faithfull men than that whiche he had to whom desiring to bye the grace and gifte of the holye ghoste with monie saincte Peter saied Thy mony perishe with the because thou thinkest the gifte of God may be obtained with monye There is no part nor felowship for thee in the ministerye of this worde And truly we are not shauen or clipte rounde for that consideration onely that saincte Peter was so shauen But because he was so shauen in the remembraunce of Christes passion therefore we also desiring to be saued by the merites off the same passion do beare vppon the toppe of our crowne beinge the highest parte of our bodye the signe of Christes passion as Peter dyd For as euery congregation of faithfull men which by the death of him that quickeneth and relyueth them is made in very dede a holy congregation commonly accustometh to beare the signe of the crosse in their forhead that by the diuine power of the same they may be defeÌ„ded from all assaultes of the deuill and may by often remembraunce and admonition of it be instructed howe they ought to crucifie the fleshe with all her sinne and concupiscence so in leeke manner it behoâ—eth them which either being made by vowe monks or by profession of the clergy do binde them selfes more streytly with the bridle of continency for Chistes sake to beare in their head by clipping the fourme of a crowne as our mercifull Sauiour caried vppon his precious head at the tyme of his passion a crowne of thorne to the entent he might thereby carie yea and carie awaye the thornes and briers of our sinnes To the end also they may protest vnto the worlde eâ—en by their open head that they are ready and gladde to suffer all mockery irrision and obloquy for his sake Last of all to testifie that they looke for the crowne of aeternall glorie which God hath promised to all that loue him and that for the purchasing of this they contemne all wordly shame and wanton wealthe But touching that fassion of shauinge which Symon Magus ennemye of Christes faith vsed who dothe not euen streyte at the beginning detest and abhorre it with all his magyke Which to outwarde sight semeth to haue the leeknesse of a crowne in the ouermost parte off the head but when a man cometh nere and beholdeth the hinder parte he shall finde that which semed to be a crowne to come very short thereof And truly such manner as it is voide of Christian considerations so for Symons secte it is very conuenient Who in dede by their simoniacall hypocrisie seme in this life to certain deceiued persons worthy the glorye of euerlasting ioye but in the lyfe whiche foloweth the dissolution of this bodye ar not only depryued of all hope of the crowne of glorie but which is more are condemned to euerlasting tormentes and payne And here tuly I would not your highnes shoulde thinke that I prosequute and debate this matter so largely as though I iudged them worthy to be condemned which vse this manner of shauinge yff they tender in hart and dede the vnytie of Christes catholique churche Nay I boldly protest and affirme that many of them haue bene vertuous and holy men Of the which Adamannus priest and Abbot of the Columbines is one To whom amongest all other thinges when he was sent in embasie for his owne countrie to kinge Alfride and as he passed was desyrous to see our monasterie and shewed in his behauiour and talke much wisdome humilitye and godlynesse I saied these wordes vnto him I beseke you good brother Why do you beleuing that you shall passe hence to a crowne of lyfe that hath no ende weare in your head the proportioÌ„ and fourme of a crowne which hath an ende seming in behauiour to be contrary to your faith And if you seke the felowshipp off S. Peter why do you follow that manner of shauing which he vsed whom S. Peter did ex communicate and deliuer to the deuil and do not rather shewe that you loue entierly with al your harte his habite with whom you desire to lyue in eternall blysse Knowe you for a suerty my derely beloued brother quoth he that albeit I vse the same fasshion of shauing which Symon Magus did after the custome and manner of my country yet I vtterly detest and abandone the vnfaithfulnesse and infidelyty of SymoÌ„ Magus and desire with al my hart to follow the steppes of the most blessed head of the Apostles S. Peter so farre forthe as my poore habilitie wil serue To that I replyed and saied I beleue it is so in very dede Yet it may be a more manifest declaratioÌ„ that you embrace euen froÌ„ the bottom of your hart al that the holy Apostle Peter taught if you kepe that outwardly which you knew was vsed of him generally For I thinke your wisdoÌ„ do easely iudge it most conuenient vtterly to seclude froÌ„ your presence and face dedicated to God the habit proportioÌ„ and figure of his couÌ„tinaunce whoÌ„ you abhorte with all harte and minde And contrariwise as you desyre to folow his steps and counsell whome you looke to haue as a patrone before God the father so it besemeth you to follow his outward behauiour This for that time I spoke to Adamanus Who after well declared how much he had profited by seinge the ordinaunces and rules of our churche For after his returne to Scotland he reduced by his preaching many of the same cuntry to the catholique obseruation of Easter Albeit he coulde not reduce the monkes that liued in the Iland Hij where he was Abbat thereto as yet He thought also to redresse the maÌ„ner of ecclesiasticall tonsure amongst them if his authority could haue preuailed And I nowe also most puissant prince do exhorte you to endeuour with all the country where the kinge of kinges and lorde of lordes hathe geuen you the souerainte to obserue and kepe all that agreeth with the vnity of Christes catholike and Apostolike church So it will come to passe that after you haue had dominion and rule here vpon earth the primat and head of the blessed Apostles will gladly open to you and yowers the gates of heauen to rest with the holy angells and other dere freÌ„des of God The grace of God of our Euerlasting kinge and lord preserue you most derely beloued sonne in Christe and graunte you longe prosperous raigne to our quietnesse and peace When this epistle was reade in the presence of kinge Naitane with many other lerned men besides being truly translated into the kinges natiue tounge by them which did well vnderstande it he much reioysed at that exhortation as some make reporte euen so much that rising from the place where he and many of the nobility were sate he fell downe vppon his knees and gaue God thankes that he had deserued to receiue such a benefit out of Englande And treuly saied he I knewe before that this was the trewe celebration and
He also shall make your memory the more famous vnto your posterite whose honour you seke and maintaine among your people For so Constantinus being sometimes a most vertuous Emperour him selfe and calling his subiectes from the wicked worshipping of Idoles brought them all with him selfe vnder the obeysance of God almighty our Lord Iesus Christe Whereby it was brought to passe that his name was of higher renoune then any of the princes that went before him and so much in glorie excelled all his auncetours howe much also he passed them in well doing Wherfore let your highnes also seeke now to publish vnto the kinges and countries subiecte to your dominion the knowledg of one god the Father the Son and the holy Goste to th entent thereby you may passe in honorable fame the aūcient kinges of your natiō and how much the more you trauail to do away sinne in your subiectes you may haue so much the lesse fear of your own sinnes before the dreadful bench of Gods iustice Our right reuerend brother Augustine bishop being brought vp in rule of religiō hauing good knowledg in the holy scriptures and a man through the grace of god of much vertue what so euer he shall aduertise you to doe gladly heare it deuoutly doe it diligently remember it For if you will heare him in that he speaketh vnto yow in Gods behalfe God also shall the soner heare him speaking and entreating for yow If otherwise as God forbid yow refuse to geue eare and heede to his wordes how can God heare him praying for yow whom yow despise to heare speaking to yow from god Wherfor with all yowr harte ioyne yower selfe with him and assiste him in gods busynes with all such authorite that God hath geuen yow that he may make yow partaker of his kyngdom whose fayth yow in your kyngdom cause to be receiued and obserued We will also yower highnes to know that according as we ar taught in the holy scriptures by the very wordes of God the end of this world draweth onward and the kyngdom of the sayntes of God shall follow which neuer shall haue ende And the ende of the world approching many thinges shall fall vppon vs which haue not ben heard of before that is to witt chaunge of the ayer terrible sightes from heauen tempestes contrary to the order of the times All which shall not yet fall in ower dayes Wherfor if yow shall know any of these to happen in your land let not yower mynd be dismayed therwyth For therfor shall there be signes sent before the end of the world to th entent we should the more diligently tender the helth of ower soules liue euer in dowte and feare of death ready prepared by good workes for the cumming of Criste our Iudge Thus much haue I sayd in few wordes right honorable Son intending to speak more at large as I shall heare the fayth to be enlarged in your kyngdom Then shall I be so much the more encouraged to speake how much the greater comfort I shall conceiue by the conuersion of your country I haue sent yow small presentes which yet shall not seme small vnto yow if yow shall accepte them as halowed wyth the blessing of S. Peter All mighty god make perfecte in yow his grace according as he hath begonne And send yow both longe life here vppon the earthe and that ended eternall life in his kyngdom of heauen The grace of God kepe yower highnes in safte my dere Son Datum vt supra How Augustine repayred the church of our Sauiour