The chronicle of Iohn Hardyng. Containing an account of public transactions from the earliest period of English history to the beginning of the reign of King Edward the Fourth. Together with the continuation by Richard Grafton, to the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth. The former part collated with two manuscripts of the author's own time; the last, with Grafton's duplicate edition. To which are added a biographical and literary preface, and an index, by Henry Ellis.

The. lxxxvi. Chapter.

¶ Constantyne, kynge of Britayne, sonne of duke Cador of Cornewayle, reygned foure yere.

COnstantine, his brother sōne was crowned, Duke Cador sōne of Cornwaile boūteous,

Afore had been one of the table rounde, In Arthures[s] tyme, a knight [was] ful auenturous; In trone royall was set full precyous, With diademe on his hed sygnifyed, At Troynouaunt, where no wight it replyed.

¶ Who then anone with Saxons sore did fight, And also with Mordred sonnes two Their capitaynes were, & put theim [to the] [both to.] flyght, That one fled to Wynchester, and hyd hym so, That other to London with mykyll woo, Where Constātyne theim bothe in churches slew, At the autres where they were hyd in mewe.

¶ This Constantyne set all his lande in peace, And reygned well foure yere in greate noblesse, And dyed then, buryed at Caroll no lesse, Besyde Vterpendragon [Vther Pendragon.] full expresse, Arthures father, of greate worthynesse; Whiche called is the [stone Hengles] [Stonehenge.] certayne, Besyde Salsbury [Ammesbury.] vpon the [that grete.] playne.

¶ Aurelius Conan, his cosyn fayre [than feire.] , [Aurelius Conan, kīg of Britayne, reygn∣ed thre yere.] The sea [cee.] royall then [he.] helde, and ganne succede To hym as nexte then of bloude [his blode.] and heyre; His vncle and his sonnes two in dede In prysone slewe, to crowne hym selfe I rede, That should haue been kynges of [all] Britayne Afore hym so, yf they had not be slayne.

¶ He maynteyned aye ciuyle warre and debate, Bytwene cytees, castelles, and countees [countrees. edit. alt. MS.] , Through al [his] realme, w^t mysruled mē associate, Whiche was greatly agaynst his royaltees, And but thre yere, he reygned in dignitees; As God so wolde, of his hye ordynaunce, For wronge lawes maketh shorte gouernaunce.

¶ Then Vortyper [Vortipere.] succeded after hym, [Vortiper, king of Bri∣tayne, reygued. vii. yere.] Crowned was then with all the royalte, Agaynste whome the Saxons stronge & grym

Made full greate warre, destroyed the comente [comynalte.] ; But in batayle by greate humanyte, He them ouercame, and set his lande in peace, Vnto the tyme that death made him decease.

¶ Seuen yere he reigned and his people pleased, And tender was he of his comynalte [comonte.] , Aboue all thyng he sawe that they were eased, The [publyke cause] [comon well.] afore the syngulerte, [Preserued also] [Preferred ave.] as it of ryght should be; For cōmons fyrst for prynces supportacion Were set, and [nought been waste] [not tobe wasted.] by dominacion.

¶ Malgo nexte hym to the crowne attayned, [Malgo, kīg of Britayn, reygn∣ed. xxii. yere.] Feyrest of other that euer was in his daye, All tyranny fully he restreyned, [And conquered holy thryse] [He conquered hole the Iles.] of Orkenay, Irelonde, Denmarke, Iselonde, and eke Norway; [Fol. lxxx.] And [Gotlande also] [Scotlande als.] obeyed his royalte, He was so wyse full [and full.] of fortunyte.

Within his realme was none so large ne strong, Ne none that was in feacte [feete.] of warre so wise, With swerde or [ne.] axe to fyght [fighten.] in the thronge, Nor with his [a.] speare that had suche exercyse, For to assayle hys fooes [foone.] , and them suppryse; And defence [And in.] [also] he had [great keenying] [also cunnyng.] As any prynce euer had [or any kyng.] [afore euer levynge.]

¶ But one defaute he had of greate offence, Of Sodome synne, he wolde [it] not amende; He haunted [haunte.] it euer withoute any defence, Whiche greued God, and brought hym to an end. Two and twenty yere as [with croun as.] dyd appende, His lande [he] helde in peace and vnyte, Without suppryse of any enmytee.

¶ Carreys [Careys.] was then crowned kyng [to be kyng.] anone, [Carreys, kīg of Britayne, reygned thre yere.] That loued well in all cytees debate,

Betwene townes [cuntrees.] and citees euery chone, And in suche wyse maynteyned early and late, Imagened of his [selfe.] wyll preordinate, So muche in [that.] warre that [in.] cytees and countrees Full comen [were, of his] [was through his.] malicyousnesse.

¶ For which Britons made hym [full mykel] [right muche.] war, And Saxons also [als.] vnto [which to.] kyng Gurmound sent Of Affrycans that then in Irelande were, Who with his fleete to perfourme his [their.] entent, To Britayne came by [with.] all theyr hole assent; But Saxons then and he were full accorde, And Britons also [als.] that had [helde.] ciuyle discorde.