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Title:  Britannia antiqua illustrata, or, The antiquities of ancient Britain derived from the Phœenicians, wherein the original trade of this island is discovered, the names of places, offices, dignities, as likewise the idolatry, language and customs of the p by Aylett Sammes ...
Author: Sammes, Aylett, 1636?-1679?
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2. In all Inscriptions of this God we find him written BEL, not Fel, Vel, or R. 2.Mel, which might have happened, had he received his Name from that Colour. Besides, in all the Additions to his name this Colour is absolutely excluded, as he was entituled Belsamen by the Phoenicians, that is, Lord of Heaven; so possibly in Britain, for his Sister the Moon was called Belisama, as much as to say, Queen of Heaven; Not yellow Heaven, or yellow Moon, which is very absurd, but it might happen, that Dio not knowing the Original of this God Belinus, and knowing that Belinus signified Yellow, might mistake, and call Casso Belinus Suellan for Belin, inti∣mating Dio. Cass thereby a Colour.Thirdly and lastly, As I have shewn before, the Britains did not use so many Colours, but were called from the variety of Shapes, not Colours; and R. 3. such as have sought for this Invention in the Britains, have made the same Princes of divers Colours. Thus Gildas calls Cuneglasus, a tawny and dark hu'd Butcher, Mr. Cambden makes him blew; but to pass over many great Contradictions, I con∣clude, Gildas. Cambden that it happened by chance that this colour coincidated with the name of the God Belinus, but concludes no more that he received his name from Yellow, than the God to whom the Inscription DUJ was found in Yorkshire, received his from Dû Black, in the same Tongue; so that Cunobelinus had his Name from the worship of Belinus (as Mr. Cambden in one place grants) and Belinus is derived from Bel of the Phoenicians.To omit an AEstuarium or Frith in Britain, called Belisama by Ptolomy, possibly Ptolomy. from some Temple of that God, I shall prove it from the Moon worshipt in Gaul under the name of Belisama, as is gathered from an ancient Inscription,MINERVAEBELISAMAEFound on an old Stone in Aquitain, by which some have concluded that Belisama was the Gaulish name of Minerva; But seeing that Belisama is the same as Belsamen, this being the Lord, and that the Lady of Heaven, it is more probable that by this is meant the Moon, or Urania, called by the Canaanites the Queen of Heaven, and once a great Idol of the Israelites.DIANA, who is the same with the Moon, was much worshipt in those parts, as Poliaenus testifies, Camma (saies he) was a Votress of Diana, whom the Gauls mostDIANA, viz. the Moon. Poliaenus, lib. 8.especially honoured, but that Diana should be confounded with Minerva is no won∣der, if it be considered how frequent it was for the Ancients to bestow the Attribute of one Deity upon another, as they favoured them in honour and affection.That Diana was worshipt in Britain is very certain, an Image of hers, Anno 1602, was dug out of the ground in Monmouthshire, being girt about, and short truss'd, bearing a Quiver, but her Head, Hands, and Feet, were broken off. It was found upon a pavement of square Tile in Checker-work, and by an Inscription not far off it was found to be her own Image.Mr. Cambden gives many Reasons, That where the Reliques of St. Pauls Church standeth, there was formerly a Temple of hers. But because this may proceed from the Romans rather than Britains, I will only mention her name Ardurena and Ar∣doena, being the same in the Gaulish, as Nemorensis in the Latin Tongue, namely, Diana of the Woods or Mountains, for we may suppose Den to have signified in the Ancient British Tongue, a Wood or Mountain (as Den Forrest in England) and not Arden as Mr. Cambden would have it, for Ar signifies Upon in the British Tongue, so that Arden, is, upon a Wood; For although there be a great Wood in France called Arden, yet it is not unlikely but it might first have been called Den, and that the Provinces lying on it, Arden, and afterwards the Wood it self; for it runs out to such a vast extent, and takes up such a quantity of ground, and lies upon so many Countries, that Travellers may be said to be alwaies upon it, but never truly in it, or well out of it.0