"Historia Regum Britanniae". Translated by Aaron Thompson with revisions by J. A. Giles. Describes events of world and English history from time of Trojan Aeneas to around 7th century A.D. Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1100 � c. 1155) lived in the early part of the twelfth century, and in the year 1182 was raised to the bishopric of St. Asaph. His "History of the Kings of Britain" dedicated to Robert, duke of Gloucester, who died in 1147. An English translation of British History was first published by Aaron Thompson, of Queen's College, Oxford, [8vo. Lond.1718,] and lately revised and reprinted by the editor of this volume. [8vo. Lond. 1842.]"

"De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae". Translated and edited by J.A. Giles. Saint Gildas was born in 494 or 516 and died around 570. His work is a sermon in three parts condemning the acts of his contemporaries, both secular and religiousis and is almost the only surviving source written by a near-contemporary of British events in the fifth and sixth centuries. From editor's preface to the present edition:
"Of Gildas, the supposed author of the third work contained in this volume, little or nothing is known. Mr. Stevenson, in the preface to his edition of the original Latin, lately published by the English Historical Society, says: "We are unable to speak with certainty as to his parentage, his country, or even his name, the period when he lived, or the works of which he was the author." The title of the old translation is as follows: "The Epistle of Gildas the, most ancient British Author : who flourished in the yeere of our Lord, 546. And who by his great erudition, sanctitie, and wisdome, acquired the name of Sapiens. Faithfully translated out of the originall Latine." London, 12mo. 1638. Of the present translation, the first or historic half is entirely new; in the rest, consisting almost entirely of texts from Scripture, the translator has thought it quite sufficient to follow the old translation of Habington correcting whatever error he could detect, and in some degree relieving the quaint and obsolete character of the language."