1KING CHARLES HIS AUGUSTA, OR CITY ROYAL.
HE built this City, who the NationaaNENNIUS (who wrote about eight hundred years ſince) in Mr. Seldens Manuſcript, diligently cōpared by himſelfe with Sir H. Saviles, Sir Robert Cottons, & M. Cambdens copies. Sir Iohn Priſe, Humfrey Lhuyd, & all the Welſh, with innumerable other of our Nation, their followers.
a brought, (As we by al our old known books are taught,
And to deny them faith our manners ſhames)
Upon the riſing banke of royall Thames;
That valiant Worthy, who did not bely,
With deeds degenerous, his anceſtry,
Equall to Kings of Troy, for parts and fame,
Moſt luckie diſmally who rightly came
From the ſame ſtemm where Julius Caeſar grew,
The Sylvian glory and ſirnamed new,
2 Of his known flight (withbbPlinie, and before him Diodorus Si••••who writes that〈◊〉the Lucanian Languuge BRU••ſignifies fugitives,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
b flight the word doth ſuit) In old Lucanian who was wiſe, ye•Brut•.
Of him our famousccScorbie-graſſe, which the Romans call Britannica.
c h•••took alſo•ame, If true it be that from a Kings it came,
As he who was VeſpaſiansddPlinie.
d freind ſets down. By flight fates drew the way for Brutes renwon,
"As for Aenoa•. Crowne••o cowerds〈◊〉,
"No more then unſtirr'd flames the roof attain.
This was his Troy, his Trinobants cheif ſeat,
His empires top, by him in time made great.
But being found for ſhips a port ſecure,
(Th•Welſ•a ſhip calleeMr. Camden in his Britannia.
e Lhong) it did enu••, In after-ages far another name,
Even London, which it beareth ſtill the ſame.
And this, if ſome wiſe men rove right, is true;
Dinas, in Welſh a City. Thus it grew.
ffMr. Selden, and many of the Welſh.
fThere othe•are who think it call'd Lhan-Tain, And of Dianas temple there did gain,
That famous title: Lhan, a temple is,
And Tain, Diana ▪ London grew from this.
Now, more then ſtories, if conjectures weigh,
(A thing to which even common ſenſe ſaith nay)
Of all conjectures this to me ſeems beſt.
For under her, as Goddeſſe, to the Weſt,
Beyond the Colts land, where the Sun goes down,
That brave heroick Prince, born to renown,
Great Brutus barvely came, and fixt his ſeat,
Within the Oceans boſome, fixt that great,
Imperiall ſtate, beyond the worlds known end,
Shut out, where he his own known world did tend.
Nor Tamiſis, but Tainiſis is Tames,
If rightly call'd; Dianas name it names.
3This, many of our Britannes (they are thoſe,
Whom we call Welſhmen) for a truth depoſe.
And what thou haſt, my Williams, in this caſe,
Moſt aptly found, my memory muſt embrace.
Thou art opinioned; that as the name,
Of London, from the great Diana came,
So, that it was with this word Lin, put to,
Which ſignifies a Pool, where waters doe,
As here they did, cauſe lakes: and this is plain;
Becauſe the TamesggThe Poole is a place ſo called in the River of Thames neer to the Tower of London where ſhips ride thickeſt at anchor, & lies before the marſhy medows & ſtanding waters in the runn•lands of Redderiffe, which ſeem to have al thereof been under water or a Pool.
g near part doth ſtill retain, The title of The pool. Lhyn-Tain is then,
A town there fixt, where to Diana, men,
Had hallowed a lake. To ſtrengthen this,
Lin, and not Lon, in StephanshhStephanus (who wrote above a thouſand yeares ſince in Greeke) in his Book of Cities. And Marcianus in his circum-navigation of Britain, ſaith that the Citizens were of Lindoninon called Lindonines,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
h Lindonion is, By which that antient Greek did London ſigne,
Among the Cities which then moſt did ſhine.
But not alone this City took her name,
From Dian ', but the iland took the ſame.
For lofty Britain is of Bro combinde,
With Tain, and as Dianas land deſignde.
Which the fit wedlock of thoſe words begets;
For Bro is land. And that rough ſhire which ſets,
Out far into the ſea the huge head ſo,
Is Penbroke call'd, of Pen an head, and Bro.
Dianas oracles ſuch credit wun,
(As thoſe from which Brutes empire firſt begun)
That ſo his Brittans did her name adore,
As Epheſus it ſelfe did never more.
Muſe, what thoſe were aſſiſt thou me to ſing.
