The church-history of Brittany from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman conquest under Roman governours, Brittish kings, the English-Saxon heptarchy, the English-Saxon (and Danish) monarchy ... : from all which is evidently demonstrated that the present Roman Catholick religion hath from the beginning, without interruption or change been professed in this our island, &c. / by R.F., S. Cressy of the Holy Order of S. Benedict.

* 1.1VIII. CHAP.

1.2. &c. Of twenty eight Cities anciently in Brittany: The names of them out of ancient Authours.

7. In what sence Arch-Bishops are sa••d to have been in those times.

1 NOw wheras mention has been made of twenty eight Citties in Brittany, suitably to what our ancient Gildas has written,* 1.2 that this Island was strengthned with twice ten and twice four Citties; it will not be a vain Curiosity to enquire what those Citties were which were design'd for the Sees of so many Bishops.

2. To give a full satisfaction to such an enquiry will be no easy matter, considering so great and frequent Vicissitudes of inha∣bitants; tongues, governments and warrs, which since these times have succeded in this our Countrey▪ from all which must needs follow great confusion of names and de∣struction of places.

3. Our Ancient Historians have scattringly mention'd severall of them: and particu∣larly, Nennius a Monk of Bangor, and the Arch-deacon of Huntingdon, have made a collection of them. But the most exact Catalogue of them is afforded us by the late learned Bishop Vsher▪ described out of two very an∣cient Manuscripts extant in Sir Iohn Cottons Library, which he sayth he cōpar'd with nine Written Copies more in which the old Brit∣tish names were se•• down▪ together with an interpretation of them,* 1.3 as followeth.

4. These are the Names of all Citties in Brit∣tany, in number twenty eight. I. Caïr Guint∣guic, which perhaps is Norwich, call'd by the Brittains Cair Guntins: Or rather it is Winwick in Lancashire. The old Glossary of Nennius in∣terprets it Winchester. II. Ca••r Mincip, or Muni∣cip, erroneously written in Henry of Hunting∣don, Mercipit. This is Verolam a Town neer S. Albans, which, as we read in Tacitus, was anciently a Free-town, enioying the Priviledge of the Citty of Rome. III. Caïr Liqualid, or Legevit, or Lualid: This is Luguballia, call'd by Huntingdon Caïr Leil, now Carlile. IV. Caïr Meguaid, or Meig••od, at this day Mei∣vod in the Province of Montgomery. It was anciently call'd by Ptolomy and Antoninus, Mediolanum. V. Caïr Colun or Colon, which Geffrey of Monmouth and Huntingdon call Colchester, situated on the River Coln, and it is in Antoninus his Itinerary call'd Colo∣nia. VI. Caïr Ebranc, by others Caïr branc, it is York. VII. Ca••r Custeint. This Citty was formerly called Seiont, near Caernarvont, being the same which Antoninus calls Se∣guntium. But it chang'd its name into Caïr Custein••, because Constantius the Father of Constantin was buried there▪ Whose body, saith Mathew of Westminster, was found at Caernar∣von near Snowdon in the time of King Ed∣ward the first after the Conquest, and by his command honourably buried in the Church. VIII. Caïr Caratauc,* 1.4 or Caïr Caradoc, in the borders of Shropshire between the Rivers Temdus and Colunus, Where King Caractacus rais'd against the Roman Generall Ostorius a great Rampire, but was there defeated by him. There a Citty being afterwards rais'd, was from his Name called Caïr Caradoc. So that Geffrey of Monmouth and Huntingdon are much mistaken, who interpret this Citty to be Salisbury. IX. Caïr Grant, or Granteceaster, or Grantbridge, now Cambridge: taking its name from the River Grant or Gront. X. Cair Maunguid or Manchguid, suppos'd to be the same Which by Antoninus is called Mancunium, or Manchester in Lancashire: others conceive it to be Manduessedum, or Manchester in Warwickshire.

