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(Verulam)。 13。 Cair caratauc (Catterick)。 14。 Cair ceri (Cirencester)。 15。
Cair glout (Gloucester)。 16。 Cair luillid (Carlisle)。 17。 Cair grant
(Grantchester; now Cambridge)。 18。 Cair daun (Doncaster); or Cair dauri
(Dorchester)。 19。 Cair britoc (Bristol)。 20。 Cair meguaid (Meivod)。 21。
Cair mauiguid (Manchester)。 22。 Cair ligion (Chester)。 23。 Cair guent
(Winchester; or Caerwent; in Monmouthshire)。 24。 Cair collon (Colchester;
or St。 Colon; Cornwall)。 25。 Cair londein (London)。 26。 Cair guorcon
(Worren; or Woran; in Pembrokeshire)。 27。 Cair lerion (Leicester)。 28。 Cair
draithou (Drayton)。 29。 Cair pensavelcoit (Pevensey; in Sussex)。 30。
Cairtelm (Teyn…Grace; in Devonshire)。 31。 Cair Urnahc (Wroxeter; in
Shropshire)。 32。 Cair colemion (Camelet; in Somersetshire)。 33。 Cair loit
coit (Lincoln)。 '1' V。R。 Twenty…eight; twenty…one。 '2' Site unknown。
These are the names of the ancient cities of the island of Britain。 it has
also a vast many promontories; and castles innumerable; built of brick and
stone。 Its inhabitants consist of four different people; the Scots; the Picts;
the Saxons and the ancient Britons。
8。 Three considerable islands belong to it; one; on the south; opposite
the Armorican shore; called Wight;* another between Ireland and Britain;
called Eubonia or Man; and another directly north; beyond the Picts;
named Orkney; and hence it was anciently a proverbial expression; in
reference to its kings and rulers; 〃He reigned over Britain and its three
islands。〃 * Inis…gueith; or Gueith。
6。 It is fertilized by several rivers; which traverse it in all directions; to
the east and west; to the south and north; but there are two pre…eminently
distinguished among the rest; the Thames and the Severn; which formerly;
like the two arms of Britain; bore the ships employed in the conveyance of
riches acquired by commerce。 The Britons were once very populous; and
exercised extensive dominion from sea to sea。
10。* Respecting the period when this island became inhabited
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subsequently to the flood; I have seen two distinct relations。 According to
the annals of the Roman history; the Britons deduce their origin both from
the Greeks and Romans。 On the side of the mother; from Lavinia; the
daughter of Latinus; king of Italy; and of the race of Silvanus; the son of
Inachus; the son of Dardanus; who was the son of Saturn; king of the
Greeks; and who; having possessed himself of a part of Asia; built the city
of Troy。 Dardanus was the father of Troius; who was the father of Priam
and Anchises; Anchises was the father of Aeneas; who was the father of
Ascanius and Silvius; and this Silvius was the son of Aeneas and Lavinia;
the daughter of the king of Italy。 From the sons of Aeneas and Lavinia
descended Romulus and Remus; who were the sons of the holy queen
Rhea; and the founders of Rome。 Brutus was consul when he conquered
Spain; and reduced that country to a Roman province。 He afterwards
subdued the island of Britain; whose inhabitants were the descendants of
the Romans; from Silvius Posthumus。 He was called Posthumus because
he was born after the death of Aeneas his father; and his mother Lavinia
concealed herself during her pregnancy; he was called Silvius; because he
was born in a wood。 Hence the Roman kings were called Silvan; and the
Britons from Brutus; and rose from the family of Brutus。 * The whole of
this; as far as the end of the paragraph; is omitted in several MSS。
Aeneas; after the Trojan war; arrived with his son in Italy; and Having
vanquished Turnus; married Lavinia; the daughter of king Latinus; who
was the son of Faunus; the son of Picus; the son of Saturn。 After the death
of Latinus; Aeneas obtained the kingdom Of the Romans; and Lavinia
brought forth a son; who was named Silvius。 Ascanius founded Alba; and
afterwards married。 And Lavinia bore to Aeneas a son; named Silvius; but
Ascanius '1' married a wife; who conceived and became pregnant。 And
Aeneas; having been informed that his daughter…in…law was pregnant;
ordered his son to send his magician to examine his wife; whether the
child conceived were male or female。 The magician came and examined
the wife and pronounced it to be a son; who should become the most
valiant among the Italians; and the most beloved of all men。 '2' In
consequence of this prediction; the magician was put to death by Ascanius;
but it happened that the mother of the child dying at its birth; he was
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named Brutus; ad after a certain interval; agreeably to what the magician
had foretold; whilst he was playing with some others he shot his father
with an arrow; not intentionally but by accident。 '3' He was; for this cause;
expelled from Italy; and came to the islands of the Tyrrhene sea; when he
was exiled on account of the death of Turnus; slain by Aeneas。 He then
went among the Gauls; and built the city of the Turones; called Turnis。 '4'
At length he came to this island named from him Britannia; dwelt there;
and filled it with his own descendants; and it has been inhabited from that
time to the present period。 '1' Other MSS。 Silvius。 '2' V。R。 Who should
slay his father and mother; and be hated by all mankind。 '3' V。R。 He
displayed such superiority among his play…fellows; that they seemed to
consider him as their chief。 '4' Tours。
11。 Aeneas reigned over the Latins three years; Ascanius thirty three
years; after whom Silvius reigned twelve years; and Posthumus thirty…nine
* years: the latter; from whom the kings of Alba are called Silvan; was
brother to Brutus; who governed Britain at the time Eli the high…priest
judged Israel; and when the ark of the covenant was taken by a foreign
people。 But Posthumus his brother reigned among the Latins。 * V。R。
Thirty…seven。
12。 After an interval of not less than eight hundred years; came the
Picts; and occupied the Orkney Islands: whence they laid waste many
regions; and seized those on the left hand side of Britain; where they still
remain; keeping possession of a third part of Britain to this day。 * * See
Bede's Eccles。 Hist。
13。 Long after this; the Scots arrived in Ireland from Spain。 The first
that came was Partholomus;'1' with a thousand men and women; these
increased to four thousand; but a mortality coming suddenly upon them;
they all perished in one week。 The second was Nimech; the son of。。。;'2'
who; according to report; after having been at sea a year and a half; and
having his ships shat… tered; arrived at a port in Ireland; and continuing
there several years; returned at length with his followers to Spain。 After
these came three sons of a Spanish soldier with thirty ships; each of which
contained thirty wives; and having remained there during the space of a
year; there appeared to them; in the middle of the sea; a tower of glass; the
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summit of which seemed covered with men; to whom they often spoke;
but received no answer。 At length they determined to besiege the tower;
and after a year's preparation; advanced towards it; with the whole number
of their ships; and all the women; one ship only excepted; which had been
wrecked; and in which were thirty men; and as many women; but when all
had disem… barked on the shore which surrounded the tower; the sea
opened and swallowed them up。 Ireland; however; was peopled; to the
present period; from the family remaining in the vessel which was
wrecked。 Afterwards; other came from Spain; and possessed themselves of
various parts of Britain。 '1' V。R。 Partholomaeus; or Bartholomaeus。 '2' A
blank is here in the MS。 Agnom