strangers to resort vnto as haue no habitation in anie parish within the citie where it standeth The sée of London was erected at the first by Lucius who made it of an archeflamine and temple of Iupiter an archbishops sée and temple vnto the liuing God and so it continued vntill Augustine translated the title thereof to Canturburie The names of the archbishops of London are these Theon Eluan Cadoc Owen Conan Palladius Stephan Iltutus restitutus anno 350 Theodromus Theodredus Hilarius Fastidius anno 420 Guittelinus Vodinus slaine by the Saxons and Theonus Iunior But for their iust order of succession as yet I am not resolued neuerthelesse the first bishop there was ordeined by Augustine the moonke in the yeare of Christ 604 in the time of Ceolrijc after he had remooued his see further off into Kent I woote not vpon what secret occasion if not the spéedie hearing of newes from Rome and readinesse to flee out of the land if any trouble should betide him For iurisdiction it includeth Essex Middlesex and part of Herefordshire which is neither more nor lesse in quantitie than the ancient kingdome of the east Angles before it was vnited to the west Saxons The cathedrall church belonging to this sée was first begun by Ethelbert of Kent Indic 1. 598 of Inuber as I find whilest he held that part of the said kingdome vnder his gouernement Afterward when the Danes had sundrie times defaced it it was repared and made vp with hard stone but in the end it was taken downe and wholie reedified by Mawrice bishop of that sée and sometimes chapleine to the bastarâ—â— Henrie the first allowing him stone and stuffe from Bainards castell néere vnto Ludgate then ruinous for the furtherance of his works Howbeit the moold of the quire was not statelie inough in the eies of some of his successors wherefore in the yeare of Grace 1256 it was taken downe and brought into another forme and called the new worke at which time also the bodies of diuerse kings and bishops were taken vp and bestowed in the walles to the end their memories should be of longer continuance The iurisdiction of this sée also vnder the bishop is committed to foure archdeacons to wit of London Essex Middlesex and Colchester who haue amongst them to the number of 363 parish churches or thereabouts beside the peculiars belonging to the archbishop and chapiter of that house and at euerie alienation the bishop paieth for his owne part 1119 pounds eight shillings and foure pence but in old time 3000 florens which diuerse suppose to be more than as it now standeth the bishop is able to make of it Of the archdeconrie of S. Albons added therevnto by king Henrie the eight whereby the bishop hath fiue eies I speake not for although it be vnder the bishop of London for visitations and synods yet is it otherwise reputed as member of the sée of Lincolne and therefore worthilie called an exempt it hath also fiue and twentie parishes of which foure are in Buckingham the rest in Herefordshire The first beginning of the sée of Chichester was in the I le of Seales or Seolseie and from thence translated to Chichester in the time of William the bastard and generall remoouing of sées from small villages vnto the greater townes It conteineth Sussex onelie vnder hir iurisdiction wherein are sixtéene deanries and 551 parish churches it paid at euerie alienation to the sée of Rome 333 ducats and after Edbert the first bishop one Cella succéeded after whome the pontificall chaire not then worth 677 pounds by the yéere as now it is was void by many yeares It was erected in Seoleseie also 711 by the decrée of a synod holden in Sussex which borowed it from the iurisdiction of Winchester whereof before it was reputed a parcell Of all the bishops that haue béene in this sée Thomas Kempe alwaies excepted I read not of anie one that hath béene of more estimation than William Read sometime fellow of Merteine college in Oxford doctor of diuinitie and the most profound astronomer that liued in his time as appeareth by his collection which sometime I did possesse his image is yet in the librarie there and manie instruments of astronomie reserued in that house a college crected sometime by Walter Merton bishop of Rochester and lord chancellor of England he builded also the castell of Amberleie from the verie foundation as Edward Scorie or Storie his successor did the new crosse in the market place of Chichester The bishop of Winchester was sometime called bishop of the west Saxons and of Dorchester which towne was giuen to Birinus and his successors by Kinigils and Oswald of the Northumbers in whose time it was erected by Birinus and his fellowes In my time it hath iurisdiction onelie ouer Hamshire Surrie Iardeseie Gardeseie and the Wight conteining eight deaneries two hundred seuentie and six parish churches and beside all this he is perpetuall prelate to the honorable order of the Garter deuised by Edward the third he paid in old time to Rome 12000 ducates or florens but now his first fruits are 2491 pounds nine shillings eight pence halfe penie Canturburie was said to be the higher racke but Winchester hath borne the name to be the better mangier There are also which make Lucius to be the first founder of an house of praier in Winchester as Kinigils did build the second and Kinwaldus his sonne the third but you shall sée the truth herof in the chronologie insuing And herevnto if the old catalog of the bishops of this sée be well considered of and the acts of the greatest part of them indifferentlie weighed as they are to be read in our histories you shall find the most egregious hypocrites the stoutest warriours the cruellest tyrants the richest monimoongers and politike counsellors in temporall affaires to haue I wote not by what secret working of the diuine prouidence beene placed herein Winchester since the foundation of that sée which was erected by Birinus 639 whome pope Honorius sent hither out of Italie and first planted at Dorchester in the time of Kinigils then translated to Winchester where it dooth yet continue Salisburie was made the chéefe sée of Shirburne by bishop Harman predecessor to Osmond who brought it from Shirburne to that citie it hath now Barkeshire Wilshire and Dorsetshire vnder hir iurisdiction For after the death of Hedda which was 704 Winchester was diuided in two so that onelie Hamshire and Surrie were left vnto it and Wilton Dorset Barkeshire Summerset Deuon Cornewill assigned vnto Shirburne till other order was taken Bishop Adelme did first sit in that bishoprike 704 as I said and placed his chaire at Shirburne vpon the said diuision And as manie lerned bishops did succéed him in that roome before and after it was remooued to Sarum so there was neuer a more noble ornament to that sée than bishop Iuell of whose great learning and iudgement the world
Kent departed this life in Iulie and left the kingdome to his brother Lothaire which held the same eleuen yéeres seuen moneths Some haue written that king Egbert by the suggestion of one Thunnir who had the chiefe rule of the kingdome vnder him suffered the same Thunnir in lamentable maner to kill the two innocent sonnes of Ermenredus the brother of king Ercombert that was father vnto king Egbert for doubt least they being towardlie yoong gentlemen might in time grow so into fauour with the people that it should be easie for them to depriue both Egbert and his issue of the kingdome Also that they were priuilie put to death and secretlie buried at the first but the place of their buriall immediatlie being shewed after a miraculous maner their bodies long after in the daies of king Egilred the sonne of king Edgar were taken vp conueied vnto Ramsey and there buried And although Egbert being giltie of the death of those his coosens did sore repent him for that he vnderstood they died giltlesse yet his brother Lothaire was thought to be punished for that offense as after shall be shewed Winfrid bishop of the Mercies for his disobedience in some point was depriued by archbishop Theodore and one Sexvulfe that was the builder and also the abbat of the monasterie of Meidhamsted otherwise called Peterborough was ordeined and consecrated in his place About the same time Erkenwald was ordeined bishop of the Eastsaxons and appointed to hold his sée in the citie of London This Erkenwald was reputed to be a man of great holinesse and vertue Before he was made bishop he builded two abbeies the one of moonks at Chertsey in Southerie where he himselfe was abbat and the other of nuns at Berking within the prouince of the Eastsaxons where he placed his sister Ethelburga a woman also highlie estéemed for hir deuout kind of life She was first brought vp and instructed in the rules of hir profession by one Hildelitha a nun of the parties beyond the seas whome Erkenwald procured to come ouer for that purpose After Erkenwald one Waldhere was made bishop of London in whose daies Sebbie king of the Eastsaxons after he had reigned thirtie yéeres being now vexed with a gréeuous sicknesse professed himselfe a moonke which thing he would haue doone long before if his wife had not kept him backe He died shortlie after within the citie of London and was buried in the church of saint Paule King Sighere which in the beginning reigned with him and gouerned a part of the Eastsaxons was departed this life before so that in his latter time the foresaid Sebbie had the gouernment of the whole prouince of the Eastsaxons and left the same to his sonnes Sighard and Sewfred About the yéere of our Lord 675 Uulfhere king of Mercia departed this life after he had reigned as some say 19 yéeres but as other affirme he reigned but 17 yéeres Howbeit they which reckon 19 include the time that passed after the slaughter of Penda wherein Oswie and Peada held the aforesaid kingdome Edilred king of Mercia inuadeth the kingdome of Kent and maketh great waste without resistance of Lothaire the king thereof Putta of a bishop becommeth a poore curat and teacheth musicke Wilfred deposed from his bishoprike by king Egfrid vpon displeasure he preacheth the gospell in Sussex by the licence of king Edilwalke no raine in