[Sidenote: AURELIUS AMBROSIUS.]
Aurelius Ambrose, the second sonne of king Constantine, brother to
Constantius, and murthered by the treason of Vortigerne (as before ye
haue heard) was made king of Britaine in the yéere of our Lord 481,
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._ saith 466.]
which was about the third yéere of the reigne of the emperour Zeno,
and the 23 of Childericus king of France, Odocer king of the Herulians
then vsurping the gouernment of Italie. When this Aurelius Ambrosius
had dispatched Vortigerne, and was now established king of the
Britains, he made towards Yorke, and passing the riuer of Humber,
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
incountred with the Saxons at a place called Maesbell, and ouerthrew
them in a strong battell, from the which as Hengist was fléeing to
[Sidenote: Hengist taken and beheaded.]
haue saued himselfe, he was taken by Edoll earle of Glocester, or
(as some say) Chester, and by him led to Conningsborrow, where he was
beheaded by the counsell of Eldad then bishop of Colchester.
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
Howbeit there be some that write, how that Hengist was taken at
another battell fought vpon the riuer of Dune, in the yéere of our
Lord 489, and not in the chase of the battell which was fought at
Maesbell in the yéere 487, as the same authors doo alledge. Occa
[Sidenote: Occa.]
the son of Hengist by flight escaped to Yorke, and being there
besieged, at length was constreined to yéeld himselfe to Aurelius:
who dealing fauourablie with him, assigned vnto him and other of
the Saxons a countrie bordering neere to the Scots, which (as some
affirme) was Galloway, where the said Occa and the Saxons began to
inhabit. Then did Aurelius Ambrosius put the Saxons out of all other
parts of the land, & repaired such cities, townes and also churches,
as by them had beene destroied or defaced, and placed againe priests,
and such other as should attend on the ministerie and seruice of God
in the same churches.
Also for a perpetuall memorie of those Britains that were slaine on
the plaine of Salisburie by the treason of Hengist, he caused stones
to be fetched out of Ireland, and to be set vp in the same place
[Sidenote: Stoneheng.]
where that slaughter was committed, and called the place Stoneheng,
which name continueth vnto this day. Fiftéene thousand men (as Galfrid
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
saith) were sent for those stones, vnder the leading of Vter
Pendragon the kings brother, who giuing battell vnto Gillomanus king
of Ireland that went about to resist the Britains, and would not
permit them to fetch away the same stones out of his countrie,
discomfited him and his people, and so (maugre his hart) brought the
stones away with him.
Shortlie after, Pascentius that was Vortigerns yoongest sonne, and
had escaped into Ireland (when Aurelius Ambrosius came into Britaine)
returned with a great power of strange nations, and tooke the citie of
Meneuia in Wales, afterwards called saint Dauids, and did much hurt
in the countrie with fire and swoord. At which time the same Aurelius
Ambrosius lay sicke at Winchester, and being not able to go foorth
himselfe, desired his brother Vter Pendragon to assemble an armie
of Britains, and to go against Pascentius and his adherents. Vter,
according to his brothers request, gathering his people, went foorth,
and incountering with the enimies gaue them the ouerthrow, slue
Pascentius and Gillomare or Gilloman king of Ireland, that was come
ouer with him in aid against the Britains.
[Sidenote: _Hector Boet._]
In the meane while, a Saxon or some other stranger, whose name was
Eopa or Copa, not long before procured thereto by Pascentius, fained
himselfe to be a Britaine, and for a colour counterfeiting himselfe a
moonke, and to haue great knowledge in physicke, was admitted to
[Sidenote: _Fabian. _]
minister as it were medicins to Aurelius: but in stead of that which
should haue brought him health, he gaue him poison, whreof he died
shortlie after at Winchester aforesaid, when he had reigned after most
accord of writers nintéene yéeres: his bodie was conueied to Stoneheng
and there buried. ¶ Thus find we in the British and common English
histories of the dooings of Aurelius Ambrosius, who (as ye haue hard)
makes him a Britaine borne, and descended of the bloud of the ancient
Britains, But Gyldas and Beda report him to be a Romane by descent, as
before is mentioned.
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
Polydor Virgil writeth in this sort of the victorious acts
atchiued by the foresaid Aurelius Ambrosius. Then (saith he) the
Saxons hauing alreadie gotten the whole rule of the Ile, practised
their outragious cruelties speciallie against the princes of the
Britains, to the end that the said princes being ouercome and
destroied, they might with more ease obteine possession of the whole
Ile, which thing they onlie sought. But the fauour of almightie God
was not wanting to the miserable Britains in that great necessitie.
For behold, Aurelius Ambrosius was at hand, who had no sooner caused
the trumpet to sound to armor, but euerie man for himselfe prepared
and repaired vnto him, praieng & beseeching him to helpe to defend
them, and that it might stand with his pleasure to go foorth with them
against the enimies in all speed.
