the foresayd feare and shewed him moreouer on what day he shoulde ende this lyfe For he sawe as he after reported him selfe three men come to him araied in bright shining clothing and one of them while his felowes that came with him stode by and asked how the sicke man did whom they came to visite sate before his bed and sayed that his soule should departe from the bodie both without pain and also with great light and brightnesse And he farther also declared vnto him that he should die the third day after Both which things as he learned by the vision were so fulfilled in dede For the third day ensuyng when the ix houre was come sodainly as if he had fallen in to a softe slepe he gaue vp the ghoste without feeling any grief at all And whereas for the buriall of his body they had prepared a tombe of stone when they began to lay his bodie in it they found it to be longer then the tombe by the quantitie of an handbreadth They hewed therefore the stone as much as they might and made it longer than it was about two fingers breadth but yet it could not receaue the bodie not so neyther Whereupon bicause of this distresse of burying him they were minded eyther to seke an other tombe or els if they might to gather in the body by bowing of the knees that so it might be holden and receaued of the same tombe But a wonderfull case happened and not withowt the working of God from heauen the whiche kept them from doing any of those thinges For sodainly the byshopp standing by and the sayd kinges sonne a monke also Sighard by name which after him raigned with his brother Frede and also a great company of other men the very same tombestone was found to be of a fyt length for the quantitie of the bodie Yea and so much that at the head there might also a pillowe be layde betwene and at the feete there remained in the tombe bysyde the body about the quantitie of fowre fingers And thus was he buried and Layed in the Churche of the blessed doctour teacher of the gentiles S. Pawle by whose good lessons he being taught had learned to labour and longe for the ioyes of heauen Howe after Eleutherius Headd◠was made bishop of the west Saxons after Putta Quichelmus was made byshop of Rotchester and after him Gebmund and who were byshops in Northumberland at that tyme. The 12. Chap. THe fowrth byshop of the westsaxons was Eleutherius For the first was Birinus the second Agilbert the third VVini After the departure of kinge Cenwalch in whose raigne the sayd Eleutherius was made byshop certaine Lordes vsurped the kingdome and diuided it betwene them and so helde it about x. yeres In their raigne dyed this byshop and Headdy was put in his place and consecrated bishop by Theodore in the citie of London In the time of whom being byshop Ceadwalla dyd ouercome and put owt the sayd vsurpours and toke the kingdome to himselfe And when he had kept the same for the space of two yeres at last pricked and styrred with the loue of the kingdome of heauen he leafte it while the same bishop dyd yet gouerne the diocese and went vnto Rome and there ended his lyfe as it shal be tolde more at large hereafter In the yere of thincarnation of our Lorde 677. Edilred kinge of the Marshes or middleland englishmen came into kent with a terrible and fell hoste not only spoyling the countree and profaning the churches and monasteries withowt any respecte of pitie or feare of God but also ransacking with the same generall ruine the citie of Rotchester wherof Putta was byshop howebeit at that tyme he was not there Who when he heard hereof that his Churche was spoyled and all thinges taken away and ryffled he went vnto Sexwolfe byshop of the Marshes and receaued of him the possession of a certaine churche and a litle piece of grownd and there ended his lyfe in peace and reast not taking any care at all for the restoring of his byshopricke for as we haue aboue sayd he was a man more giuen to ecclesiastical and spiritual than to worldly and temporall matters And so he liued quietly and only serued God in the same church going somtimes abrode where he was desired to teache verses and hymnes of the churche In his place dyd Theodore consecrate VVilliam bishop of Rotchester Who not long after for scarcitie and lacke of thinges necessarie departed frō the bishopricke and went his way thence in whose place Theodore ordeined Gebmund byshop The yere of thincarnation of our Lord 678. which was the viij yere of the raigne of kinge Ecgfride there appered in the moneth of August a blasing star the whiche continewed three moneths rysing in the morninges and giuing forth as it were an highe piller of a glistering flame In which yere also throwgh a certaine dissension that rose betwene king Ecgfride and the moste Reuerend byshop VVilfride the sayd reuerend father was put owt of his byshoprike and two other appointed byshops in his place ouer the prouince of Northumberlande the one named Bosa to gouerne the Deires and the other named Eata for the Bernices which Eata had his see at yorke and Bosa at the Cathedral churche of Hagulstald or Lindisfarne which two men were both taken owt of the cloyster of monkes and called to this degree And with them also was Eadhed made byshop ouer the prouince of Lindesfar which king Ecgfride had very lately conquered of VVulfhere whom he ouercame in battaile and put to flight In which prouince this man was the first bishop that they had of their owne the next was Ediluine the third Eadgar the fourth Emberth who is there at this present For before Eadhed came they were in the diocese of bysshopp Sexwolfe who was byshop both of the Marshes and the myddle english but nowe being put from the gouuernement of Lindisse he remayned only bishopp of the Marshes These bysshops Eadhed Bosa and Eata were cōsecrated byshops at yorke by Theodore tharchebishop who also the third yere of VVilfrides departing thence ioyned vnto them two byshops mo Trūbert at Hagustald Eata remayning at Lindesfar and Trumuin ouer the prouince of the Pictes which at that tyme was subiect to the dominion of the english men But bycause that Edilrede kinge of the Marshes recouered the sayd countree of Lindisse againe Eadhed came away thence and was by Theodore made byshop of the diocese of Rhyppon Howe byshop Wilfride conuerted the prouince of the Sowth Saxons to Christ. The. 13. Chap. WHen VVilfride was put out of his byshoprike he went and wandred in many places a longe tyme and came to Rome and from thence retourned into England againe And thoughe bicause of the displeasure of the said kinge he could not gett into his owne diocese againe yet he could not be kept from doing the office of preaching the ghospell For he went
