EGO Nemnius Elvodugi discipulus,

aliqua excerpta scribere curavi, i. e. I have taken pains to write certain fragments, and I am Nenamnis a disciple of Eludach, because the folly and ignorance of the nation of Britannia have given to oblivion the history and origin of its first people, so that theyare not commemorated in writings nor in books. But I have brought together the histories that I found in the Annals of the Romans, out of the chronicles of the learned saints, viz.: Isidore, and Jerome, and Eusebius, in the Annals of the Saxons and Gae1s, and what I discovered from the tradition of our own old men.

Britonia insola a Britinia filio Isocon dicta est, i. e. the island of Britain is named from Britan, or some say that it was from one Brutus it was named, i. e. the first consul that was of the Romans; but Albion was the first name of the island of Britain. Eight hundred thousand paces is the length of the island of Britain. Two hundred thousand paces is its breadth. Eight and twenty principal caers or cities are in it; and these following are their names, according to the learned of Britain:—

Caer-Gortigern. Caer-Grutus. Caer-Mencest. Caer-Luill. Caer-Medguid. Caer-Colun. Caer-Gusdirt. Caer-Abrog. Caer-Caradog. Caer-Brut. Caer-Machod. Caer-Lunaind. Caer-Oen. Caer-Irangin. Caer-Pheus. Caer-Loninoperuisc. Caer-Grugan. Caer-Sant. Caer-Legun. Caer-Gnidiud. Caer-Breatan. Caer-Leiridoin. Caer-Pendsa. Caer-Druithgolgod. Caer-Luiticoit. Caer-Urnocht. Caer-Eilimon.

Numerous are its caers or cities besides these; innumerable its raths or forts and its fortified castles. Four races inhabit the island of Britain, viz.: the Gaels, the Cruithnachs Picts, the Britons, and the Saxons. The island Guta is to the south of it, Abonia, i. e. Manaind, is on the west between them and Eri Ireland; and the islands of Orck are to the north of it. Eri extends beyondthe island of Britain far to the south-west. But the island of Britain extends beyond Eri far to the north-east.

Innumerable are its lochs and its rivers. Two principal rivers are in it, viz.: Tamus and Sabraind; it is upon them that the ships and barks of the island of Britain sail, with the jewels and wealth of the whole island of Britain.

The Britons at first filled the whole island with their children, from the sea of Icht to the sea of Orck, both with glory and excellency.

Now after the deluge the world was divided into three parts; between the three sons of Noe, viz.: Eoraip, Affraic, and Asia. Sem was in Asia; Cam in Affraic; Jafeth in Eoraip. The first man of the race of Jafeth that came into Eoraip at the beginning was Alanius, with his three sons; viz.: Isacon, Gothus or Armion, and Negua. Isacon had four sons, Francus, Romanus, Britus, Albanus. Now Armion had five sons, Gotas, Uilegotas, Cebetus, Burgandus, Longobardus. Negua had three sons, Vandalus, Saxo, Boarus. It is from Saxo, son of Negua, that the Saxons are descended; but it is from Britus the Britons come. He is the son of Isacon, the son of Alanius, the son of Fethuir, the son of Ogaman, the son of Tai, son of Boidhbh, son of Semoibh, son of Athacht, son of Aoth, son of Abar, son of Raa, son of Asra, son of Iobaith, son of Ioban, son of Japeth, son of Noe, son of Laimiach. Thus it is recorded in the histories of Britain.

Furthermore it is related in the Annals of the Romans, that Aenias the son of Anacis arrived in Italy after the destruction of Troy, and took to wife Lavina the daughter of Ladin, son of Pan, son of Pic, son of Saturn, &c. After having slain Turn, and after the death of Ladin the king, Aenias took the kingdom of Ladianda; and the city of Alba Longa was founded by Ascan, son of Aenias, and he married a wife, and she bore him a son, viz. Silvius, shortly after.

Silvius afterwards married a wife, and she became pregnant, and it was told to Ascan that his son's wife was pregnant; and he sent a messenger to his son to say that he would send his Druid to give an opinion on his wife, to know whether it was a son, or whether it was a daughter she was about to bring forth. The Druid went, and after his return the Druid said to Ascan, that it was a son that was in her womb; and said that he would be powerful, and that he would kill his father and his mother, and that he would be hated by all. In fact his mother died in giving him birth. He received a name, viz. Britus, and afterwards he was nursed.

Now Britus was the son of Silvius, son of Ascan, son of Aenias, son of Anacis, son of Caipen, son of Essarc, son of Tros, son of Airic, son of Idus, son of Dardain, son of Jove, son of Sardain, son of Ceil, son of Polloir, son of Zororastres, son of Mesraim, son of Cam (filii maledicti ridentis patrem), son of Noe. Moreover, Tros, son of Airictondus, had two sons; viz., Ilium Ilus and Asarcus; it was by him i. e. by Ilus was founded Ilium, i. e. Troy he had a son, Laimidoin, the father of Priam. Assarc, moreover, was the father of Capen, Capen was the father of Anacis, Anacis the father of Aenias, Aenias the father of Ascan, the grandfather of Britan exosus, i. e. of Britan the abhorred. It was in this way that our noble elder Guanach deduced the pedigree of the Britons, from the Chronicles of the Romans.

After many years subsequently, according to the prophecy of the Druid, it happened to Britus to be shooting arrows in presence of the king, i. e. his father, and an arrow from him pierced the temple of the king, and the king died immediately there, i. e. his own father and afterwards he was driven out of Italy, to the islands of the Torrian Mediterranean sea, and the Greeks expelled him out of the Islands in revenge for Turnn, who had been killed by Aenias. After this he came to France, and Torinis was founded by him, and he was not suffered to remain there, but came afterwards into the island of Britain, where he took possession of the kingdom, and the island was named from him, and became full of his children and his descendants. And thus was it first peopled, according to the Romans.