Chronicles 1: The Historie of England | Page 7

vncorrupt stature and
highnesse naturallie incident to the first [Sidenote: Berosus.] age (which Berosus also
séemeth to allow, where he writeth, that Noah was one of the giants) and were not so
called only of their monstrous greatnesse, as the common people thinke (although in deed
they exceeded the vsuall stature of men now in these daies) but also for that they tooke
their name of the soile where they were borne: for Gigantes [Sidenote: What Gigantes
signifie] signifieth the sons of the earth: the Aborigines, or (as Cesar calleth them)
Indigenæ; that is, borne and bred out of the earth where they inhabited.
Thus some thinke, but verelie although that their opinion is not to be allowed in any
condition, which maintaine that there should be any [Sidenote: Against the opinion of the
Aborigines.] Aborigines, or other kind of men than those of Adams line; yet that there
haue béene men of far greater stature than are now to be found, is sufficientlie prooued
by the huge bones of those that haue beene found in our time, or lately before: whereof
here to make further relation it shall not need, sith in the description of Britaine ye shall
find it sufficientlie declared.
[Sidenote: Bale. Bergion brother to Albion. Hercules Lybicus.] But now to our purpose.
As Albion held Britaine in subiection, so his brother Bergion kept Ireland and the
Orkenies vnder his rule and dominion, and hearing that their coosine Hercules Lybicus
hauing finished his conquests in Spaine, meant to passe through Gallia into Italie, against

their brother Lestrigo that oppressed Italie, vnder subiection of him & other of his
brethren the sons also of Neptune; as well Albion as Bergion assembling their powers
togither, passed ouer into Gallia, to stoppe the passage of Hercules, whose intention was
to vanquish and destroie those tyrants the sonnes of Neptune, & their complices that kept
diuers countries and regions vnder the painefull yoke of their heauie thraldome.
[Sidenote: The cause why Hercules pursued his cousins.] The cause that moued Hercules
thus to pursue vpon those tyrants now reigning thus in the world, was, for that not long
before, the greatest part of them had conspired togither and slaine his father Osiris,
notwithstanding that they were nephues to the same Osiris, as sonnes to his brother
Neptune, and not contented with his slaughter, they diuided his carcase also amongst
them, so that each of them got a péece in token of reioising at their murtherous atchiued
enterprise.
For this cause Hercules (whome Moses calleth Laabin) proclamed warres against them all
in reuenge of his fathers death: and first he killed Triphon and Busiris in Aegypt, then
Anteus in Mauritania, & the Gerions in Spaine, which enterprise atchined, he led his
armie towardes Italie, and by the way passed through a part of Gallia, where Albion and
Bergion [Sidenote: _Pomp. Mela._] hauing vnited their powers togither, were readie to
receiue him with battell: and so néere to the mouth of the riuer called Rhosne, in Latine
Rhodanus, they met & fought. At the first there was a right terrible and cruell conflict
betwixt them. And albeit that Hercules had the greatest number of men, yet was it verie
doubtfull a great while, to whether part the glorie of that daies worke would bend.
Whereupon when the victorie began outright to turne vnto Albion, and to his brother
Bergion, Hercules perceiuing the danger and likelihood of vtter losse of that battell,
speciallie for that his men had wasted their weapons, he caused those that stood still and
were not otherwise occupied, to stoope downe, and to gather vp stones, whereof in that
place there was great plentie, which by his commandement they bestowed so fréelie vpon
[Sidenote: Hercules discomfiteith his enimies. Albion is slaine.] their enimies, that in the
end hée obteined the victorie, and did not only put his adversaries to flight, but also slue
Albion there in the field, togither with his brother Bergion, and the most part of all their
whole armie. This was the end of Albion, and his brother Bergion, by the valiant
prowesse of Hercules, who as one appointed by Gods prouidence to subdue the cruell &
vnmercifull tyrants, spent his time to the benefit of mankind, deliuering the oppressed
from the heauie yoke of miserable thraldome, in euerie place where he came.
[Sidenote: The occasion of the fable of Jupiter helping his son Hercules.] And by the
order of this battell wée maye learne whereof the poets had their inuention, when they
faine in their writings, that Jupiter holpe his sonne Hercules, by throwing downe stones
from heauen in this battell against Albion and Bergion. Moreouer, from henceforth was
this Ile of [Sidenote: How this Ile was called Albion, of the giant Albion. Iohn Bale.]
Britaine called Albion