Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of BritaineHolinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of Britaine
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
Hitherto out of the epistle that Eleutherus sent vnto Lucius, wherein
manie pretie obseruations are to be collected, if time and place would
serue to stand vpon them. After these daies also the number of such as
were ordeined to saluation, increased dailie more and more, whereby
(as in other places of the world) the word of God had good successe in
Britaine, in time of peace; and in heat of persecution, there were no
[Sidenote: Albane.]
[Sidenote: Amphibalus.]
[Sidenote: Iulius.]
[Sidenote: Aaron.]
small number of martyrs that suffered for the same, of which Albane,
Amphibalus, Iulius, and Aaron, are reputed to be the chiefe, bicause
of their noble parentage, which is a great matter in the sight of
worldlie men.
There are which affirme our Lucius to renounce his kingdome, and
afterward to become first a bishop, then a preacher of the gospell,
and afterward a pope: but to the end such as hold this opinion may
once vnderstand the botome of their errors, I will set downe the
matter at large, whereby they shall sée (if they list to looke) how
far they haue béene deceiued.
[Sidenote: Chlorus had three sons, & a daughter by Helena.]
I find that Chlorus had issue by his second wife, two sonnes,
Dalmatius (who had a sonne called also Dalmatius and slaine by the
souldiors.) Constantius father to Gallus, and Iulian the apostata;
besides foure other whose names as yet I find not. But being at the
first matched with Helena, and before she was put from him by the
roiall power of Dioclesian, he had by hir three sonnes (beside one
daughter named Emerita) of which the name of the first is perished,
the second was called Lucius, & the third Constantine, that afterward
was emperour of Rome, by election of the armies in Britaine. Now it
happened that Lucius, whome the French call Lucion, by means of a
quarell growne betwéene him and his elder brother, did kill his said
brother, either by a fraie or by some other meanes, wherevpon his
father exiled him out of Britaine, and appointed him from thenceforth
to remaine in Aquitane in France. This Lucion brought thus into
worldlie sorow, had now good leasure to meditate vpon heauen, who
before in his prosperitie had peraduenture neuer regard of hell.
[Sidenote: Lucion becommeth a christian.]
[Sidenote: Lucion a bishop.]
Finallie he fell so far into the consideration of his estate, that at
the last he renounced his paganisme, and first became a christian,
then an elder, and last of all a bishop in the church of Christ. He
erected also a place of praier wherein to serue the liuing God, which
after sundrie alterations came in processe of time to be an Abbaie,
and is still called euen to our time after Lucion or Lucius: the first
founder therof, and the originall beginner of anie such house in those
parts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account