[Sidenote: QUEENE CORDEILLA.]
CORDEILLA the yoongest daughter of Leir was admitted Q. and supreme
gouernesse of Britaine, in the yéere of the world 3155, before the
bylding of Rome 54, Vzia then reigning in Iuda, and Ieroboam ouer
Israell. This Cordeilla after hir fathers deceasse ruled the land of
Britaine right worthilie during the space of fiue yéeres, in which
meane time hir husband died, and then about the end of those fiue
yéeres, hir two nephewes Margan and Cunedag, sonnes to hir aforesaid
sisters, disdaining to be vnder the gouernment of a woman, leuied
warre against hir, and destroied a great part of the land, and
finallie tooke hir prisoner, and laid hir fast in ward, wherewith she
tooke such griefe, being a woman of a manlie courage, and despairing
to recouer libertie, there she slue hirselfe, when she had reigned (as
before is mentioned) the tearme of fiue yéeres.
[Sidenote: CUNEDAG AND MARGAN.]
CUNEDAGIUS and MARGANUS nephewes to Cordeilla, hauing recouered the
land out of hir hands, diuided the same betwixt them, that is to saie,
the countrie ouer and beyond Humber fell to Margan, as it stretcheth
euen to Catnesse, and the other part lieng south and by-west, was
assigned to Cunedagius. This partition chanced in the yéere of the
world 3170, before the building of Rome 47, Uzia as then reigning in
Iuda, and Ieroboam in Israell. Afterwards, these two cousins, Cunedag
and Margan, had not reigned thus past a two yéeres, but thorough some
seditious persons, Margan was persuaded to raise warre against
Cunedag, telling him in his eare, how it was a shame for him being
come of the elder sister, not to haue the rule of the whole Ile in his
hand. Herevpon ouercome with pride, ambition, and couetousnesse, he
[Sidenote: Margan inuadeth his cousine Cunedag.]
raised an armie, and entring into the land of Cunedag, he burned and
destroied the countrie before him in miserable maner.
Cunedag in all hast to resist his aduersarie, assembled also all the
power he could make, and comming with the same against Margan, gaue
him battell, in the which he slue a great number of Margans people,
and put the residue to flight, and furthermore pursued him from
countrie to countrie, till he came into Cambria, now called Wales,
where the said Margan gaue him eftsoones a new battell: but being too
[Sidenote: Margan is slaine.]
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
weake in number of men, he was there ouercome and slaine in the field,
by reason whereof that countrie tooke name of him, being there slaine,
and so is called to this daie Glau Margan, which is to meane in our
English toong, Margans land. This was the end of that Margan, after he
had reigned with his brother two yéeres, or thereabouts.
[Sidenote: CUNEDAGUS ALONE.]
After the death of Margan, Cunedag the sonne of Hennius and Ragaie
(middlemost daughter of Leir before mentioned) became ruler of all the
whole land of Britaine, in the yeare of the world 3172, before the
building of Rome 45, Vzia still reigning in Iuda, and Ieroboam in
Israell. He gouerned this Ile well and honourablie for the tearme of
33 yeares, and then dieng, his bodie was buried at Troinouant or
London. Moreouer, our writers doo report, that he builded thrée
temples, one to Mars at Perth in Scotland, another to Mercurie at
Bangor, and the third to Apollo in Cornewall.
* * * * *
_Of Riuallus, Gurgustius, Sysillius, Iago, and Kinimacus, rulers of
Britaine by succession, and of the accidents coincident with their
times._