[Sidenote: _Bale._]
[Sidenote: _Annius de Viterbo._]
[Sidenote: _Diodorus Sicubis._]
[Sidenote: Pinnesses or gallies.]
[Sidenote: _Higinus._]
[Sidenote: _Pictonius._]
NEPTUNUS called by Moses (as some take it) Nepthuim, the sixt sonne of
Osiris, after the account of Annius, and the brother of Hercules, had
appointed him of his father (as Diodorus writeth) the gouernement of
the ocean sea: wherefore he furnished himselfe of sundrie light ships
for the more redie passage by water, which in the end grew to the
number of a full nauie: & so by continuall exercise he became so
skilfull, and therewith so mightie vpon the waters (as Higinus &
Pictonius doo write) that he was not onelie called the king, but also
estéemed the god of the seas. He had to wife a ladie called
Amphitrita, who was also honored as goddesse of the seas, of whose
bodie he begat sundrie children: and (as Bale reporteth) he made
[Sidenote: _Scrip. Bri. cent._ 1.]
euerie one of them king of an Iland. In the Ile of Britaine he landed
his fourth son called Albion the giant, who brought the same vnder his
[Sidenote: _Ioh. Textor._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
subjection. And herevpon it resteth, that Iohn Textor, and Polydor
Virgil made mention, that light shippes were first inuented in the
British seas, and that the same were couered round with the hides of
beasts, for defending them from the surges and waues of the water.
This Albion being put by his father in possession of this Ile of
Britaine, within short time subdued the Samotheans, the first
inhabitantes thereof, without finding any great resistance, for that
(as before ye haue heard) they had giuen ouer the practise of all
warlike and other painefull exercises, and through vse of effeminate
pleasures, wherevnto they had giuen themselues ouer, they were become
now vnapt to withstand the force of their enimies: and so (by the
[Sidenote: _Nichol. Perot._]
[Sidenote: _Rigmanus Philesius._]
[Sidenote: _Aristotle._]
[Sidenote: _Hum. Lhoyd._]
testimonie of Nicholaus Perottus, Rigmanus Philesius, Aristotle, and
Humfrey Llhoyd, with diuers other, both forraine & home-writers) this
Iland was first called by the name of Albion, hauing at one time both
the name and inhabitants changed from the line of Iaphet vnto the
accursed race of Cham.
This Albion (that thus changed the name of this Ile) and his companie,
are called giants, which signifieth none other than a tall kind of
men, of that vncorrupt stature and highnesse naturallie incident to
[Sidenote: _Berosus._]
the first age (which Berosus also séemeth to allow, where he writeth,
that Noah was one of the giants) and were not so called only of their
monstrous greatnesse, as the common people thinke (although in deed
they exceeded the vsuall stature of men now in these daies) but also
for that they tooke their name of the soile where they were borne: for
[Sidenote: What _Gigantes_ signifie.]
_Gigantes_ signifieth the sons of the earth: the Aborigines, or (as
Cesar calleth them) Indigenae; that is, borne and bred out of the
earth where they inhabited.
Thus some thinke, but verelie although that their opinion is not to be
allowed in any condition, which maintaine that there should be any
[Sidenote: _Against the opinion of the Aborigines._]
Aborigines, or other kind of men than those of Adams line; yet that
there haue beene men of far greater stature than are now to be found,
is sufficientlie prooued by the huge bones of those that haue beene
found in our time, or lately before: whereof here to make further
relation it shall not need, sith in the description of Britaine ye
shall find it sufficientlie declared.
[Sidenote: _Bale._]
[Sidenote: Bergion brother to Albion.]
[Sidenote: Hercules Lybicus.]
But now to our purpose. As Albion held Britaine in subiection, so his
brother Bergion kept Ireland and the Orkenies vnder his rule and
dominion, and hearing that their coosine Hercules Lybicus hauing
finished his conquests in Spaine, meant to passe through Gallia into
Italie, against their brother Lestrigo that oppressed Italie, vnder
subiection of him & other of his brethren the sons also of Neptune; as
well Albion as Bergion assembling their powers togither, passed ouer
into Gallia, to stoppe the passage of Hercules, whose intention was to
vanquish and destroie those tyrants the sonnes of Neptune, & their
complices that kept diuers countries and regions vnder the painefull
yoke of their heauie thraldome.
[Sidenote: The cause why Hercules pursued his cousins.]
The cause that moued Hercules thus to pursue vpon those tyrants now
reigning thus in the world, was, for that not long before, the
greatest part of them had conspired togither and slaine his father
Osiris, notwithstanding that they were nephues to the same Osiris, as
sonnes to his brother Neptune, and not contented with his slaughter,
they diuided his carcase also amongst them, so that each of them got a
peece in token of reioising at their murtherous atchiued enterprise.
For this cause Hercules (whome Moses calleth Laabin) proclamed warres
against them all in reuenge of his fathers death: and first he killed
Triphon and Busiris in Aegypt, then Anteus in Mauritania, & the
Gerions in Spaine, which enterprise atchiued, he led his armie
towardes Italie, and by the way passed through a part of Gallia, where
[Sidenote: _Pomp. Mela._]
Albion and Bergion hauing vnited their powers togither, were readie to
receiue him with battell: and so néere to the mouth of the riuer
called Rhosne, in Latine _Rhodanus_, they met & fought. At the first
there was a right terrible and cruell conflict betwixt them. And
albeit that Hercules had the greatest number of men, yet was it verie
doubtfull a great while, to whether part the glorie of that daies
worke would bend. Whereupon when the victorie began outright to turne
vnto Albion, and to his brother Bergion, Hercules perceiuing the
danger and likelihood of vtter losse of that battell, speciallie for
that his men had wasted their weapons, he caused those that stood
still and were not otherwise occupied, to stoope downe, and to gather
vp stones, whereof in that place there was great plentie, which by his
commandement they bestowed so fréelie vpon their enimies, that in the
[Sidenote: Hercules discomfiteth his enimies.]
end hée obteined the victorie, and did not only put his adversaries to
[Sidenote: Albion is slaine.]
flight, but also slue Albion there in the field, togither with his
brother Bergion, and the most part of all their whole armie. This was
the end of Albion, and his brother Bergion, by the valiant prowesse of
Hercules, who as one appointed by Gods prouidence to subdue the cruell
& vnmercifull tyrants, spent his time to the benefit of mankind,
deliuering the oppressed from the heauie yoke of miserable thraldome,
in euerie place where he came.
[Sidenote: The occasion of the fable of Jupiter helping his son
Hercules.]
And by the order of this battell wée maye learne whereof the poets had
their inuention, when they faine in their writings, that Jupiter holpe
his sonne Hercules, by throwing downe stones from heauen in this
battell against Albion and Bergion. Moreouer, from henceforth was this
[Sidenote: How this Ile was called Albion, of the giant Albion.]
[Sidenote: _Iohn Bale._]
Ile of Britaine called Albion (as before we haue said) after the name
of the said Albion: because he was established chiefe ruler and king
thereof both by his grandfather Osiris and his father Neptune that
cunning sailour reigning therein (as Bale saith) by the space of 44.
yeares, till finally he was slaine in maner afore remembred by his
vncle Hercules Libicus.
After that Hercules had thus vanquished and destroied his enimies, hée
passed to and fro thorough Gallia, suppressing the tyrants in euerie
part where he came, and restoring the people vnto a reasonable kinde
of libertie, vnder lawfull gouernours. This Hercules (as we find)
builded the citie Alexia in Burgongne, nowe called Alize. Moreouer, by
Lilius Giraldus in the life of Hercules it is auouched, that the same
Hercules came ouer hither into Britaine. And this dooth Giraldus write
by warrant of such Britons as (saith he) haue so written themselues,
which thing peraduenture he hath read in Gildas the ancient Briton
poet: a booke that (as he confesseth in the 5. dialog of his histories
of poets) he hath séene. The same thing also is confirmed by the name
of an head of land in Britaine called _Promontorium Herculis_, as in
Ptolomie ye may read, which is thought to take name of his arriuall at
that place. Thus much for Albion and Hercules.
[Sidenote: Diuers opinions why this Ile was called Albion.]
[Sidenote: Sée more hereof in the discription.]
But now, whereas it is not denied of anie, that this Ile was called
ancientlie by the name of Albion: yet there be diuers opinions how it
came by that name: for manie doo not allow of this historie of Albion
the giant. But for so much as it apperteineth rather to the
description than to the historie of this Ile, to rip vp and lay foorth
the secret mysteries of such matters: and because I thinke that this
opinion which is here auouched, how it tooke that name of the forsaid
Albion, sonne to Neptune, may be confirmed with as good authoritie as
some of the other, I here passe ouer the rest, & procéed with the
historie.
