titular Prince but possessed of large Territories and finding great plenty of Treasure congested by his wary and careful Predecessours was not close-fisted but with a liberal hand imparts a large Proportion to men of Action and gallant Resolution and determines once more to hazard both life and fortunes with his Brother rather then lose Albania The sons of Mars and fierce youthful spirits applaud their Princes gallant Resolution and each equipps himself to the rank of his birth and height of his desire Bellinus hearing of these great and warlike Preparations like a prudent Prince perceives this threatning cloud to bend its course towards Brittany and therefore seeing he cannot prevent the coming thereof makes such provision that wheresoever it shall disgorge it self it may do as slender hurt as may be thus he stands in a readinesse with Weapons to receive this menacing storm with the point of his Sword Brennus maugre all oppositions arrives with his Navy These heavy tidings pierce the very soul of Connuvenna or Conwenna the poor afflicted Mother whose affectionate love was equally divided betwixt her dearest children and having long time been deprived of the tender imbracements of her younger Son carried with the most Noble passion of love she casts her self betwixt the Brothers and with most bitter sighes and floods of tears shews those brests which once they both had suckt she pleads commands intreats nay begs to make them friends An ancient Poet in few Verses makes Conwenna to speak thus Proh dolor hic quid erit quid Vos mea viscera turbat Fraternas a cies quae mala causa movet Tota tenere nequit modo vos Brittannia quondam Quos tenuit venter unicus iste meus Non vos maternae lachrimae sparsique capilli Nec quae suxistis ubera nuda movent Oh Heavens I my Sons why do you let me see your naked swords unsheath'd for butchery Cannot you two in one great Kingdome live my narrow Womb life to you both did give Behold my Tears my Locks with Age grown Gray the Breasts you suck't then cast your swords away The brothers with this unlookt for spectacle stand gazing each at other which Convenna wisely perceiving takes time fast by the fore-top and prosecutes her complaints with the very depth of sorrow and rising up with a discreet motherly compassion now embraceth the one now the other and never leaves till she locks them close in the Armes of a most firm and brotherly reconciliation and so as it were hand in hand to the amazement of both Armies but unspeakable joy of the overjoy'd Convenna they came to Troynovant where after a due setling of the affairs of Brittaine those forces who not long before were mortal Foes are now become confederates and fellow souldiers and uniting strength to strength a new employment is set on foot Gallia is the mark aim'd at at which they level so directly that as Gaufride they sayled into a part of Gallia burning and wasting the Country without regard or pitty and in short time subdued a large proportion not only of Gallia but also Italy and Germany As yet Belmus and Brennus according to Gaufride were together and performed many worthy deeds and feats in Armes but because Livius makes only mention of Brennus in the Roman Histories I suppose Belinus was again returned for Brittany his own Kingdome leaving the managing of what followed to his brother What hereafter I shall speak of Brennus I have collected out of Plutark in the life of Camillus whose words translated by Sir Thomas North Kt. are these Now as touching the Gaules they came of as they say the CELTAE whose country being not able to maintaine the multitudes of them they were driven to go seek after other countries to inhabit in and there were amongst them many thousands of young men of service and good souldiers but yet more women and little children by a great number of those people some of them went towards the North Sea passing the Mountaines Riphei and did dwell in the extreme parts of Europe others of them remained between the Mountaines Pirenei and the Mountaines of the Alpes near unto the Senones and the Celtorii there they continued a long time untill they fortuned in the end to tast of the wine which was first brought out of Italy to them which drink they found so good and were so delighted in it that suddenly they Armed themselves and taking their Wives and Children with them they went directly towards the Alpes to go seek out the Countrey that brought forth such fruit judging all other Countries in respect of that to be but wild and barren It is said that the first man that did bring wine to them and did procure them to passe into Italy was a Noble man of Thuscany called Arron and otherwise of no ill disposed Nature how be it he was subject to this misfortune following He was Tutor to an Orphan Child the richest that was in that time in all the Countrey of Tuscany and of complexion wondrous fair he was called Lucumo This Orphan was brought up in Arrons house of a Child and though he was grown to state yet he would not depart from him feigning he was well and to his liking but indeed the cause was that he loved his Mistress Arrons wife whom secretly he had enjoyed a long time and she him that made him like his continuance there Howbeit in the end love having so possessed them both that neither party could withdraw from other much lesse conceale it The young man stole her away by force from him and so kept her Arron put the matter in suite but he prevailed not for Lucumo over-weighed him with Friends Money Gifts and Charges which he took so grievously that he left his Countrey and having heard talk of the Gauls he went unto them and was their guide to bring them unto Italy So they conquered at their first coming all that Countrey which the Tuscans held in old time beginning at the foot of the mountains and stretched out in length from one Sea to the other which invironeth Italy as the names themselves do witness for they call yet that Sea which looketh unto the North the Adriatick Sea by reason of a City built some time by the Tuscans which was called Adria The other which lieth directly over against the South is called the Tuscane Sea all that Country is well planted with trees and hath goodly pleasant pastures for beasts and cattel to feed in and is notably watered with goodly running Rivers There was also at that time eighteen fair great Cities all of them very strong and well seated as well to inrich the Inhabitants by Traffick as to make them live delicately for pleasure All these Cities the Gauls had won and had expulsed the Tuscans but this was done long before time Now the Gauls being entred further into Tuscany did besiege the City of Clusium thereupon the Clusians seeking ayd of the Romans besought them
the divine mystery of humane Redemption was accomplished by the birth of our Saviour Christ Jesus Augustus Caesar then possessing the Roman Empire which he afterwards left to Tiberius his Adopted Son a Wary and Politick Prince who following the advice and example of Augustus did never attempt any thing in Brittain nor maintain any Garrison there Howbeit the Brittains at that time were well affected to the Romans as appeared by the entertainment which their petty Princes gave to some Souldiers of the Roman Army in Germany who crossing the Seas were by force of weather cast upon the coast of Brittain and from thence in courteous manner sent back to Germanicus their General This Conobelin or Kimbelin was in Rome when the blessed Tidings of the Incarnation of the Son of God were declared through the world for Augustus after the death of Julius Caesar successor in the Empire as say our Antiquaries both ancient and late by the will of God had established most sure peace through the world our Redeemer Jesus Christ true God and Man was born in the 42 year of his Empire in the fifth year of the Reign of Cunobelin or Kimbelin in this Kingdome of the Brittains A little before which time by the great providence of God to make this our Brittain more timely and particularly partaker of such heavenly tidings before other Nations Augustus intending an expedition against this Kingdome Embassadours came from Brittain to Rome entreating for peace swearing fealty in the Temple of Mars offering gifts in the Capitol to the Gods of the Romans and submitting part of the Isle to Augustus Mr. Br. f. 1. â— they gave him for security so many great Nobles of this Land for Pledges and Hostages that all here were so quiet that one band of Souldiers and a few Horsemen were sufficient to keep the Isle in the Roman possession Now by such means the Romans did ever here secure themselves of the Brittains from their first invasion by Julius Caesar carrying away from hence and keeping at Rome for their glory honour and quiet not only many of our chief Nobility Men Women and Children but of the Regal race and blood and Kings themselves Among which we find that Androgius Son and Heir to King Lud lived and dyed there Cassibeline his Uncle who was subdued by Caesar gave Hostages and made this Kingdome Tributary to the Roman Empire Theomantius his Nephew and Successor in the Kingdome payed Tribute to the Romans which Cassibeline had granted and Reigned quietly And his Son Cunobeline King after him his Father was one of his Fathers Hostages in Rome and was Knighted there Adaminus Sonne of King Cunobeline was kept at Rome by Cajus thus much and much more Mr. Broughton that eminent Antiquary in his first and second Folio out of divers Authors by him there cited which I here for brevity omit Augustus Caesar the Emperour being urged by the Romans to be made a God after the Heathenish manner then or about the very time when Christ was born before he would consent unto it consulted with Sybilla Tiburtina then renowned for her Prophesies Sybillam Tiburtinam super hoc consuluit quae post trium dierum jejunium respondit in hunc modum Judicii in signum Tellus sudore madescet De coelo rex adveniet per secla futurus Quorum versuum capitales literae hunc reddebant sensum Jesus Christus Dei filius salvator Eo illico apertum est coelum nimius splendor irruit super eum vidit in coelo pulcherrimam virginem stantem super altare puerum tenentem in brachiis miratus est nimis vocem dicentem audivi Haec ara filii Dei est Qui statim projiciens in terram adoravit quam visionem Senatoribus retulit ipsi mirati sunt nimis After she had fasted three dayes Sybilla answered in these Achrostical known verses whose first letters make this sence Jesus Christ the Son of God our Saviour and presently the Heaven opened and an exceeding brightnesse fell down upon the Emperour and he saw in Heaven a most beautiful Virgin standing upon an Altar holding a Child in her Armes and he marvelled exceedingly and heard this voice saying This is the Altar of the Sonne of God whereupon presently prostrating himself upon the ground he adored which Vision he related to the Senators who marvelously wondered at it And this miraculous preaching of Christs birth so far off then at Rome was so much more publick and general that at or a little before this time the same Emperour as Suidas witnesseth Suidas in Augusto in their than greatest sacrifice was told by their Oracle that an Hebrew Child commanded the Gods as they termed them to silence whereupon Augustus ab oraculo reversus in Capitolio aram erexit Romanisque literis inscripsit Haec Ara est Primogeniti Dei Augustus returning from the Oracle erected an Altar in the Capitol and made this inscription upon it in Roman Letters This it the Altar of the first and only begotten Sonne of God our English Historians with others proceed to more such publick testimonies concerning Christ at Rome Jo. Herc. in Martin Polon Dedic