, but
speedilie made toward Albania, and landing with his armie in a part
thereof, incountred with his brother Beline neere vnto a wood named
[Sidenote: Calater wood is in Scotland.]
as then Calater, where (after cruell fight, and mortall battell
betwixt them) at length the victorie abode with the Britains, and the
discomfiture did light so on the Norwegians, that the most of them
were wounded, slaine, and left dead vpon the ground.
Hereby Brenne being forced to flee, made shift, and got ouer into
Gallia, where after he had sued to this prince, at length he
[Sidenote: Seguinus or Seginus duke of the Allobrogs, now the Delphinat
of Sauoy.]
abode, and was well receiued of one Seguinus or Seginus duke of the
people called then Allobrogs (as Galfrid of Monmouth saith) or rather
Armorica, which now is called Britaine, as Polychronicon, and the
english historie printed by Caxton, more trulie maie seeme to affirme.
But Beline hauing got the vpper hand of his enimies, assembling his
councell at Caerbranke, now called York, tooke aduise what he should
doo with the king of Denmarke: where it was ordeined, that he should
be set at libertie, with condition and vnder couenant, to acknowledge
himselfe by dooing homage, to hold his land of the king of
[Sidenote: The Danes tributarie of the Britains.]
Britaine, and to paie him a yeerelie tribute. These couenants being
agreed vpon, and hostages taken for assurance, he was set at libertie,
and so returned into his countrie. The tribute that he couenanted to
paie, was a thousand pounds, as the English chronicle saith.
[Sidenote: The foure high waies finished.]
When Beline had thus expelled his brother, and was alone possessed
of all the land of Britaine, he first confirmed the lawes made by his
father: and for so much as the foure waies begun by his father were
not brought to perfection, he therefore caused workmen to be called
foorth and assembled, whom he set in hand to paue the said waies with
stone, for the better passage and ease of all that should trauell
through the countries from place to place, as occasion should require.
[Sidenote: The Fosse.]
The first of these foure waies is named Fosse, and stretcheth
from the south into the north, beginning at the corner of Totnesse in
Cornewall, and so passing foorth by Deuonshire, and Somersetshire,
by Tutherie, on Cotteswold, and then forward beside Couentrie vnto
Leicester, and from thence by wild plaines towards Newarke, and end
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