Thofe that came over were of the three most Powerful Nations of Germany, Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. From the b Jutes are defcended the People of Kent, and of the Ille of Wight, and thofe which in the Province of the Weft-Saxons are to this Day call'd the Nation of the Jutes, feated oppofite to the Ile of Wight. From the Saxons, that is, the Country which is now call'd the Old Saxons, came the Eaft-Saxons, the South-Saxons, and the Weft-Saxons. From the C. Angles, that is, the Country call'd Angelland, and is faid from that Time to remain defart to this Day, between the Provinces of the Jutes and the Saxons, are defcended the Eaft-Angles, the Midland Angles, Mercians, all the Race of the Northumbrians, that is, of those Nations that inhabit on the North fide of the River Humber, and the other Nations of the English. Their first two Commanders are faid to have been Hengift and Horfa. Of whom Horfa being after b Juices or Goths came from the upper Part of Denmark, call'd Juieland, Mr. Cambden thinks they may have defcended from the Gutti of Prolomy, plac'd in Scandia, whofe chief Seat is Gothland. The Angles, are by fome faid to have liv'd in West phalia, where Prolomy places the Saevi Angli; others in Pomerania, where there is a Town call'd Angleon; Bede here plaees them between the Saxons and Jutes, which Mr Cambden enlarges upon, and fays, that Juteland and Holfacia, the old Seats of the Saxons, is a Province in Denmark, under the City of Flemsberg, call'd at this Day, Angel, which Lindebergius calls little England, and confirms his Opinion by the Authority of the aforesaid Ethelward, who fays Old Anglia is fituated between the Saxons and Giots, whole Capital City is in Saxon call'd Slefwick, b the Danes, Haithbay. See Camba. Brie. afterwards flain in d War by the Britons, has still a e Monument famous for his Name in the Eastern Parts of Kent. They were the Sons of Vigilfus, whofe Father was Vecta, whofe Father was Woden; from whofe Stock the Regal Race of many Provinces deduce their Original. In fhort, Swarms of the aforefaid Nations hasting over into the Inland, the new-come People began to increafe, infomuch that they be came terrible to the Natives themselves, who had call'd them. Then having on a fudden enter'd into a League with the Picts, whom they had by this Time drove to a greater diftance by force of Arms, they began to turn their Weapons upon their Confederates. At fift they oblig'd them to furnish greater Plenty of Provifions; and fecking an occasion to fall out, protefted, that unless greater Store of Provifions were brought them, they would break the Confederacy, and ravage all the Ifland; nor were they backward in puttitig their Threats in Execution. In short, the Fire kindled by the Hands of the Pagans, prov'd God's juft Revenge for the Crimes of the People; not unlike that which being once lighted by the Chaldeans, confum'd the Walls and all the Buildings of Jerufalem. . For the wicked Conqueror acting here in the fame manner, or rather the juft Judge fo ordaining, plundering all the neighbouring Cities and Country, & This Battle was fought between Vortimer, or Guortimer, and Hengist at Ailsford in Kent. At Horfied in Kent. This Genealogy is exalt with that in the Saxon Chironicle. Country, they carried on the Conflagration from the Eastern to the Western Sea, without any Oppofition, and almost cover'd all the Superficies of the perishing Island. Publick, as well as private Structures were overturn'd; the Priests were every where flain before the Altars; the Prelates and the People, without any respect of Perfons, were destroy'd with Fire and Sword; nor was there any to bury them, thus cruelly flaughter'd. Thus fome of the miferable Remains being taken in the Mountains, were butcher'd in Heaps. Others fpent with Hunger, coming abroad, fubmit ted themselves to the Enemy, for Food, being to undergo perpetual Servitude, unless they were immediately kill'd. Others with forrowful Hearts filed to Countries beyond the Sea. Others continuing in their Country full of dread, led a poor Life on Mountains, in Woods, and on craggy Rocks, always uneasy in their Minds. CHAP. XVI. That the Britons obtain'd their firft Victory over the Nation of the Angles, under the Conduct of Ambrofius, a Roman. W HEN the victorious Army, having deftroy'd and difpers'd the Natives of the Ifland, was return'd home; they alfo began by Degrees to take Heart, and gather Strength, Strength, fallying out of the lurking Places where they had lain hid, unanimously imploring the Divine Affiftance, that they might not be utterly cut off. They had at that Time for their Leader, Ambrofius & Aurelius, a modeft Man, who alone perhaps of the Roman Nation had furviv'd that Storm, all the Royal Progeny having been flain in the fame. Under this Commander the Britons reviv'd, and offering Battle to the Victors, by the Help of God came off victorious. From that Day fometimes the 'Natives, and fometimes their Enemies prevail'd, till the Year of the Siege of Baddefdown-Hill, when they made no fmall Slaughter of thofe Invaders; being about the 44th Year of their Arrival in England. of this hereafter. ) }" But 8 The Saxon Writres taking fo little notice of this great Man Aurelius, is thought owing to their Partiality for their Ancestors. Huntington reports Ambrofius to have join'd Vortigern's two Sons, Vortinier and Catigis, that the first Battle was at Ailftrue or Elftree, and the second at Creganford, in the Saxon Ahnal Epeccanyons) now Crayford in Kent. The Author of the Saxon Annals mentions 4000 Men kill'd and the Britains defeated, but takes no notice any where of Ambrofius; fo that Bede here alludes to that of Marsbelly. Gildas fays, fome of Ambrofius's PeAerity were alive in bis Time, but degenerated. CHAP T. S ་ CHA P. XVII, How German, the Bishop, failing into Bri tain with Lupus, first quell'd the Tem peft of the Sea, and afterwards that of the Pelagians, by divine Power. 1 JOME few Years before their Arrival, the Pelagian Herely brought over by Agricola, the Son of Severianus a Pelagian Bishop, had laid a foul peftilential Blemish upon the Faith of the Britains. But the Britons abfolutely refufing to embrace that perverfe Doctrine, blafpheming the Grace of CHRIST, and not being able to confute the Subtilty of that wicked Perfuafion by force of Argument, thought of an wholfome Method, which was to crave Aid of the Gallican Prelates in that fpiritual War. Hereupon having gather'd a great Synod, they confulted together, what Perfons fhould be fent thither, and by unanimous Confent, choice was made of the Apoftolical Priests, a German, Bishop of Auxerre, and Lupus of Troyes, to go into Britain to confirm the Faith of Grace. They having readily taken upon them to comply with the Request and Commands of the Holy Church, put to Sea, and fail'd half Way over from Gaul to Britain with a fair Gale. There a The Life of St. German was written by Conftantius, a Prieft of the Gallican-Church, whom Bede follows. |