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The triumphes of re-vnited Brytannia.

Because our present conceit, reacheth vnto the antiquitie of Brytaine, which (in many mindes) hath carried as many and variable opinions: I thought it not vnnecessary, (being thereto earnestly solicited) to speake somewhat concerning the estate of this our Countrey, euen from the very first originall, vntil her honourable attaining the name of Brytannia, and then lastlye how she became to be called England. Most Writers do agree, that after the Deluge, Noah was the

sole Monarch of all the World, and that hee deuided the dominion of the whole earth to his three sonnes: all Europe with the Isles therto belonging (wherein this our Isle of Brytaine was one among the rest) fell to the lot and possession of Iaphet his third sonne. Samothes the sixt sonne of Iaphet, called by Moses Mesech, by others Dys, had for his portion the whole contrey lying between the Ryuer of Rhene and the Pyrenian mountains, where he founded his kingdome of Celtica ouer his people called Celtæ, which name, by the opinion of Bale our Countrey man, was indifferent to them of Gallia, and vs of this Isle of Britaine. This Samothes being the first King ouer these people, of him came lineally these kings following: Magus, Sarron, Druis and Bardus, all ruling seuerally ouer the Celts and Brytons, who were not then so called, but Samotheans, after the name of Samothes. Of Bardus, whoe, according to Berosus, was very famous for inuenting of Musicke and Ditties, came an order of philosophicall Poets or Heralds, called Bardi, after his owne name, whose excellent qualities were of such power, as they coulde enforce armies of Enemies ready to fight fierce battell, to stand at a gaze, and forbeare their cruell intent, vntil these Bardes lefte singing, and went out of the battel: According to Lucane. lib. 1.

Vos quoque qui fortes animas belloque peremptas,
Laudius in longum vates dimittitis æuum,
Plurima securi fudistis carmina Bardi.

Many of these Bards liued among the Britans, before

the birth of Christ, as Plenidius and Oronius. Since then, Thalestine, the two Merlins, Melkin Elaskirion and others. Among the Welshmen nowe of late daies, Dauid Die, Iollo Gough, Dauid ap-Williams, and diuers others remayning yet amongest them, and called in their owne language Bardhes.

Thus continued the name of Samothes the space

of 310, yeares, till Neptune put his son Albion the Gyant in possession of this land, who subduing the Samotheans, called this Iland Albion after his owne name. Concerning the comming hither of Danaus 50. daughters, and that one of them shoulde be called Albina, and so the land to bee named by her: First, not any one of them was so named, neither do I thinke the storie so authentical, but doe hold Albions name for the truest.

The Country thus peopled with Giantes, and continuing after the name of Albion for 600. years: Brute, (being directed by a vision in his sleepe, to finde out a country scituated in the West) with the remaines of his Troyan folowers, arriued and Landed at the hauen now called Totnes, the yeare of the world, 2850. after the destruction of Troy, 66. before the building of Rome 368. and 1116. before Christs natiuity. He, searching the land ouer from side to side, found it to be very fertile, and inhabited by vnciuill, monstrous huge men of stature, tearmed Giants, whom he with his bolde and resolued companions slew and destroyed. One of them named Goemagot or Gogmagog, exceeding the rest in strength and courage, Brute caused Corineus, one of his confederates, to wrastle with the said Goemagot at a place beside Douer, where the Giant hapned to break a rib in the side of Corineus, which so sharply incensed him, that redoubling his power to win the victory, he threw him headlong downe from off one of the Rocks, which place was after called Gogmagogs leape. The Gyant being thus dispatched, in reward of this honourable piece of seruice, Brute gaue vnto Corineus a part of his lande, which according to his name, was, and yet is vnto this day, caled Cornwall.

Brute thus hauing the whole Land in his owne quiet possession, began to build a citty, neer to the side of the Riuer Thamesis, in the second yeare of his raign, which he named Troynouant, or as Humfrey

Lhoyd saith, Troinewith; which is, newe Troy: in remembrance of that famous citty Troy, whence hee and his people (for the greater part) were descended. Now beganne he to alter the name of the Iland, and according to his owne name, called it Brytaine, and caused all the inhabitantes to bee named Brytons, for a perpetuall memory, that he was the first bringer of them into this land. In this time he had by his wife faire Innogen, daughter to King Pandrasus king of the Greeks, three worthy sonnes, the first named Locrine, the second Camber, and the third Albanact, to which three (not long before his death) he deuided his whole kingdome in seuerall partitions, giuing to Locrine all that part which we know best by the name of England, then tearmed by him Loegria or Logres. To Camber he limitted the Countrey of Wales, called Cambria after his name, and deuided from Loegria by the riuer of Sauerne. To Albanact his third sonne, he appointed al the North part of the Ile, lying beyond the Riuer of Humber, then called Albania, now Scotland; and to that Riuer then Albania did reach. But since that time, the limits of Loegria were enlarged, first by the prowesse of the Romanes, then by our owne conquests, that the Tvvede on the one side, and the Solue on the other, were taken for the principal boundes betweene vs and Scotland.

After Brute, I finde not any other alteration of our Countryes name, vntill the raign of King Ecbert, who about the yeare of Grace 800. and the first of his raigne, gaue foorth an especiall Edict, dated at Winchester: that it shoulde be named Angles Land, or Angellandt, for which (in our time) we do pronounce it England. Nor can Hengyst the Saxon be the Father of this latter name, for Ecbert, because his ancestors descended from the Angles, one of the sixe Nations that came with the Saxons into Britaine, (for they were not all of one, but of diuers Countries, viz: Angles, Saxons, Germains, Switzers, Norvvegians, Iutes, otherwise tearmed Iutons, Vites, Gothes, or Getes and Vandales, and all comprehended vnder the name of Saxons, because of Hengist the Saxon and his company, that first arriued here before any of the other) and thereto hauing now the Monarchy and preheminence, in manner of this whole Island, called the same after the name of the country, from whence he deriued his originall. So that neither Hengist, nor anye Qu. named Angla, or deriuation ab Angulo, is to be allowed before this sounde and sure authoritye. Thus much briefely concerning the names of our Countrey, now come wee to discourse the whole frame and body of our deuise, in this solemne triumph of re-vnited Brytannia.