vp and layed at the right side of the aultar The bishop at his departure left the monastery to be gouuerned of his brother Ceadda who after also was made bishop as we shall anon declare For foure german brothers which is a rare thinge Cedd Cymbill Celin and Ceadda wer al vertuous priestes and two of them bishops When it was knowen in Northumberland that their bishop was dead and buried thirty brethern of the monastery which he erected amonge the east Saxons came to the place where he died Desiring by the body of their father either to liue or if it so pleased God to die and be buried there Who being gladly receiued of the brethern in that time of mortalite were all taken out of this life except one litle boye who as it is well knowen was saued by the praiers of the bisshop For liuing many yeares after and studying holy scripture he lerned at lenght that he had not ben yet baptised Whereuppon being forthwith christened afterward was promoted to priesthood and proued a profitable member to the church Of whom we doubt not to pronounce but that as I saied he was by the speciall intercession of that blessed bishop whose bodye of charite he came to visit saued from the danger of death bothe that he might thereby escape eternall death and might be occasion also of life and saluation to other by his doctrine How the prouince of the Marshes receiued the faythe of Christ Penda their kinge being sâ—aâ—en And howe Oswin vowed for the victory against Penda twelue farmeplaces to the building of monasteries The. 24. Chap. IN those daies king Oswin after often and cruell inuasions of the heathen vnmercifull Prince Penda forced of necessite offred him many and most precious iewells with an infinit summe of treasure to redeme quiet and peace to his countre and to cease the continuall wasting and cruel spoyles that he made But the heathen and barbarous tyran yelding nothing to his request and petition but pursuing his deadly enterprise and protesting vtterly to extinguish the whole nation from the highest to the lowest the vertuous kinge Oswald called for helpe of God against the barbarous impiete of his ennemie vowing and saying sith the infidell regardeth not our presentes let vs offer theÌ„ to our Lord God who will vndoubtedly regard them And withalâ— hâ— vowed that is he had the vpper hand of his enemy his young ' daughter should be consecrated to God in perpetuall virginite and twelue farme places withe the landes appertaining should be conuerted to the erecting of monasteries which being saied he prepared him self to battaill with a very small army The army of the heathen is reported to haue ben thirty tymes more in quantite conteyning thirty whole legions well appointed and gouuerned withe olde tried and valiaunt capitaynes Against all the which kinge Oswin with his sonne marched forth boldely though with a very smal army as we saied yet with a sure confidence in Christ. His other sonne Ecfrid was at that tyme kept in ostage in the prouince of the Mercians vnder Quene Cinwise Edelwald son to kinge Oswald who ought of all reason to haue stode withe his countre and vncle kinge Oswin forsoke bothe and became a capitain vnder the heathen prince Although when the field was begonne he departed a side and getting him to a holde by expected the euent of the battaill Thus meting and coupling together the thirty capitaines of the heathen prince were all put to flight and slaine and with them almost all other whiche from other countres came to aide them Amonge the which was Edilher brother to Anna Kinge of the east english then raigning after his brother who also had ben the chiefe and principall motiue of the battaill And whereas the field was fought nye to the riuer Iuuet it did at that tyme so ouerflowe al the bankes and fieldes about that in the flight more of the enemies were drowned in the water then slaine with the sworde This noble victory being by gods helpe so miracuiously obtained incontinently king Oswin rendring due thankes therefore and perfourming the vowe he had made gaue his daughter Elfled which was yet scant one yeare olde to be brought vp and consecrated to perpetuall virginite and the twelue possessions which he promised for the erecting of monasteries where in stede of worldly tillage and coÌ„modites religious monkes by continuall deuotion might labour to purchase eternall rest and peace for him and the countre Of the which twelue farmes six he appointed in the prouince of the Bernicians and six other in the prouince of the Deirans Eche farme contained ten housholdes which made in all six score The daughter of Oswin entred the monastery of Hartesilond there to be brought vp vnder Hilda the Abbesse in religioÌ„ and perpetuall virginite Who two yeres after purchasing a farme of ten housholdes builded for her selfe a monastery in a place called Stranshalch In the which monastery this kinges daughter was first brought vp as a lerner but was after her selfe a lady and teacher of monasticall life vntell at the age of threscore yeres this vertuous virgin passed to the blessed mariage of her heauenly and longe desired spouse Christ her Sauiour In this monastery she her father Oswin her mother Eanfled and her grandfather kinge Edwin and many other noble personages are buryed in the churche of S. Peter the Apostle This battaill kinge Oswin kept in the countre of Loide the thirtenth yeare of his raighn the xv daie of Nouember to the great quyet and commodite bothe of all his dominions and of the aduersary part also For his owne countre he set at rest and deliuered from the cruell inuasions of his deadly enemies and his aduersaries the Marshes and midleenglish men he brought to the faithe of Christ their wicked head being ones cutt of The first bishop as we saied before bothe of the Marshes and of all the midleenglishmen and also of those of holy Iland was Diuna whiche died in the countre of the middleenglish men The second bishop was Cellach who leauing at length his bishoprick yet liuing returned to ScotlaÌ„d Both these were Scottishmen The third bishop was Trumher an englishman borne but instructed and made byshopp of the Scottes who was also Abbat of Ingethling monastery builded in the place where kinge Osuuius was slaine For Quene Eanfled cousen and alliant to Osuuius required of kinge Oswin who hadkilled Osuuius in parte of satisfaction of his vniust murther the erecting of a monastery for the vse of the holy man Trumher who also was of kinne to Osuuius To th entent that in that monastery daily praier might be had for the helth and saluatioÌ„ of bothe kinges aswell the slaine as of him that slewe This kinke Oswin raigned thre yeares after the death of kinge Pendam ouer the Marshes and ouer the south people of England subduing also the nation of the Pictes for the most parte to the allegeaunce of the english men At what
euen in that tumult to with the same bluddy swerd he slewe an other whose name was Fordhere Now it happened that the same night of holye Ester Sonday the Quene brought furth and was deliuered of a daughter whose name was Eanfled For the which childe when the king in presence of the bishop Pauline gaue thankes to his Goddes the bishop contraâ—ie wise began to praise and geaue thankes to our Lorde Christe and sayde to the kinge certainly that he had obtained by his prayers of Christe that the Quene might be deliuered safely and without greate griefe With which his wordes the king being much delyted promised that he would renounce all idols and euer after serue Christe if so be that Christe would nowe graunte him his life and health and victorie also in his warres whiche he purposed to haue against this king Euichelme who had sent in such sorte this Ruffian and manqueller that had wounded him And in pledge of perfourming this his promise he assigned and graunted to bishop Pauline this his daughter to be Christened Who was baptised first of all the Northumberlannes with xij other of the kinges familie vpon whitsondaye folowing At which time the king also being recouered of his wounde that he had lately taken made an armie and marched forth against the West Saxons at the whiche battayle he slewe or els tooke presonners all them whome he vnderstoode to haue conspired to his deathe So retourning home to his countrie victour and conquerour yet would he not by and by or without farder counsell receiue the Christian faithe although truly he worshipped not idols from that daye that he