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
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
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
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
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
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
time he gaue to Penda sonne to Pendam the hethen because by mariage he was now his cosen the kingdome of the south Marshes contayning as men saie fyue thousand familes diuided by the riuer Trent from the Northmarshes whose lande contayneth 7000. familes or housholdes But the same Penda the next spring after was trayterously slayne by the treason as they saie of his owne wife in the very tyme of Easter Thre yeares after the victory of Oswin and the death of Pendam the hethen the Nobilitie of the Marshes Immin Eaba and Eadbert rebelled against kinge Oswin auauncing to the crowne VVulfher sonne to Pendam a younge man whom vntell that tyme they had kept preuy Thus expelling the gouuernours sett ouer them by kinge Oswin who was not their naturall kinge they recouered agayne valiauntlye their liberty and their landes liuing from that time forewarde free vnder a kinge of their owne bloude and seruing ioyefully the true king of all kinges Christe our Sauiour to be at lenght partakners of his euerlasting kingdom in heauen This VVulfher raigned ouer the Marshes xvij yeres His first bishop as we saied before was Trumber the second Iaroman the third Ceadda the fourth VVinfride All these in continual succession were bishops of the Marshes vnder kinge Wulf her How the controuersy about the obseruation of Easter was moued against those which came out of Scotland The. 25. Chapter IN the meane while after the death of Aidan FinaÌ„ succeded in the bishoprik of Northumberland sent and consecrated of the Scottes Who in holy Iland builded a church mete for a bishops see Yet not of stone but of oken tymber and thatche worke as the maner of Scottes was This church afterward the most reuerend father Theodore Archebishop of Caunterbury dedicated in the honour of S. Peter the Apostle Eadbert also the bishop after of that place couered the churche bothe the ruffe and the walles with lead About this time a great controuersy was moued touching the obseruation of Easter The bishops of Fraunce and kent affirmed that the Scottes obserued the Sonday of Easter contrary to the accustomed maner of the vniuersall church And amonge them one Roman a Scott borne but yet instructed in the truthe in Fraunce and Italie and therefore an earnest and stoute defender of the true obseruation of Easter Who couplingand disputing of this matter with Finanus the bishop induced many to the truthe and enflamed other to a farder serche and examination of the question but with Finanus him self he could nothinge preuaile but rather exasperated him being a hasty nature man and made him an open aduersary to the cause Iames that reueâ—ent deacoÌ„ of tharchbishop Paulin with al such as he coÌ„uerted to the faith obserued the true and catholike time of Easter EaÌ„ fled also the quene king Oswins wife with al her train and coÌ„pany obserued after the same maner according as she had sene it practised in keÌ„t bringing with her one RomaÌ„ out of keÌ„t a catholike priest By this variaunce it happened ofteÌ„times that in one yere two Esters wer kept As the king breaking vp his fast and soleÌ„nising the feste of easter the Quene with her coÌ„pany cotinued yet the fast and kept palme SuÌ„day Yet this diuersite of obseruing Easter as longe as Aidan liued was of all men tolerated knowing very well that though in obseruing easter he folowed the custome of those with whom he was brought vp yet he beleued as al holy men did and kept vnitie and loue with al. Vpon which consideration he was beloued of all men euen those which varied from him in that opinion and was reuerenced not only of the meane and common sort but also of Honorius the Archebishop of Caunterbury and of Felix the bishop of the east english But after the death of Finanus which succeded him Colman being made bishop sent also out of Scotland the controuersy began to increase and other variaunces touching externall trade of life were stirred vp By occasion wherof many begaÌ„ to fear and doubt lest bearing the name of ChristiaÌ„s they did ruÌ„ne as the Apostle saieth or had runne in vaine This controuersy reached euen to the princes theÌ„ selues to king Oswin and his sonne Alcfrid For Oswin being brought vp and baptised of the Scottes and skilfull also of their tounge thought the maner which they obserued to be the best and most agreable to truthe Contrary wise Alck frid the kinges sonne being instructed of the lerned man VVilfrid preferred worthely his iudgement before al the traditions of the Scottes This VVilfrid for better instruction and lerninges sake had trauailed to Rome and liued also a longe time with Dalphinus the Archebishop of Lyons in Fraunce of whom also he tooke benet and collet To this lerned Prince Alcfrid gaue a monastery of fourty families in a place which is called Humpum The Scottes before were in possessioÌ„ of that monastery But bicause after the decision of this controuersie they chose rather of their owne accorde to departe and yelde vp the place then to chaunge their accustomed maner of obseruing the Easter it was geuen by the prince to him who bothe for lerning and vertu was worthy thereof About this time Agilbert bishop of the west saxoÌ„s a freÌ„de of Prince Alcfrid and VVilfrid the Abbot came to the prouince of Northumberland and staied there with them for a space Who in the meane while at the request of Alc srid made VVilfride a priest He had in his company also at that time one Agatho a priest At their presence therfore the question being renewed and much talked of they agreed on bothe sides that in the monasterie of Stranshalch where that deuout and vertuous woman Hilda was Abbesse a Synod should be kept for the decidyng of this question and other then in controuersy To this Synod came bothe the kinges Oswin the father and Alcfrid the sonne With king Oswin stode bishop Colman with his clergy of Scotland Hilda also the Abbesse with her company among whom was Cedda that reuereÌ„t bishop lately consecrated of the Scottes as we haue touched before who in that assemble was a most diligent interpreter on both sides For the other opinion which kinge Alcfrid folowed Agilbert the bishop stode with Agatho and VVilfrid priestes Iacobus and also Romanus two other lerned men stode of that side First then kinge Oswin premising that it behoued those which serued one God to kepe one order and rule in seruing the same nor to vary here in celebrating the heauenly sacramentes who looked all for one kingdom in heauen but rather that the truthe ought to be serched out of all and folowed vniformely of euery one commaunded his bisshop Colman first to declare what his obseruation was whence he receiued it and whom he folowed therein The bishop aunswered and saied The Easter which I obserue I haue receiued of my forefathers of whom I was sent hether bishop who all being vertuous and godly men haue after 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
encouraged wyth the comfort of S. Gregorie returned to preache the word of God with the seruauntes of Christ which wer with him and came in to Brytanny Ethelbert at that time was kyng of kent a man of greate powessance as the whiche had enlarged the fruntures of his empier as far as the greate flud Humber by the whiche the west and northe Englishe ar diuided At the easte ende of kent there is the I le of Tenet 600. miles in cumpasse according to the estimation of Englishe miles whiche Ilande is parted from the lande by the flud VVantsome whiche is of iij. furlonges bredthe and in ij places only passable for bothe the heddes of him runeth in to the sea In that Iland was Augustine set on land and his fellowes to the number of almost forty persons They tooke withe them certayne Frenche men to be theyr interpretours according as Gregorye had commaunded And sendinge vnto the kynge Ethelbert they sent him worde that they came from Rome and that they brought him very good tydinges that is to wytt that such as shoulde followe and obey his doctrine they shoulde enioye an euerlasting kyngdome in heauen with the true and liuing God Whiche hearing this commaunded that they shoulde tarry in the said Iland hauing The first face shewe and maner of preaching the ghospel to vs Englishmen by S. Augustin our Apostle in the presence of Elbert then kinge of kent c An. 596. all thinges necessary ministred vnto them vntill they shoulde heare farder of his pleasure For the brute of Christian religion had come before vnto him as the whiche had maried a Christian woman of the countrye of Fraunce named Bertha whome he maried with these conditions taken of her parents that it shoulde be laufull for her to kepe vnbroken the rites of her faythe and religion wyth her bysshope Luidharde by name whome they appoynted her to assiste and helpe her in matters of her faythe Wythin fewe dayse herof the kynge came vnto the Iland and sitting a brode he bid Augustine with his fellowes to come to common wyth him He wold not suffer him to come vnto him into any house least if they wer skilfull in sorcery they might the rather deceiue him and preuaile against him But they came not armed with the force of the diuell but endewed withe the strength of God carying before them in place of a banner a Crosse ofsyluer and the image of ower Sauiour paynted in a table and singing the letanies prayed bothe for themselues and also for them to whome and for whose sake they came thether And when they sitting downe as the kyng did byd them preached vnto him the worde of life and also to all his houshoulde there present he answered them saying yow geue vs very fayer wordes and promisses but yet for that they ar straunge and vnknowen vnto me I can not rashly assent vnto them forsakyng that auncient religion whiche this longe both I and my people haue obserued But for so much as yow ar come so far to th entent yow might part vnto vs suche knowleadge as yow take to be right true and good we will not seeke yower troble but rather wyth all courtesey receiue yow and ministre yow such thinges as ar behouefull for yower liuelioud Nether do we let but that yow may wynne vnto yower profession wythe yower preaching as many as yow canne He allowed them therfore a lodging in the cittye of Cantorbury whiche was the head cittye of his dominion and as he promised prouided them of necessaries and freely licenced them to preach It is sayd that as they approched neare the citty hauing the crosse and image of our kyng and Sauiour Iesus Christ caried as their maner was before them they songe all in one tune this letany following VVe beseche the o Lord for thy great mercy sake that thy furye and thyn angre may be taken from this citty and from thy holy house bycause we haue synned Alleluya How the sayd Austen liuing in kent did follow the primatiue church both in teaching and liuing and of CauÌ„terbury the place of the kinges abode was created Bishop The. 26. Chapter AFter they wer now entred in to their lodging they began to expresse the very Apostolik order of liuing of the primitiue church seruing God in continuall prayer watching and fasting and preaching the worde of life to as many as they could despising the commodities of the worlde as thinges none of their owne taking of them whom they instructed only so much as might serue their necessities liuing them selues according to that they taught other and being ready to suffer both troubles and death it selfe in defense of the truth they taught Wherebye many did beleue and wer baptised maruailing much at the simplicite of their innocent liuing and the sweetnes of their heauenly doctrine There was at the east ende of the citty an auncient church buylt in the honor of saint Marâ—ine made while the Romans wer yet dwelling in England in the which the quene which as we haue sayd was a Christen woman did vse commonly to pray They also resorted commonly to the sayde church and began there first to syng seruice say masse pray preache and christen vntill such time as the kyng being conuerted vnto the faith they receiued more ample licence to preach where they would and either to buylde of new or repayre owld churches But when the kyng him selfe being much delighted wyth the purite of their life and thexample of their godly conuersation as also with their swete promises which to be true thei proued by the working of many miracles did beleue and was baptised there began more and more dayly to resort vnto their sermons and renouncing the rites of their owld gentilite to ioyne them selues by the fayth to the vnitie of the holy church of Christe Of whose faith and coÌ„uersion though the king much reioyced yet he would force none to becomme Christian but only shew him selfe in outward apparance more frendly vnto the faithfull as companions of one kingdome of heauen with him For why he had learned of these his masters that the seruice of Christ must be voluntary and not forced And without any farder delay he appointed out for his sayd doctours a place and see semely for their degrees in his head citty of Cantorbury and gaue them possessions necessary for the maintenance therof How he being created bishop did aduertise Gregory the Pope of such thinges as he had don in Britanny and required his counsell vppon certaine incident cases The. 27. Chap. AFter this the seruaunt of God Augustine came to Arles where of Etherius Archebishoppe of the sayd citty he was created Archebisshop of the nation of the Enhlish men according as S. Gregory the Pope had commaunded And returning vnto Britanny he sent forthwith Laurence priest and Peter monke vnto Rome which should make relation vnto saint Gregory how that the English men had receiued the
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
mercie of God doe hope and beleaue that not only king Adelwaldes subiectes but also all the next dwellers and inhabitauntes abowt him shall receiue by your preching parfect saluation and life euerlasting To the entent that as it is writen the reward of your pâ—rfit and ended worke be geuen yowe from our Lorde the geauer of all good thinges And at the length the vniuersall confession of all nations receiuing the veritie of Christian fayth maye manifestly declare that their sounde hath gon for the ouer all the earth and their wordes euen to the vttermost partes of all the wordle Wherfore of our bounteousnes we haue sent yow by the bearers of our present letters a palle Which we geue yow lycence to vse only in the celebration of the moste holy mysteries graunting yow moreouer by the grace and mercye of our Lorde the ordeyning of Bishops when occasion shall require For so the gospell of Christe by the preching of manye maye the better be spredd ouer all nations that be not yet conuerted Let therefore your brotherly charite keape with a pure minde and sincere intention this authorite which it hath nowe receiued by the bountifulnes of the see Apostolique In remembrance and token whereof yowe shall here receiue to your vse as prelat there this Robe which we send you It remaineth that calling continually for the mercye and grace of our Lorde you endeuoure to be such a man as maie vse the rewarde of this our graunted and geauen autorite worthelye and not to anye daunger or losse of sowles but rather that yow maye be able to shewe and present thesame hereafter before the iudgement seate of the hiest and most assured Iudge to come with the gaine of manie sowles to God Who keape and preserue yow alwayes in healthe most derely beloued brother Of the raigne of king Edwyne and how Pauline comming thither to preche the gospell first baptised his daughter in Christian faith an others with her The. 9. Chapter ABout this time the people also of Northumberlande that is the English men which dwelled towarde the Northsyde of the fludde Humber receiued together with their king Edwyne the worde of faith by the preching of Pauline of whome I haue sumwhat spoken aboue To the which king in a good abodement of receiuing the faithe was graunted both possibilite of the kingdome of heauen and also greater poure by thincrease of his kingdome on earthe For he had subdued all the coastes of Britannie whersoeuer anie prouinces or of Englishmen or Britons were inhabited which thing no one kinge of English men had done before him Moreouer he added as we haue shewed before the Meuian yles to the Englishe kingdome Of which yles the first that is nerest the South and in situation larger and for the plentifulnes of corne more fertyle hath dwelling rome for the number of 960. families to the estimate of English men The seconde hath space of grounde but for 300. tenements or somwhat more Now the occasion that these peoples came to the faith was suche The before named king Edwine was ioyned in affinite to the kinge of kent by the marriage of Ladie Edelburge otherwise called Tate daughter to king Elbert Which Ladie when king Edwine woed sending thether his embassadours answer was geuen by her hrother Edbald then king of Kent that it was not lawfull for a Christian woman and virgin to be maried or spoused to a paynime leste the faith and sacramente of the king of heauen might be profaned by the companie of suche a king as knew not the trew worshipping of God Which answer when the embassadours brought backe to kinge Edwine he promised that in anie case he wold doe nothing that shuld be contrarie to the Christian faith which this virgin professed but rather permitte that she with all the men and women priestes or seruaÌ„ts which came with her shuld keape and obserue after the ChristiaÌ„s maner their faith and customes of their religion Neither did he denie but that himselfe also would receaue the same religion so that after the examination of wise men it were founde more holie then his and meter for God Then vppon these conditions this virgin was promised and sent also vnto kinge Edwine And according to appointment made the man of God Paulinus was ordained Bishop and chosen to goe with her to confirme her and her companie that they might not be polluted with the felowship of painimes Who did so by his daylie exhortations and ministringe the blessed sacrameÌ„te vnto theÌ„ This Paulinus was made bishop by Iustus tharchbishop of Caunterbury aboute the 21. daye of Iulie the yeare of our Lorde 625. Being ordained he is directed in company with the aboue mentioned virgin vnto king Edwine as if he had ben her bodely compagnion but the vertuous bishop entended wholly in his harte nought els then to call that countrie to which he weÌ„t to thacknowleadging of the truth that according to the sayeng of the Apostle he might exhibet and present hit as a chaste virgin to the true and only spouse which is Christe When he was now commen into this countrie with the healpe and ayde of God he laboured ernestly to keape them which came with him from falling froÌ„ their faith And sought also how he might possibly conuert by preching some of those painims to faith and grace But as the Apostle saith Although he loÌ„g laboured in preching the word of our Lord to them yet the God of this worlde so blinded the hartes of thâ—sâ— infidels that the light of the gospell and the glorie of Christe could not shyne before them The yeare folowing there came into this cuntrie a desperate ruffian named Ewmere sent thither by Euichelme kinge of the west Saxons Who entending to dispatche kinge Edwine both of his kingdome and life to brought priuely vnder his garment a double egged short swerd to this entent dipped in poyson that if the stroke of the swerde were not forceable enough to kill the king out of hand yet it might be healped forward with the infection of the poison He came therfore on Ester Sondaye vnto the king who laye at the ryuer Deruent where was the courte then He entred ther into the palace as an embassadour which had earnest message from his prince and when with craftie speache he had a litle made the prince attent to his fained embassaye he steppeth forth sodenly and drawing his swerd from vnder his garment flew to the kinge Which when Lilla the kinges moste faithful seruant sawe and hauing no buckler readie at hand wherewith he might defend the king from present deathe stept straightwaie with his owne bodie betwen the kinge and the stroke But this murderer strooke his swerd so farre and feercely in them bothe that through the bodie of this seruaunt now quight slayne he wounded the king himselfe greuously Which thing when he had thus donne being straightwaye besette with the weapons of the kinges garde
persuade king Redwald that neyther he himselfe shuld hurte yowe nor yealde yowe vp to your enemies that they myght slaye yow When Edwyne answered that he would geaue all that he possible could to anie suche a one for reward of so good a turne this maÌ„ added moreouer and sayde But what if besyde this he do warrant you that ye shal be a kinge and all your enemies vanquished yea and that in suche sorte that you shall not only excell all your auncient progenitours but also far passe in powre all the kinges of Englishemen which haue euer ben in this couÌ„trie Here Edwyne being made more firme and constant by ofte questioning doubted not to promis that in all pointes and at all tymes he wold be answerable with worthie thankes geauing to the man that shuld bestowe on him such greate benefites Then this man spake the thyrd tyme and sayde But tell me againe what yf besyde all this the same man which sheweth yow now before truly and vnfaynedly that yow shall hereafter surely and vndoubtedly doubtedly haue suche and so greate benefites can geaue yowe also better couÌ„sell and more profitable for your sowles health and saluation then euer any your parentes and auncesters heard of could ye then consent and obey him and harken to his holsome sayenges Here Edwyne promised owt of hand without anie lenger delaye that he would altogether followe his lerning and doctrine which both could and would deliuer him presently from so manie miseries and so greate daungers as he was in and exalte him afterward to the raygne and souerantie of his countrie Which his answer was heard and taken Then this man straightwaye which had so long talked with him layde his right hande vpon Edwines heade and said when these thinges therfore shall happen herafter in suche sorte to yowe remember well this tyme and this our talke And differ not at that time to fulfil and accomplishe this that yow do nowe promesse me Which being sayde by and by he vanished awaye To the entent that Edwine might vnderstand and perceaue that it was no man but a ghoste which appeared to him Now when this younge prince was lefte alone and sate there solitarie reioysing with himselfe for this gentle consolation and good comforte but yet very careful and muche counting with himselfe who it shuld be or whence he shuld come which had thus spoken and talked familiarly with him beholde his forsayd frende came againe and greating him cherfully Arise Edwine sayde he and come in Let passe this your carke and cares Set your harte at rest and take your quiet sleape For the kinges minde is chaunged Neither dothe he purpose nowe or intend to doe yow any wronge but ratheâ— to defend yowe and accomplishe his promised fayth vnto yowe For after he had shewed the Quene in secret that his purpose which I told yowe of before â—he dehorted him moste ernestly and withdrew him from so euill and so deadly an intention saying that it was in no wise mete for suche a king of so greate proweâ—e and honour as he was to sell his best and derest frend being now browght into straightes and miserie for a litle gold Nor that