and buylded the abbay of S. Peter the Apostle The. 32. Chap. AVgustine after he had obtayned to haue a bishops see appoynted him in the kinges citty as is aboue sayd through the ayd of the kyng he recouered there a churche which was there of owld buylt by the Romans which wer Christianes and did dedicate it to the name of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and there made a house for him and his successors And not far eastward from the citty he buylded a monastery in the which kyng Ethelbert through his aduise buylded a new church in the honor of Saynt Peter and Paule and enriched it with sundry gyftes in which both the body of Augustine him selfe and of all the bishops of Cātorbury and of all the kinges of kent wer wont to be enterred Which church yet not Augustine him selfe but Laurentius his successor did consecrat The first Abbat of that monastery was one Petrus a priest which being legat vnto Fraunce was drowned in a creake called Amflete and burned after a homly maner of the inhabitours of the same place But ower Lord entending to haue it knowen how worthy a man he was made that euery night there appeared a light from heauen vppon the place where he lay buried which when the neyghbours about had espyed gathering therby that he was some good and holy man and searching out what and from whence he was remoued his body from thence and buried it honorablye in the towne of Bulleyne in a place of the churche conuenient sor so worthy a person How Edilfrith kyng of the Northumbers wasted Britanny and conquered the Scottes The. 33. Chap. ABout this time Edilfrith a man very valiaunt and much desirous of renowne was king of Northumberland one that more wasted the Land of Brytanny then any of the English Princes So that it semed he might be cōpared vnto Saul kyng of the Iraelites saue only in that he was voide and ignorant of Gods religion For none of all the coronells none of all the kinges did conquer more of the lande of Britanny ether makyng them tributary ether dreuing them cleane owt of the countrye and planting the Englsh in their places then did this Edilfrith To whom that might be wel applyed that the Patriarke Iacob sayd when he gaue his sonne Beniamin his blessing in the person of Saul Beniamin like a rauening wolfe in the morning shall eate his pray and at night shall diuide the spoyle Wherby Edanaden kyng of Skottes much grudging to see him goe forward after this sorte assembled a mayne and a strong army agaynste him But the sayd Edelfrith encountering him in the field with a few men gaue him the ouerthrow and in that famous place of Degsastone disconfited his great army In which field Theobald brother to Edilfrith was slayne with that parte of the army wherof he was generall This battell was foughtē in the yere of our lorde 603. and the xj yere of his raygne which lasted xxiiij yeres and the first yere of the raigne of Phocas then Emperour of Rome From that time forward vnto this present neuer was there king of Scottes which durst meete the English men in the field THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF the churche of Englande Of the life lerning and death of blessed Pope Gregory The. 1. Chapter IN the yeare of the incarnation of our Lord 605. the hollie pope Gregory when he had most
waggene walke but lyke a stone set fast in one place so are they buylded vpp hauing no vnderstanding in the wordle but be dull with insensiblenes hitselfe and starcke deade Therfore we can not by any discretion and iugement finde owte vppon what blindnes and deceite of minde ye worshipp and obey those Godes to whome your owne selues haue geauen the image and representance of a bodie Yt behoueth you then to receiue nowe the signe of that holie crosse by which mankinde was redemed and execrating all dangerous deceites of the dyuell shake from your hart his subtiltie and guyle who euer maliceth and enuyeth at the workes of Godes goodnes Yt behoueth yowe also to set handes on these Godes which hetherto ye haue made your selfe of one metal or other Ye must I saye teare thē rent them and squasshe them to peeces For the verie dissoluing and breaking of them that neuer had lyue sprite or breathe in them nor could not by any meanes take of their makers sense and feeling the breaking I saye of them shall playnly shew yow that in deade it was nothing at all which yow haue hitherto so reuerently worshipped Wheras yow are your selfe far better then they be For yow haue receiued of our Lorde a lyue sprite and Almightie God hath browght yow althowgh by manie ages and diuers degrees and kindreds from the stocke of the first man Adam Whome God himselfe made and gaue life vnto Come yow therfore to the acknowleging of him that hath created yow that hath breathed into yow the sprite of life that for your redēption hath sent his only begotten sonne who should take yow owt of originall sinne and reward yow after with the ioyes of heauen being now delyuered from the diuels powre and malice Receiue ye therfore the wordes of the prechers and harken to the gospell of God whiche they shew yow that beleuing as we haue alredie sayde in God the father and Iesus Christ his sonne and in the holie Ghost that blessed and inseparable Trinite forsaking al honour and worshipp to diuels and expelling from yow the ernest entising of that poysoned and your most deceytfull enemie ye maye be borne againe by water and the holie ghost and by the only healpe and bountifulnes of God dwell with God in whome ye shall beleaue in all brightnes of euerlasting glorie And here we haue sent yow the blessing of S. Peter heade of thapostels and your good guide and gouernour that is a sherte laide with gold and a cloke of the finest sorte we haue from Ancyra Which we beseche your hyghnes to acept with so good a hart and will as ye vnderstande it is sent from vs. How this Pope exhorted the Quene also that she shuld diligently and ernestly seeke for the kinges saluation The. 11. Chap. THis bishop sent also letters to the Quene And the transcript of that epistle which this holie and Apostolike Pope Boniface directed from Rome to Quene Edelburge wyfe to kinge Edwyne was suche To the most high and veriuous Princesse Quene Edelburge his dere daughter bishop Boniface seruant to thē that serue God The boūtifulnes of our redemer by his greate prouidence hath offred mankinde whome by the shedding of his owne pretiouse bloude he hath deliuered from the bonde and captiuite of the dyuel sundry waies and manie healpes by which they might be saued insinuating by diuers meanes into the mindes of gentiles the knowledge of his name that therby they might be Christened and acknowledge their creatour Which thinge that it hath ben by the gifte of God bestowed on your honour the mysticall regeneration of your purifying in baptisme doth plainly declare And truly our hart hath ioyfully reioysed for this greate benefite of our Lordes bountefulnes to yow who hath vouchesafed to enkendle a sparke of right religiō in you being now cōuerted to him that therby he might after easely enflame with the loue and knowleadg of him self the harte and mindes not only of your most renomed and dere husbād but also of al your subiectes For we haue lerned by thē which came to declare vnto vs the laudable conuersion of our most gratious and wel beloued son kinge Audubald that your honour also after ye had receiued the wōderful sacramēt and veryte of Christiā faith do shyne and excel in good workes and such as be euer pleasaūt in the sight of God Therfore let your highnes refraine alwaies and diligētly kepe you self from worshipping of idols frō thalluremēte of tēples and from fond south saynges And so persisting with a sure and vnchāgeable deuotiō in the loue of your redemer watch ye and labour neuer ceassing to bestow your paines cōtinually to thēcrease and enlarging of Christiā faith For when as for our fatherly charite we had enquired sumwhat of the state of youre derely beloued husband we vnderstoode that he serued and obeyed so far furth to the abomination of idolatrie that he wold not yet shewe anie obedience or geue eare to the voice and counsell of Gods preachers which newes was vnto vs no small griefe that a parte of your owne bodie shulde remaine in this sorte alienated from knowledge of the highest and the inseparable holy Trinite wherefore as becometh a father to doe we haue differred no lenger to send vnto you our daughter in Christe Iesu our good counsell and frendfull warninge Exhorting you that whereas ye are now your selfe endued with Gods grace and diuine inspiration ye differ not henceforth to be instant at all times warning him in season or out of season and still calling on him vntill he also by the healping hand of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe may be coupled with you in the number of Christians that you may so much the better and with a surer bond of societe accōpany him and hold the lawes and rightes of wedlock with him For it is writē They shal be ij in one fleshe and how can it be sayd that there is vnite of coniunction betwene yowe yf your husband by the darknes of detestable errour shall abide still alienated from the brightnes of your faith Ceasse not therfore to aske with continuall prayer of the greate mercie and longe suffringe of our Lorde the benefite of his illumining and conuersion that whom the knotte of carnall affection hath made now as one bodie those also the vnitie of faith may preserue in perpetuall societe after their dedeparture out of this life Be you then instant most vertuous daughter and with endeuour hasten spedely to mollefie the hardnes of his harte with godly remembraunces and diuine precepts Shew him plainly how excellēt a misterie it is that you by beleuing haue your self obtained And how meruailous a rewarde you shall haue hereafter bicause yow are nowe regenerat by baptisme Enflame his colde stony harte with ofte expressing the manyfolde graces of the holy ghost That he settinge a side by suche often exhortations this bodely and earthly worshipping of Idols the heate
