History of the Britons | Page 4

golden goblet.
2. And do not be loath, diligent reader, to winnow my chaff, and lay up
the wheat in the storehouse of your memory: for truth regards not who
is the speaker, nor in what manner it is spoken, but that the thing be
true; and she does not despise the jewel which she has rescued from the
mud, but she adds it to her former treasures.
For I yield to those who are greater and more eloquent than myself,
who, kindled with generous ardour, have endeavoured by Roman
eloquence to smooth the jarring elements of their tongue, if they have
left unshaken any pillar of history which I wished to see remain. This
history therefore has been compiled from a wish to benefit my inferiors,
not from envy of those who are superior to me, in the 858th year of our
Lord's incarnation, and in the 24th year of Mervin, king of the Britons,
and I hope that the prayers of my betters will be offered up for me in
recompence of my labour. But this is sufficient by way of preface. I
shall obediently accomplish the rest to the utmost of my power.

II. The Apology of Nennius

Here begins the apology of Nennius, the historiographer of the Britons,
of the race of the Britons.
3. I, Nennius, disciple of St. Elbotus, have endeavoured to write some
extracts which the dulness of the British nation had cast away, because
teachers had no knowledge, nor gave any information in their books
about this island of Britain. But I have got together all that I could find
as well from the annals of the Romans as from the chronicles of the
sacred fathers, Hieronymus, Eusebius, Isidorus, Prosper, and from the
annals of the Scots and Saxons, and from our ancient traditions. Many
teachers and scribes have attempted to write this, but somehow or other
have abandoned it from its difficulty, either on account of frequent
deaths, or the often recurring calamities of war. I pray that every reader
who shall read this book, may pardon me, for having attempted, like a
chattering jay, or like some weak witness, to write these things, after
they had failed. I yield to him who knows more of these things than I
do.

III. The History.

4, 5. From Adam to the flood, are two thousand and forty-two years.
From the flood of Abraham, nine hundred and forty-two. >From
Abraham to Moses, six hundred.* From Moses to Solomon, and the
first building of the temple, four hundred and forty-eight. >From
Solomon to the rebuilding of the temple, which was under Darius, king
of the Persians, six hundred and twelve years are computed. From
Darius to the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the fifteenth year
of the emperor Tiberius, are five hundred and forty-eight years. So that
from Adam to the ministry of Christ and the fifteenth year of the
emperor Tiberius, are five thousand two hundred and twenty-eight
years. From the passion of Christ are completed nine hundred and
forty-six; from his incarnation, nine hundred and seventy-six: being the
fifth year of Edmund, king of the Angles. * And forty, according to

Stevenson's new edition. The rest of this chronology is much contracted
in several of the manuscripts, and hardly two of them contain it exactly
the same.
6. The first age of the world is from Adam to Noah; the second from
Noah to Abraham; the third from Abraham to David; the fourth from
David to Daniel; the fifth to John the Baptist; the sixth from John to the
judgment, when our Lord Jesus Christ will come to judge the living and
the dead, and the world by fire.
The first Julius. The second Claudius. The third Severus. The fourth
Carinus. The fifth Constantius. The sixth Maximus. The seventh
Maximianus. The eighth another Severus Aequantius. The ninth
Constantius.* * This list of the Roman emperors who visited Britain, is
omitted in many of the MSS.
Here beginneth the history of the Britons, edited by Mark the anchorite,
a holy bishop of that people.
7. The island of Britain derives its name from Brutus, a Roman consul.
Taken from the south-west point it inclines a little towards the west,
and to its northern extremity measures eight hundred miles, and is in
breadth two hundred. It contains thirty three cities,[1] viz.
1. Cair ebrauc (York). 2. Cair ceint (Canterbury). 3. Cair gurcoc
(Anglesey?). 4. Cair guorthegern [2] 5. Cair custeint (Carnarvon). 6.
Cair guoranegon (Worcester). 7. Cair segeint (Silchester). 8. Cair guin
truis (Norwich, or Winwick). 9. Cair merdin (Caermarthen). 10. Cair
peris (Porchester). 11. Cair lion (Caerleon-upon-Usk). 12. Cair
mencipit (Verulam). 13. Cair caratauc (Catterick). 14. Cair ceri
(Cirencester). 15. Cair glout (Gloucester). 16. Cair luillid (Carlisle). 17.
Cair