Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 4

represse him and his power, the Romane host is kept backe from
landing, queene Genissa pacifieth them after a sharpe conflict: & what
the Romane writers say of Vespasians being in Britaine, the end of
Aruiragus_.
THE FOURTH CHAPTER.
Then did king Aruiragus ride about to view the state of his realme,
repairing cities and townes decaied by the warre of the Romans, and
saw his people gouerned with such iustice and good order, that he was
both feared and greatlie beloued: so that in tract of time he grew verie
welthie, and by reason thereof fell into pride, so that he [Sidenote:
Vespasian in Britaine. _Cornel. Tacit. in uit. Agr. lib. 3 & li. 6. Gal.
Mon. Rutupium_.] denied his subiection to the Romans. Wherevpon
Claudius appointed Vespasian with an armie to go as lieutenant into
Britaine. This iournie was to him the beginning of his advancement to
that honour, which after to him most luckilie befell. But if we shall
credit our Britaine writers, he gained not much at Aruiragus hands, for
where he would haue landed at Sandwich or Richborough, Aruiragus
was readie to resist him, so as he durst not once enter the hauen: for
Aruiragus had there such a puissant number of armed men, that the
Romans were afraid to approach the land.
Vespasian therefore withdrew from thence, and coasting westward,
landed at Totnesse, and comming to Excester, besieged that citie: but
about the seuenth day after he had planted his siege, came Aruiragus,
and gaue him battell, in the which both the armies sustained great losse
of men, and neither part got anie aduantage of the other. On the morrow

after quéene Genissa made them friends, and so the warres ceassed for
that time, by hir good mediation.
¶ But séeing (as before I haue said) the truth of this historie maie be
greatlie mistrusted, ye shall heare what the Romane writers saie of
Vespasianus being héere in Britaine, beside that which we haue
alreadie recited out of Dion in the life of Guiderius. [Sidenote:
Vespasian. _Suetonius. Salcellicus_.] In the daies of the emperor
Claudius, through fauour of Narcissus (one that might doo all with
Claudius) the said Vespasian was sent as coronell or lieutenant of a
legion of souldiers into Germanie, and being remooued from thence
into Britaine, he fought thirtie seuerall times with the enimies, and
brought vnto the Romane obeisance two most mightie nations, and
aboue twentie townes, togither with the Ile of Wight; and these exploits
he atchiued, partlie vnder the conduct of Aulus Plautius ruler of
Britaine for the emperor Claudius, and partlie vnder the same emperor
himselfe. For as it is euident by writers of good credit, he came first
ouer into Britaine with the said Aulus Plautius, and serued verie
valiantlie vnder him, as before in place we haue partlie touched. By
Tacitus it appeareth, that he was called to be partener in the gouernment
of things in Britaine with Claudius, and had such successe, as it
appéered to what estate of honour he was predestinate, hauing
conquered nations, and taken kings prisoners. But now to make an end
with Aruiragus: when he perceiued that his force was too weake to
preuaile against the Romane empire, and that he [Sidenote: _Gal.
Mon._] should striue but in vaine to shake the yoke of subiection from
the necks of the Britains, he made a finall peace with them in his old
age, and so continued in quiet the residue of his reigne, which he lastlie
ended by death, after he had gouerned the land by the space [Sidenote:
73.] of thirtie yéeres, or but eight and twentie, as some other imagine.
He died in the yéere of Grace 73, as one author affirmeth, and was
buried [Sidenote: _Matth. West._] at Glocester.
* * * * *

_Ioseph of Aramathia came into Britaine and Simon Zelotes, the

antiquitie of christian religion, Britaine gouerned by Lieutenants and
treasurers of the Romane emperors, the exploits of Ostorius Scapula
and the men of Oxfordshire, he vanquisheth the Welshmen, appeaseth
the Yorkshiremen, and brideleth the rage of the Silures_.
THE FIFT CHAPTER.
In the daies of the said Aruiragus, about the yeare of Christ 53, Ioseph
of Arimathia, who buried the bodie of our sauiour, being sent by Philip
the Apostle (as Iohn Bale following the authoritie of Gildas and other
British writers reciteth) after that the Christians were dispersed out of
Gallia, came into Britaine with diuers other godlie [Sidenote:
Polydorus.] christian men, & preaching the gospell there amongst the
Britains, & instructing them in the faith and lawes of Christ, conuerted
manie to the true beliefe, and baptised them in the wholsome water of
regeneration, & there continued all the residue of his life, obteining of
the king a plot of ground where