The occasion that mooued king Henrie the second to cause his nephue
the foresaid abbat to search for the graue of king Arthur, was, for
that he vnderstood by a Welsh minstrell or Bardh (as they call him)
that could sing manie histories in the Welsh language of the acts of
the ancient Britains, that in the forsaid churchyard at Glastenburie,
betwixt the said two pillers the bodie of Arthur was to be found
sixtéene foot déepe vnder the ground. Gyraldus Cambrensis affirmeth,
that the trée in the which Arthurs bodie was found so inclosed, was an
oke, but other suppose that it was an alder trée, bicause that in the
same place a great number of that kind of trées doo grow, and also
for that it is not vnknowne, that an alder lieng vnder ground where
moisture is, will long continue without rotting.
¶ By the finding thus of the bodie of Arthur buried (as before ye haue
[Sidenote: As for example in a caue néere a water called pond
perilous at Salisburie, where he and his knights should sléepe armed,
till an other knight should be borne that should come and awake them.
_Will. Malmes. lib. 1. de regibus Ang._]
heard) such as hitherto beleeued that he was not dead, but conueied
awaie by the fairies into some pleasant place, where he should remaine
for a time, and then to returne againe, and reigne in as great
authoritie as euer he did before, might well perceiue themselues
deceiued in crediting so vaine a fable. But yet (where it might
otherwise be doubted, whether anie such Arthur was at all, as the
British histories mention, bicause neither Gyldas nor Beda in their
woorks speake anie thing of him) it may appéere, the circumstances
considered, that suerly such one there was of that name, hardie and
valiant in armes, though not in diuerse points so famous as some
writers paint him out. William Malmesburie a writer of good credit and
authoritie amongst the learned, hath these woords in his first booke
intituled "De regibus Anglorum," saieng: "But he being dead [meaning
Vortimer] the force of the Britains waxed féeble, their decaied
hope went backward apace: and euen then suerlie had they gon to
destruction, if Ambrosius (who alone of the Romans remained yet aliue,
and was king after Vortigerne) had not kept vnder and staied the
loftie barbarous people, that is to say the Saxons, by the notable aid
and assistance of the valiant Arthur."
This is the same Arthur, of whom the trifling tales of the Britains
euen to this day fantasticallie doo descant and report woonders: but
woorthie was he doubtlesse, of whom feined fables should not haue so
dreamed, but rather that true histories might haue set foorth his
woorthie praises, as he that did for a long season susteine and hold
vp his countrie that was readie to go to vtter ruine and decaie,
incouraging the bold harts of the Britains vnto the warre, and
finallie in the siege of Badon hill, he set vpon nine hundred of the
enimies, and with incredible slaughter did put them all to flight. On
the contrarie part, the English Saxons, although they were tossed with
sundrie haps of fortune, yet still they renewed their bands with new
supplies of their countriemen that came out of Germanie, and so with
bolder courage assailed their enimies, and by little and little
causing them to giue place, spread themselues ouer the whole Ile. For
although there were manie battels, in the which sometime the Saxons
and sometime the Britains got the better, yet the greater number of
Saxons that were slaine, the greater number of them still came ouer to
the succour of their countriemen, being called in and sent for out of
euerie quarter about them.
[Sidenote: Gawaine where he is buried.]
Héere is also to be noted, that where the British historie
declareth, that Gawaine or Gallowine being slaine in the battell
fought betwixt Arthur and Mordred in Kent, was buried at Douer, so
that his bones remained there to be shewed a long time after: yet by
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm. lib. 3. de regib._]
that which the foresaid William Malmesburie writeth in the third
booke of his volume intituled "De regibus Anglorum," the contrarie
maie séeme true: his woords are these. "Then (saith he) in the
prouince of Wales, which is called Rosse, the sepulture of Gallowine
was found, who was nephue to Arthur by his sister, not going out of
kind from so woorthie an vncle. He reigned in that part of Britaine
which vnto this day is called Walwichia, a knight for his high
prowesse most highlie renowmed, but expelled out of his kingdome by
the brother and nephue of Hengist, of whome in the first booke we haue
made mention, first requiting his banishment with great detriment and
losse to those his enimies, wherein he was partaker by iust desert
of his vncles woorthie praise, for that he staied (for a great manie
yéeres) the destruction of his countrie, which was now running
headlong into vtter ruine and decaie. But Arthurs graue no where
appéereth: yet the others toome (as I haue said) was found in the
daies of William the conqueror, king of England, vpon the sea side,
and conteined in length fouretéene foot, where he was (as some say)
wounded by his enimies, and cast vp by shipwracke. But other
write, that he was slaine at a publike feast or banket by his owne
countriemen." Thus saith William Malmesburie.
¶ But heere you must consider, that the said Malmesburie departed this
life about the beginning of the reigne of king Henrie the second,
certeine yéers before the bones of Arthur were found (as ye haue
heard.) But omitting this point as néedles to be controuerssed, &
letting all dissonant opinions of writers passe, as a matter of no
such moment that we should néed to sticke therein as in a glewpot;
we will procéed in the residue of such collections as we find
necessarilie pertinent to the continuation of this historie; and now
we will say somewhat of quéene Guenhera or Guenouer, the wife of the
foresaid king Arthur.