to Q. Eliz. Martin Polon in Aug. alii Mr. B. Fol. 4. and at that very time hoc ipso die quo natus est Christus trans Tyberim fons olei emanavit ac per totum diem largissimo rivo fluxit tunc etiam circulus ad speciem caelestis arcus circa solem apparuit etiam statim ut virgo peperit illa statua aurea corruit in Romuliano Palatio quam Romulus posuerat dicens Non cadet donec virgo pariat The very day on which Christ was born beyond Tiber at Rome a fountaine of oyl flowed and ran with a most large stream all the day The circle like to a heavenly bow appeared about the Sun also presently so soon as the Virgin brought forth her Son the Golden Statue in the Palace of Romulus fell down which Romulus placed there above 700 years before saying it shall not fall untill a Virgin be brought to bed of a Child Upon these and other such motives this Emperour was so fully perswaded of the Messias then born that he highly reverenced all testimonies thereof the Prophesies of the Sybills which are so clear for almost all Mysteries of Christ as his Nativity Life Passion Resurrection Ascention with the rest as if they had been present witnesses rather then Prophets or Evangelists of those things Suetonius in Augusto he so respected that as Suetonius a Pagan writeth Quidquid fatidicorum librorum Graeci Latinique generis nullis vel parum idoneis autoribus vulgo ferebatur supra duo millia contracta undique concremavit solos retinuit Sybellinos hos quoque dilectu habito condiditque duobus forulis auratis sub Palatini Apollinis basi he gathered together all books of South-sayers Greek and Latine and he burnt about two thousand whose Authors were either
23. Therefore whilst the Emperor prayed and earnestly beseeched those things a divine exceeding admirable vision appeared unto him which if any other had reported he would not have been so easily credited but being the Emperor himself and Conqueror both long time after when he did vouchsafe me acquaintance and familiar speech with him both tell me and by oath confirm what he said Cap. 24. this very history which we now commit to writing no man can be doubtfull but the narration is certainly to be believed especially when we see the effect to have given testimony thereunto when the Sun had ascended in the midst of the Heaven and the day a little enclining to the afternoon he said he did see the sign of a cross made of the brightness of the light manifestly appearing to this eyes in the Heaven over the Sun Sozo Hist l. 1. c. 3. Convocatis Christi Sacerdotibus with an evident Inscription which contained these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this thou shalt overcome a great admiration fell upon him and his whole army all of them beholding this wonder Constantine earnestly meditating upon this vision in the night following Christ appeared unto him in his sleep with the sign of the cross which he had seen in Heaven and commanded him to make another sign of the cross like unto it and to use it as a safeguard in his wars with his enemies he so soon as he arose imparted the vision unto his friends Euseb c. 25. and sent for Artisans skillfull ingravers in gold and precious stones and describing the shape of the sign which he had seen unto them commandeth them to make the like of gold and precious stone which Image I my self have seen Thus far Eusebius in the next chapter largely setting down the proportion manner and glory of this ensign so honourably preserved in that time Socr. Hist Gal. l. 1. c. 3. Sozo l. 1. c. 3. Otto Chron. l. 4. c. 1. Stowe Howesin Constantin To this relation if it needed more testimony Socrates Sozomen Otto and other old forraign writers are witnesses and if any man desireth Modern consent herein those of our Nation do thus relate this matter About noon the Sun something declining Constantine saw in the sky a lightsome pillar in form of a cross wherein these words were engraven In this oveercome the which vision so amazed the Emperor that he mistrusting his own sight demanded of them that were present whether they perceived the vision which when all with one assent had confirmed the wavering mind of the Emperor was setled with this divine and wonderfull sight The night following in his sleep he seeth Christ which sayeth thus unto him Frame unto thy self the form of a cross after the example of the sign which appeared unto thee and bear the same against thy Enemies as a fit banner or token of victory He being fully perswaded of this Oracle commandeth the victorious Sign of the Cross which as yet is reserved in the Pallace of the Emperour to be made and therewith proceedeth forward with great courage Eusebeus and others say that presently upon this Vision Constantine concluded with his Christian Priests Euseb l. 1. de vita Const to have onely their God which appeared unto him and no other to be worshipped And thus preparing himself with all his Army to suppress the Tyrant having God the Governour of all things for his Patron before his eyes and calling upon Christ our Saviour and Helper Cap. 31. placing the Image of the Cross as a Sign of Victory before his armed Souldiers and Guards marched forward with his whole Army And thus trusting in the help of God his Army not being more than half the number of Maxentius Zozom l. 2. this consisting of 170 thousand foot and 18 thousand horse and yet as an old Panagerick hath Constantine not fighting with more than the fourth part of his Army against 100000 of Maxentius men Panegerick 1. Const Baron Spond an 312. Zozom Baron Spond an 312 he set upon the Armies of Maxentius three of them and presently overthrew them and so passing through Italy hard by Rome where Maxentius was he so prosecuted him that in his flight he was with his greatest forces drowned in the River of Tyber there miraculously as Eusebius and others testifie like to Pharaoh and