[Sidenote: MULMUCIUS.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: _Polyd._]
Now to proceede with the aforesaid authors, Mulmucius Dunwall[=o], or
as other saie Dunuallo Mulmucius, the sonne of Cloton (as testifieth
th'english chronicle and also Geffrey of Monmouth) got the vpper hand
of the other dukes or rulers: and after his fathers deceasse began his
reigne ouer the whole monarchie of Britaine, in the yéere of the world
3529, after the building of Rome 314, and after the deliuerance of the
Israelites out of captiuitie 97, and about the 26 yéere of Darius
Artaxerxes Longimanus, the fift king of the Persians. This Mulmucius
Dunuallo is named in the english chronicle Donebant, and prooued a
right worthie prince. He builded within the citie of London then
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: See more in the description.]
called Troinouant, a temple, and named it the temple of peace: the
which (as some hold opinion, I wote not vpon what ground) was the same
which now is called Blackwell hall, where the market for buieng and
selling of cloths is kept. The chronicle of England affirmeth, that
[Sidenote: Malmesburie and the Vies built.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: Lawes made.]
Mulmucius (whome the old booke nameth Molle) builded the two townes
Malmesburie and the Vies. He also made manie good lawes, which were
long after vsed, called Mulmucius lawes, turned out of the British
spéech into the Latine by Gildas Priscus, and long time after
translated out of latine into english by Alfred king of England, and
mingled in his statutes. He moreouer gaue priuileges to temples, to
plowes, to cities, and to high waies leading to the same, so that
whosoeuer fled to them, should be in safegard from bodilie harme, and
from thence he might depart into what
[Sidenote: _Caxton_ and _Polychron._]
countrie he would, with indemnitie of his person. Some authors write,
that he began to make the foure great high waies of Britaine, the
which were finished by his sonne Blinus, as after shall be declared.
[Sidenote: The first king that was crowned with a golden crowne.]
After he had established his land, and set his Britains in good and
conuenient order, he ordeined him by the aduise of his lords a crowne
of gold, & caused himselfe with great solemnitie to be crowned,
according to the custome of the pagan lawes then in vse: & bicause he
was the first that bare a crowne héere in Britaine, after the opinion
of some writers, he is named the first king of Britaine, and all the
other before rehearsed are named rulers, dukes, or gouernors.
[Sidenote: _Polyd._]
[Sidenote: Weights and measures.]
Amongst other of his ordinances, he appointed weights and measures,
with the which men should buy and sell. And further he deuised sore
[Sidenote: Theft punished.]
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
and streight orders for the punishing of theft. Finallie, after he had
guided the land by the space of fortie yéeres, he died, and was buried
in the foresaid temple of peace which he had erected within the citie
of Troinouant now called London, as before ye haue heard, appointing
in his life time, that his kingdome should be diuided betwixt his two
sonnes, Brennus and Belinus (as some men doo coniecture.)
* * * * *
_The ioint-gouernment of Belinus and Brennus the two sonnes of
Mulmucius, their discontentment, the stratagems of the one against
the other, the expulsion of Brennus out of Britaine._