his chaplins archebisshop of Yorke and went to the said monasterie and there with good example and conuersation ended his lyfe Howe Cedwall kinge of the Weast Saxons came to Rome to be baptized and his successour of deuotion went to the sepulchres and monuments of the blessed Apostles The. 7. Chapter THe third yere of kinge Aldfrides raigne Cedwall kinge of the weast saxons when he had kept the souerainty in his country very stoutely for ij yeres space for Gods sake and hope of an eternall kingdome in heauen forsoke his owne vppon earthe and went to Rome He thought it to be a singular glorye and renowne for him to be regenerated at the sea Apostolique with the sacrament of baptisme by the which he lerned that all mankinde had entrye to the kingdome of heauen With all this hope he conceaued that as sone as by baptisme he was clensed from synne and made a member of Christes mysticall body he shoulde departe from this worlde to the eternall ioye the which bothe by the prouidence of God were fulfilled euen as he had secretly in his minde determined before For cominge to Rome when Sergius was Pope he was baptised on easter eue the yere after the incarnation of Christ 689. and wearing yet the white apparel and robes of innocency which were put vppon him in baptisme fell sicke and died the 20. day of Aprill Whome the Pope at his baptisme named Peter that he might beare that holy name of the Apstole whose sepulchre and tūbe he came to see with good zeale and deuotion many hundred myles and buried him honorably in his churche And at the Popes commaundement an Epitahphe was engraued vppon his toumbe◠that bothe the remembraunce of his good zeale and deuotion might continewe in admiration trough out all ages and the readers and hearers also might be stirred to the leeke godlynesse and deuotion The epitaphe was written after this sorte An Epitaphe vpon kinge Cedwall All dignities and wordly wealthe all princely ioye and mirth All palaces and castells stronge all ladies of greate birth All triumphe all princely attire all precious pearle and pride The feruent loue of heuenly blesse made Cedwalle set a syde And spedely to Peters seate and monuments at Rome His fleshly lustes and filthy synnes with baptisme to ouercome Through daungerous seas and hougely hilles a pilgrimage to make And happely the ioyfull starre to endlesse comforte take Incontinent when his repaire was knowen among the states Full courteously they met him all and brought him to their gates Pope Sergius perceauinge eke his zeale and godly minde Did ioyfully baptise him streyt and from his synnes vnbinde He altered his propre name and did him Peter calle Delyueringe him from Sathans snare from mysery and from mysery and from thral But innocent lyfe this worthy wight on earthe did not longe kepe VVithin fewe days death did approche and rocked him a slepe Vndoubtedly greate was his faith greate was the mercy of Christ VVhose iudgments who so seketh oute shall creke when he is highst From Britanny that famousisle to Rome he saffly past The monuments and Apostles tumbes he sawe al at his later cast Deathes fyery dart his hart did perce and brought him to the groūde VVhere foysteringe mans carcas lyeth vntill the trumpet sounde Here couered with marbel stone his body lyeth at ease In paradise his soule abideth Gods wrath he did appease Then euident it is that he who from his realme did range For earthly things did heauen obtaine and lost naught by exchange An other epitaphe Here Cedwall is buried otherwise named Peter kinge of the weast Saxons who died the xx of Aprill in the seconde indiction and lyued thyrty yeares or ther aboute when that noble and mighty prince Iustinian was Emperour of Rome and had raigned iiij yeres in the empire and Sergius a trewe paterne of the Apostles had sate ij yeres in Peters seate As this good kinge Cedwall was takinge his iourney to Rome Huu one of the kinges bloud suceeded into the croune of that realme who after he had raigned there 37. yeares gaue ouer his kingdome and committed the gouernaunce of it to his children and went him selfe to the tumbes and monuments of the Apostles in Rome Gregory beinge the Pope hauinge an ernest desyre to wander leeke a pilgreme here in earthe for a tyme aboute such holy places that at the lenght he mighte be more willingly receaued of the blessed saintes in heauen the which practise in those dayes many englishmen both of the nobility and commons spirituall and temporal men and women wer wonte to vse with much emulation Of the death of Archebishop Theodore The. 8. Chapter THE yere after kinge Cedwall died at Rome that is to say the yere of our Lorde 690. archebishop Theodore worthy of perpetuall remembraunce for his singular vertues beinge very olde and in those yeres to which men commonly by course of nature may come to wit foure score and eight departed out of this wordle The which number of yeres that he should lyue and see was signified vnto him by reuelation in a dreame as to his familiare fryndes he was wont to make reporte He continued in his bishoprike xxij yeres and was buried in sainct Peters church where al the other bishops of Cāterbury ar buried Of whom with the rest of his felowes equal both in dignity and degree it may be truly verified that their names shal liue in glory frō generati to generation time out of minde for that I may vse fewe woordes the church of Englande for the time he was archbisshoppe receaued so much comforte and encrease in spirituall matters as they could neuer before nor after As touching his personage his lyfe his age and manner of death the epytaphe written vppon his tumbe in fowre and thirthy heroicall verses dothe manyfestly sett owte to all that haue accesse thither of the which these are the iiij off the first A woorthy prelate lyeth here fast closed in this graue To whome the name of Theodore the greekes most iustly gaue VVith tytle ryght the souerayntye hauynge of eche degree Christes flocke he fed with trewe doctrine as almen do welsee iiij of the last His sowle was sett at liberty that lumpyshe lumpe of claye Dyssolued when September had put nynetene dayes away And couetinge their feloship that lyueth a godly lyfe Is companyd with angells hie voyd off all care and stryfe Howe after the death of Theodore Berechtwalde toke the archbysshopricke vppon hym and amongst many other bysshopps consecrated and orderyd by him he made Tobye a man very well lernyd bysshopp of Rochestre The. 9. Chap. BErechtwald succedyd Theodore and was archbysshoppe of Canterburye who before was abbot of a monastery lyinge hard by the north entree of the ryuer Glade otherwise callyd Rachwulf a man dowtlesse well traueled in the knowledge of holy scripture and very skyllfull both in ecclesiasticall and Monastical ordres censures and disciplynes but nothynge to be compared to
country Writing thus Vnto his deare beloued son Mellitus abbat Gregorius the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God After the departure of you and the company which was with you we wer in dought what becam of you for that we could heare nothing how you sped in yower iourny When then God shall bring you vnto our reuerend brother Augustine bishop tell him what I haue of longe time deuised with my selfe of the cause of the English men That is to with that not the temples of the Idols but the Idoles which be in them be broken that holy water be made and sprinkled about the same temples altars buylded relikes placed For if the sayd churches be well made it is nedefull that they be altered frō the worshipping of diuels in to the seruice of God that whiles the people doth not see their temples spoiled they may forsaking their error be moued the more ofte to haunt their wont place to the honor and seruice of God And for that they are wōte to kill oxē in sacrifice to the diuells they shal vse the same slaughter now but chaunged to a better purpose It may therefore be permitted them that in the dedication dayes or other solemne daies of martyrs they maketh them bowers about their churches and feasting together after a good religious sorte kill their oxen now to the refreshing of them selues to the praise of God and encrease of charite which before they wer wont to offer vp in sacrifice to the diuells that whiles sum outward comfortes ar reserued vnto them they may thereby be brought the rather to the inward comfortes of grace in God For it is doutlesse impossible from men being so rooted in euell customes to cut of all their abuses vppon the sodaine He that laboreth to clim vpp vnto a highe place he goeth vpward by steppes and pases not by leapes So vnto the childrē of Israel being in Aegipt our Lord was wel knowē But yet he suffered them to doe sacrifice vnto him still in offring vp of beastes vnto him which otherwise they wold haue offered vpp vnto the diuels as they wer wont to doe in the land of Egypt that altering their intente they should leue sum and also kepe sum of their ould sacrifices that is that the beastes which they offred before they should now offer still But yet in offring them vnto the true God and not vnto the diuels they should not be the same sacrifices in all pointes as they wer before These be the thinges which I think expedient you declare vnto our sayd brother to th entent that he being there may consider with him selfe how ech thing is to be disposed God kepe you in helth dearly beloued son in Christ. Geuen the xv day of Iune The xix yere of the raigne of our soueraine Lord Mauricius Tyberius emperour and the xvij yere after his consulship Indictione quarta A letter of S. Gregorie to Augustine exhorting him that he should not glorie in him selfe of his vertues and miracles The. 31. Chap. ABout this time he sent Augustine an epistle touching such miracles as he had knowen to be done by the said Augustine In the which epistle he exhorteth him that he should take no pride of minde therefore I know saith he deare brother that it pleaseth god to shewe by thee great miracles