The bones within which Sepulchre were all firm, fair yellow coloured hair about the scull, a supposed peece of the liver, near upon the bignesse of a walnut, very dry and hard, and together therewith, were found severall royall habiliments, as jewels, veils, scarfs, and the like, retaining even till then, their proper colours. All which were afterwards, very choicely kept, in the collection of the Right honourable Edward, then Earl of Hertford: and of the aforesaid gold divers rings were made and worn by his Lordships principall Officers. Concerning which Tomb (though I list not dispute) why might it not be the Sepulchre of Queen Guinever, wife of King Arthur; especially the Letters R G. as much to say, Regina Guinevera, declaring her title and name; and the date An. Chr. 600. (if truly copied) agreeing (possibly well enough) with the time of her death? Besides, Leyland affirms,Leyl. de assert. Arth. severall Writers make mention, she took upon her a Nuns veil at Ambresbury, died, and was buried there. To which he gives so much credit, that (whatever Giraldus Cambrensis delivers to the contrary) he will by no means allow, either her body to be afterwards translated from Ambresbury, or, at any time, buried by her husband King Arthur at Glastonbury. Unto Leylands reasons for her interment at Ambresbury, Camden (it seems) inclines also, because wholly silent of her Sepulchre, discovered any where else: though he at large sets down all the circumstances of her Husbands body, its being found at Glastenbury. For, had Camden apprehended any thing inducing him to beleeve, her body had been together with his there found, he would never, certainly, have concealed it from posterity.
Whether the aforesaid Tomb so found, were her monument, yea or no, enough concerning the slaughter and sepultures of the afore mentioned Britans; as also, that Stoneheng was not erected in memory of them. Let us come now to Aurelius Ambrosius, and see whether Polydore Virgill’s story in relation to Stoneheng agrees with what other Authors have delivered of Aurelius. For from Polydore’s authority, our modern Writers raise their second, and quite contrary opinion:Speed lib. 7.
Stow fo. 53. namely, that the Britans erected this Antiquity for A. Ambrosius his Sepulchre.
Polydore VirgillPolyd. Virg. lib. 3. treating of the actions of those times betwixt the Britans and Saxons; Britanni, Duci suo Ambrosio de republica bene merito magnificum (saith he) posuerunt sepulchrum &c. The Britans in memory of his great atchievements for the Commonwealth, erected a magnificent Sepulchre to their Chieftain Ambrosius, made of great square stones in form of a Crown, even in that place, where fighting, he was slain, that the prowesse of so great a Commander, should neither be forgotten amongst themselves, who then lived, or left unremembred to posterity. Which Monument remains even to this day, in the Diocese of Salisbury, near unto the village called Amisbery.
This opinion of Polydore is grounded (as I conceive) upon no great likelihood. For, should the British Nobles, far inferiour to A. Ambrosius, in honour, and dignity, be buried in the Churchyard of a Monastery, and a Sepulchre assigned for Ambrosius himself in the open fields? Should that Christian King, who had accomplished so many great atchievements victoriously against the Pagans, enemies to Christ? Caused Churches to be repaired, which the Barbarism of the Saxons had destroyed? pulled down and demolished idolatrous places of the Heathen, and (as is more probable) rather, then erected by him, whilst living, to others, or by others, to his memory after dead, the very first that began to deface this Heathenish sacred structure (for, though a Roman, yet a Christian, and zeal to true Religion might, no doubt, cause him dispense with ruining idolatrous Temples though formerly built, and consecrated to false Gods by his seduced Auncestors) should he, I say, be buried Pagan-like, in unsanctified, unhallowed ground, and others far lesse eminent, lesse conspicuous, in more noble, and sacred places? It could never be. Neither reason of State, nor fervor of piety, in those more scrupulous times, could ever admit thereof.
Leyl. de assert. Art.