XI. Caïr Lundein, by others Caïr Lud, now Lon∣don. XII. Caïr Guorthigirn, a Citty situated in Radnorshire, and called from King Vortigern, who conceild himself there, being afraid of pu∣nishment for his horrible crimes, but was found out by Divine Iustice, and by Lightning burnt to∣gether with his Citty▪ What the prime name of this Citty was in King Lucius his dayes, does not appeare. XIII. Caïr Ceint, or Kent: now called Canterbury: formerly Dorobernia. XIV. Caïr Guiragon or Guorangon, that is Wigornia: The Welsh call it Caër Wrangon, the English Worcester. Antoninus calls it Branonium, and Ptolomy Bra∣nogenium. XV. Caïr Per••s, otherwise Portcester, from the commodiousnes of the Haven: It is now called Portsmouth. XVI. Caïr Daun, named by Antoninus Danus: now Doncaster in Yorkshire. XVII. Caïr-Legio••, taking its name from the the twentieth Legion by Iulius Agricola's ap∣pointment quartering there. It is at this day called Chester, or Westchester. XVIII. Caïr Gu∣ricon or Guoricon, or as Cambden writes it Caïr Guaruinc, now warwick, so called because it was a Garrison of the Romans, which in the Brittish Language is called Guarth. XIX. Caïr Segeint, or the Citty of the Segontiaci, which were the people who first surrendred themselves to Caesar: It is now called Silcester in Hampshire. XX. Caïr Leon or Vsk, so call'd because the second Brittish Legion brought over by Vespasian was quartered here. It was seated in Monmouthshire: but is now quite demolished. XXI. Caïr Guent, called by the Romans Venta Belgarum (to distinguish it from severall other places called Ventae:) be∣ing in the Province of the Belgae, a people which came out of lower Germany, and seated them∣selves in Hampshire; it is now called Winche∣ster. XXII. Caïr Brito, a Citty placed between the Rivers Avon and Fome: it is now called Bri∣stol. XXIII. Caïr Lerion: by the Saxons after∣ward called Legecestria: now Leicester. XXIV. Caïr Draiton: the situation whereof is now un∣certain, there being many places of that name. Bishop Vsher thinks it is the same now call'd Dragton in Shropshire. XXV. Caïr Pentavel∣coit, seated on the River Ivel in Somershire, now called Ivelcester, or Ilchester. The same learned Bishop writes it Caïr Pensavelcoit, supposing it to be Pentsey in Sussex, where William the Con∣querour first landed. XXVI. Caïr Vrvac, cal∣led by Antoninus Vriconium, and by the Saxons Wrekenceaster, at this day Wroxcester in Shropshire. XXVII. Caïr Calemion, or as Mr. Cambden reads it, Caïr Calion, which he thinks to be Camelet in Somersetshire, where remains the footsteps of an ancient Roman Camp; and where many Roman Coyns are frequently found. XXVIII. Caïr Luitcoit, or rather Lindcoit; by Antoninus and Ptolomy call'd Lindum: by the Saxons Lindecollinum, at this day Lin∣coln.

5. These are the twenty eight Citties of Brittany: all which cannot yet be asser∣ted to have been extant, at least under those names, in the dayes of King Lucius: since among them there are severall which took their Title from persons living in af∣ter-ages, as Caïr Vortigern, Caïr Casteint, &c. And Caïr Draiton seems to have been a Sa∣xon building.

6. Henry of Huntington in the account of them varies somewhat from this, and in the place of some of these omitted by him, substitutes others, as Caïr Glou, that is, Glocester: Caïr Cei, or Chichester: Caïr Ceri, that is Cirencester: Caïr Dorm, call'd by Antoninus Durobrivae, at this day Dorn∣ford in Huntingdonshire: Caïr Dauri, or Caïr Dorin, now Dorcester: And Caïr Mer∣din, still remaining with the same name, from whence a Province in Wales takes its title. These are the Citties design'd to be the Residences of Arch-bishops and Bi∣shops, when the number of Pastors should be so encreased as to supply them.

7. Now whereas here is mention'd the Title of Arch-bishops, we are to take no∣tice that that Title was not in use as yet in the Church, in the dayes of King Lu∣ci••s: but yet the same latitude of Ecclesiasti∣call Iurisdiction was from the beginning un∣der the name of Metropolitan Bishops. For the Policy of the Church being squared ac∣cording to the Civill: as the Governours of Citties which were Metropoles, exerci∣sed an Authority over other Citties also depending on them, so did the Bishops like∣wise of those Citties over the whole Pro∣vinces.

Notes

• * 1.1

  VIII. CH.
• * 1.2

  Gildas.
• * 1.3

  Vsserin Pri∣mord▪ Eccl Brit. f. ••9.
• * 1.4

  Math. West∣monast. ad A. D. 1283.