3. Excerpt from Chapter 38, The Chronicles of England, by William Caxton (1480)

[The final battle in Shakespeare's Cymbeline echoes many elements from this medieval version of the Roman invasion following the Britons' refusal to pay tribute. While many of the central points differ—such as the fact that it is Cymbeline's son who refuses to pay tribute, for instance, and the deaths of Cymbeline and Gynder—other aspects suggest continuity, including a soldier who disguises himself by wearing the enemy's armor; the beheading of an enemy and the throwing of the head into the sea; the rallying of the British troops; and even the similarity between the names "Imogen" and "Gennen," Emperor Claudius's daughter.]

Of Kymbalin that was Androgeus' son--a good man and well governed the land of Britain.After the death of Androgen reigned Kymbalin, his son, that was a good man and well governed the land in much prosperity and peace all his life's time, and in his time was born Jesus Christ, our savior, of that sweet virgin Mary. This King Kymbalin had two sons, Guidar and Armoger, good knights and worthy, and when this King Kymbalin had reigned 22 year, then he died and lieth at London.

Of King Gynder that was Kymbalin's son that would not pay the trewage{tribute} to Rome for the land that Cassibelan had granted, and how he was slain of a RomanAnd after the death of this Kymbalin reigned Gynder, his son, a good man and a worthy, and was of so high heart that he would not pay to Rome that tribute that king Cassibelan had granted unto Julius Caesar, wherefore the emperor that was tho{then} that was called Claudius Caesar was sore annoyed and ordained a great power of Romans and come into this land for to conquer the tribute through strength and for to have it on{of} the king, but this King Gynder and Armager, his brother, assembled and gathered a great host yfere{together} of Britons and gave battle to the emperor Claudius and killed of the Romans great plenty.

The emperor had afterward one that was called Hamon that saw their people there were fast{eagerly or almost} slain and privily cast away his own arms and took the arms of a dead Briton and armed him with his armor and come into the battle to the king and said in this manner, "Sir, be ye good of heart for God's love, for the Romans that be your enemies anon{soon} shall be slain and discomfited every one," and the king gave no keep{attention} unto his words ne{nor} his speech for because of the arms that he had upon him and weened{believed} it had be{been} a Briton, but the traitor ever held him next the king, and privily under the shoulders of his arms, he smote the king, wherefore he was dead and fell down to the earth.

When Armager saw his brother dead, he cast away his arms and took to him his brother's arms and come into the battle among the Britons and bade them heartily for to fight and fast lay adown the Romans. And for the arms, they weened it had be{been} king Gynd that afore was slain that they wist{knew} not. Then began the Britons fiercely for to fight and killed the Romans so at the last the emperor forsook the field and fled as fast as he might with his folk into Winchester, and the false traitor Hamon that had slain the king fast anon{immediately} gan{began} for to flee with all the haste that he might, and Armager, the king's brother, pursued him full fiercely with a fierce heart and drove him into a water, and there he took him and anon smote off both hand and head and feet, and hewed the body all to pieces, and tho{then} let cast him{threw him away} into the water, wherefore that water was called Hamon's Haven and afterward there was made a fair town that yet standeth that is called Southampton.

And afterward Armager went to Winchester for to seek Claudius Caesar, the Emperor of Rome, and there Armager him took; and Claudius the emperor, through counsel of his Romans that with him left alive, made peace with Armager in this manner as ye shall hear: that is to say, how that Claudius the Emperor should give unto Armager Gennen, his fair daughter, for to have to wife so that this land from that time forward should be in the emperor's power of Rome upon such covenant that never afterward no Emperor of Rome should take none other tribute of this land but only fealty, and they were accorded. And upon this covenant Claudius Caesar sent to Rome for his daughter Gennen, and when she was come, Claudius Caesar gave her to Armager to wife, and Armager spoused{married} her at London with much solemnity and mirth, and tho{then} was Armager crowned and made king of Britain.