enimies, that he constreined the said Guanius and Melga to flie out of
the land, and to withdraw into Ireland. In this meane while, Maximus
hauing slaine the emperor Gratian at Lions in France, and after
entring into Italie, was slaine himselfe at Aquilia (after he had
gouerned the Britains eight yéeres) by the emperour Theodosius, who
came in aid of Valentinian, brother to the said emperor Gratian, as ye
may find in the abridgement of the histories of Italie.

¶ But here yet before we make an end with this Maximus or Maximianus,
I haue thought good to set downe the words which we find in Gyldas,
where he writeth of the same Maximus, vndoubtedlie a Britaine
[Sidenote: Consobrinus Helenæ imperatricis.]
borne, nephue to the empresse Helen, and begotten by a Romane. "At
length (saith Gyldas) the spring of tyrants budding vp, and now
increasing into an huge wood, the Ile being called after the name of
Rome, but holding neither maners nor lawes according to that name, but
rather casting the same from it, sendeth foorth a branch of hir most
bitter planting, to wit Maximus, accompanied with a great number of
warriors to gard him, and apparelled in the imperiall robes which he
neuer ware as became him, nor put them on in lawfull wise, but (after
the custome of tyrants) was put into them by the mutining souldiers:
which Maximus at the first by craftie policie rather than by true
manhood winding in (as nets of his periurie and false suggestion)
vnto his wicked gouernement the countries & prouinces next adioining,
against the imperiall state of Rome, stretching one of his wings into
Spaine, and the other into Italie, placed the throne of his most
vniust empire at Trier, and shewed such rage in his wood dealing
against his souereigne lords, that the one of the lawfull emperours he
expelled out of Rome, and the other he bereft of his most religious
and godlie life. Now without long tariance, compassed about with