THE XXIX. CHAPTER.


Now in the meane time that Constantine had obteined and ruled the
whole empire, Britaine as it were hauing recouered libertie, in that
one of hir children being hir king, had got the gouernment of the
[Sidenote: Octauius. _Caxton_. Gewisses inhabited the countrie
which the west Saxons after held. The name of Gewisses came in with
the Saxons of Guuy, &c.]
whole earth, remained in better quiet than afore time she had doone.
But yet in the meane season, if we shall credit the British chronicle
and Geffrey of Monmouth the interpretor thereof; there was a British
lord, named Octauius or Octauian, as the old English chronicle nameth
him, that was duke of the Gewisses, and appointed by Constantine to
be ruler of the land in his absence, the which Octauius (after that
Constantine had recouered Rome and Italie, and was so busied in the
affaires of the empire in those parts, that as was thought, he could
not returne backe into Britaine) seized into his hands the whole
dominion of Britaine, and held himselfe for king.

[Sidenote: OCTAUIUS.]
This Octauius then beginning his reigne ouer the Britains in the
[Sidenote: _Galfridus_. Sidenote: 329.]
yéere of our Lord 329, prouoked Constantine to send against him one
of his mothers vncles, the foresaid Traherne. This Trahernus, or
as some name him Traherne, entred this land with three legions of
souldiers, & in a field néere vnto Winchester, was incountered by
[Sidenote: _Fabian_. _Galfridus_. This agréeth not
altogither with that which _Hector Boetius_ writeth, as in the