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023 - Book XII Part 2 Cadwallader last Welsh King of Britain · History of the Kings of Britain

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  Speaker 1: Book twelve, Part two of History of the Kings of
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  Speaker 1: Britain by Geoffrey of Waldmouth, translated by Aaron Thompson and J. A. Giles.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter eight
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  Speaker 1: Cadwallo takes Piander and routs his army. In the meantime,
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  Speaker 1: Cadwallo arrived with ten thousand men whom King Salomon had
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  Speaker 1: delivered to him, and with them he marched straight to
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  Speaker 1: the siege against King Piander. But as he was going
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  Speaker 1: he divided his forces into four parts, and then made
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  Speaker 1: no delay to advance and join battle with the enemy,
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  Speaker 1: wherein Piander was forthwith taken and his army routed four
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  Speaker 1: Finding no other way for his own sae safety, he
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  Speaker 1: surrendered himself to Cadwallow and gave hostages with a promise
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  Speaker 1: that he would assist him against the Saxons. Cadwallow, after
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  Speaker 1: this success against him, summoned together his nobility that had
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  Speaker 1: been a long time in a decaying state, and marched
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  Speaker 1: to Northumberland against Edwin, and made continual devastations in that country.
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  Speaker 1: When Edwin was informed of it, he assembled all the
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  Speaker 1: petty kings of the Angles, and meeting the Britons in
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  Speaker 1: a field called Hebfeld. Presently gave them battle, but was killed,
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  Speaker 1: and almost all the people with him, together with offered
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  Speaker 1: his son and Godbald, king of the Orkneys, who had
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  Speaker 1: come to their assistance. Chapter nine, Cadwallo kills Osra and
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  Speaker 1: Aiden in fight. Having thus obtained the victory, Cadwelloh marched
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  Speaker 1: through the provinces of the Angles and committed such outrages
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  Speaker 1: upon the Saxons that he neither spared Age nor Sex,
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  Speaker 1: for his resolution being to extirpate the whole race out
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  Speaker 1: of Britain. All that he found he put to extreme tortures.
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  Speaker 1: After this, he had a battle with Osric, Edwin's successor,
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  Speaker 1: and killed him, together with his two nephews, who ought
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  Speaker 1: to have reigned after him. He also killed Aiden, king
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  Speaker 1: of the Scots, who came to their assistance. Chapter ten.
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  Speaker 1: Oswald route Piander in fight, but is killed by Cadwello
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  Speaker 1: coming in upon him. Their deaths made room for Oswald
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  Speaker 1: to succeed to the Kingdom of Northumberland, but Cadwallo drove
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  Speaker 1: him with the rest that had given him disturbance to
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  Speaker 1: the very wall which the Emperor Severus had formerly built
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  Speaker 1: between Britain and Scotland. Afterwards, he sent Piander, king of
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  Speaker 1: the Mercians, and the greatest part of his army, to
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  Speaker 1: the same place to give him battle. But Oswald, as
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  Speaker 1: he was besieged one night by Piander in the place
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  Speaker 1: called Heatherfeld, that is, the heavenly Field, set up their
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  Speaker 1: our Lord's cross, and commanded his men to speak with
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  Speaker 1: a very loud voice these words, let us all kneel
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  Speaker 1: down and pray the almighty, living and True God to
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  Speaker 1: defend us from the proud army of the King of
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  Speaker 1: Britain and his wicked leader Piander, for he knows how
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  Speaker 1: justly we waged this war for the safety of our people.
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  Speaker 1: They all therefore did as he commanded them, and advanced
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  Speaker 1: at break of day against the enemy, and by their faith,
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  Speaker 1: gained the victory. Cadwallow, upon hearing this news, being inflamed
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  Speaker 1: with rage, reassembled his army and went in pursuit of
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  Speaker 1: the holy King Oswald, And in a battle which he
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  Speaker 1: had with him at a place called Burne, Piander broke
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  Speaker 1: in upon him and killed him. Chapter eleven, Oswin submits
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  Speaker 1: to Cadwallow. Piander desires leave of Cadwallo to make war
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  Speaker 1: against him Oswald, with many thousands of his men being killed.
