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: Kent Henghist.]
The first of these kingdoms therefore was begunne in Kent by Henghist
in the 456. of Christ, and thereof called the kingdome of Kent or
Cantwarland, and as the limits thereof extended it selfe no farther
than the said countie (the cheefe citie whereof was Dorobernia or
Cantwarbyry now Canturburie) so it indured well néere by the space of
400. yeares, before it was made an earledome or Heretochie, and vnited
by Inas vnto that of the West Saxons, Athelstane his sonne, being the
first Earle or Heretoch of the same. Maister Lambert in his historie
of Kent dooth gather, by verie probable coniectures, that this part of
the Iland was first inhabited by Samothes, and afterward by Albion.
But howsoeuer that case standeth, sure it is that it hath béen the
onelie doore, whereby the Romans and Saxons made their entrie vnto the
conquest of the region, but first of all Cæsar, who entred into this
Iland vpon the eightéenth Cal. or 14. of September, which was foure
daies before the full of the moone, as he himselfe confesseth, and
then fell out about the 17. or 18. of that moneth, twelue daies before
the equinoctiall (apparant) so that he did not tarrie at that time
aboue eight or ten daies in Britaine. And as this platforme cannot be
denied for his entrance, so the said region and east part of Kent, was
the onelie place by which the knowledge of Christ was first brought
ouer vnto vs, whereby we became partakers of saluation, and from the
darkenesse of mistie errour, true conuerts vnto the light and bright
beames of the shining truth, to our eternall benefit and euerlasting
comforts.
[Sidenote: Southsax.]
[Sidenote: Ella.]
The second kingdome conteined onelie Sussex, and a part of (or as some
saie all) Surrie, which Ella the Saxon first held: who also erected
his chéefe palace at Chichester, when he had destroied Andredswald in
the 492. of Christ. And after it had continued by the space of 232.
years, it ceased, being the verie least kingdome of all the rest,
which were founded in this Ile after the comming of the Saxons (for to
saie truth, it conteined little aboue 7000. families) & within a while
after the erection of the kingdome of the Gewisses or Westsaxons,
notwithstanding that before the kings of Sussex pretended and made
claime to all that which laie west of Kent, and south of the Thames,
vnto the point of Corinwall, as I haue often read.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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