Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (1 of 8) - From the Time That It Was First Inhabited, Vntill the Time That It Was Last Conquered: Wherein the Sundrie Alterations of the State Vnder Forren People Is Declared; And Other Manifold Observations Re by Raphael Holinshed
page 25 of 32 (78%)
page 25 of 32 (78%)
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to haue sought to make battell against heauen, are called the sonnes of
the earth: and the first inhabitants generally of euery countrie were of the Gréekes called _Gigines_, or _Gegines_, and of the Latines [Sidenote: _Aborigines_. _Indigenæ_.] _Aborigines_, and _Indigenæ_, that is, People borne of the earth from the beginning, and comming from no other countrie, but bred within the same. These giants and first inhabitants of this Ile continued in their beastlie kind of life vnto the arriuall of the ladies, which some of our chronicles ignorantly write to be the daughters of Dioclesian the king of Assyria, whereas in déed they haue béene deceiued, in taking the [Sidenote: The mistaking of the name of Dioclesianus for Danaus.] word _Danaus_ to be short written for _Dioclesianus_: and by the same meanes haue diuers words and names béene mistaken, both in our chronicles, and in diuers other ancient written woorks. But this is a fault that learned men should not so much trouble themselues about, considering the [Sidenote: _Hugh the Italian_. _Harding_. Iohn Rous_ out of _Dauid Pencair_.] same hath bin alreadie found by sundrie authors ling sithens, as Hugh the Italian, Iohn Harding, Iohn Rouse of Warwike, and others, speciallie by the helpe of Dauid Pencair a British historie, who recite the historie vnder the name of Danaus and his daughters. And because we would not any man to thinke, that the historie of these daughters of Danaus is onelie of purpose deuised, and brought in place of Dioclesianus, to excuse the imperfection of our writers, whereas there was either no such historie (or at the least no such women that [Sidenote: _Nennius_.] arriued in this Ile) the authoritie of Nennius a Briton writer may be |
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