Holinshed Chronicles: England, Scotland, and Ireland. Volume 1, CompleteHolinshed, Raphael
History
Holinshed Chronicles: England, Scotland, and Ireland. Volume 1, Complete
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
[Sidenote: Romans.]
From hencefoorth I doo not find any sound report of other nation
whatsoeuer, that should aduenture hither to dwell, and alter the state
of the land, vntill the Romane emperours subdued it to their dominion,
sauing of a few Galles, (and those peraduenture of Belgie) who first
comming ouer to rob and pilfer vpon the coasts, did afterward plant
themselues for altogither neere vnto the shore, and there builded
sundrie cities and townes which they named after those of the maine,
from whence they came vnto vs. And this is not onelie to be gathered
out of Cesar where he writeth of Britaine of set purpose, but also
elsewhere, as in his second booke a little after the beginning: for
speaking of Deuiaticus king of the Swessions liuing in his time, he
affirmeth him not onelie to be the mightiest prince of all the Galles,
but also to hold vnder his subiection the Ile of Britaine, of which
his sonne Galba was afterward dispossessed. But after the comming of
the Romans, it is hard to say with how manie sorts of people we were
dailie pestered, almost in euery steed. For as they planted their
forworne legions in the most fertile places of the realme, and where
they might best lie for the safegard of their conquests: so their
armies did commonlie consist of manie sorts of people, and were (as I
may call them) a confused mixture of all other countries and nations
then liuing in the world. Howbeit, I thinke it best, bicause they did
all beare the title of Romans, to reteine onelie that name for them
all, albeit they were wofull ghests to this our Iland: sith that with
them came all maner of vice and vicious liuing, all riot and excesse
of behauiour into our countrie, which their legions brought hither
from each corner of their dominions; for there was no prouince vnder
them from whence they had not seruitours.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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