FOr the better illustration of this present worke intended , it shall not be amisse to shew you a briefe progresse of all the memorable passages of the time , before wee come to the Prophesie , with a Catalogue of the Kings of this Island , and what Remarkable things happened in their reigne . To begin with the first : Brute , who was of the ancient and noble bloud of the Trojans , discended from Aeneas and Creusa , the How Brute was discended . daughter of King Priam : These had a s●…nne called Ascanius , after his Father King of Italy ) Brute was the sonne of Sylvius , Aenaeas the son of Ascanius : This Brute at fifteene yeares of age , being hunting , by the unfortunate glanceing of an Arrow , slue his father , and had beene also in his birth the death of his mother : but for the last disasterous act , hee willingly exiled himselfe , and taking with him a choice company of adventurers , thought to discover some new plantation . To omit his many troubles both by Land and Sea , in which hee was still most victoriously prosperous ; at length hee incountred with a small navy of ships , of which , a Trojane , and his neare kinseman was Captain , whose name was Corinaeus , who joyning their Corinaeus cousin to Brute forces together , and after divers and sundry perills landed in this Island , ( of the white and chalky Cliffes ) called Albion , where finding none but Giants of mighty stature , he destroyed the most part of them : of whom the greatest both in bulke and command was called Gogmagog , with whom Corinaeus wrastling to prove their triall of strength , Gogmagog in his gripe broke a rib in the side of Corinaeus : at which he being inraged , gathering all his spirits about him , cast him downe the high Rocke of Dover , ( the place where they proved the mastery ) which is called the fall of Gogmagog unto this day : for which , and other his valiant acts before The fall of Gogmagog . atchieved , hee gave him that intire Province , which from his name beareth the title of Cornwall .

Brute then taking full view of the Island , The building of Troynovant , since called London . searching up the River of Thames , built upon it a City ; which in remembrance of the late subverted Troy , he called Troynovant , or new Troy , now London : this done , he put his Souldiers to tilling of the Earth , and governed the Realme peaceably for the space of twenty foure yeares : He had by his wife Ignogen , the daughter of Pandrusus , three sonnes , betwixt whom in his life time he divided his Kingdome : to How hee divided the Kingdome . Locrine the eldest hee gave all that is called England : but then Logria after his name : ) To the second Cambrius , or Cambre hee left the Countrey of Wales ( at first ) from him called Cambria : To the third Albanact , hee gave the North part of the Land , then titled from him Albania , now Scotland . That done , hee expired , The death of Brute . and was buryed at Troynovant : and this happened in the yeare of the world foure thousand fourescore and seven .

Locrine being King of Britaine , hearing that a King of Scythia had invaded his brother Albanacts Dominions , and having slaine him in battaile , governed in his stead : Hee with his brother Cambre assembled a mighty Hoast to avenge his death , and in a sharpe conflict discomfited his whole Army , and so hotly pursued him in his flight , that this Scythian ( which was called Humber ) was drowned in that River Plow the River Humber came to be so cald . which runne●…h up from Ravenspurn up to Hul●… , which hath since borne his name even to this day . After which victory , Locrin who had espoused Guendolina , daughter to Corinaeus Duke of Cornwall , grew inamoured of Estrild a beauteous Lady , and Daughter to the aforesaid Humber , by whom He had a Daughter named Sabrina : of which his Queene having intelligence , the accited her Father and friends to make Warre upon her Husband , and flew him in fight , when hee had governed the Realme for the space of twenty yeares : then the Masculine spirited Lady tooke his Concubine Estrild , with her beautifull young daughter Sabrina , and caused them to bee both drowned in that River which parteth England and Wales , and from Sabrina is called Severne to all posterity : The River Severne whence called . Then Guendolina took upon her the government of the Land , till her young Son Madan came to mature age , and then resigned it up intirely into his owne hands , after shee had Soveraigniz'd fifteen yeares .

