rather to lose their lives than to be married to husbands, however noble, in this manner. When, therefore, the fleet entered the sea by the mouth of the river Thames, a sudden tempest arose, and they all began to be in danger, and the greater part of them were drowned. And eleven thousand virgins, who are said to have suffered at Cologne after this disaster, fell in with the lawless army of Wannius, king of the Huns, and of Melga, duke of the Picts, who by the orders of Gratian were oppressing the Maritime nations with terrible cruelty. These troops, meeting with the before-mentioned damsels, and beholding their beauty, desired to wanton with them. And when the damsels had refused, and had in a most Christian spirit looked with due disdain on the pagans, both armies rushed upon them. And in this way the chaste band, being cut to pieces with bloody swords, went to the kingdom of heaven as martyrs. Then the wicked generals, when they had learnt that the island of Britain was destitute of armed eoldiers, march thither, and invade the kingdom, which was without any ruler or defender. For Maximian had taken away with him, as I have already etated, all the eoldiers and warlike youth, leaving only the unwarlike rustics in the country ; and the chiefs, whom I have spoken of, making vast slaughter of the common people, began to lay waste the towns and cities. When therefore this sad calamity was announced to Maximus,1 he sent the senator Gratian with two legions, who routed the enemy with enormous slaughter, and drove them to Ireland. In the meantime, Maximus having been killed at Rome, the Britons who were with him fled to their fellow-citizens in ^Lesser Britain. Gratian therefore, when he heard of the death of Maximus, assumed the crown, and made himself king. After this, he behaved with such cruelty to the Britons, that the people assembled and murdered him; and after he was dead, the enemies who have been mentioned before, returned and afflicted Britain with most terrible and lasting oppression. A.D. 393. There flourished in the church of God, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa, Hilary of Poictiers, Martin of 1 There is a great confusion of names in this account ; our Chronicler sometimes speaks of Maximus, sometimes of Maximian. It is plain that we are always to understand Maximus to be the person meant.