the leading of Affaracus their brother, won them lands and figniories in Germany; thence called from these brethren, Germania; a derivation too haftily fuppofed, perhaps before the word Germanus, or the Latin tongue was in ufe. Some who have defcribed Henault, as Jacobus Bergomas, and Laffabeus, are cited to affirm, that Ebranc, in his war there, was by Brunchildis, lord of Henault, put to the worse. Brutus, therefore, furnamed Greenfhield, fucceeding, to repair his father's loffes, as the fame Leffabeus reports, fought a fecond battle in Henault, with Brunchild, at the mouth of Scaldis, and encamped on the river Hania. Of which our Spencer alfo thus fings: Let Scaldis tell, and let tell Hania, And let the marfh of Efthambruges tell The Greenfhield dyed in dolorous vermeil, &c. But Henault, and Brunchild, and Greenshield, feem newer names than for a story pretended thus ancient. Him fucceeded Leil, a maintainer of peace and equity; but flackened in his latter end, whence arofe fome civil discord. He built, in the North, Cairleil*; and in the days of Solomon. Rudhuddibras, or Hudibras, appeafing the commotions which his father could not, founded Caerkeynt or Canterbury, Caerguent or Winchefter, and Mount Paladur, now Septonia or Shaftesbury: but this by others is contradicted. Bladud his fon built Caerbadus or Bath, and thofe medicinal waters he dedicated to Minerva; in whose temple there he kept fire continually burning. He was a man of great invention, and taught necromancy; till having made him wings to fly, he fell down upon the temple of Apollo in Trinovant, and fo died after twenty years reign. Hitherto, from father to fon, the direct line hath run *Called now Carlisle, on: on: but Leir, who next reigned, had only three daughters, and no male iffue: governed laudibly, and built Caerleir, now Leicester, on the bank of Sora. But at laft, falling through age, he determines to bestow his daughters, and fo among them to divide his kingdom. Yet first, to try which of them loved him best, (a trial that might have made him, had he known as wifely how to try, as he seemed to know how much the trying behooved him) he resolves a simple resolution, to ask them folemnly in order; and which of them should profefs largeft, her to believe. Gonorill the eldeft, apprehending too well her father's weakness, makes answer, invo king Heaven, "That fhe loved him above her foul." "Therefore," quoth the old man, overjoyed, "fince thou fo honoureft my declining age, to thee and the husband whom thou fhalt choofe, I give the third part of my realm." So fair a speeding, for a few words foon uttered, was to Regan, the fecond, ample instruction what to fay. She, on the fame demand, fpares no protefting; and the Gods muft witnefs, that otherwife to exprefs her thoughts she knew not, but that " She loved him above all creatures ;" and fo receives an equal reward! with her fifter. But Cordeilla, the youngeft though hitherto best beloved, and now before her eyes the rich and present hire of a little easy foothing, the danger alfo, and the lofs likely to betide plain dealing, yet noves not from the folid purpofe of a fincere and virtuous answer. "Father," faith fhe, "my love towards you is as my duty bids: what fhould a father feek, what can a child promife more? They, who pretend beyond this, flatter." When the old man, forry to hear this, and withing her to recall thofe words, perfifted afking; with a loyal fadness at her father's infirmity, but fomething, on the sudden, harsh, and glancing rather at her fifters than speaking her own mind, "Two ways only," faith fhe, "I have to answer what you require me: the former, your command is, I fhould recant; accept then this other which is left me; look how much you ha ve, fo much is your value, and fo much I love you." "Then hear thou," quoth Leir, now all in paffion," what thy ingratitude hath gained thee; because thou thou haft not reverenced thy aged father equal to thy fifters, part in my kingdom, or what else is mine, reckon to have none." And, without delay, gives in marriage his other daughters, Gonorill to Maglaunus duke of Albania, Regan to Henninus duke of Cornwal; with them in present half his kingdom; the reft to follow at his death. In the mean while, fame was not fparing to divulge the wisdom and other graces of Cordeilla, infomuch that Aganippus, a great king in Gaul (however he came by his Greek name, not found in any register of French kings) feeks her to wife; and nothing altered at the lofs of her dowry, receives her gladly in fuch manner as he was fent him. After this king Leir, more and more drooping with years, became an eafy prey to his daughters, and their hufbands; who now, by daily encroachment, had feized the whole kingdom into their hands and the old king is put to fojourn with his eldest daughter attended only by threefcore knights. But they in a fhort white grudged at, as too numerous and diforderly for continual guests, are reduced to thirty. Not brooking that affront, the old king betakes him to his fecond daughter: but there alfo, difcord foon arifing between the fervants of differing masters in one family, five only are fuffered to attend him. Then back again he returns to the other; hoping that