Shortlie after, Pascentius that was Uortigerns
yoongest sonne, and had escaped into Ireland (when
Aurelius Ambrosius came into Britaine) returned
with a great power of strange nations, and tooke the
citie of Meneuia in Wales, afterwards called saint
Dauids, and did much hurt in the countrie with fire
and swoord. At which time the same Aurelius Ambro∣sius
lay sicke at Winchester, and being not able to
go foorth himselfe, desired his brother Uter Pendra∣gon
to assemble an armie of Britains, and to go a∣gainst [unspec 10]
Pascentius and his adherents. Uter, accor∣ding
to his brothers request, gathering his people,
went foorth, and incountering with the enimies gaue
them the ouerthrow, slue Pascentius and Gillomare
or Gilloman king of Ireland, that was come ouer
with him in aid against the Britains.
In the meane while, a Saxon or some other stran∣ger,
whose name was Eopa or Copa, not long before
procured thereto by Pascentius, fained himselfe to
be a Britaine, and for a colour counterfeiting him∣selfe [unspec 20]
a moonke, and to haue great knowledge in phy∣sicke,
was admitted to minister as it were medi∣cins
to Aurelius: but in stead of that which should
haue brought him health, he gaue him poison, wherof
he died shortlie after at Winchester aforesaid, when
he had reigned after most accord of writers nintéene
yeeres: his bodie was conueied to Stoneheng and
there buried. ¶Thus find we in the British and com∣mon
English histories of the dooings of Aurelius
Ambrosius, who (as ye haue hard) makes him a Bri∣taine [unspec 30]
borne, and descended of the bloud of the ancient
Britains. But Gyldas and Beda report him to be a
Romane by descent, as before is mentioned.
Polydor Virgil writeth in this sort of the victorious
acts atchiued by the foresaid Aurelius Ambrosius.
Then (saith he) the Saxons hauing alreadie gotten
the whole rule of the Ile, practised their outragious
cruelties speciallie against the princes of the Bri∣tains,
to the end that the said princes being ouer∣come
and destroied, they might with more ease ob∣teine [unspec 40]
possession of the whole Ile, which thing they on∣like
sought. But the fauour of almightie God was
not wanting to the miserable Britains in that great
necessitie. For behold, Aurelius Ambrosius was at
hand, who had no sooner caused the trumpet to sound
to armor, but euerie man for himselfe prepared and
repaired vnto him, praieng & beseeching him to helpe
to defend them, and that it might stand with his plea∣sure
to go foorth with them against the enimies in
all speed. [unspec 50]
Thus an armie being assembled, Aurelius Am∣brosius
went against them, and valiantlie assailed
them, so that within the space of a few daies they
fought thrée battels with great fiercenesse on both
sides, in triall of their high displeasures and vtter∣most
forces, in which at length the Britains put the
Saxons to flight, Horsus the brother of Hengist be∣ing
slaine with a great number of his people. But
yet notwithstanding the enimies rage was little a∣bated
hereby, for within a few daies after receiuing [unspec 60]
out of Germanie a new supplie of men, they brake
foorth vpon the Britains with great confidence of
victorie. Aurelius Ambrosius was no sooner aduer∣tised
thereof, but that without delaie he set forward
towards Yorke, from whence the enimies should
come, and hearing by the way that Hengist was in∣camped
about seuen & twentie miles distant from
that citie, néere to the banke of a riuer at this day
called Dune, in the place where Doncaster now
standeth, he returned out of his waie, and marched
towards that place, and the next day set on the eni∣mie
and vanquished him, Hengist at the first mée∣ting
of the battell being slaine, with a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 number
of the Germans. The fame of this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (saith Po∣lydor)
is had in memorie with the inhabitants of
those parties euen vnto this day, which victorie did
sore diminish the power of the Saxons, insomuch
that they began now to thinke it should be more for
their profit to sit in rest with that dishonour, than to
make anie new warres to their great disaduantage
and likelihood of present losse.
Hengist left behind him two sonnes, Osca and
and Occa, which as men most sorowfull for the ouer∣throw
of fate receiued, assembled such power as they
could togither, and remooued therewith towards the
west part of the Ile, supposing it to be better for them
to draw that way foorth, than to returne into Kent,
where they thought was alreadie a sufficient num∣ber
of their people to resist the Britains on that side.
Now therefore when they came into the west parts
of the land, they wasted the countrie, burnt villages,
and absteined from no maner of crueltie that might
be shewed. These things being reported vnto Aure∣lius
Ambrosius, he straightwaies hasted thither to
resist those enimies, and so giuing them battell, eft∣soones
discomfited them: but he himselfe receiuing
a wound, died thereof within a few daies after. The
English Saxons hauing thus susteined so manie
losses within a few moneths togither, were conten∣ted
to be quiet now that the Britains stirred nothing
against them, by reason they were brought into
some trouble by the death of such a noble capteine
as they had now lost. In the meane time Uortimer
died, whome Uier surnamed Pendragon succéeded.
Thus hath Polydor written of the forsaid Aureli∣us
Ambrosius, not naming him to be king of Bri∣taine,
and differing in déed in sundrie points in this
behalfe from diuerse ancient writers of the English
histories: for where he attributeth the victorie to the
Britains in the battell fought, wherein Horsus the
brother of Hengist was slaine, by the report of Poly∣chronicon,
and others, the Saxons had the victorie in
that reincounter: and William of Malmesburie
saith, that they departed from that batell with equall
fortune, the Saxons losing their capteine Horsus,
and the Britains their capteine Katigerne (as be∣fore
ye haue heard.) But there is such contrarietie in
writers touching the dooings betwixt the Britains
and Saxons in those daies, as well in account of
yéeres, as in report of things doone, that setting af∣fection
aside, hard it is to iudge to which part a man
should giue credit.
For Fabian and other authors write, that Aureli∣us.
Ambrosius began his reigne ouer the Britains
about the yéere of our Lord 481, and Horsus was
slaine about the yéere 458, during the reigne of
Uortimer, as aboue is mentioned, so that it can∣not
stand with the truth of the British histories (the
which Fabian followeth) that Horsus was slaine by
Aurelius Ambrosius, if according to the same histo∣ries
he returned not into Britaine, till the time there
supposed. But diuerse such maner oh contrarieties
shall ye find, in perusing of those writers that haue
written the chronicles of the Britains and Saxons,
the which in euerie point to recite▪ would be too tedi∣ous
and combersome a matter, and therefore we are
forced to passe the same ouer, not knowing how to
bring them to anie lust accord for the satisfieng of all
mens minds, speciallie the curious, which may with
diligent search satisfie themselues happilie much bet∣ter,
than anie other shall be able to doo in vttering
his opinion neuer so much at large, and agreeable to
a truth. This therefore haue we thought good as it
were by the waie to touch what diuerse authors doo
write, leauing it so to euerie mans iudgement to
construe thereof, as his affection leadeth him. We
find in the writings of those that haue registred the
dooings of these times, that Aurelius hauing van∣quished