Madan began his Réigne in the yeare of the World foure thousand one hundred twenty two , of whom is little left worthy memory , but that hee tyrannized over his Subjects , and in the fortieth of his Reigne , being at his disport of Hunting , and lost by his Traine , hee The death of Madan was devoured of Wolves , which were then plenteous in the Land , leaving two Sons , Memprisius and Manlius . These two brothers were at mortall enmity , till in the end Memprisias the elder caused the other to bee traiterously slain , after which he fell into all kinde of vices , and abandoning the bed of his lawfull wife , used the company of many prostitutes and Concubines : and then into the brutish sin of Sodomitry , for which hee grew hated both of God and man , whose body also was ( in hunting ) torn to pieces by wild beasts , leaving behind him one The death of Memprisius sonne begotten in lawfull wedl●…cke , named Ebrank .

Hee beganne his Reigne in the yeare of the World foure thousand one hundred fourescore and two : hee had one and twenty wives , of whom hee received twenty sonnes and thirty daughters . The eldest of which was Gualeu : al of Anumerous issue . them he sent to Alba Silvius , ( the eleventh King of Italy , and sixt of the Latins ) to have them maried to the bl●…ud of the Trojans : Hee was a great Warriour , and conquered in Germany and els-where : he builded Caerbranke , now called Yorke , one hundred and forty yeares , after the The building of York . erecting of London , hee built also in Scotland , the Castle of Maidens , now called Edenborough Edenborough Castle . Castle . And after with a strong army pierced Gallia , returning thence , with great triumph and riches , who when hee had reigned sixty yeares died , and was buried in Yorke , leaving his eldest sonne Brute Greenshield to succeed him in the Kingdome , of whom is left no memory worthy the recitall , but that he expired , and lyeth buried by his Father , whose successour was his sonne Leil or Leir , who built Careleir or Carleil , The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 . who in the latter end of his Reigne gave himselfe wholly to sloth , by which divers uprores grew in the Realme , not at his death appeased , whom succeeded his sonne Lud , sirnamed Hurdebras , who was inaugurated in the yeare of the world foure thousand two hundred The building of Canterbury , Winchester , & Shaftsbury threescore and nineteen , he prudently appeased those combustions begot in his fathers days . He builded the Town of Kaerkin , now called Canterbury , and Caerguent , now Winton , or Winchester , and another titled Mount Palatine , now Sexton or Shaftsbury : hee reigned thirty nine yeares , and left a sonne called Bladud .

This Bladud professed himselfe a great Astrologer , and studied the art of Necromancy , he builded the Towne of Caerbadon , now called Bath , and was the first founder of the hot Baths : Bathe and the hot Baths . this King attempting to flie from the top of Apollo's Temple to the ground , his art failing him , he broak his neck in the fall , when hee had raigned twenty yeares , leaving his sonne Leir to The death of Bladud . succeed him . Leir was of noble conditions , and kept the Land in peace and tranquillity , hee built the City of Caerleir , now Leicester : hee Leicester . had no sonne , but three only daughters : Gonovilla , Ragan , and Cordeilla ( the youngest whom he best loved , ) who being grown in age , desired to know which of his daughters affected him most ? the first protested she loved him better then her owne soule ; the second swore , her love was inexpressible , for shee preferr'd his love before all things under the Sunne , which answers Leirs three daughters . much pleased him : then hee demanded the like of the youngest ? who told him shee could not flatter like her sisters , but she loved him as far as he was worthy to be beloved , and as much as a childe ought to love a father : which answer much distasting him , hee maried his eldest daughter to the Duke of Cornwall ; and the second to the Duke of Albania , and betwixt them divided his Land after his disease , but for the younger he reserved no dowre at all .

