[Sidenote: THEOM[=A]DEUS ]
AFTER the death of Cassibellane, Theomantius or Tenantius the
yoongest sonne of Lud was made king of Britaine in the yéere of the
[Sidenote: _Fabian_]
world 3921, after the building of Rome 706, & before the comming
of Christ 45. He is named also in one of the English chronicles
Tormace: in the same chronicle it is conteined, that not he, but his
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
brother Androgeus was king, where Geffrey of Monmouth & others
testifie, that Androgeus abandoned the land clerelie, & continued
still at Rome, because he knew the Britains hated him for treason he
had committed in aiding Iulius Cesar against Cassibellane. Theomantius
ruled the land in good quiet, and paid the tribute to the Romans which
Cassibellane had granted, and finallie departed this life after he had
reigned 22 yeares, and was buried at London.
[Sidenote: KYMBELINE]
Kymbeline or Cimbeline the sonne of Theomantius was of the
Britains made king after the deceasse of his father, in the yeare of
the world 3944, after the building of Rome 728, and before the
[Sidenote: _Fabian_ out of _Guido de Columna_.]
birth of our Sauiour 33. This man (as some write) was brought vp at
Rome, and there made knight by Augustus Cesar, vnder whome he serued
in the warres, and was in such fauour with him, that he was at
libertie to pay his tribute or not. Little other mention is made of
his dooings, except that during his reigne, the Sauiour of the world
[Sidenote: Christ our saviour borne.]
our Lord Iesus Christ the onelie sonne of God was borne of a virgine,
about the 23 yeare of the reigne of this Kymbeline, & in the 42 yeare
of the emperour Octauius Augustus, that is to wit, in the yeare of
[Sidenote: 3966.]
the world 3966, in the second yeare of the 194 Olympiad, after the
building of the citie of Rome 750 nigh at an end, after the vniuersall
floud 2311, from the birth of Abraham 2019, after the departure of the
Israelits out of Egypt 1513, after the captiuitie of Babylon 535, from
the building of the temple by Salomon 1034, & from the arriuall of
Brute 1116, complet. Touching the continuance of the yeares of
Kymbelines reigne, some writers doo varie, but the best approoued
affirme, that he reigned 35 years and then died, & was buried at
London, leauing behind him two sonnes, Guiderius and Aruiragus.
¶ But here is to be noted, that although our histories doo affirme,
that as well this Kymbeline, as also his father Theomantius liued in
quiet with the Romans, and continuallie to them paied the tributes
which the Britains had couenanted with Iulius Cesar to pay, yet we
find in the Romane writers, that after Iulius Cesars death, when
[Sidenote: _Cor. Tacitus. in uita lu. Agr. Dion Cassius_.]
Augustus had taken vpon him the rule of the empire, the Britains
refused to paie that tribute: whereat as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth,
Augustus (being otherwise occupied) was contented to winke; howbeit,
through earnest calling vpon to recouer his right by such as were
desirous to sée the vttermost of the British kingdome; at length, to
wit, in the tenth yeare after the death of Iulius Cesar, which was
about the thirtéenth yeare of the said Theomantius, Augustus made
[Sidenote: _Dion Cassius._]
prouision to passe with an armie ouer into Britaine, & was come
forward vpon his iournie into Gallia Celtica: or as we maie saie, into
these hither parts of France.
But here receiuing aduertisements that the Pannonians, which inhabited
the countrie now called Hungarie, and the Dalmatians whome now we call
Slauons had rebelled, he thought it best first to subdue those rebells
neere home, rather than to séeke new countries, and leaue such in
hazard whereof he had present possession, and so turning his power
against the Pannonians and Dalmatians, he left off for a time the
warres of Britaine, whereby the land remained without feare of anie
inuasion to be made by the Romans, till the yeare after the building
of the citie of Rome 725, and about the 19 yeare of king Theomantius
reigne, that Augustus with an armie departed once againe from Rome to
passe ouer into Britaine, there to make warre. But after his comming
into Gallia, when the Britains sent to him certeine ambassadours to
treat with him of peace, he staied there to settle the state of things
among the Galles, for that they were not in verie good order. And
hauing finished there, he went into Spaine, and so his iournie into
Britaine was put off till the next yeare, that is, the 726 after the
building of Rome, which fell before the birth of our sauiour 25, about
which time Augustus eftsoons meant the third time to haue made a
voiage into Britaine, because they could not agrée vpon couenants. But
as the Pannonians and Dalmatians had aforetime staied him, when
[Sidenote: He kept not promise with the Romans. Those of Calice and
Biskaie.]
(as before is said) he meant to haue gone against the Britans: so euen
now the Salassians (a people inhabiting about Italie and Switserland)
the Cantabrians and Asturians by such rebellious sturrs as they
raised, withdrew him from his purposed iournie. But whether this
controuersie which appeareth to fall forth betwixt the Britains and
Augustus, was occasioned by Kymbeline, or some other prince of
the Britains, I haue not to auouch: for that by our writers it is
reported, that Kymbeline being brought vp in Rome, & knighted in the
court of Augustus, euer shewed himselfe a friend to the Romans, &
chieflie was loth to breake with them, because the youth of the
Britaine nation should not be depriued of the benefit to be trained
and brought vp among the Romans, whereby they might learne both to
behaue themselues like ciuill men, and to atteine to the knowledge of
feats of warre.
But whether for this respect, or for that it pleased the almightie
God so to dispose the minds of men at that present, not onlie the
Britains, but in manner all other nations were contented to be
obedient to the Romane empire. That this was true in the Britains,
[Sidenote: _Strab. Geog._]
it is euident enough by Strabos words, which are in effect as
followeth. "At this present (saith he) certeine princes of Britaine,
procuring by ambassadors and dutifull demeanors the amitie of the
emperour Augustus, haue offered in the capitoll vnto the gods
presents or gifts, and haue ordeined the whole Ile in a manner to be
appertinent, proper, and familiar to the Romans. They are burdened
with sore customs which they paie for wares, either to be sent foorth
into Gallia, or brought from thence, which are commonlie yuorie
vessels, shéeres, ouches, or earerings, and other conceits made of
amber & glasses, and such like manner of merchandize: so that now
there is no néed of anie armie or garrison of men of warre to kéepe
the Ile, for there néedeth not past one legion of footmen, or some
wing of horssemen, to gather vp and receiue the tribute: for the
charges are rated according to the quantitie of the tributes: for
otherwise it should be néedfull to abate the customs, if the tributes
were also raised: and if anie violence should be vsed, it were
dangerous least they might be prouoked to rebellion." Thus farre
Strabo.
* * * * *
_Of Guiderius, who denied to paie tribute to the Romans, preparation
for war on both sides, of the ridiculous voiage of the Emperour
Caligula against the Britains, his vanitie and delight in mischiefe:
Aulus Plautius a Romane senator accompanied with souldiers arrive on
the British coasts without resistance, the Britains take flight and
hide themselues._