CHAP. I. Of the Ancient City of Glouceſter, from its Original.

AFTER ſuch time as Julius Ceſar had compel'd the Britains, to become Tributaries to the Roman Empire, Ann. Mundi • 0 • 5. He by reaſon of the Civil wars that aroſe at Rome, was obliged to continue at Home for many Years. During which time, either through his remiſs Government, or elſe being not mindful of thoſe Kingdoms and Provinces, which had ſorn Allegiance unto him, they revolt from their Obedience, infomuch, that after his Deceaſe, the ſucceeding Emperours, (viz.) Octavian Auguſtus, Tiberius Claudius, and Cajus Caligula, thought it more Prudence, carefully to preſerve what they had already gotten, rather than uncertainly to graſp at any more: By which means Britain was left, as it were, almoſt forgotten; until one Bericus, a Noble-man, Born in Britain (who for Sedition, and other high Miſdemeanours, was expel'd his Native Country) greatly ſolicited Claudius, the Son of Drucis, who was newly choſen Emperour, by the Pretorian Souldiers (Ann. Dom. 43.) to reduce Britain again to the Roman Obedience; who being over-perſwaded thereunto, Claudius Ceſar raiſeth a powerful Army out of Gaul (or France) and other Places, and ſends them againſt Britain, under the Conduct of Aulus Plautius, his Praetoria, or Deputy (Ann. Dom. 44.) who, having croſſed the Seas, landeth his Army without Oppoſition, and giveth Battle to Togodumus, their King, whom he forceth to a Retreat: But in this their good Succeſs they did not long continue, for the Britains did ſo aſſault the Romans, with their daily Fighting, and Skirmiſhing, 〈1 page duplicate〉 that Aulus Plautius was conſtrained to ſend to Rome for Claudius Ceſar (according to his own Appointment before, if Occaſion ſo required) who after ſome Dangers upon the Seas, ſafely arrived in Britain, and ſoon joins his Forces with Aulus Plautius, his Deputy.

The Succeſs of whoſe War, according to Dion, was the taking of Camolodunum, (now Maldon in Eſſex) the chief Seat of the Britiſh Kings; the Subjection of that part thereof next the Gauls, the diſarming of the Inhabitants, and the placing of a Colony of old Roman Souldiers therein, Claudius Ceſar being the firſt that ever fixed a compleat Conqueſt in Britain.

Theſe Things being happily atchiev'd, Ceſar, at the End of ſix Months, returned to Rome, leaving Publius Oſtorius Scapula, his Praetoria, (or Deputy) to end the War; who ſoon reduced the higher Part of Britain into the Form of a Roman Province; taking the Dobunies (who then poſſeſs'd Oxford ſhire, and Glouceſter-ſhire,) into his Protection.

But our Britiſh Hiſtorians (viz.) Jeffery of Monmouth, Llanquet, and Others relate theſe Things far otherwiſe; ſaying, That Arviragus, the Youngeſt Son of Cunobeline, (nor Togodumus) was King of the Britains, Ann. Dom. 45. In which Year, (ſay they) Claudius Ceſar came in Perſon againſt Britain, who, when he could not obtain it by Force of Arms, came to a Compoſition with Arviragus, and gave him his Daughter Jenniſſa in Marriage, which Marriage, (ſay they) was conſummated at Glouceſter. Hereupon King Arviragus, to make the Town more famous, where this Marriage was ſolemnized, did not only Beautify the ſame, but he likewiſe greatly Enlarged it with new Buildings, and gave it the Name of Claudia-Caſtria, or (Caſtrum,) alluding to Claudius Ceſar's Name.

But William of Malmsbury, an approved Author, tells you, that theſe were idle Fables, begun by Jeffery of Monmouth, and carried on by their Hiſtorians, and Commentators, Men altogether ignorant and unskilful in Antiquity, whoſe Truth and Authority is ſo much to be doubted, that no Man of Senſe will give any Credit to them.