Sussex for the space of three yeeres the woord and sacraments bring blessings with them bishop Wilfrid the first teacher to catch fish with nets the people haue him in great reuerence a great and bloudie battell betweene Egfrid king Edilred they are reconciled by the meanes of archbishop Theodore a synod holden at Hatfield the clergie subscribe to certeine articles of Hilda the famous abbesse of Whitbie The xxxv Chapter AFter Uulfhere his brother Edilred or Ethelred succéeded in gouernment of the kingdome of Mercia This Edilred inuaded the kingdome of Kent with a mightie armie in the yéere of our Lord 677 destroieng the countrie afore him not sparing churches nor abbeies but spoiling the same without respect as well as other common places King Lothaire durst not appéere in the field to giue him battell so that Edilred went thorough the countrie destroied the citie of Rochester and with great riches gotten by the spoile he returned home Putta the bishop of Rochester after that his church was spoiled and defaced by the enimies went to Sexvulfe bishop of Mercia and there obteining of him a small cure and a portion of ground remained in that countrie not once labouring to restore his church of his church of Rochester to the former state but went about in Mercia to teach song and instruct such as would learne musicke wheresoeuer he was required or could get intertainment Heerevpon the archbishop Theodore consecrated one William bishop of Rochester in place of Putta and after when the said William constreined by pouertie left that church Theodore placed one Gebmound in his stéed In the yéere of our Lord 678 in the moneth of August a blasing starre appéered with a long bright beame like to a piller It was séene euerie morning for the space of thrée moneths togither The same Egfrid king of Northumberland banished bishop Wilfrid vpon displeasure taken with him out of his sée and then were two bishops ordeined in his place to gouerne the church of the Northumbers the one named Bosa at Yorke and the other called Eata at Hagustald or Lindesferne Also one Eadhidus was ordeined about the same time bishop of Lindsey the which prouince king Egfrid had of late conquered and taken from Uulfhere the late king of Mercia whome he ouercame in battell and droue him out of that countrie The said thrée bishops were consecrated at Yorke by the archbishop of Canturburie Theodorus the which within thrée yéeres after ordeined two bishops more in that prouince of the Northumbers that is to say Tumbert at Hagustald Eata that was appointed to remaine at Lindesferne Trumuine was ordeined to haue the cure of the prouince of those Picts which as then were vnder the English dominion Also bicause Edilred king of Mercia recouered the countrie of Lindsey and ioined it to his dominion bishop Eadhedus comming from thence was appointed to gouerne the church of Rippon After that bishop Wilfrid was expelled out of his diocesse and prouince of the Northumbers he went to Rome and returning from thence came into the kingdome of the Southsaxons the which conteining seuen thousand housholds or families as yet was not conuerted to the christian faith Wherefore the said Wilfrid began there to preach the gospell with licence of king Edilwalke who as before is mentioned was conuerted and baptised in Mercia by the procurement of king Wolfher that then became his godfather and gaue him at the same time the I le of Wight and the prouince of the
In this meane while bishop Wilfride being dead one Acca that was his chapline was made bishop of Hexham The said Wilfride had béene bishop by the space of 45 yéeres but he liued a long time in exile For first being archbishop of Yorke and exercising his iurisdiction ouer all the north parts he was after banished by king Egbert and againe restored to the sée of Hexham in the second yeere of king Alfride and within fiue yéeres after eftsoones banished by the same Alfride and the second time restored by his successor king Osredzin the fourth yéere of whose reigne being the yéere after the incarnation of our Sauiour 709 he departed this life and was buried at Rippon Moreouer after Iohn the archbishop of Yorke had resigned one Wilfride surnamed the second was made archbishop of that sée which Wilfride was chapline to the said Iohn and gouerned that sée by the space of fiftéene yéeres and then died About the yéere of our Lord 710 that abbat Adrian which came into this land with Theodore the archbishop of Canturburie as before ye haue heard departed this life about 39 yeeres after his comming thither Also Inas the king of Westsaxons about the 20 yeere of his reigne diuided the prouince of the Westsaxons into two bishops sées whereas before they had but one Daniell was ordeined to gouerne the one of those sees being placed at Winchester hauing vnder him Sussex Southerie and Hamshire And Aldhelme was appointed to Shireburne hauing vnder him Barkeshire Wiltshire Sommersetshire Dorsetshire Deuonshire and Cornwall This Aldhelme was a learned man and was first made abbat of Malmesburie in the yéere of our Lord 675 by Eleutherius then bishop of the Westsaxons by whose diligence that abbeie was greatlie aduanced being afore that time founded by one Medulfe a Scotish man but of so small reuenues afore Aldhelms time that the moonks were scarse able to liue thereon Also the same Aldhelme was a great furtherer vnto king Inas in the building of Glastenburie Ethelard the coosen of king Inas to whome the same Inas resigned his kingdome began to gouerne the Westsaxons in the yéere of our Lord 728 or rather 27 which was in the 11 yéere of the emperor Leo Isaurus in the second yeere of Theodorus king of France and about the 8 or 9 yéere of Mordacke king of the Scots In the first yéere of Ethelards reigne he was disquieted with ciuill warre which one Oswald a noble man descended of the roiall bloud of the Westsaxon kings procured against him but in the end when he perceiued that the kings power was too strong for him he fled out of the countrie leauing it thereby in rest In the yéere 729 in the moneth of Ianuarie there appeered two comets or blasing starres verie terrible to behold the one rising in the morning before the rising of the sunne and the other after the setting thereof so that the one came before the breake of the day and the other before the closing of the night stretching foorth their flerie brands toward the north and they appeered thus euerie morning and euening for the space of a fortnight togither mâ—nacing as it were some great destruction or common mishap to follow The Saxacens shortlie after entred France and were ouerthrowne Finallie when king Ethelard had reigned the terme of fouretéene yeeres currant he departed this life NOw when Wichtred king of Kent had gouerned the Kentishmen by the space of 33 yéeres with great commendation for the good orders which he caused to be obserued amongst them as well concerning matters ecclesiasticall as temporall he departed this life leauing behind him thrée sonnes who successiuelie reigned as heires to him one after another that is to say Edbert 23 yéeres Ethelbert 11 yeeres currant and Alrike 34 yéeres the which three princes following the steps of their father in the obseruance of politike orders commendable lawes vsed for the more part their fathers good lucke and fortune except that in Ethelberts time the citie of Canturburie was burned by casuall fire and Alrike lost a battell against them of Mercia whereby the glorie of their times was somewhat blemished for so it came to passe that whatsoeuer chanced euill was kept still in memorie and the good haps that came forward were soone forgotten and put out of remembrance In the yéere of our Lord 731 Betrwald archbishop of Canturburie departed this life in the fift ides of Ianuarie after he had gouerned that see by the space of 27 yéeres 6 moneths and 14 daies in â—hose place the same yéere one Tacwine was ordeined archbishop that before was a priest in the monasterie of Bruidon within the prouince of Mercia He was consecrated in the citie of Canturburie by the reuerend fathers Daniell bishop of Winchester Ingwald bishop of London Aldwin bishop of Lichfield and Aldwulfe bishop of Rochester the tenth day of Iune being sundaie ¶ As touching the state of the English church for ecclesiasticall gouernours certeine it is that the same was as hereafter followeth The prouince of Canturburie was gouerned touching the ecclesiasticall state by archbishop Tacwine and bishop Aldwulfe The prouince of the Eastsaxons by bishop Ingwald The prouince of Eastangles by bishop Eadbertus and Hadulacus the one kéeping his see at Elsham and the other at Dunwich The prouince of the Westsaxons was gouerned by the foresaid Daniell and by Forthere who succéeded next after Aldhelme in the sée of Shereburne This Forthere in the yéere of our Lord 738 left his bishoprike and went to Rome in companie of the quéene of the Westsaxons Many as well kings as bishops noble and vnnoble priests and laiemen togither with women vsed to make such iournies thither in those daies The prouince of Mercia was ruled by the foresaid Aldwine bishop of Lichfield and one bishop Walstod holding his sée at Herford gouerned those people that inhabited beyond the riuer of Sauerne toward the west The prouince of Wiccies that is Worcester one Wilfride gouerned The Southsaxons and the I le of Wight were vnder the bishop of Winchester In the prouince of the Northumbers were foure bishops that is to say Wilfride archbishop of Yorke Edilwald bishop of Lindifferne Acca bishop of Hexham and Pecthelmus bishop of Whiterne otherwise called Candida Casa he was the first that gouerned that church after the same was made a bishops sée And thus stood the state of the English church for ecclesiasticall gouernors in that season And as for temporall gouernement king Ceolvulfe had the souereigne dominion ouer all the Northumbers but all the prouinces on the southside of Humber with their kings and rulers were subiect vnto Edilbald or Ethelbald king of Mercia The nation of the Picts were in league with the English men and gladlie became partakers of the catholike faith and veritie of the vniuersall church Those Scots which inhabited Britaine contenting themselues with their owne bounds went
