day of the Sabbath which ye do who will not celebrate it upon the first day of the Sabbath Peter solemnized the Lord's day of Easter from the sisteenth Moon till the twenty first which ye do not who observe the Lords day of Easter from the fourteenth to the twentieth Moon so that on the thirteenth Moon at Evening ye often begin Easter Neither did our Lord the Author and giver of the Gospel eat the old passover on that day but on the fourteenth Moon at Evening or deliver the Sacraments of the New Testament to be celebrated in Commemoration of his Passion also the twenty first Moon which the Law especially commends to our Observation ye utterly reject in the celebration of your Easter so that as I said before ye neither agree with John nor Peter Law or Gospel in the solemnizing the great Festival To these things Colman answered Did Anatholius a holy man and much commended in the sore-mentioned Church History think contrary to either Law or Gospel who writ that Easter was to be kept from the fourteenth to the twentieth Is it to be imagined that our most reverend Father Columba and his Successors men beloved of God either thought or acted any thing contrary to Holy Writ When there were many amongst them of whose heavenly Holiness the wonders and powerful Miracles they wrought have given sufficient Testimony who as I ever thought them to be Holy men so I will never desist from following their times manners and discipline Then Wilfrid 'T is evident said he that Anatholius was a man very holy learned and praise-worthy but what does that concern ye when ve do not observe his Decrees for he in his Easter following the Rule of Truth set forth a Circle of nineteen years which ye are either ignorant of or else utterly contemn if ve acknowledg it to be kept by the whole Church of Christ. He in the Lord's Easter so reckoned the fourteenth Moon that he acknowledged that on the same day after the manner of the Egyptians to be the fifteenth Moon at evening so he observed the twentieth day for the Lord's Easter but so that he believed that the day being done to be the one and twentieth of which rule of distinction he proves thee ignorant because sometimes ye plainly keep your Easter before the full Moon that is on the thirteenth Month. As concerning your Father Columba and his Followers whose sanctity ye say ye will imitate and whose rules and precepts confirmed by heavenly signs ye are resolved to follow I might Answer when many at Judgment shall say to the Lord that they have prophesied in his Name and cast out Devils and wrought many wonders the Lord will answer that he never knew them But far be it from me that I should speak this of your Fathers since 't is more reasonable of uncertain things to entertain good thoughts than bad for which reason therefore I do not deny them to be the Servants of God and beloved by God who out of an innocent simplicity and a pious intention love God Neither do I think such an observation of Easter to be much prejudicial to them as long as no body comes among them that can shew decrees of a better institution which they may follow who nevertheless I believe had some Catholick Calculator better instructed them would have followed those things which they knew and had learned to be the Commands of God You therefore and your Associates if you despise to follow the decrees of the Apostolick See when you have heard them nay of the Universal Church and those confirmed by Holy writ without doubt ye sin What though your Fathers were holy are the paucity of these in a corner of the farthest Island to be preferred before the Universal Church of Christ over the World What if this your Columba and ours too if he be Christ's was holy and powerful in Miracles ought he to be preferred before the blessed Prince of the Apostles to whom the Lord said thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and to thee will I give the Keys of the kingdom of Heaven After Wilfrid had thus spoken the King said Colman is it true that these words were spoken by the Lord to Peter Who answered True O King Then said he Have you any thing that you can bring to prove so great power was given to Columba but he said No we have not The King again said Do both you agree without any controversie on this that these words were principally spoken to Peter and the Keys of the kingdom of Heaven were given him by the Lord They both answered Yes Then the King thus concluded And I say unto you because he is the Door-keeper I will not contradict him but as far as I know and am able I desire to obey his commands in all things lest perchance I coming to the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven there be no body to open he being turned aside whom you have proved to hold the Keys After the King had said thus both those that sate down and those that stood great and small assented so that the less perfect Institution being abandoned every one made haste to apply themselves to those things they thought better The Dispute being ended and the Assembly dismist Agilbert returned home Colman seeing his Doctrine slighted and his Party despised taking along with him those that were resolved to be of his sect i. e. they that would not admit of the Catholick Easter and shaving of the Crown for there was no little question about that returned into Scotland to treat with his Party what he should do in the business Chad leaving the tract of the Scotish Doctrine returned to his See as acknowledging the observation of the Catholick Easter This Disputation fell out in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 664 the twenty second year of King Oswy and the 30th year of the Bishoprick of the Scots which they had born in the Province of the English The wife of Oswy was Eanfled Daughter of Edwin King of Northumberland after the death of her husband she spent her daies in the Monastery of Streanshalch where she deceased and was interred in the Church of St. Peter in the same Monastery The Issue of King Oswy by Eanfled was this Elwin was slain in a battel against Ethelred King of the Mercians Elfled the eldest Daughter at a year old according to the Vow of her Father was committed to Hilda Abbess of Streanshalch to be bred up in Religion where she was afterwards Abbess and was buried in the Church of St. Peters in that Monastery Offrid the younger Daughter was married to Ethelred King of Mercia His natural Issue Alkfrid who succeeded Ethelwald in Deira came at last to the whole Crown of Northumberland Alkfled married to Peada Son of King Penda she is taxed by most Writers for the death of her Husband EGFRID
the long wished for Island he Lands his Trojans and marches up into the Country to take possession Joyful was he to see the pleasant prospect of so large a Dominion and blest the Gods that they gave him so glorious a Reward for all his labours But all things were not so well as he imagined for from the Clyffs and craggy Rocks he began to perceive mighty Giants arising This sight he communicated to Corinaeus who at first was much surprized at the Object but at last they both pluckt up their wonted Spirits and with a few Trojans valiantly assailed these Monsters In a few Conflicts they found not their Weapons to want success so that they soon convinced these Goliahs that no strength or vastness of Limbs was able to resist a Trojan Puissance Corinaeus after several general Engagements had a longing desire to enter into a nearer trial of skill with some one of them Gogmagog undertakes him and a day of wrestling was appointed and attended with great expectation The Giant at his first grapling by a close-Hug breaks a Rib of Corinaeus but sorely paid for it by the fall Corinaeus gave him from the Clyff of Dover to his utter destruction which from hence is said afterwards to be called Cwymp y Cawr or the fall of the Giant This was a good Omen of the Trojans further success and Corinaeus for this piece of service was rewarded with the Principality of Cornwal Brute by degrees destroyed the whole Race of these Giants and quietly possessing the Island the first work he undertook was the building of a City which he called Troy-novant now London In this City he kept his Royal Court ordaining and enacting that from henceforth the whole Island should be called after his Name BRITAIN and so the Inhabitants Britains Being at the point of Death in the fifteenth year of his Reign and the four and twentieth of his Arrival he divided his Kingdom to his three Sons To Locrinus he bequeathed that part now called ENGLAND To Camber WALES To Albanact SCOTLAND and so called it after his name Albania Brute in that sickness is supposed to have died and was buried in his new City TROY Novant but the particular place where was never yet discovered by any and I much question whether it ever will SOME OBSERVATIONS UPON THIS History of Brute IT is not material whether this story of BRUTE be to be referred to Jeoffery of Monmouth Henry of Huntington or Segibertus Gemblasensis a French-man who lived an hundred years before Jeoffery and treats of Brute and his Trojans Arrival into Gaul and his passage into Britain For if Segibertus or any other Person had the name of Brute before Jeoffery and some particular Actions of such a Prince yet the composing of his Genealogy the methodizing the Circumstances of his Life the Timing of his Entrance the Succession of his Line depends all upon the Credit of Jeoffery and the truth of his Translation and so was esteemed in the daies in which he lived and put forth his History For how long a Trojan Original might be in these parts or how long Britannia might be derived from Brutus is not the thing in question but this was the custome of Ancient times to derive Nations from some particular Persons even amongst the Greeks and Romans and was an old Vanity of the World to refer their beginning to some Divine HERO To make this pretended Brute to be a Trojan and to fasten him upon a Genealogy contrary to the truth of those Histories from which that Genealogy is fetcht and upon whose Credit