THE
ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE.
The island of Britain is eight hundred miles long, and two hundred miles broad: and here are in the island five peoples: English, Brito-Welsh, Scottish, Pictish, and Book-Latin. The first inhabiting this land were Britons: they came from [1] Armenia, and first settled southward in Britain. It then befel, that Picts came from the south from Scythia, with long ships, not many; and they first landed in north Ireland, and there prayed the Scots that they there might dwell. But they would not allow them; for they said that they could not all dwell together there. And then said the Scots: "We can, nevertheless, give you counsel. We know another island here to the east, where ye may dwell if ye will; and if any one withstand you, we will aid you, so that ye may subdue it." Then the Picts went and conquered this land northward; southward the Britons had it, as we before said. And the Picts obtained them wives from the Scots, on the condition that they should ever choose their royal race on the woman's side, which they have held so long since. And it then befel, after a course of years, that some part of the Scots withdrew from Ireland into Britain, and subdued some part of the land. And their leader was called Reôda, from whom they are named Dalreôdi.
- ↑ An error for Armorica.—"De tractu Armoricano advecti," are the words of Beda, H.E. i. 1.
