[Sidenote: LOCRINE THE SECOND RULER OF BRITAIN.]
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
[Sidenote: _Mat. West._]
[Sidenote: _Fa._ out of _G. de Co._]
LOCRINUS or Locrine the first begotten sonne of Brute began to reigne
ouer the countrie called Logiers, in the yeare of the world 1874, and
held to his part the countrie that reached from the south sea vnto the
riuer of Humber. While this Locrinus gouerned Logiers, his brother
Albanact ruled in Albania, where in fine he was slaine in a battell by
a king of the Hunnes or Scythians, called Humber, who inuaded that
part of Britaine, and got possession thereof, till Locrinus with his
[Sidenote: _Gal Mon._]
[Sidenote: _Mat. West._]
brother Camber, in reuenge of their other brothers death, and for the
recouerie of the kingdome, gathered their powers togither, and comming
against the said king of the Hunnes, by the valiancie of their people
they discomfited him in battell, and chased him so egerlie, that he
[Sidenote: It should séeme that he was come over the Humber.]
himselfe and a great number of his men were drowned in the gulfe that
then parted Loegria and Albania, which after tooke name of the said
king, and was called Humber, and so continueth vnto this daie.
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
Moreouer in this battell against the Hunnes were thrée yong damsels
taken of excellent beautie, specially one of them, whose name was
Estrild, daughter to a certeine king of Scythia. With this Estrild
king Locrine fell so farre in loue, notwithstanding a former contract
made betwixt him and the ladie Guendoloena, daughter to Corineus duke
of Cornwall, that he meant yet with all spéed to marie the same
Estrild. But being earnestlie called vpon, and in manner forced
thereto by Corineus, hée changed his purpose, and married Guendoloena,
kéeping neuertheles the aforesaid Estrild as paramour still after a
secret sort, during the life of Corineus his father in law.
Now after that Corineus was departed this world, Locrine forsooke
Guendoloena, and maried Estrild. Guendoloena therefore being cast off
by hir husband, got hir into Cornewall to hir friends and kinred, and
there procured them to make warre against the said Locrine hir
husband, in the which warres hée was slaine, and a battell fought
[Sidenote: _Mat. West._]
néere to the riuer of Sture, after he had reigned (as writers affirme)
twentie yeares, & was buried by his father in the citie of Troinouant,
leauing behind him a yoong sonne (begotten of his wife Guendoloena)
named Madan, as yet vnméete to gouerne.
[Sidenote: Shée is not numbred amongst those that reigned as rulers
in this land by _Mat. West._]
Guendoloena or Guendoline the wife of Locrinus, and daughter of
Corineus duke of Cornewall, for so much as hir sonne Madan was not of
yeeres sufficient to gouerne, was by common consent of the Britons
made ruler of the Ile, in the yéere of the world 2894, and so hauing
the administration in hir hands, she did right discreetlie vse hir
selfe therein, to the comfort of all hir subiects, till hir sonne
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
Madan came to lawfull age, and then she gaue ouer the rule and
dominion to him, after she had gouerned by the space of fifteene
yeares.
[Sidenote: MADAN THE THIRD RULER.]
MADAN the sonne of Locrine and Guendoline entred into the gouernement
of Britaine in the 2909, of the world. There is little left in writing
of his doings, sauing that he vsed great tyrannie amongst his Britons:
and therefore after he had ruled this land the tearme of 40. yeares,
he was deuoured of wild beastes, as he was abroad in hunting. He left
behind him two sonnes, Mempricius and Manlius. He builded (as is
reported) Madancaistre, now Dancastre, which reteineth still the later
part of his name.
[Sidenote: MEMPRICIUS THE FOURTH RULER.]
MEMPRICIUS the eldest sonne of Madan began his reigne ouer the Britons
in the yeare of the world 2949, he continued not long in peace. For
his brother Manlius vpon an ambitious mind prouoked the Britons to
rebell against him, so that sore and deadly warre continued long
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: Manlius is slaine.]
betweene them. But finallie, vnder colour of a treatie, Manlius was
slaine by his brother Mempricius, so that then he liued in more
tranquillitie and rest. Howbeit, being deliuered thus from trouble of
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
[Sidenote: Slouth engendred lecherie.]
warres, he fell into slouth, and so into vnlawfull lust of lecherie,
and thereby into the hatred of his people, by forcing of their wiues
and daughters: and finallie became so beastlie, that he forsooke his
lawfull wife and all his concubines, and fell into the abhominable
sinne of Sodomie. And thus from one vice he fell into another, till he
became odious to God and man, and at length, going on hunting, was
[Sidenote: Mempricius is deuoured of beastes.]
lost of his people, and destroied of wild beastes, when he had reigned
twentie yeares, leauing behind him a noble yoong sonne named Ebranke,
begotten of his lawfull wife.
