ntus was admitted
king of Britaine in the yere of the world 3614, after the building
of the citie of Rome 399, and second yere of the 206 Olimpiad.
This Guintoline was a wise prince, graue in counsell, and sober in
behauior. He had also a wife named Martia, a woman of perfect beautie,
& wisedome incomparable, as by hir prudent gouernement and equall
administration of iustice after hir husbands deceasse, during hir
sonnes minoritie, it most manifestlie appeared.

It is thought that in an happie time this Guintoline came to the
gouernement of this kingdome, being shaken and brought out of order
with ciuill dissentions, to the end he might reduce it to the former
estate, which he earnestlie accomplished: for hauing once got the
place, he studied with great diligence to reforme anew, and to adorne
with iustice, lawes and good orders, the British common wealth, by
other kings not so framed as stood with the quietnesse thereof.
But afore all things he vtterlie remooued and appeased such ciuill
discord, as seemed yet to remaine after the maner of a remnant of
those seditious factions and partakings, which had so long time
reigned in this land. But as he was busie in hand herewith, death
tooke him out of this life, after he had reigned 27 yeares, and then
was he buried at London.

[Sidenote: SICILIUS.]
Sicilius the sonne of Guintoline, being not past seuen yeares of
age when his father died, was admitted king, in the yeare 3659, after
the building of Rome 430, & after the deliuerance of the Israelites
out of captiuitie 218, & in the sixt after the death of Alexander.
[Sidenote: Queene Martia gouerneth in hir sonnes roome.]
By reason that Sicilius was not of age sufficient of himselfe to guide
the kingdoms of the Britains, his mother that worthie ladie called
Martia, had the gouernance both of his realme and person committed to
hir charge.

She was a woman expert and skilfull in diuers sciences, but chiefelie
being admitted to the gouernance of the realme, she studied to
preserue the common wealth in good quiet and wholsome order, and
[Sidenote: She maketh lawes.]
therefore deuised and established profitable and conuenient lawes, the
which after were called Martian lawes, of hir name that first made
them. These lawes, as those that were thought good and necessarie for
the preseruation of the common wealth, Alfred, or Alured, that was
long after king of England, translated also out of the British toong,
into the English Sax