The consent of time disciphering the errors of the Grecians in their Olympiads, the vncertaine computation of the Romanes in their penteterydes and building of Rome, of the Persians in their accompt of Cyrus, and of the vanities of the Gentiles in fables of antiquities, disagreeing with the Hebrewes, and with the sacred histories in consent of time. VVherein is also set downe the beginning, continuance, succession, and ouerthrowes of kings, kingdomes, states, and gouernments. By Lodovvik Lloid Esquire.

CHAP. IIII.

From the time that the Romanes conquered Hispaine, vnto the time of the Vandols the thirde conquest of Hispaine, and from the Vandoles vnto the Gothes victorie ouer Hispaine the fourth conquest, and from the Gothes vnto the time of the Saracens the fift conquest of Hispaine.

AFter which time, Spaine was so obedient to the Romanes and so seruiceable, that when Caesar died, and good Augustus had taken the Empire in hand, the Spaniards * 1.1 so honoured Augustus, that they began to make their accompts, and to nomber their yeres from the raigne of Augustus: for as the Romanes vsed to nomber their yeeres from the first building of Rome, the Grecians from their Olympiads, the Saracens and the Arabians from Mahomet, and the Christians from the birth of our Sauiour Christ: so the Spa∣niards numbred their yeeres from Augustus, whom they so esteemed and loued, that they builded certaine townes and cities, and named them after Augustus name, & so continued vntill the time of the Vandols and Gothes, and after them the Saracens.

So long was Spaine vnder Augustus, and vnder the Empire of Rome: for as in Augustus time the Spaniards endeuoured euery way to please the Romanes, in accompting the yeeres from Augustus by these foure letters A. Er. A. which signified * 1.2 Annus erat Augusti, as the Arabians made their accompt by the worde Hegyra, which Mahomet commanded of late dayes * 1.3 to be kept: And of late dayes among the Romanes they nom∣bred their yeeres per Indictiones, which Constantine the great * 1.4 had made by Law to be obserued: for the old accompts and nombring of yeeres of the Egyptians frō the flood, of the Chal∣deans from Adam, the olde Greekes from Ninus, and long after * 1.5 from the Olympiads: so the ancient Romanes from the building of Rome, and so diuers others from the destruction of Troy, and the Christians from the time that our Sauiour Christ

was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgine.

But now all Spaine was brought a Prouince by the Romans, vnder whom Spaine was gouerned by the space of 420. yeres, * 1.6 vntill the Empire was taken from Rome to Constantinople, at what time the kingdome of the Gothes, Vandols, Hunnes and Lumbards beganne to flourish in the West countreys: for du∣ring * 1.7 the glorie of the Romanes, (which was from the very buil∣ding of Rome, vntill the ouerthrowe of their Empire, about 1200. yeeres) there was no stirring in these countreys that I named last: for the name of Germanie (where now the Empire * 1.8 lieth) was not heard of in Rome before Augustus time to any purpose: for during the time of their Consuls, which was the second and the thirde age of Rome, called Adolescentia & iu∣uentus Romana, they had conquered & subdued all kingdomes and countreys, and had made them Prouinces vnder the Romanes.

Now Spaine being brought vnder by the Vandoles, vnder whom Spaine was gouerned 95. yeeres, and after by the Gothes who possessed that part of Hispaine which Gunthericus king of the Vandales had first subdued, being remoued thence further * 1.9 to Affrike, the Gothes inhabited that countrey of Spaine, which the Vandols left, and were lords of Hispaine for two hundreth and odde yeres, vntill the cōming of the Saracens, who againe vanquished the Gothes, and kept Hispaine vnder them after they had ouerthrowen the Gothes 800. yeeres.

And within short space, Ricardus king of Vestgothes called a Sinode of 62. bishops into Tolleto the chiefe citie of Spaine, where he caused the heresie of Arrius to be condemned.

Then in Hispaine (after the Romans) was Luyba chosen, who * 1.10 raigned three yeres king of Spaine: after whom within 3. yeres his brother Leogildus succeeded, and subdued certaine cities of Spaine that rebelled after Luyba his death.

After him, this Ricardus, who beganne to set his seate more firmely in Spaine, and to cal a Synode of bishops, and to plant * 1.11 religion: he brought all Spaine into a Monarchie vnder him, but that Monarchie continued not long: for the Saracens

inuaded Spaine, and brought them vnder their gouernment, and had driuen those Christians that liued vnder the Gothes into Astura, where they made a king to themselues named Pelagius, not vsing the title of the Gothes, but the title of * 1.12 Astura. The multitude of the Saracens was such, that they inuaded all partes of Spaine, and possessed the best places in Spaine, and dwelt there successiuely during the time of fif∣teene kings of the Saracens which gouerned Hispaine: but the fifteene kings continued but 20. yeeres, but this happened by the meanes of warres: but after they continued lordes of Hi∣spaine for 800. yeeres, as you heard before.