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
they happened oftentimes vpon Lempet shels péeces of rustie anchors and kéeles of great vessels wherevpon some by and by gathered that either the Thames or some arme of the sea did beat vpon that towne not vnderstanding that these things might aswell happen in great lakes and meres wherof there was one adioining to the north side of the citie which laie then as some men thinke vnwalled but that also is false For being there vpon occasion this summer passed I saw some remnant of the old wals standing in that place which appeared to haue béene verie substantiallie builded the ruines likewise of a greater part of them are to be séene running along by the old chappell hard by in maner of a banke Whereby it is euident that the new towne standeth cleane without the limits of the old and that the bridge whereof the historie of S. Albane speaketh was at the nether end 〈◊〉 Halliwell stréet or there about for so the view of the place doth inforce me to coniecture This mere which the Latine copie of the description of Britaine written of late by Humfrey Lhoid our countrie man calleth corruptlie Stagnum enaximum for Stagnum maximum at the first belonged to the king and thereby Offa in his time did reape no small commoditie It continued also vntill the time of Alfrijc the seuenth abbat of that house who bought it outright of the king then liuing and by excessiue charges drained it so narrowlie that within a while he left it drie sauing that he reserued a chanell for the riuer to haue hir vsuall course which he held vp with high bankes bicause there was alwaies contention betwéene the moonks and the kings seruants which fished on that water vnto the kings behoofe In these daies therefore remaineth no maner mention of this poole but onelie in one stréet which yet is called Fishpoole stréet wherof this may suffice for the resolution of such men as séeke rather to yéeld to an inconuenience than that their Gildas should seeme to mistake this riuer Hauing thus digressed to giue some remembrance of the old estate of Verolamium it is now time to returne againe vnto my former purpose Certes I would gladlie set downe with the names and number of the cities all the townes and villages in England and Wales with their true longitudes and latitudes but as yet I cannot come by them in such order as I would howbeit the tale of our cities is soone found by the bishoprikes sith euerie sée hath such prerogatiue giuen vnto it as to beare the name of a citie to vse Regaleius within hir owne limits Which priuilege also is granted to sundrie ancient townes in England especiallie northward where more plentie of them is to be found by a great deale than in the south The names therefore of our cities are these London Yorke Canturburie Winchester Cairleill Durham Elie. Norwich Lincolne Worcester Glocester Hereford Salisburie Excester Bath Lichfield Bristow Rochester Chester Chichester Oxford Peterborow Landaffe S. Dauids Bangor S. Asaph Whose particular plots and models with their descriptions shall insue if it may be brought to passe that the cutters can make dispatch of them before this chronologie be published Of townes and villages likewise thus much will I saie that there were greater store in old time I meane within three or foure hundred yeare passed than at this present And this I note out of diuerse records charters and donations made in times past vnto sundrie religious houses as Glassenburie Abbandon Ramseie Elie and such like and whereof in these daies I find not so much as the ruines Leland in sundrie places complaineth likewise of the decaie of parishes in great cities and townes missing in some six or eight or twelue churches and more of all which he giueth particular notice For albeit that the Saxons builded manie townes and villages and the Normans well more at their first comming yet since the first two hundred yeares after the latter conquest they haue gone so fast againe to decaie that the ancient number of them is verie much abated Ranulph the moonke of Chester telleth of generall surueie made in the fourth sixtéenth nineteenth of the reigne of William Conqueror surnamed the Bastard wherein it was found that notwithstanding the Danes had ouerthrowâ—e a great manie there were to the number of 52000 townes 45002 parish churches and 75000 knights fées whereof the cleargie held 28015. He addeth moreouer that there were diuerse other builded since that time within the space of an hundred yeares after the comming of the Bastard as it were in lieu or recompense of those that William Rufus pulled downe for the erection of his new forrest For by an old booke which I haue and sometime written as it seemeth by an vndershiriffe of Nottingham I find euen in the time of Edw. 4. 45120 parish churches and but 60216 knights fées whereof the cleargie held as before 28015 or at the least 28000 for so small is the difference which he dooth séeme to vse Howbeit if the assertions of such as write in our time concerning this matter either are or ought to be of anie credit in this behalfe you shall not find aboue 17000 townes and villages and 9210 in the whole which is little more than a fourth part of the aforesaid number if it be throughlie scanned Certes this misfortune hath not onelie happened vnto our Ile nation but vnto most of the famous countries of the world heretofore and all by the gréedie desire of such as would liue alone and onelie to themselues And hereof we may take example in Candie of old time called Creta which as Homer writeth was called Hetacompolis bicause it conteined an hundred cities but now it is so vnfurnished that it may hardlie be called Tripolis Diodorus Siculus saith that Aegypt had once 18000 cities which so decaied in processe of time that when Ptolomeus Lagus reigned there were not aboue 3000 but in our daies both in all Asia Aegypt this lesser number shall not verie readilie he found In time past in Lincolne as the fame goeth there haue beene two and fiftie parish churches and good record appeareth for eight and thirtie but now if there be foure and twentie it is all This inconuenience hath growen altogither to the church by appropriations made vnto monasteries and religious houses a terrible canker and enimie to religion But to leaue this lamentable discourse of so notable and gréeuous an inconuenience growing as I said by incroching and ioining of house to house and laieng land to land whereby the inhabitants of manie places of our countrie are deuoured and eaten vp and their houses either altogither pulled downe or suffered to decaie by litle and litle although sometime a poore man peraduenture dooth dwell in one of them who not being able to repare it suffereth it to fall downe thereto thinketh himselfe verie friendlie dealt withall if he may haue an acre of ground assigned vnto him whereon to kéepe
faile in the time of Richard de la Wich bishop of Chichester and that afterwards by his intercession it was restored to the profit of the old course such is the superstition of the people in remembrance whereof or peraduenture for the zeale which the Wich men and salters did beare vnto Richard de la Wich their countriman they vsed of late times on his daie which commeth once in the yeare to hang this salt spring or well about with tapistrie and to haue sundrie games drinkings and foolish reuels at it But to procéed There be a great number of salt cotes about this well wherein the salt water is sodden in leads and brought to the perfection of pure white salt The other two salt springs be on the left side of the riuer a pretie waie lower than the first and as I found at the verie end of the towne At these also be diuerse fornaces to make salt but the profit and plentie of these two are nothing comparable to the gaine that riseth by the greatest I asked of a salter how manie fornaces they had at all the three springs and he numbred them to eightéene score that is thrée hundred and sixtie saieng how euerie one of them paied yearelie six shillings and eight pence to the king The truth is that of old they had liberties giuen vnto them for thrée hundred fornaces or more and therevpon they giue a fee farme or Vectigal of one hundred pounds yearelie Certes the pension is as it was but the number of fornaces is now increased to foure hundred There was of late search made for another salt spring there abouts by the meanes of one Newport a gentleman dwelling at the Wich and the place where it was appéereth as dooth also the wood and timber which was set about it to kéepe vp the earth from falling into the same But this pit was not since occupied whether it were for lacke of plentie of the salt spring or for letting or hindering of the profit of the other three Me thinke that if wood and sale of salt would serue they might dig and find more salt springs about the Wich than thrée but there is somewhat else in the wind For I heard that of late yeares a salt spring was found in an other quarter of Worcestershire but it grew to be without anie vse sith the Wich men haue such a priuilege that they alone in those quarters shall haue the making of salt The pits be so set about with gutters that the salt water is easilie turned to euerie mans house and at Mantwich verie manie troughs go ouer the riuer for the commoditie of such as dwell on the other side of the same They séeth also their salt water in fornaces of lead and lade out the salt some in cases of wicker through which the water draineth and the salt remaineth There be also two or thrée but verie little salt springs at Dertwitch in a low bottome where salt is sometime made Of late also a mile from Cumbremere abbaie a peece of an hill did sinke and in the same pit rose a spring of salt water where the abbat began to make salt but the men of the citie compounded with the abbat couent that there should be none made there whereby the pit was suffered to go to losse And although it yéelded salt water still of it selfe yet