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.

XVI. CHAP.* 1.1

1.2 Fables concerning King Arthur cen∣sured.

1. IN the year of Grace five hundred twen∣ty three King Arthur,* 1.2 after the death of his wife Guenevera, maried a Noble Lady called Guenhumara: By occasion of which mariage his fame was spread through all countreyes.* 1.3 This is thus declared by Flo∣rilegus: In the forenamed year, saith he, King Arthur having reduced the Isle of Brittany to its former state, maried a wife named Guen∣humara descended from the Noble stock of the Romans. She had been brought up in the Court of the Duke of Cornwal, and in beauty excelled all the women of Brittany. To this mariage he in∣vited all Princes and Noble persons in the Re∣gions adjacent, and during the celebration of it such sports, and such magnificence both in fea∣sting and military exploits were shewn by him, that Nations far removed did admire and emu∣late him. By this means from some transmarine Kings he gained love, and in others he imprinted a fear and terrour.

2. Within little more then a year after this mariage he is sayd to have passed into Ireland,* 1.4 and there to have taken Prisoners the King Gil∣lamur and his Nobles, and subdued the whole Island. From thence to have sayled into Holland, Gott-land and the Isles of Orkney, all which Re∣gions he brought under Tribute.

3. Such Fables as these, invented by idle and ignorant Bards, and with addition pu∣blished in a Latin stile by Geffrey of Mon∣mouth, have passed for true stories not only among the Brittains in succeeding times, who might be pardond if in their poverty and miseries they recreated their minds with the imagined past glory of their An∣cestours: but they have imposed on forrain

Writers, and some of them otherwise not un∣learned.* 1.5 Hence it is that Malbranque a dili∣gent French Antiquary has been induced to acknowledge that King Arthur after having forced Brittany from the Saxons, subdued afterward that part of France which was in∣habited by his own countreymen the Mo∣rini.

4. Neither hath the Brittish Fables ended here: They have sent King Arthur into Norway: and his exploits there are thus re∣corded by Mathew of Westminster:* 1.6 In the year of Grace five hundred thirty three King Arthur having a design to subdue all Europe, passed with a Navy into Norway. Where being arrived he found Sichelin King of that countrey dead: who had bequeathed that Kingdom to Loth sisters son to King Arthur: a Prince of great vertue and magnificence. The sayd Loth had at that time a son called Walwan, a youth twelve years old, who was recommended to Pope Vigilius to be by him brought up: from whom likewise he received the Order of Knight hood. In the end King Arthur having conquered the Norvegians, placed his Nephew Loth in the throne, and then with ioy returned into Brittany.

5. Acts of Chevalry yet more prodigious have been in a seeming sober manner re∣counted especially by Geffrey of Monmouth, which in a generall manner shall be here set down in the expression, and with the Censure of Ranulphus of Chester.* 1.7 As touching this King Arthur, saith he, among all Historians only thus extolled by Geffrey of Monmouth, many doe wonder how any one can beleive those things to be true which are reported of him. For if there were any probability that he conquered thirty Kingdoms, if he subdued the King of the Franks, if he slew Lucius the Emperours Governour in Italy, how comes it to passe that all Historians, Romans, French, & Saxons should make no men∣tion at all of such Heroicall Exploits of so great a Prince, whereas they have related far lesse acts of persons much inferiour? Geffrey tells us that his Arthur conquered Frollo King of the Franks: whereas among the French Writers such a Name as Frollo cannot be found. He says likewise that du∣ring the raign of the Emperour Leo King Arthur kild Lucius an Italian Generall of the Empire: and yet according to all the Roman Historians there was no Lucius Governour in Italy: Neither did King Arthur raign, nor was so much as born in the time of Leo, but of Iustinian the fifth Em∣perour after Leo. To conclude, Greffrey says he much wonders that Gildas and S. Beda should make no mention of King Arthur in their Wri∣tings. Whereas we may much rather wonder that this Geffrey should so highly extoll a man whose actions have scarce been mentioned by any an∣cient Historians of high esteem for their truth & sincerity. But perhaps this is the custom of eve∣ry nation to exalt some one of their Princes with excessive praises: as the Grecians have enor∣mously magnified their Alexander, the Romans their Octavian, the English their Richard, the French their Charles: and in like manner the Brittains their Arthur.* 1.8 This often happens, saith Iosephus, either for the beautifying of their Hi∣stories, or the delighting their Readers, or extol∣ling their own blood.

6. That there was such a King of the Brit∣tains as Arthur, and that he was a Prince of a most magnanimous and Heroical Spirit we are assured by Monuments of such unquestio••ned authority, that Geffreys lyes cannot dis∣parage them. And had it not been that Al∣mighty God had given up the Brittains to destruction, no hand could have been more proper & able to rescue them then King Ar∣thurs: and no doubt it was to his valour that we ought to ascribe the security of the re∣mains of them amōg the Mountains of Wales. But as for his conquering so many king∣doms, and driving the Saxons out of his own, these are inventions so impudently false, that in the very same years to which these Victories are assigned, our unquestioned Hi∣stories inform us that the Saxons made some notable progresse in their conquests, and some new kingdom of theirs became esta∣blished.

7. It may notwithstanding be allowd to Malbranque, since he will needs entitle King Arthur to the subduing his Morini, that being weary of contending in vain with the Saxons, and a surcease of arms being agreed between them, King Arthur to avoyd idle∣nes might transport some forces over Sea into that Province of France, and there settle in the Principality his kinsmā Leodegarius,* 1.9 be∣stowing on him the Strong Citty of Bouloign (Bo∣nonia) with the territory adjoyning, with this con∣dition that he and his Successours should hold it with acknowledgment and dependance of the Blessed Virgin, to whom we have seen before that King Arthur bore so particular devo∣tion. All which, saith that Authour, is extra∣cted out of the ancient Archives of that Citty.

8. Thus much may be iudged expedient to be said concerning King Arthur, of whom nothing will remain more to be related for the space of many years till we come to treat of his death: The intercurring time being to be supplyed by a few passages touching Ec∣clesiasticall affaires occurring in Brittany.

Notes

• * 1.1

  XVI. CH.
• * 1.2

  A. D. 523.
• * 1.3

  Westmonaster. hîc.
• * 1.4

  A. D. 525. Id. hic.
• * 1.5

  Maibran de Morini•• l. 1. c. 14. ••••ib. l. 1. c. 42
• * 1.6

  Flor••l••g ad A. D. 53••.
• * 1.7

  Ranulf. l. 5. c. 6.
• * 1.8

  A. D. 527.
• * 1.9

  Malbran••. vbi suprà.