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  Speaker 1: His brother Oswin succeeded him in the kingdom of Northumberland, and,
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  Speaker 1: by making large presents of gold and silver to Cadwallo,
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  Speaker 1: who was now possessed of the government of all Britain,
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  Speaker 1: made his peace and submission to him. Upon this, Alfred,
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  Speaker 1: his brother, and Eudwald, his brother's son, began an insurrection,
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  Speaker 1: but not being able to hold out against him, they
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  Speaker 1: fled to Piander, king of the Mercians, desiring him to
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  Speaker 1: assemble his army, and passed the Humber with them that
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  Speaker 1: he might deprive Oswin of his kingdom. But Piander, fearing
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  Speaker 1: to break the peace which Cadwalloh had settled throughout the
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  Speaker 1: Kingdom of Britain, deferred beginning any disturbance without his leave
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  Speaker 1: till he could some way work him up, either to
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  Speaker 1: make war himself upon Oswin, or allow him the liberty
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  Speaker 1: of doing it at a certain Pentecost. Therefore, when Cadwallah
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  Speaker 1: was celebrating that festival at London, and for the greater
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  Speaker 1: solemnity wore the crown of Britain, all the kings of
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  Speaker 1: the Angles, excepting only Oswin, being present, as also all
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  Speaker 1: the dukes of the Britons. Piander went to the king
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  Speaker 1: and inquired of him the reason why Oswin alone was
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  Speaker 1: wanting when all the princes of the Saxons were present.
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  Speaker 1: Cadwollo answered that his sickness was the cause of it,
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  Speaker 1: to which the other replied that he had sent over
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  Speaker 1: to Germany for more Saxons to revenge the death of
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  Speaker 1: his brother Oswald upon them both. He told him further
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  Speaker 1: that he had broken the peace of the kingdom as
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  Speaker 1: being the sole author of the war and dissension among them,
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  Speaker 1: since Adelfrid, King of Northumberland, and Eudwald, his brother's son,
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  Speaker 1: had been by him, harassed with a war and driven
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  Speaker 1: out of their own country. He also desired leave, either
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  Speaker 1: to kill him or to banish him the kingdom. Chapter twelve,
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  Speaker 1: Cadwallo is advised to suffer Piander to make an insurrection
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  Speaker 1: against Oswin. This matter caused the king to enter upon
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  Speaker 1: much deliberation and hold a private consultation with his intimate
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  Speaker 1: friends what cause to take. Among the rest that offered
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  Speaker 1: their proposals, Margaredod, king of the Domitians, spoke as follows,
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  Speaker 1: Royal Sir, since you have proposed to expel the race
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  Speaker 1: of the Angles from the coast of Britain. Why do
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  Speaker 1: you walter your resolution and suffer them to continue in
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  Speaker 1: peace among us? At least you should permit them to
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  Speaker 1: fall out among themselves, and let our country owe its
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  Speaker 1: deliverance to their own civil broils. No faith is to
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  Speaker 1: be kept with one that is treacherous and is continually
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  Speaker 1: laying snares for him to whom he owes fidelity. Such
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  Speaker 1: are the Saxons always been to our nation, from the
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  Speaker 1: very first title of their coming among us? What faith
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  Speaker 1: ought we to keep with them? Let Piander immediately have
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  Speaker 1: leave to go against Oswin, that by this civil dissension
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  Speaker 1: and destruction of one another, our island may get rid
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  Speaker 1: of them. Chapter thirteen, Piander is killed by Oswin. Cadwallo
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  Speaker 1: dies by these and other words to the same effect.
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  Speaker 1: Cadwalla was prevailed upon to grant the permissions desired, and Piander,
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  Speaker 1: having assembled a vast army, went to the Humber, and,
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  Speaker 1: laying waste that country, began a fierce war upon the king.