it was spoiled at the last and filled vp with filth The Wich men vse the cōmoditie of their salt springs in drawing and decocting the water of them onlie by six moneths in the yeare that is from Midsummer to Christmas as I gesse to mainteine the price of salt or for sauing of wood which I thinke to be their principall reason For making of salt is a great and notable destruction of wood and shall be greater hereafter except some prouision be made for the better increase of firing The lacke of wood also is alreadie perceiued in places néere the Wich for whereas they vsed to buie and take their wood neere vnto their occupiengs those woonted springs are now decaied and they be inforced to seeke their wood so far as Worcester towne and all the parts about Brenisgraue Alchirch and Alcester I asked a salter how much wood he supposed yearelie to be spent at these fornaces and he answered that by estimation there was consumed about six thousand load and it was round pole wood for the most which is easie to be cleft and handsomelie riuen in péeces The people that are about the fornace are verie ill coloured and the iust rate of euerie fornace is to make foure loads of salt yearelie and to euerie load goeth fiue or six quarters as they make their accounts If the fornace men make more in one fornace than foure loads it is as it is said imploied to their owne auaile And thus much hath Leland left in memorie of our white salt who in an other booke not now in my hands hath touched the making also of baie salt in some part of our countrie But sith that booke is deliuered againe to the owner the tractation of baie salt can not be framed in anie order bicause my memorie will not serue to shew the true maner and the place It shall suffice therfore to haue giuen such notice of it to the end the reader may know that aswell the baie as white are wrought and made in England and more white also vpon the west coast toward Scotland in Essex and else where out of the salt water betwéene Wire and Cokermouth which commonlie is of like price with our wheat Finallie hauing thus intermedled our artificiall salt with our minerals let vs giue ouer and go in hand with such mettals as are growing here in England Of our accompt of time hir parts Chap. 14. AS Libra is As or Assis to the Romans for their weight and the foot in standard measure so in our accompt of the parts of time we take the daie consisting of foure and twentie houres to be the greatest of the least and least of the greatest whereby we keepe our reckoning for of the houre to saie the truth the most ancient Romans Greeks nor Hebrues had anie vse sith they reckoned by watches and whereof also Censorinus cap. 19. sheweth a reason wherefore they were neglected For my part I doo not sée anie great difference vsed in the obseruation of time hir parts betwéene our owne any other forren nation wherfore I shall not néed to stand long on this matter Howbeit to the end our exact order herein shall appéere vnto all men I will set downe some short rehearsall thereof and that in so briefe manner as vnto me is possible As for our astronomicall practises I meane not to meddle with them sith their course is vniformelie obserued ouer all Our common order therefore is to begin at the minut which conteineth part of an houre as at the smallest part of time knowne vnto the people notwithstanding that in
same churches Also for a perpetuall memorie of those Britains that were slaine on the plaine of Salisburie by the treason of Hengist he caused stones to be fetched out of Ireland and to be set vp in the same place where that slaughter was committed and called the place Stoneheng which name continueth vnto this day Fiftéene thousand men as Galfrid ◠saith were sent for those stones vnder the leading of Uter Pendragon the kings brother who giuing battell vnto Gillomanus king of Ireland that went about to resist the Britains and would not permit them to fetch away the same stones out of his countrie discomfited him and his people and so maugre his hart brought the stones away with him Shortlie after Pascentius that was Uortigerns yoongest sonne and had escaped into Ireland when Aurelius Ambrosius came into Britaine returned with a great power of strange nations and tooke the citie of Meneuia in Wales afterwards called saint Dauids and did much hurt in the countrie with fire and swoord At which time the same Aurelius Ambrosius lay sicke at Winchester and being not able to go foorth himselfe desired his brother Uter Pendragon to assemble an armie of Britains and to go against Pascentius and his adherents Uter according to his brothers request gathering his people went foorth and incountering with the enimies gaue them the ouerthrow slue Pascentius and Gillomare or Gilloman king of Ireland that was come ouer with him in aid against the Britains In the meane while a Saxon or some other stranger whose name was Eopa or Copa not long before procured thereto by Pascentius fained himselfe to be a Britaine and for a colour counterfeiting himselfe a moonke and to haue great knowledge in physicke was admitted to minister as it were medicins to Aurelius but in stead of that which should haue brought him health he gaue him poison wherof he died shortlie after at Winchester aforesaid when he had reigned after most accord of writers nintéene yeeres his bodie was conueied to Stoneheng and there buried ¶ Thus find we in the British and common English histories of the dooings of Aurelius Ambrosius who as ye haue hard makes him a Britaine borne and descended of the bloud of the ancient Britains But Gyldas and Beda report him to be a Romane by descent as before is mentioned Polydor Virgil writeth in this sort of the victorious acts atchiued by the foresaid Aurelius Ambrosius Then saith he the Saxons hauing alreadie gotten the whole rule of the I le practised their outragious cruelties speciallie against the princes of the Britains to the end that the said princes being ouercome and destroied they might with more ease obteine possession of the whole I le which thing they on-like sought But the fauour of almightie God was not wanting to the miserable Britains in that great necessitie For behold Aurelius Ambrosius was at hand who had no sooner caused the trumpet to sound to armor but euerie man for himselfe prepared and repaired vnto him praieng beseeching him to helpe to defend them and that it might stand with his pleasure to go foorth with them against the enimies in all speed Thus an armie being assembled Aurelius Ambrosius went against them and valiantlie assailed them so that within the space of a few daies they fought thrée battels with great fiercenesse on both sides in triall of their high displeasures and vttermost forces in which at length the Britains put the Saxons to flight Horsus the brother of Hengist being slaine with a great number of his people But yet notwithstanding the enimies rage was little abated hereby for within a few daies after receiuing out of Germanie a new supplie of men they brake foorth vpon the Britains with great confidence of victorie Aurelius Ambrosius was no sooner aduertised thereof but that without delaie he set forward towards Yorke from whence the enimies should come and hearing by the way that Hengist was incamped about seuen twentie miles distant from that citie néere to the banke of a riuer at this day called Dune in the place where Doncaster now standeth he returned out of his waie and marched towards that place and the next day set on the enimie and vanquished him Hengist at the first méeting of the battell being slaine with a 〈◊〉 number of the Germans The fame of this 〈◊〉 saith Polydor is had in memorie with the inhabitants of those parties euen vnto this day which victorie did sore diminish the power of the Saxons insomuch that they began now to thinke it should be more for their profit to sit in rest with that dishonour than to make anie new warres to their great disaduantage and likelihood of present losse Hengist left behind him two sonnes Osca and and Occa which as men most sorowfull for the ouerthrow of fate receiued assembled such power as they could togither and remooued therewith towards the west part of the I le supposing it to be better for them to draw that way foorth than to returne into Kent where they thought was alreadie a sufficient number of their people to resist the Britains on that side Now therefore when they came into the west parts of the land they wasted the countrie burnt villages and absteined from no maner of crueltie that might be shewed These things being reported vnto Aurelius Ambrosius he straightwaies hasted thither to resist those enimies and so giuing them battell eftsoones discomfited them but he himselfe receiuing a wound died thereof within a few daies after The English Saxons hauing thus susteined so manie losses within a few moneths togither were contented to be quiet now that the Britains stirred nothing against them by reason they were brought into some trouble by the death of such a noble capteine as they had now lost In the meane time Uortimer died whome Uier surnamed Pendragon succéeded Thus hath Polydor written of the forsaid Aurelius Ambrosius not naming him to be king of Britaine and differing in déed in sundrie points in this behalfe from diuerse ancient writers of the English histories for where he attributeth the victorie to the Britains in the battell fought wherein Horsus the brother of Hengist was slaine by the report of Polychronicon and others the Saxons had the victorie in that reincounter and William of Malmesburie saith that they departed from that batell with equall fortune the Saxons losing their capteine Horsus and the Britains their capteine Katigerne as before ye haue heard But there is such contrarietie in writers touching the dooings betwixt the Britains and Saxons in those daies as well in account of yéeres as in report of things doone that setting affection aside hard it is to iudge to which part a man should giue credit For Fabian and other authors write that Aurelius Ambrosius began his reigne ouer the Britains about the yéere of our Lord 481 and Horsus was slaine about the yéere 458 during the reigne of Uortimer as aboue is
