[The cronycles of Englond]

How Cadwaladre went out of this land in to lytel britayne (Book 103)

CAdwaladre sawe the grete honger mortalyte & pestylence / and the lond al poure / and faylyng cornes & other vytayl∣les & his folke perysshed. and sawe also the moost partye of hys land al wasted and wide of peple. he apparaylled hym & his folk that were left on lyue / and passed ouer in to lytel britayne with a lytel nauye vnto kyng aleyne that he moch loued / that was his cosyn & that his fader had moche loued in his tyme / and as they sayled in the see / he made gre•…•…e lamentacion. & so dyd al tho that were with hym and sayd / Dedisti nos domine tamquam oues escarum / & in gentibus dispersisti nos /

ANd than bygan Cadwaladre to compleyn hym to his folke pytously / and sayd / Allas sayd he to vs wretches and

Caytyf. For why for oure grete synnes. of the whiche we wolde not amende vs while we had space of repentaūce is comen vpon vs thys mysauenture / whyche chaceth vs oute of oure owne re∣alme / & propre soyle / fro & oute / of whiche somtyme Romaynes Scottes▪ Saxons ne danes myght not exylen vs / But what au a yleth it now to vs that byfore tyme oftsides haue goten many other landes. syth it is not the wyll of god that we abyde & duel le in our owne lond / God that is veray Iugge / that al thynges knoweth byfore they be done or made / he seeth that we wold not cesse of our synnes / and that our enemyes ne myght not vs ne our lygnage exylen fro and out of our realme / he wold that we amende vs of our folyes / and that we seen our propre defaultes & therfor hath he shewed to vs his wrath & will chastyse vs of our mysdedes / Sith that he doth vs withoute bataylle or strength of our enemyes by grete companyes wretchedly to leue our own realme and propre lande / Tourne ageyne ye Romaynes / turne ageyne ye scottes / Tourne ageyne ye Saxons / tourne ageyne ye Fraunsoys now sheweth to yow Brytayne al desert / the which your power myght neuer make desert ne yet your power hath not nowe put vs in exyle / but only the power of the kyng almygh ty whome we haue oft offended by our folyes / the which we wol de not leuen vntil he chastysed vs by his dyuyne power / Among the wordes and lamentacion that the kyng Cadwaladre made to his folk / they arryued in lytel britayne / and come to kyng aleyne before sayde / And the kynge resseyned hym with Ioye / and made hym to be serued wonder nobly / and there he duellyd longe tyme after / The englyssh peple that were left on lyue and were escaped the grete honger and mortalyte lyued in the best wyse that they myght / and moche peple sprong and come of hem

And they senten in to Saxon / wher they were •…•…rne to hy•…•… frē des for men / women & children to restore the cytees with peple & other tounes that were al wide of peple / and for to labour traua ylle and tillen the erthe / whan the saxons had herd this tydyng they comen in to this lande wonder thykke in grete companyes / And lodged and herburghed hem in the countrey al aboute / where they wold / For they founde no man hem to lette ne withstonde / And so they woxen and multyplyed gretely / and vsed the custom mes of the countreyes / wherof they were comen / and the lawes and the langage of hir owne land / And they chaunged the na∣mes of citees tounes castels & burghes. & yaf hem names & called

hem as they be now callyd / And they helden the Countres baro∣nages / lordshippes / and trees / in maner as the britons byfore ty∣me had compaced hem / And among other grete companyes that co me fro germanye in to this land. came the noble quene / that was called sexburga with men and women / withoute nombre / and ar ryued in the countre of northumberlond / and toke the lande from Albyone in to Corne wayle for hir & for hir folk, For ther was none that myghten letten hem / for al was desolat & wide of peple But it were a fewe poure britons / that were left in montaynes and wodes vn till that tyme / And fro that tyme forth losten Bri tons the royame for al dayes / And the englysshe peple begonne to regne / and departed the land bytwene hem. and they made ma ny kynges aboute by dyuerse partyes of the land / as here ben de∣uysed / the fyrst of westsex / the second merchenrich. the thyrdde est∣angle / the fourthe kent / the fyfth southsex / Alle these regned in this land after Cadwaladre was passed oute of this land / and duellyd in lytel Britayne with kynge Aleyne his cosyn / & trewe frende / And whan he had long duellyd there / and hadde knowynge that the mortalyte and pestylence was ouer passed / & that the londe was replenysshed of Alyene peple / he thoughte to turne ageyne in to his owne lande / And prayed kynge Aleine his cosyn of socour & helpe that he myght be restored in to his pro pre realme / and fyrste dygnyte / And kynge Aleyne graunted hym his prayer / Than dyd he apparayllen hym to take his weye / and vyage in to this lande. and prayd god Almyghty deuoutly that he wold make to hym demonstracion / yf his prayer in to this land were to hym plesaunt / or none / for ageyne the wylle of god almyghty he wold nothyng done / whan he had thus deuoutly ma de his prayer. a voys fro heuen to hym sayd / •…•…and bad hym leue that Iourney awey in to englond / & that he go to the pope of Ro me / For it was not the wyl of almyghty god that britons regne no more in Britayne / ne neuer recouer the lande vn to the tyme that the prophecye that merlyn sayde byfore / be fulfylled / & that sholde neuer ben vnto the tyme were comen. that the relyques of his body shal be brought fro Rome / and translated in britayn / & whan the relyques of other sayntes that haue ben hyd for the per secucion of the paynym folk / shal be founden / & openly shewed / than shal they recouer hir land ageyne / whiche they haue so long tyme lost thurgh hyr desertes / Whan Cadwaladre had herde this ansuere / he merueyled gretely / and told it to kyng Aleyne /

Than kynge aleyne dyd send for the clergye of his lond / & made hem to bringe the storyes & prophecyes that merlyn & sibi•…•… hadde sayd in hir prophecyes / & whan he knewe that the prophecye that festome had prophecyed of the egle / & other prophecyes acorded to the dyuyne ansuere / that Cadwaladre had herd / he coūceilled hym to leue his peple & his nauye / & submytte hym to the disposiaon of god / and done al that the angel had comanded hym / Than cad waladre called ynor his sone & yuory his cosyn / that was his sus tres soue. and sayd to hem / Take sayd he my folk. & my nauye / that is here al redy / & passe in to walys / & be ye lordes of britons that noo dishonour come to hem by Interupcion of the paynyme folke for defaute of lordes / And he hym self left his reame of bri tayne & his folke for euermore / and toke his way to Rome to the pope Sergius / the whiche worshipped hym moche / and so he was confessyd / and toke penannce for his synnes / And he had not long duellyd there that he ne dyed the yij kalend of may / the yere of grace / v / C•…•… / lxxix /