Lucius the sonne of Coillus, whose surname (as saith William
Harison) is not extant, began his reigne ouer the Britains about the
yeare of our Lord 180, as Fabian following the authoritie of Peter
Pictauiensis saith, although other writers seeme to disagrée in that
account, as by the same Fabian in the table before his booke partlie
appeareth, wherevnto Matthæus Westmonasteriensis affirmeth, that this
Lucius was borne in the yeare of our Lord 115, and was crowned king in
the yeare 124, as successor to his father Coillus, which died the same
yeare, being of great age yer the said Lucius was borne. It is noted
[Sidenote: 165.]
by antiquaries, that his entrance was in the 4132 of the world,
916 after the building of Rome, 220 after the comming of Cesar into
Britaine, and 165 after Christ, whose accounts I follow in this
treatise.

This Lucius is highlie renowmed of the writers, for that he was the
first king of the Britains that receiued the faith of Iesus Christ:
for being inspired by the spirit of grace and truth, euen from the
beginning of his reigne, he somewhat leaned to the fauoring of
Christian religion, being moued with the manifest miracles which the
Christians dailie wrought in witnesse and proofe of their sound and
perfect doctrine. For euen from the daies of Ioseph of Arimathia and
his fellowes, or what other godlie men first taught the Britains the
gospell of our Sauiour there remained amongest the same Britains some
christians which ceased not to teach and preach the word of God most
sincerelie vnto them: but yet no king amongst them openlie professed
that religion, till at length this Lucius perceiuing not onelie some
of the Romane lieutenants in Britaine as Trebellius and Pertinax, with
others, to haue submitted themselues to that profession, but also the
emperour himselfe to begin to be fauorable to them that professed it,