[Sidenote: EBRANKE THE FIFT RULER.]
[Sidenote: Ebranke had 21. wiues: his thirtie daughters sent into
Italie.]
[Sidenote: _Bergomas lib._ 6.]
EBRANKE the sonne of Mempricius began to rule ouer the Britons in the
yeare of the world 2969. He had as writers doo of him record, one and
twentie wiues, on whom he begot 20. sonnes and 30. daughters, of the
which the eldest hight Guales, or Gualea. These daughters he sent to
Alba Syluius, which was the eleuenth king of Italie, or the sixt king
of the Latines, to the end they might be married to his noble men of
the bloud of Troians, because the Sabines refused to ioine their
daughters with them in marriage. Furthermore, he was the first prince
of his land that euer inuaded France after Brute, and is commended as
author and originall builder of many cities, both in his owne
kingdome, and else where. His sonnes also vnder the conduct of
Assaracus, one of their eldest brethren, returning out of Italie,
after they had conducted their sisters thither, inuaded Germanie,
being first molested by the people of that countrie in their rage, and
by the helpe of the said Alba subdued a great part of that countrie, &
there planted themselues. Our histories say, that Ebracus their father
married them in their returne, and aided them in their conquests, and
[Sidenote: The citie of Caerbranke builded.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
that he builded the citie of Caerbranke, now called Yorke, about the
14, yeare of his reigne. He builded also in Albania now called
Scotland, the castle of Maidens, afterward called Edenburgh of Adian
one of their kings. The citie of Alclud was builded likewise by him
(as some write) now decaied. After which cities thus builded, he
sailed ouer into Gallia, now called France, with a great armie, and
subduing the Galles as is aforesaid, he returned home with great
riches and triumph. Now when he had guided the land of Britaine in
[Sidenote: Fortie yeares hath _Math. West._ and _Gal. Monuine._]
noble wise by the tearme of fortie yeares, he died, and was buried at
Yorke.
[Sidenote: BRUTE GREENESHIELD THE SIXT RULER.]
[Sidenote: _Iacobus Lef._]
BRUTE GREENESHIELD, the sonne of Ebranke, was made gouernor of this
land in the yeare of the world 3009, Asa reigning in Iuda, and Baasa
in Israell. This prince bare alwaies in the field a gréene shield,
whereof he tooke his surname, and of him some forraine authors
affirme, that he made an attempt to bring the whole realme of France
vnder his subiection, which he performed, because his father susteined
some dishonor and losse in his last voiage into that countrie. Howbeit
they say, that when he came into Henaud, Brinchild a prince of that
quarter gaue him also a great ouerthrow, and compelled him to retire
home againe into his countrie. This I borrow out of William Harison,
who in his chronologie toucheth the same at large, concluding in the
end, that the said passage of this prince into France is verie likelie
to be true, and that he named a parcell of Armorica lieng on the
south, and in manner vpon the verie loine after his owne name, and
also a citie which he builded there Britaine. For (saith he) it should
[Sidenote: _Strabo lib._ 4.]
séeme by Strabo. lib. 4. that there was a noble citie of that name
long before his time in the said countrie, whereof Plinie also
speaketh lib. 4. cap. 7. albeit that he ascribe it vnto France after a
disordered maner. More I find not of this foresaid Brute, sauing that
he ruled the land a certeine time, his father yet liuing, and after
his decease the tearme of twelue yeares, and then died, and was buried
at Caerbranke now called Yorke.
[Sidenote: LEILL THE SEVENTH RULER.]
[Sidenote: Carleil builded.]
[Sidenote: Chester repaired.]
LEILL the sonne of Brute Greeneshield, began to reigne in the yeare of
the world 3021, the same time that Asa was reigning in Iuda, and Ambri
in Israell. He built the citie now called Carleil, which then after
his owne name was called Caerleil, that is, Leill his citie, or the
citie of Leill. He repaired also (as Henrie Bradshaw saith) the citie
of Caerleon now called Chester, which (as in the same Bradshaw
appeareth) was built before Brutus entrie into this land by a giant
named Leon Gauer. But what authoritie he had to auouch this, it may be
doubted, for Ranulfe Higden in his woorke intituled "Polychronicon,"
saith in plaine wordes, that it is vnknowen who was the first founder
of Chester, but that it tooke the name of the soiourning there of some
Romaine legions, by whome also it is not vnlike that it might be first
built by P. Ostorius Scapula, who as we find, after he had subdued
Caratacus king of the Ordouices that inhabited the countries now
called Lancashire, Cheshire, and Salopshire, built in those parts, and
among the Silures, certeine places of defense, for the better
harbrough of his men of warre, and kéeping downe of such Britaines as
were still readie to moue rebellion.