From Troyes laſt fires whoſe fame through heaven ſhould ring
Aeneas flying ignorant what fate
Attended for him in the Latin ſtate,
2 Rais'd, in his paſſage, upon Pelops ſhore,
By her direction, near where Boea wore,
Her towrs in forhead of an half-round Bay,
A City call'diiPaulanias in Laconicis.
i Etias, call'd, they ſay, Of his dear daughter, who that name did bear.
As unto him, ſo to his grand-childes heir,
(Troyes other glory, and his whole lines grace)
The huntreſſe Cynthia favourable was.
Brute, flying out of Italy, doth ſtray,
In unknown Seas, fore-ſeeing he ſhould ſway,
In ſome brave ſeat, and Generall of a Fleet,
Wherein above three hundred ſail did meet,
With fair winds ſomewhile, other whiles with fowl,
He from the Admiral did all controll.
Weary with Sea-work, he doth ride at laſt,
Under a ſlender Iland, lying waſte,
Which in th' old Britiſh book Lergecia is.
In ages paſt a Temple ſtood in this,
Whoſe ruines ſcarcely ſtood: the walls were clad,
In ſhallow graſſe; and too much light it had,
The roof turn'd window through. Yet th' alter there
Remain'd, and did Dianas title beare.
Brute forth-with knew her, when he this did ſee,
His houſes freind, and patroneſſe to be,
A Goddeſſe whom he had not ſerv'd in vain.
"Without divine help men no good attain.
With due rites honoring her, and offerings ſtore,
He humbly did with humble words adore.
This ſpeak I'on the Britiſh books report,
Which into Latin turn'd, and taught to ſort,
With common fame, may not diſtruſted be.
They taſting of a ſpirit high, and free,
7 Aſwell in ſenſe, as number, he, in vain,
(Who, while hekkG. Buchanan in his Hiſtories of Scotland.
k lived, did in verſes reign, Hiſtorian turn'd) them blames as fiction meer,
Who well his own might wiſh the verſes were.
And would to heaven theſe Welſh records in proſe,
Were equal in their dignity to thoſe.
"But diamonds in heaps of dirt doe ſhine,
" And barbariſm baſe unfoldeth lights, divine.
Nor would that Prelate,llGeffrey, born at Monmouth in South-Wales, Biſhop of St. Aſaph, about 400 years ſince.
l who ſo clerkly could, Turn Verſes, fain in proſe (if fain he would)
Such fooliſh things as ſome there found are thought.
He therefore onlymmThis ſeemes to bee moſt true. For firſt Nennius (that diſciple of Elnodugus) compendiouſly memorizeth Brutes fatal birth, his caſuall killing of his Father, his ſailing into Greece, and Gall, and that this Iſland took the name of Brittain from him. Then again, an old book found in the library of the Abbey Beck in Normandy, by H. of Huntingdon, (who was born about five hundred yeares ſince) in his travail to Rome, and the old Welſh copy of Walter Archdeacon of Oxford which Geffrey of Monmouth tranſlated into Latin, contain the ſame things thoughout (witneſſe Mr. Lambert, in his Preambulation of Kent) which Nennius briefly touch, and they deliver at large. Therefore Geffrey of Monmouth cannot be ſo much as fained, to have fained them. But of theſe things elſwhere, both more exactly, and more copiouſly.
m gave us what was brought; And that his duty was. The faults which be,
There age, if nothing elſe, pronounceth free.
6BRUTES Oriſon, and Vow.HUntreſſe divine, from whom wilde boars doe flye,
Who traceſt through the turnings of the skye,
And glades of hell, unfold terreſtriall fate;
Say where it is thy will to fix our ſtate.
Seat us where we thine endleſſe praiſe will ſound,
And temples reare with queers of virgins crown'd.
Sweet ſleep then ſeiſeth on him, and ſweet dreams
Preſent to his tirde ſoul their pleaſing theames.
For ſhee appear'd, and this fair anſwer gave,
Which from the true, tranſlatour here we have.
DIANAS Oracle, and GrantBRute, beyond Gall, where Phoebus ſtoops to reſt,
A land is lodg'd within the Oceans breſt,
Which once wilde gyants held, now vacant lyes,
Moſt fit for Thee Thine There t'encolonize.
Reach This. For Thou ſhalt ever This enjoy;
This ſhall to Thine be made a ſecond Troy.
