The firste [laste] volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande conteyning the description and chronicles of England, from the first inhabiting vnto the conquest : the description and chronicles of Scotland, from the first original of the Scottes nation till the yeare of our Lorde 1571 : the description and chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the first originall of that nation untill the yeare 1571 / faithfully gathered and set forth by Raphaell Holinshed.

Coellus.

[illustration]

COellus, Earle of Colchester, began hys dominion ouer the Brytons in the yeare of our Lord .262. This Coellus or Coell ruled the lande for a certayne tyme, so as the Bry∣tons were well conten∣tented with his gouer∣nement, and lyued the longer in rest from inuasion of the Romains, bi∣cause they were occupied in other places: but fi∣nally they findyng tyme for their purpose, apoin∣ted one Constantius to passe ouer into this Isle with an armie, the which Constantius put Coe∣lus in suche dread, that immediatly vpon his ar∣riuall Coellus sent to him an ambassade and cō∣cluded a peace with him, couenāting to pay y^e ac∣customed tribute, and gaue to Constantius his daughter in mariage called Helene, a noble Lady and a lerned. Shortly after king Coell dyed, af∣ter he had reigned (as some write) .27. yeares, or as other haue, but 13. yeares. Of the regiment of thys Prince, Harrison maketh no mention in his Chronologie.

But verily if I shall speake what I thinke, I will not denye but assuredly suche a Prince there was: howbeit that he had a daughter named He∣lene, whome hee maried vnto Constantius the Romain lieutenant that was after Emperour, I leaue that to be decided of the learned: For if the whole course of the lyues, as well of the fa∣ther and sonne, Constantius and Constantine, as lykewyse of the mother Helena, bee conside∣rately marked from tyme to tyme, and yeare to yeare, as out of authors both Greeke and latine, y^e same may be gathered, I feare least such doubt may ryse in this matter, that it wil be harder to proue Helene a Britayne, than Constantine to be borne in Bithynia (as Nicephorus auon∣cheth) but for somuche as I meane not to steppe from the course of oure countreye writers in suche poynts, where the receyued opinion maye seeme to warrant the credite of the historie, I•••• with other admit bothe the mother and sonne to be Britons in the whole discourse of the historie following, as thoughe I hadde forgot what i•…•… this place I haue sayd.

Notes

• Coell•…•…
• 262. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• Ca•…•… Galfrid.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Ca••••••.
• Lib. 7. cap. 1.