history of the britons-第2章

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＇1＇　V。R。　Twenty…eight；　twenty…one。
＇2＇　Site　unknown。

These　are　the　names　of　the　ancient　cities　of　the　island　of　Britain。
it　has　also　a　vast　many　promontories；　and　castles　innumerable；　built
of　brick　and　stone。　　Its　inhabitants　consist　of　four　different
people；　the　Scots；　the　Picts；　the　Saxons　and　the　ancient　Britons。

8。　Three　considerable　islands　belong　to　it；　one；　on　the　south；
opposite　the　Armorican　shore；　called　Wight；*　another　between
Ireland　and　Britain；　called　Eubonia　or　Man；　and　another　directly
north；　beyond　the　Picts；　named　Orkney；　and　hence　it　was　anciently
a　proverbial　expression；　in　reference　to　its　kings　and　rulers；
〃He　reigned　over　Britain　and　its　three　islands。〃
*　Inis…gueith；　or　Gueith。

6。　It　is　fertilized　by　several　rivers；　which　traverse　it　in　all
directions；　to　the　east　and　west；　to　the　south　and　north；　but
there　are　two　pre…eminently　distinguished　among　the　rest；　the
Thames　and　the　Severn；　which　formerly；　like　the　two　arms　of　Britain；
bore　the　ships　employed　in　the　conveyance　of　riches　acquired　by
commerce。　　The　Britons　were　once　very　populous；　and　exercised
extensive　dominion　from　sea　to　sea。

10。*　　Respecting　the　period　when　this　island　became　inhabited
subsequently　to　the　flood；　I　have　seen　two　distinct　relations。
According　to　the　annals　of　the　Roman　history；　the　Britons　deduce
their　origin　both　from　the　Greeks　and　Romans。　　On　the　side　of　the
mother；　from　Lavinia；　the　daughter　of　Latinus；　king　of　Italy；　and
of　the　race　of　Silvanus；　the　son　of　Inachus；　the　son　of　Dardanus；
who　was　the　son　of　Saturn；　king　of　the　Greeks；　and　who；　having
possessed　himself　of　a　part　of　Asia；　built　the　city　of　Troy。
Dardanus　was　the　father　of　Troius；　who　was　the　father　of　Priam　and
Anchises；　Anchises　was　the　father　of　Aeneas；　who　was　the　father
of　Ascanius　and　Silvius；　and　this　Silvius　was　the　son　of　Aeneas
and　Lavinia；　the　daughter　of　the　king　of　Italy。　　From　the　sons
of　Aeneas　and　Lavinia　descended　Romulus　and　Remus；　who　were　the
sons　of　the　holy　queen　Rhea；　and　the　founders　of　Rome。　　Brutus
was　consul　when　he　conquered　Spain；　and　reduced　that　country　to
a　Roman　province。　　He　afterwards　subdued　the　island　of　Britain；
whose　inhabitants　were　the　descendants　of　the　Romans；　from　Silvius
Posthumus。　　He　was　called　Posthumus　because　he　was　born　after　the
death　of　Aeneas　his　father；　and　his　mother　Lavinia　concealed
herself　during　her　pregnancy；　he　was　called　Silvius；　because　he
was　born　in　a　wood。　　Hence　the　Roman　kings　were　called　Silvan；
and　the　Britons　from　Brutus；　and　rose　from　the　family　of　Brutus。
*　The　whole　of　this；　as　far　as　the　end　of　the　paragraph；　is
omitted　in　several　MSS。

Aeneas；　after　the　Trojan　war；　arrived　with　his　son　in　Italy；　and
Having　vanquished　Turnus；　married　Lavinia；　the　daughter　of　king
Latinus；　who　was　the　son　of　Faunus；　the　son　of　Picus；　the　son　of
Saturn。　　After　the　death　of　Latinus；　Aeneas　obtained　the　kingdom
Of　the　Romans；　and　Lavinia　brought　forth　a　son；　who　was　named
Silvius。　　Ascanius　founded　Alba；　and　afterwards　married。　　And
Lavinia　bore　to　Aeneas　a　son；　named　Silvius；　but　Ascanius　＇1＇
married　a　wife；　who　conceived　and　became　pregnant。　　And　Aeneas；
having　been　informed　that　his　daughter…in…law　was　pregnant；　ordered
his　son　to　send　his　magician　to　examine　his　wife；　whether　the　child
conceived　were　male　or　female。　　The　magician　came　and　examined　the
wife　and　pronounced　it　to　be　a　son；　who　should　become　the　most
valiant　among　the　Italians；　and　the　most　beloved　of　all　men。　＇2＇
In　consequence　of　this　prediction；　the　magician　was　put　to　death
by　Ascanius；　but　it　happened　that　the　mother　of　the　child　dying
at　its　birth；　he　was　named　Brutus；　ad　after　a　certain　interval；
agreeably　to　what　the　magician　had　foretold；　whilst　he　was　playing
with　some　others　he　shot　his　father　with　an　arrow；　not　intentionally
but　by　accident。　＇3＇　　He　was；　for　this　cause；　expelled　from　Italy；
and　came　to　the　islands　of　the　Tyrrhene　sea；　when　he　was　exiled
on　account　of　the　death　of　Turnus；　slain　by　Aeneas。　　He　then　went
among　the　Gauls；　and　built　the　city　of　the　Turones；　called　Turnis。　＇4＇
At　length　he　came　to　this　island　named　from　him　Britannia；　dwelt
there；　and　filled　it　with　his　own　descendants；　and　it　has　been
inhabited　from　that　time　to　the　present　period。
＇1＇　Other　MSS。　Silvius。
＇2＇　V。R。　Who　should　slay　his　father　and　mother；　and　be　hated　by
all　mankind。
＇3＇　V。R。　He　displayed　such　superiority　among　his　play…fellows；
that　they　seemed　to　consider　him　as　their　chief。
＇4＇　Tours。

