Chronicles 1 (of 6): The Historie of England 5 (of 8): The Fift Booke of the Historie of England. — John Shaqi
Chronicles 1 (of 6): The Historie of England 5 (of 8): The Fift Booke of the Historie of England.Holinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles 1 (of 6): The Historie of England 5 (of 8): The Fift Booke of the Historie of England.
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066
This is the same Arthur, of whom the trifling tales of the Britains
euen to this day fantasticallie doo descant and report woonders: but
woorthie was he doubtlesse, of whom feined fables should not haue so
dreamed, but rather that true histories might haue set foorth his
woorthie praises, as he that did for a long season susteine and hold
vp his countrie that was readie to go to vtter ruine and decaie,
incouraging the bold harts of the Britains vnto the warre, and
finallie in the siege of Badon hill, he set vpon nine hundred of the
enimies, and with incredible slaughter did put them all to flight. On
the contrarie part, the English Saxons, although they were tossed with
sundrie haps of fortune, yet still they renewed their bands with new
supplies of their countriemen that came out of Germanie, and so with
bolder courage assailed their enimies, and by little and little
causing them to giue place, spread themselues ouer the whole Ile. For
although there were manie battels, in the which sometime the Saxons
and sometime the Britains got the better, yet the greater number of
Saxons that were slaine, the greater number of them still came ouer to
the succour of their countriemen, being called in and sent for out of
euerie quarter about them.
[Sidenote: Gawaine where he is buried.]
Héere is also to be noted, that where the British historie
declareth, that Gawaine or Gallowine being slaine in the battell
fought betwixt Arthur and Mordred in Kent, was buried at Douer, so
that his bones remained there to be shewed a long time after: yet by
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm. lib. 3. de regib._]
that which the foresaid William Malmesburie writeth in the third
booke of his volume intituled "De regibus Anglorum," the contrarie
maie séeme true: his woords are these. "Then (saith he) in the
prouince of Wales, which is called Rosse, the sepulture of Gallowine
was found, who was nephue to Arthur by his sister, not going out of
kind from so woorthie an vncle. He reigned in that part of Britaine
which vnto this day is called Walwichia, a knight for his high
prowesse most highlie renowmed, but expelled out of his kingdome by
the brother and nephue of Hengist, of whome in the first booke we haue
made mention, first requiting his banishment with great detriment and
losse to those his enimies, wherein he was partaker by iust desert
of his vncles woorthie praise, for that he staied (for a great manie
yéeres) the destruction of his countrie, which was now running
headlong into vtter ruine and decaie. But Arthurs graue no where
appéereth: yet the others toome (as I haue said) was found in the
daies of William the conqueror, king of England, vpon the sea side,
and conteined in length fouretéene foot, where he was (as some say)
wounded by his enimies, and cast vp by shipwracke. But other
write, that he was slaine at a publike feast or banket by his owne
countriemen." Thus saith William Malmesburie.
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