both in strength and numbers. And Octa, after the death of his father Hengist, came from the sinistral part of the island to the kingdom of Kent, and from him have proceeded all the kings of that province, to the present period.
Then it was, that the magnanimous Arthur, with all the kings and military force of Britain, fought against the Saxons. And though there were many more noble than himself, yet he was twelve times chosen their commander, and was as often conqueror. The first battle in which he was engaged, was at the mouth of the river Gleni.[1] The second, third, fourth, and fifth, were on another river, by the Britons called Duglas,[2] in the region Linuis. The sixth, on the river Bassas.[3] The seventh in the wood Celidon, which the Britons call Cat Coit Celidon.[4] The eighth was near Gurnion castle,[5] where Arthur bore the image of the Holy Virgin,[6] mother of God, upon his shoulders, and through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the holy Mary, put the Saxons to flight, and pursued them the whole day with great slaughter.[7] The ninth was at the City of Legion,[8] which is called Cair Lion. The tenth was on the
- ↑ Supposed by some to be the Glem, in Lincolnshire; but most probably the Glen, in the northern part of Northumberland.
- ↑ Or Dubglas. The little river Dunglas, which formed the southern boundary of Lothian. Whitaker says, the river Duglas, in Lancashire, near Wigan.
- ↑ Not a river, but an isolated rock in the Frith of Forth, near the town of North Berwick, called "The Bass." Some think it is the river Lusas, in Hampshire.
- ↑ The Caledonian forest; or the forest of Englewood, extending from Penrith to Carlisle.
- ↑ Variously supposed to be in Cornwall, or Binchester in Durham, but most probably the Roman station of Garionenum, near Yarmouth, in Norfolk.
- ↑ V.R. The image of the cross of Christ, and of the perpetual virgin St. Mary.
- ↑ V.R. For Arthur proceeded to Jerusalem, and there made a cross to the size of the Saviour's cross, and there it was consecrated, and for three successive days he fasted, watched, and prayed, before the Lord's cross, that the Lord would give him the victory, by this sign, over the heathen; which also took place, and he took with him the image of St. Mary, the fragments of which are still preserved in great veneration at Wedale, in English Wodale, in Latin Vallis-doloris. Wodale is a village in the province of Lodonesia, but now of the jurisdiction of the bishop of St. Andrew's, of Scotland, six miles on the west of that heretofore noble and eminent monastery of Meilros.
- ↑ Exeter.