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  Speaker 1: Oswin was at last reduced to such extremity that he
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  Speaker 1: was forced to promise him innumerable royal ornaments and other presents,
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  Speaker 1: more than one would believe if he would desist from
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  Speaker 1: ruining his country and return home without committing any more hostilities.
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  Speaker 1: But when the other could, by no entreaties be prevailed
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  Speaker 1: upon to do it, the king, in hopes of divine assistance,
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  Speaker 1: though he had a less army, however, gave him battle
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  Speaker 1: near the River Wynned, and, having killed Piander and thirty
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  Speaker 1: other commanders, gained the victory. Piander's son, Wilfrid, by a
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  Speaker 1: grant from Cadwallow, succeeded to the kingdom, and, joining with
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  Speaker 1: Aber and Edbert, two leaders of the Mercians, rebelled against Oswin,
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  Speaker 1: but at last, by Cadwallo's command, made peace with him.
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  Speaker 1: At last, after forty eight years were expired, that most
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  Speaker 1: noble and potent King of the Britons, Cadwallo, being grown
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  Speaker 1: infirm with age and sickness, departed this life upon the
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  Speaker 1: fifteenth of the Callons of December. The Britons embalmed his
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  Speaker 1: body and placed it with wonderful art in a brazen statue,
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  Speaker 1: which was cast according to the measure of his stature.
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  Speaker 1: This statue they set up with complete armor upon an
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  Speaker 1: admirable brazen Horse over the western gate of London, for
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  Speaker 1: a monument of the above mentioned victory, and for a
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  Speaker 1: terror to the Saxons. They also built under it a
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  Speaker 1: church in honor of Saint Martin, in which divine ceremonies
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  Speaker 1: are celebrated for him and the others who departed in
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  Speaker 1: the faith. Chapter fourteen, Cadwalader succeeds Cadwallo. He was succeeded
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  Speaker 1: in the kingdom by Cadwalader, his son, whom Bede calls
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  Speaker 1: the youth Elidualde. At first he maintained the government with
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  Speaker 1: peace and honor, but after twelve years enjoyment of the crown,
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  Speaker 1: he fell into a fit of sickness, and a civil
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  Speaker 1: war broke out among the Britons. His mother was Piander's
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  Speaker 1: sister by the same father, but a different mother descended
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  Speaker 1: from the noble race of the Genusians. For Cadwollo, after
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  Speaker 1: his reconciliation with her brother, made her the partner of
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  Speaker 1: his bed and had Cadwalader by her. Chapter fifteen, the
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  Speaker 1: Britons are compelled by pestilence and famine to leave Britain.
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  Speaker 1: Cadwalader's lamentation during his sickness, the Britons. As we have
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  Speaker 1: said before, quarreling among themselves made a wicked destruction of
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  Speaker 1: a rich country. And this again was attended with another misfortune.
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  Speaker 1: For this besotted people was punished with a grievous and
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  Speaker 1: memorable famine, so that every province was destitute of all
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  Speaker 1: sustenance except what could be taken in hunt. After the
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  Speaker 1: famine followed a terrible pestilence, which in a short time
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  Speaker 1: destroyed such multitudes of people that the living were not
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  Speaker 1: sufficient to bury the dead. Those of them that remained
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  Speaker 1: flying to their country, and whole troops together went to
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  Speaker 1: the countries beyond the sea. And while they were under sail, they,
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  Speaker 1: with a mournful, howling voice, sung, thou hast given us
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  Speaker 1: o god like sheep, appointed for meat, and has scattered
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  Speaker 1: us among the heathen. Also Cudwalada himself in his voyage
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  Speaker 1: with his miserable fleet, while Morica made this addition to
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  Speaker 1: the lamentation, woe to us sinners for our grievous impieties,
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  Speaker 1: wherewith we have not ceased to vote God while we
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  Speaker 1: had space for repentance. Therefore, the revenge of His power
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  Speaker 1: lies heavy upon us and drives us out of our
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  Speaker 1: native soil, which neither the Romans of old, nor the
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  Speaker 1: Scots or Picts afterwards, nor yet the treacherous Saxons, with
