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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. I. B.C. 4004 to A.D. 1066.

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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. I. B.C. 4004 to A.D. 1066.
page 97



In the meantime the consuls Gabius and Porsenna, haying recruited their armies, ordered the Romans to sally forth out of the city with the dawn, and to attack the enemy vigorously, while they themselves would set upon them in the rear, and endeavour to slaughter them. As soon therefore as it was dawn, the citizens in front, and the consuls in the rear, made an attack on the Allobroges and Britons unexpectedly, and there fell on each side many thousand armed men. But the brothers, making many onsets, at last compelled the enemy to give ground. At length, when Gabius was slain and Porsenna taken prisoner, victory declared for the brothers, and the city, with all the wealth of the citizens, fell into their power. Brennius therefore remained in Italy, and oppressed the people with unheard-of tyranny. And of him Lucan, an admirable poet, speaks in the following lines :— " Wben Brennus with his fierce victorious band Planted his bannei on Tarpeia's hill." That is, in the Capitol. But his other exploits I have decided to pass over, because the Roman histories relate them fully, and in order to prevent a feeling of weariness from growing on my readers. But Belinus, when he returned to Britain, governed his country in tranquillity. And he built a city near the mouth of the Severn, on the river Usk, which he called Caeraski, which was the metropolis of Demecia, which, a long time afterwards, the Romans called the city of Legions,1 because the Roman legions used to winter in that place. He also built a gate of wonderful beauty in the city of Trinovantum, which to this day is called Belinsgate, by the people of that part of the city. When he died he was succeeded by Gurgunt Barbital, his son, who was a diligent imitator of his father's actions, to such a degree that he reduced all his adversaries to proper subjection. Among many other praiseworthy actions which he performed, he led an army into Dacia, and compelled the Baciane to pay him the tribute which they owed to his father. Then returning after his victory, he found thirty ships coming through the Orkney isles, full of men and women. And when he had enquired the reason of their voyages, their leader, whose name was Partholiam, answered that he was seeking a place in which 1 Afterwards Caerleon«


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