it depends is the thing for which Brutes History is chiefly condemned Segibertus Gemblasensis might have the same design in deriving his Britain in France from Brutus as the Britains might derive their Britannia I do not deny but Jeoffery of Monmouth might have several hints of Brutus nay a British History of him but it will not justifie the Fiction neither can the multitude of Authors in or about that time take away from the Credit of Ancienter Historiographers as Caesar Tacitus Gildas Ninius and as many as wrote twelve hundred years since who make no mention of any such Person more than that do profess by all their Enquiry they could learn nothing of the Britains concerning their Original so that whatever Original is pretended nevertheless the story of the Trojan Brute and all the Legend of his life seems to be brought into the World not long before those times as appears by Mr. Cambden and Speed nay Mr. Sheringham of late in his Vindication of this story in one place ingeniously confesses That these Tales might be invented and so intruded upon the Vulgar But where ever the story of Brute is to be told the Character of it and the Compiler ought never to be omitted It is the saying of William of Newborough who lived in the Age of Geoffery ap Arthur of Monmouth and writes thus of him In these our daies saith he a certain Writer is risen who deviseth foolish Fictions of the Britains he hath to Name Geoffery and a little after With how little shame and with what great confidence doth he frame his Lies About the same time was Francio invented for the Francks Scota Pharaolis Daughter for the Scots Hiberus for the Irish Danus for the Danes Brabo for the Brabanders Gothus for the Goths Saxo for the Saxons and is Brutus for the Britains any thing truer who can think it Scriverius in his Preface to the Antiquitics of Ancient Batavia falls severely upon Jeoffery of Monmouth and gives his History the name of Groote grove lange dicke taste lijck ende unbeschaemte logen that is A most impudent Lie a great one a heavy one a long thick one which like the AEgyptian Darkness was so palpable it might be felt Never had a Lie so many dimensions given it before nor so much substance ascribed to it Well fare Brute and his Trojans above all stories this carries the Honour of the day That which gave some Authority to this Fiction was the use King Edward the first made of it in vindicating his Title to Scotland against the pretence of Pope Boniface and the Church of Rome who laid claim to that Kingdom by Ancient Right as part of St. Peters Patrimony and that Churches Demesne This Action of the King stampt some Character upon this late Invention and the Judgment of so wise a Prince in favour of Brute in a matter of so high a Concern brought this new Embrio into some credit in the World It will not be amiss therefore to examine the whole Circumstances of this debate between the King Pope and Barons of this Realm King Edward having made a considerable progress towards the Conquest of Scotland and being there in Person receives a Prohibition from the Pope who was backt on by the French King to proceed any further in that business until he had proved his Title at Rome to which place the
was propagated in this Island but whether by Joseph of Arimathea who as the first Protestant Bishop saith had a Seat allotted him in the very ends of Arviragus his Dominions or by Simon Zelotes or St. Paul himself or some others is uncertain But it is plain out of Tertullian that the British Nation to which the Romans had no access had owned Subjection unto Christ which was in this Age. But the most received Opinion of the Inhabitants and which seemeth to carry the greatest Antiquity is That JOSEPH of Arimathea the same who embalmed our Saviours Body was sent into Britain by St. Philip where he preached the Gospel and founded a Church in a place called Ines withren in the British Tongue now Glastenbury which place was granted to him by this Arviragus King of Britain the dimensions of which Church according to the Custome of those Primitive times not very Magnificent is taken out of* Sr. Henry Spelman as he collected it from a Plate which was fixed on a Pillar in the New Church and preserved after the demolishing of that Monastery the words of the Plate are these ANno post Passionem Domini xxxj duodecim Sanai ex quibus JOSEPH ab Arimathea Primus erat buc venerunt qui Ecclesiam bujus Regni primam in hoc loco construxerunt qui Christi in honorem suae Matris locum pro eorum Sepultura praesentialiter dedicavit Sancto David Meneventium Archicpiscopo hoc testante Cui Dominus Ecclesiam illam dedicare disponenti in sompnis apparuit eum a proposito revocavit necnon in signum quod ipse Dominus Ecclesiam ipsam prius cum Cimiterio dedicârat manum Episcopi digito perforavit sic perforata multis videntibus in 〈◊〉 apparuit Posten ver ò idem Episcopus Domino revelante ac Sanctorum numero in eadem crescente quendam cancellum in Orientali parte huic Ecclesiae adjecit in honore Beatae Virginis consecravit cujus Altare inestimabili Saphiro in perpetuam hujus rei memoriam insignavit Et nè locus aut quantitas prorsus Ecclesiae per tales augmentationes oblivioni traderetur erigitur haec Columpna in linea per duos Orientales angulos ejusdem Ecclesiae versùs meridiem protracta praedictum Cancellum ab ea abscindente Et erat ejus longitudo ab illa linca versùs Occidentem lx pedum latitudo verò ejus xxvj pedum diffantia centri istius Columpnae à puncto medio inter praedictos angulos xlviij pedum Thus rendered into English THere arrived here XII Holy Men of whom JOSEPH of Arimathea was Head in the year from the Passion of Our Lord XXXI who built in this place the first Church of this Kingdom who viz. Joseph of Arimathea appointing a Place for their Burial dedicated it in honour of the Mother of Christ David Archbishop of Menew attesting the same to whom the Lord intent on the Dedication of that Christian Church appearing in a Dream recalled deterred and advised to desist from that purpose and in token that the Lord had before dedicated that Church and Church-yard he bored the Bishops hand through with his finger which appeared so bored through on the Morrow to many Eyewitnesses Afterwards the same Bishop the number of the Saints of that Church increasing the Lord revealing it to him added to that Church on the Easternpart a Chancel which he consecrated in Honour of the Blessed Virgin the Altar of which for a Memorial of the same to future Ages be adorned with a Saphire of unknown value and least the place and plat-form of that Church through such Augmentations might be forgotten there is erected a Column or Pillar in a Line drawn through the Eastern Corners of that Church towards the South dividing the aforesaid Chancel from the same and the length of it was from that Line towards the West threescore feet its breadth twenty six feet the distance of the Centre of that Column from the middle Point between the afore said Corners forty eight feet The first Church of the Christians In Britaine a b c d The compass of the Church-yard the extent whereof is not certainly known but so large as to contain according to Melkinus who lived in the year of our Lord 550 a thousand Graves amongst whom lies Joseph of Arimathea c. about the South Angle of the Oratory about K and f where also St. Patrick Abbot of this place was also Entomb'd under a Stone Pyramid which was afterwards according to the devotion of the time overlaid with Silver e f The length of the Church sixty foot f g The breadth of the Church twenty six foot b The Walls of the Church according to Malmsbury made of Twigs winded and twisted together after the Ancient Custome that Kings Palaces were used to be built So the King of Wales by name Heolus Dha in the year of our Lord 940 built a House of white Twigs to retire into when he came a hunting into South-Wales therefore it was called Cyguyn that is the White House For to the end it might be distinguished from Vulgar buildings he caused the Twigs according to his Princely quality to be barkt Nay Castles themselves in those daies were framed of the same Materials and weaved together for thus writes Giraldus Cambrensis of Pembroke Castle Arnulphus de Montgomery saith he in the dales of King HENRT the First built that small Castle of Twigs and slight Turf Such Reed Houses as these we all along see in Ireland and in many places in England I The Roof which according to the usual Custome of the Britains was of Straw or after the nature of the soyl in that place of Hay or Rushes So Bede A great fire being kindled in the midst of the House it happened that some sparks flying high set the Roof of the house on a flame which easily took fire because it consisted of Wicker and Straw After the same manner was the Old Roman Capitol it self built according to Ovid Quae fuerat nostri fi quaras Regia nati Adspice de Cannâ Straminibusque domum Ka the Door the top whereof reacheth to the Eeves of the house which in those daies were very low Kb the East Window over the Altar KKK the South Windows Having delivered thus much concerning the Antiquity of this Christian Church I will conclude the same with some necessary Observations thereupon Observations upon the before-mentioned Inscription in memory of the first Christian Church in Britain THe Character upon this Plate is not so Ancient as not above 300 years old if so much and though there might be in other places which is difficult to prove Churches built so early yet that they were encompassed according to the Modern Custome with Church yards will hardly be granted There were many Churches in the Cities of Britain soon after the first Times of Christianity but never any Church-yards till the time of Cutbert the
