Then ran they togither more cruellie than before, and the Romans bending themselues towards their enimies, compassed them in on each side, and with drawne swords slue them downe right, so that there was not one of them left to returne home to their natiue countrie to bring newes how they had sped, nor one suffered to liue after anothers death, either to reuenge their ruine, or to lament their losse.  Thus were the limits of the Romane empire preserued at that time in Britaine, which should seeme to be about the yeere of our Lord 399. [Sidenote:  399.]

¶ Thus were the Romans, as commonlie in all their martiall affaires, so in this incounter verie fortunate, the happie issue of the conflict falling out on their side.  And strange it is to consider and marke, how these people by a celestiall kind of influence were begotten and borne as it were to prowesse and renowme; the course of their dealings in the field most [Page 548] aptlie answering to their name.  For (as some suppose) the Romans were called of the Greeke word [Greek:  rhomae], [Sidenote:  Solinus.  Adr.  Iun.] signifieng power and mightinesse:  and in old time they were called Valentians, A valendo, of preuailing:  so that it was no maruell though they were victorious subduers of forren people, sithens they were by nature created and appointed to be conquerors, and thereof had their denomination.

* * * * *

What the poet Claudianus saith of the state of Britaine in the decaie of the Romane empire, of the Scots and Picts cruellie vexing the Britains, they are afflicted by inuasion of barbarous nations, the practise of the Saxons, of the Scots first comming into this Iland, and from whence, the Scotish chonographers noted for curiositie and vanitie.

THE XXXV.  CHAPTER

[Sidenote:  Solinus.  Adr.  Iun.] After this, in the time of the emperour Honorius, the Scots, Picts, and Saxons, did eftsoones inuade the frontiers of the Romane prouince in Britaine, as appeereth by that which the poet Claudianus writeth, in attributing the honour of preseruing the same frontiers [Sidenote:  396. Claudianus.] vnto the said emperour, in his booke intituled “Panegerycus tertij consulatus” (which fell in the yeere 396) as thus: 

  Ille leues Mauros nec falso nomine Pictos
  Edomuit, Scotumq; vago mucrone secutus,
  Fregit Hyperboreas remis audacibus vndas,
  Et geminis fulgens vtroq; sub axe tropheis,
  Tethyos alternae refluas calcauit arenas.

The nimble Mores and Picts by right so cald, he hath subdude, And with his wandring swoord likewise the Scots he hath pursude:  He brake with bold couragious oare the Hyperborean waue, And shining vnder both the poles with double trophies braue, He marcht vpon the bubling sands of either swelling seas.

The same Claudianus vpon the fourth consulship of Honorius, saith in a tetrastichon as followeth: