[Sidenote:  Polydor.] But whether these gouernors (whose names we haue recited) were kings, or rather rulers of the common wealth, or tyrants and vsurpers of the gouernment by force, it is vncerteine:  for not one ancient writer of anie approued authoritie maketh anie remembrance of them:  and by that which Iulius Cesar writeth, it maie and dooth appeere, that diuerse cities in his daies were gouerned of themselues, as heereafter it shall more plainlie appeere.  Neither doth he make mention of those townes which the British historie affirmeth to be built by the same kings.  In deed both he and other Latine writers speake of diuerse people that inhabited diuers portions of this land, as of the Brigantes, Trinobantes, Iceni, Silures, and such other like, but in what parts most of the said people did certeinlie inhabit, it is hard to auouch for certeine truth.

But what Iohn Leland thinketh heereof, being one in our time that curiouslie searched out old antiquities, you shall after heare as occasion serueth:  and likewise the opinions of other, as of Hector [Sidenote:  Hector Boetius his fault.] Boetius, who coueting to haue all such valiant acts as were atchiued by the Britains to be ascribed to his countriemen the Scots, draweth both the Silures and Brigantes, with other of the Britains so farre northward, that he maketh them inhabitants of the Scotish countries.  And what particular names soeuer they had, yet were they all Scots with him, and knowne by that generall name (as he would persuade vs to beleeue) saieng that they entred into Britaine out of Ireland 330 yeeres before the incarnation of our Sauiour.

Neuerthelesse, how generall soeuer the name of Scots then was, sure it is, that no speciall mention of them is made by anie writer, till about 300 yeares after the birth of our sauiour.  And yet the Romans, which ruled this land, and had so much adoo with the people thereof, make mention of diuerse other people, nothing so famous as Boetius would make his Scotish men euen then to be.  But to leaue to the Scots the antiquitie of their originall beginning, as they and other must doo vnto vs our descent from Brute and the other Troians, sith the [Sidenote:  More certeintie from hence forth appeareth in the historie.] contrarie dooth not plainelie appeare, vnlesse we shall leane vnto presumptions:  now are we come to the time in the which what actes were atchiued, there remaineth more certeine record, and therefore may we the more boldlie proceed in this our historie.

[Sidenote:  Iulius Cesar.] In this season that Cassibellane had roiall gouernment heere in Britaine, Caius Iulius Cesar being appointed by the senat of Rome to conquer Gallia, was for that purpose created consull, and sent with a mightie army into the countrie, where after he had brought the [Sidenote:  Cesar de bello Gal. lib 4.  Britains unknowne to the Romans.] Galles vnto some frame, he determined to assaie the winning of Britaine, which as yet the