After the death of Arthur, his coosine Constantine the sonne
[Sidenote: 542.]
of Cador, duke or earle of Cornewall began his reigne ouer the
Britains, in the yere of our Lord 542, which was about the 15 yéere of
the emperour Iustinianus almost ended, the 29 of Childebert king
of France, and the first yéere well néere complet of the reigne of
[Sidenote: _Galfrid_. _Matth. West._]
Totilas king of the Goths in Italie. Arthur when he perceiued that
he shuld die, ordeined this Constantine to succéed him, and so by the
consent of the more part of the Britains he was crowned king: but the
sonnes of Mordred sore repined thereat, as they that claimed the rule
of the land by iust title and claime of inheritance to them from their
[Sidenote: Ciuill warre.]
father descended. Herevpon followed ciuill warre, so that diuers
battels were striken betwéene them and in the end the two brethren
were constreined to withdraw for refuge, the one to London, and the
other to Winchester: but Constantine pursuing them, first came to
Winchester, and by force entered the citie, and slue the one brother
that was fled thither within the church of saint Amphibalus: and after
comming to London, entered that citie also, and finding the other
brother within a church there, slue him in like maner as he had doone
the other. And so hauing dispatched his aduersaries, he thought to
haue purchased to himselfe safetie: but shortlie after, his owne
[Sidenote: Aurelius Conanus. Constantine slaine.]
kinsman, one Aurelius Conanus arrered warre against him, who ioining
with him in battell slue him in the field, after he had reigned foure
yéeres. His bodie was conueied to Stonheng, and there buried beside
[Sidenote: _Gyldas_.]
his ancestour Vter Pendragon. Of this Constantine that seemeth
to be ment, which Gyldas writeth in his booke intituled "De excidio