The new chronicles begin here, compendiously drawn of the actions of the kings of England with many other notable and marvelous things that happened and chanced in their times from the first king, Brutus, who came into this land the year from the beginning of the world 2324 x^* to the 14th year of King Henry VI.

The realm of Britain that is now called England at the first naming thereof was called Albion, but for what cause and while it was so called almost no chronicle makes mention. Nevertheless, it is found in a certain story, though it be not of authority, that about the year 791 from the making of the world in Greece there was a mighty king who had the lordship above all other lords and kings. A man of great stature, he had a wife of the same making from whom he beget 30 daughters of the same stature as he. Of these daughters, the eldest was Albyna. This king, their father, married all of his daughters to kings and to other worthy men, which was the custom. These women, despising their husbands, would not be obedient to them, but would rather take the mastership upon themselves. After desiring and conspiring to bring about their husbands’ deaths, they ordained among themselves that when they were in their mirth and solace with their husbands, each of them should kill her husband. And, to further ensure that this cursed deed might really be fulfilled, each of them made her oath. Nevertheless, the youngest of them consented with her mouth and not with her heart. For dread that she would be killed among them, she also made her oath. When their counsel had been done among them, they each went home to their own houses. The youngest daughter of them coming home and seeing her husband soon began to weep. Her husband soon asked the cause of her weeping, and she, meekly kneeling on her knees, prayed to her husband for forgiveness and told him everything that was so traitorously ordained by her sisters, and how she had consented to his death with mouth but not with heart. When her husband heard this, he clasped her and kissed her.

In the morning, the husbands of the sisters going together to the king told him all the news about how his daughters had conspired to their deaths. Upon hearing this, and being forewarned against it, he soon sent forth his letters commanding all his daughters to come to him. Upon their coming and being connected in this case, the king commanded they be imprisoned until after he had been counseled by the old and wise men. He sought what might best be done against them, as they deserved a right shameful death. Nevertheless, for as much as they were of the king’s blood, they were perpetually exiled and set in a boat without any ores or rudder wherefore they were grievously cast with the storms of the sea and before long became hungry.

Nevertheless, with much pain, at the last their boat came near to the land in the coasts of Cornwall. Then, Albyna, who was wilier than the others, went first out of the boat and for as much as she touched the ground first she named the land after her name, Albion. Then gathering again their strengths and wits, they began to eat raw herbs and other wild fruits. This land at that time was full of wild beasts that these women desired at the time to eat. They had, however, no craft by which to take them. But, after they had thought about it for awhile, they made gins and cast traps of twigs which enabled them to capture these beasts and with sharp flints they slew them and with fire that they smote out of the flints they cooked these beasts in their own skins. Having done this, they soon waxed fat and their courage increased whereupon they desired the fellowship of man. Therefore, certain spirits of the air considering this took the shape of man upon them and beget men of great stature, which were called giants. After they were of age, these giants beget children of their own mothers, and so this land was occupied with giants onto the coming of Brut in the years before the coming of our lord (Jesus Christ). After that, Brute did utterly away with this name Albion and called it Britain, as it shall be more plainly showed in the writing process that follows. This is the beginning of the Brut and coming into England. ________________

Jupiter, the king of Greece whom the pagans worship for a god, had a wife called Juno and many concubines of whom he beget many sons, whom, by virtue of battle through pure strength, conquered many diverse realms. Furthermore, it is necessary to know that Troy is a region of Fryseland, which was first called Dardanna named after Dardannus, Jupiter’s son begotten of Electra. Dardannus, by the strength of his armies, got that region and reigned there first, after whom reigned his son Erectonius. And then reigned his son Tros of whom they were named Trojans. This Tros had two sons called Jhis and Asartus, the former of which made a city that he called after his own name Jhis. While he reigned in Troy, Jhis also beget Camendon, the father of Priam. Priam beget Hector, who had none like him in the battle of Troy. Asartus beget Anchises, the father of Aeneas, whose son was Ascanius that beget Silvius, the father of Brutus.

When this Brutus was conceived, it being in his mother’s womb, his Belsere asked one of his gods what should befall of this child. The god answering said that Brutus should slay his father and his mother, and so he did, for his mother died in the bearing of him, and he unintentionally slew his father with an arrow as he was hunting. For this reason, he was exiled out of Italy. After this, Brutus, sailing by the sea, came to the land of Greece where he gathered a multitude of Trojans who were in captivity to Pandrasus, king of the Greeks. He overcame this same Pandrasus in battle and wedded his only begotten daughter Innogen.

