Chronicles 1: The Historie of England | Page 3

after the floud.] Thus was this Iland inhabited and
peopled within 200 yéeres after the floud by the children of Iaphet the sonne of Noah: &
this is not onlie prooued by Annius, writing vpon Berosus, but also confirmed by Moses
in the scripture, where he writeth, that 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 & Chaldæa, 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 quæsituri, 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 Chaldæa, 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.
* * * * *

_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 Celtæ. 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: _Cæsar. 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 æquinorus 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,