Oliver Mathews

“ So that it is manifest, that the said William Bastard descended lineallie from Rollo the Pagan Dane, and was the sixte Duke of Normandie. The Danes were mightie stoute and tall men, proud and very lecherous, for the most parte red complexioned and red heared. They fought most of all with greate Halbards and great Pollaxes, and eache Lord Dane had his Man to carrie his Axe or Weapon after him, who also carried the like Weapon for himselfe, [2] the Brutaines called boye lleys yn Danes. ”

“ For abouts that tyme the Danes were in theire greatest Exultation. For they joyninge themselves with the [1] Vermennis fratribus, swarmed like waspes over most parte of Europa, conqueringe Countreys, Citties and Provinces, and especially the Countreys of the Christians, and, amongst other Conquests, Rollo alias Robert conquered the chiefest Cittie in Fraunce called Orliaunce, and, not longe after his said Conquest, he exchanged the same Cittie of Orleaunce with Charles, then Kinge of Fraunce, for the Dukedome of Normandy, and so the said Rollo was the first Pagan Danishe Duke of Normandy ”

“ And yet notwithstandinge all theis coseninge feats, and that the said kinge Edward had, by fraudulent meanes, so made his sonne Edward Prince of Wales, yet could he not therewith be contented, but contynued furth still his bloody minde towards them, murtheringe theire noble men and chieffe men of theire Countrey, and makinge straite lawes against them and theire children, as the lawe for the Division of lands amongst theire sonnes, of purpose to bringe them and theire children to beggerie (as he and the Normans thought.) ”

“ Then Brennus, desirous of glorie and dominion, and beinge whollie given to the study of warres, left his Countrey to the governaunce of his brother, and went into Fraunce, where, in the province of Lyons, for his exellent qualities and prowes, he was highlie esteemed of Sygwynus, the kinge of the Countrey, whose daughter he married, and of the Galls he was made soveraigne Capteyne, and the kinge Sigwynus, perceavinge that Brenus was whollie addicted to warres, appointed to him certeine bands of expert Souldiers, to assist him in his warres. ”

“ And also, when the Normans and Saxons supposed utterlie to extirpate and roote out the Name and Memorie of the auncient Brutaines, as may appeare by theire cruell Lawes, Ordinaunces and Statutes, made or ordeyned against them, yet God still preserved them and theire Seed, so that they did not perishe from beinge a Nacion, althoughe the said cruell tirannouse Kings did not cease to invent Mischieffe against the Brittaines, from the said William Bastard to Henry the fowerth. ”

“ This most noble kinge, Dyffenwall Moell myd, made the Castle there, and the North Gate, and a Wall from the Castle to Seaverne, and also from the Castle to Seaverne on the North side, leavinge Seaverne to be a Wall and a Defence to the Towne round abouts, savinge the Wall before mentioned, and called the Towne by her first Name Caer Odder yn hafren which is, by enterpretation, the Cittie or the Towne of fallinge or slydinge ground within the wombe of Seaverne. ”

“ Betwixte Walshe, Devonshire and Cornewall it beareth the name of Seavrne or Hafren Sea, and was the olde division or partition betwixt Lloiger and Cambria from Roccestre or Caer Belin to the Sea at Cornewall. In the old tyme of the Brutaines Goverment all the land above the Ryver belonged to Camera, nowe called Walshe, of Idwall, sonne to kinge Caddwalader, and was enjoyed by the Canmer Brutaines, and all under the River was called Lloyger. The Towne of Sallop was repayred by the fiftie Christian brethren, which were of the Christian Fraternity of Bangor in old Powies ”

“ In the later yeres and reigne of which said cruell and covetuous Kinge Offa, Kinge of Mercia, abouts anno Christi 800. the most cruell and mightie Pagan Danes entered into Newe England, the Saxons beinge latelie become Christians, who with sword and fier vexed the land of the newe and late Christen Saxons, without sparinge of man, woman and childe, overthrowinge Churches, burninge Townes, defacinge Castles and strong Holdes ”

“ Anglia Hingest and Horsus, as hired Servaunts to the Brittaines, to serve them in theire Warres; which thinge greatlie displesed the Lord God Allmightie, that Christians should joine themselves with unbeleevinge Pagans, as the forenamed [2] Anglia Hingist and Horsus, with all theire Troupe of Saxons, were, who, insteed of worshippinge the true and livinge God, worshipped Gods of theire Inventions, as the God and Goddesse Waden and Fria, who were Graundfather and Graundmother to Hingist and Horsus. ”

“ For as longe as the Christian brethren praied for prince Broughwell, the pagan kings could not obtaine aine victory against him: therefore the foresaid pagan kings divelishlie and most cruellie commaunded theire armed men, to kill and murther the unarmed Christian brethren, beinge kneelinge upon their knees at prayer, and some of them barefooted, wearinge next theire skins shirts of haire. ”

“ But Brennus, desirous of Warrs, repaired and augmented his Armie, and wente towardes Greece, to be avenged on the Grecians. for wronge and crueltie done to his Auncestors the Trojans, and, after he had conquered most parte of Greece, and the Countreys thereabouts, he went to robb and spoile the Temple of Apollo at Delphos, [5] it happened that most monstrous raine and tempest scattered and spoiled his Army, and parte of the said Temple and a Rocke thereby fell upon his souldiers, and destroyed many of them, and himselfe, beinge a most couragious Gen. ”

