NENNIUS (who wrote about eight hundred years since) in Mr. Seldens Manu­script, diligently cō ­pared by himselfe with Sir H. Saviles, Sir Robert Cottons, & M. Cambdens copies. Sir Iohn Prise, Hum­frey Lhuyd, & all the Welsh, with innume­rable other of our Nation, their follow­ers.

Plinie, and before him Diodorus Si [...] who writes that [...] the Lucanian Lan­guuge BRU [...] signifies fugitives, [...]

Scorbie-grasse, which the Romans call Britannica.

Plinie.

Mr. Camden in his Britannia.

Mr. Selden, and many of the Welsh.

The Poole is a place so called in the River of Thames neer to the Tower of Lon­don where ships ride thickest at anchor, & lies before the marshy medows & standing waters in the runn [...] lands of Redderiffe, which seem to have al thereof been under water or a Pool.

Stephanus (who wrote above a thou­sand yeares since in Greeke) in his Book of Cities. And Mar­cianus in his circum-navigation of Britain, saith that the Citi­zens were of Lindo­ninon called Lindoni­nes, [...].

Paulanias in La­conicis.

G. Buchanan in his Histories of Scot­land.

Geffrey, born at Monmouth in South-Wales, Bishop of St. Asaph, about 400 years since.

This seemes to bee most true. For first Nennius (that disciple of Elnodugus) compendiously memorizeth Brutes fatal birth, his casuall killing of his Father, his sailing into Greece, and Gall, and that this Island took the name of Brittain from him. Then again, an old book found in the library of the Abbey Beck in Nor­mandy, by H. of Huntingdon, (who was born about five hundred yeares since) in his tra­vail to Rome, and the old Welsh copy of Walter Archdeacon of Oxford which Geffrey of Monmouth translated into Latin, contain the same things thoughout (witnesse Mr. Lam­bert, in his Preambulation of Kent) which Nennius briefly touch, and they deliver at large. Therefore Geffrey of Monmouth cannot be so much as fained, to have fained them. But of these things elswhere, both more exactly, and more copiously.

A Prophesie no­thing lesse then a lie. For the whole World of the Britian Islands which very lately were under King James, is now obedient to his son King CHARLES. The whole World moreover was subject of old to Constantine a Brittain who was Emperour, or Caesar Augustus. The Oracle therefore is fulfilled in both those respects▪ and in a more high, (of which the spirit of the Oracle thought nothing, but as one of the Sibills or Balaam might) that is to say, the Empire of the faith of Christ, by means of that blessed Emperour, being through all Nations most freely spred and setled.

Sulcardus, an ancient English wri­ter.

Geofrey of Mon­mouth, of the Origi­nall and acts of the Brittains, lib. 2. cap. 1. The seats of the three Arch-flamins were at London, York, and Caer Leon. Sedes Ar­cbistaminum in tribus nobilloribus civitati­bus fuerant Londoni­is, Eboraco, & in Urbe Legionum.

In the book cal­led Nero Casar.

Plinie in his Na­urall History.

Suetonius in his Julius Caesar.

William of Mal­mesburie, in his Latin Histories, published by Sr. H. Saevile, and dedicated, with the works of some other our oldest Historians, (by that rare gentleman) to Q. Elizabeth, printed in one great Volume, at London, first, and since beyond the seas. Mr. Camden makes it clear, that this most victorious Britian Prince, King Arthur, was enterred at Glastenburie.

Nennius (who also writteth of the picture in his sheild) nameth the twelve severall places where King Arthur obtained those twelve severall victories, in the like number of set battels.

The Art of En­glish poesie, a book dedicated to her self. Sir Walter Raleighs English Poem entituled Cynthia, and dedicated to that Goddesse Queen, as Mr. Camden every where calls her. The most famous, and most learned Poet of our Nation, Mr. Spenser, in his Colin Clowt's come home again, mentions Raleighs Cynthia, with much honour.

Julius Caesar him­self, (though not so clearly) in his Com­mentaries, and all other who have written of his war in Britain, though some of them more magnificently, for Cassibelines glory, as Lucan, then some others have done.

