and, having governed the isle twenty-four years, died, leaving
three sons, Locrine, Albanact and Camber. Locrine had the middle
part, Camber the west, called Cambria from him, and Albanact
Albania, now Scotland. Locrine was married to Guendolen, the
daughter of Corineus, but having seen a fair maid named Estrildis,
who had been brought captive from Germany, he became enamoured of
her, and had by her a daughter, whose name was Sabra. This matter
was kept secret while Corineus lived, but after his death Locrine
divorced Guendolen, and made Estrildis his queen. Guendolen, all
in rage, departed to Cornwall, where Madan, her son, lived, who
had been brought up by Corineus, his grandfather. Gathering an
army of her father's friends and subjects, she gave battle to her
husband's forces and Locrine was slain. Guendolen caused her
rival, Estrildis, with her daughter Sabra, to be thrown into the
river, from which cause the river thenceforth bore the maiden's
name, which by length of time is now changed into Sabrina or
Severn. Milton alludes to this in his address to the rivers,—

   "Severn swift, guilty of maiden's death";—

   and in his "Comus" tells the story with a slight variation, thus:

   "There is a gentle nymph not far from hence,

   That with moist curb sways the smooth Severn stream;

   Sabrina is her name, a virgin pure:

   Whilom she was the daughter of Locrine,

   That had the sceptre from his father, Brute,

   She, guiltless damsel, flying the mad pursuit

   Of her enraged step-dame, Guendolen,

   Commended her fair innocence to the flood,

   That stayed her night with his cross-flowing course

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