peoples' speeches; that is, in the speech of the English race, and of the Britons, and Scots, and Picts, and Latins; only the Latin, in the study of the Scriptures, is common to all the others. In the beginning, the Britons alone were at first the inhabitants of this island, from whom it received [its] name: it is said that they came from the province Armorica into Britain, and seated themselves in the southern parts of this island, and made them their own.

3. Then it happened afterwards that the nation of the Picts came from the land of the Scythians in ships, and then ran round all the coasts of Britain, till they came up into Scotland (Ireland), and there found the Scots people, and begged of them a seat and dwelling-place in their land among them. The Scots answered them, that their land was not so much that they might have two nations, but they said, "We may give you wholesome advice, what ye may ye may do we know, not far hence, another island right east, which we may oft on light days see; if ye will seek that, then may ye there have a dwelling-place; or if any one shall withstand you, then will we help you." Then went the Picts into Britain, and began to inhabit the north parts of this island, and the Britons, as we ere said, the south parts. As the Picts had not wives, they asked them from the Scots; then agreed they to the condition, and gave them wives, "that if the matter should come into doubt, then they should choose a king to themselves of the female kin rather than of the male kin"; which yet to-day is held by the Picts.

4. Then in forthgoing time, after the Britons and Picts, Britain received a third race-[that] of the Scots in the Picts' portion. They were come out of Ireland, the island of the Scots, with their leader named Reada, [and] either by friendship or by fighting, gained to themselves a settlement and a dwelling place among them, which they now yet have: that race until to-day were called Dalreadings.

5. Ireland, the isle of the Scots, both in the breadth of its state and healthiness and mildness of the air, is much better than the land of Britain, so that there snow seldom lies longer than three days; and there no man mows hay in summer for winter's cold, nor builds stalls for his cattle, nor is any sneaking or venemous worm seen there, nor may any adder live there for adders were brought from Britain in ships; as soon as they smelt the air of

the land, they died; besides, nearly all things that come thence are good against every poison. It is a token [of this] that some men saw those who were bitten by adders-that one shaved the leaves of the books which came out of Ireland, and put the shavings into water, and gave it to the men to drink, and soon was the poison overtaken, and they were healed. The island is rich in milk and in honey, and vineyards wax in some places, and it is fish-breeding and fowl-breeding, and famous in the hunting of harts and roes. This is properly the country of the Scots; hence came the third race of the Scots into Britain, as we said before, as well as concerning the Britons and Picts.

CHAPTER II.

That the first emperor of the Romans Caius Julius sought Britain.

The Island Britain was unknown to the Romans until Caius Cesar, by surname Julius, sought it with an army, and subdued it, sixty winters ere Christ's coming.

CHAPTER III.

That the second emperor of the Romans, named Claudius, sought the same island and added the Orkney Isles to the empire of the Romans. Yea, also, Vespasian was sent by him, and he subjected the isle of Wight to the Roman empire.

Then after that Claudius the emperor, who was the fourth from Augustus, again led an army into Britain; and there, without heavy fighting and bloodshed, received a great deal of the land into his dominion. He likewise added the Orkney isles, which were out in the ocean beyond Britain, to the Roman empire; and in the sixth month after he came hither, he returned to Rome. This expedition was led in the fourth year of his reign: that year was from Christ's coming hither the forty-sixth. By the same emperor Claudius was Vespasian sent into Britain, who reigned after Nero. He overran the Isle of Wight, and subjected it to the dominion of the Romans: it is thirty miles long east and west, and twelve miles broad south and north. Then Nero took to the empire after Claudius Cesar, who began nothing profitable in the state; but among other innumerable damages of the Roman empire he lost the rule of Britain.

CHAPTER IV.

That Lucius king of the Britons sent a letter to Eleutherius the pope, prayed that he might be a Christian, and also obtained his request.

Then it was from Christ's hithercoming a hundred and fifty

six years, that Marcus by surname Antoninus, who was the fourteenth from Augustus Cesar, received the empire of the Romans with Aurelius his brother. In the times of these kings the holy man Eleuther was bishop and pope of the Roman church. Lucius king of Britain sent a letter to him, prayed and entreated him, that by his command he might be made a Christian. Aud quickly the performance of the pious prayer followed: and then the Britons received baptism and Christ's faith, and held that [faith] in mild peace until Diocletian's time-the evil emperor.

CHAPTER V.

That Severus the emperor took a great deal of Britain, and separated it with a dike from other untamed races.

Then it was about a hundred and eighty-nine winters from [our] Lord's incarnation, that Severus Cesar, who was of African kin, from the city called Leptis, [and] who was the seventeenth from Augustus, received the empire, and had it seventeen years. This emperor firmly ruled the state. But yet he came in war to Britain with an army, and there with great and heavy battles received a great deal of the island into his dominion, and begirt and fastened it from other barbarous races with a dike and an earth-wall, from sea to sea, and he there died of sickness in the city York, and Basianus, his son, received the government of Britain.