Thus an armie being assembled, Aurelius Ambrosius went against them,
and valiantlie assailed them, so that within the space of a few daies
they fought thrée battels with great fiercenesse on both sides, in
triall of their high displeasures and vttermost forces, in which at
length the Britains put the Saxons to flight, Horsus the brother
of Hengist being slaine with a great number of his people. But yet
notwithstanding the enimies rage was little abated hereby, for within
a few daies after receiuing out of Germanie a new supplie of men, they
brake foorth vpon the Britains with great confidence of victorie.
Aurelius Ambrosius was no sooner aduertised thereof, but that without
delaie he set forward towards Yorke, from whence the enimies should
come, and hearing by the way that Hengist was incamped about seuen &
twentie miles distant from that citie, néere to the banke of a riuer
at this day called Dune, in the place where Doncaster now standeth, he
returned out of his waie, and marched towards that place, and the next
day set on the enimie and vanquished him, Hengist at the first
[Sidenote: Hengist is slaine.]
méeting of the battell being slaine, with a great number of the
Germans. The fame of this victorie (saith Polydor) is had in memorie
with the inhabitants of those parties euen vnto this day, which
victorie did sore diminish the power of the Saxons, insomuch that they
began now to thinke it should be more for their profit to sit in rest
with that dishonour, than to make anie new warres to their great
disaduantage and likelihood of present losse.
Hengist left behind him two sonnes, Osca and Occa, which as men most
sorowfull for the ouerthrow of late receiued, assembled such power as
they could togither, and remooued therewith towards the west part of
the Ile, supposing it to be better for them to draw that way foorth,
than to returne into Kent, where they thought was alreadie a
sufficient number of their people to resist the Britains on that side.
Now therefore when they came into the west parts of the land, they
wasted the countrie, burnt villages, and absteined from no maner
of crueltie that might be shewed. These things being reported vnto
Aurelius Ambrosius, he straightwaies hasted thither to resist those
enimies, and so giuing them battell, eftsoones discomfited them:
[Sidenote: Aurelius dieth of a wound.]
but he himselfe receiuing a wound, died thereof within a few daies
after. The English Saxons hauing thus susteined so manie losses within
a few moneths togither, were contented to be quiet now that the
Britains stirred nothing against them, by reason they were brought
into some trouble by the death of such a noble capteine as they had
[Sidenote: Vortimer departeth this life.]
now lost. In the meane time Vortimer died, whome Vter surnamed
Pendragon succéeded.
Thus hath Polydor written of the forsaid Aurelius Ambrosius, not
naming him to be king of Britaine, and differing in déed in sundrie
points in this behalfe from diuerse ancient writers of the English
histories: for where he attributeth the victorie to the Britains in
the battell fought, wherein Horsus the brother of Hengist was slaine,
by the report of Polychronicon, and others, the Saxons had the
[Sidenote:_Wil. Malm._]
victorie in that reincounter: and William of Malmesburie saith, that
they departed from that batell with equall fortune, the Saxons losing
[Sidenote: Katigerne.]
their capteine Horsus, and the Britains their capteine Katigerne
(as before ye haue heard.) But there is such contrarietie in writers
touching the dooings betwixt the Britains and Saxons in those daies,
as well in account of yéeres, as in report of things doone, that
setting affection aside, hard it is to iudge to which part a man
should giue credit.
For Fabian and other authors write, that Aurelius Ambrosius began his
[Sidenote: 458.]
reigne ouer the Britains about the yéere of our Lord 481, and
Horsus was slaine about the yéere 458, during the reigne of Vortimer,
as aboue is mentioned, so that it cannot stand with the truth of the
British histories (the which Fabian followeth) that Horsus was slaine
by Aurelius Ambrosius, if according to the same histories he returned
not into Britaine, till the time there supposed. But diuerse such
maner of contrarieties shall ye find, in perusing of those writers
that haue written the chronicles of the Britains and Saxons, the which
in euerie point to recite, would be too tedious and combersome a
matter, and therefore we are forced to passe the same ouer, not
knowing how to bring them to anie iust accord for the satisfieng of
all mens minds, speciallie the curious, which may with diligent search
satisfie themselues happilie much better, than anie other shall be
able to doo in vttering his opinion neuer so much at large, and
agréeable to a truth. This therefore haue we thought good as it were
by the waie to touch what diuerse authors doo write, leauing it so
[Sidenote:_Sigebertus_.]
to euerie mans iudgement to construe thereof, as his affection
leadeth him. We find in the writings of those that haue registred the
dooings of these times, that Aurelius hauing vanquished the Saxons,
restored churches to the furtherance of the christian religion, which
[Sidenote:_Matth. West._saith 488.]
by the inuasion of the Saxons was greatlie decaied in diuerse
parts of Britaine, and this chanced in the daies of the emperour
Theodosius the yoonger.
* * * * *
_The beginning of the kingdome of the Southsaxons commonlie called
Sussex, the Britains with their rulers giue battell to Ella the Saxon
& his three sonnes, disagreement betweene the English and British
chronographers about the battels fought by Hengist and his death,
the beginning of the Kentish kingdome, a battell fought betweene
the Britains and Saxons, the first are conquered, the last are
conquerors._