[Sidenote: MAXIMIANUS OR MAXIMUS. 383.]
After the deceasse of Octauius or Octauian (as the old English
chronicle nameth him) Maximianus or Maximus (as the Romane writers
call him) began to rule the Britains in the yéere of our Lord 383, he
was the sonne of one Leonine, and coosen germane to Constantine the
great, a valiant personage, & hardie of stomach: but yet because he
was cruell of nature, and (as Fabian saith) somewhat persecuted the
christians, he was infamed by writers: but the chiefe cause why he was
euil reported, was for that he slue his souereigne lord the emperour
Gratianus, as after shall appeare, for otherwise he is supposed
woorthie to haue had the rule of the empire committed to his hands in
ech respect. Betwixt him and the aboue-named Conan Meridoc duke of
Cornewall, chanced strife and debate, so that Conan got him into
Scotland, and there purchasing aid, returned, and comming ouer
Humber, wasted the countrie on ech side. Maximianus thereof hauing
aduertisement, raised his power and went against him, and so fighting
with him diuers battels, sometime departed awaie with victorie, and
sometime with losse. At length through mediation of friends, a peace
was made betwixt them. Finallie this Maximianus, or (as the Romane
histories say) Maximus, was by the souldiers chosen and proclaimed
emperour here in Britaine: although some write that this was doone in
Spaine.
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon. Fabian. Caxton. Matth. West._ The British youth
led forth of the realme by Maximianus. Britaine in France.]
After he had taken vpon him the imperiall dignitie, vpon desire to
haue inlarged his dominion, he assembled togither all the chosen youth
of this land méet to doo seruice in the warres, with the which he
passed ouer into France, & there (as our writers record) he first
subdued the countrie ancientlie called Armorica, and slue in battell
the king thereof called Imball. This doone he gaue the countrie vnto
Conan Meridoc, which was there with him, to hold the same of him, and
of the kings of great Britaine for euer. He also commanded that the
said countrie from thencefoorth should be called litle Britaine, and
so was the name changed. What people soeuer inhabited there before,
the ancient name argueth that they were rather Britains than anie
other: for Armorica in the British toong signifieth as much as a
countrie lieng vpon the sea.
Conan then placing himselfe and his Britains in that quarter of
Gallia, auoided all the old inhabitants, peopling that countrie onelie
with Britains, which abhorring to ioine themselues with women borne in
Gallia, Conan was counselled to send into Britaine for maids to be
[Sidenote: Dionethius duke of Cornwall.]
coupled with his people in mariage. Herevpon a messenger was
dispatched vnto Dionethus at that time duke of Cornwall, and gouernour
of Britaine vnder Maximianus, requiring him to send ouer into
[Sidenote: Maids sent foorth.]
little Britaine 11000 maids, that is to say, 8000 to be bestowed vpon
the meaner sort of Conans people, and 3000 to be ioined in mariage
with the nobles and gentlemen. Dionethus at Conans request, assembled
the appointed number of maids, and amongst them he also appointed his
daughter Vrsula, a ladie of excellent beautie, to go ouer and to be
giuen in mariage to the foresaid Conan Meridoc, as he had earnestlie
requested.
[Sidenote: Vrsula the daughter of Dionethus.]
These number of maids were shipped in Thames, and passing forward
toward Britaine, were by force of weather and rage of wind scattered
abroad, and part of them drowned, and the residue (among whom was the
foresaid Vrsula) were slaine by Guanius king of the Hunnes, and Melga
king of the Picts, into whose hands they fell, the which Guanius and
Melga were sent by the emperour Gracian to the sea coasts of Germanie,
to oppresse and subdue all such as were friends and mainteiners of the
part of Maximianus. We find in some bookes, that there were sent ouer
at that time 51000 maids, that is to say, 11000 gentlewomen, and 40000
other.
[Sidenote: Guanius and Melga.]
After that Guanius and Melga had murthered the foresaid virgins,
they entred into the north parts of Britaine, where the Scots now
inhabit, and began to make sore warre on the Britains, whereof when
Maximus was aduertised, he sent into Britaine one Gratianus with thrée
legions of souldiers, who bare himselfe so manfullie against the
enimies, that he constreined the said Guanius and Melga to flie out of
the land, and to withdraw into Ireland. In this meane while, Maximus
hauing slaine the emperor Gratian at Lions in France, and after
entring into Italie, was slaine himselfe at Aquilia (after he had
gouerned the Britains eight yéeres) by the emperour Theodosius, who
came in aid of Valentinian, brother to the said emperor Gratian, as ye
may find in the abridgement of the histories of Italie.
¶ But here yet before we make an end with this Maximus or Maximianus,
I haue thought good to set downe the words which we find in Gyldas,
where he writeth of the same Maximus, vndoubtedlie a Britaine
[Sidenote: Consobrinus Helenæ imperatricis.]
borne, nephue to the empresse Helen, and begotten by a Romane. "At
length (saith Gyldas) the spring of tyrants budding vp, and now
increasing into an huge wood, the Ile being called after the name of
Rome, but holding neither maners nor lawes according to that name, but
rather casting the same from it, sendeth foorth a branch of hir most
bitter planting, to wit Maximus, accompanied with a great number of
warriors to gard him, and apparelled in the imperiall robes which he
neuer ware as became him, nor put them on in lawfull wise, but (after
the custome of tyrants) was put into them by the mutining souldiers:
which Maximus at the first by craftie policie rather than by true
manhood winding in (as nets of his periurie and false suggestion)
vnto his wicked gouernement the countries & prouinces next adioining,
against the imperiall state of Rome, stretching one of his wings into
Spaine, and the other into Italie, placed the throne of his most
vniust empire at Trier, and shewed such rage in his wood dealing
against his souereigne lords, that the one of the lawfull emperours he
expelled out of Rome, and the other he bereft of his most religious
and godlie life. Now without long tariance, compassed about with
such a furious and bold gard as he had got togither, at the citie
of Aquilia he loseth his wicked head, which had cast downe the most
honourable heads of all the world from their kingdome and empire.
"From thencefoorth Britaine being depriued of all hir warlike
souldiers and armies, of hir gouernors also (though cruell) and of
an huge number of hir youth (the which following the steps of the
foresaid tyrant, neuer returned home againe) such as remained being
vtterlie vnskilfull in feats of warre, were troden downe by two
nations of beyond the seas, the Scots from the west, and the Picts
[Sidenote: Scotorum à circio, Pictorum ab aquilone.]
from the north, and as men thus quite dismaid, lament their miserable
case, not knowing what else to doo for the space of manie yéeres
togither. By reason of whose gréeuous inuasion and cruell oppression
wherewith she was miserablie disquieted, she sendeth hir ambassadors
vnto Rome, making lamentable sute euen with teares to haue some power
of men of warre sent to defend hir against the enimies, promising to
be true subiects with all faithfulnes of mind, if the enimie might be
kept off and remooued."
¶ Thus farre Gyldas, and more, as in place hereafter you shall find
recited.
* * * * *
_What Gratianus it was that was sent ouer from Rome into Britaine by
Maximus, in what estimation the British souldiers haue beene, the
priuie treason of Andragatius whereby Gratian came to his end: Maximus
and his sonne Victor doo succeed him in the empire, they are both
slaine, Marcus the Romane lieutenant sucéeding them is murthered,
Gratianus also his successour hath the same end, the election of
Constantine a Britaine borne, his praise and dispraise reported by
writers, he goeth into France, maketh his sonne Constance partaker
with him of the empire, a sharpe incounter betwixt his power and two
brethrens that had the keeping of the Pyrenine hils, the issue of the
battell_.