[Sidenote: Cassibellane a King.]
Cassibellane, who was therefore called a king.

And though we doo admit this to be true, yet may it be, that in the
beginning, after Brute entered the land, there was ordeined by him a
monarchie, as before is mentioned, which might continue in his
posteritie manie yeares after, and yet at length before the comming of
Cesar, through ciuil dissention, might happilie be broken, and diuided
into parts, and so remained not onelie in the time of this Cassibellane,
but also long after, whilest they liued as tributaries to the Romans,
till finallie they were subdued by the Saxons. In which meane time,
through the discord, negligence, or rather vnaduised rashnes of writers,
hard it is to iudge what may be affirmed and receiued in their writings
for a truth; namelie, concerning the succession of the kings that are
said to haue reigned betwixt the daies of Cassibellane, and the comming
[Sidenote: _Cor. Tacit. in uita. lib. Agr._]
of the Saxons. The Roman writers (and namelie Tacitus) report, that
the Britains in times past were vnder the rule of kings, and after
being made tributaries, were drawne so by princes into sundrie
factions, that to defend and kéepe off a common ieopardie, scarselie
would two or thrée cities agrée togither, and take weapon in hand
with one accord, so that while they fought by parts, the whole was
ouercome. And after this sort they say that Britaine was brought into
the forme of a prouince by the Romans, from whom gouernors vnder the
name of legats and procurators were sent that had the rule of it.

But yet the same authors make mention of certeine kings (as hereafter
shall appeare) who while the Romane emperors had the most part of the
earth in subiection, reigned in Britaine. The same witnesseth
[Sidenote: _Gildas in epist._]