They gatte eche daye and strongly [stoutely.] multiplied.
Of theim this ysle then was so fortifyed:
So stronge then was this [theire.] generacion,
None durst it noye for theyr malignacion.
¶ Amonge theim fell so great vnkyndnesse,
Accordynge ryght well to there [lyfe] inordinaté,
That echone [eche.] of theim [dyd other] [slewe other and dide.] oppresse
That none of theim was lefte on lyue of [yt] [theire.] estate,
Of. xii. thousande, within a lytell date;
Whose pryde fell afore the incarnacion
Twelue hundreth yere, by veraye computacion.
¶ But Bartholomew de proprietatibus rerum,
Sayth howe this ysle of Albion had name
Of the see bankes full whyte, all or sum,
That circuyte the ysle; as shyppes came,
Fro ferrome sene, as thei, through the see fame [fome.] ,
Sailed by & by, for rypes and roches whyte
To shipmen were greate gladnesse and delyte.
¶ But Maryan saieth [Scott.] , the [chronicler to sewe] [truest cronyclere] ,
That [Saith.] dame Albion was the fist that named it so.
Both two myght be together [clere and trewe,] [true and clere.]
That shippes so saylinge to and fro,
And at her coming they called it so both two:
And so both waies maye be right sure & trewe,
From whiche there wyll no chronycler [it renewe.] [remewe.]
¶ Of this nowe wyll I sease, and saye no more
To time come ofte yt Brute hath wonne this lande, [Brutus.]
And slayne them all in batell foughten sore.
But nowe of Brutus ye shall well vnderstande,
Howe that he did in Greece and tooke on hande;
And of what bloude he cam by clere discente,
And howe in Greece he had greate regiment.
¶ And howe he gate this ysle by his prowesse,
And called it by name the ysle of Britayne;
And of his name, for theyr worthynesse,
He called his men Britaynes ay furth certayne