¶ Thus were the Romans, as commonlie in all their martiall affaires, so in this incounter verie fortunate, the happie issue of the conflict falling out on their side. And strange it is to consider and marke, how these people by a celestiall kind of influence were begotten and borne as it were to prowesse and renowme; the course of their dealings in the field most [Page 548] aptlie answering to their name. For (as some suppose) the Romans were called of the Gréeke word [Greek: rhomae], [Sidenote: _Solinus. Adr. Iun._] signifieng power and mightinesse: and in old time they were called Valentians, _A valendo_, of preuailing: so that it was no maruell though they were victorious subduers of forren people, sithens they were by nature created and appointed to be conquerors, and thereof had their denomination. * * * * * _What the poet Claudianus saith of the state of Britaine in the decaie of the Romane empire, of the Scots and Picts cruellie vexing the Britains, they are afflicted by inuasion of barbarous nations, the practise of the Saxons, of the Scots first comming into this Iland, and from whence, the Scotish chonographers noted for curiositie and vanitie_. THE XXXV. CHAPTER [Sidenote: _Solinus. Adr. Iun._] After this, in the time of the emperour Honorius, the Scots, Picts, and Saxons, did eftsoones inuade the frontiers of the Romane prouince in Britaine, as appéereth by that which the poet Claudianus writeth, in attributing the honour of preseruing the same frontiers [Sidenote: 396. _Claudianus_.] vnto the said emperour, in his booke intituled "Panegerycus tertij consulatus" (which fell in the yéere 396) as thus: Ille leues Mauros nec falso nomine Pictos Edomuit, Scotúmq; vago mucrone secutus, Fregit Hyperboreas remis audacibus vndas, Et geminis fulgens vtróq; sub axe tropheis, Tethyos alternae refluas calcauit arenas. The nimble Mores and Picts by right so cald, he hath subdude, And with his wandring swoord likewise the Scots he hath pursude: He brake with bold couragious oare the Hyperborean waue, And shining vnder both the poles with double trophies braue, He marcht vpon the bubling sands of either swelling seas. The same Claudianus vpon the fourth consulship of Honorius, saith in a tetrastichon as followeth: Quid rigor æternus cæli? quid frigora prosunt? Ignotúmq; fretum? maduerunt Saxone fuso Orcades, incaluit Pictonum sanguine Thule, Scotorum cumulos fleuit glacialis Hyberne. What lasting cold? what did to them the frostie climats gaine? And sea vnknowne? bemoisted all with bloud of Saxons slaine The Orknies were: with bloud of Picts [Sidenote: Thule some take to be Iseland, some Scotland.] hath Thule waxed warme, And ysie Ireland hath bewaild the heaps of Scotish harme.