to remaine as inhabitants. And wheras the Britains got them to their
wall to defend the same, that the enimies should not passe further
into the countrie, they were in the end beaten from it, and diuers of
them slaine, so that the Scots and Picts entred vpon them and pursued
them in more cruell maner than before, so that the Britains being
chased out of their cities, townes, and dwelling houses, were
constreined to flie into desert places, and there to remaine and liue
after the maner of sauage people, and in the end began to rob and
spoile one another, so to auoid the danger of staruing for lacke of
food: and thus at the last the countrie was so destroied and wasted,
that there was no other shift for them that was left aliue to liue by,
except onelie by hunting and taking of wild beasts and foules. And
[Sidenote: _Hector Boet._ Rebellion.]
to augment their miserie, the commons imputing the fault to rest in
the lords and gouernors, arose against them in armes, but were
vanquished and easilie put to flight at two seuerall times, being
beaten downe and slaine (through lacke of skill) in such numbers,
especiallie the latter time, that the residue which escaped, withdrew
into the craggie mounteins, where within the bushes and caues they
kept themselues close, sometimes comming downe and fetching away from
the heards of beasts and flocks of shéepe which belonged to the nobles
and gentlemen of the countrie, great booties to relieue them withall.
But at length oppressed with extreme famine, when neither part could
long remaine in this state, as néeding one anothers helpe, necessitie
[Sidenote: Ciuill warre decaied the force of the Britains. What
mischiefe follow of ciuill warres.]
made peace betwixt the lords and commons of the land, all iniuries
being pardoned and cléerelie forgiuen. This ciuill warre decaied the
force of the Britains, little lesse than the tyrannicall practises of
Maximus, for by the auoiding of the commons thus out of their houses,