BArdus the sonne of Druis succéeded his father in the kingdome of Celtica,Bardus the sonne of Druis. Berosus ani. lib. 2. Annius in com| [...]en super eur [...]|dem. and was the fift king ouer the Celtes and Samotheans, amongst whom he was highlie renoumed (as appeareth by Be|rosus) for inuention of dities and musicke, wherein Annius of Viterbo writeth, that he trained his peo|ple: and of such as excelled in this knowledge, he made an order of philosophicall poets or heraulds, calling them by his owne name Bardi. And it should séeme by doctor Caius and master Bale, Ant. Cant. li. 1. script. Britain. cent. 1, that Caesar found some of them here at his arriuall in this Ile, and reported that they had also their first begining in the same. The profession and vsages of these Bardi, Nonnius, Strabo, Diodorus, Stephanus, Bale, Nonnius Marcel. Strabo. Diodor. Sicul. lib. 6. [...]arol. Stepha. [...]n dict. hist. Bale. Iohn Prise. and sir Iohn Prise, are in effect reported after this sort. They did vse to record the noble exploits of the ancient capteins, and to drawe the pedegrées and genealo|gies of such as were liuing. They would frame plea|sant dities and songs, learne the same by heart, and sing them to instruments at solemne feasts and as|semblies of noble men and gentlemen. Wherefore they were had in so high estimation, that if two hosts had beene readie ranged to ioine in battell, and that any of them had fortuned to enter among them, both the hosts (as well the enimies as the friends) would haue holden their hands, giuen eare vnto them, and ceassed from fight, vntill these Bards had gone out of the battell. Of these Bards Lucane saith,

Vos quo qui fortes animas belló peremptas,Lucan. lib. 1.

Laudius in longum vates dimittitis aeuum,

Plurima securi fudistis carmina Bardi:

And you ô poet Bards from dan|ger void that dities sound,

Of soules of dreadlesse men,H. F. whom rage of battell would confound,

And make their lasting praise to time of later age rebound.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Because the names of these poets were neither discrepant from the ciuilitie of the Romans, nor re|pugnant to the religion of the Christians, they (of all the other sects before specified) were suffered onlie to continue vnabolished in all ages, insomuch that there flourished of them among the Britains (accor|ding to Bale) before the birth of Christ,Iohn Bale script Britan. cent. 2. Iohn Prise defen hist. Brit. Caius de ant. Cant lib. 1. Iohn Leland syllab. ant. dict. Hum. Lloyd de Mona insula. Plenidus and Oronius: after Christ (as Prise recounteth) Thale|stine, and the two Merlins, Melkin, Elaskirion, and others: and of late daies among the Welshmen, Dauid Daie, Iollo Gough, Dauid ap William, with an infinite number more. And in Wales there are sundrie of them (as Caius reporteth) remaining vn|to this day, where they are in their language called (as Leland writeth) Barthes. Also by the witnes of Humfrey Llhoyd, there is an Iland néere vnto Wales, called Insula Bardorum, and Bardsey, whereof the one name in Latine, and the other in Saxon or old English, signifieth the Iland of the Bardes or Barthes.

Thus farre the gouernement of the Celts in this Ile.