Series 1 > History of Greater Britain, as well England as Scotland

CHAP. I.]
OF GREATER BRITAIN
65
had set foot in the island, gave themselves to the building of a
wall, much more to the north than was the first wall built by
the Romans. The second wall was even eighty miles further The Second
to the north than was the first wall. The country that was thus Wal1'
bounded Maximus, the British general, added to his kingdom. Maximus.
This wall began at Abercorn, and tended across the country to
Alcluyd, passing by the city of Glasgow and Kirkpatrick1.
By the inhabitants it is called Gramysdyk 2. But not content¬
ing them with such works as these, the Romans and the
Britons wage open war against the Piets and Scots, and in a
certain great battle slew Fergus, king of the Scots, with a Fergus slain,
multitude of the Piets. We now have seen the slaying of three
kings of the Scots. The first was he who was killed by the
Britons, from whom Riddisdal is named 3; the second, Eugenius
by name, lost his life at the hands of the Britons and the Piets,
and now we read of Fergus, son of Erth, slain by the Romans
and Britons. After this war the Scots and Piets were driven
to retreat beyond the Scottish Sea. But straightway after the
departure of the Romans, Eugenius, son of Fergus, along with Eugenius.
the Piets, attacks the Britons, and inflicts upon them a defeat
so great that they were forced to implore the Romans to come
to their help. About the Britons I marvel, for this reason:
they were three to one, and under the same king; and the
Scots and Piets, if we do not count the circumjacent islands,
held a mere corner of the country, scarce a third part of the
island. The Romans once more sent an armed force, and with
their help the Britons regained their ancient boundary in the
Scottish Sea.
CHAP. II.—Of the sending of Bishops to Scotland, and the conse¬
cration of several of them in that country, likewise of their holy lives,
and the marvels that they wrought.
In the year of our Lord four hundred and twenty-nine, pope Paiiadius issent
Celestine consecrates as bishop Saint Paiiadius, and sends him int0 Scotland-
to Scotland. For the Scots were at that time instructed in
the faith by priests and monks without bishops. Paiiadius
1 i.e. Kilpatrick. 2 Graham’s Dyke, i.e. Grim’s Dyke or ‘ Devil’s Dyke’.
3 Cf. p. 56.