esteem it no great service or enterprise of moment; for that Europe was then scarce peopled and Colonized, unless towards the Sea Coasts, as Dalmatia, Italy, and the coasts of France: of these Brethren, had Germany the name, à Germanis fratribus, who subdued it.
Ebrank thus fortunate either in his own undertakings, or in these of his children, having setled his affairs to his hearts desire, begins to take into consideration, the beautifying and strengthning Britannia; and as Brutus about an hundred and fourty years (if he built it in the second year of his Reign) before to his eternal glory had built Troynovant, Ebranck, with no less ambition to continue and perpetuate his name and memory, layeth the foundation of a glorious City, calling it, being fully finished, after his own nomenclation Caer Ebrank, which now we call York.
A late learned Author saith, it is a common received opinion among our Antiquaries, that Ebrancus son to Mempricius, a hundred years after the building of London (or thereabouts) builded the City of York, calling it then Kair Baruch, as both Brittains and Saxons ancient and modern agree; where as Harding and Stow, with others, affirm he seated an Arch-Flamen.
He made a Temple in Ebrank City
Of Diane where an Arch-Flamen he set,
To rule Temples at that time was his det.
In the twentieth year of his Reign (saith Mr. Stow) he built Kaer Ebrank by the Saxons cal∣led Evorwick, now corruptly York, wherein he builded a Temple to Diana, and set there an Arch-Flamen, and was there buried, when he had reigned sixty years. Thus ancient these our Historians make Arch-Flamens in Brittain, as I have related their very words; not that I think the name and word Arch-Flamen, but only their Office and Calling among the Gentiles to have been so ancient, as the time assigned to our Brutus, but of younger continu∣ance and age by divers hundreds of years; the word Flamen, not known till the time of Nu∣ma Pompilius, and taken from a kind of Attire worn upon their heads upon Festival days, yet the Office of Flamen and Arch-Flamen, Pontifex and Summus Pontifex was always the same among the Pagans.
Three Arch-flamens, he made through all Brittain,
As Arch-bishops now in our Laws been,
Three Temples all to govern and Domaine,
At Troynovant, one Logres to overseen,
Her false gods to serve and to queme,
At Ebranch another for Albany,
And at Caerleon for Cambre one soveranly.
And this is so evident a Truth in Histories, that the Bishop himself, which before with one only opposed against Arch-flamens, freely confesseth that at this time Arch-flamens, Bishops, were placed in these three Cities in Brittain, and in them only, where so many (saith my Au∣thor) have testified, and shall testifie hereafter further, these Arch-flamens were resident. Thus he writeth. At what time Christian Religion was first publickly received in this Island, there were established in the same 28. Sees, or Cathedral Churches (which were the Seats of Arch-fla∣mens and Flamens, as shall be shewed hereafter with their names) whereof three were Arch∣bishopricks, York whose Province was Scotland, and the North of England, &c. Another Author saith, Eboracensi vero (scilicet Archiepiscopo) tota terra Northumbrina ab arcui Humbri fluminis cum tota Albania: To him of York all Northumberland from Humber, with all Albania (i. e.) Scotland, which is confirmed by these words, Eboracensi Deira & Albania, under York, Deira and Albania.
Giraldus Cambrensis according to the Tome or Book of St. Anacletus, which divided this I∣sland into five Provinces, relateth, as divers modern and others in this manner; as he saith he found it then both in Papal and Imperial Acts and Constitutions, Juxta Provinciarum nu∣merum quas tempore gentilitatis habuerit Insula, quinque Metropoles Juxta Tomum enim Ana∣cleti Episcopi Romani, sicut in Pontificalibus Romanorum gestis, & Imperialibus continetur di∣rectum Galliarum Episcopis; juxta statum Gentilium ante Christi adventum Britannia habuit pro∣vincias numero quinque Britanniam primam, Britanniam secundam, Flaviam, Maximiam, Va∣lentiam. Prima dicta est occidentalis Pars Insulae, Britannia secunda Cantia, Tertia Flavia, quæ & Mercia; Quarta Maximia id est Eboraca. Quinta valentîa scilicet Albania quæ nunc abusive Scotia dicitur. According to the number of Provinces, which it had in the time of the Pagans, the Island of Britany hath five Metropolitan Cities; for according to the Tome of Anacletus Bi∣shop of Rome, as it is contained in the Decrees of the Popes of Rome, and Emperors, directed to the Bishops of France, according to the State of the Gentiles, before the coming of Christ, Brittain had five Provinces, Brittain the first, Brittain the second, Flavia, Maximia, Valentia; the first was the West part of the Island, the second Kent, the third Flavia, called also Mercia, the fourth Maximia, that is to say York; the fifth Valentia; Albania, now corruptly, called Scotland: The Metropolitan City of the first Brittain was Caerlegeon: The Metropolitan of