Notwithstanding which , Aganippus , a King amongst the Galls , hearing of her great beauty and vertue , came into this Kingdome , and took her to wife , to whom her father would neither part with gold nor jewels , nor any remembrance of his love , but glad to be so rid of her ; It was not long after that the two sisters grieved that he liv'd so long , incited the two Dukes The ingratitude of the two sisters their husbands , called Ma●…glanus and Hemminus , who rose up in armes against him , and divided his Dominion betwixt them , so that of force he was compeld to flie into France to bee relieved of his youngest daughter , whom hee h●…d before so much despised , whom shee no sooner saw , but she exprest unto him all the filiall duty that could be expected from a father , so that hee now began to distinguish betwixt flattery and faire words , and naturall and pious indulgence : briefly shee animated her Husband to The love of Co deilla to her Father . take his quarrell in hand , who entred into the Land with a puissant army , and re-instated him in his thr●ne , who after he had ruled the Kingdome forty yeeres , died and was buried at Caerleil , leaving his daughter Cordeilla to inherit the Kingdome , who by the generall assent of all the Peeres and Commons was admitted as Queen : who for the space of five yeares governed the Land with great prudence , and the generall love of the multitude , til Morgan , and Cunedagius the sons to her two elder sisters , invaded her Kingdome , and surprising her , put her into close prison : which servitude her great spirit not able to endure , shee with her owne hands slue her The death of Cordeilla . selfe .

These two Nephews to Cordeilla , Morgan and Cunedagius divided the Land betwixt them : and so continued in great amity for the space of two yeares , when some evilly disposed persons , whispered in the eares of Morgan , that it was a great dishonour unto him , being descended from the elder sister Gonewilla , and her Husband Maglanus , should part from any of his right to Cunedagius , sonne to Ragan the second sister and her Hemminius , and not possesse himselfe of the whole principality : therefore hee made war upon his cousin , who sent to him messengers to intreat of amity and unity , to which hee would by no meanes condescend : Therefore Cunedagie , compeld to an unwilling war , gave him battaile , and rowted his whole army , and after chaced him into Wales , where in a second field Morgan was slain , which place is to this day called Glamorgan , or Morgans Glamorgan . Land : after whose death the victor possessed the sole soveraignty , of whom nothing is left worthy memory , but that after he had reigned three and thirty yeares , hee was buried at Troynovant , leaving to succeed him a sonne called Rivallo . Rivallo .

Hee governed the Realme honourably , for the space of forty six yeares , in which time the greatest thing of remark is , that in the two and thirtieth yeare of his Reigne , Rome was first The first building of Rome . builded , in the yeare of the World foure thousand foure hundred threescore and ten , after the first erecting of Troynovant , or London , foure hundred and seven Solary yeares . After Sisilius . Rivallo reigned his sonne Sisilius , forty nine yeares , and was buried at Caerbadon , or Bath , leaving no heire of his body lawfully begotten . Him Iago his Nephew succeeded , hee Reigned Iago . five and twenty yeares , died without issue , and lyeth buried by his Uncle Rivallo , at Caerbrank , or Yorke . Kinimachus his brother governed the Land after him for the space of fifty foure yeares , and lyeth buried by the two fore-named Kings , hee left behind him a sonne called Gorboduc , in whose time , as in the Reigne of the foure last Kings nothing hapned , deserving the remembrance of a Chronicle , but that hee governed Gorboduc . the Realme threescore and three yeeres , dyed and was buried at London , and left behind him two sonnes , called Ferrex and Porrex .

These two brothers were made joynt Sovereignes Ferrex and Porrex . of this Kingdome , in the yeere of the world , foure thousand , seven hundred and eleven , and continued in great fraternallamity for a certain time , which expired , Porrex being ambitious after the sole and entire sovereignty gathered a strong power , unknowne to his brother ) purposing to supplant him from all Regall dignity , so that being unprovided of an army , he was forced to flye into France , where hee implored the aid and assistance of a potent The death of Ferrex . Duke named Gunhardus , or Swardus , who furnished him with souldiers sufficient , so that hee re-entred the Land with his Host of Gauls , of which Porrex hearing met him with his Britans , and gave him battaile , in which Ferrex was unfortunately slaine : after which victory , retyring himselfe to his palace , where Widen ( or as some Authors name her ) Iudon his mother remayned , she setting aside all motherly pity entred his chamber , and by the helpe of her women in the dead of night , when hee was fast sleeping A crue●…t mother . The death of Porrex . most cruelly slue him , and after not sated with his death , shee cut his body into small pieces : Thus died the two brothers , when they had ruled the Land in war and peace five yeers , and in them ended the Genealogicall Line of Brute , with whom also I conclude this first Chapter .