The historie of Great Britannie declaring the successe of times and affaires in that iland, from the Romans first entrance, vntill the raigne of Egbert, the West-Saxon prince; who reduced the severall principalities of the Saxons and English, into a monarchie, and changed the name of Britannie into England.

CHAP. XVIII.

Stilico is sent into Britannie by Honorius (the successor of Theodosius (his father) in the Westerne Empire) to de∣fend the Province against the Picts and Scottish-men. Emperors elected and deposed by the army in Britannie. Chrysanthus the Deputie of the Province is made Bishop of Constantinople. The Romans send over one Legion out of France into Britannie. They grow wearie of the government there. The Britans implore their ayde.

NOw the Roman Monarchy was drawing on to her fatall period, when Honorius (succeeding Theodosius his father in the Westerne Empire,) sent Stilico into Britannie, to defend the Britans against the Picts and Scottishmen, who assailed them in most parts of the Ile, working vpon the weaknesse of the Province, in which (the most choise and able men having beene from time to time transported and wa∣sted in the Roman warres with other Nations) there remained not then sufficient to defend it selfe.

The common Souldiers there, seeing the state in com∣bustion, tooke vpon them to elect and depose Empe∣rours, first proclaiming Gratian a free Citizen of Rome; but not long contented with his governement, they murdered him, & elected one Constantine (for the name sake onely) supposing the same to be auspitious. Con∣stantine transporting the floure and strength of all Bri∣tannie into Gallia, made many dishonourable leagues (to the prejudice of the Empire) with the barbarous Nations that then invaded it, and sent his sonne Con∣stans (whom of a Monke he had made a Caesar) into Spaine, where Constans (having put to death some prin∣cipall men, whom hee suspected to favour Honorius) committed the governement of the Country to Ge∣rontius his chiefe Captaine, by whom he was after∣wards slaine at Vienna in Gallia: and Constantine his fa∣ther, having run through many fortunes, was in the end besieged at Arl••s, where he was taken, and slaine by the Souldiers of Honorius the Emperour, who then recovered Britannie.

Chrysanthus, (the sonne of Martianus a Bishop) a man of consular dignitie, was then Deputy of Britannie, where he wan so great reputation for his vertue and integritie in the governement, both of the Church, (which was then tainted with the gracelesse heresie of Pelagius the Britan) and also of the weale publike of the Province, as he was afterwards (thogh against his will) preferred to the Bishopricke of Constantinople.

Now the Romans, about foure hundred and seventie years after their first entrance into the Ile, waxed weary of the governement of Britannie, and the Britans, that had beene many times assailed by their vncivill neigh∣bours, (consorted with strangers of divers Nations) perceived themselves vnable to make resistance, as in

former times; whereupon they sent Ambassadors to Rome, requiring aid, and promising fealtie, if the Romans would reskew them from the oppression of their ene∣mies. Then was there a Legion sent over into the Iland, to expulse the barbarous people out of the Province: which being with good successe effected, the Romans counselled the Britans, for their better defence, to make a stone wall betweenea 1.1 Glota andb 1.2 Bodatria, (the two Armes of the sea that ran into the Iland,) and so depar∣ted thence. But this wall was afterwards made onely of Turves, and not of Stone, as they were directed, (the Britans having not then any skill in such kind of buil∣dings;) by which meanes it served to little purpose: For the Scottishmen and Picts, vnderstanding that the Romans were gone, passed over the water in boats at both ends of the wall, invaded the borders of the Province, and with maine force, bare downe all be∣fore them. Whereupon Ambassadors were sent againe out of Britannie, to declare the miserable state of the Province, which without speedy succour, was likely to be lost.

Notes

• a 1.1

  The Firth of Dunbretton in Scotland.
• b 1.2

  Edenborough Firth.