Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066; Middle Ages -- Sources
A long time after this, when Leir came to be infirm through old age, the
two dukes, on whom he had bestowed Britain with his two daughters,
fostered an insurrection against him, and deprived him of his kingdom,
and of all regal authority, which he had hitherto exercised with great
power and glory. At length, by mutual agreement, Maglaunus, duke of
Albania, one of his sons-in-law, was to allow him a maintenance at his
own house, together with sixty soldiers, who were to be kept for state.
After two years' stay with his son-in-law, his daughter Gonorilla
grudged the number of his men, who began to upbraid the ministers of the
court with their scanty allowance; and, having spoken to her husband
about it, she gave orders that the numbers of her father's followers
should be reduced to thirty, and the rest discharged. The father,
resenting this treatment, left Maglaunus, and went to Henuinus, duke of
Cornwall, to whom he had married his daughter Regau. Here he met with an
honourable reception, but before the year was at an end, a quarrel
happened between the two families, which raised Regau's indignation; so
that she commanded her father to discharge all his attendants but five,
and to be contented with their service. This second affliction was
insupportable to him, and made him return again to his former daughter,
with hopes that the misery of his condition might move in her some
sentiments of filial piety, and that he, with his family, might find a
subsistence with her. But she, not forgetting her resentment, swore by
the gods he should not stay with her, unless he would dismiss his
retinue, and be contented with the attendance of one man; and with
bitter reproaches she told him how ill his desire of vain-glorious pomp
suited his age and poverty. When he found that she was by no means to be
prevailed upon, he was at last forced to comply, and, dismissing the
rest, to take up with one man only. But by this time he began to reflect
more sensibly with himself upon the grandeur from which he had fallen,
and the miserable state to which he was now reduced, and to enter upon
thoughts of going beyond sea to his youngest daughter. Yet he doubted
whether he should be able to move her commiseration, because (as was
related above) he had treated her so unworthily. However, disdaining to
bear any longer such base usage, he took ship for Gaul. In his passage
he observed he had only the third place given him among the princes that
were with him in the ship, at which, with deep sighs and tears, he burst
forth into the following complaint:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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