the ground laie vntilled, whereof insued such famine for the space of
thrée yéeres togither, that a woonderfull number of people died for
want of sustenance.

Thus the Britains being brought generallie into such extreame miserie,
[Sidenote: Actius.]
they thought good to trie if they might purchase some aid of that
noble man Actius, which at that time remained in France as yet called
Gallia, gouerning the same as lieutenant vnder the emperor Honorius:
and herevpon taking counsell togither, they wrote a letter to him, the
tenor whereof insueth.

_To Actius thrise consull_.

"The lamentable request of vs the Britains, beseeching you of aid
to bee ministred vnto the prouince of the Romane empire, vnto our
countrie, vnto our wiues and children at this present, which stand in
most extreame perill. For the barbarous people driue vs to the sea,
and the sea driueth vs backe vnto them againe. Hereof rise two kinds
of death, for either we are slaine, or drowned, and against such euils
haue we no remedie nor helpe at all. Therefore in respect of your
clemencie, succor your owne we most instantlie require you, &c."

Notwithstanding the Britains thus sought for aid at Actius hands as
[Sidenote: The Britains could get no aid fr[=o] the Romans.]
then the emperours lieutenant, yet could they get none; either
for that Actius would not, as he that passed litle how things went,
bicause he bare displeasure in his mind against Valentinian as then
emperor; or else for that he could not, being otherwise constreined to
imploie all his forces in other places against such barbarous nations