his Egyptians in the red Sea swallowed up by the waters by his own Engine of a new devised Bridge of which he had made Boats to entrap Constantine withall strangely failing to his own miserable destruction So soon as Constantine had thus obtained Victory as Eusebius Socrates and others are able witnesses he gave thanks to God who had so extraordinarily assisted him and delivered the Christians from persecution those which were banished he recalled home the goods of those which were confiscated he restored those which were put in prison he delivered the Churches which were destroyed he caused to be re-edified all which he effected with great care and speed his care was onely fixed in things belonging to the glory of Christ he began to execute all the duties of a Christian man to build Churches and to adorn them with magnificent and renowned Monuments to shut up the Pagon temples pull them down and abandon the Statuas erected in them Eusebius proceedeth further and saith that presently upon this victory Constantine making his Prayer with Thanks-giving to God Authour of his Victory published unto all in famous Inscriptions and Pillars publickly erected the power of the Cross of Christ and even in the midst of the City in the most principal place thereof erected a great Trophy against his enemies and caused this Sign of Salvation to be engraven in it with Characters that could not be blotted out did demonstrate it was the Propugnacle of the Romans and all subjects to the Empire and did openly propose it to be seen of all men and his own Image being erected in a famous place of the City and much frequented holding in his hand a Spear shap't much like a Cross Euseb c. 34. commanded this Inscription to be graven on it in Latine letters With this saving Sign a token of fortitude I have delivered your City from the yoak of Tyranny and setting the Senate and People at liberty Euseb c. 35. I have restored them to their antient Honour and Renown And it immediately followeth in Eusebius that Constantine hereupon with great boldness did openly profess and publish Christ the Son of God unto the Romans He also published in all places his Edict for restoring all men to their good which had been unjustly deprived of them recalling Exiles and delivering Prisoneâ—s all these and more of such things of Religious Christian nature Maâ— Sco. an 205. an 312. this our noble King and Emperour performed presently upon his Victory against Maxeatius commonly taken to have been in the 7th year of his Empire begun first in
Taprobana or to Madagascar the Island of St. Laurence both which are neer or under the Equinoctiall line in which we will not contend as pleasing our selves with her other praises far exceeding her Greatnesse yet with this Honour also that it was without Question the greatest Island of the Roman world and for any thing yet certainly known of all the rest concerning whose positure in respect of Heaven Lucretius the first of the Latine Writers that names Brittain seemeth to place it in the same parallel with Pontus where he saith Nam quid Brittannum coelum differre putamus c. What differs Prittains Heaven from that of Nile Or Pontus welking from Gades warmer Isle It is by experience found to lie included from the Degree Fifty and thirty scruples of latitude and for longitude extended from the 13 degree and 20 minutes unto the 22 and 50 minutes according to the observation of Mercator It hath little Brittain Normandy and other parts of France upon the South Germany Denmarke and Norway upon the East the Iles of Orkney and the Deucalidonian sea upon the North Hebrides upon the West and from it all other Ilands and Ilets which doe scatteredly environ it and shelter themselves as it were under the shaddow of great Albion another name of this famous Iland are also accounted Brittish Brittaine thus seated in the Ocean hath her prayses not onely in this present sense and use of her commodities but also in those honourable Eulogies which the learnedest of Antiquaries have collected out of the noblest Authors that he scarce doth seem to have left any gleanings neither will we transplant them out of his flourishing gardens but as necessity compels since nothing can be further or otherwise better said Robert of Amesbury Caesar in his Comentaries Cornelius Tacitus Some praises of great Brittaine That Brittaine therefore is the Seas High-admiral is most Famously known and the fortunate Island supposed by some as Robert of Amesbury doth shew whose Aire is more temperate saith Caesar then France whose foyle bringeth forth all graine in abundance saith Tacitus whose Seas produce Orient Pearle saith Suetonius whose fields are the Seat of a Summer Queen saith Orpheus her wildest parts free from Wild Beasts saith the ancient Panegyrick and her chiefe City worthily called Augusta saith Amianus So as we may truly say with the Royall Psalmist Our lives are fallen in pleasant places yea we have a pleasant Inheritance which whatsoever by the goodness of God and industry of man it is now yet our English Poet hath truly described unto us the first face thereof thus The Land which warlike Brittaines now possesse And therein have their mighty Empires rais'd Brittain and France formerly one continent by some In ancient time was savage VVilderness Vnpeopl'd unmanur'd unprov'd unprais'd And albeit the Ocean doth at this present thrust it selfe between Dover and Calice dividing them with a deep and vast entrenchment so that Brittaine is thereby of a supposed Penisle made an Island yet divers have stifly held that once it was joyned by an arm of Land to the Continent of Gallia to which opinion Mr. Spencer further alluding thus closeth his Stanza Spencer in his Fairy Queen Ne was it Iland then ne was it prais'd Amid the Ocean waves ne was it sought Of Merchants farr for profits therein