In the daies of the said Aruiragus, about the yeare of Christ 53,
Ioseph of Arimathia, who buried the bodie of our sauiour, being sent
by Philip the Apostle (as Iohn Bale following the authoritie of Gildas
and other British writers reciteth) after that the Christians were
dispersed out of Gallia, came into Britaine with diuers other godlie
[Sidenote: _Polydorus._]
christian men, & preaching the gospell there amongst the Britains, &
instructing them in the faith and lawes of Christ, conuerted manie to
the true beliefe, and baptised them in the wholsome water of
regeneration, & there continued all the residue of his life, obteining
of the king a plot of ground where to inhabit, not past a foure miles
from Wells, and there with his fellowes began to laie the first
foundation of the true and perfect religion, in which place (or néere
thereinto) was afterward erected the abbeie of Glastenburie.
Nicephorus writeth in his second booke and fourth chapter, that one
Simon Zelotes came likewise into Britaine. And Theodoretus in his 9.
booke "De curandis Græcorum affectibus," sheweth that Paule being
released of his second imprisonment, and suffered to depart from Rome,
preached the gospell to the Britains and to other nations in the west.
The same thing in manner dooth Sophronius the patriarch of Ierusalem
witnesse, Tertullian also maie be a witnesse of the ancientnes of the
faith receiued here in Britaine, where he writing of these times
saith: Those places of the Britains, to the which the Romans could not
approch, were subiect vnto Christ, as were also the countries of
Sarmatia, Dacia, Germania, Scithia, and others. ¶ Thus it maie
appeare, that the christian religion was planted here in this land
shortlie after Christes time, although it certeinlie appeareth not who
were the first that preached the gospell to the Britains, nor whether
they were Gréeks or Latins.
Cornelius Tacitus writeth, that the Romane emperours in this season
[Sidenote: Treasurers or receiuers.]
gouerned this land by lieutenants and treasurers, the which were
called by the name of legats and procurators, thereby to kéepe the
vnrulie inhabitants the better in order.
[Sidenote: Aulus Plautius.]
[Sidenote: Ostorius Scapula.]
And Aulus Plautius a noble man of Rome of the order of consuls, was
sent hither as the first legat or lieutenant (in maner as before ye
haue heard) & after him Ostorius Scapula, who at his comming found the
Ile in trouble, the enimies hauing made inuasion into the countrie of
those that were friends to the Romans, the more presumptuouslie, for
[Sidenote: _Cor. Tacitus lib._ 12.]
that they thought a new lieutenant, with an armie to him vnacquainted
and come ouer now in the beginning of winter, would not be hastie to
march foorth against them. But Ostorius vnderstanding that by the
first successe and chance of warre, feare or hope is bred and
augmented, hasted forward to encounter with them, and such as he found
abroad in the countrie he slue out right on euerie side, and pursued
such as fled, to the end they should not come togither againe. Now for
that a displeasing and a doubtfull peace was not like to bring
quietnesse either to him or to his armie, he tooke from such as he
suspected, their armour. And after this, he went about to defend the
riuers of Auon & Seuerne, with placing his souldiers in camps
fortified néere to the same. But the Oxfordshire men and other of
those parties would not suffer him to accomplish his purpose in anie
quiet sort, being a puissant kind of people, and not hitherto weakened
by warres: for they willinglie at the first had ioined in amitie with
[Sidenote: _Cornelius Tacit. lib._ 12.]
the Romans. The countries adjoining also being induced by their
procurement, came to them, & so they chose forth a plot of ground,
fensed with a mightie ditch, vnto the which there was no waie to enter
but one, & the same verie narrow, so as the horssemen could not haue
anie easie passage to breake in vpon them. Ostorius, although he had
no legionarie souldiers, but certeine bands of aids, marched foorth
towards the place within the which the Britains were lodged, and
assaulting them in the same, brake through into their campe, where the
Britains being impeached with their owne inclosures which they had
raised for defense of the place, knowing how that for their rebellion
they were like to find small mercie at the Romans hands, when they saw
now no waie to escape, laid about them manfullie, and shewed great
proofe of their valiant stomachs.
In this battell, the sonne of Ostorius the lieutenant deserued the
price and commendation of preseruing a citizen out of the cruell
[Sidenote: which was a certaine crowne, to be set on his head called
_ciuica corona._]
enimies hands. But now with this slaughter of the Oxfordshire men,
diuers of the Britains that stood doubtfull what waie to take, either
to rest in quiet, or to moue warres, were contented to be conformable
vnto a reasonable order of peace, in so much that Ostorius lead his
[Sidenote: Cangi.]
armie against the people called Cangi, who inhabited that part of
Wales now called Denbighshire, which countrie he spoiled on euerie
side, no enimie once daring to encounter him: & if anie of them
aduentured priuilie to set vpon those which they found behind, or on
the outsids of his armie, they were cut short yer they could escape
out of danger. Wherevpon he marched straight to their campe and giuing
them battell, vanquished them: and vsing the victorie as reason moued
him, he lead his armie against those that inhabited the inner parts of
Wales, spoiling the countrie on euerie side. And thus sharplie
pursuing the rebels, he approched néere vnto the sea side, which lieth
ouer against Ireland. While this Romane capteine was thus occupied, he
was called backe by the rebellion of the Yorkshire men, whome
forthwith vpon his comming vnto them, he appeased, punishing the first
authors of that tumult with death.
[Sidenote: _Cor. Tacitus. lib._ 12.]
In the meane time, the people called Silures, being a verie fierce
kind of men, and valiant, prepared to make warre against the Romans,
for they might not be bowed neither with roughnesse, nor yet with any
courteous handling, so that they were to be tamed by an armie of
legionarie souldiers to be brought among them.
Therefore to restraine the furious rage of those people and their
neighbours, Ostorious peopled a towne néere to their borders, called
Camelodunum with certeine bands of old souldiers, there to inhabit
with their wiues and children, according to such maner as was vsed in
like cases of placing naturall Romans in anie towne or citie, for the
more suertie and defense of the same. Here also was a temple builded
in the honor of Claudius the emperour, where were two images erected,
one of the goddesse Victoria, and an other of Claudius himselfe.
* * * * *
_The coniectures of writers touching the situation of Camelodunum
supposed to be Colchester, of the Silures a people spoken of in the
former chapter, a foughten field betwene Caratacus the British prince,
and Ostorius the Romaine, in the confines of Shropshire; the Britains
go miserablie to wracke, Caratacus is deliuered to the Romans, his
wife and daughter are taken prisoners, his brethren yeeld themselues
to their enimies._