“ So that there is no man can doubt of noble Brennus, but that he was the Brother of Belinus, and the fownder and builder of your famous Cittie, whose actes and warres are famous in many Historiographers, and albeit B......... ”

“ Danes.The cruell Pagan Danes destroied most parte of the newe Abbeys, latelie erected by the newe Christened Saxons, which the said Saxons, then and yet called Englishemen, had robbed and spoiled from the Brutaines, to whom they were sometime servaunts ”

“ And after he passed the Alpes, he erected Castles and Houldes under the Hills, and therein placed Garrisons and Souldiers, and wan Millaine, Pavy, Belligarne, Brixia, Verona, Trydentum, and Vincentia, and reedified them, and beseiged Rome and overcame the Romaines, but the Galls, desirous of money, tooke of the Romaines a thousand pownd weight of gould to raise the seige. ”

“ And after that Vortiger, by the helpe of the said Saxons, had expulsed the Pictes and Scotts, abouts anno Domini 444. theis treacherous Pagans Saxons Angli and Hengistus willed all the Nobilitie of Brutaine, with theire Kinge Vortiger, to meete them on the Plaine of Salisbury, to comune and entreate of Matters, concerninge the Defence of the Realme; where when they were mett, there was placed a Saxon betwene every twoe Brutaine Lordes. ”

“ And, finallie, God beinge displeased with the Brittaines, for distrustinge in him and seekinge help at the Infidells, imposed the Curse upon the Brittaines, which is threatned in the xviith of Jeremiah and the 5. verse. Cursed be the man, saith the Lord, that trusteth in man, and maketh fleshe his Arme, and withdraweth his Harte from the Lord. Which Thinge the Brittaines did, and therefore the Lord permitted theire Servaunts, the unbeleivinge Saxons, whollie to over runne all theire land, and to deteine them in extreeme Bondage. ”

“ And besides all this, the cruell Saxon Kinge Egbert and Redburga his cruell and covetuos Wieffe, for Envie and Malice they had to the Brutaines, and bicause they would have had the Brutaines lands in more larger manner to belonge to England, much like unto a covetuous Achab and divelishe Jessabell, made Proclamation, that, upon paine of Deathe, all the auncient and Christen Brutaines should, with theire Wieffes and Children, departe and goe out of theire Lands, Citties, Townes and Castles, which they had built and possessed since Brutus first entraunce into Brutaine, being abouts 1880. yeres. ”

“ And althoughe Gwendoline defaced and destroied the said famous Cittie Caersouse, and rased the same to the ground, yet are the Maior and other Officers yerelie made, accordinge to theire Customes and Lawes, Liberties and Graunts, which Locrinus had graunted them, which Lawes were grounded upon the Trojanes Lawes, as aforesaid. And nowe of late divers Tradesmen doe inhabite there, and builde them Houses, to the Encreasement of the Cittie, and doe keepe theire most auncient Customes and Liberties. ”

“ And nowe that I have brieffelie sett forthe the Wronges and Injuries, which the worthie Brittaines receaved by the Romaines, I will also compendiously dilate of manie wronges and inormious abuses, which the Brutaines, throughe Treacherie, receaved at divers pagan Nations, as Saxons, Danes, Normans, &c. Abouts anno Domini 435. the Pagan Saxons were sent for by Kinge Vortiger, to aide and defend him and his Realme of Brutaine against Picts and Scotts, which then did greate harme with robbinge and spoilinge. ”

“ Caer Souse was built after London 22. yeres. And whiles Kinge Locrinus contynued with his said Concubine Sousewen at Caer Souse, Gwendolen, the lawfull wieffe of the said Locrinus, who was before divorced from him, as aforesaid, raised an Army of her Frends and Kinsmen out of Cornewall, called of Brutaines Gwyer y Kerren, and gave battell to the Kinge Locrinus, and overcame him, and slewe him and his said Concubine Sousewen, with theire bastard daughter Haverwen or Havfren, and also destroyed or defaced the said Cittie, called Caer Souse, after the said Locrinus had reigned xxty. yeres. ”

“ So the Brutaines, not suspectinge anie harme to be done them by theire owne hired servaunts, the cruell murtheringe Saxons had prepared eache man in his bootes twoe longe murtheringe Knives. So that every Saxon Beda. ”

“ Which Souldiers, together with his Brittaine forces, he did leade couragiouslie over the highe Hills, called the Alpes, which no man had ever done before, and therefore the Brittaines called his name Brane, but the Galls called his name Brentius. ”

“ Finally, it is well knowne, that, amonge auncient Writers, Gallia was devided into twoe Partes, that is, Cisalpina and Transalpina. Cisalpina was called Italy, and all Countreys beyond the Alpes, from Roome hitherward, were called Transalpina, where nowe Fraunce and Brittaine stand. And thus haveinge shewed you my knowledge and judgement, as towchinge the Antiquitie and Foundation of your famous Cittie of Brennus Towne, which was built abouts 369. yeres before Christ’s Incarnation by Brennus, that noble Brittaine, I, beinge aged 95. ”

“ Kinges, that is to saie, Rinoch Kinge of Scottes, Macolme Kinge of Comberland, Macon Kinge of Man, Duffnwall, Systerthe, and Huwall three Kings of Walshe, James Kinge of Norway, and Jukill Kinge of Westmerland. ”