BRUTUS, or BRUTE, according to the old exploded history of this country by Geoffroy of Monmouth, was the first king of Britain. He is said to have been the son of Sylvius, and he of Ascanius the son of Aeneas, and born in Italy: killing his father by chance, he fled into Greece, where he took King Paderos prisoner, who kept the Trojans in slavery, whom he released on condition of providing ships, &c. for the Trojans to forsake the land. Being advised by the oracle to sail west beyond Gaul, he, after some adventures, landed at Totness in Devonshire. Albion was then inhabited by a remnant of giants, whom Brutus destroyed; and called the island after his own name, Britain. He built a city called New Troy, since London; and having reigned here 24 years, at his death parcelled the island among his three sons: Locrine had
the middle, called Loegria; Camber had Wales, and Albanact Scotland.