But now to the purpose concerning K. Leill. We find it recorded that
he was in the beginning of his reigne verie vpright, and desirous to
sée iustice executed, and aboue all thinges loued peace & quietnesse;
but as yeares increased with him, so his vertues began to diminish, in
so much that abandoning the care for the bodie of the commonwealth, he
suffered his owne bodie to welter in all vice and voluptuousnesse, and
so procuring the hatred of his subiects, caused malice and discord to
rise amongst them, which during his life he was neuer able to appease.
But leauing them so at variance, he departed this life, & was buried
at Carleil, which as ye haue heard he had builded while he liued.
[Sidenote: LUD or LUDHURDIBRAS THE EIGHT RULER.]
[Sidenote: Kaerkin or Canterburie is builded.]
[Sidenote: Caerguent is builded.]
[Sidenote: Paladour is builded.]
LUD or LUDHURDIBRAS the sonne of Leill began to gouerne in the yeare
of the world 3046. In the beginning of his reigne, hée sought to
appease the debate that was raised in his fathers daies, and bring the
realme to hir former quietnesse, and after that he had brought it to
good end, he builded the towne of Kaerkin now called Canterburie: also
the towne of Caerguent now cleped Winchester, and mount Paladour now
called Shaftsburie. About the building of which towne of Shaftsburie,
Aquila a prophet of the British nation wrote his prophesies, of which
some fragments remaine yet to be seene, translated into the Latine by
some ancient writers. When this Lud had reigned 29 yeares, he died,
and left a sonne behind him named Baldud.
[Sidenote: BALDUD OR BLADUD THE NINTH RULER.]
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
[Sidenote: The king was learned.]
[Sidenote: Hot bathes.]
BALDUD the sonne of Ludhurdibras began to rule ouer the Britaines in
the yeare of the world 3085. This man was well séene in the sciences
of astronomie and nigromancie, by which (as the common report saith)
he made the hot bathes in the citie of Caerbran now called Bath. But
William of Malmesburie is of a contrarie opinion, affirming that
Iulius Cesar made those bathes, or rather repaired them when he was
here in England: which is not like to be true: for Iulius Cesar, as by
good coniecture we haue to thinke, neuer came so farre within the land
that way forward. But of these bathes more shall be said in the
description. Now to procéed. This Baldud tooke such pleasure in
artificiall practises & magike, that he taught this art throughout all
his realme. And to shew his cunning in other points, vpon a
[Sidenote: _Mat. West._]
[Sidenote: The prince did flie.]
presumptuous pleasure which he had therein, he tooke vpon him to flie
in the aire, but he fell vpon the temple of Apollo, which stood in the
citie of Troinouant, and there was torne in péeces after he had ruled
the Britaines by the space of 20 yeares.
[Sidenote: LEIR THE 10. RULER.]
[Sidenote: _Mat. West._]
[Sidenote: Leicester is builded.]
LEIR the sonne of Baldud was admitted ruler ouer the Britaines, in the
yeare of the world 3105, at what time Ioas reigned in Iuda. This Leir
was a prince of right noble demeanor, gouerning his land and subiects
in great wealth. He made the towne of Caerleir now called Leicester,
which standeth vpon the riuer of Sore. It is written that he had by
his wife three daughters without other issue, whose names were
Gonorilla, Regan, and Cordeilla, which daughters he greatly loued, but
specially Cordeilla the yoongest farre aboue the two elder. When this
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
Leir therefore was come to great yeres, & began to waxe vnweldie
through age, he thought to vnderstand the affections of his daughters
towards him, and preferre hir whome he best loued, to the succession
ouer the kingdome. Whervpon he first asked Gonorilla the eldest, how
[Sidenote: A triall of loue.]
well she loued him: who calling hir gods to record, protested that she
"loued him more than hir owne life, which by right and reason should
be most déere vnto hir. With which answer the father being well
pleased, turned to the second, and demanded of hir how well she loued
him: who answered (confirming hir saiengs with great othes) that she
loued him more than toong could expresse, and farre aboue all other
creatures of the world."
