XV.

Untill a nation straung, with visage swart,
And corage fierce, that all men did affray,
Which through the world then swarmd in every part,
And overflowd all countries far away,

Like Noyes great flood, with their importune sway,
This land invaded with like violence,

And did themselves through all the North display;
Untill that Locrine, for his realmes defence,
Did head against them make and strong munificence,
XVI.

He them encountred, a confused rout,
Foreby the river that whylome was hight
The ancient Abus, where with courage stout
He them defeated in victorious fight,

And chaste so fiercely after fearefull flight,
That forst their chiefetaine, for his safeties sake,
(Their chiefetain Humber named was aright)
Unto the mighty streame him to betake,
Where he an end of batteill and of life did make.

XVII.

The king retourned proud of victory,

And insolent wox through unwonted ease,

That shortly he forgot the ieopardy

Which in his land he lately did appease,

And fell to vaine voluptuous disease:
He lov'd faire Lady Estrild, leudly lov'd,
Whose wanton pleasures him too much did please,
That quite his hart from Guendolene remov'd

From Guendolene his wife, though alwaies faithful prov'd.

XVIII..

The noble daughter of Corineus

Would not endure to bee so vile disdaind,
But gathering force and corage valorous,
Encountred him in batteill well ordaind,
In which him vanquisht she to fly constraind:
But she so fast pursewd, that him she tooke,
And threw in bands, where he till death remaind;
Als his faire leman, flying through a brooke,
She overhent, nought movd with her piteous looke.
XIX.

But both herselfe, and eke her daughter deare,
Begotten by her kingly paramoure,

The faire Sabrina, almost dead with feare,
She there attached, far from all succoure;
The one she slew in that impatient stoure,
But the sad virgin, innocent of all,
Adowne the rolling river she did poure,

Which of her name now Severne men do call:
Such was the end that to disloyall love did fall.
XX.

Then (for her sonne, which she to Locrine bore,
Madan, was young, unmeet to rule the sway)
In her owne hand the crowne she kept in store.
Till ryper years he raught and stronger stay :
During which time her powre she did display
Through all this realme (the glory of her sex,
And first taught men a woman to obay:

But when her sonne to man's estate did wex,
She it surrendred, ne herslf would lenger vez,

XXI.

Tho Madan raignd, unworthie of his race,
For with all shame that sacred throne he fild:
Next Memprise, as unworthy of that place,
In which being consorted with Manild,
For thirst of single kingdom him he kild;
But Ebranck salved both their infamies
With noble deedes, and warreyd on Brunchild
In Henault, where yet of his victories

Brave moniments remaine, which yet that land envies.
XXII.

An happy man in his first dayes he was,
And happy father of faire progeny;
For all so many weekes, as the yeare has,
So many children he did multiply;

Of which were twentie sonnes, which did apply
Their mindes to prayse and chevalrous desyre:
Those germans did subdew all Germany,
Of whom it hight; but in the end their syre
With foule repulse from Fraunce was forced to retyre.
XXIII.

Which blott his sonne suçceding in his seat,
The second Brute, (the second both in name,
And eke in semblaunce of his puissance great)
Right well recur'd, and did away that blame
With recompence of everlasting fame:

He with his victour sword first opened
The bowels of wide Fraunce, a forlorne dame,
And taught her first how to be conquered,

Since which with sondrie, spoiles she hath been ran

sacked.

XXIV.

Let Scaldis tell, and let tell Hania,

And let the marsh of Esthambruges tell,
What colour were their waters that same day,
And all the moore twixt Elversham and Dell,
With blood of Henalois which therein fell.
How oft that day did sad Brunchildis see
The greene-shield dyde in dolorous vermell?
That not scuith guiridh it mote seeme to bee,
But rather y scuith gogh, signe of sad crueltee.
XXV.

His sonne King Leill by father's labour long
Enioyd an heritage of lasting peace,

And built Cairleill, and built Cairleon strong.
Next Hudibras his realme did not encrease,
But taught the land from wearie wars to cease;
Whose footsteps Bladud following, in artes
Exceld at Athens all the learned preace,

From whence he brought them to these salvage parts, Andwith sweet science mollifide their stubborneharth. XXVI.

Ensample of his wondrous faculty,

Behold the boiling bathes at Cairbadon,
Which seeth with secret fire eternally,

And in their entrailles, full of quick brimston,
Nourish the flames which they are warmd upon,
That to their people wealth they forth do well,
And health to every forreyne nation;

Yet he at last, contending to excell

[fell.

The reach of men, through flight into fond mischief

XXVII.

Next him King Leyr in happie peace lóng ráynd,
But had no issue male him to succeed,

But three faire daughters, which were well uptraind
In all that seemed fitt for kingly seed,
Mongst whom his realme he equally decreed
To have divided: tho when feeble age
Nigh to his utmost date he saw proceed,
He cald his daughters, and with speeches sage
Inquyrd, which of them most did love her parentage?
XXVIII.

The eldest, Gonorill, gan to protest

That she much more than her owne life him lov'd;
And Regan greater love to him profest

Then all the world, whenever it were proov'd;
But Cordeill said she lov'd him as behoov'd;
Whose simple answere, wanting colours fayre
To paint it forth, him to displeasaunce moov'd,
That in his crown he counted her no hayre, [share.
But twixt the other twaine his kingdam whole did
XXIX.

So wedded th' one to Maglan king of Scottes,
And th' other to the king of Cambria,

And twixt them shayrd his realm by equall lottes
But without dowre the wise Cordelia

Was sent to Aganip of Celtica.

Their aged syre, thus eased of his crowne,
A private life ledd in Albania

With Gonorill, long had in great renowne, [downe.
That nought him griev❜d to beene from rule deposed