This is the fift subiection that Spaine was brought into.

• 1 The first time they were subdued by the Carthagi∣neans.
• 2 The second time by the Romanes.
• 3 The thirde time by the Vandoles.
• 4 The fourth time by the Gothes.
• 5 And now the fift time by the Saracens.

These Saracens placed themselues in the best places of Spaine, in the time that Rodericus the last king of the Vestgothes raig∣ned: * 1.13 at what time raigned in France Theodoricus sirnamed Ca∣la, and Leo the thirde of that name, sirnamed Isaurus, was Em∣perour of Greece, and had his Court at Constantinople.

The Saracens were gouerned at their first arriuall in Spaine, vnder one named Muza. * 1.14

The Christian princes being sore afrighted with many sud∣den inuasions of such a multitude of infidels in diuers places of Christendome, and specially in Spaine which they wholie possest, they leauied their armies and gathered their forces, and gaue them diuers ouerthrowes. This time came out of Spaine into Fraunce 400000. Saracens with their wiues * 1.15 and children, being enticed thither by the duke of Vastonia: but the slaughter of them was such, that their king also Abdi∣marus was slaine among them by Carolus Martellus ano∣ble valiant prince of Fraunce, and the remnant that were

vnkilled of the Saracens, fled, and were by Humildus and Vai∣farus ledde into Aquitania, spoyled with sworde and fire all that Countrey of Fraunce, but still were ouerthrowen by Martellus.

Againe the thirde time the Saracens inuaded Fraunce, and * 1.16 tooke by treason Auenio: but Martellus pursued them, and as∣saulted the towne and subdued it, at what time many of the Saracens were slaine, and their king Athinus escaped by flight to Narbon: yet Amoreus another king of the Saracens, was slaine at that time by Carolus at Illiberis, who persecuted them from place to place, so that he ouerthrew and slewe them like sheepe, and burned their townes. How be it, the Saracens still so encreased, that the most part of Europe was in great dan∣ger of them.

After that Carolus Martellus had played his part with the * 1.17 Saracens, Carolus sirnamed the Great, beganne to warre vpon them, tooke Augusta, Pampile, and many other townes and strong holdes from the possessions of the Saracens: for at this time raigned king ouer the Saracens in Spaine Aygolandus, * 1.18 with whome Charles the great had many sharpe battels: for the Saracens had wasted and spoyled Sardinia, and Corsica, a∣gainst whome Lewes (sirnamed the Godly, sonne to Charles the great) leauied an armie, and passed to Spaine, besieged Dercosa, but in vaine: the furie and strength of the Saracens was then such, that Charles the great (being both Emperour and king,) was constrained to conclude peace for a time with the Saracens: at which time Abumalach raigned king in * 1.19 Spaine ouer the Saracens. With this king the league was made: during which league, Charles died.

All this time that Carolus Martellus, and Charles the great were in warres with the Saracens, after that Pelagius had raig∣ned * 1.20 twentie yeeres king of Astura or of Legio, (for so hee wil∣led * 1.21 himselfe and his posteritie to bee called, quite renoun∣cing the title of the Gothes, who had raigned kings in Spaine before the comming of the Saracens) after him succeeded Pha∣silla his sonne the seconde king of Astura: this was torne in * 1.22

pieces of a beare, as he was a hunting of wilde beasts, after he had raigned two yeeres.

Alphonsus sirnamed Catholike succeeded in Astura the third * 1.23 king, and raigned 19. yeeres. After Alphonsus, succeeded * 1.24 his sonne Phroilla the 4. king of Astura, and raigned twelue * 1.25 yeeres: at what time he was slaine by his brother Aurelius, who raigned sixe yeeres after his brother by vsurpation, and he made his heire and resigned the kingdome to Veramundus which was his brothers sonne, whome hee slew, for that Ve∣ramundus should not bewray the murther of his father: But Veramundus mist the kingdome for his conspiracie and wic∣ked silence. Sillo raigned king, who had married Aurelius si∣ster * 1.26 named Egmund, vntill Maruegatus a bastarde sonne of Al∣phōsus * 1.27 the Catholike, by the ayd of the Mauritanes got the king∣dome, * 1.28 to whom he payed for tribute certaine nomber of Vir∣gins yeerely, during the life of Maruegatus: but he died with∣in three yeeres, and that custome was disanulled.

Then Veramundus the sonne of Bilmarus, which was sonne * 1.29 to Alphonsus the Catholike succeeded, and raigned two yeeres, and then resigned the kingdome to Alphonsus the sonne of Phroilla, and became a religious man. This Alphonsus was * 1.30 sirnamed the Chaste, and raigned 36. yeres: he ouerthrew and subdued the Saracens that possessed Lusitania, and tooke their * 1.31 chiefe citie then called Olisiponis, now called Lysborne. Reade Aemil. lib. 2. This Alphonsus kept the Saracens in some awe, and gaue diuers ouerthrowes vnto them during his time.

