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ly besieged, and by reason of the unhappie successe of his men
past all hope, laid aside the purple and his greata estate entred
into the Church, became a Priest: and streight-waies when Arles
was yeelded up, and he carried into Italie, was hinselfe,
together with his Sonne Julian (unto whom he had given the title
of Nobilissimus) and his brother Sebastian, beheaded. Thus much
briefly of these occurents, (which before are discorsed more at
large) out of Zosimus, Zosomenus, Nicephorus, Orosius, and
Olympiodorus, to the end that Veritie may triumph over their
vanitie, who have besprinkled this storie with most ridiculous
and foolish lies of their owne devising.
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Moreover in this citie (our Historiographers write) that our
warlike Arthur was invested and crowned King. But not long after
it was rased quite, either in the Saxons warres, or when
Adelwolph being offended with his brother King Edward, upon a
malicious mind, together with the helpe of the Danish rovers,
wasted this countrey even to Basing-stoke. And now remaineth
nothing save the wals, which although they want their
battlements, curtain, and coppe, yet they seeme to have been of a
verie great height. For, the earth is so growne up with the
rubble, that I could scarse with stouping low passe through an
old posterne, which they call Onions Hole. These walles in some
sort continue whole, but that they bee broken through in those
places where the gates were: and out of the verie walles I saw
grow oakes of that bignesse, and those seeming (as it were)
bredde with the verie stones, with such huge roots clasping one
another a great way, and spreading forth so mightie armes and
boughes all abroad, that it would make the beholders to wonder
thereat. These walles take in compasse about two Italian miles.
Whereupon haply the Saxons called this citie Selcester, as one
would say, The great citie: for Sel may seeme to sound with them
as much as Great, seeing Asserius hath interpretted the Saxon
word, Selwood, The Great wood. And before the wals westward,
where is a plaine, there lieth a banke of great length, raised
and cast up for a defence and fortification. The sight of this
old citie, containeth about fourscore acres of ground within,
which being a soile ploughed up and tilled, are divided into
corne-fields; with a little grove in the West-side: but on the
East, neere unto the gappe in the wall, there standeth a
Farme-house, and a pretty Church more lately built, in which,
while I searched for ancient inscriptions, I found nothing, but
onely in the windowes certaine armes, to wit, In a field sable,
seven Fusils argent in Bend, likewise in a shield sables, a Fesse
between two Cheverns, and in an Escutcheon, or[,] an Eagle
displaied with two heads, gules. This last, I have heard say, was
the coat of the Blewets, unto whom this land came, about the
Conquerours time. The second belonged unto the ancient house of
the Bainards of Leckham: but the first to the Cusanz, by whom
from the Blewets it descended hereditarily, to the said Bainards.
But in the raigne of William the Conquerour, it was the
possession of William de Ow, a Norman, who being accused of high
treason, and desirous to prove his inocencie by combat was
overcome in fight, and by commandement of King William Rufus, had
his two eies pluckt out of his head, and lost both his genetours.
This is found by continuall observation (as I have learned of the
inhabitants of this place) that although the ground bee fertile
and fruitfull inough, yet in certaine places crossing one
another, the corne doth not thrive so well, but commeth up much
thinner then else where, by which they suppose the streets of the
citie went in old time. There are heere daily digged up, bricks
such as we call Britaine-bricks, and great store of Romane coine
which they terme Onions pennies. For, they dreame that this Onion
was a Giant, and dwelt in this citie. There are digged up also
many times inscriptions, of which the unskilfull rurall people
envie us the having. Onely one was brought from hence to London,
which was to bee seene in the gardens of the right honourable Sir
William Cecill, Lord Burghley, and high Treasurer of England, to
wit.
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