[Sidenote: Belinus and Brennus. 3574.]
Brennus and Belinus began to reigne iointlie as kings in Britaine,
in the yéere of the world 3574, after the building of the citie
of Rome 355, and after the deliuerance of the Israelites out of
captiuitie 142, which was about the seuenth yéere of Artaxerxes
[Sidenote: _Matth. West_.]
surnamed Mnenon, the seuenth king of the Persians. Belinus held
vnder his gouernment Loegria, Wales, and Cornwall: and Brennus all
those countries ouer and beyond Humber. And with this partition
[Sidenote: _Polyd_. saith 5.]
were they contented by the tearme of six or seuen yéeres, after which
[Sidenote: Brennus not content with his portion.]
time expired, Brennus coueting to haue more than his portion came
to, first thought to purchase himselfe aid in forreine parties, &
therefore by the prouocation and counsell of yong vnquiet heads,
[Sidenote: Elsingius.]
sailed ouer into Norway, and there married the daughter of Elsung or
Elsing, as then duke or ruler of that countrie. Beline, offended with
his brother, that he should thus without his aduice marrie with
a stranger, now in his absence seized all his lands, townes, and
fortresses into his owne hands, placing garisons of men of warre where
he thought conuenient.
In the meane time, Brenne aduertised hereof, assembled a great nauie
of ships, well furnished with people and souldiers of the Norwegians,
with the which he tooke his course homewards, but in the waie he
[Sidenote: Guilthdacus king of Denmarke.]
was encountred by Guilthdacus king of Denmarke, the which had laid
long in wait for him, bicause of the yoong ladie which Brenne had
maried, for whome he had béene a sutor to hir father Elsing of long
time. When these two fléetes of the Danes and Norwegians met, there
was a sore battell betwixt them, but finallie the Danes ouercame them
of Norway, and tooke the ship wherein the new bride was conueied, and
then was she brought aboord the ship of Guilthdacus. Brenne escaped by
flight as well as he might. But when Guilthdacus had thus obtained the
[Sidenote: A tempest.]
victorie and prey, suddenlie therevpon arose a sore tempest of
wind and weather, which scattered the Danish fleete, and put the king
in danger to haue béene lost: but finallie within fiue daies after,
[Sidenote: Guilthdacus landed in the north.]
being driuen by force of wind, he landed in Northumberland, with a
few such ships as kept togither with him.
Beline being then in that countrie, prouiding for defense against his
brother, vpon knowledge of the king of Denmarks arriuall, caused him
to be staied. Shortlie after, Brenne hauing recouered and gotten
togither the most part of his ships that were dispersed by the
discomfiture, and then newlie rigged and furnished of all things
necessarie, sent word to his brother Beline, both to restore vnto
him his wife wrongfullie rauished by Guilthdacus, and also his lands
iniuriouslie by him seized into his possession. These requests
being plainlie and shortlie denied, Brenne made no long delaie, but
spéedilie made toward Albania, and landing with his armie in a part
thereof, incountred with his brother Beline néere vnto a wood named
[Sidenote: Calater wood is in Scotland.]
as then Calater, where (after cruell fight, and mortall battell
betwixt them) at length the victorie abode with the Britains, and the
discomfiture did light so on the Norwegians, that the most of them
were wounded, slaine, and left dead vpon the ground.
Hereby Brenne being forced to flée, made shift, and got ouer into
Gallia, where after he had sued to this prince, at length he
[Sidenote: Seguinus or Seginus duke of the Allobrogs, now the Delphinat
of Sauoy.]
abode, and was well receiued of one Seguinus or Seginus duke of the
people called then Allobrogs (as Galfrid of Monmouth saith) or rather
Armorica, which now is called Britaine, as Polychronicon, and the
english historie printed by Caxton, more trulie maie seeme to affirme.
But Beline hauing got the vpper hand of his enimies, assembling his
councell at Caerbranke, now called York, tooke aduise what he should
doo with the king of Denmarke: where it was ordeined, that he should
be set at libertie, with condition and vnder couenant, to acknowledge
himselfe by dooing homage, to hold his land of the king of
[Sidenote: The Danes tributarie of the Britains.]
Britaine, and to paie him a yéerelie tribute. These couenants being
agréed vpon, and hostages taken for assurance, he was set at libertie,
and so returned into his countrie. The tribute that he couenanted to
paie, was a thousand pounds, as the English chronicle saith.
[Sidenote: The foure high waies finished.]
When Beline had thus expelled his brother, and was alone possessed
of all the land of Britaine, he first confirmed the lawes made by his
father: and for so much as the foure waies begun by his father were
not brought to perfection, he therefore caused workmen to be called
foorth and assembled, whom he set in hand to paue the said waies with
stone, for the better passage and ease of all that should trauell
through the countries from place to place, as occasion should require.
[Sidenote: The Fosse.]
The first of these foure waies is named Fosse, and stretcheth
from the south into the north, beginning at the corner of Totnesse in
Cornewall, and so passing foorth by Deuonshire, and Somersetshire,
by Tutherie, on Cotteswold, and then forward beside Couentrie vnto
Leicester, and from thence by wild plaines towards Newarke, and endeth
[Sidenote: Watling stréet.]
at the citie of Lincolne. The second waie was named Watling
stréete, the which stretcheth ouerthwart the Fosse, out of the
southeast into the northeast, beginning at Douer, and passing by the
middle of Kent ouer Thames beside London, by-west of Westminster, as
some haue thought, and so foorth by S. Albons, and by the west side of
Dunstable, Stratford, Toucester, and Wedon by-south of Lilleborne, by
Atherston, Gilberts hill, that now is called the Wreken, and so foorth
by Seuerne, passing beside Worcester, vnto Stratton to the middle of
Wales, and so vnto a place called Cardigan, at the Irish sea. The
[Sidenote: Erming streét.]
third way was named Ermingstréet, which stretched out of the west
northwest, vnto the east southeast, and beginneth at Meneuia, the
which is in Saint Dauids land in west Wales, and so vnto Southampton.
[Sidenote: Hiknelstréet.]
The fourth and last waie hight Hiknelstréete, which leadeth by
Worcester, Winchcombe, Birmingham, Lichfield, Darbie, Chesterfield,
and by Yorke, and so foorth vnto Tinmouth. After he had caused
these waies to be well and sufficientlie raised and made, he confirmed
[Sidenote: Priuilegs granted to the waies.]
vnto them all such priuileges as were granted by his father.
* * * * *
_Brennus marrieth with the duke of Alobrogs daughter, groweth into
great honour, commeth into Britaine with an armie against his brother
Beline, their mother reconcileth them, they ioine might & munition and
haue great conquests, conflicts betweene the Galles and the Romans,
the two brethren take Rome_.