[Sidenote: Pertinax lieutenant of Britaine.]
Now will we saie somewhat of the tumults in Britaine. It was thought
néedfull to send some sufficient capteine of autoritie thither; and
therefore was one Pertinax that had béene consull and ruler ouer foure
seuerall consular prouinces, appointed by Commodus to go as lieutenant
into that Ile, both for that he was thought a man most méet for such a
charge, and also to satisfie his credit, for that he had béene
discharged by Perhennis of bearing anie rule, and sent home into
Liguria where he was borne, and there appointed to remaine. This
Pertinax comming into Britaine, pacified the armie, but not without
[Sidenote: The lieutenant in danger.]
danger to haue béene slaine by a mutinie raised by one of the legions:
for he was stricken downe, and left for dead among the slaine
carcasses. But he woorthilie reuenged himselfe of this iniurie. At
length, hauing chastised the rebels, and brought the Ile into méetelie
good quiet, he sued and obteined to be discharged of that roome,
because as he alledged, the souldiers could not brooke him, for that
he kept them in dutifull obedience, by correcting such as offended the
lawes of armes.
[Sidenote: CLODIUS ALBINUS LIEUTENAT.]
Then was Clodius Albinus appointed to haue the rule of the Romane
armie in Britaine: whose destruction when Seuerus the emperour sought,
Albinus perceiued it quicklie: and therefore choosing foorth a great
power of Britains, passed with the same ouer into France to encounter
with Seuerus, who was come thither towards him, so that néere to the
citie of Lions they ioined in battell and fought right sore, in so
much that Seuerus was at point to haue receiued the ouerthrow by the
high prowesse and manhood of the Britains: but yet in the end Albinus
lost the field, and was slaine. Then Heraclitus as lieutenant began to
gouerne Britaine (as writeth Spartianus) being sent thither by Seuerus
for that purpose before. And such was the state of this Ile about the
yeare of our Lord 195. In which season, because that king Lucius was
dead, and had left no issue to succéed him, the Britains (as before ye
haue heard) were at variance amongst themselues, and so continued till
the comming of Seuerus, whome the British chronographers affirme to
reigne as king in this Ile, & that by right of succession in bloud, as
descended of Androgeus the Britaine, which went to Rome with Iulius
Cesar, as before ye haue heard.
[Sidenote: SEUERUS.]
This Seuerus as then emperour of Rome, began to rule this Ile (as
authors affirme) in the yeare of our Lord 207, and gouerned the same 4
yeares and od moneths. At length hearing that one Fulgentius as then a
leader of the Picts was entred into the borders of his countrie on
this side Durham, he raised an host of Britains and Romans, with the
which he marched towards his enimies: and méeting with the said
Fulgentius in a place néere vnto Yorke, in the end after sore fight
Seuerus was slaine, when he had ruled this land for the space almost
of fiue yeares, as before is said, and was after buried at Yorke,
leauing behind him two sonnes, the one named Geta, and the other
Bassianus. This Bassianus being borne of a British woman, succéeded
his father in the gouernement of Britaine, in the yeare of the
incarnation of our Lord 211. The Romans would haue had Geta created
king of Britaine, bearing more fauour to him because he had a Romane
ladie to his mother: but the Britains moued with the like respect,
held with Bassianus. And thervpon warre was raised betwixt the two
brethren, who comming to trie their quarrell by battell, Geta was
slaine, and Bassianus with aid of the Britains remained victor, and so
continued king, till at length he was slaine by one Carausius a
Britaine, borne but of low birth, howbeit right valiant in armes, and
therefore well estéemed. In somuch that obteining of the senat of Rome
the kéeping of the coasts of Britaine, that he might defend the same
from the malice of strangers, as Picts and others, he drew to him a
great number of souldiers and speciallie of Britains, to whome he
promised that if they would make him king, he would cléerelie deliuer
them from the oppression of the Roman seruitude. Wherevpon the
Britains rebelling against Bassianus, ioined themselues to Carausius,
who by their support vanquished and slue the said Bassianus, after he
had reigned 6 or (as some affirme) 30 yeares.
¶ Thus farre out of the English and British writers, the which how
farre they varie from likelihood of truth, you shall heare in the next
[Sidenote: _Herodianus._]
chapter what the approued historiographers, Gréekes and Latines,
writing of these matters, haue recorded.
* * * * *
_The ambitious mind of the old emperour Seuerus, he arriueth in
Britaine with a mightie power to suppresse the rebellious Britains,
the emperours politike prouision for his souldiers in the fens and
bogs: the agilitie of the Britains, their nimblenesse, the painting of
their bodies with diuerse colours, their furniture, their great
sufferance of hunger, cold, &c: diuerse conflicts betweene the Romans
and the Britains, their subtile traines to deceiue their enimies, the
Romans pitifullie distressed, Seuerus constreineth the Caledonians to
conclude a league with him; he falleth sicke, his owne sonne
practiseth to make him away: the Britains begin a new rebellion, the
cruell commandement of Seuerus to kill and slea all that came to hand
without exception, his age, his death, and sepulchre: Bassianus
ambitiouslie vsurpeth the whole regiment, he killeth his brother Geta,
and is slaine himselfe by one of his owne souldiers._