prais'd But was all desolate and of some thought By Sea t' have been from the Celtick mainland-brought Which was a matter meerly conjecturall because it is not plain that there were no Ilands nor hills before Noahs stood I leave at large Virgil sure of all the Poets the most learned when describing the Shield which Vulcan forged in Virgils brain for Æneas he calls the Morini people about Calice the outmost men doth onely mean that they were Westward the furthest inhabitants upon the Continent signifying withal that Britaine as being an Iland lay out of the world but yet not out of the knowledge of men for the commodities thereof invited the Famous Greek Colonies of Merchants which dwelt at Marsilia in France to venture hither as hath been well observed out of Strabo And as Julius Caesar was the first Roman which ever gave an attempt to Conquer it so will we close its prayses with a late Epigram concerning the outward Face of the Isle and the motive of Caesars coming thither Albions high Tops her woody locks fore-shew With quires of chaunting birds those woods resounding Her downes and meadowes clad in verdant hue Meadowes and Downs with flocks and heards abounding Brutus his three sonnes Latium had greater wealth yet Caesar thought To Brittish glory Latiums wealth was naught Wales preferred before Scotland Our most ancient Historians begin with Brute and so continue the succession of Kings till CHARLES the First which Brutus divided the Kingdome into three parts To Locrinus he gave Loegria now England to Camber his second sonne he gave Cambria now VVales and to Albanist or Albanact Albania now Scotland Ireland called Brittaine the less Ptolomy naming Britaine the great and the less hath been by some mistaken as so dividing the Island into two parts but his proportion and distance from the Equator compared with his Geographical description will evince that he calleth this our Island Great Britaine and Ireland Brittaine the lesse Howbeit some later writers indeed do make the South and more Champion to be called Great Britaine and the North and more Mountanous Britaine the lesse whose Inhabitants were Anciently distinguished into Majatae Why the Romans were not greedy to conquer Scotland and Caledonii and now by the Scots are into High-land-men and Low-land-men but the Northern Clime being more piercing for the Romans constitutions and lesse profitable and fruitful they set their bounds not farre from Edenburgh and altogether neglected the other parts of Scotland more North-wards The division of Brittaine by the Romans The nearer part of Brittaine they sub-divided into two parts for the more Southern tract together with VVales Dio termeth the higher and that more North-ward the lower as by the seats of their Legions may appeare For the second Legion call'd Augusta which kept at Caerleon in South-wales and the twentieth called Victrix which remained as some say at Chester he placeth in the higher Brittaine Caerleon in Monmouthshire but the sixth Legion named also Victrix resident at York served as he writeth in lower Brittaine which division as seemeth was made by Severus the Emperor who having vanquished Albinus General of the Brittaines and reduced their state under his Obedience divided the Government thereof into two Provinces and placed two Prefects over them Another division of Brittaine After this again the Romans did proportion Brittaine into three parts whose limits our great Antiquary assigneth by the Archiopiscopal seats grounding his conjecture on the saying of Pope Lucius who affirmeth that the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdictions of the Christians accorded with the precincts of the Roman Magistrates and that
4122. Authors write very sparingly of the Acts of this King only all agree that during the time of his Reign which continued for the space of Forty years a time too long for any Tyrant he ruled insolently with Oppression and Tyranny Vindex nocentes sequitur a tergo Deus for being at his sports of Hunting he was slain and torn to pieces by Wolves and other savage Beasts leaving two Sons Mempricius and Manlius Jac bus Gordonus Scotus Fol 9. This King being Grandchild to Brute the Trojan I think it not amiss to give my Reader some satisfaction concerning Old Troy Si 300 annis stetit Regnum Trojanum caepisse oportet ante 4 annos in Dardano 1. Rege 2520. sed Dardani regnum rectius sub finem Ducatus Moysis ab hoc anno 2524. exortum putatur Nam a Dardano ad Ilii excidium sunt anni 296. Contigit igitur Ilii casus anno nostro 2820. sic enim peritiores numerant hos reges Dardanus regnavit annis 65. Erichtanus 46. Tros 40. Ilus 49. Laomedon 44. Priamus 52. Ex quibus colliguntur anni illi 296. hunc Regum Catologum ad suas neomenias reducit Scaliger lib. 2. Can. sub finem nostris annis probe consentit As for the Destruction of Troy what Homer the Greek and Virgil the Prince of Latine Poets have written I pass by as being Poetical fictions each striving to advance the glory of his own Nation But Gordon in the same Folio tells us Circae haec tempora praesertini sub Ducatu Judicis Aod ponitur Tros Dardaniae Rex tertius quem sequuti sunt alii Hic Tros à quo Trojani belium intulit Tantalo regi Phrygiae ob raptum Ganymedem and for this Gordon cites Eusebius 99. cap. 8. and so proceeds Juxta regum Catologum anno 2524. notatum sequitur hunc annum 5. quo regnavit Tros quod recte consentet tum cum Ilii excidio tum cum chronologia inter hunc Troem Tantalum ac denique cum anno quo Pelopidae Mycenis soli regnaverunt pulsis Heraclidis à Trois autem morte usque ad Atreum Tantali ex Penelope nepotem vix sunt anni 71. juxta regum annos notatos Dardania quidem anno Orbis 2524. Mycaenarum 99. c. 8. Consurgunt quoque anni tantum 20. ab obitu Trois usque ad mortem Acrisii caesi à Perseo nepote quando caepit Mycenarum regnum nec ab