Oldal 38 [38]
16 ORIGIN OF THE CIEY
first for France, where he built Tours in Touraine in memory of his
nephew, Turnus—they cherished the family names apparently—who
was slain by the natives of those parts, and eventually came "to this
Isle of Britain, which they found desolate, saving a few giants, which
they in time vanquished.” He built London, calling it " Troy
Newydh ”—we are not told how he came to know Welsh—and the
whole island he named after himself " Brittaine.” After a reign of
twenty-four years he died, and was buried in London.
Against this story I have nothing to say. Geoffrey may have
heard it, or he may have invented it, and Harry’s improvements
are not of much consequence. A Celtic village probably occupied
some part of the site of Roman London to which it imparted its
name, and there are said to
be reasons for placing it
on the right or western
bank of the Wallbrook, near
the modern Blackfriars, and
to the eastward of it. Fur¬
thermore, it may be the
fort of which Julius Caesar
speaks ; but of this there is
no kind of proof, and it is
a piece of futile guess-work
to try and localise his c7v¬
fas Trinobantum: the more
so as he never mentions
Llyndin, or any other form
oe oy & of the Celtic name.
¥ aa
"a
Harry next tells us
about King Bledhud, the
founder of Bath, who was
Ezt
ST. PETERS UPON CORNHILL "