And though we doo admit this to be true, yet may it be, that in the beginning, after Brute entered the land, there was ordeined by him a monarchie, as before is mentioned, which might continue in his posteritie manie yeares after, and yet at length before the comming of Cesar, through ciuil dissention, might happilie be broken, and diuided into parts, and so remained not onelie in the time of this Cassibellane, but also long after, whilest they liued as tributaries to the Romans, till finallie they were subdued by the Saxons.  In which meane time, through the discord, negligence, or rather vnaduised rashnes of writers, hard it is to iudge what may be affirmed and receiued in their writings for a truth; namelie, concerning the succession of the kings that are said to haue reigned betwixt the daies of Cassibellane, and the comming [Sidenote:  Cor.  Tacit. in uita. lib.  Agr.] of the Saxons.  The Roman writers (and namelie Tacitus) report, that the Britains in times past were vnder the rule of kings, and after being made tributaries, were drawne so by princes into sundrie factions, that to defend and keepe off a common ieopardie, scarselie would two or three cities agree togither, and take weapon in hand with one accord, so that while they fought by parts, the whole was ouercome.  And after this sort they say that Britaine was brought into the forme of a prouince by the Romans, from whom gouernors vnder the name of legats and procurators were sent that had the rule of it.

But yet the same authors make mention of certeine kings (as hereafter shall appeare) who while the Romane emperors had the most part of the earth in subiection, reigned in Britaine.  The same witnesseth [Sidenote:  Gildas in epist.] Gildas, saieng:  Britaine hath kings, but they are tyrants:  iudges it hath, but the same are wicked, oftentimes spoiling and tormenting the innocent people.  And Cesar (as ye haue heard) speaketh of foure kings that ruled in Kent, and thereabouts.  Cornelius Tacitus maketh mention [Sidenote:  Some take Prasutagus and Aruiragus to be one man.] of Prasutagus, and Cogidunus, that were kings in Britaine:  and Iuuenal speaketh of Aruiragus:  and all the late writers, of Lucius.  Hereby it appeareth, that whether one or mo, yet kings there were in Britain, bearing rule vnder the Romane emperors.

[Sidenote:  Gal.  Mon.] On the other part, the common opinion of our chronicle-writers is, that the chiefe gouernment remained euer with the Britains, & that the Romane senat receiuing a yearelie tribute, sent at certeine times (Ex officio) their emperors and lieutenants into this Ile, to represse the rebellious tumults therein begun, or to beat backe the inuasion of the enimies that went about to inuade it.  And thus would these writers inferre, that the Britains euer obeied their king, till at length they were put beside the gouernement by the Saxons.  But whereas in the common historie of England, the succession