|
1-448
The island Britain (1) is 800 miles long, and 200 miles broad.
And there are in the island five nations; English, Welsh (or
British) (2), Scottish, Pictish, and Latin. The first
inhabitants were the Britons, who came from Armenia (3), and
first peopled Britain southward. Then happened it, that the
Picts came south from Scythia, with long ships, not many; and,
landing first in the northern part of Ireland, they told the
Scots that they must dwell there. But they would not give them
leave; for the Scots told them that they could not all dwell
there together; "But," said the Scots, "we can nevertheless give
you advice. We know another island here to the east. There you
may dwell, if you will; and whosoever withstandeth you, we will
assist you, that you may gain it." Then went the Picts and
entered this land northward. Southward the Britons possessed it,
as we before said. And the Picts obtained wives of the Scots, on
condition that they chose their kings always on the female side
(4); which they have continued to do, so long since. And it
happened, in the run of years, that some party of Scots went from
Ireland into Britain, and acquired some portion of this land.
Their leader was called Reoda (5), from whom they are named
Dalreodi (or Dalreathians).
Sixty winters ere that Christ was born, Caius Julius, emperor of
the Romans, with eighty ships sought Britain. There he was first
beaten in a dreadful fight, and lost a great part of his army.
Then he let his army abide with the Scots (6), and went south
into Gaul. There he gathered six hundred ships, with which he
went back into Britain. When they first rushed together,
Caesar's tribune, whose name was Labienus (7), was slain. Then
took the Welsh sharp piles, and drove them with great clubs into
the water, at a certain ford of the river called Thames. When
the Romans found that, they would not go over the ford. Then
fled the Britons to the fastnesses of the woods; and Caesar,
having after much fighting gained many of the chief towns, went
back into Gaul (8).
((B.C. 60 . Before the incarnation of Christ sixty years, Gaius
Julius the emperor, first of the Romans, sought the land of
Britain; and he crushed the Britons in battle, and overcame them;
and nevertheless he was unable to gain any empire there.))
A.D. 1 . Octavianus reigned fifty-six winters; and in the forty-
second year of his reign Christ was born. Then three astrologers
from the east came to worship Christ; and the children in
Bethlehem were slain by Herod in persecution of Christ.
A.D. 3 . This year died Herod, stabbed by his own hand; and
Archelaus his son succeeded him. The child Christ was also this
year brought back again from Egypt.
A.D. 6 . From the beginning of the world to this year were agone
five thousand and two hundred winters.
A.D. 11 . This year Herod the son of Antipater undertook the
government in Judea.
A.D. 12 . This year Philip and Herod divided Judea into four
kingdoms.
((A.D. 12 . This year Judea was divided into four tetrarchies.))
A.D. 16 . This year Tiberius succeeded to the empire.
A.D. 26 . This year Pilate began to reign over the Jews.
A.D. 30 . This year was Christ baptized; and Peter and Andrew
were converted, together with James, and John, and Philip, and
all the twelve apostles.
A.D. 33 . This year was Christ crucified; (9) about five thousand
two hundred and twenty six winters from the beginning of the
world. (10)
A.D. 34 . This year was St. Paul converted, and St. Stephen
stoned.
A.D. 35 . This year the blessed Peter the apostle settled an
episcopal see in the city of Antioch.
A.D. 37 . This year (11) Pilate slew himself with his own hand.
A.D. 39 . This year Caius undertook the empire.
A.D. 44 . This year the blessed Peter the apostle settled an
episcopal see at Rome; and James, the brother of John, was slain
by Herod.
A.D. 45 . This year died Herod, who slew James one year ere his
own death.
A.D. 46 . This year Claudius, the second of the Roman emperors
who invaded Britain, took the greater part of the island into his
power, and added the Orkneys to rite dominion of the Romans.
This was in the fourth year of his reign. And in the same year
(12) happened the great famine in Syria which Luke mentions in
the book called "The Acts of the Apostles". After Claudius Nero
succeeded to the empire, who almost lost the island Britain
through his incapacity.
((A.D. 46 . This year the Emperor Claudius came to Britain, and
subdued a large part of the island; and he also added the island
of Orkney to the dominion of the Romans.))
A.D. 47 . This year Mark, the evangelist in Egypt beginneth to
write the gospel.
((A.D. 47 . This was in the fourth year of his reign, and in this
same year was the great famine in Syria which Luke speaks of in
the book called "Actus Apostolorum".))
((A.D. 47 . This year Claudius, king of the Romans, went with an
army into Britain, and subdued the island, and subjected all the
Picts and Welsh to the rule of the Romans.))
A.D. 50 . This year Paul was sent bound to Rome.
A.D. 62 . This year James, the brother of Christ, suffered.
A.D. 63 . This year Mark the evangelist departed this life.
A.D. 69 . This year Peter and Paul suffered.
A.D. 70 . This year Vespasian undertook the empire.
A.D. 71 . This year Titus, son of Vespasian, slew in Jerusalem
eleven hundred thousand Jews.
A.D. 81 . This year Titus came to the empire, after Vespasian,
who said that he considered the day lost in which he did no good.
A.D. 83 . This year Domitian, the brother of Titus, assumed the
government.
A.D. 84 . This year John the evangelist in the island Patmos
wrote the book called "The Apocalypse".
A.D. 90 . This year Simon, the apostle, a relation of Christ, was
crucified: and John the evangelist rested at Ephesus.
A.D. 92 . This year died Pope Clement.
A.D. 110 . This year Bishop Ignatius suffered.
A.D. 116 . This year Hadrian the Caesar began to reign.
A.D. 145 . This year Marcus Antoninus and Aurelius his brother
succeeded to the empire.
((A.D. 167 . This year Eleutherius succeeded to the popedom, and
held it fifteen years; and in the same year Lucius, king of the
Britons, sent and begged baptism of him. And he soon sent it
him, and they continued in the true faith until the time of
Diocletian.))
A.D. 189 . This year Severus came to the empire; and went with
his army into Britain, and subdued in battle a great part of the
island. Then wrought he a mound of turf, with a broad wall
thereupon, from sea to sea, for the defence of the Britons. He
reigned seventeen years; and then ended his days at York. His
son Bassianus succeeded him in the empire. His other son, who
perished, was called Geta. This year Eleutherius undertook the
bishopric of Rome, and held it honourably for fifteen winters.
To him Lucius, king of the Britons, sent letters, and prayed that
he might be made a Christian. He obtained his request; and they
continued afterwards in the right belief until the reign of
Diocletian.
A.D. 199 . In this year was found the holy rood. (13)
A.D. 283 . This year suffered Saint Alban the Martyr.
A.D. 343 . This year died St. Nicolaus.
A.D. 379 . This year Gratian succeeded to the empire.
A.D. 381 . This year Maximus the Caesar came to the empire. He
was born in the land of Britain, whence he passed over into Gaul.
He there slew the Emperor Gratian; and drove his brother, whose
name was Valentinian, from his country (Italy). The same
Valentinian afterwards collected an army, and slew Maximus;
whereby he gained the empire. About this time arose the error of
Pelagius over the world.
A.D. 418 . This year the Romans collected all the hoards of gold
(14) that were in Britain; and some they hid in the earth, so
that no man afterwards might find them, and some they carried
away with them into Gaul.
A.D. 423 . This year Theodosius the younger succeeded to the
empire.
A.D. 429 . This year Bishop Palladius was sent from Pope
Celesrinus to the Scots, that he might establish their faith.
A.D. 430 . This year Patricius was sent from Pope Celestinus to
preach baptism to the Scots.
((A.D. 430 . This year Patrick was sent by Pope Celestine to
preach baptism to the Scots.))
A.D. 435 . This year the Goths sacked the city of Rome; and never
since have the Romans reigned in Britain. This was about eleven
hundred and ten winters after it was built. They reigned
altogether in Britain four hundred and seventy winters since
Gaius Julius first sought that land.
A.D. 443 . This year sent the Britons over sea to Rome, and
begged assistance against the Picts; but they had none, for the
Romans were at war with Atila, king of the Huns. Then sent they
to the Angles, and requested the same from the nobles of that
nation.
A.D. 444 . This year died St. Martin.
A.D. 448 . This year John the Baptist showed his head to two
monks, who came from the eastern country to Jerusalem for the
sake of prayer, in the place that whilom was the palace of Herod.
(15)
Notes:
(1) This introductory part of the "Chronicle" to An. I. first
printed by Gibson from the Laud MS. only, has been corrected
by a collation of two additional MSS. in the British Museum,
"Cotton Tiberius B" lv. and "Domitianus A" viii. Some
defects are also here supplied. The materials of this part
are to be found in Pliny, Solinus, Orosius, Gildas, and
Bede. The admeasurement of the island, however inaccurate,
is from the best authorities of those times, and followed by
much later historians.
(2) Gibson, following the Laud MS. has made six nations of five,
by introducing the British and Welsh as two distinct tribes.
(3) "De tractu Armoricano." -- Bede, "Ecclesiastical History" i.
I. The word Armenia occurring a few lines above in Bede, it
was perhaps inadvertently written by the Saxon compiler of
the "Chronicle" instead of Armorica.
(4) In case of a disputed succession, "Ubi res veniret in
dabium," etc. -- Bede, "Ecclesiastical History" i. I.
(5) Reada, Aelfr.; Reuda, Bede, Hunt. etc. Perhaps it was
originally Reutha or Reotha.
(6) This is an error, arising from the inaccurately written MSS.
of Orosius and Bede; where "in Hybernia" and "in Hiberniam"
occur for "in hiberna". The error is retained in Wheloc's
Bede.
(7) Labienus = Laberius. Venerable Bede also, and Orosius, whom
he follows verbatim, have "Labienus". It is probably a
mistake of some very ancient scribe, who improperly supplied
the abbreviation "Labius" (for "Laberius") by "Labienus".
(8) Of these early transactions in Britain King Alfred supplies
us with a brief but circumstantial account in his Saxon
paraphrase of "Orosius".
(9) "8 die Aprilis", Flor. M. West.
(10) Gibbon regrets this chronology, i.e. from the creation of
the world, which he thinks preferable to the vulgar mode
from the Christian aera. But how vague and uncertain the
scale which depends on a point so remote and undetermined as
the precise time when the world was created. If we examine
the chronometers of different writers we shall find a
difference, between the maximum and the minimum, of 3368
years. The Saxon chronology seems to be founded on that of
Eusebius, which approaches the medium between the two
extremes.
(11) An. 42, Flor. This act is attributed by Orosius, and Bede
who follows him, to the threatening conduct of Caligula,
with a remark, that it was he (Pilate) who condemned our
Lord to death.
(12) An. 48, Flor. See the account of this famine in King
Alfred's "Orosius".
(13) Those writers who mention this discovery of the holy cross,
by Helena the mother of Constantine, disagree so much in
their chronology, that it is a vain attempt to reconcile
them to truth or to each other. This and the other notices
of ecclesiastical matters, whether Latin or Saxon, from the
year 190 to the year 380 of the Laud MS. and 381 of the
printed Chronicle, may be safely considered as
interpolations, probably posterior to the Norman Conquest.
(14) This is not to be understood strictly; gold being used as a
general term for money or coin of every description; great
quantities of which, it is well known, have been found at
different times, and in many different places, in this
island: not only of gold, but of silver, brass, copper, etc.
(15) An interpolated legend, from the "Gesta Pontificum",
repeated by Bede, Florence, Matth. West., Fordun, and
others. The head was said to be carried to Edessa. Start
Chronicle Years: 449-95
CONTENTS DIRECTORY
History | Monarchs | Prime Ministers | Travel | London | Wales | Earth Mysteries
Church | News | People | Science | Arts | State | Catalog | Sports | Panorama | Links
Comments: e-mail us at history@britannia.com
© 1995, 1996, 1997 Britannia Internet Magazine, LLC
|
Formed in 2009, the Archive Team (not to be confused with the archive.org Archive-It Team) is a rogue archivist collective dedicated to saving copies of rapidly dying or deleted websites for the sake of history and digital heritage. The group is 100% composed of volunteers and interested parties, and has expanded into a large amount of related projects for saving online and digital history.
