Philadelphus, or a defence of Brutes, and the Brutans history Written by R. H.

THIS WAS THEIR TEMPERANCE in Deedes and Wordes.

Their vice and Intem¦perance ap¦peared in

Wordes: First, Gonoril told Leyr, she loued him more then her owne soule: then Ragan sayd, she loued him vnspeakably.

Leuity: When Locrin saw Elstrid, he would haue re∣iected Guendolin: Memprise liued loosely, and spent most of his time in pastime and licentious games.

Drinke: Gurgust by some naturall infirmitie of braine was dronken once a day: this dronkennesse neither shortened his life, nor hindered his actions, as it seemeth by the yeares of his gouernement and life.

Discord: Madian was subiect to much impatience and tyrannie. Memprise, procured the death of those great men whom hee feared for their vertue and therefore hated for his owne guiltie life.

Venery: Locrine kept Elstrid his captiue for his Concubine, and accompanied her a long time, too long by sixe yeares and twelue monethes. Memprise solde himselfe to adultery, he gaue his body to bug∣gery and beastly loue, which was loue, sauing your reuerence. Ebrank had twentie wiues, some saye, but I think nineteene of them were huswifes, as we commonly saye, and she his wife onely that married him and knew him first: A right line is betweene two, to go aside is to go amisse.

Their ver∣tue, or wis∣dome is seene in

Discipline or desire of knowledge: Madian, though he were borne a mortall Prince or earthly God, was in his childhood sent into Cornewall to his most valiant grandsir Corin, that he might learne of him all expe∣rienced manhood fit for a soueraigne Ruler. Bladud in his young yeares was sent otherwise and carried ouer seas to Athenes, that hee might, forsooth, be taught the wisedome of the Grecians: this Athenian English Prince at his returne brought home with him no lesse then foure great Philosophers, to teach the Brutans, and either found or founded Schooles for them at Stamford or Stanefoda after the smoothest and Atticall Idiome.

Artes, both Geometry, and Astrology: Brute presently vpon his Arriuall searched this Iland optically and throughly, he and his surueyed it quantitatiuely and queintly to the purpose. Hurdibras taking in his head and hand, to build the cittie, or woodworke & stone∣worke of Caerpalladour, called for the iudiciall aduise & deuise of Aquila his Astrologer in laying the foun∣dations of that starry and elementary Citty, that the worlde might better esteeme it.

Philosophy, both naturall and morall: the foure wise∣men of Athens, that taught some of the Brutans, euen as Bladud the king appointed them, had many times for their variable and strange voices a wonderfull great audience, and those wisemens schollers succee∣ded them and continued orderly about the times of fourteene hundred yeares after with great glorie, but but how good, I knowe not. Bladud found the hote

Bathes in this Iland by his Geomanticall and Hy∣dromanticall skill and subtiltie. Brute the first made many good politicke laws for the benefit & direction of himselfe and his subiectes. Guendolin ministred true iudgement to the people well and wisely, at last, fea∣ring by reason or inspiration that the king Madian her sonne would scarsely vse her Honourably, as the son should vse his mother, went her way and dwelt far enough ought of sight in Cornewall among them that were glad euer of her daily company. Ebranke for his sonnes sake and his owne, sent his thirtie daughters to Siluius an Italian Duke, that they might be mar∣ried with their owne bloud, the old Troian bloud, and thereby get their father many friendes or welwillers abroad, to strengthen him in his neede, if nede were.

Wordes of counsell: Cordeil tolde her father in a me∣lancholicke vaine, That as his riches were more or lesse, so he should be loued and feared more and lesse.

This was their Prudence in teaching and learning.

Their vice or folly is seene in

Deceite by bulding: Locrine for want of better con∣ueiance built a caue for his Concubine, and made some few men of his priuy Counsell, but tolde other men, that it was a secret place for praier and sacrifice in the maner of his owne outlandish religion: when he heard and knew of Corins death, he crowned El∣strid queene and reiected Guendolin, whom he seemed to loue hitherto for feare of Corin, and not for liking.

