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
to the faith a Saxon borne which was taken with the same sickenesse and had kept his bed no small time And when the second day of the said fasting and praying was nowe come it happened that about vij a clocke in the morning as the boy was leafte al alone in the place where he lay sicke sodainly by the appointement of God there vowtsafed to appere vnto him the most blessed two chiefe Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul For the boy was of a very innocent and meke mind and nature and with sincere deuocion kepte the sacramente of faith which he had receaued In this vision the Apostles first saluted him with most gentle wordes saying Feare not Sonne the death for which thou art so pensife for we wil this day bring thee to the kingdom of heauen But first thou must tary til the Masses be said and after thou hast receaued thy viage prouisioÌ„ the body and bloud of our Lord being so released both of sickenes and death thou shalt be lifted vp to the euerlasting ioyes in heauen Therefore doo thou call for priest Eappa vnto thee and tell him that our Lorde hath heard your prayers and deuocion and hath mercifully looked vpon your fastinge neither shall there any one more dye of this plage either in this monasterie or in any of the possessions that adioyne to the same But as many as belonge to you any where and lye sicke shall rise againe from their sickenes and be restored to their former health saue only thow which this daye shalt be deliuered from death and be brought to heauen to the vision of our Lord Christ whome thow haste faithfully serued Which thing it hath pleased the mercy of God to doo for you through the intercession of the godly and dere seruant of God king Oswald which sometime gouerned the countre of Northumberland most nobly both with the authoritie of this temporall kingdome and also in holynesse and deuotion of Christen pietie which leadeth to the euerlasting kingdom For on this very day the same king being bodely slaine in battaile of the infidels and miscreants was straight takeÌ„ vp to heaueÌ„ to the eternal ioyes of the soule and felowship of the chosen and electe companies Let them seke in their booke that haue the notes of the departing of the dead and they shall fynd that he was takeÌ„ out of the world on this selfe day as we haue sayd And therfor let theÌ„ say Masses and geue thankes that their prayer is heard and also for the memory of the sayd king Oswald which sometime gouerned their nation For therefore did he humbly pray our Lord for them as being strauÌ„gers and exiles of his people And when all the bretherne are come together to the churche let them all be houselled and so fynish their faste and refresh their bodies with sustenaunce All the which wordes when the boy had declared to the priest being called vnto him the priest enquired of him what maner of aray and lykenes the men had which appeared vnto him He aunsweared they were very notable and goodly in their aray and countenaunces and exceding ioyfull and beautifull such as he neuer had sene before nor beleued that any men could be of so great comlynesse and beautie The one was shauen like a priest the other had a long beard And they sayd that the one of them was called Peter and thother Paul and that they were the ministers and seruantes of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ of whome they were sent from heauen for the sauing and defense of our monasterie Wherefore the priest belieued the wordes of the boye and went out by aud by and sought in his booke of Cronicles and found that king Oswald was slaine on that very day Then called he the bretherne together and commaunded dyner to be prouided and masses to be sayd and that they should all communicat after the accustomed maner And also willed a parte of the same sacrifice of our Lordes oblation to be brought to the sicke boye which thinge so done not loÌ„g after the boy died the very same day and proued by his death that the wordes were true which he had heard of Christes Apostles And this morouer gaue witnesse to his wordes that at that time no creature of the same monasterie was taken out of the world except him only By which vision many that might heare of the same were meruaylowsly styrred and enflamed both to praye and call for Gods mercy in aduersitie and also to vse the holesome helpes and medicines of fastinge And from that time not in that monasterie only but in very many other places to the birthe day of the sayd kinge and champion of Christ began yearely to be kept holy with masses and deuout seruice most reuerently Howe king Ceadwall â—lew Edilwach king of the Genisses and wasted that prouince with cruell death and ruyn The. 15. Chap. IN this meane time Ceadwall a valiant yong man of the royall blood of the Genisses being bannyshed from his countre came with an hoste of men and slewe king Edilwach of Sussex and wasted that prouince cruelly murdering and spoyling euery where But he was sone after driuen owt by two Capitaines of the kinges Berthun and Authun whiche from that tyme dyd holde and kepe the dominion