by Lilius
Giraldus in the life of Hercules it is auouched, that the same Hercules
came ouer hither into Britaine. And this dooth Giraldus write by warrant
of such Britons as (saith he) haue so written themselues, which thing
peraduenture he hath read in Gildas the ancient Briton poet: a booke that
(as he confesseth in the 5. dialog of his histories of poets) he hath
seene. The same thing also is confirmed by the name of an head of land
in Britaine called _Promontorium Herculis_, as in Ptolomie ye may read,
which is thought to take name of his arriuall at that place. Thus much
for Albion and Hercules.

[Sidenote: Diuers opinions why this Ile was called Albion.
See more hereof in the discription.]
But now, whereas it is not denied of anie, that this
Ile was called ancientlie by the name of Albion: yet there be diuers
opinions how it came by that name: for manie doo not allow of this
historie of Albion the giant. But for so much as it apperteineth rather
to the description than to the historie of this Ile, to rip vp and lay
foorth the secret mysteries of such matters: and because I thinke that
this opinion which is here auouched, how it tooke that name of the
forsaid Albion, sonne to Neptune, may be confirmed with as good
authoritie as some of the other, I here passe ouer the rest, & proceed
with the historie.

When Albion chiefe capteine of the giants was slaine, the residue that
remained at home in the Ile, continued without any rule or restraint of
law, in so much that they fell to such a dissolute order of life, that
they seemed little or nothing to differ from brute beasts: and those are
they which our ancient chronicles call the giants, who were so named, as
well for the huge proportion of their stature (sithens as before is said,
that age brought foorth far greater men than are now liuing) as also for
that they were the first, or at the least the furthest in remembrance
of any that had inhabited this countrie. For this word _Gigines_, or
_Gegines_, from whence our word giant (as some take it) is deriued, is a
Greeke word, and signifieth, Borne or bred of or in the earth, for our
fore-elders, specially the Gentiles, being ignorant of the true beginning
of mankind, were persuaded, that the first inhabitants of any countrie
were bred out of the earth, and therefore when they could go no higher,
[Sidenote: _Terrae filius_ what it signifieth.]
reckoning the descents of their predecessours, they would name him _Terrae