11。　Aeneas　reigned　over　the　Latins　three　years；　Ascanius　thirty
three　years；　after　whom　Silvius　reigned　twelve　years；　and　Posthumus
thirty…nine　*　years：　the　latter；　from　whom　the　kings　of　Alba　are
called　Silvan；　was　brother　to　Brutus；　who　governed　Britain　at　the
time　Eli　the　high…priest　judged　Israel；　and　when　the　ark　of　the
covenant　was　taken　by　a　foreign　people。　　But　Posthumus　his　brother
reigned　among　the　Latins。
*　V。R。　Thirty…seven。

12。　After　an　interval　of　not　less　than　eight　hundred　years；　came
the　Picts；　and　occupied　the　Orkney　Islands：　whence　they　laid　waste
many　regions；　and　seized　those　on　the　left　hand　side　of　Britain；
where　they　still　remain；　keeping　possession　of　a　third　part　of
Britain　to　this　day。　*
*　See　Bede's　Eccles。　Hist。

13。　Long　after　this；　the　Scots　arrived　in　Ireland　from　Spain。　　　　　
The　first　that　came　was　Partholomus；＇1＇　with　a　thousand　men　and
women；　these　increased　to　four　thousand；　but　a　mortality　coming
suddenly　upon　them；　they　all　perished　in　one　week。　　The　second
was　Nimech；　the　son　of。。。；＇2＇　who；　according　to　report；　after
having　been　at　sea　a　year　and　a　half；　and　having　his　ships　shat…
tered；　arrived　at　a　port　in　Ireland；　and　continuing　there　several
years；　returned　at　length　with　his　followers　to　Spain。　　After　these
came　three　sons　of　a　Spanish　soldier　with　thirty　ships；　each　of
which　contained　thirty　wives；　and　having　remained　there　during　the
space　of　a　year；　there　appeared　to　them；　in　the　middle　of　the　sea；
a　tower　of　glass；　the　summit　of　which　seemed　covered　with　men；　to
whom　they　often　spoke；　but　received　no　answer。　　At　length　they
determined　to　besiege　the　tower；　and　after　a　year's　preparation；
advanced　towards　it；　with　the　whole　number　of　their　ships；　and　all
the　women；　one　ship　only　excepted；　which　had　been　wrecked；　and　in
which　were　thirty　men；　and　as　many　women；　but　when　all　had　disem…
barked　on　the　shore　which　surrounded　the　tower；　the　sea　opened　and
swallowed　them　up。　　Ireland；　however；　was　peopled；　to　the　present
period；　from　the　family　remaining　in　the　vessel　which　was　wrecked。
Afterwards；　other　came　from　Spain；　and　possessed　themselves　of
various　parts　of　Britain。
＇1＇　V。R。　Partholomaeus；　or　Bartholomaeus。
＇2＇　A　blank　is　here　in　the　MS。　　Agnomen　is　found　in　some　of　the
others。

14。　Last　of　all　came　one　Hoctor；＇1＇　who　continued　there；　and　whose
descendants　remain　there　to　this　day。　　Istoreth；　the　son　of
Istorinus；　with　his　followers；　held　Dalrieta；　Buile　had　the　island
Eubonia；　and　other　adjacent　places。　　The　sons　of　Liethali＇2＇　obtained
the　country　of　the　dimetae；　where　is　a　city　called　Menavia；＇3＇　and
the　province　Guiher　and　Cetgueli；　＇4＇　which　they　held　till　they
were　expelled　from　every　part　of　Britain；　by　Cunedda　and　his　sons。
＇1＇　V。R。　Damhoctor；　Clamhoctor；　and　Elamhoctor。
＇2＇　V。R。　Liethan；　Bethan；　Vethan。
＇3＇　St。　David's。
＇4＇　Guiher；　probably　the　Welsh　district　Gower。　　Cetgueli　is　Caer
Kidwelly；　in　Carmarthenshire。

15。　According　to　the　most　learned　among　the　Scots；　if　any　one
desires　　to　learn　what　I　am　now　going　to　state；　Ireland　was　a
desert；　and　uninhabited；　when　the　children　of　Israel　crossed　the
Red　Sea；　in　which；　as　we　read　in　the　Book　of　the　Law；　the　Egyptians
who　followed　them　were　drowned。　　At　that　period；　there　lived　among
this　people；　with　a　numerous　family；　a　Scythian　of　noble　birth；
who　had　been　banished　from　his　country　and　did　not　go　to　pursue
the　people　of　God。　　The　Egyptians　who　were　left；　seeing　the
destruction　of　the　great　men　of　their　nation；　and　fearing　lest　he
should　possess　himself　of　their　territory；　took　counsel　together；
and　expelled　him。　　Thus　reduced；　he　wandered　forty…two　years　in
Africa；　and　arrived；　with　his　family；　at　the