of the prouince The chief of whiche two was afterward slaine of the same Ceadwall being then kinge in the west countre and the prouince subdued and browght into more greuouse subiection then it was before Againe he that raigned after Ceadwall oppressed it with lyke miserie and bondage a great many yeres Whereby it came to passe that the people of Sussex in all that time could haue no bishop of their own but were faine their first byshop VVilfride being called home againe to be vnder the diocese of the byshop of the Genisses which belongeth to the VVest Saxons as many as were in the territory of Selsee Howe the Ile of Wyght receaued christen inhabitantes in which I le two childerne of the kinges blood as sone as they were Christened were slayne The. 16. Chap. AFter that Ceadwall had thus obtayned the kingdome of the Geuisses or west Saxons he tooke the I le of Wight also which was so all giuen to the worshipping of idols that he entended vtterly to bannysh and dryue owt thence all the old natiue inhabitantes and to put people of his owne countre in their place For thowghe he was not yet at that time christened and regenerated in Christ him selfe at it is sayd yet he bownd him selfe with a vowe that if he tooke the Iland he wold giue vnto God the fourth part therof and of all the pray Which thing he so perfourmed that bishop VVilfride happening to be there at that time a man of his own countree he gaue and offred the same vnto him to the vse and seruice of our Lorde The sayd Iland conteyned as the English doo rate it M. CC. tenementes Whereof was giuen to
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
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
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
to almighty God father of our Lorde Iesus Christ to deliuer vs from that present daunger of death And when he had ended his prayer he appeased the rage of the sea in such sorte that the violence of the storme all together ceasing we had winde and wether at will without any surges of the sea or greate waues of water vntill we came to lande When we were on grounde and had layde our shippe at ancre streytwayes the same storme and tempest which for our sakes was a litle whyle alayed beganne againe and ceased not his rage all that daye to th ende it might be geuen vs to vnderstand that the litle caulme which happened was geuen of God from heauen at the contemplation of that godly mans prayer to deliuer vs oute of daunger This vertuous man high in fauour with God continued in Farne island xij yeares and there died but he is buried in Lindisfarne island Nere to the place where the bodyes of the forementioned bishops lye in saincte Peter the Apostle his church These thinges were done in kinge Elfrides raigne who was kinge of Northumberlande xviij yeares after his brother Eâ—gfride Howe bysshoppe Iohn cured a dumme man with blessinge of hym The 2. Chap. IN the beginninge off this kinge his raigne when bisshoppe Eata was dead Iohn famous for his integritie and pure lyfe tooke the bishoppricke of Hagulstald vppon him of whome his neare and familiar acquaintaunce were wonte to reporte many straunge miracles aud vertues wrought at diuerse seuerall tymes and specially amongest all other Berethum sometime his deacon but nowe Abbot of the monastery caulled Inderwodde a man woorthy of all reuerence and credit for his truethe off the which I haue thought good to committ one or two to your memories There is a secrett and solytary mansion place compassed aboute with a greate wood and closed rownde with a deeke distant from Hagulstalde not paste a myle and a halffe but diuided with the riuer Tine whiche runneth betwixte them boothe hauing a churche yard off saincte Michael the archangell where this holy man was wounte to seiourne and make his abode very often as occasion and time serued with a fewe of his companions and geue him selffe most earnestly to prayer and studie but specially in the Lent And when att a certaine tyme lent being at hand he came thither to abyde after his accustomed manner he commaundid those that were aboute him to seeke some poore begger and impotent Lazar whome he might haue wyth him all the time of his continuaunce there to extende his charitie and deale his almes vnto There was in a towne not farre off a younge man that was dumme well knowen of the bisshoppe for he vsed to come before him oftentimes to receiue his almes the which was neuer able to speake so much as one worde Besides he had such an vnsemely sore in his head that in the crowne and hyer partes there coulde not a heare take roote only a fewe euill fauored rough heares stoode staringe rounde about his temples This impotent Lazar the bishop commaunded to be brought thither and a harbour made for him within the precinct of his house where he might ordinarilye euery day receiue his almes And when one weke of Lent was past the next sounday he willed the poore man to come into him when he was come he bydd him put oute his tounge and shewe it vnto him and takinge him by the chinne made a signe of the holy crosse vppon his tounge and when he had so signed and