As few or no nations can iustlie boast themselues to haue continued
sithence their countrie was first replenished, without any mixture,
more or lesse, of forreine inhabitants; no more can this our Iland,
whose manifold commodities haue oft allured sundrie princes and famous
capteines of the world to conquer and subdue the same vnto their owne
subiection. Manie sorts of people therfore haue come in hither and
settled themselues here in this Ile, and first of all other, a parcell
[Sidenote: Samotheans.]
of the linage and posteritie of Japhet, brought in by Samothes in the
1910. after the creation of Adam. Howbeit in processe of time, and
after they had indifferentlie replenished and furnished this Iland
with people (which was doone in the space of 335. yeares) Albion the
giant afore mentioned, repaired hither with a companie of his owne
race procéeding from Cham, and not onelie annexed the same to his owne
dominion, but brought all such in like sort as he found here of the
line of Japhet, into miserable seruitude and most extreame thraldome.
After him also, and within lesse than sixe hundred and two yeares,
[Sidenote: Britains.]
[Sidenote: Chemminits.]
came Brute the sonne of Syluius with a great traine of the posteritie
of the dispersed Troians in 324. ships: who rendering the like
courtesie vnto the Chemminits as they had doone before unto the séed
of Japhet, brought them also wholie vnder his rule and gouernance, and
dispossessing the peeres & inferior owners of their lands and
possessions, he diuided the countrie among such princes and capteines
as he in his arriuall here had led out of Grecia with him.
[Sidenote: Romans.]
From hencefoorth I doo not find any sound report of other nation
whatsoeuer, that should aduenture hither to dwell, and alter the state
of the land, vntill the Romane emperours subdued it to their dominion,
sauing of a few Galles, (and those peraduenture of Belgie) who first
comming ouer to rob and pilfer vpon the coasts, did afterward plant
themselues for altogither neere vnto the shore, and there builded
sundrie cities and townes which they named after those of the maine,
from whence they came vnto vs. And this is not onelie to be gathered
out of Cesar where he writeth of Britaine of set purpose, but also
elsewhere, as in his second booke a little after the beginning: for
speaking of Deuiaticus king of the Swessions liuing in his time, he
affirmeth him not onelie to be the mightiest prince of all the Galles,
but also to hold vnder his subiection the Ile of Britaine, of which
his sonne Galba was afterward dispossessed. But after the comming of
the Romans, it is hard to say with how manie sorts of people we were
dailie pestered, almost in euery steed. For as they planted their
forworne legions in the most fertile places of the realme, and where
they might best lie for the safegard of their conquests: so their
armies did commonlie consist of manie sorts of people, and were (as I
may call them) a confused mixture of all other countries and nations
then liuing in the world. Howbeit, I thinke it best, bicause they did
all beare the title of Romans, to reteine onelie that name for them
all, albeit they were wofull ghests to this our Iland: sith that with
them came all maner of vice and vicious liuing, all riot and excesse
of behauiour into our countrie, which their legions brought hither
from each corner of their dominions; for there was no prouince vnder
them from whence they had not seruitours.
[Sidenote: Scots.]
[Sidenote: Picts.]
How and when the Scots, a people mixed of the Scithian and Spanish
blood, should arriue here out of Ireland, & when the Picts should come
vnto vs out of Sarmatia, or from further toward the north & the
Scithian Hyperboreans, as yet it is vncerteine. For though the Scotish
histories doo carrie great countenance of their antiquitie in this
Iland: yet (to saie fréelie what I thinke) I iudge them rather to haue
stolne in hither within the space of 100. yeares before Christ, than
to haue continued here so long as they themselues pretend, if my
coniecture be any thing. Yet I denie not, but that as the Picts were
long planted in this Iland before the Scots aduentured to settle
themselues also in Britaine; so the Scots did often aduenture hither
to rob and steale out of Ireland, and were finallie called in by the
Meats or Picts (as the Romans named them, because they painted their
bodies) to helpe them against the Britains, after the which they so
planted themselues in these parts, that vnto our time that portion of
the land cannot be cleansed of them. I find also that as these Scots
were reputed for the most Scithian-like and barbarous nation, and
longest without letters; so they vsed commonlie to steale ouer into
Britaine in leather skewes, and began to helpe the Picts about or not
long before the beginning of Cesars time. For both Diodorus lib. 6.
and Strabo lib. 4. doo seeme to speake of a parcell of the Irish
nation that should inhabit Britaine in their time, which were giuen to
the eating of mans flesh, and therefore called Anthropophagi.