be a let but that when a bishop should be consecrated there might be thrée or foure present Also touching the bishops of France he willed Augustine in no wise to intermeddle with them otherwise than by exhortation and good admonition to be giuen but not to presume anie thing by authoritie sith the archbishop of Arles had receiued the pall in times past whose authoritie he might not diminish least he should séeme to put his sickle into another mans haruest But as for the bishops of Britaine he committed them vnto him that the vnlearned might be taught the weake with wholesome persuasions strengthened and the froward by authoritie reformed Moreouer that a woman with child might be baptised and she that was deliuered after 33 daies of a manchild and after 46 daies of a woman-child should be purified but yet might she enter the church before if she would The residue of Augustines demands consisted in these points to wit 1 Within what space a child should be christened after it was borne for doubt to be preuented by death 2 Within what time a man might companie with his wife after she was brought to bed 3 Whether a woman hauing hir floures might enter the church or receiue the communion 4 Whether a man hauing had companie with his wife might enter the church or receiue the communion before he was washed with water 5 Whether after pollusion by night in dreames a man might receiue the communion or if he were a priest whether he might say masse To these questions Gregorie maketh answere at full in the booke and place before cited which for bréefenesse we passe ouer He sent also at that time with the messengers aforesaid at their returne into England diuers learned men to helpe Augustine in the haruest of the Lord. The names of the chiefest were these Melitus Iustus Paulinus and Ruffinianus He sent also the pall which is the ornament of an archbishop with vessels and apparell which should be vsed in churches by the archbishop and other ministers He sent also with the pall other letters to Augustine to let him vnderstand what number of bishops he would haue him to ordeine within this land Also after that Melitus and the other before mentioned persons were departed from Rome he sent a letter vnto the same Melitus being yet on his way toward Britaine touching further matter concerning the churches of England wherein he confesseth that manie things are permitted to be vsed of the people latelie brought from the errors of gentilitie in keeping feasts on the dedication daies which haue resemblance with the old superstitious rites of the Pagan religion For to hard and obstinate minds saith he it is not possible to cut away all things at once for he that coueteth to the highest place goeth vp by steps and not by leaps At the same time Gregorie did send letters vnto Augustine touching the miracles which by report he vnderstood were shewed by the fame Augustine counselling him in no wise to glorie in the same but rather in reioising to feare and consider that God gaue him the gift to worke such signes for the wealth of them to whom he was sent to preach the gospell he aduised him therefore to beware of vaine-glorie and presumption for the disciples of the truth faith he haue no ioy but onlie that which is common with all men of which there is no end for not euerie one that is elect worketh miracles but euerie of the elect haue their names written in heauen These letters with the other which Gregorie sent at this time vnto Augustine were dated the tenth day of the kalends of Iulie in the yéere of our Lord 602 which was the 19 yeere of the emperour Mauricius Moreouer he sent most courteous letters by these messengers to king Ethelbert in the which he greatlie commended him in that he had receiued the christian faith and exhorted him to continue in that most holie state of life whereby he might worthilie looke for reward at the hands of almightie God What reparations and foundations Augustine finished for clergimen to the supportation of the church the building of Paules in London and saint Peters in Westminster vncerteine a prouinciall councell called by Augustine he restoreth a blind man to his sight the Britains are hardlie weaned from their old custome of beliefe an heremits opinion of Augustine he requireth three things to be obserued of the Britains he ordeineth bishops at London and Rochester Sabert reigneth ouer the Eastsaxons Augustine dieth and is buried The xxj Chapter THus farre we haue waded in the forme and maner of conuerting the English nation to christianitie by the labours of Augustine and his coadiutors now therefore that we may orderlie procéed it remaineth that we say somewhat of the acts and déeds of the said Augustine of whom we read that after he was established archbishop and had his sée appointed him at Canturburie he restored another church in that citie which had béene erected there in times past by certeine of the Romans that were christians and did dedicate the same now to the honour of Christ our Sauiour He also began the foundation of a monasterie without that citie standing toward the east in the which by his exhortation king Ethelbert built a church euen from the ground which was dedicated vnto the holie apostles Peter and Paule in the which the bodie of the said Augustine was buried and likewise the bodies of all the archbishops of Canturburie and kings of Kent a long time after This abbie was called saint Austins after his name one Peter being the first abbat thereof The church there was not consecrated by Augustine but by his successor Laurence after he was dead Moreouer king Ethelbert at the motion of Augustine built a church in the citie of London which he latelie had conquered and dedicated it vnto saint Paule but whether he builded or restored this church of saint Paule it may be doubted for there be diuers opinions of the building thereof Some haue written that it was first builded by king Lud as before is mentioned Other againe write that it was builded afterward by Sigebert king of the Eastsaxons Also king Ethelbert builded the church of saint Andrews in Rochester It is likewise remembred by writers that the same king Ethelbert procured a citizens of London to build a church to S. Peter without the citie of London toward the west in a place then called Thorney that is to say the I le of thorns and now called Westminster though others haue written that it was built by Lucius king of Britaine or rather by Sibert king of the Eastsaxons This church was either newlie built or greatlie inlarged by king Edward surnamed the Confessor and after that the third Henrie king of England did make there a beautifull monasterie and verie richlie indowed the same with great possessions and sumptuous iewels The place was ouergrowne with vnderwoods
with the Danes against Egbert they are both vanquished Egbert dieth The ninth Chapter THis Egbert began his reigne in the yeare of our Lord 800 which was the 4 yeare almost ended after that the emperour Eirine began the second time to rule the expire and in the 24 yeare of the reigne of Charles the great king of France which also was in the same yeare after he was made emperour of the west and about the second yeare of Conwall king of Scots Whilest this Egbert remained in exile he turned his aduersaries into an occasion of his valiancie as it had béene a grindstone to grind awaie and remoue the râ—st of sluggish slouthfulnes in so much that hawnting the wars in France in seruice of Charles the great he atteined to great knowledge and experience both in matters apperteining to the wars and likwise to the well ordering of the common wealth in time of peace The first wars that he tooke in hand after he had atteined to the kingdome was against the Cornishmen a remnant of the old Britains whome he shortlie ouercame and subdued Then he thought good to tame the vnquiet Welshmen the which still were readie to moue rebellion against the Englishmen as they that being vanquished would not yet seeme to be subdued wherefore about the 14 yeare of his reigne he inuaded the countrie of Wales and went through the same from cast to west not finding anie person that durst resist him King Egbert hauing ouercome his enimies of Wales and Cornewall began to grow in authoritie aboue all the other rulers within this land in somuch that euerie of them began to feare their owne estate but namelie Bernulfe king of Mercia sore stomached the matter as he that was wise and of a loftie courage and yet doubted to haue to doo with Egbert who was knowen also to be a man both skilfull and valiant At length yet considering with himselfe that if his chance should be to speed well so much the more should his praise be increased he determined to attempt the fortune of warre and therevpon intimated the same vnto Egbert who supposing it should be a dishonor vnto him to giue place boldlie prepared to méete Bernulfe in the field Herevpon they incountred togither at Ellendon fought a sore battell in the which a huge number of men were slaine what on the one part and on the other but in the end the victorie remained with Egbert although he had not the like host for number vnto Bernulfe but he was a politike prince and of great experience hauing chosen his souldiers of nimble leane and hartie men where Bernulfs souldiers through long ease were cowardlie persons and ouercharged with flesh The battell was fought in the yeare of our Lord 826. King Egbert hauing got this victorie was aduanced into such hope that he persuaded himselfe to be able without great adoo to ouercome the residue of his neighbours whose estates he saw plainelie sore weakened and fallen into great decaie Herevpon before all other he determined to assaile Edelvulfe king of Kent whome he knew to be a man in no estimation amongest his subiects A competent armie therefore being leuied he appointed his sonne Ethelwulfe Alstan bishop of Shireborne with earle Walhard to haue the conduct therof and sent them with the same into Kent where they wrought such maisteries that they chased both the