5.4. Vortimer is created king in the roome of his father Vortigerne, he giueth the Saxons sore and sharpe battels, a combat fought betweene Catigerne the brother of Vorti|mer and Horsus the brother of Hengist, wherein they were both slaine, the Britains driue the Saxons into the Ile of Tenet, Rowen the daughter of Hengist procureth Vor|timer to be poisoned, the Saxons returne into Germa|nie as some writers report, they ioine with the Scots and Picts against the Britains and discomfit them. The fourth Chapter.

Vortimer is created king in the roome of his father Vortigerne, he giueth the Saxons sore and sharpe battels, a combat fought betweene Catigerne the brother of Vorti|mer and Horsus the brother of Hengist, wherein they were both slaine, the Britains driue the Saxons into the Ile of Tenet, Rowen the daughter of Hengist procureth Vor|timer to be poisoned, the Saxons returne into Germa|nie as some writers report, they ioine with the Scots and Picts against the Britains and discomfit them. The fourth Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _THis Uortimer being eldest sonne to Uortigerne,Vortimer. Fabian. Galf. Mon. Matth. West. saith 454. by the com|mon assent of the Britains was made king of Britaine, in the yeare of our Lord 464,464 which was in the fourth yeare of the empe|rour Lea the fist, and about the sixt yeare of Childe|ricus king of France, as our common account run|neth, which is far disagréeing from that whereof W. Harison dooth speake in his chronologie, who noteth Uortigerne to be deposed in the 8 after his exalta|tion to the crowne, 454 of Christ, and 5 currant af|ter the comming of the Saxons, which concurreth with the 4420 of the world, and 8 of Meroneus, as by his chronologie dooth more at large appeare.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 But to procéed, Uortimer being thus aduanced to the gouernment of the realme, in all hast made sore warre against the Saxons, and gaue vnto them a great battell vpon the riuer of Derwent,The riuer of Derwent. where he had of them the vpper hand. And the second time he fought with them at a place called Epiford, or Aglis|throp,Epiford. in the which incounter Catagrine or Catiger|nus the brother of Uortimer, and Horsus the bro|ther of Hengist, after a long combat betwixt them two, either of them slue other: but the Britains obteined the field (as saith the British historie.) The third battell Uortimer fought with them néere to the sea side,The Ile of Tenet. where also the Britains chased the Sax|ons, & droue them into the Ile of Tenet. The fourth battell was stricken néere to a moore called Cole|moore, the which was sore fought by the Saxons, and long continued with great danger to the Britains, because the foresaid moore inclosed a part of their host so stronglie, that the Britains could not approch to them, being beaten off with the enimies shot, al|beit in the end the Saxons were put to flight, & ma|nie of them drowned and swallowed vp in the same moore. Beside these foure principall battels,Fabian. Uorti|mer had diuers other conflicts with the Saxons,Tetford in Norfolke. Colchester. as in Kent and at Tetford in Norfolke, also néere to Colchester in Essex: for he left not till he had berest them of the more part of all such possessions as be|fore time they had got, so that they were constrained to kéepe them within the Ile of Tenet, where he of|tentimes assailed them with such ships as he then had. When Ronowen the daughter of Hengist per|ceiued the great losse that the Saxons susteined by the martiall prowesse of Uortimer, she found means that within a while the said Uortimer was poisoned, after he had ruled the Britains by the space of 6 or 7 yeares and od moneths.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 ¶By the British historie it should séeme, that Uor|timer before his death handled the Saxons so hard|lie, kéeping them besieged within the Ile of Tenet, till at length they were constrained to sue for li|cence to depart home into Germanie in safetie: and the better to bring this to pas, they sent Uortigerne, (whome they had kept still with them in all these battels) vnto his sonne Uortimer, to he a meane for the obteining of their sute. But whilest this trea|tie was in hand, they got them into their ships, and leauing their wiues and children behind them, retur|ned into Germanie. Thus far Gal Mon. But how vnlikelie this is to be true, I will not quake anie further discourse, but onelie refer euerie man to that which in old autentike historiographers of the En|glish nation is found recorded,Will. Malmel. as in Will. Malmes. Henr. Hunt. Marianus, and others: vnto whome in these matters concerning the dooings betwixt the Saxons and Britains, we maie vndoubtedlie and safelie giue most credit.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 William Malmes. writing of this Uortuner, or Guortigerne, and of the warres which he had a|gainst the Saxons, varieth in a maner altogither from Geffrey of Monmouth, as by his words here following ye maie perceiue. Guortimer, the sonne of Uortimer (saith he) thinking not good long to dis|semble the matter, for that he saw himselfe and his countriemen the Britains preuented by the craft of the English Saxons, set his full purpose to driue EEBO page image 81 them out of the realme, and kindled his father to the like attempt. He therefore being the author and procurer, seuen yeares after their first comming into this land, the league was broken, and by the space of 20 yeares they fought oftentimes togither in manie light incounters, but foure times they fought puissance against puissance in open field: [...] had the victorie in this vatell saith Ra. Hig. Horse and Catigerne [...]. in the first battell they departed with like fortune, whilest the one part, that is to meane, the Saxons lost their capteine Horse that was brother to Hen|gist, and the Britains lost Catigerne an other of Uortigerns sonnes.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 In the other battels,458 when the Englishmen went euer awaie with the vpper hand, at length a peace was concluded, Guortimer being taken out of this world by course of fatall death, the which much diffe|ring from the soft and milde nature of his father, right noblie would haue gouerned the realme, if God had suffered him to haue liued. But these bat|tels which Uortimer gaue to the Saxons (as before is mentioned) should appeare by that which some writers haue recorded, to haue chanced before the supposed time of Uortimers or Guortimers attei|ning to the crowne, about the 6 or 7 yeare after the first comming of the Saxons into this realme with Hengist. And hereto W. Harison giueth his con|sent, referring the mutuall slaughter of Horsus and Catigerne to the 6 years of Martianus, & 455 of Christ.Polydor. Howbeit Polydor Virgil saith, that Uorti|mer succéeded his father, and that after his fathers deceasse the English Saxons, of whome there was a great number then in the Ile, comming ouer dai|lie like swarmes of bées, and hauing in possession not onelie Kent, but also the north parts of the realme towards Scotland, togither with a great part of the west countrie, thought it now a fit time to attempt the fortune of warre: and first therefore concluding a league with the Scots and Picts, vpon the sudden they turned their weapons points against the Britains, and most cruellie pursued them, as though they had receiued some great iniu|rie at their hands, and no benefit at all. The Bri|tains were maruelouslie abashed herewith, percei|uing that they should haue to doo with Hengist, a capteine of so high renowme, and also with their ancient enimies the Scots and Picts, thus all at one time, and that there was no remedie but ei|ther they must fight or else become slaues. Where|fore at length, dread of bondage stirred vp manhood in them, so that they assembled togither, and bold|lie began to resist their enimies on ech side: but be|ing too weake,The Bri|tains discom|fited by the Scots. they were easilie discomfited and put to flight, so that all hope of defense by force of armes being vtterlie taken awaie, as men in des|paire to preuaile against their enimies, they fled as shéepe scattered abroad, some following one cap|teine and some another, getting them into desart places, woods and maresh grounds, and moreouer left such townes and fortresses as were of no nota|ble strength, as a preie vnto their enimies.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Thus saith Polydor Virgil of the first breaking of the warres betwixt the Saxons and the Britains, which chanced not (as should appeare by that which he writeth thereof) till after the death of Uortigerne. Howbeit he denieth not that Hengist at his first comming got seates for him and his people within the countie of Kent, and there began to inhabit. This ought not to be forgotten, that king Uortimer (as Sigebertus hath written)Sigebertus. restored the christian reli|gion after he had vanquished the Saxons, in such places where the same was decaied by the enimies inuasion, whose drift was not onelie to ouerrun the land with violence, but also to erect their owne laws and liberties with out regard of clemencie.