After whom succeeded Raimiris the first of that name, and * 1.32 9. king of Astura and Legio: he raigned sixe yeres. In his time * 1.33 Abderana king of the Saracens sailed with a nomber of ships from Affrica, and inuaded many places in Italie, and vsed great crueltie: of whose tyrannie and spoiles euery where you may reade in the Historie of the Saracens.

I name none here, but such as troubled Spaine, whose histo∣rie I haue in hande, during the time that they raigned in Spaine. This time Theophilus helde the Empire at Constan∣tinople, and Lewes (sirnamed the Godly) the sonne of Charles

the great, was king of France and Emperour of Rome, as his father was.

Now succeeded in Spaine Ordonius the first of that name, who raigned king after Amiris 10. yeres. During which time, the Normanes and the Danes rushed into France, and annoyed the countrey much, burnt Antwerpe, and afflicted the Frise∣ans most miserablie. All this while, the cruel Saracens were no where quiet, especially in Italy, where they spoiled and kil∣led * 1.34 all that they came vnto with sword and fire, euen vnto the very gates of Rome, burning all the suburbes of the citie.

About this time Anno 838. the Danes inuaded England, but they were to their great losse ouerthrowen and vanquished by Egbertus: at which time died Lewes king of Fraunce, sirna∣med the Godly. After this Ordonius succceded Alphonsus the * 1.35 thirde of that name, sirnamed the Great: he raigned as a wic∣ked cruel king, who to auoyde suspition of his tyrannie, fai∣ned a conspiracie to bee done of his owne brethren against him, and therefore caused that all his three brethrens eyes should be plukt out, thinking thereby with lesse danger to gouerne his kingdome.

Then succeeded Garsia, who raigned 3. yeres: after whom Ordonius the second of that name, folowed king of Astura and Legio. This king also vsed crueltie, and caused 4. of the chiefe * 1.36 noblemen in the Prouince of Castile to be imprisoned, and in prison to be slaine, for which cruel fact the Prouince of Castile reuolted from Ordonius, and they elected foure Iudges to go∣uerne the Prouince of Castile: since which time (which was 900. yeeres after Christ) kings beganne a kingdome in Castile: for now was Spaine gouerned as England was, by 7. kings, the gouernment whereof was called Heptarchia: and therefore I wil passe ouer the time, and infinite quarels and toiles which continued for a long rime in Spaine: First, betweene the Van∣dols and the Spaniards, after betweene the Gothes and the Spaniards, and then last betweene the Sa∣racens and the Gothes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Augustus Caesar so honoured, that the Spa∣niar•…•…s comp∣ted their yeres from Aug•…•…stus time.
• * 1.2

  A Er. A.
• * 1.3

  Hegyra.
• * 1.4

  Indictiones.
• * 1.5

  What time the Gentiles began to ac∣compt their yeeres.
• * 1.6

  Hispaine vnder the Romanes 420. yeeres.
• * 1.7

  The time that R•…•…me flouri∣shed.
• * 1.8

  Germanie of no name be∣fore Augustus time.
• * 1.9

  Blondus & Ri∣tius.
• * 1.10

  Gundericus began in Hi∣spaine, when Faramundus beganne in Fraunce.
• * 1.11

  Reade. •…•…idus lib. 10. cap. 26.
• * 1.12

  Pelagius.
• * 1.13

  Rodericus.
• * 1.14

  Muza.
• * 1.15

  Foure hun∣dreth thou∣sand Saracens inuaded Fraunce.
• * 1.16

  Saracens inua∣ded France the thirde time.
• * 1.17

  Car. Martellus had diuers vi∣ctories ouer the Saracens.
• * 1.18

  Aygolandus king of the Saracens.
• * 1.19

  Abumalach.
• * 1.20

  1
• * 1.21

  Pelagius the first king of Astura.
• * 1.22

  2
• * 1.23

  3
• * 1.24

  4
• * 1.25

  alphonsus sonne named Catholike. Phroilla the 4. king.
• * 1.26

  5
• * 1.27

  6
• * 1.28

  Certaine nō∣ber of yong virgins payed for tribute.
• * 1.29

  7
• * 1.30

  8
• * 1.31

  Lusitania is now Portin∣gale.
• * 1.32

  9
• * 1.33

  Raimiris.
• * 1.34

  The spoile and wast of the Sara•…•… in Italy.
• * 1.35

  Alphonsus ty∣rannie.
• * 1.36

  Castile reuol∣ted from Or∣donius.