conquered and driven back.

44. Four times did Vortimer valorously encounter the enemy;(1) the first
has been mentioned, the second was upon the river Darent, the third
at the Ford, in their language called Epsford, though in ours Set
thirgabail,(2) there Horsa fell, and Catigern, the son of Vortigern; the
fourth battle he fought was near the stone(3) on the shore of the Gallic
sea, where the Saxons being defeated, fled to their ships.

(1) Some MSS. here add, "This Vortimer, the son of
Vortigern, in a synod held at Guartherniaun, after the
wicked king, on account of the incest committed with his
daughter, fled from the face of Germanus and the British
clergy, would not consent to his father's wickedness; but
returning to St. Germanus, and falling down at his feet, he
sued for pardon; and in atonement for the calumny brought
upon Germanus by his father and sister, gave him the land,
in which the forementioned bishop had endured such abuse, to
be his for ever. Whence, in memory of St. Germanus, it
received the name Guarenniaun (Guartherniaun, Gurthrenion,
Gwarth Ennian) which signifies, a calumny justly retorted,
since, when he thought to reproach the bishop, he covered
himself with reproach."

(2) According to Langhorne, Epsford was afterwards called,
in the British tongue, Saessenaeg habail, or 'the slaughter
of the Saxons.'

(3) V.R. "The Stone of Titulus", thought to be Stone in Kent,
or Larger-stone in Suffolk.