amōg the people which by thee he hath called to his faith Wherevpon it is nedefull that of that heauenly gifte both thou ioyest with feare and fearest with ioye Thou hast to ioye for that by meanes of the said miracles the Englishmens soules are wonne to the faith Thou hast to feare leste through the miracles which be don by thee thy weake mind be lifted vp in presumption falling as farre inwardly by vaine glory as thou arte by outward praise puffed vp We must remember that the disciples returning with ioy from their preaching when they saied vnto their heauenly master Lorde in thy name the very diuells were obedient vnto vs it was by and by aunswered vnto them Doe you not reioyce tereat but rather reioyce for that your names are written in heauen For they had fastened their mind vppon a priuate and temporall ioye when they ioyed of their miracles But Christ calleth them backe from priuate ioy vnto commune and from temporall to eternall when he said Ioy for that your names are written in heauen For not all the chosen of god doth miracles but yet all their names are written in heauen For why They which be the disciples of the truth ought to ioye in nothing but only in that good thing which all other good shall haue as well as they and whereof they all shall haue ioy without ende This therefore remaineth deare beloued brother that of the thinges whiche by the power of god thou workest outwardly thou exactly euer discusse thy selfe inwardly and thourouly vnderstand both thy selfe who thou arte and what plenty of grace god hath bestowed vppon that countrie for whose sake to th entēt it might be the rather conuerted thou hast receiued the gift of working miracles And if thou remember that thou haste at any time ether by worde or dede offended god haue that euer in thy remembraunce that the ofte thinking vppon thy synne may presse doune the mounting pride of thy hart And what so euer grace thou ether hast or shalt receiue to worke miracles think it geuen thee not for thine owne sake but for theirs the minister of whose saluation thou art ordained How Saynt Gregorie sent letters and presentes to king Ethelberte The 32. Chapter THe said holy pope Gregorie at the selfe same time sent vnto king Ethelberte a letter with rich presentes of diuerse sortes doing vnto the king temporall honours which through his helpe was growē in knowledg of the glory of heauen The coppy of the said letter is this Vnto the right honorable and his most worthy sonne Ethelbert king of the English Gregorie bishop God almighty for this cause dothe calle good men to the gouernaunce of his people that by their handes he may distribute the giftes of his mercy and grace vnto all such ouer whom they haue the gouernaunce Which thing we know to haue ben done among the nation of the English ouer whom you are chosen to haue the rule that by the giftes of God employed vppon you the like benefites of grace might by your meanes be geuen to all such as are vnder your dominiō And therfor O Noble Son labour diligently to kepe the grace which you haue receiued from god and seeke with spede to set forth the faith of Christ to your subiectes Haue a good zele to procure the conuersion of as many as you can possibly forbid the worshipping of Idoles ouerthrow their temples edifie the maners of your people with exāple of your owne integrite with wordes of exhortation feare fayer speach and well doing that he may be your rewarder in heauen whose knowledg and name you make to be enlarged vppon the earth
was Oswy his brother keping the kingdome almost within equall boundes for a certaine time But after he cōquered for the most part the Pictes and Scotte mē which dwelled in the North quarters of Britāny and made thē tributarie But we wil speak of that here after King Elbert died the 24. day of February the 2. yere after that he had receiued the faith being ful past and is layde in S. Martins porch within the church of the blessed Apostels Peter and Paul wher also Quene Bertha is buried Which king beside other his deades that he boūtefully bestowed vpō his subiectes gaue and appointed them by the coūsel of wise mē certaine lawes and iudicial decrees according to thexāple of the Romans which being writē in the English tōgue are vntil this day kept of thē and as occasiō serueth practised In which his lawes and decrees he first and chiefly ordeined what amends he ought to make which had by thefte taken away anie thinge from the churches bishops or other orders Wherein the king prouided a safegard aud surtie for them whom and whose doctrine he had now receiued This Elbert was the son of Irminrike whose father was Octa and Octaes father Orrich called also Oiske Of whom the kinges of kēt are wont to be called Oiskinges This Orriches fathers name was Hengist who with his Oiske being sent for of Vortiger first entred into Britannie as I haue shewed before But after the death of Elbert when Eadbald his sonne had taken on him the rule of the royalme he greately hindered and dammaged there the younge springes and tender encreases of the churche For he would not only not accept and mainteyne the faith of Christ but he was also polluted and defiled with suche a fornication as the Apostle witnesseth neuer to haue ben heard of amongest the gentils which is that he had married his fathers wife With which ij heynouse factes he gaue occasion to his subiectes to returne to their former filthe and vomit which vnder his fathers raigne or for fauour or feare of the king had yelded to the lawes of Christen faith and chastite But the scourges of God and vengaunce from heauen wanted not to the punishing and correcting of this vnfaithfull kinge For he was plaged with often frensy of minde and raging fury of an vncleane sprite Nowe besides all this the death also of king Sabareth king of the Este Saxons muche encreased the trouble and persecution of the churche Who departing hence to the euerlasting kingdome of heauen left his iij. sonnes remaining yet paynims heyres of his temporall kingdome in earth After the death of their father they began straightwaie and openly to folowe idolatrie which while their father liued they semed somewhat to haue relented geuing also free licence to al their subiects to worship idols These princes on a certaine time when they sawe the bisshop in the churche after he had celebrated the solemnites of the masse geaue the people the sacrament being puffed vpp with barbarouse and rude folie saide as the common reporte is thus vnto him Why doest thou not geaue vs also some of that white breade which thou diddest geue our father Saba for so they were wont to call their father Sabareth and which thou doest not yet cease to geaue the people in the churche To whome he answered Yf ye wil be washed in that holsome font wherein your father was ye maye likewise eate of this blessed breade whereof he was partakener But if ye contemne the lauetorie of life ye can in no wise taste the breade of life We will not said they enter into this font of water for we knowe we haue no nede thereof But yet neuertheles we will eate of that breade And when they had ben often and ernestly warned off the bishop that it could not be that without holy purging and clensing by baptisme any man might communicate of this most holie oblation they at last in their furie and rage sayde to the bishop well if thou wilt not consent to vs in so smalle a matter as we aske of the thou shalt not hensforth abide in our prouince and dominions And straightway they expelled him Commaunding him and all his companie to depart their royalme Who being expelled thence went into kent to common there with Laurence and Iustus his fellow bishops what were best to be done in this case And by cōmon consent it was concluded that better it were for them all to returne into their countries and there to serue God with a free minde and quiet conscience then to abide with those barbarouse men or liue amongest such rebelles of the faith without all fruit or profit Therfore Mellite and Iustus departed first and came to the coastes of Fraunce purposing there to expecte and attende for the issue of these matters So shortly after these kinges which had driuen from them this preacher of trueth fell freely to idolatrie and worshipping of diuells But yet not without the vengeance of God For on a time waging battaile against the Genissans they with their whole armie were slaine But although the authors of this misscheffe were thus destroied yet could not the common people ons stirred to naughtynes be amended and reuoked to the simplicite of faith and charite which is in Christ. How Lawrence chastened by S. Peter conuerted king Edbald to Christe who immediatly after called backe Mellite and Iustus to preache The. 6. Chap. WHen Laurence was now ready to forsake Britannie and goe after Mellite and Iustus he commaunded the night before he went his bed to be brought forth and layed in S. Peter and Paules churche of which churche we haue oftentimes spoken Where when after manie his praiers and teares powred out to God for the state of the church reposing his body to rest and sleaping in his bedde the blessed Apostle S. Peter appeared to him who scourging him with sharp stripes a greate while in the close and secret night chalenged him with Apostolicall auctorite and asked why he would forsake the flocke which he himselfe had committed vnto him and to what shepeherd renning now awaye he would leaue the sheape of Christe besette in the middest of wolfes Hast thou quoth he forgotte myne example who for the lytle ones of Christe which he commended to me in witnes and token of his loue dyd suffer fetters strypes enprisoninges afflictions and att the laste death it selfe yea the death of the crosse by infidels and the enemies of Christe that I mought be crowned with him By these S. Peters strypes and with these his exhortations Lawrence the seruant of Iesus Christe being styrred vp and encouraged came boldly to the king erly in the morning and loosing his garment shewed him how sore he was beaten and pitifully his flesh was torne The king amased therat meruayled much with himselfe And enquyred who durst be so bold as to whyp and scourge such a man as this Lawrence
the porche of his church vntell the church it selfe was consecrated in Perone Which being solemnely done within six and twēty daies after the body was brought thither and being remoued from the porche to be layed by the high aultar it was founde as whole and vncorrupted as if the man had but that houre departed Foure yeares after a litle chappell being erected at the east syde of the aultar wher the body shuld more honourably betoumed being takē vp againe to be transposed thither it was founde in like maner without any blemish of corruption In the which place it is well knowen that his merites haue much ben renowned by sundry miracles wrought by the allmighty power of God Thus much of the incorruption of his body we haue brefely touched that the reader might more clerely vnderstande of what excellency and vertu this man was All which thinges and of other his vertuous companyons in the booke writen of his life he that readeth shall finde more ample mencion made How after the death of Honorius Deusdedit succeded and who in that time were bishops of Rochester and in the east partes of England The. 20. Chap. IN this meane Felix the bishop of the east englishmen departing this worlde hauing ben their bishop 17. yeares Honorius the Archebishopp of Caunterbury created in his place Thomas one of his deacons borne in the prouince of Giruij after whose death liuing in that bishoprick fyue yeares he substituded in his roome Beretgilsus surnamed Bonifacius a kentishman borne Honorius also the Archebishop the measure of his life expired passed to a better in the yeare of our Lord 653. the last daye of October Whom Deusdedit a west Saxon borne succeded after a yeare and a halfe the see being vacant all that tyme. For whose creation and consecration Ithamar byshop of Rochester came to Cannterbury He was consecrated the. xxiiij of Marche and gouuerned that see ix yeares iiij moneths and two dayes After whose departure Ithamar consecrated in his place Damianus a Sussex man borne Howe the Marshes or vplandish englishmen that is the sheres of Lincolne Couentry Lichefield and worceter receaued the Christen faith vnder Penda their kinge The. 21. Chapter AT this time the Middelenglishmē that is of the sheres aboue named receiued the Christen faith and the sacramentes thereof vnder Penda their kinge sonne to Pendam that cruell and vnmercifull hethen This being a vertuous young man worthy of the name and person of a kinge was of his father put in gouuernement of that countre Who coming after to Oswin kinge of Northumberland requiring Alcfled his daughter to wife could in no other wise obtaine his suite vnlesse he would as that countre was receiue the Christen faith and be baptised Hereupon the ghospell was preached vnto him Who hearing the promis of euerlasting life the hope of resurrection and immortalite of the soule yelded him self gladly to be Christned though he shoulde not spede of his suite To this he was muche persuaded by Alcfrid king Oswins son who had maried his sister Cymburg kinge Pendan his daughter Thus then he with the Erles and kinghtes that waited vpon him and all their seruauntes were baptised of Finanus the bishopp in a famous towne of the kinges called Admurum From whence he returned home with much ioye and comfort accompained with foure priestes notable bothe for lerning and for vertue whiche shoulde instruct and baptise his people These priestes were called Cedda Adda Betti and Diuna who was a scottesman borne the other thre english Adda was brother to Vtta that holy and vertuous priest that we mencioned before and Abbot of the monastery called Cubeshead These foresaied priestes entring the prouince of the middleland with the Prince preached the worde of God and were gladly heard Whereby many daily as well noble as of the base forte renouncing the filth of idolatry were clensed in the fonte of life Neither king Pendam father to this young prince did withstande or gainsaie the preaching of the ghospell in his dominions yf any would heare it But hated in dede and persecuted all such as bearing the name of Christians liued not according to the faithe they professed saying commonly that suche men were wretched and worthely to be spited whiche regarded not to please their God in whom they beleued These thinges began two yeares before the death of kinge Penda the younger who being after slayne and Oswin a moste Christen kinge succeding him in the crowne Diuna one of the foure foresaied priestes was consecrated of Finanus and created bishop of all the middle or vplandish english men For the scarcety of priestes made that ouer all that people one Bishop was sett Who winning to the faith in short time a great multitude of people in Fepping died leauing for his successour Ceollach a Scottish man also borne Who not longe after leauing the bishoprike returned to his countre the Iland of Hij where the chief and principall monasteries of Scotland were To him succeded Trumher a vertuous man and brought vpp in religion an Englishman borne but consecrated byshopp of the Scottes in the raigne of kinge VVillher as we shall hereafter more at larg declare How the East Saxons at the preaching of Cedda receiued again the faith◠which vnder kinge Sigibert they had loste The 22. Chapter AT this very time the east Saxōs by the meanes of kinge Oswin receiued againe the faith which before expelling Melitus the first bishop of Londō out of the coūtre they abandonned Their kinge then was Sigbert succeding to Sigibert surnamed the litle This Sigbert being a nere and familiar frende of kinge Oswin then king of the Northumbrians came by that occasion oftentimes to Northumberland At which metinges the vertuous kinge Oswin vsed eftsoones to persuade with him that such could not be Gods which were made with mens handes that wodde or stone coulde not be any quicke matter to make a liuing God the pieces and remnants whereof either were wasted with fire or serued to make vessels for the vse of man or otherwise being naught worthe were caste forth troden vnder foote and turned into earth God rather saied he must be vnderstanded to be of maiesty incomprehensible to mens eyes vnuisible almighty and euerlasting who made bothe heauen and earth and all mankinde gouerned them also and should iugde the whole worlde in equite whose mansion place is euerlastinge Finally that al such as would lerne and perfourme the will of their Creatour should vndoubtedly receiue of him euerlasting rewarde therefore These and such other godly aduertissemtēs being frendly and brotherly from time to time made and repeted to king Sigbert by Oswin he began at lenght his other frendes agreing therunto to sauour them and beleue them Whereupon aduise being taken with his company and all bothe consenting and pricking him fore ward he was baptised of Finanus the bisshop in the cite of Admurum nigh vnto the walle wherewith the
go your waies to churche againe and speake vnto the bretherne that with their prayers they both commend vnto our Lorde my departing and remember also with fasting watching prayers and good workes to preuent their own departing the houre wherof is vncertaine And when he had spoken these and mo like wordes and that the brethern had taken his blessing and wer gone forth very heauy and sad he that only heard the heauenly song came in againe and casting himselfe flat on the ground sayed I beseke you good father may I be so bold as to aske you a question Aske what you will quod he Then quod the other I pray you tell me what was that song which I heard of that ioyfull company descending from heauen vpon this oratorie and after a time retourninge to heauen againe He aunswered and saied to him If you haue hearde the voice of the song and vnderstoode the comming of the heauenly compaines I commaund you in the name of our Lorde to tell no man herof before my death They were in dede the spirites of angelles which came to call me to the heauenly rewardes which I haue alway loued and longed for and after vij daies they haue promised to come againe and take me with them The which was in dede fullfilled euen as it was foretolde him For straight way was he taken with a feyntnes of bodye which daily grewe more greuouse vpon him and the vij daye as it had bene promised him after he had first forewarded his departing with the receiuing of the bodie and bloud of our Lord his holy soule loosed from the prison of the bodie was caried and lead as we may well beleue of the company of Angelles to the ioyes euerlastinge And it is no meruaile if he gladly behelde the day of death or rather the day of our Lorde which daye he did alwaies carefully looke for till it came For among his manifold merites of chastitie and abstinence of preaching of praier of wilfull pouertie and other vertues he was so far humbled to the feare of our Lorde so much mindful of his later end in all his workes that as a certaine brother named Trumbert was wont to tell me one of them that read the scriptures to me and was brought vp in his monasterie and gouernement if perhaps while he were reading or doing some other thing there rose any sodaine great blast of wind by and by wold he cal on the mercy of our Lord and beseke him to haue pitie on mākinde But and if there came a blast yet more vehement then wold he shut vp his booke and fall downe on his face and set him selfe more feruently to prayer And if any stronger storme or blustreing showre continewed long or that lightning and thunders did make both the earth and ayre to shake for feare then would he go to churche and earnestly set his mind to praier and saying of psalmes vntill the ayre waxed clere againe And when some of his companie asked him why he did so Haue ye not read quod he That our Lord hath thundred from heauen and the most high hath giuen his voice He hath sent out his arrowes and scattered