in peace the dayes of his office he dyed the. 26. of Maye in the raygne of the same king Elbert How Laurence with his other Bysshops warned the Scottes of the vnitie of the catholike churche and specially to folowe the same in celebrating the Ester And how Mellite came to Rome The. 4. Chap. AFter the death of S. Austin Lawrence succeded in the Bysshoprik Whom S. Austin himselfe while he lyued had ordeyned therto lest that after he was deade the state of this churche rude as yet and lately conuerted mought begin to wauer and fall yf hit shuld haue lacked a Pastor and ruler neuer so lytle while Wherin he folowed the example of the first pastor of the churche that is of the moste blessed and Prince of thappostles S. Peter who when he had layed at Rome the foundation of Christes churche consecrated Clement for his successor who had euer before ben his healper in preching the gospell This Laurence being nowe Archebisshop sawe howe ioylely the fundations of this his churche dyd encrease which were wel and strongly layde And he endeuoured to lyfte vp the same to their perfayte highnes bothe by often wordes of holie exhortatiō and also cōtinual exāples of deuoute and godly workes And truly he hofully cared not only for the newe churche wich was now gathered of Englishemē but also for the churche of the old inhabitantes of Britannie and of the Scottes too who harboured in Ireland the next yle to Britanny for the which people also he laboured as a true pastour and prelat For as sone as he knewe the lyfe and profession of the Scottes in their forenamed cuntrie to be skarce Ecclesiasticall and well ordered in manie pointes lyke as was the Britons at that tyme in Britannie specially bycause they celebrated not the solennitie of Ester in dew tyme but as I haue before shewed thowght that they must obserue and celebrate the daye of our Lords rresurectiō from the. 4. mone to the. 20. he I saye with the other Bysshops wrote vnto them an exhorting epistle beseching and praying them to receaue and kepe the societe of peace and vnitie of Catholike obseruation with that churche of Christe which is spredde ouer all the whole wordle The beginning of this epistle was suche To our derest beloued brethern the Bysshops and Abbottes throwgh out all Scotland Laurence Mellite and Iustus Bysshops and seruantes to them that serue God greating VVhen as the see Apostolique according to thaccustomable maner therof to send into all places of the wordle directed and sent vs vnto these west quarters to preache the word of God to paynim people and to hethen men it happed vs to entre into this yle which is called Britannie VVhere thinking that all that dyd beare the name of Christen men walked according to the customed waye of the vniuer sall churche we honored with greate reuerence as wel the Britons as the Scottes But after we had wel proued and tryed the Britons to swarue from the same we yet iudged the Scottes for better men Marye nowe we haue lerned by Bysshop Dagamus comming to this before mentioned yland and we doe vnderstand by the Abbot Columban of Fraunce that the Scottes do nothing differ from the Britons in their cōuersation For Bysshop Dagamus coming to vs wold not only not eate with vs but not so muche as eate his meate in that house where we were ce This Laurēce with the other Bysshops sent also letters worthie and mete for his degree to the Briton priestes With which letters he hofully sowght and earnestly laboured to confirme and strenghthen thē in the catholike vnitie but how muche he hath auailed therin these present dayes do now well declare About this tyme came Mellite bysshop of London to Rome there to commune and counsell with the Apostolike Pope Boniface for necessarie causes of the the English churche And when as this right reuerent Pope had called a Synode of the Bishops of Italy to appointe some order as concerning the life of monkes and their quiet state Mellite him selfe sate amongest them the 8. yeare of the raigne of Focas the Emperour the 13. Indiction and the 27. daye of February that what thing so euer were regularly decreed the re he also subscribing therunto might confirme them with his authorite and returning to Britannie might bringe them with him to the English churche as precepts and rules to be kept and obserued As also beside these rules certain epistles which the same Bishop of Rome wrote and directed to the derely beloued in Christe Archebishop Laurence and all the clergy and with other letters which he wrote likewise to king Elbert and all the English men This is the same Boniface which was the 4. Bishop of Rome after S. Gregory Who by ernest suit obtained a temple of the Emperour Focas for the Christians Which temple of auncient time was euer called by a Greke name Pantheon as who wold saye the temple of all Goddes Out of which temple this Boniface casting forth all filthines and purging hit cleane made a church therof in the honour of our ladie the blessed mother of God and all the holy martyres of Christe that the number of diuels being shutte out thence the blessed companie of Saintes might haue there a perpetuall memorie How when the kinges Elbert and Sabareth were deade their successours brought vp againe idolatrie Whereuppon Mellite and Iustus depart out of Britannie The. 5. Chap. IN the yeare of thincarnation of our Lorde 613. which was the 21. after that bishop Austen aud his compaine were sent to the English nation to preache Elbert king of kent after his temporall reigne which he had kept most gloriously the space of 56. yeares entred into eternall blisse of the kingdome of heauen Who was the third king of the English men and reyned our all the South prouinces which are separated from the North by the fludde Humber and the borders adioyning therto But he was the first of all the kinges that entred in to the kingdome of heauen For the first English king was Elli king of the South Saxons the second Celin king of the VVest Saxons whome they called Cewlin The third as we haue sayde was Elbert king of Kēt After him the fourth was Redualt king of the Este English Who while king Elbert yet liued was chief gouerner of his countrie and royalme vnder him The fyueth was Edwine kinge of Northūberland that is king of all the inhabitants about the north parte of the fludd Hūber This king being a prince of greater powre thē all other that ruled in Britannie raigned both ouer the English men and Britons to except the people of Kent and added moreouer to the English dominions and kingdome the Briton Ilandes called Meuanie which lye betwex Ireland and Britannie The sixth was Oswald king also of Northūberland a most Christen prince Whose dominions were as large The seuenth
was Oswy his brother keping the kingdome almost within equall boundes for a certaine time But after he cōquered for the most part the Pictes and Scotte mē which dwelled in the North quarters of Britāny and made thē tributarie But we wil speak of that here after King Elbert died the 24. day of February the 2. yere after that he had receiued the faith being ful past and is layde in S. Martins porch within the church of the blessed Apostels Peter and Paul wher also Quene Bertha is buried Which king beside other his deades that he boūtefully bestowed vpō his subiectes gaue and appointed them by the coūsel of wise mē certaine lawes and iudicial decrees according to thexāple of the Romans which being writē in the English tōgue are vntil this day kept of thē and as occasiō serueth practised In which his lawes and decrees he first and chiefly ordeined what amends he ought to make which had by thefte taken away anie thinge from the churches bishops or other orders Wherein the king prouided a safegard aud surtie for them whom and whose doctrine he had now receiued This Elbert was the son of Irminrike whose father was Octa and Octaes father Orrich called also Oiske Of whom the kinges of kēt are wont to be called Oiskinges This Orriches fathers name was Hengist who with his Oiske being sent for of Vortiger first entred into Britannie as I haue shewed before But after the death of Elbert when Eadbald his sonne had taken on him the rule of the royalme he greately hindered and dammaged there the younge springes and tender encreases of the churche For he would not only not accept and mainteyne the faith of Christ but he was also polluted and defiled with suche a fornication as the Apostle witnesseth neuer to haue ben heard of amongest the gentils which is that he had married his fathers wife With which ij heynouse factes he gaue occasion to his subiectes to returne to their former filthe and vomit which vnder his fathers raigne or for fauour or feare of the king had yelded to the lawes of Christen faith and chastite But the scourges of God and vengaunce from heauen wanted not to the punishing and correcting of this vnfaithfull kinge For he was plaged with often frensy of minde and raging fury of an vncleane sprite Nowe besides all this the death also of king Sabareth king of the Este Saxons muche encreased the trouble and persecution of the churche Who departing hence to the euerlasting kingdome of heauen left his iij. sonnes remaining yet paynims heyres of his temporall kingdome in earth After the death of their father they began straightwaie and openly to folowe idolatrie which while their father liued they semed somewhat to haue relented geuing also free licence to al their subiects to worship idols These princes on a certaine time when they sawe the bisshop in the churche after he had celebrated the solemnites of the masse geaue the people the sacrament being puffed vpp with barbarouse and rude folie saide as the common reporte is thus vnto him Why doest thou not geaue vs also some of that white breade which thou diddest geue our father Saba for so they were wont to call their father Sabareth and which thou doest not yet cease to geaue the people in the churche To whome he answered Yf ye wil be washed in that holsome font wherein your father was ye maye likewise eate of this blessed breade whereof he was partakener But if ye contemne the lauetorie of life ye can in no wise taste the breade of life We will not said they enter into this font of water for we knowe we haue no nede thereof But yet neuertheles we will eate of that breade And when they had ben often and ernestly warned off the bishop that it could not be that without holy purging and clensing by baptisme any man might communicate of this most holie oblation they at last in their furie and rage sayde to the bishop well if thou wilt not consent to vs in so smalle a matter as we aske of the thou shalt not hensforth abide in our prouince and dominions And straightway they expelled him Commaunding him and all his companie to depart their royalme Who being expelled thence went into kent to common there with Laurence and Iustus his fellow bishops what were best to be done in this case And by cōmon consent it was concluded that better it were for them all to returne into their countries and there to serue God with a free minde and quiet conscience then to abide with those barbarouse men or liue amongest such rebelles of the faith without all fruit or profit Therfore Mellite and Iustus departed first and came to the coastes of Fraunce purposing there to expecte and attende for the issue of these matters So shortly after these kinges which had driuen from them this preacher of trueth fell freely to idolatrie and worshipping of diuells But yet not without the vengeance of God For on a time waging battaile against the Genissans they with their whole armie were slaine But although the authors of this misscheffe were thus destroied yet could not the common people ons stirred to naughtynes be amended and reuoked to the simplicite of faith and charite which is in Christ. How Lawrence chastened by S. Peter conuerted king Edbald to Christe who immediatly after called backe Mellite and Iustus to preache The. 6. Chap. WHen Laurence was now ready to forsake Britannie and goe after Mellite and Iustus he commaunded the night before he went his bed to be brought forth and layed in S. Peter and Paules churche of which churche we haue oftentimes spoken Where when after manie his praiers and teares powred out to God for the state of the church reposing his body to rest and sleaping in his bedde the blessed Apostle S. Peter appeared to him who scourging him with sharp stripes a greate while in the close and secret night chalenged him with Apostolicall auctorite and asked why he would forsake the flocke which he himselfe had committed vnto him and to what shepeherd renning now awaye he would leaue the sheape of Christe besette in the middest of wolfes Hast thou quoth he forgotte myne example who for the lytle ones of Christe which he commended to me in witnes and token of his loue dyd suffer fetters strypes enprisoninges afflictions and att the laste death it selfe yea the death of the crosse by infidels and the enemies of Christe that I mought be crowned with him By these S. Peters strypes and with these his exhortations Lawrence the seruant of Iesus Christe being styrred vp and encouraged came boldly to the king erly in the morning and loosing his garment shewed him how sore he was beaten and pitifully his flesh was torne The king amased therat meruayled much with himselfe And enquyred who durst be so bold as to whyp and scourge such a man as this Lawrence
and warmeth of diuine and heauenly faith maye inflame his vnderstandinge That it maye truly appere to be fullfilled in you which is spoken in holy scripture The infidel and vnbeleuing man shal be saued by the faithfull and beleauing woman For vnto this end you haue your selfe receiued mercye of our Lorde and fauour that you should render and yelde vnto him as your Redemer the multiplied fruyte of your fayth and other good giftes which he hath credited to you Which thinge that you may fulfill by the gratiouse healp of his goodnes we cease not to aske with our daylie prayers In these therfore our premises shewing you the deutye of our fatherly loue and charite we exhorte you that hauing the opportunitie of a bearer ye wil spedely declare vnto vs those thinges which the myghtie powre of God shall vouchesafe to worke merueylously by you in the conuersion of your husband and al your subiectes That we which carefully long and hartely looke for happy newes of the saluation of you and all yours by this your tydinges may be comforted and made glad and perfectly knowing the light and brightenes of Gods fauour and mercie to shyne amongest you we maie with ioyfull confession geaue full and whole thankes to God the geauer of all good thinges and to blessed S. Peter the chefest of his Apostles In the meane time we haue here sent you the blessing of S. Peter your patrone and heade of the apostles That is a looking glasse set in siluer and a combe of yuery gilted with golde Which we praie your goodnes as well to accept as ye vnderstand it is sent vnto you How king Edwine was prouoked to receiue the faith by a vision appearing to him in bannishment The. 12. Chap. THus much did Pope Boniface by his letters for the conuerting of king Edwine and all his countrie which king was also well holpen and almost forced to receaue the faithe and marke diligently the holesome preceptes of Christian doctrine by an oracle and vision from heauen Which the goodnes of God vowchesafed to shewe him while he laye bannished in kinge Redwaldes courte king of the east Englishmen For when bishop Pauline had well perceaued that the princes haughty courage could hardly be brought to the lowly humblenes of Christianite and that it would styfly be bowed and bent to beare the mysterie and burden of Christes crosse when he remembred also how he had nowe laboured a longe tyme bothe with preaching to the people and with praying to Gods mercie for the saluation of king Edwine and all his subiectes at the lenght hauing lerned in sprite for so it is most lykest to be what was that vision which had longe before ben shewed to the kinge from heauen he made no delayes at all but came spedely to the kinge and warned him to fulfill and accomplishe his vowe whiche in the vision that appeared to him he had promised to doe in case he were deliuered from his present miseries and restored againe to his raygne and kingdome Nowe was this vision suche as foloweth At what time king Edelfryde Edwines predecessour with greuouse pursuing put Edwine to flight and made him lye pryue and lurke in diuers places of other realmes for manie yeres space as a bannished man at the lenghth Edwine came to king Redwald besechinge him that he would saue him and defend his life from the traynes and ernest serche of this his dedly ennemie Who gladly entertained hym and promised to fullfill this his requeste and petitiō But after that king Edelfride had heard say that Edwine was seene in that prouince and vnderstood that he liued ther and dwelled familiarly with all his cōpany forthwith he sent out his Embassadours to king Redwald with a greate somme of monie to procure Edwines deathe But it preuailed nothing Thē sent he the second tyme and the thyrd tyme also offring greater gyftes and more plentifully bothe gold and syluer thretning him at the laste warres yf his request were accomplished Then king Redwald other dreading the threts or corrupted with the brybes graunted his request and promised that he would put Edwyne to death himselfe or els yealde him vp to thimbassadeurs Which thing when a certayne faythfull frend of Edwynes had marked and well vnderstoode he entred incontinent to the chamber where Edwyne purposed to take his rest For it was now an houre within nyght and calling him forth told him what the king had promised to doe against him sayeng in the end this muche I shall therfore yf it so please yowe leade yowe owt of this prouince and bryng yow into suche a place that nother king Redwald nor yet king Edelfryde shal be able to fynde yowe To whome Edwyne answered in this maner Sir I thanke yow most hartely for this your greate gentlenes But I can not folowe your counsell herin For first I must not breake my promesse which I haue made to so greate and mightie a Prince as is king Redwald especially wheras he hath done me no harme ne wronge nor hath as yet shewed anie hatred or displeasure towardes me And truly if I must of necessite dye thus I had rather he shuld put me to deathe then anie baser man or person of lesle nobilite Agayne whether I pray yow shuld I flee nowe who haue so many yeares and so long tyme walked lyke a vagabounde through all prouinces of this yle of Britannie only to auoyd and eschewe myne enemies snares and assaultes Now when this his frend was gone Edwyne remained without alone and sytting sadly before the palace begāne to be troubled with manie stormes and vexations of thoughts as a man not witting what to doe or whither to goe in this so ruefull case After he had ben longe vexed with inwarde and priuie troubles of mynde burning inwardly with close fyre of secret sorowe behold in the greate sylence and quyet of the mydde nyght he sawe a man vtterly vnknowen to him bothe for visage and countenaunce and also for his aray and apparell to approche and drawe toward him Whome bycause he had espyed thus at a blushe and so straungely desguised he was not a lytle a frayde The straunger cometh euen vnto him greteth him and asketh him wherfore he sate so soroufull on the stone abrode watching and all alone at that howre especially when other men were within at rest and in their depe sleape Then Edwyne lykewise demaundyd of him what he had to doe therwith yf he passed ouer the nyght within dore or els without To whome this mā answered and sayde Thinke ye not but that I know the cause of your heauynes and watche And also of this your solitarie syttinge with out dores For I know certainly who ye be and wherfore you are so sad and soroufull And also what myscheffe yow feare shortly shall befall you But tell me of fryndshippe what reward would you geaue him that shuld now rydde yowe quyte out of all these sorowes and trowbles and
more quiet and the companie of faithfull began a litle and litle to encrease againe set vp a schole emongest them and professed to be a master of church musyke and singinge according to the fashion and maner of the Romās and the Diocesans of Cāterbury Which thinge whē he had so don a longe time with greate profyt at the lenght that I may vse the worde of scripture being a man well strooken in age full of yeares and hauing seen manie good dayes he walked the wayes whiche his fathers went THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND How the first successours of kinge Edwin did both forsake the faith of their nacion and also lost their kingdome Moreouer how the most christen kinge Oswald restored bothe The. 1. Chapter KYnge Edwin beinge in battaile the sonne of Elfrike his vncle by his fathers syde called Osrich who after that he had hearde Paulin preache receaued the faith succeded him in the gouernance of the Deirans of the whiche prouince he had the petigree of his parentage and the firste beginninge of his kingdome But the realme of the Bernicians for the nation of Northumberland had been deuided of olde time into these two countries was ruled by Edelfrides sonne named Eanfride who had of that prouince the beginning of his kinred and kingdome For during all the time of Edwines raigne the sonnes of kinge Edelfride who as we saied before raigned before Edwin were banished with a greate numbre of noble young gentill men and so liued amonge the Scottes or Redshankes where they wer instructed accordinge to the Scottes doctrine and had receiued the grace of baptisme These younge princes after the death of their ennemie kinge Edwin retourninge in to their countrie Osrich the eldest of them toke the kingdome of the Deirans and Eanfride the seconde sonne the kingdome of the Bernicians but alas as bothe had now receiued the yles of an earthly kingdome so likewise bothe in geuing and abandoning them selfes to the diuell lost the diuine mysteries of the heauenly kingdome wherein they were instructed and yelded them selues againe to be defiled with the former olde filth of Idolatrie This apostasie remained not longe vnpunished For Kadwallader the king of Britons with wicked force but with worthy vengeaunce slew them both the next sommer ensuing sodeinly issuing out with all his host At what time he murdereth first Osrich vnprepared and his whole armie pending themselues miserably with in the suburbes of their owne citie Then afterward when by the space of a whole yere hauing possessed the prouinces of the people of Northumberland not as a king that were a conquerour but as an outragious cruell tyranne destroying them and with tragicall slaughter renting them in pieces he put Eanfride also to death coming vnto him very vnaduisedly with twelue chosen souldiers minding to intreate vppon peace That same yere continueth vntill this daye vnhappy and hatefull to all good men as well for the Apostasie of the English kinges forsaking the religion of Christe as also for the king of Britanes furiouse tyrannie Wherefor the historiographers and writers of that time haue thought it best that the memorie of those Apostate kinges being vtterly forgotten the selfe same yere should be assigned to the raigne of the king that folowed next which was Oswald a man dearely beloued of God Who after that his brother Eanfride was slaine coming vnlooked for with a small armie but fenced with the faith of Christe the Britons cursed capitaine and that victorius hoste whereof he made his auant that nothing coulde be able to withstand it was vanquished and slaine in a certain place which in the English tonge is called Denises Burna that is to say the riuer of Denise How by the signe of the Crosse which the same kinge set vp when he fought against the Barbarous Britons he cōquered thē and among diuers other miraculous cures a certaine yownge man was healed of a desease in his arme The. 2. Chap. THe place is shewed vntill this daye and is had in greate reuerence where Oswald when he should come to this battayle did set vp a signe of the holy crosse amd beseeched God humbly vppon his knees that with his heauenly helpe he would succour his seruauntes being in so great a distresse The report also is that the crosse being made with quicke spede and the hole prepared wherein it should be sette the kinge being feruent in faithe did take it in hast and did put it in the hole and held it with both his handes when it was sett vp vntill it was fastened to the earth with duste which the souldiars heaped about it Nowe when this was done he cried out a loude to his whole armie Let vs all kneele apon our knees and let vs all together pray ernestly the almighty liuing and true God mercifully to defend vs from the proude and cruell ennemy for he knoweth that we enterprise warres in a ryghtfull quarell for the saulfegard of our subiectes All did as he commaunded them And thus in the dawning of the day they marched forth encountred with their enemie and according to the merite of their faith atchieued and wonne the victorie In the place of which prayer manifold miraculous cures are knowen to be done questionlesse in token and remembraunce of the kinges faith For euen vntill this present day many men do customablye cut chyppes out of the veraye tree of that holy crosse which casting into waters and geuing thereoff to sick men and beastes to drinke or sprinckling them therwith many forthwith are restored to their helth That place is in the Englishe tongue named heauen feld and was so called long before not without a sure and a certaine fore sight of thinges to come as signifieng vndoubtedly that in the same place a heauenly memoriall was to be set vp a heauenly victorie should be gotte heauenly miracles should be wrought and remembred euen vnto our dayes This place is nere to that wal which stādeth toward the northeast wherwith the Romaines did ones in time past cōpasse all whole Britaine frō sea vnto sea to kepe of the inuasions of forenners as we haue declared before In the self same place the religious mē of Hagstalden church which is not far frō thēce haue now of long time been accustomed to come euery yere the eue and the day that the same king Oswald was afterward slaine to kepe Diriges there for his soule and in the morning after psalmes being saied solemnely to offer for him the sacrifice of holy oblation This good custome longe continuing the place was made more holy and is now much honoured of al men by the reason of the church that was lately builded and dedicated in the same place And not without a cause considering that no signe of the Christen faith no church no aultar was sett vpp in all the whole countrey of the Bernicians before that this vertuous warrier moued wyth harty deuotion of
great and the bridge they had to passe ouer so litle that it would be toward night er they all could get ouer Albane longing much for his blessed death and hasting to his Martyrdome cumming to the riuers side and making there his prayer with lifting vp his eyes and harte to heauen sawe furth wyth the bottom to haue bin dried vp and the water geue place for him and the people to passe ouer dryshod as it were vpon euen grownde Which when among other the executioner which should haue beheddid him did see he made hast to mete him at the place appointed for his death and there not without the holy inspiration of God he fell downe flat before his feete and casting from him the sword which he held in his hande ready drawen desired rather that he might be executioned ether for him or with him rather then to do execution vpoÌ„ him Where vpoÌ„ this maÌ„ being now made a fellow of that faith wher of before he was persecutor and the swerd lying in the grouÌ„d before theÌ„ the other officers staggering and doubting all who might take it vpp and doe the execution the holy confessor of God with the people there assembled went vnto a hill almost half a mile of from that place beautifully garnished with diuers herbes and flowers not rough or vneasy to climme but smothe plaine and delectable worthy and mete to be sanctified with the blood of the blessed Martyr vnto the the top where of when he was ascended he required of God to giue him water and strayt there arose a spryng of fayer water before his feete whereby all might perceaue that the riuer before was by his meanes dried For he which left no water in the riuer would not haue required it in the topp of the mowntaine but that it was so expedient for the glory of God in his holy martyr For beholde the riuer hauing obeyed the Martyr and serued his deuotion leauing behinde a testimony of duty and obedience the Martyr hauing now suffered returned to his nature againe Here therfore this most valiaunt martyr being behedded receiued the crowne of life which God promiseth to them that loue him But he which there tooke vppon him to doe that wicked execution had short ioy of his naughty deede for his eyes fel vnto the ground with the head of the holy martyr There also was behedded the souldiour which being called of God refused to stryke the holy confessor of God of whom it is open and playne that though he was not Christened in the fount yet he was baptised iu the bath of his owne blud and so made worthy to enter in to the kingdome of heuen Now the iudge seing so many straunge and heuenly miracles wrought by this holy martyr gaue commaundement that the persecution should cease beginning to honour in the sayntes of God the constant and pacient suffering of death by the which he thought at first to bring them from the deuotion of their fayth S. Albane suffered his martyrdome the xx day of Iune nigh vnto the citte of Verolamium Where after the Christiane churche being quietly calmed and setteled againe there was a temple buylded of a meruailous rich worke and worthy for suche a martyrdome In the which place truly euen vnto this day ar syck persons cured and many miracles wrought There suffered also about that time AaroÌ„ and Iulius towne dwellers of the citty of Leicester and many other both men and wemen in sundry places which after diuerse fell and cruell torments sustayned in al partes of their bodies by perfitt victory atcheued by pacience yelded their soules vnto the ioyse of heauen How that after this persecution ceased the church of Britanny was sumwhat quiet vntill the time of the Arrians heresies The. 8. Chap. AFter that the stormes of this persecution wer ouerblowen the faithfull christians which in time of daunger lay hid in dennes and desertes cometh furth and sheweth them selues abrode reneweth their churches which before were ouerthrowen flatt to the grownd foundeth buyldeth and perfiteth new temples in honor of the holy Martyrs celebrateth holy dayse doth consecrate the holy mysteries with pure mouthâ— and harte and euery where as it wer displayeth their ensignes in signe of conqueste And this peace continued in the church of Christ in Britanny vntill the fury of the Arrians heresies which ruÌ„nyng thorough out the world corrupted also with his venemous errors this IlaÌ„d though situat out of the coÌ„passe of the world Now wheÌ„ that once by this meanes heresy had once found an open vent to passe ouer the Ocean sea in to this Iland shortly after all manner of heresies flowed in to the sayd land and was there receiued of the inhabitants as being men deliting euer to heare newe things and stedfastly retaining nothing as certaine About this time died Constantius in Britanny which in Dioclesians life time gouerned Fraunce and Spaine a man very milde and of much courtesy He left CoÌ„stantine his son by Helene his coÌ„cubine created emperour of Fraunce Eutropius writeth that CoÌ„stantine being created emperour in Britanny succeded his father in the kyngdome In whose time the heresy of the Arrians springing and being discouered and condemned in the councell of Nice did neuerthelesse infecte not only the other partes of the world but also the very churches of the Ilands with deathly doctrine and pestilent infidelite How that in the time of Gracian the Emperour Maximus being created Emperour in BritaÌ„ny returned in to France with a great army The. 9. Chap. THe yere of the incarnation of our Lord 377. Gratian the 40. Emperour after August raygned vj. yeres after the death of Valens though a litle while before he raigned also with Valens his vncle and Valentinian his brother Which seing the state of the commen welth miserably plagued and nigh altogether decayed was drouen of neceâ—site for the better repairing of the sayd decaise to choose vnto him Theodosius a Spanyard borne to be his partener in gouernance of the Empire comitting vnto him the regiment of the â—aste and also of Thracia In which time one Maximus a vahauÌ„t maÌ„ and a good and worthy of the Imperiall crowne had it not ben that contrary to his othe and allegeance he tooke vpon him by tyranny to be Emperour in Britanny half in maner against his will being created Emperour of the army passed ouer in to Fraunce Where he slewe Gratian the Emperour being circumuented by subtile wiles and sodenly stolen vppon ere he were ware as he was in minde to passe in to Italy After that also he chased ValentiniaÌ„ the other partener of the empire out of Italy Valentinian flieng for succour in to the easte and there with all fatherly piete being receiued of Theodosius was by his helpe strayt wayse restored vnto the empire Maximus the tyran being shutt vp by seige with in the walles of Aquilegia and there shortly after taken and slayne How that Aradius being Emperour Pelagius
commaundements of God his diligent reading continuall watching his priestly grauitye in rebuking the proude and haughty and mild demeanour in comforting the weake and refreshing the nedy And to be short I commend him as one that laboured all dayes of his life as of his most nere acquaintance I vnderstaÌ„d to obserue and fulfill all that was writen and commaunded in holy scriptures the Prophets and Apostles These thinges in that holy prelate I do much embrace and commend as things vndoubtedly pleasing almighty God But that he obserued not Easter in his due time either as ignorant therof or witting it well yet being lead with the authoritye of his countre not acknowleadging it this I neither commend nor allowe Yet in this very point this I allowe in him that in his manner of obseruing Easter he beleued reuerenced and preached no other thing then we doe that is the redemption of mankynde by the passion resurrection and ascension of Christ Iesus the mediatour betwene God and man And therfore he obserued his Easter not as many falsely do suppose altogether with the Iewes that is the fourtenth day of the moone what so ever day it fell vpon but he kept it euer vpon a sonday reakoning from the fourtenth day of the moone to the twentith and that for the faith vndoubtedly which he had in our lordes resurrectioÌ„ beleuing it to be in the first fery after the sabooth day in hope of our resurrection to come which the holy churche beleueth shall happen vpon the same first fery that is vpon a Sonday euen as owr lorde arose vpon a sonday as the scripture testifieth Of the life and death of the vertuous kinge Sigebert The. 18. Chap. ABout this tyme after Carpwalde Redwaldes successor Sigibert his brother a vertuous and deuoute man raigned ouer the East english natioÌ„ This prince while he liued in Fraunce flying the emmyte of kinge Redwald was there baptised Wherevpon after his returne coming to the Crowne and desyring to folow that godly order and trade which he had sene practised in Fraunce set vp a schole to bring vp children by the helpe and ayde of Byshopp Felix whom he toke owt of kent for that purpose appoynting them masters and teachers after the maner of the kentish men This kinge was so flamed with the loue of heauen that leauing at the laste all affaires of his realme to the gouuernement of his cosen Egrick who also before had part of his dominion with him he entred to a monastery whiche he had made for him selfe where being shoren in he bestowed his tyme to the atchieuing of the eternall kingdome of heauen Wherein hauing with much deuotion warfared a longe time to God the vplandishe english men withe their olde Capitain Penda inuaded his dominions His people after long resistaunce finding them selues to weake beseched Sigibert for the encouraging of their souldiars to come forth in to the field with theÌ„ Which when of his owne accorde he woulde not agree vnto they plucked him by force owt of the monastery and brought him against his wil vnto the field hoping that the souldyars in the presence of their olde valiaunt Capitain would lesse think vpon flight and running away Notwithstanding the vertuous man remembring his profession being sett in the middest of the army caryed only a litle rodde in his hande Thus of the cruel hethen he was killed withe kinge Egrick and the whole army discomfited Anna sonne to Guido of the kinges bloude succeded in the kingdome a man of great vertu and the father of a blessed issue as we shall hereafter in his place declare This kinge also was afterward slayne of the selfe same Penda Capitain of the Marshes or vplandish enhlishmen then heathen and vnchristned How Furseus builded a monastery amonge the Eastenglish men and of his visions and holynesse which also his â—â—esh remaining after his death vncorrupted dothe witnesse The. 19. Chapter IN the time that Sigibert gouuerned yet the east partes of England a holy man called Furseus came thither out of Ireland a man notable bothe for his sayings and doings of great vertu and much desiring to wander and trauail in Gods quarell where so euer occasion serued Coming therefore to the east coastes of England he was reuerently receiued of the saied kinge where poursuing his godly desire of preaching the worde of God he bothe conuerted many infidels and confirmed the faithefull in the faith and loue of Christ by his painefull preaching and vertuous examples Falling here in to sicknes he had from God a vision by the ministery of Angels wherin he was warned to go forth cherefully in his paine full preaching of the ghospell and perfeuere in his accustomed watching and praying bicause his ende and death was certain though the houre thereof were most vncertain according to the saying of our Lorde VVatch therfore bicause ye knowe not the daye nor the houre With this vision being much confirmed and encouraged he hastened with all spede to builde vp the monastery in the place kinge Sigibert had geuen him and to instruct it with regular discipline This monastery was pleasauÌ„tly situated for the woddes and sea adioyning being erected in the village of Cnobherburg and enriched afterward by Anna kinge of that prouince and many other noble men with sundry faire houses and other ornaments This Furseus came of the noblest race of the Scottish nation nobler yet of minde then of bloud From the very time of his childehood he gaue him selfe to reading of holy scripture and monastical discipline Especially as it becoÌ„meth holy and perfit men what soeuer he lerned to be acceptable to God he was hoful and dili gent to execut and perfourme Brefely in processe of time he builded him selfe a monastery wherein he might with more leasure and liberty attend to coÌ„templation and spiritual deuotion In the which monastery being striken with sicknesse he was taken out of his body as the booke writen of his life doth sufficiently testifie In the which traunce continuing from euening vntil the next morning he was brought to the sight of the Angelicall company and to the hearing of their blessed praises and thankes geuings to God Among other thinges which he heard them singe he was wonte to tell of the versicle I bunt sancti de virtute in virtutem Holy men shall procede from vertu to vertu And againe Videbitur Deus dcorum in Syon The God of Goddes shall be sene in Syon This holy man being restored againe to his body was within three daies after taken out againe at what time he sawe not only greater ioyes of the blessed company of heauen but also beside great conflictes of the wicked sprits which very busely went about to stoppe him of his iourney toward heauen with their often accusations auailing yet nought against him the holy Angels warding him and defending him Of all the which thinges who listeth more at large to be instructed as with what
yet so sodenly finde none ready the iourney being so longe to you Truly as soone as we shall espie out a mete person and and worthy of that vocation we shall direct him spedely to your countre That by his preaching and holy scripture he may thouroughly roote oute all the wicked darnel of the enemy out of your Ilond by the helpe and grace of allmighty God The presents which your highnes directed to the blessed prince of the Apostles for his perpetuall memory we haue receiued thanking therefore your highnes beseching with all our clergy incessantly the goodnes of God for your highnes preseruatiō and good estat The bringer of your presents is departed this life and is laied at the entry of the blessed Apostles towmes we much lamenting and bewailing at his departure here Notwithstanding by the bearers of these our presents we haue sent the iewels of holy Martyrs that is the relikes of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and of the holy Martyrs S. Laurens Iohn and Paule of S. Gregory and of Pancratius all to be deliuered to your highnes To your Lady and bedfelowe our spiritual daughter we haue sent by the saied bearers a crosse of golde hauing in it a nayle taken out of the most holy chaines of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule Of whose godly behauiour we vnderstanding haue all as farre reioysed as her vertuous dedes are before God pleasaunt and acceptable We beseche therefore your highnes to furder and sett forward the conuersation of your whole Ilond to the faith of Christ. You shall not vndoubtedly lacke herein the speciall protection of our Lorde Iesus Christ the redemer of all mankinde who will prosper you in all thinges to the encreasing of his true beleuers and planting of the catholike and Apostolike faith For it is written Seke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof and all these thinges shall be cast vnto you Truly your highnes seketh and shall no doubt obtaine and all partes of your Ilond as we wish and desire shall be brought vnder your allegeaunce We salute your highnes with most fatherly affection beseching continually the mercy of God that it will vouchesafe to assist you and all yours in the perfourmance of all good workes that in the worlde to come ye may all liue and raigne with Chrst. The heauenly grace frō aboue preserue alwaies your highnes In the next booke folowing we shall haue occasion to declare who was founde and appointed bishop in place of Wighard that died at Rome How the people of Essex and London in a time of plage retourning to Idolatry by the diligence of Iarumanus their bishop were soone brought home againe The 30. Chap. AT this time Sigher and Sebbi kinges ruled ouer the people of Essex and London after the death of Guidhelme of whom we haue spoken before althoughe these were also vnder the allegeannce of Wulfher king of the Middlelād englishmen This prouince being visited with that greate plague and mortalite which we mencioned before Sigher with the people ouer whom he ruled forsaking the sacramentes of Christes religion fell to Apostasie For bothe the kinge him selfe and many as well of the people as of the nobles louing this present life and not seking after the life to come or els not beleuing any such life at al begā to renew their temples which stode desolat and to worship idols as though they could therby escape the mortalite But Sebbi his cōpanion with al vnder him perseuered deuoutly in the faith and ended his life in great felicite as we shal herafter declare Wulfher the king vnderstanding parte of his dominions to fal from the faith for to call thembacke againe sent vnto them bishop Iarumannus the successor of Trumher who by much labour and diligence being a man of great vertu painfull and zelous as a certain priest waiting then vpō him and helping him in preaching the ghospell reported vnto me brought them to the faith againe bothe the kinge and all his people So that abandoning and throwing downe their tēples and altars they opened againe the churches confessed gladly the name of Christ and chose rather in hope of resurrection to dye then in the filth of idolatry to liue Which being so brought to passe their priestes and instructers returned home withe muche ioye and comfort THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND How after the death of Deusdedit Wighart being sent to be made bishop and dying there Theodore was consecrated Archebishop and sent in to England with a certain Abbat named Adrian The. 1. Chapter THe same yeare of the foresaied eclipse and pestilence that soone after folowed in which also bishop Colman ouercommed by the generall and vniforme sentence of the Catholikes returned home to his countre Deusdedit the sixt Archebishop of Caunterbury died the xiiij daye of Iuly Ercombert also kinke of kent departed this world the very same moneth and day and left to his sonne Ecgbert the Crowne and kingdom which he receiued and held by the space of ix yeres At that time the See of Caunterbury being vacant a great while and the diocese desirous of a bishop VVighart a vertuous priest a man very well lerned skilfull of the Canons rules and disciplines of the church and an english man borne was sent to Rome bothe by Ecgbert and also Oswin kinge of Northumberland as we haue mencioned before and with him certain presents to the Pope Apostolike as great store of plate bothe siluer and golde Being arriued to Rome in the time that Vitalianus gouuerned the Apostolike see and hauing declared the cause of his coming to the saied Pope within short space he and almost all his company were taken with the pestilence and died Whereupon the Pope with aduise and counsell enquired diligently whom he might direct for Archebishop ouer the churches of England In the monasterie of Niridan not farre from Naples in Campania there was an Abbat named Adrian an African borne a man very well lerned in the scriptures thouroughly instructed bothe in monasticall discipline and in ecclesiasticall gouuernement very skilfull of the greke and latin tounges This man being called to the Pope was willed of him to take the bishoprike vpon him and trauail vnto England But he answering that he was no mete man for so high a degree promised yet to bringe forth one which bothe for his lerning and for his age were more worthy of that vocation And offred to the Pope a certain monke liuing in a Nunnery there by called Andrew who though he were of all that knewe him estemed worthy of tke bishoprike yet for the impediment of his weake and sickely body it was not thought good to sende him Then Adrian being required againe to take it vpon him desired certain daies of respit if happely in the meane time he could finde any other mete to supplie that roume At this time there was in Rome a certain monke of Adriās acquaintaūce named Theodore borne
at Tarsus in Cilicia a maÌ„ bothe in prophane and diuine knowleadg and in the greke and latin tounge excellently lerned in maners and conuersation vertuous and for age reuerend being then lxvj yeres olde Him Adrian offered and presented to the pope and obtained that he was created bishop Yet with these conditions that Adrian should accompany him in to England bicause hauing twise before trauailed in to Fraunce for diuers matters he had therefore more experience in that iourney as also for that he was sufficiently fournished with men of his owne But chiefely that assisting him alwaies in preaching the ghospell he should geue diligent eye and waite that t is Theodore being a greke borne enduced not after the maner of the grekes any doctrine coÌ„trary to the true faith receaued in to the english church now subiect vnto him This man therfore being made subdeacon taried yet in Rome iiij moneths vnte â—l his heare was full growen to take the ecclesiasticall tonsure rounde which before he had taken like vnto the Last church after the maner of S. Paule whereof we shall hereafter treate more at large He was consecrated bishop of Vitalianus then Pope in the yeare of our Lorde 668. the xxvj daie of Marche vpon a Sonday After the xvij of May in the company of Adrian the Abbat he was directed to England Their iourney commenced first by see they arriued to Marsilia and so by lande to Arles where deliuering to Iohn the Archebishop letters of commendation from Vitalian the Pope they were receaued and enterteyned of him vntill that Ebroinus chief of the kinges Courte gaue them saulfeconduit to passe and go whither they entended and woulde Which being graunted them Theodore tooke his iourney to Agilbert bishop of Paris of whome we haue spoken before and was very frindly receaued of him and kept there a longe tyme. But Adrian went first to Emmeson and after to Faron bishop of Meldes and there continewed and rested withe them a good space For wynter was at hand and draue them to abyde quietly in such conuenient place as they could gett Now wheÌ„ word was browght to king Ecgbert that the bishop whom they had desired of the Pope of Rome was come and rested in Fraunce he sent thither straight waye Redfride his lieutenant to bringe and conducte him Who when he came thither tooke Theodore with the license of Ebroinus and browght him to the porte that is named Quentauic Where they continewed a space bicause Theodore was weake sicke and wery And as sone as he began to recouer health againe they sayled to England But Ebroinus with helde backe Adrian suspecting he had some embassie of the Emperours to the kinges of England against the realme of Fraunce wherof at that time he had speciall care and chardge But when he founde in dede that he had no such thinge he dimissed him and suffred him to go after Theodore Who as soone as Adrian came to him gaue him the monasterie of S. Peter thapostle where as I haue mentioned before the Archebishops of Cauntourbury are wonte to be buried For the Pope Apostolâ—que had required Theodore at his departinge to prouide and geane Adrian some place in his diocese where he and his company might commodiously continewe and liue together Howe Theodore visited the countree and howe the churches of England receaued the true Catholique faith and began also to studie the holy scriptures and how Putta was made bishop of Rochester for Damian The 2. Chap. THeodore came to his churche the 2. yere after his consecration the xxvij day of may being sonday and continewed in the same xxi yeres three moneths and xxvj daies And straight way he visyted all the countree ouer where soeuer any english people dwelled for all men did most gladly receaue him and heare him and hauing still with him the coÌ„panie and helpe of Adrian in all thinges dyd sowe abrode and teache the right wayes and pathes of good liuing and the canonical rite and order of keping the feast of Easter For he was the first Archebishop vnto whome all the whole churche of the English nation dyd consent to submit them selues And bicause both he and Adrian as we haue sayd were exceding well learned both in profane and holy literature they gathered a company of disciples or scholers vnto them into whose breastes they dayly dyd powre the flowing waters of holesome knowledge So that beside the expounding of holy scripture vnto them they dyd with al instructe their hearers in the sciences of musick Astronomie and Algorisme In the tounges they so brought vp their scholers that euen to this day some of theÌ„ yet liuing can speake both the Latin and Greeke tonge as well as their owne in which they were borne Neither was there euer since the English meÌ„ came first to Britaine any tyme more happie than at that present For England then had most valiant and Christian princes It was feared of all barbarowse and forrain nations The people at home was all wholly bent to the late ioyfull tydinges of the kingdome of heauen And if any man desired to be instructed in the reading of holy scriptures there lacked not men expert and cunning ready to teache him Againe at this time the tunes and notes of singing in the Churche whiche vntill than were only vsed and knowen in Kent began to be learned throwgh all the churches of EnglaÌ„d The first master of songe in the churches of Northumberland except Iames whome we spake of before was Eddi surnamed Stephen who was called and browght from kent by Wilfride a man most reuerend whiche first among all the byshops that were of the English nation dyd learne and deliuer the Catholique trade of life to the English Churches Thus Theodore vewing ouer and visiting eche where dyd in conuenient places appoynt bishops and with their helpe and assistance together amended such thinges as he found not well and perfecte And among all other when he reproued bisshopp Chaddâ— for that he was not rightly consecrated he made moste humble awnswer and sayde If yow thinke that I haue taken the office of a byshop not in dewe order and maner I am ready withe all my hart to giue vp the same for I did not thinke my selfe euer worthy therof but for obedience sake being so commaunded I dyd agree althowgh vnworthy to take it vpon me Whiche humble awnswere of his Theodore hearing sayd that he should not leaue his bisshopricque but dyd himselfe supplye and complete his consecration after the right and dewe Catholique maner The very same tyme in whiche after the death of Deusdedit an Archebysshopp of Caunterbury was sewed for consecrated and sent from Rome Wilfrid also was sent from England to Fraunce there to be consecrated Who bycause he retourned into kent before Theodore did make priestes and deacons vntill the time that the Archebisshop himselfe came to his see Who at his comming to the
petition was heard and graunted for xij dayes after she was taken out of this life also and receaued euerlasting rewarde in chaunge of those temporall afflictions Nowe when Torithgid the foresaid handmayd of Christe had lyued three yeare more after the death of the Abbesse she was so far pyned away with the sickenesse that we spake of before that the skyn and bones did scant cleaue together And at last the time of her departing being nowe at hand she could not only styr none of all her limmes but was speachelesse and could not moue her tongue In which case as she lay three daies and as many nightes sodainly being relieued with a ghostly vision she opened her mouthe and eyes and looking vp to heauen begaÌ„ thus to speake to the vision which she sawe Thy comminge is to me moâ—â— ioyfull and thou arte hartely wellcome And when she had so sayd she held her peace a litle as it were abyding for an aunswere of him whome she sawe and spake to And then as it were a litle angerly she sayed againe I can not gladly suffer this And straightway holding her peace a litle she spake the third tyme and sayd If it may not by any meanes be to day I beseche the that the meane time be not longe delayed wherewith holding her peace a litle as she had done before she ended and concluded her talke thus And if it be fully so appointed and that this sentence and order can not be changed I beseke thee that there be no more but only this next night betwene After which wordes being demaunded of them that sate about her to whom she spake forsoth quoth she to my most dere mother Edilburge Whereby they vnderstode she came to bringe her word that the time of her passing hence was nye For euen as she made request after one day and one night passed she was deliuered both of the bond of the flesh and of her sickenesse and entred into the ioyes of eternall blesse How a certaine blynd woman praying in the Churchyard of the same monasterie receaued her sight The. 10. Chap. IN the place and office of Abbesse Edelburg succeded a deuout handmayd of God named Hildilhid the which many yeares euen till her very great and extreme age gouerned the same monasterie exceding diligently bothe in keping of regular discipline and order and also in prouiding such thinges as apperteined to daily vses This woman bicause of the straightnesse of the place wherein the monasterie was built thought good to haue the bones of the holy monkes and handmaydes of Christ which were there buried taken vp and remoued all to the churche of the blessed mother of God and there to be buried and laid in one place In which place how often the brightenes of the heauenly light appered howe often and howe great a flagrant odour of a meruailouse swete sauour and what other miracles were there shewed who so will know and reade he shal fynd the same aboundantly in that booke out of which we haue taken these thinges Yet my thinke I can in no case let passe a miracle of one that was healed which miracle as the same booke declareth was wrought in the Churcheyard of the sayd religiouse house There dwelled an Erle therby whose wyfe had a certaine darkenes sodainly comen ouer her eyes the griefe whereof daily encreasing she was so farre troubled and molested therewith that she could not see any litle light at all This lady remaining a space in this blindnesse it came sodainly to her mind on a time that if she were brought to the monasterie of the holy virgins and there prayed at the reliques of the Saintes she might receaue her sight againe And she made no delay till she had straight fulfilled that which she had ones conceaued in her mind For being lead by her maydes to the monasterie being hard by adioyning where she had full belefe to be holpeÌ„ and healed she was straight brought into the churchyard And as she praied ther for a space on her knees her petition was heard and obtained anon For rising vp from her prayer before she went out of the place she receaued the benefit of her sight that she sought And where she was lead thither by the handes of her wayting maydes she went ioyfully home by herselfe without any guide so that it might seme that she had lost the light of this world only for this end that she might shewe by her healinge what and howe great the light is that Christes Saintes haue in heauen and what grace of power and vertue How Sebbi king of the same prouince ended his lyfe in monasticall conuersation The. 11. Chapter AT that time as also the foresayd booke sheweth there raigned ouer the East Saxons a man very deuout and godly named Sebbi of whome we made mention aboue For he was very much geuen to exercises of religion and vertu to much and often praier and to charitable almesdedes esteming the solitarie and monastical life before all the rychesse and honours of a kingdome Which kinde of lyfe he had taken long time before and giuen vp his kingdome had not the selfewilled mind of his wife refused to separate from him And therfore some men thought as it had bene often sayed that a man of such a nature and well disposed mind was more mete to be made a bishop then a king Nowe when this souldiour of the ecclesiasticall kingdome had passed ouer xxx yeres in his temporall reigne at lenght he died But first he admonished his wife that then at least they should wholly geue themselues both together to serue God whereas they could no lenger now enioye or rather serue the world together Which thing when he had with much a doo obtained of her he came to the bisshop of London named Waldher who had succeded Erconwald and at his hand and blessing receaued the habit of religion which he had long desyred To which bishop he brought a great somme of mony to be bestowed and giueÌ„ to the poore reseruing nothing at all for him selfe but rather desyring to remaine poore in spirite for the kingdome of heauen And when he perceaued the day of his death to be at hand bicause the foresayd sicknesse grewe on still vpon him for the princely haught courage that he had he began to feare least at his death throughe the bitter pange of the same he might hap either to vtter with his mouth or with some other part of his body doo any thing that were not mete and comly for his person And therefore he sent for the bishop of London where he also then continewed and desyred him that at his departing and passing out of this world there should be no mo present but the bishop himselfe and two of his chapplens Which thing when the bishop had promised moste gladly to doo not long after the said man of God setting him selfe to slepe sawe a comfortable vision which toke from him all care of
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
his chaplins archebisshop of Yorke and went to the said monasterie and there with good example and conuersation ended his lyfe Howe Cedwall kinge of the Weast Saxons came to Rome to be baptized and his successour of deuotion went to the sepulchres and monuments of the blessed Apostles The. 7. Chapter THe third yere of kinge Aldfrides raigne Cedwall kinge of the weast saxons when he had kept the souerainty in his country very stoutely for ij yeres space for Gods sake and hope of an eternall kingdome in heauen forsoke his owne vppon earthe and went to Rome He thought it to be a singular glorye and renowne for him to be regenerated at the sea Apostolique with the sacrament of baptisme by the which he lerned that all mankinde had entrye to the kingdome of heauen With all this hope he conceaued that as sone as by baptisme he was clensed from synne and made a member of Christes mysticall body he shoulde departe from this worlde to the eternall ioye the which bothe by the prouidence of God were fulfilled euen as he had secretly in his minde determined before For cominge to Rome when Sergius was Pope he was baptised on easter eue the yere after the incarnation of Christ 689. and wearing yet the white apparel and robes of innocency which were put vppon him in baptisme fell sicke and died the 20. day of Aprill Whome the Pope at his baptisme named Peter that he might beare that holy name of the Apstole whose sepulchre and tūbe he came to see with good zeale and deuotion many hundred myles and buried him honorably in his churche And at the Popes commaundement an Epitahphe was engraued vppon his toumbe◠that bothe the remembraunce of his good zeale and deuotion might continewe in admiration trough out all ages and the readers and hearers also might be stirred to the leeke godlynesse and deuotion The epitaphe was written after this sorte An Epitaphe vpon kinge Cedwall All dignities and wordly wealthe all princely ioye and mirth All palaces and castells stronge all ladies of greate birth All triumphe all princely attire all precious pearle and pride The feruent loue of heuenly blesse made Cedwalle set a syde And spedely to Peters seate and monuments at Rome His fleshly lustes and filthy synnes with baptisme to ouercome Through daungerous seas and hougely hilles a pilgrimage to make And happely the ioyfull starre to endlesse comforte take Incontinent when his repaire was knowen among the states Full courteously they met him all and brought him to their gates Pope Sergius perceauinge eke his zeale and godly minde Did ioyfully baptise him streyt and from his synnes vnbinde He altered his propre name and did him Peter calle Delyueringe him from Sathans snare from mysery and from mysery and from thral But innocent lyfe this worthy wight on earthe did not longe kepe VVithin fewe days death did approche and rocked him a slepe Vndoubtedly greate was his faith greate was the mercy of Christ VVhose iudgments who so seketh oute shall creke when he is highst From Britanny that famousisle to Rome he saffly past The monuments and Apostles tumbes he sawe al at his later cast Deathes fyery dart his hart did perce and brought him to the groūde VVhere foysteringe mans carcas lyeth vntill the trumpet sounde Here couered with marbel stone his body lyeth at ease In paradise his soule abideth Gods wrath he did appease Then euident it is that he who from his realme did range For earthly things did heauen obtaine and lost naught by exchange An other epitaphe Here Cedwall is buried otherwise named Peter kinge of the weast Saxons who died the xx of Aprill in the seconde indiction and lyued thyrty yeares or ther aboute when that noble and mighty prince Iustinian was Emperour of Rome and had raigned iiij yeres in the empire and Sergius a trewe paterne of the Apostles had sate ij yeres in Peters seate As this good kinge Cedwall was takinge his iourney to Rome Huu one of the kinges bloud suceeded into the croune of that realme who after he had raigned there 37. yeares gaue ouer his kingdome and committed the gouernaunce of it to his children and went him selfe to the tumbes and monuments of the Apostles in Rome Gregory beinge the Pope hauinge an ernest desyre to wander leeke a pilgreme here in earthe for a tyme aboute such holy places that at the lenght he mighte be more willingly receaued of the blessed saintes in heauen the which practise in those dayes many englishmen both of the nobility and commons spirituall and temporal men and women wer wonte to vse with much emulation Of the death of Archebishop Theodore The. 8. Chapter THE yere after kinge Cedwall died at Rome that is to say the yere of our Lorde 690. archebishop Theodore worthy of perpetuall remembraunce for his singular vertues beinge very olde and in those yeres to which men commonly by course of nature may come to wit foure score and eight departed out of this wordle The which number of yeres that he should lyue and see was signified vnto him by reuelation in a dreame as to his familiare fryndes he was wont to make reporte He continued in his bishoprike xxij yeres and was buried in sainct Peters church where al the other bishops of Cāterbury ar buried Of whom with the rest of his felowes equal both in dignity and degree it may be truly verified that their names shal liue in glory frō generati to generation time out of minde for that I may vse fewe woordes the church of Englande for the time he was archbisshoppe receaued so much comforte and encrease in spirituall matters as they could neuer before nor after As touching his personage his lyfe his age and manner of death the epytaphe written vppon his tumbe in fowre and thirthy heroicall verses dothe manyfestly sett owte to all that haue accesse thither of the which these are the iiij off the first A woorthy prelate lyeth here fast closed in this graue To whome the name of Theodore the greekes most iustly gaue VVith tytle ryght the souerayntye hauynge of eche degree Christes flocke he fed with trewe doctrine as almen do welsee iiij of the last His sowle was sett at liberty that lumpyshe lumpe of claye Dyssolued when September had put nynetene dayes away And couetinge their feloship that lyueth a godly lyfe Is companyd with angells hie voyd off all care and stryfe Howe after the death of Theodore Berechtwalde toke the archbysshopricke vppon hym and amongst many other bysshopps consecrated and orderyd by him he made Tobye a man very well lernyd bysshopp of Rochestre The. 9. Chap. BErechtwald succedyd Theodore and was archbysshoppe of Canterburye who before was abbot of a monastery lyinge hard by the north entree of the ryuer Glade otherwise callyd Rachwulf a man dowtlesse well traueled in the knowledge of holy scripture and very skyllfull both in ecclesiasticall and Monastical ordres censures and disciplynes but nothynge to be compared to