Now in the meane time that Constantine had obteined and ruled the
whole empire, Britaine as it were hauing recouered libertie, in that
one of hir children being hir king, had got the gouernment of the
whole earth, remained in better quiet than afore time she had doone.
[Sidenote: Octauius.]
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
But yet in the meane season, if we shall credit the British chronicle
and Geffrey of Monmouth the interpretor thereof; there was a British
lord, named Octauius or Octauian, as the old English chronicle nameth
[Sidenote: Gewisses inhabited the countrie which the west Saxons after
held.]
[Sidenote: The name of Gewisses came in with the Saxons of Guuy, &c.]
him, that was duke of the Gewisses, and appointed by Constantine to be
ruler of the land in his absence, the which Octauius (after that
Constantine had recouered Rome and Italie, and was so busied in the
affaires of the empire in those parts, that as was thought, he could
not returne backe into Britaine) seized into his hands the whole
dominion of Britaine, and held himselfe for king.
[Sidenote: OCTAUIUS.]
[Sidenote: _Galfridus._]
[Sidenote: 329.]
This Octauius then beginning his reigne ouer the Britains in the yéere
of our Lord 329, prouoked Constantine to send against him one of his
mothers vncles, the foresaid Traherne. This Trahernus, or as some name
him Traherne, entred this land with three legions of souldiers, & in a
field néere vnto Winchester, was incountered by Octauius and his
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: _Galfridus._]
[Sidenote: This agréeth not altogither with that which _Hector
Boetius_ writeth, as in the Scotish chronicle appéereth.]
Britains, by whome after a sore battell there striken betwixt them, in
the end Traherne was put to flight and chased, insomuch that he was
constreined to forsake that part of the land, and to draw towards
Scotland. Octauius hauing knowledge of his passage, followed him, & in
the countrie of Westmerland eftsoones gaue him battell, but in that
battell Octauius was put to the woorsse, and constreined to forsake
the land, fled into Norway, there to purchase aid: and being readie
with such power as he there gathered, what of Britains and Norwegians,
to returne into Britaine. Before his landing he was aduertised that an
earle of Britaine which bare him heartie good will, had by treason
[Sidenote: Traherne slaine.]
[Sidenote: See in the Scotish chronicles more of these matters.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._ saith 316.]
slaine Traherne. Octauius then comming to land, eftsoones got
possession of Britaine, which should be (as Fabian gathereth) about
the yéere of our Lord 329, in the 20 yéere of the reigne of the
emperour Constantine, and about two yéeres after that the said
Octauius first tooke vpon him to rule as king.
After this (as the British chronicle affirmeth) Octauius gouerned the
land right noblie, and greatlie to the contentation of the Britains.
At length when he was fallen in age, and had no issue but one
daughter, he was counselled to send vnto Rome for one Maximianus, a
noble yoong man, coosine to the emperour Constantine, on the part of
his mother Helena, to come into Britaine, and to take to his wife the
said daughter of Octauius, and so with hir to haue the kingdome.
[Sidenote: Maximianus is sent for.]
[Sidenote: Conan Meridoc duke of Cornewall. This agréeth not with
Octauius at the first that which is found in the Scotish chronicles.]
meant to haue giuen hir in mariage vnto one Conan Meridoc duke of
Cornewall, which was his nephue: but when the lords would not thereto
agrée, at the length he appointed one Maurice sonne to the said Conan
to go to Rome to fetch the forenamed Maximianus.
Maurice according to his commission and instruction in that behalfe
receiued, came to Rome, and declared his message in such effectuall
[Sidenote: Maximianus commeth into Britaine.]
sort, that Maximianus consented to go with him into Britaine, and so
taking with him a conuenient number, set forward, and did so much by
his iournies, that finallie he landed here in Britaine. And
notwithstanding that Conan Meridoc past not so much to haue béene
dooing with him, for malice that he conceiued towards him, because he
saw that by his meanes he should be put beside the crowne, yet at
length was Maximianus safelie brought to the kings presence, and of
him honorablie receiued, and finallie the mariage was knit vp, and
solemnized in all princelie maner. Shortlie after, Octauius departed
[Sidenote: Octauius departeth this life.]
out of this life, after he had reigned the terme of fiftie and foure
yeares, as Fabian gathereth by that which diuers authors doo write,
how he reigned till the daies that Gratian and Valentinian ruled the
[Sidenote: 382.]
Roman empire which began to gouerne in the yeare of our Lord (as he
saith) 382, which is to be vnderstood of Gratian his reigne after the
deceasse of his vncle Valens, for otherwise a doubt maie rise, because
Valentine the father of Gratian admitted the said Gratian to the title
of Augustus in the yeare of our Lord 351.