promised he would serue Christe But sought euer after diligently of the right reuerend father Pauline the reason and trade of faithe and conferred with his counsellers and nobles whom he knew to be wisest what were best as they thought to be done in these matters And moreouer as he was by nature a very wyse man sitting oftentymes alone for a great space in muche sylence of outward voyce but in his inward thought commoning with himselfe he discussed and debated in his mind dyuersly what he should doe in this case and what religion were best to be folowed How Pope Boniface exorted this king with his letters to the faythe The. 10. Chap. ANd beholde in the middest of these cogitations he happely receiued from Boniface bishop of the see Apostolique letters exhorting him to the faith The copie of which is suche To the most puissant prince Edwine king of the Englishmen Boniface Bishop and seruant to them that serue God c. Althowgh the hye secret powre of Gods diuinitie can not be expressed by wordes or speache of man for it consisteth by the greatnes therof of so vnspeakable and so vnserchable an eternitie that no force nor strength of wytte is able to comprise or compasse how great it is Yet for as muche as the goodnes of God opening the gates of our hartes to the knowlege of him dothe mercifully poore into mens myndes by secret inspiration suche thinges as he will shal be spoken of himselfe we haue thought good to exteÌ„de our priestly care and deutie in vttering vnto yow the riche store of our ChristeÌ„ belefe that bringing lykewyse vnto your vnderstanding the gospell of Christe which he commaunded to be preched to all nations we myght brinche vnto you the cuppe of life and saluatioÌ„ The goodnes therfore of the hyghest maiestie of God who with his only worde and commaundement hath made and created all thinges the heauen the earthe the sea and all that in them is setting a decent order wherin they shuld consiste by the counsell of his coeternall worde and the vnitie of the holie ghoste made man of a peece of earth to his owne image and lyknes and gaue him moreouer suche a prerogatiue of excellencie that he preferred him and set him ruler ouer all his other creatures assuring him beside of an euerlasting perpetuite so that he kept the bounde of his commaundements This God the father the sonne and the holie ghoste which is the inseparable Trinite all mankind from the Este to the weste worsshippeth with holsome confession and adoreth with a sure faythe as the creator of all thinges and their maker To the which God yea the hye honours of Empire and the puissant powres on earth are lowly subiecte bycause by his only ordenance and disposing all kingdoms be geauen and graunted Whose mercifull goodnes encreasing alwayes and ayding eche his creatures hath vouche safed most merueylously to enkendle with the heate aud feruour of the holie ghost the cold hartes of those nations which enhabite the vttermost partes of the earthe that they also mought knowe him and beleaue in him For we thinke your hyghnes hath fully heard and vnderstandeth by this tyme the cuntrie lyeng so nere howe our Redemer of his mercie hath wrought wonderfully in the illumining of the most excellent Prince our dere sonne kinge Audubald and all his subiectes And we with a certaine longlooking of heauenly hoope trust that the lyke miracle and gratiouse gyfte shal be geauen to yowe also from God aboue and specially wheras we vnderstande the Souerayne Ladie your wyfe who is a parte of your bodie to be illumenyd with the hope of eternall lyfe by the regeneration of holie baptisme Wherfore we haue thought it good to exhorte yowe in these our present letters most ernestly and with all affection of inward charite that abandoning all idoles detesting the worsshipp and honour of them forsaking the fond foolishnes of your Goddes temples and despising the deceytfull entisementes of your false sothsayinges ye wyll now beleue in God the father Almyghtie and his sonne Iesus Christe and in the holie ghoste that beleuing so ye maye be absolued and loosed by the working powre of this blessed and inseparable Trinite from the bondes and captiuite of the dyuel and herafter be made partakener of lyfe euerlastinge Now yf ye long to knowe in how great fault and offence they are which worshyppe idols and embrace the wicked superstition of them thexamples of their destroying and perditioÌ„ which are estemed as Gods can sufficiently informe yow of whome king Dauid in his psalmes sayth thus All the Godes of the gentyles are dyuels but our Lorde hath made the heauens And agayne They haue eyes and see not they haue eares and heare not they haue noses and smell not they haue handes ans feele not they haue feete and walke not Therfore all suche are made like vnto them as do put anie hope or confidence in them For how can they haue vertue or powre to healpe anie man which are made of a corruptible matter and wrowght by the haÌ„des of your inferiours and subiectes And how culd thei get anie abilite to hurt or healpe wheras mans arte and crafte only hath applyed a deadly similitude and lykenes of a bodie to theÌ„ who were they not moued by yowe themselfe coulde neuer
the porche of his church vntell the church it selfe was consecrated in Perone Which being solemnely done within six and twēty daies after the body was brought thither and being remoued from the porche to be layed by the high aultar it was founde as whole and vncorrupted as if the man had but that houre departed Foure yeares after a litle chappell being erected at the east syde of the aultar wher the body shuld more honourably betoumed being takē vp againe to be transposed thither it was founde in like maner without any blemish of corruption In the which place it is well knowen that his merites haue much ben renowned by sundry miracles wrought by the allmighty power of God Thus much of the incorruption of his body we haue brefely touched that the reader might more clerely vnderstande of what excellency and vertu this man was All which thinges and of other his vertuous companyons in the booke writen of his life he that readeth shall finde more ample mencion made How after the death of Honorius Deusdedit succeded and who in that time were bishops of Rochester and in the east partes of England The. 20. Chap. IN this meane Felix the bishop of the east englishmen departing this worlde hauing ben their bishop 17. yeares Honorius the Archebishopp of Caunterbury created in his place Thomas one of his deacons borne in the prouince of Giruij after whose death liuing in that bishoprick fyue yeares he substituded in his roome Beretgilsus surnamed Bonifacius a kentishman borne Honorius also the Archebishop the measure of his life expired passed to a better in the yeare of our Lord 653. the last daye of October Whom Deusdedit a west Saxon borne succeded after a yeare and a halfe the see being vacant all that tyme. For whose creation and consecration Ithamar byshop of Rochester came to Cannterbury He was consecrated the. xxiiij of Marche and gouuerned that see ix yeares iiij moneths and two dayes After whose departure Ithamar consecrated in his place Damianus a Sussex man borne Howe the Marshes or vplandish englishmen that is the sheres of Lincolne Couentry Lichefield and worceter receaued the Christen faith vnder Penda their kinge The. 21. Chapter AT this time the Middelenglishmē that is of the sheres aboue named receiued the Christen faith and the sacramentes thereof vnder Penda their kinge sonne to Pendam that cruell and vnmercifull hethen This being a vertuous young man worthy of the name and person of a kinge was of his father put in gouuernement of that countre Who coming after to Oswin kinge of Northumberland requiring Alcfled his daughter to wife could in no other wise obtaine his suite vnlesse he would as that countre was receiue the Christen faith and be baptised Hereupon the ghospell was preached vnto him Who hearing the promis of euerlasting life the hope of resurrection and immortalite of the soule yelded him self gladly to be Christned though he shoulde not spede of his suite To this he was muche persuaded by Alcfrid king Oswins son who had maried his sister Cymburg kinge Pendan his daughter Thus then he with the Erles and kinghtes that waited vpon him and all their seruauntes were baptised of Finanus the bishopp in a famous towne of the kinges called Admurum From whence he returned home with much ioye and comfort accompained with foure priestes notable bothe for lerning and for vertue whiche shoulde instruct and baptise his people These priestes were called Cedda Adda Betti and Diuna who was a scottesman borne the other thre english Adda was brother to Vtta that holy and vertuous priest that we mencioned before and Abbot of the monastery called Cubeshead These foresaied priestes entring the prouince of the middleland with the Prince preached the worde of God and were gladly heard Whereby many daily as well noble as of the base forte renouncing the filth of idolatry were clensed in the fonte of life Neither king Pendam father to this young prince did withstande or gainsaie the preaching of the ghospell in his dominions yf any would heare it But hated in dede and persecuted all such as bearing the name of Christians liued not according to the faithe they professed saying commonly that suche men were wretched and worthely to be spited whiche regarded not to please their God in whom they beleued These thinges began two yeares before the death of kinge Penda the younger who being after slayne and Oswin a moste Christen kinge succeding him in the crowne Diuna one of the foure foresaied priestes was consecrated of Finanus and created bishop of all the middle or vplandish english men For the scarcety of priestes made that ouer all that people one Bishop was sett Who winning to the faith in short time a great multitude of people in Fepping died leauing for his successour Ceollach a Scottish man also borne Who not longe after leauing the bishoprike returned to his countre the Iland of Hij where the chief and principall monasteries of Scotland were To him succeded Trumher a vertuous man and brought vpp in religion an Englishman borne but consecrated byshopp of the Scottes in the raigne of kinge VVillher as we shall hereafter more at larg declare How the East Saxons at the preaching of Cedda receiued again the faith◠which vnder kinge Sigibert they had loste The 22. Chapter AT this very time the east Saxōs by the meanes of kinge Oswin receiued againe the faith which before expelling Melitus the first bishop of Londō out of the coūtre they abandonned Their kinge then was Sigbert succeding to Sigibert surnamed the litle This Sigbert being a nere and familiar frende of kinge Oswin then king of the Northumbrians came by that occasion oftentimes to Northumberland At which metinges the vertuous kinge Oswin vsed eftsoones to persuade with him that such could not be Gods which were made with mens handes that wodde or stone coulde not be any quicke matter to make a liuing God the pieces and remnants whereof either were wasted with fire or serued to make vessels for the vse of man or otherwise being naught worthe were caste forth troden vnder foote and turned into earth God rather saied he must be vnderstanded to be of maiesty incomprehensible to mens eyes vnuisible almighty and euerlasting who made bothe heauen and earth and all mankinde gouerned them also and should iugde the whole worlde in equite whose mansion place is euerlastinge Finally that al such as would lerne and perfourme the will of their Creatour should vndoubtedly receiue of him euerlasting rewarde therefore These and such other godly aduertissemtēs being frendly and brotherly from time to time made and repeted to king Sigbert by Oswin he began at lenght his other frendes agreing therunto to sauour them and beleue them Whereupon aduise being taken with his company and all bothe consenting and pricking him fore ward he was baptised of Finanus the bisshop in the cite of Admurum nigh vnto the walle wherewith the
meane tyme kinge Alcfrid sent VVilfrid his priest vnto the kinge of Fraunce that he might in his dominions be consecrated bishop Who sent him to be consecrated of Agilbert of whom we made mencion before being then bishop of Paris where he was consecrated withe great honour of him and many other bishops meting for that purpose together in a Manour of the kinge called In compendio Bishop VVilfrid making some abode in Fraunce after his consecration kinge Oswin folowing the example and diligence of his sonne kinge Alcfrid sent in to kent a holy man vertuous sufficiently lerned in holy scripture and a diligent perfourmer of that he had lerned to be created bishop of Yorke This man was a priest and called Ceadda brother to the most Reuerend bishop Ceddi of whom we haue often mencioned before and Abbat of the monastery of Lesting The king sent also withe him an other of his priestes Eadhed by name who after in the reign of kinge Ecfrid was bishop of Rhyppon But they at their arriuall to kent finding the Archebishop of Caunterbury Deusdedi◠departed and no man yet supplying his rowme stroke ouer to the west Saxons where VVini was bishop and of him this vertuous man Ceadda was consecrated bishop hauing withe him to assist and accompany him at the consecration two other bishops of the olde Britons who continewed yet in their accustomed obseruation of Easter beginning from the fourtenth daye of the chaunge contrary to the canonicall and right order as we haue often saied before There was not at this tyme beside this bishop VVini any one true bishop and rightly consecrated in all Britanny Ceadda then being thus created and consecrated bishop began seriously to sett forthe the truthe of gods word to leade his life in chastite humilite and abstinence to study and much teaching For the which intent he visited continually the cytes townes villages yea and priuat houses in his diocese and that not making his iourney on horsebacke but going allwaies on foote as the Apostles vsed All this he had lerned of the vertuous bishop Aidan and of his brother bishop Ceddi whose vertuous examples he endeuoured him selfe allwaies to folowe and to teache the same to other VVilfrid also returning to England nowe a bishop instructed much the church of England and reduced them to the Catholike vnite touching externall rites and obseruations in many pointes Whereby it came to passe that Catholike ordonaunces taking place and beginning daily to be more and more embraced the whole company of the Scottes which then liued amonge the english men either yelded to the same or els returned backe to their countre Howe Wighard priest was sent to Rome to be consecrated Archebishop of Caunterbury and how he died there according as by letters from the Pope it was specified The. 29. Chap. AT this tyme the most worthy and renouned kinges of England Oswin of the North countre and Ecgbert of kent and the places adioyning deliberating betwene them selues touching the paisible gouuernment of the church for kinge Oswin had nowe perfitly lerned though he were brought vp of the Scottes that the church of Rome was the Catholike and Apostolicall churche by the choyse and consent of the holy clergy of England called vnto them one Wighard a priest a man of great vertu and worthy to be a bishop one of the clergy vnder Deusdedit the deceased Archebishopp and sent him to Rome to be consecrated to the intent that he being made Archebishop might consecrat and order other byshops for the Catholike churches of Englishe men through out all Britanny But Wighard coming to Rome before he could be consecrated bishop departed this life whereupon the Pope sent backe to kinge Oswin these letters To our most honorable Son Oswin kinge of the Saxons Vitalianus Byshop the seruaunt of those which serue God We haue receiued your excellencies wishefull letters by the perusall whereof we perceiued your excellencies most godly deuotion and feruent zele to attaine euerlasting life hoping assuredly that as you now reigne ouer your people so in the life to come you shal reighn with Christ for as much as by his Souuerain helpe and grace you are nowe conuerted to the true right and Apostolike faith Blessed is that people ouer whom God hath placed a prince of such wisedom vertu and desire of Gods honour As the which not only serueth God him selfe incessantly but also laboureth to draw all his subiects to the right vnite of the Catholike and Apostolicke faith purchasing them thereby vndoubted saluation of their soules For who hearing this ioyefull report of such a Prince will not also reioyse thereat What Christen hart will not leape for ioye and cōceiue singular cōfort of so zelous furdering of the faith Truly cōsidering the happy cōuersion of your natiō to the seruing of almighty God I remēbre and see in you the oracles of the diuine prophets accōplished as it is written in Esay In that day the roote of Iesse standeth vp for a tokē to the people him the natiōs shal cal vpon And againe Heare o ye Ilandes and harkē ye people that dwell a farre of And within a few wordes after the prophet crieth to the church It is not enough that thou shalt serue me in restoring the tribes of Iacob and in cōuerting the dragges of Israel I haue geuen the for a light to the nations that thou be my saluation euen to the furdermost of the earth And againe Kinges shal see princes shall arise and shall adore And a litle after I haue geuen the for a leage of my people that thou shouldest raise vp the earth and possesse the scattered inheritages and saye to those which laye hounde come ye for the and to those wich sate in darcknes be ye opened And againe I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnes and haue taken thy hand and haue saued thee and haue set thee to be a light vnto nations and to be a leage betwene my people that thou maiest open the eyes of the blind and deliuer from bondes the bounde the man sitting in darckenes out of the prison Beholde most honourable Sonne by the verdit of the prophets it is most clere that not onely you but all nations shall beleue in Christ the maker of all thinges It behoueth therefor your highnes being now a parte of Christe to folow in all thinges and allwaies the sure rules and ordonnaunces of the head of the Apostles as well in obseruing your Easter as in all other thinges deliuered by the holy Apostles Peter and Paule Whose doctrine doth daily lighten the hartes of all true beleuers no lesse then the two lightes of the element geue light to the whole worlde And after many other wordes writen touching the vniforme obseruation of Easter through out the whole worlde it foloweth in the letter As touching one well furnished with lerning and other qualites mete to be your bishop according to the tenour of your letters we could
a Brittain made wicked battail against the grace of God The. 10. Chap. THe yere of our Lord 394. Arcadius son vnto Theodosius with his brother Honorius being the xliij Emperour after August raigned xiij yeres In whose time Pelagius a Britan borne disperkled the venim of his faithlesse doctrine very far abroad holding that a man might liue well without the helpe of the grace of God vsing herein the ayde of Iulianus of Campania who was intemperatly sturred with the losse of his byshoprick To whom S. Austen and other catholick fathers also hath aunswered in most ample maÌ„ner but yet they would not be amended therby But being conuicted of their falshed they rather would encrease it by defending and mainteining it then amend it by retourning to the truth How that Honorius being Emperour Gratian and Constantine vsurped tyranny in Britanny where the first shortly after was slayne and the other in Fraunce The. 11. Chap. THe yere of our Lord 407. Honorius son of Theodosius the younger being emperour in the 44. place after August ij yere before that Rome was iuuaded by Alaricus Kyng of the Gothes when the nations of the Alanes the Sueâ—es and the Vandalls and many such other with them the frenchmen being beaten downe passing the Rhene raiged thorough out al Fraunce about that time Gratianus in BritaÌ„ny is created tyraÌ„ and is slayne In his place Constantine being but a coÌ„mon souldiour was chosen only for the names sake with out any desert of vertu which so sone as he had taken vppon him the empire passed ouer in to Fraunce where being ofte deluded of the barbarous nations as vnwisely and vncertainly making his leage with them greatly endomaged the common welth Wher vpoÌ„ Honorius sending Constantius the Counte in to Fraunce with an army Constantine was beseiged at Arells and there taken and slayne and Gerontius his partener slew his son CoÌ„stans at Vienna whom of a moÌ„ke he had made emprour Rome was destroyd of the Gothes the 1164. yere after it was buylded After which time the Romans lefte to rule in BritaÌ„ny after almost 470. yeres that C. Iulius Caesar first entered the sayd I le The Romanes dwelt with in the trench which as we haue sayd Seuerus drew ouerthwart the IlaÌ„d at the south part which thing may appeare by the citties temples bridges and paued stretes to this day remayning Not withstanding they had in possession and vnder their dominion the farder partes of Britanny and also the Ilandes which ar aboâ—e Britanny How the Britannes being spoyled of the Scottes and the Pictes sought ayde of the Romans which at the second time of their comming buylded a wall betwene the ij countries but they shortly after were oppressed with greater miseres then euer they wer in before The. 12. Chap. BY meanes the sayd tyrannes and capitaines of the Romans did vse to transport with them ouer in to Fraunce the flower of all the youthe of Britanny to serue them in their forayne warres their men of warre wer consumed and the country being all disarmed was not now able to defend them selues against the inuasion of their enemies Where vppon many yeares together they liued vnder the miserable seruage and oppression of ij most cruell outlandish nations the Scottes and the Pictes I cal them outlandish not for that they wer out of the circuit of Britanne but that they wer diuided from the land of Britanny by ij armes of the sea running betwext them of the which one froÌ„ the easte sea the other from the west ruÌ„neth in far and wyde in to the land of Britanny though they may one reach to the other In the middle of the east creeke there is a citte buylded called Guidi Aboue the west creeke towarde the right hand standeth a citte called Alcuith which in their language is as much to say as the Rock Cluith for it standeth by a fludd of the same name The Britannes then being thus afflicted by the sayd nations sent their embassadours wyth letters vnto Rome wyth lamentable supplications requiring of them ayde and succour promising them their continuall feaâ—te so that they would reskue them against the oppression of their sayd enemies where vppon there was sent vnto them a legion of armed souldiours from Rome which commyng in to the iland and encountering wyth the enemies ouerthrew a great number of them and draue the rest owt of the fruntiers of the couÌ„try and so setting them at liberte and fre from the misery wyth which they wer before so greuously ouercharged couÌ„seled them to make a wall betwene thâ— ij seas which might be of force to kepe out their euill neyghboures and that don they returned home with great triumph But the Britons buylding the wall which they wer bid to make not of stone as they wer willed but of turue as hauing none among them that had skyll there in made it so slender that it serued them to litle purpose This walle they made betwen the ij sayd armes or creekes of the sea many myles longe that wher as the fense of the water lacked there by the helpe of the treÌ„ch they might kepe their country from the breakyng in of their ennemies Of which pece of wurke there remayneh euen vnto this day most assured tokens yet to be seene This trench begynneth about two myles of from the monastery of AEbercuring Westward in a place which in the Pictes language is called Peanuakel and in English is called Penwelt and runnyng owt eastward is ended by the citty of Alâ—luith But the former enemies when they had once perceiued that the Roman legion was returned home againe furth with being sett on land by boates inuadeth the borders ouercometh the countrey and as it wer corne reddy to be cutt they moweth beateth and beareth downe all before them Where vpon Ambasadours be sent agayne to Rome wyth lamentable voyce requiring their succour beseching them they would not suffer their miserable country to be vtterly destroyed nor permitt that the name of the prouince which thorow them had so long â—lorished should now thus despirefully be extingueshid by the wycked crueltie of their forayne people Agayn there is sent an other legion which in the hâ—â—â—est time comyng vpon the sodayne made a great slawghter of the enemies and such as could eskape chased them ouer the seas in to their owne conntry which before wer wont to waste and spoyle the country of Britanny wythout resistance Then the Romans toulde the Brytans playne that it was not for their ease to take any more such trauaylous iourneis for their defence and bydd them to practise their armour them selues and learne to wythstande their enemy whom nothing els did make so strong but their faynt and cowardous hartes And forsomuch they thought that wold be sum helpe and strength vnto their loyal fellowes whom they wer now forced to forsake they buylded vp a walle of hard stone from sea to sea a right betwene the two citties
which there wer made to kepe owt the enemy in the felf same place where Seuerus before had cast the trench which walle euen to this day remaineth famous and to be seene with publick and priuat charges the Britannes also putting to their helping haÌ„des They then buylded it eight fote broade and xij high right as it wer by a line from east to weste as it doth to this day playnly appeare which being perfited they geue the people strayt warning to looke well to them selues they teach them to handle their wepon and instructe them in war like feates Also by the sea side southward where their ships lay at harbar least their enemyes should land there aboutes they makyth vp bullwarkes a longe one sum what distant from the other and this donne biddeth them fare well as mynded no more to retourne As sone as they wer gonne the Scottes and Pyctes hauing intelligence that they had made promisse they wold come no more they takyng hart of grace therof retourneth agayne to their wont busines And first all that was without the walle they taketh for their owne After that they came to geue assault vnto the walle where the Britannes with faynt hand and fearfull hart defending it wer with grapples which they had diuised pulled downe to the grownde and otherwise so assaulted that they leauing both the cytties and the wal also wer dispercled and put to flight The enemy followeth kylleth and sleyth more cruelâ—y then eâ—er he did before For euen as the lambes of the wilde beastes so were they torne and mangled of their ennemies Whereuppon being dreuen out of their owne houses and possessions they falleth a robbing and spoyling one the other of them encreasing their outward misery with inward tumult so far furth that all the whole country was brought to that exigent that they had none other sustenance but that they gotte by hunting and killing of wild beastes How in the time of Theodosius the younger the Britannes sowght helpe of Boëtius then consull of Rome but could not obtaine it and howe at that time Palladius was sent to the Scottes which beleyued in Christe to be their Byshop The 13. Chapter THe yere of the incarnation of our Lord 403. Theodosius the younger succeding Honorius was made Emperour of Rome which he gouerned 27. yeres being the xxv Emperour after August In the eight yere of whose Empire Palladius was sent of Celestinus bishop of the Roman church to the Scottes which had receiued the faith of Christe to be their first bishop And the 23 yere of his raigne Boetius one of the pears and patricians of Rome was now the third time made consul with Symmachus The poore leauing of the Britanes directed vnto him their letters where of this was the beginning To Boetius thrise consâ—ll the Mourning of the Britannes In the processe of which epistle they thus setteth furth their pittyfull estate The Barbarous enemy driueth vs vpon the sea the sea againe vppon the enemy betwene these twaine riseth two maner of deathes either we are killed or drowned And yet for all their sute they could obtaine no ayde of him as he which had then both his handes full of busines and battaile at home with Bleda and Attila kinges of the Hunnes And though the yere before Bleda was murdered by the wyhe treason of his brother Attila yet he alone remained so vntolerable an ennemy vnto the world that he wasted all most all Europe spoyling and ouerthrowing both cities and castles About the same time there arose a great famine in Constantinople after which folowed also the pestilence and a great part of the wal of the said citye fel vnto the grouÌ„de with 57. turrettes And many other cities also being ouerthrowen with earth quake hunger and pestilence beside consumed many a thousand both of men and beastes How the Britones being forced by hungar droue the Barbarous people owt of their country VVhereof ensewed plentif of corne riott pestilence and the losse of the whole country The 14. Chap. IN the meane season huÌ„gar more and more preuailing against the Britones in so much that many yeres after it left tokens and remembrance of the hurt it did in the country droue many of them to yelde them selues into the handes of the robbers Other there were which could neuer be brought there vnto but rather then they would so doe from the hilles and brakes where they luâ—ked many times inuaded their ennemies as trusting so much the more in the help of God how much the lesse hope they had of ayde of man And by such meanes first of all both resisted and ouerthrew them which many yeres together had liued by the spoyle of the couÌ„try Whereby for the time they drewe homeward with shame inough intending not longe after to returne The Pictes then and long time after kept them selues quiet at home saue only that they would make now and then inuasions into the land and driue away bouties of cattell After that they leauing their pilling and spoiling the country drew to a quietnes ther ensued such plentif of grayne as neuer was sene the like before as far as any man could remember whereof the people grew to lose and wanton liuing whereof all maner of lewdenes followed strait after specially cruelâ—â— hate of truth and loue of lying in so much that if any were gentler and more geuen to truth then other the other wold wurke him all the hurte and spite they could as a common enemy of the country This did not only the seculars but also the clergy it selfe and the heddes therof geuing them selues ouer to dronkennes pride contention enuy and such other wickednes casting vtterly from them the swete yoke of Christe In the meane season a bitter plage befell among them for their corrupt liuing consuming in short time such a multitude of people that the quicke wer not sufficient inough to bury the dead And yet for al that they remained so hardened in syn that neither their freÌ„des death nether the â—eare of their own could cure the moreyn of their soules which dayly perished thorow their synfull liuing Wherby a greater stroke of goddes vengaunce ensewed vppon the whole synfull nation For being now infested againe with their ould neighbours they deuised with them selues what was best to doe and where they might seeke reskew to withstaÌ„d and repell the force of the Northen nation And they agreed all with their kyng Vortigerius to demaund ayde of the Saxons beyonde the seas Which thing doutlesse was don by gods owne appointement that the wicked people might be therby plagued as by the ende it shall most manifestly appeare How the English and Saxons being sent for in to Britanny did first cleare the couÌ„try froÌ„ the Pictes and Scottes but shortly after ioyning them selues in leage with them turned their weapon vpon their fellowes that sent for them The. 15. Chap. THe yere of the incarnation of our Lord 4â—29 Marcianus
successours vertuous and godly men who after the same maner kept their Easter either beleued or liued contrary to holy Scripture especially their holynesse being such that God hath confirmed it with miracles Truly as I doubt not but they were holy men so I wil not feare to folow allwaies their life maners and trade of discipline In good sothe quoth VVillfrid It is well knowen that Anatholius was a right holy man very well lerned and worthy of much praise But what is that to you who vary also from his decrees and doctrine For Anatholius in his Easter according to the truth accompted the vsuall compasse of xix yeres whiche you either vtterly are ignorant of or if ye know it yet though it be through all Christendom obserued ye sett light by it Againe thoughe he obserued the Easter Sonday sometime vpon the xiiij daye of the moone yet he accompted the same daye at euening to be the fiftenth of the chaunge after the accompt of the Aegyptians So vpon the xx daye he kept the Easter that at the sonne setting he reaconed it for the xxj Which his rule and distinction that ye be ignorant of it is manifest by this that same time ye kepe your Easter cleane before the full of the moone euen the xiij daye of the chaunge As touching your father Columba and those whiche folowed him whose holy steppes ye pretend to folow as the which haue ben confirmed by miracles to this I may answer that in the daye of iudgment whereas many shall saie vnto Christ that they haue prophecyed cast out diuells and wrought miracles in his name our Lord wil answer that he knoweth them not But God forbidd that I shoulde so iudge of your fathers For it is our duty of such as we knowe not to deme the best Therefore I deme not but they were men of God and acceptable in his sight as the whiche loued God though in rude simplicite yet withe a godly intention Neither do I thinke that the maner of their obseruation coulde be much preiudiciall against them as longe as they had yet receiued no instructions to the contrary But rather I verely suppose seing such cōmaundemēts of God as they knew they willingly folowed they would also haue conformed thēselues to the Catholik iudgemēt if they had ben so informed But nowe Sir you and your cōpanions if hearing the decrees of the Apostolike see or rather of the vniuersall church and that also confirmed in holy write you folow not the same you offend and sinne herein vndoubtedly For though your fathers were holy mē could yet those few of one so smal corner of the vttermost ilond of the earth preiudicat the whole church of Christ dispersed through the vniuersall worlde And if your father Columba yea and our father if he were the true seruaunt of Christe were holye and mightye in miracles yet can he by any meanes be preferred to the moste blessed prince of the Apostles to whom our Lorde sayed Thou arte Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my churche and hell gates shall neuer preuaile against her and to thee I will geue the kayes off the kingdome of heauen Thus when VVilfrid concluded the kinge saied vnto bishop Colman Were these thinges in dede spoken to Peter of our Lorde To whom the bishop answered yea Can you then saieth the kinge geue euidence of so speciall authoritie geuen to your father Columba The bishop answering No the kinge spake vnto bothe parties and sayed Agree ye bothe in this without any controuersy that these wordes were principally spoken vnto Peter and that vnto him the kayes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen When bothe had answered yea the kinge concluded and saied Then I saye vnto you that I will not gainsaie such a porter as this is but as farre as I knowe and am able I will couet all pointes to obey his ordinaunces lest perhaps when I come to the dores of the kingdome of heauen I finde none to open vnto me hauing his displeasure whiche is so clerely proued to beare the kayes thereof Thus when the kinge had sayed all that sate and stode by of all sortes and degrees abandonning their former vnperfectenesse confourmed them selues to the better instructions whiche they had nowe lerned How bishop Colman being ouercomed retourned home and Tuda succeded in the bishopricke Also what trade of life those gouernours of the church lead The. 26. Chap. THe controuersy being thus ended and the assemble dissolued bishop Agilbert returned home Bishop Colman also seing his doctrine and secte reprouued taking with him such as would folow him that is such as refused to accept the Catholike obseruation of Easter and the bearing of a rounde shauen crowne for of that matter also much disputation then was had returned vnto Scotland minding to deliberat there with his countremen what to folow herein Bisshop Cedda forsaking the Scottes embraced the catholike tradition and returned to his bishoprick This controuersie was moued in the yeare of our Lorde 664. in the 22. yeare of kinge Oswin and in the xxx yeare after the Scottes had ben bisshops ouer the englishmen For Aidan gouuerned the churche 17. yeares Finanus ten and Colman thre After the departure of Colman in to his countre Tuda was sett bishop ouer the Northumberlandmen instructed and created bishop amonge the South Scottes bearing after the maner of that countre a rounde shauen crowne and obseruing the Easter after the Catholike maner He was a man of great vertu and holynesse but he gouuerned the church a small time For he came out of Scotland whiles Colman was yet bishop teaching bothe in worde and with example diligently the true faith in Christ. In holy Ilond at the departure of the Scottes Eata a reuerend father and most meke person was made Abbat ouer the rest of the monkes which remained Who before had ben Abbat of Mailros at the suite of bishop Colman obtaining it of kinge Oswin at his departure bicause the same Eata had ben one of the xij scholers of bishop Aidan which at his first coming in to England he brought vp For this bishop Colman was derely loued of kinge Oswin for his rare wisedome and vertu This Eata not longe after was made bishop of holy Ilond Bishop Colman at his departing toke with him certain of the bones off bishop Aidan Part also he lefte in the church which he was bishop of laying them vp in the vestry thereof But how sparefull personnes he and his predecessours were and how greatly they absteined from all pleasures euen the place where he bare rule did witnesse In the whiche at their departure fewe houses were founde beside the church that is to saye those houses only without the which ciuill conuersation could no wise be maintained They had no mony but cattaill For if they tooke anye mony of riche men by and by they gaue it to poore people Neither was it nedefull that either mony
should be gathered or houses prouided for the receiuing and intertainement of the worshipfull and welthy Who neuer came then to church but onely to praye and to heare the worde of God The kinge him selfe when occasion serued to resort thither came accompayned only with fyue or six persons and after praier ended departed But if by chaunce it fortuned that anye of the nobilite or of the worshipfull refreshed them selues in the monasteries they contented them selues with the religious mens simple fare and poore pittens looking for no other cates aboue the ordinary and daily diett For then those lerned men and rulers of the churche sought not to pamper the panche but to saue the soule not to please the worlde butt to serue God Whereof it came then to passe that euen the habite of religious men was at that time had in greate reuerence So that where anye of the clergye or religious person came he shoulde be ioyefully receiued of all men like the seruaunt of God Againe if any were mett going on iourney they ranne vnto him and making lowe obeissaunce desyred gladly to haue their benediction either by hand or by mouth Also if it pleased them to make any exhortation as they passed by euery man gladly and desirously harkened vnto them Vpon the Sondayes ordinarely the people flocked to the church or to monasteries not for bely chere but to heare the worde of God And if any priest came by chaunce abrode into the village the inhabitaunts thereof would gather about him and desire to haue some good lesson or collation made vnto them For the priestes and other of the clergy in those daies vsed not to come abrode in to villages but only to preache to baptise to visit the sicke or to speake all in one worde for the cure of soules Who also at that time were so farre from the infection of couetousnes and ambition that they would not take territories and possessions toward the building of monasteries and erecting of churches but through the ernest suite and almost forced of noble and welthy men of the worlde Which custome in all pointes hath remained a longe time after in the clergy of Northumberland And thus much of these matters How Egberecht a holy man english borne lead a religious solitary life in Ireland The. 27. Chapter THis very yeare of our Lorde 664. a great eclipse of the Son happened the third daye of Maye about ten of the clocke In the which yeare also a sodain great plague consuming first the south partes of Britanny taking holde also in Northumberland with longe and much continuance wasted away an infinit number of men In the which mortalite the foresaied bishop Tuda was taken out of the worlde and honourably buried in a monastery called Pegnalech This plague perced also euen to Ireland There were at that time in the Iland diuers young gentle men and other of England which vnder Finanus and Colmanus their bishops had departed a side thither partly to study partly to liue more straightly And some of those forthwith bounde them selues to the religious habit some other wandering rather about the celles and closets of such as taught folowed more their study and lerning All these the Scottes entertained gladly and cherefully geuing them not only their borde and their lerning free but bookes also to lerne in AmoÌ„ge these two young gentlemen of England were of great to wardnesse aboue the rest Edelhum and Ecgbert Of the which two the former was brother vnto Edelhum that blessed man who in the age folowing liued also in Ireland for studies sake from whence with great lerning and knowleadg returning home to his countre he was made bisshop of Lindisse and ruled the church honourably a longe time These younge gentlemen liuing in the monastery which in the Scottish tounge is called Rathmelfig all their companyons being other taken away by the mortalite or otherwise gone abrode remained bothe of them behinde lying sicke of the plage Ecgbert one of the two when he thought his time was come to die as I lerned by the report of a most trusty and reuerent olde maÌ„ which tolde me he heard the whole story at Ecgberts owne mouthe departed very erly out of his chamber where the sicke were wonte to lye and getting him to a secret commodious place sate downe all alone began diligently to thinke on his former life and being pricked with the remembraunce of his sinnes washed his face with teares beseching God from the bottom of his hart to lende him life and time of repentaunce to bewaile and recompence with amendment of life his former negligences and offences He vowed also neuer to returne home to his countre where he was borne but to liue as a pilgrim all daies of his life Againe beside the ordinary seruice of the canonicall houres if sicknes or weakenesse of body letted him not to say euery daye the whole psalter to the honour and praise of almighty God Last of all to faste ones euery weke one whole daye and night His vowes praiers and lamentinges thus being ended he returned to his chaÌ„ber and finding his felow a slepe went also to bedde to take some reste Which after he had a litle done his felowe waking looked vpon him and saied O brother Ecgbert what haue ye done I had hoped we should bothe haue passed together to life euerlasting But now vnderstand ye ye shall haue your request For by a vision it was reueled vnto him bothe what the others petition was and that he had obtained it What nede many wordes Edilhum the night folowing departed Ecgbert recouered and liuing many yeres after being made priest leading a life worthy of that vocatioÌ„ after great ameÌ„dmeÌ„t of life as he desired departed this worlde of late to witt in the yeare of our Lorde 729. in the xc yere of his age He lead his life in great perfection of humilite mekenes continency innoceÌ„cy and of righteousnes Whereby he profited much bothe his owne countre and the place where he liued in voluntary banishment the scottes and the pictes in example of liuing in diligence of teaching in authorite of correcting in bountifulnesse of bestowing that which the riche gaue aboundantly vnto him Beside his vowes mencioned before he made and kept other as that thourough out the whole lent he neuer eate more then ones in the daye eating also then nothing els but bread and thinne milke and that with a certain measure His milke was of one day olde which the day before he would eate it he was wont to put and kepe it in a viole and the night folowing skimming away the creme with a litle bread to drinke it vp This kind of faste he vsed to kepe xl dayes before Christmas and as longe after whitâ—â—ntyde all his life tyme. How after the death of bishop â—da VVilfrid in Fraunce and Ceadda amonge the west Saxons were made bishops of Northumberland prouince The. 28. Chapter IN this
his way to the prouince of the South Saxons which from kent reacheth southwarde and westward as far as the West Saxons contayning vij M. tenementes and was yet at that time lyuing in the paynimes lawe Vnto them did he minister the worde of faith and baptisme of saluation The king of the same countree whose name was Edilwach was christened not long before in the prouince of the Marshes in the presence and at the exhortatioÌ„ of king Wulfhere Who also at the fonte was his godfather and in signe of that adoption gaue him two prouinces that is to say the I le of wight and the prouince of Manures in the West parte of England By the permission therefore and great reioysing of the king this bishopp christened the chiefe Lordes and knightes of the countree And the reast of the people at thesame time or sone after were christened by the priestes Eappa Padda Bruchelin and Oidda The Quene also named Ebba was christened in her I le which was in the prouince of the Viccians for she was the doughter of Eanfride who was Eanberes brother whiche were both christen men and all their people But all the prouince of the South Saxons had neuer before that time heard of the name of God nor the faith Yet there was in the countree a certaine monke a Scot borne named Dicul which had a very litle monasterie in a place called Bosanham all compassed about with woddes and the sea and therein a v. or vj. bretherne seruing God in humble and poore life But none of the people there did giue them selues either to followe their lyfe or heare their preaching But when bishop Wilfride came and preached the gospel vnto them he not only deliuered theÌ„ from the miserie and perill of eternall damnation but also from an horrible morraine of this temporall death For in three yeares before his comming to that prouince it had not rayned one drop in all those quarters Whereby a very sore famine came vpon the common people and destroyed them by hole heapes in most pitifull wyse In so much that it is reported that diuerse and many times xl or l. men in a company being famished for hunger would go together to some rocke or sea banke and there wringing their handes in most miserable sort would cast themselues all downe either to be killed with the fall or drowned in the sea But on that very day on which the people receaued the baptisme and faith there fell a goodly and plentifull shoure of raine wherewith the earth florished againe and brought a most ioyfull and frutefull yere with goodly greene fieldes euery where Thus their old superstition being layed away and idolatrie blowen out and extincted the hartes and bodies of them all did reioyse in the liuing God knowing that he which is the true God had by his heauenly grace enryched them both with inwarde and outward giftes and goodes For this bishop also when he came into the countree and sawe so great a plage of famine there taught them to get their sustenaunce by fysshing For the sea and riuers there about them had great abundance of fysh But the people had no skill at all to fish for any thing els but eeles And therefore they of the bishops company gat somewhere a sort of eelenettes together and cast them into the sea and straight way by the helpe and grace of God they tooke CCC fishes of diuerse kindes The which they diuided into three partes and gaue one hundred to poore folke and an other to them of whom they had the nettes and the third they kept for themselues By the which benefit the bishop tourned the hartes of them all much to loue him and they began the more willingly to hope for heaueÌ„ly things at his preaching by whose helpe and succour they receaued the giftes and goodes of this worlde At this time did Edilwach giue vnto the most reuerend bishop VVilfrid the land of lxxxvij tenementes where he might place his company that were exiles with him The name of the place was Sâ—â—lâ—seâ—s The whiche place is compassed of the sea round about sauing on the west where it hath an entraunce into it as brode as a man may caste a stone with a slinge Which kinde of place is in Latin called Paeninsula and in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When bishop VVilfride had receaued this place he founded a monasterie there which he did binde to monastical life and rule and did put therein monkes namely some of them that he had brought with him Whiche monasterie his successours are knowen to holde and kepe vnto this day For vntil the death of king Ecgbert which was v. yeares space he continewed still in those quarters in great honour and reuerence among all men for his good deseruing for he did the office of a bishop both in word and dede And bicause the king with the possession of the forsaid place had giueÌ„ him also al the goodes and demaynes of the same with the groundes and men to he instructed them all in the