5. Excerpt from Chapter 16, "The Third Book of the History of England," from Vol. 2 of The Chronicles of England, Ireland, and Scotland, by Raphael Holinshed (1587)

[Shakespeare drew upon Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles for significant portions of Cymbeline; even in minor elements, he may have borrowed details. One such component relates to the Queen's speech at 3.1.14, particularly where she says that the island is "ribbed and paled in / With oaks unscalable and roaring waters" (3.1.19-20). Some editors have emended "oaks" to "rocks," picturing Caesar's attempts to land his boats and the greater effect coastal rocks might have on a naval invasion, as the Queen goes on to describe. However, Holinshed's description of the use of "trees piked through with iron" and placed in the Thames suggests a different way of interpreting the play's lines. The play's concluding feast and sacrifices also find a source here.]

Thus, according to that which Caesar himself and other authentic authors have written, was Britain made tributary to the Romans by the conduct of the same Caesar. But our histories far differ from this, affirming that Caesar, coming the second time, was by the Britons with valiancy and martial prowess beaten and repelled, as he was at the first, and specially by means that Cassibelan had pitched in the Thames great piles of trees piked with iron, through which his ships, being entered the river, were perished and lost. And after his coming aland, he was vanquished in battle and constrained to flee into Gallia with those ships that remained. For joy of this second victory, saith Galfrid, Cassibelan made a great feast at London and there did sacrifice to the gods.