Anno 499. Of this county was Gorlois Earl, in the time of Uther
Pendragon, King of the Britons, of whom this is reported.[182] That
Uther determining to solemnize the Feast of Easter at London, with
great honor, appointed all his nobles to be thereat, amongst which,
this Gorlois then was, together with Igerna his wife, whose beauty did
surpass all other British women, so that the king fell in love with
her, and courted her with all delicates; which being discerned by the
Earl, he retired speedily into his country without leave; the king,
therefore, being highly incensed against him for so doing, hasted
after him into Cornwall, and fired divers of his towns, and at length
besieged him at Dimilioch, provoked him to come out to battle, which
he did so inconsiderately, he being one of the first mortally wounded,
his followers disperst themselves. After whose death the king took
Igerna to wife, and begot on her a son, called Arthur, who became
afterwards not a little famous.
Anno 517. The next Earl was Cador,[183] who when King Arthur had
besieged Colgrine, the Saxon General in the City of York,
understanding that Baldulph the brother of Colgrine, expecting the
coming of more Saxons upon the sea coast, designed to fall upon King
Arthur in the night time, Arthur having notice thereof by his scouts,
sent this valiant Cador with six hundred horse, and three thousand
foot, who, meeting the enemy unexpectedly, slew many of them, and
routed the rest.
Anno 520. About three years after,[183] upon another invasion of the
Saxons, and a great battle fought with them near Bathe in
Somersetshire, wherein Colgrine and Baldulph (before mentioned) lost
their lives; and Cheldric the other principal leader of them, with the
remaining part of their forces, were put to flight, this Earl Cador,
by King Arthur’s command, pursued them into the Isle of Thanet, slew
Cheldric, and forced the rest to yield themselves to his mercy.
Anno 542. This noble Cador left issue Constantine,[183] whom King
Arthur at his death appointed to be his successor in his kingdom of
Britain.
The next Earl was Godric,[184] of whom I have seen no other mention
than that Egelwold, sometime King of England, leaving no other issue
that survived him, but one daughter, named Goldusburgh, (six years of
age at his death) committed her to the tuition of this Godric, who
afterwards gave her in marriage to Haveloc, son to Birkelan King of
Denmark.
In the time of King Æthelred, Ailmer, or Æthelmare, (for so he was
also called) was Earl of this county, who being a person of singular
piety, founded[185] first of all the Abbey of Cerne in Dorsetshire, in
the days of King Edgar, and had so great a veneration to the memory of
Eadwan, brother of S. Edmund the Martyr, who led[185] an hermit’s life
in Dorsetshire,[186] before mentioned, near to a certain spring called
the Silver Well, that with the help of Dunstan (Archbishop of
Canterbury) he translated his relics to the old church of Cernel, then
the parish church.
After this, scil. in An. 1005 (in the time of King Ethelred,) he
founded[187] the Abbey of Eynesham in Oxfordshire, and likewise[188]
the Priory of Bruton in Somersetshire, (all Monks of the Benedictine
Order) which he amply endowed, as by the authorities which I have here
cited will appear; though in that of Bruton, canons of S. Augustine
were afterwards placed.
This Ailmer was[189] also Earl of Devonshire, under which title, in
the year 1013, when[189] Suane, King of Denmark, overrun the greatest
part of the land with his army, and forced King Ethelred to betake
himself unto the city of Winchester for refuge, he with all the great
men of the West, fearing the tyranny of the Danes, submitted[189]
themselves to Suane, and gave hostages[189] for their peaceable
obedience unto him. And about three years after this, when King Edmond
Ironside fought so stoutly against King Canute, (son to the same
Suane) he joining[190] with that traitorous Eadric Streone, Earl of
Mercia, and Earl Algar, adhered[190] to Canute.
Of his issue there nothing more appeareth, than that he left a
son[191] called Æthelward, who in the year 1018 was killed[191] by
King Canute, together with that great traitor Eadric Streone, Earl of
Mercia.