When Albion chiefe capteine of the giants was slaine, the residue that
remained at home in the Ile, continued without any rule or restraint
of law, in so much that they fell to such a dissolute order of life,
that they séemed little or nothing to differ from brute beasts: and
those are they which our ancient chronicles call the giants, who were
so named, as well for the huge proportion of their stature (sithens as
before is said, that age brought foorth far greater men than are now
liuing) as also for that they were the first, or at the least the
furthest in remembrance of any that had inhabited this countrie. For
this word _Gigines_, or _Gegines_, from whence our word giant (as some
take it) is deriued, is a Gréeke word, and signifieth, Borne or bred
of or in the earth, for our fore-elders, specially the Gentiles, being
ignorant of the true beginning of mankind, were persuaded, that the
first inhabitants of any countrie were bred out of the earth, and
therefore when they could go no higher, reckoning the descents of
[Sidenote: _Terrae filius_ what it signifieth.]
their predecessours, they would name him _Terrae filius_, The sonne of
the earth: and so the giants whom the poets faine to haue sought to
make battell against heauen, are called the sonnes of the earth: and
the first inhabitants generally of euery countrie were of the Gréekes
[Sidenote: _Aborigines._]
[Sidenote: _Indigenae._]
called _Gigines_, or _Gegines_, and of the Latines _Aborigines_, and
_Indigenae_, that is, People borne of the earth from the beginning,
and comming from no other countrie, but bred within the same.
These giants and first inhabitants of this Ile continued in their
beastlie kind of life vnto the arriuall of the ladies, which some of
our chronicles ignorantly write to be the daughters of Dioclesian the
king of Assyria, whereas in déed they haue béene deceiued, in taking
[Sidenote: The mistaking of the name of Dioclesianus for Danaus.]
the word _Danaus_ to be short written for _Dioclesianus_: and by the
same meanes haue diuers words and names béene mistaken, both in our
chronicles, and in diuers other ancient written woorks. But this is a
fault that learned men should not so much trouble themselues about,
considering the same hath bin alreadie found by sundrie authors ling
[Sidenote: _Hugh the Italian._]
[Sidenote: _Harding._]
[Sidenote: _Iohn Rous_ out of _Dauid Pencair._]
sithens, as Hugh the Italian, Iohn Harding, Iohn Rouse of Warwike, and
others, speciallie by the helpe of Dauid Pencair a British historie,
who recite the historie vnder the name of Danaus and his daughters.
And because we would not any man to thinke, that the historie of these
daughters of Danaus is onelie of purpose deuised, and brought in place
of Dioclesianus, to excuse the imperfection of our writers, whereas
there was either no such historie (or at the least no such women that
[Sidenote: _Nennius._]
arriued in this Ile) the authoritie of Nennius a Briton writer may be
auouched, who wrote aboue 900. yeares past, and maketh mention of the
arriuall of such ladies.
[Sidenote: Belus priscus.]
[Sidenote: _Dictionarium poeticum._]
To be short, the historie is thus. Belus the sonne of Epaphus, or (as
some writers haue) of Neptune and Libies (whome Isis after the death
of Apis maried) had issue two sonnes: the first Danaus, called also
Armeus; and Aegyptus called also Rameses: these two were kings among
the Aegyptians, Danaus the elder of the two, hauing in his rule the
[Sidenote: Danaus.]
[Sidenote: Aegyptus.]
[Sidenote: _Higinus._]
vpper region of Aegypt, had by sundrie wiues 50. daughters, with whome
his brother Aegyptus, gaping for the dominion of the whole, did
instantlie labour, that his sonnes being also 50. in number, might
match. But Danaus hauing knowledge by some prophesie or oracle, that a
sonne in law of his should be his death, refused so to bestow his
daughters. Hereupon grew warre betwixt the brethren, in the end
whereof, Danaus being the weaker, was inforced to flée his countrie,
and so prepared a nauie, imbarked himselfe and his daughters, and with
them passed ouer into Gréece, where he found meanes to dispossesse
Gelenor (sonne to Stenelas king of Argos) of his rightfull
inheritance, driuing him out of his countrie, and reigned in his place
by the assistance of the Argiues that had conceiued an hatred towardes
Gelenor, and a great liking towardes Danaus, who in verie deed did so
farre excell the kings that had reigned there before him, that the
Gréekes in remembrance of him were after called Danai.
But his brother Aegyptus, taking great disdaine for that he and his
sonnes were in such sort despised of Danaus, sent his sonnes with a
great armie to make warre against their vncle, giuing them in charge
not to returne, till they had either slaine Danaus, or obtained his
daughters in mariage. The yoong gentlemen according to their fathers
commandement, being arriued in Greece, made such warre against Danaus,
that in the end he was constrained to giue vnto those his 50. nephues
his 50. daughters, to ioine with them in mariage, and so they were.
But as the prouerbe saith, "In trust appeared treacherie." For on the
first night of the mariage, Danaus deliuered to ech of his daughters a
sword, charging them that when their husbands after their bankets and
pastimes were once brought into a sound sléepe, ech of them should
slea hir husband, menacing them with death vnlesse they fulfilled his
commandement. They all therefore obeied the will of their father,
Hypermnestra onely excepted, with whom preuailed more the loue of
kinred and wedlocke, than the feare of hir fathers displeasure: for
shee alone spared the life of hir husband Lynceus, waking him out of
his sléepe, and warning him to depart and flee into Aegypt to his
father. He therefore hauing all the wicked practises reuealed to him
by his wife, followed hir aduice, and so escaped.
[Sidenote: _Pausanias._]
Now when Danaus perceiued how all his daughters had accomplished his
commandement, sauing onelie Hypermnestra, he caused hir to be brought
forth into iudgement, for disobeieng him in a matter wherein both the
safetie and losse of his life rested: but she was acquitted by the
Argiues, & discharged. Howbeit hir father kept hir in prison, and
séeking to find out other husbands for his other daughters that had
obeied his pleasure in sleaing their first husbands, long it was yer
he could find any to match with them: for the heinous offense
committed in the slaughter of their late husbands, was yet too fresh
in memorie, and their bloud not wiped out of mind. Neuerthelesse, to
bring his purpose the better to passe, he made proclamation, that his
daughters should demand no ioinctures, and euerie suter should take
his choise without respect to the age of the ladie, or abilitie of him
that came to make his choise, but so as first come best serued,
according to their owne phantasies and likings. Howbeit when this
policie also failed, & would not serue his turne, he deuised a game of
running, ordeining therewith, that whosoeuer got the best price should
haue the first choise among all the sisters; and he that got the
second, should choose next to the first; and so foorth, ech one after
an other, according to the triall of their swiftnesse of foote.
How much this practise auailed, I know not: but certeine it is, diuers
of them were bestowed, either by this or some other meanes, for we
find that Autonomes was maried to Architeles, Chrysanta or (as
Pausanias saith) Scea was matched with Archandrus, Amaome with
Neptunus Equestris, on whome he begat Nauplius.
[Sidenote: _Higinus._]
But now to returne vnto Lynceus, whome his wife Hypermnestra
preserued, as before ye haue heard. After he was once got out of the
reach and danger of his father in law king Danaus, he gaue knowledge
[Sidenote: _Pausanias._]
thereof to his wife, in raising a fire on heigth beaconwise,
accordingly as she had requested him to doo at his departure from hir:
and this was at a place which afterwards tooke name of him, and was
called Lyncea. Upon his returne into Aegypt, he gaue his father to
vnderstand the whole circumstance of the trecherous crueltie vsed by
his vncle and his daughters in the murder of his brethren, and how
hardly he himselfe had escaped death out of his vncles handes.
Wherevpon at time conuenient he was furnished foorth with men and
ships by his father, for the spéedie reuenge of that heinous,
vnnaturall and most disloiall murder, in which enterprise he sped him
foorth with such diligence, that in short time he found meanes to
dispatch his vncle Danaus, set his wife Hypermnestra at libertie, and
subdued the whole kingdome of the Argiues.
This done, he caused the daughters of Danaus (so many as remained
within the limits of his dominion) to be sent for, whome he thought
not worthie to liue, bicause of the cruell murther which they had
committed on his brethren: but yet for that they were his wiues
sisters, he would not put them to death, but commanded them to be
thrust into a ship, without maister, mate or mariner, and so to be
turned into the maine ocean sea, and to take and abide such fortune as
[Sidenote: _Harding_ and _Iohn Rouse_ out of _David Pencair._]
should chance vnto them. These ladies thus imbarked and left to the
mercy of the seas, by hap were brought to the coasts of this Ile then
called Albion, where they tooke land, and in séeking to prouide
themselues of victuals by pursute of wilde beasts, met with no other
inhabitants, than the rude and sauage giants mentioned before, whome
our historiens for their beastlie kind of life doo call diuells. With
these monsters did these ladies (finding none other to satisfie the
motions of their sensuall lust) ioine in the act of venerie, and
ingendred a race of people in proportion nothing differing from their
fathers that begat them, nor in conditions from their mothers that
bare them.
