[Sidenote: CASSIBELLANE.]
CASSIBELLANE, the brother of Lud was admitted king of Britaine, in the
yéere of the world 3908, after the building of Rome 692, and before
the comming of Christ 58 complet. For sith the two sonnes of Lud were
not of age able to gouerne, the rule of the land was committed to
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
Cassibellane: but yet (as some haue written) he was not created king,
but rather appointed ruler & protector of the land, during the nonage
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
of his nephewes. Now after he was admitted (by whatsoeuer order) to
the administration of the common wealth, he became so noble a prince
and so bountious, that his name spred farre and néere, and by his
vpright dealing in seeing iustice executed he grew in such estimation,
that the Britaines made small account of his nephewes, in comparison
of the fauour which they bare towards him. But Cassibellane hauing
respect to his honour, least it might be thought that his nephewes
were expelled by him out of their rightfull possessions, brought them
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
vp verie honourablie; assigning to Androgeus, London and Kent; and to
Theomantius the countrie of Cornwall. Thus farre out of the British
histories, whereby it maie be gathered, that the yéeres assigned to
these kings that reigned before Cassibellane, amount to the summe of
1058.
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
But whether these gouernors (whose names we haue recited) were kings,
or rather rulers of the common wealth, or tyrants and vsurpers of the
gouernment by force, it is vncerteine: for not one ancient writer of
anie approued authoritie maketh anie remembrance of them: and by that
which Iulius Cesar writeth, it maie and dooth appéere, that diuerse
cities in his daies were gouerned of themselues, as héereafter it
shall more plainlie appéere. Neither doth he make mention of those
townes which the British historie affirmeth to be built by the same
kings. In déed both he and other Latine writers speake of diuerse
people that inhabited diuers portions of this land, as of the
Brigantes, Trinobantes, Iceni, Silures, and such other like, but in
what parts most of the said people did certeinlie inhabit, it is hard
to auouch for certeine truth.
But what Iohn Leland thinketh héereof, being one in our time that
curiouslie searched out old antiquities, you shall after heare as
[Sidenote: _Hector Boetius_ his fault.]
occasion serueth: and likewise the opinions of other, as of Hector
Boetius, who coueting to haue all such valiant acts as were atchiued
by the Britains to be ascribed to his countriemen the Scots, draweth
both the Silures and Brigantes, with other of the Britains so farre
northward, that he maketh them inhabitants of the Scotish countries.
And what particular names soeuer they had, yet were they all Scots
with him, and knowne by that generall name (as he would persuade vs to
beléeue) saieng that they entred into Britaine out of Ireland 330
yéeres before the incarnation of our Sauiour.
Neuerthelesse, how generall soeuer the name of Scots then was, sure it
is, that no speciall mention of them is made by anie writer, till
about 300 yeares after the birth of our sauiour. And yet the Romans,
which ruled this land, and had so much adoo with the people thereof,
make mention of diuerse other people, nothing so famous as Boetius
would make his Scotish men euen then to be. But to leaue to the Scots
the antiquitie of their originall beginning, as they and other must
doo vnto vs our descent from Brute and the other Troians, sith the
[Sidenote: More certeintie from hence forth appeareth in the
historie.]
contrarie dooth not plainelie appeare, vnlesse we shall leane vnto
presumptions: now are we come to the time in the which what actes were
atchiued, there remaineth more certeine record, and therefore may we
the more boldlie procéed in this our historie.
[Sidenote: Iulius Cesar.]
In this season that Cassibellane had roiall gouernment héere in
Britaine, Caius Iulius Cesar being appointed by the senat of Rome to
conquer Gallia, was for that purpose created consull, and sent with a
mightie army into the countrie, where after he had brought the Galles
[Sidenote: _Cesar de bello Gal. lib._ 4.]
[Sidenote: Britains unknowne to the Romans.]
vnto some frame, he determined to assaie the winning of Britaine,
which as yet the Romans knew not otherwise than by report. The
chiefest cause that mooued him to take in hand that enterprise, was
for that he did vnderstand, that there dailie came great succours out
of that Ile to those Galles that were enimies vnto the Romans. And
[Sidenote: _Cesar de bello Gall. lib._ 4.]
[Sidenote: Causes of the warre.]
[Sidenote: Cesars purpose.]
though the season of that yéere to make warre was farre spent (for
summer was almost at an end) yet he thought it would be to good
purpose, if he might but passe ouer thither, and learne what maner of
people did inhabit there, and discouer the places, hauens, and entries
apperteining to that Ile.
Héerevpon calling togither such merchants as he knew to haue had
traffike thither with some trade of wares, he diligentlie inquired of
them the state of the Ile: but he could not be throughlie satisfied in
anie of those things that he coueted to know. Therefore thinking it
good to vnderstand all things by view that might apperteine to the vse
of that warre which he purposed to follow: before he attempted the
[Sidenote: Caius Volusenus sent ouer into Britaine.]
same, he sent one Caius Volusenus with a gallie or light pinesse to
surueie the coasts of the Ile, commanding him (after diligent search
made) to returne with spéed to him againe. He him selfe also drew
downewards towards Bullenois, from whence the shortest cut lieth to
passe ouer into Britaine.
[Sidenote: _Iohn Leland._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
In that part of Gallia there was in those daies an hauen called _Itius
Portus_ (which some take to be Calice) and so the word importeth, an
harbourgh as then able to receiue a great number of ships. Vnto this
hauen got Cesar all the ships he could out of the next borders &
parties, and those speciallie which he had prouided and put in a
readinesse the last yeare for the warres (against them of Vannes in
Armorica, now called Britaine in France) he caused to be brought
thither, there to lie till they should heare further. In the meane
[Sidenote: Vannes in Britane.]
time (his indeuour being knowne, and by merchants reported in
Britaine) all such as were able to beare armour, were commanded and
appointed to repaire to the sea side, that they might be readie to
defend their countrie in time of so great danger of inuasion.
¶ Cesar in his commentaries agréeth not with our historiographers: for
he writeth that immediatlie vpon knowledge had that he would inuade
Britaine, there came to him ambassadours from diuers cities of the Ile
to offer themselues to be subiects to the Romans, and to deliuer
hostages. Whome after he had exhorted to continue in their good mind,
[Sidenote: Comius.]
he sent home againe, and with them also one Comius gouernor of Artois,
commanding him to repaire vnto as manie cities in Britaine as he
might, and to exhort them to submit themselues to the Romans. He
maketh no mention of Cassibellane, till the second iournie that he
made into the Ile, at what time the said Cassibelane was chosen (as ye
shall heare) to be the generall capteine of the Britains, and to haue
the whole administration of the warre for defense of the countrie: but
he nameth him not to be a king. Howbeit in the British historie it is
[Sidenote: Which is more likelie in this behalfe, as appeared by the
sequel.]
contained, that Cesar required tribute of Cassibelane, and that he
answered how he had not learned as yet to liue in seruage, but to
defend the libertie of his countrie, and that with weapon in hand (if
néede were) as he should well perceiue, if (blinded through
couetousnesse) he should aduenture to séeke to disquiet the Britains.
* * * * *
_Caius Volusenus discouereth to Cæsar his observations in the Ile of
Britaine, he maketh haste to conquere it, the Britains defend their
countrie against him, Cæsar after consultation had changeth his
landing place, the Romans are put to hard shifts, the Britains begin
to giue backe, the courage of a Roman ensigne-bearer, a sharpe
encounter betweene both armies._