[Sidenote: ARUIRAGUS. _Hector Boet._]
ARUIRAGUS the yoongest son of Kymbeline, and brother to Guinderius
(bicause the same Guinderius left no issue to succéed him) was
admitted king of Britaine in the yeere of our Lord 45, or rather 46.
This Aruiragus, otherwise called by the Britains Meuricus or Mauus, of
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
Tacitus Prasutagus, is also named Armiger in the English chronicle, by
which chronicle (as appéereth) he bare himselfe right manfullie
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
against Claudius and his Romans in the war which they made against
him: in so much that when Claudius had renewed his force and woone
Porchester, and after came to besiege Winchester (in the which
Aruiragus as then was inclosed) Aruiragus assembling his power, was
readie to come foorth and giue Claudius battell: wherevpon Claudius
doubting the sequele of the thing, sent messengers vnto Aruiragus to
treat of concord, and so by composition the matter was taken vp, with
condition, that Claudius should giue his daughter Genissa in marriage
vnto Aruiragus, & Aruiragus should acknowledge to hold his kingdome of
the Romans.
[Sidenote: _Ranulfus Cestrensis._]
Some write that Claudius in fauour of the valiant prowesse which he
saw & found in Aruiragus, honored not onlie him with the mariage of
his daughter the said Genissa, but also to the end to make the towne
more famous where this marriage was solemnized, he therefore called it
Claudiocestria, after his name, the which in the British toong was
called before that daie Caerleon, and after Glouernia, of a duke that
ruled in Demetia that hight Glunie, but now it is called Glocester.
Other there be that write, how Claudius being vanquished in battell by
Aruiragus, was compelled by the said Aruiragus to giue vnto him his
said daughter to wife, with condition as before is mentioned: and that
[Sidenote: _Sueton._]
then Aruiragus was crowned king of Britaine. But Suetonius maie séeme
to reprooue this part of the British historie, which in the life of
Claudius witnesseth, that he had by thrée wiues onlie three daughters,
that is to saie, Claudia, Antonia, and Octauia: and further, that
reputing Claudia not to be his, caused hir to be cast downe at the
doore of his wife Herculanilla, whome he had forsaken by waie of
diuorcement: & that he bestowed his daughter Antonia first on C.
Pompeius Magnus, and after on Faustus Silla, verie noble yoong
gentlemen; and Octauia he matched with Nero his wiues son. Whereby it
should appéere, that this supposed marriage betwixt Aruiragus and the
daughter of Claudius is but a feined tale.
¶ And héere to speake my fansie also what I thinke of this Aruiragus,
and other the kings (whome Galfrid and such as haue followed him doo
register in order, to succéed one after another) I will not denie but
such persons there were, and the same happilie bearing verie great
rule in the land, but that they reigned as absolute kings ouer the
whole, or that they succéeded one after another in manner as is
auouched by the same writers, it seemeth most vnlike to be true: for
rather it maie be gessed by that, which as well Gyldas as the old
approoued Romane writers haue written, that diuerse of these kings
liued about one time, or in times greatlie differing from those times
which in our writers we find noted. As for example, Iuuenal maketh
this Aruiragus, of whom we now intreat, to reigne about Domitians
time. For my part therefore, sith this order of the British kinglie
succession in this place is more easie to be flatlie denied and
vtterlie reprooued, than either wiselie defended or trulie amended, I
will referre the reforming therof vnto those that haue perhaps séene
more than I haue, or more déepelie considered the thing, to trie out
an vndoubted truth: in the meane time, I haue thought good, both to
shew what I find in our histories, and likewise in forren writers, to
the which we thinke (namelie in this behalfe, whilest the Romans
gouerned there) we maie safelie giue most credit, doo we otherwise
neuer so much content our selues with other vaine and fond conceits.
To procéed yet with the historie as we find it by our writers set
foorth: it is reported, that after the solemnization of this marriage,
which was doone with all honour that might be deuised, Claudius sent
[Sidenote: Legions of souldiers sent into Ireland.]
certeine legions of souldiers foorth to go into Ireland to subdue that
countrie, and returned himselfe to Rome.
* * * * *
_Aruiragus denieth subiection to the Romans, Vespasian is sent to
represse him and his power, the Romane host is kept backe from
landing, queene Genissa pacifieth them after a sharpe conflict: &
what the Romane writers say of Vespasians being in Britaine, the
end of Aruiragus._