e not permitted to erect a citadel; I, to whom
fate has allotted this mansion, shall remain here; whilst to you it
is incumbent to seek other provinces, where you may build a fortress."
"What is your name?" asked the king; "I am called Ambrose (in British
Embresguletic)," returned the boy; and in answer to the king's question,
"What is your origin?" he replied, "A Roman consul was my father."

Then the king assigned him that city, with all the western Provinces of
Britain; and departing with his wise men to the sinistral district,
he arrived in the region named Gueneri, where he built a city which,
according to his name, was called Cair Guorthegirn.*

* An ancient scholiast adds, "He then built Guasmoric, near
Lugubalia (Carlisle), a city which in English is called
Palmecaster." Some difference of opinion exists among
antiquaries respecting the site of vortigern's castle or
city. Usher places it at Gwent, Monmouthshire, which name,
he ways, was taken from Caer-Went, near Chepstow. This
appears to agree with Geoffrey's account, {illegible} See
Usher's Britan. Eccles. cap. v. p.23. According to others,
supposed to be the city from the ruins of which arose the
castle of Gurthrenion, in Radnorshire, Camden's Britannia,
p.479. Whitaker, however, says that Cair Guorthegirn was
the Maridunum of the Romans, and the present Caermarthen.
(Hist. Of Manchester, book ii. c. 1.) See also Nennius,
sec.47.

43. At length Vortimer, the son of Vortigern, valiantly fought against
Hengist, Horsa, and his people; drove them to the isle of Thanet, and
thrice enclosed them within it, and beset them on the Western side.

The Saxons now despatched deputies to Germany to solicit large
reinforcements, and an additional number of ships: having obtained
these, they fought against the kings and princes of Britain, and
sometimes extended their boundaries by victory, and sometimes were
conquered and driven back.

44. Four times did Vortimer valorously encounter the enemy;(1) the first
has been mentioned, the second was upon the river Darent, the third
at the Ford, in their language called Epsford, though in ours Set
thirgabail,(2) there Horsa fell, and Catigern, the son of Vortigern; the
fourth battle he fought was near the stone(3) on the shore of the Gallic
sea, where the Saxons being defeated, fled to their ships.

(1) Some MSS. here add, "This Vortimer, the son