Christian faithe and baptised theÌ„ al. AmoÌ„g the which ther wer CCC bond men and bondwemen whome he did all not only deliuer by christening them from the bondage of the deuil but also by giuing them their freedom did louse them from the yoke of the bondage of man How by the prayer and intercession of Saint Oswald the pestilent mortalitie was taken away The. 14. Chapter IN this monasterie att the same time there were shewed certaine giftes of heauenly grace by the holy Ghoste as in which place the tyrannye of the deuill being lately expelled Christ had newly begonne to raigne One of which thinges we thought good to put in writing to be remeÌ„bred hereafter the which in dede the most reuerend father Acca was ofte times wont to tell me and affirmed that be had it shewed him of the bretherne of the same monasterie a man most worthy to be credited About the same very time that this prouince receaued the name of Christ a sore plage and mortalitie raigned in many prouinces of England which plage by the pleasure of Gods dispensation and ordinaunce when it touched also the foresayed monasterie which at that time the most Reuerend and vertuouse priest of Christ Eappa did rule and gouerne and that many bothe of them that came thither with the bishop and also of such as had bene lately called to the faith in the same prouince of the South Saxons were taken daily out of this life it semed good to the bretherne to appoint themselues to faste three daies and humbly to beseke the mercy of God that he wold voutsafe to shew grace and mercy towarde them and deliuer them from this perilouse plage and present deathe or at least when they were taken out of this world to saue their soules from eternall damnation There was at that time in the same monasterie a certaine litle boye that was lately come
Les annalâ—s de FiaÌ„â— Lib. 12. Cromerus iâ— eâ—ist ad Proceres Poloniae â— Cor. 12. Act. 4. 10. 〈◊〉 20. Act. 5. Heb. 11. Rom. 1. Hebr. 7. In postilla magna in Dom. â— Ad. Li. 2. ca. 3. lib. 4. ca. 3. 16. Li. 2. ca. 4. li. 3. ca. 25. Matt. 13. Act. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 1. Tim. 6. Colos. 1. Of the Author of this History Of his lerning Lib. de scri ecclesiasti Hieron in Cata. vir illust In Ioan. 6. Lib. 5. Histor. In Ioan. 6. Of his vertu In vitae Bedae In Ioan. 6. Lib. 1. Tripartâ— hist. lib. 1. cap. 1. In Epist. In Ioanne vj. 〈◊〉 VVhy the Author of this historyâ—s to be credited Of the matter of the history 〈◊〉 16. Sueton in Neronâ— â— Cor. 13. Of the miracles reported in this History Tobi. 12. Cap. 3. That the History ought not to seâ—e 〈…〉 Li. 6. câ— 9 Li. 7. ca. 18 Lib. 1. c. 5. Liâ— c. 8. 10. Lib. 2. cap. 8. Hist. tripart li. 1. c. 5. 10. 11. lib. 7 â— cap. 5. â—ozâ—m lib. 6. ca. 29. Lib. 7. c. 5. 〈◊〉 22. Li. 4. et in Philotheo The most lerned â—athers of the first â— â— yeres haâ—e wâ—â—ten Saints liues Tom. 3. Li. 1. 3. de virg Item inexhortat ad virgines In hom so 126. Li. 1. ca. 7. Li. 2. c. 30 Li. 4. c. 25 27. Li. 22. c. 8 In praefat ad Philotheum An admonition out of Theodoret touching miracles An other out of S. Augustin Lib. dâ— cura pro mor tuis gereÌ„da cap. 16. Cap. 17. Act. 9. 1. Cor. 12. Eccles. 3. Note Lib. eodem Cap. 16. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 13. Heretikes will not beleue miracles Confes. lib. Serm. 91. ProtestaÌ„ts pretende miracles Pag. 1677. Pag. 520. Pa. 444. Pag. 355. Pa 1670. * At VVei mouth at the riuer VVere whiche runneth by Dyrtham a Essex b Salisbury Exceter VVelles c Suffolck Norfolck and Cambrigd shere Northumbers are called in this stistory al. that dwel beyoÌ„d the riuer HuÌ„bre North ward d Sussex and Hapshere e Mercia or Marshland containeth the dioceses of Lâ—hfield and CoueÌ„try Lincolne and VVorcet f Essex g The countre of NorthuÌ„berland properly * That is 1800. miles * This hauen is now loste by the irruption of the sea * The Redshankes A description of Ireland * Colchester The yeare of our Lord 46. Actor 11. An. 156. An. 189. An. 286. The Martyrdom of saint Albane the firste Martyr of Britanny * â— which we call now dorsuolde â—odde Temples of Martyres holy daies CoÌ„secration of the B. sacrameÌ„t Heresies in BritaÌ„ny The Arrians heresie prospereth not with standing thâ— generall councell of Nice An. 377. An. 394. The propery of heretâ—kes An. 407. The first destruction of Rome The cause why the olde Brittons became weake and open to forain inuasioÌ„s * RedshaÌ„kes An. 403. Palladius the first bishop of Scotland An. 411. Ryâ— and euil life the Britains destructioÌ„ An. 429. The first arriuall of English meÌ„ in to Britanny Saxons English and Vites * The people of Essex of Sussex and of the westcountre The English meÌ„ occupied at the first all England except kent Essex Sussex and parte of the westcountre * The Redshankes The first spoilyng of BritaÌ„ny by the English men Counsell of the catholike bishops in Fraunce for extirping of Pelagianâ— heresy Tempest ceased by prayer and holy water An open disputatioÌ„ betwene Catholikes and heretikes of the pelagian secte in the yeare of our lorde 400. Relikes of holy Martirs The faith and deuotion of Christen bishops about the yere of our Lord. 400. The like Seuerâ— Sul piâ—ius writeth of S. Martin In epist. 2. presixa prologo in vitaÌ„ B. Martini The xl daies of LeÌ„t S. Germain putteth to flight an lioÌ„siâ—â— of insidels by singiÌ„g of lleluia Heretikes banished the countre sett it in rest and quiet S. Gregory sendeth S. Augustin to preache the faith to English men An. â— 96. A letter of S. Gregory exhorting S. Augustin to pursue his iourney to England An other letter of S. Gregory to the Archebishop of Aerls The I le of Tenet Our faith begann with Crosse and procession The life of our Apostles and first preacâ—ers Our first Apostle sayed masse The first Christening of Englishemen in Caunterbury This chapter is ful of much good lerning and godly instructioÌ„s The Sea Apostolike S. Augustin our Apostle was a moÌ„ke The clergy ouâ— of holy orders taketh wiues Luc. 11. The order of the English seruice choseÌ„ out of other diuers countres for the best Of church â—obberies Leuit. 18. Gen. 2. Of creatiÌ„g of bisshops The See of Rome The primacy of Caunterbury in England Leuit. 12. Oâ—â— 3. Luc. 8. Of natural infirmities Note DiffereÌ„ce betwene the new testament and the old lawe Math. 15. Ad TituÌ„ 1. Leuit. 15. VVhether in the acte of mariage be any sinne Psal. 50. Psal. 30. 1. Coâ— 7. Exod 19. â—â— ReguÌ„ 21. Of nightly pollutioÌ„s or iâ—lusions SuggestioÌ„ Delight Consent How sin bredeth in the hartes of meÌ„ Rom. 7. A palle from the Pope to Augustin the first Bishop of Caunterbury The priuilâ—ges of the Bysshops of yorke and London Holy water aultars and relikes Lucae 10. A godly letter of S. Gregory to Ethelbert the first Christen kinge of english men Christes church in Caunterbury * That monastery is now called the Augustines if itâ— stande yet An. 605. S. Gregory Bishop ouer the whole worlde 1. as head thereof S. Gregory our Apostle 1. Cor. 9. S. Gregory a religious maÌ„ S. Gregory the popes legat at Constantinople S. Gregory represseth an heresy riâ—ing in Constantinople Luc. 24. The workes of S. Gregory Lib. 1. cap. 27. Heb. 12. S. Gregory a great almes maÌ„ Psal. 111. Iob. 29â— A ioyfull â—eioysing of S. Gregory touching the conuersioÌ„ of EnglaÌ„d to the faith Masse said at the shrines of S. Peter and Paule in Rome An Epitaphe apon S. Gregory our Apostle The occasion why S. Gregory sent preachers vnto our countre * Angli * Angelicam * Of yorkeshere * Deiri * Deira eruâ—i Siclegit Polya lib. 1. Hist. Augl About South HamptoÌ„ Psal. 67. Our Apostles Faith coÌ„firmed by a miracle Matth. â—1 The generalâ— rule of our Sauiour euil construed in a particular case Thre 〈◊〉 proposed to the Bâ—tâ—n or wâ—â—ch bishopâ— A wrongâ— and 〈◊〉 te surmise A true prophecy of S. Augustin out Apostle The monastery of Bâ—gor in wales Fasting and praying in schismatikes auaileth not An. 604. Essex and the countre about London Memories of soules departed Agendae eorum The epitaphe vpoÌ„ S. Augustine touÌ„be in Caunteâ—bury Laurence the secoÌ„d Archebisshop of Caunterbury Our first Christen Bishops labour to reconcile the Scotts from their schisme to the Catholike vnitâ— The see Apostolike Mellite the first B. of London trauaileth to the Pope for instructioÌ„s c. This church stanâ—eth in Rome at this daye and is called S. Maâ—ia rotunda An. 613. The first English kinges of Britanny