and they all agreed with their King a Vortigern, to call over to their Aid from the Parts beyond the Sea, the Saxon Nation; which appears to have been the Difpofition of our Lord, that Evil might fall upon the Wicked, as the Event more evidently fhow'd,

2 Or Guortigern, a General, who was either fet up by the People, or ufurp'd that Title. The Reason of this inviting over thofe People is fuppos'd to be not only out of Fear of the Northern Nations, but of his own Subjects, who, as Gildas fays, fet up and dethron'd at their Pleasure. He was likewise, Jays Nennius, not a little fearful of Ambrofius's Intereft with them, whofe Parents be bad murder'd; and who being the laft of the Romans, was in no small Favour with the People.

CHAP. XV.

How the Nation of the Angles being invi ted into Britain, at firft oblig'd the Enemy to retire at a Distance; but not long after, joining in League with them, turn'd their Weapons upon their Confe

I

derates.

N the Year from the Incarnation of our Lord, 449, Martian being made Emperor with Valentinian, and the 46th from Auguftus, held it feven Years. Then the Nation of the

Angles,

a

Angles, or Saxons, being invited by the aforefaid King, arriv'd in Britain with three long Ships, and had a Place affign'd them to refide in by the fame King, in the Eastern Part of the Ifland, as it were to fight for their Country, but in reality to fubdue this. Having, accordingly engag'd with the Enemy, who were come from the North to give Battle, the Saxons obtain'd the Victory; which being known at their Homes, as alfo the Fertility of the Island, and the Cowardice of the Britons, a more confiderable Fleet of arm'd Men was quickly fent over, bringing a greater Power, which being added to the former Number, made up an invincible Army. The new Comers receiv'd, of the Gift of the Britons a Place to inhabit, upon Condition that they fhould wage War against their Enemies for the Peace and Security of the Country, and the Britons fhould give the Soldiers their Pay. Thofe

a The Conjectures about the Original and Name of this People have been various, fome fuppofing them the Saci, a People in Afia, others that they took their Name from Saxa a fhort Sword, of which Opinion is Bishop Stillingfleet. Mr. Cambden obferves that when they began to be first mention'd, which is by Ptolomy, they dwelt in the Cimbrica Cherfonefus, now Denmark; after which they broke into the Swevian Territories, now the Dukedom of Saxony, and driving out the Franks, and fettling along the Sea Coasts of Germany, and living by Piracy, have fince been call'd promiscuously, Saxons, viz. thofe in Juitland, Slefwick, Holfatia, Diefmarc, Bishoprick of Bremen, Oldenburg, East and Weft Friezland, and Holland; for their Country, fays Ethelward, who wrote Anno 950. contains all the Sea Coast be tween the River Rhine, and the City Doma, now Danemarc; and from these Coafts they harrass'd Britain, till Hengift coming from Batavia or Holland fettled here. Camb Brit.

Thofe that came over were of the three most Powerful Nations of Germany, Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. From the b Jutes are defcended the People of Kent, and of the Ille of Wight, and thofe which in the Province of the Weft-Saxons are to this Day call'd the Nation of the Jutes, feated oppofite to the Ile of Wight. From the Saxons, that is, the Country which is now call'd the Old Saxons, came the Eaft-Saxons, the South-Saxons, and the Weft-Saxons. From the

C.

Angles, that is, the Country call'd Angelland, and is faid from that Time to remain defart to this Day, between the Provinces of the Jutes and the Saxons, are defcended the Eaft-Angles, the Midland Angles, Mercians, all the Race of the Northumbrians, that is, of those Nations that inhabit on the North fide of the River Humber, and the other Nations of the English. Their first two Commanders are faid to have been Hengift and Horfa. Of whom Horfa being after

b Juices or Goths came from the upper Part of Denmark, call'd Juieland, Mr. Cambden thinks they may have defcended from the Gutti of Prolomy, plac'd in Scandia, whofe chief Seat is Gothland.

The Angles, are by fome faid to have liv'd in West phalia, where Prolomy places the Saevi Angli; others in Pomerania, where there is a Town call'd Angleon; Bede here plaees them between the Saxons and Jutes, which Mr Cambden enlarges upon, and fays, that Juteland and Holfacia, the old Seats of the Saxons, is a Province in Denmark, under the City of Flemsberg, call'd at this Day, Angel, which Lindebergius calls little England, and confirms his Opinion by the Authority of the aforesaid Ethelward, who fays Old Anglia is fituated between the Saxons and Giots, whole Capital City is in Saxon call'd Slefwick, b the Danes, Haithbay. See Camba. Brie.

afterwards flain in d War by the Britons, has still a e Monument famous for his Name in the Eastern Parts of Kent. They were the Sons of Vigilfus, whofe Father was Vecta, whofe Father was Woden; from whofe Stock the Regal Race of many Provinces deduce their Original. In fhort, Swarms of the aforefaid Nations hasting over into the Inland, the new-come People began to increafe, infomuch that they be came terrible to the Natives themselves, who had call'd them. Then having on a fudden enter'd into a League with the Picts, whom they had by this Time drove to a greater diftance by force of Arms, they began to turn their Weapons upon their Confederates. At fift they oblig'd them to furnish greater Plenty of Provifions; and fecking an occasion to fall out, protefted, that unless greater Store of Provifions were brought them, they would break the Confederacy, and ravage all the Ifland; nor were they backward in puttitig their Threats in Execution. In short, the Fire kindled by the Hands of the Pagans, prov'd God's juft Revenge for the Crimes of the People; not unlike that which being once lighted by the Chaldeans, confum'd the Walls and all the Buildings of Jerufalem. . For the wicked Conqueror acting here in the fame manner, or rather the juft Judge fo ordaining, plundering all the neighbouring Cities and

Country,

& This Battle was fought between Vortimer, or Guortimer, and Hengist at Ailsford in Kent.

At Horfied in Kent.

This Genealogy is exalt with that in the Saxon Chironicle.

Country, they carried on the Conflagration from the Eastern to the Western Sea, without any Oppofition, and almost cover'd all the Superficies of the perishing Island. Publick, as well as private Structures were overturn'd; the Priests were every where flain before the Altars; the Prelates and the People, without any respect of Perfons, were destroy'd with Fire and Sword; nor was there any to bury them, thus cruelly flaughter'd. Thus fome of the miferable Remains being taken in the Mountains, were butcher'd in Heaps. Others fpent with Hunger, coming abroad, fubmit ted themselves to the Enemy, for Food, being to undergo perpetual Servitude, unless they were immediately kill'd. Others with forrowful Hearts filed to Countries beyond the Sea. Others continuing in their Country full of dread, led a poor Life on Mountains, in Woods, and on craggy Rocks, always uneasy in their Minds.

CHAP. XVI.

That the Britons obtain'd their firft Victory over the Nation of the Angles, under the Conduct of Ambrofius, a Roman.

W

HEN the victorious Army, having deftroy'd and difpers'd the Natives of the Ifland, was return'd home; they alfo began by Degrees to take Heart, and gather

Strength,