A. D. 388 — ^400. f'rj 



year overrun by the two cruel tranfmarinc nations, the Scots from the 

 north-wefl, and the Pichts from the north *. [^Gildas de excidio Britan- 

 nice, c. xi.] 



388 — The weft coafts of Britam were alfo infulted with frequent 

 praedatory incurfions by the Scots of Ireland, probably accompanied by 

 the aboriginal Irifh. One of the beft atiefted of the expeditions of thefe 

 coriairs was that in which they failed up the Clyde as high as Dunbar- 

 ton (apparently then called Theodolia}, and carried oflf a great number 

 of prifoners, whom they fold for flaves. Among their captives was Pa- 

 tric, a youth in his fixteenth year, the fon of Calpornius, a deacon of 

 the church, and apparently a Roman, who afterwards became fo very 

 famous as the patron faint of Ireland. This fad we learn from the 

 works of Patric himfelf, the oldeft native or inhabitant of the Britifh 

 iflands, whofe writings have come down to our times f . 



396 — An army, fent into Britain by Stilico the regent of the weftern 

 empire, reprefled the invaders ; and a legion was quartered on the north 

 frontier of the empire in Britain : but it was recalled very foon after. 

 [Claudian. Laud. Stilic. L. ii ; Bel/. Get.^ 



400 — About this time the Noiiiia, or Court calendar ij:, of the two 

 Roman empires, feems to have been compiled. Among the great offi- 

 cers upon the Britifh eftablifhment the following appear to have been 

 the principal. 



The VicARius Brit A NNi ARUM, who was fo called, as being the imme- 

 diate deputy of the Pr^fectus prjetorio of Gaul, whofe almoft-impe- 

 rial fway extended over Gaul, Spain, and Britain. The vicarius had un- 

 der him 



the CONSULAR GOVERNORS of Maxima Ccejarienfis ^ 



and of Valentia; 

 and the presidents of Britannia prima, 



Britannia fecunda, 

 and Flavia Ccefarienjis. 

 Thefe great officers, who in modern language might be called the go- 

 vernor-general and lieutenant-governors, had in their hands the civil 



* Bede, after tranfciibing thefe words from Gil- ' clofe upon a river of that name.' \_HJl. cedes, 



das, in Older to prevent his readers from being mif- Z, i, c. 12.] 



led, immediately adds, ' Now, we ciJl thefe nations f Of late the very exiftence of Patric, and cor.- 



* tranfmaiirc, not as being lituated out of Britain, fequently of the work which goes under his name, 

 ' but as bung divided from the country of the has been denied. 1 cannot at prefent enter into 

 ' [Romanized] Britons by the intervention of two the merits of fuch a queftion, nor would, perhaps, 



* arms of the fea, which lun fsr into the land on any reader of this woik tliank me for attempting 

 ' the call and weft fides ot Britain. In the middle it. I may, however, obferve, that the narrative of 

 ' of the caftern one is tlie town of Guidi (on/n/Zi. Patric throws light upon, and is itfelf fupported 

 ' Kieth, or perhaps Injlj-Garvy'). On the nght by, the poetical flourilhes of Claudian, and alfo il- 

 ' fide of the wellern one is the town of Alcluith lullrates the obfcurity of Nennius. 



* {Duntartoii), the name of which fignifies in their % It differs from a court calendar in having only 



* language t/:e rod of Cluith {Clyde) ; for it Hands the names of the offices without thofe of the per > 



fons who held them. 



