Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 8

world 3361, after the building of Rome 445, after the deliuerance
[Sidenote: _Matth. West_.] of the Israelites 229, and in the fourth yeare

of the Seleuciens, after which account the bookes of Machabees doo
reckon, which began in the 14, after the death of Alexander. This
Elanius in the English Chronicle is named also Haran; by Mat. Westm.
Danius; and by an old chronicle which Fabian much followed, Elanius
and Kimarus should seeme to be one person: but other hold the
contrarie, and saie that he reigned fullie 8. yeares.
[Sidenote: MORINDUS.] Morindus the bastard sonne of Elanius was
admitted king of Britaine, in the yeare of the world 3667, after the
building of Rome 451, after the deliuerance of the Israelites 236, and in
the tenth yeare of Cassander K. of Macedonia, which hauing dispatched
Olimpias the mother of Alexander the great, and gotten Roxanes with
Alexanders sonne into his hands, vsurped the kingdome of the
Macedonians, and held it 15 yéeres. This Morindus in the English
chronicle is called Morwith, and was a man of worthie fame in
chiualrie and martiall dooings, but so cruell withall, that his vnmercifull
nature could scarse be satisfied with the torments of them that had
offended him, although oftentimes with his owne hands he cruellie put
them to torture and execution. He was also beautifull and comelie of
personage, liberall and bounteous, and of a maruellous strength.
[Sidenote: _G. Mon_.] In his daies, a certeine king of the people called
Moriani, with a great armie landed in Northumberland, and began to
make cruell warre vpon the inhabitants. But Morindus aduertised
héerof, assembled his Britains, came against the enimies, and in battell
putting them to flight, chased them to their ships, and tooke a great
number of them prisoners, whome to the satisfieng of his cruell nature
he caused to be slaine euen in his presence. Some of them were headed,
some strangled, some panched, and some he caused to be slaine quicke.
¶ These people (whome Gal. Mon. nameth Moriani) I take to be either
those that inhabited about Terrouane and Calice, called Morini, or
[Sidenote: The like may be thought of those Murreis or Morauians of
whom _H.B_. speaketh. Fabian.] some other people of the Galles or
Germaines, and not as some estéeme them, Morauians, or Merhenners,
which were not known to the world (as Humfrey Llhoyd hath verie
well noted) till about the daies of the emperour Mauricius, which

misconstruction of names hath brought the British historie further out
of credit than reason requireth, if the circumstances be dulie
considered.
But now to end with Morindus. At length this bloudie prince heard of a
monster that was come a land out of the Irish sea, with the which when
he would néeds fight, he was deuoured of the same, after he had
reigned the terme of 8 yeeres, leauing behind him fiue sonnes,
Gorbonianus, Archigallus, Elidurus, Vigenius, or Nigenius, and
Peredurus.
* * * * *

_Of Gorbonianus, Archigallus, Elidurus, Vigenius, and Peredurus, the
fiue sons of Morindius, the building of Cambridge, the restitution of
Archigallus to the regiment after his depriuation, Elidurus three times
admitted king, his death and place of interrement_.
THE SEUENTH CHAPTER.
[Sidenote: GORBOMEN OR GORBONIANUS.] Gorbonianus the first
son of Morindus succéeded his father in the kingdome of Britain, in the
yéere of the world 3676, after the building of Rome 461, and fourth
yéere of the 121. Olimpiad. This Gorbonianus in the English chronicle
is named Granbodian, and was a righteous prince in his gouernment,
and verie deuout (according to [Sidenote: A righteous and religious
prince.] such deuotion as he had) towards the aduancing of the religion
of his gods: and thervpon he repaired all the old temples through his
kingdome, and erected some new.
He also builded the townes of Cambridge and Grantham (as Caxton
writeth) and was beloued both of the rich and poore, for he honoured
the rich, and relieued the poore in time of their necessities. In his time
was more plentie of all things necessarie for the wealthfull state of man,
than had béene before in anie of his predecessors daies. He died
without issue, after he had reigned (by the accord of most writers)

about the terme of ten yeares.
Some write that this Gorbonian built the townes of Cairgrant, now
[Sidenote: Cambridge by whome it was built.] called Cambridge, &
also Grantham, but some thinke that those which haue so written are
deceiued, in mistaking the name; for that Cambridge was at the first
called Granta: and by that meanes it might be that Gorbonian built onlie
Grantham, and not Cambridge, namelie because other write how that
Cambridge (as before is said) was built in the daies of Gurguntius the
sonne of Beline, by one Cantaber a Spaniard, brother