king being destroied with the fall of the house and the fire togither,
was neuer after séene.

¶ But these are fables, and therfore I passe them ouer, hoping that it
shall suffice to shew here with what stuffe our old historiographers
haue farced vp their huge volumes, not so much regarding the credit of
an historie, as satisfieng the vanitie of their owne fond fantasies,
studieng with a pretended skilfulnesse to cast glorious colours vpon
lies, that the readers (whom they presupposed either ignorant or
credulous) would be led away with a flowing streme of woords void of
reason and common sense. Which kind of men knew not (belike) that the
nature of an historie, (defined to be _Rei verè gestæ memoria_) will
not beare the burthen or lode of a lie, sith the same is too heauie:
otherwise they would haue deposed matters conspiring with the truth.

* * * * *




_Aurelius Ambrosius the brother to Constantius created king of
Britaine, he incountereth with the Saxons, Hengist their generall is
beheaded, Occa his sonne submitteth himselfe to Aurelius, he putteth
all the Saxons out of the land, repaireth places decaied, and
restoreth religion, the memorable monument of the stones that are
so much spoken of on Salisburie plaine, the exploits of Pascentius
Vortigerns yongest sonne, Aurelius lieth sicke, Vter goeth against
Pascentius and giueth him the ouerthrow, Aurelius is poisoned of a
counterfet moonke, the place of his buriall, Polydor Virgils report of
the acts and deeds of Aurelius against the Saxons, Hengist is slaine,