Now Dr. Plott, in his Hiſtory of Oxford-ſhire (pag. 135.) ſaith, That if it be urged out of Ponticus Virinius, and ſome Others, that the Emperour Claudius was at Glouceſter, and that he either Enlarged, or Built that City, after his own Name, in Memory of the Marriage of his Daughter Jenniſſa, with Arviragus, the then King of the Britains: Nevertheleſs (ſaith he) it muſt be anſwered, That notwithſtanding the Name of Claudius-Caſtrum, (now Glouceſter) yet, in all likelihood, there was never any ſuch Matter; for neither Suetonius nor Dion, (who both lived in his time, and had each of them born the Office of Conful,) do make mention of any ſuch Name as Jenniſſa, or that ſhe was ſo diſpoſed of by him in Marriage, altho' they both do number up how many Children Claudius Ceſar had. Beſides all this, the Dr. further adds, How was it poſſible that Claudius Ceſar, who came hither, and returned back to Rome in ſix Months, ſhould have ſo much time as to come to Glouceſter, being a Place far in the Country, much more to build or re-edify that City? For Dion expreſly faith, that Claudius Ceſar was but ſixteen Days in Britain, and in all Probability, thoſe ſixteen Days were ſpent in ordering his Army, and that Arviragus was not known to Claudius Ceſar, but that he rather lived in the time of Domitian the ſixth in Succeſſion after him.

Now altho' it cannot be certainly proved (by any reputable Author) who was Glouceſter's firſt Founder, yet moſt certain it is, that the Romans did Build it, and that of ſet Purpoſe to be like a Yoke, as it were, upon the Necks of the Silures, a fierce and warlike People, who then poſſeſs'd all that Tract of Ground, which lieth between the two great Rivers, (viz.) Wye and Severn, called by the ancient Britains, Vaga, and Hafferne, of purpoſe to curb their violent Incurſions. And it is altogether as certain, that the Emperour Antoninus gave it the Name of Glevum, and that he there planted a Colony of Roman Soldiers, which were called, according to Ptolomy, Coloni-Glevum (or the White Colony) and to confirm the ſame, the learned Cambden, in his former Treatiſe ſaith, (fol. 36.) That there was an ancient Inſcription, found upon a Quadrant Stone in the Walls of Bath, (viz.) Dec. Colonia Glev. vixit, Ann. LXXXVI.

It farther appears, that after the Exturpation of the Romans, that the Saxons gave it the Name of of Glav-ceſter, which Word, according to Ninius, (as Mr. Cambden well obſerveth) came from Glev, and ſo proportionably Glevum, from the Britiſh Word Caire-Glow, which ſignifieth, white, fair, or ſplendid; derived or taken from the High Duke Glovi, or Glovis, Great-Grandfather to King Vortigern, from whence Glovernia, after whom, the Latines called it Glouceſtriae, and the Vulgar Glouceſter, &c.

Having thus far ſpoken of its Original Foundation, and Name, come we, in the next place, to treat of the Honour and Reputation it had in the time of the Britains, with other Remarks to the Conqueſt, and from thence you have Variety of Obſervations, to the Reign of King Henry the Eighth, who made it a City.

I find nothing recorded, by any reputable Author, concerning the City, or Town, of Glouceſter, during the time that the Romans were here in Britain: Neither have I met with any thing that may be termed remarkable, till the coming in of Hengiſt, Prince of the Pagan Saxons, who, through their perfidious Treachery, ſlew four Hundred and Sixth of the Britiſh Nobility upon the Plain of Amsbury, within three Miles of Salisbury, at a Place called ſince Stone-Henge; which Stones are ſaid to have been there erected as a Monument, or Memorial of that moſt bloody and barbarous Slaughter. Amongſt whom, at that time, was the valiant Eldol, Duke of Glouceſter, Brother unto Eldade, Biſhop of Glouceſter: Who finding of a Stake, which by chance lay on the Ground, He, with his own Hands, ſlew (according to Sr. William Dugdale) Seventeen of thoſe Saxons, and afterwards made his Eſcape to his Dukedome of Glouceſter, where he raiſed what Forces he could procure, and at Place called Maezbel, on the North of Humber, meets with Hengiſt, gives him Battle, and defeats his Army, (Cambden out of Higden, ſol. 208.).

Aethelſtan, the 25th King of the West-Saxons, Died at Gloucester, but was Buried at Malmsbury in Wilt-ſhire, Ann. Dom. 940.

King Edward the Confeſſor held a famous Parliament at Gloucester, Ann. Dom. 1503. During which time Gruffith, King of South-Wales, Rebelled; and, with thirty Sail of Daniſh Ships, entereth the River Severn, doing great Spoil to the Country: But at laſt he was taken at Bullen-Dane, the ſame we now call Bully, and there Beheaded, and afterwards his Head was preſented to King Edward, at Gloucester.