philosophicall doctrine But by whome or in what time soeuer it was built certeine it is that there was a citie or towne walled in that place before the comming of the Saxons called by the Britaines Caergrant and by the Saxons Granchester This towne fell so to ruine by the inuasion of the Saxons that at length it was in maner left desolate and at this day remaineth as a village But néere therevnto vnder the Saxon kings an other towne was built now called Cambridge where by the fauour of king Sigebert and 〈◊〉 Burgundian that was bishop of Dunwich 〈◊〉 schoole was erected as in place conuenient shall appeare ARchigallus the second sonne of Morindus and brother vnto Gorliomanus was admitted king of Britaine in the yeare 3686 after the building of the citie of Rome 470 after the deliuerance of the Israelites out of captiuitie 25◠and in the first yeare of Softhenes king of Macedonia This Archigalius in the English chronicle called Artogaill followed not the steppes of his brother but giuing himselfe to dissention and strise imagined causos against his nobles that he might displace them and set such in their roomes as were men of base birth and of euill conditions Also he sought by vnlawfull meanes to bereaue his wealthie subiects of their goods and riches so to inrich himselfe and impouerish his people For the which his inordinate dooings his nobles conspired against him and finallie depriued him of all his honor and kinglie dignitie after he had reigned about the space of one yeare ELidurus the third sonne of Morindus and brother to Archigallus was by one consent of the Britains chosen to reigne ouer them in his brothers stead after the creation of the world 3687 and after the building of the citie of Rome 471 after the deliuerance of the Israelites 256 in the first yeare of Sosthenes king of Macedonia This Elidurus in the English chronicle named Hesider or Esoder prooued a most righteous prince and doubting least he should doo otherwise than became him if he did not take care for his brother Archigallus estate a man might woonder what diligence he shewed in trauelling with the nobles of the realme to haue his brother restored to the crowne againe Now as it chanced one dahy being abroad on hunting in the wood called Calater neare vnto Yorke he found his brother Archigall wandering there in the thickest of that wildernesse whom in most louing maner he secretlie conneied home to his house being as then in the citie of Aldud otherwise called Acliud Shortlie after he feined himselfe sicke and in all hast sent messengers about to assemble his barons who being come at the day appointed he called them one after another into his priuie chamber and there handled them in such effectuous sort with wise and discréet words that he got their good wils to further him to their powers for the reducing of the kingdome eftsoones into the hands of his brother Archigallus After this he assembled a councell at Yorke where he so vsed the matter with the commons that in conclusion when the said Elidurus had gouerned the land well and honourablie the space of thrée yeares he resigned wholie his crowne and kinglie title vnto his brother Archigallo who was receiued of the Britaine 's againe as king by mediation of his brother in manner as before is said ¶ A rare example of brotherlie loue if a man shall reuolue in his mind what an inordinate desire remaineth amongst mortall men to atteine to the supreme souereintie of ruling and to kéepe the same when they haue it once in possession He had well learned this lesson as may appeare by his contentation and resignation namelie that Nec abnuendum si dat imperium Deus Nec appetendum otherwise he would not haue béene led with such an equabilitie of mind For this great good will and brotherlie loue by him shewed thus toward his brother he was surnamed the godlie and vertuous WHen Archigallus was thus restored to the kingedome and hauing learned by due correction that he must turne the leafe and take out a new lesson by changing his former trade of liuing into better if he would reigne in suertie he became a new man vsing himselfe vprightlie in the administration of iustice and behauing himselfe so woorihilie in all his doings both toward the nobles commons of his realme that he was both beloued and dread of all his subiects And so continuing the whole tearme of his life finallie departed out of this world after he had reigned this second time the space of ten yeares and was buried at Yorke ELidurus brother to this Archigallus was then againe admitted king by consent of all the Britaines 3700 of the world But his two yonger brethren Uigenius and Peredurus enuieng the happie state of this woorthie prince so highlie for his vertue and good gouernance esteemed of the Britains of a grounded malice conspired against him and assembling an armie leuied warre against him and in a pitcht field tooke him prisoner and put him in the tower of London there to be kept close prisoner after he had reigned now this last time the space of one yeare VIgenius and Peredurus the yoongest sonnes of Morindus and brethren to Elidurus began to reigne iointlie as kings of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3701 after the building of Rome 485 after the deliuerance of the Israelites 266 complet and in the 12 yeare of Antigonus Gonaias the sonne of Demetrius king of the Macedonians These two brethren in the English chronicles are named Higanius and Petitur who as Gal. Mon. testifieth diuided the realme betwixt them so that all the land from Humber westward fell to Uigenius or Higanius the other part beyond Humber northward Peredure held But other affirme that Peredurus onelie reigned and held his brother Elidurus in prison by his owne consent forsomuch as he was not willing to gouerne But Gal. Mon. saith that Uigenius died after he had reigned 7 yeares and then Peredurus seized all the land into his owne rule and gouerned it with such sobrietie and wisedome that he was praised aboue all his brethren so that Elidurus was quite forgotten of the Britains But others write that he was a verie tyrant and vsed himselfe verie cruellie towards the lords of his land wherevpon they rebelled and slue him But whether by violent hand or by naturall sicknesse he finallie departed this life after the consent of most writers when he had reigned eight yeares leauing no issue behind him to succéed in the gouernance of the kingdome He builded the towne of Pikering where his bodie was buried ELidurus then as soone as his brother Peredurus was dead for as much as he was next heire to the crowne was deliuered out of prison and now the third time admitted king of Britaine who vsed himselfe as before verie orderlie in ministring to
as thornes and brambles before that the church was begun to be builded there in this king Ethelberts daies ¶ Thus the faith of Christ being once begun to be receiued of the English men tooke woonderfull increase within a short time In the meane season by the helpe of king Ethelbert Augustine caused a councell to be called at a place in the confines of the Westsaxons which place long after was called Austines oke where he procured the bishops or doctors of the prouinces of the Britains to come before him Among the Britains or the Welshmen christianitie as yet remained in force which from the apostles time had neuer failed in that nation When Augustine came into this land he found in their prouinces seuen bishops sée and an archbishops sée wherein sat verie godlie right religious prelats and manie abbats in the which the Lords flocke kept their right order but because they differed in obseruing the feast of Easter and other rites from the vse of the Romane church Augustine thought it necessarie to mooue them to agrée with him in vnitie of the same but after long disputation and reasoning of those matters they could not be induced to giue their assent in that behalfe Augustine to prooue his opinion good wrought a miracle in restoring sight to one of the Saxon nation that was blind The Britains that were present mooued with this miracle confessed that it was the right waie of iustice and righteousnesse which Augustine taught but yet they said that they might not forsake their ancient customs without consent and licence of their nation Wherevpon they required another synod to be holden whereat a greater number of them might be present This being granted there came as it is reported seuen bishops of the Britains and a great number of learned men speciallie of the famous monasterie of Bangor whereof in those daies one Dionoth was abbat who as they went towards that councell came first to a certeine wise man which liued amongst them an heremits life and asked his aduise whether they ought to forsake their traditions at the preaching of Augustine or not who made this answer If he be the man of God follow him Then said they How shall we prooue whether he be so or not Then said he The Lord saith take vp my yoke and learne of me for I am méeke humble in hart if Augustine be humble and meeke in hart it is to be beléeued that he also beareth the yoke of Christ and offereth it to you to beare but if he be not méeke but proud it is certeine that he is not of GOD nor his woord to be regarded And how shall we sée and perceiue that said they Find meanes said he that he maie first come to the place of the synod with those of his side and if he arise to receiue you at your comming then know that he is the seruant of God and obey him but if he despise you and arise not towards you whereas you be more in number let him be despised of you They did as he commanded and it chanced that when they came they found Augustine sitting in his chaire whom when they beheld straightwaies they conceiued indignation and noting him of pride laboured to reprooue all his saiengs He told them that they vsed manie things contrarie to the custom of the vniuersall church and yet if in thrée things they would obeie him that is to say in kéeping the feast of Easter in due time in ministring baptisme according to the custome of the Romane church in preaching to the Englishmen the woord of life with him his fellowes then would he be contented to suffer all other things patientlie which they did though the same were contrarie to the maners and customs of the Romane iurisdiction But they flatlie denied to doo anie of those things and gaue a plaine answer that they would not receiue him for their archbishop for laieng their heads togither thus they thought If he refuse now to arise vnto vs how much the more will he contemne vs if we should become subiect to him Unto whom as it is said Augustine in threatening wise told them afore hand that if they would not receiue peace with their brethren they should receiue warre of the enimies if they would not preach to the Englishmen the waie of life they should suffer punishment by death at the hands of them which thing in deed after came to passe as in place conuenient shall be expressed After this in the yéere of our Lord 604 the archbishop Augustine ordeined two bishops that is to say Melitus at London that he might preach the woord of God to the Eastsaxons which were diuided from them of Kent by the riuer of Thames and Iustus in the citie of Rochester within the limits of Kent AT that time Sabert reigned ouer the Eastsaxons but he was subiect vnto Ethelbert king of Kent whose nephue he was also by his sister Ricula that was married vnto king Sledda that succéeded after Erchenwine the first king of the Eastsaxons and begat on hir this Sabert that receiued the faith After that Augustine had ordeined Melitus to be bishop of London as before is said king Ethelbert builded as some write the church of saint Paule within the same citie where the same Melitus and his successors might keepe their sée And also for the like purpose he builded the church of saint Andrew the apostle at Rochester that Iustus and his successors might haue their sée in that place according to Augustines institution he bestowed great gifts vpon both those churches endowing them with lands and possessions verie bountifullie to the vse of them that should be attendant in the same with the bishops Finallie Augustine after he had gouerned as archbishop the church of Canturburie by the space of 12 yéeres currant departed this life the fiue and twentieth of Maie and was buried first without the eitie néere to the church of the apostles Peter and Paule whereof mention is made before bicause the same church as yet was not finished nor dedicated but after it was dedicated his bodie was brought into the church and reuerentlie buried in the north I le there He ordeined in his life time Laurence to be his successor in the sée of Canturburie of whome ye shall heare hereafter ¶ Thus haue ye heard in what maner the Englishmen were first brought from the worshipping of false gods and baptised in the name of the liuing God by the foresaid Augustine as we find in Beda and other writers Now we will returne to other dooings chancing in the meane time amongst the people of this I le Ceowlfe or Ceoloulph gouerneth the Westsaxons Ceorlus king of Mercia Edelfride king of the Northumbers and Edan king of the Scots ioine in battell Edan is discomfited Edelfride subdueth the citizens of Chester the deuout moonks of Bangorpraie for safetie from the swoord of the
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
bishop of Chester Eadulfus bishop of Dorcester Wilnardus bishop of Hereford Halard bishop of Elsham and Cedferth bishop of Donwich There remained onelie to the archbishop of Canturburie the bishops of London Winchester Rochester and Shireburne This separation continued all the life time of the archbishop Lambert although he trauelled earnestlie to mainteine his prerogatiue Now for that he still defended his cause and would not reuolt from his will Offa depriued him of all his possessions reuenues that he held or inioied within anie part of his dominions Neither was Offa satisfied herewith but he also tooke into his hands the possessions of manie other churches and fléeced the house of Malmesburie of a part of hir reuenues Because of these other his hard dooings doubting the malice of his enimies he procured the friendship of forren princes Unto Brightricke king of the Westsaxons he gaue his daugther Ethelburga in mariage And sending diuers ambassadours ouer vnto Charles the great that was both emperor king of France he purchased his friendship at length athough before there had depended a péece of displeasure betwixt them insomuch that the intercourse for trade of merchandize was staied for a time One of the ambassadours that was sent vnto the said Charles as is reported was that famous clearke Albine or Alcwine by whose persuasion the same Charles erected two vniuersities as in place due and conuenient may more largelie appeare Finallie king Offa as it were for a meane to appease Gods wrath which he doubted to be iustlie conceiued towards him for his sinnes and wickednesse granted the tenth part of all his goods vnto churchmen and to poore people He also indowed the church of Hereford with great reuenues and as some write he builded the abbeie of Bath placing moonkes in the same of the order of saint Benet as before he had doone at saint Albons Moreouer he went vnto Rome about the yeare of our Lord 775 and there following the example of Inas kign of the Westsaxons made his realme subiect by way of tribute vnto the church of Rome appointing that euerie house within the limits of his dominions should yearelie pay vnto the apostolike see one pennie which paiment was after named Rome Scot and Peter pence After his returne from Rome perceiâ—ing himselfe to draw into yeares he caused his sonne Egfrid to be ordeined king in his life time and shortlie after departing out of this world left the kingdome vnto him after he had gouerned it by the space of 39 yeares Amongst other the dooings of this Offa which suerlie were great and maruellous this may not passe with silence that he caused a mightie great ditch tâ— be cast betwixt the marshes of his countrie and the Welsh confines to diuide thereby the bounds of their dominions This ditch was called Offditch euer after and stretched from the south side by Bristow vnder the mountaines of Wales running northward ouer the riuers of Seuerne and Dée vnto the verie mouth of Dee where that riuer falleth into the sea He likewise builded a church in Warwikeshire whereof the towne there taketh name and is called Offchurch euen to this day Egfrid taking vpon him rule began to follow the approoued good dooings of his father and first restored vnto the churches their ancient priuileges which his father sometimes had taken from them Great hope was conceiued of his further good procéeding but death cut off the same taking him out of this life after he had reigned the space of foure moneths not for his owne offenses as was thought but rather for that his father had caused so much bloud to be spilt for the confirming of him in the kingdome which so small a time he new inioied Osulph king of Northumberland traitorouslie murthered Edilwald succeedeth him the reward of rebellion a great mortalitie of foules fishes and fruits moonkes licenced to drinke wine great wast by fire Edelred king of Northumberland is driuen out of his countrie by two dukes of the same Ethelbert king of the Eastangles commended for his vertues Alfred the daughter of king Mercia is affianced to him tokens of missehaps towards him his destruction intended by queene Quendred hir platforme of the pactise to kill him Offa inuadeth Ethelberts kingdome Alfred his betrothed wife taketh his death greuouslie and becommeth a nun the decaie of the kingdome of Eastangles succession in the regiment of the Westsaxons the end of the gouernement of the Eastsaxons prince Algar is smitten blind for seeking to rauish virgine Friswide and at hir praiers restored to his sight The fift Chapter WHen Eadbert or Egbert K. of Northumberland was become a moonke his sonne Osulphus succéeded him but after he had reigned onelie one yeare he was traitorouslie murthered by his owne seruants at Mikilwongton on the 9 kalends of August Then succéeded one Moll otherwise called Edilwold or Edilwald but not immediatlie for he began not his reigne till the nones of August in the yeare following which was after the birth of our sauiour 759. This man prooued right valiant in gouernement of his subiects He slue in battell an earle of his countrie named Oswin who arrearing warre against him fought with him in a pitcht field at Eadwines Cliue and receiued the worthie reward of rebellion This chanced in the third yeare of his reigne and shortlie after that is to say in the yeare of our Lord 764 there fell such a maruellous great snow and therwith so extreame a frost as the like had not béene heard of continuing from the beginning of the wintes almost till the middest of the spring with the rigour whereof trees and fruits withered awaie and lost their liuelie shape and growth and not onelie feathered foules but also beasts on the land fishes in the sea died in great numbers The same yeare died Cedlwulf then king of Northumberland vnto whome Beda did dedicate his booke of histories of the English nation After that he was become a moonke in the monasterie of Lindesferne the moonks of that house had licence to drinke wine or ale whereas before they might not drinke anie other thing than milke or water by the ancient rule prescribed them of the bishop of Aidan first founder of the place The same yeare sundrie cities townes and monasteries were defaced and sore wasted with fier chancing on the sudden as Stretehu Giwento Anwicke London Yorke Doncaster c. After that Moll had reigned 6 yeares he resigned his kingdome But other write that he reigned 11 yeares and was in the end slaine by treason of his successor Altred This Altred reigned ten years ouer the Northumbers and was then expelled out of his kingdome by his owne subiects Then was Ethelbert named also Edelred the sonne of the foresaid Moll made king of Northumberland and in the fift yeare of his reigne he was driuen out of his kingdome by two dukes of his
life in whose place one Adelbert succéeded About the 25 yéere of Kenwulf king of Westsaxons the Northumbers hauing to their capteine two noble men Osbald and Ethelherard burned one of their iudges named Bearne bicause he was more cruell in iudgement as they tooke the matter than reason required In which vengeance executed vpon the cruell iudge if he were so seuere as this attempt of the two noble men dooth offer the readers to suspect all such of his liuerie calling are taught lenitie mildnes wherwith they should leuen the rigor of the lawe For capit indulgentia mentes Asperitas odium saeuáeque bella mouet Odimus accipitrem quia viuit semper in armis Et pauidum solitos in pecus ire lupos At caret insidijs hominum quia mitis hirundo est Quásque colat turres Chaonîs ales habet At the same time one Aswald or Alfewald reigned ouer the Northumbers being admitted K. after that Ethelbert was expelled and when the same Alfwald had reigned 10 or as some say 11 yéeres he was traitorouslie and without all guilt made away the chéefe conspirator was named Siga The same Alfwald was a iust prince and woorthilie gouerned the Northumbers to his high praise and commendation He was murthered by his owne people as before ye haue heard the 23 of September in the yéere of our Lord 788 and was buried at Hexham In the yéere 792 Charles king of France sent a booke into Britaine which was sent vnto him from Constantinople conteining certeine articles agreed vpon in a synod wherein were present aboue the number of thrée hundred bishops quite contrarie and disagréeing from the true faith namelie in this that images ought to be worshipped which the church of God vtterlie abhorreth Against this booke Albinus that famous clearke wrote a treatise confirmed with places taken out of holie scripture which treatise with the booke in name of all the bishops and princes of Britaine he presented vnto the king of France ¶ In the yéere 800 on Christmasse éeuen chanced a maruellous tempest of wind which ouerthrew whole cities and townes in diuerse places and trees in great number beside other harmes which it did as by death of cattell c. Int the yeere following a great part of London was consumed by fire Britricus K. of the Westsaxons his inclination Egbert being of the bloud roiall is banished the land why crosses of bloudie colour and drops of bloud fell from heauen what they did prognosticate the first Danes that arriued on the English coasts and the cause of their comming firie dragons flieng in the aire foretokens of famine and warre Britricus is poisoned of his wife Ethelburga hir ill qualities why the kings of the Westsaxons decreed that their wiues should not be called queenes the miserable end of Ethelburga Kenulfe king of Mercia his vertues he restoreth the archbishops see to Canturburie which was translated to Lichfield he inuadeth Kent taketh the king prisoner in the field and bountifullie setteth him at libertie the great ioy of the people therevpon his rare liberalitie to churchmen his death and buriall The seuenth Chapter AFter Kenwulfe Britricus or Brightrike was ordeined king of Westsaxons and began his reigne in the yéere of our Lord 787 which was about the 8 yéere of the gouernment of the empresse Eirene with hir son Constantinus and about the second yeere of the reigne of Achaius K. of Scots This Brightrike was descended of the line of Cerdicus the first king of Westsaxons the 16 in number from him He was a man of nature quiet temperate more desirous of peace than of warre and therefore he stood in doubt of the noble valiancie of one Egbert which after succéeded him in the kingdome The linage of Cerdicus was in that season so confounded and mingled that euerie one as he grew in greatest power stroue to be king and supreame gouernour But speciallie Egbertus was knowne to be one that coueted that place as he that was of the bloud roiall and a man of great power and lustie courage King Brightrike therefore to liue in more safetie banished him the land and appointed him to go into France Egbert vnderstanding certeinlie that this his departure into a forreine countrie should aduance him in time obeied the kings pleasure About the third yéere of Brightrikes reigne there fell vpon mens garments as they walked abroad crosses of bloudie colour and bloud fell from heauen as drops of raine Some tooke this woonder for a signification of the persecution that followed by the Danes for shortlie after in the yeere insuing there arriued thrée Danish ships vpon the English coasts against whome the lieutenant of the parties adioining made foorth to apprehend those that were come on land howbeit aduenturing himselfe ouer rashlie amongst them he was slaine but afterwards when the Danes perceiued that the people of the countries about began to assemble and were comming against them they fled to their ships and left their prey and spoile behind them for that time These were the first Danes that arriued here in this land being onelie sent as was perceiued after to view the countrie and coasts of the same to vnderstand how with a greater power they might be able to inuade it as shortlie after they did and warred so with the Englishmen that they got a great part of the land and held it in their owne possession In the tenth yéere of king Brightrikes reigne there were séene in the aire firie dragons flieng which betokened as was thought two grieuous plagues that followed First a great dearth and famine and secondlie a cruell war of the Danes which shortlie followed as ye shall heare Finallie after that Brightrike had reigned the space of 16 yéeres he departed this life and was buried at Warham Some write that he was poisoned by his wife Ethelburga daughter vnto Offa king of Mercia as before ye haue heard and he maried hir in the fourth yere of his reigne She is noted by writers to haue bin a verie euill woman proud and high-minded as Lucifer and therewith disdainfull She bare hir the more statelie by reason of hir fathers great fame and magnificence whome she hated she would accuse to hir husband and so put them in danger of their liues And if she might not so wreake hir rancour she would not sticke to poison them It happened one day as she meant to haue poisoned a yoong gentleman against whome she had a quarell the king chanced to tast of that cup and died thereof as before ye haue heard Hir purpose indeed was not to haue poisoned the king but onelie the yoong gentleman the which drinking after the king died also the poison was so strong and vehement For hir heinous crime it is said that the kings of the Westsaxons would not suffer their wiues to be called quéenes nor permit them to sit with them in open places
maner then was on the 24 day of Aprill assisted by Oswald archbishop of Yorke and ten other bishops But as hath béene reported Dunstane then said that the English people should suffer condigne punishment generallie with losse of ancient liberties which before that time they had inioied Dunstane also long before prophesied of the slouthfulnesse that should remaine in this Egelred For at what time he ministred the sacrament of baptisme to him shortlie after he came into this world he defiled the font with the ordure of his wombe as hath beene said whervpon Dunstane being troubled in mind By the Lord saith he and his blessed mother this child shall prooue to be a slouthfull person It hath beene written also that when he was but ten yeeres of age and heard that his brother Edward was slaine he so offended his mother with wéeping bicause she could not still him that hauing no rod at hand she tooke tapers or sizes that stood before hir and beat him so sore with them that she had almost killed him whereby he could neuer after abide to haue anie such candels lighted before him This Egelred as writers say was nothing giuen to warlike enterprises but was slouthfull a louer of idlenesse and delighting in riotous lusts which being knowne to all men caused him to be euill spoken of amongst his owne people and nothing feared amongst strangers Heerevpon the Danes that exercised rouing on the seas began to conceiue a boldnesse of courage to disquiet and molest the sea-coasts of the realme in so much that in the second yéere of this Egelreds reigne they came with seuen ships on the English coasts of Kent and spoiled the I le of Tenet the towne of Southampton and in the yeere following they destroied S. Petroks abbeie in Cornwall Porthland in Deuonshire and diuerse other places by the sea side speciallie in Deuonshire Cornwall Also a great part of Cheshire was destroied by pirats of Norway The same yéere by casualtie of fire a great part of the citie of London was burnt In the yeere of our Lord 983 Alfer duke of Mercia departed this life who was coosen to king Edgar his sonne Alfrike tooke vpon him the rule of that dukedome and within thrée yéeres after was banished the land About the eight yéere of his reigne Egelred maried one Elgina or Ethelgina daughter of earle Egbert In the ninth yeere of his reigne vpon occasion of strife betwéene him and the bishop of Rochester he made warre against the same bishop wasted his lordships and besieged the citie of Rochester till Dunstan procured the bishops peace with paiment of an hundred pounds in gold And bicause the K. would not agrée with the bishop without moneie at the onelie request of Dunstane the said Dunstane did send him woord that sithens he made more account of gold than of God more of monie than of S. Andrew patrone of the church of Rochester and more of couetousnesse than of him being the archbishop the mischiefs which the Lord had threatned would shortlâ—e fall and come to passe but the same should not chance whilest he was aliue who died in the yéere following on the 25 of Maie being saturdaie Of this Dunstane manie things are recorded by writers that he should be of such holinesse and vertue that God wrought manie miracles by him both whilest he liued heere on earth and also after his deceasse He was borne in Westsaxon his father was named Heorstan and his mother Cinifride who in his youth set him to schoole where he so profited that he excelled all his equals in age Afterward he fell sicke of an ague which vexed him so sore that it draue him into a frensie and therefore his parents appointed him to the cure the charge of a certeine woman where his disease grew so on him that he fell in a trance as though he had béene dead and after that he suddenlie arose by chance caught a staffe in his hand and ran vp and downe through hils and dales and laid about him as though he had béene afraid of mad dogs The next night as it is said he gat him to the top of the church by the helpe of certeine ladders that stood there for woorkemen to mend the roofe and there ran vp and downe verie dangerouslie but in the end came safelie downe and laid him to sléepe betwéene two men that watched the church that night when he awaked he maruelled how he came there Finallie recouering his disease his parents made him a priest and placed him in the abbeie of Glastenburie where he gaue himselfe to the reading of scriptures and knowledge of vertue But as well his kinsmen as certeine other did raise a report of him that he gaue not himselfe so much to the reading of scriptures as to charming coniuring and sorcerie which he vtterlie denied howbeit learned he was in déed could doo manie pretie things both in handie woorke and other deuises he had good skill in musicke and delighted much therein At length he grew in such fauour that he was aduanced into the seruice of king Adelstane Upon a time as he came to a gentlewomans house with his harpe and hoong the same on the wall while he shaped a priests stole the harpe suddenlie began to plaie a psalme which draue the whole houshold in such feare that they ran out and said he was too cunning and knew more than was expedient wherevpon he was accused of necromancie and so banished out of the court After this he began to haue a liking to women and when Elfeagus then bishop of Winchester and his coosen persuaded him to become a moonke he refused it for he rather wished to haue maried a yoong damosell whose pleasant companie he dailie inioied But being soone after striken with such a swelling disease in his bellie that all his bodie was brought into such state as though he had béene infected with a foule leprosie he bethought him selfe and vpon his recouerie sent to the bishop who immediatlie shore him a moonke in which life he liued in so great opinion of holinesse as he in time became abbat of Glastenburie where on a time as he was in his praiers before the altar of S. George he fell asléepe and imagining in his dreame that an vglie rough beare came towards him with open mouth and set his forefeet vpon his shoulders readie to deuoure him he suddenlie wakening for feare caught his walking staffe which he commonlie went with and laid about him that all the church rang thereof to the great woonder of such as stood by The common tale of his plucking the diuell by the nose with a paire of pinsors for tempting him with women while he was making a chalice the great loue that the ladie Elfleda néere kinswoman to king Adelstane bare him to hir dieng day with a great manie of other such like matters I leaue as
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
also it goeth vnto Bruerne Shipton vnderwood Ascot Short hamton Chorleburie Corneburie parke Stonfield Longcombe and southeast of Woodstocke parke taketh in the Enis that riseth aboue Emstone and goeth to Ciddington Glimton Wotton where it is increased with a rill that runneth thither from stéeple Barton by the Béechin trée Woodstocke Blaidon so that after this confluence the said Enis runneth to Casūnton and so into the Isis which goeth from hence to Oxford and there receiueth the Charwell now presentlie to be described The head of Charwell is in Northamptonshire where it riseth out of a little poole by Charleton village seuen miles aboue Banberie northeast and there it issueth so fast at the verie surge that it groweth into a pretie streame in maner out of hand Soone after also it taketh in a rillet called the Bure which falleth into it about Otmere side but forasmuch as it riseth by Bincester the whole course therof is not aboue foure miles and therefore cannot be great A friend of mine prosecuting the rest of this description reporteth thereof as followeth Before the Charwell commeth into Oxfordshire it receiueth the Culen which falleth into the same a little aboue Edgcote and so descending toward Wardington it méeteth with another comming from by north west betweene Wardington and Cropreadie At Banberie also it méeteth with the Come which falleth from fennie Conton by Farneboro and afterwards going by kings Sutton not far from Aine it receiueth the discharge of diuerse rillets in one bottome before it come at Clifton The said water therfore ingendred of so manie brookelets consisteth chiefelie of two whereof the most southerlie called Oke commeth from Oke Norton by Witchington or Wiggington and the Berfords and carieng a few blind rils withall dooth méet with the other that falleth from by northwest into the same within a mile of Charwell That other as I coniecture is increased of thrée waters wherof each one hath his seuerall name The first of them therefore hight Tudo which comming betwéene Epwell and the Lée by Toddington ioineth about Broughton with the second that runneth from Horneton named Ornus as I gesse The last falleth into the Tude or Tudelake beneath Broughton and for that it riseth not far from Sotteswell in Warwikeshire some are of the opinion that it is to be called Sotbrooke The next water that méeteth without Charwell beneath Clifton commeth from about Croughton and after this is the Sowar or Swere that riseth north of Michaell Tew and runneth by nether Wotton The last of all is the Reie aliàs Bure whose head is not far aboue Burcester aliàs Bincester and Burncester and from whence it goeth by Burecester to Merton Charleton Fencote Addington Noke Islip and so into Charwell that holdeth on his course after this augmentation of the waters betwéene Wood and Water Eton to Marston and the east bridge of Oxford by Magdalene college and so beneath the south bridge into our aforesaid Isis. In describing this riuer this one thing right honorable is come vnto my mind touching the center and nauill as it were of England Certes there is an hillie plot of ground in Helledon parish not far from Danberie where a man maie stand and behold the heads of thrée notable riuers whose waters and those of such as fall into them doo abundantlie serue the greatest part of England on this side of the Humber The first of these waters is the Charwell alreadie described The second is the Leme that goeth westward into the fourth Auon And the third is the head of the Nene or fift Auon it selfe of whose courses there is no card but doth make sufficient mention and therefore your honour maie behold in the same how they doo coast the countrie and also measure by compasses how this plot lieth in respect of all the rest contrarie to common iudgement which maketh Northampton to be the middest and center of our countrie But to go forward with my description of the Ouse which being past Oxford goeth to Iflie Kennington Sanford Rodleie Newnham and so to Abington somtime called Sensham without increase where it receiueth the Oche otherwise called the Coche a little beneath S. Helens which runneth thither of two brooklets as I take it whereof one commeth from Compton out of the vale and west of the hill of the White horsse the other from Kings Letcombe and Wantage in Barkshire and in one chanell entreth into the same vpon the right side of his course From Abington likewise taking the Arun withall southwest of Sutton Courtneie it goeth by Appleford long Wittenham Clifton Wittenham the lesse beneath Dorchester taketh in the Thame water from whence the Isis loseth the preheminence of the whole denomination of this riuer and is contented to impart the same with the Thame so that by the coniunction of these two waters Thamesis is producted and that name continued euen vnto the sea Thame riuer riseth in the easterlie parts of Chilterne hils towards Penleie parke at a towne called Tring west of the said parke which is seauen miles from the stone bridge that is betweene Querendon and Ailsburie after the course of the water as Leland hath set downe Running therefore by long Merston and Puttenham Hucket and Bearton it receiueth soone after a rill that commeth by Querendon from Hardwike and yer long an other on the other side that riseth aboue Windouer in the Chilterne and passing by Halton Weston Turrill Broughton and Ailsburie it falleth into the Tame west of the said towne except my memorie doo faile me From this confluence the Tame goeth by Ethorpe the Winchingtons Coddington Chersleie Notleie abbeie and comming almost to Tame it receiueth one water from southeast aboue the said towne and another also from the same quarter beneath the towne so that Tame standeth inuironed vpon thrée sides with thrée seuerall waters as maie be easilie séene The first of these commeth from the Chiltern east of Below or Bledlow from whence it goeth to Hinton Horsenden Kingseie Towseie and so into the Tame The other descendeth also from the Chilterne and going by Chinner Crowell Siddenham and Tame parke it falleth in the end into Tame water and then they procéed togither as one by Shabbington Ricot parke Dracot Waterstoke Milton Cuddesdon and Chiselton Here also it taketh in another water from by-east whose head commeth from Chilterne hils not farre from Stocking church in the waie from Oxford to London From whence it runneth to Weston and méeting beneath Cuxham with Watlington rill it goeth on to Chalgraue Stadham and so into the Tame From hence our streame of Thame runneth to Newenton Draton Dorchester sometime a bishops see and a noble citie and so into the Thames which hasteth in like sort to Bensington Crowmarsh or Wallingford where it receiueth the Blaue descending from Blaueburg now Blewberie as I learne Thus haue I brought the Thames vnto
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
alienation 1800 ducats at the least but in my time it paieth vnto hir maiesties cofers 768 pounds ten shillings ten pence halfe penie farthing In this sée there was a bishop sometime called Iohn Bruton vpon whome the king then reigning by likelihood for want of competent maintenance bestowed the keeping of his wardrobe which he held long time with great honour as his register saith A woonderfull preferment that bishops should be preferred from the pulpit to the custodie of wardrobes but such was the time Neuerthelesse his honorable custodie of that charge is more solemnlie remembred than anie good sermon that euer he made which function peraduenture he committed to his suffragane sith bishops in those daies had so much businesse in the court that they could not attend to doctrine and exhortation Lichefield wherevnto Couentrie was added in the time of Henrie the first at the earnest sute of Robert bishop of that see hath Staffordshire Darbishire part of Shropshire and the rest of Warwikeshire that is void of subiection to the sée of Worcestershire It was erected in the time of Peada king of the south Mercians which laie on this side the Trent and therein one Dinas was installed about the yeare of Grace 656 after whom Kellac first then Tunher an Englishman succéeded this later being well learned and consecrated by the Scots In the time of the bastard I wot not vpon what occasion one Peter bishop of this sée translated his chaire to Chester and there held it for a season whereby it came to passe that the bishops of Lichfield were for a while called bishops of Chester But Robert his successor not likeing of this president remooued his chaire from Chester to Couentrie and there held it whilest he liued whereby the originall diuision of the bishoprike of Lichfield into Lichefield Chester and Couentrie dooth easilie appeare although in my time Lichfield and Couentrie be vnited and Chester remaineth a bishoprike by it selfe It paid the pope at euerie alienation 1733 florens or as some old bookes haue 3000 a good round summe but not without a iust punishment as one saith sith that anno 765 Edulfe bishop there vnder Offa king of Mercia would by his helpe haue bereaued the archbishop of Canturburie of his pall so did in déed vnder pope Hadrian holding the same vntill things were reduced vnto their ancient forme Before the time also of bishop Langton the prebends of this see laie here and there abroad in the citie where the vicars also had an house of which this honest bishop misliked not a little for sundrie causes wherefore he began their close and bestowed so much in building the same and pauing the stréets that his hungrie kinsmen did not a little grudge at his expenses thinking that his emptie cofers would neuer make them gentlemen for which preferment the freends of most bishops gaped earnestlie in those daies King Iohn was the greatest benefactor vnto this sée next vnto Offa and it is called Lichfield Quasi mortuorum campus bicause of the great slaughter of christians made there as some write vnder Dioclesian Howbeit in my time the valuation thereof is 703 pounds fiue shillings two pence halfepenie farthing a summe verie narrowlie cast by that auditor which tooke it first in hand Oxford hath Oxfordshire onelie a verie yoong iurisdiction erected by king Henrie the eight where in the time of quéene Marie one Goldwell was bishop who as I remember was a Iesuit dwelling in Rome and more conuersant as the constant fame went in the blacke art than skilfull in the scriptures and yet he was of great countenance amongst the Romane monarchs It is said that obseruing the canons of his order he regarded not the temporalities of that sée but I haue heard since that he wist well inough what became of those commodities for by one meane and other he found the swéetnesse of 354 pounds sixtéene shillings thrée pence halfe penie yearelie growing to him which was euen inough if not too much for the maintenance of a frier toward the drawing out of circles characters lineaments of imagerie wherein he was passing skilfull as the fame then went in Rome and not vnheard of in Oxford Elie hath Cambridgshire and the I le of Elie. It was erected 1109 by Henrie the first being before a rich and wealthie abbeie One Heruie also was made bishop there as I haue found in a register belonging sometime to that house being translated from Bangor Finallie it paid to the pope at euerie alienation 7000 ducats as the registers there do testifie at large Albeit that in my time I find a note of 2134 pounds sixteene shillings thrée pence halfe penie farthing whose disme ioined to those of all the bishopriks in England doo yéeld yearelie to hir maiesties coffers 23370 pounds sixtéene shillings thrée pence halfe penie farthing whereby also the huge sums of monie going out of this land to the court of Rome dooth in some measure appéere Ethelwold afterward bishop of Winchester builded the first monasterie of Elie vpon the ruines of a nunrie then in the kings hands howbeit the same house whereof he himselfe was abbat was yer long destroied by enimies and he in lieu of his old preferment rewarded by king Edgar with the aforesaid bishoprike from whence with more than lionlike boldnesse he expelled the secular préests and stored with moonkes prouided from Abandune néere Oxford by the helpe of Edgar and Dunstane then metropolitane of England There was sometime a greeuous contention betwéene Thomas Lild bishop of this see and the king of England about the yeare of Grace 1355 which I will here deliuer out of an old record because the matter is so parciallie penned by some of the brethren of that house in fauour of the bishop for that I was also abused with the same in the entrance thereof at the first into my chronologie The blacke prince fauoring one Robert Stretton his chapleine a man vnlearned and not worthie the name of a clearke the matter went on so farre that what for loue and somewhat else of a canon of Lichfield he was chosen bishop of that see Herevpon the pope vnderstanding what he was by his Nuncio here in England staied his consecration by his letters for a time and in the meane season committed his examination to the archbishop of Canturburie and the bishop of Rochester who felt and dealt so fauourablie with him in golden reasoning that his worthinesse was commended to the popes holinesse to Rome he goeth Being come to Rome the pope himselfe apposed him and after secret conference vtterlie disableth his election till he had prooued by substantiall argument and of great weight before him also that he was not so lightlie to be reiected Which kind of reasoning so well pleased his holinesse that Ex mera plenitudine potestatis he was made capable of the benefice and so returneth into England when he came home this bishop being in the kings
common-wealth than at this present so are they now for the most part the best learned that are to be found in anie countrie of Europe sith neither high parentage nor great riches as in other countries but onelie learning and vertue commended somewhat by fréendship doo bring them to this honour I might here haue spoken more at large of diuerse other bishopriks sometime in this part of the Iland as of that of Caerlheon tofore ouerthrowen by Edelfred in the behalfe of Augustine the moonke as Malmesburie saith where Dubritius gouerned which was afterward translated to S. Dauids and taken for an archbishoprike secondlie of the bishoprike of Leircester called Legerensis whose fourth bishop Unwon went to Rome with Offa king of Mercia thirdlie of Ramsbirie or Wiltun and of Glocester of which you shall read in Matth. Westm. 489 where the bishop was called Eldad also of Hagulstade one of the members whereinto the see of Yorke was diuided after the expulsion of Wilfrid For as I read when Egfrid the king had driuen him awaie he diuided his see into two parts making Bosa ouer the Deiranes that held his sée at Hagulstade or Lindfarne and Eatta ouer the Bernicians who sate at Yorke and thereto placing Edhedus ouer Lindseie as is afore noted whose successors were Ethelwine Edgar and Kinibert notwithstanding that one Seâ—ulfus was ouer Lindseie before Edhedus who was bishop of the Mercians and middle England till he was banished from Lindseie and came into those quarters to séeke his refuge and succour I could likewise intreat of the bishops of Whiteherne or Ad Candidam Casam an house with the countrie wherein it stood belonging to the prouince of Northumberland but now a parcell of Scotland also of the erection of the late sée at Westminster by Henrie the eight But as the one so the other is ceased and the lands of this later either so diuided or exchanged for worse tenures that except a man should sée it with his eies point out with his finger where euerie parcell of them is bestowed but a few men would beléeue what is become of the same I might likewise and with like ease also haue added the successors of the bishops of euerie sée to this discourse of their cathedrall churches and places of abode but it would haue extended this treatise to an vnprofitable length Neuerthelesse I will remember the same of London my natiue citie after I haue added one word more of the house called Ad Candidam Casam in English Whiteherne which taketh denomination of the white stone wherwith it was builded and was séene far off as standing vpon an hill to such as did behold it The names and successions of so manie archbishops and bishops of London as are extant and to be had from the faith first receiued Archbishops Theon Eluanus Cadocus Ouinus Conanus Palladius Stephanus Iltutus Restitutus who liued 350 of grace Tadwinus alià s Theodwinus some doo write him Tacwinus Tatwinus Tidredus alià s Theodred Hilarius Fastidius liued Anno Dom. 430. Vodinus slaine by the Saxons Theonus The see void manie yeares Augustine the moonke sent ouer by Gregorie the great till he remooued his sée to Canturburie to the intent he might the sooner flée if persecution should be raised by the infidels or heare from or send more spéedilie vnto Rome without anie great feare of the interception of his letters Bishops Melitus The see void for a season Wina Erkenwaldus Waldherus Ingaldus Egulphus Wigotus Eadbricus Edgarus Kiniwalchus Eadbaldus Eadbertus Oswinus Ethelnothus Cedbertus Cernulphus Suiduiphus Eadstanus Wulfsinus Ethelwaldus Elstanus Brithelmus Dunstanus Tidricus Alwijnus Elswoldus Robertus a Norman Wilhelmus a Norman Hugo a Norman I read also of a bishop of London called Elsward or Ailward who was abbat of Eouesham and bishop of London at one time and buried at length in Ramseie howbeit in what order of succession he liued I can not tell more than of diuerse other aboue remembred but in this order doo I find them The see void twelue yeares 1 Mauricius 2 Richardus Beaumis 3 Gilbertus vniuersalis a notable man for thrée things auarice riches and learning 4 Robertus de Sigillo 5 Richardus Beaumis 6 Gilbertus Folioth 7 Richardus 8 Wilhelmus de sancta Maria. 9 Eustathius Falconberg 10 Rogerus Niger 11 Fulco Bascet 12 Henricus Wingham Richardus Talbot electus 15 Richard Grauesend 16 Radulfus Gandacensis 17 Gilbertus Segraue 18 Richardus de Newport 19 Stephanus Grauesend 20 Richard Bintworth 21 Radulfus Baldoc who made the tables hanging in the vesterie of Paules 22 Michael 23 Simon 24 Robertus 25 Thomas 26 Richardus 27 Thomas Sauagius 28 Wilhelmus 29 Wilhelm Warham 30 Wilhelmus Barnes 31 Cuthbertus Tunstall 32 Iohannes Stokesleie 33 Richardus fitz Iames. 34 Edmundus Boner remooued imprisoned 35 Nicholas Ridleie remooued and burned Edm. Boner restored remooued imprisoned 36 Edmundus Grindall 37 Edwinus Sandes 38 Iohannes Elmer Hauing gotten and set downe thus much of the bishops I will deliuer in like sort the names of the deanes vntill I come to the time of mine old master now liuing in this present yeare 1586 who is none of the least ornaments that haue beene in that seat Deanes 1 Wulmannus who made a distribution of the psalmes conteined in the whole psalter and apointed the same dailie to be read amongst the prebendaries 2 Radulfus de Diceto whose noble historie is yet extant in their librarie 3 Alardus Bucham 4 Robertus Watford 5 Martinus Patteshull 6 Hugo de Marinis 7 Radulfus Langfort 8 Galfridus de Berie 9 Wilhelmus StaÌ„man 10 Henricus Cornell 11 Walterus de Salerne 12 Robertus Barton 13 Petrus de Newport 14 Richardus Talbot 15 Galfredus de Fering 16 Iohannes Chishull 17 Herueus de Boreham 18 Thomas Eglesthorpe 19 Rogerus de Lalleie 20 Wilhelmns de Montfort 21 Radulfus de Baldoc postea episcopus 22 Alanus de Cantilup postea cardinalis Iohan. Sandulfe electus Richardus de Newport electus 23 Magister Vitalis 24 Iohannes Euerisdon 25 Wilhelmus Brewer 26 Richardus Kilmingdon 27 Thomas Trullocke 28 Iohannes Appulbie 29 Thomas Euer 30 Thomas Stow. 31 Thomas More 32 Reginaldus Kenton 33 Thomas Lisieux alià s Leseux 34 Leonardus de Bath 35 Wilhelmus Saie 36 Rogerus Ratcliffe 37 Thom. Winterburne 38 Wilhelmus Wolseie 39 Robert Sherebroke 40 IohaÌ„nes Collet founder of Paules schoole Richardus Paceus Richardus Sampson Iohannes Incent Wilhelmus Maius resignauit Iohannes Fakenham alià s Howman resignauit Henricus Colus remooued imprisoned Wilhelmus Maius restored Alexander Nouellus And thus much of the archbishops bishops and deanes of that honorable sée I call it honorable because it hath had a succession for the most part of learned and wise men albeit that otherwise it be the most troublesome seat in England not onelie for that it is néere vnto checke but also the prelats thereof are much troubled with sutors and no lesse subiect to the reproches of the common sort whose mouthes are
his terme if he haue not six or seuen yeares rent lieng by him therewith to purchase a new lease beside a faire garnish of pewter on his cupbord with so much more in od vessell going about the house thrée or foure featherbeds so manie couerlids and carpets of tapistrie a siluer salt a bowle for wine if not an whole neast and a dozzen of spoones to furnish vp the sute This also he taketh to be his owne cléere for what stocke of monie soeuer he gathereth laieth vp in all his yeares it is often séene that the landlord will take such order with him for the same when he renueth his lease which is commonlie eight or six yeares before the old be expired sith it is now growen almost to a custome that if he come not to his lord so long before another shall step in for a reuersion and so defeat him out right that it shall neuer trouble him more than the haire of his beard when the barber hath washed and shauen it from his chin And as they commend these so beside the decaie of housekéeping whereby the poore haue beene relieued they speake also of thrée things that are growen to be verie grieuous vnto them to wit the inhansing of rents latelie mentioned the dailie oppression of copiholders whose lords séeke to bring their poore tenants almost into plaine seruitude and miserie dailie deuising new meanes and séeking vp all the old how to cut them shorter and shorter doubling trebling and now then seuen times increasing their fines driuing them also for euerie trifle to loose and forfeit their tenures by whome the greatest part of the realme dooth stand and is mainteined to the end they may fléece them yet more which is a lamentable hering The third thing they talke of is vsurie a trade brought in by the Iewes now perfectlie practised almost by euerie christian and so commonlie that he is accompted but for a foole that dooth lend his monie for nothing In time past it was Sors pro sorte that is the principall onelie for the principall but now beside that which is aboue the principall properlie called Vsura we chalenge Foenus that is commoditie of soile fruits of the earth if not the ground it selfe In time past also one of the hundred was much from thence it rose vnto two called in Latine Vsura Ex sextante thrée to wit Ex quadrante then to foure to wit Ex triente then to fiue which is Ex quincunce then to six called Ex semisse c as the accompt of the Assis ariseth and comming at the last vnto Vsura ex asse it amounteth to twelue in the hundred and therefore the Latines call it Centesima for that in the hundred moneth it doubleth the principall but more of this elsewhere See Cicero against Verres Demosthenes against Aphobus and Athenaeus lib. 13. in fine and when thou hast read them well helpe I praie thée in lawfull maner to hang vp such as take Centū pro cento for they are no better worthie as I doo iudge in conscience Forget not also such landlords as vse to value their leases at a secret estimation giuen of the wealth and credit of the taker whereby they séeme as it were to cat them vp and deale with bondmen so that if the leassée be thought to be worth an hundred pounds he shall paie no lesse for his new terme or else another to enter with hard and doubtfull couenants I am sorie to report it much more gréeued to vnderstand of the practise but most sorowfull of all to vnderstand that men of great port and countenance are so farre from suffering their farmers to haue anie gaine at all that they themselues become grasiers butchers tanners shéepmasters woodmen and denique quid non thereby to inrich themselues and bring all the wealth of the countrie into their owne hands leauing the communaltie weake or as an idoll with broken or féeble armes which may in a time of peace haue a plausible shew but when necessitie shall inforce haue an heauie and bitter sequele Of cities and townes in England Cap. 13. AS in old time we read that there were eight and twentie flamines and archflamines in the south part of this I le and so manie great cities vnder their iurisdiction so in these our daies there is but one or two fewer and each of them also vnder the ecclesiasticall regiment of some one bishop or archbishop who in spirituall cases haue the charge and ouersight of the same So manie cities therefore are there in England and Wales as there be bishopriks archbishopriks For notwithstanding that Lichfield and Couentrie and Bath and Welles doo séeme to extend the aforesaid number vnto nine and twentie yet neither of these couples are to be accounted but as one entier citie and sée of the bishop sith one bishoprike can haue relation but vnto one sée and the said see be situate but in one place after which the bishop dooth take his name It appeareth by our old and ancient histories that the cities of this southerlie portion haue beene of excéeding greatnesse and beautie whereof some were builded in the time of the Samotheans and of which not a few in these our times are quite decaied and the places where they stood worne out of all remembrance Such also for the most part as yet remaine are maruellouslie altered insomuch that whereas at the first they were large and ample now are they come either vnto a verie few houses or appeare not to be much greater in comparison than poore simple villages Antoninus the most diligent writer of the thorough fares of Britaine noteth among other these ancient townes following as Sitomagus which he placeth in the waie from Norwich as Leland supposeth wherin they went by Colchester to London Nouiomagus that lieth betwéene Carleill and Canturburie within ten miles east of London and likewise Neomagus and Niomagus which take their names of their first founder Magus the sonne of Samothes second king of the Celtes that reigned in this Iland and not A profunditate onelie as Bodinus affirmeth out of Plinie as if all the townes that ended in Magus should stand in holes and low grounds which is to be disprooued in diuerse cities in the maine as also here with vs. Of these moreouer sir Thomas Eliot supposeth Neomagus to haue stood somewhere about Chester George Lillie in his booke of the names of ancient places iudgeth Niomagus to be the verie same that we doo now call Buckingham and lieth farre from the shore And as these and sundrie other now perished tooke their denomination of this prince so there are diuerse causes which mooue me to coniecture that Salisburie dooth rather take the first name of Sarron the sonne of the said Magus than of Caesar Caradoc or Seuerus as some of our writers doo imagine or else at the least wise of Salisburge of the maine from whence some Saxons
of such as had broken the law that punishment might be done on them accordinglie as they had deserued This was done and knowledge brought againe that the ambassadors were not onelie not punished but also chosen to be tribunes for the next yeare The Galles then became in such a rage because they saw there was nothing to be looked for at the hands of the Romans but warre iniurious wrongs and deceitfull traines that they turned all their force against them marching streight towardes Rome and by the waie destroied all that stood before them The Romans aduertised thereof assembled themselues togither to the number of 40. thousand and encountring with Beline and Brenne neare to the riuer Allia about 11. miles on this side Rome were slaine and quite discomfited The Galles could scarse beléeue that they had got the victorie with so small resistance but when they perceiued that the Romans were quite ouerthrowne and that the field was clearelie rid of them they got togither the spoile and made towards Rome it selfe where such feare and terror was striken into the heartes of the people and all men were in despaire to defend the citie and therefore the senate with all the warlike youth of the citizens got them into the capitoll which they furnished with victuals and all things necessarie for the maintenance of the same against a long siege The honorable fathers and all the multitude of other people not apt for warres remained still in the citie as it were to perish with their countrie if hap so befell In the meane time came the Galles to the citie and entring by the gate Collina they passed forth the right way vnto the market place maruelling to sée the houses of the poorer sort to be shut against them and those of the richer to remaine wide open wherefore being doubtfull of some deceitfull traines they were not ouer rash to enter the same but after they had espied the ancient fathers sit in their chaires apparelled in their rich robes as if they had bin in the sanat they reuerenced them as gods so honorable was their port grauenesse in countenance and shew of apparell In the meane time it chanced that Marcus Papirius stroke one of the Galles on the head with his staffe because he presumed to stroke his heard with which iniurie the Gall being prouoked slue Papirius as he sat with his sword and therewith the slaughter being begun with one all the residue of those ancient fatherlie men as they sat in their chaires were slaine and cruellie murthered After this all the people found in the citie without respect or difference at all were put to the sword and their houses sacked And thus was Rome taken by the two brethren Beline and Brenne 365 yeares after the first building thereof Besides this the Galles attempted in the night season to haue entred the capitoll and in déed ordered their enterprise so secretlie that they had atchiued their purpose if a sort of ganders had not with their crie and noise disclosed them in wakening the Romans that were asléepe so by that meanes were the Galles beaten backe and repelled Camillus reuoked from exile made dictator and receiueth peremptorie authoritie he ouerthroweth the Galles in a pitcht field controuersie betweene writers touching Brennus and Belinus left vndetermined of diuers foundations erections and reparations doone and atchiued by Belinus the burning of his bodie in stead of his burieng The fourth Chapter THe Romans being thus put to their extreame shift deuised among themselues how to reuoke Furius Camillus from exile whom not long before they had vniustlie banished out of the citie In the end they did not onelie send for him home but also created him dictator committing into his handes so long as his office lasted an absolute power ouer all men both of life and death Camillus forgetfull of the iniurie done to him and mindfull of his dutie towards his countrie and lamenting the state thereof without delay gathered such an armie as the present time permitted In the meane time those that kept the capitoll being almost famished for lacke of vittels compounded with Brenne and Beline that for a thousand pounds weight in gold the Romans should redéeme their liberties and the said Brenne and Beline depart with their armie out of the citie and all the territories of Rome But at the deliuerie of the monie and by a certeine kind of hap the Romans name was preserued at that time from such dishonor and ignominie as was likelie to haue insued For some of the couetous sort of the Galles not contented with the iust weight of the gold did cast their swords also into the balance where the weights lay thereby to haue ouer weight wherevpon the Romans refused to make paiment after that weight And thus whilest they were in altercation about this matter the one importunnate to haue the other not willing to grant the time passed till in the meane season Camillus came in amongst them with his power commanding that the gold should be had away and affirming that without consent of the dictator no composition or agréement might be concluded by the meaner magistrate He gaue a signe to the Galles to prepare themselues to battell whervnto they lightlie agréed and togither they went The battell being once begun the Galles that looked earst for gold and not for battell were easilie ouercome such as stood to the brunt were slaine and the rest by flight constreined to depart the citie Polybius writeth that the Galles were turned from the siege of the citie through wars which chanced amongst their owne people at home and therefore they concluded a peace with the Romans and leauing them in libertie returned home againe But howsoeuer the matter passed thus much haue we stept from our purpose to shew somwhat of that noble and most famous capteine Brennus who as not onelie our histories but also Giouan Villani the Florentine dooth report was a Britaine and brother to Beline as before is mentioned although I know that manie other writers are not of that mind affirming him to be a Gall and likewise that after this present time of the taking of Rome by this Brennus 110 yeares or there abouts there was another Brennus a Gall by nation say they vnder whose conduct an other armie of the Gals inuaded Grecia which Brennus had a brother that hight Belgius although Humfrey Llhoyd and sir Iohn Prise doo flatlie denie the same by reason of some discordance in writers namelie in the computation of the yeares set downe by them that haue recorded the dooings of those times whereof the error is growen Howbeit I doubt not but that the truth of this matter shall be more fullie sifted out in time by the learned and studious of such antiquities But now to our purpose This is also to be noted that where our histories make mention that Beline was abroad with Brennus
rigging them in sundrie places tooke order for thier setting forward to his most aduantage for the easie atchiuing of his enterprise He appointed to passe himselfe from the coasts of Flanders at what time other of capteines with their fleets from other parts should likewise make saile towards Britaine By this meanes Alectus that had vsurped the title dignitie of king or rather emperour ouer the Britains knew not where to take héed but yet vnderstanding of the nauie that was made readie in the mouth of Saine he ment by that which maie be coniectured to intercept that fléet as it should come foorth and make saile forwards and so for that purpose he laie with a great number of ships about the I le of Wight But whether Asclepiodotus came ouer with that nauie which was rigged on the coasts of Flanders or with some other I will not presume to affirme either to or for because in déed Mamertinus maketh no expresse mention either of Alectus or Asclepiodotus but notwithstanding it is euident by that which is conteined in his oration that not Maximian but some other of his capteins gouerned the armie which slue Alectus so that we maie suppose that Asclepiodotus was chiefteine ouer some number of ships directed by Maximians appointment to passe ouer into this I le against the same Alectus and so maie this which Mamertinus writeth agrée with the truth of that which we doo find in Eutropius Héere is to be remembred that after Maximians had thus recouered Britaine out of their hands that vsurped the rule thereof from the Romans it should séeme that not onelie great numbers of artificers other people were conueied ouer into Gallia there to inhabit and furnish such cities as were run into decaie but also a power of warlike youths was transported thither to defend the countrie from the inuasion of barbarous nations For we find that in the daies of this Maximian the Britains expelling the Neruians out of the citie of Mons in Henaud held a castell there which was called Bretaimons after them wherevpon the citie was afterward called Mons reteining the last syllable onlie as in such cases it hath often happened Moreouer this is not to be forgotten that as Humfrey Lhoyd hath very well noted in his booke intituled Fragmenta historiae Britannicae Mamertinus in this parcell of his panegyrike oration dooth make first mention of the nation of Picts of all other the ancient Romane writers so that not one before his time once nameth Picts or Scots But now to returne where we left The state of this Iland vnder bloudie Dioclesian the persecuting tyrant of Alban the first that suffered martyrdome in Britaine what miracles were wrought at his death whereof Lichfield tooke the name of Coilus earle of Colchester whose daughter Helen was maried to Constantius the emperour as some authours suppose The xxvj Chapter AFter that Britaine was thus recouered by the Romans Dioclesian and Maximian ruling the empire the Iland tasted of the crueltie that Dioclesian exercised against the christians in presecuting them with all extremities continuallie for the space of ten yéeres Amongst other one Alban a citizen of Werlamchester a towne now bearing his name was the first that suffered here in Britaine in this persecution being conuerted to the faith by the zealous christian Amphibalus whom he receiued into his house insomuch that when there came sergeants to séeke for the same Amphibalus the foresaid Alban to preserue Amphibalus out of danger presented himselfe in the apparell of the said Amphibalus so being apprehended in his stead was brought before the iudge and examined and for that he refused to doo sacrifice to the false gods he was beheaded on the top of an hill ouer against the towne of Werlamchester aforesaid where afterwards was builded a church and monasterie in remembrance of his martyrdome insomuch that the towne there restored after that Werlamchester was destroied tooke name of him and so is vnto this day called saint Albons It is reported by writers that diuers miracles were wrought at the time of his death insomuch that one which was appointed to doo the execution was conuerted and refusing to doo that office suffered also with him but he that tooke vpon him to doo it reioised nothing thereat for his eies fell out of his head downe to the ground togither with the head of that holie man which he had then cut off There were also martyred about the same time two constant witnesses of Christ his religion Aaron and Iulius citizens of Caerleon Arwiske Moreouer a great number of Christians which were assembled togither to heare the word of life preached by that vertuous man Amphibalus were slaine by the wicked pagans at Lichfield whereof that towne tooke name as you would say The field of dead corpses To be briefe this persecution was so great and greeuous and thereto so vniuersall that in maner the Christian religion was thereby destroied The faithfull people were slaine their bookes burnt and churches ouerthrowne It is recorded that in one moneths space in diuers places of the world there were 17000 godlie men and women put to death for professing the christian faith in the daies of that tyrant Dioclesian and his fellow Maximian COelus earle of Colchester began his dominion ouer the Britains in the yeere of our Lord 262. This Coelus or Coell ruled the land for a certeine time so as the Britains were well content with his gouernement and liued the longer in rest from inuasion of the Romans bicause they were occupied in other places but finallie they finding time for their purpose appointed one Constantius to passe ouer into this I le with an armie the which Constantius put Coelus in such dread that immediatlie vpon his arriuall Coelus sent to him an ambassage and concluded a peace with him couenanting to pay the accustomed tribute gaue to Constantius his daughter in mariage called Helen a noble ladie and a learned Shortlie after king Coell died when he had reigned as some write 27 yéeres or as other haue but 13 yeeres ¶ But by the way touching this Coelus I will not denie but assuredly such a prince there was howbeit that he had a daughter named Helen whom he maried vnto Constantius the Romane lieutenant that was after emperor I leaue that to be decided of the learned For if the whole course of the liues as well of the father and the sonne Constantius and Constantine as likewise of the mother Helen be consideratelie marked from time to time and yeere to yéere as out of authors both Greeke and Latin the same may be gathered I feare least such doubt maie rise in this matter that it will be harder to prooue Helen a Britaine than Constantine to be borne in Bithynia as Nicephorus auoucheth But forsomuch as I meane not to step from the course of our countrie writers in such points where the receiued
Rome and Italie and was so busied in the affaires of the empire iu those parts that as was thought he could not returne backe into Britaine seized into his hands the whole dominion of Britaine and held himselfe for king THis Octauius then beginning his reigne ouer the Britains in the yéere of our Lord 329 prouoked Constantine to send against him one of his mothers vncles the foresaid Traherne This Trahernus or as some name him Traherne entred this land with three legions of souldiers in a field néere vnto Winchester was incountered by Octauius and his Britains by whome after a sore battell there striken betwixt them in the end Traherne was put to flight anâ—â—chased insomuch that he was constreined to forsake that part of the land and to draw towards Scotland Octauius hauing knowledge of his passage followed him in the countrie of Westmerland eftsoones gaue him battell but in that battell Octauius was put to the woorsse and constreined to forsake the land fled into Norway there to purchase aid and being readie with such power as he there gathered what of Britains and Norwegians to returne into Britaine Before his landing he was aduertised that an earle of Britaine which bare him heartie good will had by treason slaine Traherne Octauius then comming to land eftsoones got possession of Britaine which should be as Fabian gathereth about the yéere of our Lord 329 in the 20 yéere of the reigne of the emperour Constantine and about two yéeres after that the said Octauius first tooke vpon him to rule as king After this as the British chronicle affirmeth Octauius gouerned the land right noblie and greatlie to the contentation of the Britains At length when he was fallen in age and had no issue but one daughter he was counselled to send vnto Rome for one Maximianus a noble yoong man coosine to the emperour Constantine on the part of his mother Helena to come into Britaine and to take to his wife the said daughter of Octauius and so with hir to haue the kingdome Octauius at the first meant to haue giuen hir in mariage vnto one Conan Meridoc duke of Cornewall which was his nephue but wen the lords would not thereto agrée at the length he appointed one Maurice sonne to the said Câ—â—an to go to Rome to fetch the forenamed Maximianus Maurice according to his commission and instruction in that behalfe receiued came to rome and declared his message in such effectuall sort that Maximianus consented to go with him into Britaine and so taking with him a conuenient number set forward and did so much by his iournies that finallie he landed here in Britaine And notwithstanding that Conan Meridoc past not so much to haue béene dooing with him for malice that he conceiued towards him because he saw that by his meanes he should be put beside the crowne yet at length was Maximianus safelie brought to the kings presence and of him honorablie receiued and finallie the mariage was knit vp and solemnized in all princelie maner Shortlie after Octauius departed out of this life after he had reigned the terme of fiftie and foure yeares as Fabian gathereth by that which diuers authors doo write how he reigned till the daies that Gratian and Ualentinian ruled the Roman empire which began to gouerne in the yeare of our Lord as he saith 382 which is to be vnderstood of Gratian his reigne after the deceasse his vncle Ualens for otherwise a doubt maie rise because Ualentine the father of Gratian admitted the said Gratian to the title of Augustus in the yeare of our Lord 351. But to leaue the credit of the long reigne of Octauius with all his and others gouernement and rule ouer the Britains since the time of Constantius vnto our British and Scotish writers let vs make an end with the gouernement of that noble emperour Constantine an assured branch of the Britains race as borne of that worthie ladie the empresse Helen daughter to Coell earle of Colchester and after king of Britaine as our histories doo witnesse Unto the which empresse Constantine bare such dutifull reuerence that he did not onelie honour hir with the name of empresse but also made hir as it were partaker with him of all his wealth and in manie things was led and ruled by hir vertuous and godlie admonitions to the aduancement of Gods honour and maintenance of those that professed the true christian religion For the loue that she bare vnto Colchester and London she walled them about and caused great bricke and huge tiles to be made for the performance of the same whereof there is great store to be séene eyuen yet to this present both in the walls of the towne and castell of Colchester as a testimonie of the woorkemanship of those daies She liued 79 yeares and then departed this life about the 21 yeare of hir sonnes reigne First she was buried at Rome without the walls of the citie with all funerall pompe as to hir estate apperteined but after his corps was remoued and brought to Constantinople where it was eftsoones interred Hir sonne the emperour Constantine liued till about the yeare of Christ 340 and then deceassed at Nicomedia in Asia after he had ruled the empire 32 yeares and od moneths We find not in the Romane writers of anie great stur here in Britaine during his reigne more than the British and Scotish writers haue recorded so that after Traherne had reduced this land to quietnesse it maie be supposed that the Britains liued in rest vnder his gouernement and likewise after vnder his sonnes that succéeded him in the empire till about the yeare 360 at what time the Picts and Scots inuaded the south parts of the land But now to end with Octauius that the christian faith remained still in Britaine during the supposed time of this pretended kings reigne it maie appeare in that amongst the 36 prouinces out of the which there were assembled aboue 300 bishops in the citie of Sardica in Dacia at a synod held there against the Eusebians Britaine is numbred by Athanasius in his second apologie to be one And againe the said Athanasius in an epistle which he writeth to the emperour Iouinianus reciteth that the churches in Britaine did consent with the churches of other nations in the confession of faith articuled in the Nicene councell Also mention is made by writers of certeine godlie learned men which liued in offices in the church in those daies as Restitutus bishop of London which went ouer to the synod held at Arles in France and also one Kibius Corinnius sonne to Salomon duke of Cornewall and bishop of Anglesey who instructed the people that inhabited the parts now called Northwales and them of Anglesey aforesaid verie diligentlie But now to speake somewhat of things chancing in Britaine about this season as we find recorded by the Romane writers some trouble was likelie to
the abridgement of the histories of Italie ¶ But here yet before we make an end with this maximus or Maximianus I haue thought good to set downe the words which we find in Gyldas where the writeth of the same Maximus vndoubtedlie a Britaine borne nephue to the empresse Helen and begotten by a Romane At length saith Gyldas the spring of tyrants budding vp and now increasing into an huge wood the Ile being called after the name of Rome but holding neither maners nor lawes according to that name but rather casting the same from it sendeth foorth a branch of hir most bitter planting to wit Maximus accompanied with a great number of warriors to gard him and apparelled in the imperiall robes which he neuer ware as became him nor put them on in lawfull wise but after the custome of tyrants was put into them by the mutining souldiers which Maximus at the first by craftie policie rather than by true manhood winding in as nets of his periurie and false suggestion vnto his wicked gouernement the countries prouinces next adioining against the imperiall state of Rome stretching one of his wings into Spaine and the other into Italie placed the throne of his most vniust empire at Trier and shewed such rage in his wood dealing against his souereigne lords that the one of the lawfull emperours he expelled out of Rome and the other he bereft of his most religious and godlie life Now without long tariance compassed about with such a furious and bold gard as he had got togither at the citie of Aquilia he loseth his wicked head which had cast downe the most honourable heads of all the world from their kingdome and empire From thencefoorth Britaine being depriued of all hir warlike souldiers and armies of hir gouernors also though cruell and of an huge number of hir youth the which following the steps of the foresaid tyrant neuer returned home againe such as remained being vtterlie vnskilfull in feats of warre were troden downe by two nations of beyond the seas the Scots from the west and the Picts from the north and as men thus quite dismaid lament their miserable case not knowing what else to doo for the space of manie yéeres togither By reason of whose gréeuous inuasion and cruell oppression wherewith she was miserablie disquieted she sendeth hir ambassadors vnto Rome making lamentable sute euen with teares to haue some power of men of warre sent to defend hir against the enimies promising to be true subiects with all faithfulnes of mind if the enimie might be kept off and remooued ¶ Thus farre Gyldas and more as in place hereafter you shall find recited What Gratianus it was that was sent ouer from Rome into Britaine by Maximus in what estimation the British souldiers haue beene the priuie treason of Andragatius whereby Gratian came to his end Maximus and his sonne Victor doo succeed him in the empire they are both slaine Marcus the Romane lieutenant suceeding them is murthered Gratianus also his successour hath the same end the election of Constantine a Britaine borne his praise and dispraise reported by writers he goeth into France maketh his sonne Constance partaker with him of the empire a sharpe incounter betwixt his power and two brethrens that had the keeping of the Pyrennie hils the issue of the battell The xxxj Chapter BUt now where the British histories and such of our English writers as follow them make mention of one Gratianus a Romane sent ouer with thrée legions of souldiers by Maximus as before ye haue heard we maie suppose that it was Gratianus the Britaine that afterwards vsurped the imperiall dignitie héere in Britaine in the daies of the emperour Honorius For it standeth neither with the concurrence of time nor yet with reason of the historie that it should be Gratianus surnamed Funarius father to Ualentinian and grandfather to the emperour Gratianus against whome Maximus rebelled And yet I remember not that anie of the Romane writers maketh mention of anie other Gratianus being a stranger that should be sent hither as lieutenant to gouerne the Romane armie except of the foresaid Gratianus Funarius who as appéereth by Amian Marcellinus was generall of the Romane armie héere in this I le and at length being discharged returned home into Hungarie where he was borne with honour and there remaining in rest was at length spoiled of his goods by the emperour Constantius as confiscate for that in time of the ciuill warres he had receiued Maxentius as he past thorough his countrie But let vs grant that either Gratianus the Britaine or some other of that name was sent ouer into Britaine as before is said by Maximus least otherwise some errour may be doubted in the writers of the British histories as hauing happilie mistaken the time and matter bringing Gratianus Funarius to serue vnder Maximus where peraduenture that which they haue read or heard of him chanced long before that time by them supposed and so thorough mistaking the thing haue made a wrong report where neuerthelesse it standeth with great likelihood of truth that some notable seruice of chiualrie was atchiued by the same Gratianus Funarius whilest he remained héere in this I le if the truth might be knowne of that which hath béene written by authors and happilie by the same Am. Marcellinus if his first thirtéene bookes might once come to light and be extant But now to end with Maximus William of Malmesburie as ye haue heard writeth that not Maximus but rather Constantine the great first peopled Armorica but yet he agréeth that both Maximus and also Constantinus the vsurper of whome after ye shall heare led with them a great number of the Britains out of this land the which Maximus or Maximianus and Constantinus afterwards being slaine the one by Theodosius and the other by Honorius the Britains that followeth them to the warres part of them were killed and the residue escaping by flight withdrew vnto the other Britains which Constantine the great had first placed in Armorica And so when the tyrants had left none in the countrie but rude people nor anie in the townes but such as were giuen to slouth and gluttonie Britaine being void of all aid of hir valiant youth became a prey to hir next neighbours the Scots and Picts Héere is yet to be considered in what price the souldiers of the British nation were had in those daies with whose onelie puissance Maximus durst take vpon him to go against all other the forces of the whole Romane empire and how he prospered in that dangerous aduenture it is expressed sufficientlie in the Romane histories by whose report it appéereth that he did not onlie conquer all the hither parts of France and Germanie namelie on this side the Rhine but also found meanes to intrap the emperour Gratian by this kind of policie He had a faithfull friend called Andragatius who was admirall of the seas perteining to the empire It was
Saxons being infidels against the Britains whose exhortation tooke so good effect that the said Constantinus did not onelie forbeare to assist the Saxons but contrarilie holpe the Britains in their warres against them which thing did mainteine the state of the Britains for a time from falling into vtter ruine and decaie In the meane time the Saxons renewed their league with the Picts so that their powers being ioined togither they began afresh to make sore warres vpon the Britains who of necessitie were constreined to assemble an armie mistrusting their owne strength required aid of the two bishops Germane and Lupus who hasting forward with all speed came into the armie bringing with them no small hope of good lucke to all the Britains there being assembled This was doone in Kent Now such was the diligence of the bishops that the people being instructed with continuall preaching in renouncing the error of the Pelagians earnestlie came by troops to receiue the grace of God offred in baptisme so that on Easter day which then insued the more part of the armie was baptised and so went foorth against the enimies who hearing thereof made hast towards the Britains in hope to ouercome them at pleasure But their approch being knowne bishop Germane tooke vpon him the leading of the British host and ouer against the passage thorough the which the enimies were appointed to come he chose foorth a faire vallie inclosed with high mounteins and within the same he placed his new washed armie And when he saw the enimies now at hand he commanded that euerie man with one generall voice should answer him crieng alowd the same crie that he should begin So that euen as the enimies were readie to giue the charge vpon the Britains supposing that they should haue taken them at vnwares and before anie warning had béen giuen suddenlie bishop Germane and the priests with a lowd and shrill voice called Alleluia thrice and therewith all the multitudes of the Britains with one voice cried the same crie with such a lowd shout that the Saxons were therewith so amazed and astonied the echo from the rocks and hils adioining redoubling in such wise the crie that they thought not onelie the rocks and clifs had fallen vpon them but that euen the skie it selfe had broken in péeces and come tumbling downe vpon their heads heerewith therefore throwing awaie their weapons they tooke them to their féet and glad was he that might get to be formost in running awaie Manie of them for hast were drowned in a riuer which they had to passe Polydor taketh that riuer to be Trent The Britains hauing thus vanquished their enimies gathered the spoile at good leasure gaue God thanks for the victorie thus got without bloud for the which the holie bishops also triumphed as best became them Now after they had setled all things in good quiet within the I le as was thought expedient they returned into Gallia or France from whence they came as is before rehearsed By one author it should appéere that this battell was woone against the Scots and Picts about the yéere of our Lord 448 a little before the comming of the Saxons into this land vnder Hengist in which yéere Germane first came hither to wéed out the heresie of Pelagius as by the same author more at large is affirmed Howbeit some chronographers alledge out of Prosper other and note the first comming of Germane to haue béene in the 429 yéere of Christ and vnder the consulship of Florentius and Dionysius And this should séeme to agrée with the truth for that after some the foresaid Germane should die at Rauenna about the yéere of our Lord 450 as Vincentius noteth which was the verie yeere of the comming of the Saxons notwithstanding when or wheresoeuer he died it was not long after his returne into Gallia vpon his first iournie made hither into this land who no sooner obteined the victorie before mentioned but woord was brought againe vnto him that eftsoones the heresie of the Pelagians was spread abroad in Britaine and therefore all the priests or cleargie made request to him that it might stand with his pleasure to come ouer againe and defend the cause of true religion which he had before confirmed Héerevpon bishop Germane granted 〈◊〉 to doo and therefore taking with him one Seuerns that was disciple vnto Lupus and ordeined at that tune bishop of Triers tooke the sea and came againe into Britaine where he found the multitude of the people stedfast in the same beliefe wherein he had left them perceiued the fault to rest in a few wherevpon inquiring out the authors he condemned them to exile as it is written and with a manifest miracle by restoring a yoong man that was lame as they saie vnto the right vse of his lims he confirmed his doctrine Then followed preaching to persuade amendment of errors and by the generall consent of all men the authors of the wicked doctrine being banished the land were deliuered vnto bishop Germane and to his fellow Seuerus to conueie them away in their companie vnto the parties beyond the seas that the region might so be deliuered of further danger and they receiue the benefit of due amendment By this meanes it came to passe that the true faith continued in Britaine sound and perfect a long time after Things being thus set in good order those holie men returned into their countries the forenamed bishop Germane went to Rauenna to sue for peace to be granted vnto the people of Britaine Armorike where being receiued of the emperor Ualentinian and his mother Placida in most reuerend maner he departed in that citie out of this transitorie life to the eternall ioies of heauen His bodie was afterwards conueied to the citie of Anxerre where he had béene bishop with great opinion of holines for his sincere doctrine and pure and innocent life Shortlie after was the emperour Ualentinian slaine by the friends of that noble man named Aetius whome he had before caused to be put to death ¶ By this it maie appéere that bishop Germane came into this realme both the first and second time whilest as well Hengist as also Uortigerne were liuing for the said Ualentinian was murthered about the yeere of our Lord 454 where the said kings liued and reigned long after that time as maie appéere both before and after in this present booke What part of the realme the Saxons possessed Vortigerne buildeth a castell in Wales for his safetie Aurelius and Vter both brethren returne into Britaine they assalt the vsurper Vortigerne and with wild fire burne both him his people his fort and all the furniture in the same Vortigerne committeth incest with his owne daughter feined and ridiculous woonders of S. Germane a sheepherd made a king The seuenth Chapter NOw will we returne to Uortigerne of whome we read in the British historie that after the Saxons had constreined him
season at sundrie times diuers great companies of the Saxons came ouer into Britaine out of Germanie and got possession of the countries of Mercia and Eastangle but as yet those of Mercia had no one king that gouerned them but were vnder certeine noble men that got possession of diuers parts in that countrie by means wherof great warres and manie incounters insued with a common waste of land both arable and habitable whiles each one being ambitiouslie minded heaping to themselues such powers as they were able to make by swoord and bloudshed chose rather to haue their fortune decided than by reason to suppresse the rage of their vnrulie affections For such is the nature of men in gouernement whether they be interessed to it by succession or possessed of it by vsurpation or placed in it by lawfull constitution vnlesse they be guided by some supernaturall influence of diuine conceit if they be more than one they cannot away with equalitie for regiment admitteth no companion but euerie one séeketh to aduance himselfe to a singularitie of honour wherein he will not to die for it participate with another which maie easilie be obserued in this our historicall discourse The beginning of the kingdome of the Eastsaxons what it conteined of Arthur king of Britaine his twelue victories ouer the Saxons against whome he mainteined continuall warre why the Scots and Picts enuied him his roialtie and empire a league betwixt Arthur and Loth king of the Picts Howell king of little Britaine aideth Arthur against Cheldrike king of Germanie who taking the ouerthrow is slaine by the duke of Cornewall the Picts are discomfited the Irishmen with their king put to slight and the Scots subdued Arthurs sundrie conquests against diuers people the vanitie of the British writers noted The twelfe Chapter IN those daies also the kingdome of the Eastsaxons began the chéefe citie whereof was London It conteined in effect so much as at this present belongeth to the diocesse of London One Erchenwin a Saxon was the first king thereof the which was sonne to one Offa the sixt in lineall descent from one Saxnot from whom the kings of that countrie fetched their originall Harison noteth the exact yéere of the erection of the kingdome of the Eastsaxons to begin with the end of the eight of Cerdicus king of the Westsaxons that is the 527 of Christ and 78 after the comming of the Saxons In the 13 yéere of the reigne of Cerdicus he with his sonne Kenrike and other of the Saxon capteins fought with the Britains in the I le of Wight at Witgarsbridge where they slue a great number of Britains and so conquered the Ile the which about foure yéeres after was giuen by Cerdicus vnto his nephues Stuffe and Witgar AFter the deceasse of Uter Pendragon as we doo find in the British histories his sonne Arthur a yoong towardlie gentleman of the age of 15 yéeres or thereabouts began his reigne ouer the Britains in the yéere of our Lord 516 or as Matt. Westmin saith 517 in the 28 yéere of the emperour Anastasius and in the third yéere of the reignes of Childebert Clothare Clodamire and Theodorike brethren that were kings of the Frenchmen Of this Arthur manie things are written beyond credit for that there is no ancient author of authoritie that confirmeth the same but surelie as may be thought he was some woorthie man and by all likelihood a great enimie to the Saxons by reason whereof the Welshmen which are the verie Britains in déed haue him in famous remembrance He fought as the common report goeth of him 12 notable battels against the Saxons in euerie of them went away with the victorie but yet he could not driue them quite out of the land but that they kept still the countries which they had in possession as Kent Sutherie Norfolke and others howbeit some writers testifie that they held these countries as tributaries to Arthur But truth it is as diuers authors agrée that he held continuall warre against them and also against the Picts the which were allied with the Saxons for as in the Scotish histories is conteined euen at the first beginning of his reigne the two kings of the Scots and Picts séemed to enuie his aduancement to the crowne of Britaine bicause they had maried the two sisters of the two brethren Aurelius Ambrosius and Uter Pendragon that is to say Loth king of Picts had married Anne their eldest sister and Conran king of Scots had in mariage Alda their yoonger sister so that bicause Arthur was be gotten out of wedlocke they thought it stood with more reason that the kingdome of the Britains should haue descended vnto the sisters sonnes rather than to a bastard namelie Loth the Pictish king which had issue by his wife Anna sore repined at the matter Wherefore at the first when he saw that by suit he could not preuaile he ioined in league with the Saxons and aiding them against Arthur lost many of his men of warre being ouerthrowne in battell which he had sent vnto the succours of Colgerne the Saxon prince that ruled as then in the north parts But finallie a league was concluded betwixt Arthur and the foresaid Loth king of Picts vpon certeine conditions as in the Scotish historie is expressed where ye may read the same with many other things touching the acts of Arthur somewhat in other order than our writers haue recorded ¶ The British authors declare that Arthur immediatlie after he had receiued the crowne of Dubright bishop of Caerleon went with his power of Britains against the Saxons of Northumberland which had to their capteine as before is said one Colgrime or Colgerne whome Arthur discomfited and chased into the citie of Yorke within which place Arthur besieged him till at length the same Colgrime escaped out of the citie leauing it in charge with his brother called Bladulfe passed ouer into Germanie vnto Cheldrike king of that countrie of whom he obteined succor so that the said Cheldrike made prouision of men and ships and came himselfe ouer into Scotland hauing in his companie fiftéene hundred sailes one with an other When Arthur was aduertised thereof he raised his siege and withdrew to London sending letters with all speed vnto Howell king of little Britaine in France that was his sisters sonne requiring of him in most earnest wise his aid Howell incontinentlie assembled his people to the number of fifteene thousand men and taking the sea landed with them at Southampton where Arthur was readie to receiue him with great ioy and gladnesse From thence they drew northwards where both the hosts of Arthur and Howell being assembled togither marched forward to Lincolne which citie Cheldrike did as then besiege Here Arthur and Howell assailed the Saxons with great force no lesse manhood and at length after great slaughter made of the enimies they obteined the victorie and chased Cheldrike with the residue
