[Sidenote: THEOM[=A]DEUS ]
After the death of Cassibellane, Theomantius or Tenantius the yoongest
sonne of Lud was made king of Britaine in the yéere of the world 3921,
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
after the building of Rome 706, & before the comming of Christ 45. He
is named also in one of the English chronicles Tormace: in the same
chronicle it is conteined, that not he, but his brother Androgeus was
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
king, where Geffrey of Monmouth & others testifie, that Androgeus
abandoned the land clerelie, & continued still at Rome, because he
knew the Britains hated him for treason he had committed in aiding
Iulius Cesar against Cassibellane. Theomantius ruled the land in good
quiet, and paid the tribute to the Romans which Cassibellane had
granted, and finallie departed this life after he had reigned 22
yeares, and was buried at London.
[Sidenote: KYMBELINE.]
KYMBELINE or CIMBELINE the sonne of Theomantius was of the Britains
made king after the deceasse of his father, in the yeare of the world
3944, after the building of Rome 728, and before the birth of our
[Sidenote: _Fabian_ out of _Guido de Columna._]
Sauiour 33. This man (as some write) was brought vp at Rome, and there
made knight by Augustus Cesar, vnder whome he serued in the warres,
and was in such fauour with him, that he was at libertie to pay his
tribute or not. Little other mention is made of his dooings, except
[Sidenote: Christ our saviour borne.]
that during his reigne, the Sauiour of the world our Lord Iesus Christ
the onelie sonne of God was borne of a virgine, about the 23 yeare of
the reigne of this Kymbeline, & in the 42 yeare of the emperour
[Sidenote: 3966.]
Octauius Augustus, that is to wit, in the yeare of the world 3966, in
the second yeare of the 194 Olympiad, after the building of the citie
of Rome 750 nigh at an end, after the vniuersall floud 2311, from the
birth of Abraham 2019, after the departure of the Israelits out of
Egypt 1513, after the captiuitie of Babylon 535, from the building of
the temple by Salomon 1034, & from the arriuall of Brute 1116,
complet. Touching the continuance of the yeares of Kymbelines reigne,
some writers doo varie, but the best approoued affirme, that he
reigned 35 years and then died, & was buried at London, leauing behind
him two sonnes, Guiderius and Aruiragus.
¶ But here is to be noted, that although our histories doo affirme,
that as well this Kymbeline, as also his father Theomantius liued in
quiet with the Romans, and continuallie to them paied the tributes
which the Britains had couenanted with Iulius Cesar to pay, yet we
find in the Romane writers, that after Iulius Cesars death, when
Augustus had taken vpon him the rule of the empire, the Britains
[Sidenote: _Cor. Tacitus._]
[Sidenote: _in uita lib. Agr._]
[Sidenote: _Dion Cassius._]
refused to paie that tribute: whereat as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth,
Augustus (being otherwise occupied) was contented to winke; howbeit,
through earnest calling vpon to recouer his right by such as were
desirous to sée the vttermost of the British kingdome; at length, to
wit, in the tenth yeare after the death of Iulius Cesar, which was
about the thirtéenth yeare of the said Theomantius, Augustus made
[Sidenote: _Dion Cassius._]
prouision to passe with an armie ouer into Britaine, & was come
forward vpon his iournie into Gallia Celtica: or as we maie saie, into
these hither parts of France.
But here receiuing aduertisements that the Pannonians, which inhabited
the countrie now called Hungarie, and the Dalmatians whome now we call
Slauons had rebelled, he thought it best first to subdue those rebells
neere home, rather than to séeke new countries, and leaue such in
hazard whereof he had present possession, and so turning his power
against the Pannonians and Dalmatians, he left off for a time the
warres of Britaine, whereby the land remained without feare of anie
inuasion to be made by the Romans, till the yeare after the building
of the citie of Rome 725, and about the 19 yeare of king Theomantius
reigne, that Augustus with an armie departed once againe from Rome to
passe ouer into Britaine, there to make warre. But after his comming
into Gallia, when the Britains sent to him certeine ambassadours to
treat with him of peace, he staied there to settle the state of things
among the Galles, for that they were not in verie good order. And
hauing finished there, he went into Spaine, and so his iournie into
Britaine was put off till the next yeare, that is, the 726 after the
building of Rome, which fell before the birth of our sauiour 25, about
which time Augustus eftsoons meant the third time to haue made a
[Sidenote: He kept not promise with the Romans.]
[Sidenote: Those of Calice and Biskaie.]
voiage into Britaine, because they could not agrée vpon couenants. But
as the Pannonians and Dalmatians had aforetime staied him, when (as
before is said) he meant to haue gone against the Britans: so euen now
the Salassians (a people inhabiting about Italie and Switserland) the
Cantabrians and Asturians by such rebellious sturrs as they raised,
withdrew him from his purposed iournie. But whether this controuersie
which appeareth to fall forth betwixt the Britains and Augustus, was
occasioned by Kymbeline, or some other prince of the Britains, I haue
not to auouch: for that by our writers it is reported, that Kymbeline
being brought vp in Rome, & knighted in the court of Augustus, euer
shewed himselfe a friend to the Romans, & chieflie was loth to breake
with them, because the youth of the Britaine nation should not be
depriued of the benefit to be trained and brought vp among the Romans,
whereby they might learne both to behaue themselues like ciuill men,
and to atteine to the knowledge of feats of warre.
But whether for this respect, or for that it pleased the almightie God
so to dispose the minds of men at that present, not onlie the
Britains, but in manner all other nations were contented to be
obedient to the Romane empire. That this was true in the Britains, it
[Sidenote: _Strab. Geog._]
is euident enough by Strabos words, which are in effect as followeth.
"At this present (saith he) certeine princes of Britaine, procuring by
ambassadors and dutifull demeanors the amitie of the emperour
Augustus, haue offered in the capitoll vnto the gods presents or
gifts, and haue ordeined the whole Ile in a manner to be appertinent,
proper, and familiar to the Romans. They are burdened with sore
customs which they paie for wares, either to be sent foorth into
Gallia, or brought from thence, which are commonlie yuorie vessels,
shéeres, ouches, or earerings, and other conceits made of amber &
glasses, and such like manner of merchandize: so that now there is no
néed of anie armie or garrison of men of warre to kéepe the Ile, for
there néedeth not past one legion of footmen, or some wing of
horssemen, to gather vp and receiue the tribute: for the charges are
rated according to the quantitie of the tributes: for otherwise it
should be néedfull to abate the customs, if the tributes were also
raised: and if anie violence should be vsed, it were dangerous least
they might be prouoked to rebellion." Thus farre Strabo.
* * * * *
_Of Guiderius, who denied to paie tribute to the Romans, preparation
for war on both sides, of the ridiculous voiage of the Emperour
Caligula against the Britains, his vanitie and delight in mischiefe:
Aulus Plautius a Romane senator accompanied with souldiers arrive on
the British coasts without resistance, the Britains take flight and
hide themselues._