his alienus est Tatianus qui Pelopei è Phrygia exitum refert ad Acrisii tempora De Trojano Excidio Si quod supra indicavi condita Troja est anno Orbis 2524. Gordon fol. 11. inquem incidit initium Ducatus Josue Cum steterit Ilium annis 296. ut probatissimi Autores magno fere consensu testantur necesse est excidium hoc incidisle in annum 2820 ab orbe condito recte sunt enim sic ab eversa Troit ad primam Olympiadem anni 407. quod intervallum doctissimi quique probarunt Scaliger lib. 5. de Emen pro hac suae ac vera sententia veteres citat Ephorum Calisthenem Damascen Sane tabula Eratosthenis quam habet cap. 18. an Appen idem perspicue refert Hanc tabulam laudat sequitur Dionysius Halic Idemque intervallum ex Diodoro colligit citatus Scaliger ab hoc autem excidio ad Palilia anni consurgunt 432. hunc numerum saepe repetit Dionysius Halicar quem Glareanus alii libenter sequuntur c. MEMPRICIVS MEmpricius the Eldest Son of Madan his Father being dead by right of Inheritance was Crowned with the Royal Diadem of Brittaine about the Year of the worlds Creation 4142. but long he enjoyed not his Soveraignty without Troubles and Opposition for Manlius his younger brother a man of an Ambitious spirit Haughty and aspiring to Royal dignity would not content himself with any Titles of Honour under the degree of a King and therefore to bring this his Designe to his wisht for Period he resolves either to subdue or to expell his brother and to this purpose he insinuates himself into the bosomes of the Nobles casts Aspersions upon his brother Detracts and Malignes all his Actions and so farre prevailes that Rebellion is rais'd and an unnatural Warre taken in hand which was eagerly prosecuted on each part and continued a long time at length both Nobles and Commons finding Bellum minime bellum and perceiving these intestine broyles to wast their Country and threaten an utter Ruine incline to peace no fitter way can be thought upon then an attonement and reconciliation between the brothers and therefore a day of meeting is appointed and great hopes conceived of a final peace and Concord but Mempricius having now got his brother under the fair pretence of becoming friends into his power to avoid all Jealousies and Fears of future deceit and Treachery becomes a Traytor himselfe and by Treason caused his own brother to be slain making that saying of the Poet good Rara est concordia fratrunt This perfidious and tragical scene performed Mempricius his brother Manlius being taken away enjoyes as he conceives a happy peace this peace makes him forgetful both of his person and Honour and now fearing nothing he contemns even the Deity and precipitates not only himself but his subjects also into Sloth Idlenesse and Treachery and when the Gate is set open and free scope given to sin though nemo repente fit pessimus yet those who forsake Grace and Abandon themselves over to unlawful lusts and pleasures fall from one sin to another till they arrive at last at the very Jawes of Hell so fares it with Mempricius his Wife or Wives give him not content the fairest and choicest beauties must be his Concubines and these as many as his own wandering fancy shall think fit in these horrid sins he wallowes with all sensuality I know some of Epicurus his Scholars or rather Atheists will excuse Mempricius for this his Platonick as it is now commonly stiled love and tell you that whatsoever is natural is no sin and out of this deduce a most damnable consequence or conclusion which chast ears abhor to hear but this natural act as it is called â—â—â—fied not Mempricius he falls to that which is most unnatural the sin of Sodomy with wild and brutish Creatures and by this means becomes hateful both to God and Man but not without just punishment from Heaven for intending to disport hemself in hunting becomes a prey to wild beasts and by them is torn to pieces after he had enjoyed the Kingdome twenty years leaving to succeed him in his Throne a son by his lawful wife called Ebrank Mempricius his Reign is observed by those who write of him to have been Tyrannical Plutarch though a Panim saith De sera numinis vindicta that God doth serve himself of wicked Tyrants as of Hangmen to execute his justice upon others no lesse or more wicked then they and that as poysons are sometimes
blood and water did flow out of the wound of his side they set a reed in his right hand and put a crown of thorne upon his head and having done all things which mans cruelty could work against him they began to work him with words saying unto him Hail King of the Jewes If thou art the son of God now come down from thy cross and we believe thee and then they used many revilings against him that younge man answered not one word unto them At last when they had said what they could against him crying out with a great voice he sayed O Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and having so said gave up the Ghost His dead body was taken down from the cross the blood still largely issuing out of his wounds they shut it in a tomb of stone and covered it with a stone sealed appointing watchmen to keep it And a wonder to see his body thus being dead came to life again and receiving strength did go forth of the Sepulchre it still remaining shut How he did arose from death I did behold with my own eyes Men cloathed with garments as white as snow did come from Heaven and taking that Man with them returned from whence they came and an infinite army of Men cloathed all in white doth follow him which ceased not in all that journey to sing prayses and continually blessed a Father and his only begotten son great and unspeakable joy was among them so that none might worthily be compared unto it These and many other things which I neither will nor is lawfull for any mortal Man to tell have been shewed to me in vision this night what