land a certeine space in good rest and quiet, and ministred iustice
vprightlie, in rewarding the good, and punishing the euill. Till at
length, through slanderous toongs of malicious persons, discord was
raised betwixt the king and one Coill or Coilus, that was gouernour
of Colchester: the occasion whereof appeareth not by writers. But
whatsoeuer the matter was, there insued such hatred betwixt them, that
on both parts great armies were raised, and meeting in the field,
[Sidenote: Asclepiodotus slaine. _Matt. West._ hath x. years.]
they fought a sore and mightie battell, in the which Asclepiodotus was
slaine, after he had reigned 30 yeares. Thus haue Geffrey of Monmouth
and our common chroniclers written of Carausius, Alectus, and
Asclepiodotus, which gouerned héere in Britaine.

[Sidenote: _Eutropius_.]
But Eutropius the famous writer of the Romane histories, in the
acts of Dioclesian hath in effect these woords. "About the same time
Carausius, the which being borne of most base ofspring, attained to
high honour and dignitie by order of renowmed chiualrie & seruice in
the warres, receiued charge at Bolein, to kéepe the seas quiet alongst
the coasts of Britaine, France, and Flanders, and other countries
thereabouts, bicause the Frenchmen, which yet inhabited within the
bounds of Germanie, and the Saxons sore troubled those seas.
[Sidenote: The couetous practising of Carausius.]
Carausius taking oftentimes manie of the enimies, neither restored the
goods to them of the countrie from whome the enimies had bereft the
same, nor yet sent anie part therof to the emperours, but kept the
whole to his owne use. Whervpon when suspicion arose, that he should
of purpose suffer the enimies to passe by him, till they had taken
some prises, that in their returne with the same he might incounter
with them, and take that from them which they had gotten (by which