Chronicles 1: The Historie of England | Page 5

Gallia (as Auentinus witnesseth) by Tiberius and Claudius the emperours; and [Sidenote: _Anna. Boiorum. lib._ 22.] lastlie abolished here in Britaine (by the report of Caius) when the gospell of Christ by the preaching of Fugatius and Damianus was receiued [Sidenote: _De ant. Cant._] among the Britaines, vnder Lucius king of Britaine, about the yeare of our sauior, 179.
[Sidenote: BARDUS THE SONNE OF DRUIS. _Berosus ant. lib._ 2. _Annius in commen. super eundem_. _Ant. Cant li._ 1. _script. Britan. cent._ 1. Nonnius. _Marcel._ Strabo. _Diodor. Sicul. lib._ 6. _Carol. Stepha. in dict. hist._ Bale. Iohn Prise.] Bardus the sonne of Druis succéeded his father in the kingdome of Celtica, and was the fift king ouer the Celtes and Samotheans, amongst whom he was highlie renoumed (as appeareth by Berosus) for inuention of dities and musicke, wherein Annius of Viterbo writeth, that he trained his people: and of such as excelled in this knowledge, he made an order of philosophicall poets or heraulds, calling them by his owne name Bardi. And it should séeme by doctor Caius and master Bale, that C?sar found some of them here at his arriuall in this Ile, and reported that they had also their first begining in the same. The profession and vsages of these Bardi, Nonnius, Strabo, Diodorus, Stephanus, Bale, and sir Iohn Prise, are in effect reported after this sort. They did vse to record the noble exploits of the ancient capteins, and to drawe the pedegrées and genealogies of such as were liuing. They would frame pleasant dities and songs, learne the same by heart, and sing them to instruments at solemne feasts and assemblies of noble men and gentlemen. Wherefore they were had in so high estimation, that if two hosts had bene readie ranged to ioine in battell, and that any of them had fortuned to enter among them, both the hosts (as well the enimies as the friends) would haue holden their hands, giuen eare vnto them, and ceassed from fight, vntill these Bards [Sidenote: _Lucan. lib._ 1.] had gone out of the battell. Of these Bards Lucane saith,
Vos quoq; qui fortes animas bellóq; peremptas, Laudius in longum vares dimittítis ?uum, Plurima securi fudistis carmina Bardi:
[Sidenote: _II. F._] And you ? poet Bards from danger void that dities sound, Of soules of dreadlesse men, whom rage of battell would confound, And make their lasting praise to time of later age rebound.
Because the names of these poets were neither discrepant from the ciuilitie of the Romans, nor repugnant to the religion of the Christians, they (of all the other sects before specified) were suffered onlie to continue vnabolished in all ages, insomuch that there flourished of them among the Britains (according to Bale) before the birth of Christ, [Sidenote: _Iohn Bale script. Britan. cent._ 2. _John Prise defen hist. Brit._ _Caius de ant._ _Cant. lib._ 1. Iohn Leland _syllab. ant dict._ _Hum. Lloyd de Mona insula_] Plenidius and Oronius: after Christ (as Prise recounteth) Thalestine, and the two Merlins, Melkin, Elaskirion, and others: and of late daies among the Welshmen, Dauid Die, Ioslo Gough, Dauid ap William, with an infinite number more. And in Wales there are sundrie of them (as Caius reporteth) remaining vnto this day, where they are in their language called (as Leland writeth) Barthes. Also by the witnes of Humfrey Llhoyd, there is an Iland néere vnto Wales, called Insula Bardorum, and Bardsey, whereof the one name in Latine, and the other in Saxon or old English, signifieth the Iland of the Bardes or Barthes.
_Thus farré the gouernement of the Celts in this Ile._
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AN APPENDIX TO THE FORMER CHAPTER.
[Sidenote: _Bale_] After Bardus, the Celts (as Bale saith) loathing the streict ordinances of their ancient kings, and betaking themselues to pleasure and idlenesse, were in short time, and with small labour brought vnder the subiection of the giant Albion, the sonne of Neptune, who altering the state of things in this Iland, streicted the name of Celtica and the Celts within the bounds of Gallia, from whence they came first to inhabit this land vnder the conduct of Samothes, as before ye haue heard, accordinglie as Annius [Sidenote: Annius.] hath gathered out of Berosus the Chaldean, who therein agréeth also with [Sidenote: Theophilus.] the scripture, the saieng of Theophilus the doctor, and the generall consent of all writers, which fullie consent, that the first inhabitants of this Ile came out of the parties of Gallia, although some of them dissent about the time and maner of their comming. Sir Brian Tuke [Sidenote: Sir Brian Tuke.] thinketh it to be ment of the arriuall of Brute, when he came out of [Sidenote: _C?sar_.] those countries into this Ile. C?sar and Tacitus seeme to be of opinion, that those Celts which first inhabited here, came