king and all other that would not submit themselues out of the countrie constreining them to passe ouer the Thames And herewith the Westsaxons following the victorie brought vnder subiection of king Egbert the countries of Kent Essex Southerie and Sussex The Eastangles also about the same time receiued king Egbert for their souereigne Lord and comforted by his setting on against Bernulfe king of Mercia inuaded the confines of his kingdome in reuenge of displeasures which he had doone to them latelie before by inuading their countrie and as it came to passe incountring with the said Bernulfe which came against them to defend his countrie they slue him in the field Thus their minds on both parts being kindled into further wrath the Eastangles estsoones in the yeare following fought with them of Mercia and ouercame them againe and slue their king Ludicenus who succéeded Bernulfe in that kingdome with 5 of his earles The state of the kingdome of Mercia being weakened Egbert conceiued an assured hope of good successe in the 27 yeare of his reigne made an open inuasion into the countrie and chasing Whitlafe king of Mercia that succeeded Ludicenus out of his estate conquered the whole kingdome of the Mercies But yet in the yéere next following or in the third yeare after he restored it againe to Whitlafe with condition that he should inioy the same as tributarie to him and acknowledge him for his supreme gouernour The same yeare that Bernulfe king of Mercia was slaine by the Eastangles there was a sore battell foughten at Gauelford betwixt them of Deuonshire and the Britains in the which manie thousand died on both parts King Egbert hauing conquered all the English people inhabiting on the south side of Humber led foorth his armie against them of Northumberland but the Northumbers being not onelie vexed with ciuill sedition but also with the often inuasion of Danes perceiued not how they should be able to resist the power of king Egbert and therefore vpon good aduisement taken in the matter they resolued to submit themselues and therevpon sent ambassadors to him to offer their submission committing themselues wholie vnto his protection King Egbert gladlie receiued them and promised to defend them from all forren enimies Thus the kingdome of Northumberland was brought vnder subiection to the kings of the Westsaxons after the state had béen sore weakened with contention and ciuill discord that had continued amongst the nobles of the countrie for the space of manie yeeres beside the inuasion made by outward enimies to the gréeuous damage of the people After that king Egbert had finished his businesse in Northumberland he turned his power towards the countrie of Northwales and subdued the same with the citie of Chester which till those daies the Britains or Welshmen had kept in their possession When king Egbert had obteined these victories and made such conquests as before is mentioned of the people héere in this land he caused a councell to be assembled at Winchester and there by aduise of the high estates he was crowned king as â—ouereigne gouernour and supreame lord of the whole land It is also recorded that he caused a commission to be directed foorth into all parts of the realme to giue commandement that from thence forward all the people inhabiting within this land should be called English men and not Saxons and likewise the land should be called England by one generall name though it should appéere as before is mentioned that it was so called shortlie after the first
and Lumbards the Saxons from Woden before they were mixed with the Danes and Normans the Frenchmen at this day from the Thracians the Germans from the children of Gwiston and other people from their farre fetcht ancestrie To conclude of this Ethelwulfe it is written that he was so well learned deuout that the clerks of the church of Winchester did chuse him in his youth to be bishop which function he vndertooke and was bishop of the said see by the space of seuen yéeres before he was king Bertwolfe king of Mercia tributarie to the Westsaxons the fame of Modwen an Irish virgine she was a great builder of monasteries she had the gift of healing diseases Ethelbald and Ethelbright diuide their fathers kingdome betwixt them Ethelbald marieth his mother he dieth Winchester destroied by the Danes they plaied the trucebreakers and did much mischiefe in Kent Ethelbright dieth Ethelred king of the Westsaxons his commendable qualities his regiment was full of trouble he fought againt the Danes nine times in one yere with happie successe the kings of Mercia fall from their sealtie and allegiance to Ethelred Hungar Vbba two Danish capteines with their power lie in Eastangle Osbright and Ella kings of Northumberland slaine of the Danes in battell they set Yorke on fire a commendation of bishop Adelstan his departure out of this life The eleuenth Chapter AFter Wightlafe king of Mercia one Bertwofe reigned as tributarie vnto the Westsaxons the space of 13 yeeres about the end of which tearme he was chased out of his countrie by the Danes and then one Burthred was made king of that kingdome which maried Ethelswida the sister of Ethelwolfe king of Westsaxons In this season one Modwen a virgine in Ireland was greatlie renowmed in the world vnto whome the forenamed king Ethelwolfe sent his sonne Alfred to be cured of a disease that was thought incurable but by hir meanes he recouered health and therefore when hir monasterie was destroied in Ireland Modwen came ouer into England vnto whom king Ethelwolfe gaue land to build two abbeies and also deliuered vnto hir his sister Edith to be professed a nun Modwen herevpon built two monasteries one at Pouleswoorth ioining to the bounds of Arderne wherein she placed the foresaid Edith with Osith and Athea the other whether it was a monasterie or cell the founded in Strenshall or Trentsall where she hir selfe remained solitarie a certeine time in praier and other vertuous exercises And as it is reported she went thrice to Rome and finallie died being 130 yéeres of age Hir bodie was first buried in an Iland compassed about with the riuer of Trent called Andresey taking that name of a church or chappell of saint Andrew which she had built in the same Iland and dwelled therein for the space of seuen yéeres Manie monasteries the builded both in England as partlie aboue is mentioned and also in Scotland as at Striueling Edenbrough and in Ireland at Celestline and elsewhere Ethelbald and Ethelbright diuiding their fathers kingdom betwixt them began to reigne Ethelbald ouer the Westsaxons and the Southsaxons and Ethelbright ouer them of Kent and Essex in the yéere of our Lord 857 which was in the second yéere of the emperor Lewes the second the 17 of Charles surnamed Caluus or the bald king of France and about the first yéere of Donald the fift of that name king of Scots The said Ethelbald greatlie to his reproch tooke to wise his mother in law quéene Iudith or rather as some write his owne mother whom his father had kept as concubine He liued not past fiue yéeres in gouernement of the kingdome but was taken out of this life to the great sorrow of his subiects whome he ruled right worthilie and so as they had him in great loue and estimation Then his brother Ethelbright tooke on him the rule of the whole gouernment as well ouer the Westsaxons them of Sussex as ouer the Kentishmen and them of Essex In his daies the Danes came on land and destroid the citie of Winchester but duke Osrike with them of Hamshire and duke Adelwolfe with the Barkeshire men gaue the enimies battell vanquishing them slue of them a great number In the fift yeere of Ethelbrights reigne a nauie of Danes arriued in the I le of Tenet vnto whome when the Kentishmen had promised a summe of monie to haue a truce granted for a time the Danes one night before the tearme of that truce was expired brake foorth and wasted all the east part of Kent wherevpon the Kentishmen assembled togither made towardes those trucebreakers and caused them to depart out of the countrie The same yéere after that Ethelbright had ruled well and peaceably the Westsaxons fiue yeeres and the Kentishmen ten yéeres he ended his life and was buried at Shireborne as his brother Ethelbald was before him AFter Ethelbright succéeded his brother Ethelred and began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons and the more part of the English people in the yéere of our Lord 867 and in the 12 yéere of the emperour Lewes in the 27 yéere of the reigne of Charles Calnus king of France and about the 6 yéere of Constantine the second king of Scots Touching this Ethelred he was in time of peace a most courteous prince and one that by all kind of meanes sought to win the hearts of the people but abroad in the warres he was sharpe and sterne as he that vnderstood what apperteined to good order so that he would suffer no offense to escape vnpunished By which meanes he was famous both in peace and warre but he neither liued any long time in the gouernement nor yet was suffered to passe the short space that he reigned in rest and quietnesse For whereas he reigned not past six yeeres he was continuallie during that tearme vexed with the inuasion of the Danes and speciallie towards the latter end insomuch that as hath béene reported of writers he fought with them nine times in one yéere and although with diuers and variable fortune yet for the more part he went away with the victorie Beside that he oftentimes lay in wait for their forragers and such as straied abroad to rob and spoile the countrie whom he met withall and ouerthrew There were slaine in his time nine earles of those Danes and one king beside other of the meaner sort without number But here is to be vnderstood that in this meane time whilest Ethelred was busied in warre to resist the inuasions of the Danes in the south and west parts of this land the kings and rulers of Mercia and Northumberland taking occasion thereof began to withdraw their couenanted subiection from the Westsaxons and tooke vpon them as it were the absolute gouernment and rule of their countries without respect to aid one another but rather were contented to susteine the enimies within their dominions than to preuent the iniurie with dutifull assistance to those whom