blessyd it he commaunded him to plucke it in againe and speake sayinge speake me one worde say gea gea which in the english tounge is a worde off affirmation and consent in such signification as yea yea Incontinent the stringes of his tounge were loosed and he sayd that whiche he was commaunded to saye The bishoppe added certaine letters by name and bid him say A he said A. say B. he said B. and when he had said and recited after the bishop the wholle crosse rewe he put vnto him sillables and hole wordes to be pronounced Vnto which when he aunsered in all pointes orderly he commaunded him to speake longe sentences and so he did and ceased not all that day and night folowing so longe as he coulde hold vpp his head from sleape as they make reporte that were present to speake and declare his secret thoughtes and purposes the which before that day he could neuer vtter to any man in leeke manner as that longe lamed Lazar who restored by the Apostles Peter and Iohn to the vse of his legges agayne stode vpp and walked and entred into the temple with other walkinge and leppinge and praysing God with muche ioy and myrthe that he could nowe go vppon his legges the whiche benefit he had lacked longe time before The bisshoppe also reioysing that he had his speache againe commaunded the phisicion to take the sore of his head in cure Which he did and by helpe of the bisshopps benediction and holy prayer the skinne came againe and heares grewe as fightly to see as any other maÌ„s So he that was before euil fauoured dumme and a lothesome creature to looke to he was nowe made a hansome younge man his countinuance amyable and pleasaunt to beholde his tounge ready and expedit to speake his heare curled and faire to see And so reioysing for the recouery of his healthe he returned home notwithstanding the bisshop offred him lodginge and gentyll entertaynement amongest his owne familye Howe the sayd bysshoppe healed a sycke mayden by prayer The 3. Chap. THe same good Abbot Berecht tolde me an other greate miracle done by the sayd bisshop and this it was When that lerned prelate and Reuerend father VVilfride after longe exile and banishement was recouered againe to the bisshopricke of Hagulstalde and the same bishop Iohn translated to Yorke after Bosa a man full of all godlynesse and humilitie was departed oute of this transitory lyfe he came on a certaine time to a Nunnerie in a toune called Vetade wher Herebuge was abbesse When we were there said he and intertained gently with good harte and chereful countinence of al the abbesse tolde vs that one of her couent and younge nonnes whiche was her owne daughter beinge sicke lay languishinge and pininge awaye because she was lett blood off late in her arme and while she was thinking off it in her fonde and foolyshe fantasye the sodayne payne made her very weake whiche growing vppon her more and and more the arme where the vaine was opened waxed very sore and so pitefully swollen that a man coulde scarse clippe it with bothe his handes and she lyinge in her bed for the greate intolerable paine semed to be almost dead and at the pitts brimme Wherefore the Abbesse besought this good bishop to go in and blesse her Because she beleued stedfastly that if he did other blesse her or touche her the vehemency of her desease wolde cease
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
And as I tarried there somewhat longe in greate horrour and feare not knowing what I should do nor whether I shuld go nor what should be come of me in the ende I heard sodainly behinde my backe most lamentable and pitifull crying and withall a lowde skournefull lawghing as it had bene of some rude and barbarous people insulting ouer their enemyes brought in captiuitie and thrauldome As sone as the noyse waxing more brimmer and brimmer came fully to my eares I descried a multitude of wicked sprites which did hale teare and plucke the myserable and wretched soules of men in to the midst of darknes weaping wayling and lamenting their state the wicked sprits in the meane skornefully laughing and triūphing at their myserie amongest whome as well as I could discerne there was a moncke a lay man and a woman The wicked sprites drawing and haling them went downe into that deape fyery flaminge dongell And it came to passe that when they were gone a greate way of I could neither discerne the lamentable crye of those soules neither the skornefull laughter off the deuills but had alwaies in my care a confuse noyse In the meane season came vp from the fiery flaming dongell certaine euill fauoured blacke sprites and compassed me rounde aboute and with there fiery eyes and foule stinking sauours which they breathed out had almost strangled me Besides they threatned to take me with the fiery forkes in their handes yet they could in no wise touche me although they aduentred to fraye me When I was compassed in euery side with such foule finnes and ougly darknesse I cast my eies now this way nowe that way if happely there might come any assistaunce or help to saue me and behold there appered behinde me euen the very same way I came the glimsing of a