CH. Vili.— FROM A.D. 465 το A.D. 498. The prophecy of Merlin—The Red Dragon—The White Dragon—The Revolutions in Britain—Aurelius returns to Britain—Death ofFortigern—of Alaric—Odoacer, King of the Goths—Theodoric, King of the Goths—Aurelius defeats Hengist and puts him to death—Restores the Churches— j Saint Patrick in Ireland—Olla, King of the South Saxons— ι Cedric, King of the West Saxons—Death of Aurelius—Birth I of Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon. A.D. 465. Hilary was appointed to the Roman chair ; he held | it for six years and three months, and the see was vacant ten 1 days. At his request Victorinus made out the Paschal cycle of five hundred and thirteen years. The same year, when Vortigern, king of the Britons, had sat down on the bank of the swamp which had been drained, two dragons came forth, one of which was white, and the other red. And when they had come near to one another, they began a terrible battle. For they breathed out fire and smoke; and the white prevailed, and at last drove the red one to the extremity of the swamp. But he, being grieved at being driven off, attacked the white one, and made him also retreat. And as they fought in this way, the king ordered Merlin Ambrosius to say what the battle of the dragons portended. And presently he, bursting forth into weeping, imbibed the spirit of prophecy, and took up his parable, and said— " Woe to the red dragon, for his extermination draweth nigh. The white dragon (which indicates the Saxons whom you have j invited) shall occupy his caverns. But the red dragon signifies the nation of the Britons, which shall be oppressed by the white one. Therefore these mountains shall be made plain as the valleys, and the rivers of the valleys shall flow with blood. The worship of religion shall be destroyed, and the ruin of the churches shall be made manifest. At last the oppressed people shall prevail, and shall withstand the cruelty of the foreigners. For the boar of Cornwall shall bring succour, and shall trample their necks under his feet ; the isles of the ocean shall be subjected to his power, and he shall possess the power of the Gauls. The house of Romulus shall tremble at his fierceness, and his end shall be doubtful. He shall be