Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England — John Shaqi
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of EnglandBede, the Venerable, Saint
History
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
Bede, the Venerable, Saint
England -- Church history -- 449-1066
In the year of our Lord 449,(84) Marcian, the forty-sixth from Augustus,
being made emperor with Valentinian, ruled the empire seven years. Then
the nation of the Angles, or Saxons,(85) being invited by the aforesaid
king,(86) arrived in Britain with three ships of war and had a place in
which to settle assigned to them by the same king, in the eastern part of
the island, on the pretext of fighting in defence of their country, whilst
their real intentions were to conquer it. Accordingly they engaged with
the enemy, who were come from the north to give battle, and the Saxons
obtained the victory. When the news of their success and of the fertility
of the country, and the cowardice of the Britons, reached their own home,
a more considerable fleet was quickly sent over, bringing a greater number
of men, and these, being added to the former army, made up an invincible
force. The newcomers received of the Britons a place to inhabit among
them, upon condition that they should wage war against their enemies for
the peace and security of the country, whilst the Britons agreed to
furnish them with pay. Those who came over were of the three most powerful
nations of Germany—Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. From the Jutes are descended
the people of Kent, and of the Isle of Wight, including those in the
province of the West-Saxons who are to this day called Jutes, seated
opposite to the Isle of Wight. From the Saxons, that is, the country which
is now called Old Saxony, came the East-Saxons, the South-Saxons, and the
West-Saxons. From the Angles, that is, the country which is called
Angulus,(87) and which is said, from that time, to have remained desert to
this day, between the provinces of the Jutes and the Saxons, are descended
the East-Angles, the Midland-Angles, the Mercians, all the race of the
Northumbrians, that is, of those nations that dwell on the north side of
the river Humber, and the other nations of the Angles. The first
commanders are said to have been the two brothers Hengist and Horsa. Of
these Horsa was afterwards slain in battle by the Britons,(88) and a
monument, bearing his name, is still in existence in the eastern parts of
Kent. They were the sons of Victgilsus, whose father was Vitta, son of
Vecta, son of Woden; from whose stock the royal race of many provinces
trace their descent. In a short time, swarms of the aforesaid nations came
over into the island, and the foreigners began to increase so much, that
they became a source of terror to the natives themselves who had invited
them. Then, having on a sudden entered into league with the Picts, whom
they had by this time repelled by force of arms, they began to turn their
weapons against their allies. At first, they obliged them to furnish a
greater quantity of provisions; and, seeking an occasion of quarrel,
protested, that unless more plentiful supplies were brought them, they
would break the league, and ravage all the island; nor were they backward
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