[Sidenote:  Polyd.  Weights and measures.] Amongst other of his ordinances, he appointed weights and measures, with the which men should buy and sell.  And further he deuised sore [Sidenote:  Theft punished. Fabian.] and streight orders for the punishing of theft.  Finallie, after he had guided the land by the space of fortie yeeres, he died, and was buried in the foresaid temple of peace which he had erected within the citie of Troinouant now called London, as before ye haue heard, appointing in his life time, that his kingdome should be diuided betwixt his two sonnes, Brennus and Belinus (as some men doo coniecture.)

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The ioint-gouernment of Belinus and Brennus the two sonnes of Mulmucius, their discontentment, the stratagems of the one against the other, the expulsion of Brennus out of Britaine.

The second chapter.

[Sidenote:  Belinus and Brennus. 3574.] Brennus and Belinus began to reigne iointlie as kings in Britaine, in the yeere of the world 3574, after the building of the citie of Rome 355, and after the deliuerance of the Israelites out of captiuitie 142, which was about the seuenth yeere of Artaxerxes [Sidenote:  Matth.  West.] surnamed Mnenon, the seuenth king of the Persians.  Belinus held vnder his gouernment Loegria, Wales, and Cornwall:  and Brennus all those countries ouer and beyond Humber.  And with this partition [Sidenote:  Polyd. saith 5.] were they contented by the tearme of six or seuen yeeres, after which [Sidenote:  Brennus not content with his portion.] time expired, Brennus coueting to haue more than his portion came to, first thought to purchase himselfe aid in forreine parties, & therefore by the prouocation and counsell of yong vnquiet heads, [Sidenote:  Elsingius.] sailed ouer into Norway, and there married the daughter of Elsung or Elsing, as then duke or ruler of that countrie.  Beline, offended with his brother, that he should thus without his aduice marrie with a stranger, now in his absence seized all his lands, townes, and fortresses into his owne hands, placing garisons of men of warre where he thought conuenient.

In the meane time, Brenne aduertised hereof, assembled a great nauie of ships, well furnished with people and souldiers of the Norwegians, with the which he tooke his course homewards, but in the waie he [Sidenote:  Guilthdacus king of Denmarke.] was encountred by Guilthdacus king of Denmarke, the which had laid long in wait for him, bicause of the yoong ladie which Brenne had maried, for whome he had beene a sutor to hir father Elsing of long time.  When these two fleetes of the Danes and Norwegians met, there was a sore battell betwixt them, but finallie the Danes ouercame them of Norway, and tooke the ship wherein the new bride was conueied, and then was she brought aboord the ship of Guilthdacus.  Brenne escaped by flight as well as he might.  But when Guilthdacus had thus obtained the [Sidenote:  A tempest.] victorie and prey, suddenlie therevpon arose a sore tempest of wind and weather, which scattered the Danish fleete, and put the king in danger to haue beene lost:  but finallie within fiue daies after, [Sidenote:  Guilthdacus landed in the north.] being driuen by force of wind, he landed in Northumberland, with a few such ships as kept togither with him.