The Phœnician origin of Britons, Scots & Anglo-Saxons : discovered by Phœnician & Sumerian inscriptions in Britain, by preroman Briton coins & a mass of new history : with over one hundred illustrations and maps

150 PHGENICIAN ORIGIN OF BRITONS & SCOTS

marginal notes on the older texts suggesting incidents based on conjectural etymologies of the proper names. The genuineness of the texts is also suggested by the frank record of the vicious traits of several of the kings as well as the virtues of others; and the circumstantial accounts of court intrigues, assassinations and the tyrannical feudal abuse of the sovereignty, reflect a very life-like picture of human happenings. Indeed, it appears probable that the earlier textual tradition was, like the earlier tradition of the IndoAryan or Eastern branch of the Barats, little more than a bare consecutive list of the kings from the founder of the first dynasty with the chief events in the life of the founder and of one or two others of the more important later kings. And many of the expanded details may be the additions of later copyists and bards embodying their personal opinions or conjectures, just as Tennyson admits having taken great licence with the old Arthur legend in his Idy/s of the King. But it appears unlikely that there was any deliberate falsification, or that the main outlines of the tradition were materially altered.

Of the existing versions of these Chronicles those of Nennius and Geoffrey of Monmouth are obviously the most authentic and fullest, and they are in general agreement. Nennius tells us that his was a compilation by himself from the ancient British texts and the annals of the Romans and other authorities whom he specifies; whereas Geoffrey states expressly that his was a translation into Latin of “an ancient book in the British tongue.” The following extracts and summary of the life and voyage to Britain of ‘* King Brutthe-Trojan”’ are from Geoffrey's text, and refer only to Nennius when he differs therefrom or supplies additional details.

We shall now let the Old British Chronicles speak for themselves : in recording the arrival in Albion of the Britons under King Brutus about 1103 B.c., and his civilization and Aryanization of this land:+ (for reference to chief placenames see Map.)

1 The translation by A. Thompson as revised by Giles (G.E.C.) is generally followed. There is a later translation by S. Evans, 1904.