they do signifie I beseech thee not to conceal from me be not afraid St. Amphibalus hearing these things perceiving that his heart was visited by God exceedingly rejoyced in our Lord and forthwith pulling out a cross of our Lord which he had about him said behold in this sign thou maiest manifestly see what this vision this night meaneth what it signifieth For this Man coming from Heaven is my Lord Jesus Christ who did not refuse to undergo the punishment of the Cross that he might deliver us by his blood from the guilt wherewith we were held bound by the prevarication of our first parent Adam And so prosecuting to the mystery of the holy Trinity which I need not particularly to relate writing to Christian Readers to speak in this old Brittish Authors words again Alban greatly marvailing upon the speeches of St. Amphibalus brake out into these words The things which thou relatest of Christ are true and cannot in any respect be reproved as false for I this night have evidently known how Christ overcame the Divel and thrust him down to the bottom of Hell I have seen with my eyes how that horrible one lyeth enwrapped in the knots of chains hereby knowing that all thou hast spoken is true I believe and from this time this is my faith that there is no God but my Lord Jesus Christ who for the salutation of Men vouchsaving to take humanity upon him sustained the passion of the cross the which the Father and the Holy Ghost is one God and there is no other and having thus said he falleth down prostrate before the cross as if he had seen our Lord Jesus hanging thereon the blessed penitent craveth pardon for his sin Tears mingled with blood run down about his face and in great quantity fell down upon the venerable wood of the cross I saith he renounce the Devil and detest all the Enemies of Christ believing in him and commending my self to him who as thou affirmeth rose the third day from death Amphibalus saith unto him be of courage our Lord is with thee and his grace will never be wanting to thâ—â— That faith which other mortal men have deserved to receive by the Tradition of Men thou hast not learned it either of Man or by Man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Therefore being now secure of thee I determine to go further to preach unto the Gentiles but Alban entreating him to stay at the East one week longer that he might in that time be more perfectly instructed in the Faith of Christ he did so Thus writeth this old Brittish Author of St. Alban his conversion Gil lib. de Excid Brit. cap. 8 Bede Martyr 22. Julii Bede l. 1. Hist Eccle. c. 7. Matth. West an 303. which both St. Gildas and St. Bede and others do in effect and substance also deliver although not in so ample a manner during the time of their abode together afterward they spent their time as St. Amphibalus by Bedes relation did before St. Albans Conversion in continual watchings and prayers day and night a great motive to St. Alban to receive the Faith of Christ for every day towards evening they withdrew themselves from the City and Company of men going to an house which St. Alban had without the City where they spent the whole night in serving God and although they observed this camelous diligence to keep themselves secret from the persecutors yet it was by a wicked Pagan there revealed and told to the persecuting Judge which coming to the knowledge of St. Alban before the Pagan Prince and persecutor could execute his designment Gild. lib. 3. â—e exc l. 8. Bede l. 1. Hist c. 7. Galf. Mon. Hist Reg. Brit. l. 5. c. 3. Mat. West an 303. as at his first receiving o St. Amphibalus when he was as yet a Pagan as our antient Histories say he hid him in his house being pursued by his persecutors and presently had not St. Alban so prevented it to be apprehended so now being a Christian exposed himself unto danger of death for him imitating Christ that gave his own life for his sheep for when those enemies of Christ had raised their Troops even an Army as our Antiquaries name them to apprehend St. Amphibalus and St. Alban in the night he before conducteth him forth of his house and past danger and shifting garments with him to save him from all peril caused St. Amphibalus to wear his garment of dignity and priviledge in that time free from all trouble and molestation and the garment of St. Amphibalus where the danger was being a Caracalla a Priests vesture as they say having been discryed he put it it upon himself together with the danger and so returned to his own house alone having thus freed his holy Master and Tutor in Christ from that peril St. Amphibalus being thus at this time delivered by St. Alban the King Bed Hist li. c 7. Matth. West an 303. Jacob. Germen in vita St. Alba. Capgrave in vita St. Al. Prince or Judge for St. Bede Matth. Westm and other give all these Titles to that persecuting Magistrate sent his souldiers to come at these two holy Saints the old Brittish Writer of St. Albans life saith there were horse-men with an Army great multitude or