Mamertinus in like sort dooth note the Redshanks and the Irish (which
are properlie the Scots) to be the onelie enimies of our nation,
before the comming of Cæsar, as appeareth in his panegyricall oration,
so that hereby it is found that they are no new ghestes in Britaine.
Wherefore all the controuersie dooth rest in the time of their first
attempt to inhabit in this Iland. Certeinlie I maruell much whie they
trauell not to come in with Cantaber and Partholonus: but I see
perfectlie that this shift should be too grosse for the maintenance of
their desired antiquitie. Now, as concerning their name, the Saxons
translated the word Scotus for Irish: whereby it appeareth that those
Irish, of whom Strabo and Diodorus doo speake, are none other than
those Scots, of whom Ierome speaketh Aduersus Iouinianum, lib. 2. who
vsed to feed on the buttocks of boies and womens paps, as delicate
dishes. Aethicus writing of the Ile of Man, affirmeth it to be
inhabited with Scots so well as Ireland euen in his time. Which is
another proofe that the Scots and Irish are all one people. They were
also called Scoti by the Romans, bicause their Iland & originall
inhabitation thereof were vnknowne, and they themselues an obscure
[Sidenote: Of the Picts.]
nation in the sight of all the world. Now as concerning the Picts,
whatsoeuer Ranulphus Hygden imagineth to the contrarie of their latter
enterance, it is easie to find by Herodian and Mamertinus (of which
the one calleth them Meates, the other Redshankes and Pictones) that
they were setled in this Ile long before the time of Seuerus, yea of
Cæsar, and comming of the Scots. Which is proofe sufficient, if no
further authoritie remained extant for the same. So that the
controuersie lieth not in their comming also, but in the true time of
their repaire and aduenture into this Iland out of the Orchades (out
of which they gat ouer into the North parts of our countrie, as the
writers doo report) and from whence they came at the first into the
aforsaid Ilands. For my part I suppose with other, that they came
hither out of Sarmatia or Scythia: for that nation hauing had alwaies
an eie vnto the commodities of our countrie, hath sent out manie
companies to inuade and spoile the same. It may be that some will
gather, those to be the Picts, of whom Cæsar saith that they stained
their faces with wad and madder, to the end they might appeare
terrible and feareful to their enimies; and so inferre that the Picts
were naturall Britans. But it is one thing to staine the face onelie
as the Britans did, of whom Propertius saith,
Nunc etiam infectos demum mutare Britannos,
And to paint the images and portraitures of beasts, fish and foules
ouer the whole bodie, as the Picts did, of whom Martial saith,
Barbara depictis veni Bascauda Britannis.
Certes the times of Samothes and Albion, haue some likelie limitation;
and so we may gather of the comming in of Brute, of Cæsar, the Saxons,
the Danes, the Normans, and finallie of the Flemmings, (who had the
Rosse in Wales assigned vnto them 1066. after the drowning of their
countrie.) But when first the Picts, & then the Scots should come ouer
into our Iland, as they were obscure people, so the time of their
arriuall is as far to me vnknowne. Wherefore the resolution of this
point must still remaine In tenebris. This neuerthelesse is certeine,
that Maximus first Legate of Britaine, and afterward emperour, draue
the Scots out of Britaine, and compelled them to get habitation in
Ireland, the out Iles, and the North part of the maine, and finallie
diuided their region betwéene the Britaines and the Picts. He
denounced warre also against the Irishmen, for receiuing them into
their land: but they crauing the peace, yéelded to subscribe, that
from thence-foorth they would not receiue any Scot into their
dominions; and so much the more, for that they were pronounced enimies
to the Romans, and disturbers of the common peace and quietnesse of
their prouinces here in England.
