Marius, his victorie ouer the Picts, his death and interrement_.

THE XV. CHAPTER.


[Sidenote: MARIUS. _Hector Boetius_ saith that his Marius was a
Romane. 73.]
After the decease of Aruiragus, this sonne Marius succeeded him in
the estate, and began his reigne in the yeare of our Lord 73. In the
old English chronicle he is fondlie called Westmer, & was a verie wise
man, gouerning the Britains in great prosperitie, honour and wealth.

In the time of this mans reigne, the people called Picts inuaded
[Sidenote: Of these you maie reade more in pag. _Matth. West._]
this land, who are iudged to be descended of the nation of the
Scithians, neare kinsmen to the Goths, both by countrie and maners,
a cruell kind of men and much giuen to the warres. This people with
their ringleader Roderike, or (as some name him) Londorike, entering
the Ocean sea after the maner of rouers, arriued on the coasts of
Ireland, where they required of the Scots new seats to inhabit in: for
the Scots which (as some thinke) were also descended of the Scithians,
did as then inhabit in Ireland: but doubting that it should not be for
their profit to receiue so warlike a nation into that Ile, feining as
it were a friendship, and excusing the matter by the narrownesse of
the countrie, declared to the Picts, that the Ile of Britaine was not
farre from thence, being a large countrie and a plentifull, and not
greatly inhabited: wherefore they counselled them to go thither,
promising vnto them all the aid that might be.

The Picts more desirous of spoile than of rule or gouernment without