them abrode he hath multiplied lighteninge and troubled them For our Lorde moueth the ayre reyseth vp windes shooteth out lighteninges thundreth from heauen to styrre vp the creatures of the earth to feare him to cal againe their hartes to the remembraunce of the iudgement to come to plucke downe their pride and abate their boldenes and thus to bringe to their mindes that terrible time when both heauens and earth shall burne and himselfe come vpon the clowdes with great power and maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead And therfore quod he it behoueth vs with dewe feare and loue to yelde and giue place to his warning from heauen that as ofte as he trowbleth the ayre and lyfteth vpp his hande as it were threatning to strike and doth not yet strike we strayght way call vpon his mercie and boulting owt the very botome of our hartes and casting owt the dregges and relikes of synne do carefully prouide that we neuer deserue to be striken at all With the reuelation and relation of the foresayd brother concerning the death of this bysshopp the wordes also of Ecgbert the most reuerend father do well agree of whome we spake before Whiche Ecgbert at the tyme whē the sayd Chadda was a youngman and himself of lyke age to dyd in Ireland strayghtly lead a monasticall lyfe both together in prayers continence and meditation of the holy scriptures But Chadda being afterward retourned to his countree Ecgbert abode there styll as a pilgrime for our Lordes sake vnto the end of his lyfe Nowe a long tyme after there came to visite him from England a certaine most holy and vertuous man named Higbalde who was an Abbot in the prouince of Lindisse And as they talked together of the lyfe of the former fathers as is the maner of such holy men to doo and gladly wold wysh to followe the same they fell vpon mention of the most reuerend byshop Chadda And than sayd Ecgbert I knowe a man yet remayning aliue in this Ilande which whē brother Chadda passed owt of the world dyd see a companye of Angelles descend from heauen and take vp his sowle withe them and retourned againe to the celestiall kingdomes Which vision whether Ecgbert meaned to be sene of himselfe or of some other it is to vs vncertaine yet while so worthy a man as he sayed that it was true the thing it self can not be vncertaine vnto vs. Thus dyed Chadda the vj. daye of Marche and was buryed first by S. Maries Churche but afterward his bones were remoued into the church of the most blessed Saint Peter chiefe of thapostles the same churche being finished In both which places in token of his vertu often miracles of healing sicke folke are wonte to be wrought And of late a certaine man that had a phrenesie and ranne vpp and downe wandring euery where came thither at an euening and by the ignorance or negligence of them that kept the place lay there all the night and the next morning came owt well in his wyt and declared to the great wonder and ioye of all men that there he had by the gyfte and goodnes of our Lorde gotten his health The place of the sepulchre is couered with a wodden tombe made like a litle howse hauing an hole in the syde at whiche they that come thither for deuocions sake are wont to put in their hand and take owt some of the dowste The whiche they put into water and than giue it to drinke to sicke beastes or men whereby the grief of their sickness is anon taken away and they restored to their ioyfull desired healthe In the place of B. Chadda Theodore consecrated and ordeyned VVinfrid a vertuowse and sober man to rule and haue the office of a byshop as his
and all the reast with all a most certaine awnswere of Gods prouision from aboue For after matyns was done on a certaine night as these handemaydes of Christe went forth of the chappel to the graues of the bretherne that were gone out of this lyfe before theÌ„ and dyd sing their accustomed lawdes and praises to our Lord behold sodainly a light sent downe from heauen lyke a great shete came vpon them and strake them withe so great a traunce that for very feare they stopped and leafte of their songe that they sange And the brightnes of that shining lyghte to which in comparison the sonne at mydday might seme but darke being not long after lyfted vp from that place went to the sowth part of the monasterie that is to saye the East end of the chappel and there abyding a while and couering those places withdrâ—we it selfe vpp to heauen so plaine to all their sightes that none of them all dowbted but that the very light which showld lead and receaue vp into heauen the sowles of Christes handemaydes dyd also shewe a place for their bodyes to reast in and abyde the day of resurrection The brightnes of this light was so great that a certaine elderly man one of the bretherne who at that tyme with an other yonger man was in their chappell reported that the beames thereof entring in at the morning through the chinkes of the doores and windowes dyd seme to passe all brightnes of the day lighte How a litle boy dieng in the same monasterie called a certaine virgin that should folowe him and howe an other virgin at her departing dyd see a part of the light to come The. 8. Chap. THere was in the same monasterie a child abowt three yeres olde or not past named Esica which bycawse of his age being yet a very infant was wont to be brought vp in this howse of virgins that were dedicated to God and to be occupied in meditation among them This childe being striken with the foresayd plage when he came to the last panges of death cryed owt and spake to one of these holy virgins of Christe naming her as if she were present by her owne name Eadgit Eadgit Eadgit and therewithall ended this temporall lyfe and entred into lyfe eternall But that virgin which he called at his death straight way in the place where she was being taken with the same sickenesse the very same daye that she was so called was taken owt of this lyfe and followed him that had called her to the kingdome of heauen Moreouer a certaine one of the same handemaydes of God being taken with the sayd disease and nowe browght to the last point began sodaynly abowt midnight to crye to them that dyd kepe and watche her desiring them to put owt the candle that stode there burninge And when she had ofte tymes so called vnto them and yet none of them would doo as she bad them I knowe quoth she at the last that ye thinke me thus to speake as if I were not in my right mynde But doo ye well knowe that I speake not so For I tell yowe very truly that I see this howse fylled withe so great a light that that candell of yours semeth to me altogether dym and withowt light And when none of them dyd yet awnswere vnto these sayinges of her nor followe her bydding well quoth she againe let that candell stand burning as long as ye lyst But yet knowe ye well that thesame is not my lighte For my lighte shall come vnto me when the morning beginneth to drawe nere And therewithall she began to tell that a certaine man of God appered vnto her which dyed the same yere and sayd to her that when the morning drewe nere she should departe hence to the euerlasting lyghte The truth of whiche vision was so tryed and proued by the death of the mayden abowt the appering of the day light What signes were shewed from heauen when the mother of that company departed this world The 9. Chap. NOWE when the godly woman Edilburge mother of these holy professed Nonnes should also be taken out of this world a wonderfull vision appered to one of the sisters whose name was Thorithgid the which had now many yeres continewed in the same monasterie and alwayes was diligently occupied in seruing God with all humilitie and sinceritie and in helping the said mother to kepe good order and discipline with enstructing or correcting the yonger sort The vertue of which woman that it might as the Apostle saieth be made perfect in infirmitie she was sodainly taken with a very greuouse sickenesse of body and was therewith very sore tormeÌ„ted by the space of ix yeares through the mercyfull prouision of our redemer to this end that what so euer spot of defilinge sinne had through ignorance or negligence any thing long remained in her among her vertues it might al be perboyled out by the fire of long tribulation This same woman on a certaine night when the day light began a litle to appere as she went out of her chamber that she abode in sawe plainly as it were a corse brighter than the sonne wound vp in a shete and caried vpward from the dortery where the sisters were wont to reaste And as she diligently marked what it shoulde be that drewe vp this vision of the gloriouse body which she behelde she sawe as it were certaine cordes brighter than gold which drewe it vp so hye till it was taken into the open heauens and than she could see it no longer Which vision when she thought vpon with her selfe she douted no whit but some person of that company should dye shortly whose soule should be lifted vp to heauen by the good workes it had done euen as by golden cordes Which thing happened so in dede For not many dayes after the mother of that couent for the loue that God bare her was deliuered out of the prison of this flesh Whose life was certainly such that no man which knewe it can dout but that the entring in to the heauenly mansion was open vnto her going out of this life There was also in the same monasterie a certaine holy Nonne both noble for the dignitie of this world and more noble for the loue that she had of the world to come The which many yeres was so bereafte of al vse of her limmes that she was not able so much as to moue one parte of her bodye This Nonne when she knewe that the body of the reuerend Abbesse was brought and layed in the churche vntill it should be buryed desired that she might be caried thither and be layd by the same bowing downe as folke doo at their prayers Which thing being done she spake to the Abbesse as if she had bene aliue and desired her to obtaine of the mercye of the pitiful Creatour that she might be loused and rid of so great and so longe tormentes And not long after her