the his eldest could not but have more pity on his gray hairs: but fhe now refuses to admit him, unless he be content with one only of his followers. At laft the remembrance of his youngest, Cordeilla, comes to his thoughts; and now acknowledging how true her words had been, though with little hope from whom he had fo injured, be it but to pay her the last recompenfe he can have from him, his confeffion of her wife forewarning, that fo perhaps his mifery, the proof and experiment of her wifdom, might fomething foften her, he takes his journey into France. Now might be feen a difference between the filent, or downright fpoken affection of fome children to their parents, and the talkative obfequioufnefs of others; while the hope of inheritance overacts them, and on the tongue's end enlarges their duty. Cordeilla, out of mere love, without the fufpicion of expected pected reward, at the meffage only of her father in diftrefs, pours forth true filial tears. And not enduring either that her own, or any other eye fhould fee him in fuch forlorn condition as his meffenger declared, difcreetly appoints one of her trusted servants first to convey him privately towards fome good featown, there to array him, bathe him, cherish him, furnish him with fuch attendance and state as befeemed his dignity; that then, as from his firft landing, he might fend word of his arrival to her husband Aganippus. Which done, with all mature and requifite contrivance, Cordeilla, with the king her husband, and all the barony of his realm, who then first had news of his paffing the fea, go out to meet him; and after all honourable and joyful entertainment, Aganippus, as to his wife's father, and his royal gueft, furrenders him, during his abode there, the power and difpofal of his whole dominion: permitting his wife Cordeilla to go with an army, and fet her father upon his throne. Wherein her piety so profpered, as that the vanquished her impious fifters, with those dukes; and Leir again, as faith the story, three years obtained the crown. To whom, dying, Cordeilla, with all regal. folemnities, gave burial in the town of Leicester: and then, as right heir fucceeding, and her husband dead, ruled the land five years in peace. Until Marganus and Cunedagius, her two fifters fons, not bearing that a kingdom fhould be governed by a woman, in the unfeasonableft time to raise that quarrel against a woman fo worthy, make war against her, depofe her, and imprifon her; of which impatient, and now long unexercifed to fuffer, fhe there, as is related, killed herself. The victors between them part the land; but Marganus, the eldest fifter's fon, who held, by agreement, from the north fide of Humber to Cathness, incited by those about him, to invade all as his own right, wars on Cunedagius, who foon met him, overcame, and overtook him in a town of Wales, where he left his life, and ever fince his name to the place. Cunedagius was now fole king, and governed with much praise many years, about the time when Rome was built. Him fucceeded Rivallo his fon, wife alfo and fortunate; fave what they tell us of three days raining blood, and fwarms of ftinging flies, whereof men died. In order then Gurguftius, Jago or Lago, his nephew; Sifilius, Kinmarcus. Then Gorbogudo, whom others name Gorbodego, and Gorbodion, who had two fons, Ferrex and Porrex. They, in the old age of their father, falling to contend who fhould fucceed, Porrex, attempting by treachery his brother's life, drives him into France; and in his return, though aided with the force of that country, defeats and flays him. But by his mother Videna, who lefs loved him, is himfelf, with the affiftance of her women, foon after flain in his bed: with whom ended, as is thought, the line of Brutus. Whereupon the whole land, with civil broils, was rent into five kingdoms, long time waging war each on other; and some fay fifty years. At length Dunwallo Molmutius, the fon of Cloten king of Cornwal, one of the forefaid five, excelling in valour and goodliness of perfon, after his father's decease, found means to reduce again the whole island into a monarchy; fubduing the reft at opportunities. First, Ymner king of Loegria, whom he flew; then Rudaucus of Cambria, Staterius of Albania, confederate together. In which fight Dunwallo is reported, while the victory hung doubtful, to have used this art. He takes with him 600 ftout men, bids them put on the armour of their flain enemies; and fo unexpectedly approaching the fquadron, where thofe two kings had placed themselves in fight, from that part which they thought fecureft, affaults and dispatches them. Then dif playing his own enfigns, which before he had concealed, and fending notice to the other part of his army what was done, adds to them new courage, and gains a final victory. This Dunwallo was the firft in Britian that wore a crown of gold; and therefore by fome reputed the first king. He eftablished the Molmutine laws, famous among the English to this day; written long after in Latin by Gildas, and in Saxon by king Alfred: fo faith Geoffrey, but Gildas denies to have known aught of the Britains before Cæfar; much lefs knew Alfred. These laws, whoever made them, bestowed on temples VOL. IV. C the |