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
battell king Ardulfe was expelled out of the state ¶ Thus ye may consider in what plight things stood in Northumberland by the often seditions tumults and changings of gouernors so that there be which haue written how after the death of king Ethelbert otherwise called Edelred diuers bishops and other of the chiefest nobles of the countrie disdaining such traitorous prince-killings ciuill seditions and iniurious dealings as it were put in dailie practise amongst the Northumbers departed out of their natiue borders into voluntarie exile and that from thencefoorth there was not anie of the nobilitie that durst take vpon him the kinglie gouernement amongst them fearing the fatall prerogatiue thereof as if it had béene Seians horsse whose rider came euer to some euill end But yet by that which is héeretofore shewed out of Simon Dunelm it is euident that there reigned kings ouer the Northumbers but in what authoritie and power to command it may be doubted Howbeit this is certeine that the sundrie murtherings and banishments of their kings and dukes giue vs greatlie to gesse that there was but sorie obedience vsed in the countrie whereby for no small space of time that kingdome remained without an head gouernor being set open to the prey and iniurie of them that were borderers vnto it and likewise vnto strangers For the Danes which in those daies were great rouers had landed before in the north parts spoiled the abbeie of Lindisferne otherwise called holie Iland and perceiuing the fruitfulnesse of the countrie and easinesse for their people to inuade it bicause that through their priuate quarelling there was little publike resistance to be looked for at their comming home entised their countriemen to make voiages into England and so landing in Northumberland did much hurt and obteined a great part of the countrie in manner without resistance bicause there was no ruler there able to raiseanie power of men by publike authoritie to incounter with the common enimies whereby the countrie was brought into great miserie partlie with war of the Danes and ciuill dissention amongest the nobles and people themselues no man being of authoritie I say able to reforme such misorders Yet we find that the nobles and capteines of the countrie assembling togither at one time against the Danes that were landed about Tinmouth constreined them by sharpe fight to flée backe to their ships and tooke certeine of them in the field whose heads they stroke off there vpon the shore The other that got to their ships suffered great losse of men and likewise of their vessels by tempest ¶ Here then we are taught that the safest way to mainteine a monarchie is when all degrées liue in loialtie And that it is necessarie there should be one supereminent vnto whome all the residue should stoope this fraile bodie of ours may giue vs sufficient instruction For reason ruleth in the mind as souereigne and hath subiect vnto it all the affections and inward motions yea the naturall actions are directed by hir gouernement whereto if the will be obedient there cannot créepe in anie outrage or disorder Such should be the sole regiment of a king in his kingdome otherwise he may be called Rex à regendo as Mons à e mouendo For there is not a greater enimie to that estate than to admit participants in roialtie which as it is a readie way to cause a subuersion of a monarchie so it is the shortest cut ouer to a disordered anarchie But to procéed in the historie After that Alrike the last of king Witchtreds sonnes which reigned in Kent successiuelic after their father was dead the noble ofspring of the kings there so decaied and began to vade awaie that euerie one which either by flattering had got riches togither or by seditious partaking was had in estimation sought to haue the gouernement and to vsurp the title of king abusing by vnworthie means the honor and dignitie of so high an office Amongest others one Edbert or Edelbert surnamed also Prenne gouerned the Kentishmen for the space of two yeares and was in the end vanquished by them of Mercia and taken prisoner as before is said so that for a time he liued in captiuitie and although afterwards he was set at libertie yet was he not receiued againe to the kingdome so that it is vncerteine what end he made Cuthred that was appointed by Kinevulfe the king of Mercia to reigne in place of the same Edbert or Edelbert continued in the gouernement eight yéeres as king rather by name than by act inheriting his predecessors euill hap and calamitie through factions and ciuill discord After that Iambrith or Lambert the archbishop of Canturburie was departed this life one Edelred was ordeined in his place vnto whome the primasie was restored which in his predecessors time was taken awaie by Offa king of Mercia as before is recited Also after the death of Eubald archbishop of Yorke another of the same name called Eubald the second was admitted to succeed in that sée After that Brightrike the king of Westsaxons was departed this life messengers were sent with all spéed into France to giue knowledge thereof vnto Egbert which as before is shewed was constreined by the said Brightrike to depart the countrie At the first he withdrew vnto Offa king of Mercia with whome he remained for a time till at length through suit made by Brightrike he perceiued he might not longer continue there without danger to be deliuered into his enimies hands and so Offa winking at the matter he departed out of his countrie and got him ouer into France But being now aduertised of Brightriks death and required by earnest letters sent from his friends to come and receiue the gouernement of the kingdome he returned with all conuenient spéed into his countrie and was receiued immediatlie for king by the generall consent of the Westsaxons as well in respect of the good hope which they had conceiued of his woorthie qualities and aptnesse to haue gouernement as of hid roiall linage being lineallie descended from Inigils the brother of king Inas as sonne to Alkemound that was the sonne of one Eaffa which Eaffa was sonne to Ope the sonne of the foresaid Inigils Egbert reigneth ouer the Westsaxons his practise or exercise in the time of his exile his martiall exploits against the Cornishmen and Welshmen Bernulfe king of Mercia taketh indignation at Egbert for the inlarging of his roiall authoritie they fight a sore battell Egbert ouercommeth great ods betweene their souldiers bishop Alstan a warriour Kent Essex Southerie Sussex and Eastangles subiect to Egbert he killeth Bernulfe K. of Mercia and conquereth the whole kingdome Whitlafe the king thereof becommeth his tributarie the Northumbers submit themselues to Egbert he conquereth Northwales and the citie of Chester he is crowned supreme gouernour of the whole land when this I le was called England the Danes inuade the land they discomfit Egberts host the Welshmen ioine
Glocester and there buried within the monasterie of S. Peter which hir husband and she in their life time had builded and translated thither the bones of saint Oswill from Bardona The same monasterie was after destroied by Danes But Aldredus the archbishop of Yorke who was also bishop of Worcester repared an other in the same citie that was after the chiefe abbeie there Finallie in memorie of the said Elfleds magnanimitie and valorous mind this epitaph was fixed on hir toome O Elfleda potens ô terror virgo virorum O Elfleda potens nomine digna viri Te quóque splendidior fecit natura puellam Te probitas fecit nomen habere viri Te mutare decet sed solùm nomina sexus Tu regina potens réxque trophea parans Iam nec Caesareos tantùm mirere triumphos Caesare splendidior virgo virago vale O puissant Elfled ô thou maid of men the dread and feare O puissant Elfled woorthie maid the name of man to beare A noble nature hath thee made a maiden mild to bee Thy vertue also hath procurde a manlie name to thee It dooth but onelie thee become of sex to change the name A puissant queene a king art thou preparing trophes of fame Now maruell not so much at Caesars triumphs trim to vieu O manlike maiden more renowmd than Caesar was a dieu After the deceasse of Elfleda king Edward tooke the dominion of Mercia as before we haue said into his owne hands and so disherited his néece Alfwen or Elswen the daughter of Elfleda taking hir awaie with him into the countrie of Westsaxons By this meanes he so amplified the bounds of his kingdome that he had the most part of all this Iland of Britaine at his commandement for the kings of the Welshmen namelie the king of Stretcled and of the Scots acknowledging him to be their chiefe souereigne lord and the Danes in Northumberland were kept so short that they durst attempt nothing against him in his latter daies so that he had time to applie the building and reparing of cities townes and castels wherein he so much delighted He builded a new towne at Notingham on the southside of Trent and made a bridge ouer that riuer betwixt the old towne and the new He also repared Manchester beyond the riuer of Mercia in Lancashire accounted as then in the south end of Northumberland and he built a towne of ancient writers called Thilwall neere to the same riuer of Mercia and placed therein a garrison of souldiers diuerse other townes and castels he built as two at Buckingham on either side the water of Ouse as before is shewed and also one at the mouth of the riuer of Auon He likewise built or new repared the townes of Tocetor and Wigmore with diuerse other as one at Glademuth about the last yéere of his reigne Some also he destroied which séemed to serue the enimies turne for harborough as a castell at Temnesford which the Danes builded and fortified At length after that this noble prince king Edward had reigned somewhat aboue the tearme of 23 yéeres he was taken out of this life at Faringdon his bodie was conueied from thence vnto Wincheter and there buried in the new abâ—eie He had thrée wiues or as some haue written but two affirming that Edgiua was not his wife but his concuâ—ine of whome he begat his eldest sonne Adelstan who succéeded him in the kingdome This Edgiua as hath béene reported dreamed on a time that there rose a moone out of hir bellie which with the bright shine thereof gaue light ouer all England and telling hir dreame to an ancient gentlewoman who coniecturing by the dreame that which followed tooke care of hir and caused hir to be brought vp in good manners and like a gentlewoman though she were borne but of base parentage Heerevpon when she came to ripe yéeres king Edward by chance comming to the place where she was remaining vpon the first sight was streight rauished with hir beautie which is déed excelled that she could not rest till he had his pleasure of hir and so begot of hir the foresaid Adelstan by hir he had also a daughter that was maried vnto Sithrike a Dane and K. of Northumberland The Scotish writers name hir Beatrice but our writers name hir Editha His second or rather his first wife if he were not maried to Eguina mother to Adelstan was called Elfleda or Elfrida daughter to one earle Ethelme by whom he had issue to wit two sonnes Ethelward and Edwin which immediatlie departed this life after their father and six daughters Elfleda Edgiua Ethelhilda Ethilda Edgitha and Elfgiua Elfleda became a nun and Ethelhâ—lda also liued in perpetuall virginitie but yet in a laie habit Edgitha was maried to Charles king of France surnamed Simplex And Ethilda by helpe of hir brother Adelstan was bestowed vpon Hugh sonne to Robert earle of Paris for hir singular beautie most highlie estéemed sith nature in hir had shewed as it were hir whole cunning in perfecting hir with all gifts and properties of a comelie personage Edgiua and Elgiua were sent by their brother Adelstan into Germanie vnto the emperor Henrie who bestowed one of them vpon his sonne Otho that was after emperor the first of that name and the other vpon a duke inhabiting about the Alpes by his last wife named Edgiua he had also two sonnes Edmund Eldred the which both reigned after their brother Adelstan successiuelie Also he had by hir two daughters Edburge that was made a nun and Edgiue a ladie of excellent beautie whom hir brother Adelstan gaue in mariage vnto Lewes king of Aquitaine Whilest this land was in continuall trouble of warres against the Danes as before is touched small regard was had to the state of the church in somuch that the whole countrie of the Westsaxons by the space of seuen yéeres togither in the daies of this king Edward remained without anie bishop to take order in matters apperteining to the church Wherevpon the pope had accurssed the English people bicause they suffred the bishops sées to be vacant so long a time King Edward to auoid the cursse assembled a prouinciall councell 905 in the which the archbishop of Canturburie Pleimond was president Wherein it was ordeined that whereas the prouince of Westsaxons in times past had but two bishops now it should be diuided into fiue diocesses euerie of them to haue a peculiar bishop When all things were ordered and concluded in this synod as was thought requisite the archbishop was sent to Rome with rich presents to appease the popes displeasure When the pope had heard what order the king had taken he was contented therewith And so the archbishop returned into his countrie and in one day at Canturburie ordeined seuen bishops as fiue to the prouince of Westsaxons that is to say Fridestane to the sée of Winchester Adelstan to S. Geâ—man
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
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