in all probability the Places may be confounded and some write that he built a Church at Dover and endowed it with the Toll of that Haven Not content in having performed so many excellent Works he is said at length to have resigned his Kingdom and Travelled into Germany out of desire to propagate the Christian Faith to have converted Bavaria and afterwards going into Rhetia there to have lived in a Cell under a Rock which was afterwards called the Rock of Lucius then to have proceeded into that Country wherein the City Curia stood where living in a Cave and preaching to the Infidels he was at last betrayed and brought before the Governour who put him to death in a Tower called Marula His Body was brought into Britain and buried in Glocester so that it will not be improper to relate what Matthew of Westminster saith in confirmation of this matter Anno Gratiae CCI Inclytus Britannorum Rex LUCIUS in bonis actibus assumptus Claudiocestriae ab hâc vitâ migravit ad CHRISTUM in Ecclesiâ primae sedis Honoriftcè sepultus est He Reigned twelve years and dying without Issue left the Kingdom divided among many of the Royal Blood who all setting up their Titles miserably involved the whole Nation in Civil Wars and Combustions Upon this the Picts took advantage of the Publick Distractions and brake into the Southern parts flinging down the Wall that was built as a Rampier to defend the Frontiers and for a long time finding no resistance wasted the Country far and wide so that if it be true what is reported of King Lucius That out of zeal for Religion He went into Bavaria to preach the Gospel leaving his Kingdom to be managed by the chiefest of his Nobility without declaring a Successour how much better had it been if he had employed his time and labours in his own Dominions which surely in so short a time could not be so entirely instructed in the Faith of Christ but that there was room left for the employing of so great a Talent given him for the use and comfort properly belonging first to his own Country Neither could a Prophet want Honour in his own Country who had Royal Authority to back his Priestly Function However therefore the story of King Lucius or Lever-Maur as to the main of it may betrue namely That there was such a Person that Ruled in this Island and embraced the Christian Religion yet that he should have so great Authority as absolutely to establish it casting down the Flames and Arch-flamens the Religion of the Romans whose Province it was and to set up in their room Bishops and Arch-bishops seemeth not only improbable but impossible also If he was a King beyond Hadrians Wall what had he to do with London and Carlile and if on this side he was but a Tributary and Vassal to the Romans and so could not so easily abolish their Worship as indeed it manifestly appears out of Inscriptions of the Romans in this Island who after his time continued their Altars to the Heathen Deities But that he should forsake his Kingdom and out of an over-fond opinion of Chastity neglect the duty of a Prince in not providing a Successour to his Crown that he should leave his Kingdom at sixes and sevens that he should think himself more useful in a Cell than a Throne for the propagating Religion in another Country and not in his own and imagine that absconding in Holes and Deserts would shew a greater light to the World than being placed upon a Hill manifestly shews from what Forge those Inventions proceeded and that they were the idle Talks of our crafty Ancestors whose business it was to gain Honour to their own Constitutions by perswading the World that no Obligations Civil or Moral although of the highest nature and concern but must be cancell'd in order to his attaining perfection which they placed in that lofty Poverty of a Monastick life And thus much is sufficient to be said of King Lucius The Troubles that arose after his decease continued as Fabian thinketh fifteen years the English Chronicle saith fifty Harding four which difference proceedeth from the various Calculations of the time of his Reign and upon the same Subject Matthew of Westminster thus delivers himself Quo defuncto speaking a little before of the death of King LUCIUS he proceeds to say dissidium inter Britones surrexit quià absque Haerede decessit Romana Potestas infirma est Manfit itáque Britannia in dissidio usque ad adventum SEVERI qui eam posteà Romanae restituit Dignitati Some make his Decease in the daies of the Emperour Hadrian whom the English Chronicles follow others continue his Reign but to the daies of Aurelius and Verus Emperours The first cannot be true by reason it agreeth not with the time of Eleutherius who according to the most diligent Chronographers began to govern the See of Rome in the year 169 which is thirty years after the death of Hadrian and sate in the Chair fifteen years namely to the year of our Lord one hundred eighty four The latter is equally false considering that the Letter from Eleutherius to King Lucius the Date whereof Mr. Cambden followeth in contradiction to Bede was sent when Lucius Aurelius Commodus was second time Consul with Vespronius which was in the year one hundred seventy nine or one hundred and eighty Anno currente and ten years after the death of Verus the Emperour Basing stokius makes LUCIUS to begin his Reign in the year of our Lord one hundred eighty three in the second year of Commodus the Conversion of this Prince according to that Account must be in the first year of his Reign and the last of Eleutherius his Popedom circumstances very improbable for supposing that this Godly Prince should begin his Reign with the establishment of Christian Religion yet what becomes of Fugacius and Damianus returns to Eleutherius after they had been a year in Britain and the Ratifications of their proceedings the year after obtained at Rome if in the last year of Eleutherius the Kingdom was first Converted as manifestly appears if this Calculation were true The British Histories generally make Septimius Severus the Roman Emperour to succeed Lucius in the Kingdom of Britain and after him many other Emperours so that for the future we shall see the same Persons though with different circumstances in the Records of both Nations made Actours in the soveraign Authority Many have found fault with the British History upon this account but whether it was that the Royal Blood of the Native Britains was utterly extinct or that the Compiler of these Stories was weary of inventing Names sure I am that the following Emperours had no more right to the Island than the preceding And there is no where found that Severus either by Marriage Adoption or Donation received the Kingdom so that for many years we may bid farewel to the British
solemnity with Religious Banquets Neither let them any longer sacrifice Beasts to the Devil but to the praise of God let them kill those Creatures for their own eating and in their fulness give thankes to the Giver of all things that whilst there are left them some inward tokens of Rejoycing they may the easier be brought to the inward Joyes of the Spirit For to wean obdurate minds from all things on a sudden without doubt is impossible He that endeavours to climb on high it is necessary he should rise by degrees and paces not by leaps so the Lord made himself known to the children os Israel in Egypt the customary Sacrifices which they were wont to offer to the Devil he reserved in his own worship that by his command they should offer living creatures in his sacrifice Forasmuch as their hearts being changed they lost somethings of the sacrifice and retained others so that although they were the same creatures they were wont to offer nevertheless offering them to God and not to Idols they were not the same Sacrifices These things I would have your charity to declare to our aforesaid Brother that he for the present being placed there may consider how all things ought to be ordered Given the twelsth day of the Kalends of July Indiction the fourth God preserve you safe my Dearest Son given the fifteenth day of the Kalends of July in the nineteenth year of our Lord Mauritius Tiberius Augustus Emperour after the Consulship of the said Lord the eighteenth Indiction the fourth i. e. in the year of Christ 601. Gregory To Augustine Bishop of the English Of the use of the Pall and of the Church of London ALthough 't is certain that the inexpressable Rewards of an eternal Kingdom are reserved for those that labour in the service of God yet it is necessary that we should allow them the Ensigns of Honour that by such Rewards they may be encouraged the more abundantly to labour in Spiritual works and because the late Church of the English through the mercy of our Lord and your diligence is brought to the grace of Almighty God we grant you the use of the Pall in that Nation but for only celebrating the solemnity of the Mals so that you ordain through all places twelve Bishops that shall be under your Jurisdiction Forasmuch as the Bishop of the City of London shall alwaies hereafter be consecrated by a Synod of his own and receive the honour of the Pall from this holy and Apostolick See in which through God's grace I serve I will also that you send a Bishop to the City of Tork whom you shall think fit to be ordained so that if the same City with the bordering places shall receive the Word of God let him also ordain twelve Bishops that he may also enjoy the honour of a Metropolitan because we intend God willing to bestow on him in like manner the Pall if he is of a meek and courteous behaviour whom nevertheless we will that he submit to the Authority of your Brotherhood After your death so let him preside over the Bishops he shall Ordain that by no means he submits to the power of the Bishop of London But hereafter let this distinction of Honour be between the Bishops of London and York that he be accounted first that was first ordained Let them with common counsel and joynt action order whatever ought to be done for the love of Christ let them unanimously agree in the Right and whatsoever they agree on not by contradicting one another bring to perfection Let your Brotherhood therefore have in subjection under you not only those Bishops whom you have ordained or those that shall be ordained by the Bishop of York but also all the Clergy of Britain our Lord God