brake the rest of his body Many converted at St. Amphibalus his martyrdom Jacob. Gonnen in vita S. Amp Manus Antiq. Capg in eodem After all which this holy Martyr stood with as chearful a countenance as if he had suffered no hurt at all and more constant though he now bore the signes of his Martyrdom in all his body Giving a miraculous spectacle of himself that he could still live after so great torments and so many kinds of death whereupon very many beholding and more and more wondering at the constancy of the blessed Martyr renouncing their Idols submitted themselves to the Christian faith and prayed with a loud voice to God that by the merits and intercession of the blessed Martyr they might be worthy to be partakers of everlasting life 1000 converted and presently put to death at the martyrdom of St. Amphibalus which when the Prince perceived and knew he presently called for the Tormentors and commanded all that had rejected and forsaken the worship of their Gods and embraced the doctrine of Amphibalus to be put to death Which savage Edict the Pagan Souldiers effected and killed a thousand which St. Amphibalus beholding and commending their souls to God perswaded his persecutors to renounce their errors and be converted to Christ without whom no salvation can be had nothing but hell and eternal damnation to be expected But the persecutors did still persevere in their impiety not ceasing so to torment this holy Saint with cruel stoning him besides so many tortures before remembred that when his body was afterward miraculously found there was not one whole bone in it Although it seemeth by the History of his life that many of his bones were broken with stones by those so enraged persecutors that after his blessed Soul was separated from his body thus lying still bound and tied they ceased not to break it more with their casting great stones upon it But so long as he lived in so great extremity of torments although the stones were cast at him as thick as hail as some write he still persevered in prayer never moving himself on the one side or other And being now come to the period of his punishments and to yield his Soul to God looking toward Heaven as another St. Stephen he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of his Father and heard a consort of Angels in Heaven and among them knew St. Alban whom he invocated to assist him saying O holy Alban pray unto our God that he will send a good Angel to meet me that the dreadful Robber lead me not nor the wicked part hinder me in my journey And a voice spake to him from Heaven in the hearing of all in this manner Verily I say unto thee this day thou shalt be with thy Disciple Alban in Paradise And two Angels shining with an heavenly brightness came down unto him and taking with them the Soul of the blessed resplendent with a wonderful whiteness with Hymnes and Praises carried it to Heaven which done to make him both glorious there and honourable on earth a Christian secretly conveying his body reverently buried it And God himself began now to honour him here and be revenged upon his Enemies and Persecutors Those lips of theirs which had been opened before to blaspheme towards God and revilings towards his holy Saints are now miraculously drawn away that their speech is hindred The tongues which had so abused him now burn and the faces of them which had so deformed him were made deformed all their members are so stiff that the stoners and tormentors of this holy man could not now lift one stone from the ground and the Judge or Prince himself losing his understanding of reason became mad and how many soever had lifted up their hands against our Lord did of him receive due revenge for their demerits Hereupon the whole City received the Faith of Christ and desired to be Baptized and many by the inspiration of God forsaking their goods go to Rome to bewail their sins and confess their errours With St. Amphibalus nine other Christians were martyred as Matthew of Paris writeth neither is it probable Matthew Paris Hist pag. 179 180 181. 182 183. that so renowned a Bishop as St. Amphibalus was apprehended alone being take as he was preaching to the people or such rage as then reigned in the persecutors would yield them much more favour than they did to St. Amphibalus but their malice being most unto him and he so famous all our Histories remember him almost forgetting the rest It is no great marvel though so few names of so great numbers and thousands are left unto us when by some Writers the persecution was so great in Britainy that except those which hid themselves and could not be Witnesses of things publickly done all the Christians of Brittain were then martyred Harpsfield Hist Eccle. Ang. in 6. primis soeculis c. 10. p. 17. and St. Gildas himself doth seem to declare no less when he saith they which were then left alive had hidden themselves in Woods Deserts and Dens yet he tempereth this hard assertion where he saith this persecution was so rigorous onely in some not all places of this Countrey And those parts which were then absolutely under the Romans command were by their merciless cruelty in this estate So many mutations of times changes of the names of Places the rages of Infidels Romans Saxons and others have deprived us both of the names and holy relicts of those Martyrs But after the death of so many renowned and glorious Martyrs Maria Sco. l. 2. Aetat 6. Col. 304. in Constant Flor. Wigorn. Chron. an 321. 299. Capg Catal. prefat in vita St. Helenae Marianas Sco. l. 2. Aetat 6. in Aurel. Bar tomo 2. Annal. an 306 Jac. Gordon an 273. in Aurel. Harris Hist Eccl. Britt Tom. 4. c. 2. Zosim l. 2. Suid. in Constan Matth. West an 273. Mar. Sco. l. 2. Aetat 6 in Aurel. whose blood beautified and encreased the Church of God Sanguis Martyrum semen Ecclesiae let us return to Constantius Clarus and his most admired consort and chaste Spouse St. Helena Some there be whether to detract so great a glory from his Nation and give it to another or of Ignorance in History do say that one Theodora was the first lawful wife of Constantius and the blessed Helena mother of that happy Emperour the great Constantine was not only a stranger to this Nation but of a mean estate and which is unworthy to be written not the wife but concubine of Constantius with name and attribute Concubina this the most noble Empress St. Helena is stiled by not onely among divers forreign Writers but of this Nation also as Marianus Scotus and Florentinus Nigorniensis as they are now published many of which do not to the dishonour of that most holy Lady and this her Countrey abstain from the same phrase of speech This errour being overthrown