Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland ..

THE DESCRIPTION OF BRITAINE. 197
soone as he was Interred, tooke seisure and possession. Ilowbeit, after two yeares it happened
that Albanact was slaine, wherevpon Locrinus and Camber raising their powers, reuenged
his death : and finallie the said Locrinus made an entrance vpon Albania, seized it
into his owne hands (as excheated wholie vnto hin^seife) witiiout yeelding anie part thereof
vnto his brother Camber, who made no claime nor title vnto anie portion of the same.
Hereby then (saith Adams) it euidentlie appeareth, that the entire seigniorie oucr Albania
consisted in Locrinus, according to which example like law amoijg brethren euer since hath
continued, in preferring the eldest brother to the onelie benefit of the coUaterall ascension
from the yongest, as well in Scotland as in England vnto this daie.
Ebraake the lineall heire from the bodie of this Locrine, that is to saie, the sonne of Mempris,
Sonne of IVIadan, sonne of the same Locrine builded in Albania the castell of Maidens,
now called Edenborough (so called of Aidan somtime king of Scotland, but at the first named
Cair Minid Agnes. I. the castell on mount Agnes, and the castell of virgins) and the castell
of Alcluith or Alclude, now called Dunbriton, as the Scotish Hector Boetius confesseth :
whereby it most euidentlie appeareth, that our Ebranke was then thereof seized. This
Ebranke reigned in the said state ouer them a long time ; after whose death Albania ( as annexed
to the empire of Britaine) descended to the onelie king of Britons, vntill the time of
the two sisters sonnes, Morgan and Conedage, lineall heires from the said Ebranke, who
brotherlie at the first diuided the realme betwe'en them ; so that Morgan had Lhoegres, and
Conedage had Albania. But shortlie after Morgan the elder brother, pondering in his head
the loue of his brother with the affection to a kingdome, excluded nature, and gaue place
to ambition, and therevpon denouncing warre, death miserablie ended his life ( as the reward
of his vntruth ) whereby Conedage obteined the whole empire of all Britaine : in which
state he remained during his naturall life.
From him the same lineallie descended to the onelie king of Britons, vntill (and after) the
reigne of Gorbodian, who had issue two sonnes, Ferrex, and Porrex. This Porrex, requiring
like diuision of the land, affirming the former partitions to be rather of law than fauor, was
by the hands of his elder brother ( best loued of queene mother ) both of his life and hoped' •
kmgdome beereaued at once. Wherevpon their vnnaturall mother, vsing hir naturall ma-
lice for the death of hir one sonne ( without regard of the loosing oi both ) miserablie slue
the other in his bed mistrusting no such treason.
Cloten, by all writers, as well Scotish as other, was the next hiheritour to the whole empire:
but lacking power (the onelie meane in those dales to obteine right) he was contented
to diuide the same among foure of his kinsmen ; so that Scater had Albania. But after the
death of this Cloten, his sonne Dunwallo Mulmutius made warre vpon these foure kings, and'
at last ouercame them, and so recouered the whole dominion. In token of which victorie,
he caused himselfe to be crowned with a crowne of gold, the verie first of that mettall (if
anie at all were before in vse) that was worne among the kings of this nation. This Dunwallo
erected temples, wherein the people should assemble for praier ; to which temples he
gaue benefit of sanctuarie. He made the law for wager of battell, in case's of murder and
felonie, whereby a theefe that lined and made his art of fighting, should for his purgation
fight with the true man whom he had robbed, beleeuing assuredlie, that the gods ( for then
they supposed manie) would by miracle assigne victorie to none but the innocent partie.
Certes the priuileges of this law, and benefit of the latter, as well in Scotland as in England,
be inioied to this daie, few causes by late positiue laws among vs excepted, wherin the be--
nefit of wager of battell is restreined. By which obedience to his lawes, it dooth manifestlie
appeere, that this Dunwallo was then seized of Albania, now called Scotland. This
Dunwallo reigned in this estate ouer them manie yeares.
BeUne and Brenne the sonnes also of Dunwallo, did after their fathers death fauourablie
diuide the land betweene them ; so that Beline had Lhoegres, & Brenne had Albania : but
for that this Brenne (asubiect) without the consent of his elder brother and lord, aduen-
tured to-marrie with the daughter of the king of Denmarke ; Beline seized Albania into his
owne hands, and thervpon caused the notable waies priuileged by Dunwallons lawes to be
xiewlie