Jesus Christ being the Author forasmuch as from the life and doctrine of your Holiness they may receive the form of rightly believing and living well and may by executing their office with a sincere Faith and good Manners when the Lord shall please attain to an Heavenly Kingdom The Lord keep you safe Most Reverend Brother Given the tenth day of the Kalends of July our Lord Mauritius Tiberius Augustus being Emperour in the nineteenth year after the Consulship of the said Lord the eighteenth year Indiction the fourth that is in the year of Christ 601. THE LIFE OF S t AUGUSTINE The first Arch-Bishop of CANTERBURY Written in Latin by Sr. Henry Spelman IT would be needless to use many words concerning this Augustine his Life and Actions after he was sent by GREGORY to convert the English plainly appear in the following discourse But what and who he was before little concerns us He was a Roman I think by Birth and a Monk of the Benedictine Order and was afterwards made Provost of St. Gregory's Monastery at Rome as you may understand from the Epistle of St. Gregory himself to Syagrius Bishop of Augustodunum Called forth from thence by Gregory he is sent into Britain with sourty Monks his Companions and others of the Clergy over whom he made him Abbot in the year of our Lord 596 and in the year 597 arriving in Britain he converted to the Faith Ethelbert King of Kent and the greatest part of his People whom on the day of Pentecost he Baptized in the Church of St. Martin at Canterbury which had continued from the time of the Romans till then The same year afterwards he went to Arles where he was by Etherius Arch-Bishop of that City who was so commanded by Gregory ordained the Arch-Bishop of the English the sixteenth of the Kalends of December in the City of Arles Returning to Fngland he was received by both King and People with all imaginable Joy and soleninity besttting his Quality and had the Royal City of Canterbury bestowed upon him by the King for an Episcopal See and the Kings Palace for a Cathedral Church to be erected unto Christ so that the King seemed to imitate what is reported to have been done by the Emperour Constantine the Great Being ordained Bishop he consulted St. Gregory by Messengers and Questions of the form of Government to be imposed on the Church he had lately established amongst the English Saxons The Answers he received we will set down a little below Soon after he was honoured by the same Gregory with the Pall by which the fulness of Power is signisted in the year viz. of Christ 601. Being then Metropolitan of Britain he summons a Councel in the borders of Worcestershire that he might be something nigher the British Clergy and Bishops at that time residing in Wales to which he warned them to appear the place of Session appointed was Augustine's Ac that is Augustine's Oaks where being assembled Augustine demands from them Obedience to the Bishop of Rome and the Reception of the Roman Ceremonies into the British Church The Britains stiffly opposed this and after the business had been a long time controverted on both sides
But they armed with the power of God and not the Devil bearing a Silver cross before them for their Banner and the Image of our Lord and Saviour painted on a Table and singing Litanies prayed unto the Lord for the eternal salvation of themselves and of those for whose sakes and to whom they were come But when with the Kings leave sitting down they had preached the Word of life to him and to all his Nobles that were with him the King made Answer saying The words and promises which Ye have made are indeed fair but unto which as being new and uncertain I cannot suddenly yield my assent laying aside the Religion I have so long maintained with all the English Nation But because ye are strangers and come a great way and as it seems to me would impart to us the knowledge of things you believe the truest and best we will not in the least give you any molestation but rather courteously receive you and take care that all things necessary shall be provided for your maintenance neither do we prohibit but that ye may gain all ye can to the Faith of your Religion And accordingly he alotted them their residence in the City of Canterbury which was the Metropolis of all his Kingdom neither did he abridge them of the freedom of meeting of preaching or neglect their temporal provision It is reported that when they came nigh to the City after their manner with the holy Cross and the Image of the great King our Lord Jesus Christ with an agreeable-voice they sang this Litany We pray thee O Lord in thy mercy that thy sury may be turned away and thy Anger from this City and thy holy House because we have sinned Allelujah But when they came to the Dwellings provided for them they began to imitate the Apostolical life of the Primitive Church by applying themselves to continual prayers watchings and fastings to the preaching the Word of God to all that would hear them by despising all things of this World as superfluous and receiving only those things that were necessary for those they taught for their sustenance living exactly according to the Rules they taught others having a mind ready to suffer any Adversity even to die for the truth that they preached The success of which was some believed and were baptized admiting the simplicity of their innocent lives and the sweetness of their heavenly doctrine There was near this City towards the East a Church anciently built in honour of St. Martyn whilst the Romans inhabited Britain in which the Queen whom above we declared to have been a Christian was wont to pray In this therefore first they begun to assemble sing pray perform Mass preach and baptize until the King being converted to the Faith they obtained a greater liberty of Preaching every where and of building and repairing Churches But when he among the rest being delighted with the pure life of these Saints and their sweet Promises the truth of which they confirmed by shewing many Miracles believing was baptized many flocked in from all parts to hear the word and leaving the Rites of Heathenism joyned themselves to the unity of the holy Church of Christ at whose Faith and Conversion the King is reported so far to have congratulated as nevertheless not compels any to receive Christianity only those that believed he embraced with a nearer affection as fellow-Citizens with him of the heavenly Kingdom For he had learnt from the Teachers and Authors of his salvation that the service of Christ ought to be voluntary not constrained neither did he deser long but gave his Teachers places befitting their Degrees in his Metropolis of Canterbury and conferred upon them Possessions necessary in several kinds in the year of Christ 601. THE ANSWERS OF GREGORY TO THE QUESTIONS SENT BY AUGUSTINE The first Arch-Bishop of CANTERBURY For the better government of the new erected Church of English-Saxons Out of Bede's Hist. Ecclesiast lib. 1. cap. 27. IN the mean while Augustine the Man of God came to Arles and by Etherius Archbishop of the same City according to the Commands he received from the holy Father Gregory was ordained Archbishop of the English Returning therefore into Britain he sent immediately to Rome Lawrence the Priest and Peter the Monk to certifie Pope Gregory that the Christian Faith was received by the English and that he himself was made Bishop desiring also his opinion in certain Questions he thought necessary to be resolved in to all which he speedily received Answers proper to the Questions proposed which we thought fit here to insert into our History The first Question of Augustine Bishop of the Church of Canterbury Of Bishops how they should converse with their Clergy of those things that are presented to the Altar by the offerings of the Faithful how many portions there ought to be and how a Bishop ought to behave himself in the Church The Answer of Gregory Pope of the City of Rome How Bishops ought to act in the Church the Holy Scripture witnesses which you understand very well no doubt and especially the Epistles of St. Paul to Timothy in which he endeavors to teach him how he ought to behave himself in the House of God And it was ever the custome of the Apostolick See to deliver Instructions to Bishops that were ordained that out of every thing that came to the Altar there ought to be made four divisions viz. One for the Bishop and his family for hospitality and entertainments the second for the Clergy the third for the Poor and the fourth for repairing Churches But because your Brotherhood is well skilled in the Orders of a Monastery you know nothing ought to be possest by the Clergy apart in your English Church which lately by God's grace is brought to the Faith it ought to imitate the Conversion which was used by our Fathers in the beginning of the Church among whom none said any thing was his of those things he possessed but all things were in common among them The second Question of Augustine I desire to be informed whether Pr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able 〈◊〉 marry and if they shall marry whether they must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Question Bede hath not but joyne the following Answer to the first Question Sr. Hen. Spelman hath added in out of the Bath Edition An. 1518. The Answer of Gregory If there be any of the Clergy out of holy Orders that cannot contain they ought to provide themselves Wives and to receive their stipends from without because concerning those portions which we have spoken of before we know 't is written that 't was divided to every one as every one had need And indeed there ought some consideration and care to be had of their Stipends that they may be kept under Ecclesiastical Rules that they shew good Manners in their lives that they may be diligent in singing Psalms and that they keep by God's assistance their hearts tongues and bodies
the Historians of those times have thought convenient that the memory of these Apostate Kings should be utterly razed and the same year reckoned the first of King Oswald a man dearly beloved of God OSWALD OSWALD after the death of his Brother was made King of Northumberland He was a Prince well grounded in his Religion and besides many other vertues had accomplisht himself during his Exile in all Military exercises to which in his youth he had studiously addicted himself And indeed the state of the Kingdom at his first entrance upon it being miserably harassed by Cadwallo required no ordinary man to redeem the glory and honour of it He had to deal with an enemy used to Conquer but withal proud and boasting and who by often beating the Northumberlands had now little opinion of the Saxon Valour in general and was therefore grown somewhat secure and negligent in his proceeding Him therefore Oswald with a small but Christian Army attacks by a little River running into Tine near the old Roman Wall the place called Denisborn and after a sharp fight slaies him with the greatest part of his huge Host which he boasted was Invincible It is reported that the first day Oswald though provoked would not joyn battel but spent the whole time in prayers and supplications commanding his Army to do the like and to shew that his trust was more in the protection of the Almighty than the arm of flesh and to profess himself the Souldier os Christ he erected for his Standard a great 〈◊〉 in the field wherein he encamped sustaining the same with his own hands until the Souldiers with earth filled up the ground it was fixed in from this Cross and the Victory ensuing the place was afterwards called 〈◊〉 and the Cross it self was long after much frequented for the Miracles said to be wrought by it Being settled in his Throne by the death of his potent Enemy like a good Prince his first care was to have his people again instructed in the Christian Religion which by the Apostasie of the former Princes and devastations of those times was almost utterly lost among them To this purpose he sends into Scotland where himself had been bred up to have some godly and laborious Preachers sent unto him his desires were readily assented to by the Clergy of that Country and Aidan a Monk and Bishop with others to assist him are accordingly dispatched who coming into Northumberland by their good example and diligent preaching wonderfully restored the Christian Religion insomuch that many thousands are said in few daies to have been Baptized by them This Aidan had assigned to him from the King for an Episcopal Seat a place then called Lindesfarn now Holy Island but he was not so famous by the dignity of his Sec as the singular vertues of his mind being a man above the level of that Age of wonderful moderation and not carried away with the nice and trivial points of Theology which most desperately infected those and latter times And this will more evidently appear by the Testimony of Bede in his preamble to the Councel of Whitby which you may find in the Reign of the following Prince And this might be the reason that he gained so much on the minds of his Auditors for whereas others following the example of Colmar a preacher then in Northumberland delighted more to shew their profound skill in points then controverted than plainly to set forth the grounds of Christianity Aidan on the contrary by easie Doctrine and yielding in things Ceremonial made more Christians by far though fewer Disputants Neither is the devotion and humility of Oswald himself to be passed over who disdained not to be Interpreter to the Bishop in his first preaching for whereas Aidan at his first coming spoke Scotch only or very broken English the King himself to secure him from contempt and to make his words carry more Authority was as you have heard himself the conduit to coveigh them to his People Neither is this King less celebrated for his exceeding Charity and pity to the poor feeding them with his own hands at the Gate and often distributing the plate it self amongst them for which it is said that Aidan being once present taking the King by the right hand thus said or prophesied That it was impossible that hand should parish which had so often sustained others which report goes after his death was fulfilled for that hand remaining uncorrupted was afterwards shrined in Silver and preserved entire in St. Peter's Church in Bebba now Bamborow Thus the Kingdom of Northumberland by the blessing of God and the good endeavours of King Oswald enjoyed the benefits of peace during which time Religion good Laws and Ordinances were established Churches erected through the whole Province and the general State so flourished that all the neighbouring Countries invited by the Princely vertues of Oswald especially the moderation of his Government daily flocked under his obedience insomuch that he had at command at one time people of four different languages Britains Picts Scotch and English Thus after he had Reigned the space of eight years worthy of a longer life he fell by the same fate and the same hands 〈◊〉 Edwin his Predecessour For 〈◊〉 the Pugan King of Mercia envying the greatness of his State made war upon 〈◊〉 and at a place called Maserfield now Oswester in Shropshire cut him in pieces with a great part of his Army on the fifth of August 642. His Body was buried at Bradney in Lincoinshire By his wife Kinburg Daughter of Kingils he had a Son named Ethelwald who being left young was put by the Kingdom by his base Uncle Oswy but he continually gave him trouble in the keeping of it and obtained lastly a Principality in Derra which he held by force after that Oswy had slain Oswyn the Nephew of Edwin who for seven years had held it OSWY OSWY the base Son of Edilfrid the Wild after the death of his Brother succeeded him in the Kingdom The beginning of his Reign was exceedingly turmoiled with the continual incursions of Penda the rebellions of his base Son Alkfrid and the opposition of Ethelwald Son of Edwin and rightful Heir of the Crown But his greatest eye-sore was Oswyn the Son of Osric Edwin's Brother who had possession of Deira a Prince highly beloved by his People for his good nature and much admired for zeal in Religion and humility in the profession of it Against him Oswy raiseth an Army and Oswyn meeteth him but finding himself far Inferiour in number he broke up his Camp which was then at Wilfaresdown ten miles west of Cataracton and reserving himself for a better opportunity with one Attendant named Condhere he withdrew to the house of Earl Hunwald on whose fidelity he much relied but contrary to his expectation he was by the said Earl basely betrayed to King Oswy and by his order as basely murthered at Ingethling Aidan the good Bishop survived not
obtained that the Primacy of England was translated from Canterbury to Litchfield in his own Dominions He obtained of Charles the Great that the English going to Rome should be free from Customes and other duties With Charles the Great during his whole Reign he had great intercourse sometimes enmity otherwhiles friendship as appears by the kind Letters of that Emperour written to him yet extant wherein he stiles him the MOST POTENT KING OF THE WEST CHRISTIANS And now about this time were Images first brought into the English Church to be worshipped for Charles the Great sent the decrees of the Synod of Nice into Britain of which hear what Hoveden writes wherein saith he Alas for pity by the unanimous consent of three hundred Bishops or more met together in that Councel were decreed many things inconvenient may quite contrary to the true Faith as is most especially the worshipping of Images which the Church of God doth absolutely hate Against which Book Albinus wrote an Epistle excellently well strengthned with the Authority of the Holy Scriptures which together with the aforesaid Book himself presented in the name of the Princes and Bishops of this Land unto the aforesaid Charles King of France Which Book is reported to have so worked with that Emperour that in the Synod of Frankford he caused those Constitutions to be repealed This Offa to keep the Britains from making inrode into his Country caused a Ditch or Trench to be made almost an hundred miles in length from Sea to Sea that is from the mouth of the River Wy unto Dee concerning which in after daies John of Salisbury in his Policration writeth thus Herald ordained a Law that what Welch-man soever should be found with a weapon on this side the limit which he had set them that is to say Offa's Dike he should have his Right hand cut off by the King's Officers The Issue of King Offa was Fgfrid his Son and Successour Ethelburga married to Birthric King of the West-Saxons of whose life and death you will read in the next Kingdom Elsled supposed second wife of Ethelred King of Northumberland Elsrid the youngest Daughter promised in marriage to Egilbert King of the East-Angles EGFRID EGFRID the Son of Offa had in his life time been made Partner with his Father in the Kingdom and as if his life had been woven up with his he survived him but four Months having given his Subjects the hopes of a longer Reign he restored to the Church whatever his Father and Predecessours had taken from them He had neither Wife nor Issue and was buried in the Church of St. Albans of his Father's foundation KENWOLF KENWOLF of the Royal blood succeeded Egfrid in the Kingdom he had Wars with Ethelbert sirnamed Pren King of Kent whom taking prisoner he brought into Mercia and soon after at the High Altar dismissed having as Simeon reports put out his eyes and lopt off his hands He Reigned twenty one years and was buried in the Monastery of Winchcomb which himself had founded KENELM KENELM the Son of Kenwolf a Child of seven years was left under the Tuition of his elder Sister Quendrid but she ambitious to Rule her self caused him to be made away by one Askbert who alluring him to the Woods on pretence to hunt there slew him and secretly buried his body the murther is said to be miraculously discovered by a Dove dropping a written Note on the Altar at Rome it