[Sidenote:  Matth.  West. noteth. 500.] After that Aurelius Ambrosius was dead, his brother Vter Pendragon (whome some call Aurelius Vterius Ambrosianus) was made king in the yeare of our Lord 500, in the seuenth yeare of the emperour Anastasius, and in the sixteenth yeare of Clodoueus king of the Frenchmen.  The cause why he was surnamed Pendragon, was, for that Merline the great prophet likened him to a dragons head, that at the time of his natiuitie maruelouslie appeared in the firmament at the corner of a blasing star, as is reported.  But others supposed he was so called of his wisedome and serpentine subtiltie, or for that he gaue the dragons head in his banner.  This Vter, hearing that the Saxons with their capteins Occa or Otta the sonne of Hengist, and his brother Osca had besieged the citie of Yorke, hasted thither, and giuing them battell, discomfited their power, and tooke the said Occa and Osca prisoners.

[Sidenote:  Hector Boet.] From this varieth Hector Boetius in his chronicle of Scotland, writing of these dooings in Britaine:  for he affirmeth, that the counterfeit moonke, which poisoned Aurelius Ambrosius, was suborned and sent to woorke that feat by Occa, and not by his brother Pascentius:  and further, that about the selfesame time of Aurelius his death, his brother Vter Pendragon lay in Wales, not as yet fullie recouered of a sore sicknesse, wherewith of late he had beene much vexed.  Yet the lords of Britaine after the buriall of Aurelius Ambrosius, came vnto him and crowned him king:  and though he was not able to go against the Saxons (which as then by reason of Aurelius Ambrosius his death were verie busie, and more earnest in pursuing the warre than before) yet an armie was prepared and sent foorth with all conuenient speed vnder the leading of one Nathaliod, a man neither of anie great ancient house, nor yet of skill in warlike affaires.

The noble men were nothing pleased herewith, as misliking altogither the lacke of discretion in their new king, & doubted sore, least in time to come he would haue more delight to aduance the men of base degree, than such as were descended of noble parentage.  Yet because they would not put the state of the common wealth in danger through anie mutinie, they agreed to go foorth with him in that iournie.  Occa had aduertisement giuen him by certeine letters sent to him from some close friends amongest the Britains of the whole matter:  and therefore in hope of the better speed, he hasted foorth to incounter the Britains, and so the whole armie comming within sight of the other, they prepared to the battell, and shortlie after buckling togither, the Britains were soone discomfited, by reason that one of their chiefest capteins called Gothlois disdaining to be at the appointment of Nathaliod, got him vp to the next hill with the next battell which he led, leauing the other Britains in all the danger:  which they seeing began by & by to flee.  There died no great number of the Britains, except those