starre shining in the midst of that darkenesse which waxing brighter and brighter and coming a pace to me dispersed those wicked sprites away which with their fyery pronges were ready to rent me in peces He that came and put them to flight was the guide which conducted me before Who turning streytwayes vppon the right hande lead me as it were somewhat northward where the sonne riseth in the winter and with a trice brought me out of darknesse into the faire brode light And as he lead me in the faire shining light I sawe before vs a greate walle which was so longe and so hye that on nether side I could see any ende I beganne to maruell and muse with my self why we should go to the walle specially whē I saw nor gate nor loope hole nor any other entrance vp to it but when we were come thither I can not tell by what meanes we mounted quickly to the toppe and beholde there was a faire brode fielde both comfortable and pleasaunt so ful of swete fragrāt sauours and of fresh florisshing floures that incontinent the swete smel droue away quite and cleane all the stinking and lothsom sent of that darke firy fornace which had almost stifled me So goodly and clere a light shined there in euery place that it semed more fayrer than the brightnesse of the day and beames of the some when it is at the highest There were in that field innumerable companies of white couloured men many seates and infinite multitudes of soules reioysing and triumphing As he lead me through the middest of those blessed soules I beganne to thinke with selfe perchaunce this may be heauen of the which I haue hearde men oftentimes preache To this my imagination and thought he answered saying this is not the kingdom of heauen as thou doest imagine As we went forward and passed the resting places of those blessed and happie soules I sawe a more brighter shining light before vs than the other was and heard a sweete melodious noyse of Musicians besides that such a swete perfume and fragrāt sauour brake out in euery place that the other which I smelled before and thought excessiuely passing was in comparison vnpleasaunte and nothing worthe in leeke manner as the other bright shininge light of the pleasant grene fielde in comparison of this semed somewhat darke and obscure In to the which paradise of pleasure as I hoped well we should go sodainly my conductour and guide stoode still and turning backe brought me agayne the same waye we came In our returne when we came to the mansions and resting places of those blessed soules he asked me this question Do you knowe what all this is that yowe haue seene I answered no Then he saied vnto me The vally which you saw horrible with hotte flaming fyer and sharp byting colde is the place where their soules remaineth to be examined and tried which differring the cōfession of their synnes and amendment of life had recourse to penaunce in the instant and pointe of deathe and so departed owte of this wolrde Yet bicause they made humble confession of their synnes and repented euen at the houre of their deathe they shall come to the kingdome of heauen at the day of iudgement and some before For the good prayers charitable almes and deuoute fastinge of those that yett lyuethe and especially the holy sacrifice of the masse helpe to delyuer many out of those torments before that terrible daye Moreouer the the fiery flaminge pitt and stinkinge doungell which thowe didst see is hell mouthe into the which whosoeuer falleth he shall neuer be delyuered thence The goodly grene field full of odoriferous flowers where thowe sawest all ioyfull iocund and mery is the very same place where their soules ar receiued which departe oute of this lyfe in the state of grace but yet not of such perfection that they deserue to be brought streytwaies in to the kingdome of heauen but for all that in the day of iudgement shall haue the sight and fruition of Christes deity and immortall ioye with his chosen and elected Only they which are perfecte in all their wordes thoughts and dedes ar caried strayt to heauen after they haue passed their transitory life The place where thow heardest the sweete melodious singing with the goodly flagrante sauours and bright shyning light is next adioyninge to this Concerninge thy owne state because thou shall haue thy naturall body and lyue amongest men in the wordle ones again if thowe wilt diligently examin thy doinges vppon earthe and directe thy maner of lyuing in vprightnesse and simplicitie and refraine thy tounge from vaine and ydell talke certainly assure thy self to haue a resting place amongest these blessed soules which thou seest here for when I went awaye for a tyme and left the alone it was for no other cause but to lerne and enquire what should be come of the. When he had talked with me in this sorte I vtterly detested this present life and was sorye to returne to my naturall body againe I was so rauished with the swete fragrant sauoures and beutifull sights of that place which I did see and especiall their society which
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
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