the foresayd feare and shewed him moreouer on what day he shoulde ende this lyfe For he sawe as he after reported him selfe three men come to him araied in bright shining clothing and one of them while his felowes that came with him stode by and asked how the sicke man did whom they came to visite sate before his bed and sayed that his soule should departe from the bodie both without pain and also with great light and brightnesse And he farther also declared vnto him that he should die the third day after Both which things as he learned by the vision were so fulfilled in dede For the third day ensuyng when the ix houre was come sodainly as if he had fallen in to a softe slepe he gaue vp the ghoste without feeling any grief at all And whereas for the buriall of his body they had prepared a tombe of stone when they began to lay his bodie in it they found it to be longer then the tombe by the quantitie of an handbreadth They hewed therefore the stone as much as they might and made it longer than it was about two fingers breadth but yet it could not receaue the bodie not so neyther Whereupon bicause of this distresse of burying him they were minded eyther to seke an other tombe or els if they might to gather in the body by bowing of the knees that so it might be holden and receaued of the same tombe But a wonderfull case happened and not withowt the working of God from heauen the whiche kept them from doing any of those thinges For sodainly the byshopp standing by and the sayd kinges sonne a monke also Sighard by name which after him raigned with his brother Frede and also a great company of other men the very same tombestone was found to be of a fyt length for the quantitie of the bodie Yea and so much that at the head there might also a pillowe be layde betwene and at the feete there remained in the tombe bysyde the body about the quantitie of fowre fingers And thus was he buried and Layed in the Churche of the blessed doctour teacher of the gentiles S. Pawle by whose good lessons he being taught had learned to labour and longe for the ioyes of heauen Howe after Eleutherius Headd◠was made bishop of the west Saxons after Putta Quichelmus was made byshop of Rotchester and after him Gebmund and who were byshops in Northumberland at that tyme. The 12. Chap. THe fowrth byshop of the westsaxons was Eleutherius For the first was Birinus the second Agilbert the third VVini After the departure of kinge Cenwalch in whose raigne the sayd Eleutherius was made byshop certaine Lordes vsurped the kingdome and diuided it betwene them and so helde it about x. yeres In their raigne dyed this byshop and Headdy was put in his place and consecrated bishop by Theodore in the citie of London In the time of whom being byshop Ceadwalla dyd ouercome and put owt the sayd vsurpours and toke the kingdome to himselfe And when he had kept the same for the space of two yeres at last pricked and styrred with the loue of the kingdome of heauen he leafte it while the same bishop dyd yet gouerne the diocese and went vnto Rome and there ended his lyfe as it shal be tolde more at large hereafter In the yere of thincarnation of our Lorde 677. Edilred kinge of the Marshes or middleland englishmen came into kent with a terrible and fell hoste not only spoyling the countree and profaning the churches and monasteries withowt any respecte of pitie or feare of God but also ransacking with the same generall ruine the citie of Rotchester wherof Putta was byshop howebeit at that tyme he was not there Who when he heard hereof that his Churche was spoyled and all thinges taken away and ryffled he went vnto Sexwolfe byshop of the Marshes and receaued of him the possession of a certaine churche and a litle piece of grownd and there ended his lyfe in peace and reast not taking any care at all for the restoring of his byshopricke for as we haue aboue sayd he was a man more giuen to ecclesiastical and spiritual than to worldly and temporall matters And so he liued quietly and only serued God in the same church going somtimes abrode where he was desired to teache verses and hymnes of the churche In his place dyd Theodore consecrate VVilliam bishop of Rotchester Who not long after for scarcitie and lacke of thinges necessarie departed frō the bishopricke and went his way thence in whose place Theodore ordeined Gebmund byshop The yere of thincarnation of our Lord 678. which was the viij yere of the raigne of kinge Ecgfride there appered in the moneth of August a blasing star the whiche continewed three moneths rysing in the morninges and giuing forth as it were an highe piller of a glistering flame In which yere also throwgh a certaine dissension that rose betwene king Ecgfride and the moste Reuerend byshop VVilfride the sayd reuerend father was put owt of his byshoprike and two other appointed byshops in his place ouer the prouince of Northumberlande the one named Bosa to gouerne the Deires and the other named Eata for the Bernices which Eata had his see at yorke and Bosa at the Cathedral churche of Hagulstald or Lindisfarne which two men were both taken owt of the cloyster of monkes and called to this degree And with them also was Eadhed made byshop ouer the prouince of Lindesfar which king Ecgfride had very lately conquered of VVulfhere whom he ouercame in battaile and put to flight In which prouince this man was the first bishop that they had of their owne the next was Ediluine the third Eadgar the fourth Emberth who is there at this present For before Eadhed came they were in the diocese of bysshopp Sexwolfe who was byshop both of the Marshes and the myddle english but nowe being put from the gouuernement of Lindisse he remayned only bishopp of the Marshes These bysshops Eadhed Bosa and Eata were cōsecrated byshops at yorke by Theodore tharchebishop who also the third yere of VVilfrides departing thence ioyned vnto them two byshops mo Trūbert at Hagustald Eata remayning at Lindesfar and Trumuin ouer the prouince of the Pictes which at that tyme was subiect to the dominion of the english men But bycause that Edilrede kinge of the Marshes recouered the sayd countree of Lindisse againe Eadhed came away thence and was by Theodore made byshop of the diocese of Rhyppon Howe byshop Wilfride conuerted the prouince of the Sowth Saxons to Christ. The. 13. Chap. WHen VVilfride was put out of his byshoprike he went and wandred in many places a longe tyme and came to Rome and from thence retourned into England againe And thoughe bicause of the displeasure of the said kinge he could not gett into his owne diocese againe yet he could not be kept from doing the office of preaching the ghospell For he went
in the historie whereof many songes and psalmes are put in amonge which were as is well knowen made in meter and verse A song or sonnet in praise of virginitie and in the honour of S. Edildred O God o gloriouse Trinitie in whome all rule doth alway stande O gloriouse God all one in three ayde thou the thinges we take in hand Of wars let Virgils verse endite sing we the plesant frutes of peace Aeneas fights let Virgil write Christs gifts to sing let vs not cease My verse is chast it is not made to tell of â—ynfull Helens stelth My verse is chast such wanton trade write they that liue in wanton welth Of heaueÌ„ly giftes to speake I long not of thassaults of ruinous Troy Of heauenly giftes shal be my song the which the earth dothe nowe enioye Behold highe God commes from aboue the virgiÌ„ns pure wombe to possesse Behold high God commes for mens loue them to redeme from death endlesse A maydeÌ„ mother bringes sorth a childe who is the father of al that is Borne is a son of a mayden myld Marie the gate of God and blys The blessed flocke in her delight mayd and mother of the Deitie The blessed flocke most pure and bright in pure and chast virginitie Her worthinesse hath made mo spring of this chast virgin stocke and bowe Her worthinesse doth daily bring mo virgin flowers to bud and blowe The fyry flames the virgin pure S. Agathe neuer shranke to byde The fyry flames dyd eke endure Eulalya as gold in fornace tried The vgly beastes with gaping iawes chast Teâ—la conquered gloriously The vgly beastes with ramping pawes chast Eufeme lead victoriously The bloddy sweard with laughing looke Agnes more strong than stele nere drad The blooddy sweard S. Cicilie tooke great ioy therein no harme she had The world wyde hath flowed in such triumphing actes of sober harts The world wyde hath flowed in much loue of like chaste and sober partes And eke our dayes with one are blest a noble virgin verilie Our Edildride doth shine addrest with like bright perfit puritie Of royall spirite and stocke she came her father a famouse worthy wighte Her royall spirite and noble name was much more noble in God his sighte She had also the soueraintie of Queene and raigne terrestriall But she had an higher maiestie of raigne and blysse celestiall O virgin bright what sekst thee a man which hast already thy spouse aboue VVhat other husband sekst thee than Christ is thyne only spouse and loue I thinke that thou â—erein mighst doo as dyd the mother of the heauenly king That thou both wyfe and virgin too mighst be like her in that ilke thing For when this spowse of God had past xij yeres in secular life and raigne This spouse of God herselfe did hast in life monasticall to remaine VVher she to heauen wholly bent florisht in vertues many and hye FroÌ„ theÌ„ce her soul to heaueÌ„ went to which she did her wholly apply This virgins body pure in ground had lyen the space of xvj yere Yet was the same as swete and sound as when it first was layed on bere O Christ this was thy worke most true the very clothes about the corse O Christ were faire and hole and newe long time on them had lost his force The dropsy eke that foul disease these holy shrouds did heale and cure And diuerse had by theÌ„ their ease of sundrie griefs they did endure The furiouse fend that erst beguyld our mother Eue