Some iudge that she tooke hir name of hir excellent beautie, bicause
Guinne or Guenne in the Welsh toong signifieth faire, so that she was
named Guennere or rather Guenlhean, euen (as you would say) the faire
or beautifull Elenor or Helen. She was brought vp in the house of one
Cador earle of Cornewall before Arthur maried hir: and as it appeareth
by writers, she was euill reported of, as noted of incontinencie &
breach of faith to hir husband, in maner as for the more part women of
excellent beautie hardlie escape the venemous blast of euill toongs,
and the sharpe assaults of the followers of Venus. The British
historie affirmeth, that she did not onelie abuse hir selfe by
vnlawfull companie with Mordred, but that also in Arthurs absence she
consented to take him to husband. It is likewise found recorded by
an old writer, that Arthur besieged on a time the marishes néere to
Glastenburie, for displeasure that he bare to a certeine lord called
Melua, who had rauished Gueneuer, and led hir into those marishes, and
there did kéepe hir. Hir corps notwithstanding (as before is recited)
was interred togither with Arthurs, so that it is thought she liued
not long after his deceasse.
Arthur had two wiues (as Gyraldus Cambrensis affirmeth) of which the
latter (saith he) was buried with him, and hir bones found with his in
one sepulchre, but yet so diuided, that two parts of the toome towards
the head were appointed to receiue the bones of the man, and the third
part towards the féet conteined the womans bones, apart by themselues.
Here is to be remembred, that Hector Boetius writeth otherwise of the
death of Arthur than before in this booke is mentioned, & also that
Gueneuer being taking prisoner by the Picts, was conueied into
Scotland, where finallie she died, and was there buried in Angus, as
in the Scotish chronicles further appeareth. And this may be true, if
he had thrée sundrie wiues, each of them bearing the name of
Gueneuer, as sir Iohn Price dooth auouch that he had. Now bicause
of contrarietie in writers touching the great acts atchiued by this
Arthur, and also for that some difference there is amongst them, about
the time in which he should reigne, manie haue doubted of the whole
historie which of him is written (as before ye haue heard.) ¶ But
others there be of a constant beléefe, who hold it for a grounded
truth, that such a prince there was; and among all other a late
[Sidenote: _Dauid Pow. pag. 238, 239_.]
writer, who falling into necessarie mention of prince Arthur,
frameth a spéech apologeticall in his and their behalfe that were
princes of the British bloud, discharging a short but yet a sharpe
inuectiue against William Paruus, Polydor Virgil, and their complices,
whom he accuseth of lieng toongs, enuious detraction, malicious
slander, reprochfull and venemous language, wilfull ignorance, dogged
enuie, and cankerd minds; for that they speake vnreuerentlie and
contrarie to the knowne truth concerning those thrisenoble princes.
Which defensitiue he would not haue deposed, but that he takes the
monuments of their memories for vndoubted verities.
The British histories and also the Scotish chronicles doo agrée, that
he liued in the daies of the emperour Iustinian, about the fiftéenth
yéere of whose reigne he died, which was in the yéere of our Lord
[Sidenote: 542.]
542, as diuerse doo affirme. Howbeit some write farther from all
likelihood, that he was about the time of the emperor Zeno, who began
[Sidenote: _Aurea historia. I. Leland_.]
his reigne about the yéere of our Lord 474. The writer of the
booke intituled "Aurea historia" affirmeth, that in the tenth yéere
of Cerdicus king of Westsaxons, Arthur the warriour rose against the
Britains. Also Diouionensis writeth, that Cerdicus fighting oftentimes
with Arthur, if he were ouercome in one moneth, he arose in an other
moneth more fierce and strong to giue battell than before. At length
Arthur wearied with irkesomnes, after the twelfth yéere of the comming
of Cerdicus, gaue vnto him vpon his homage doone and fealtie receiued,
[Sidenote: Westsaxon.]
the shires of Southampton and Somerset, the which countries
Cerdicius named Westsaxon. This Cerdicius or Cerdicius came into
Britaine about the yéere of our Lord 495. In the 24 yere after his
comming hither, that is to say, about the yéere of your Lord 519, he
began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons, and gouerned them as king by the
space of 15 yéeres, as before ye haue heard. But to follow the course
of our chronicles accordinglie as we haue begun, we must allow of
their accounts herein as in other places, and so procéed.
* * * * *
_The decaie of christian religion and receiuing of the Pelagian
heresie in Britaine by what meanes they were procured and by whom
redressed: Constantine succeedeth Arthur in the kingdome, ciuill warre
about succession to the crowne, the chalengers are pursued and
slaine, Constantine is vnkindlie killed of his kinsman, a bitter and
reprochfull inuectiue of Gyldas against the British rulers of his
time, and namelie against Constantine, Conan that slue Constantine
reigneth in Britaine, his vertues and vices, his two yeeres regiment,
the seuere reprehensions of Gyldas uttered against Conan, discouering
the course of his life, and a secret prophesie of his death._