veyance made by the said Aganippus and his lords, for restoring of Lear again to his dominion. But finally, he was, by the help of the said Aganippus, restored again to his lordship; and so possessed, lived as ruler and governor thereof by the space of three years after; in which season died Aganippus. And when this Lear had ruled this land by the term of forty years, as affirmeth divers Chronicles, he died and was buried at his town of Caerleir, or Leister; leaving after him for to inherit the land, his daughter Cordelia.

Cordelia, the youngest daughter of Lear, was, by assent of the Britons, made lady of Britain, in the year of the world, four thousand three hundred and ninety-eight, the which guided the land full wisely, by the time or space of five years complete; the which time expired and run, her two nephews, called Margan and Cunedagi, sons of her two sisters, came upon her land, and made therein great waste and destruction; and at the last took herand cast her into a strong prison, where she, being despaired of the recovery of her estate, (as testifieth Gaufryde,) slew herself, when she had reigned, as before is declared, by the term of five years.

I shall present the reader with one extract

more taken from the 83d chapter. It is the relation of the celebrated interview between Vortigern and Rowena, (stiled by our author Ronowen,) together with the arrival of St. Germain, and bishop Lupus, to extirpate the Pelagian (or according to Fabian, the Arian) heresy. Both these stories are related in the third book of Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Then by the soude of Hengist, came with sixteen sails, Ronowen, the daughter of the said Hengist, which was a maiden of excellent beauty. After whose coming, Hengist, upon a day, besought the king that he would see his castle, which he had newly edified. To whose request the king was agreeable; and at the day assigned, came to the said castle, where he was joyously received. And there, among other pastimes, the said Ronowen, with a cup of gold, full of wine, presented the king, saluting and saying, wassayle. The king, which before that time had heard no like salutation, nor yet understood what she meant, axed of her father what she meant by that word wassayle. To whom it was answered by Hengist, that it was a salutation of good and gladness, and that the king should drink after her, joining thereunto this answer-drink, hail! Wherefore the king, as he was informed, took the cup of the mai¬ den's hand, and drank; and after beheld the wench

in such manner, that he was wounded with the dart of the blind god Cupid, that never after he could withdraw his love from the wench; but lastly, by instigation of the devil, axed her in marriage of her father. And by force thereof, as witnesseth Polycronica, he put from him his lawful wife, of the which he had before time received three noble sons, called Vortimerus, Catagrinus, and Pascentius. Then the king gave unto Hengistus, the lordship of Kent, tho' Garangonus, then earl thereof, thereat grudged, with many of his Britons.

For this and for that, that the king had married а woman of uncouth beleve, well near all the Britons forsook him and his works. Nevertheless, some there were, as well nobles and other, that comforted the king in his evil doing. By which mean and other unleful deeds, then daily used, the faith of Christ began sore to appal. And over that, an heresy, called Arian's heresy, began then to spring in Britain. For the which, two holy bishops, named Germanus and Lupus, as of Gaufryde is witnessed, came into Britain to reform the king, and all other that erred from the way of truth.

Of this holy man, St. Germayn, Vincent Historial saith, that upon an evening when the weather was passing cold, and the snow fell very fast, he axed lodging of the king of Britain, for him and his compeers, which was denied. Then he, after sitting

under a bush in the field, the king's herdman passed by, and seeing this bishop with his company sitting in the weather, desired him to his house to take there such poor lodging as he had. Whereof the bishop being glad and fain, yode1 unto the house of the said herdman, the which received him with glad cheer. And for him and his company, willed his wife to kill his only calf, and to dress it for his guest's supper; the which was also done. When the holy man had supped, he called to him his hostess, willing and desiring her, that she should diligently gather together all the bones of the dead calf; and them so gathered, to wrap together within the skin of the said calf. And then it lay in the stall before the rack near unto the dame. Which done according to the commandment of the holy man, shortly after the calf was restored to life; and forthwith ate hay with the dam at the rack. At which marvel all the house was greatly astonished, and yielded thanking unto Almighty God, and to that holy bishop.

Upon the morrow, this holy bishop took with him the herdman, and yode unto the presence of the king, and axed of him in sharp wise, why that over-night he had denied to him lodging. Wherewith the king was so abashed, that he had no power to give unto the holy man answer. Then, St Ger

1 went.

main said to him: I charge thee, in the name of the Lord God, that thou and thine depart from this palace, and resign it and the rule of thy land to him that is more worthy this room than thou art. The which all thing by power divine was observed and done; and the said herdman, by the holy bishop's authority, was set into the same dignity; of whom after descended all the kings of Britain.

Of the character of Fabian, as an historian, Warton, in his History of English Poetry, gives the following account:" Our author is the dullest of compilers. He is equally attentive to the mayors of London, and to the monarchs of England; and seems to have thought the dinners at Guildhall, and the pageantries of the city companies, more interesting transactions than our victories in France and our struggles for publie liberty at home. One of Fabian's historical anecdotes, under the important reign of Henry V. is, that a new weather-cock was placed on the top of St. Paul's steeple. The earlier chapters of these childish annals faithfully record all those fabulous traditions which generally supply the place of historic monuments, in describing the origin of a great nation.'