LIV.
This good King fhortly without iffue dy'd,`
Whereof great trouble in the Kingdom grew,
That did herself in fundry parts divide,
And with her powre her own felf overthrew,
Whilft Romans daily did the weak subdue :
Which feeing, stout Bunduca up arose,
And taking arms, the Britons to her drew;
With whom she marched ftraight against her foes,
And them unwares befides the Severn did enclofe.
LV.
There fhe with them a cruel battle tride,
Not with fo good fuccefs, as fhe deserv'd;
By reason that the captains on her fide,
Corrupted by Paulinus, from her fwerv'd:
Yet fuch as were through former flight preferv'd,
Gathering again, her hoft fhe did renew,
And with fresh courage on the victor ferv'd:
But being all defeated fave a few,
Rather than fly, or be captiv'd, her self she flew.
LVI.
O famous monument of womens praise,
Matchable either to Semiramis,
Whom antique history so high doth raise,
Or to Hypfiphil', or to Thomiris :
Her hoft two hundred thousand numbred is;
Who whiles good fortune favoured her might,
Triumphed oft against her enemies ;
And yet though overcome in hapless fight, She triumphed on death, in enemies defpight. LVII.
Her reliques Fulgent having gathered,
Fought with Severus, and him overthrew ;
Yet in the chace was flain of them that fled;
So made them victors, whom he did subdue
Then 'gan Caraufius tyrannize anew,
And gainst the Romans bent their proper powre,
And him Aleus treacherously flew,
And took on him the robe of Emperoure: Nath'lefs the fame enjoyed but short happy hourę:
For Afclepiodate him overcame,
And left inglorious on the vanquifht plain,
Without or robe, or rag, to hide his fhame.
Then afterwards he in his ftead did reign;
But shortly was by Coyl in battle flain :
Who after long debate, fince Lucies time,
Was of the Britons firft crown'd foverain :
Then 'gan this realm renew her paffed prime :
He of his name Coylchefter built of stone and lime.
LIX.
Which when the Romans heard, they hither fent
Conftantius, a man of mickle might,
With whom King Coyl made an agreement,
And to him gave for wife his daughter bright,
Fair Helena, the faireft living wight;
Who in all godly thews, and goodly praise
Did far excell, but was moft famous hight
For fkill in mufick of all in her days,
As well in curious inftruments, as cunning lays.
LX.
Of whom he did great Conftantine beget,
Who afterward was Emperour of Rome;
To which whiles absent he his mind did fet,
Octavius here lept into his room,
And it ufurped by unrighteous doom:
But he his title juftifide by might,
Slaying Trabern, and having overcome
The Roman legion in dreadful fight:
So fettled he his Kingdom, and confirm'd his right.
But wanting iffue male, his daughter dear
He gave in wedlock to Maximian,
And him with her made of his Kingdom heir,
Who foon by means thereof the Empire wan,
Till murdred by the friends of Gratian:
Then 'gan the Huns and Pics invade this land,
During the reign of Maximinian;
Who dying, left none heir them to withstand,
But that they overran all parts with easie hand.
The weary Britons, whofe war-hable youth
Was by Maximian lately led away,
With wretched miferies, and woeful ruth,
Were to those Pagans made an open prey,
And daily fpectacle of fad decay:
Whom Roman wars, which now four hundred years,
And more had wafted, could no whit difmay;
Till by confent of commons and of peers,
They crown'd the fecond Conftantine with joyous tears,
LXIII.
Who having oft in battle vanquished
Those spoilful Picts, and fwarming Eafterlings,
Long time in peace his realm established,
Yet oft annoy'd with fundry bordragings
Of neighbour Scots, and foreign fcatterlings,
With which the world did in those days abound:
Which to outbar, with painful pionings
From fea to fea he heapt a mighty mound,
Which from Alcluid to Panwelt did that border bound,
LXIV.
Three fons he dying left, all under age:
By means whereof, their uncle Vortigere
Ufurp the crown, during their pupillage;
Which th' infants tutors gathering to fear,
Them closely into Armorick did bear:
For dread of whom, and for those Pits annoys.
He fent to Germany, strange aid to rear,
From whence eftfoons arrived here three hoys
Of Saxons, whom he for his fafety imploys.
Two brethren were their capitains, which hight
Hengift and Horfus, well approv'd in war,
And both of them men of renowned might;
Who making vantage of their civil jar,
And of thofe foreigners, which came from far,
Grew great, and got large portions of land,
That in the realm ere long they stronger are,
Than they which fought at first their helping hand,
And Vortiger enforft the Kingdom to aband.
But by the help of Vortimere his fon,
He is again unto his rule restor❜d,
And Hengift feeming fad for that was done,
Received is to grace and new accord,
Through his fair daughters face, and flattring word;
Soon after which, three hundred Lords he flew
Of British blood, all fitting at his bord;
Whofe doleful monuments who lift to rew,
Th'eternal marks of treafon may at Stonbenge view.
LXVII.
By this the fons of Conftantine, which fled,
Ambrofe and Uther did ripe years attain,
And here arriving, ftrongly challenged
The crown, which Vortiger did long detain:
Who flying from his guilt, by them was flain,
And Hengift eke foon brought to fhameful death.
Thenceforth Aurelius peaceably did reign,
Till that through poifon stopped was his breath; So now entombed lyes at Stonhenge by the heath. LXVII.
After him Uther, which Pendragon hight,
Succeeding, there abruptly it did end,
Without full point, or other cefure right,
As if the reft fome wicked hand did rend,
Or the author felf could not at least attend
To finish it: that fo untimely breach
The Prince himself half feemeth to offend,
Yet fecret pleasure did offence empeach,
And wonder of antiquity long ftopt his fpeech.
LIX.
At last, quite ravisht with delight to hear
The royal offspring of his native land,
Cride out, dear country, O how dearly dear
Ought thy remembrance, and perpetual band
Be to thy fofter child, that from thy hand
Did common breath and nouriture receive!
How brutish is it, not to understand
How much to her we owe, that all us gave,
That gave unto us all, whatever good we have,
But Guyon all this while his book did read,
Ne yet has ended: for it was a great
And ample volume, that doth far exceed
My leifure, fo long leaves here to repeat:
It told how firft Prometheus did create
A man, of many parts from beafts derivd,
And then stole fire from heav'n, to animate
His work, for which he was by Jove deprivd
Of life himself, and heart-ftrings of an Eagle rivd.
LXXI.
That man fo made, he called Elfe, to weet,
Quick, the first author of all Elfin kind:
Who wandring through the world with weary feet,
Did in the gardens of Adonis find
A goodly creature, whom he deem'd in mind
To be no earthly wight, but either fpright,
Or Angel, th'author of all woman-kind;
Therefore a Fay he her according hight,
Of whom all Fairies fpring, and fetch their linage right.
LXXII.
Of these a mighty people fhortly grew,
And puiffant Kings, which all the world warray'd,
And to themfelves all nations did fubdew :
The first and eldeft, which that fcepter fway'd,
Was Elfin; him all India obey'd,
And all that now America men call:
Next him was noble Elfinan, who lay'd
Cleopolis foundation first of all:
But Elfiline enclos'd it with a golden wall.
LXXIII.
His Son was Elfinel, who overcame
The wicked Gobbelines in bloody field:
But Elfant was of most renowned fame,
Who all of chryftal did Panthea build:
Then Elfar, who two brethren Giants killed,
The one of which had two heads, th'other three:
Then Elfinor, who was in magick skilld;
He built by art upon the glaffy fea
A bridge of brass, whofe found heavens thunder feem'd
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