Gildas, the Hi­storian, whom Mon­mowth cites, and Po­lydore Virgil confes­seth to have read.

Gen. 10.27.

Ammianus Mer­cellus.

A Greek coyn of the Emperour Clau­dius, in Octavius Stra­da, and in the English Nero Caesar, where it is explained.

Svetonius.

Dion Cassius.

Pomeria protulit. Old Inscriptions ex­tant in Gruterus, and Rolinus, and the best ancient authors.

Cor. Pacitus, An­nal. lib. 14.

Julius Caesar writes, that the Britains sent aid to the Galls: and Strabo, that the Veneti, in Gallia, had sea helps from hence, in their war against Caesar, for preserving their Mart here, which was no where more likely to have been then at London, which, in Neros time, was above all other Towns of ours most famous.

The old Brittish book translated by Monmouth.

Hereof I have long since written a small book, unpubli­shed.

Matthew of West­minster, and other old ones.

Henry of Hun­tingdon, Matthew Ra­nis, [...]o [...]eden, and others.

The coines of Con­stantine the Great, and of other Empe­rours, after him, doe show the figure of that heavenly signe, with which he adorned the Imperi­all

[figure]

Banner, or Standard, most richly wrought and set with stones of greatest price, and beautie. Eusebius in Constantines life. The figure in those coines is

Fitz-Stephan, an old Topographer of London, first publish­ed in print by that memorable Citizen, Mr. Iohn Stow. With these few small drops, drawn hither out of my fuller annotations upon the Latin verses, of which these are the translation, I have sprink­led their margents, as with a kinde of dewle salt. For, the noble matter may relish so the more kindly, and be the more fi [...]tly understood, by the learned, and ingenuous reader. Both which aymes of mine will hold good, I hope; who professing my selfe to be herein an Historicall Antiquarie, have truly declared my self to be such, as the duty of mine of­fice did oblige. The contrary whereof, what it were else, then, under the colour of being an Antiquarie, to destroy antiquitie, I must confesse, I know not. The most able Censor among the Greeks, Dionysius Halicarnassaeus, (familiar with Pompey, the Great) in his judge­ment upon the best Greek Historian, Thucydides, is so far from condmning the inserting of Nationall traditions into Histories (such as those of Brute, and some other of ours here are) as he plainly confesseth it to be a duty. His one words are; ‘ [...], &c.’ That among all men, aswell in generall, concerning places, as in particulars, concerning cities, such memorials were preserved, as came by hearsay; which sons receiving from their fathers, they again endeavoured to commend by their sons to posterity. They therefore who would write of such, ought to write so, as they finde them received of old. Thus, and much more to that purpose, upon which the justification of Herodotus (whom Cicero styles the Father of Histories) depends, hath that Dionysius written there, and written truly. That the things in that British book, which Geofrey of Monmouth translated, were of such a traditional kinde, his dedicatory Epistle to that valiant, and learned Prince, Robert, Earle of Glocester, natural son to King Henry the first, King of England, clearly declareth. This was the reason which moved Herodotus (without fearing, or caring, to be reputed fabul [...], by the rash, or ignorant, for his so doing) to recite what he commonly found in traditions among Nations, Common-weals, or Cities, touching their own originals, as knowing it to be his duty, as an Historian. Therefore, he tells us, that one Targitau [...], the son of Jupiter, by the daughter of Boristh [...]nes, had three sons, Lipo-xais, Apo-xais, and Colae-xais, among whom he divided all Scyt [...]a, which so became first to be empeopled. The same cause also mo­ved Cornel. Tacitus to remember unto us, that the old Germans derived their beginning from God Tuisto, whose three nephews by his son Mannus, shared Germanie among them, and were of that Nation the first reputed parents. The like (but with much more likelyhood) our oldest British traditions report, of the tripartite division of this great I stand, between Ly­crinus, Camber, and Albanact, the three sons of Brute, Julius Silvius Brutu [...] father of the Britains, and founder of London.