4.35. What the poet Claudianus saith of the state of Britaine in the decaie of the Ro|mane empire, of the Scots and Picts cruellie vexing the Britains, they are afflicted by inuasion of barbarous nations, the practise of the Saxons, of the Scots first comming into this Iland, and from whence, the Scotish chronographers no|ted for curiositie and vanitie. The xxxv. Chapter.

What the poet Claudianus saith of the state of Britaine in the decaie of the Ro|mane empire, of the Scots and Picts cruellie vexing the Britains, they are afflicted by inuasion of barbarous nations, the practise of the Saxons, of the Scots first comming into this Iland, and from whence, the Scotish chronographers no|ted for curiositie and vanitie. The xxxv. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 _AFter this,Honorius [...] emperour. in the time of the emperour Honorius, the Scots, Picts, and Saxons, did eftsoones inuade the fron|tiers of the Romane prouince in Britaine, as appéereth by that which the poet Claudia|nus writeth, in attributing the honour of preseruing the same frontiers vnto the said emperour, in his booke intituled Panegerycus tertij consulatus (which fell in the yéere 396) as thus:

Ille leues Mauros nec falso nomine Pictos

Edomuit, Scotúm vago mucrone secutus,396. Claudia [...].

Fregit Hyperboreas remis audacibus vndas,

Et geminis fulgens vtró sub axe tropheis,

Tethyos alternae refluas calcauit arenas.

The nimble Mores and Picts by right so cald, he hath subdude,

And with his wandring swoord likewise the Scots he hath pursude:

He brake with bold couragious oare the Hyperborean waue,

And shining vnder both the poles with double trophies braue,

He marcht vpon the bubling sands of either swelling seas.

The same Caladianus vpon the fourth consulship of Honorius, saith in a tetrastichon as followeth:

Quid rigor aeternus caeli? quid frigora prosunt?

Ignotúm fretum? maduerunt Saxons fuso

Orcades, incaluit Pictonum sanguine Thule,

Sootorum cumulos fleuit glacialis Hyberne.

What lasting cold? what did to them the frostlie climats gaine?

And sea vnknowne? be moisted all with bloud of Saxons slaine

The Orknies were: with bloud of Picts hath Thule waxed warme,Thule some take take to be Iseland, some Scotland.

And ysie Ireland hath bewaild the heaps of Scotish harme.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The same praise giueth he to Stilico the sonne in law of Honorius, and maketh mention of a legion of souldiers sent for out of Britaine in the periphrasis or circumlocution of the Gotish bloudie warres:

Venit & extremis legio praetenta Britannis,

Quae Scoto dat fraena truci, ferró notatas

Perleget exanimes Picto moriente figuras.

A legion eke there came from out the farthest Britains bent,

Which brideled hath the Scots so sterne: and marks with iron brent

Vpon their liuelesse lims doth read, whiles Picts their liues relent.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 He rehearseth the like in his second Panegerycus of Stilico, in most ample and pithie manner insuing:

Inde Calidonio velata Britannia monstro,

Ferro Picta genas, cuius vestigia verrit

Caerulus, Oceaní aestum mentitur amictus,

Me quo vicinis pereuntem gentibus inquit,

Muniuit Stilico, totam quum Scotus Hybernam

Mouit, & infesto spumauit remige Thetis,

EEBO page image 75 Illius effectum curis, ne bella timerem

Scotica, ne Pictum tremerem, ne littore toto

Prospicerem dubijs venturum Saxona ventis.

Then Britaine whom the monsters did of Calidone surround,

Whose cheekes were pearst with scorching steele, whose garments swept the ground,

Resembling much the marble hew of ocean seas that boile,

Said, She whom neighbour nations did conspire to bring to spoile,

Hath Stilico munited strong, when raisd by Scots entice

All Ireland was, and enimies ores the salt sea fome did slice,

His care hath causd, that I all feare of Scotish broiles haue bard,

Ne doo I dread the Picts, ne looke my countrie coasts to gard

Gainst Saxon troops, whom changing winds sent sailing hitherward.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Thus maie it appéere, that in the time when the Romane empire began to decaie,Britaine af| [...]luted bp in|uasion of bar|barous nati|ons. in like manner as other parts of the same empire were inuaded by bar|barous nations, so was that part of Britaine which was subiect to the Romane emperors grieuouslie as|sailed by the Scots and Picts, and also by the Sax|ons, the which in those daies inhabiting all alongst the sea coasts of low Germanie, euen from the Elbe vnto the Rhine, did not onelie trouble the sea by con|tinuall rouing, but also vsed to come on land into di|uerse parts of Britaine and Gallia, inuading the countries, and robbing the same with great rage and crueltie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 To the which Sidonius Apollinaris thus alludeth,Sidon. Apol. li. 8. Epist. writing to Namatius.

The messenger did assuredlie affirme, that latelie ye blew the trumpet to warre in your nation, and betwixt the office one while of a ma|riner, and another while of a souldier, wasted about the crooked shores of the ocean sea against the fléet of the Saxons,The pirasie of the Sax|ons. of whome as manie rouers as ye be|hold, so manie archpirats ye suppose to sée: so doo they altogither with one accord command, obeie, teach, and learne to plaie the parts of rouers, that euen now there is good occasion to warne you to beware. This enimie is more cruell than all other enimies. He assaileth at vnwares, he escapeth by forseeing the danger afore hand, he despiseth those that stand a|gainst him, he throweth downe the vnwarie: if he be followed he snappeth them vp that pursue him, if he flée he escapeth.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 Of like effect for proofe h [...]ereof be those verses which he wrote vnto Maiorianus his panegyrike o|ration, following in Latine and in English verse.

Tot maria intra [...] duce te, longé remotas

Sole sub occiduo gentes, victricia Caesar

Signa Calidonios transuexit ad vs Britannos.

Fuderi [...] & quanquam Scotum, & cum Saxone Pictum,

Hostesquaesiuit quem iam natura vetabat,

Qu [...]erere plus homines, &c.

So manie seas Lontred haue, and nations farre by west,

By thy conduct, and Caesar hath his banners borne full prest

Vnto the furthest British coast, where Calidonians dwell,

The Scot and Pict with Saxons eke, [...] though he subdued fell,

Yet would he enimies seeke vnknowne whom nature had forbid, &c.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 ¶Thus much haue we thought good to gather out of the Romane and other writers, that ye might per|ceiue the state of Britaine the better in that time of the decaie of the Romane empire, and that ye might haue occasion to marke by the waie, how not onelie the Scots, but also the Saxons had attempted to in|uade the Britains, before anie mention is made of the same their attempts by the British and English writers. But whether the Scots had anie habitation within the bounds of Britaine, till the time supposed by the Britaine writers, we leaue that point to the iudgement of others that be trauelled in the search of such antiquities, onelie admonishing you, that in the Scotish chronicle you shall find the opinion which their writers haue conceiued of this matter, and also manie things touching the acts of the Romans doone against diuerse of the Britains, which they pre|sume to be doone against their nation, though sha|dowed vnder the generall name of Britains, or of other particular names, at this daie to most men vn|knowne. But whensoeuer the Scots came into this Ile, they made the third nation that inhabited the same, comming first out of Scithia, or rather out of Spaine (as some suppose) into Ireland,Polydot. and from thence into Britaine; next after the Picts, though their writers fetch a farre more ancient beginning (as in their chronicles at large appéereth) referring them to the reading thereof, that desire to vnder|stand that matter as they set it foorth.