But forsomuch as he hath diligentlie gathered in what maner the warres
were mainteined by those people against the Romans, and what valiant
exploits were taken in hand and finished thorough their stoutnesse
and valiancie, ye may there read the same, and iudge at your pleasure
[Sidenote: A note to be considered in the reading of _Hect. Boetius_.]
what people they were whome he so much praiseth: aduertising you
hereof by the way, that as we haue before expressed, none of the
Romane writers mentioneth any thing of the Scots, nor once nameth
them, till the Romane empire began to decay, about the time of the
emperor Constantius, father of Constantine the great: so that if they
had beene in this Ile then so famous both in peace and warre, as they
are reported by the same Boetius; maruell might it seeme, that the
Romane writers would so passe them ouer with silence.
[Sidenote: _Cor. Tac. lib. annal._ 15.]
After the death of Claudius the emperor of Rome, Claudius
Domitianus Nero succeeded him in gouernement of the empire. In the
seuenth yeere of whose reigne, which was after the incarnation 53,
the Romans receiued a great ouerthrow in Britaine, where neither the
lieutenant A. Didius Gallus (whom in this place Cornelius Tacitus
calleth Auitus) could during the time of his rule doo no more but
hold that which was alreadie gotten, beside the building of certeine
castels (as before ye haue heard) neither his successor Verannius,
beating and forreieng the woods, could atchiue anie further
enterprise, for he was by death preuented, so as he could not proceed
forward with his purpose touching the warres which he had ment to haue
folowed, whose last words (in his testament expressed) detected him
of manifest ambition: for adding manie things by way of flatterie to
content Neros mind, he wished to haue liued but two yeeres longer, in
which space he might haue subdued prouinces vnto his dominion,
meaning therby the whole Ile of Britaine.
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