impertinent discourse and proceed with my purpose I find in the Chronicles of Burton vnder the yeare of Grace 141. and time of Hadrian the emperour that nine scholers or clerkes of Grantha or Granta now Cambridge were baptised in Britaine and became preachers of the gospell there but whether Taurinus bishop or elder ouer the congregation at Yorke who as Vincentius saith was executed about this tune for his faith were one of them or not as yet I do not certeinlie find but rather the contrarie which is that he was no Britaine at all but Episcopus Ebroicensis for which such as perceiue not the easie corruption of the word may soone write Eboracensis as certeinlie mine author out of whom I alledge this authoritie hath done before me For Vincentius saith flat otherwise and therefore the Chronologie if it speake of anie Taurinus bishop of Yorke is to be reformed in that behalfe Diuers other also imbraced the religion of Christ verie zealouslie before these men Howbeit all this notwithstanding the glad tidings of the gospell had neuer free and open passage here vntill the time of Lucius in which the verie enimies of the word became the apparent meanes contrarie to their owne minds to haue it set foorth amongst vs. For when Antoninus the emperour had giuen out a decrée that the Druiysh religion should euerie where be abolished Lucius the king whose surname is now perished tooke aduise of his councell what was best to be doone wrote in this behalfe And this did Lucius bicause he knew it impossible for man to liue long without any religion at all finallie finding his Nobilitie subiects vtter enimies to the Romane deuotiō for that they made so many gods as they listed some to haue the regiment euen of their dirt dung and thervnto being pricked forwards by such christians as were conuersant about him to choose the seruice of the true God that liueth for euer rather than the slauish seruitude of any pagan idoll he fullie resolued with himselfe in the end to receiue and imbrace the gospell of Christ. He sent also two of his best learned and greatest philosophers to Rome vnto Eleutherus then bishop there in the 177. of Christ not to promise any subiection to his sea which then was not required but to say with such as were pricked in mind Acts. 2. verse 37. Quid faciemus viri fratres I meane that they were sent to be perfectlie instructed and with farther commission to make earnest request vnto him and the congregation there that a competent number of preachers might be sent ouer from thence by whose diligent aduise and trauell the foundation of the gospell might surelie be laid ouer all the portion of the I le which conteined his kingdome according to his mind When Eleutherus vnderstood these things he reioiced not a little for the great goodnesse which the Lord had shewed vpon this our Ile and countrie Afterwards calling the brethren togither they agréed to ordeine euen those two for bishops whom Lucius as you haue heard had directed ouer vnto them Finallie after they had thoroughlie catechized them making generall praier vnto God and earnest supplication for the good successe of these men they sent them home againe with no small charge that they should be diligent in their function and carefull ouer the flocke committed to their custodie The first of these was called Eluanus Aualonius a man borne in the I le of Aualon and brought vp there vnder those godlie pastours and their disciples whom Philip sent ouer at the first for the conuersion of the Britons The other hight Medguinus and was thereto surnamed Belga bicause he was of the towne of Welles which then was called Belga This man was trained vp also in one schoole with Eluanus both of them being ornaments to their horie ages and men of such grauitie and godlinesse that Eleutherus supposed none more worthie to support this charge than they after whose comming home also it was not long yer Lucius and all his houshold with diuers of the Nobilitie were baptised beside infinit numbers of the common people which dailie resorted vnto them and voluntarilie renounced all their idolatrie and paganisme In the meane time Eleutherus vnderstanding the successe of these learned doctours and supposing with himselfe that they two onlie could not suffice to support so great a charge as should concerne the conuersion of the whole Iland he directed ouer vnto them in the yeare insuing Faganus Dinaw or Dinauus Aaron and diuerse other godlie preachers as fellow-labourers to trauell with them in the vineyard of the Lord. These men therefore after their comming hither consulted with the other and foorthwith wholie consented to make a diuision of this Iland amongst themselues appointing what parcell each preacher should take that with the more profit and eass of the people and somewhat lesse trauell also for themselues the doctrine of the Gospell might be preached and receiued In this distribution they ordeined that there should be one congregation at London where they placed Theonus as chéefe elder and bishop for that present time worthilie called Theonus 1. for there was another of that name who fled into Wales with Thadiocus of Yorke at the first comming of the Saxons and also Guthelmus who went as I read into Armorica there to craue aid against the Scots and Uandals that plagued this Ile from the Twede vnto the Humber After this Theonus also Eluanus succéeded who conuerted manie of the Druiydes and builded the first librarie neere vnto the bishops palace The said Lucius also placed another at Yorke whither they appointed Theodosius and the third at Caerlheon vpon the riuer Uske builded sometimes by Belinus and called Glamorgantia but now Chester in which three cities there had before time beene thrée Archflamines erected vnto Apollo Mars and Minerua but now raced to the ground and three other churches builded in their steeds by Lucius to the end that the countries round about might haue indifferent accesse vnto those places and therewithall vnderstand for certeintie whither to resort for resolution if after their conuersion they should happen to doubt of any thing In like sort also the rest of the idoll-temples standing in other places were either ouerthrowne or conuerted into churches for christian congregations to assemble in as our writers doo remember In the report whereof giue me leaue gentle reader of London my natiue citie to speake a little for although it may and dooth seeme impertinent to my purpose yet it shall not be much and therefore I will soone make an end There is a controuersie moued among our historiographers whether the church that Lucius builded at London stood at Westminster or in Cornehill For there is some cause why the metropolitane church should be thought to stand where S. Peters now doth by the space of 400. yéeres before it was remoued to Canturburie by Austine the
And herevpon their Hector Boetius as an hen that for laieng of one eg will make a great cakeling solemnlie triumphing for a conquest before the victorie alledgeth that hereby the Britons were made tributaries to the Scots and yet he confesseth that they won no more land by that supposed conquest but the same portion betwéene them and Humber which in the old partitions before was annexed to Albania It is hard to be beléeued that such a broken nation as the Scots at that time were returning from banishment within foure yeares before and since in battell loosing both their kings and the great number of their best men to be thus able to make a conquest of great Britaine and verie vnlikelie if they had conquered it they would haue left the hot sunne of the south parts to dwell in the cold snow in Scotland Incredible it is that if they had conquered it they would not haue deputed officers in it as in cases of conquest behooueth And it is beyond all beliefe that great Britaine or any other countrie should be woon without the comming of anie enimie into it as they did not but taried finallie at the same wall of Adrian whereof I spake before But what need I speake of these defenses when the same Boecius scantlie trusteth his owne beliefe in this tale For he saieth that Galfride and sundrie other authentike writers diuerslie varie from this part of his storie wherein his owne thought accuseth his conscience of vntruth herein also he further forgetting how it behooueth a lier to be mindfull of his assertion in the fourth chapter next following wholie bewraieth himselfe saieng that the confederat kings of Scots and Picts vpon ciuill warres betwéene the Britons which then followed hoped shortlie to inioie all the land of great Britaine from beyond Humber vnto the fresh sea which hope had bene vaine and not lesse than void if it had béene their owne by anie conquest before Constantine of Britaine descended from Conan king thereof cousine of Brutes bloud to this Maximian and his neerest heire was next king of Britaine he immediatlie pursued the Scots with wars and shortlie in battell slue their king Dongard in the first yeare of his reigne whereby he recouered Scotland out of their hands and tooke all the holdes thereof into his owne possessions Uortiger shortlie after obteined the crowne of Britaine against whom the Scots newlie rebelled for the repressing whereof mistrusting the Britons to hate him for sundrie causes as one that to auoid the smoke dooth oft fall into the fire receiued Hengest a Saxon and a great number of his countriemen with whom and a few Britons he entred Scotland ouercame them wherevpon they tooke the Iles which are their common refuge He gaue also much of Scotland as Gallowaie Pentland Mers and Annandale with sundrie other lands to this Hengest and his people to inhabit which they did accordinglie inioie But when this Hengest in processe of time thirsted after the whole kingdome of the south he was banished and yet afterward being restored he conspired with the Scots against Aurilambrose the sonne of Constantine the iust inheritor of this whole dominion But his vntruth and theirs were both recompensed togither for he was taken prisoner by Eldulph de Samor a noble man of Britaine and his head for his traitorie striken off at the commandement of Aurilambrose In the field the Scots were vanquished but Octa the sonne of Hengest was receiued to mercie to whome and his people this Aurilambrose gaue the countrie of Gallowaie in Scotland for which they became his subiects And hereby appeareth that Scotland was then againe reduced into his hands Uter called also Pendragon brother to Aurilambrose was next king of the Britons against whome these sworne Saxons now foresworne subiects confederate with the Scots newlie rebelled but by his power assembled against them in Gallowaie in Scotland they were discomfited Albania againe recouered vnto his subiection Arthur the sonne of of this Uter begotten before the mariage but lawfullie borne in matrimonie succéeded next to the crowne of great Britaine whose noble acts though manie vulgar fables haue rather stained than commended yet all the Scotish writers confesse that he subdued great Britaine and made it tributarie to him and ouercame the Saxons then scattered as far as Cathnesse in Scotland and in all these wars against them he had the seruice and obeisance of Scots and Picts But at the last setting their féet in the guilefull paths of their predecessors they rebelled and besieged the citie of Yorke Howell king of the lesse Britaine cousine to king Arthur being therein But he with an host came thither and discomfited the Scots chased them into a marsh and besieged them there so long that they were almost famished vntill the bishops abbats and men of religion for as much as they were christened people besought him to take them to his mercie and grace and to grant them a portion of the same countrie to dwell in vnder euerlasting subiection Upon this he tooke them to his grace homage and fealtie and when they were sworne his subiects and liegemen he ordeined his kinsman Anguisan to be their king and gouernour Urian king of Iland and Murefrence king of Orkeneie He made an archbishop of Yorke also whose authoritie extended through all Scotland Finallie the said Arthur holding his roiall feast at Cairleon had there all the kings that were subiects vnto him among which Angusian the said king of Scots did his due seruice and homage so long as he was with him for the realme of Scotland bare king Arthurs sword afore him Malgo shortlie after succéeded in the whole kingdome of great Britaine who vpon new resistance made subdued Ireland Iland the Orchads Norwaie and Denmarke and made Ethelfred a Saxon king of Bernicia that is Northumberland Louthian and much other land of Scotland which Ethelfred by the sword obteined at the hands of the wilfull inhabitants and continued true subiect to this Malgo. Cadwan succéeded in the kingdome of great Britaine who in defense of his subiects the Scots made warre vpon this Ethelfred but at the last they agréed and Cadwan vpon their rebellion gaue all Scotland vnto this Ethelfred which he therevpon subdued and inioied but afterward in the reigne of Cadwallo that next succeeded in great Britaine he rebelled Whervpon the same Cadwallo came into Scotland and vpon his treason reseised the countrie into his owne hands and hauing with him all the vicerois of the Saxons which then inhabited here as his subiects in singular battell he slue the same Ethelfred with his owne hands Oswald was shortlie after by Cadwallos gift made king of Bernicia and he as subiect to Cadwallo and by his commandement discomfited the Scots and Picts and subdued all Scotland Oswie the brother of this Oswald was by the like gift of Cadwallo made next king of Bernicia and he by like commandement newlie subdued the Scots and Picts and held them in that
shall not néed to remember ought héere that is there touched I will onelie speake of other things therefore concerning the estate of assemblie whereby the magnificence thereof shall be in some part better knowne vnto such as shall come after vs. This house hath the most high and absolute power of the realme for thereby kings and mightie princes haue from time to time béene deposed from their thrones lawes either enacted or abrogated offendors of all sorts punished and corrupted religion either dissanulled or reformed which commonlie is diuided into two houses or parts the higher or vpper house consisting of the nobilitie including all euen vnto the baron and bishop the lower called the nether house of knights squires gentlemen and burgesses of the commons with whome also the inferior members of the cleargie are ioined albeit they sit in diuerse places and these haue to deale onelie in matters of religion till it come that they ioine with the rest in confirmation of all such acts as are to passe in the same For without the consent of the thrâ—e estates that is of the nobilitie cleargie and laietie sildome anie thing is said to be concluded vpon and brought vnto the prince for his consent and allowance To be short whatsoeuer the people of Rome did in their Centuriatis or Tribunitijs comitijs the same is and may be doone by authoritie of our parlement house which is the head and bodie of all the realme and the place wherein euerie particular person is intended to be present if not by himselfe yet by his aduocate or atturneie For this cause also any thing ther enacted is not to be misliked but obeied of all men without contradiction or grudge By the space of fortie dais before this assemblie be begun the prince sendeth his writs vnto all his nobilitie particularlie summoning them to appeare at the said court The like he doth to the shiriffe of euerie countie with commandement to choose two knights within ech of their counties to giue their aduise in the name of the shire likewise to euerie citie and towne that they may choose their burgesses which commonlie are men best skilled in the state of their citie or towne either for the declaration of such benefits as they want or to shew which waie to reforme such enormities as thorough the practises of ill members are practised and crept in among them the first being chosen by the gentlemen of the shire the other by the citizens and burgesses of euerie citie and towne whereby that court is furnished The first daie of the parlement being come the lords of the vpper house as well ecclesiasticall as temporall doo attend vpon the prince who rideth thither in person as it were to open the doore of their authoritie and being come into the place after praiers made and causes shewed wherefore some not present are inforced to be absent each man taketh his place according to his degrée The house it selfe is curiouslie furnished with tapisterie and the king being set in his throne the spirituall lords take vp the side of the house which is on the right hand of the prince and the temporall lords the left I meane so well dukes and earles as viscounts and barons as I before remembred In the middest and a pretie distance from the prince lie certeine sackes stuffed with wooll or haire wheron the iudges of the realme the master of the rols and secretaries of estate doo sit Howbeit these iudges haue no voice in the house but onelie shew what their opinion is of such such matters as come in question among the lords if they be commanded so to doo as the secretaries are to answer such letters or things passed in the councell whereof they haue the custodie knowledge Finallie the consent of this house is giuen by each man seuerallie first for himselfe being present then seuerallie for so manie as he hath letters proxies directed vnto him saieng onlie Content or Not content without any further debating Of the number assembled in the lower house I haue alreadie made a generall report in the chapter precedent and their particulars shall follow here at hand These therefore being called ouer by name do choose a speaker who is as it were their mouth and him they present vnto the prince in whom it is either to refuse or admit him by the lord chancellor who in the princes name dooth answer vnto his oration made at his first entrance presentation into the house wherein he declareth the good liking that the king hath conceiued of his choise vnto that office function Being admitted he maketh fiue requests vnto that honorable assemblie first that the house may as in times past inioy hir former liberties and priuileges secondlie that the congregates may frankelie shew their minds vpon such matters as are to come in question thirdlie that if anie of the lower house doo giue anie cause of offense during the continuance of this assemblie that the same may inflict such punishment vpon the partie culpable as to the said assemblie shall be thought conuenient fourthlie if anie doubt should arise among them of the lower house that he in their name might haue frée accesse and recourse vnto his maiestie lords of the higher house to be further instructed and resolued in the same fiftlie and last he craueth pardon for himselfe if in his going to and fro betweene the houses he forget or mistake anie thing requiring that he may returne and be better informed in such things as be did faile in without offense vnto which petitions the lord chancellor dooth answer as apperteineth and this is doone on the first daie or peraduenture the second if it could not be conuenientlie performed in the first Beside the lord chancellor there is another in the vpper house called the clerke of the parlement whose office is to read the billes For euerie thing that commeth in consultation in either house is first put in writing in paper which being read he that listeth riseth vp and speaketh either with it or against it and so one after another so long as they shall thinke good that doone they go to another and so to the third c the instrument still wholie or in part raced or reformed as cause moueth for the amendment of the same if the substance be reputed necessarie In the vpper house the lord chancellor demandeth if they will haue it ingrossed that is to saie put in parchment which doone it is read the third time after debating of the matter to and fro if the more part doo conclude withall vpon the vtterance of these words Are ye contended that it be enacted or no the clerke writeth vnderneath So it baille aux commons and so when they sée time they send such billes approued to the commons by some of them that sit on the wooll sackes who comming into the house demanding licence to speake doo vse
diuision of languages Herevpon Theophilus hath these words Cùm priscis temporibus pauei forant homines in Arabia Chaldaea post linguarum diuisonem aucti multiplicati paulatim sunt hinc quidam abierunt versus orientem quidam concessere ad partes maioris continentis alij porrò profecti sunt ad septentrionem sedes quaesiuâ—â—i nec priùs desierunt terram vbique occupare quà m etiam 〈◊〉 annos in Arctois climatibus accesserint c. That is When at the first there were not manie men in Arabia and Chaldaea it came to passe that after the diuision of toongs they began somewhat better to increase and multiplie by which occasion some of them went toward the east and some toward the parts of the great manie land diuers went also northwards to seeke them dwelling places neither staid they to replenish the earth as they went till they came vnto the Iles of Britaine lieng vnder the north pole Thus far Theophilus These things considered Gildas the Britaine had great reason to thinke that this countrie had bene inhabited from the beginning And Polydor Virgil was with no lesse consideration hereby induced to confesse that the I le of Britaine had receiued inhabitants foorthwith after the floud Of Samothes Magus Sarron Druis and Bardus fiue kings succeeding each other in regiment ouer the Celts and Samotheans and how manie hundred yeeres the Celts inhabited this Iland The second Chapter SAmothes the first begotten sonne of Iaphet called by Moses Mesech Dis by others receiued for his portion according to the report of Wolfgangus Lazius all the countrie lieng betwéene the riuer of Rhene and the Pyrenian mountains where he founded the kingdome of Celtica ouer his people called Celtae Which name Bale affirmeth to haue bene indifferent to the inhabitants both of the countrie of Gallia and the I le of Britaine that he planted colonies of men brought foorth of the east parts in either of them first in the maine land and after in the Iland He is reported by Berosus to haue excelled all men of that age in learning and knowledge and also is thought by Bale to haue imparted the same among his people namelie the vnderstanding of the sundrie courses of the starres the order of inferiour things with manie other matters incident to the morall and politike gouernment of mans life and to haue deliuered the same in the Phenician letters out of which the Gréekes according to the opinion of Achilochus deuised deriued the Gréeke characters insomuch that Xenophon and Iosephus doo constantlie report although Diogenes Laertius be against it that both the Gréekes and other nations receiued their letters and learning first from these countries Of this king and his learning arose a sect of philosophers saith Annius first in Britaine and after in Gallia the which of his name were called Samothei They as Aristotle and Secion write were passing skilfull both in the law of God and man and for that cause excéedinglie giuen to religion especiallie the inhabitants of this I le of Britaine insomuch that the whole nation did not onelie take the name of them but the Iland it selfe as Bale and doctor Caius agree came to be called Samothea which was the first peculiar name that euer it had and by the which it was especiallie knowne before the arriuall of Albion MAgus the sonne of Samothes after the death of his father was the second king of Celtica by whome as Berosus writeth there were manie townes builded among the Celts which by the witnesse of Annius did beare the addition of their founder Magus of which townes diuers are to be found in Ptolomie And Antoninus a painfull surueior of the world and searcher of cities maketh mention of foure of them here in Britaine Sitomagus Neomagus Niomagus and Nouiomagus Neomagus sir Thomas Eliot writeth to haue stood where the citie of Chester now standeth Niomagus George Lillie placeth where the towne of Buckingham is now remaining Beside this Bale dooth so highlie commend the foresaid Magus for his learning renowned ouer all the world that he would haue the Persians and other nations of the south and west parts to deriue the name of their diuines called Magi from him In déed Rauisius Textor and sir Iohn Prise affirme that in the daies of Plinie the Britons were so expert in art magike that they might be thought to haue first deliuered the same to the Persians What the name of Magus importeth and of what profession the Magi were Tullie declareth at large and Mantuan in briefe after this maner Ille penes Persas Magus est qui sidera norit Qui sciat herbarum vires cultumú deorum Persepoli facit ista magos prudentia triplex The Persians terme him Magus that the course of starres dooth knowe The power of herbs and worship due to God that man dooth owe By threefold knowledge thus the name of Magus then dooth growe SArron the third king of the Celts succéeded his father Magus in gouernement of the contrie of Gallia and the I le Samothea wherein as D. Caius writeth he founded certaine publike places for them that professed learning with Berosus affirmeth to be done to the internt to restraine the wilfull outrage of men being as then but raw and void of all ciuilitie Also it is thought by Annius that he was the first author of those kind of philosophers which were called Sarronides of whom Diodorus Siculus writeth in this sort There are saith he among the Celts certaine diuines and philosophers called Sarronides whom aboue all other they haue in great estimation For it is the manner among them not without a philosopher to make anie sacrifice sith they are of beléefe that sacrifices ought onelie to be made by such as are skilfull in the diuine mysteries as of those who are néerest vnto God by whose intercession they thinke all good things are to be required of God and whose aduise they vse and follow as well in warre as in peace DRuis whom Seneca calleth Dryus being the sonne of Sarron was after his father established the fourth king of Celtica indifferentlie reigning as wel ouer the Celts as Britons or rather as the inhabitants of this I le were then called Samotheans This prince is commended by Berosus to be so plentifullie indued with wisedome and learning that Annius taketh him to be the vndoubted author of the beginning and name of the philosophers called Druides whome Caesar and all other ancient Gréeke and Latine writers doo affirme to haue had their begining in Britaine and to haue bin brought from thence into Gallia insomuch that when there arose any doubt in that countrie touching any point of their discipline they did repaire to be resolued therein into Britaine where speciallie in the I le of Anglesey as Humfrey Lâ—â—oyd witnesseth they made their principall abode Touching their vsages many things are written by
manner of wickednesse and namelie to ciuill dissention rapine adulterie and fornication so that it may be thought that GOD stirred vp the Saxons to be a scourge to them and to worke his iust vengeance vpon them for their wickednesses and abhominable offenses dailie coÌ„mitted against his diuine maiestie so that we find recorded by writers how that the Saxons in diuers conflicts against the Britains had the better and also tooke from them diuers townes as alreadie partly hath beene and also hereafter shall be shewed It is furthermore to be remembred that about the 14 yeere of the Britaine king Conanus his reigne which was about the end of the yere of Christ 559 Kenrike king of the Westsaxons departed this life after he had reigned xxv yéeres complet This Kenrike was a victorious prince and fought diuers battels against the Britains In the 18 yeere of his reigne which was the 551 of Christ we find that he fought against them being come at that time vnto Salisburie and after great slaughter made on both parts at length the victorie remained with the Saxons and the Britains were chased Againe in the two and twentith yéere of his reigne and 555 yéere of Christ the fame Kenrike and his sonne Cheuling fought with a great power of Britains at Branburie The Britains were diuided into nine companies three in the fore ward thrée in the battell and thrée in the rere ward with their horssemen and archers after the maner of the Romans The Saxons being ranged in one entire battell valiantlie assailed them and notwithstanding the shot of the Britains yet they brought the matter to the triall of handblowes till at length by the comming on of the night the victorie remained doubtfull and no maruell is to be made therof saith Henrie archdeacon of Huntington sith the Saxons were men of huge stature great force valiant courage The same yéere that Kenrike deceassed Ida the king of Northumberland also died he was as ye haue heard a right valiant prince inlarged the dominion of the Saxons greatlie he ouercame Loth king of the Picts in battell and Gorran king of Scots Also about the yéere of Christ 560 Conanus as yet gouerning the Britains Irmenâ—ike king of Kent departed this life of whome ye haue heard before Ethelbert his sonne succéeded him 52 yéeres Then after that the foresaid thrée princes were dead as before ye haue heard they had that succéeded them in their estates as here followeth After Kenrike his sonne Ceaulinus or Cheuling succéeded in gouernement of the Westsaxons and after Ida one Ella or Alla reigned in Northumberland after Irmenrike followed his sonne Ethelbert in rule ouer the Kentish Saxons This Ethelbert in processe of time grew to be a mightie prince but yet in the begining of his reigne he had but sorie successe against some of his enimies for hauing to doo with the foresaid Cheuling king of Westsaxons he was of him ouercome in battell at Wilbasdowne where he lost two of his dukes or cheefe capteins beside other people This was the first battell that was fought betwixt the Saxons one against another within this land after their first comming into the same And this chanced in the yere of our Lord 567 being the second yéere of the emperour Iustinus ABout the yéere 570 Cutha the brother of king Cheuling fought with the Britains at Bedford vanquished them tooke from them 4 townes Liganbrough Eglesbrough or Ailsburie Besington and Euesham Also about the yéere of our Lord 581 the foresaid king Cheuling incountered with the Britains at a place called Diorth and obteining the vpper hand tooke from them the cities of Bath Glocester and Cirencester At this battell fought at Diorth were present thrée kings of the Britains whose names were these Coinmagill Candidan and Farimnagill which were slaine there through the permission of almightie God as then refusing his people the which through their heinous sinnes and great wickednesses had most gréeuouslie offended his high and diuine maiestie as by Gyldas it may euidentlie appeare For they had declined from the lawes of the Lord and were become abhominable in his sight euen from the prince to the poore man from the priest to the Leuit so that not one estate among them walked vprightlie but contrarie to dutie was gone astray by reason whereof the righteous God had giuen them ouer as a prey to their enimies Also in the latter end of Malgos daies or about the first beginning of the reigne of his successor Careticus Cheuling and his sonne Cutwine fought with the Britains at a place called Fechanley or Fedanley or as some bookes haue Frithenlie where Cutwine was slaine the Englishmen chased but yet Cheuling repairing his armie wan the victorie and chasing the Britains tooke from them manie countries and wan great riches by the spoile But Matth. West saith that the victorie aboad with the Britains and that the Saxons were chased quite out of the field The Scotish writers record that their king Aidan who is noted to haue béene the 49 successiuelie possessing the regiment of that land partlie with griefe of hart for the death of Columba a graue and wise gentleman whome he tenderlie loued and partlie with age for he was growne horieheaded and had reigned 34 yéeres ended his life was there in aid of the Britains and Brudeus king of the Picts betwixt whom and the said Aidan a sore battell was fought in aid of the Saxons but the same writers name the place Deglaston where this battell was made and the forces of both sides by a sharpe incounter tried The begining of the kingdome of Mercia the bounds of the same the heptarchie or seuen regiments of the Saxons how they grew to that perfection and by whom they were reduced and drawne into a monarâ—â—ie Careticus is created king of Britaine the Saxons take occasion by the ciuill dissentions of the Britains to make a full conquest of the land they procure forren power to further them in their enterprise Gurmundus king of the Africans arriueth in Britaine the British king is driuen to his hard shifts the politike practise of Gurmundus in taking Chichester setting the towne on fire he deliuereth the whole land in possession to the Saxons the English and Saxon kings put Careticus to flight the Britains haue onelie three prouinces left of all their countrie which before they inhabited their religion church and commonwealth is in decaie they are gouerned by three kings Cheulings death is conspired of his owne subiects The xviij Chapter ABout the same time also and 585 of Christ the kingdome of Mercia began vnder one Crida who was descended from Woden and the tenth from him by lineall extraction The bounds of this kingdome were of great distance hauing on the east the sea vnto Humber and so on the north the said riuer of Humber and after the riuer of Mercia which falleth into the west
withdrew togither with their cleargie into the mounteins and woods within Wales taking with them the reliks of saints doubting the same should be destroied by the enimies and themselues put to death if they should abide in their old habitations Manie also fled into Britaine Armorike with a great fléete of ships so that the whole church or congregation as ye may call it of the two prouinces Loegria and Northumberland was left desolate in that season to the great hinderance and decaie of the christian religion Careticus was driuen into Wales as before is rehearsed about the second or third yéere of his reigne and there continued with his Britains the which ceassed not to indamage the Saxons from time to time as occasion still serued But here is to be noted that the Britains being thus remoued into Wales and Cornwall were gouerned afterwards by thrée kings or rather tyrants the which ceased not with ciuill warre to seeke others destruction till finallie as saith the British booke they became all subiect vnto Cadwallo whome Beda nameth Cedwallo In the meane time Ceaulinus or Cheuling king of the Westsaxons through his owne misgouernance and tyrannie which towards his latter daies he practised did procure not onelie the Britains but also his owne subiects to conspire his death so that ioining in battell with his aduersaries at Wodensdic in the 33 yeare of his reigne his armie was discomfited and he himselfe constreined to depart into exile and shortlie after ended his life before he could find meanes to be restored ¶ So that we haue here a mirror or liuelie view of a tyrant and a king wherein there is no lesse ods in the manner of their gouernement than there is repugnance in their names or difference in their states For he seeth but little into the knowledge of toongs that vnderstandeth not what the office of a king should be by the composition of his name the same sounding in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being resolued is in effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the foundation or stay of the people from which qualitie when he resulteth he maketh shipwracke of that goodlie title and degenerateth into a tyrant than the which violent and inforced gouernement as there is none more perillous so is it of all other the least in continuance this is prooued by historicall obseruation through the course of this historie Ceolric reigneth ouer the Westsaxons the Saxons and Britains incounter Ethelbert king of kent subdueth the Englishsaxons he is maried to the French kings daughter vpon cautions of religion the king imbraceth the gospell Augustine the moonke and others were sent into this Ile to preach the christian faith the occasion that moued Gregorie the great to send him buieng and selling of boies the Englishmen called Angli commended Ethelbert causeth Augustine and his fellowes to come before him they preach to the king and his traine he granteth them a conuenient seat and competent reliefe in Canturburie the maner of their going thither and their behauiour there the king and his people receiue the christian faith and are baptised The xix Chapter NOw after Cheuling his nephue Celricus or Ceolric that was sonne vnto Cutwine the sonne of the foresaid Cheuling reigned as king ouer the Westsaxons fiue yeares fiue moneths In like manner the same yeare died Ella or Alla king of Northumberland after whome succéeded Ethelricus the sonne of Ida and reigned but fiue yeares being a man well growne in yeares before he came to be king About thrée yeeres after this the Saxons Britains fought a battell at Wodenesbourne where the Britans being ranged in good order the Saxons set vpon them boldlie indéed but disorderedlie so that the victorie remained with the Britains The Saxons the more valiant they had shewed themselues in battell before that time so much the more slow and vntowardlie did they shew themselues now in running awaie to saue themselues so that an huge number of them were slaine Also about the same time died Crida king of Mercia 594 after whome his sonne Wibbas or Wipha succeeded And after the deceasse of Ethelric one Edelbertor Edelfride surnamed the wild succeeded in gouernement of the Northumbers But to returne to our purpose Ethelbert king of Kent not discouraged with the euill chance which happened in the beginning but rather occasioned thereby to learne more experience in feats of warre prooued so perfect a maister therein that in processe of time he subdued by force of armes all those English Saxons which lay betwixt the bounds of his countrie and the riuer of Humber Also to haue friendship in forraine parts he procured a wife for himselfe of the French nation named the ladie Bertha being king Cheriberts daughter of France but with condition that he should permit hir to continue and vse the rites and lawes of christian faith and religion and to haue a bishop whose name was Luidhard appointed to come and remaine with hir here in this land for hir better instruction in the lawes of the Lord. So that they two with other of the French nation that came ouer with them remaining in the court and vsing to serue God in praiers and otherwise according to the custome of the christian religion began vndoubtedlie to giue light to the kings mind as yet darkned with the clouds of paganisme so as the bright beames of the celestiall cléerenes of vnderstanding remooued the thicke mists of his vnbeléefe in tract of time and prepared his heart to the receiuing of the gospell which after by heauenlie prouidence was preached to him by occasion and in maner as followeth In the yeare of our Lord 596 which was about the 14 yeare of the reigne of the emperour Mauricius and after the comming of the English Saxons into this land about an 47 yeares almost complet the bishop of Rome Gregorie the first of that name and surnamed Magnus sent Augustinus a moonke with certeine other learned men into this Ile to preach the christian faith vnto the English Saxons which nation as yet had not receiued the gospell And here we hold it necessarie to shew how it is recorded by diuers writers that the first occasion whereby Gregorie was mooued thus to send Augustine into this land rose by this meanes It chanced whilest the same Gregorie was as yet but archdeacon of the sée of Rome certeine yoong boies were brought thither to bee sold out of Northumberland according to the accustomable vse of that countrie in somuch that as we haue in our time séene saith W. Mal. the people of that prouince haue not yet doubted to sell awaie their néere kinsfolke for a small price When those children which at that time were brought from thence to Rome had by reason of their excellent beauties and comelie shape of lims and bodie turned the eies in maner of all the citizens to the beholding of them it fortuned that Gregorie also came amongst other to
be made touching the state of religious men and sate in the same synod that with subscribing he might also by his authoritie confirme that which was there orderlie decréed This synod was holden the third kalends of March in the last yéere of the emperour Phocas which was about the yeere after the birth of our Sauiour 610. Melitus at his returne brought with him from the pope decrees commanded by the said pope to be obserued in the English church with letters also directed to archbishop Laurence and to king Ethelbert Cadwan is made king of the Britains in the citie of Chester he leuieth a power against Ethelfred king of the Northumbers couenants of peace passe betwixt them vpon condition the death of Ethelbert king of Kent where he and his wife were buried of his lawes Eadbald succeedeth Ethelbert in the Kentish kingdome his lewd and vnholie life he is an enimie to religion he is plagued with madnesse Hebert king of the Eastsaxons dieth his three sonnes refuse to be baptised they fall to idolatrie and hate the professours of the truth their irreligious talke and vndutifull behauiour to bishop Melitus he and his fellow Iustus passe ouer into France the three sonnes of Hebert are slaine of the Westsaxons in battell the Estsaxons by their idolatrie prouoke archbishop Laurence to forsake the land he is warned in a vision to tarie whereof he certifieth king Eadbald who furthering christianitie sendeth for Melitus and Iustus the one is restored to his see the other reiected Melitus dieth Iustus is made archbishop of Canturburie the christian faith increaseth The xxiiij Chapter AFter that the Britains had cōtinued about the space almost of 24 yéeres without anie one speciall gouernour being led by sundrie rulers euer sithens that Careticus was constreined to flée ouer Seuerne and fought oftentimes not onelie against the Saxons but also one of them against another at length in the yéere of our Lord 613 they assembled in the citie of Chester and there elected Cadwan that before was ruler of Northwales to haue the souereigne rule gouernement ouer all their nation and so the said Cadwan began to reigne as king of Britaine in the said yéere 613. But some authors say that this was in the yéere 609 in which yéere Careticus the British king departed this life And then after his deceasse the Britains or Welshmen whether we shall call them chose Cadwan to gouerne them in the foresaid yéere 609 which was in the 7 yéere of the emperour Phocas and the 21 of the second Lotharius king of France and in the 13 yéere of Kilwoolfe king of the Westsaxons This Cadwan being established king shortlie after assembled a power of Britains and went against the foresaid Ethelfred king of Northumberland who being thereof aduertised did associate to him the most part of the Saxon princes and came foorth with his armie to méet Cadwan in the field Herevpon as they were readie to haue tried the matter by battell certeine of their friends trauelled so betwixt them for peace that in the end they brought them to agréement so that Ethelfred should kéepe in quiet possession those his countries beyond the riuer of Humber and Cadwan should hold all that which of right belonged to the Britains on the south side of the same riuer This couenant with other touching their agréement was confirmed with oths solemnelie taken and pledges therewith deliuered so that afterwards they continued in good and quiet peace without vexing one an other What chanced afterward to Ethelfred ye haue before heard rehersed which for that it soundeth more like to a truth than that which followeth in the British booke we omit to make further rehersall passing forward to other dooings which fell in the meane season whilest this Cadwan had gouernement of the Britains reigning as king ouer them the tearme of 22 or as some say but 13 yéeres and finallie was slaine by the Northumbers as before hath béene and also after shall be shewed In the 8 yéere after that Cadwan began to reigne Ethelbert king of Kent departed this life in the 21 yéere after the comming of Augustine with his fellowes to preach the faith of Christ here in this realme and after that Ethelbert had reigned ouer the prouince of Kent the tearme of 56 yéeres as Beda saith but there are that haue noted thrée yéeres lesse he departed this world as aboue is signified in the yeere of our Lord 617 on the 24 day of Februarie and was buried in the I le of saint Martine within the church of the apostles Peter and Paule without the citie of Canturburie where his wife quéene Bartha was also buried and the foresaid archbishop Augustine that first conuerted him to the faith Amongst other things this king Ethelbert with the aduise of his councell ordeined diuers lawes and statutes according to the which decrées of iudgements should passe those decrées he caused to be written in the English toong which remained and were in force vnto the daies of Beda as he declareth And first it was expressed in those lawes what amends he should make that stole anie thing that belonged to the church to the bishop or to anie ecclesiasticall person willing by all means to defend them whose doctrine he had receiued AFter the deceasse of Ethelbert his sonne Eadbald succéeded in the gouernment of his kingdome of Kent the which was a great hinderer of the increase of the new church amongst the Englishmen in those parties for he did not onelie refuse to be baptised himselfe but also vsed such kind of fornication as hath not béene heard as the apostle saith amongst the Gentiles for he tooke to wife his mother in law that had béene wife to his father By which two euill examples manie tooke occasion to returne to their heathenish religion the which whilest his father reigned either for the prince his pleasure or for feare to offend him did professe the christian faith But Eadbald escaped not woorthie punishment to him sent from the liuing God for his euill deserts insomuch that he was vexed with a certeine kind of madnesse and taken with an vncleane spirit The foresaid storme or vnquiet troubling of the christian congregation was afterwards greatlie increased also by the death of Sabert or Sebert king of the Eastsaxons who was conuerted to the faith of Christ and baptized by Melitus bishop of London as before is mentioned departing this life to go to a better in the blissefull kingdome of heauen he left behind him thrée sonnes as true successours in the estate of his earthlie kingdome which sonnes likewise refused to be baptised Their names were Serred Seward Sigebert men of an ill mind such as in whome no vertue remained no feare of God nor anie respect of religion but speciallie hating the professours of the christian faith For after their father was dead they began to fall to their old idolatrie which in his life time
they séemed to haue giuen ouer insomuch that now they openlie worshipped idols and gaue libertie to their subiects to do the like And when the bishop Melitus at the solemnizing of masse in the church distributed the eucharisticall bread vnto the people they asked him as it is said wherfore he did not deliuer of that bright white bread vnto them also as well as he had béene accustomed to doo to their father Saba for so they vsed to call him Unto whome the bishop made this answer If you will be washed in that wholesome fountaine wherein your father was washed ye may be partakers of that holie bread whereof he was partaker but if you despise the washpoole of life ye may by no meanes tast the bread of saluation But they offended herewith replied in this wise We will not enter into that fountaine for we know we haue no néed thereof but yet neuerthelesse we will be refreshed with that bread After this when they had beene earnestlie and manie times told that vnlesse they would be baptised they might not be partakers of the sacred oblation at length in great displeasure they told him that if he would not consent vnto them in so small a matter there should be no place for him within the bounds of their dominion and so he was constrained to depart Wherevpon he being expelled resorted into Kent there to take aduise with his fellow-bishops Laurence and Iustus what was to be doone in this so weightie a matter Who finallie resolued vpon this point that it should be better for them to returne into their countrie where with frée minds they might serue almightie God rather than to remaine amongest people that rebelled against the faith without hope to doo good amongest them Wherefore Melitus and Iustus did depart first and went ouer into France minding there to abide till they might sée what the end would be But shortlie after those brethren the kings of Essex which had expelled their bishop in maner aboue said suffered woorthilie for their wicked dooings For going forth to battell against the Westsaxons they were ouerthrowen and slaine altogither with all their armie by the two kings Kinigils and Quichelme But neuerthelesse albeit the authors of the mischiefe were thus taken awaie yet the people of that countrie would not be reduced againe from their diuelish woorshipping of false gods being eftsoones fallen thereto in that season by the incouragement and perilous example of their rulers Wherefore the archbishop Laurence was in mind also to follow his fellowes Melitus and Iustus but when he minded to set forward he was warned in a dreame and cruellie scourged as hath beene reported by the apostle saint Peter who reprooued him for that he would so vncharitablie for sake his flocke leaue it in danger without a shepherd to kéepe the woolfe from the fold The archbishop imboldned by this vision and also repenting him of his determination came to king Eadbald and shewed to him his stripes and the maner of his dreame The king being herewith put in great feare renounced his heathenish worshipping of idols and was baptised and as much as in him laie from thenceforth succoured the congregation of the christians and aduanced the church to his power He sent also into France and called home the bishops Melitus and Iustus so that Iustus was restored to his sée of Rochester But the Eastsaxons would not receiue Melitus to his sée at London but continued in their wicked mawmetrie in obeieng a bishop of their pagan law whom they had erected for that purpose Neither was king Eadbald of that authoritie and power in those parties as his father was before whereby he might constreine them to receiue their lawfull bishop But suerlie the said king Eadbald with his people after he was once conuerted againe gaue himselfe wholie to obeie the lawes of GOD and amongst other déeds of godlie zeale he builded a church to our ladie at Canturburie within the monasterie of saint Peter afterwards called saint Agnes This church was consecrated by Melitus who after the death of Laurence succéeded in gouernance of the archbishops sée of Canturburie After Melitus who departed this life in the yeare of our Lord 624 Iustus that before was bishop of Rochester was made archbishop of Canturburie and ordeined one Romanus to the sée of Rochester About that time the people of the north parts beyond Humber receiued the faith by occasion as after shall appéere Edwin reigneth ouer the Northumbers his great power and reputation a marriage betweene him and Ethelburga the sister of king Eadbald vpon religious couenants the traitorous attempts of murtherous Eumerus against him his wife Ethelburga is deliuered of a daughter he assalteth the Westsaxons and discomfiteth them Boniface the fift writeth to him to desist from his idolatrie and to his ladie to persist in true christianitie the vision of Edwin when he was a banished man in the court of Redwald king of the Eastangles whereby he was informed of his great exaltation and conuersion to christian religion The xxv Chapter YE haue heard how Edelfred the king of Northumberland was slaine in battell neere to the water of Idel by Redwald king of the Eastangles in fauour of Edwin whom the said Edelfred had confined out of his dominion 24 yéeres before The foresaid Redwald therefore hauing obteined that victorie found meanes to place Edwin in gouernement of that kingdome of the Northumbers hauing a title thereto as sonne to Alla or Elle sometime king of Northumberland This Edwin prooued a right valiant prince grew to be of more power than anie other king in the daies of the English nation not onelie ruling ouer a great part of the countries inhabited with English men but also with Britains who inhabited not onelie in Wales but in part of Chesshire Lancashire Cumberland and alongst by the west sea-coast in Galloway and so foorth euen vnto Dumbritaine in Scotland which I haue thought good to note that it may appeare in what countries Cadwall◠bare rule of whome so often mention is made in this part of the historie But as concerning Edwin his reputation was such as not onelie the English men Britains and Scots but also the Iles of Orknie and these of Man and others the west Iles of ancient time called Meuaniae had him in reuerence and feared his mightie power so as they durst not attempt anie exploit to offend him It chanced that shortlie after king Redwald had aduanced him to the kingdom of Northumberland to wit about 6 yeares the same Redwald deceassed which made greatlie for the more augmentation of Edwins power For the people of the Eastangles which whilest Edwin remained amongst them as a banished man had conceiued a good opinion of him for his approoued valiancie and noble courage offered themselues to be wholie at his commandement But Edwin suffering Carpwald or Erpwald the sonne of Redwald to inioie the bare title and name of the king
anie giants were and whether they inhabited in this I le or not 6 Of the languages spoken in this Iland 7 Into how manie kingdoms this Iland hath beene diuided 8 The names of such kings and princes as haue reigned in this Iland 9 Of the ancient religion vsed in Albion 10 Of such Ilands as are to be seene vpon the coasts of Britaine 11 Of riuers and first of the Thames and such riuers as fall into it 12 Of such streames as fall into the sea betweene the Thames and the mouth of Sauerne 13 The description of the Sauerne and such waters as discharge themselues into the same 14 Of such waters as fall into the sea in compasse of the Iland betweene the Sauerne and the Humber 15 The description of the Humber or Isis and such water-courses as doo increase hir chanell 16 Of such fals of waters as ioine with the sea betweene Humber and the Thames 17 Of such ports and creeks as our sea-faring-men doo note for their benefit vpon the coasts of England 18 Of the aire soile and commodities of this Iland 19 Of the foure high waies sometime made in Britaine by the princes of this Iland 20 Of the generall constitution of the bodies of the Britons 21 How Britaine at the first grew to be diuided into three portions 22 After what maner the souereigntie of this I le dooth remaine to the princes of Lhoegres or kings of England 23 Of the wall sometime builded for a partition betweene England and the Picts and Scots 24 Of the maruels of England REGVM ANGLIAE SERIES catalogus COnquestor Rufus prior Henricus Stephanúsque Alter Henricus Leonino corde Richardus Rex Ioannes Henricus tertius inde Eduardus primus Gnatúsque Nepósque sequuntur His infoelicem Richardum iunge secundum Henricus quartus soboles Gandaui Ioannis Praecedit Gnato quinto sextóque Nepoti Eduardus quartus quintus homicida Richardus Septimi Henricus octauus clara propago Eduardus sextus regina Maria Philippus Elisabeth longos regnet victura per annos Seráque promisso foelix potiatur olympo CARMEN CHRONOLOGICON Thomae Newtoni Cestreshyrij GRamine fluminibus grege principe fruge metallis Lacte feris armis vrbibus arte foris Quae viget ac floret generosa Britannia quaeque Obruta puluereo squalluit ante situ Exerit ecce caput genuinum nacta nitorem Et rutilum emittit cum grauitate iubar Et quod blaesa hominum mutilarat tempore lingua Illud habet rectum pumice tersa nouo Loydus in hac pridem gnauus prolusit arena Lelandus Prisius Stous Holinshedius Lambardus Morus Camdenus Thinnius Hallus Vocalis Grafton Foxius Harrisonus Hardingus Gildas Staniherstus Beda Neuillus Doctáque Flemingi lima poliuit opus Nec te cane senex magne ô Parkere silebo Cui decus attulerat pontificalis apex Omnibus his meritò est laus debita optima merces Quòd patriae accendant lumina clara suae Longa dies opus hoc peperit longaeua senectus Et libri authores perbeet atque librum ⧠An Historicall description of the Iland of Britaine with a briefe rehersall of the nature and qualities of the people of England and such commodities as are to be found in the same Comprehended in three bookes and written by W. H. Of the diuision of the whole earth Chapter 1. WE read that the earth hath beene diuided into thrée parts euen sithens the generall floud And the common opinion is that Noah limited and bestowed it vpon his three sons Iaphet Cham and Sem preserued with him in the Arke giuing vnto each of them such portions thereof as to him séemed good and neuerthelesse reteining the souereigntie of the whole still vnto himselfe albeit as yet it be left vncertaine how those seuerall parts were bounded and from whome they tooke such names as in our times are attributed to each of them Certes the words Asia Europa and Africa are denominations giuen but of late to speake of vnto them and it is to be doubted whether sithens the time of Noah the sea hath in sundrie places wonne or lost added or diminished to and from each of them or whether Europa and Lybia were but one portion and the same westerlie regions of late discouered and now called America was the third part counting Asia for the second or the selfe region of the Atlantides which Plato and others for want of traffike thither in their times supposed to be dissolued and sunke into the sea as by their writings appeereth Not long before my time we reckoned Asia Europa and Africa for a full and perfect diuision of the whole earth which are parcels onelie of that huge Iland that lieth east of the Atlantike sea and whereof the first is diuided from the second by Tanais which riseth in the rocks of Caucasus and hideth it selfe in the Meotine moores and the Ocean sea and the last from them both by the Mediterrane and red sea otherwise called Mare Erythraeum But now all men especially the learned begin to doubt of the soundnes of that partition bicause a no lesse part than the greatest of the thrée ioined with those Ilands and maine which lie vnder the north and Southpoles if not double in quantitie vnto the same are found out and discouered by the diligence of our trauellers Hereby it appeereth that either the earth was not exactlie diuided in time past by antiquitie or els that the true diuision thereof came not to the hands and notice of their posteritie so that our ancestors haue hitherto as it were laboured in the Cimmerian darkenesse and were vtterlie ignorant of the truth of that whereabout they indeuoured to shew their trauels and knowledge in their writings Some peece of this confusion also is to be found amongst the ancient and Romane writers who notwithstanding their large conquests did sticke in the same mire with their successors not being able as appeereth by their treatises to deliuer and set downe the veritie For Salust in his booke De bello Iugurthino cannot tell whether Africa be parcell of Asia or not And with the same scruple Varro in his booke De lingua Lat. is not a litle incumbred who in the end concludeth that the whole earth is diuided into Asia and Europa so that Africa is excluded and driuen out of his place Silius also writeth of Africa as one not yet resolued wherevnto to leane that it is Aut ingens Asiae latus aut pars tertia rerum Wherein Lucane lib. 9. sheweth himselfe to be far of another iudgement in that he ascribeth it to Europa saieng after this maner Tertia pars rerum Lybia si credere famae Cuncta velis si ventos coelúmque sequaris Pars erit Europae nec enim plus littora Nili Quà m Scythicus Tanais primis à gradibus absunt Whereby I saie we may well vnderstand that in the time of Augustus Tiberius Claudius Nero the Romanes
and not to faile in one tittle in the whole processe of this his laborious repetition But as they dealt in this order for matters of their religion so in ciuill affairs historicall treatises and setting downe of lawes they vsed like order and letters almost with the Grecians Whereby it is easie to be séene that they reteined this kind of writing from Druiyus the originall founder of their religion and that this Iland hath not béene void of letters and learned men euen sith it was first inhabited I would ad some thing in particular also of their apparell but sith the dealing withall is nothing profitable to the reader I passe it ouer signifieng neuerthelesse that it was distinguished by sundrie dauises from that of the common sort and of such estimation among the people that whosoeuer ware the Druiysh weed might walke where he would without any harme or annoiance This honour was giuen also vnto the préests in Rome insomuch that when Volusius was exiled by the Triumuirate and saw himselfe in such danger as that he could not escape the hardest he gat the wéed of a preest vpon his backe and begged his almes therein euen in the high waies as he trauelled and so escaped the danger and the furie of his aduersaries but to proceed with other things After the death of Druiyus Bardus his sonne and fift king of the Celts succéeded not onelie ouer the said kingdome but also in his fathers vertues whereby it is verie likelie that the winding and wrapping vp of the said religion after the afore remembred sort into verse was first deuised by him for he was an excellent poet and no lesse indued with a singular skill in the practise and speculation of musicke of which two many suppose him to be the verie author and beginner although vniustlie sith both poetrie and song were in vse before the flood as was also the harpe and pipe which Iubal inuented and could neuer be performed without great skill in musicke But to procéed as the cheefe estimation of the Druiydes remained in the end among the Britons onelie for their knowledge in religion so did the fame of the Bardes which were so called of this Bardus for their excellent skill in musicke poetrie and the heroicall kind of song which at the first conteined onelie the high mysteries and secret points of their religion There was little difference also betwéene them and the Druiydes till they so farre degenerated from their first institution that they became to be minstrels at feasts droonken meetings and abhominable sacrifices of the idols where they sang most commonlie no diuinitie as before but the puissant acts of valiant princes and fabulous narrations of the adulteries of the gods Certes in my time this fond vsage and thereto the verie name of the Bardes are not yet extinguished among the Britons of Wales where they call their poets and Musicians Barthes as they doo also in Ireland which Sulpitius also writing to Lucane remembreth where he saith that the word Bardus is meere Celtike and signifieth a singer Howbeit the Romans iudging all nations beside themselues to be but rude and barbarous and thereto misliking vtterlie the rough musicke of the Bardes entred so farre into the contemptuous mockage of their melodie that they ascribed the word Bardus vnto their fooles and idiots whereas contrariwise the Scythians and such as dwell within the northweast part of Europe did vse the same word in verie honourable maner calling their best poets and heroicall singers Singebardos their couragious singers and capiteins that delited in musicke Albardos Dagobardos Rodtbardos one lame musician Lambard aboue all other of whose skilfull ditties Germanie is not vnfurnished as I heare vnto this daie In Quizqueia or new Spaine an Iland of the Indies they call such men Boitios their rimes Arcitos and in steed of harps they sing vnto timbrels made of shels such sonnets and ditties as either perteine vnto religion prophane loue commendation of ancestrie and inflammation of the mind vnto Mars whereby there appeareth to be small difference betwéene their Boitios and our Bardes Finallie of our sort Lucane in his first booke writeth thus among other like saiengs well toward the latter end Vos quóque qui fortes animas belloque peremptas Laudibus in longum vates dimit titis auum Plurima securi fudistis carmina Bardi Et vos barbaricos ritus morémque sinistrum Sacrorum Druiydae positis recepistis ab armis Solis nosse Deos coeli numina vobis Aut solis nescire datum nemora alta remotis Incolitis lucis Vobis authoribus vmbrae Non tacitas Erebi sedes Ditisque profundi Pallida regna petunt regit idem spiritus artus Orbe alio Longae canitis si cognita vitae Morsmedia est certe populi quos despicit arctos Foelices errore suo quos ille timorum Maximus haud vrget leti metus inde ruendi In ferrum mens prona viris animaeque capaces Mortis ignauum est rediturae parcere vitae Thus we sée as in a glasse the state of religion for a time after the first inhabitation of this Iland but how long it continued in such soundnese as the originall authors left it in good sooth I cannot say yet this is most certeine that after a time when Albion arriued here the religion earst imbraced fell into great decaie For whereas Iaphet Samothes with their children taught nothing else than such doctrine as they had learned of Noah C ham the great grandfather of this our Albion and his disciples vtterlie renouncing to follow their steps gaue their minds wholie to seduce and lead their hearers headlong vnto all error Whereby his posteritie not onelie corrupted this our Iland with most filthie trades and practises but also all mankind generallie where they became with vicious life and most vngodlie conuersation For from Cham and his successours procéeded at the first all sorcerie witchcraft and the execution of vnlawfull lust without respect of sex age consanguinitie or kind as branches from an odious and abhominable root or streames deriued from a most filthie and horrible stinking puddle Howbeit notwithstanding all these his manifold lewdnesses such was the follie of his Aegyptians where he first reigned and taught that whilest he liued they alone had him in great estimation whereas other nations contemned and abhorred him for his wickednesse calling him Chemesenua that is the impudent infamous and wicked Cham and not onelie builded a citie vnto him which they called Chem Min but also after his death reputed him for a god calling the highest of the seuen planets after his name as they did the next beneath it after Osyris his sonne whom they likewise honored vnder the name of Iupiter Certes it was a custome begonne in Aegypt of old time and generallie in vse almost in euerie place in processe of time when any of their famous worthie princes died to ascribe some forme
aboue Elston with the first of the thrée they go as one by Elston to Leircester Belgraue Wanlip and aboue Cussington doo fall into the Warke and soone after into the Soure The Soure in like sort going from thence to mount Sorrell taking in another brooke southwest from Leircester forrest by Glenfield Austie Thurcaston and Rodelie ioineth with the Soure which goeth from thence to mount Sorrell and Quarendon where it taketh in a water comming from Charnewood forrest and goeth by Bradegate and Swithland and then procéedeth to Cotes Lughborow and Stanford there also taking in one rill out of Notinghamshire by northeast and soone after another from southwest comming from Braceden to Shepesheued Garrington Dighlie grange and likewise the third from Worthington by Disworth long Whitton and Wathorne Finallie after these confluences it hasteth to Sutton Kingston and Ratcliffe and so into the Trent These things being thus brought togither and we now resuming the discourse of the same riuer it dooth after his méeting with the Some proceed withall to Barton where it taketh in the Erwash which riseth about Kirbie and thence goeth to Selâ—â—on Wansbie Codnor castell Estwood and crossing a water from Beâ—all runneth to Coshall Troweâ— and there taking in another rill comming from Henor by Shipleie it proceedeth on to Stapleford long Eaton and so into the Trent This bring soone it goeth to Clifton and yer it come at Wilford it meeteth with a brooke that passeth from Staunton by Bonnie and Rodington and thence to Notingham where it crosseth the Line whâ—â— riseth aboue Newsted and passing by Papple 〈◊〉 Hâ—eknall Bafford Radford and Linton next of all to Thorpe Farmdon where it brancheth and maketh an Iland and into the smaller of them goeth a brooke from Beuer castell which rising betweene east Well and Eaton in Leircester is called the Dene and from thence runneth by Bramston to Knipton beneath Knipton méeteth with a brooke that commeth by west of â—roxston and thence holdeth on with his course betwéene Willeâ—â—horpe and Beuer castell aforesaid and so to Bottesworth Normanton Killington Shilton there receiuing the Snite from by south whose head is néere Clauston course from thence by Hickling Langer Whalton Orston and Flareborow and yer long another comming from Bingham and Sibthorpe Thence our Trent runneth to Coxam Hawton Newarke castell and so to Winthorpe where the branches are reunited and thence go on by Holme to Cromwell and soone after taking in a brooke comming from Bilsthorpe by Kersall Cawnton Norwell and Willowbie to Carlton and to Sutton there making a litle I le then to Grinton where it toucheth a streame on ech side whereof one commeth from Morehouse by Weston Gresthorpe another from Langthorpe by Collingham and Bosthorpe From hence likewise it passeth to Clifton Newton Kettlethorpe Torkeseie Knath Guinsborow Waltrith Stockwith and leauing Axholme on the left hand it taketh withall Hogdike water out of the I le and so goeth foorth to Wildsworth Eastferrie Frusworth Burringham Guinmeis Hixburgh Burton Walcote and at Ankerburie into the Humber receiuing the swift Doue by the waie which for his noblenesse is not to be ouerpassed especiallie for that Anno 1536 Hen. 8 28 it was by Gods prouidence a staie of great bloudshed like to haue fallen out betwéene the kings side and the rebelles of the north in a quarrell about religion For the night before the battell should haue béene stricken and without anie apparent cause a little showre of raine excepted farre vnpossible vpon such a sudden to haue made so great a water the said riuer arose so high ran with such vehemencie that on the morow the armies could not ioine to trie fight it out after which a pacification insued and those countries were left in quiet Secondlie the description hereof is not to be ouerpassed bicause of the fine grasse which groweth vpon the banks thereof which is so fine and batable that there goeth a prouerbe vpon the same so oft as a man will commend his pasture to say that there is no better féed on Doue banke that maketh it also the more famous The Doue therefore riseth in Yorkeshire among the Peke hilles and hauing receiued a water comming by Ingbirchworth where the colour thereof is verie blacke it goeth to Pennistone which is foure miles from the head then by Oxspring to Thurgoland and soone after ioining by the waie with the Midhop water that runneth by Midhop chappell and Hondshelfe it méeteth with another comming from Bowsterston chappell Then goeth it by Waddesleie wood to Waddesleie bridge and at Aluerton receiueth the Bradfeld water Then passeth it to Crokes and so to Sheffeld castell by east whereof it receiueth a brooke from by south that commeth through Sheffeld parke Thence it procéedeth to Westford bridge Briksie bridge and southwest of Timsleie receiueth the Cowleie streame that runneth by Ecclefield Next of all it goeth to Rotheram where it méeteth with the Rother a goodlie water whose head is in Darbieshire about Pilsleie from whence it goeth vnder the name of Doleie till it come at Rotheram by north Winfield church Wingerworth and Foreland hall twelue miles from Rotheram to Chesterford where it méeteth with the Iber and Brampton water that commeth by Holme hall both in one chanell Thence it runneth to Topton castell and yer long crossing one water comming from Dronefeld by Whittington on the one side and the second from aboue Brimington on the other it goeth through Stalie parke and soone after méeteth with the Crawleie becke whereof I find this note The Crawleie riseth not farre from Hardwâ—jc and going by Stanesbie and Woodhouse it receiueth aboue Netherhorpe one water on the one side comming from the Old parke and another from Barlborow hill on the other that runneth not farre from Woodthorpe After this confluence likewise they run as one into the Rother which hasteth from thence to Eckington there crossing a rill that runneth by Birleie hill and so to Kilmarsh in the confines of Darbieshire where it taketh in the Gunno from by east Thence to Boughton vniting it selfe therabout with another by west from Gledles called Mesebrooke which diuideth Yorkeshire from Darbieshire and so runneth to Treton Whiston there taking in a rill from Aston and so to Rotheram where it méeteth with the Doue and from whence our Doue yéelding plentie of samon all the waie as it passeth hasteth to Aldwaâ—ke Swaiton Mexburge there taking in the Darne which I will next describe and staie with the Doue vntill I haue finished the same It riseth at Combworth and so commeth about by Bretton hall to Darton ward where it crosseth a water that runneth from Gonthwake hall by Cawthorne vnited of two heads From hence it goeth to Burton grange then to Drax where it toucheth with a water from southwest then goeth to Derfield and Goldthorpe but yer it come to Sprotborow it vniteth it selfe
all the people of England Cumberland Scots Danes and Britons King Athelstane in like sort conquered Scotland and as he laie in his tents beside Yorke whilest the warres lasted the king of Scots feined himselfe to be a minstrell and harped before him onelie to espie his ordinance and his people But being as their writers confesse corrupted with monie he sold his faith and false heart together to the Danes and aided them against king Athelstane at sundrie times Howbeit he met with all their vntruthes at Broningfield in the west countrie as is mentioned in the ninth chapter of the first booke of this description where he discomfited the Danes and slue Malcolme deputie in that behalfe to the king of Scots in which battell the Scots confesse themselues to haue lost more people than were remembred in anie age before Then Athelstane following his good lucke went throughout all Scotland and wholie subdued it and being in possession thereof gaue land there lieng in Annandale by his deed the copie wherof dooth follow I king Athelstane giues vnto Paulam Oddam and Roddam al 's good and al 's faire as euer they mine were and thereto witnesse Mauld my wife By which course words not onelie appeareth the plaine simplicitie of mens dooings in those daies but also a full proofe that he was then seized of Scotland At the last also he receiued homage of Malcolme king of Scots but for that he could not be restored to his whole kingdome he entered into religion and there shortlie after died Then Athelstane for his better assurance of that countrie there after thought it best to haue two stringes to the bowe of their obedience and therefore not onelie constituted on Malcolme to be their king but also appointed one Indulph sonne of Constantine the third to be called prince of Scotland to whome he gaue much of Scotland and for this Malcolme did homage to Athelstane Edmund brother of Athelstane succéeded next king of England to whome this Indulph then king of Scots not onelie did homage but also serued him with ten thousand Scots for the expulsion of the Danes out of the realme of England Edred or Eldred brother to this Edmund succéeded next king of England he not onelie receiued the homage of Irise then king of Scots but also the homage of all the barons of Scotland Edgar the sonne of Edmund brother of Athelstane being now of full age was next king of England he reigned onelie ouer the whole monarchie of Britaine and receiued homage of Keneth king of Scots for the kingdome of Scotland and made Malcolme prince thereof This Edgar gaue vnto the same Keneth the countrie of Louthian in Scotland which was before seized into the hands of Osbright king of England for their rebellion as is before declared He inioined Keneth their said king also once in euerie yéere at certeine principall feasts whereat the king did vse to weare his crowne to repaire vnto him into England for the making of lawes which in those daies was doone by the noble men or péeres according to the order of France at this daie He allowed also sundrie lodgings in England to him and his successours whereat to lie and refresh themselues in their iourneies whensoeuer they should come vp to doo their homages and finallie a péece of ground lieng beside the new palace of Westminster vpon which this Keneth builded a house that by him and his posseritie was inioied vntill the reigne of king Henrie the second In whose time vpon the rebellion of William king of Scots it was resumed into the king of Englands hand The house is decaied but the ground where it stood is called Scotland to this daie Moreouer Edgar made this law that no man should succéed to his patrimonie or inheritance holden by knights seruice vntill he accomplished the age of one and twentie yéeres because by intendment vnder that age he should not be able in person to serue his king and countrie according to the tenor of his deed and the condition of his purchase This law was receiued by the same Keneth in Scotland and as well there as in England is obserued to this daie which prooueth also that Scotland was then vnder his obeisance In the yeere of our Lord 974 Kinald king of Scots and Malcolme king of Cumberland Macon king of Man and the Iles Duuenall king of Southwales Siferth and Howell kings of the rest of Wales Iacob or Iames of Gallowaie Iukill of Westmerland did homage to king Edgar at Chester And on the morrow going by water to the monasterie of saint Iohns to seruice and returning home againe the said Edgar sitting in a barge and stirring the same vpon the water of Dée made the said kings to row the barge saieng that his successors might well be ioifull to haue the prerogatiue of so great honour and the superioritie of so manie mightie princes to be subiect vnto their monarchie Edward the sonne of this Edgar was next king of England in whose time this Keneth king of Scots caused Malcolme king of Scotland to be poisoned Wherevpon king Edward made warre against him which ceased not vntill this Keneth submitted himselfe and offered to receiue him for prince of Scotland whome king Edward would appoint Herevpon king Edward proclamed one Malcolme to be prince of Scotland who immediatlie came into England and there did homage vnto the same king Edward Etheldred brother of this Edward succéeded next ouer England against whome Swaine king of Denmarke conspired with this last Malcolme then king of Scots But shortlie after this Malcolme sorrowfullie submitted himselfe into the defense of Etheldred who considering how that which could not be amended must onelie be repented benignlie receiued him By helpe of whose seruice at last Etheldred recouered his realme againe out of the hands of Swaine and reigned ouer the whole monarchie eight and thirtie yéeres Edmund surnamed Ironside sonne of this Etheldred was next king of England in whose time Canutus a Dane inuaded the realme with much crueltie But at the last he married with Emme sometime wise vnto Etheldred and mother of this Edmund Which Emme as arbitratrix betweene hir naturall loue to the one and matrimoniall dutie to the other procured such amitie betwéene them in the end that Edmund was contented to diuide the realme with Canutus and keeping to himselfe all England on this side Humber gaue all the rest beyond Humber with the seigniorie of Scotland to this Canutus Wherevpon Malcolme then king of Scots after a little accustomable resistance did homage to the same Canutus for the kingdome of Scotland Thus the said Canutus held the same ouer of this Edmund king of England by the like seruices so long as they liued togither This Canutus in memorie of this victorie and glorie of his seigniorie ouer the Scots commanded Malcolme their king to build a church in Buchquhan in Scotland where a field betweene him and them was fought to be dedicated to Olauus patrone
reported that after the solemnization of this marriage which was doone with all honour that might be deuised Claudius sent certeine legions of souldiers foorth to go into Ireland to subdue that countrie and returned himselfe to Rome Aruiragus denieth subiection to the Romans Vespasian is sent to represse him and his power the Romane host is kept backe from landing queene Genissa pacifieth them after a sharpe conflict what the Romane writers say of Vespasians being in Britaine the end of Aruiragus The fourth Chapter THen did king Aruiragus ride about to view the state of his realme repairing cities and townes decaied by the warre of the Romans and saw his people gouerned with such iustice and good order that he was both feared and greatlie beloued so that in tract of time he grew verie welthie and by reason thereof fell into pride so that he denied his subiection to the Romans Wherevpon Claudius appointed Uespasian with an armie to go as lientenant into Britaine This iournie was to him the beginning of his aduancement to that honour which after to him most luckilie befell But if we shall credit our Britaine writers he gained not much at Aruiragus hands for where he would haue landed at Sandwich or Richborough Aruiragus was readie to resist him so as he durst not once enter the hauen for Aruiragus had there such a puissant number of armed men that the Romans were afraid to approch the land Uespasian therefore withdrew from thence and coasting westward landed at Totnesse and comming to Excester besieged that citie but about the seuenth day after he had planted his siege came Aruiragus and gaue him battell in the which both the armies susteined great losse of men and neither part got anie aduantage of the other On the morrow after quéene Genissa made them friends and so the warres ceassed for that time by hir good mediation ¶ But séeing as before I haue said the truth of this historie maie be greatlie mistrusted ye shall heare what the Romane writers saie of Uespasianus being héere in Britaine beside that which we haue alreadie recited out of Dion in the life of Guiderius In the daies of the emperor Claudius through fauour of Narcissus one that might doo all with Claudius the said Uespasian was sent as coronell or lieutenant of a legion of souldiers into Germanie and being remooued from thence into Britaine he fought thirtie seuerall times with the enimies and brought vnto the Romane obeisance two most mightie nations and aboue twentie townes togither with the I le of Wight and these exploits he atchiued partlie vnder the conduct of Aulus Plautius ruler of Britaine for the emperor Claudius and partlie vnder the same emperor himselfe For as it is euident by writers of good credit he came first ouer into Britaine with the said Aulus Plautius and serued verie valiantlie vnder him as before in place we haue partlie touched By Tacitus it appeereth that he was called to be partener in the gouernment of things in Britaine with Claudius and had such successe as it appéered to what estate of honour he was predestinate hauing conquered nations and taken kings prisoners But now to make an end with Aruiragus when he perceiued that his force was too weake to preuaile against the Romane empire and that he should striue but in vaine to shake the yoke of subiection from the necks of the Britains he made a finall peace with them in his old age and so continued in quiet the residue of his reigne which he lastlie ended by death after he had gouerned the land by the space of thirtie yéeres or but eight and twentie as some other imagine He died in the yéere of Grace 73 as one author affirmeth and was buried at Glocester Ioseph of Arimathia came into Britane and Simon Zelotes the antiquitie of christian religion Britaine gouerned by Lieutenants and treasurers of the Romane emperors the exploits of Ostorius Scapula and the men of Oxfordshire he vanquisheth the Welshmen appeaseth the Yorkshiremen and brideleth the rage of the Silures The fift Chapter IN the daies of the said Aruiragus about the yeare of Christ 53 Ioseph of Arimathia who buried the bodie of our sauiour being sent by Philip the Apostle as Iohn Bale following the authoritie of Gildas and other British writers reciteth after that the Christians were dispersed out of Gallia came into Britaine with diuers other godlie christian men preaching the gospell there amongst the Britains instructing them in the faith and lawes of Christ conuerted manie to the true beliefe and baptised them in the wholsome water of regeneration there continued all the residue of his life obteining of the king a plot of ground where to inhabit not past a foure miles from Wells and there with his fellowes began to laie the first foundation of the true and perfect religion in which place or néere therevnto was afterward erected the abbeie of Glastenburie Nicephorus writeth in his second booke and fourth chapter that one Simon Zelotes came likewise into Britaine And Theodoretus in his 9. booke De curandis Graecorum affectibus sheweth that Paule being released of his second imprisonment and suffered to depart from Rome preached the gospell to the Britains and to other nations in the west The same thing in manner dooth Sophronius the patriarch of Ierusalem witnesse Tertullian also maie be a witnesse of the ancientnes of the faith receiued here in Britaine where he writing of these times saith Those places of the Britains to the which the Romans could not approch were subiect vnto Christ as were also the countries of Sarmatia Dacia Germania Scithia and others ¶ Thus it maie appeare that the christian religion was planted here in this land shortlie after Christes time although it certeinlie appeareth not who were the first that preached the gospell to the Britains nor whether they were Gréekes or Latins Cornelius Tacitus writeth that the Romane emperours in this season gouerned this land by lieutenants and treasurers the which were called by the name of legats and procurators thereby to kéepe the vnrulie inhabitants the better in order And Aulus Plautius a noble man of Rome of the order of consuls was sent hither as the first legat or lieutenant in maner as before ye haue heard after him Ostorius Scapula who at his comming found the I le in trouble the enimies hauing made inuasion into the countrie of those that were friends to the Romans the more presumptuouslie for that they thought a new lieutenant with an armie to him vnacquainted and come ouer now in the beginning of winter would not be hastie to march foorth against them But Ostorius vnderstanding that by the first successe and chance of warre feare or hope is bred and augmented hasted forward to encounter with them and such as he found abroad in the countrie he slue out right on euerie side and pursued such as fled to the end they
began his reigne ouer the Britains about the yeare of our Lord 180 as Fabian following the authoritie of Peter Pictauiensis saith although other writers seeme to disagrée in that account as by the same Fabian in the table before his booke partlie appeareth wherevnto Matthaeus Westmonasteriensis affirmeth that this Lucius was borne in the yeare of our Lord 115 and was crowned king in the yeare 124 as successor to his father Coillus which died the same yeare being of great age yer the said Lucius was borne It is noted by antiquaries that his entrance was in the 4132 of the world 916 after the building of Rome 220 after the comming of Cesar into Britaine and 165 after Christ whose accounts I follow in this treatise This Lucius is highlie renowmed of the writers for that he was the first king of the Britains that receiued the faith of Iesus Christ for being inspired by the spirit of grace and truth euen from the beginning of his reigne he somewhat leaned to the fauoring of Christian religion being moued with the manifest miracles which the Christians dailie wrought in witnesse and proofe of their sound and perfect doctrine For euen from the daies of Ioseph of Arimathia and his fellowes or what other godlie men first taught the Britains the gospell of our Sauiour there remained amongest the same Britains some christians which ceased not to teach and preach the word of God most sincerelie vnto them but yet no king amongst them openlie professed that religion till at length this Lucius perceiuing not onelie some of the Romane lieutenants in Britaine as Trebellius and Pertinax with others to haue submitted themselues to that profession but also the emperour himselfe to begin to be fauorable to them that professed it he tooke occasion by their good example to giue eare more attentiuelie vnto the gospell and at length sent vnto Eleutherius bishop of Rome two learned men of the British nation Eluane and Meduine requiring him to send some such ministers as might instruct him and his people in the true faith more plentifullie and to baptise them according to the rules of christian religion ¶ The reuerend father Iohn Iewell sometime bishop of Salisburie writeth in his replie vnto Hardings answer that the said Eleutherius for generall order to be taken in the realme and churches héere wrote his aduice to Lucius in maner and forme following You haue receiued in the kingdome of Britaine by Gods mercie both the law and faith of Christ ye haue both the new and the old testament out of the same through Gods grace by the aduise of your realme make a law and by the same through Gods sufferance rule you your kingdome of Britaine for in that kingdome you are Gods vicar Herevpon were sent from the said Eleutherius two godlie learned men the one named Fugatius and the other Damianus the which baptised the king with all his familie and people and therewith remoued the worshipping of idols and false gods and taught the right meane and waie how to worship the true and immortall God There were in those daies within the bounds of Britaine 28 Flamines thrée Archflamines which were as bishops and archbishops or superintendents of the pagan or heathen religion in whose place they being remoued were instituted 28 bishops thrée archbishops of the christian religion One of the which archbishops held his sée at London another at Yorke and the third at Caerleon Arwiske in Glamorganshire Unto the archbishop of London was subiect Cornewall and all the middle part of England euen vnto Humber To the archbishop of Yorke all the north parts of Britaine from the riuer of Humber vnto the furthest partes of Scotland And to the archbishop of Caerleon was subiect all Wales within which countrie as then were seuen bishops where now there are but foure The riuer of Seuern in those daies diuided Wales then called Cambria from the other parts of Britaine Thus Britaine partlie by the meanes of Ioseph of Arimathia of whome ye haue heard before partlie by the wholesome instructions doctrines of Fugatius and Damianus was the first of all other regions that openlie receiued the gospell and continued most stedfast in that profession till the cruell furie of Dioclesian persecuted the same in such sort that as well in Britaine as in all other places of the world the christian religion was in manner extinguished and vtterlie destroied There be that affirme how this Lucius should build the church of saint Peter at Westminster though manie attribute that act vnto Sibert king of the east Saxons and write how the place was then ouergrowne with thornes and bushes and thereof tooke the name and was called Thorney They ad moreouer that Thomas archbishop of London preached read and ministred the sacraments there to such as made resort vnto him Howbeit by the tables hanging in the reuestrie of saint Paules at London and also a table sometime hanging in saint Peters church in Cornehill it should séeme that the said church of saitn Peter in Cornehill was the same that Lucius builded But herein saith Harison anno mundi 4174 dooth lie a scruple Sure Cornell might soone be mistaken for Thorney speciallie in such old records as time age euill handling haue oftentimes defaced But howsoeuer the case standeth truth it is that Lucius reioising much in that he had brought his people to the perfect light and vnderstanding of the true God that they néeded not to be deceiued anie longer with the craftie temptations and feigned miracles of wicked spirits he abolished all prophane worshippings of false gods and conuerted all such temples as had béene dedicated to their seruice vnto the vse of christian religion and thus studieng onlie how to aduance the glorie of the immortall God and the knowledge of his word without seeking the vaine glorie of worldlie triumph which is got with slaughter and bloudshed of manie a giltlesse person he left his kingdome though not inlarged with broder dominion than he receiued it yet greatlie augmented and inriched with quiet rest good ordinances and that which is more to be estéemed than all the rest adorned with Christes religion and perfectlie instructed with his most holie word and doctrine He reigned as some write 21 yeares though other affirme but twelue yeares Againe some testifie that he reigned 77 others 54 and 43. Moreouer here is to be noted that if he procured the faith of Christ to be planted within this realme in the time of Eleutherius the Romane bishop the same chanced in the daies of the emperour Marcus Aurelius Antonius and about the time that Lucius Aurelius Commodus was ioined and made partaker of the empire with his father which was seuen yéere after the death of Lucius Aelius Aurelius Uerus and in the 177 after the birth of our Sauiour Iesus Christ as by some chronologies is easie to be collected For Eleutherius began to gouerne the sée of
the warres which he had against the Saxons varieth in a maner altogither from Geffrey of Monmouth as by his words here following ye maie perceiue Guortimer the sonne of Uortimer saith he thinking not good long to dissemble the matter for that he saw himselfe and his countriemen the Britains preuented by the craft of the English Saxons set his full purpose to driue them out of the realme and kindled his father to the like attempt He therefore being the author and procurer seuen yeares after their first comming into this land the league was broken and by the space of 20 yeares they fought oftentimes togither in manie light incounters but foure times they fought puissance against puissance in open field in the first battell they departed with like fortune whilest the one part that is to meane the Saxons lost their capteine Horse that was brother to Hengist and the Britains lost Catigerne an other of Uortigerns sonnes In the other battels when the Englishmen went euer awaie with the vpper hand at length a peace was concluded Guortimer being taken out of this world by course of fatall death the which much differing from the soft and milde nature of his father right noblie would haue gouerned the realme if God had suffered him to haue liued But these battels which Uortimer gaue to the Saxons as before is mentioned should appeare by that which some writers haue recorded to haue chanced before the supposed time of Uortimers or Guortimers atteining to the crowne about the 6 or 7 yeare after the first comming of the Saxons into this realme with Hengist And hereto W. Harison giueth his consent referring the mutuall slaughter of Horsus and Catigerne to the 6 years of Martianus 455 of Christ. Howbeit Polydor Virgil saith that Uortimer succéeded his father and that after his fathers deceasse the English Saxons of whome there was a great number then in the I le comming ouer dailie like swarmes of bées and hauing in possession not onelie Kent but also the north parts of the realme towards Scotland togither with a great part of the west countrie thought it now a fit time to attempt the fortune of warre and first therefore concluding a league with the Scots and Picts vpon the sudden they turned their weapons points against the Britains and most cruellie pursued them as though they had receiued some great iniurie at their hands and no benefit at all The Britains were maruelouslie abashed herewith perceiuing that they should haue to doo with Hengist a capteine of so high renowme and also with their ancient enimies the Scots and Picts thus all at one time and that there was no remedie but either they must fight or else become slaues Wherefore at length dread of bondage stirred vp manhood in them so that they assembled togither and boldlie began to resist their enimies on ech side but being too weake they were easilie discomfited and put to flight so that all hope of defense by force of armes being vtterlie taken awaie as men in despaire to preuaile against their enimies they fled as shéepe scattered abroad some following one capteine and some another getting them into desart places woods and maresh grounds and moreouer left such townes and fortresses as were of no notable strength as a preie vnto their enimies Thus saith Polydor Virgil of the first breaking of the warres betwixt the Saxons and the Britains which chanced not as should appeare by that which he writeth thereof till after the death of Uortigerne Howbeit he denieth not that Hengist at his first comming got seates for him and his people within the countie of Kent and there began to inhabit This ought not to be forgotten that king Uortimer as Sigebertus hath written restored the christian religion after he had vanquished the Saxons in such places where the same was decaied by the enimies inuasion whose drift was not onelie to ouerrun the land with violence but also to erect their owne laws and liberties with out regard of clemencie Vortigerne is restored to his regiment in what place he abode during the time of his sonnes reigne Hengist with his Saxons re-enter the land the Saxons and Britains are appointed to meet on Salisburie plaine the priuie treason of Hengist and his power whereby the Britains were slaine like sheepe the manhood of Edol earle of Glocester Vortigerne i◠taken prisoner Hengist is in possession of three prouinces of this land a description of Kent The fift Chapter AFter all these bloudie broiles and tempestuous tumults ended Uortigerne was restored and set againe into the kingdome of Britaine in the yeare of our Lord 471. All the time of his sonnes reigne he had remained in the parties now called Wales where as some write in that meane time he builded a strong castle called Generon or Guaneren in the west side of Wales nere to the riuer of Guana vpon a mounteine called Cloaricus which some referre to be builded in his second returne into Wales as shall be shewed hereafter And it is so much the more likelie for that an old chronicle which Fabian had sight of affirmeth that Uortigerne was kept vnder the rule of certeine gouernors to him appointed in the towne of Caerlegion and behaued himselfe in such commendable sort towards his sonne in aiding him with his counsell and otherwise in the meane season whilest his sonne reigned that the Britains by reason thereof began so to fauour him that after the death of Uortimer they made him king againe Shortlie after that Uortigerne was restored to the rule of the kingdom Hengist aduertised therof returned into the land with a mightie armie of Saxons whereof Uortigerne being admonished assembled his Britains and with all speed made towards him When Hengist had knowledge of the huge host of the Britains that was comming against him he required to come to a communication with Uortigerne which request was granted so that it was concluded that on Maie day a certeine number of Britains and as manie of the Saxons should meet togither vpon the plaine of Salisburie Hengist hauing deuised a new kind of treason when the day of their appointed méeting was come caused euerie one of his allowed number secretlie to put into his hose a long knife where it was ordeined that no man should bring anie weapon with him at all and that at the verie instant when this watchword should be vttered by him Nempt your sexes then should euerie of them plucke out his knife and slea the Britaine that chanced to be next to him except the same should be Uortigerne whom he willed to be apprehended but not slaine At the day assigned the king with his appointed number or traine of the Britains mistrusting nothing lesse than anie such maner of vnhaithfull dealing came vnto the place in order before prescribed without armor or weapon where he found Hengist readie with his Saxons the which receiued the king with amiable countenance
and in most louing sort but after they were a little entred into communication Hengist meaning to accomplish his deuised purpose gaue the watchword immediatlie wherevpon the Saxons drew out their kniues and suddenlie fell on the Britains and slue them as shéepe being fallen within the danger of woolues For the Britains had no weapons to defend themselues except anie of them by his strength and manhood got the knife of his enimie Amongst other of the Britains there was one Edol earle of Glocester or as other say Chester which got a slake out of an hedge or else where and with the same so defended himselfe and laid about him that he slue 17 of the towne of Ambrie now called Salisburie and so saued his owne life Uortiger was taken and kept as prisoner by Hengist till he was constreined to deliuer vnto Hengist thrée prouinces or countries of this realme that is to say Kent Essex or as some write that part where the south Saxons after did inhabit as Sussex and other the third was the countrie where the Estangles planted themselues which was in Norfolke and Suffolke Then Hengist being in possession of those thrée prouinces suffered Uortigerne to depart to be at his libertie ¶ William Malmesburie writeth somewhat otherwise of this taking of Uortigerne during whose reigne after the deceasse of his sonne Uortimer nothing was attempted against the Saxons but in the meane time Hengist by colorable craft procured his sonne in law Uortigerne to come to a banket at his house with three hundred other Britains and when he had made them well and warme with often quaffing and emptieng of cups and of purpose touched euerie of them with one bitter tawnt or other they first fell to multiplieng of malicious words and after to blowes that the Britains were slaine euerie mothers sonne so yéelding vp their ghosts euen amongst their pots The king himselfe was taken and to redéeme himselfe out of prison gaue to the Saxons thrée prouinces and so escaped out of bondage Thus by what meane soeuer it came to passe truth it is as all writers agrée that Hengist got possession of Kent and of other countries in this realme and began to reigne there as absolute lord gouernor in the yéere of our Lord as some write 476 about the fift yéere of Uortigerns last reigne but after other which take the beginning of this kingdome of Kent to be when Hengist had first gift therof the same kingdome began in the yéere 455 and conteined the countrie that stretcheth from the east Ocean vnto the riuer of Thames hauing on the southeast Southerie and vpon the west London vpon the northeast the riuer of Thames aforesaid and the countrie of Essex The heptarchie or seuen kingdoms of this land Hengist causeth Britaine to be peopled with Saxons the decaie of Christian religion the Pelagians with their hereticall and falle doctrine infect the Britains a synod summoned in Gallia for the redresse thereof the Scots assist the Britains against the Saxons who renew their league with the Picts Germane and Lupus two bishops of Germanie procure the British armie to be newlie christened the terror that the Britains vnder bishop Germans fortunate conduct draue into the Saxons by the outcrie of Alleluia and got the victorie bishop Germane departeth out of the land and to redresse the Pelagian heresie commeth againe at the clergies request he confirmeth his doctrine by a miracle banisheth the Pelagians out of the land the death of Germane murther requited with murther The vj. Chapter HEngist and all other the Saxon kings which ruled as after shall appeare in seuen parts of this realme are called by writers Reguli that is little kings or rulers of some small dominion so that Hengist is counted a little king who when he had got into his hands the foresaid thrée prouinces he caused more Saxons to come into Britaine and bestowed them in places abroad in the countrie by reason whereof the christian religion greatlie decaied within the land for the Saxons being pagans did that they could to extinguish the faith of Christ and to plant againe in all places their heathenish religion and woorshipping of false gods and not onelie hereby was the true faith of the Christians brought in danger dailie to decaie but also the erronious opinions of the Pelagians greatlie preuailed here amongst the Britains by meanes of such vnsound preachers as in that troublesome season did set forth false doctrin◠amongst the people without all maner of reprehension Certeine yéeres before the comming of the Saxons that heresie began to spread within this land vrrie much by the lewd industrie of one Leporius Agricola the sonne of Seuerus Sulpitius as Bale saith a bishop of that lore But Pelagius the author of this heresie was borne in Wales and held opinion that a man might obteine saluation by his owne frée will and merit and without assistance of grace as he that was borne without originall sinne c. This erronious doctrine being taught therefore and mainteined in this troublesome time of warres with the Saxons sore disquieted the godlie minded men amongst the Britains who not meaning to receiue it nor yet able well to confute the craftie and wicked persuasions vsed by the professors thereof thought good to send ouer into Gallia requiring of the bishops there that some godlie and profound learned men might be sent ouer from thence into this land to defend the cause of the true doctrine against the naughtie teachers of so blasphemous an error Whervpon the bishops of Gallia sore lamenting the miserable state of the Britains and desirous to relieue their present néed speciallie in that case of religion called a synod and therein taking counsell to consider who were most méet to be sent it was decréed by all their consents in the end that one Germane the bishop of Aurerre and Lupus bishop of Trois should passe ouer into Britaine to confirme the Christians there in the faith of the celestiall grace And so those two vertuous learned men taking their iournie finallie arriued in Britaine though not without some danger by sea through stormes rage of winds stirred as hath beene thought of the superstitious by the malice of wicked spirits who purposed to haue hindered their procéedings in this their good and well purposed iournie After they were come ouer they did so much good with conuincing the wicked arguments of the aduersaries of the truth by the inuincible power of the woord of God and holinesse of life that those which were in the wrong waie were soone brought into the right path againe About the same time also one Palladius was sent from Celestinus bishop of Rome vnto the Scots to instruct them in the faith of Christ and to purge them from the heresie of the said Pelagius This Palladius exhorted Constantinus the king of Scots that in no wise he should aid the
to deliuer into their hands a great part of the south and east parts of the realme so that they had in possession London Yorke Lincolne Winchester with other cities townes he not onelie fearing their puissance but also the returne of Aurelius Ambrosius and his brother Uter pendragon withdrew him into Wales where he began to build a strong castell vpon a mounteine called Breigh or after other Cloaric néere to the riuer of Guana which is in the west side of Wales in a place within the compasse of the same hill called Generon or Guemeren Of the building of this castell and of the hinderance in erecting the same with the monstrous birth of Merlin and his knowledge in prophesieng the British histories tell a long processe the which in Caxton and in Galfâ—ides bookes is also set foorth as there ye maie sée but for that the same séemeth not of such credit as deserueth to be registred in anie sound historie we haue with silence passed it ouer Whilest Uortigerne was busied in building of this castell the two foresaid brethren Aurelius and Uter prepared a nauie of ships and an armie of men by helpe of such their kinsmen and fréends as they found in Britaine Armorike and so passed the sea and landed at Totnesse whereof when the Britains were aduertised the which were scattered abroad and seuered in diuers parties and countries they drew vnto the said two brethren with all spéed that might be When Aurelius and his brother Uter perceiued that they were sufficientlie furnished of people they marched foorth towards Wales against Uortigerne who hauing knowledge of their approch had fortified his castell verie strongly with men munition and vittels but yet all auailed him nothing for in the end after his enimies had giuen diuers assaults to the said castell they found meanes with wild fire to burne it downe to the earth and so consumed it by fire togither with the king and all other that were within it Thus did Uortigerne end his life as in the British historie is recorded Much euill is reported of him by the same historie and also by other writers and among other things it is written that he should lie by his owne daughter and of hir beget a sonne in hope that kings should come of him and therefore he was excommunicated by S. Germane It is also said that when the same S. Germane came into Britaine as before ye haue heard this Uortigerne on a time should denie the same S. Germane harbour but one that kept the kings heards of cattell receiued him into his house and lodged him and slue a calfe for his supper which calfe after supper was ended S. Germane restored againe to life and on the morrow by the ordinance of God he caused Uortigerne to be deposed from his kinglie estate and tooke the heardman and made him king But Ranulfe Hig. in his Polychronicon alledging Gyldas for his author saith that this chand to a ceking that ruled in Powsey whose name was Bulie and not to Uortigerne so that the successors of that Bulie reigning in that side of Wales came of the linage of the same heardman Moreouer it hath beene said as one writer recordeth that when Uortigerne refused to heare the preaching of saint Germane and fled from him as he would haue instructed him one night there fell fire from heauen vpon the castell wherein the king was lodged and so the king being destroied with the fall of the house and the fire togither was neuer after séene ¶ But these are fables and therfore I passe them ouer hoping that it shall suffice to shew here with what stuffe our old historiographers haue farced vp their huge volumes not so much regarding the credit of an historie as satisfieng the vanitie of their owne fond fantasies studieng with a pretended skilfulnesse to cast glorious colours vpon lies that the readers whom they presupposed either ignorant or credulous would be led away with a flowing streme of woords void of reason and common sense Which kind of men knew not belike that the nature of an historie defined to be Rei verè gestae memoria will not beare the burthen or lode of a lie sith the same is too heauie otherwise they would haue deposed matters conspiring with the truth Aurelius Ambrosius the brother to Constantius created king of Britaine he incountereth with the Saxons Hengist their generall is beheaded Occa his sonne submitteth himselfe to Aurelius he putteth all the Saxons out of the land repaireth places decaied and restoreth religion the memorable monument of the stones that are so much spoken of on Salisburie plaine the exploits of Pascentius Vortigerns yongest sonne Aurelius lieth sicke Vter goeth against Pascentius and giueth him the ouerthrow Aurelius is poisoned of a counterfet moonke the place of his buriall Polydor Virgils report of the acts and deeds of Aurelius against the Saxons Hengist is slaine Osca and Occa his two sonnes make a fowle spoile of the west part of the land Vortimer dieth the disagreement of writers touching matters interchangeablie passed betwene the Britains and Saxons The eight Chapter AUrelius Ambrose the second sonne of king Constantine brother to Constantius and murthered by the treason of Uortigerne as before ye haue heard was made king of Britaine in the yéere of our Lord 481 which was about the third yéere of the reigne of the emperour Zenâ— and the 23 of Childericus king of France Odocer king of the Herulians then vsurping the gouernment of Italie When this Aurelius Ambrosius had dispatched Uortigerne and was now established king of the Britains he made towards Yorke and passing the riuer of Humber incountred with the Saxons at a place called Maesbell and ouerthrew them in a strong battell from the which as Hengist was fléeing to haue saued himselfe he was taken by Edoll earle of Glocester or as some say Chester and by him led to Conningsborrow where he was beheaded by the counsell of Eldad then bishop of Colchester Howbeit there be some that write how that Hengist was taken at another battell fought vpon the riuer of Dune in the yéere of our Lord 489 and not in the chase of the battell which was fought at Maesbell in the yéere 487 as the same authors doo alledge Occa the son of Hengist by flight escaped to Yorke and being there besieged at length was constreined to yéeld himselfe to Aurelius who dealing fauourablie with him assigned vnto him and other of the Saxons a countrie bordering neere to the Scots which as some affirme was Galloway where the said Occa and the Saxons began to inhabit Then did Aurelius Ambrosius put the Saxons out of all other parts of the land repaired such cities townes and also churches as by them had beene destroied or defaced and placed againe priests and such other as should attend on the ministerie and seruice of God in the
a grounded truth that such a prince there was and among all other a late writer who falling into necessarie mention of prince Arthur frameth a spéech apologeticall in his and their behalfe that were princes of the British bloud discharging a short but yet a sharpe inuectiue against William Paruus Polydor Virgil and their complices whom he accuseth of lieng toongs enuious detraction malicious slander reprochfull and venemous language wilfull ignorance dogged enuie and cankerd minds for that they speake vnreuerentlie and contrarie to the knowne truth concerning those thrisenoble princes Which defensitiue he would not haue deposed but that he takes the monuments of their memories for vndoubted verities The British histories and also the Scotish chronicles doo agrée that he liued in the daies of the emperour Iustinian about the fiftéenth yeere of whose reigne he died which was in the yéere of our Lord 542 as diuerse doo affirme Howbeit some write farther from all likelihood that he was about the time of the emperor Zeno who began his reigne about the yéere of our Lord 474. The writer of the booke intituled Aurea historia affirmeth that in the tenth yéere of Cerdicus king of Westsaxons Arthur the warriour rose against the Britains Also Diouionensis writeth that Cerdicus fighting oftentimes with Arthur if he were ouercome in one moneth he arose in an other moneth more fierce and strong to giue battell than before At length Arthur wearied with irkesomnes after the twelfth yéere of the comming of Cerdicus gaue vnto him vpon his homage doone and fealtie receiued the shires of Southampton and Somerset the which countries Cerdicius named Westsaxon This Cerdicius or Cerdicus came into Britaine about the yéere of your Lord 495. In the 24 yere after his comming hither that is to say about the yéere of our Lord 519 he began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons and gouerned them as king by the space of 15 yéeres as before ye haue heard But to follow the course of our chronicles accordinglie as we haue began we must allow of their accounts herein as in other places and so procéed The decaie of christian religion and receiuing of the Pelagian heresie in Britaine by what meanes they were procured and by whom redressed Constantine succeedeth Arthur in the kingdome ciuill warre about succession to the crowne the chalengers are pursued and slaine Constantine is vnkindlie killed of his kinsman a bitter and reprochfull inuectiue of Gyldas against the British rulers of his time and namelie against Constantine Conan that slue Constantine reigneth in Britaine his vertues and vices his two yeeres regiment the seuere reprehensions of Gyldas vttered against Conan discouering the course of his life and a secret prophesie of his death The xv Chapter IN this meane while that the realme was disquieted with sore continuall warres betwixt the Britains and Saxons as before ye haue heard the christian religion was not onelie abolished in places where the Saxons got habitations but also among the Britains the right faith was brought into danger by the remnant of the Pelagian heresie which began againe to be broched by diuers naughtie persons But Dubritius that was first bishop of Landaffe and after archbishop of Caerleon Arwiske and his successour Dauid with other learned men earnestlie both by preaching and writing defended the contrarie cause to the confuting of those errors and restablishing of the truth AFter the death of Arthur his coosine Constantine the sonne of Cador duke or earle of Cornewall began his reigne ouer the Britains in the yere of our Lord 542 which was about the 15 yéere of the emperour Iustinianus almost ended the 29 of Childebert king of France and the first yéere well néere complet of the reigne of Totilas king of the Goths in Italie Arthur when he perceiued that he shuld die ordeined this Constantine to succéed him and so by the consent of the more part of the Britains he was crowned king but the sonnes of Mordred sore repined thereat as they that claimed the rule of the land by iust title and claime of inheritance to them from their father descended Herevpon followed ciuill warre so that diuers battels were striken betwéene them and in the end the two brethren were constreined to withdraw for refuge the one to London and the other to Winchester but Constantine pursuing them first came to Winchester and by force entered the citie and slue the one brother that was fled thither within the church of saint Amphibalus and after comming to London entered that citie also and finding the other brother within a church there slue him in like maner as he had doone the other And so hauing dispatched his aduersaries he thought to haue purchased to himselfe safetie but shortlie after his owne kinsman one Aurelius Conanus arrered warre against him who ioining with him in battell slue him in the field after he had reigned foure yéeres His bodie was conueied to Stonheng and there buried beside his ancestour Uter Pendragon Of this Constantine that seemeth to be ment which Gyldas writeth in his booke intituled De excidio Britanniae where inueieng against the rulers of the Britains in his time he writeth thus Britaine hath kings but the same be tyrants iudges it hath but they be wicked oftentines péeling and harming the innocent people reuenging and defending but whom such as be guâ—ltie persons and robbers hauing manie wiues but yet breaking wedlocke oftentimes swearing and yet for swearing themselues vowing and for the more part lieng warring but mainteining ciuill vniust warres pursuing indéed théeues that are abroad in the countrie and yet not onelie cherishing those that sit euen at table with them but also highlie rewarding them giuing almesse largelie but on the other part heaping vp a mightie mount of sinnes sitting in the seat of sentence but seldome séeking the rule of righteous iudgement despising the innocent and humble persons and exalting so farre as in them lieth euen vp to the heauens most bloudie and proud murtherers théeues and adulterers yea the verie professed enimies of God if he would so permit kéeping manie in prison whome they oppresse in loding them with irons through craft rather to serue their owne purpose than for anie gilt of the persons so imprisoned taking solemne oths before the altars and shortlie after despising the same altars as vile and filthie stones Of this hainous and wicked offense Constantine the tyrannicall whelpe of the lionesse of Deuonshire is not ignorant who this yeare after the receiuing of his dreadfull oth whereby he bound himselfe that in no wise he should hurt his subiects God first and then his oth with the companie of saints and his mother being there present did notwithstanding in the reuerent laps of the two mothers as the church and their carnall mother vnder the coule of the holie abbat deuoure with sword and speare in stead of téeth the tender sides yea and the entrailes
of that countrie ruled all things at his owne will and pleasure Neither was there anie prouince within Britaine that did not obeie him or was not readie to doo him seruice the kingdome of Kent onelie excepted for he suffered the Kentishmen to liue in quiet because he began to haue a liking to the sister of king Eadbald namelie the ladie Ethelburga otherwise called Tate or Tace He made request therefore by sending ambassadours to hir brother to haue the said ladie in marriage and at length obteined hir with condition that she being a christian woman might not onelie vse the christian religion but also that all those whether men or women priests or ministers which came with hir might haue licence to doo the same without trouble or impeachment of anie maner of person Herevpon she being sent vnto him there was appointed to go with hir besides manie other one Pauline which was consecrated bishop by the archbishop Iustus the 21 of Iulie in the yeare of our Lord 625 who at his comming into Northumberland thus in companie with Ethelburga trauelled earnestlie in his office both to preserue hir and such christians in the faith of Christ as were appointed to giue their attendance on hir least they should chance to fall and also sought to win some of the Pagans if it were possible vnto the same faith though at the first he little profited in that matter In the yeare following there came a murtherer vnto the court of king Edwin as then soiourning in a palace which stood vpon the side of the riuer of Dorwent being sent from Quichelme king of the Westsaxons to the intent to murther Edwin because he had of late sore damnified the countries of the Westsaxons This murtherer was called Eumerus caried vnder his coate a short double edged woodknife inuenomed of purpose that if the king being but a little hurt therewith should not die of the wound yet he should not escape the danger of the poison This Eumerus on Easter mondaie came to the king and making foorth to him as it had béene to haue declared some message from his maister when he had espied his time drew his weapon and offered to strike the king But one of the kings seruants named Lilla perceiuing this slept betwixt the king and the blow Howbeit the murtherer set the stripe forward with such force that the knife running through the bodie of Lilla wounded also the king a little and before this murtherer could be beaten downe he slue another of the kings seruants a knight that attended vpon him called Fordher The same night Ethelburga was deliuered of a daughter named Eanfled for the which when king Edwin gaue thanks vnto his gods in the presence of bishop Pauline the bishop did admonish him rather to giue thanks vnto the true and onelie God by whose goodnesse it came to passe that the queene was safelie and without danger deliuered The king giuing good eare vnto the bishops wholesome admonition promised at that present to become a christian if he might reuenge his iniuries receiued at the hands of the Westsaxons And to assure Pauline that his promise should take place he gaue vnto him his new borne daughter to be made holie to the Lord that is to say baptised The bishop receiuing hir on Whitsundaie next following baptised hir with twelue other of the kings houshold she being the first of the English Northumbers that was so washed in the founteine of regeneration In the meane time K. Edwin being recouered of his hurt assembled an armie and went against the Westsaxons with whome incountring in battell he either slue or brought to his subiection all them that had conspired his death and so returned as a conquerour into his countrie But yet he delaied time in performance of his promise to become a christian howbeit he had left his dooing of sacrifice to idols euer since he made promise to be baptised He was a sage prince and before he would alter his religion he politikelie thought good to heare matters touching both his old religion and the christian religion throughlie examined Now whilest he thus hoong in doubt vnto whether part he should incline there came letters to him from pope Boniface the fift of that name exhorting him by sundrie kinds of gentle perswasions to turne to the worshipping of the true and liuing God and to renounce the worshipping of mawmets and idols The pope wrote also to quéene Ethelburga praieng hir to continue in hir good purpose and by all meanes possible to doo what might be doone for the conuerting of hir husband vnto the faith of Christ. But the thing that most mooued the king was a vision which sometime he had while he remained as a banished man in the court of Redwald king of the Eastangles as thus After that king Ethelfred was informed that the foresaid Redwald had receiued Edwin he ceased not by his ambassadours to moue Redwald either to deliuer Edwin into his hands or to make him awaie At length by often sending promises made of large summes of monie mixed with threatnings he obteined a grant of his sute so that it was determined that Edwin should either be murthered or else deliuered into his enimies hands One of Edwins friends hauing intelligence hereof in the night season came to Edwins chamber and leading him abroad told him the whole practise and what was purposed against him offering to helpe him out of the countrie if he would so aduenture to escape Edwin being woonderouslie amazed thanked his friend but refused to depart the countrie sith he had no iust cause outwardlie giuen to play such a slipper part choosing rather to ieopard his life with honour than to giue men cause to thinke that he had first broken promise with such a prince as Redwald was to whome he had giuen his faith Herevpon his friend departing from him left him sitting without the doores where after he had reuolued manie things in his mind and thought long vpon this matter at length he perceiued one to come towards him vnknowne and in strange apparell séeming to him in euerie point a stranger at which sight for that he could not imagine who it should be Edwin was much afraid but the man comming to him saluted him and asked of him what he made there at that time of the night when other were at rest Edwin on the other part asked what he had to doo therewith and whether he vsed to lie abroad in the night or within house Who answering said Thinke not Edwin that I am ignorant of thy heauinesse of thy watchings and this thy solitarie sitting here without doores For I know who thou art wherefore thou art thus pensiue and what euils thou fearest to be towards thée at hand But tell me what wouldest thou giue him that could deliuer thée out of this heauinesse and perswade Redwald that he should neither doo thée hurt nor deliuer thée to
for the aduancement of the commoditie common wealth of his people insomuch that where there were any swéet and cleare water-springs he caused postes to be set vp and iron dishes to be fastened thereto with chaines that waifaring men â—â—ght haue the same readie at hand to drinke with and there was none so hardie as to touch the same but for that vse He vsed wheresoeuer he went within the cities or elsewhere abroad to haue a banner borne before him in token of iustice to be ministred by his roiall authoritie In the meane season pope Honorius the fift hearing that the Northumbers had receiued the faith as before is mentioned at the preaching of Pauline sent vnto the said Pauline the pall confirming him archbishop in the sée of Yorke He sent also letters of exhortation vnto king Edwin to kindle him the more with fatherlie aduise to continue and procéed in the waie of vnderstanding into the which he was entered At the same time also bicause Iustus the archbishop of Canturburie was dead and one Honorius elected to that see pope Honorius sent to the said elect archbishop of Canturburie his pall with letters wherein was conteined a decrée by him made that when either the archbishop of Canturburie or Yorke chanced to depart this life he that suruiued should haue authoritie to ordeine another in place of him that was deceassed that they should not néed to wearie themselues with going to Rome being so farre distant from them The copie of which letter is registred in the ecclesiasticall historie of Beda bearing date the third Ides of Iune in the yéere of our Lord 633. The same pope sent letters also to the Scotish people exhorting them to celebrate the feast of Easter in such due time as other churches of the christian world obserued And also bicause the heresie of the Pelagians began to renew againe amongst them as he was informed he admonished them to beware thereof and by all meanes to auoid it For he knew that to the office of a pastor it is necessarilie incident not onelie to exhort teach and shew his sheepe the waies to a christian life but also stronglie to withstand all such vniust meanes as might hinder their procéeding in the truth of religion For as poison is vnto the bodie that is heresie vnto veritie And as the bodie by poison is disabled from all naturall faculties and vtterlie extinguished vnlesse by present meanes the force thereof be vanquished so truth and veritie by errors and heresies is manie times choked and recouereth but neuer strangled But now that the kingdome of Northumberland flourished as before is partlie touched in happie state vnder the prosperous reigne of Edwin at length after he had gouerned it the space of 17 yeeres Cadwalline or Cadwallo king of Britaine who succeeded Cadwane as Gal. Mon. saith rebelled against him For so it commeth to passe that nothing can be so sure confirmed by mans power but the same by the like power may be againe destroied Penda king of Mercia enuieng the prosperous procéedings of Edwin procured Cadwallo to mooue this rebellion against Edwin and ioining his power with Cadwallo they inuaded the countrie of Northumberland iointlie togither Edwin heereof aduertised gathered his people came to incounter them so that both armies met at a place called Hatfield where was fought a verie sore and bloudie battell But in the end Edwin was slaine with one of his sonnes named Osfride and his armie beaten downe and dispersed Also there was slaine on Edwins part Eodbald king of Orkenie Moreouer there was an other of Edwins sonnes named Eadfride constreined of necessitie to giue himselfe into the hands of Penda and was after by him cruellie put to death contrarie to his promised faith in king Oswalds daies that succéeded Edwin Thus did king Edwin end his life in that battell fought at Hatfield aforesaid on the fourth ides of October in the yere of our Lord 6â—â— he being then about the age of 47 yéeres and vpwards The crueltie of Penda and Cadwallo after their victorie the Britains make no account of religion Archbishop Pauline with queen Ethelburga flie out of Northumberland into Kent honorable personages accompanie him thither Romanus bishop of Rochester drowned Pauline vndertaketh the charge of that see Osrike is king of Deira and Eaufride king of Bernicia both kings become apostatas and fall froÌ„ christianitie to paganisme they are both slaine within lesse than a yeeres space Oswald is created king of Northumberland his chiefe practise in feats of armes Cadwallo king of Britaine hath him in contempt Oswalds superstitious deuotion and intercession to God against his enimies both kings ioine battell Cadwallo is slaine Penda king of Mercia his notable vertues linked with foule vices he maketh warre on whom he will without exception The xxvij Chapter CAdwallo and Penda hauing obteined the victorie aforsaid vsed it most cruellie For one of the capteins was a pagan and the other wanting all ciuilitie shewed himselfe more cruell than anie pagan could haue doone So that Penda being a worshipper of false gods with his people of Mercia and Cadwallo hauing no respect to the christian religion which latelie was begun amongst the Northumbers made hauocke in all places where they came not sparing man woman nor child and so continued in their furious outrage a long time in passing through the countrie to the great decay and calamitie of the christian congregations in those parties And still the christian Britains were lesse mercifull than Penda his heathenish souldiers For euen vnto the daies of Beda as he affirmeth the Britains made no account of the faith or religion of the Englishmen nor would communicate with them more than with the pagans bicause they differed in rites from their accustomed traditions When the countrie of the Northumbers was brought into this miserable case by the enimies inuasion the archbishop Pauline taking with him the quéene Ethelburga whom he had brought thither returned now againe with hir by water into Kent where he was honorablie receiued of the archbishop Honorius and king Eadbald He came thither in the conduct of one Bassus a valiant man of warre hauing with him Eaufred the daughter and Uulfrea the sonne of Edwin also Iffi the sonne of Osfride Edwins sonne whom their mother after for feare of the kings Edbold and Oswold did sent into France where they died The church of Rochester at that time was destitute of a bishop by the death of Romanus who being sent to Rome vnto pope Honorius was drowned by the way in the Italian seas Wherevpon at the request of archbishop Honorius and king Eadbald Pauline tooke vpon him the charge of that sée and held it till he died AFter it was knowne that Edwin was slaine in battell as before ye haue heard Osrike the sonne of his vncle Elfrike tooke vpon him the rule of the kingdome of Deira which had receiued the
sacrament of baptisme by the preaching and vertuous instruction of Pauline But the other kingdome of Northumberland called Bernicia Eaufride the son of Edelfred or Edelfride tooke vpon him to gouerne This Eaufride during the time of Edwins reigne had continued in Scotland and there being conuerted to the christian faith was baptised But doth these princes after they had obteined possession of their earthlie kingdoms did forget the care of the heauenlie kingdome so that they returned to their old kind of idolatrie But almightie God did not long suffer this their vnthankefulnesse without iust punishment for first in the next summer when Osrike had rashlie besieged Cadwallo king of the Britains within a certeine towne Cadwallo brake foorth vpon him and finding him vnprouided to make resistance slue him with all his armie Now after this whilest Cadwallo not like a conqueror gouerned the prouinces of the Northumbers but like a tyrant wasted and destroied them in sleaing the people in tragicall maner he also slue Eaufride the which with twelue men of warre came vndiscréetlie vnto him to sue for peace and thus within lesse than twelue moneths space both these runagate kings were dispatched THen Oswald the sonne of Edelfred and brother to the foresaid Eaufride was created king of the Northumbers the sixt in number from Ida. This Oswald after that his father was slaine liued as a banished person a long time within Scotland where he was baptised and professed the christian religion and passed the flower of his youth in good exercises both of mind bodie Amongst other things he practised the vnderstanding of warlike knowledge minding so to vse it as it might stand him in stead to defend himselfe from iniurie of the enimies that should prouoke him and not otherwise HerevpoÌ„ Cadwallo king of the Britains made in maner no account of him for by reason that he had atchiued such great victories against the Englishmen and hauing slaine their two kings as before is expressed he ceassed not to proceed in his tyrannicall dooings reputing the English people for slouthfull and not apt to the warre boasting that he was borne to their destruction Thus being set vp in pride of courage he feared no perils but boldlie without considering at all the skilfull knowledge which Oswald had sufficientlie learned in feates of war tooke vpon him to assaile the foresaid Oswald that had brought an armie against him and was encamped in a plaine field néere vnto the wall which the Romans had builded in times past against the inuasion of Scots and Picts Cadwallo streight prouoked Oswald to trie the matter by battell but Oswald forbare the first day and caused a crosse to be erected in the same place where he was incamped in full hope that it should be an ensigne or trophie of his victorie causing all souldiers to make their praiers to God that in time of such necessitie it might please him to succour them that worship him It is said that the crosse being made and the hole digged wherein it should be set he tooke the crosse in his owne hands and putting the foot thereof into that hole so held it till his souldiers had filled the hole and rammed it vp and then caused all the souldiers to knéele downe vpon their knées and to make intercession to the true and liuing God for his assistance against the proud enimie with whom they should fight in a iust quarell for the preseruation of their people and countrie After this on the next morning he boldlie gaue battell to his enimies so that a sore and cruell fight insued betwixt them At length Oswald perceiued that the Britains began somwhat to faint and therfore caused his people to renew their force and more lustilie to preasse forward so that first â—e put that most cruell enimie to flight and after pursuing the chase ouertooke him and slue him with the most part of all his huge and mightie armie at a place called Denisborne but the place where he caused the crosse to be erected he named Heuenfield Thus Cadwallo the most cruell enimie of the English name ended his life he was terrible both in nature and countenance for the which cause they say the Britains did afterwards set vp his image that the same might be a terror to the enimies when they should behold it ¶ But here is to be remembred by the British historie of Gal. Mon. it should appeare that Cadwallo was not slaine at all but reigned victoriouslie for the space of 48 yéeres and then departed this life as in place afterwards it shall appéere But for that the contrarietie in writers in such points may sooner be perceiued than reformed to the satisfieng of mens fansies which are variable we will leaue euerie man to his libertie to thinke as séemeth him good noting now and then the diuersitie of such writers as occasion serueth PEnda the sonne of Wilba succéeded in the gouernement of the kingdome of Mercia after Ciarlus and began his reigne in the yéere of our Lord 636. He was fiftie yéeres of age before he came to be king and reigned 30 yeres he was a prince right hardie and aduenturous not fearing to ieopard his person in place of danger assured and readie of remembrance in time of greatest perill His bodie could not be ouercome with anie trauell nor his mind vanquished with greatnesse of businesse But these his vertues were matched with notable vices as first with such bitternesse of maners as had not béene heard of crueltie of nature lacke of courtesie great vnsted fastnesse in performing of woord and promise and of vnmeasurable hatred toward the christian religion Now vpon confidence in these his great vertues and vices from that time he was made king as though the whole Ile had bene due to him he thought not good to let anie occasion passe that was offered to make war as wel against his friends confederats as also against his owne sworne enimies Part of his dooings ye haue heard and more shall appeare hereafter ¶ Of the kings of the Eastsaxons Eastangles ye haue heard before of whom in places conuenient ye shall find further mention also and so likewise of the kings of the Southsaxons but bicause their kingdom continued not past fiue successions litle remembrance of them is made by writers Cadwallo king of Britain diuers deeds of his as the British writers haue recorded them wherevpon discord arose betweene Cadwallo Edwin who for two yeres space were linked in friendship Cadwallo vanquisht his flight of Pelitus the Spanish wizard Cadwallo ouerthroweth Penda and his power besieging Excester he arreareth battell against the Northumbers and killeth Edwin their king he seeketh to expell the Saxons out of the land Penda slaieth Oswald whose brother and successor Osunus by gifts and submission obteineth peace whom Penda spitefullie attempting to kill is killed himselfe Cadwallo dieth a brasen image on horssebacke set vp in his memoriall saint Martins at
Ludgate builded The xxviij Chapter CAdwallo or Cadwalline for we find him so named began his reigne ouer the Britains in the yéere of our Lord 635 in the yéere of the reigne of the emperour Heracleus 35 and in the 13 yere of Dagobert K. of France Of this man ye haue heard partlie before touching his dealings and warres against the Northumbers and other of the English nation but forsomuch as diuers other things are reported of him by the British writers we haue thought good in his place to rehearse the same in part as in Gal. Mon. we find writen leauing the credit still with the author sith the truth thereof may be the more suspected bicause other authors of good authoritie as Beda Henrie Huntington William Malmesburie and others séeme greatlie to disagrée from him herein But thus it is written This Cadwallo and Edwin the sonne of Ethelfred as Galfride saith were brought vp in France being sent thither vnto Salomon king of Britaine by king Cadwane when they were verie yoong Now after their returne into this land when they were made kings Cadwallo of the Britains Edwin of the Northumbers there continued for the space of two yéeres great friendship betwixt them till at length Edwin required of Cadwallo that he might weare a crowne and celebrate appointed solemnities within his dominion of Northumberland as well as Cadwallo did in his countrie Cadwallo taking aduice in this matter at length by persuasion of his nephue Brian denied to grant vnto Edwin his request wherewith Edwin tooke such displeasure that he sent woord vnto Cadwallo that he would be crowned without his leaue or licence sith he would not willinglie grant it Wherto Cadwallo answered that if he so did he would cut off his head vnder his diademe if he presumed to weare anie within the confines of Britaine Hereof discord arising betwixt these two princes they began to make fierce and cruell warre either of them against the other and at length ioining in batell with their maine forces Cadwallo lost the field with many thousands of his men and being chased fled into Scotland and from thence got ouer into Ireland and finally passed the seas into Britaine Armorike where of his coosin king Salomon he was courteouslie receiued and at length obteined of him 10000 men to go with him backe into his countrie to assist him in recouerie of his lands dominions the which in the meane time were cruellie spoiled wasted and haried by king Edwin At the same time Brian the nephue of Cadwallo whom he had sent into Britaine a little before to slea a certeine wizard or southsaier whom king Edwin had gotten out of Spaine named Pelitus that by disclosing the purpose of Cadwallo vnto Edwin greatlie hindered Cadwallos enterprises had fortified the citie of Excester mening to defend it till the comming of Cadwallo wherevpon Penda king of Mercia besieged that citie with a mightie army purposing to take it and Brian within it Cadwallo then aduertised hereof immediatlie after his arriuall hasted to Excester and diuiding his people in 4 parts set vpon his enimies tooke Penda and ouerthrew his whole armie Penda hauing no other shift to escape submitted himselfe wholie vnto Cadwallo promising to become his liegeman to fight against the Saxons in his quarrell Penda being thus subdued Cadwallo called his nobles togither which had bene dispersed abroad a long season with all spéed went against Edwin king of Northumberland and slue him in battell at Hatfield as before is mentioned with his son Osfride and Eodbold king of the Iles of Orknie which was come thither to his aid ¶ By this it should appeare that Fabian hath gathered amisse in the account of the reignes of the British kings for it appeareth by Beda and others that Edwin was slaine in the yéere of our Lord 634. And where Fabian as before is said attributeth that act diuers other vnto Cadwan the father of this Cadwallo yet both Gal. Mon. and Beda with the most part of all other writers signifie that it was done by Cadwallo Harding assigneth but 13 yéeres to the reigne of Cadwan and declareth that he died in the yéere of our Lord 616 in the which as he saith Cadwallo began his reigne which opinion of his séemeth best to agrée with that which is written by other authors But to returne to the other dooings of Cadwallo as we find them recorded in the British storie After he had got this victorie against the Northumbers he cruellie pursued the Saxons as though he ment so farre as in him lay to destroie the whole race of them out of the coasts of all Britaine and sending Penda against king Oswald that succéeded Edwin though at the first Penda receiued the ouerthrow at Heauenfield yet afterwards Cadwallo himselfe highly displeased with that chance pursued Oswald and fought with him at a place called Bourne where Penda slue the said Oswald Wherevpon his brother Osunus succéeding in gouernment of the Northumbers sought the fauour of Cadwallo now ruling as king ouer all Britaine and at length by great gifts of gold and siluer and vpon his humble submission obteined peace till at length vpon spite Penda king of Mercia obteined licence of Cadwallo to make warres against the said Osunus in the which as it hapned Penda himselfe was slaine Then Cadwallo after two yéeres granted that Ulfridus the sonne of Penda should succeed in Mercia Thus Cadwallo ruled things at his appointment within this land And finallie when he had reigned 48 yéeres he departed this life the 22 of Nouember His bodie being embalmed and dressed with swéet confections was put into a brasen image by maruelous art melted and cast which image being set on a brazen horsse of excellent beautie the Britains set vp aloft vpon the west gate of London called Ludgate in signe of his conquests and for a terror to the Saxons Moreouer the church of S. Martin vnderneath the same gate was by the Britains then builded Thus haue the Britains made mention of their valiant prince Cadwallo but diuerse thinke that much of this historie is but fables bicause of the manifest varieng both from Beda and other antentike writers as before I haue said The true storie of the forenamed king Oswald his desire to restore christian religion Cormans preaching taking small effect among the Northumbers persuadeth him to depart into his owne countrie he slandereth them before the Scotish clergie Aidan a godlie man telleth the cause of the people 's not profiting by Cormans preaching Aidan commeth into England to instruct the people in the faith he varieth in the obseruation of Easter from the English churches custome the Northumbers haue him his doctrine in reuerence Oswalds earnest zeale to further religion by Aidans preaching and ministerie 15000 baptised within 7 daies Oswald hath the Britains Scots Picts English at his commandement his commendable deed of christian charitie the Westsaxons conuerted to
churches built in all places abroad in those parties by procurement of the king all men liberallie consenting according to the rate of their substance to be contributorie towards the charges By this meanes the kingdome of the Northumbers flourished as well in fame of increase in religion as also in ciuill policie and prudent ordinances insomuch that as Beda writeth Oswald atteined to such power that all the nations and prouinces within Britaine which were diuided into foure toongs that is to say Britains Picts Scots and Englishmen were at his commandement But yet he was not lifted vp in anie pride or presumption but shewed himselfe maruellous courteous and gentle and verie liberall to poore people and strangers It is said that he being set at the table vpon an Ester day hauing bishop Aidan at diner then with him his almoner came in as the bishop was about to say grace and declared to the king that there was a great multitude of poore folks set before the gates to looke for the kings almes The king héerewith tooke a siluer dish which was set on the table before him with meate commanded the same meate streightwaies to be distributed amongst the poore the dish broken into small péeces and diuided amongst them for which act he was highlie commended of the bishop as he well deserued By the good policie and diligent trauell of this king the prouinces of Deira and Bernicia which hitherto had béene at variance were brought to peace and made one ABout the same time the Westsaxons were conuerted to the christian faith by the preaching of one Birinus a bishop who came into this land at the exhortation of pope Honorius to set foorth the gospell vnto those people which as yet were not baptised By whose diligent trauell in the Lords haruest Cinigils or Kinigils one of the kings of that countrie receiued the faith and was baptised about the fiue twentith yéere of his reigne K. Oswald that should haue had his daughter in mariage was present the same time who first yer he became a sonne in law was made a godfather vnto Kinigils that should be his father in law by receiuing him at the fontstone in that his second birth of regeneration To this Birinus who was an Italian king Kinigils now that he was become a conuert or christian appointed and assigned the citie of Dorcester situat by the Thames distant from Oxford about seuen miles to be the sée of his bishoprike where he procured churches to be built and by his earnest trauell setting foorth the woord of life conuerted much people to the right beliefe In the yéere following Quichelmus the other king of the Westsaxons and sonne to Kinigils was also christened and died the same yéere and so Cinigilsus or Kinigils reigned alone In this meane while Penda king of Mercia that succéeded next after Ciarlus being a man giuen to séeke trouble in one place or other leauied warre against the kings of Westsaxon Kinigils and Quichelmus the which gathering their power gaue him battell at Cirenchester where both the parties fought it out to the vttermost as though they had forsworne to giue place one to another insomuch that they continued in fight and making of cruell slaughter till the night parted them in sunder And in the morning when they saw that if they shuld buckle togither againe the one part should vtterlie destroie the other they fell to agréement in moderating ech others demands After this in the yéere of our Lord 640 Eadbald king of Kent departed this life after he had reigned 24 yéeres leauing his kingdome to his sonne Ercombert This Ercombert was the first of the English kings which tooke order for the vtter destroieng of all idols throughout his whole kingdome He also by his roiall authoritie commanded the fast of fortie daies in the Lent season to be kept and obserued appointing woorthie and competent punishment against the transgressors of that commandement He had by his wife Segburga that was daughter vnto Anna king of the Eastangles a daughter named Eartongatha a professed nunne within the monasterie of Briege or Cala in France for in those daies bicause there were not manie monasteries builded within this land a great number of Englishmen that tooke vpon them the profession of a religious life got them ouer vnto abbeies in France and there professed themselues moonks and manie there were which sent their daughters ouer to be professed nuns within the nunneries there and speciallie at Briege Cala and Andelie amongst other there were Sedrike the lawfull daughter and Edelburgh the bastard daughter of the said king Anna both which in processe of time were made abbesses of the said monasterie of Briege Ye haue heard alreadie how Oswald king of Northumberland bare himselfe in all points like a most woorthie prince not ceasing to releeue the necessitie of the poore aduancing the good and reforming the euill whereby he wan to himselfe excéeding praise and commendation of all good men and still his fame increased for his vertuous dooings namelie for the ardent zeale he had to the aduancing of the christian faith Herevpon Penda king of Mercia enuieng the prosperous procéedings of Oswald as he that could neuer abide the good report of other mens well-dooings began to imagine how to destroie him and to conquere his kingdome that he might ioine it to his owne At length he inuaded his countrie by open warre met with him in the field at a place called Maserfield and there in sharpe and cruell fight Oswald was slaine on the fift day of August in the yeare of our Lord 642 and in the 38 yeare of his age after he had reigned the tearme of eight or nine yeares after some which account that yeare vnto his reigne in the which his predecessors Osrike and Eaufride reigned whome they number not amongest kings because of their wicked apostasie and renouncing of the faith which before they had professed Such was the end of that vertuous prince king Oswald being cruellie slaine by that wicked tyrant Penda Afterwards for the opinion conceiued of his holinesse the foresaid Oswald was canonized a saint and had in great worship of the people being the first of the English nation that approoued his vertue by miracles shewed after his departure out of this life Oswie succeedeth Oswald in the kingdome of Northumberland he is sore vexed by Penda Oswie and Oswin are partners in gouernement they fall at strife Oswin is betraeied into the hands of Oswie and slaine a commendation of his personage and goodlie qualities bishop Aidan dieth Cenwalch king of the Westsaxons Penda maketh warre against him for putting away his wife his flight he becommeth a christian and recouereth his kingdome bishop Agilbert commeth into Westsaxon and afterwards departing vpon occasion is made bishop of Paris Wini buieth the bishoprike of London Sigibert king of the Eastangles
the vniuersitie of Cambridge founded by him he resigneth his kingdome and becometh a moonke he and his kinsman Egric are slaine in a skirmish against Penda king of Mercia The xxx Chapter AFter that king Oswald was slaine his brother Oswie being about 30 yeares of age tooke vpon him the rule of the kingdome of Northumberland gouerning the same with great trouble for the space of 28 yeares being sore vexed by the foresaid Penda king of Mercia and his people which as yet were pagans In the first yeare of his reigne which was in the yeare of our Lord 644. Pauline the bishop of Rochester which had beene also archbishop of Yorke departed this life and then one Thamar an Englishman of the parties of Kent was ordeined bishop of Rochester by Honorius the archbishop of Canturburie King Oswie had one Oswin partener with him in gouernment of the Northumbers in the first beginning of his reigne which was sonne to Osrike so that Oswie gouerned in Bernicia and Oswin in Deira continuing in perfect friendship for a season till at length through the counsell of wicked persons that coueted nothing so much as to sowe discord and variance betwixt princes they fell at debate and so began to make warres one against an other so that finallie when they were at point to haue tried their quarrell in open battell Oswin perceiuing that he had not an armie of sufficient force to incounter with Oswie brake vp his campe at Wilfaresdowne ten mile by west the towne of Cataracton and after withdrew himselfe onelie with one seruant named Condhere vnto the house of earle Hunwald whome he tooke to haue béene his trustie friend but contrarie to his expectation the said Hunwald did betraie him vnto Oswie who by his captaine Edelwine slue the said Oswin and his seruant the forsaid Condhere in a place called Ingethling the 13 kalends of September in the ninth yeare of his reigne which was after the birth of our Sauiour 651. This Oswin was a goodlie gentleman of person tall and beautifull and verie gentle of spéech ciuill in manners and verie liberall both to high low so that he was beloued of all Such a one he was to be breefe as bishop Aidan gessed that he should not long continue in life for that the Northumbers were not woorthie of so good and vertuous a gouernour Such humblenesse and obedience he perceiued to rest in him towards the law of the Lord in taking that which was told him for his better instruction in good part that he said he neuer saw before that time an humble king The same Aidan liued not past 12 daies after the death of the said Oswin whome he so much loued departing this world the last daie of August in the seuenteenth yeare after he was ordeined bishop His bodie was buried in the I le of Lindesferne After Aidan one Finan was made bishop in his place a Scotishman also and of the I le of Hui from whence his predecessor the foresaid Aidan came being first a man of religion professed in the monasterie there as some writers doo report IN the meane time after that Kinigils or Cinigilsus king of the Westsaxons had reigned 31 yeares he departed this life Anno 643 leauing his kingdome to his sonne Cenwalch or Chenwald who held the same kingdome the tearme of 30 yeares or 31 as some write in manner as his father had doone before him In the third or as others saie in the fift yeare of his reigne Penda king of Mercia made sharpe warre against him because he had put awaie his wife the sister of the said Penda and in this warre Chenwald was ouercome in battell driuen out of his countrie so that he fled vnto Anna king of the Eastangles with whome he remained the space of a yeare or as other say thrée yeares to his great good hap for before he was growen to be an enimie to the christian religion but now by the wholesome admonitions and sharpe rebukes of king Anna he became a christian and receiued his wife againe into his companie according to the prescript of Gods law and to be bréefe in all things shewed himselfe a new man imbracing vertue auoiding vice so that shortlie after through the helpe of God he recouered againe his kingdome Now when he was established in the same there came a bishop named Agilbertus out of Ireland a Frenchman borne but hauing remained in Ireland a long time to reade the scriptures This Agilbert comming into the prouince of the Westsaxons was gladlie receiued of king Chenwald at whose desire he tooke vpon him to exercise the roome of a bishop there but afterwards when the said king admitted another bishop named Wini which had béene ordeined in France and knew the toong better than Agilbert as he that was borne in England Agilbert offended for that the king had admitted him without making him of anie counsell therein returned into France and there was made bishop of Paris within a few yeares after the foresaid Wini was expelled also by king Chenwald who got him into Mercia vnto king Uulfhere of whome he bought the bishoprike of London which he held during his life and so the countrie of Westsaxon remained long without a bishop till at length the said Agilbert at the request of king Chenwald sent to him Elutherius that was his nephue YE haue heard that after Carpwald his brother Sigibert succéeded in rule of the Eastangles a man of great vertue and woorthinesse who whilest he remained in France as a banished man being constreined to flée his countrie vpon displeasure that king Redwald bare him was baptised there and after returning into his countrie and obteining at length the kingdome those things which he had séene well ordered in France he studied to follow the example of the same at home and herevpon considering with himselfe that nothing could more aduance the state of the common-wealth of his countrie than learning knowledge in the toongs began the foundation of certeine schooles and namelie at Cambridge where children might haue places where to be instructed and brought vp in learning vnder appointed teachers that there might be greater numbers of learned men trained vp than before time had béene within this land to the furtherance of true religion and vertue So that England hath good cause to haue in thankfull remembrance this noble prince king Sigibert for all those hir learned men which haue bin brought vp come foorth of that famous vniuersitie of Cambridge the first foundation or rather renouation whereof was thus begun by him about the yeare of our Lord 630. At length when this worthie king began to grow in age he considered with himselfe how hard a matter and how painefull an office it was to gouerne a realme as apperteined to the dutie of a good king wherevpon he determined to leaue the charge thereof to other of more conuenient yéeres and to
liue from thencefoorth a priuat kind of life and so resigning the administration vnto his kinsman Egricus he became a moonke and led the rest of his life in a certeine abbeie Shortlie after it so came to passe that Penda king of Mercia that cruell ethnike tyrant made sore warres vpon Egricus wherevpon the people of Eastangles compelled Sigibert to come foorth of his monasterie to go with them into the field against Penda Sigibert being thus constreined against his will would not put on armour or beare anie other kind of weapon than onelie a wand in his hand in steed of a scepter and so the armie of the Eastangles in hope of good spéed by the presence of Sigibert ioined in battell with their enimies but the Eastangles were finallie vanquished and the more part of them slaine togither with Sigibert and his coosen Egricus their king This happened in the yere after the birth of our Sauiour as some haue noted 652. In the daies whilest Sigibert as yet ruled the Eastangles there came out of Ireland a deuout person named Furseus who comming into the countrie of the Eastangles was gladlie receiued of king Sigibert by whose helpe afterwards he builded the abbeie of Cumbreburge in the which Sigibert as some haue written when he renounced his kingdome was professed a moonke Of this Furseus manie things are written the which for briefenesse we ouerpasse After that Felix the bishop of the Eastangles was dead one Thomas was ordeined in his place who after he had béene bishop fiue yéeres died and then one Beretgils was ordeined in his roome by Honorius the archbishop of Canturburie The said Honorius himselfe when he had run the race of his naturall life deceassed also the last of September in the yéere of our Lord 653. Anna king of Eastangles is slaine by Penda king of Mercia his brother succeeding him is slaine also by Oswie king of Northumberland the Mercians or Middle angles receiue the faith vnder vertuous Peda their prince he requesteth Alchfled the king of Northumberlands daughter in mariage he is baptised by bishop Finnan by whose meanes the Eastsaxons imbraced christian religion vnder Sigibert their king he is murthered of two brethren that were his kinsmen vpon a conceiued hatred against him for his good and christian life how dangerous it is to keepe companie with an excommunicate person the authoritie of a bishop The xxxj Chapter AFter Egricus succeeded Anna the sonne of Enus in the kingdome of Eastangle and was likewise slaine by Penda king of Mercia with the most part of his armie as he gaue battell vnto the said Penda that inuaded his countrie He left behind him manie children but his brother Edelhere succéeded him in gouernment of the kingdome who was slaine by Oswie the king of Northumberland togither with the foresaid Penda and woorthilie sith he would aid that tyrant which had slaine his kinsman and his brother that were predecessors with him in his kingdome After this when the sée of Canturburie had béene vacant by the space of one whole yeere and six moneths one Deus dedit of the countrie of the Westsaxons was elected and consecrated by Ithamar the bishop of Rochester on the 7 kalends of Aprill He gouerned the church of Canturburie by the tearme of nine yéeres foure moneths and two daies When he was departed this life the foresaid Ithamar consecrated for him one Damianus of the countrie of Sussex ABout this time the people of Mercia commonlie called Middleangles receiued the christian faith vnder their king named Peda or Peada the sonne of Penda king of Mercia who being a towardlie yoong gentleman and woorthie to haue the guiding of a kingdome his father Penda aduanced him to the rule of that kingdome of the Middleangles during his owne life ¶ Héere maie you note that the kingdome of the Middleangles was one and the kingdome of Mercia another though most commonlie the same were gouerned by one king This yoong Peda came to Oswie king of Northumberland requiring of him to haue his daughter Alchfled in mariage but when he was informed that he might not haue hir except he would become a christian then vpon hearing the gospell preached with the promise of the celestiall ioies and immortalitie by the resurrection of the flesh in the life to come he said that whether he had king Oswies daughter to wife or not he would suerlie be baptised and chieflie he was persuaded therevnto by his kinsman Alchfrid who had in mariage his sister the daughter of Penda named Cimburgh Wherefore he was baptised by bishop Finnan with all those which came thither with him at a place called At the wall and taking with him foure priests which were thought méete to teach and baptise his people he returned with great ioy into his owne countrie The names of those priests were as followeth Cedda Adda Betti and Diuna of the which the last was a Scot by nation and the other were Englishmen These priests comming into the prouince of the Middleangles preached the woord and were well heard so that dailie a great number of the nobilitie communaltie renouncing the filthie dregs of idolatrie were christned Neither did king Penda forbid the preaching of the gospell within his prouince of Mercia but rather hated and despised those whome he knew to haue professed themselues christians and yet shewed not the woorks of faith saieng that Those were wretches and not to be regarded which would not obeie their God in whome they beléeued This alteration of things began about two yéeres before the death of king Penda ABout the same time the Eastsaxons at the instance of Oswie king of Northumberland receiued eftsoones the faith which they had renounced when they banished their bishop Melitus Ye haue heard that Serred Siward and Sigibert brethren and the sonnes of king Sabert which brethren occasioned the reuolting of that prouince from the faith of Christ were slaine in battell by the kings of Westsaxon after whome succéeded Sigibert surnamed the little sonne to the middlemost brother Siward as some write This Sigibert the litle left the kingdome to an other Sigibert that was sonne to one Sigebald the brother of king Sabert which second Sigibert reigned as king in that prouince of the Eastsaxons being a most especiall friend of king Oswie so that oftentimes he repaired into Northumberland to visit him whervpon king Oswie ceassed not most earnestlie at times conuenient to exhort him to receiue the faith of Iesus Christ and in the end by such effectuall persuasions as he vsed Sigibert gaue credit to his woords and so being conuerted receiued the sacrament of baptisme by the hands of bishop Finnan at the kings house called At the wall so named bicause it was built néere to the wall which the Romans had made ouerthwart the I le as is often before remembred being twelue miles distant from the east sea King Sigibert hauing
now receiued the christian faith when he should returne into his countrie required king Oswie to appoint him certeine instructors and teachers which might conuert his people to the faith of Christ. King Oswie desirous to satisfie his request sent vnto the prouince of the Middleangles calling from thence that vertuous man Cedda and assigning vnto him another priest to be his associat sent them vnto the prouince of the Eastsaxons there to preach the christian faith vnto the people And when they had preached taught through the whole countrie to the great increase and inlarging of the church of Christ it chanced on a time that Cedda returned home into Northumberland to conferre of certeine things with bishop Finnan which kept his sée at Lindesherne where vnderstanding by Cedda the great fruits which it had pleased God to prosper vnder his hands in aduancing the faith among the Eastsaxons he called to him two other bishops and there ordeined the foresaid Cedda bishop of the East saxons Héerevpon the same Cedda returned vnto his cure went forward with more authoritie to performe the woorke of the Lord building churches in diuerse places ordeined priests and deacons which might helpe him in preaching and in the ministerie of baptising speciallie in the citie of Ithancester vpon the riuer of Pent and likewise in Tileburge on the riuer of Thames Whilest Ced was thus bufle to the great comfort and ioy of the king and all his people in the setting forward of the christian religion with great increase dailie procéeding it chanced thorough the instigation of the deuill the common enimie of mankind that king Sigibert was murthered by two of his owne kinsmen who were brethren the which when they were examined of the cause that should mooue them to that wicked fact they had nothing to alledge but that they did it bicause they had conceiued an hatred against the king for that he was too fauourable towards his enimies and would with great mildnesse of mind forgiue iniuries committed against him such was the kings fault for the which he was murthered bicause he obserued the commandements of the gospell with a deuout hart Notwithstanding in this his innocent death his offense was punished wherein he had suerlie transgressed the lawes of the church For whereas one of them which slue him kept a wife whome he had vnlawfullie maried and refused to put hir away at the bishops admonition he was by the bishop excommunicated and all other of the christian congregation commanded to absteine from his companie This notwithstanding the king being destred of him came to his house to a banket and in his comming from thence met with the bishop whome when the king beheld he waxed afraid and alighted from his horsse and fell downe at his féet beséeching him of pardon for his offense The bishop which also was on horssebacke likewise alighted and touching the king with his rod which he had in his hand as one something displeased and protesting as in the authoritie of a bishop spake these words Bicause saith he thou wouldst not absteine from entring the house of that wicked person being accurssed thou shalt die in the same house and so it came to passe Suidhelme king of the Eastsaxons he is baptised the bishoplike exercises of Ced in his natiue countrie of Northumberland Ediswald K. of Deira reuerenceth him the kings deuout mind to further and inlarge religion the maner of consecrating a place appointed for a holie vse the old order of fasting in Lent bishop Ced dieth warre betweene Oswie and Penda Oswie maketh a vow to dedicate his daughter a perpetuall virgine to God if he got the victorie he obteineth his request and performeth his vow she liueth dieth and is buried in a monasterie the benefit insuing Oswies conquest ouer his enimies the first second and third bishops of Mercia the victorious proceeding of king Oswie prince Peada his kinsman murthered of his wife The xxxij Chapter AFter Sigbert succeeded Suidhelme in the kingdome of the Eastsaxons he was the son of Sexbald and baptised of Ced in the prouince of the Eastangles at a place of the kings there called Rendlessham Ediswald king of the Eastangles the brother of king Anna was his godfather at the fontsone Ced the bishop of the Eastsaxons vsed oftentimes to visit his countrie of Northumberland where he was borne and by preaching exhorted the people to godlie life Wherevpon it chanced that king Ediswald the son of king Oswald which reigned in the parties of Deira mooued with the fame of his vertuous trade of liuing had him in great reuerence and therefore vpon a good zeale and great deuotion willed him to choose foorth some plot of ground where he might build a monasterie in the which the king himselfe and others might praie heare sermons the oftener and haue place where to burie the dead The bishop consenting to the kings mind at length espied a place amongst high and desert mounteins where he began the foundation of a monasterie afterwards called Lestinghem Wherefore meaning first of all to purge the place with praier fasting he asked leaue of the king that he might remaine there all the Lent which was at hand and so continuing in that place for that time fasted euerie daie sundaie excepted from the morning vntill euening according to the maner nor receiued anie thing then but onlie a little bread and a hens eg with a little milke mixt with water for he said that this was the custome of them of whome he had learned the forme of his regular order that they should consecrate those places vnto the Lord with praier and fasting which they latelie had receiued to make in the same either church or monasterie And when there remained ten daies of Lent yet to come he was sent for to the king wherefore he appointed a brother which he had being also a priest named Cimbill to supplie his roome that his begun religious woorke should not be hindered for the kings businesse Now when the time was accomplished he ordeined a monasterie there appointing the moonks of the same to liue after the rules of them of Lindesferne where he was brought vp Finallie this bishop Ced comming vnto this monasterie afterwards by chance in time of a sicknesse died there and left that monasterie to the gouernance of another brother which he had named Ceadda that was after a bishop as afterwards shall be shewed There were foure brethren of them and all priests Ced Cimbill Ceulin and Ceadda of the which Ced and Ceadda were bishops as before is said About the same time Oswie king of Northumberland was sore oppressed by the warres of Penda king of Mercia so that he made great offers of high gifts and great rewards vnto the said Penda for peace but Penda refused the same as he that meant vtterlie to haue destroied the whole nation of Oswies poeple so that Oswie turning himselfe to seeke
helpe at the hands of the almightie said If the pagan refuse to receiue the gifts which we offer let vs make offer vnto him that knoweth how to accept them and so binding himselfe by vow promised that if he might obtein victorie he would offer his daughter to be dedicate to the Lord in perpetuall virginitie and further would giue twelue manors lordships or farmes to the building of monasteries and so with a small armie he put himselfe in hazard of battell It is said that Penda had thirtie companies of men of warre furnished with thirtie noble capteins or coronels against whome came Oswie with his sonne Alchfrid hauing but a small armie but confirmed yet with hope in Christ Iesus His other son Ecgfrid remained in hostage at that time with quéene Cinnise Edilwald the sonne of Oswald that gouerned Deira ought to haue aided Oswie was on the part of Penda against his countrie and against his vncle but in time of the fight he withdrew himselfe aside to behold what chance would follow The battell being begun the thirtie pagan capteins were ouerthrowne and put to flight and those that came to aid Penda were almost all slaine among whome was Edilhere king of the Eastangles that reigned after his brother Anna and was the procurer of this warre This battell was fought néere to the water of Inwet the which being risen as then by reason of great raine drowned more of the enimies than died of the Northumbers swoords After that Oswie had obteined this victorie he performed promise in bestowing his daughter to the profession of virginitie and also gaue the twelue manors whereof six were in Deira and six in Bernicia conteining euerie of them ten housholds a péece Elfled also king Oswies daughter was professed in the monasterie of Herthew where one Hilda was abbesse which Hilda purchasing a lordship of ten housholds in Streanshall now called Whitbie builded a monasterie there in the which first the said Elfled was a nouice and after a ruler till at length being of the age of fortie yéeres she departed this life and was buried there and so likewise was hir mother Eufled and hir grandfather Edwin with manie other high estates within the church of saint Peter the apostle The victorie aboue mentioned got by king Oswie in the countrie of Loides on the 17 kalends of December in the thirtenth yéere of his reigne happened to the great commoditie and gaine of both the people for by the same he deliuered his countrie of Northumberland from the cruell destruction made in the same by the pagan people of Mercia and conuerted those pagans themselues and the countries néere adioining to them wholie vnto the faith of Iesus Christ. The first bishop in the prouince of Mercia and also of Lindesferne and the Middleangles was one Diuma who died amongst the Middleangles The second was Cellach the which leauing his bishoprike returned into Scotland for they were both of the nation of the Scots The third was an Englishman named Trumhere but instructed and ordeined of the Scots He was abbat of the monasterie of Ingethlingum being builded in that place where king Oswin was slaine as before is mentioned For quéene Eufled that was his kinswoman got of hir husband king Oswie a place there for the foresaid Trumhere to build that abbeie vpon King Oswie hauing slaine king Penda gouerned the people of Mercia and also other of the south prouinces subdued a great part of the Pictish nation to the English dominion About the same time king Oswie gaue vnto Peada the son of king Penda bicause he was his kinsman the countrie of the Southmercies conteining 5000 housholds and separated from the Northmercies by the riuer Trent The countrie of the Northmercies conteined in those daies 7000 housholds But Peada in the next spring was wickedlie murthered though the treason of his wicked wife as was said in the feast of Easter The dukes of Mercia rebell against Oswie recouer their owne bounds and create Wulfhere their king Cenwald king of the Westsaxons fighteth with the Britaines and preuaileth he is vanquished by Wulfhere Adelwold king of Sussex hath the I le of Wight giuen him and why succession of Edelher Edelwal and Aldulfe in the kingdome of Eastangles Colman a Scot first made bishop of Northumberland controuersie about the obseruation of Easter about bald crownes or shauing the haire superstition punished by God Ceadda bishop of Yorke his course of life and diligence in his office commended Egbert king of Kent the see of Canturburie void the preferment thereto refused Theodore a moonke supplieth the roome at the popes appointment all the English clergie obey him as their head his visitation and reformation singing vsed in churches Theodore and Adrian woorthilie praised English men happie glasiers first brought into this Iland The xxxiij Chapter AFter three yeeres were complet next ensuing the death of king Penda the dukes of the countrie of Mercia Immin Eaba and Eadbert rebelled against king Oswie aduancing one Wulfhere a yoong gentleman man the sonne of Peda and brother to Peada whom they had kept in secret to be their king and expelling the lieutenants of king Oswie they recouered both their owne confines and libertie withall and so liuing in fréedome with their owne naturall king the foresaid Uulfhere they also continued with glad hearts in seruice of the celestiall king our God and Sauior THis Uulfhere gouerned the Mercies seuentéene yeares the which Mercies during the reigne of the said Uulfhere had foure bishops successiuelie gouerning the church of that prouince one after another as the aboue mentioned Trumhere Iaroman Ceadda and Winfrid as hereafter shall more at large appeare About the beginning of king Uulfhers reigne that is to say in the seuentéenth yeare of the reigne of Chenwald king of the Westsaxons the same Chenwald fought with the Britains at Pennum where the Britains being assembled in great number proudlie incountred with the Englishmen and at the first put them to the woorst but when the Englishmen would in no wise giue ouer but did sticke to their tackle at length the Britains were put to flight so that the posteritie of Brute receiued that day an incurable wound But within thrée yeares after that is in the ninetéenth yeare of the reigne of the said Chenwald he had not the like lucke in battell against the foresaid Uulfhere king of Mercia as he had before against the Britains for the said Uulfhere vanquishing him in the field passed through his countrie with a great armie vnto the I le of Wight which he conquered and deliuered it vnto Adelwold king of Sussex as a gift at that time when he receiued him at the fontstone after he had conuerted him to the faith He gaue vnto Adelwold that I le to the end he should cause the people there to receiue the faith and religon of Christ. Now after that
by allegiance they were bound to serue and obeie By reason hereof the Danes without resistance grew into greater power amongst them whilest the inhabitants were still put in feare each day more than other and euerie late gotten victorie by the enimies by the increase of prisoners ministred occasion of some other conquest to follow Euen about the beginning of Ethelreds reigne there arriued vpon the English coasts an huge armie of the Danes vnder the conduct of two renowmed capteins Hungar and Ubbs men of maruellous strength and valiancie but both of them passing cruell of nature They lay all the winter season in 〈◊〉 compounding with them of the 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 vpon certeine conditions sparing 〈◊〉 a tune to shew their for as for quietnesse sake In the socond yéere of king Eâ—helâ—ed the said capteine came with their armies into Yorkshire finding the country vnprouided of necessarie defense bicause of the ciuill discord that reigned aniong the Northumbers the which had latelie expelled king Osbright that had the gouernement of those parts and placed one Ella in his roome howbeit now they were constreined to reuoke him home againe and sought to accord him and Ella But it was long yer that might be brought to passe notwithstanding yet at length they were mae friends by reason of this inuasion attempted by forren enimies and then raising their powers they came to Yorke where the Danes hauing wasted the countrie euen to the riuer of Tine were lodged The English host entring the citie began to fight with the Danes by reason whereof a fore battell insued betwixt them but in the end the two kings Osbright and Ella were slaine and a great number of the Northumbers what within the citie and what without lost their liues at that time the residue were constreined to take truce with the Danes This battell was fought the 21 day of Maâ—ch being in â—ent on the Friday before Palmsunday in the yere 657. ¶ Some haue written otherwise of this battell reporting that the Northumbers calling home king Osbright whome before they had banished incountred with the Danes in the field without the walles of Yorke but they were easilie beaten backe and chased into the citie the which by the Danes pursuing the victorie was set on fier and burnt togither with the king and people that were fled into it for succour How soeuer it came about certeine it is that the Danes got the victorie and now hauing subdued the Northumbers appointed one Egbert so reigne ouer them as king vnder their protection which Egbert reigned in that sort six yeares ouer those which inhabited beyond the riuer of Tine In the same yeare Adelstane bishop of Shireborne departed this life hauing gouerned that sée the terme of 50 yeares This Adelstane was a man of high wisedome and one that had borne no small rule in the kingdome of the Westsaxons as hereby it may be coniectured that when king Ethelwulfe returned from Rome he would not suffer him to be admitted king because he had doone in certeine points contrarie to the ordinances and lawes of the same kingdome wherevpon by this bishops means Ethelbald the sonne of the same king Ethelwulfe was established king and so continued till by agréement the kingdome was diuided betwixt them as before is mentioned Finallie he greatlie inriched the sée of Shireborne and yet though he was feruentlie set on couetousnesse he was neuerthelesse verie free and liberall in gifts which contrarie eâ—tremities so ill matched though in him the time wherein he liued being considered they might seeme somewhat tollerable yet simplie in truth they were vtterlie repugnant to the law of the spirit which biddeth that none should doo euill that good may come thereof Against which precept because Adelstane could not but offend in the heat of his couetousnes which is termed the root of all mischiefe though he was excéeding bountifull and large in distributing the wealth he had gréedilie gotten togither he must néeds incur reprehension But this is so much the lesse to be imputed vnto him as a fault by how much he was ignorant what by the rule of equitie and conscience was requirable in a christian man or one of his vocation Burthred king of Mercia with aid beseegeth the Danes in Notingham Basâ—reeg and Halden two Danish kings with their powers 〈◊〉 the Westsaxâ—â—â— they are incountred by 〈◊〉 earâ—e of Baâ—kâ—shire King 〈◊〉 giueth them and their cheefe guide a sore 〈◊〉 what Polydor Virgil recorder touching one 〈◊〉 king of the Danes and the warres that Ethelred had with them his death Edmuisd king of Eastangles giueth battell to the Danes he yeeldeth himselfe and for christian religion sake is by them most cruellie murthered the kingdome of the Eastangles endeth Guthran a Dane gouerneth the whole countrie K. Osbright rauisheth the wife of one Bearne a noble man a bloodie battell insueth therevpon wherein Osbright and Ella are slaine The twelft Chapter IN the yeare following that is to say in the third yéere of Ethelreds reigne he with his brother Alured went to aid Burthred king of Mercia against the two foresaid Danish capteines Hungar and Ubba the which were entred into Mercia and had woon the towne for the winter season Wherevpon the foresaid Ethelred and Burthred with their powers came to Notingham and besieged the Danes within it The Danes perceiuing themselues in danger made suite for a truce abstinence from war which they obtenred and then departed backe to Yorke where they sâ—â—urned the most part of all that yeare In the sixt yeare of king Ethelreds reigne a new armie of great force and power came into the countrie of the Westsaxons vnder two leaders or kings of the Danes Basréeg and Halden They lodged at Reding with their maine armie and within thrée daies after the earle of Berrockshire Edelwulfe fought at Englefield with two earles of those Danes vanquished them and slue the one of those earles whose name was Sidroc After this king Ethelred and his brother Alured came with a great host vnto Reading and there gaue battell vnto the armie of Danes so that an huge number of people died on both parts but the Danes had the victorie After this also king Ethelred and his brother Alured fought againe with those Danes at Aschdon where the armies on both sides were diuided into two parts so that the two Danish kings lead the one part of their armie certeine of their earles lead the other part Likewise on the English side king Ethelred was placed with one part of the host against the Danish kings and Alured with the other part was appointed to incounter with the earles Herevpon they being on both parts readie to giue battell the euening comming on caused them to deferre it till the morow And so earlie in the morning when the armies should ioine king Ethelred stated in his tent the heare diuine seruice whilest his brother vpon a
somnesse of life by death diuide Iam post transactos regni vitaeque labores Now after labours past of realme and lie which he did spend Christus ei fit vera quies sceptrúmque perenne Christ is â—o him true quietnesse and scepter void of end In the daies of the foresaid king Alured the kingdome of Mercia tooke end For after that the Danes had expelled king Burthred when he had reigned 22 yeares he went to Rome and there died his wife also Ethelswida the daughter of king Athulfe that was sonne to king Egbert followed him and died in Pauia in Lumbardie The Danes hauing got the countrie into their possession made one Cewulfe K. thereof whome they bound with an oth and deliuerie of pledges that he should not longer kéepe the state with their pleasure and further should be readie at all times to aid them with such power as he should be able to make This Cewulfe was the seruant of king Burthred Within foure yeares after the Danes returned and tooke one part of that kingdome into their owne hands and left the residue vnto Cewulfe But within a few yeares after king Alured obteined that part of Mercia which Cewulfe ruled as he did all the rest of this land except those parcels which the Danes held as Northumberland the countries of the Eastangles some part of Mercia and other The yeare in the which king Alured thus obteined all the dominion of that part of Mercia which Cewulfe had in gouernance was after the birth of our Sauiour 886 so that the foresaid kingdome continued the space of 302 yeares vnder 22 kings from Crida to this last Cewulfe But there he that account the continuance of this kingdome onelie from the beginning of Penda vnto the last yeare of Burthred by which reckoning it stood not past 270 yeares vnder 18 or rather 17 kings counting the last Cewulfe for none who began his reigne vnder the subiection of the Danes about the yeare of our Lord 874 where Penda began his reigne 604. The Eastangles and the Northumbers in these daies were vnder subiection of the Danes as partlie may be perceiued by that which before is rehearsed After Guthrun that gouerned the Eastangles by the terme of 12 yeares one Edhirike or Edrike had the rule in those parts a Dane also and reigned 14 yeares and was at length bereued of his gouernement by king Edward the sonne of king Alured as after shall appeare But now although that the Northumbers were brought greatlie vnder fooâ— by the Danes yet could they not forget their old accustomed maner to stirre tumults and rebellion against their gouernours insomuch that in the yeare 872 they expelled not onelie Egbert whome the Danes had appointed king ouer one part of the countrie as before you haue heard but also their archbishop Wilfehere In the yeare following the same Egbert departed this life after whome one Rigsig or Ricsige succéeded as king and the archbishop Wolfehere was restored home In the same yeare the armie of Danes which had wintered at London came from thence into Northumberland and wintered in Lindseie at a place called Torkseie and went the next yeare into Mercia And in the yeare 975 a part of them returned into Northumberland as before ye haue heard In the yeare following Ricsig the king of Northumberland departed this life after whome an other Egbert succéeded And in the yeare 983 the armie of the Danes meaning to inhabit in Northumberland and to settle themselues there chose Guthrid the sonne of one Hardicnute to their king whome they had sometime sold to a certeine widow at Witingham But now by the abuise of an abbat called Aldred they redéemed his libertie and ordeined him king to rule both Danes and Englishmen in that countrie It was said that the same Aldred being abbat of holie Iland was warned in a vision by S. Cuthberd to giue counsell both to the Danes and Englishmen to make the same Guthrid king This chanced about the 13 yeare of the reigne of Alured king of Westsaxons When Guthrid was established king he caused the bishops sée to be remoued from holie Iland vnto Chester in the stréet and for an augmentation of the reuenues and iurisdiction belonging thereto he assigned and gaue vnto saint Cuthbert all that countrie which lieth betwixt the riuers of Teise and Tine ¶ Which christian act of the king liuing in a time of palpable blindnesse and mistie superstition may notwithstanding be a light to the great men and péeres of this age who pretend religion with zeale and professe in shew the truth with feruencie not to impouerish the patrimonie of the church to inrich themselues and their posteritie not to pull from bishoprikes their ancient reuenues to make their owne greater not to alienate ecclesiasticall liuings into temporall commodities not to seeke the conuersion of college lands into their priuat possessions not to intend the subuersion of cathedrall churches to fill their owne cofers not to ferret out concealed lands for the supporte of their owne priuat lordlines not to destroy whole towneships for the erection of one statelie manour not to take and pale in the commons to inlarge their seueralles but like good and gratious common-wealth-men in all things to preferre the peoples publike profit before their owne gaine and glorie before their owne pompe and pleasure before the satisfieng of their owne inordinate desires Moreouer this priuiledge was granted vnto saint Cuthberts shrine that whosouer fled vnto the same for succour and safegard should not be touched or troubled in anie wise for the space of thirtie seuen daies And this fréedome was confirmed not onelie by king Guthrid but also by king Alured Finallie king Guthrid departed this life in the yeare of our Lord 894 after he had ruled the Northumbers with much crueltie as some say by the terme of a 11 yeares or somewhat more He is named by some writers Gurmond and also Gurmo thought to be the same whome king Alured caused to be baptised Whereas other affirme that Guthrid who ruled the Eastangles was he that Alured receiued at the fontstone William Malmesburie taketh them to be but one man which is not like to be true After this Guthrid or Gurmo his sonne Sithrike succeeded and after him other of that line till king Adelstane depriued them of the dominion and tooke it into his owne hands Edward succeedeth his father Alured in regiment he is disquieted by his brother Adelwold a man of a defiled life he flieth to the Danes and is of them receiued king Edwards prouision against the irruptions and forraies of the Danes Adelwold with a nauie of Danes entreth Eastangles the Essex men submit themselues he inuadeth Mercia and maketh great wast the Kentishmens disobedience preiudiciall to themselues they and the Danes haue a great conflict king Edward concludeth a truce with them he maketh a great slaughter
Edward vnderstanding that Sithrike went about some mischiefe toward him persuaded his daughter to poison hir husband the said Sithrike Then Aulafe or Aualassus and Godfrie the sonnes of Sithrike finding out by diligent examination that Beatrice was of counsell in poisoning hir husband they caused hir to be apprehended and put to death on this wife She was set naked vpon a smithes cold anuill or stithie and there with hard rosted egs being taken out of the hot imbers were put vnder hir armepits and hir armes fast bound to hir bodie with a cord and so in that state she remained till hir life passed from hir King Edward in reuenge of his daughters death mooued warre against the two brethren Aulafe and Godfrie and in battell finallie vanquished them but was slaine in the same battell himselfe Thus haue the Scotish chronicles recorded of these matters as an induction to the warres which followed betwixt the Scots and Danes as confederates against king Adelstane but the truth thereof we leaue to the readers owne iudgement For in our English writers we find no such matter but that a daughter of king Edward named Edgitha or Editha after hir fathers deceasse was by hir brother king Adelstane about the first yéere of his reigne giuen in mariage as before ye haue heard vnto the foresaid Sithrike king of Northumberland that was descended of the Danish bloud who for the loue of the yoong ladie renounced his heathenish religion and became a christian but shortlie after forsaking both his wife and the christian faith he set vp againe the worshipping of idols and within a while after as an apostata miserablie ended his life Whervpon the yoong ladie hir virginitie being preserued and hir bodie vndefiled as they write passed the residue of hir daies at Polle swoorth in Warwikeshire spending hir time as the same writers affirme in fasting watching praieng and dooing of almesdéedes and so at length departed out of this world Thus our writers differ from the Scotish historie both in name and maner of end as concerning the daughter of king Edward that was coupled in mariage with Sithrike Adelstane subdueth Constantine king of Scots Howell king of Wales and Wulferth king of Northwales the Scots possesse a great part of the north countries Adelstane conquereth the Scots for aiding Godfrie his enimie a miracle declaring that the Scots ought to obey the king of England king Adelstane banisheth his brother Edwin he is for a conspiracie drowned in the sea Adelstane repenteth him of his rigour in respect of that misfortune against his brother Aulafe sometimes king of Northumberland inuadeth England he disguiseth himselfe like a minstrell and surueieth the English campe vnsuspected he is discouered after his departure he assaileth the English campe Adelstane being comforted with a miracle discomfiteth his enimies he maketh them of Northwales his tributaries he subdueth the Cornishmen his death the description of his person his vertues of what abbeis monasteries he was founder his estimation in forren realmes what pretious presents were sent him from other princes and how he bestowed them a remembrance of Guy the erle of Warwike The xx Chapter AFter that king Adelstane had subdued them of Northumberland he was aduertised that not onelie Constantine king of Scots but also Huduale or Howell K. of Wales went about a priuie conspiracie against him Herevpon with all conuenient spéed assembling his power he went against them and with like good fortune subdued them both and also Uimer or Wulferth R. of Northwales so that they were constreined to submit themselues vnto him who shortlie after moued with pitie in considering their sudden fall restored them all three to their former estates but so as they should acknowledge themselues to gouerne vnder him pronouncing withall this notable saieng that More honorable it was to make a king than to be a king Ye must vnderstand that as it appeareth in the Scotish chronicles the Scotishmen in time of wars that the Danes gaue the English nation got a part of Cumberland and other the north countries into their possession and so by reason of their néere adioining vnto the confines of the English kings there chanced occasions of warre betwixt them as well in the daies of king Edward as of this Adelstane his sonne although in déed the Danes held the more part of the north countries till that this Adelstane conquered the same out of their hands and ioined it vnto other of his dominions constreining as well the Danes of whome the more part of the inhabitants then consisted as also the Englishmen to obey him as their king and gouernour Godfrie as is said being fled to the Scots did so much preuaile there by earnest sute made to king Constantine that he got a power of men and entring with the same into Northumberland besiged the citie of Duresme soliciting the citizens to receiue him which they would gladlie haue doone if they had not perceiued how he was not of power able to resist the puissance of king Adelstane and therefore doubting to be punished for their offenses if they reuolted they kept the enimies out King Adelstane being sore moued against the king of Scots that thus aided his enimies raised an armie and went northward purposing to reuenge that iniurie At his comming into Yorkshire he turned out of the way to visit the place where saint Iohn of Beuerlie was buried and there offered his knife promising that if he returned with victorie he would redéeme the same with a woorthie price and so proceeded and went forwards on his iournie and entring Scotland wasted the countrie by land vnto Dunfoader and Wertermore and his nauie by sea destroied the coasts alongst the shore euen to Catnosse and so he brought the king of Scots and other his enimies to subiection at his pleasure constreining the same K. of Scots to deliuer him his son in hostage It is said that being in his iournie néere vnto the towne of Dunbar he praied vnto God that at the instance of saint Iohn of Beuerlie it would please him to grant that he might shew some open token whereby it should appeare to all them that then liued and should he 〈◊〉 succéed that the Scots ought to 〈◊〉 subiect vnto the kings of England Herewith the king with his sword sâ—ote vpon a great stone standing néere to the castle of Dunbar and with the stroke there appeared a clift in the saine stone to the length of 〈◊〉 which remained to be shewed as a 〈◊〉 backe to 〈◊〉 he redeemedes es year after At his 〈…〉 his knife with a large price as before he had promised After this was Edwin the kings brother a coused of some conspiracie by him begiâ—â— against the king wherevpon he was banished the land and sent out in an old rotten vessell without rower or mariner onelie accompanied with one esquier so that beingstanding néere to the castle of Dunbar and with
burned and then returning backe they fell to wasting of the countrie on both sides the Thames But hearing that an armie was assembled at London to giue them battell that part of their host which kept on the northside of the riuer passed the same riuer at Stanes and so ioining with their fellowes marched foorth through Southerie and comming backe to their ships in Kent fell in hand to repare amend their ships that were in anie wise decaied Then after Easter the Danes sailing about the coast arriued at Gipswich in Suffolke on the Ascension day of our Lord and inuading the countrie gaue battell at a place called Wigmere or Rigmere vnto Uikill or Wilfeketell leader of the English host in those parties on the fift of Maie The men of Northfolke and Suffolke fled at the first onset giuen but the Cambridgeshire men sticked to it valiantlie winning thereby perpetuall faâ—e and commendation There was no mindfulnesse amongest them of running awaie so that a great number of the nobilitie and other were beaten downe and slaine till at length one Turketell Mireneheued that had a Dane to his father first bagan to take his flight and deserued thereby an euerlasting reproch The Danes obteining the vpper hand for the space of thrée moneths togither went vp and downe the countries wasted those parties of the realme that is to say Northfolke and Suffolke with the borders of Lincolnshire Huntingtonshire and Cambridgeshire where the fens are gaining excéeding riches by the spoile of the great and wealthie abbies and churches which had their situation within the compasse of the same fens They also destroied Thetford and burnt Cambridge and from thence passed through the pleasant mountaine-countrie of Belsham cruellie murdering the people without respect of age degrée or sex After this also they entred into Essex and so came backe to their ships which were then arriued in the Thames But they rested not anie long time in quiet as people that minded nothing but the destruction of this realme So as soone after when they had somwhat refreshed them they set forward againe into the countrie passing through Buckinghamshire so into Bedfordshire And about saint Andrewes tide they turned towards Northampton comming thither set fire on that towne Then turning through the west countrie with fire sword they wasted and destroied a great part thereof namelie Wiltshire with other parties And finallie about the feast of Christmas they came againe to their ships Thus had the Danes wasted the most part of 16 or 17 shires within this realme as Northfolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire Essex Middlesex Hartfordshire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire with a part of Huntingtonshire and also a great portion of Northamptonshire This was doone in the countries that lie on the northside of the riuer of Thames On the southside of the same riuer they spoiled and wasted Kent Southerie Sussex Barkeshire Hampshire and as is before said a great part of Wiltshire King Egelred offereth the Danes great summes of moneie to desist from destroieng his countrie their vnspeakable crueltie bloudthir stinesse and insatiable spoiling of Canturburie betraied by a churchman their merciles murthering of Elphegus archbishop of Canturburie Turkillus the Dane chiefe lord of Norfolke and Suffolke a peace concluded betweene the Danes and the English vpon hard conditions Gunthildis a beautifull Danish ladie and hir husband slaine hir courage to the death The fift Chapter THe king and the peeres of the realme vnderstanding of the Danes dealing in such merciles maner as is aboue mentioned but not knowing how to redresse the matter sent ambassadors vnto the Danes offering them great summes of moneie to leaue off such cruell wasting and spoiling of the land The Danes were contented to reteine the moneie but yet could not absteine from their cruell dooings neither was their greedie thirst of bloud and spoile satisfied with the wasting and destroieng of so manie countries and places as they had passed through Wherevpon in the yeere of our Lord 1011 about the feast of S. Matthew in September they laid siege to the citie of Canturburie which of the citizens was valiantlie defended by the space of twentie daies In the end of which terme it was taken by the enimies through the treason of a deacon named Almaricus whome the archbishop Elphegus had before that time preserued from death The Danes exercised passing great crueltie in the winning of that citie as by sundrie authors it dooth and maie appéere For they slue of men women and children aboue the number of eight thousand They tooke the archbishop Elphegus with an other bishop named Godwine also abbat Lefwin and Alseword the kings bailife there They spared no degrée in somuch that they slue and tooke 900 priests and other men of religion And when they had taken their pleasure of the citie they set it on fire and so returned to their ships There be some which write that they tithed the people after an inuerted order slaieng all by nines through the whole multitude and reserued the tenth so that of all the moonks there were but foure saued and of the laie people 4800 whereby it followeth that there died 43200 persons Whereby is gathered that the citie of Canturburie and the countrie thereabouts the people whereof belike fled thither for succor was at that time verie well inhabited so as there haue no wanted saith maister Lambert which affirme that it had then more people than London it selfe But now to our purpose In the yéere next insuing vpon the saturday in Easter wéeke after that the bishop Elphegus had béene kept prisoner with them the space of six or seuen moneths they cruellie in a rage led him foorth into the fields and dashed out his braines with stones bicause he would not redéeme his libertie with thrée thousand pounds which they demanded to haue beene leuied of his farmers and tenants This cruell murther was committed at Gréenewich foure miles distant from London the 19 of Aprill where he lay a certeine time vnburied but at length through miracles shewed as they say for miracles are all wrought now by dead men and not by the liuing the Danes permitted that his bodie might be caried to London and there was it buried in the church of S. Paule where it rested for the space of ten yeeres till king Cnute or Knought had the gouernment of this land by whose appointment it was remooued to Canturburie Turkillus the leader of those Danes by whome the archbishop Elphegus was thus murthered held Northfolke and Suffolke vnder his subiection so continued in those parties as chiefe lord and gouernor But the residue of the Danes at length compounding with the Englishmen for a tribute to be paid to them of eight thousand pounds spred abroad in the countrie soiorning in cities townes and villages where they might find most conuenient harbour
vp vnto his legs and knees Wherewith the king started suddenlie vp and withdrew from it saieng withall to his nobles that were about him Behold you noble men you call me king which can not so much as staie by my commandement this small portion of water But know ye for certeine that there is no king but the father onelie of our Lord Iesus Christ with whome he reigneth at whose becke all things are gouerned Let vs therefore honor him let vs confesse and professe him to be the ruler of heauen earth and sea and besides him none other From thence he went to Winchester and there with his owne hands set his crowne vpon the head of the image of the crucifix which stood there in the church of the apostles Peter and Paule and from thenceforth he would neuer weare that crowne nor anie other Some write that he spake not the former words to the sea vpon anie presumptuousnesse of mind but onelie vpon occasion of the vaine title which in his commendation on of his gentlemen gaue him by way of flatterie as he rightlie tooke it for he called him the most mightiest king of all kings which ruled most at large both men sea and land Therefore to reprooue the fond flatterie of such vaine persons he deuised and practised the déed before mentioned thereby both to reprooue such flatterers and also that men might be admonished to consider the omnipotencie of almightie God He had issue by his wife quéene Emma a sonne named by the English chronicles Hardiknought but by the Danish writers Canute or Knute also a daughter named Gonilda that was after maried to Henrie the sonne of Conrad which also was afterwards emperour and named Henrie the third By his concubine Alwine that was daughter to Alselme whome some name earle of Hampton he had two bastard sonnes Harold and Sweno He was much giuen in his latter daies to vertue as he that considered how perfect felicitie rested onelie in godlines and true deuotion to serue the heauenlie king and gouernour of all things He repared in his time manie churches abbeies and houses of religion which by occasion of warres had béene fore defaced by him and his father but speciallie he did great cost vpon the abbeie of saint Edmund in the towne of Burie as partlie before is mentioned He also built two abbeies from the foundation as saint Benets in Norffolke seuen miles distant from Norwich and an other in Norwaie He did also build a church at Ashdone in Essex where he obteined the victorie of king Edmund and was present at the hallowing or consecration therof with a great multitude of the lords and nobles of the realme both English and Danes He also holpe with his owne hands to remooue the bodie of the holie archbishop Elphegus when the same was translated from London to Canturburie The roiall and most rich iewels which he his wife quéene Emma gaue vnto the church of Winchester might make the beholders to woonder at such their exceeding and bountifull munificence Thus did Cnute striue to reforme all such things as he and his ancestors had doone amisse and to wipe awaie the spot of euil dooing as suerlie to the outward sight of the world he did in deed he had the archbishop of Canturburie Achelnotus in singular reputation and vsed his counsell in matters of importance He also highlie fauoured Leofrike earle of Chester so that the same Leofrike bare great rule in ordering of things touching the state of the common wealth vnder him as one of his chiefe councellors Diuerse lawes and statutes he made for the gouernment fo the common wealth partlie agréeable with the lawes of king Edgar and other the kings that were his predecessors and partlie tempered according to his owne liking and as was thought to him most expedient among the which there be diuerse that concerne causes as well ecclesiasticall as temporall Whereby as maister Fox hath noted it maie be gathered that the gouernment of spirituall matters did depend then not vpon the bishop of Rome but rather apperteined vnto the lawfull authoritie of the temporall prince no lesse than matters and causes temporall But of these lawes statutes enacted by king Cnute ye may read more as ye find them set foorth in the before remembred booke of maister Willliam Lambert which for briefenesse we héere omit Variance amongest the peeres of the realme about the roiall succession the kingdome is diuided betwixt Harold the bastard sonne and Hardicnute the lawfullie begotten son of king Cnute late deceassed Harold hath the totall regiment the authoritie of earle Goodwine gardian to the queenes sonnes Harold is proclaimed king why Elnothus did stoutlie refuse to consecrate him why Harold was surnamed Harefoot he is supposed to be a shoomakers sonne and how it came to passe that he was counted king Cnutes bastard Alfred challengeth the crowne from Harold Goodwine vnder colour of friendlie interteinment procureth his retinues vtter vndooing a tithing of the Normans by the poll whether Alfred was interessed in the crowne the trecherous letter of Harold written in the name of queene Emma to hir two sons in Normandie wherevpon Alfred commeth ouer into England the vnfaithfull dealing of Goodwine with Alfred and his people teaching that in trust is treason a reseruation of euerie tenth norman the remanent slaine the lamentable end of Alfred and with what torments he was put to death Harold banisheth queene Emma out of England he degenerateth from his father the short time of his reigne his death and buriall The xiiij Chapter AFter that Cnute was departed this life there arose much variance amongst the peeres and great lords of the realme about the succession The Danes and Londoners which through continuall familiaritie with the Danes were become like vnto them elected Harold the base sonne of king Cnute to succéed in his fathers roome hauing earle Leofrike and diuerse other of the noble men of the north parts on their side But other of the Englishmen and namelie earle Goodwine earle of Kent with the chiefest lords of the west parts coueted rather to haue one of king Egelreds sonnes which were in Normandie or else Hardicnute the sonne of king Cnute by his wife quéene Emma which remained in Denmarke aduanced to the place This controuersie held in such wise that the realme was diuided as some write by lot betwixt the two brethren Harold and Hardicnute The north part as Mercia and Northumberland fell to Harold and the south part vnto Hardicnute but at length the whole remained vnto Harold bicause his brother Hardicnute refused to come out of Denmarke to take the gouernment vpon him But yet the authoritie of earle Goodwine who had the queene and the treasure of the realme in his kéeping staied the matter a certeine time professing himselfe as it were gardian to the yoong men the sonnes of the quéene
Ella Eastangles Offa à quo Offlingae Mertia Creodda Limits of Mertia Britannia prima Valentia Britannia secunda Flauia Caesariensis Maxima Caesariensis Samothes Sarron Samothei Semnothei Druiyus Corruptors of religion Caesar. Strabo li. 4. Socion lib. success Cicero diuinat 1. Plinius lib. 16. cap. vltimo Metempsuchôssis Oke honored whereon mistle did grow and so doo our sorcerers euen to this daie thinking some spirits to deale about y e same for hidden treasure Logike and Rhetorike out of Gallia Estimation of the Druiydes or Druiysh preests Immunitie of the cleargie greater vnder idolatrie than vnder the gospell Bardus Gen. 4. 21. The Bards degenerate Lucan li. 1. What doctrine Cham and his disciples taught Chemesenua Chem Min. Cham made a god Translation of mortall men into heauen how it began Cyril aduersus Iul. lib. 6. sect 8. Which were properlie called Saturni Ioues Iunones and Hercules Isis Io and Iuno all one Coelum or Coelus Ogyges Sol. Pater deorum * Tydea Terra Vesta Aretia Luna Deorum mater FroÌ„ whence Brute did learne his religion Dis or Samothes made a god Mela. Diodorus Strab. 4. Plin. Caesar. 5. Ptol. Lucensis Monstrous proportions of idols Theodoret. Sophronius Iosephus Philip. Freculphus To. 2. lib. 2. cap. 4. Nennius Nicephorus lib. 2. cap. 40. Isidorus lib. de vita obit dict patrum W. Malmes de antiq Glasconici monast Claudia Rufina a British ladie 2. Tim. 4. Li. 11. Epig. 54. Lib. 10. cap. 17. Taurinus * This is contrarie to the common talke of our Atheists who say Let vs liue here in wealth credit and authoritie vpon earth and let God take heauen and his religion to himselfe to doo withall what he listeth Lucius openeth his ears to good counsell as one desirous to serue God not prefer the world The purpose of Lucius opened vnto the congregation at Rome by Eleutherus A zealous prince maketh feruent subiects Faganus Dinauus Aaron Radulphus de la noir alias Niger 3. Cheefe Bishops in Britaine Theonus Theodosius London Yorke Caerlheon Britaine the first prouince that receiued the Gospell generallie Emerita neece vnto Lucius Lucius sendeth againe to Rome Ro. 8. ver 1 The wisedome of Eleutherus * â—hough most princes cannot heare 〈◊〉 that side Epistle of Eleutherus vnto Lucius Psal. 24. Psal. 45. Psal. 71. Here waâ—teth Psal. 55. Albane Amphibaâ—â—s Iulius Aaron Chlorus had three sons a daughter by Helena Lucion becommeth a christian Lucion a bishop Hermannus Schedelius Bruschius cap. 3. Festum Lucionis Iohn Bouchet Emerita martyred in Rhâ—â—ia Heresie and monastical life brought into Britaine at one time by Pelagius Bangor Anachorites Heremites Cyrillines Benedictines Monkes and Heremites onelie allowed of in Britaine The number of religious houses in England at their dissolution Roger Bakon his saieng of the preachers of his time who were the best lawyers and the worst Diuines More than 2100. monkes in the College or Abbaie of Bangor in whose territories the parish of Ouertoâ— standeth Niceph. lib. 11. cap. 34. Germanus Lupus Palladius Patricius Seâ—â—â—â— Sulpitiâ—s in vita Patrick Augustine the monke Augustine Monks of Canturburie plagued Meates Pictes Caledoniens Scotland conuerted to the faith of Christ. Paladius The first attempt of the bishop of Rome to bring Scotland vnder his obedience Fastidius bishop of London Paladius accompted for the apostle of the Scots 〈…〉 Henrie 8. Marie Nesiadae Insulae Scylurum Silcustrae Syllanae Sorlingae Sylley Hebrides Hebudes Meuaniae Orchades Hoo. Greane Shepey Elmesie Herresie Srureey Thanet * In Lincolneshire the word Hide or hideland was neuer in vse in old time as in other places but for Hide they vsed the word Carucate or â—artware or Teme and these were of no lesse compasse than an Hideland Ex Hugone le blanc Monacho Petrobâ—â—gensi Rutupium The last verse of one couple and first of an other Seolesey of Seles there taken Thorne Haling Port. Wight Guidh P. signifieth parsonages U. vicarages Brunt Keysy Portland Iardsey Gardesey Iardsey Horrible murther Gardsey S. Hilaries Cornet Serke Brehoc Gytho Herme Burhoo alià s the I le of rats Turkie conies Causes of the desolation of sundrie cities and townes Alderney Comment Brit. Iliad 6. Iliad 5. 7. Virgilius Aen. 12. Bruchsey Mount Iland S. Nicholas Iland Greefe Inis Prynin S. Michaels mount S. Clements I le Sylley Iles or Syl. S. Maries I le Agnus I le Annot. Minwisand Smithy sound Suartigan Rousuian Rousuiar Cregwin Moncarthat Inis Welseck Suethiall Rat Iland Anwall Brier Rusco Inis widdoÌ„ Round Iland S. Lides Notho Auing Tyan S. Martines Knolworth Sniuilliuer MenwethaÌ„ Vollis 1. Surwihe Vollis 2. Arthurs Ile Guiniliuer Nenech Gothrois Wild swine in Sylley Helenus Priamus Pendinas Barri Barri is a feight shot from the shore Dunwen Caldee Londy Schalmey Schoncold Limen or Ramsey Mawr Tudfall Penthlin Guelyn Anglesei cut from Wales by working of the sea Anglesei Holie head or Cair kiby Enilsnach holie I le Ancient buriall Adar Moil Rhomaid Ysterisd Adros Lygod Seriall Prestholme Credine Hilberie Eubonia Meuania Chronica Tinemuthi Tall men in Man Riuers Hilles Hauens Calfe of man The pile S. Michels Ile Sheepe Hogs Barnacles Barnacles neither fish nor flesh Bishop of Man Patrone of Man King of Man Wauay Fouldra Fola Roa Rauenglasse Iles in Scotland Hemodes of some called Acmodes sée Plinie Mela Martianus Capella Plutarch de defect orac Scarba Slate I le Ila Round I le Mula Iona. Regum tumuli The I le of Shrewes Mosse I le Skie Bar. Baptisme without preests Wild sheepe Tigers I le of Pigmeies Lewis called Thule by Tacitus with no better authoritie than the Angleseie Mona Tithe whales Suilscraie Colke foule Orchades If he speake all in truth Kirkwa Amber Lindesfarne or Holie Iland Farne Puffins Saint Cuthberts foules Little England Merseie Foulnesse Osithe Northeie Ramseie Reie Canwaie Thamesis Corinium Charwell Some write that the maine streame was brought thither which ranne before betweene Andredeseie and Culenham Pontium Saint Marie ouer Rhee Kenet Thetis Cole Brene Darwent Craie Salmons Carps a fish late brought into England and later into the Thames The iust distaÌ„ce betwéen one tide and another The streame oft checked in hir entrance into the land London bridge 2000 boates vpon the Thames and 3000 pooreineÌ„ mainteined by the same whose gaines come in most plentifullie in the tearme tune Isis. Couus Corinium Rhe. Amneie Colneius Colineus or Colunus Lecus or Leche Winrush Briwerus Comus Rolrich Euis Charwell Bure Culen Come Ocus Tudo Ornus Sotbrooke Souarus Sowar Burus Middest of England whereabouts Ocus Arun. Thame Blauius Cenethus Bedwiine Chalkeburne Lamburne Alburnus Lodâ—nus Ditis vadum Ikelus Elueius Ducus Erin Usâ— Higden Colus aliâ—s Uere and Uertume Gadus Uindeles Ueius Thuresbie Crawleie Abbinger Molis Brane Mariburne Bromis Lée Logus Marran Beane Sturus Alfred Rodon or Rodunus Lauer. Iuelus Darwent Craie Midwaie Frethus Theise Grane alià s Cranus Garunus Cranus Stoure Nailburne water also as I heare neer to Cantwarbirie but I