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  Speaker 1: all their craft, were able to do. But in vain
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  Speaker 1: have we recovered our country so often from them, since
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  Speaker 1: it was not the will of God that we should
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  Speaker 1: perpetually hold the government of it. He who is the
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  Speaker 1: true judge, when he saw we were by no means
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  Speaker 1: to be reclaimed from our wickedness, and that no human
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  Speaker 1: power could expel our race, was willing to chastise our
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  Speaker 1: folly himself, and has turned his anger again against us,
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  Speaker 1: by which we are driven out in crowds from our
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  Speaker 1: native country. Return. Therefore, ye Romans return, Scots and Picts return,
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  Speaker 1: Ambrons and Saxons. Behold, Britain lies open to you, being
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  Speaker 1: by the wrath of God made desolate, which you were
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  Speaker 1: never able to do. It is not your valor that
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  Speaker 1: expels us, but the power of the Supreme King, whom
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  Speaker 1: we have never ceased to provoke. Chapter sixteen Cadwalada with
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  Speaker 1: his people goes to Allan. The Saxons sees all Britain
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  Speaker 1: with these dolorous complaints. He arrived at the Armorican coast
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  Speaker 1: and went with his whole company to King Allan, by
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  Speaker 1: whom he was honorably received, so that Britain, being now
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  Speaker 1: destitute of its ancient inhabitants, accepting a few in Wales
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  Speaker 1: that escaped, the general mortality, became a frightful place even
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  Speaker 1: to the Britons themselves for eleven years after Neither was it,
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  Speaker 1: at the same time more favorable to the Saxons, who
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  Speaker 1: died in it without intermission, notwithstanding the remainder of them.
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  Speaker 1: After this raging plague was ceased, according to their old custom,
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  Speaker 1: sent word over to their countrymen that the island of
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  Speaker 1: Britain was now freed of its native inhabitants, and they
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  Speaker 1: opened to them if they would come over and inhabit it.
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  Speaker 1: As soon as they had received this information that odious people,
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  Speaker 1: gathering together, an innumerable multitude of men and women arrived
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  Speaker 1: in Northumberland and inhabited the provinces that lay desolate, from
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  Speaker 1: Albania to Cornwall, for there was now nobody to hinder
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  Speaker 1: them except the poor remains of the Britons, who continued
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  Speaker 1: together in the thickets of the woods in Wales. From
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  Speaker 1: that time the power of the Britons ceased in the island,
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  Speaker 1: and the Angles began their reign. Chapter seventeen, Cadwalader is
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  Speaker 1: by the voice of an angel, deterred from returning to Britain.
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  Speaker 1: After some time when the people had recovered strength. Cadwalader,
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  Speaker 1: being mindful of his kingdom, which was now free from
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  Speaker 1: the contagion of the pestilence, desired assistance of allan towards
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  Speaker 1: the recovery of his dominions. The king granted his request,
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  Speaker 1: but as he was getting ready a fleet, he was
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  Speaker 1: commanded by the loud voice of an angel to desist
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  Speaker 1: from his enterprise, for God was not willing that the
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  Speaker 1: Britons should reign any longer in the island before the
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  Speaker 1: time came of which Merlin prophetically foretold Arthur. It also
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  Speaker 1: commanded him to go to Rome to Pope Sergius, where
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  Speaker 1: after doing penance, he should be enrolled among the saints.
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  Speaker 1: It told him withal that the Britons, by the merit
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  Speaker 1: of their faith should again recover the island when the
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  Speaker 1: time decreed for it was come, but this would not
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  Speaker 1: be accomplished before they should be possessed of his relics
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  Speaker 1: and transport them from Rome into Britain. At the same time,
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  Speaker 1: also the relics of the other saints should be found,
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  Speaker 1: which had been hidden on account of the invasion of Pagans,
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  Speaker 1: And then at last would they recover their lost kingdom.
