Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066; Middle Ages -- Sources
together from all parts of the field maintained their ground with
undaunted courage. The fight now grew more furious than ever, and proved
fatal to almost all the commanders and their forces. For on Modred's
side fell Cheldric, Elasius, Egbrict, and Bunignus, Saxons; Gillapatric,
Gillamor, Gistafel, and Gillarius, Irish; also the Scots and Picts, with
almost all their leaders: on Arthur's side, Olbrict, king of Norway;
Aschillius, king of Dacia; Cador Limenic Cassibellaun, with many
thousands of others, as well Britons as foreigners, that he had brought
with him. And even the renowned king Arthur himself was mortally
wounded; and being carried thence to the isle of Avallon to be cured of
his wounds, he gave up the crown of Britain to his kinsman Constantine,
the son of Cador, duke of Cornwall, in the five hundred and forty-second
year of our Lord's incarnation.[220]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 220: The mention of Constantine brings Geoffrey's work into
connection with that of Gildas: the reader may perhaps from this point
detect some slight degree of verisimilitude in this otherwise fictitious
narrative.]
CHAP. III.--_Constantine meets with disturbances from the Saxons and
Modred's sons._
Upon Constantine's advancement to the throne, the Saxons, with the two
sons of Modred, made insurrection against him, though without success;
for after many battles they fled, one to London, the other to
Winchester, and possessed themselves of those places. Then died Saint
Daniel, the pious prelate of the church of Bangor; and Theon, bishop of
Gloucester, was elected archbishop of London. At the same time also died
David, the pious archbishop of Legions, at the city of Menevia, in his
own abbey; which he loved above all the other monasteries of his
diocese, because Saint Patrick, who had prophetically foretold his
birth, was the founder of it. For during his residence there among his
friars, he was taken with a sudden illness, of which he died, and, at
the command of Malgo, king of the Venedotians, was buried in that
church. He was succeeded in the metropolitan see by Cynoc, bishop of the
church of Llan-Patern, who was thus promoted to a higher dignity.
CHAP. IV.--_Constantine, having murdered the two sons of Modred, is
himself killed by Conan._
But Constantine pursued the Saxons, and reduced them under his yoke. He
also took the two sons of Modred; and one of them, who had fled for
sanctuary to the church of St. Amphibalus, in Winchester, he murdered
before the altar. The other had hidden himself in a convent of friars at
London, but at last was found out by him, brought before the altar, and
there put to death. Three years after this, he himself, by the vengeance
of God pursuing him, was killed by Conan, and buried close by Uther
Pendragon within the structure of stones, which was set up with
wonderful art not far from Salisbury, and called in the English tongue,
Stonehenge.
CHAP. V.--_Aurelius Conan reigns after Constantine._
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