Had Polydore, or any other, told us some Pagan-Saxon-Commander lay there intombed, ’twould have carried a shew of much more credit, and the ancient custome of that Peoples burying their dead might have been produced, at least as a probable argument, to confirm the same. For the Saxons a Pagan Nation, if any of their Princes or Nobility died, in their houses at home of sicknesse, were buried in pleasant, and delightfull gardens; if from home, and in the wars, not far from their camps, in heaps of earth cast up in the fields, which heaps they called Burrows: and the promiscuous common people in medows and open fields. Saxones Nobiles gens Christi ignara, in hortis amœnis, si domi forte ægroti moriebantur: si foris & bello occisi, in egestis per campos terræ tumulis quos Burgos appellabant, juxta castra sepulti sunt: vulgus autem promiscuum etiam in pratis & apertis campis. As Leyland, who laid a good ground-work towards the discovery of British Antiquities, delivers.
Polydore neverthelesse, had great reason to imagine A. Ambrosius famed the restorer of his Countrey (and Bulwark of War, as Camden cals him) worthy an everlasting Monument, Extat etiam nunc id monimentum in diœcesi Sarisberiensi prope pagum quam Amisberiam vocant, Which monument is yet extant in the diœcese of Salisbury (saith he) not far from Ambresbury Town: and so was the Churchyard of the Monastery too. He also tels us, Factum fuisse ad formam coronæ, it was made in form of a Crown. An elegant expression (I confesse) of a no lesse elegant work, if he meant Stoneheng; yet no argument thereby to prove A. Ambrosius or buried, or slain there. For, as touching A. Ambrosius his death, severall Authors, of as good credit as Polydore (his integrity neverthelesse I question not, others have been busie enough therein) affirm,G. Monm.
M. Westm.
Polychron.
Caxton.
Leyland. that Pascentius Vortigerns son, with many rewards corrupted a certain Saxon called Eopas (Clappa, saith Caxton) who, taking upon him the habit of a Monk, under pretence of Physick (A. Ambrosius being then sick) gave him poyson, whereof he died at Winchester. And no wonder he was so poysoned, many examples of the like kinde being recorded in History. As in later times,Knolls in vit. Ba. the Turkish Emperour Bajazet the second, under pretence of Physick poysoned by a Jew: also Conrad third of that namePed. Mexia in vit. Con. Emperour of Germany, by an Italian: and, in times of old, under the same pretence, Pyrrhus that famous EpirotPlutarch in vit. Pyrr. had been poysoned by his own Physitian, if C. Fabricius the Roman Consul would have enclined to such ignoble resolutions, as Pascentius after put in act against A. Ambrosius in our story.
Amongst other, who relate this disaster of A. Ambrosius, Matthew WestminsterMa. West. fo. 94. tels us, The said pretended Monk, tandem ad Regis præsentiam perductum, venenum ei porrexisse, &c. being at last admitted to the Kings presence, administered poyson unto him, which having drunk, the wicked Traytor advised him to sleep, and in so doing suddenly should recover health! Nec mora, illabente per poros corporis & venas veneno, mortem pariter subsecutam esse. But, ere long, the poyson being dispersed through the pores and veins of his body, death seizes upon him.
Concerning the buriall of A. Ambrosius, if give credit to Geffrey Monmouths affirming A. Ambrosius on his death-bed gave command, and was accordingly buried, in the Sepulchre by him (whilst living) prepared in the Churchyard adjoyning to the Monastery at Ambresbury, then was A. Ambrosius nor buried at Stoneheng, nor consequently this Antiquity erected to his memory. Geffrey Monmouth tels us; His death being known, the Bishops, Abbats, and all the Clergy of that province, assembled together in the City of Winchester.G. Monm. lib. 8. Et quia vivens adhuc præceperat, ut in cœmeterio prope cœnobium Ambrii, quod ipse paraverat sepeliretur, tulerunt corpus ejus, eodem atque cum regalibus exequiis, humaverunt. And with respect to his command, whilest living, that in the Churchyard adjoyning to the Monastery at Ambresbury, prepared by him, he would be buried, they took his body and with royall solemnities enterred him there.
Furthermore, at Ambresbury, that is, Ambrose his Town, (Camden tels us)Cam. fo. 254. certain ancient Kings, by report of the British story, lay interred. Whether A. Ambrosius was one of them, or no, I argue not; yet the same Author saith, Ambrose Aurelianus gave name unto the place. And why not, he being buried there, as well, as upon the translation of the body of Edmund that most Christian King, the Town of Edmundsbury in Suffolk was so called?