Of Octauius a British lord, his reigne ouer the Britains, he incountereth with Traherne first neere Winchester, and afterwards in Westmerland:  Octauius being discomfited fleeth into Norway, Traherne is slaine, Octauius sendeth for Maximianus, on whom he bestoweth his daughter and the kingdome of Britaine:  the death of Octauius, Helena builded the wals of Colchester and London, she dieth and is buried, Constantine departeth this life, Britaine reckoned among the prouinces that reteined the christian faith, Paulus a Spaniard is sent into Britaine, he dealeth roughlie with the people, Martinus the lieutenant excuseth them as innocent, his vnluckie end, Paulus returneth into Italie.

THE XXIX.  CHAPTER.

Now in the meane time that Constantine had obteined and ruled the whole empire, Britaine as it were hauing recouered libertie, in that one of hir children being hir king, had got the gouernment of the [Sidenote:  Octauius. Caxton.  Gewisses inhabited the countrie which the west Saxons after held.  The name of Gewisses came in with the Saxons of Guuy, &c.] whole earth, remained in better quiet than afore time she had doone.  But yet in the meane season, if we shall credit the British chronicle and Geffrey of Monmouth the interpretor thereof; there was a British lord, named Octauius or Octauian, as the old English chronicle nameth him, that was duke of the Gewisses, and appointed by Constantine to be ruler of the land in his absence, the which Octauius (after that Constantine had recouered Rome and Italie, and was so busied in the affaires of the empire in those parts, that as was thought, he could not returne backe into Britaine) seized into his hands the whole dominion of Britaine, and held himselfe for king.

[Sidenote:  OCTAUIUS.] This Octauius then beginning his reigne ouer the Britains in the [Sidenote:  Galfridus.  Sidenote:  329.] yeere of our Lord 329, prouoked Constantine to send against him one of his mothers vncles, the foresaid Traherne.  This Trahernus, or as some name him Traherne, entred this land with three legions of souldiers, & in a field neere vnto Winchester, was incountered by [Sidenote:  Fabian. Galfridus.  This agreeth not altogither with that which Hector Boetius writeth, as in the Scotish chronicle appeereth.] Octauius and his Britains, by whome after a sore battell there striken betwixt them, in the end Traherne was put to flight and chased, insomuch that he was constreined to forsake that part of the land, and to draw towards Scotland.  Octauius hauing knowledge of his passage, followed him, & in the countrie of Westmerland eftsoones gaue him battell, but in that battell Octauius was put to the woorsse, and constreined to forsake the land, fled into Norway, there to purchase aid:  and being readie with such power as he there gathered, what of Britains and Norwegians, to returne into Britaine.  Before his landing he was aduertised that an earle of Britaine which bare him heartie [Sidenote: