They therefore being now of ripe age prosecuted their journey, attended with ships and armed soldiers.
4. Concerning this Ambrosius, some∣times call'd Aurelius, sometimes Aurelia∣nus, and his extraction, Gilda•• and from him S. Beda speak breifly and in generall terms, that he was a modest prince, and who alone of the Roman race had remained alive after so great a tempest of warrs and changes, in which his pa∣rents, who had worn the Royall Purple, were slain. Now though in these two ancient Au∣thours the name of his parents be not ex∣tant, it may be probably affirm'd that he was the Son of Constantin, who fifty years before had pretended to the Roman Empire, and in the attempt was slain in Gaule. For that Con∣stantin, besides his Son Constans also slain, had other children, appears by the expres∣sion of Sozomen, who calls the said Constans, sirnamed also Iulianus, the Elder Son of Con∣stantin.
5. That he was born and bred up in Brit∣tany seems to appear, because, as severall Writers affirm, in the competition for the Crown when Vortigern was chosen, Ambrosius being a pretender, was compell'd to quitt both his right and the countrey, and to re∣tire himself into lesser Brittany. Frō whence notwithstanding, during the raign of the generous King Vortimer, he return'd, and assisted him courageously against the Saxons, as hath been related: and, it seems, after his death retir'd again to his former re∣fuge.
6. The return of these two Princes was more formidable to Vortigern, then any thing he could apprehend from the Saxons: who therefore fortified himself more care∣fully in his new Castle. I will not here trouble the reader with any large descri∣ption of that prodigious omen of two dra∣gons, one red and the other white, which issuing out of a lake whilst Vortigern sate on the bank, began a terrible combat, in which at last the White was conquerour. By which two Dragons, according to Merlins interpre∣tation, were meant the Brittains and Saxons: and the successe of their fight was the flight and destruction of the Brittains. These seem to be inventions of the old Bards easily com∣posed after the event, and foolishly colle∣cted by Geffrey of Monmouth, to signalize the expiring of the Brittish Kingdome.
7. Hengist being inform'd of the coming of Aurelius Ambrosius with considerable forces in aid of the Brittains, endeavoured to come to a battell with him, before the uniting of their Armies: but was not able to effect his intention. So that a main bat∣tell was fought by the two Nations in Kent neer the ancient famous port of Roch borow: which is thus describ'd by Henry of Hunting∣don: A while after that auxiliary forces were come, King Hengist and his Son Esca gathered an invincible army, in the seaventeenth year after the coming of the Saxons into Brittany, which was the year of Grace four hundred sixty five. On the other side the Brittains uniting all their forces oppos'd them with an Army gallant∣ly ranged into twelve Bodies. The fight continued long, and with little advantage. But at last Hengist having slain the twelve Leaders, and cast down their Ensigns, forc'd the Brittains to flye. He himself likewise lost great numbers of his soldiers and principall Officers, and particu∣larly a certain great Prince of his Nation call'd Wipped: in whose memory the place of the battell was call'd Wippeds-stede. So that this Victory was much bewayld by the Saxons themselves: and therefore after that time neither did he take the confidence to enter into the Brittains Borders, nor the Brittains into Kent.