Chronicles 1: The Historie of England | Page 3

of the offspring of Iaphet, the Iles of the Gentiles (wherof Britain is one) were sorted into regions in the time of Phaleg the sonne of Hiber, who was borne at the time of the [Sidenote: _Theophilus episcop. Antioch. ad Anfol lib. 2._ The words of Theophilus a doctor of the church, who liued an. Dom. 160.] diuision of languages. Herevpon Theophilus hath these words: "Cùm priscis temporibus pauci forent homines in Arabia & Chald?a, post linguarum diuisionem aucti & multiplicati paulatim sunt: hinc quidam abierunt versus orientem, quidam concessere ad partes maioris continentis, alij porrò profecti sunt ad septentrionem sedes qu?situri, nec priùs desierunt terram vbiq; occupare, quàm etiam Britannos in Arctois climatibus accesserint, &c." _That is_; "When at the first there were not manie men in Arabia and Chald?a, it came to passe, that after the diuision of toongs, they began somewhat better to increase and multiplie, by which occasion some of them went toward the east, and some toward the parts of the great maine land: diuers of them went also northwards to seeke them dwelling places, neither staid they to replenish the earth as they went, till they came vnto the Iles of Britaine, lieng vnder the north pole." Thus far Theophilus.
These things considered, Gildas the Britaine had great reason to thinke, that this countrie had bene inhabited from the beginning. And Polydor Virgil was with no lesse consideration hereby induced to confesse, that the Ile of Britaine had receiued inhabitants foorthwith after the floud.
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_Of Samothes, Magus, Sarron, Druis, and Bardus, fiue kings succeeding each other in regiment ouer the Celts and Samotheans, and how manie hundred yeeres the Celts inhabited this Iland._
THE SECOND CHAPTER.
[Sidenote: _Gen. 2._] Samothes the sixt begotten sonne of Iaphet called by Moses Mesech, by [Sidenote: _De migr. gen._] others Dis, receiued for his portion (according to the report of Wolfgangus Lazius) all the countrie lieng betwéene the riuer of Rhene and the Pyrenian mountains, where he founded the kingdome of Celtica [Sidenote: _Cent. 1._] ouer his people called Celt?. Which name Bale affirmeth to haue bene indifferent to the inhabitants both of the countrie of Gallia, and the Ile of Britaine, & that he planted colonies of men (brought foorth of the east parts) in either of them, first in the maine land, and after [Sidenote: _Anti. lib._ 1. Bale Script. _Brit. cent._ 1.] in the Iland. He is reported by Berosus to haue excelled all men of that age in learning and knowledge: and also is thought by Bale to haue imparted the same among his people; namelie, the vnderstanding [Sidenote: _C?sar. comment. lib._ 8.] of the sundrie courses of the starres, the order of inferiour things, with manie other matters incident to the morall and politike gouernment of mans life: and to haue deliuered the same in the Phenician letters: out of which the Gréekes (according to the opinion of Archilochus) [Sidenote: _In epithet. temp._ _De ?quinorus contra Appionem_.] deuised & deriued the Gréeke characters, insomuch that Xenophon and Iosephus doo constantlie report (although Diogenes Laertius be against it) that both the Gréekes and other nations receiued their letters and learning first from these countries. Of this king and his learning arose [Sidenote: _Lib. de Magic. success. lib._ 22.] a sect of philosophers (saith Annius) first in Britaine, and after in Gallia, the which of his name were called Samothei. They (as Aristotle and Secion write) were passing skilfull both in the law of God and man: [Sidenote: _Script. Brit. cent._ I.] and for that cause excéedinglie giuen to religion, especiallie the inhabitants of this Ile of Britaine, insomuch that the whole nation did not onelie take the name of them, but the Iland it selfe (as Bale [Sidenote: _De ant. Cant. cent. lib._ I.] and doctor Caius agree) came to be called Samothea, which was the first peculiar name that euer it had, and by the which it was especiallie [Sidenote: This Ile called Samothea.] knowne before the arriuall of Albion.
[Sidenote: MAGUS THE SON OF SAMOTHES. _Lib._ 9. _Annius in commen. super eundem. Geogr._] Magus the sonne of Samothes, after the death of his father, was the second king of Celtica, by whome (as Berosus writeth) there were manie townes builded among the Celts, which by the witnesse of Annius did beare the addition of their founder Magus: of which townes diuers are to be found in Ptolomie. And Antoninus a painfull surueior of the world and searcher of cities, maketh mention of foure of them here in Britaine, Sitomagus, Neomagus, Niomagus, and Nouiomagus. Neomagus sir Thomas Eliot writeth to haue stood where the citie of Chester now standeth; Niomagus, George Lillie placeth where the towne of Buckingham is now remaining. Beside this, Bale dooth so highlie commend the foresaid Magus for his learning