he should breake his faith and promesse which owght to be more estemed then al treasures or not bide by his word for the coueit and loue of monie But to be shorte the king did euen as his Ladie had counselled him to doe For he not only not betrayed and yelded to thembassadours this his banished man Edwine but helped him rather to the kingdome For as sone as these embassad ours were thus with deniall departed home againe he gathered incontineÌ„tly a myghtie armie to conquer king Edelfrede Whome he slewe without difficultie bicause he marched forth against him hastely and with a weake and vnordred oste in the borders of the Marchland men at the Este syde of the riuer called Idle For in deade kinge Edelfride had not time and space enowgh grawnted him to gather all his force together and to ioygne his powre with well disposing his hoste and sowldiers in order In this skirmishe Renier king Redwalds sonne was slayne And thus Edwin according to the oracle which he had receiued not only auoyded the dawnger of his most dedly enemie but also by his death succeded in thonor of his Souerainte and kingdome Now therfore to returne againe vnto my purpose thowgh Bishop Pawline seriously preched the word of God yet kinge Edwine slacked and lengered to beleaue him Vsing yet for a certaine space at diuers competent howres to sitte solitarie as I haue sayde before and diligently to compte with him selfe what were best to be donne and what religion was best to be folowed At which solitary meditation of the prince this good and godly bishoppe Pawline entred on a daye in to the palace and cominge to the kinge laied his right hand on his heade and asked hym whether he remembred that sygne or no The king sodenly trembled therat for feare And when he wold haue fallen downe at Paulinus feate the bishoppe lyfted him vppe and spake after a familiar sorte thus vnto him Behold o Soueraine Prince by the bountifull hand and powre of our Lorde and God you haue eskaped the hande and vengeance of your moste hated and dredfull enemie Behold also by his most gratiouse goodnes you haue obtained the Soueraintie of raigne and rule of the kingdome Remember now therfore the third thinge which yowe promised him and differ no lenger to performe and accomplishe the same by receauing his faithe and keaping his commaundements who hath deliuered you from your temporall aduersities and exalted you to the honour and maieste of a king Whose holy will yf you will hereafter obey and euer more doe his pleasure which by me he preacheth and declareth to yowe he will also deliuer you from the perpetuall tormente of hell and make you partakener with him in heauen of eternall kingdome and blesse without end What counsell king Edwyne had of the nobles and peares of his royalme for the receiuing of Christian faithe and how one of his Bisshops profaned and brake downe the Idols aulters The 13. Chapter WHich worde when the kinge heard he answered immediatly bothe that he would and also that he was bounde to receaue this faithe which B. Pauline had preched and taught But yet I thinke it good quoth he first to confer and common herof with my frendes the nobilitie and peares of my realme that if they shall happely thinke herein as I doe then we maye be Christened all together in the founte of lyfe Whereunto when Byshop Pauline agreed king Edwyne calling the states together consulted with them And asked seuerally eche of them what maner of doctrine this semed to be which vntill that daye had neuer ben head of before And how they liked the honour and worshipping of this new God whiche was preached nowe emongest them To whome Bishop Coyfi first of all his Bishops
and before he was yet baptised Layeng therfore depe foundations aboute this his first oratorie he began to buylde there a fayre churche fowre square But before the wall therof came to his iuste hyghnes the king was slayne by cruell deathe and lefte that royall worke to be endyd and parfyted by kyng Oswald his successour Now Pauline from that time 6. yeares after that is to the end of king Edwynes raygne preched the word of God continually by his good leaue and fauour throughe out all that prouince And they beleaued him and were Christened who were preordinated to lyfe euerlasting emongest whome was Offride and Eadfride king Edwynes sonnes Which he had in his banishement by dame Quenburge daughter to Cearle king of the Marshes After whome his other children which he had by Queene Edelburge were baptised as his sonne Edilhune his daughter Edilfride and an other of his sonnes called Buskfrea of which the ij first were taken oute of this mortall lyfe in their infancie or tender youthe and buryed in the church of Yorke Iffy also Offride his sonne was Christened too with manie other of the nobilitie and diuers honorable men And as it is reported then was the feruour of faithe and ernest desyre of holie baptisme so greate emongest the people of Northumberland that on a certaine time when bishop Pauline came with the kings and Quenes maiestie to the courte or princes palacie at Adregin he stayed there with them 36. dayes only occupied in catechising and instructing the people in Christe his faithe and afterward baptising them in eche of the which dayes he did nothing els from morning to euenynge but instructe them with the word of God and teach theÌ„ the faith and saluation in Christe Iesus which flocked thither out of all places and villages theraboute Whome after he had thus informed and taught he baptised in the fludde Elene For that was the next nere water which he could conueniently vse for baptim This towne Adregin in the time of the kinge and aftercommers waxed rude and deserte And an other was buylt vp for hit in a place called Melwyn And this muche dyd byshop Pawline in the Bernicians prouince But in the couÌ„trie of the Deires where he laie most coÌ„monly with the kinge he baptised in the fludde Suale which renneth fast by a village adioyned to Cataracte For as yet there could not be buylded oratories fountes or places of baptisme in this newe begon and late founded churche But yet was there buylte a greate church in the coast and champyon called Dâ—wne Where was an other of the kinges courtes and palace Which church the painims that slewe king Edwine bâ—rned afterward with the whole village In sted of the which palace the kinges euer after made their mansion place in the country called Loides But the aultar of the before mentioned churche eskaped the fire bycause it was made of stone And is kept to this present daye in the monasterie of the right reuerend Abbot and priest Trunwulfe standing in the wodde Elmete How the prouince of the Este English receiued the fayth of Christ. The. 15. Chap. NOw had king Edwine by common reporte suche a zele and ernest deuotion toward the Christian faithe that he perswadid Carpwald kinge Redwalds sonne and king of the Est English to leaâ—â— of the vaine superstition of idols and to come with his whole royalme and embrace the true faythe and receaue the sacramentes of Christe his churche For his father king Redwald before him was Christened in kent but alas in vaine For returning home againe he was seduced by his wyfe and certaine other peruerse doctours And being in suche wyse depraued from the sincerite and purenesse of fayth his end was worse then his beginning For he would seme after the maner of the olde Samaritanes to serue both Christe and his owne false Godes to as he dyd before And in one temple he had erectyd an aultar for the sacrifice of Christe and an other litle aultar for burnt sacrifices to his Idols and dyuels The which temple Aldwolfe kinge of that prouince after him who lyued in this ourâ—age sayde that it dured so vnto his time and witnessed that he sawe it himselfe in his childhoode Truly this before named king Redwald was a noble prince of byrthe althowgh vile and base in his actes and deades For he was king Tityls sonne whose fathers name was Woffa of whome the kinges of the east english men are called Woffinges But king Carpwald not long after he had ben Christened was slayne by a gentile and paynim named Richbert And froÌ„ that time 3. yeares after the prouince liued in gentâ—lite falling from Christian religion vntyll at the last Sibert king Carpwalds brother toke the kingdome a man in all pointes lerned and most Christian. Who whiles his brother was yet alyue lyuing bannished in Fraunce was Christened there and instructed in the holy mysteries of our faythe of which he went about to make all his royalme partakener as sone as he came to the crowne To whose good endeuour herin bishopp Felix dyd moste ernestly fauoure and with greate praise applie himselfe Who when he came from Burgundie where he was borne and toke holie orders into Britanny to Honorius tharchbishop and had opened this his desire and godly purpose vnto him the Archebishopp gladly gaue him licence and sent him furthe to preche the worde of God vnto the foresayde Este English Wher certes his zele and vertuous desire proued not in vayne For this holie husbande man and happie tiller of the spirituall filde founde in that nation plentifulnes of fruite and encrease of people that beleaued him For he browght all that prouince beinge now delyuered by his healpe from their long iniquite and vnhappines vnto the fayth and workes of iustice and in the end reward of perpetuall bâ—isse and happines for euer according to the good abodement of his name whiche in Lattin is called Felix and in our Englishe tounge soundeth happie He was Byshopp in the cite of Dummocke afterward Where when he had ruled the churche of Christe 17. yeares in that dignite and in that prouince he endyd his life in peace How Pawlyne preched in the prouince of Lindisse and of the state of king Edwynes raygne The. 16. Chap. BVt Byshopp Pawlyne continued styll and at this tyme preched the worde of God in the prouince of Lindisse which is the next toward the South bancke of Humber bending euen vnto the seas side where he first conuerted to our Lord the maior of Lincolne whose name was Blecca withal his howseholde In the which citie he buylt a well wrowght churche of stone the rouffe whereof eyther for long lacke of reparations or by the spoyle of enemies is nowe cast downe But the walles thereof stand yet to be seene at this present daie and yearly some or other miracles are wont to be showen ther to the greate good and comforte of
and prouide that the poysoned infection of so dedly an heresie sinke no farder into your myndes but labour as ye may vtterly to forgett it For ye ought to remembre howe this execrable heresie hath longe sithens ben condemned And hathe ben abolished and put owte of remembrance not only these ij hundred yeares but is also yet at this present daylie condemned of vs with continuall curses and all they excommunicated which folowe thesame We therfore exhorte and request yowe that ye suffer not their asshes to be stirred and blowen vp emongest yowe whose strength and weapons be burnt and consumed For what Christen harte is there whiche detesteth not to death and abhorreth their prowde intent and wicked wordes which dare affirme that a man maye lyue and be withowt synne euen of his owne voluntarie will and not throwghe the grace of God And then to consider againe the trueth hereof it is blasphemie and extreme foolishnes to saye that a man is withowt synne For he can not possibly be so Neither euer any was but only the mediator of God and man Christe Iesus our Lorde who was a verie and true man conceyued and borne withowt synne For as for other men they are all borne in oryginall sinne And doe beare the wytnes and token of Adams first preuarication and breaking of Godes commaundement yea althowghe they lyued without actuall synne accordinge to the Prophete saying Behold I was conceiued in iniquite and my mother hathe browght me forthe in sinne c. How after kinge Eduynes deathe bishop Pawlyne returned to kent and there toke the Bysshoprike of Rotchester The 20. Chapter WHen king Edwyne had moste triumphantly raygned ouer the English and Britons bothe the space of xvij yeares in some of whiche as abowt the number of 6. yeares he had himselfe ben subiecte to Christe and euer looked for his raygne and kingdome Cardwell king of the Britons made a rebellion against him hauing ayde and succor therunto of Penda a stowght man and of the kinges bloud of Marshland Ouer which nation afterward he had by dyuers chaunces and fortune rule and gouernance for the space of xxij yeares Nowe when they had thus ioyned battaile and entred fight with kinge Edwine in a great large and plaine field called thereof Hethfilde they slewe him there at the last the. 4. daye of October in the yeare of our Lorde 633. and of kinge Edwynes age the. 47. yeare whose whole hoste was other presently murdered there or shamefully put to flight In the which warres one of kinge Edwines sonnes that lustie and warlyke yonge prince Offryde was kylled before his father died The other sonne Edfryde of verie vrgent necessite fled vnto kinge Penda for succour Of whome afterward against the promised faythe and his solemne othe he was most cruellye put to deathe in the raygne of kinge Oswald At this tyme there was a verie greauouse persecution in the churche and a fowle murder of the Northumberlandes especially bicause that one of the Capitaines whiche caused this persecution and aduersite was a painim the other thowgh not a paynim yet more feerce and barbarouse thē was any heathen or paynim For kinge Penda with all the nation of the Marshland men was wholly geauen to Idolatrie and altogether heathen and vnchristened But king Cardwell althowgh he had the name of a Christian and professed that lyfe yet was he in mynde and maners so rude and owtrageouse that he woulde not spare eyther womens weaknes or childrens innocencie but put all to deathe withe greauous and bytter torments according to his bestly cruelty and vnmercyfull tyrannie Wasting a longe time and raging oure all the prouinces purposing moreouer with himselfe to exterminate out of the borders of Britannie the whole nation of Englishmen and to extinguish the verie name of them Neither did he ought esteme or anie thing reuerence and honor the Christian religion which the English men had So that vnto this daye the Britons maner and custome is to set light by the faithe and religion of English mē Neither will they in anie one pointe more communicate with them then they wold with heathens and painims Kinge Edwynes head was brought vnto Yorke And afterward carryed into S. Peters churche which churche he himselfe had begon to buylde but his successour king Oswald finished hit as we haue before declared And there layed in S. Gregories chappell By whose disciples and of whose preachers he had in his lyfe time receiued and lerned the word of true lyfe Thus was the state of Northumberlande muche troubled with this greate slaughter and cruell persecution Seing therfore there was none other remedie nor anie saftie could befounde but only by flight bishop Pauline accompaning the good Quene Edelburge with whome not longe before he came into that cuntrie tooke shipp and returned againe to kent And was there verie honorably receiued of Honorius the Archebishop and of kinge Edulbald His guide and gouerner in iorning vnto kent was Bassus one of the strongest of kinge Edwynes chiefe garde This bishop brought awaye with him from the cuntries of Northūberlande Eanfride king Edwynes daughter and Wulcfrea his sonne Iffy also Offrides sonne and nephue to king Edwyne Which ij yonge princely childrē this tender mother for feare of kinge Edbald and Oswald sent into Fraūce to be brought vp in king Dagoberts courte Wher they both died in their infancie And were buried in the high church with such honour as is mete for kinges sōnes and innocēt babes of Iesus Christe He brought moreouer away with him much pretious plate of king Edwynes amongest which was a greate goldē crosse and a goldē chalice cōsecrated for the ministerie of the aultar which are yet both reserued and to be seē at this day in the Cathedral church of Caunterbury Now was the see of Rotchester vacāt at this time For Romanus bishop therof sent frō the Archebishop Iustus legat to Pope Honorius was drowned in the tēpest going to Italie Thē bishop Pauline at the offer of bishop Honorius and at king Edubaldes request toke that charge on him and kept Rotchester dioces vntill at his full and rype age he quietly departed this transitorie lyfe and was receiued into the blesse of heauen with the godly fruite and reward of his labours and trauailes that he suffred here on earthe for Christe his truthe and Gospell Who at his decease lefte in his churche of Rotchester his palle which he had receifrom the Pope of Rome And in his Archebishoprike of Yorke he lefte Iames his deacon a good and godly mā Who liuing long after in that churche by preching and baptising toke manie prayes out of the diuels teathe and wonne manie soules vnto Christe Of whose name the village hath a name at this daye in which he for the most part abode and dwelled nere vnto Cataracte Who bycause he was conninge in songe and musycke and also in the office and seruice of the quyre when that contrie was
king entreated him to remaine with him enduing him with a bishoprik in his dominions which at the princes request he accepted and ruled the same people many yeres with priestly authoritie At the lenght the king who could only speake the Saxon tonge being wery of that foren language that Agilbertus vsed did priuely bring into the prouince an other bishop of his owne language named VVini the which also was made bishop in fraunce And diuiding the prouince into two dioceses gaue him a bishops see in the citie of Venta which the Saxons cal Vintancester Wherfor Agilbertus being highly displeased because the king did this without his counsayle returned againe into fraunce and after that he was aduanced to the bishoprike of the cite of Parris there he died an old man and very aged But not many yeres after his departure out of BritaÌ„ny Wini also was by the same king deposed from his bishoprike froÌ„ wheÌ„ce he departed to the king of the Marshes called Vulfhere and of him he bought with mony the see of the cite of LondoÌ„ and coÌ„tinued there bishopto the end of his lif Wherby the prouince of the west SaxoÌ„s lacked no small time a bishop At which time the forsaid king of the west Saxons being very often disquieted in his mind for the great losse and spoile which in his kingdome he susteined by his enemies called at last to his minde how he had wickedly expelled him out of his realme by whom he had receiued the faith of Christ vnderstanding withall that by want and lacke of a bisshop he wanted also the helpe and grace of almighty God Therfore he sent embassadours into fraunce to Agilbert beseeâ—hing him that he wold returne and resume againe his bishoprike offering with all to make satisfaction for that which was past But Agilbert excusing him selfe alleaged that he could in no wise repaire thither because he was bound to abyde at his bishoprike whiche he had in his owne countrey and diocesse Neuerthelesse to th eÌ„d he mought somwhat helpe him who did most earnestly desyre him he sent thither in his stede a certaine priest Eleutherius by name his own nephew who should be made a bishop for him if it were his plesure affirming that he deemed him to be well worthy of his bishoprike This Eleutherius was honourably receiued of the people and the kinge who entreated also Theodore then Archebishop of Caunterbury that Eleutherius should be consecrated their bishop In whiche function he liued and laboured many yeares beinge the only bishoppe of that prouince appointed so by a Synodall decree How Earconbert king of kent gaue commaundement to destroye ydolls and of his daughter Eeartongath and also of his kynse woman Edelburg virgins dedicated to God The. 8. Chap. IN the 640. yere of the incarnation of our Lord Eadbaldus king of kent passing out of this life left the gouernance of the realme to his sonne Earconbert Earconbert did prosperously raigne xxiiij yeres and certaine moneths This was the first king of England who of his princely authoritie commaunded that the idols which were in all his whole realme should be forsaken and destroyed and moreouer that the fast of fourty dayes should be kept And that this his authoritie mought not lightly be contemned of any man he appointed mete and conuenient punishments for the transgressours thereof Eartongath this princes daughter as a worthy childe of such a father was a virgin of greate vertu She serued god in a Monasterie all dayes of her life that was builded in the countree of Fraunce by an honourable Abbesse called Fara in a place named Brige For in those dayes when many monasteries were not yet builded in England many were wont for the loue of religious life to go to the religious houses of Fraunce sending also their daughters to the same to be brought vp and maried into heauenly bridegrome especially to the monasterie of BrigÌ„e and in Cale and also Andilegum Among whom was Sedrido daughter to the wife of Anna king of the east English of which king Anna we haue made mention before and Edelburg the sayd kinges naturall daughter who being straungers and alians were yet both made abbesses of the same monasterie in Brige by reason of their worthy vertues This kinges elder daughter Sexburg wife to Earconbert king of kent had a daughter named Eartongath and of her we will now treate The inhabitans of that place are wont euen at this day to tell of many vertuous dedes and miraculous signes wrought by this holv virgin We only will be contented to speke somewhat shortly of her departure out of this worlde and passage to a better lyfe The time and houre of her calling to God being at hand she began to visit in the monasterie the celles of the sicke especially of such her sisters as either for age or for vertuous conuersation were most notable Vnto whose prayers lowly commending her selfe signified vnto them the houre of her death approching according as she had learned by reuelation The reuelation as she reported was such She said she had seen a company of men apparelled in white enter into the same monasterye of whom asking what they sought for or what they would there it was answered her that they were sent thither to th end they might take with them that golden coyne which came from kent to that place And on the same night in the last part thereof that is to saye when the sonne began to rise she passing ouer the darkenesse of this present world went vp to the light that is aboue Many of the brethren of the same monasterie which were in other houses reported that they heard euen at the same moment the melodie of angels singing together and the noyse as though it were of a very greate multitude coming into the monastery whereuppon uppon they by and by going foorth to knowe what maner a thing it were saw that there was an exceading greate light sent downe from heauen which ledd and conducted that holy soule deliuered out of the pryson of the flesh to the euerlasting ioyes of the heauenly countrye Beside all this they reported of other miracles which were shewed by the hand of god that very night in the selfe same monastery But we passing to other miracles doe leue these to the religious persons of this monastery to report The honorable body of Christes virgin and spouse was buried in the church of S. Steuen that first blessed martyr And it was thought good three dayes after the buriall that the stone wherwith the graue was couered should be layed asyde and reered vp higher in the same place At the doing whereof so pleasaunt a smell and so swete a sauour came from the bottom of the earth that to all the brethern and sisters that stode by there semed as though there were storehouses and cellars of balme naturall opened Yea furthermore Edelburg aunte by the mothers side to this Eartongath of
wilt thou my son that I shall teache the how thou maist be deliuered of the griefe of this sickenesse Ryse goe into the church and when thou comest to Oswalds sepulture sit downe there and abiding quietly cleaue vnto the tumbe beware thou goe not from thence nor stirre out of the place vntill the fitt of feuer shall be past then will I come and bringe the foorth from thens The childe did as the religious man had counsailed him And when he was sitting hard by the holy mans tumbe the sicknes did in no wise presume to attache him but fled incontinently from him as daring not kepe any course with him neither the next daye nor the third daye no yet any time afterward That this was so done the religious man who came from thence reported to me and saith furthermore that at the tyme of his talke with me that younge man on whom when he was but a child this miracle of health was done was yet alyue in the same monastery And it is not to be wondered at that the prayers of that king now reigning with God maye doe muche with him Who hauing sometime the gouernance of a temporall realme accustomed him selfe to continuall and earnest prayer for the euerlasting kingdome Finally men report that he had oftentimes continued in prayer from midnight mattins vntill it were day and by the reason of his common custome of praying or geuing god thankes he was wont alwaies whersoeuer he did sitt to haue his handes vpright vppon his knees Yea it is is said also that he ended his life as he was saying his deuotions For whiles he was compassed about with the artillary and assayled of his ennemies and sawe that he should be slaine immediatly he made his prayer to god to saue those souldiers soules which were in his armye Of the which occasion came vp this prouerbe God haue mercy on their soules quoth Oswald when he died him selfe His bones were conueyghed and buried in the monastery whereof we speake And whereas the king who killed him commaunded that his head and his handes with his armes cut of from the body shuld be hanged vp on poles a yeare after Oswine his successour in the kingdom came with his armie and toke them away burying his head in the churcheyarde of holy Iland churche and laying vpp his handes with his armes in the cytee of Bebba How a certaine man in Ireland being at the pointe of death was by his relikes restored to life The. 13. Chap. THe renowne of this famous man hath passed not only ouer all the borders of Britaine but also spreading the beames of holesome light farre beyonde the Occean sea came to the coastes of Germany and Ireland likewise The right reuerent bishop Acca was wonte to tell that in his iourney to Rome as he passed through Friselande and abode sometime there in the house of VVillibrorde that holy bishop of Friselande with his prelate VVilsride he heard him oftentymes reporte what were done in that prouince by the meanes of the religious relikes of this most vertuous king At what tyme also he being but yet a priest ledde a pilgrimes life in Ireland for the loue he had to the euerlasting countrey he reported that the bruite of this kings holines was then farr abrode sowen in that yle also One miracle whiche he rehersed among other we haue thought good to write in this owr present historye In a tyme of mortalytie sayd this man which by a greate death destroyed Britayne and Ireland a certayne scholer whose auncetours were scottes was stroken with the same pestilence a man skilfull certesse in the studye of learning but one that vsed no diligence and tooke no labour at all for the attayning of his owne euerlasting saluation Who when he saw him selfe to be at deaths doore trembled and was troubled in sprite for death so nye approching fearing as his lewde life deserued to be throwen down into the doungeon of hell And therwith he cryed to me being lodged not far of and fetching depe and sorowfull sighes in a trembling and lamentable voyce made thus his mone vnto me Yow see quoth he that now by the increase of my bodely greefe I draw to the poynt of deathe And I know surely that by and by after the deathe of this my body I shall be taken awaie to the euerlasting death of the soule and that I must endure the torments of hell for that trauayling in the reading of holy writt and occupied alwaies in diuine study I became yet rather a slaue of sinne then a keper of gods holy commaundements But if God of his mercifull goodnes will graunt me any leysure to liue I purpose to amēd my sinfull manners and dispose from hence foorth my whole life to the will and pleasure of almightye God Yet I knowe that I haue not deserued either to haue or to hope for so much truce and respyte to liue except peraduenture by the help of such as haue faithfully serued God he will of his tender mercy vouchsafe to forgeue me so wretched and miserable a synner For we haue heard it commonly reported that there hath ben in your nacion a king of wonderfull holinesse called Oswalde the excellencie of whose faith and vertue yea after his deathe was well knowen by working of many miracles I besech yow therfore if yow haue any of his relikes left with yowe in your keping bring it to me because it may so be that God will haue mercy vpon me through his merits To whome I made this answere forsooth I haue of the tree whereupon his head was sticked after that he was flayne of the paynims and if thou wilt beleue assuredly the mercifull goodnes of God by the merite of so worthye a person may both graunt the longer tyme to leade this life and also make the a meete man to enter into the life euerlasting Who answering me incontinent that he did perfectly beleue so I called for water and blessing it I cast in a chyppe of the forsayde oken tree geuing of the water the sicke man to drinke Foorthwith he began to amend and recouering his health lyued along tyme after and being tourned to God in al hart and deede did openly declare to all men wher euer he came the graciousnesse of our mercifull maker and the glory of his faithful seruaunt How that Thamar when Pauline was deade succeded him in the bishoprike of Rochester and of the meruaylous humilitie of Osuuius whom Oswin killed cruelly The 14. Chapter THis blessed kinge being exalted to the kingdome of heauen his brother Oswin a young man about thirty yeres old toke on him in his steede the gouernaunce of the earthly kingdome and ruled the realme withe greate disquietnesse and trouble the space of eight and twenty yeres For first the paynim and mighty king Penda had warre against him Then the paynim people of the Marshes which slewe his brother made him battaile Also
Romanes parted Britanie from the Scotes xij miles from the East sea Kinge Sigbert being nowe a citezen of the euerlasting kingdome returned to his earthly kingdome requiring of kinge Oswin to haue with him some lerned men and preachers to conuert his countre to the faithe Who sending for Cedda and an other vertuous priest out of the midle land directed them to the east Saxons to preache there the faith Where hauing through out the countre preached a longe time the worde of life and made vp a greate haruest to Christe Cedda departed home againe and came to holy Iland to talke with Finanus the bishop who hearing the prosperous successe of the ghospel and the free course it had calling vnto him two other bishops he consecrated and ordained Cedda bishop of the East Saxons Cedda being made bishop returned to his prouince and began with more authorite to perfit the worke he had begonne erecting in diuers places churches making priestes and Deacons who in preaching and baptising might aide him especially in the cities of Ithancester and Tileburg the one staÌ„ding vpoÌ„ the Tems the other vpoÌ„ a braÌ„che thereof called Pente In which two places assembling together diuers newly Christened he instructed them after the rulers of religious persons as farre as their tender capacite could then conceiue Thus when the heauenly discipline and holy deuotion daily increased to the great ioye of the prince and the comfort of all the people beholde by the instinct of the olde enemy of mankinde this vertuous Prince by the handes of his owne alliauÌ„ce was murthered The cruel executours of this hainous acte were two german brothers Who being examined vpon what motion they committed that detestable fact they answered for no other cause but for that they hated the prince for his ouermuch elemency and mekenes in pardoning his enemies and forgeuing al offences done at the intreating of the parties This lo was their grudge conceiued against the kinge for which they murthered him truly because deuoutely and sincerely he obserued the commaundements of God Though yet in this his giltlesse death a true faulte of his was punished according as the holy bishop Cedde had foretolde him For this Prince hauing in his courte one that liued in vnlauful wedlocke and being therfore excommunicated of the bishop not being able by any other meanes to let that wicked coupling or amend it and not onely he but all other also that would either kepe him company or eate with him the Prince neglected vtterly this sentence of the bishop It fortuned the prince being inuited of the excommunicated man to a feast going thither mette in the waie the bishop at whose sight the kinge being much afeared lighted of from his horse as the bishop also incontinently did falling downe before the bishops feet and asking pardon The bishop being offended with the kinge for the euill example he gaue touching him lying on the ground with the rodde he helde in his hande protested vnto him with a lowde voice and with biâ—hoply authorite saying I tell you bicause you woulde not refraine from the house of that wicked and damnable person in that house you shall die Yet it is to be thought that such a death of so vertuous a man did not only wipe awaie this fault but also increased his merit Bicause he was slaine for vertues sake and for obseruing Gods coÌ„maundements as by the coÌ„fession of those which slew him it appeared before To this Sigbert Suithelme sonne to Sexbald succeded in the kingdom and was baptised of the bisshop Cedda in the prouince of the east englishmen in a towne of the kinges called Rendlesham Edelwald kinge of the east english brother to Anna their former kinge was godfather to this Suidhelme How the same Bisshop Cedda obtaining a place to builde a monastery of kinge Oswald by fasting and praier did consecrat it to God and of his death The 23. Chap. THis man of God Cedda being bishop of the east Saxons vsed yet oftentimes to visit his owne countrie of Northumberland and preache the gospell there Edilwald sonne to kinge Oswald who raigned in parte of Northumberland ouer the people called Deiri perceauing this bisshop to be a holy wise and vertuous man required him to take of his gift a piece of ground toward the building of a monastery wherein he and his people might resort to heare the worde of God to praie and to bury their dead For he beleued he should much be comforted and holpen by their good prayers who should in that place serue God This kinge had in his house Celin brother to bishop Cedda a man of no lesse vertu who preached and ministred the sacramentes for he was a priest to him and all his court By whose meanes he came to the knowleadg of Cedda and was induced to loue him The holy bishop at the kinges request chose out a place to erect a monastery in the high and desert mountaines Where before that time were rather starting holes for theues or dennes for wilde bestes then mete mansion places for men Hereby the prophecy of Esaie semed to be accomplished saying that in the poisonned couches of dragons swete grasse and rushes should growe meaning that the frutes of good workes should blossom and springe where before bestes or men bestly liuing made their abode This vertuous bishop desiring by prayer and fasting to purge as though it were the place from the former filth of iniquites there committed and so to set vpon the foundation of the monastery obtained licence of the kinge all the Lent that then approched to remaine in that place to fast and praie there after his maner In all which time fasting euery daie except the Sondayes vntell the euening as the maner is he receiued then but a litle bread with one egge and a litle milke mingled with water For as he saied the custome of them of whom he lerned the trade of monasticall life was that in the new erecting of any monastery or church the places should be first consecrated to God with fasting and prayer In this his fast ten daies yet only remaining of the fourty the kinge sent for him vpon occasion of certain affaires But to the entent that so godly a purpose might not be interrupted by occasion of the Princes busines though he brake of him selfe yet he intreated Cinbellus his priest and naturall brother to make an ende of that he had begonne Which being of him gladly and vertuously fulfilled he erected the monastery now called Lesting geuing vnto it the same rules and order of religion as the monkes of Holy Iland vsed where he was brought vp in Thus gouuerning both his bishopricke and this monastery many yeares at the length as he visited the monastery in the time of a plage falling sicke there with other died He was first buried abrode but after a church being there builded of stone in the honour of our Lady he was taken
vp and layed at the right side of the aultar The bishop at his departure left the monastery to be gouuerned of his brother Ceadda who after also was made bishop as we shall anon declare For foure german brothers which is a rare thinge Cedd Cymbill Celin and Ceadda wer al vertuous priestes and two of them bishops When it was knowen in Northumberland that their bishop was dead and buried thirty brethern of the monastery which he erected amonge the east Saxons came to the place where he died Desiring by the body of their father either to liue or if it so pleased God to die and be buried there Who being gladly receiued of the brethern in that time of mortalite were all taken out of this life except one litle boye who as it is well knowen was saued by the praiers of the bisshop For liuing many yeares after and studying holy scripture he lerned at lenght that he had not ben yet baptised Whereuppon being forthwith christened afterward was promoted to priesthood and proued a profitable member to the church Of whom we doubt not to pronounce but that as I saied he was by the speciall intercession of that blessed bishop whose bodye of charite he came to visit saued from the danger of death bothe that he might thereby escape eternall death and might be occasion also of life and saluation to other by his doctrine How the prouince of the Marshes receiued the faythe of Christ Penda their kinge being sâ—aâ—en And howe Oswin vowed for the victory against Penda twelue farmeplaces to the building of monasteries The. 24. Chap. IN those daies king Oswin after often and cruell inuasions of the heathen vnmercifull Prince Penda forced of necessite offred him many and most precious iewells with an infinit summe of treasure to redeme quiet and peace to his countre and to cease the continuall wasting and cruel spoyles that he made But the heathen and barbarous tyran yelding nothing to his request and petition but pursuing his deadly enterprise and protesting vtterly to extinguish the whole nation from the highest to the lowest the vertuous kinge Oswald called for helpe of God against the barbarous impiete of his ennemie vowing and saying sith the infidell regardeth not our presentes let vs offer theÌ„ to our Lord God who will vndoubtedly regard them And withalâ— hâ— vowed that is he had the vpper hand of his enemy his young ' daughter should be consecrated to God in perpetuall virginite and twelue farme places withe the landes appertaining should be conuerted to the erecting of monasteries which being saied he prepared him self to battaill with a very small army The army of the heathen is reported to haue ben thirty tymes more in quantite conteyning thirty whole legions well appointed and gouuerned withe olde tried and valiaunt capitaynes Against all the which kinge Oswin with his sonne marched forth boldely though with a very smal army as we saied yet with a sure confidence in Christ. His other sonne Ecfrid was at that tyme kept in ostage in the prouince of the Mercians vnder Quene Cinwise Edelwald son to kinge Oswald who ought of all reason to haue stode withe his countre and vncle kinge Oswin forsoke bothe and became a capitain vnder the heathen prince Although when the field was begonne he departed a side and getting him to a holde by expected the euent of the battaill Thus meting and coupling together the thirty capitaines of the heathen prince were all put to flight and slaine and with them almost all other whiche from other countres came to aide them Amonge the which was Edilher brother to Anna Kinge of the east english then raigning after his brother who also had ben the chiefe and principall motiue of the battaill And whereas the field was fought nye to the riuer Iuuet it did at that tyme so ouerflowe al the bankes and fieldes about that in the flight more of the enemies were drowned in the water then slaine with the sworde This noble victory being by gods helpe so miracuiously obtained incontinently king Oswin rendring due thankes therefore and perfourming the vowe he had made gaue his daughter Elfled which was yet scant one yeare olde to be brought vp and consecrated to perpetuall virginite and the twelue possessions which he promised for the erecting of monasteries where in stede of worldly tillage and coÌ„modites religious monkes by continuall deuotion might labour to purchase eternall rest and peace for him and the countre Of the which twelue farmes six he appointed in the prouince of the Bernicians and six other in the prouince of the Deirans Eche farme contained ten housholdes which made in all six score The daughter of Oswin entred the monastery of Hartesilond there to be brought vp vnder Hilda the Abbesse in religioÌ„ and perpetuall virginite Who two yeres after purchasing a farme of ten housholdes builded for her selfe a monastery in a place called Stranshalch In the which monastery this kinges daughter was first brought vp as a lerner but was after her selfe a lady and teacher of monasticall life vntell at the age of threscore yeres this vertuous virgin passed to the blessed mariage of her heauenly and longe desired spouse Christ her Sauiour In this monastery she her father Oswin her mother Eanfled and her grandfather kinge Edwin and many other noble personages are buryed in the churche of S. Peter the Apostle This battaill kinge Oswin kept in the countre of Loide the thirtenth yeare of his raighn the xv daie of Nouember to the great quyet and commodite bothe of all his dominions and of the aduersary part also For his owne countre he set at rest and deliuered from the cruell inuasions of his deadly enemies and his aduersaries the Marshes and midleenglish men he brought to the faithe of Christ their wicked head being ones cutt of The first bishop as we saied before bothe of the Marshes and of all the midleenglishmen and also of those of holy Iland was Diuna whiche died in the countre of the middleenglish men The second bishop was Cellach who leauing at length his bishoprick yet liuing returned to ScotlaÌ„d Both these were Scottishmen The third bishop was Trumher an englishman borne but instructed and made byshopp of the Scottes who was also Abbat of Ingethling monastery builded in the place where kinge Osuuius was slaine For Quene Eanfled cousen and alliant to Osuuius required of kinge Oswin who hadkilled Osuuius in parte of satisfaction of his vniust murther the erecting of a monastery for the vse of the holy man Trumher who also was of kinne to Osuuius To th entent that in that monastery daily praier might be had for the helth and saluatioÌ„ of bothe kinges aswell the slaine as of him that slewe This kinke Oswin raigned thre yeares after the death of kinge Pendam ouer the Marshes and ouer the south people of England subduing also the nation of the Pictes for the most parte to the allegeaunce of the english men At what
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
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
and down wher he list nor whē he came any whither should be receaued without letters of commendation from his diocesan And if that he be ones receaued and will not retourne being warned and called both the receauer and he that is receaued shall incurre the sentence of excommunication The sixte that such bishops and clerkes as are strangers be content with such hospitalitie as is giuen them and that it be laufull for none of them to execute any office of a priest without the permission of the bishop in whose diocese they are knowen to be The seuenth that whereas by the auncient decrees a synode and conuocation ought to be assembled twise a yere yet bicause diuerse inconueniences doo happen amonge vs it hath semed good to vs all that it should be assembled onse a yere the first day of August at the place called Clofeshooh The eight that no bishop should ambitiously preferre him selfe before an other but should all acknowledge the time and order of their consecration In the ix article it was generally entreated that the nomber of bishops should be encreased the nomber of Christian folke waxing daily greater but hereof at this time we sayed no farther The x. for mariages that noman cōmit aduoutrie nor formication that noman forsake his owne wife but for only fornication as the holy ghospell teacheth And if any man put away his wif being laufully maried vnto him if he wil be a right Christian man let him be ioyned to none other but let him so continewe still sole or els be reconciled againe to his owne wife And thus these articles being in common treated of and agreed vpon that no offence of contention should ryse from any of vs hereafter or any other decrees should be published in stede of these it semed good that eche of vs should confirme these thinges that were decreed subscribing thereto with his owne hand Which sentence and somme of our appointement I gaue Titillus the notarie to write out Yeuen the moneth and Indiction aboue written Who soeuer therefore go about any wise to doo against this ordinaunce and sentence prescribed according to the decrees of the canons and confirmed also with our consent and subscribinge of our handes let him knowe himselfe in so doinge to be excluded from all charge and office of priesthood and also from our felowship and companie The grace of God kepe vs safe liuing in the vnitie of his holy churche This synode was kepte the yere from thincarnation of our Lord 673. in which yere Ecgbert king of kent died in Iulie and his brother Lother succeded him in the kingdome the which he enioyed xj yeres and vij moneths Bisi also Bishop of the East english who was present at the foresaid Synode did succede Bonifacius of whom we made mētion aboue This Bisi was a man of much holynes and deuotion and when Boniface was dead after he had bene bishop xvij yeres this man was made bishop in his place being consecrated and appointed ther to by Theodore This Bisi yet liuing but greuously vexed with sickenesse in such sort that he could not execute the office of a bishop two other for him Aecci and Badwine wer chosen and consecrated bishops from which time vnto this day that prouince hath bene wont to haue two bishoppse How VVinfride was deposed and Sexulfe made bishop in his place and Ercanwald made bishop of the East Saxons The. 6. Chapter NOt long after these thinges were done Theodore tharchebishop being off ended with VVinfrid bishop of the Marshes for a certaine crime of disobedience deposed him of his bishopprike not many yeres after that he had receaued the same and in his place appointed Sexulphe for bishop who was the builder and Abbot of the monasterie that is called Medes hansted in the countre of the Giruians Which VVinfride being deposed retourned to his monasterie which is named Artbearue and there ended his life in holy conuersation At that time also when Sebbe and Sighere of whome we spake before ruled the east Saxons tharchebishop appointed ouer them Earconwald to be their bishop in the citie of London The life and conuersation of which man both before he was bishop and after was reported and taken for most holy as also euen yet the signes and tokens of heauenly vertues and miracles do well declare For vntill this day his horselitter being kept and reserued by his scholers wherein he was wont to be caried when he was sicke and weake doth daily cure such as haue agewes or are diseased any otherwise And not only the sicke parties that are put vnder or layed by the sayd horselitter be so healed but also the chippes and pieces that are cut of from it and brought to the sicke folke are wont to bring them spedie remedie This man before he was made bishop had builded two goodly monasteries one for him selfe and an other for his syster Edilburge and had instructed and disposed thē both very well with good rules and disciplines That which was for himself was in Surry by the riuer of Thems at the place that is called Crotesee that is to say the I le of Crote And that other for his syster in the prouince of the East Saxons at the place that is called Berching where she should be a mother of Nonnes And so in dede after she had taken vpon her the rule of the sayd monasterie she behaued herselfe in all thinges as became one that had a byshop to her brother both for her owne vertuowse lyuing and also in the good and godly guyding of them that were vnder her chardge Which thing was also well proued by miracles from heauen Howe in the monasterie of Berking it was shewed by a light from heauen in what place the bodyes of the nonnes should be buried The. 7. Chapter FOr in this monasterie many wonderfull signes of vertues and miracles were shewed which for the memorie and edifieng of thaftercommers are yet kept of many men being written of them that knewe the same Some of the which we will also put in our ecclesiasticall historie When the tempest of the same plage so often mentioned storming ouer all the Ilond came to this monasterye and had entred vpon that part thereof where the men dyd lyue and dayly one or other was taken owt of the worlde to our Lorde this good mother being carefull of her companie at such tyme as also the same visitation of God towched that part of the monasterie in whiche the flocke of Goddes hand maydes dwelled by them selues from the mens companye began ofte tymes in the couent to aske the sisters in what place abowt the monasterie they wold haue their bodies to be layed against suche tyme as it showlde happen them to be taken out of this world with the same hand of Gods visitation as other were And when she could get no certaine awnswere of the systers although she often enquired the same of them she receaued both her selfe
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
the byshop the possession of the land of CCC tenementes Whiche portion the Bishop gaue and committed to one of his clerkes named Bernwini his sisters sonne and appointed there to a priest named Hildila to minister the worde and baptisme of lyfe to all that would be saued And here I thinke it not to be passed ouer in silence that for the first frutes of them that were saued throwgh beleuing in the same I le two children of the blood royall being bretherne to Aruald king of the Iland were crouned with a speciall grace of God For when the ennemies came on the Iland they â—led and scaped to the next prouince of the Vites And there they gat to a place called Stonestat hoping to hyde themselues from the face and sighte of the king that had conquered their countree but they were betrayed and fownd owt and commaunded to be put to death Which thing when a certaine abbat and priest named Cimberth had heard of whose monasterie was not far from thence at a place called Redford he came to the king which was than in the same parties lying secretly to be cured of his woundes that he had taken fighting in the I le of Wighte and desired of him that if he would nedes haue the childerne put to death yet they might first receaue the sacramentes of the Christian fayth The kinge graunted his request and than he tooke them and catechised them in the right faith of Christe and wasshing them withe the holesome fonte of baptisme made them sure and in perfyt hope to enter into the kingdome euerlasting Anon after came the hangeman to put them to death which death of this world they ioyfully toke by the which they douted not but they should passe to the eternall life of the soule When after this order all the prouince of great Britaine had receaued the faythe of Christe the I le of Wight receaued the same also in whiche notwitstanding bicause of the miserie and state of forayne subiection no man tooke the degree of the ministerie and place of a bysshopp before Daniel who nowe is bysshopp of the west Saxons and of the Geuisses The situation of this I le is ouer against the middes of the South Saxons and Geuisses the sea comming betwene of the breadth of three myles which sea is called Solent in which two armes of the Ocean sea that breake out from the maine north sea about Britanie do dayly mete and violently ronne together beyond the mouth of the riuer Homelea which ronneth along by the countree off the Vites that belong to the prouince of the Genisses and so entreth into the foresaid sea And after this meting and striuing together of the two seas they goe backe and flowe againe into the Ocean from whence they came Of the Synode made at Hetdfield Theodore the Archebishop being there president The 17. Chap. AT this time Theodore hauing worde that the faith of the church at CoÌ„stantinople was sore troubled through the heresie of Eutiches and wishing that the churches of the english nation ouer which he gouuerned might continew free and clere from such a spot gathered an assemble of Reuerend priestes and many doctours and enquired diligently of eche of them what faith they were of where he found one consent and agrement of them all in the catholique faith Which consent he procured to set forth and commende with letters sent from the whole Synode for the instruction and remembrance of the aftercommers the beginning of which letters was this In the name of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and in the raignes of our most good and vertuouse Lordes Ecgfride king of the Humbers the x. yere of his raigne the viij yere of the Indiction and the xvij day of September and Edilrede king of the Marshes in the vj. yeare of his raigne and Aldulphe king of the Estenglish in the xvij yere of his raigne and Lothar king of kent in the vij yeare of his raigne being there president and chief Theodore by the grace of God Archebishop of the I le of Britanie and of the citie of Caunterbury and with him sitting in assemblee the other bishops of the same land most Reuerend men and prelates hauing the holy ghospelles set before them at a place called in the Saxon tong Hedtfield after commoning and conference together had thereuppon we haue expounded and set fourth the right and true catholique faith in such sort as our Lorde Iesus being incarnate in this worlde deliuered it to his disciples which presently sawe and heard his wordes and doctrine and as the crede of the holy fathers hath leaft by tradition and generally as all holy men all generall Councells and all the whole company of the authentique doctours of the catholique churche haue taught and deliuered Whome we following in good dewe godly and rightbeleuing maner according to their doctrine inspired into them from God do professe and beleue and stedfastly do confesse with the holy fathers the Father and the Sonne and the holy ghoste most verily and in true and formall proprietie the Trinitie in the vnitie of one substance and the vnitie in Trinitye that is to saye one God in three persons of one substance and of equall glorie and honour And after many like thinges pertaining to the confession of the right faith the holy Synode dyd also adde to their letters these thinges folowing We haue receaued the fiue holy and generall Synodes of the blessed and derebeloued fathers of God that is to saye of CCC xviij which wer asseÌ„bled at Nice against the most wicked and blasphemous Arrius and his opinions And of Cl. at Constantinople against the madenesse and fond secte of Macedonius and Eudoxius and their opinions And at Ephesus the first time of CC. against the most wicked Nestorius and his opinions And at ChalcedoÌ„ of CCxxx against Eutiches and Nestorius and their opinions And at Constantinople the second time where was assembled the fifte Councell in the time of the emperour Iustinian the yonger against Theodore and Theodorete and Ibe and their epistles and their opinions And a litle after against Cyrill Also we receaue and admit the Synode made at the citie of Rome in the time of the most holy and blessed Pope Martin the viij yere of the Indiction and the ix yere of the most godly and good Emperour Constantine And we worship and glorifie our Lorde Iesus Christ in such sort as these men haue done adding or diminishing nothing and we accurse with hart and mouth them whome these fathers haue accursed and whome they haue receaued we receaue glorifyeng God the father without beginning and his only begotten sonne begotten of the father before all ages and times and the holy ghost proceding of the father and the sonne in vnspeakeable wise according as these aboue mentioned holy Apostles and prohetes and doctours haue preached and taught And all we that with Theodore the Archebishop haue set forth and declared
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
kepinge of Easter but nowe I do so well knowe the cause and reason why it shuld be so obserued that me thinketh I had no knowledg of it at all before wherfore I professe and openly protest before you all that ar here present that from henceforth I and all my people wil kepe the feast of Easter at the time which is here described I thinke it good also that all priests and religious men in my realme ought to receaue this kinde and manner of shauing which we haue heard to be very reasonable And without any furder delaye by his princely authority he performed that which he spoke For forthwith the accompte of xix yeres were sent abrode by a publique edicte to be copied oute lerned and obserued through out al the prouinces of the Pictes the erroneous accomptes of 84. yeres altogether blotted oute All priestes and religious men had their heads shauen rounde after the trew shape aâ—d figure of a crowne And all the whole country being well reformed was glad that they were reduced now to the discipline and ordre of saincte Peter primate and head of the Apostles and committed as though it were to his patronage and protection How the monkes of Hij with other monasteries vnder their iurisdiction beganne at the preaching of Egbert to kepe Easter after the canonical ordonaunce of Christes church The 23. Chapter NOt longe after the monkes of Scotland which inhabitt the island Hij with al other monasteries vnder their iurisdiction were brought by gods great prouidence to the canonicall obseruation of Easter and ryght manner of ecclesiasticall tonsure For the yere after Christes incarnation 716. when Coenrede toke the gouuernaunce and souerayntye off Northumberlande after Osrede was slayne the derely beloued of God and honourably of me to be named the Father and priest Ecgbert cominge vnto them owt of Irelande was honourably receiued and ioyfully intertayned of them This Ecgbert beinge diligently heard of theÌ„ as one that had a singular good grace in preachinge and that practised in lyfe with much deuotioÌ„ which he taught openly in their congregation dyd chaunge by godly exhortations and aduertisements the olde tradition of their forefathers Of whom we may verifie that saying of the Apostle Aemulationem dei habebant sed non secundum scientiam They had an earnest desyre to folow God but not accordinge to knowleadge And he taught theÌ„ by one appointed compasse which shoulde be perpetuall to kepe the chefe and princypall feast after the Catholique churches institution and manner of the Apostles The which appeareth to be done to by the great goodnesse and infinit mercy of God that because the countre which had the knowleadge of God and his holy worde dyd freely and gladly communicate the same to englishmen shoulde them selues afterward come to a more perfect trade of life then they had before by the helpe and instruction of Englishmen also now associated and allied vnto them As contrary wise the Britons which woulde not ones open their mouthe to teache the Englishmen the knowleadge of Christ which they had before receiued are nowe hardned in blindnesse and halte allwaies from the right waie of truthe neither vsing the ecclesiasticall tonsure after dew maner neither celebrating the solemne feste of Easter in the societe of the Catholike church Whereas now all Englishmen are established in the faith and perfectly instructed in all pointes of Catholike religion The monkes of the Iland Hij in Scotland receiued at the preaching of the lerned father Ecgbert the Catholike rites and customes vnder their Abbat Dumchad about 80. yeares after they sent Bishopp Aidan to preache the faith to Englishmen This man of God Ecgbert remained in that Ilande xiij yeres which he had now as though it were newly and first consecrated vnto Christ by reducing it to the Catholike vnite and societe The same good father in the yere of our Lorde 728. vpon Easter daye which then fell vpon the xxiiij of Aprill after he had that day saied Masse in remembraunce of our Lordes resurrection departed this worlde and finished that day that ioyfull festiuite with our Lorde and all the blessed company in heauen which he had begonne with his brethern euen that day by him reduced to the Catholique vnite And truly the prouidence of God herein was wonderfull that that Reuerent father should passe out of this worlde to the Father not only vpoÌ„ an Easter day but also vpoÌ„ that Easter day which was the first Easter after the Catholike order celebrated in that place The brethern therefore reioysed bothe for the certaine and Catholike obseruation of Easter then lerned and also to see their teacher and master that time also to passe to God to be there their patrone and intercessour The good father also reioysed that he liued here so longe vntell he might see presently his scholers to celebrat with him that Easter whiche euer before they shunned and abhorred So this most reuerend Father being nowe certainly assured of their vndoubted amendment reioysed to see that day of our Lorde He sawe it I saie and reioysed What is the state of EnglishmeÌ„ or of all BrytaÌ„nie at this present with a brief recapitulation of the whole worâ— and with a note of the tyme. The. 24. Chap. THE yeare of Christes incarnation 725. which was the vij off Osric kinge of Northumberlandes raygne Vicbert Ecgbertes sonne kinge of kent passed oute of this transitorie lyfe the xxiij of Aprill leauing iij. sonnes Edilbert Eadbert and Aldric heires of his kingdome whiche he hadd gouuerned 34. yeares and a halffe After his death the next yeare folowing Tobias bishoppe of Rochester died a man certainly well lerned as I mentioned before for he was scholler to ij Masters of most blessed memory Archebishoppe Theodore and Abbat Adrian By which occasion beside his knowledge in diuinitie and all other sciences he so perfectly lerned the greeke tounge and the Latyn that he had them as perfecte and familiar as his owne propre language He is buried in a litle chappel of saincte Paule whiche he builded in S. Andrewes churche for a toumbe and place of buriall after his deathe After him Aldwulff succeded in the bishoppricke and was consecrated by Berthwalde the Archebishoppe The yeare of our Lorde 729. appeared ij greate blasinge starres aboute the sonne makinge all that behelde them maruelously afraied For one went before the sonne euery morninge the other appeared in the eueninge streyt after the sonne was downe presaging as it were to the east and weast some greate destruction Or if you wil saie one appeared before daye the other before night that by bothe the saied tymes they myght signifie diuerse miseries to hange ouer mens heads They helde vp a fyer brande towarde the Northe ready as it were to set all a fyer They appeared in Ianuarye and continued almoste ij weekes At what time the Saracenes wasted and spoiled Fraunce with much murder and bloudshed Who not longe after
were iustly punished in the same countree for their spoyling The same yeare that the holy and good father Ecgbert died as we saied before on Easter streyt after Easter king Osric hauinge the Souerainte in Northumberlande departed outâ— of this lyfe the 9. off Maye after that he had appointed Ceolwulff brother to kinge Coenrede his predecessour to be his successour in the kingedome hauing raigned xj yeares The beginning and processe of whose raigne is so full of troublesâ— hath had such diuerse successe of thinges contrary one to the other that we can not yet well tell what may be written of them nor what ende euery thinge will haue The yeare of our Lorde 731. Archebisshoppe Berthwalde worne oute with olde age died the 8. of Ianuary 37. yeares 6. moneths and xiiij daies after he had ben bisshoppe In his place the same yeare Tacwine of the prouince off the Marshes was made archebisshop a longe time after he had bene prieste in the monastery of Bruiden He was consecrated in Caunterbury by the reuerend fathers Daniel bishop of Winchester Ingualde bishoppe of London Alduine bishoppe of Lichfelde and Aldwulff bishoppe of Rochester the x. of Iune beinge the soundaye a man certes notable for his godlynesse and wisedome and well conuersaunt in holy scriptures Wherefore at this present Tacwine and Aldwulff are bishoppes of kent Ingualde of the east Saxons Eadbert and Hadulac of the east english Daniel and Forthere of the Weast Saxons Aldwine of the Marshes and VValstode of them which dwell beyonde the ryuer Seuerne towarde the Weast VVilfrid of the Viccij Cymbert of Lindisfarne The isle of Wight is vnder the iurisdiction of Daniel bishop of Winchester The prouince off the Sowthsaxons continuinge certaine yeares without a bishoppe is gouuerned of the bishoppe of the Westsaxons in suche cases as the bishoppes helpe is necessarye Al these prouinces and others of the south eueÌ„ to Humber with their kinges are in subiection and owe homage to Edilbalde kinge of the Marshes But of Northumberlande where Ceolwulff is kinge there ar but iiij bishops Wilfride of Yorke Edilwalde of Lindisfarne Acca of Hagulstalde Pethchelme of Whitchurch which being made a bishopps see of late when the faithfull people beganne to multiplie hath now this Pechthelme for their first bishop The Pictes also at this time are in leage with the Englishemen and in vnite with the catholike church The Scottes which inhabitt Brytannye content to keape their owne lymittes and bordres worke no treason towardes England The Britons albeit for the most parte euen of pryuie malice and grudge they maligne the Englishmen and impugne with their lewde manner the tyme of Easter ordained by the catholique churche yet the allmightye power off God and man resistinge their malyce they can haue their purpose in neither off them For thoughe they are in some parte free yet for the more parte they are insubiection to englishmen And now all warre and tumult ceasing all thinges being brought to an vnity and concorde many in Northumberlande as well noble men as poore layinge away al armour and practise of chiualry become both they and their children religious men Which what successe it is leeke to haue al the posterity shal see Thus for this present standeth the whole state of Britanny The yere sence the English men came into Britanny 285. and 733. sence the incarnation of Christe In whose raigne let the earth alwaies reioyse And seing Britanny taketh ioye and comfort now in his faith let many ilandes be glad and sing praise to the remembraunce of his holy name THVS ENDETH THE FIFTE AND LAST BOOKE OF THE Historie of the Church of England The wordes of Venerable Bede folowing after the abridgement of this whole history in the 3. Tome of his workes which we haue thought good to place here at the ende of the History it selfe THIS much touching the ecclesiasticall history of the Britons and especially of the english nation as I could lerne by the writinges of my aunceters by the tradition of my elders or by my owne knowleadg I haue by the helpe of God brought vnto this order and issue I Bede the seruaunt of God and priest of the monasterie of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul at Weimouth Which being borne in the territorie of the same monastery when I was seuen yeares of age I was deliuered by the handes of my frendes and kinsfolkes to be brought vp of the most Reuerend Abbat Benet and afterward to Ceolfrid From the which time spending all the daies of my life in the mansion of the same monastery I applied all my study to the meditation of holy scripture and obseruing withal the regular discipline and keping the daily singing of Gods seruice in the church the rest of my time I was delighted alwaies to lerne of other to teache my selfe or els to write In the xix yere of my age I was made deacon and in the xxx yeare Priest Bothe which orders I receaued by the handes of the most Reuerend bishop Iohn of Beuerlake at the commaundement of Ceolfrid my Abbat From which time of my priesthood vntell the yere of my age lix I haue vpon holy scripture for my owne instruction and others partly brestly noted and gathered what other holy fathers haue writen partly I haue at large expounded after the maner of their interpration and meaning FINIS A TABLE OF THE SPECIAL MATTERS The figure signifieth the leafe A. B. the first and second side A A Buses of religious persons punished by God from heauen 144. b An army of infidels put to flight by singing Alleluia 27. b. The martyrdom of S. Alban and miracles thereat befalling 17. b. 18. Apostafie from the faith punished 76. a. 82. b. The life of our Apostles and first preachers 32. a. Arrian heresies in Britanny 19â— a. S. Augustin sent by S. Gregory to preach the faith to englishmen 29. b. S. Augustin preacheth the faith to Ethelbert or Elbert kinge of kent 31. a. b. he was a monke 33. a. made bishop in Fraunce 32. b. he prophecieth the destruction of the Britons 50. b. S. Augustin the first bishop of CaÌ„terbury created of the bishops of Fraunce by the commaundement of Pope Gregory 32. b. The death of S. Augustin our Apostle 51. b. An Epitaphe vpon him 52. a. The life and vertu of S. Edilrede now called S. Audery 133. a. Miracles and cures doâ—e at her tombe 134. b. A songin the praise of virginite and in the honour of S. Audery 135. a Aultar of stone 68. b. B Of the Author of this History Venerable Bede reade the preface to the Reader Berkinge abbay in Essex 120. b King Elbert the first Christen kinge of englishmen endued the Bisshoprikes of Caunterbury of London and Rochester with landes and possâ—ssions 51. b Consecration of bishops with a number of bishops 910. a. 149. a. The deuotioÌ„ of bishops in the primitiue church of englaÌ„d 151. a. 109. 113. b The example of a