In this meane while that the realme was disquieted with sore &
continuall warres betwixt the Britains and Saxons (as before ye haue
heard) the christian religion was not onelie abolished in places where
the Saxons got habitations, but also among the Britains the right
[Sidenote: The heresie of the Pelagians reuiued, _Hist. Mag._]
faith was brought into danger, by the remnant of the Pelagian heresie,
[Sidenote: Dubritius & Dauid lerned bishops.]
which began againe to be broched by diuers naughtie persons. But
Dubritius that was first bishop of Landaffe, and after archbishop of
Caerleon Arwiske, and his successour Dauid, with other learned men
earnestlie both by preaching and writing defended the contrarie cause,
to the confuting of those errors, and restablishing of the truth.
[Sidenote: CONSTANTINE.]
After the death of Arthur, his coosine Constantine the sonne
[Sidenote: 542.]
of Cador, duke or earle of Cornewall began his reigne ouer the
Britains, in the yere of our Lord 542, which was about the 15 yéere of
the emperour Iustinianus almost ended, the 29 of Childebert king
of France, and the first yéere well néere complet of the reigne of
[Sidenote: _Galfrid_. _Matth. West._]
Totilas king of the Goths in Italie. Arthur when he perceiued that
he shuld die, ordeined this Constantine to succéed him, and so by the
consent of the more part of the Britains he was crowned king: but the
sonnes of Mordred sore repined thereat, as they that claimed the rule
of the land by iust title and claime of inheritance to them from their
[Sidenote: Ciuill warre.]
father descended. Herevpon followed ciuill warre, so that diuers
battels were striken betwéene them and in the end the two brethren
were constreined to withdraw for refuge, the one to London, and the
other to Winchester: but Constantine pursuing them, first came to
Winchester, and by force entered the citie, and slue the one brother
that was fled thither within the church of saint Amphibalus: and after
comming to London, entered that citie also, and finding the other
brother within a church there, slue him in like maner as he had doone
the other. And so hauing dispatched his aduersaries, he thought to
haue purchased to himselfe safetie: but shortlie after, his owne
[Sidenote: Aurelius Conanus. Constantine slaine.]
kinsman, one Aurelius Conanus arrered warre against him, who ioining
with him in battell slue him in the field, after he had reigned foure
yéeres. His bodie was conueied to Stonheng, and there buried beside
[Sidenote: _Gyldas_.]
his ancestour Vter Pendragon. Of this Constantine that seemeth
to be ment, which Gyldas writeth in his booke intituled "De excidio
Britanniæ," where inueieng against the rulers of the Britains in his
time, he writeth thus: "Britaine hath kings, but the same be tyrants;
iudges it hath, but they be wicked, oftentimes péeling and harming the
innocent people, reuenging and defending, but whom? such as be guiltie
persons and robbers; hauing manie wiues, but yet breaking wedlocke;
oftentimes swearing, and yet forswearing themselues; vowing, and for
the more part lieng; warring, but mainteining ciuill & vniust warres;
pursuing indéed théeues that are abroad in the countrie, and yet not
onelie cherishing those that sit euen at table with them, but also
highlie rewarding them: giuing almesse largelie, but on the other part
heaping vp a mightie mount of sinnes; sitting in the seat of sentence,
but seldome séeking the rule of righteous iudgement; despising the
innocent and humble persons, and exalting so farre as in them lieth,
euen vp to the heauens, most bloudie and proud murtherers, théeues and
adulterers, yea the verie professed enimies of God; if he would so
permit: kéeping manie in prison, whome they oppresse, in loding them
with irons, through craft rather to serue their owne purpose, than for
anie gilt of the persons so imprisoned: taking solemne oths before
the altars, and shortlie after, despising the same altars as vile and
filthie stones.