was But as sone as he had heard that for his owne healthes sake and saluation this bysshop had suffred so greueouse beatinges yea and that of the Apostle of Christe he feared much And afterward abandoning all worship and honour of ydols renouncinge also his vnlauful mariage he embraced the fayth of Christe and being baptised he endeuored to keape and mayntaine the state of the churche in all pointes to his vttermoste power Moreover he sent into Fraunce and called home Mellite and Iustus commaunding them to returne to their churches and freely instructe their flock Thus the yeare after their departure they returned againe Iustus to Rochester where he was bishop But as for Mellite the LoÌ„doners wold not receaue although he was their bysshop chosing rather to obey idolatrouse bysshops then him And truly king Edbald was not a Prince of so greate power and strenght as was his father that he might restore this bysshopp to his churche notwithstanding the paynim Londiners resistaunce but for his owne part and all his subiectes froÌ„ the daye that he was conuerted to our Lord he submitted himselfe to the precepts of God Moreouer he buylt a chappell in the honour of our ladie the blessed mother of God within the monasterie of S. Peter head of thappostles Which chappell Mellite the Archebisshop consecrated How bishop Mellite quenched with his prayer the fyre burning the citie of Caunterbury The. 7. Chap. FOr in the raygne of this king Edbald the holye Archebishop Laurence departing hence to the kyngdome of heauen and being buryed the seuenth daye of Februarie in the churche and monasterie of S. Peter thappostle fast by his predecessour Austin Mellite who was bishopp of London sate in the See of Caunterbury churche third Archebysshopp after S. Austin when as Iustus was yet a lyue and bishopp of Rochester Which ij Prelates because they dyd rule and gouerne the English churche with greate labour and diligence receiued eftsoones exhorting epistles from Boniface Bysshop of the Roman and Apostolique see Who after Dersdâ—dit otherwise wise called Theodatus gouuerned the Church in the yeare of our lord 618. Mellite was often troubled with infirmities of the bodie and muche greaued with the gowte yet notwithstanding euer hole and sounde of mynde Who passing ouer spedely all erthly thinges hyed him fast to the blysse of heauen which is euer to be beleued euer to be wysshed for and euer to be sowght for He was also noble by byrth but muche more noble for the excellencie of his mynde I will reherse one token of his vertue by which a man maye easely gesse the rest When vppon a certaine tyme the citie of Caunterbury by negligence was takeÌ„ with fyre and began to waste and consume awaye by muche encreasing of the flames so that no helpe of man no castinges of water theron was able to queÌ„che or staye it the greatest parte of the citie being at length nere burnt and the furiouse flashes extending them selues euen to the Bysshops place this good bysshop seing mans healpe now to fayle and trusting only in the ayde and succoure of God commaundyd that the myght be carryed out of his howse and sette against these fierce flawes of fyre percing and flyeng all rounde aboute Now where the greatest rage of this burning was there was the place of martyrdome of the. 4. hollie crouned Saintes Whan then the byshop by his seruantes was brought forth and sette in this place here he began withe prayer sycke as he was to dryue awaye the peryll of fyre which the stowght strength of stronge men with muche labour could not before bryng to passe And beholde the wynde that blew froÌ„ the Southe wherby this fire was first kendled and blasted abrode now sodenly bent against the Southe first teÌ„pered his blastes for feare of hurting the places ouerryght in thother side and after quyte quenching the flames ceasing and extinguisshing the fyre made all calme and wel againe And truly this good man of God which dyd feruently alwaye burne with the fyre of inwarde charite and was wont with his often prayers and hollie exhortations to dryue from himselfe and al his the daunger of ghostly temtations and trowble by spryghtes of the ayre might now iustly preuaile against the wynde and easely cease these worldy flames and obtayne that they hurted nor him nor his Who after he had ruled the churche v. yeares deceased hence to heauen in the raygne of king Edbald and is buryed with his predecessours in the oftmentioned monasterie and churche of S. Peter the yeare of our Lord. 624. and the. 22. daye of Februarie How Pope Boniface sent Iustus Mellites successor a palle and an epistle The. 8. Chapter TO whome Iustus succeded inmediatly in the Byshoprike who was Bysshopp of Rotchester Ouer whiche church he appointed for him Romanus and consecrated him Byshop For nowe had Iustus receyued authoritie to ordeyne Byshops from the hygh Byshop Boniface successour of Deusdedit as we saied before The forme of which authorite is as foloweth To our derest beloued brother Iustus Boniface sendeth greating How godly and how ernestly yow haue dere brother laboured