maliciously This fend so fell a virgin myld did put to flight victoriously Lo bride of God see and behold what honour in earthe to thee done is O spouse of Christ a thousand folde is done thee more in heaueÌ„s blys The ioyfull gifte thou doest possesse a bride full bright for thy bridegrome The ioyfull gifte that neuer cesse lo Christ him selfe to thee is come And thou to him melodiously doest sing with swete and tuning voice To him with hymnes and harmony new and swete spouse thou doest reioyce The laÌ„bes high throne and coÌ„pany follow thou shalt for euer and euer His loue and bonde is such to thee noman there fro shall thee disseuer How bishop Theodore made peace betwene the two kinges Ecgfrid and Edilfride The. 21. Chapter THe ix yere of the raigne of Ecgfride a battaile was fought betwene him and Edilfride king of the Marshes by the riuer of Trent in which was slaine Elbuine king Ecgfrides brother a yoÌ„g maÌ„ of about xviij yeres of age and very well beloued of both the countries For a syster of his named Osthride was wife vnto king Edilred And whereas hereupon there semed to ryse an occasion and matter of sharper war and longer enmitie betwene the two kings and the fierse peoples Gods derebeloued bishop Theodore trusting in the helpe of our lord did by his holesome exhortation vtterly quenche the fyre of so great a perill begonne in such sorte that the kinges and people beinge pacified on both sydes the lyfe of no man perished for the death of the kinges brother but only a dewe amercement of mony was geuen and payd to the other kinge for amendes The bondes of which peace did a longe time after endure betwene the sayd kinges and their dominions How the fetters of a certaine prisoner were lowsed when masses were songe for him The. 22. Chapter IN the foresayd battaile in which was slaine king Elbuine a certaine notable thing and wel knowen of many happened which we in no wise may leaue vntolde bothe for the profit of the reader and for the glory of God In the battaill aboue mencioned among other of the souldiers a certaine yonge man named Imma was left for dead which when he had all that day and night following lyen among the bodies of the slayne men lyke as he had bene dead also at laste receaued ayre and breath and reuiued againe and sate vp and bound his woundes him selfe as well as he could resting himself a litle After he arose vp and begaÌ„ to go his way seeking where he might fynd some fryndes to see to him and helpe him But as he so did he was found and taken of his enemies of the other campe and brought vnto their Lord who was an Erle subiecte to king Edilred Of whome being demaunded what he was he feared to coÌ„fesse that he was a souldier and thought better to answer that he was a poore husband man of the countre and one that had wyfe and children and that he came forth with such other as he was to bring vittailes to the souldiers But for all this the sayd Lorde suspected him and willed his wouÌ„des to be looked vnto and when he began to wex hole he coÌ„maunded him at night season to be kept in bondes least he should scape away but beholde no bondes could holde him but as sone as they were gone that had bound him his bondes and fetters wer straight way loosed For he had a brother whose name was TuÌ„na
sepulchre as an aulter foure-square The greater parte standeth for an other aulter in the same churche in the manner of a quadrangle couered with faire white clothe The colour of the sayd sepulchre semeth to be white and read decently mixed together VVhat he wrote of the place of Christes ascension and the patriarches sepulchres The. 18. Chapter THe Author aboue mentioned writeth also in this wyse touching the place of Christes ascension The mounte Olyuete is as hye as the mounte Syon but not so brode nor so longe There growyth no trees but vynes and olyues wheate and barlye it bryngyth forth good stoore The vayne and soyle of that grounde is not shryueled nor fleaten but grene and full of grasse In the very toppe where Christ ascendyd to heauen standyth a greate rounde church with thre porches rownde in a circuite vawtyd and coueryd ouer The ynner chapell hauing an aultar toward the east with a goodly frount in the top could not be vauted nor coueryd ouer bicause the very place of Christes ascension might be kept open In the mydle of which churche the last prynte of Christes feete left vppon earth ar to be sene where he ascendyd into heauen openinge aboue and ready to embrace hym And although the earthe be fett away dayly of the Christians yet it remayneth still and kepyth the very figure and prynte made with the steppes of his holy feete when he ascended Rounde aboute the print of those blessed feete lyeth a brasen wheele as hygh as a mans neck hauynge an entraunce and way in vppon the east side and a greate lampe hanginge aboue it in a pullye whiche burneth day and night In the weast side of the same church be eyght windowes and so many lampes hanging in cordes directly ouer them They shine thorough the glasse to Ierusalem and their light is said to stirre the hartes of all that behold and see it with a certaine feruent zeale and compunction At the day of Christes ascension euery yere when Masse is done there cometh downe from heauen a greate gale of wynde and maketh all that ar in the churche prostrate them selfes downe flatt vppon the grownd Of the situation also of Hebron and monumentes of old auncient fathers there he writeth in this sorte Hebron somtimes the chiefest cytie in al Kinge Dauids realme shewing now only by her ruines howe princely and puissaunt she was in time paste hathe towarde the east with in a furlonge the double denne where the Patriarches sepulchres ar enuironed with a fowre square walle their hedds turned toward the northe Euery tumbe hath his stone Al the thre stones of the patriarches being all whyte squared as other stones are vsed in building of great churches Adam lieth aboute the north side and vttermost parte of the walle not farr from them in an obscure tumbe nor curiously wrought nor workmanly sett There ar besides base memorialls of thre simple weemen The hill Mambre also is a mile from these monumentes ful of grasse and pleasaunt flowres towarde the north and in the top it hath a goodly champion and playne fielde In the north parte wherof Abrahams Oke which is nowe but a stumpe as hygh as ij men can reache is compassed rounde abowt with a churche I haue thought it good for the profitt of the readers to intermingle in my historie these thinges taken out of the Authors bookes and comprised here in latin after the trewe meaning of his woordes but more brieflie and in fewer woordes If any man be desirous to knowe more of this matter either lett him reade the same booke or that litle abridgment which I drew owt of him but late How the South saxons receaued Eadbert and Collan for their bysshopps the weast Saxons Daniel and Aldethelme for theirs and of certaine writinges sett foorth by the same Aldethelme The. 19. Chap. THe yere of the incarnation off Christe 705. Alfride kinge of Northumberlande dyed the xx yere of his raigne not yet fully expired After hym sucdeded Osrede his sonne a child but eyght yeres olde and raigned xj yeares In the beginning of his raygne Hedde bysshop of the weast Saxons departed from this mortall life to immortal ioye For vndoubtedly he was a iuste man one that lyued vpryghtlye in all pointes leke a good bishoppe and preached sincerely leke a trewe pastour and that more of the loue of vertue naturally graffyd in him then of any instructours by often readinge taught him Furthermore the reuerend father and worthy prelate Pechtehlme of whom we must speake hereafter in place where he shall be mentioned who being but yet a deacon and younge monke liued familiarly a longe time with his successour Aldethelme was wounte to tell vs that in the place where the said Hedde died for reward of his holy life many great miracles and cures were don and that men of the same prouince vsed commonly to carry away dust from thence and mingle it with water for such as were deseased and sicke that also the drinking and sprinckling of the same did cure many sicke men and beastes also By which occasion for often carying away of the sacred dust a great deepe pitt was made there After his death that bisshopprick was diuided into ij dioceses The one was geuen to Daniell which he keapeth at this present the other to Aldethelme where he ruled the people very painefully for iiij yeares They were borhe lerned men skilfull in holy scripture and all ecclesiastical doctrine Aldethelme when he was priest and yet but Abbot of the monastery of Mailsbury wrote by the commaundement of the whole Synode of his countrye a booke against the errour of the Britons for not keping the fest of Easter in his dewe time and doing many thinges besides contrary to the trewe obseruation and vnite of the church By reading of the same book he reduced many Brytōs subiect at that time to the Weastsaxons to the catholike solemnisation of the feast of Easter He wrote also a notable booke of virginitie bothe in longe verse and prose with doble paines folowing the example of Sedulius He set forth also many other workes For he was notably well lerned very fine and eloquent in his talke and for knowledge as well in liberall sciences as in diuinite to be had in admiration After his death Forthere was made bishop in his place a man also much conuersant in holy scripture These ij hauing the gouuernaunce and whole rule of that diocese it was determined by a decree in the Synode that the prouince of South Saxons which to that present day appertained to the diocesse of Winchester where Daniel was bisshoppe should haue a see and bishopp of their owne seuerally Whereuppon Eadberte Abbot in the monasterie off that blessed bishoppe VVilfride was made and consecrated first bisshopp of that diocese After his death Ceolla toke the bisshoppricke vppon him Who not past iij. or iiij yeares past departing this life the see to this day is vacant