Raphael Holinshed - Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (4 of 8)
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Raphael Holinshed >> Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (4 of 8)
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The Areani, a kind of men ordeined in times past by our elders (of
whome somewhat we haue spoken in the acts of the emperour Constance)
being now by little and little fallen into vices, he remooued from
their places of abiding, being openlie conuicted, that allured with
bribes and faire promises, they had oftentimes bewraied vnto the
barbarous nations what was doone among the Romans: for this was their
charge, to runne vp and downe by long iournies, and to giue warning to
our captains, what sturre the people of the next confines were about
to make.
[Sidenote: The praise of Theodosius.]
Theodosius therefore hauing ordered these & other like things,
most woorthilie & to his high fame, was called home to the emperours
court, who leauing the prouinces in most triumphant state, was highlie
renowmed for his often and most profitable victories, as if he had
beene an other Camillus or Cursor Papirius, and with the fauor and
loue of all men was conueied vnto the sea side; and passing ouer with
a gentle wind, came to the court, where he was receiued with great
gladnesse and commendation, being immediatlie appointed to succeed
in the roome of Valence Iouinus that was maister of the horsses.
Finallie, he was called by the emperour Gratianus, to be associated
with him in the imperiail estate, after the death of Valence,
[Sidenote: 379.]
in the yeare after the incarnation of our Sauior 379, and reigned
emperour, surnamed Thodosius the great, about 16 yeares and 2 daies.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Har._]
Hereto also maie that be applied which the foresaid Marcellinus
[Sidenote: _Walf. Lazi._]
writeth in the same booke, touching the inuasion of the Saxons,
the which (as Wolf. Lazius taketh it) entred then first into great
Britaine, but were repelled of the emperour Valentinianus the first,
[Sidenote: Seuerus.]
by the conduct and guiding of Seuerus. The same yeere (saith he)
that the emperours were the third time consuls, there brake forth a
multitude of Saxons, & passing the seas, entred stronglie into the
Romane confines: a nation fed oftentimes with the slaughter of our
[Sidenote: Nonneus Comes.]
people, the brunt of whose first inuasion earle Nonneus sustained,
one which was appointed to defend those parties, an approoued
capteine, & with continuall trauell in warres verie expert. But then
incountring with desperate and forlorne people, when he perceiued some
of his souldiers to be ouerthrowne and beaten downe, and himselfe
wounded, not able to abide the often assaults of his enimies, he
obteined this by informing the emperour what was necessarie and
[Sidenote: Seuerus coronell of the footmen.]
ought to be doone, insomuch that Seuerus, maister or (as I maie call
him) coronell of the footmen, was sent to helpe and releeue things
that stood in danger: the which bringing a sufficient power with him
for the state of that businesse, when he came to those places, he
diuiding his armie into parts, put the Saxons in such feare and
trouble before they fought, that they did not so much as take weapon
in hand to make resistance, but being amazed with the sight of the
glittering ensignes, & the eagles figured in the Romane standards,
they streight made sute for peace, and at length after the matter
was debated in sundrie wise (because it was judged that it should be
profitable for the Romane commonwealth) truce was granted vnto them,
and manie yoong men (able for seruice in the warres) deliuered to the
Romans according to the couenants concluded.
After this the Saxons were permitted to depart without impeachment, &
so to returne from whence they came, who being now out of all feare,
and preparing to go their waies, diuers bands of footmen were sent
to lie priuilie in a certeine hid vallie so ambushed, as they might
easilie breake foorth vpon the enimies as they passed by them. But
it chanced far otherwise than they supposed, for certeine of those
footmen stirred with the noise of them as they were comming, brake
foorth out of time, and being suddenlie discouered whilest they hasted
to vnite and knit themselues togither, by the hideous crie and shout
of the Saxons they were put to flight. Yet by and by closing togither
againe, they staied, and the extremitie of the chance ministring to
them force (though not sufficient) they were driuen to fight it out,
and being beaten downe with great slaughter, had died euerie mothers
sonne, if a troope of horssemen armed at all points (being in like
maner placed in an other side at the entring of the waie to assaile
the enimies as they should passe) aduertised by the dolefull noise
of them that fought, had not speedilie come to the succour of their
fellowes.
