文档介绍：History Of The Britons
History Of The Britons
Nennius
Translated by J. A. Giles
1
History Of The Britons
I. The Prologue.
1. Nennius, the lowly minister and servant of the servants of God, by
the grace of God, disciple of St. Elbotus,* to all the followers of truth
sendeth health. * Or Elvod, bishop of Bangor, . 755, who first adopted
in the Cambrian church the new cycle for regulating Easter.
Be it known to your charity, that being dull in intellect and rude of
speech, I have presumed to deliver these things in the Latin tongue, not
trusting to my own learning, which is little or none at all, but partly from
traditions of our ancestors, partly from writings and monuments of the
ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans, and
the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymus, Prosper,
Eusebius, and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons, although our
enemies, not following my own inclinations, but, to the best of my ability,
obeying mands of my seniors; I have lispingly put together this
history from various sources, and have endeavored, from shame, to deliver
down to posterity the few remaining ears of corn about past transactions,
that they might not be trodden under foot, seeing that an ample crop has
been snatched away already by the hostile reapers of foreign nations. For
many things have been in my way, and I, to this day, have hardly been able
to understand, even superficially, as was necessary, the sayings of other
men; much less was I able in my own strength, but like a barbarian, have I
murdered and defiled the language of others. But I bore about with me an
inward wound, and I was indignant, that the name of my own people,
formerly famous and distinguished, should sink into oblivion, and like
smoke be dissipated. But since, however, I had rather myself be the
historian of the Britons than nobody, although so many are to be found
who might much more satisfactorily discharge the