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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 January 2012
The subjugation of Kent by the Jutes is perhaps the most interesting of all the barbarian conquests of South Britain, from its priority in date and the romance with which it has been invested.
Several stories of the invasion which led to this conquest have come down to us.
page 363 note a In the Historia Ecclesiastica, lib. i. cc. 14 and 15. The history was written some time between A.D. 729 and 737, the years of the accession and resignation of King Ceolwulf.
page 364 note a “Initum namque est consilium, quid agendum, ubi quÆrendum esset prÆsidium ad evitandas vel repellendas tam feras tamque creberrimas gentium aquilonalium irruptiones, placuitque omnibus cum suo rege Vurtigerno, ut Saxonum gentem de transmarinis partibus in auxilium vocarent; quod Domini nutu dispositum esse constat, ut veniret contra improbos malum, sicut evidentius rerum exitus probavit. Anno ab incarnatione Domini quadringentesimo nono Marcianus curri Valentiniano, quadragesimus sextus ab Augusto, regnum adeptus, septem annis tenuit. Tune Anglorum sive Saxonum gens invitata a rege prÆfato, in Britanniam tribus longis navibus advebitur, et in orientali parte insulÆ, jubente eodem rege, locum manendi, quasi pro patria pugnatura, re autem vera hanc expugnatura, suscipit. Inito eigo certamine cum hostibus, qui ab aquilone ad aciem venerant, victoriam sumpsere Saxones. Quod ubi domi nunciatum est, simul et insulÆ fertilitas, ac segnitia Brittonum, mittitur confestim illo classis prolixior armatorum ferens manual fortiorem, quse premissÆ adjuncta cohorti invincibilem fecit exercitum. Susceperunt ergo qui advenerunt, donantibus Britannis, locum habitationis inter eos, ea conditione ut, hi pro patriÆ pace et salute contra adversaries roilitarent, illi militantibus debita stipendia conferrent. Advenerant autem de tribus Germanise populis fortioribus, id est, Saxonibus, Anglis, Jutis. * * * * * Duces fuisse perhibentur eorum primi duo fratres Hengist et Horsa. * * * * Non mora ergo, confluentibus certatim i n insulam gentium memoratarum catervis, grandescere populus coepit advenarum, ita ut ipsis quoque, qui eos advocaverant, indigenis essent terrori. Turn subito inito ad tempus fcedere cum Pictis, quos longius jam bellando pepulerant, in socios arma vertere incipiunt; et primurn quidem annonas sibi eos affluentius ministrare cogunt, quserentesque occasionem divortii, protestantur, nisi profusior sibi alimentorum copia daretur, se cuncta insulas loca, rupto fœdere, vastaturos; neque aliquanto segnius minas effectibus prosequuntur.”
page 365 note a Gens Anglorum sive Saxonum Britanniam tribus longis navibus advehitur, quibus dum iter prosperatum domi fama referret, mittitur exercitus fortior, qui junctus prioribus, primo hostes a quibus petebatur, abegit, deinde in socios arma vertens totam prope insulam ab orientali ejus plaga usque ad occidentalem igni vel ense subegit, conficta occasione, quod pro se militantibus Britones minus sufficienter stipend ia darent.”.
page 365 note b “An. CCCCXLIX. Her Martianus and Valentinus onfengon rice, and rixadan vii winter. And on heorn dagum gelaðode Wyrtgeorn Angelcin Mder, and hi þa comon on þrim ceolum hider to Brytene, on þam stede Heopwines fleot. Se cyning Wyrtgeorn gef heom land on sirðan eastan þissum lande, wið þan þe hi sceoldon feohtan wið Pyhtas. Heo þa fuhton wið Pyhtas, and heofdon sige swa hwer swa heo comon. Hy þa sendon to Angle, heton sendon mara fultum, and heton heom secgan Brytwalana nahtscipe, and þes landes cysta. Hy þa sona sendon hider mare weored þam oþrum to fultume. Da comon þa men of þrim megðum Germanie,” &c.
page 366 note a “An. CCCCXLVIII. Her Johannes Baptista ætywede twam munecon, þa comon fram east-dÆle to gebiddene hi on Jerusalem, his heavod on fare stowe þe hwilan was Herodes wunung. On þone ylcan timan Martianus and Valentinianus rixodan, and on þam timan com Angelcynn to ðisum lande, gelaðode fram Wyrtgeome cinge, him to helpe, his fynd to overoumende. Hi comon on þis lande wid þrim langan scipan, and hÆora heretogan waeron Hengest and Horsa. Ealra ærost hi þes cinges fynd ofslogon and aweg drivan, and syððan hi wenden agean þone cing, and agean þa Bryttas, and hi farðydon þurh fyr and þürh swyrdes egge.”
