history of the britons-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


sinistral　district；　he　arrived　in　the　region　named　Gueneri；　where
he　built　a　city　which；　according　to　his　name；　was　called　Cair
Guorthegirn。*
*　An　ancient　scholiast　adds；　〃He　then　built　Guasmoric；　near
Lugubalia　＇Carlisle＇；　a　city　which　in　English　is　called　Palmecaster。〃
Some　difference　of　opinion　exists　among　antiquaries　respecting　the
site　of　vortigern's　castle　or　city。　　Usher　places　it　at　Gwent；
Monmouthshire；　which　name；　he　ways；　was　taken　from　Caer…Went；　near
Chepstow。　　This　appears　to　agree　with　Geoffrey's　account；　｛illegible｝
See　Usher's　Britan。　Eccles。　cap。　v。　p。23。　　According　to　others；
supposed　to　be　the　city　from　the　ruins　of　which　arose　the　castle
of　Gurthrenion；　in　Radnorshire；　Camden's　Britannia；　p。479。　　Whitaker；
however；　says　that　Cair　Guorthegirn　was　the　Maridunum　of　the
Romans；　and　the　present　Caermarthen。　　（Hist。　Of　Manchester；　book
ii。　c。　1。）　　See　also　Nennius；　sec。47。

43。　At　length　Vortimer；　the　son　of　Vortigern；　valiantly　fought
against　Hengist；　Horsa；　and　his　people；　drove　them　to　the　isle　of
Thanet；　and　thrice　enclosed　them　within　it；　and　beset　them　on　the
Western　side。

The　Saxons　now　despatched　deputies　to　Germany　to　solicit　large
reinforcements；　and　an　additional　number　of　ships：　having　obtained
these；　they　fought　against　the　kings　and　princes　of　Britain；　and
sometimes　extended　their　boundaries　by　victory；　and　sometimes　were
conquered　and　driven　back。

44。　Four　times　did　Vortimer　valorously　encounter　the　enemy；＇1＇
the　first　has　been　mentioned；　the　second　was　upon　the　river　Darent；
the　third　at　the　Ford；　in　their　language　called　Epsford；　though
in　ours　Set　thirgabail；＇2＇　there　Horsa　fell；　and　Catigern；　the　son
of　Vortigern；　the　fourth　battle　he　fought　was　near　the　stone＇3＇
on　the　shore　of　the　Gallic　sea；　where　the　Saxons　being　defeated；
fled　to　their　ships。
＇1＇　Some　MSS。　here　add；　〃This　Vortimer；　the　son　of　Vortigern；　in
a　synod　held　at　Guartherniaun；　after　the　wicked　king；　on　account
of　the　incest　committed　with　his　daughter；　fled　from　the　face　of
Germanus　and　the　British　clergy；　would　not　consent　to　his　father's
wickedness；　but　returning　to　St。　Germanus；　and　falling　down　at　his
feet；　he　sued　for　pardon；　and　in　atonement　for　the　calumny　brought
upon　Germanus　by　his　father　and　sister；　gave　him　the　land；　in　which
the　forementioned　bishop　had　endured　such　abuse；　to　be　his　for　ever。
Whence；　in　memory　of　St。　Germanus；　it　received　the　name　Guarenniaun
（Guartherniaun；　Gurthrenion；　Gwarth　Ennian）　which　signifies；　a
calumny　justly　retorted；　since；　when　he　thought　to　reproach　the
bishop；　he　covered　himself　with　reproach。〃
＇2＇　According　to　Langhorne；　Epsford　was　afterwards　called；　in　the
British　tongue；　Saessenaeg　habail；　or　'the　slaughter　of　the　Saxons。'
＇3＇　V。R。　〃The　stone　of　Titulus；　thought　to　be　Stone　in　Kent；　or
Larger…stone　in　Suffolk。

After　a　short　interval　Vortimer　died；　before　his　decease；　anxious
for　the　future　prosperity　of　his　country；　he　charged　his　friends
to　inter　his　body　at　the　entrance　of　the　Saxon　port；　viz。　upon　the
rock　where　the　Saxons　first　landed；　〃for　though；〃　said　he；　〃they
may　inhabit　other　parts　of　Britain；　yet　if　you　follow　my　commands；
they　will　never　remain　in　this　island。〃　　They　imprudently　disobeyed
this　last　injunction；　and　neglected　to　bury　him　where　he　had　ap…
pointed。*
*　Rapin　says　he　was　buried　at　Lincoln；　Geoffrey；　at　London。

45。　After　this　the　barbarians　became　firmly　incorporated；　and
were　assisted　by　foreign　pagans；　for　Vortigern　was　their　friend；
on　account　of　the　daughter*　of　Hengist；　whom　he　so　much　loved；
that　no　one　durst　fight　against　him…in　the　meantime　they　soothed
the　imprudent　king；　and　whilst　practising　every　appearance　of
fondness；　were　plotting　with　his　enemies。　　And　let　him　that　reads
understand；　that　the　Saxons　were　victorious；　and　ruled　Britain；
not　from　their　superior　prowess；　but　on　account　of　the　great　sins
of　the　Britons：　God　so　permitting　it。

For　what　wise　man　will　resist　the　wholesome　counsel　of　God？　　The
Almighty　is　the　King　of　kings；　and　the　Lord　of　lords；　ruling　and
judging　every　one；　according　to　his　own　pleasure。

