Here is to be noted, that euen from the beginning of the British
kings, which reigned here in this land, there is great diuersitie
amongest writers, both touching the names, and also the times of their
reignes, speciallie till they come to the death of the last mentioned
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
king Elidurus. Insomuch that Polydor Virgil in his historie of
England, finding a manifest error (as he taketh it) in those writers
whome he followeth touching the account, from the comming of Brute,
vnto the sacking of Rome by Brennus, whome our histories affirme to be
the brother of Beline, that to fill vp the number which is wanting in
the reckoning of the yeares of those kings which reigned after Brute,
till the daies of the same Brenne & Beline, he thought good to change
the order, least one error should follow an other, and so of one error
making manie, he hath placed those kings which after other writers
should séeme to follow Brenne and Beline, betwixt Dunuallo and
Mulmucius, father to the said Beline and Brenne, and those fiue kings
which stroue for the gouernement after the deceasse of the two
brethren, Ferrex and Porrex, putting Guintoline to succéed after the
fiue kings or rulers, and after Guintoline his wife Martia, during the
minoritie of hir sonne, then hir said sonne named Sicilius.
After him succéeded these whose names follow in order, Chimarius,
Danius, Morindus, Gorbonianus, Archigallo, who being deposed, Elidurus
was made king, and so continued till he restored the gouernement (as
ye haue heard) to Archigallo againe, and after his death Elidurus was
eftsoones admitted, and within awhile againe deposed by Vigenius and
Peredurus, and after their deceasses the third time restored. Then
after his deceasse followed successiuelie Veginus, Morganus, Ennanus,
Idunallo, Rimo, Geruntius, Catellus, Coilus, Porrex the second of that
name, Cherinus, Fulgentius, Eldalus, Androgeus, Vrianus and Eliud,
after whom should follow Dunuallo Molmucius, as in his proper place,
if the order of things doone, & the course of time should be obserued,
as Polydor gathereth by the account of yeares attributed to those
kings that reigned before and after Dunuallo, according to those
authours whom (as I said) he followeth, if they will that Brennus
which led the Galles to Rome be the same that was sonne to the said
Dunuallo Mulmucius, and brother to Beline.
But sith other haue in better order brought out a perfect agréement in
the account of yeares, and succession of those kings, which reigned
and gouerned in this land before the sacking of Rome; and also another
such as it is after the same, and before the Romans had anie perfect
knowledge thereof; we haue thought good to follow them therein,
leauing to euerie man his libertie to iudge as his knowledge shall
serue him in a thing so doubtfull and vncerteine, by reason of
variance amongst the ancient writers in that behalfe.
And euen as there is great difference in writers since Gurguintus,
till the death of Elidurus, so is there as great or rather greater
after his deceasse, speciallie till king Lud atteined the kingdóme.
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
But as maie be gathered by that which Fabian and other whome he
followeth doo write, there passed aboue 185 yeares betwixt the last
yeare of Elidurus, and the beginning of king Lud his reigne, in the
which time there reigned 32, or 33, kings, as some writers haue
mentioned, whose names (as Gal. Mon. hath recorded) are these
immediatlie héere named; Regnie the sonne of Gorbolian or Gorbonian, a
worthie prince, who iustlie and mercifullie gouerned his people;
Margan the sonne of Archigallo a noble prince likewise, and guiding
his subiects in good quiet; Emerian brother to the same Margan, but
far vnlike to him in maners, so that he was deposed in the sixt yeare
of his reigne; Ydwallo sonne to Vigenius; Rimo the sonne of Peredurus;
Geruntius the sonne of Elidurus; Catell that was buried at Winchester;
Coill that was buried at Nottingham; Porrex a vertuous and most gentle
prince; Cherinus a drunkard; Fulginius, Eldad, and Androgeus; these
thrée were sonnes to Chercinus, and reigned successiuelie one after
[Sidenote: _Vrianus._]
another; after them a sonne of Androgeus; then Eliud, Dedaicus,
Clotinius, Gurguntius, Merianus, Bledius, Cop, Owen, Sicilius,
Bledgabredus an excellent musician: after him his brother Archemall;
then Eldol, Red, Rodiecke, Samuill, Penisell, Pir, Capoir; after him
his sonne Gligweil an vpright dealing prince, and a good iusticiarie;
whom succeeded his sonne Helie, which reigned 60 yeares, as the
forsaid Gal. Mon. writeth, where other affirme that he reigned 40
yeares, and some againe say that he reigned but 7 moneths.
There is great diuersitie in writers touching the reignes of these
kings, and not onlie for the number of yéeres which they should
continue in their reignes but also in their names: so that to shew the
diuersitie of all the writers, were but to small purpose, sith the
dooings of the same kings were not great by report made thereof by any
approoued author. But this maie suffice to aduertise you, that by
conferring the yéeres attributed to the other kings which reigned
before them, since the comming of Brute, who should enter this land
(as by the best writers is gathered) about the yéere before the
building of Rome 367, which was in the yéere after the creation of the
world 2850 (as is said) with their time, there remaineth 182 yéeres to
be dealt amongst these 33 kings, which reigned betwixt the said
Elidure & Lud, which Lud also began his reigne after the building of
the citie of Rome (as writers affirme) about 679 yéeres, and in the
yéere of the world 3895, as some that will séeme the precisest
calculators doo gather.
Polydor Virgil changing (as I haue shewed) the order of succession in
the British kings, in bringing diuerse of those kings, which after
other writers followed Beline and Brenne, to precéed them so
successiuelie after Beline and Brenne, reherseth those that by his
coniecture did by likelihood succéed, as thus. After the decesse of
Beline, his sonne Gurguntius, being the second of that name, succeeded
in gouernment of the land, and then these in order as they follow:
Merianus, Bladanus, Capeus, Duinus, Sicilius, Bledgabredus,
Archemallus, Eldorus, Rodianus, Redargius, Samulius, Penisellus,
Pyrrhus, Caporus, Dinellus, and Helie, who had issue, Lud,
Cassibellane, and Neurius.
* * * * *
_Of king Helie who gaue the name to the Ile of Elie, of king Lud, and
what memorable edifices he made, London sometimes called Luds towne,
his bountifulnes, and buriall._