The
slaughter of Constantine & his sonne happened in the 1 yeare of the
297 Olympiad, 465 after the comming of Cesar, 1162 after the building
of Rome, the dominicall letter being A, and the golden number 13, so
[Sidenote: 411.]
that the recouering of the Iland fell in the yeare of our Lord
411.
Here also is eftsoones to be considered the valure of the British
souldiers, who following this last remembred Constantine the vsurper,
did put the Romane state in great danger, and by force brake through
into Spaine, vanquishing those that kept the streicts of the mounteins
betwixt Spaine and Gallia, now called France, an exploit of no small
consequence, sith thereby the number of barbarous nations got free
passage to enter into Spaine, whereof insued manie battels, sacking of
cities and townes, and wasting of the countries, accordinglie as the
furious rage of those fierce people was mooued to put their crueltie
in practise.
ΒΆ If therefore the Britaine writers had considered and marked the
valiant exploits and noble enterprisee which the Brittish aids, armies
and legions atchiued in seruice of the Romane emperours (by whome
whilest they had the gouernement ouer this Ile, there were at sundrie
times notable numbers conueied foorth into the parties of beyond the
seas, as by Albinus and Constantius, also by his sonne Constantine the
great, by Maximus, and by this Constantine, both of them vsurpers) if
(I saie) the British writers had taken good note of the numbers of the
British youth thus conueied ouer from hence, & what notable exploits
they boldlie attempted, & no lesse manfullie atchiued, they needed not
to haue giuen eare vnto the fabulous reports forged by their Bards,
of Arthur and other their princes, woorthie in deed of verie high
commendation.
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