Then ran they togither more cruellie than before, and the Romans
bending themselues towards their enimies, compassed them in on each
side, and with drawne swords slue them downe right, so that there was
not one of them left to returne home to their natiue countrie to bring
newes how they had sped, nor one suffered to liue after anothers
death, either to reuenge their ruine, or to lament their losse.
Thus were the limits of the Romane empire preserued at that time in
Britaine, which should seeme to be about the yeere of our Lord 399.
[Sidenote: 399.]
¶ Thus were the Romans, as commonlie in all their martiall affaires,
so in this incounter verie fortunate, the happie issue of the conflict
falling out on their side. And strange it is to consider and marke,
how these people by a celestiall kind of influence were begotten and
borne as it were to prowesse and renowme; the course of their dealings
in the field most [Page 548] aptlie answering to their name. For (as
some suppose) the Romans were called of the Greeke word [Greek: rhomae],
[Sidenote: _Solinus. Adr. Iun._]
signifieng power and mightinesse: and in old time they were called
Valentians, _A valendo_, of preuailing: so that it was no maruell though
they were victorious subduers of forren people, sithens they were by
nature created and appointed to be conquerors, and thereof had their
denomination.
* * * * *
_What the poet Claudianus saith of the state of Britaine in the decaie
of the Romane empire, of the Scots and Picts cruellie vexing the
Britains, they are afflicted by inuasion of barbarous nations, the
practise of the Saxons, of the Scots first comming into this Iland,
and from whence, the Scotish chonographers noted for curiositie and
vanitie_.
THE XXXV. CHAPTER
[Sidenote: _Solinus. Adr. Iun._]
After this, in the time of the emperour Honorius, the Scots,
Picts, and Saxons, did eftsoones inuade the frontiers of the Romane
prouince in Britaine, as appeereth by that which the poet Claudianus
writeth, in attributing the honour of preseruing the same frontiers
[Sidenote: 396. _Claudianus_.]
vnto the said emperour, in his booke intituled "Panegerycus tertij
consulatus" (which fell in the yeere 396) as thus:
Ille leues Mauros nec falso nomine Pictos
Edomuit, Scotumq; vago mucrone secutus,
Fregit Hyperboreas remis audacibus vndas,
Et geminis fulgens vtroq; sub axe tropheis,
Tethyos alternae refluas calcauit arenas.
The nimble Mores and Picts by right
so cald, he hath subdude,
And with his wandring swoord likewise
the Scots he hath pursude:
He brake with bold couragious oare
the Hyperborean waue,
And shining vnder both the poles
with double trophies braue,
He marcht vpon the bubling sands
of either swelling seas.
The same Claudianus vpon the fourth consulship of Honorius, saith in a
tetrastichon as followeth:
Quid rigor aeternus caeli? quid frigora prosunt?
Ignotumq; fretum? maduerunt Saxone fuso
Orcades, incaluit Pictonum sanguine Thule,
Scotorum cumulos fleuit glacialis Hyberne.
What lasting cold? what did to them
the frostie climats gaine?
And sea vnknowne? bemoisted all
with bloud of Saxons slaine
The Orknies were: with bloud of Picts
[Sidenote: Thule some take to be Iseland, some Scotland.]
hath Thule waxed warme,
And ysie Ireland hath bewaild
the heaps of Scotish harme.
The same praise giueth he to Stilico the sonne in law of Honorius, and
maketh mention of a legion of souldiers sent for out of Britaine in
the periphrasis or circumlocution of the Gotish bloudie warres:
Venit & extremis legio praetenta Britannis,
Quas Scoto dat fraena truci, ferroq; notatas
Perleget exanimes Picto moriente figuras.
A legion eke there came from out
the farthest Britains bent,
Which brideled hath the Scots so sterne:
and marks with iron brent
Vpon their liuelesse lims dooth read,
whiles Picts their liues relent.
He rehearseth the like in his second "Panegerycus" of Stilico, in most
ample and pithie manner insuing:
Inde Calidonio velata Britannia monstro,
Ferro Picta genas, cuius vestigia verrit
Caerulus, Oceaniq; aestum mentitur amictus,
Me quoq; vicinis pereuntem gentibus inquit,
Muniuit Stilico, totam quum Scotus Hybernam
Mouit, & infesto spumauit remige Thetis,
Illius effectum curis, ne bella timerem
Scotica, ne Pictum tremerem, ne littore toto
Prospicerem dubijs venturum Saxona ventis.