page 366 note b Turn omnes consiliarii una cum superbo tyranno Gurthrigerno Britannorum duce csecantur, et adinvenientes tale presidium, imo excidium patrise, ut ferocissimi illi nefandi nominis Saxones, Deo hominibusque invisi, quasi in caulas lupi, in insulam at retrudendas aquilonales gentes intromitterentur * * * * *. Igitur intromissis in insulam barbaris, veluti militibus, et magna, ut mentiebantur, pro bonis discrimina hospitibus subituris, impetrant sibi annonas dari, quÆ multo tempore impertitÆ clauserunt, ut dicitur, canis faucem. Item queruntur non affluenter sibi epimenia contribui, occasiones de industria colorantes, et nisi profusior eis munificentia cumularetur, testantur se cuncta insulse, rupto foedere, depopulaturos. Nee mora minas effectibus prosequuntur.”
page 367 note a “Guorthigirnus regnavit in Britannia; et dum ipse regnabat in Britannia urgebatur a metu Pictorum, Scottorumque, et a Eomanico impetu, necnon et a timore Ambrosii. Interea venerunt tres chiulÆ a Germania expulsÆ in exilio, in quibus erant Hors et Hengist, qui et ipsi fratres erant * * * * Guorthigurnus suscepit eos benigne et tradidit eis insulam, quae in lingua eorum vocatur Tanet, Britannico sermone Ruoihin, Eegnante Gratiano Secundo Equantio. Saxones a Guorthigerno suscepti sunt anno quadringentesimo quadragesimo septimo post Passionein Christi.”
page 368 note a Beda in his Chronicon (Stevenson's edition, vol. ii. p. 203), has a similar passage:—“His temporibus (i. e. in the time of Theodosius, A.D. 720), multi Anglorum gentis, nobiles et ignobiles, viri et fœininÆ, duces et privati, divini ainoris instinctu, de Britannia Eomam venire consueverunt.”
page 368 note b See Muratori's preface and Roth's preface to his edition of Suetonius, p. 111.
page 369 note a J. L. C. Grimm (Deutsche Mythologie; Schopfung, p. 537, edit. Gottingen, 1843) thinks that the geographer meant Æsc, the son of Hengest. “Das kann Hengist sein, oder noch lieber Oesc, dessen sohn, den ich mit Askr verglichen habe.” This is scarcely critical. In corruptions of names the reverse is the rule, viz. the change of a dissyllable into a monosyllable.
page 369 note b Grammatica Celtica.
page 370 note a Constantius, in the genuine biography of Germanus, S., never mentions any king. I have observed upon this silence of Constantius in “A Neglected Fact in English History,” p. 171 in noteGoogle Scholar .
page 370 note b Dr. Todd's S. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, a memoir of his life and mission, p. 385; and R. Eees's British Saints, p. 136.
page 370 note c Dr. Todd's S. Patrick, p. 385.
page 370 note d Ib. p. 353.
page 370 note e So Prudentius (Ruinart's Acta sincera Maityrum, p. 242, edit. Ratisbon 1859) says of himself in his hymn de Martyrio Sancti Laurentii (vv. 144, 145):
“Hos inter, o Christi decus,
Audi poetam rusticum,
Cordis fatentem crimina.”
page 371 note a Dr. Todd, p. 353, quoting the Confessio.
page 371 note b Constantius, in his Life of S. Germanus, speaks of S. Albanus, the former saint visiting his tomb; we cannot therefore doubt the truth of the martyrdom.
Venantius Fortunatus, in later days, also commemorates him (lib. viii. carm. 4, quoted by Ruinart in his Acta sincera Martyrum, p. 333, edit. Katisbon, 1859). “Egregium Albanum fcecunda Britannia profert.”
page 371 note c See the Martyrology of the pseudo-Hieronymus in Haddan and Stubbs, Councils and Ecclesiastical Documents relating to Great Britain and Ireland, vol. i. p. 28.
page 371 note d Petrie's Collect.
page 371 note e Zell, Delectus inscriptionum Romanarum, No. 1067.
page 371 note f Zell, No. 284.
page 371 note g See Notitia, “Invicti Juniores Britanniciani.” “Exculcatores Juniores Britanniciani,” (c. 19, in partibus occidentis.)
page 371 note h Epig. 109—114.
page 371 note i Petrie's Collect.
page 372 note a Beowulf, cantos 16 and 17, and the fragment called the Battle of Finnesburh.