for the Gospell of Christ not only the tenour of your epistle directed vnto vs but also the perfection and end of your doinges haue well and fully declared For almightie God hath not forsaken eyther the glorie of his name or the fruyte of your labour Wheras himselfe faythfully haâ—h promised the prechers of his Gospell sayng Behold I am with yow alwayes euen vnto the end of the wordle Which thing especially his clemencie hath shewed in this your ministerie opening the hartes of the gentiles to receyue the singular mysterie of your preching For he hath made moste honorable the state of your dignitie by his grace and goodnes while that himselfe hath prepared you so fertell fruytes vsing moste prouidently his talentes committed to yowe geauing yowe this gyfte that yowe may now assigne and shewe whole countries plentifully multiplyed in the fayth by yow And this is geauen you in recompence bycause you persisted continually in this ministerie of preching appointed to yowe looking with lawdable pacience for the redemption of that people to whome yow were sent and that they might geate some good by your merytes and labour whose saluation is nowe begonne wytnessing our Lord sayeng He that shall stand and perseuere to the end he it is that shal be saued Ye are therfore saued by the hope of patience and by the vertue of longe suffring so that now the hartes of infidels being purged and healed from their naturall and superstitiouse desease may receyue the mercye of their Sauiour For after we had read the letters of oure dere son king Adelwald we vnderstode with what greate lerning and instruction of holy scrypture yow haue browght him to the belefe of thundowbted faithe and trewly conuerted him to Christe Wheruppon we presuming and putting sure affiaunce in the greate
people no good to the which he was sent for as much as they were folkes that might not be reclaymed of a hard capacite and fierce nature Then the elders as they say began in counsaile to treate at lōge what were best to de done being no lesse desyrous that the people should attayne the saluation whiche they sought for then sory that the preacher whom they sent was not receiued When Aidan for he also was present at the coūsaile replyed against the priest of whom I spake saying Me thinketh brother that you haue ben more rigorous then reason would with that vnlerned audience and that you haue not according to the Apostles instruction first geuen them milke of milde doctrine vntell being by litle and litle nourished and weaned with the worde of God they were able to vnderstand the more perfect misteries and fulfill the greater commaundementes of God This being saied al that were at the assemble looking vpon Aidan debated diligently his saying and concluded that he aboue the rest was worthy of that charge and bishopricke and that he shoulde be sent to instruct those vnlerned paynims For he was tried to be chiefely garnished with the grace of discretion the mother of all vertues Thus making him bishop they sent him forthe to preach Who when he had taken his time euen as before he was knowen to be endued withe discretion so did he afterward shewe him selfe to be beautified with all other vertues Of kinge Oswaldes wonderfull religion and passing piete The. 6. Chap. KInge Oswald and that parte of the Englishe nation of whome he was the Soueraine gouuernour beinge from thence forthe instructed by this right Reuerend prelats doctrine did not only learne to hope for the heauenly kingdome vnknowen to his graundfathers but also cōquered more then any of his auncetours did earthly kingdomes by the power of the same one almighty God who made heauen and earth Brefely all the nations and prouinces of Britanny which spake foure diuers languages that is to saie the Britons the Redshankes the Scottes the English became subiect vnto him And yet being aduaunced to so royall maiesty he was euer notwithstanding which is maruailous to be reported lowly to all gracious to the poore and bountifull to all pilgrimes and straungers The report is that at a certain time when on the holy day of Easter the kinge and the foresaied bishop were sitt downe to diner and a siluer dish replenished with princely deintees was sett on the table before them being now ready to saie grace sodenly entered in his seruaunt to whom was committed the charge to receiue the needy and tolde the king that a very great numbre of poore people flockinge from all places did sitt in the Courte looking for some almes from the kinge Who by and by gaue commaundement that the delicates whiche were sett before his owne person should be bestowed on the poore and the dishe of siluer broken and by peecemeale parted amonge them At the sight whereof the bishop who sate by the kinge being delited withe such a worke of mercy toke him by the right hand and saied I praie God this hande be neuer consumed Which thinge came euen so to passe as in his blessing he desired For where as after that he being slaine in battail his handes with his arme were cut of from the residew of his body so it is that his handes to this time continue vncorrupted◠and are reserued in a siluer shrine in S. Peters church wher with worthy honour they are worshipped of all men in the kinges cyte whiche hathe his name of a lady sometime Quene called Bebba By this kinges trauail the prouinces of the Deirans and the Bernicians which did so deadly hate one the other were reconciled and ioyned together in one allegeaunce and amitie like as they were one people This kinge Oswald was kinge Edwines nephew by his sister Achas side And it was mete that so noble a predecessour shuld haue so worthy an heyre as wel of his religion as of his realme and that of his owne kinred How the cuntry of west Saxons receiued the worde of God by Berinus preaching and Agilbertus and Eleutherius his successour The. 7. Chapter THe west Saxons who of old time were called Genisse receiued the faith of Christ in the raign of Cynigilsus Berinus the bishop preaching to them the worde who came into Britanie by Pope Honorius appointment promising in his presence that he wold sowe the seedes of the holy faith in the hart of the vttermost coastes of England whether no teacher had of any time gone before him In consideration wherof at the commaundement of the same Pope Asterius the bishop of Geane did consecrat him bishop But at his arriuall into Britany and first entering into Geuisse finding that al the inhabitants there were very paynims he thought it more expedient to preach the word of God among them rather then in trauailing further to serche for such as he shuld preach vnto And thus at his preaching of the gospell in the forsaid prouince when the king him selfe being newly taught the faith was Christened with his nation it happened at that tyme that Oswald the most holy and very victorious king of Northumberland was present Who coming then to take his daughter to wife toke him first out of the holy font for his godson not without the meruailous and swete prouisiō of almighty God After this solemnitie both the kinges gaue the same bishop the citie of Dorcinca for his bishoprike where after that he had builded and dedicated churches and by his paines brought much people to our Lord he went to God and was buried in the same citie Many yeares after when Hedde was bishop he was translated from thens to the citee of Venta and laid in the churche of the blessed Apostles S. Peter and Paule After the death of this kinge his sonne Senwalch succeded him in his kingdome who refused to receiue the faith and sacramentes of the kingdome of heauen and shortly after lost the greate rule of his wordly kingdome also For taking an other wife and casting of the sister of Penda kinge of the Marshes his true wedded wif he was by Penda assauted with battaile deposed from his kingdome and constrained to flye to the king of the east English men who was called Anna with whom liuing in banishment by the space of three yeres he learned the faith For this kinge with whom he lyued in banishment was a vertuous man and blessed of God with plentifull and holy issue as we shall declare hereafter But when Senwalch was restored to his kingdome there came out of Irelande into his prouince a certaine prelate named Agilbertus a frenche man borne yet hauing made long abode in Ireland because he read there the scriptures This bishop of his owne accorde came to serue the prince and to preach him the word of life Such was his lerning and industry that the
successours vertuous and godly men who after the same maner kept their Easter either beleued or liued contrary to holy Scripture especially their holynesse being such that God hath confirmed it with miracles Truly as I doubt not but they were holy men so I wil not feare to folow allwaies their life maners and trade of discipline In good sothe quoth VVillfrid It is well knowen that Anatholius was a right holy man very well lerned and worthy of much praise But what is that to you who vary also from his decrees and doctrine For Anatholius in his Easter according to the truth accompted the vsuall compasse of xix yeres whiche you either vtterly are ignorant of or if ye know it yet though it be through all Christendom obserued ye sett light by it Againe thoughe he obserued the Easter Sonday sometime vpon the xiiij daye of the moone yet he accompted the same daye at euening to be the fiftenth of the chaunge after the accompt of the Aegyptians So vpon the xx daye he kept the Easter that at the sonne setting he reaconed it for the xxj Which his rule and distinction that ye be ignorant of it is manifest by this that same time ye kepe your Easter cleane before the full of the moone euen the xiij daye of the chaunge As touching your father Columba and those whiche folowed him whose holy steppes ye pretend to folow as the which haue ben confirmed by miracles to this I may answer that in the daye of iudgment whereas many shall saie vnto Christ that they haue prophecyed cast out diuells and wrought miracles in his name our Lord wil answer that he knoweth them not But God forbidd that I shoulde so iudge of your fathers For it is our duty of such as we knowe not to deme the best Therefore I deme not but they were men of God and acceptable in his sight as the whiche loued God though in rude simplicite yet withe a godly intention Neither do I thinke that the maner of their obseruation coulde be much preiudiciall against them as longe as they had yet receiued no instructions to the contrary But rather I verely suppose seing such cōmaundemēts of God as they knew they willingly folowed they would also haue conformed thēselues to the Catholik iudgemēt if they had ben so informed But nowe Sir you and your cōpanions if hearing the decrees of the Apostolike see or rather of the vniuersall church and that also confirmed in holy write you folow not the same you offend and sinne herein vndoubtedly For though your fathers were holy mē could yet those few of one so smal corner of the vttermost ilond of the earth preiudicat the whole church of Christ dispersed through the vniuersall worlde And if your father Columba yea and our father if he were the true seruaunt of Christe were holye and mightye in miracles yet can he by any meanes be preferred to the moste blessed prince of the Apostles to whom our Lorde sayed Thou arte Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my churche and hell gates shall neuer preuaile against her and to thee I will geue the kayes off the kingdome of heauen Thus when VVilfrid concluded the kinge saied vnto bishop Colman Were these thinges in dede spoken to Peter of our Lorde To whom the bishop answered yea Can you then saieth the kinge geue euidence of so speciall authoritie geuen to your father Columba The bishop answering No the kinge spake vnto bothe parties and sayed Agree ye bothe in this without any controuersy that these wordes were principally spoken vnto Peter and that vnto him the kayes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen When bothe had answered yea the kinge concluded and saied Then I saye vnto you that I will not gainsaie such a porter as this is but as farre as I knowe and am able I will couet all pointes to obey his ordinaunces lest perhaps when I come to the dores of the kingdome of heauen I finde none to open vnto me hauing his displeasure whiche is so clerely proued to beare the kayes thereof Thus when the kinge had sayed all that sate and stode by of all sortes and degrees abandonning their former vnperfectenesse confourmed them selues to the better instructions whiche they had nowe lerned How bishop Colman being ouercomed retourned home and Tuda succeded in the bishopricke Also what trade of life those gouernours of the church lead The. 26. Chap. THe controuersy being thus ended and the assemble dissolued bishop Agilbert returned home Bishop Colman also seing his doctrine and secte reprouued taking with him such as would folow him that is such as refused to accept the Catholike obseruation of Easter and the bearing of a rounde shauen crowne for of that matter also much disputation then was had returned vnto Scotland minding to deliberat there with his countremen what to folow herein Bisshop Cedda forsaking the Scottes embraced the catholike tradition and returned to his bishoprick This controuersie was moued in the yeare of our Lorde 664. in the 22. yeare of kinge Oswin and in the xxx yeare after the Scottes had ben bisshops ouer the englishmen For Aidan gouuerned the churche 17. yeares Finanus ten and Colman thre After the departure of Colman in to his countre Tuda was sett bishop ouer the Northumberlandmen instructed and created bishop amonge the South Scottes bearing after the maner of that countre a rounde shauen crowne and obseruing the Easter after the Catholike maner He was a man of great vertu and holynesse but he gouuerned the church a small time For he came out of Scotland whiles Colman was yet bishop teaching bothe in worde and with example diligently the true faith in Christ. In holy Ilond at the departure of the Scottes Eata a reuerend father and most meke person was made Abbat ouer the rest of the monkes which remained Who before had ben Abbat of Mailros at the suite of bishop Colman obtaining it of kinge Oswin at his departure bicause the same Eata had ben one of the xij scholers of bishop Aidan which at his first coming in to England he brought vp For this bishop Colman was derely loued of kinge Oswin for his rare wisedome and vertu This Eata not longe after was made bishop of holy Ilond Bishop Colman at his departing toke with him certain of the bones off bishop Aidan Part also he lefte in the church which he was bishop of laying them vp in the vestry thereof But how sparefull personnes he and his predecessours were and how greatly they absteined from all pleasures euen the place where he bare rule did witnesse In the whiche at their departure fewe houses were founde beside the church that is to saye those houses only without the which ciuill conuersation could no wise be maintained They had no mony but cattaill For if they tooke anye mony of riche men by and by they gaue it to poore people Neither was it nedefull that either mony
captaine generall with an hoste of men into Scotland and miserably spoyled and destroyed the harmelesse seely people which had euer bene great frindes to the english nation in so muche that the hand and force of the enemie spared not the very churches and monasteries Yet the men of the I le as far as they were able dyd both resiste and withstand force with force and also calling on the ayd of Gods mercy dyd long with continuall cursinges make supplication to be reueÌ„ged from heauen And although such as curse cannot possesse the kingdome of heauen yet it is beleued that they which for their vnmercyfulnes were worthely accursed dyd shortly suffer the punyshmentes of their wickednes by the vengeance of God For the next yere after this the same king against the aduise and counsell of his frindes and specially of Cutbert a man of blessed memorie who of late had bene consecrated bysshopp dyd rashly and vndiscretly go forth with an armie to waste the prouince of the Redshankes Who making as thowghe they sled browght him vnto the straightes of the hilles where was no passage and there with the most parte of his hoste that he had browght with him he was slayne the xl yere of his age and xv yere of his raigne and xx day of maye And in dede as I sayd his frindes and counsell would not suffer him to begyn this war but euen as the yere before he wolde not giue eare to the most Reuerend father Ecgbert for settinge vpon Scotland that dyd him no harme so was this nowe giuen him for a punyshment of that syn that he wold not harken vnto them that labowred to call and staye him from his owne destruction After which time the hope and prowesse of the dominion of the English began much to decaye and go backeward For the Redshankes recouered againe their landes and possessions whiche the English men did hold and the Scottes that were in Britaine and also a certaine part of the Britons got againe their freedome and libertie which they hitherto haue yet these xlvj yeres or thereabowt Where among many of the englishmen that were eyther slaine with the swearde or made bondmen or scaped froÌ„ the land of the Redshankes by fleeing the most reuerend man Trumwini which had bene byshop ouer them there departed with his company that were in the monasterie of Ebbercune the which standeth in the Englysh region but nighe vnto the straight that diuideth the landes of the english and the Redshankes And commending his felowes to his frendes abrode in diuerse monasteries where he best might himselfe went to the ofte mentioned monasterie of Gods seruantes and handmaydes named Streaneshalch and there chose him his abyding place where with a fewe other of his company he lead his lyfe a long time of yeres in monasticall straightnesse very profitably not to himselfe only but to many other also At which time there gouerned the same monasterie a certaine virgin of the kinges blood named Elflet and their mother Eanflede togither of whome we haue before made mention But when this byshop came thither the good and vertuouse Abbesse found thereby not only great helpe in her chardge and gouernaunce but also comforte to her owne lyfe and conuersation After king Ecgfride succeded in the kingdome Altfrit a man very well learned in the scriptures who was said to be Ecgfrides brother and sonne to king Oswine This man dyd nobly and worthely recouer the decayed and destroyed estate of the kingdome thowghe the boundes and greatenes thereof were nowe more narowe This same yere which was from thincarnarion of owr Lorde DClxxxv dyed Lothere king of kent the vj. daye of February when he had raigned xij yeres after his brother Ecgbert who raigned jx yeres For this Lother was wounded in the battaile of the South SaxoÌ„s the which Edrich the sonne of Egbert fowght against him and while he was at surgerie in curing he dyed After whome the sayd Edrich raigned one yere and an halfe Who departing without issue that kingdome was for a space throwghe vncertaine and foraine kinges sore decayed and destroyed vntyll the lawfull and legitimat king Victred who was Egberts sonne came and was quietly settled therin who both by good religion and princely prowesse deliuered his people from foraine forse and inuasion Howe Cutbert the man of God was made bisshop and howe he liued and tawght while he yet was in his monasterie and monasticall conuersation The. 27. Chapter IN that same yere that king Egbert ended his lyfe he caused as we haue sayd Cutbert an holy and reuerend man to be consecrated bishop of the church of Lindesfarre who had lyued a solitarie lyfe many yeares in great continencie bothe of body and mynde in a very smal yle called Farne whiche lyeth distant from the said churche of Lindisfarme almost ix myles a good waye in the mayne Ocean sea This man from the first beginning of his childhode was alwaies feruently desyrouse of religiouse lyfe and when he was growen somewhat toward mans state he tooke both the name and habite of a monke For he entred first into the monasterie of Mailâ—os which standeth on the banke of the riuer Tyne and was at that time gouuerned of Abbot Eata the mekest and mildest man of a thousand Afterward he was taken from thence and made bishopp of the diocese of Hagulstald or Lindisfarne as we haue a foresaide The which see was before gouuerned by Boisill a man of great vertues and graces and of a propheticall spirite Whose humble and diligent scholer Cutbert had bene and learned of him the knowledge of the holy scriptures and examples of good workes Which man after he was gone to God Cutbert was made head of the same monasterie where both by the authoritie of his master and example of his owne dooing he instructed and brought many vnto regular lyfe and discipline Neither did he only giue vnto the monasterie both admonishementes and examples of vertuouse and regular lyfe but also laboured to tourne the common people far and nere thereabout from the lyfe of their carelesse conuersation to the loue and longing of the ioyes of heauen For many folke at that time did profane and defyle the fayth that they had with wicked workes and dooinges some also in the time of the great death and plage setting at nought the sacramentes of fayth wherewith they were endewed ranne to the erroneous medicins and sorceries of idolatrie as though they wer able by enchantementes or withcrafte or any other secrete arte and coning of the deuill to staye and kepe of the plage sent from God the creatour Both which sortes of people to correcte and reproue their erroneouse and yll dooing this good father would go out of the monasterie somtime on horsebacke but moo times on fote and come to the villages lyeng thereabout and preache the way of truthe to them that were astraye Which thing also Boisill was wont to doo in
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
holy bishop Trumwine with him and many other religiouse parsons and men of power and authoritie did passe ouer vnto the Iland Also many of the bretherne of the I le of Lindesfar came thither for this purpose all which on their knees most earnestly desyred and required him for Gods sake and with weping teares in our Lords name they besought him so longe that they made his eyes stand full of swete teares to and so they gat him out of his caue and brought him to the Synode And when he came thither though much againe his owne will he was ouercomed by the one assent and will of all the reast and compelled to submit his necke to beare the yoke and office of a bishop And the wordes that forced him most were that the seruaunt of God Boisil who did with the propheticall spirite he had foreshew many things that should fall after him had also prophecied and fortelde that Cutberte should be bisshop Nowe his consecrating not appointed to be straight way but after the winter passed which then was at hand in the feast and solemnisation of Easter it was finished at Yorke in the presence of the foresayd king Egfride where there came to his consecrating vij bishops of whome Theodore of blessed memorie was chief and primate He was first elected and chosen to be bishop of Hagulstad diocese in Trumberts place who was deposed from the same But bycause he rather desired to be of Lindisfarne churche in which he had sometimes lyued it semed good and was appointed that Eata showld retourne to the see of Hagulstad of whiche he had first bene made byshop and Cutberte showld haue the chardge and iurisdiction of Lindisfarne Churche And when he had thus taken vpon him this degree and office of byshop he dyd setforth and adorne the same with the workes of vertues and holinesse following the example of the blessed Apostles For he dyd bothe with continuall prayers make intercession for the people committed vnto him and with most holesome exhortations styrred them to thirst after the ioyes of heauen And the thing which most of all is wont to helpe and farther teachers suche thinges as he towght other folke to doo he first in his owne dooing gaue example of the same For he was aboue all thinges feruent in the fyre of Gods loue and charitie modest and sober in the vertue of patience excedingly giuen to deuotion of praying affable and familiar to all men that came to him for comfort and counsell For he tooke this for a kynde of prayer too if he dyd helpe and succour with his exhortation such as were weake and vnperfecte knowing that he that sayed Thow shalt loue thy lord God sayed also Thow shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe He was also notable for his abstinence and straight lyuing euer panting after the hope of heauenly thinges with great contrition and compunction of harte Finally when he offred the hoste of the holesome sacrifice vnto God he commended his prayers to our Lord not with a voyce lyfted vp on highe but with teares powred owt from the botome of his harte Thus when he passed ouer two yeares in his bysshoppricke he went againe to his ile and monasterie being warned by the oracle and admonyshment of god that the day of his death was nowe at hand or rather the entraunce and beginning of that lyfe which only in dede should be called lyfe Which thing he himselfe at the same tyme dyd after his playne and simple maner open vnto certayne but in darke and obscure wordes yet such as were afterwardes playnely vnderstanded And to some to he dyd vtter and reuele the same in very open and playne wordes Howe the sayd byshop dyd foretell his death to be very nighe at hand vnto Herebert a vertuous priest The. xxix Chapter FOr there was a certayne priest reuerend for his vprightnes and perfection of lyfe and maners named Hereberte which had a longe time bene coupled to this man of God in the bond of spirituall loue and fryndship For lyuing a solitary lyfe in the yle of that great wyde lake owt of which ronneth the head and beginning of the ryuer of Derwent he was wont to visite Cutbert euery yere and to heare the good lessons of eternall lyfe at his mouth When this vertuous priest heard of his comming to the citie of Lugubalia he came after his accustomed maner desyryng to be enflamed more and more to the blysse and ioyes aboue by his holesome exhortations Who as they sate together and dyd inebriat one an other with the cuppes of the lyfe of heauen among other thinges the byshop sayd Remember brother Hereberte that what soeuer ye haue to say and aske of me yow doo it nowe for after we departe the one from the other we shall not mete againe and see one an other with the eyes of the body any more in this world For I knowe well that the time of my departing is at hand and the laying away of my bodyly tabernacle shal be very shortly Which thinges when he heard he fel downe at his feete and with heauy sighes and powring teares I beseke yow quoth he for our Lordes sake forsake me not but remember your most faythfull fellowe and companion and make intercession to the high and tender pitie of God that we may departe hence vnto heauen together to behold his grace and glorie whome we haue in the earth serued and honoured together For yow knowe that I haue euer studied and laboured to liue after your good and vertuous instructiōs and what soeuer I offended and omitted throughe ignoraunce and frailtie I dyd straight way doo mine endeuour to amēde the same after your ghostly coūsel wil and iudgement At this earnest and affectuouse request of his the bysshop gaue him selfe to his prayers and anon being certified in spirite that he had obtayned the thing that he besought of our Lorde Aryse quoth he my dere brother and wepe not but reioyce with all gladnesse For the highe mercy of God hath graunted vs that we haue praied for The truth of which promise and prophecie was well proued in that which befell after For after they departed a sonder they sawe not one an other bodyly any more but on one selfe same day which was the xix day of Marche their soules went out of their bodyes and wer straight ioyned together againe in the blessed sight and vision and caryed hence both to the kingdome of heauen by the handes and seruice of Angels But Herebert was first tried and pourged in the fyre of longe sickenesse by the dispensation of our Lordes goodnes and pitie as it is credible that such want of merite and perfection as he had more than blessed Cutbert the same might be supplied in the purging pain of long chastening sickenesse so that being made equall in Gods grace and fauour with his fellowe that was intercessour for him euen as he should depart out of the
heard yt by relation of them which were present when yt was done Howe by his prayer and blessinge he relieued one of his clerkes maruelously broosed with a fall from his horse and in greate danger of deathe The. 6. Chapter NEther do I thinke yt good to passe ouer in sylence that greate myracle which a faythful seruaunt of our sauiour Christe namyd Herebalde was wonte to reporte to haue bene done and practised vppoÌ„ hym selfe who at that time was one of his clergy and is nowe abbot in a monastery that borderyth harde vppon the ryuer VVyre So farre forth said he as yt was lauful for a man to iudge I fownde all the whole state and maÌ„ners of his life correspondeÌ„t to that grauytye and holynesse which is required in a byshoppe and of that I am ryght well assuryd because I was dayly conuersant with him But touchyng his wâ—nes in the sight of God and fauour before the myghthâ— which sercheth the secrets of all mens hartes I hâ—eâ— experience in many other but specially in my felff â— whome be in a manner restoryd from deathe to lyfe â— prayer and benediction For when in my first florysâ—â—yng and lusty yowthe I lyuyd amongest his clergy and was set to schole to lerne bothe to reade and singe and had not yet abandonyd all foolysh fantasies and yowthfull panges it fortuned one day that as we rode with him we came into a goodly playne waye and fayre grene which semed a very trymme place to runne and coorse ower horses in And the yowng men that were in his company especially of the lay sorte beganne to desire the Byshop to geue theÌ„ leaue to coorse and gallop their horses But at the first he vtterly denyed and sayd them nay with this checke It is but a foolysh fonde thinge yowe desire At the last not able to withstande nor gaynesay the ernest and importune request of all the whole company he sayd do if yowe wyl mary so that Herebald refrayne and abide with me Than I entreating as suppliantly as I could to haue licence to galloppe my horse and coorse vpp and downe with the other younge men for I trusted well my horse which the bishop him selfe had before geuen me I could not preuaile at all But when I sawe them take their horses vppe with the spurres and fetch nowe this way nowe that as couragiously with stoppe and turne as could be the bisshoppe and I beholding all their pastime I strayt waies ouercomed with wanton courage could not stay my selfe but went amongest the thickest of them and ranne with the best And as I tooke my horse vppe with the spurres I heard him behynde my backe with a deape sigth to saye O mercifull God what wofull woo woorkest thou to me in ryding after thus sorte I heard those wordes notwithstanding with willful will I minded to folow my pastime And behold euen straightwaye as my horse wilde fearce and couragious with greate violence and force lept ouer a deeke by the waye downe fell I to the grounde and as one ready to dye by and by lost all my senses and was not able to moue any one ioyncte of my bodye For whereas in the same place lay a stone close to the grounde couered with a litle greene turffe and not one other could be fouÌ„de in all that plaine vally and leuell grounde it fortuned by chaunce or rather by the diuine prouidence off God to punisshe my disobedience it happened that I pitched vppon the same stone with my head and hande which in the fal I putt vnder to stay my self and so broke my thumme and sculle off my head that as I said before I lay there leeke a dead man ready for his graue And bicause I coulde not be remoued thence they stretched foorth a pauilion and made me a lodging there This was aboute seuen of clocke in the morninge from that houre vntill night I taried there with out any noyse or disquietnes euen as it had ben a dead man than I beganne to reliue and came to my selfe againe and was caried home to the bishops lodging by certaine of my fellowes where I lay speachlesse al that night casting and vomiting blud because my bulcke and ynner partes were sore broysed with the fal But the bisshop for the tender affectioÌ„ and singular good fansie he bare to me was meruailous sory for my misfortune and deadly wounde and woulde not all that night after his accustomed manner tarry with his clergy but continuing alone in watch all that night as I may well coniecture besought the goodnesse of allmighty God for my health and preseruation And cominge to my chamber early in the morninge said certaine prayers ouer me and called me by my name and when I waked as it were oute of a greate slumber he asked me if I knewe who it was that spoke to me And I casting vpp my eyes saied yea right well you ar my dere bishop and master than said he can you recouer or liue Yea quoth I by yower good prayers if it please God So streytwaies laying his hand vppon my head and repeting the worde of benediction returned again to his praiers and coming to see me againe a litle while after founde me fitting vppe in my bed and well able to speake Then moued as it were with some inspiration from heauen asked whether I knewe without all scruple and dowte whether I was baptized or no to that I aunswered yea forsothe I knowe with oute all doute I was wasshed in the holly fonte of baptisme in remission of synnes and knowe the priestes name very well that baptized me but he foorthwith replyed saying if you were christened of him doubtlesse you are not well christened for I knowe him well and am right assured that when he was made priest he coulde not for his dulheddid witt lerne nor to instructe nor to baptise And for that cause I straightly chardged him not to presume to that mynisterie which he could not do accordingly As sone as he had spoken those wordes he beganne to instructe and informe me in the faith againe and it came to passe that as he breathed in my face the payne vanished awaye and I felt my body much better than it was before Than he called for a surgion and commaunded him to sett my skull againe and knitt it vpp together as it should be and by and by with his blessing I was so well recouered that the next daye I was able to mounte to my horse and ride with him to the next place where he minded to lodge And not longe after being fully recouered I was baptized This good bisshopp continued in the see three and thirty yeres and so translated thence to the ioyfull kingdome of heauen lyeth buried in sancte Peters porche in a monastery called Inderwodde the yeare of our Lorde 721. For when he was not able for olde age to preach teache and gouuerne his bisshopprike he consecrated and made Wilfride one of