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BRUTUS

Volume 3 · 293 words · 1797 Edition

or Brute, according to the old exploded history of this country by Geoffrey of Monmouth, was the first king of Britain. He is said to have been the son of Sylvius, and he of Alcarius the son of Æneas, and born in Italy; killing his father by chance, he fled into Greece, where he took king Pandarus 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 Totnes 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 Leogria; Camber had Wales, and Albanact Scotland.

(Lucius Junius), the avenger of the rape of Lucretia, and founder of the Roman republic, flourished 509 years before Christ. See (History of) Rome.

(Marcus), the passionate lover of his country, and chief conspirator against Cæsar, flew himself off losing the battle of Philippi, 42 years before Christ. See (History of) Rome.

(John Michael), a man of learning, and a polite writer, in the 16th century. He was a native of Venice; and, having studied at Padua, spent great part of his life in travelling, and became historiographer to his imperial majesty. He wrote, 1. A history of Hungary. 2. A history of Florence. 3. Notes on Horace, Cæsar, Cicero, &c.; and other works. He was living in the year 1590.

(Stephen Junius), the disguised author of a political work intitled Vindicis contra tyrannos. See Language.