The Saxons became first acquainted with this Ile, by meanes of the
piracie which they dailie practised vpon our coastes (after they had
once begun to aduenture themselues also vpon the seas, thereby to
seeke out more wealth than was now to be gotten in the West parts of
the maine, which they and their neighbours had alreadie spoiled in
most lamentable and barbarous maner) howbeit they neuer durst presume
[Sidenote: The hurt by forren aid.]
to inhabit in this Iland, vntill they were sent for by Vortiger to
serue him in his warres against the Picts and Scots, after that the
Romans had giuen vs ouer, and left vs wholie to our owne defense and
regiment. Being therefore come vnder Hengist in three bottoms or
kéeles, and in short time espieng the idle and negligent behauiour of
the Britaines, and fertilitie of our soile, they were not a little
inflamed to make a full conquest of such as at the first they came to
aid and succour. Herevpon also they fell by little and little to the
winding in of greater numbers of their countrimen and neighbours, with
their wiues and children into this region, so that within a while
these new comlings began to molest the homelings, and ceased not from
time to time to continue their purpose, vntill they had gotten
possession of the whole, or at the leastwise the greatest part of our
countrie; the Britons in the meane season being driuen either into
Wales and Cornewall, or altogither out of the Iland to séeke new
habitations.
[Sidenote: Danes.]
In like maner the Danes (the next nation that succéeded) came at the
first onelie to pilfer and robbe vpon the frontiers of our Iland, till
that in the end, being let in by the Welshmen or Britons through an
earnest desire to be reuenged vpon the Saxons, they no lesse plagued
the one than the other, their fréends than their aduersaries, seeking
by all meanes possible to establish themselues also in the sure
possession of Britaine. But such was their successe, that they
prospered not long in their deuise: for so great was their
lordlinesse, crueltie, and insatiable desire of riches, beside their
detestable abusing of chast matrons, and yoong virgins (whose husbands
and parents were dailie inforced to become their drudges and slaues,
whilest they sat at home and fed like drone bées of the sweet of their
trauell and labours) that God I say would not suffer them to continue
any while ouer vs, but when he saw his time he remooued their yoke,
and gaue vs liberty as it were to breath vs, thereby to see whether
this his sharpe scourge could haue mooued vs to repentance and
amendment of our lewd and sinfull liues, or not. But when no signe
thereof appeared in our hearts, he called in an other nation to vex
[Sidenote: The Normans.]
vs, I meane the Normans, a people mixed with Danes, and of whom it is
worthilie doubted, whether they were more hard and cruell to our
countrimen than the Danes, or more heauie and intollerable to our
Iland than the Saxons or the Romans. This nation came out of Newstria,
the people thereof were called Normans by the French, bicause the
Danes which subdued that region, came out of the North parts of the
world: neuerthelesse, I suppose that the ancient word Newstria, is
corrupted from West-rijc, bicause that if you marke the situation, it
lieth opposite from Austria or Ost-rijc, which is called the East
region, as Newstria is the Weast: for Rijc in the old Scithian toong
dooth signifie a region or kingdome, as in Franc-rijc, or Franc-reich,
Westsaxon-reich, Ost saxon-reich, Su-rijc, Angel-rijc, &c, is else to
be séene. But howsoeuer this falleth out, these Normans or Danish
French, were dedlie aduersaries to the English Saxons, first by meane
of a quarell that grew betwéene them in the daies of Edward the
Confessour, at such time as the Earle of Bullen, and William Duke of
Normandie, arriued in this land to visit him, & their freends; such
Normans (I meane) as came ouer with him and Emma his mother before
him, in the time of Canutus and Ethelred. For the first footing that
euer the French did set in this Iland, sithence the time of Ethelbert
& Sigebert, was with Emma, which Ladie brought ouer a traine of French
Gentlemen and Ladies with hir into England.
[Sidenote: The cause of the conquest by the Normans.]