But to leaue the credit of the long reigne of Octauius, with all his
and others gouernement and rule ouer the Britains since the time of
Constantius, vnto our British and Scotish writers, let vs make an end
with the gouernement of that noble emperour Constantine, and assured
branch of the Britains race, as borne of that worthie ladie the
empresse Helen, daughter to Coell earle of Colchester, and after king
of Britaine (as our histories doo witnesse.) Vnto the which empresse
Constantine bare such dutifull reuerence, that he did not onelie
honour hir with the name of empresse, but also made hir as it were
partaker with him of all his wealth, and in manie things was led and
ruled by hir vertuous and godlie admonitions, to the aduancement of
Gods honour, and maintenance of those that professed the true
christian religion. For the loue that she bare vnto Colchester and
London, she walled them about, and caused great bricke and huge tiles
to be made for the performance of the same, whereof there is great
store to be séene euen yet to this present, both in the walls of the
towne and castell of Colchester, as a testimonie of the woorkemanship
[Sidenote: _Nicephorus._]
[Sidenote: The empresse Helen departeth this life.]
of those daies. She liued 79 yeares, and then departed this life about
the 21 yeare of hir sonnes reigne. First she was buried at Rome
without the walls of the citie with all funerall pompe, as to hir
estate apperteined: but after hir corps was remoued and brought to
Constantinople, where it was eftsoones interred. Hir sonne the
[Sidenote: 340.]
[Sidenote: The deceasse of the emperour Constantine.]
emperour Constantine liued till about the yeare of Christ 340, and
then deceassed at Nicomedia in Asia, after he had ruled the empire 32
yeares and od moneths.
We find not in the Romane writers of anie great stur here in Britaine
during his reigne more than the British and Scotish writers haue
recorded: so that after Traherne had reduced this land to quietnesse,
it maie be supposed, that the Britains liued in rest vnder his
gouernement, and likewise after vnder his sonnes that succéeded him in
[Sidenote: 360.]
the empire, till about the yeare 360, at what time the Picts and Scots
inuaded the south parts of the land.
But now to end with Octauius, that the christian faith remained still
in Britaine, during the supposed time of this pretended kings reigne,
it maie appeare, in that amongst the 36 prouinces, out of the which
there were assembled aboue 300 bishops in the citie of Sardica in
[Sidenote: _Synodus anno._ 354]
Dacia, at a synod held there against the Eusebians, Britaine is
numbred by Athanasius in his second apologie to be one. And againe,
the said Athanasius in an epistle which he writeth to the emperour
Iouinianus reciteth, that the churches in Britaine did consent with
the churches of other nations in the confession of faith articuled in
the Nicene councell. Also mention is made by writers of certeine
godlie & learned men, which liued in offices in the church in those
daies, as Restitutus bishop of London, which went ouer to the synod
held at Arles in France, and also one Kibius Corinnius sonne to
Salomon duke of Cornewall, and bishop of Anglesey, who instructed the
people that inhabited the parts now called Northwales, and them of
Anglesey aforesaid verie diligentlie.
But now to speake somewhat of things chancing in Britaine about this
season (as we find recorded by the Romane writers) some trouble was
likelie to haue growne vnto the Britains by receiuing certeine men of
warre that fled out of Italie into Britaine, whome the emperour
[Sidenote: _Marcellinus._]
[Sidenote: _lib._ 14.]
Constantius would haue punished, because they had taken part with
[Sidenote: Paulus a notarie.]
Maxentius his aduersarie. Paulus a Spaniard and notarie was sent ouer
by him, with commission to make inquirie of them, and to sée them
brought to light to answere their transgressions: which Paulus began
to deale roughlie in the matter, whereof he was called Catera, and to
rage against the Britains and partakers with the fugitiues, in that
they had receiued and mainteined them, as he alledged: but in the end
[Sidenote: Martinus lieutenant.]
being certified by Martinus the lieutenant of their innocencie, and
fearing least his extreame rigour might alienate the hearts of the
inhabitants altogither, and cause them to withdraw their obedience
from the Romane empire, he turned the execution of his furie from them
vnto the Romans, and made hauocke of those that he suspected, till the
said Martinus fell at square with him, & thinking on a time to kill
him, he drew his sword and smote at him. But such was his age and
weakenesse, that he was not able to kill him or giue him anie deadlie
wound: wherefore he turned the point of his sword against himselfe,
and so ended his life, being contented rather to die than sée his
countriemen and subiects of the empire so to be abused. After this the
said Paulus returned backe againe into Italie from whence he came,
after whose departure, it was not long yer he also was slaine, and
then all the Scots and Picts sore disquieted the Romane subiects, for
the suppressing of whose attempts Lupicinus was sent ouer out of
Gallia by Iulianus, as shall be declared out of Amianus Marcellinus,
after we haue first shewed what we find written in our owne writers
concerning the Scots and Picts, who now began to rob and spoile the
British inhabitants within the Romane prouinces here in this Ile, and
that euen in most outragious maner.
* * * * *
_Maximianus or Maximus gouerneth this Ile, why writers speake ill of
him, strife betwixt him and Conan duke of Cornewall, Maximus is
proclaimed emperour in Britaine, he transporteth the British youth
seruiceable for warres into France, little Britaine in France why so
called, eleuen thousand maids sent thither to match with Conans
people, whereof some were drowned, and other some murthered in the way
by Guanius king of Hunnes and Melga king of Picts, they flie into
Ireland, murther requited with murther, the words of Gyldas concerning
Maximus._