After this, sailing forth with the Trojans he came to an Isle called Locgecya, which at that time was not inhabited, on which he found a deserted city with a temple of Diana that gave answers to all men that asked of her. When Brutus learned this, he took with him twelve of the worthiest men of his fellowship and went to the temple with everything that belonged to the sacrifice. Then, Brutus kneeling before her said to the goddess: "My lady and princesse alone to whom heaven and hell are both obedient and under whose power are all earthly things tell me I pray of thy ladyship as I shall always heartily worship thee in whatever coasts of the world that thou will that I shall dwell and in that same place shall in the worship of thee and of all thy virgins late build a temple wrought of marble stone." When he said this nine times, he went about the altar four times doing his sacrifice with the wine that he held in his hand. When he had finished, he lay himself down before the altar upon the hearthstone and fell asleep. About four o’clock in the night the goddess appeared speaking to him and saying: "Brutus, in the west beyond France is an Isle closed about with the sea, sometimes inhabited with Giants but now deserted. Thither go for that shall be thy dwelling and in that Isle shall kings come of thy children to whom all the world shall be subject." Brutus waking with this voice was in doubt of whether he had dreamed so or that the goddess had spoken to him, so he called together his fellows and told them all the process of these tidings. They were full glad, and going to the ships they sailed forth till they came to Africa, knowing not yet whither-ward they went, where they found four generations of the outlaws of Troy with Corineus, their captain & leader, who was a man of great virtue and of so great strength that in battle he overcame a giant as though it were a child.

After that, they came to Gyan and had entered the water of legere where they cast their anchors. By the time that they had been there seven days word was brought to the king of that country called Goffarius that a great navy of strong people had come into his land. Then messengers were sent from the king that met with Corineus and two hundred of his fellowship who had gone out of their ships to hunt. These messengers inquired of Corineus by whose leave and whose authority he hunted in the country. To whom Corineus answered and said that it behooved him not to ask leave for any such matter. There, Hubert, one of the messengers, shot at him with an arrow, which Corineus avoided and starting over to Hubert took the bow out of his hand and broke his head therewith. Goffarius the king, who came with a great multitude, brought Brute and his fellows out of the ship to gave him battle. In this battle, Goffarius was overcome and compelled to flee into France, where seven kings reigned at that time, in order to seek himself out more help against the Trojans. Brutus having the victory was joyful thereof and went about the country beside himself utterly to destroy it and put away the unhappy people. After that, Brutus came to the city of Tuvowyn, which as Homer witnessed he built afterward there a building. Goffarius then returned with the kings and the princes of France, whereupon the Frenchmen and the Trojans battled together. But there were as many Frenchmen there as there were Trojans and this compelled the Trojans to flee to their ships. Nevertheless, the next day following, Brutus gathering together his fellowship, overcame the Frenchmen and with great riches that he had of them he filled his ships and so sailed forth till he came to the Isle of Albion, which he entered by the water of Totonose.

This Isle at the time was deserted and not inhabited save for a few giants whom he drove to their dens under hills. Then they began to till their fields and to build houses, and he called this land after his name, Britain, and his fellows Britons. Corineus called the part of the realm on which he had landed near after his name Corinea, which was afterwards called Cornwall. This Corineus had a great delight in fighting with giants of which there were more in that part of the Isle than in any other part that was distributed to his fellows. Among these giants there was one more detestable and horrible than any other, who was called Gogmagog, being of twelve cubits of length and so strong that he drew up an oak as though it were an hasell rod. This giant, with thirty other giants, on a day that Brutus did his sacrifice to his goddess in the haven where he had first landed, fought full sore against the Britons. Nevertheless, the Britons having the victory killed them all save for Gogmagog, whom Brutus saved alive as he wished to see the wrestling between Corineus and him. Then, Corineus broke three of his own ribs, two in the right side and one in the left side, whereupon Corineus, stirred to wrath, gathered his strengths and took this giant on his shoulder, and as fast as the heaviness of the burden suffered him, he ran to the next sea-bank where he did cast down his horrible burden at a great rock whereupon this giant broke his neck. This place, therefore, is called Gogmagog’s leap up to this day.

This Brutus made the city of Trenovante, that is to say New Troy, which is now called London, the year from the beginning of the world ijm iijC xxiiij xix from the making of London are 4,255 years. Brutus beget of his wife Innogen three sons called Lacemus, Cambrus and Albanactus. And having died in the fifty-fourth year of his life and the twenty-fourth year of his reign, he was buried within the city that he made. Then, his sons divided the realm betwixt them and each of them began to reign in his own part. From the coming of Brute into this land, there have been 4,264 years.

*These dates are approximations of Roman numerals.  See original manuscript.

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