Deceit by weapons: Memprise slewe his manly bro∣ther Manlius by faithlesse craft, to be out of his emu∣latiue danger and dangerous emulation.

Magicals: Bladud dedicated his Bathes to Minerua a dead woman: he taught Necromancy in all parts of his country: he vndertooke to flie aloft in the ayre with deuised winges and meanes artificially, and so fell downe inartificially and died sensibly, neither could he become admirable this way, as he hoped.

Wordes: Leyr forgetting his Honour asked his three daughters a fond needlesse question, as some vse to dally with young children, and would forsooth, heare of them that were women grown, How much they loued him: they might haue shewed on their finger.

Ignorance: the Gyantes of this Iland being one∣ly strong, and wild men without any great forecast, were subdued for want of arte and gouernment. Si∣sill let all matters go and runne at auenture. Iago had the same vile fault, and died of a frensie, as he liued with a megrim.

Their ver∣tue & for∣titude is known by their Acts in

• Peace,
  • These honourable Rulers approoued their Princely magnificence, and Philoti∣my in a braue maner. Brute the first named this Iland Brutanie of his owne Noble and famous Name: He built a fortunate Cittie by the Tems, and called it Troy-new in perpetuall honour of his owne Coun∣trey. Ebranke built a faire Cittie in hys land Northward, which he called Caer∣branke after his owne name: He built ano∣ther Cittie with a Castle in Albany, and called it Edenbrough, in regard of his daugh¦ters. Leyl built a Citie in this land North∣ward, which he called Caerleyl by his own name. Leyr built a Citie in the midst of his land, and called it Caerleyr in respect of his owne name. Thus they purchased their Glorie with heroicall expences, and pub∣licke actions profitably.
  • Then the vertuous subiectes shewed their excellent magnanimitie in good sorte: They suffered not Madian to rule ouer them, till hee was able to carry armour in the Field, and lead an armie. Duke Corin went to king Locrin with his ordinary bat∣tle Axe in his hand, and behaued himselfe so manly, and plainly with the king, that he would not or durst not reiect Guendolin his spouse, as he before had purposed. Good warly rhetoricke.
• ...

• Warre
  • at home
    • Those Dukes Maglan and Hennine suffred not their wiues king Leyrs two eldest daugh∣ters to be kept frō the Crowne by Cordeil the youngest daugh∣ter. Locrin fought with Hum∣ber and flewe him in battle, be∣cause he had slaine his younger brother Albanact the Prince and ruler of Albany.
    • Conedag and Morgan the sons of those two Dukes deposed euen Cordeil their aunt from hir vsurpation and royall gouern∣ment.
    • Conedag defended his land against Morgan, and put him to flight, and slewe him, and ioyned Morgans kingdome to his owne. Guendolin the queene gathered an army against her husband Locrin the king, and in their conflict he was slaine with an arrow.
  • abroad.
    • Ebranke got great victories, and rich spoiles both in strange countries far off, & neere hand, & then returned home with his mony and men in safety & ioy: it is no lesse courage, to get out of troble, then to go through it.

This was their Fortitude, in doing for their friends, and vndoing their foes.

Their vice or extream fortitude is knowen by

Couetous ambition: Manly warred with his elder brother Memprise to depriue him of the kingdome, accounting it his owne, if he could win it. Leyrs two sons in law Maglane and Hennine expelled him out of his land, and vsurped his place a while, no time to count of. Morgan raised war against Conedag his coosin german, with whom he liued neighbourly a∣foretime, but now he aspired to Conedags king¦dome. Porrex made sodaine war vpon Ferrex his brother, and put him to flight, and slewe him, to be ruler himselfe alone.

Audacious anger: When the people might do what they would in the raigne of Sisill, they being naturally giuen to fighting, fell to ciuil war among themselues, and spilt much innocent bloud. Rage is blinde: villanes somtime turne wars to their vile vses.