After　the　death　of　Vortimer；　Hengist　being　strengthened　by　new
accessions；　collected　his　ships；　and　calling　his　leaders　together；
consulted　by　what　stratagem　they　might　overcome　Vortigern　and　his
army；　with　insidious　intention　they　sent　messengers　to　the　king；
with　offers　of　peace　and　perpetual　friendship；　unsuspicious　of
treachery；　the　monarch；　after　advising　with　his　elders；　accepted
the　proposals。
*　V。R。　Of　his　wife；　and　no　one　was　able　manfully　to　drive　them
off　because　they　had　occupied　Britain　not　from　their　own　valour；
but　by　God's　permission。

46。　Hengist；　under　pretence　of　ratifying　the　treaty；　prepared
an　entertainment；　to　which　he　invited　the　king；　the　nobles；　and
military　officers；　in　number　about　three　hundred；　speciously
concealing　his　wicked　intention；　he　ordered　three　hundred　Saxons
to　conceal　each　a　knife　under　his　feet；　and　to　mix　with　the　Britons；
〃and　when；〃　said　he；　〃they　are　sufficiently　inebriated；　&c。　cry　out；
'Nimed　eure　Saxes；'　then　let　each　draw　his　knife；　and　kill　his
man；　but　spare　the　king；　on　account　of　his　marriage　with　my　daughter；
for　it　is　better　that　he　should　be　ransomed　than　killed。〃*
*　The　VV。　RR。　Of　this　section　are　too　numerous　to　be　inserted。

The　king　with　his　company；　appeared　at　the　feast；　and　mixing　with
the　Saxons；　who；　whilst　they　spoke　peace　with　their　tongues；
cherished　treachery　in　their　hearts；　each　man　was　placed　next　to
his　enemy。

After　they　had　eaten　and　drunk；　and　were　much　intoxicated；　Hengist
suddenly　vociferated；　〃Nimed　eure　Saxes！〃　and　instantly　his
adherents　drew　their　knives；　and　rushing　upon　the　Britons；　each
slew　him　that　sat　next　to　him；　and　there　was　slain　three　hundred
of　the　nobles　of　Vortigern。　　The　king　being　a　captive；　purchased
his　redemption；　by　delivering　up　the　three　provinces　of　East；
South；　and　Middle　Sex；　besides　other　districts　at　the　option　of
his　betrayers。

47。　St。　Germanus　admonished　Vortigern　to　turn　to　the　true　God；
and　abstain　from　all　unlawful　intercourse　with　his　daughter；　but
the　unhappy　wretch　fled　for　refuge　to　the　province　Guorthegirnaim；*
so　called　from　his　own　name；　where　he　concealed　himself　with　his
wives：　but　St。　Germanus　followed　him　with　all　the　British　clergy；
and　upon　a　rock　prayed　for　his　sins　during　forty　days　and　forty
nights。
*　A　district　of　Radnorshire；　forming　the　present　hundred　of　Rhaiadr。

The　Blessed　man　was　unanimously　chosen　commander　against　the　Saxons。
And　then；　not　by　the　clang　of　trumpets；　but　by　praying；　singing
hallelujah；　and　by　the　cries　of　the　army　to　God；　the　enemies　were
routed；　and　driven　even　to　the　sea。*
*V。R。　This　paragraph　is　omitted　in　the　MSS。

Again　Vortigern　ignominiously　flew　from　St。　Germanus　to　the　kingdom
of　the　Dimetae；　where；　on　the　river　Towy；*　he　built　a　castle；　which
he　named　Cair　Guothergirn。　　The　saint；　as　usual；　followed　him　there；
and　with　his　clergy　fasted　and　prayed　to　the　Lord　three　days；　and
as　many　nights。　　On　the　third　night；　at　the　third　hour；　fire　fell
suddenly　from　heaven；　and　totally　burned　the　castle。　　Vortigern；
the　daughter　of　Hengist；　his　other　wives；　and　all　the　inhabitants；
both　men　and　women；　miserably　perished：　such　was　the　end　of　this
unhappy　king；　as　we　find　written　in　the　life　of　St。　Germanus。
*The　Tobias　of　Ptolemy

47。　Others　assure　us；　that　being　hated　by　all　the　people　of　Britain；
for　having　received　the　Saxons；　and　being　publicly　charged　by　St。
Germanus　and　the　clergy　in　the　sight　of　God；　he　betook　himself　to
flight；　and；　that　deserted　and　a　wanderer；　he　sought　a　place　of
refuge；　till　broken　hearted；　he　made　an　ignominious　end。

Some　accounts　state；　that　the　earth　opened　and　swallowed　him　up；
on　the　night　his　castle　was　burned；　as　no　remains　were　discovered
the　following　morning；　either　of　him；　or　of　those　who　were　burned
with　him。

He　had　three　sons：　the　eldest　was　Vortimer；　who；　as　we　have　seen；
fought　four　times　against　the　Saxons；　and　put　them　to　flight；
the　second　Categirn；　who　was　slain　in　the　same　battle　with　Horsa；
the　third　was　Pascent；　who　reigned　in　the　two　provinces　Builth
and　Guorthegirnaim；＇1＇　after　the