After hir also no small numbers of attendants came in with Edward the
Confessour, whome he preferred to the greatest offices in the realme,
in so much that one Robert a Norman, became Archbishop of Canturburie,
whose preferment so much enhanced the minds of the French, on the one
side, as their lordlie and outragious demeanour kindled the stomachs
of the English nobilitie against them on the other: insomuch that not
long before the death of Emma the kings mother, and vpon occasion of
the brall hapning at Douer (whereof I haue made sufficient mention in
my Chronologie, not regarding the report of the French authors in this
behalfe, who write altogither in the fauour of their Archbishop
Robert, but following the authoritie of an English préest then liuing
in the court) the English Peeres began to shew their disliking in
manifest maner. Neuerthelesse, the Normans so bewitched the king with
their lieng and bosting, Robert the Archbishop being the chéefe
instrument of their practise, that he beléeued them, and therevpon
vexed sundrie of the nobilitie, amongst whom Earle Goodwijn of Kent
was the chéefe, a noble Gentleman and father in law to king Edward by
the mariage of his daughter. The matter also came to such issue
against him, that he was exiled, and fiue of his sonnes with him,
wherevpon he goeth ouer the sea, and soone after returning with his
said sonnes, they inuaded the land in sundrie places, the father
himselfe comming to London, where when the kings power was readie to
ioine with him in battell, it vtterlie refused so to doo: affirming
plainelie, that it should be méere follie for one Englishman to fight
against another, in the reuenge of Frenchmens quarels: which answer
entred so déeplie into the kings mind, that he was contented to haue
the matter heard, and appointing commissioners for that purpose; they
concluded at the vpshot, that all the French should depart out of
England by a day, few excepted, whom the king should appoint and
[Sidenote: Archbishop of Can. exiled, and the rest of the French.]
nominate. By this means therfore Robert the Archbishop, & of secret
counsell with the king, was first exiled as principall abuser &
seducer of the king, who goeth to Rome, & there complaineth to the
Pope of his iniurie receiued by the English. Howbeit as he returned
home againe with no small hope of the readeption of his See, he died
in Normandie, whereby he saued a killing. Certes he was the first that
euer tendered complaint out of England vnto Rome, & with him went
William Bishop of London (afterward reuoked) and Vlfo of Lincolne, who
hardlie escaped the furie of the English nobilitie. Some also went
into Scotland, and there held themselues, expecting a better time. And
this is the true historie of the originall cause of the conquest of
England by the French: for after they were well beaten at Douer,
bicause of their insolent demeanour there shewed, their harts neuer
ceased to boile with a desire of reuenge that brake out into a flame,
so soone as their Robert possessed the primacie, which being once
obteined, and to set his mischéefe intended abroch withall, a
contention was quicklie procured about certeine Kentish lands, and
controuersie kindled, whether he or the Earle should haue most right
vnto them. The king held with the priest as with the church, the
[Sidenote: Erle Goodwine slandered by the French writers.]
nobilitie with the Earle. In processe also of this businesse, the
Archbishop accused the Earle of high treason, burdening him with the
slaughter of Alfred the kings brother, which was altogither false: as
appeareth by a treatise yet extant of that matter, written by a
chaplaine to king Edward the Confessour, in the hands of Iohn Stow my
verie fréend, wherein he saith thus, "Alfredus incautè agens in
aduentu suo in Angliam a Danis circumuentus occiditur." He addeth
moreouer, that giuing out as he came through the countrie accompanied
with his few proud Normans, how his meaning was to recouer his right
vnto the kingdome, and supposing that all men would haue yéelded vnto
him, he fell into their hands, whome Harald then king did send to
apprehend him, vpon the fame onelie of this report brought vnto his
eares. So that (to be short) after the king had made his pacification
with the Earle, the French (I say) were exiled, the Quéene restored to
his fauour (whom he at the beginning of this broile had imprisoned at
Wilton, allowing hir but one onlie maid to wait upon hir) and the land
reduced to hir former quietnesse, which continued vntill the death of
the king. After which the Normans not forgetting their old grudge,
remembred still their quarell, that in the end turned to their
conquest of this Iland. After which obteined, they were so cruellie
[Sidenote: The miserie of the English vnder the French.]
bent to our vtter subuersion and ouerthrow, that in the beginning it
was lesse reproch to be accounted a slaue than an Englishman, or a
drudge in anie filthie businesse than a Britaine: insomuch that euerie
French page was superiour to the greatest Peere; and the losse of an
Englishmans life but a pastime to such of them as contended in their
brauerie, who should giue the greatest strokes or wounds vnto their
bodies, when their toiling and drudgerie could not please them, or
satisfie their gréedie humors. Yet such was our lot in those daies by
the diuine appointed order, that we must needs obey such as the Lord
did set ouer vs, and so much the rather, for that all power to resist
was vtterlie taken from vs, and our armes made so weake and feeble
that they were not now able to remooue the importable load of the
[Sidenote: The cause of our miserie.]
enimie from our surburdened shoulders. And this onelie I saie againe,
bicause we refused grace offered in time, and would not heare when God
by his Preachers did call vs so fauourablie vnto him. Oh how miserable
was the estate of our countrie vnder the French and Normans, wherein
the Brittish and English that remained, could not be called to any
function in the commonwealth, no not so much as to be constables and
headburowes in small villages, except they could bring 2. or 3.
Normans for suerties to the Lords of the soile for their good
behauiour in their offices! Oh what numbers of all degrées of English
and Brittish were made slaues and bondmen, and bought and sold as oxen
in open market! In so much that at the first comming, the French bond
were set free; and those that afterward became bond, were of our owne
countrie and nation, so that few or rather none of vs remained free
without some note of bondage and seruitude to the French. Hereby then
we perceiue, how from time to time this Iland hath not onelie béene a
prey, but as it were a common receptacle for strangers, the naturall
homelings or Britons being still cut shorter and shorter, as I said
[Sidenote: In this voiage the said Harald builded Portaschith,
which Caradoch ap Griffin afterward ouerthrew, and killed the
garrison that Harald left therein.]
before, till in the end they came not onelie to be driuen into a
corner of this region, but in time also verie like vtterlie to haue
beene extinguished. For had not king Edward, surnamed the saint, in
his time, after greeuous wars made vpon them 1063. (wherein Harald
latelie made Earle of Oxenford, sonne to Goodwin Earle of Kent, and
after king of England, was his generall) permitted the remnant of
their women to ioine in mariage with the Englishmen (when the most
part of their husbands and male children were slaine with the sword)
it could not haue béene otherwise chosen, but their whole race must
néeds haue susteined the vttermost confusion, and thereby the memorie
of the Britons vtterlie haue perished among vs.
Thus we see how England hath six times beene subiect to the reproch of
conquest. And wheras the Scots séeme to challenge manie famous
victories also ouer us, beside gréeuous impositions, tributs, &
dishonorable compositions: it shall suffice for answer, that they
deale in this as in the most part of their historie, which is to seeke
great honor by lieng, & great renowme by prating and craking. Indeed
they haue doone great mischéefe in this Iland, & with extreme
crueltie; but as for any conquest the first is yet to heare of. Diuers
other conquests also haue béene pretended by sundrie princes sithence
the conquest, onelie to the end that all pristinate lawes and tenures
of possession might cease, and they make a new disposition of all
things at their owne pleasure. As one by king Edw. the 3. but it tooke
none effect. Another by Henrie the 4. who neuerthelesse was at the
last though hardlie drawne from the challenge by William Thorington,
then cheefe Justice of England. The third by Henrie the 7. who had
some better shew of right, but yet without effect. And the last of all
by Q. Marie, as some of the papists gaue out, and also would haue had
hir to haue obteined, but God also staied their malices, and hir
challenge. But beside the six afore mentioned, Huntingdon the old
historiographer speaketh of a seuenth, likelie (as he saith) to come
one daie out of the North, which is a wind that bloweth no man to
good, sith nothing is to be had in those parts, but hunger & much
cold. Sée more hereof in the historie of S. Albons, and aforsaid
author which lieth on the left side of the librarie belonging now to
Paules: for I regard no prophesies as one that doubteth from what
spirit they doo procéed, or who should be the author of them.
WHETHER IT BE LIKELIE THAT ANY GIANTS WERE, AND WHETHER THEY INHABITED
IN THIS ILE OR NOT.