[Sidenote: COILLUS. 125.]
Coillus the sonne of Marius was after his fathers deceasse made
king of Britaine, in the yeare of our Lord 125. This Coillus or Coill
was brought vp in his youth amongst the Romans at Rome, where he spent
his time not vnprofitablie, but applied himselfe to learning & seruice
in the warres, by reason whereof he was much honored of the Romans,
and he likewise honored and loued them, so that he paied his tribute
truelie all the time of his reigne, and therefore liued in peace and
good quiet. He was also a prince of much bountie, and verie liberall,
whereby he obteined great loue both of his nobles and commons. Some
[Sidenote: Colchester built.]
saie, that he made the towne of Colchester in Essex, but others write,
that Coill which reigned next after Asclepiodotus was the first
founder of that towne, but by other it should séeme to be built long
before, being called Camelodunum. Finallie when this Coill had reigned
the space of 54 yeares, he departed this life at Yorke, leauing after
him a sonne named Lucius, which succéeded in the kingdome.
[Sidenote: LUCIUS.]
Lucius the sonne of Coillus, whose surname (as saith William
Harison) is not extant, began his reigne ouer the Britains about the
yeare of our Lord 180, as Fabian following the authoritie of Peter
Pictauiensis saith, although other writers seeme to disagrée in that
account, as by the same Fabian in the table before his booke partlie
appeareth, wherevnto Matthæus Westmonasteriensis affirmeth, that this
Lucius was borne in the yeare of our Lord 115, and was crowned king in
the yeare 124, as successor to his father Coillus, which died the same
yeare, being of great age yer the said Lucius was borne. It is noted
[Sidenote: 165.]
by antiquaries, that his entrance was in the 4132 of the world,
916 after the building of Rome, 220 after the comming of Cesar into
Britaine, and 165 after Christ, whose accounts I follow in this
treatise.
This Lucius is highlie renowmed of the writers, for that he was the
first king of the Britains that receiued the faith of Iesus Christ:
for being inspired by the spirit of grace and truth, euen from the
beginning of his reigne, he somewhat leaned to the fauoring of
Christian religion, being moued with the manifest miracles which the
Christians dailie wrought in witnesse and proofe of their sound and
perfect doctrine. For euen from the daies of Ioseph of Arimathia and
his fellowes, or what other godlie men first taught the Britains the
gospell of our Sauiour there remained amongest the same Britains some
christians which ceased not to teach and preach the word of God most
sincerelie vnto them: but yet no king amongst them openlie professed
that religion, till at length this Lucius perceiuing not onelie some
of the Romane lieutenants in Britaine as Trebellius and Pertinax, with
others, to haue submitted themselues to that profession, but also the
emperour himselfe to begin to be fauorable to them that professed it,
he tooke occasion by their good example to giue eare more attentiuelie
vnto the gospell, and at length sent vnto Eleutherius bishop of Rome
two learned men of the British nation, Eluane and Meduine, requiring
him to send some such ministers as might instruct him and his people
in the true faith more plentifullie, and to baptise them according to
the rules of christian religion.
[Sidenote: Fol. 119. (*)]
¶ The reuerend father Iohn Iewell, sometime bishop of Salisburie,
writeth in his * replie vnto Hardings answer, that the said
Eleutherius, for generall order to be taken in the realme and churches
héere, wrote his aduice to Lucius in maner and forme following. "You
haue receiued in the kingdome of Britaine, by Gods mercie, both the
law and faith of Christ; ye haue both the new and the old testament,
out of the same through Gods grace, by the aduise of your realme make
a law, and by the same through Gods sufferance rule you your kingdome
of Britaine, for in that kingdome you are Gods vicar."
Herevpon were sent from the said Eleutherius two godlie learned men,
the one named Fugatius, and the other Damianus, the which baptised the
king with all his familie and people, and therewith remoued the
[Sidenote: Britaine receiueth the faith.]
worshipping of idols and false gods, and taught the right meane and
waie how to worship the true and immortall God. There were in those
daies within the bounds of Britaine 28 Flamines, & thrée Archflamines,
which were as bishops and archbishops, or superintendents of the
pagan or heathen religion, in whose place (they being remoued) were
instituted 28 bishops & thrée archbishops of the christian religion.
One of the which archbishops held his sée at London, another at Yorke,
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
and the third at Caerleon Arwiske in Glamorganshire. Vnto the
archbishop of London was subiect Cornewall, and all the middle part of
England, euen vnto Humber. To the archbishop of Yorke all the north
parts of Britaine from the riuer of Humber vnto the furthest partes
of Scotland. And to the archbishop of Caerleon was subiect all Wales,
within which countrie as then were seuen bishops, where now there are
but foure. The riuer of Seuern in those daies diuided Wales (then
called Cambria) from the other parts of Britaine. Thus Britaine
[Sidenote: Iosephus of Arimathia.]
partlie by the meanes of Ioseph of Arimathia (of whome ye haue heard
before) & partlie by the wholesome instructions & doctrines of
Fugatius and Damianus, was the first of all other regions that openlie
receiued the gospell, and continued most stedfast in that profession,
till the cruell furie of Dioclesian persecuted the same, in such sort,
that as well in Britaine as in all other places of the world, the
christian religion was in manner extinguished, and vtterlie destroied.
