History of the Britons | Page 4

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 grant (Grantchester, now Cambridge). 18. Cair daun (Doncaster), or Cair dauri (Dorchester). 19. Cair britoc (Bristol). 20. Cair meguaid (Meivod). 21. Cair mauiguid (Manchester). 22. Cair ligion (Chester). 23. Cair guent (Winchester, or Caerwent, in Monmouthshire). 24. Cair collon (Colchester, or St. Colon, Cornwall). 25. Cair londein (London). 26. Cair guorcon (Worren, or Woran, in Pembrokeshire). 27. Cair lerion (Leicester). 28. Cair draithou (Drayton). 29. Cair pensavelcoit (Pevensey, in Sussex). 30. Cairtelm (Teyn-Grace, in Devonshire). 31. Cair Urnahc (Wroxeter, in Shropshire). 32. Cair colemion (Camelet, in Somersetshire). 33. Cair