[Sidenote: VORTIGERNE. 446.]
Vortigerne, by such diuelish meanes and vnconscionable practises
(as you heare) stealing away the hearts of the people, was chosen
and made king of Britaine, in the yéere of our Lord 446, in the 3
consulship of Aetius, 1197 of Rome, 4 of the 305 Olympiad, 4112 of the
world, the dominicall letter going by F, the prime by 10, which fell
about the 21 yéere of the emperour Valentinianus, the same yéere that
Meroneus began to reigne ouer the Frenchmen. Before he was made king,
he was earle or duke of the Geuisses, a people which held that part of
Britaine where afterwards the west Saxons inhabited. Now when he
[Sidenote; _Hector Boet._]
had with treason, fraud, and great deceit at length obteined that for
the which he had long looked, he first of all furnished the tower of
London with a strong garrison of men of warre.
Then studieng to aduance such onelie as he knew to be his speciall
[Sidenote: 415.]
friends and fauourers, he sought by all meanes how to oppresse
other, of whose good will he had neuer so litle mistrust, and namelie
those that were affectionate towards the linage of Constantine he
hated deadlie, and deuised by secret meanes which way he might best
destroy them. But these his practises being at the first perceiued,
caused such as had the gouernance of the two yoong gentlemen with
[Sidenote: _Fabian_.]
all spéed to get them ouer (as ye haue heard) into Britaine Armorike,
there to remaine out of danger with their vncle the king of that land.
Diuers of the Britains also, that knew themselues to be in Vortigerne
his displeasure, sailed ouer dailie vnto them, which thing brought
Vortigerne into great doubt and feare of his estate.
[Sidenote: _Gyldas_. Plentie of wealth accompanied with store of
sinnes.]
It chanced also the same time, that there was great plentie of
corne, & store of fruit, the like wherof had not béene seene in manie
yéeres before, and therevpon insued riot, strife, lecherie, and other
vices verie heinous, & yet accounted as then for small or rather none
offenses at all. These abuses & great enormities reigned not onelie in
the temporaltie, but also in the spiritualtie and chéefe rulers in the
same: so that euerie man turned the point of his speare (euen as he
had consented of purpose) against the true and innocent person. The
commons also gaue themselues to voluptuous lust, drunkennesse, and
idle loitering, whereof followed fighting, contention, enuie, and much
debate. Of this plentie therefore insued great pride, and of this
abundance no lesse hautinesse of mind, wherevpon followed great
wickednesse, lacke of good gouernement and sober temperancie, and in
the necke of these as a iust punishment, death and mortalitie, so that
in some countries scarse the quicke sufficed to burie the dead.
[Sidenote: Scots and Picts inuade the Britains.]
And for an augmentation of more mischéefe, the Scots and Picts
hearing how their countrimen through the false suggestion of
Vortigerne, had bene wrongfullie and most cruellie put to death at
London, began with fire & sword to make sharpe & cruell warre against
the Britains, wasting their countrie, spoiling and burning their
townes, and giuing them the ouerthrow in a pitcht field, as in the
Scotish historie more plainlie appeareth. To be bréefe, the Britains
were brought into such danger and miserie, that they knew not what way
to take for remedie in such present perill, likelie to be ouerrun and
vtterlie vanquished of their enimies. In the meane time Vortigerne
not onelie troubled with these imminent euils, but fearing also the
returne of the two brethren, Aurelius Ambrose, and Vter Pendragon,
began to consider of the state of things, and estéeming it most sure
to worke by aduise, called togither the principall lords and chéefe
men of the realme to haue their counsell and opinion, how to procéed
in such a weightie businesse: and so debating the matter with them,
measured both his owne force, and also the force of his enimies,
and according to the condition and state of the time, diligentlie
considered and searched out what remedie was to be had and prouided.
[Sidenote: _Gyldas_. _Wil. Malm._ _Beda_. The Saxons sent for. 10000
hath _Hector Boet._ _Gyldas_ and _Beda_ mention onelie but of
3 plates or gallies, but _Hector Boet_. hath 30.]
At length after they had throughlie pondered all things, the more
part of the nobles with the king also were of this mind, that there
could be no better way deuised, than to send into Germanie for the
Saxons to come to their aid: the which Saxons in that season were
highlie renowmed for their valiancie in armes, and manifold aduentures
heretofore atchiued. And so forthwith messengers were dispatched into
Germanie, the which with monie, gifts, and promises, might procure the
Saxons to come to the aid of the Britains against the Scots and Picts.
The Saxons glad of this message, as people desirous of intertainment
to serue in warres, choosing forth a picked companie of lustie yoong
men vnder the leading of two brethren Hingist and Horsus, got them
aboord into certeine vessels appointed for the purpose, and so with
all spéed directed their course towards great Britaine.
[Sidenote: 449.]
This was in the yeare of our Lord 449, and in the second yeare
of Vortigerns reigne, as the most autentike writers both British
and English séeme to gather, although the Scotish writers, and
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
namelie, Hector Boetius doo varie herein, touching the iust account of
yeares, as to the perusers of the writings aswell of the one as the
other may appeare. But others take it to be in the 4 yéere of his
reigne: whereto Beda séemeth to agrée, who noteth it in the same yeare
that Martianus the emperour began to rule the empire, which was (as
appeareth by the consularie table) in the consulship of Protogenes and
Austerius, and third yeere of Meroneus king of France.
These Saxons thus arriuing in Britaine, were courteouslie receiued, &
hartilie welcomed of king Vortigerne, who assigned to them places in
Kent to inhabit, and foorthwith led them against the Scots and Picts,
which were entred into Britaine, wasting & destroieng the countrie
before them. Héerevpon comming to ioine in battell, there was a sore
fight betwixt the parties for a while. But at length when the Saxons
called to their remembrance that the same was the day which should
either purchase to them an euerlasting name of manhood by
[Sidenote: Scots vanquished by the Saxons.]
victorie, or else of reproch by repulse, began to renew the fight with
such violence, that the enimies not able to abide their fierce charge,
were scattered and beaten downe on ech side with great slaughter.
The king hauing gotten this victorie, highlie rewarded the strangers
[Sidenote: _Henrie Hunt._]
according to their well deseruings, as by whose prowesse he had
thus vanquished his enimies, which (as some write) were come as farre
as Stamford, and vsed at that time to fight with long darts and
speares, whereas the Saxons fought onelie with long swords and axes.
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
¶ Some haue written that the Saxons were not sent for, but came by
chance into the Ile, and the occasion to be this. There was an ancient
custome among the English Saxons a people in Germanie, as was also at
the first among other nations, that when the multitude of them was so
increased, that the countrie was not able to susteine and find them,
by commandement of their princes, they should choose out by lots a
number of yoong and able personages fit for the warrs, which should go
foorth to séeke them new habitations: and so it chanced to these, that
they came into great Britaine, and promised to serue the king for
wages in his warres.
* * * * *
_Hengistus the Saxon shooteth at the crowne and scepter of the
kingdome by craftie and subtile practises, a great number of forren
people arriue in Britaine for the augmentation of his power, of the
faire ladie Rowen his daughter, whereof Wednesdaie and Fridaie tooke
their name, of the Iutes, Saxons, and Angles, Vortigerne being
inflamed with the loue of Hengists daughter forsaketh his owne wife
and marrieth hir, Vortigerne giueth Hengist all Kent, the Saxons come
ouer by heaps to inhabit the land, the British nobilitie moue the
king to auoid them, he is depriued of his kingdome, the miserable
destruction made by the Saxons in this land, skirmishes betwixt them
and the Britains._