AVRELIVS CONANVS. 7.
AVrelius Conanus, the Nephew of King Arthur, af∣ter * 1.1 he had slaine his Cosen Constantine in battell, was made King ouer the Britaines in the yeere after Christs Natiuitie fiue hundred fortie fiue. He was of disposition free and liberal, but therewithall of a light credit, and very suspicious, cherishing them that accu∣sed others, without respect of right or wrong, putting some to death, and retaining others in perpetuall pri∣son, among whom his own Vncle was one, whose two sons he caused to be slain, no causes obiected, but that these three were in truth betwixt him & the Crowne: for which, and other the like impious parts, the said Gyldas continueth the tenor of his vehement repre∣hension in this manner. And thou Lions whelpe (as speakes the Prophet) Aurelius Conanus, what dost thou? * 1.2 art thou not swallowed vp in the •…•…thy mire of murthering thy Kinsmen, of committing fornications and adulteries, like to the others before mentioned, if not more deadly, as it were with the waues and surges of the drenching Seas, ouer∣whelming thee with her vnmercifull rage? dost thou not in hating the peace of thy Country, as a deadly Serpent, and thirsting after ciuill warres and spoiles (often times vniust∣ly gotten) shut vp against thy soule the Gates of celestiall peace? Thou being left alone, as a withering tree in the middle of a field, call to remembrance (I pray thee) the vaine youthfull fantasie, and ouer timely deaths of thy Fa∣thers and thy Brethren: shalt thou being set apart, and cho∣sen forth of all thy lineage for thy godly deserts, be reserued to liue an hundred yeeres, or remaine on earth till thou bee as old as Meth•…•…shela? nothing lesse. And thus with ex∣hortations for his amendment, turneth his speech to his Successor.
The raigne of this King, among the vncertain∣ties of other proceedings, is ranged by our owne Hi∣storians, as vncertainly. For some hold him to rule onely two yeeres, and no more, being then cut off * 1.3 by the iust reuenging hand of God for his sinnes: o∣thers * 1.4 allow three yeeres for his raigne, wherein, as they say, most viciously hee liued: and yet Mat∣thew of Westminster will haue him continue in go∣uernement no lesse then thirty yeeres; and Iohn * 1.5 Stow addeth three more: such extremes are weedri∣uen vnto, that haue our relations onelie from them.