Then called he his yoongest daughter Cordeilla before him, and asked
of hir what account she made of him, vnto whome she made this answer
[Sidenote: The answer of the yoongest daughter.]
as followeth: "Knowing the great loue and fatherlie zeale that you
haue alwaies borne towards me (for the which I maie not answere you
otherwise than I thinke, and as my conscience leadeth me) I protest
vnto you, that I haue loued you euer, and will continuallie (while I
liue) loue you as my naturall father. And if you would more vnderstand
of the loue that I beare you, assertaine your selfe, that so much as
you haue, so much you are woorth, and so much I loue you, and no more.
[Sidenote: The two eldest daughters are maried.]
[Sidenote: The realme is promised to his two daughters.]
The father being nothing content with this answer, married his two
eldest daughters, the one vnto Henninus the duke of Cornewall, and the
other vnto Maglanus the duke of Albania, betwixt whome he willed and
ordeined that his land should be diuided after his death, and the one
halfe thereof immediatlie should be assigned to them in hand: but for
the third daughter Cordeilla he reserued nothing."
Neuertheles it fortuned that one of the princes of Gallia (which now
is called France) whose name was Aganippus, hearing of the beautie,
womanhood, and good conditions of the said Cordeilla, desired to haue
hir in mariage, and sent ouer to hir father, requiring that he might
haue hir to wife: to whome answer was made, that he might haue his
daughter, but as for anie dower he could haue none, for all was
promised and assured to hir other sisters alreadie. Aganippus
notwithstanding this answer of deniall to receiue anie thing by way of
dower with Cordeilla, tooke hir to wife, onlie moued thereto (I saie)
for respect of hir person and amiable vertues. This Aganippus was one
[Sidenote: He gouerned the third part of Gallia as _Gal. Mon._ saith.]
of the twelue kings that ruled Gallia in those daies, as in the
British historie it is recorded. But to proceed.
After that Leir was fallen into age, the two dukes that had married
his two eldest daughters, thinking it long yer the gouernment of the
land did come to their hands, arose against him in armour, and reft
from him the gouernance of the land, vpon conditions to be continued
for terme of life: by the which he was put to his portion, that is, to
liue after a rate assigned to him for the maintenance of his estate,
which in processe of time was diminished as well by Maglanus as by
Henninus. But the greatest griefe that Leir tooke, was to see the
vnkindnesse of his daughters, which seemed to thinke that all was too
much which their father had, the same being neuer so little: in so
much that going from the one to the other, he was brought to that
miserie, that scarslie they would allow him one seruant to wait vpon
him.
In the end, such was the vnkindnesse, or (as I maie saie) the
vnnaturalnesse which he found in his two daughters, notwithstanding
their faire and pleasant words vttered in time past, that being
constreined of necessitie, he fled the land, & sailed into Gallia,
there to seeke some comfort of his yongest daughter Cordeilla, whom
before time he hated. The ladie Cordeilla hearing that he was arriued
in poore estate, she first sent to him priuilie a certeine summe of
monie to apparell himselfe withall, and to reteine a certeine number
of seruants that might attend vpon him in honorable wise, as
apperteined to the estate which he had borne: and then so accompanied,
she appointed him to come to the court, which he did, and was so
ioifullie, honorablie, and louinglie receiued, both by his sonne in
law Aganippus, and also by his daughter Cordeilla, that his hart was
greatlie comforted: for he was no lesse honored, than if he had beene
king of the whole countrie himselfe.
Now when he had informed his sonne in law and his daughter in what
sort he had béene vsed by his other daughters, Aganippus caused a
mightie armie to be put in a readinesse, and likewise a great nauie of
ships to be rigged, to passe ouer into Britaine with Leir his father
in law, to sée him againe restored to his kingdome. It was accorded,
that Cordeilla should also go with him to take possession of the land,
the which he promised to leaue vnto hir, as the rightfull inheritour
after his decesse, notwithstanding any former grant made to hir
sisters or to their husbands in anie maner of wise.
Herevpon, when this armie and nauie of ships were readie, Leir and his
daughter Cordeilla with hir husband tooke the sea, and arriuing in
Britaine, fought with their enimies, and discomfited them in battell,
in the which Maglanus and Henninus were slaine: and then was Leir
restored to his kingdome, which he ruled after this by the space of
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
two yéeres, and then died, fortie yeeres after he first began to
reigne. His bodie was buried at Leicester in a vaut vnder the chanell
of the riuer of Sore beneath the towne.
* * * * *
_The gunarchie of queene Cordeilla, how she was vanquished, of hir
imprisonment and selfe-murther: the contention betweene Cunedag and
Margan nephewes for gouernement, and the euill end thereof._