r at Silchester, and proposed to Dubricius, Archbishop
of Legions, that he should consecrate Arthur, Uther's son, to be their
king. For they were now in great straits, because, upon hearing of the
king's death, the Saxons had invited over their countrymen from Germany,
and were attempting, under the command of Colgrin, to exterminate the
whole British race.... Dubricius, therefore, grieving for the calamities
of his country, in conjunction with the other bishops set the crown upon
Arthur's head. Arthur was then only fifteen years old, but a youth of
such unparalleled courage and generosity, joined with that sweetness of
temper and innate goodness, as gained for him universal love. When his
coronation was over, he, according to usual custom, showed his bounty
and munificence to the people. And such a number of soldiers flocked to
him upon it that his treasury was not able to answer that vast expense.
But such a spirit of generosity, joined with valor, can never long want
means to support itself. Arthur, therefore, the better to keep up his
munificence, resolved to make use of his courage, and to fall upon the
Saxons, that he might enrich his followers with their wealth. To this he
was also moved by the justice of the cause, since the entire monarchy of
Britain belonged to him by hereditary right. Hereupon assembling the
youth under his command, he marched to York, of which, when Colgrin had
intelligence, he met with a very great army, composed of Saxons, Scots,
and Picts, by the river Duglas, where a battle happened, with the loss
of the greater part of both armies. Notwithstanding, the victory fell to
Arthur, who pursued Colgrin to York, and there besieged him.

DUBRICIUS'S SPEECH AGAINST THE TREACHEROUS SAXONS, OF WHOM
ARTHUR SLAYS MANY IN BATTLE

When he had done speaking, St. Dubricius, Archbishop of Legions, going
to the top of a hill, cried out with a loud voice, "You that have the
honor to profess the Christian faith, keep fixed in your minds the love
which you owe to your country and fellow subjects, whose sufferings by
the treachery of the Pagans will be an everlasting reproach to you if
you do not courageously defend them. It is your country which you fight
for, and for which you should, when required, voluntarily suffer death;
for that itself is victory and the cure of the soul. For he that shall
die for his brethren, offers himself a living sacrifice to God, and has
Christ for his example, who condescended