But now peraduenture ye wil thinke that I haue forgotten my selfe, in
rehearsing this historie of the ladies arriuall here, bicause I make
no mention of Albina, which should be the eldest of the sisters, of
whome this land should also take the name of Albion. To this we
answer, that as the name of their father hath bene mistaken, so
likewise hath the whole course of the historie in this behalfe. For
though we shall admit that to be true which is rehearsed (in maner as
before ye haue heard) of the arriuall here of those ladies; yet
certeine it is that none of them bare the name of Albina, from whome
this land might be called Albion. For further assurance whereof, if
[Sidenote: _Higinus._]
[Sidenote: The names of the daughters of Danaus.]
any man be desirous to know all their names, we haue thought good here
to rehearse them as they be found in Higinus, Pausanias, and others. 1
Idea, 2 Philomela, 3 Scillo, 4 Phicomene, 5 Euippe, 6 Demoditas, 7
Hyale, 8 Trite, 9 Damone, 10 Hippothoe, 11 Mirmidone, 12 Euridice, 13
Chleo, 14 Vrania, 15 Cleopatra, 16 Phylea, 17 Hypareta, 18
Chrysothemis, 19 Heranta, 20 Armoaste, 21 Danaes, 22 Scea, 23
Glaucippe, 24 Demophile, 25 Autodice, 26 Polyxena, 27 Hecate, 28
Achamantis, 29 Arsalte, 30 Monuste, 31 Amimone, 32 Helice, 33 Amaome,
34 Polybe, 35 Helicte, 36 Electra, 37 Eubule, 38 Daphildice, 39 Hero,
40 Europomene, 41 Critomedia, 42 Pyrene, 43 Eupheno, 44 Themistagora,
45 Paleno, 46 Erato, 47 Autonomes, 48 Itea, 49 Chrysanta, 50
Hypermnestra. These were the names of those ladies the daughters of
Danaus: howbeit, which they were that should arriue in this Ile, we
can not say: but it sufficeth to vnderstand, that none of them hight
Albina. So that, whether the historie of their landing here should be
[Sidenote: See more in the description.]
true or not, it is all one for the matter concerning the name of this
Ile, which vndoubtedlie was called Albion, either of Albion the giant
(as before I haue said) or by some other occasion.
And thus much for the ladies, whose strange aduenture of their
arriuall here, as it may séeme to manie & (with good cause)
incredible, so without further auouching it for truth I leaue it to
the consideration of the reader, to thinke thereof as reason shall
moue him sith I sée not how either in this, or in other things of such
antiquitie, we cannot haue sufficient warrant otherwise than by
likelie coniectures. Which as in this historie of the ladies they are
not most probable, yet haue we shewed the likeliest, that (as we
thinke) may be déemed to agrée with those authors that haue written of
their comming into this Ile. But as for an assured proofe that this
Ile was inhabited with people before the comming of Brute, I trust it
may suffice which before is recited out of Annius de Viterbo,
Theophilus, Gildas, and other, although much more might be said: as of
the comming hither of Osiris, as well as in the other parties of the
[Sidenote: Vlysses in Britaine.]
world: and likewise of Vlysses his being here, who in performing some
vow which he either then did make, or before had made, erected an
altar in that part of Scotland which was ancientlie called Calidonia,
[Sidenote: _Iulius Solinus._]
as Iulius Solinus Polyhistor in plaine words dooth record.
¶ Vpon these considerations I haue no doubt to deliuer vnto the
reader, the opinion of those that thinke this land to haue bene
inhabited before the arriuall here of Brute, trusting it may be taken
in good part, sith we haue but shewed the coniectures of others, till
time that some sufficient learned man shall take vpon him to decipher
the doubts of all these matters. Neuerthelesse, I thinke good to
aduertise the reader that these stories of Samothes, Magus, Sarron,
Druis, and Bardus, doo relie onelie vpon the authoritie of Berosus,
whom most diligent antiquaries doo reiect as a fabulous and counterfet
author, and Vacerius hath laboured to prooue the same by a speciall
treatise latelie published at Rome.
* * * * *