Humber, wasted the countrie on ech side. Maximianus thereof hauing
aduertisement, raised his power and went against him, and so fighting
with him diuers battels, sometime departed awaie with victorie, and
sometime with losse. At length through mediation of friends, a peace
was made betwixt them. Finallie this Maximianus, or (as the Romane
histories say) Maximus, was by the souldiers chosen and proclaimed
emperour here in Britaine: although some write that this was doone in
Spaine.

[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon. Fabian. Caxton. Matth. West._ The British youth
led forth of the realme by Maximianus. Britaine in France.]
After he had taken vpon him the imperiall dignitie, vpon desire to
haue inlarged his dominion, he assembled togither all the chosen youth
of this land méet to doo seruice in the warres, with the which he
passed ouer into France, & there (as our writers record) he first
subdued the countrie ancientlie called Armorica, and slue in battell
the king thereof called Imball. This doone he gaue the countrie vnto
Conan Meridoc, which was there with him, to hold the same of him, and
of the kings of great Britaine for euer. He also commanded that the
said countrie from thencefoorth should be called litle Britaine, and
so was the name changed. What people soeuer inhabited there before,
the ancient name argueth that they were rather Britains than anie
other: for Armorica in the British toong signifieth as much as a
countrie lieng vpon the sea.

Conan then placing himselfe and his Britains in that quarter of
Gallia, auoided all the old inhabitants, peopling that countrie onelie
with Britains, which abhorring to ioine themselues with women borne in
Gallia, Conan was counselled to send into Britaine for maids to be
[Sidenote: Dionethius duke of Cornwall.]