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  Speaker 1: When the Holy Prince had received the heavenly message, he
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  Speaker 1: went straight to King Allan and gave him an account
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  Speaker 1: of what had been told him. Chapter eighteen, Cadwalader goes
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  Speaker 1: to Rome and dies. Then Allan had recourse to several books,
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  Speaker 1: as the Prophecies of the Eagle that prophesied at Shaftesbury,
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  Speaker 1: and the verses of Sybil and Berlin, and made diligent
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  Speaker 1: search in them to see whether the revelation made to
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  Speaker 1: Cadwalader agreed with those written oracles, And when he could
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  Speaker 1: find nothing contradictory to it, he admonished Cadwalader to submit
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  Speaker 1: to the divine dispensation, and, laying aside the thoughts of Britain,
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  Speaker 1: perform what the angelical voice had commanded him. But he
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  Speaker 1: urged him to send his son Ivor and his nephew
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  Speaker 1: Inny over into the island to govern the remainder of
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  Speaker 1: the Britons. Lester nation descended of so ancient a race
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  Speaker 1: should lose their liberty by the incursion of barbarians. Then Cadwalada,
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  Speaker 1: renouncing worldly cares for the sake of God and his
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  Speaker 1: everlasting kingdom, went to Rome and was confirmed by Pope Sergius, and,
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  Speaker 1: being seized with a sudden illness, was upon the twelfth
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  Speaker 1: of the Callons of May, in the six hundred and
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  Speaker 1: eighty ninth year of our Lord's incarnation, freed from the
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  Speaker 1: corruption of the flesh, and admitted into the glories of
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  Speaker 1: the heavenly Kingdom. Nineteen the two Britons, Ivor and Inni,
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  Speaker 1: in Vain, attacked the nation of the Angles Athelston, the
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  Speaker 1: first King of the Angles. As soon as Ivor and
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  Speaker 1: Inni had got together their ships, they, with all the
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  Speaker 1: forces they could raise, arrived in the island, and for
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  Speaker 1: forty nine years together fiercely attacked the nation of the Angles,
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  Speaker 1: but little purpose for the above mentioned morality and famine,
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  Speaker 1: together with the inveterate spirit of faction that was among them,
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  Speaker 1: had made this proud people so much degenerate that they
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  Speaker 1: were not able to gain any advantage of the enemy, And,
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  Speaker 1: being now overrun with barbarism, they were no longer called Britons,
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  Speaker 1: but Guaralenses. Welshmen, a word derived either from Gualo, their leader,
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  Speaker 1: or Gualas their king, or from their barbarism. But the
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  Speaker 1: Saxons managed affairs with more prudence, maintained peace and concord
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  Speaker 1: among themselves, tilled their grounds, rebuilt their cities and towns,
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  Speaker 1: and so, throwing off the dominion of the Britons, bore
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  Speaker 1: sway over all Loegria under their leader Athelstan, who first
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  Speaker 1: wore a crown among them. But the Welshmen, being very
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  Speaker 1: much degenerated from the nobility of the Britons, never after
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  Speaker 1: recovered the monarchy of the island. On the contrary, by
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  Speaker 1: quarrels among themselves and wars with the Saxons, their country
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  Speaker 1: was a perpetual scene of misery has Laughter, Chapter twenty,
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  Speaker 1: Geoffrey of Monmouth's conclusion. But as for the kings that
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  Speaker 1: have succeeded among them in Wales since that time, I
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  Speaker 1: leave the history of them to Karadac of Lancavan, my contemporary,
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  Speaker 1: as I do also the kings of the Saxons to
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  Speaker 1: William of Malmesbury and Henry of Huntingdon. But I advise
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  Speaker 1: them to be silent concerning the kings of the Britons,
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  Speaker 1: since they have not that book written in the British tongue,
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  Speaker 1: which Walter, Archdeacon of Oxford, brought out of Britain, and
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  Speaker 1: which being a true history published in honor of those princes,
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  Speaker 1: I have thus taken care to translate. End of Book twelve,
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  Speaker 1: Part two, End of History of the Kings of Britain
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  Speaker 1: by Geoffrey of Monmouth, translated by Aaron Thompson and J. A.
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  Speaker 1: Giles