was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mr. Milton thus renders it Low in a Mead of Kine under a Thorn Of head bereast ly'th poor Kenelm King-born Soon after the death of this Prince the Kingdom of Mercia became Tributary to Egbert the West-Saxon Monarch though not without some strugling on both sides but the Actions of suceeding Princes in this Kingdom as they were but few and happened all in the life of that Monarch so I shall reserve them to be told there in their due place for in this Heptarchy I design not to write any further than to his daies who by degrees united the divided States and moulded them into one entire Dominion THE KINGDOM OF THE West-SAXONS Contained Counties Cornwall Devonshire Dorcetshire Somersetshire Wiltshire Hantshire Barkshire KINGS Cerdic Kenric Ceaulin Cearlick Ceowlf Kingils Kenwalch Eskwyn Ketwyn Ceadwalla Ina. Ethelard Cuthred Sigibert Kinwulf Birthric CERDIC CERDIC the Tenth in descent from Woden and the Beginner of the West-Saxon Kingdom with five ships and Kenric his Son setting forth from Germany arrived at Britain in the year 495 and landed at a place afterwards called from his name Cerdic-Shore He was an old experienced Souldier and long exercised in the Wars of Saxony At his first setting foot on land he gave signal proofs of his Valour by often repelling the Britains who endeavoured to hinder this New settlement and for six years together without any fresh supplies maintained his ground with advantage about which time Porta another Saxon with his two Sons Bida and Megla in two ships arrive at Portsmouth thence called and at their first landing slay a British Noble man with many of the Common sort who disorderly gathered against them The Britains to redeem these losses with strong Musters though slowly assemble together under Natanleod or Nazaleod a British King and one of their greatest saith Huntington however he came by so unusual a name but are miserably defeated with the death of their Prince and five thousand of his men In this battel it is said that Cerdic was assisted by Ella the South-Saxon and Oisc King of Kent together with Porta who had now been seven years in the Island From this British King the Saxon Annals write that a small Region adjoyning to Cerdicsford was called Nazaleod Six years after Stuf and Withgar Cerdic's Nephews with three ships land at Cerdics-ford or as others say Certic shore and in a set battel overthrow the Britains and five years following if the former battel be not to be referred to this time Cerdic again with his Son obtained another signal Victory upon the gaining of which and the strength of the new supplies he at last assumed Regal Dignity After he had continued conquering in the Isle twenty four years the Saxon Annals report a third Battel fought at the same place but with doubcful success as if this only had been the field of fortune Mr. Cambden in his Chronographical Description of these two places Cerdic shoar and Cerdics-ford hath much confounded the natural course of this History by placing them at so vast a distance which if true can never be reconciled with the truth of these Relations Cerdic shoar be placeth as far as Yarmouth Cerdic a warlike Saxon saith he landed here i. e. at Yarmouth whereupon the Inhabitants at this day call the place Cerdic-sand and the writers of Histories Cerdic shoar and after he had made sore War upon the Icent took Sea and sayled from hence into the West parts
a place called Wodens-Beorth or Wodens-Dic that is to say Woden's Mount the conclusion of which was that the Saxons lost the day with the ruine of their whole Army and Ceaulin for this or other miscarriages was driven out of his Kingdom and the year after died in Exile after he had Reigned thirty two years CEARLIK CEARLIK the Son of Guthwolf Brother of the late King followed his Uncle Ceaulin advanced as may be guessed from his Father's vertues and the dislike the people had to the Line of Ceaulin who by his Son Cuthwin left two Grandchildren Kenbald and Cuth whose Right it was to inherit but the latter of these Reigned afterwards in his Posterity being the Grandfather of the famous Ine the eleventh King of this Province whose Brother Ingils was Progenitor in the fourth degree to Egbert that reduced the whole Heptarchy into an entire Monarchy This Cearlik as he had obtained the Kingdom by fraud and usurpation so he held it but a short while Reigning five years and odd months and them without any action worthy of remembrance CEOWOLF CEOWOLF the Son of Cuth the third and youngest Son of Kenric after the death of his Cousin-German Cearlic obtained the Kingdom During the whole time of his Reign which lasted twelve years he had continual wars sometimes with the Britains then with Redwald King of the East-Angles and afterwards with the South-Saxons with interchangeable success but saith Huntington with the greatest loss to them of the South In these Wars he died leaving his Kingdom to Kingils KINGILS KINGILS the Son of Ceola younger Brother to the late Ceowolf second Son of Cuth who was the third Son of Kearic succeeded his Uncle in the Kingdom He assumed for his Associate Cuichelm his Brother or as Florent of Worcester and Matthew of Westminster write his Son In their third year with joynt Forces they engaged the Britains at Beandune now Bindon in Dorcetshire and at the first encounter put them to flight with the slaughter of above two thousand Cuichelm proud with this success and envying the glory of Edwin who now Reigned in great honour King of the Northumberlands and had lately molested the West-Saxons drew a greater War upon himself and Associate by sending an Assassin to murther that Prince The name of this Villain was Eumcrus who under pretence of a Message from his Master was admitted to the presence of Edwin then at his Court on Easter-monday on the River Derwent in Yorkshire being advanced up to the King as if he would deliver his Embassie he suddenly drew forth a poysoned weapon which he had privately hid under his Coat and made a blow at him but by the interposition of Lilla one of the Kings Attendants who stepping between received the Ponyard through his own body the thrust was put off yet not so fully but that part of the weapon reached the King's Person By this time the whole company came in and incompassed the Murtherer who now grown desperate died not tamely but revenged his fate with the death of Forder a Courtier who next pressed upon him Edwin thus delivered though lying under cure resolves upon Revenge and promiseth Paulinus who had been long working him to the Christian Faith that if God would bestow Victory on him over his Enemies he would embrace the Faith and receive Baptism With these assurances given he raises an Army and invades the West-Saxons and with that success that overcoming them in several battels he gets into his hands many of those who had conspired his death some of which he executes others pardons and at last returns with great Honour into his own Country This expedition happened about the year 625. Four years after Kingils and Cuichelm had a battel with Penda the Mercian at Cirencester the result of which was a League of peace and amity betwixt them About this time the Kingdom of the West-Saxons received the Faith by the example of Kingils who was converted thereto by the preaching of Berinus and encouragement of Oswald who was then Suiter to his Daughter and received him at the Font the circumstances of which as likewise the progress of Religion under his success take altogether out of Bede who hath exactly related it The Conversion of the West-SAXONS THE Nation of the West-Saxons anciently called Gevisses in the Reign of Kingils received the Faith of Christ by the preaching of Berinus Bishop who by the advice of Pope Honorius came into Britain having promised by his assistance to go into the innermost Countries of the English where never yet Doctour had been and there sow the seed of holy Faith Whereupon by the command of the same Pope he received Episcopal Orders at the hands of Asterius Bishop of Genua But being arrived at Britain and first setting foot on the Country of the Guisses finding them all Pagans in the highest degree he thought it more profitable to preach the Word there than by going further to hunt out those whom he first intended Wherefore preaching in the aforesaid Province when the King himself first catechized and instructed together with his People were washing in the fountain of Baptism it happened that the most holy and victorious King of the Northumberlands Oswald was then present and received him at the Font. By a blessed conjunction taking him for his Son in the second Birth whose Son himself was to be by the marriage of his Daughter Both the Kings thereupon gave to the same Bishop the City of Dorchester for an Episcopal Seat where having built up and dedicated Churches and by labouring converted many people He departed this life and was buried in the same City This King dying Cenwalch his Son and Successour refused to receive the Faith and Sacraments of the Heavenly kingdom and not long after lost his Earthly one For putting away his wife the sister of Penda King of Mercia he took another wherefore being invaded by him he was driven out of his Kingdom and forced to flie to Anna King of the East-Angles with whom living in exile three years he acknowledged the Faith and embraced the truth For the King with whom he lived in exile was a good man and happy in a good and holy off-spring When Genwalch was restored to his Kingdom there came into his Province out of Ireland a certain Bishop by name Agilbert by Nation a Gaul but yet who had been in Ireland for the reading of the Scriptures not a little while He joyned himself with the King on his own accord taking upon him the Ministry of preaching whose learning and industry when the King perceived he made motion that he would accept there an Episcopal Seat and remain Bishop of his Nation who at his requests for many years ruled that Province with Sacerdotal Jurisdiction At last the King who understood the Saxon tongue only growing weary of a forraign Dialect underhand brought another Bishop of his own language into the Province by name Wini who
