e Thames, where they suffered shipwreck whilst he fought
against Dolobellus, (the proconsul of the British king, who was called
Belinus, and who was the son of Minocannus who governed all the islands
of the Tyrrhene Sea), and thus Julius Caesar returned home without
victory, having had his soldiers Slain, and his ships shattered.

20. But after three years he again appeared with a large army, and three
hundred ships, at the mouth of the Thames, where he renewed hostilities.
In this attempt many of his soldiers and horses were killed; for the
same consul had placed iron pikes in the shallow part of the river, and
this having been effected with so much skill and secrecy as to escape
the notice of the Roman soldiers, did them considerable injury; thus
Caesar was once more compelled to return without peace or victory. The
Romans were, therefore, a third time sent against the Britons; and under
the command of Julius, defeated them near a place called Trinovantum
(London), forty-seven years before the birth of Christ, and five
thousand two hundred and twelve years from the creation.

Julius was the first exercising supreme power over the Romans who
invaded Britain: in honour of him the Romans decreed the fifth month to
be called after his name. He was assassinated in the Curia, in the ides
of March, and Octavius Augustus succeeded to the empire of the world. He
was the only emperor who received tribute from the Britons, according
to the following verse of Virgil: "Purpurea intexti tollunt aulaea
Britanni."

21. The second after him, who came into Britain, was the emperor
Claudius, who reigned forty-seven years after the birth of Christ. He
carried with him war and devastation; and, though not without loss of
men, he at length conquered Britain. He next sailed to the Orkneys,
which he likewise conquered, and afterwards rendered tributary. No
tribute was in his time received from the Britons; but it was paid
to British emperors. He reigned thirteen years and eight months. His
monument is to be seen at Moguntia (among the Lombards), where he died
in his way to Rome.

22. After the birth of Christ, one hundred and sixty-seven years, king
Lucius, with all the chiefs of the British people, received baptism,
in consequence of a legation sent by the Roman emperors and pope
Evaristus.*

* V.R. Eucharistus. A marginal note in the Arundel MS.
adds, "He is wrong, because the first year of Evaristus was
A.D. 79, wher