“Of this hainous and wicked offense Constantine the tyrannicall whelpe of the lionesse of Deuonshire is not ignorant, who this yeare, after the receiuing of his dreadfull oth, whereby he bound himselfe that in no wise he should hurt his subjects (God first, and then his oth, with the companie of saints, and his mother being there present) did notwithstanding in the reuerent laps of the two mothers, as the church, and their carnall mother, vnder the coule of the holie abbat, deuoure with sword and speare in stead of teeth, the tender sides, yea and the entrailes of two children of noble and kinglie race, and likewise of their two gouernours, yea and that (as I said) amongest the sacred altars:  the armies of which persons so slaine, not stretched foorth to defend themselues with weapons (the which few in those daies handled more valiantlie than they) but stretched foorth (I saie) to God and to his altar in the day of iudgement, shall set vp the reuerent ensignes of their patience and faith at the gates of the citie of Christ, which so haue couered the seat of the celestiall sacrifice, as it were with the red mantle of their cluttered bloud.

“These things he did not after anie good deeds doone by him deseruing praise:  for manie yeares before, ouercome with the often and changeable filths of adulterie, & forsaking his lawfull wife contrarie to the lawes of God, &c:  he now brought foorth this crime of quelling his owne kinsmen, and violating the church, but neither being loosed from the snares of his former euills, he increaseth the new with the old.” ¶ Thus in effect hath Gyldas written of this Constantine, with more:  for turning his tale to him, he reproueth him of his faults, and counselleth him to repent.

[Sidenote:  CONANUS.] After that Aurelius Conanus had slaine the foresad Constantine, as in the British histories is mentioned, the same Conan was made king [Sidenote:  546.] of Britaine in the yeare of our Lord 546, in the 20 yeare of Iustinianus, and in the 33 of the reigne of Childebert king of the Frenchmen.  This Aurelius Conanus (as is recorded by some writers) was of a noble heart, free and liberall, but giuen much to the maintenance of strife and discord amongst his people, light of credit, and namelie had an open eare to receiue and heare the reports of such as accused other.  Moreouer he was noted of crueltie, as he that tooke his vncle, who of right should haue beene king, and kept him in prison, and not so satisfied slue in tyrannous maner the two sons of his said vncle:  But God would not suffer him long to inioy the rule of the land in [Sidenote:  Matth.  West. writeth that he reigned 30. yeares.] such vniust dealing, for he died after he had reigned the space of two yeares, and left a sonne behind him called Vortiporus, which succeeded him in the kingdome, as authors doo record.  Of this Aurelius Conanus Gyldas writeth, calling vnto him after he had made an end with his predecessor Constantine, saieng in this wise: