Neverthelesse, as I contemne fables, so doe I imbrace, and take pleasure in the truth of History: and therefore, that which concerns the slaughter of the British Nobility by treason of Hengist commander of the Saxons, as of greater moment, and truth, I shall more fully relate. And Geffrey Monmouth’s Authority in this treacherous slaughter of the Britans, though I respect not so much, as Ninnius, Malmsbury, Sigebert, and others that affirm the same; yet, because he was the first, after so many, and so ancient Authors, that father’d Stoneheng their monument, and A. Ambrosius founder thereof, and therefore must trace him, and his followers therein. I will give you the history likewise from him, and thus it was: Hengist, upon his return with new supplies into Britain, finding Vortigern beyond expectation restored to the Crown, and withall greatly alienated in his affections towards him, prepared for his defence, with force of arms. But, whether he thought himself too weak; or, that he rather sought to be especially revenged on the British Nobility, who had wholly unriveted his designs, or both; he thought it no difficult matter to delude him by a Treaty, whom formerly he had so easily beguiled with his Neece Rowena. To which purpose, he makes an overture, to compose the enmities betwixt them at a Parley; and the King accepting it, appoints Ambresbury Town their meeting place, Nec mora, statuta die instante convenerunt omnes intra nominatam urbem (saith Geffrey)G. Mon. li. 6. & de pace habenda colloquium inceperunt. Ut igitur horam proditioni suæ idoneam inspexisset Hengistus, vociferatus est, Nemet oure saxas: & ilico Vortigernum accepit, & per pallium detinuit. Audito ocyùs signo, abstraxerunt (i.e. eduxerunt) Saxones cultros suos, & astantes principes invaserunt, ipsósque nihil tale præmeditantes jugulaverunt circiter quadringentos sexaginta inter Barones & Consules. The prefixed day being come, they all, without delay, met in the aforesaid Town, and began their Treaty for Peace; when therefore Hengist saw fit time for execution of his intended Treason, he cried out, giving the word, Nemet oure saxas (Nem eowr seaxes (saith Verstegan)Verstegan Ch. 5. that is, Take your seaxes; a kind of crooked knives, which each of the Saxons then carried closely in his pocket) and forthwith seised upon Vortigern, and held him by his robe. The Saxons quickly hearing it, drew forth their knives, and fell upon the Britans standing by, of whom, part Noblemen, part officers of State, expecting no such design, they slew four hundred and sixty. Quorum corpora beatus Eldadus postmodum sepelivit, atque Christiano more humavit, haud longè à Kaer-caradane, quæ nunc Salesberia dicitur, in cœmeterio, quod est juxta cœnobium Ambrii. Whose corpses holy Eldad, according to custome, after Christian manner interred, not far from Kaer-caradane, now called Salisbury, in the Churchyard adjoyning to the monastery of Ambresbury.
With this relation of the Saxons treachery, Mathew WestminsterMa. West. fo. 84. (in his Flores historiarum) seems to agree. And it wholly destroys the opinion commonly received, That the said Treaty with the Saxons, the massacre of the Britans, and likewise their interment, were at Stoneheng; and that in memory, those matters so transacted there, A. Ambrosius in the same place erected this Antiquity. Wherefore, I much wonder, our modern historians should cite the aforesaid AuthorsHollinsh. l. 5.
Speed lib. 7.
Stow fo. 53. 4to. in confirmation thereof, especially, when they affirm directly, the treaty was held in Ambresbury Town, and that the British Nobility fell by Treason there. Jussit Vortigernus & cives & Saxones Maiis Kalendis, quæ jam instare incipiebant, juxta Ambrii cœnobium convenire (saith G. Monmouth)G. Monm. lib. 5. Vortigern commanded both his own people, and the Saxons, upon the Calends of May then approaching, to appear near to the Monastery of Ambresbury. In Pago Ambri convenire, to meet in the Town it self of Ambresbury (saith Mathew Westminster) In order to which summons, (that I may proceed with Geffrey Monmouths story explaining himself positively concerning the place) statuta die instante convenerunt omnes intra nominatam urbem, &c. the appointed day being come, all of them met together within the forenamed Town, and there treated. The issue whereof was, that upon the word given (as before related) The Saxons drew their knives, and falling upon the Britans standing by, slew them. And, lest posterity should doubt those sacrificed for their Countreys cause neglected in their funerals, he leaves not there, but gives us the direct place, and manner of their buriall, affirming plainly they were buried by a Metropolitane of those times, even in a Church-yard, as Christians should. In cœmeterio, quod est juxta cœnobium, In the Church-yard, close by the Monastery. (saith he) There is not one word mentioned (I pray observe) of Salisbury plain, where this Antiquity Stoneheng remains, throughout all their Story.
But, it’s objected, although they were buried at the Monastery, the monument for their memory might be set up elsewhere, in a place more proper, and more conspicuous; even, as in the most properly conspicuous places where great actions happened Trophies were erected by the Romans, whose customs A. Ambrosius living long time amongst them, knew very well. I answer, A. Ambrosius, is suppos’d by Bede, and the best Authors, descended from the Romans; who, living many years under their subjection, in forrain parts, had fully inform’d his judgement, no doubt, with whatever customs, civill or martiall, then in use amongst them. For, though the Romans in those times, had utterly lost all knowledge of Arts, questionlesse civill, and martiall customs in some sort continued with them. Neverthelesse, if A. Ambrosius did erect any monument for the British Nobility, he rather, doubtlesse endeavoured to observe the rules of his own Religion, being a Christian, then the Heathenish customs of his Ancestors. However, in erecting it, at the place of their interment, he pursued both. As for the Christians honouring to posterity their famous men after death, it being so well known, I need not relate it. And, as concerning the ancient Romans manner in burying their Emperours, and those that had triumphed, or otherwise deserved well of the Common-wealth, though they burned their bodies abroad, the place for sepulture of their Ashes,Thomas. Procachio fo. 46. was within the City, monuments to their memory being erected, upon the same place where buried; so was Publicola honoured, so the Fabritii, the Cæsars, and others. And, after the same fashion it seems, was the monument for the British Nobility (if any) set up where they were interred; as in the place of all others most proper for it, all the considerable circumstances touching their deaths, happening there in like manner.
It’s true the Romans set up Trophies for great Victories, in the most eminent places where those victories were obtained by them; as the Trophy for Caius Marius his vanquishing the Cimbrians, in the most notable place where that memorable field was fought. Also, the Trophy dedicated to the memory of Augustus Cæsar that by his happy conduct, all the Alpine Nations, were reduced to Roman obedience, was erected in the most conspicuous place of the Alps. Now, this martiall custome considered, the British Nobility being (as the aforesaid Historians maintain) slaughtered in the Town, and buried at the Monastery adjoyning. Some one of those high hils, on either side Ambresbury, had certainly for site been more eminent, and the monument it self more exposed to the daily view of travellers, then about two miles from the Town, in a place remote, where this Antiquity stands. Which, though indeed eminent of it self, and overlooking the plains adjoyning; yet, at a large distance, especially on that side towards Ambresbury, and Salisbury-ward, is so surrounded with hils; as it appears with an Aspect of Religious horror, rather then as carrying any form of whatever sepulture.
This, though sufficient to refute the preceding objection (the former reasons being grounded upon customs only) I shall yet, from the histories of those times, further answer thereunto; Mathew Westminster tels us,Math. West. fo. 92. A. Ambrosius having compleated his victories over Hengist, and subdued his sons at York; Deinde porrexisse ad monasterium Ambri, ubi principes defuncti jacebant, quos Hengistus prodiderat; from thence came to the Monastery at Ambresbury, where the deceased Nobles, whom Hengist betrayed, lay buried. And Geffrey Monmouth,G. Mon. li. 8. prosecuting the same story, affirms also, that A. Ambrosius being come to the Monastery, ut locum quo defuncti jacebant circumspexit, pietate motus in lachrymas solutus est, dignum namque memoria censebat cespitem, qui tot nobiles pro patria defunctos protegebat. So soon as he cast his eyes upon the place where the slaughtered Princes lay interred, deplored them; esteeming that very ground which covered so many Nobles, dying for their Countreys cause, worthy eternall memory. Upon this consideration, Præcepit Merlino (saith the same Author) lapides circa sepulturam erigere, quos ex Hibernia asportaverat. A. Ambrosius commanded Merlin, that the stones brought out of Ireland (for he still troubles himself and readers therewith) should be erected about the place of their buriall. Whereby it clearly appears their Sepulchre was set up about the same place where they were buried, and not elsewhere. Also, as fully that their buriall place (as both the said Historians have told us) was at the Monastery of Ambresbury, or Churchyard adjoyning to it. All which former circumstances duly weighed, ’tis not possible Stoneheng should be supposed their Monument; except Geffrey Monmouth, having made so formall a tale of their easie transportation from Ireland, would compell us also to imagine, posterity might as easily be induced to assent, they were in like manner removed from the Churchyard at Ambresbury to Salisbury plain, the one being equally as ridiculous as the other, and no manner of credit to be given to either.
Wherefore, laying all the aforesaid Authorities together. First, that Giraldus Cambrensis formerly cited, tells us, (in that part of his story which carries most likelihood of truth) a Monument was set up by A. Ambrosius, in memory of the Britans, slain at a Treaty by the Saxons, upon the very same place where slain; and in order thereunto the aforesaid British Historians unanimously affirming the place at which that treaty was held, and where those Britans were slain was the Town it self of Ambresbury, not where this Antiquity Stoneheng remains: again, if suspect Cambrensis authority, and allow rather what our Historiographer of Monmouth saith, That the Monument was erected by A. Ambrosius, upon that plat of ground, where the slaughtered Britans lay buryed; he telling us also, their buriall place was in the Churchyard of the Monastery at Ambresbury (at the Monastery it self, saith Matthew Westminster) certainly then their Monument (whatsoever it was) being set up at the place, where they were both slain and buried, and (according to the aforesaid Authors) they being nor slain nor buryed at Stoneheng, it must necessarily follow, this Antiquity was not erected in Honour of those Britans. Unlesse any man will undertake to prove (which most certain it is none can) Stoneheng stands now, where Ambresbury stood of old: or that the Monastery and Churchyard thereof were not at Ambresbury, but at Stoneheng.
That the Monastery of three hundred Monks,Cam. fo. 254. stood there, (to wit at Ambresbury) Camden, out of the Book called Eulogium, affirms. And, that the Churchyard was close adjoyning to it, there’s no question to be made. First, because in all times since Monasteries erected, it was always in use, to lay out places for Churchyards belonging to them, near to the Monasteries themselves. Secondly, because divers Sepulchres, upon severall occasions, broken up at Ambresbury Monastery, manifest the same. Thirdly, because Geffrey Monmouth plainly tels us, they were buried in cœmeterio, quod est juxta cœnobium; in the Churchyard which is close by the Monastery. Lastly, it is further confirmed by these his formerly recited words,G. Monm. lib. 6. & 8. A. Ambrosius being come unto the Monastery, cast his eyes upon the place where the slaughtered Princes lay interred. Which is not possible he should have done, if the Churchyard had been at Stoneheng; it being very well known Stoneheng cannot be discerned, even from the highest hils, upon those parts especially, that next surround Ambresbury, much lesse from the Monastery it self, sited in the bottome of a deep vale by the river Avons side.
Among other Sepulchres found at the said Monastery, it’s worthy memory, that about the beginning of this Century, one of them hewn out of a firm stone, and placed in the middle of a wall, was opened, having upon its coverture in rude letters of massie gold,
The originall Inscription I could not procure; such relation thereof neverthelesse as came to my hands, I have, upon credit of those persons of quality from whom received, inserted it here.
R. G. A. C. 600.