had been ordained in France also dividing the Province into two Diocesses To him he gave Winchester for his Episcopal Seat at which Agilbert being highly offended that the King had done this without his advice he returned into France and receiving the Bishoprick of Paris he died there an old man and full of daies But not many years after his departure from Britain Wini was driven out of his Bishoprick by the same King who repairing to Wulfur King of the Mercians bought of him with a good sum the Seat of London and remained Bishop of it during his life So the Province of the West-Saxons for no small time was without a Bishop at which time the forementioned King of that Province being often afflicted with great losses in his Kingdom received of the enemy began to call to mind him whom by fraud he had formerly made forsake the Kingdom and resolved to call him back considering that the Province destitute of a Governour was bereft likewise of Divine protection He sent therefore Embassadours into France to Agilbert promising satisfaction and submissively desiring he would return to the Bishoprick of his Nation But he excusing himself by solemn protestation that he could not possibly come because he was bound to his own City and Diocess yet nevertheless not altogether to be wanting in his assistance to so ardent desires he sent thither a Priest by name Eleutherius his own Nephew whom if he please might be ordained Bishop for him giving him this Testimonial that he himself thought him worthy of the Bishoprick who being honourably entertained by the King and People they sent unto Theodoruc then Archbishop of Canterbury desiring that he might be consecrated their Bishop who being consecrated in that City for many years held alone the Bishoprick of the West-Saxons as it had been ordered by Synodical Decree KENWALCH KENWALCH the Son of Kingils followed his Father in the Kingdom of whom what relates to his Ecclesiastical Affairs hath been before related Having divorced his second wife whom he had unlawfully wedded and retaken Sexburg the Sister of Penda whom he had unjustly put away He enjoyed the Crown in peace for some years even until Anno 652 falling into wars but with whom is not related Ethelwald calls them Civil He fought a battel at Bradanford by the River Alene Mr. Cambden makes the place to be Bradford in Wiltshire upon the River Avon and saith that it was with Cuthred his near Kinsman he was engaged in Civil Wars but I wish he had told us from whence he gathered it for we find no such thing in History Certain it is that not long before Kenwalch had given large possessions to Cuthred but whether it could oblige him to sit down quiet with the loss of a Kingdom is uncertain for no doubt his Title was precedent to Kenwalch's if Cuchelm his Father was eldest Son of Kingils and Stow writeth but upon what grounds I know not that he did really succeed his Father and possibly there may be some Record extant concerning these Troubles not commonly appearing But things being settled at home and Kenwalch desirous to enlarge his Dominions invades the Britains and had a fight with them at a place called Witgornsborough mentioned by Malmsbury but without any other circumstances afterwards at Pennum or Pen in Somersetshire the success of which is not left so doubtful for the Victory was great on the Saxon side who followed the pursuit to a place called Pedridan now Pederton afterwards the Royal Seat of King Ina and the Britains for a long time after would scarce look the Saxons in the face But Kenwalch falling at variance with his old enemy Vulfur had not the like success for fighting with him at Possentesburg though Ethelwerd relates he took Vulfur prisoner yet the Saxon Annals record clear contrary and the sequel shews that Vulfur won the day for not long after he wasted the Country of the West-Saxons as far as Eskesdun and took the Isle of Wight till then in their possession with other Provinces of the Meannuari and gave them to Edilwalch his Godson King of the South-Saxons These are all the memorable Actions of Kenwalch for his good deeds he is reported to have founded the Cathedral of Winchester and the Abby of Malmsbury and as appeareth in a Grant of King Ina afterwards made to the Church he bestowed several priviledges on these places Ferlingmere Beokerey Godein Martinesey Edredesey He reigned 31 years and left no Issue to inherit Sexburg his wife for a while after his death assumed the Government but she was driven out saith Matthew of Westminster by the Nobles who could not endure the government of a Woman Some say she died the same year others that she built a Nunnery in the Isle of Shepy wherein her self was a otress and afterwards became an Abbess of Ely ESKWIN ESKWIN derived in the fifth degree from Kerdic the first founder of this Kingdom of a younger house succeeded Kenwalch He Reigned but two years in which time he fought a battel with Wulfur wherein many of the Saxons on both sides were slain the place was Bidanheaford soon after which he died KETWIN KETWIN younger Son of Kingils whose Right preceded Eskwins and who as Bede and Malmsbury write was Partner with him in the Crown after the death of Eskwin proved the scourge of the Britains pursuing them even to the Sea-shore but no other circumstances are related of him or this action He is allowed nine years Reign In a grant of King Ina to Glastenbury it is reported that this Prince highly favoured that Monastery by freeing it from the secular Services and often calling it the Mother of Saints CEADWALLA CEADWALLA of the blood Royal derived in the third degree from Guth the third Son of Kenric succeeded Ketwin He had been banisht his Country by the prevalency of some faction but returning obtained the Crown He made war upon the South-Saxons whom he overcame and annexed to his own Dominions took the Isle of Wight and twice wasted Kent the circumstances of all which Actions have been formerly related under the Kingdom of Kent and the South-Saxons Afterwards he went to Rome for as yet he was a Pagan to receive Baptism which was given him by the hands of Pope Sergius on Easter eaven in the year of our Redemption saith Bede 689 and was called Peter but on the twentieth day of April following he died and was buried at St. Peter's Church at Rome under a fair Monument with this Epitaph Here CEADWALL otherwise named PETER King of the West-Saxons lieth buried who departed this life the twentieth of April in the second Indiction At the age of thirty years or thereabouts in the fourth year of the Reign of JUSTINIAN the most Noble and Mighty Emperour and the second of Sergius who then sate in Peter's Chair being a true Pattern of the Apostles The British Writers from the similitude of name will needs have
He that shall put out an Oxes eye shall pay five pence a Cows one shilling Of yearly Barley every Season shall be given 6 pound c. Here wanteth something Of a yoke of Oxen borrowed If a Boor shall hire a yoke of Oxen and hath Corn enough he shall pay the whole hire with Corn but if he want sufficient Corn he shall pay half in Corn and half in other goods Of Church Dues Every one shall pay his Church-dues at that place where he resided in the midst of winter Of him of whom Pledg is required If at any time a Pledg is required of a person accused and he hath not to lay down in pledg before his cause is heard and another will lay down pledg for him upon condition that the other may be in his custody till he receiveth his goods laid down for him and the second time the accused be forced to give Pledg and the party that first engaged will not again be security and so his cause fall it shall not be restored to the Surety what he laid down in the first cause Of the departure of a Boor keeper of the Peace A Boor that is keeper of the Peace if he leaves his house and goes to another place to dwell in he shall have power to carry with him his Overseer his Smith and a Nurse Of them who possess Lands He that possesseth 20 hides of land and is going to another place shall leave behind him 12 hides ready sown he that holdeth 10 shall sow six hides he that hath 3 hides and is a departing shall leave half an one sown If any one hath hired Roods of land of the Lord and hath plowed them and the Lord not content with the rent and service requireth more work and duty than was bargained for the Tenant shall not be bound to hold on those conditions unless the Lord give him an House neither shall he be prohibited plowing Of a Boor keeper of the Peace banished If a Boor keeper of the Peace shall be banished for any misdemeanour his house shall not be a refuge for him Of Wool A sheep shall not be sheared until Midsummer or the Fleece shall be redeemed with two pence Of the estimation of Men. Out of the estimation of the head of a Man that whilst he lived is valued at 200 s. there shall be substracted 30 s. to recompence his death to the Lord out of the estimation of the head of a Man valued at 600 s. 80 shall be substracted out of the estimation of the head valued at 1200 shillings an hundred and twenty shillings shall be substracted Of Maintenance to be allowed Out of 10 hides of land for maintenance shall be given 10 fats of Hony 300 loaves 12 gallons of Welch-Ale 30 gallons of small Ale 2 grown Oxen or 10 Weathers 10 Geese 20 Hens 10 Cheeses 1 gallon of Butter 5 Salmons 20 pound of Fodder and an hundred Eeles Of estimation by the head If any one be required to pay to the valuation of his head and being about to swear confesseth what in words before he denied nothing shall be demanded of him for penalty before he pay the whole value of his head Of a Robber that hath been Amerced the price of his head and is taken A Robber having been punished the price of his head and taken if he escape the same day the intire penalty shall not be again required if he was taken about night but if theft was committed