Here, from Thy loines ſhall royal of-ſprings growe,
To whomnnA Propheſie nothing leſſe then a lie. For the whole World of the Britian Iſlands which very lately were under King James, is now obedient to his ſon King CHARLES. The whole World moreover was ſubject of old to Conſtantine a Brittain who was Emperour, or Caeſar Auguſtus. The Oracle therefore is fulfilled in both thoſe reſpects ▪ and in a more high, (of which the ſpirit of the Oracle thought nothing, but as one of the Sibills or Balaam might) that is to ſay, the Empire of the faith of Chriſt, by means of that bleſſed Emperour, being through all Nations moſt freely ſpred and ſetled.
n the whole worlds globe ſhall homage owe. 7Hence came it, that ſo conſtantly, and long,
Chaſte Cynthias honor was the Brittans ſong.
"Who would'ſt be ſōthing, ſet thine heart to know
" Things lōg ſince paſt: who doth not, old may ſhow
"But is an infant. That which makes men wiſe,
" Is the records of ages to reviſe,
"The ſacred ſhrines, and cabanets abſtruſe,
" Of hoary date, worn out of Vulgar uſe.
Thus divine Plato was in Aegypt told,
And hath in his Timaeus it enrold.
To herth 'whole Iſland dedicated was.
For where St. PaulsooSulcardus, an ancient Engliſh writer.
o moſt ſtately church haht place, Her temple ſtood, underppGeofrey of Monmouth, of the Originall and acts of the Brittains, lib. 2. cap. 1. The ſeats of the three Arch-flamins were at London, York, and Caer Leon. Sedes Arcbiſtaminum in tribus nobilloribus civitatibus fuerant Londoniis, Eboraco, & in Urbe Legionum.
p th' Archflamins charge. The gyants Dance (ſo call'd) that ſtructure large,
On Plaines of Sal'sbery, the ſame doth ſhowe,
Where made ſtōes ar more hard thē ſtōes that grow
The common ſort that heap doth Stonage name;
And albeit heavens whole force beats the ſame;
As diſobedient; undemoliſht ſtill,
Yet beares it up the head, and ever will,
Though part be ſwallowed by the yeilding ground.
It hath two rude rowes of huge ſtone ſet round,
(Rude ones indeed unleſſe time makes them ſuch,
The art worn out, and of the ſubſtance, much)
From under whoſe vaſt pile late times did dig,
The antlers of a dear extremely big,
Whoſe ſacrificed body flames had fed.
Such were the offerings which to Cynthia bled.
He, whoſoever, holdeth, that the ſame,
Was rais'd t' immortaliſeqqIn the book called Nero Caſar.
q Bunducas name, That martial Queen, ſhall have no foe of me:
For, without Phoebes wrong, it well may be.
6Thus Britain ever more that Virgins ſtyle.
Britain, th' Atlantick Oceans faireſt Ile,
It ſelf the Oceans miſtreſſe, and ſole Queen,
Which ſhe to curb from her white clifts is ſeen.
The circling Seas chief darling, pearl more clear,
Then is the Moon when ſhe doth full appear:
Although the Britiſh pearls look pale,rrPlinie in his Naurall Hiſtory.
r and wan, For grief they took, ſince ſo far Caeſar ran,
As to break through the ſecrets of her Seas,
Nor have they yet recover'd their diſeaſe;
Unlike thoſe pearls, which that triumphant Prince,
Did gather here, and brought away from hence,
To deck the breſt-plate, he to Venus vow'd,
In VenusſſSuetonius in his Julius Caeſar.
ſ Temple, Rome thereby made proud. But ever under Virgins was our Ile.
The bleſſed Virgin had it in her ſtyle,
After Diana had the title loſt:
The maiden mother Delias glory croſt,
"Light drives out darkneſſe, milde the fierce out-weares,
Protectrix here above one thouſand yeares.
This mov'd King Arthur to advance inttWilliam of Malmesburie, in his Latin Hiſtories, publiſhed by Sr. H. Saevile, and dedicated, with the works of ſome other our oldeſt Hiſtorians, (by that rare gentleman) to Q. Elizabeth, printed in one great Volume, at London, firſt, and ſince beyond the ſeas. Mr. Camden makes it clear, that this moſt victorious Britian Prince, King Arthur, was enterred at Glaſtenburie.
t ſheild, The Virgins ſemblant, who from every field,
Returning victor vanquiſhed in fight,
The Saxons powr's (in vain, through fates deſpight,
The Britans bravery withering in his death)
And crown'd her forhead wth auuNennius (who alſo writteth of the picture in his ſheild) nameth the twelve ſeverall places where King Arthur obtained thoſe twelve ſeverall victories, in the like number of ſet battels.
u twelvfold wreath. 9England was after call'd, Our Ladies Dow'r.
And we have ſeen it under maidens pow'r;
Eliza Maiden Queen, her title reft:
Dian 'to Mary, Mary t' her it left.