which fell also about the fourth yeare of the emperour Henrie the third surnamed Niger in the 12 yeare of Henrie the first of that name king of France and about the third yeare of Macbeth king of Scotland This Edward the third of that name before the conquest was of nature more méeke and simple than apt for the gouernement of the realme therefore did earle Goodwine not onelie séeke the destruction of his elder brother Alfred but holpe all that he might to aduance this Edward to the crowne in hope to beare great rule in the realme vnder him whome he knew to be soft gentle and easie to be persuaded But whatsoeuer writers doo report hereof sure it is that Edward was the elder brother and not Alfred so that if earle Goodwine did shew his furtherance by his pretended cloake of offering his friendship vnto Alfred to betraie him he did it by king Harolds commandement and yet it may be that he meant to haue vsurped the crowne to him selfe if each point had answered his expectation in the sequele of things as he hoped they would and therfore had not passed if both the brethren had béene in heauen But yet when the world framed contrarie peraduenture to his purpose he did his best to aduance Edward trusting to beare no small rule vnder him being knowen to be a man more appliable to be gouerned by other than to trust to this owne wit and so chieflie by the assistance of earle Goodwine whose authoritie as appeareth was not small within the realme of England in those daies Edward came to atteine the crowne wherevnto the earle of Chester Leofrike also shewed all the furtherance that in him laie Some write which seemeth also to be confimed by the Danish chronicles that king Hardiknought in his life time had receiued this Edward into his court and reteined him still in the same in most honorable wise But for that it may appeare in the abstract of the Danish chronicles what their writers had of this matter recorded we doo here passe ouer referring those that be desirous to know the diuersitie of our writers and theirs vnto the same chronicles where they may find it more at large expressed This in no wise is to be left vnremembred that immediatlie after the death of Hardiknought it was not onelie decreed agreed vpon by the great lords nobles of the realme that no Dane from thenceforth should reigne ouer them but also all men of warre and souldiers of the Danes which laie within anie citie or castell in garrison within the realme of England were then expelled and put out or rather slaine as the Danish writers doo rehearse Amongst other that were banished the ladie Gonild neece to king Swaine by his sister was one being as then a widow and with hir two of hir sonnes which she had then liuing Heming and Turkill were also caused to auoid Some write that Alfred the brother of king Edward came not into the realme till after the death of Hardiknought and that he did helpe to expell the Danes which being doon he was slaine by earle Goodwine and other of his complices But how this may stand considering the circumstances of the time with such things as are written by diuers authors hereof it may well be doubted Neuerthelesse whether earle Goodwine was guiltie to the death of Alfred either at this time or before certeine it is that he so cleared himselfe of that crime vnto king Edward the brother of Alfred that there was none so highlie in fauour with him as earle Goodwine was insomuch that king Edward maried the ladie Editha the daughter of earle Goodwine begotten of his wife Thira that was sister to king Hardiknought and not of his second wife as some haue written Howbeit king Edward neuer had to doo with hir in fleshlie wise But whether he absteined because he had happilie vowed chastitie either of impotencie of nature or for a priuie hate that he bare to hir kin men doubted For it was thought that he estéemed not earle Goodwine so greatlie in his heart as he outwardlie made shew to doo but rather for feare of his puissance dissembled with him least he should otherwise put him selfe in danger both of losse of life and kingdome Howsoeuer it was he vsed his counsell in ordering of things concerning the state of the common wealth and namelie in the hard handling of his mother queene Emma against whome diuers accusations were brought and alledged as first for that she consented to marie with K. Cnute the publike enimie of the realme againe for that she did nothing aid or succour hir sons while they liued in exile but that woorse was contriued to make them away for which cause she was despoiled of all hir goods And because she was defamed to be naught of hir bodie with Alwine or Adwine bishop of Winchester both she and the same bishop were committed to prison within the citie of Winchester as some write Howbeit others affirme that she was strictlie kept in the abbie of Warwell till by way of purging hir selfe after a maruellous manner in passing barefooted ouer certeine hot shares or plough-irons according to the law Ordalium she cleared hir selfe as the world tooke it and was restored to hir first estate and dignitie Hir excessiue couetousnesse without regard had to the poore caused hir also to be euill reported of Againe for that she euer shewed hir selfe to be more naturall to the issue which she had by hir second husband Cnute than to hir children which she had by hir first husband king Egelred as it were declaring how she was affected toward the fathers by the loue borne to the children she lost a great péece of good will at the hands of hir sonnes Alfred and Edward so that now the said Edward inioieng the realme was easilie iuduced to thinke euill of hir and therevpon vsed hir the more vncurteouslie But hir great liberalitie imploied on the church of Winchester which she furnished with maruellous rich iewels and ornaments wan hir great commendation in the world and excused hir partlie in the sight of manie of the infamie imputed to hir for the immoderate filling of hir coffers by all waies and meanes she could deuise Now when she had purged hir selfe as before is mentioned hir sonne king Edward had hir euer after in great honor and reuerence And whereas Robert archbishop of Canturburie had béene sore against hir he was so much abashed now at the matter that he fled into Normandie where he was borne But it should séeme by that which after shal be said in the next chapter that he fled not the realme for this matter but bicause he counselled the king to banish earle Goodwine and also to vse the Englishmen more strictlie than reason was he should Why Robert archbishop of Canturburie queene Emmas heauie friend fled out of England the Normans first
him to his fauour whereby that familie came vp And thus much by the waie of Mailrosse whereof this may suffice sith mine intent is not as now to make anie precise description of the particulars of Wales but onelie to shew how those regions laie which sometime were knowne to be gouerned in that countrie The third kingdome is Demetia or Southwales sometime knowne for the region of the Syllures wherevnto I also am persuaded that the Ordolukes laie in the east part thereof and extended their region euen vnto the Sauerne but howsoeuer that matter falleth out Demetia hath the Sauerne on hir south the Irish sea on hir west parts on the east the Sauerne onelie and by north the land of Powisy whereof I spake of late Of this region also Caermarden which the old writers call Maridunum was the chéefe citie and palace belonging to the kings of Southwales vntill at the last through forren and ciuill inuasions of enimies the princes thereof were constrained to remooue their courts to Dinefar which is in Cantermawr and situate neuerthelesse vpon the same riuer Tewy wheron Caermarden standeth in which place it is far better defended with high hils thicke woods craggie rocks and déepe marises In this region also lieth Pembroke aliàs Penmoroc shire whose fawcons haue béene in old time very much regarded and therein likewise in Milford hauen whereof the Welsh wisards doo yet dreame strange toies which they beleeue shall one daie come to passe For they are a nation much giuen to fortelling of things to come but more to beléeue such blind prophesies as haue béene made of old time and no man is accompted for learned in Wales that is not supposed to haue the spirit of prophesie That Scotland had in those daies two kingdoms besides that of the Orchades whereof the one consisted of the Picts and was called Pightland or Pictland the other of the Irish race and named Scotland I hope no wise man will readilie denie The whole region or portion of the I le beyond the Scotish sea also was so diuided that the Picts laie on the east side and the Scots on the west ech of them being seuered from other either by huge hils or great lakes and riuers that ran out of the south into the north betwéene them It séemeth also that at the first these two kingdoms were diuided from the rest of those of the Britons by the riuers Cluda and Forth till both of them desirous to inlarge their dominions draue the Britons ouer the Solue and the Twede which then became march betwéene both the nations Wherefore the case being so plaine I will saie no more of these two but procéed in order with the rehersall of the rest of the particular-kingdoms of this our south part of the I le limiting out the same by shires as they now lie so néere as I can for otherwise it shall be vnpossible for me to leaue certaine notice of the likeliest quantities of these their seuerall portions The first of these kingdoms therefore was begunne in Kent by Henghist in the 456. of Christ and thereof called the kingdome of Kent or Cantwarland and as the limits thereof extended it selfe no farther than the said countie the cheefe citie whereof was Dorobernia or Cantwarbyry now Canturburie so it indured well néere by the space of 400. yeares before it was made and earledome or Heretochie and vnited by Inas vnto that of the West Saxons Athelstane his