The emperour Honorius, perceiuing the réeling state of the empire,
determined, foorthwith to recouer it, before it fell altogither into
ruine: and therefore sent one Constantius an earle to driue
Constantine out of Gallia, which he accordinglie performed: for after
certeine bickerings, he slue the said Constantine at Arles, although
not without great bloudshed. He pursued also the residue of the
Britains, driuing them to the verie sea coasts, where they shrowded
themselues among the other Britains, that before were setled in the
countrie there, ancientlie called (as before we said) Armorica, that
is, a region lieng on the sea coast: for _Ar_ in the British toong
signifieth vpon; and _Moure_, perteining to the sea. And as this
Constantine the father was slaine by Constantius, so was Constans the
sonne killed at Vienna by one of his owne capteines named Gerontius.
Whereby it came to passe, that Honorius shortlie after, hauing thus
obteined the victorie of both these vsurpers, recouered the Ile, but
yet not till the yeare next following, and that by the high industrie
and great diligence of that valiant gentleman earle Constantius. The
slaughter of Constantine & his sonne happened in the 1 yeare of the
297 Olympiad, 465 after the comming of Cesar, 1162 after the building
of Rome, the dominicall letter being A, and the golden number 13, so
[Sidenote: 411.]
that the recouering of the Iland fell in the yeare of our Lord 411.
Here also is eftsoones to be considered the valure of the British
souldiers, who following this last remembred Constantine the vsurper,
did put the Romane state in great danger, and by force brake through
into Spaine, vanquishing those that kept the streicts of the mounteins
betwixt Spaine and Gallia, now called France, an exploit of no small
consequence, sith thereby the number of barbarous nations got frée
passage to enter into Spaine, whereof insued manie battels, sacking of
cities and townes, and wasting of the countries, accordinglie as the
furious rage of those fierce people was mooued to put their crueltie
in practise.
¶ If therefore the Britaine writers had considered and marked the
valiant exploits and noble enterprises which the Brittish aids, armies
and legions atchiued in seruice of the Romane emperours (by whome
whilest they had the gouernement ouer this Ile, there were at sundrie
times notable numbers conueied foorth into the parties of beyond the
seas, as by Albinus and Constantius, also by his sonne Constantine the
great, by Maximus, and by this Constantine, both of them vsurpers) if
(I saie) the British writers had taken good note of the numbers of the
British youth thus conueied ouer from hence, & what notable exploits
they boldlie attempted, & no lesse manfullie atchiued, they néeded not
to haue giuen eare vnto the fabulous reports forged by their Bards, of
Arthur and other their princes, woorthie in déed of verie high
commendation.
And pitie it is, that their fame should be brought by such meanes out
of credit, by the incredible and fond fables which haue béene deuised
of their acts so vnlike to be true, as the tales of Robin Hood, or the
gests written by Ariost the Italian in his booke intituled "Orlando
furioso," sith the same writers had otherwise true matter inough to
write of concerning the worthie feats by their countriemen in those
daies in forren parts boldlie enterprised, and no lesse valiantlie
accomplished, as also the warres which now and then they mainteined
against the Romans here at home, in times when they felt themselues
oppressed by their tyrannicall gouernment, as by that which is written
before of Caratacus, Voadicia, Cartimandua, Venusius, Galgagus, or
Galdus (as some name him) and diuers other, who for their noble
valiancies deserue as much praise, as by toong or pen is able to be
expressed. But now to returne vnto the British historie: we will
procéed in order with their kings as we find them in the same
mentioned, and therefore we haue thought good to speake somewhat
further of Gratian, from whome we haue digressed.
* * * * *
_Gratians rough regiment procureth his owne destruction, the comming
of his two brethren Guanius and Melga with their armies, the Scots and
Picts plague the Britains, they send for aid to Rome, Valentinian
sendeth Gallio Rauenna to reléeue them, the Romans refuse anie longer
to succour the Britains, whom they taught how to make armour and
weapons, the Scots and Picts enter afresh into Britaine and preuaile,
the Britains are brought to extreme miserie, ciuill warres among them,
and what mischiefe dooth follow therevpon, their lamentable letter to
Actius for succour against their enimies, their sute is denied, at
what time the Britains ceased to be tributaries to the Romans, they
send ambassadors to the K. of Britaine in France, and obteine their
sute._