Eliza ſo was by another name,
EnſtyledxxThe Art of Engliſh poeſie, a book dedicated to her ſelf. Sir Walter Raleighs Engliſh Poem entituled Cynthia, and dedicated to that Goddeſſe Queen, as Mr. Camden every where calls her. The moſt famous, and moſt learned Poet of our Nation, Mr. Spenſer, in his Colin Clowt's come home again, mentions Raleighs Cynthia, with much honour.
x Cynthia; nor amiſſe the ſame. In the mean time, they will have London be,
Lhan-Tain of her, that the names pedigree.
Let various fancies, under face of truth,
Take whom they will. My Muſe things ſure enſu'th,
Our Worlds chief City loves not names blind born,
And what's not like her royall ſelf doth ſcorn.
The brother german of that paramount Prince,
Great Caſſibeline, (who draveyyJulius Caeſar himſelf, (though not ſo clearly) in his Commentaries, and all other who have written of his war in Britain, though ſome of them more magnificently, for Caſſibelines glory, as Lucan, then ſome others have done.
y Caeſar hence, And made Romes Eagles back to take their flight,
His Troian wheels ſwift thūdring through the fight)
His brother, royall Lud, when once he had,
The aged Citie with new buildings clad,
Made all things new, the marble gates, and walls,
Then Dinas-Lud, orzzGildas, the Hiſtorian, whom Monmowth cites, and Polydore Virgil confeſſeth to have read.
z Lud-Dine he it calls, (The old name chang'd, which was at firſt new Troy,
Whoſe prints the Trin•bants in theirs enjoy)
Lud-Dine, of Lud, refounder of the ſame,
By uſe, and time, ſoftned to Londons name.
10Nor is the word, Lud, barbarous, being found,
In Hebrew names, byaaGen. 10.27.
a Moſes ſelf renown'd. Therefore, though Sems Lud was no' 'kin to this,
Yet to the word thence ſplend or added is.
This, of all Cities in the Britiſh clime,
Becauſe, for majeſty, it was the prime,
(Old ſeats a kind of majeſty retain)
And finally, becauſe it was the main,
Of all, which being Romes, our Seas did wall,
Thoſe timesbbAmmianus Mercellus.
b Auguſta (nor did falſly) call. KingccA Greek coyn of the Emperour Claudius, in Octavius Strada, and in the Engliſh Nero Caeſar, where it is explained.
c Etiminius, orddSvetonius.
d Adminius (he, Who, King Cun 'ob•lines ſon was, one of three)
His court kept here, wheneeDion Caſſius.
e Beric ſold our land, To Claudius Caeſar, who did Rome command,
And by his right of conqueſt gain'd therein,
Made Romes wallsffPomeria protulit. Old Inſcriptions extant in Gruterus, and Rolinus, and the beſt ancient authors.
f wider then they carſt had bin. London was, long beforeggCor. Pacitus, Annal. lib. 14.
g Cornelius wrote, A place for trade, and concourſe moſt of note,
And known to Rome for ſuch; and long before,
To the boldhhJulius Caeſar writes, that the Britains ſent aid to the Galls: and Strabo, that the Veneti, in Gallia, had ſea helps from hence, in their war againſt Caeſar, for preſerving their Mart here, which was no where more likely to have been then at London, which, in Neros time, was above all other Towns of ours moſt famous.
h Venets on the Celtick ſhore: Which bred ſuch envy, that the fates thought fit,
With Romes ſelf, in miſhap to equal it,
Under one tyrant both to cinders turn'd,
That want only, this miſerably burn'd.
But Londons greater glory hence did ſpring,
That the firſt Chriſtian,iiThe old Brittiſh book tranſlated by Monmouth.
i Lucius, was her King. 11The realm,kkHereof I have long ſince written a ſmall book, unpubliſhed.
k and London, for a ſigne of this, One croſſe diſplay, gules in argent is.
A glorious ſtandard (God) and good indeed,
When the brave Engliſh, herellMatthew of Weſtminſter, and other old ones.
l made Pagans bleed, And Saracens there (that Antichriſtian ſect)
InmmHenry of Huntingdon, Matthew Ranis,•o•eden, and others.