sonne being the first Earle or Heretoch of the same Maister Lambert in his historie of Kent dooth gather by verie probable coniectures that this part of the Iland was first inhabited by Samothes and afterward by Albion But howsoeuer that case standeth sure it is that it hath béen the onlie doore whereby the Romans and Saxons made their entrie vnto the conquest of the region but first of all Caesar who entred into this Iland vpon the eightéenth Cal. or 14. of September which was foure daies before the full of the moone as he himselfe confesseth and then fell out about the 17. or 18. of that moneth twelue daies before the equinoctiall apparant so that he did not tarrie at that time aboue eight or ten daies in Britaine And as this platforme cannot be denied for his entrance so the said region and east part of Kent was the onelie place by which the knowledge of Christ was first brought ouer vnto vs whereby we became partakers of saluation and from the darkenesse of mistie errour true conuerts vnto the light and bright beames of the shining truth to our eternall benefit and euerlasting comforts The second kingdome conteined onelie Sussex and a part of or as some saie all Surrie which Ella the Saxon first held who also erected his chéefe palace at Chichester when he had destroied Andredswald in the 492. of Christ. And after it had continued by the space of 232. years it ceased being the verie least kingdome of all the rest which were founded in this I le after the comming of the Saxons for to saie truth it conteined little aboue 7000. families within a while after the erection of the kingdome of the Gewisses or West saxons notwithstanding that before the kings of Sussex pretended and made claime to all that which laie west of Kent and south of the Thames vnto the point of Corinwall as I haue often read The third regiment was of the East Saxons or Trinobantes This kingdome began vnder Erkenwijn whose chéefe seat was in London or rather Colchester and conteined whole Essex Middlesex and part of Herfordshire It indured also much about the pricke of 303. yeares and was diuided from that of the East Angles onlie by the riuer Stoure as Houeden and others doo report so it continueth separated from Suffolke euen vnto our times although the said riuer be now growne verie small and not of such greatnesse as it hath béene in times past by reason that our countriemen make small accompt of riuers thinking carriage made by horsse and cart to be the lesse chargeable waie But herin how far they are deceiued I will else-where make manifest declaration The fourth kingdome was of the West Saxons and so called bicause it laie in the west part of the realme as that of Essex did in the east and of Sussex in the south It began in the yeare of Grace 519. vnder Cerdije and indured vntill the comming of the Normans including at the last all Wiltshire Bar keshire Dorset Southampton Somersetshire Glocestershire some part of Deuonshire which the Britons occupied not Cornewall and the rest of Surrie as the best authors doo set downe At the first it conteined onelie Wiltshire Dorcetshire and Barkeshire but yer long the princes thereof conquered whatsoeuer the kings of Sussex and the Britons held vnto the point of Cornewall and then became first Dorchester vntill the time of Kinigils then Winchester the chéefe citie of that kingdome For when Birinus the
moonke came into England the said Kinigils gaue him Dorchester and all the land within seauen miles about toward the maintenance of his cathedrall sea by meanes whereof he himselfe remooued his palace to Winchester The first kingdome began vnder Ida in the 548. of Christ and was called Northumberland bicause it laie by north of the riuer Humber And from the comming of Henghist to this Ida it was onlie gouerned by earls or Heretoches as an Heretochy till the said Ida conuerted it into a kingdome It conteined all that region which as it should séeme was in time past either wholie apperteining to the Brigants or whereof the said Brigants did possesse the greater part The cheefe citie of the same in like maner was Yorke as Beda Capgraue Leyland and others doo set downe who ad thereto that it extended from the Humber vnto the Scotish sea vntill the slaughter of Egfride of the Northumbers after which time the Picts gat hold of all betweene the Forth and the Twede which afterward descending to the Scots by meanes of the vtter destruction of the Picts hath not béene sithens vnited to the crowne of England nor in possession of the meere English as before time it had béene Such was the crueltie of these Picts also in their recouerie of the same that at a certeine houre they made a Sicilien euensong and slew euerie English man woman and child that they could laie hold vpon within the aforesaid region but some escaped narrowlie and saued themselues by flight Afterward in the yeare of Grace 560. it was parted in twaine vnder Adda that yeelded vp all his portion which lay betweene Humber and the Tine vnto his brother Ella according to their fathers appointment who called it Deira or Southumberland but reteining the rest still vnto his owne vse he diminished not his title but wrote himselfe as before king of all Northumberland Howbeit after 91. yeares it was revnited againe and so continued vntill Alfred annexed the whole to his kingdome in the 331. after Ida or 878. of the birth of Iesus Christ our Sauiour The seauenth kingdome called of the East-angles began at Norwich in the 561. after Christ vnder Offa of whom the people of that region were long time called Offlings This included all Norfolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire and Elie and continuing 228. yeares it flourished onelie 35. yeares in perfect estate of liberte the rest being consumed vnder the tribut and vassallage of the Mercians who had the souereigntie thereof and held it with great honour till the Danes gat hold of it who spoiled it verie sore so that it became more miserable than any of the other and so remained till the kings of the West-saxons vnited it to their crownes Some saie that Grantcester but now Cambridge a towne erected out of hir ruines was the chéefe citie of this kingdome and not Norwich Wherein I may well shew the discord of writers but I cannot resolue the scruple Some take this region also to be all one with that of the Icenes but as yet for my part I cannot yeeld to their assertions I meane it of Leland himselfe whose helpe I vse chéefelie in these collections albeit in this behalfe I am not resolued that he doth iudge aright The 8. last was that of Mertia which indured 291. yeares and for greatnesse exceeded all the rest It tooke the name either of Mearc the Saxon word bicause it was march to the rest and trulie the limits of most of the other kingdomes abutted vpon the same or else for that the lawes of Martia the Queene were first vsed in that part of the Iland But as this later is but a méere coniecture of some so the said kingdome began vnder Creodda in the 585. of Christ indured well néere 300. yeares before it was vnited to that of the West-saxons by Alfred then reigning in this I le Before him the Danes had gotten hold thereof and placed one Ceolulph an idiot in the same but as he was soone reiected for his follie so it was not long after yer the said Alfred I saie annexed it to his kingdome by his manhood The limits of the Mertian dominions included Lincolne Northampton Chester Darbie Nottingham Stafford Huntington Rutland Oxford Buckingham Worcester Bedford shires and the greatest part of Shropshire which the Welsh occupied not Lancaster Glocester Hereford aliàs Hurchford Warwijc and Hertford shires the rest of whose territories were holden by such princes of other kingdomes through force as bordered vpon the same Moreouer this kingdome was at one time diuided into south and north Mertia whereof this laie beyond and the other on this side of the Trent which later also Oswald of Northumberland did giue to Weada the sonne of Penda for kindred sake though he not long inioied it This also is worthie to be noted that in these eight kingdomes of the Saxons there were twelue princes reputed in the popish Catalog for saints or martyrs of which Alcimund Edwine Oswald Oswijn and Aldwold reigned in Northumberland Sigebert Ethelbert Edmond and another Sigebert among the Estangels Kenelme and Wistan in Mertia and Saint Edward the confessor ouer all but how worthilie I referre me to the iudgement of the learned Thus much haue I thought good to leaue in memorie of the aforesaid kingdomes and now will I speake somewhat of the diuision of this Iland also into prouinces as the Romanes seuered it whiles they remained in these parts Which being done I hope that I haue discharged whatsoeuer is promised in the title of this chapter The Romans therefore hauing obteined the possession of this Iland diuided the same at the last into fiue prouinces as Vibius Sequester saith The first whereof was named Britannia prima and conteined the east part of England as some doo gather from the Trent vnto the Twede The second was called Valentia or Valentiana and included the west side as they note it from Lirpoole vnto Cokermouth The third hight Britannia secunda and was that portion of the Ile which laie southwards betwéene the Trent and the Thames The fourth was surnamed Flauia Caesariensis and conteined all the countrie which remained betweene Douer and the Sauerne I meane by south of the Thames and wherevnto in like sort Cornewall and Wales were orderlie assigned The fift and last part was then named Maxima Caesariensis now Scotland the most barren of all the rest and yet not vnsought out of the gréedie Romanes bicause of the great plentie of fish and foule fine alabaster and hard marble that are ingendred and to be had in the same for furniture of houshold and curious building wherein they much delited More hereof in Sextus Rufus who liued in the daies of Valentine and wrate Notitiam prouinciarum now extant to be read A Catalog of the kings and princes of this Iland first from Samothes vnto the birth of our sauiour Christ or rather the comming of the Romans