[Sidenote: _Polydor_. Westminster Church built.]
There be that affirme, how this Lucius should build the church
of saint Peter at Westminster, though manie attribute that act vnto
Sibert king of the east Saxons, and write how the place was then
ouergrowne with thornes and bushes, and thereof tooke the name, and
was called Thorney. They ad moreouer that Thomas archbishop of London
preached, read, and ministred the sacraments there to such as made
resort vnto him. Howbeit by the tables hanging in the reuestrie of
saint Paules at London, and also a table sometime hanging in saint
Peters church in Cornehill, it should séeme that the said church of
saint Peter in Cornehill was the same that Lucius builded. But herein
(saith Harison _anno mundi_ 4174) dooth lie a scruple. Sure Cornell
might soone be mistaken for Thorney, speciallie in such old records,
as time, age, & euill handling haue oftentimes defaced.
But howsoeuer the case standeth, truth it is, that Lucius reioising
much, in that he had brought his people to the perfect light and
vnderstanding of the true God, that they néeded not to be deceiued
anie longer with the craftie temptations and feigned miracles of
wicked spirits, he abolished all prophane worshippings of false
gods, and conuerted all such temples as had béene dedicated to their
seruice, vnto the vse of christian religion: and thus studieng onlie
how to aduance the glorie of the immortall God, and the knowledge of
his word, without seeking the vaine glorie of worldlie triumph, which
is got with slaughter and bloudshed of manie a giltlesse person, he
left his kingdome; though not inlarged with broder dominion than he
receiued it, yet greatlie augmented and inriched with quiet rest, good
ordinances, and (that which is more to be estéemed than all the rest)
adorned with Christes religion, and perfectlie instructed with his
[Sidenote: _Polydor. Fabian. Iohn Hard._]
most holie word and doctrine. He reigned (as some write) 21
yeares, though other affirme but twelue yeares. Againe, some testifie
that he reigned 77, others 54, and 43.
Moreouer here is to be noted, that if he procured the faith of Christ
to be planted within this realme in the time of Eleutherius the Romane
bishop, the same chanced in the daies of the emperour Marcus Aurelius
Antonius; and about the time that Lucius Aurelius Commodus was ioined
and made partaker of the empire with his father, which was seuen yéere
after the death of Lucius Aelius, Aurelius Verus, and in the 177 after
the birth of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, as by some chronologies is
easie to be collected. For Eleutherius began to gouerne the sée of
Rome in the yéere 169, according to the opinion of the most diligent
chronographers of our time, and gouerned fiftéene yeeres and thirtéene
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon. Matth. West._]
daies. And yet there are that affirme, how Lucius died at
Glocester in the yéere of our Lord 156. Other say that he died in the
yere 201, and other 208. So that the truth of this historie is brought
into doubt by the discord of writers, concerning the time and other
circumstances, although they all agrée that in this kings daies the
christian faith was first by publike consent openlie receiued and
professed in this land, which as some affirme, should chance in the
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
twelfe yéere of his reigne, and in the yéere of our Lord 177.
Other iudge that it came to passe in the eight yeere of his regiment,
and in the yéere of our Lord 188, where other (as before is said)
[Sidenote: _Nauclerus_.]
alledge that it was in the yéere of the Lord 179. Nauclerus saith,
[Sidenote: _Hen. Herf._]
that this happened about the yeare of our Lord 156. And Henricus
de Herfordea supposeth, that it was in the yéere of our Lord 169, and
in the nintéenth yéere of the emperor Marcus Antonius Verus; and after
other, about the sixt yéere of the emperor Commodus.
But to conclude, king Lucius died without issue, by reason whereof
[Sidenote: _Fabian_.]
after his deceasse the Britains fell at variance, which continued
about the space of fiftéene yéeres (as Fabian thinketh) howbeit the
old English chronicle affirmeth, that the contention betwixt them
[Sidenote: _Caxton. Iohn Hard._]
remained fiftie yéeres, though Harding affirmeth but foure yéeres.
And thus much of the Britains, and their kings Coilus and Lucius. Now
it resteth to speake somewhat of the Romans which gouerned here in
the meane while. After that Agricola was called backe to Rome, the
Britains (and namelie those that inhabited beyond Tweed) partlie being
weakned of their former strength, and partlie in consideration of
their pledges, which they had deliuered to the Romans, remained in
peace certeine yéeres.
* * * * *
_The Britains after the deceasse of Lucius (who died without issue)
rebell against the Romans, the emperor Adrian comming in his owne
person into Britaine appeaseth the broile, they go about to recouer
their libertie against the Romans, but are suppressed by Lollius the
Romane lieutenant; the vigilantnesse or wakefulnesie of Marcellus, and
his policie to keepe the souldiers waking, the Britains being ruled by
certeine meane gentlemen of Perhennis appointing doo falselie accuse
him to the emperor Commodus, he is mangled and murthered of his
souldiers_.