Compare 1577 edition: 1 But now concerning the Picts whether that those that escaped with life, got seats by king Meu|rigs grant (as aboue is specified) or that getting to their ships, they withdrew into the Iles of Orkeneie, and there remained. Wiues they wanted also to in|crease their issue: and bicause the Britons thought scorne to match their daughters with such an vn|knowne and new come nation, the Pi [...]s continu|ed their first acquaintance with the Irish, and by in|treatie obteined wiues from them, with condition, that if the crowne should hap to fall in contention, Pi [...]s ma [...]|eng with the Irish d [...] co|uenant the succession of their kings. they should yéeld thus much to the prerogatiue of the woman, that the prince should be elected rather of the bloud roiall of the female kind than of the male. Which order (saith Beda) the Pi [...]s were well known to kéepe vnto his time.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But howsoeuer we shall giue credit to this histo|rie of the first comming of Pi [...]s into this land, if we grant that to be true which Geffreie of Monmouth EEBO page image 51 reporteth of this victorie obteined by Marius against the Picts: yet haue I thought good to aduertise the reader, that the Britons of this Ile were disquieted by that nation long before the supposed time of the said king Marius. For Mamertinus in his oration intituled Panegyricus, Max. Dictus hath these words (speaking of the conquest which Iultus Cesar had héere against the Britons.) But in that age (saith he) Britaine was neither furnished with anie ships of warre for battell on the sea, and the Romans after the warres of Affrike and Asia, were well practised with the late warres against pirats, and after that against Mithridates, in which they were exercised as well by sea as land. Moreouer, the British nation was then vnskilfull, and not trained to feats of war, for the Britons then being onelie vsed to the Picts and Irish enimies, people halfe naked through lacke of skill, easilie gaue place to the Romans force, so that Cesar might onelie as it were glorie in this, to haue passed in that iourneie ouer the ocean sea.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Héereby it should séeme that the Picts and Irish did disquiet the Britons, before the comming of Iu|lius Cesar into this Ile of Britaine. But whether [...]ée Diodorus Siculus lib. 6. cap. 9 who [...] they should inhabit a portion of Britaine. they inhabited at that time in some part of Ireland, or in some of the out Iles by Scotland, either in anie part of Germanie, or Scandinauia; or else whether they were alreadie setteled in the furthest parts of Scotland, as in Cathnesse, towards Dungesbie head: we haue not to affirme, other than that which in Scotland we haue written, in following Hector Bo|etius, whose opinion how farre it is to be suspected in matters of antiquitie, I leaue to the consideration Hect. Boctius. of others. But for the first comming as well of the Picts as Scots (whom he maketh inhabitants with|in this Ile so long before) either the name of the one nation or the other is remembred to haue had anie gouernement heere, by anie ancient or approoued writer. I cannot persuade my selfe, that either Scots or Picts had anie setteled seats within the bounds of this Ile of Britaine, till after the birth of our sauiour: but that rather the Scots, as yet inha|biting in Ireland, and in the westerne Iles called by the Romane writers Hebrides, and the Picts, in the Iles of Orkneie called in Latine Orchades, did vse to make often inuasions vpon the Britons, dwelling vpon the coasts that lie néere to the sea side ouer a|gainst those Iles.