"Of this hainous and wicked offense Constantine the tyrannicall whelpe
of the lionesse of Deuonshire is not ignorant, who this yeare, after
the receiuing of his dreadfull oth, whereby he bound himselfe that in
no wise he should hurt his subjects (God first, and then his oth,
with the companie of saints, and his mother being there present)
did notwithstanding in the reuerent laps of the two mothers, as the
church, and their carnall mother, vnder the coule of the holie abbat,
deuoure with sword and speare in stead of téeth, the tender sides,
yea and the entrailes of two children of noble and kinglie race, and
likewise of their two gouernours, yea and that (as I said) amongest
the sacred altars: the armies of which persons so slaine, not
stretched foorth to defend themselues with weapons (the which few in
those daies handled more valiantlie than they) but stretched foorth (I
saie) to God and to his altar in the day of iudgement, shall set vp
the reuerent ensignes of their patience and faith at the gates of the
citie of Christ, which so haue couered the seat of the celestiall
sacrifice, as it were with the red mantle of their cluttered bloud.
"These things he did not after anie good déeds doone by him deseruing
praise: for manie yeares before, ouercome with the often and
changeable filths of adulterie, & forsaking his lawfull wife contrarie
to the lawes of God, &c: he now brought foorth this crime of quelling
his owne kinsmen, and violating the church, but neither being loosed
from the snares of his former euills, he increaseth the new with the
old." ¶ Thus in effect hath Gyldas written of this Constantine, with
more: for turning his tale to him, he reproueth him of his faults, and
counselleth him to repent.
[Sidenote: CONANUS.]
After that Aurelius Conanus had slaine the foresad Constantine, as
in the British histories is mentioned, the same Conan was made king
[Sidenote: 546.]
of Britaine in the yeare of our Lord 546, in the 20 yeare of
Iustinianus, and in the 33 of the reigne of Childebert king of the
Frenchmen. This Aurelius Conanus (as is recorded by some writers) was
of a noble heart, frée and liberall, but giuen much to the maintenance
of strife and discord amongst his people, light of credit, and namelie
had an open eare to receiue and heare the reports of such as accused
other. Moreouer he was noted of crueltie, as he that tooke his vncle,
who of right should haue béene king, and kept him in prison, and not
so satisfied slue in tyrannous maner the two sons of his said vncle:
But God would not suffer him long to inioy the rule of the land in
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._ writeth that he reigned 30. yeares.]
such vniust dealing, for he died after he had reigned the space of two
yeares, and left a sonne behind him called Vortiporus, which succéeded
him in the kingdome, as authors doo record. Of this Aurelius Conanus
Gyldas writeth, calling vnto him after he had made an end with his
predecessor Constantine, saieng in this wise: "And thou lions whelpe,
as saith the prophet, Aurelius Conanus what doost thou? Art thou
not swallowed vp in the filthie mire of murthering thy kinsmen, of
committing fornications and adulteries like to the other before
mentioned, if not more deadlie, as it were with the waues and surges
of the drenching seas ouerwhelming thée with hir vnmercifull rage?
Dooest thou not in hating the peace of thy countrie as a deadlie
serpent, and thirsting after ciuill wars and spoiles (oftentimes
vniustlie gotten) shut vp against thy soule the gates of celestiall
peace and refreshment? Thou being left alone as a withering trée in
the middle of a field, call to remembrance (I praie thée) the vaine
youthfull fantasie and ouertimelie death of thy fathers and thy
brethren. Shalt thou being set apart, and chosen foorth of all thy
linage for thy godlie deserts, be reserued to liue an hundred yeares,
or remaine on earth till thou be as old as Methusalem? No no." And
after these reprehensions, with further threatnings of Gods vengeance,
he exhorted him to amendment of life, and so proceedeth to talke
with Vortiporus, whome he nameth the king, or rather the tyrant of
Southwales, as after shall be rehearsed.
* * * * *
_The beginning of the kingdome of Brenitia, of whome the king of
Kent, Mertia, and west Saxons descended, Ida the Saxon commended, the
originall of the kingdome of Deira, the circuit and bounds therof, of
Ella the gouernour of the same, when the partition of the kingdome
of Northumberland chanced; Vortiporus reigneth ouer the Britains, he
vanquisheth the Saxons; Gyldas sharplie reprooueth Vortiporus for
manie greeuous offenses, and exhorteth him to amendement._