Then Britaine whom the monsters did
of Calidone surround,
Whose cheekes were pearst with scorching steele,
whose garments swept the ground,
Resembling much the marble hew
of ocean seas that boile,
Said, She whom neighbour nations did
conspire to bring to spoile,
Hath Stilico munited strong, when
raised by Scots entice
All Ireland was, and enimies ores
the salt sea fome did slice,
His care hath causd, that I all feare
of Scotish broiles haue bard,
Ne doo I dread the Picts, ne looke
my countrie coasts to gard
Gainst Saxon troops, whom changing winds
sent sailing hitherward.
[Sidenote: Britaine afflicted by inuasion of barbarous nations.]
Thus maie it appeere, that in the time when the Romane empire began to
decaie, in like manner as other parts of the same empire were inuaded
by barbarous nations, so was that part of Britaine which was subiect
to the Romane emperors grieuouslie assailed by the Scots and Picts,
and also by the Saxons, the which in those daies inhabiting all
alongst the sea coasts of low Germanie, euen from the Elbe vnto the
Rhine, did not onelie trouble the sea by continuall rouing, but also
vsed to come on land into diuerse parts of Britaine and Gallia,
inuading the countries, and robbing the same with great rage and
crueltie.
[Sidenote: _Sidon. Apol. li. 8. Epist._]
To the which Sidonius Apollinaris thus alludeth, writing to Namatius.
"The messenger did assuredlie affirme, that latelie ye blew the
trumpet to warre in your nation, and betwixt the office one while of
a mariner, and another while of a souldier, wafted about the
[Sidenote: The pirasie of the Saxons.]
crooked shores of the ocean sea against the fleet of the Saxons, of
whome as manie rouer as ye behold, so manie archpirats ye suppose to
see: so doo they altogither with one accord command, obeie, teach,
and learne to plaie the parts of rouers, that euen now there is good
occasion to warne you to beware. This enimie is more cruell than all
other enimies. He assaileth at vnwares, he escapeth by forseeing the
danger afore hand, he despiseth those that stand against him, he
throweth downe the vnwarie: if he be followed he snappeth them vp that
pursue him, if he flee he escapeth."
Of like effect for proofe heereof be those verses which he wrote vnto
Maiorianus his panegyrike oration, following in Latine and in English
verse.
Tot maria intraui duce te, longeq; remotas
Sole sub occiduo gentes, victricia Caesar
Signa Calidonios transuexit ad vsq; Britannos,
Fuderit & quanquam Scotum, & cum Saxone Pictum,
Hostes quaesiuit quem iam natura vetabat,
Quaerere plus homines, &c.
So manie seas I entred haue,
and nations farre by west,
By thy conduct, and Caesar hath
his banners borne full prest
Vnto the furthest British coast,
where Calidonians dwell,
The Scot and Pict with Saxons eke,
though he subdued fell,
Yet would he enimies seeke vnknowne
whom nature had forbid, &c.
¶ Thus much haue we thought good to gather out of the Romane and other
writers, that ye might perceiue the state of Britaine the better in
that time of the decaie of the Romane empire, and that ye might haue
occasion to marke by the waie, how not onelie the Scots, but also the
Saxons had attempted to inuade the Britains, before anie mention is
made of the same their attempts by the British and English writers.
But whether the Scots had anie habitation within the bounds of
Britaine, till the time supposed by the Britaine writers, we leaue
that point to the iudgement of others that be trauelled in the search
of such antiquities, onelie admonishing you, that in the Scotish
chronicle you shall find the opinion which their writers haue
conceiued of this matter, and also manie things touching the acts of
the Romans doone against diuerse of the Britains, which they presume
to be doone against their nation, though shadowed vnder the generall
name of Britains, or of other particular names, at this daie to most
men vnknowne. But whensoeuer the Scots came into this Ile, they
made the third nation that inhabited the same, comming first out of
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
Scithia, or rather out of Spaine (as some suppose) into Ireland,
and from thence into Britaine; next after the Picts, though their
writers fetch a farre more ancient beginning (as in their chronicles
at large appeereth) referring them to the reading thereof, that desire
to vnderstand that matter as they set it foorth.
_Thus farre the dominion and tribute of the Romans ouer this land
of Britaine, which had continued (by the collection of some
chronographers) the space of 483. yeeres. And heere we thinke it
conuenient to end this fourth booke._
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