before the foregoing night they shall pay who took him before as they can agree with the King or his Justices Of a Welch Servant killing a free English man If a Welch Servant shall kill an English man his Master shall deliver him into the hands of the Lord or the dead man's Relations or redeem him with 60 s. But if he will not part with mony let him free his Servant and let the friends of the slain sue for the value of his life If the freed Servant hath friends that will uphold his cause if not let him look to himself It is not required of a Free-man to pay with Servants unless he will redeem with a price the penalty of Capital enmity nor for a Servant to pay with Free-men Of things stolen and found with another Goods stolen and found with another if if he that vents them being called to an account will not take upon him the goods or the sale of them and yet confesseth that he sold some other goods to the party then it is the part of the Buyer to confirm by oath that he sold those very goods and no other Of the death of a God-father or God-son If any one kill a God-son or his God-father let him pay the same to the Relations as he doth to the Lord to satisfie for his death and his payment for the proportion of the value of the slain is to be more or less according as if payment were to be made to a Lord for his Servant But if the dead party the King received at the Font let satisfaction be made to him as well as to the Relations But if his life was taken away by a Relation substraction must be made of the mony to be paid to the God-father as it useth to be done when mony is paid to the Master for the death of his Servant If a Bishop's Son be killed let the penalty be half BUt this King INA is more especially celebrated by the Monkish Writers of those times for a great favourer of a Monastick life and a supporter of its Interest as well by his own profession of the same as by large Revenues and great Priviledges granted to its maintenance and honour But the chief of all his works was his stately Church at Glastenbury a place so renowned for its ancient Sanctity as being the first Seat of Christianity in this Island that our Ancestors called it The first Land of God The first Land of Saints in Britain The beginning and foundation of all Religion in Britain The Tomb of Saints The Mother of Saints The Church founded and built by the Lord's Disciples In the first planting of Faith in this Island there had been built as hath been shewn in the foregoing History by Joseph of Arimathea Philip or some of their Disciples a little Cell or Chappel for the exercise of Religion by those Primitive Apostles This being by this time decayed was afterwards repaired or rather a new one built in the same ground by Devi Bishop of St. Davids which also exposed to ruine was again kept up at the cost and charges of twelve Men coming from the North. But now NIA having well settled his Kingdom demolished that ruinous building and in the room of it erected a most stately and magnificent Church dedicating it to CHRIST and his two Apostles Peter and Paul guilding it throughout with gold and silver after a most sumptuous manner Upon the highest coping thereof he caused to be written in large Characters
the want of that Merit by which he formerly held secure from Self-confidence he grew jealous of his Power and fearing that Kineard Brother of Sigibert the former King a man of great Spirit but who hitherto had behaved himself loyal might at last revenge his Brother's expulsion or usurp after his death he commanded him to Banishment Kineard seeming really to obey yet intending nothing less with a small retinue privately hides himself in the neighbouring Countries watching an opportunity of Revenge which he wanted not long For the King resorting as his custom was with a small Attendance to a Ladies House of Merton in Surry whom he much admired he went by night and beset the place Kinwulf first by perswasion from the windows sought to appease the Assailants but that not doing he sallies out upon them and making at Kineard wounds him sorely but overpowred with numbers he is there fighting amongst them slain The noise of this great Accident soon came to Oseric and Wivert two Earls who not far off waited the King's return who with some other Attendants hastning to the place came up before Keneard could quite disengage himself from them who still fought in their Princes quarrels At their first approach Kineard stood upon his justification excusing the deed by the injustice of his Banishment and promising great Rewards if they would acquiess in his proceedings But they upbraiding his Treason and rejecting his proffers with disdain beset him round who fighting in the midst of them was there cut in pieces with above an hundred of his Followers The Body of King Kinwulf was conveyed to Winchester and there buried He is said to have founded the Cathedral Church of St. Andrews at Wells BIRTHRIC BIRTHRIC lineally descended from Cerdic first sounder of this Kingdom after the death of Kinwuls was advanced to the Crown a Prince soft and easie he was joyned to Ethelburga Daughter of Offa the Mercian a Lady of a haughty and wicked spirit By her perswasion or the King 's own jealousie Egbert a Prince of the Royal-Blood whose Title was thought precedent to Birthric's was constrained to go into Exile which he was the more willing to do for that he saw his life continually endangered by secret practices At first he repaired to the Court of Offa the only Warriour in those daies but not safe with him who had given his Daughter to Birthric he went over into France and served three years in the Wars under the victorious Emperour Charles the Great The banishment of this Prince proved the exercise of his Vertues as if it had been necessary that he who was to unite the English Nation and rise higher than his Ancestours was first to be laid low in affliction and run through many hazards And it is to be observed that in the building up of any Nation so high the grandure is generally performed by men who have undergon the greatest difficulties and been tried in the severest Fortunes so that as truly may be said as to the person of Egbert and the English Nation united by him what was spoke of the Roman Tantae molis erat Anglorum condere gentem But after three years Birthric being poysoned by a draught which Edelburga had prepared for others Egbert is by publick voice recalled from banishment and with universal Joy created King But a further account of his Actions as the first sole Monarch of England I shall leave to be treated on in the second part if God lengthens my daies and this work be kindly received Edelburga fearing to be called to an account for what she had done with as much Treasure as she could get together flies beyond Sea and received by Charles the Great is created Abbess but afterwards detected of Unchastity is driven from her Charge and wandring about the World unpitied dies at last in extreme poverty in Pavia in Italy Elenchus Capitum THE description of the Renowned Island of Britain in general page 1 The Languages in Britain 4 The first Inhabitants of Britain 7 The Map of the Old World shewing the Progress of the Cimbri Phoenicians and Greeks into Britain 16 The Explication of that Map shewing the ancient Names of Kingdoms Islands Havens Cities c. as well those expressed in the foregoing Map as others which in that narrow compass could not be set down gathered out of the Phoenician tongues all which to prove the ancient Name of Britain 17 Places which took their Names from Gods or some sacred Rites eminently practised in them 22 All ancient Cities in Spain taking their Names from Baal 23 Places taking their ancient Names from the Habits Nature Manners and Arts of the Inhabitants 23 Whether the first Planters of this Island came by Sea or Land and whether Britain was ever part of the Continent 25 The depths of the North-Sea from the Foreland 34 When Britain was first known to the Phoenicians and how it took its Name from them 38 That the Islands of Scilly were the Cassiderides of the Ancients 40 The time when the Phoenicians came from Tyre and Zidon their own Native Country to discover Britain 47 Names of Offices and Gods in Britain and Gaul of Phoenician derivation 68 The Antiquity and Original of the Phoenicians 71 The Greeks in Britain p. 74 The Landing place of the Graecians 81 The Antiquity and Original of the Greeks 91 The Customes and Manners of the Britains their Laws and Government 99 A Sculpture of a Druid Priest in Britain 101 A Sculpture of the Wicker-Image representing the manner of burning of Men alive in sacrifice in Britain 105 The Sculpture of an Ancient Britain representing the Habits of the People in those times 117 The Custome of the Britains in their Wars and their manner of fighting 119 The Sculpture of their Chariots in war representing the manner of their fighting against the Romans 122 The British Idolatry their several Gods and superstitious Rites and Ceremonies of worship 125 The Sculpture of Hesus aliàs Mars shewing another manner of the British Sacrifice 128 A Sculpture of the Hieroglyphicks shewthe Worship of the Britains 130 The Sculpture of the Phoenician OGMIUS and the first Phoenician that discovered this Island after it was planted by the Cimbri of Germany 139 The Life of the Phoenician Hercules called by the Britains OGMIUS 141 The Kings of this Island from Samothes to Brute 145 The British Kings from Brute to the Romans 146 The Chronicle of the Celtick Kings ruling this Island 147 The Chronicle of the British Kings with the History of Brute 153 Observations upon Brute's History p. 158 The Chronicle from King Silvius who descended from the Kings of Alba 167 The Genealogy of King Silvius 169 The Names of the Roman Emperours who governed this Island from Julius Caesar to the entrance of the Saxons 183 The Sculpture of Julius Caesar 184 The first Invasion of Julius Caesar 185 The British History relating to the first Invasion by Julius Caesar 193 Julius Caesar's second expedition