CHAPTER VI.

Of Diocletian's reign and how he was persecuting Christian men.

Then it came to pass about two hundred and eighty-six winters after the Lord's incarnation, that Diocletian the emperor, who was the thirty-third from Augustus, had the empire twenty years; he chose Maximianus to the help of his reign, and gave him the west-deal of the carth; and he took the royal weeds, and came into Britain. Then among the many evils which they did-Diocletian in the east-deal of the earth, and Maximianus in the westdeal-they oppressed and harried God's church, and harmed and slew Christian men. They took the tenth place in the persecution of God's churches after the emperor Nero. The persecution of wicked kings was more immoderate and more lasting than all that were done before on the earth. For through ten years fully the burnings of God's churches, and the for-doomings of guiltless [men], and the slaughter of holy martyrs, were incessantly done.

Britain too was then raised very high in much belief and confession of God.

CHAPTER VII.

The suffering of Alban and his companions, who at the same time shed their blood for the Lord.

1. Likewise at that time in Britain suffered saint Alban, of whom Fortunatus the priest, in the Praise of Virgins,' when he mentioned the blessed martyrs who came to the Lord out of all the earth, thus said:" The fruit-bearing Britain brings forth the noble Albanus." Alban was yet a heathen, when the commands of the truthless kings raged against Christian men; then it fell out that he received in hospitality some man of God, in priesthood, who was fleeing from the fierce persecutors. And when he saw him then to be busied in constant prayers and in watchings, day and night, then was he suddenly sown with the divine grace and obtained mercy; and he soon began [to shew] examples of his faith and piety; as also piece-meal he was taught by his wholesome exhortations, [so] that he forsook the darkness of devilworship, and from his inward heart became a Christian. With that when the foresaid man of God was many days with him as a guest, then came it to the ear of the wicked alderman, that Alban had Christ's confessor secretly with him. Then quickly ordered he his officers to seek and ask for him. Then as soon as they came to the martyr's house, saint Alban arrayed himself for the stranger whom he entertained, [who was] also his master, in his monkish garb, and went on hand to them, and they led him bound to the [alderman].

2. Then it fell out at the same time that Alban was led to him, that the judge stood at his altars, and offered sacrifice to devils. When he looked at saint Alban, then he soon became angry, because he by his own will had been so bold that he gave himself into the power of such danger for the stranger whom he entertained as a guest; then he ordered [them] to drag and lead him to the idol-altar at which he was standing. He thus spoke to him: "Because thou wouldest hide from me the offender, and the adversary, and the despiser of our gods, rather than tell my officers, know thou then, that thou shalt undergo the same punishment which he deserved, if thou thinkest to go off from the observance of our religion." And saint Alban then of his own will showed

man.

and opened to the persecutors of God's belief, that he was a Christian, and that he did not dread the threatening of the alderBut he was begirt with the weapons of the ghostly warfare, and he openly said that he would not obey his commands. Then said he (the alderman and judge) to him; Tell me of what family and of what kin thou art. And then answered him saint Alban; What concerns it thee from what root I be sprung? But if thou wish to hear the truth of my religion, then wit thou that I am a Christian, and will serve Christian offices. Then said the judge to him: Tell me thy name, what thou art called. Then said he; I am called Alban from my parents; and I always worship the true and living God, who made heaven and earth and all creatures, and to him I pray.

3. Then the judge became wroth and said to him; If thou wish to brook the happiness of this life with us, delay not to sacrifice to the great gods with us. Then answered St Alban; The sacrifices which have been yielded to devils by you, cannot help the devotees, nor fulfil their desires nor their wills. But yet truer it is that whosoever offers sacrifice to these likenesses and idols, he shall receive for his meed the everlasting torments of hell's pain. When the judge heard these words, then was he with much heat and anger stirred up. Then he ordered and commanded them quickly to scourge and torture the acknowledger of God: he thought and weened that by scourging he should soften the boldness' and steadfastness of his heart, which by words he could not [do]. When he then was weakened with severe scourging and tortures, and bore and sustained all the pains that were inflicted upon him patiently and joyfully for the Lord, and when the judge then knew that, and then understood that he could not overcome him by tortures and by scourging, nor could turn him from the observance of the Christian religion, then he ordered [them] to cut off his head.

2

4. While he then was led to death, then came he to a very rapid river, which flows nigh the city-walls, and he saw there a great multitude of people of either sex, and there were men of various ages and conditions. The multitude of people, without doubt, was called by divine instigation to attendance upon the blessed martyr, and they were so busied on the bridge of the stream, that they could scarcely go over before evening; and, nearly all going (1) Byldo B.―bedu Smith. (2) Or affected, treated; But MS. B reads-not weakened.