Pusillanimity or base idlenesse: Leyl for want of a good heart coulde not rule his subiectes when he was olde. Cordeyl being at her wits end despaired of her libertie, and murdered her selfe in prison. Gorbodug liued without a∣ny memorable act, like an idiote or a verie swaine. Sisill by continuall ease fell into ma∣ny colde and phlegmaticke diseases, and at last a lethargy made an end of him: as hee sowed, so hee reaped: of a lasie life, came a lothsome death.

Their ver∣tue or Iu∣stice is proued in

Diuiding in the generations of the eighteene kings the Crown is euer iustly possessed, either by the sons, or by the brethren, or by the next of the kings bloud, except the next to king Leyr.

Brute the first deuided Brutany among his three sonnes, the eldest had the best third, the youngest the worst part, the middle sonne the meane part, not so good as the best, nor so ill as the worst.

Ebranke built a Temple in Caerbrank and appoyn∣ted an archflamin to ouersee it. Leyl built a Temple in Caerleyl and ordained a flamin to rule ouer it. Hurdi∣bras built Caerkent, Caeruin and Caerpalladour, for the benefit of the countrey, and in euery of them he made a Temple. Bladud built a Temple in his Citie Caerba∣don, which was made by him for theyr vse that kept the Bathes or came to them.

Conedag and Morgan the sonnes of two sisters par∣ted Brutany betweene them, and liued quietly: So did Ferrex and Porrex two brethren for a time: but the comedie became a tragedie.

Rewarding: Brute the first gaue Cornewall to Corin his fellowsouldier for ouercomming Gogmagog the Gyant in wrastling. Locrin bestowed the spoyles of Humbers armies vpō the souldiers that woon them in battell. Cordeil welcomed her father Leyr most re∣uerently when he fled vnto her for succour, and resto∣red him to his kingdom. Kymar kept his land in right frame and order, by giuing all braue men that they truely deserued: the chiefe pollicy with good natures.

Challenging: Corin seeing changeable affecti∣ons of Locrin charged him with a promise and con∣tract

made betweene him and Guendolin, and vrged him so straitly and seuerely, that hee made him con∣tent to stand to his word, the rather for that good ser∣uice which Corin did his father Brute.

Reuenging: Locrin reuenged the death of Albanact his brother with the death of Humber. Guendolin fought against her owne husband, to plague him for his whoredome and other iniuries, and prouided so well for her selfe, that in the triall of their Cause hee was slaine, and his whore drowned with her base daughter, the fiery and deceitfull roote Baaras with the leafe. Conedag and Morgan deposed Cordeil from the kingdom which she held from them a long time with some title by her father though insufficient, seeing these were the sonnes of her eldest sisters. Wyden with her waiting women chopped her sonne Porrex in pee∣ces by night, for killing his brother Ferrex without any iust cause.

Punishing: Gurgust was abhorred of the Brutans for his daily dronkennesse, but suffered to be king for his birthrightes sake. Madian and Memprise were ha∣ted of good men and feared of wicked men for theyr extreame and beastly crueltie: so betweene both they were secretly forsaken in time of hunting and the wild beastes suffered to destroy them. Here we may very fitly consider, how the Power from heauen pu∣nished the people of Brutanie with raining bloud three dayes, and vexing them with infinite swarms of ve∣nimous strange flies, that stung their king Riual and many other to death. See, what life is that flies may take away, euen litle flies with their little stings.

This was their Iustice in Religion and Pollicy.

Their vice or Iniu∣stice is proued in

Diuiding: Locrin crowned Elstrid his concubine queene, when Guendolin his true wife liued. Ebranke dedicated the Temple of his Cittie to a liuing name and dead carcasse Diana, that coulde not defend it or him. Leyr gaue halfe his goodes to his two eldest daughters at their marriage, and made them migh∣tier then himselfe, for speaking to him fairely or paintedly, but he gaue nothing with Cordeil to her dowry, because she told him an open truth without anie forgerie.

Rewarding: Leyr at his death, gaue his halfe king∣dome to Cordeyl, for defending him in trouble: the people made her queene by common consent, and thereby hindered the right of her two Nephewes the very next apparant heires.