m Cordelions dayes, with bleſt effect. Great are theſe glories, and enow: but more,
Doe here enſue. That Monarch, who firſt wore,
And firſt did ſpred in Roman arms the croſſe,
And therewith his own ſtandard did emboſſe,
Call'd Labarum,nnThe coines of Conſtantine the Great, and of other Empe
rours, after him, doe ſhow the figure of that heavenly ſigne, with which he adorned the Imperi
all
[illustration]
Banner, or Standard, moſt richly wrought and ſet with ſtones of greateſt price, and beautie. Euſebius in Conſtantines life. The figure in thoſe coines is n who crown'd Chriſts fold wth reſt The empire carrying with him from the VVeſt,
He whom new Rome did worthily adore,
Conſtantinoples name unknown before)
VVas bornooFitz-Stephan, an old Topographer of London, firſt publiſhed in print by that memorable Citizen, Mr. Iohn Stow. With theſe few ſmall drops, drawn hither out of my fuller annotations upon the Latin verſes, of which theſe are the tranſlation, I have ſprinkled their margents, as with a kinde of dewle ſalt. For, the noble matter may reliſh ſo the more kindly, and be the more fi•tly underſtood, by the learned, and ingenuous reader. Both which aymes of mine will hold good, I hope; who profeſſing my ſelfe to be herein an Hiſtoricall Antiquarie, have truly declared my ſelf to be ſuch, as the duty of mine office did oblige. The contrary whereof, what it were elſe, then, under the colour of being an Antiquarie, to deſtroy antiquitie, I muſt confeſſe, I know not. The moſt able Cenſor among the Greeks, Dionyſius Halicarnaſſaeus, (familiar with Pompey, the Great) in his judgement upon the beſt Greek Hiſtorian, Thucydides, is ſo far from condmning the inſerting of Nationall traditions into Hiſtories (ſuch as thoſe of Brute, and ſome other of ours here are) as he plainly confeſſeth it to be a duty. His one words are;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.That among all men, aſwell in generall, concerning places, as in particulars, concerning cities, ſuch memorials were preſerved, as came by hearſay; which ſons receiving from their fathers, they again endeavoured to commend by their ſons to poſterity. They therefore who would write of ſuch, ought to write ſo, as they finde them received of old. Thus, and much more to that purpoſe, upon which the juſtification of Herodotus (whom Cicero ſtyles the Father of Hiſtories) depends, hath that Dionyſius written there, and written truly. That the things in that Britiſh book, which Geofrey of Monmouth tranſlated, were of ſuch a traditional kinde, his dedicatory Epiſtle to that valiant, and learned Prince, Robert, Earle of Gloceſter, natural ſon to King Henry the firſt, King of England, clearly declareth. This was the reaſon which moved Herodotus (without fearing, or caring, to be reputed fabul•••, by the raſh, or ignorant, for his ſo doing) to recite what he commonly found in traditions among Nations, Common-weals, or Cities, touching their own originals, as knowing it to be his duty, as an Hiſtorian. Therefore, he tells us, that one Targitau•, the ſon of Jupiter, by the daughter of Boriſth•nes, had three ſons, Lipo-xais, Apo-xais, and Colae-xais, among whom he divided all Scyt••a, which ſo became firſt to be empeopled. The ſame cauſe alſo moved Cornel. Tacitus to remember unto us, that the old Germans derived their beginning from God Tuiſto, whoſe three nephews by his ſon Mannus, ſhared Germanie among them, and were of that Nation the firſt reputed parents. The like (but with much more likelyhood) our oldeſt Britiſh traditions report, of the tripartite diviſion of this great I ſtand, between Lycrinus, Camber, and Albanact, the three ſons of Brute, Julius Silvius Brutu•father of the Britains, and founder of London.
o in London, of a Brittiſh Queen. For which, and that the place was worthy ſeen,
12 To ſuit the change, Auguſta 'twas proclam'd:
Before his dayes not to be found ſo nam'd.
VVherefore, great City, willingly I grant,
This freeman unto thee, who well may'ſt vaunt,
Thy ſelfe thereof, becauſe he prov'd the man,
VVho, firſt of Emperours, the Title wan,
And great ſirname of Great. Then let it be,
An omen apt, that mankindes Cheif, in thee,
The cheif of Cities, ſhould be happy born:
VVhich, boding nothing, yet does both adorn.
But if ſhe had not heretofore been taught,
That ſtately ſtyle, now certainly ſhe ought,
VVhen royall Charles the Britiſh empire ſwayes.
London, which royal Lud did newly raiſe,
And newly name, now ought Auguſta be,
VVell able to make good that old decree.
The world too narrow for the ſame ſhe beares,
With lofty creſt ſhe roll's the heavenly ſpheares.
Then, 'till the Thames ſhall ceaſe to ebb, & flow,
The ground to bear, and skyes about to goe,
(The heavens, and earth to her moſt freindly both)
Aeternall flow'rs the ſtate thereof ſhall cloath,
Far (if God will) beyond the reach of ſpight,
And, never braver, is Auguſta right.
FINIS.