Books into which I have divided this Volume I will now proceed to acquaint you with the rest of my Authors from whom I have collected it nor will I give you only their Names which has been done by so many already but a brief Censure of them and their Works and in what Time they wrote being such as lived either before or after the Conquest Of the former sort there are but few since from Bede to Asser. Menev. there flourish'd no general Historian for William of Malmsbury himself confesses that after Bede all liberal Studies more and more declining those that followed spent their Lives in Idleness or Silence yet during even that Period there were some Writers of this kind viz. certain Monks in the greater Monasteries whose business it was to set down in short by way of Annals the most remarkable Passages of their own Times in their own Language nay Learning was in that King's Reign fallen to so low an Ebb that even King Alfred tells us in his Preface to the Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral That in the beginning of his Reign there were few on this side Humber who could understand their own Prayers much less turn a piece of Latin into English and where then were our supposed flourishing Vniversities AND I shall here begin with Asserius Menevensis who was so called because he was a Monk of Menevia or St. Davids This was he who being sent for by King Alfred out of Wales assisted him in his Studies and besides taught his Children and others of the Nobility Latin after this King Alfred sent him with others to fetch Grimbald out of Flanders into England and after the Schools were opened at Oxford the latter there professed Divinity and the former Grammar and Rhetorick as you may find in the Annals of Hyde cited in the ensuing History THIS Monk being Learned above the Age in which he lived first wrote the Annals that go under his Name which having long continued in the Cottonian and other Libraries in Manuscript have been lately published by the Learned Dr. Gale in his last Volume of Historians printed at Oxon. After these Annals it is certain Asser also wrote the whole History of King Alfred's Life under the Title of de Gestis Regis Aelfredi which were first published by the Reverend Arch-bishop Parker in Saxon Characters according to the Copy now in the Cottonian Library and was also again put out by Mr. Camden in another Edition at Frankford But it must be confessed there is some difference between these two Copies concerning the Vniversity of Oxford which is taken notice of in this Work in its proper Place but that the Annals abovementioned were written before his History of King Alfred's Life is plain for he there refers you to those Annals which he has also inserted in the Life almost word for word But tho the former of these is continued to the Death of King Alfred and the latter as far as the 14th Year of the Reign of K. Edward the Elder yet it is evident that he himself wrote neither the one nor the other after the Year 893 being the 45th of King Alfred's Age and this appears from the Life it self in which the Author particularly mentions it nor could he extend the Annals any farther because they were written before he wrote the Life This I observe to let the Reader understand that whatever he finds farther in the Annals or Life the Substance of both which I have given him in this Volume were continued by some other Hand and as for the Annals they sufficiently declare it for towards the latter end under Anno Dom. 909. you may meet with this Passage hoc Anno Asserius Episcopus Scireburnensis obiit which was no other than our Author himself yet this must be farther observed of him that he was so extreamly negligent in his Account of Time that he begins the first Year of King Alfred's Reign sometimes at one Year of our Lord and sometimes at another so that no Man can tell by him when it commenced BVT why he left off Writing so many Years before King Alfred died and never finish'd his Life though he survived him nine Years I confess I know not unless being preferred about the Time when he had finish'd it to the Bishoprick of Shireburne he left the King's Service and going to reside at his own See had other Business on his Hands than Writing And that the same Asser who taught King Alfred was also by him made Bishop of Shireburne appears from this King's Preface to the Saxon Translation of St. Gregorie's Pastoral in which he tells you he was assisted by Plegmund his Archbishop and Asser his Bishop to whom the said King in his Will after the Archbishop and some other Bishops bequeathed a 100 Marks by the Title of Asser Bishop of Shireburne from whence it is manifest that the same Person who was King Alfred's Instructor was also Bishop of Shireburne which Bishoprick was certainly bestowed on him after he had done Writing since tho he mentions the Abbeys of Banwell Ambresbury and Exceter to have been bestowed upon him by the King yet he is utterly silent of his being made Bishop which he would not surely have omitted if he had been then so preferred but how long he held this Bishoprick we can say little positively because we do not find when it was first given him but as for the time of his Death not only the Annals that go under his Name but the Saxon Chronicle also places it under Anno 909. So that I think there can be no reasonable cause to doubt of that BVT what should lead such a careful Chronographer as Florence of Worcester into so great a Mistake as to place this Bishop's Death under Anno 883 I know not unless he had some other Copies of the Saxon Annals by him than are now extant but the Fasti of the Saxon Kings and Bishops publish'd by Sir H. Savil at the end of William of Malmesbury and other Writers are guilty of the like Mistake making this Asser to have succeeded Sighelm Bishop of Shireburn and to have died Anno 883 whereas it appears from our Annals that Sighelm whom William of Malmesbury makes to be the same Person with the Bishop abovementioned this very Year carried King Alfred's Alms to Rome and afterwards went himself as far as India however this Mistake of Florence as also the pretended Authority of our Welsh Chronicle hath as I suppose led divers other Learned Men and particularly Bishop Godwin and Arch-bishop Usher into a Belief of two Assers both Bishops the one of whom died Anno 883 and the other to have been Arch-bishop of St. Davids and to have succeeded Novis who according to the Chronicle of that Church publish'd in the 2d Volume of Anglia Sacra died Anno 872 and there immediately follows under Anno 909 Asserius Episcopus Britanniae fit which must certainly be an Errour in
succeeded him in the Kingdom of Bernicia Aella still reigning in Deira This Theodoric and his Sons according to the Ancient Author of the English-Saxon Genealogies at the end of Nennius lately put forth by Dr. Gale fought with Vrbgen or Vrien King of Cumberland and his Sons with various Success who besieged Theodoric in the Isle of Medcant now Turne Island until by the means of Morgant a Prince of the same Countrey who envied his Valour Vrien was in that Expedition murthered by his own men But the Succession of these Kings of Northumberland is very obscure and uncertain For the Author of the abovecited Genealogies makes one Freodguald to have succeeded this Theodoric or Deoric as he calls him but whether he was the same with Freothwulf mentioned by Florence is hard to determine and after this Freodguald who reigned seven years one Hussa is said to have succeeded who reigned seven years likewise but whether in Deira or Bernicia he does not say in which he is also followed by Rog. Hoveden in his Prologue to his History but the Succession of these Kings having no certain Time assigned them I can only set them down as I find them Here is a large Gap left in the Saxon Annals where nothing occurs further of English Affairs for seven years To supply which we must have recourse to the British Affairs in those Countries we now call Wales Where to shew you the Uncertainty of the British Chronology According to Matthew of Westminster Malgo or Magoclunus whom the Welsh Annals call Mael Guineth was elected King of all the Britains of Wales having been long before King of North-Wales as the word Gwineth in the Welsh Tongue signifies And Humphrey Lloyd in his Fragment of the Description of Wales from an Ancient Book of British Laws thus gives us the manner of his Election After the Saxons had obtained the Kingdom and Crown of London upon the Expulsion of the Britains all the People of Wales met at the mouth of the River Dee to Elect a King and thither came the men of Gwineth or North-Wales the men of Powis-land the men of Dehaubarth Glamorgan and divers other Countries who all elected Mael Gwineth King Whom Geoffry of Monmouth fables to have been King not only of all this Island but also to have conquered Ireland Iceland Gothland Norway Denmark and the Orcades a story so ridiculous that the very telling it is a sufficient Confutation And all this he collects from those words of Gildas wherein he calls him the Island-Dragon and a driver out of many Tyrants and because to express his great wickedness he says He was drunk with the Wine of Sodom Geoffry will needs conclude him to have been guilty of Sodomy This Prince is supposed to have reigned as Supreme King of Wales about six years Ceawlin King of the West-Saxons and Cutha fought against the Britains at a place called Frethanleag now Frethern in Gloucestershire where Cutha was slain yet Ceawlin now took many Towns with great Treasures and other Spoil and so returned home As H. Huntington relates the Britains had at first the better but Ceawlin having sent for fresh Recruits overcame the Conquerors William of Malmesbury mentions a Son of Ceawlin's of the same Name to have been killed before his face but either the Copy he had of these Annals differed from those we have left us or else he was no other than this Cutha here mentioned who was his Brother About this time began the Kingdom of the Mercians according to H. Huntington and Matth. of Westminster whose first King was Crida or Creoda this though the last erected yet was one of the largest of the English Saxon Kingdoms and was also one of the last that was conquered by the West-Saxons This Year also according to the Welsh Annals happened a great Slaughter of the Britains of the North for now Gurgi and Fredur two British Princes being Brothers and Twins the Sons of Oliver Gosgard Vawr i. e. Oliver with the great Train a Prince of Cumberland fought with Aedda or Adda the Saxon King of Northumberland at a place called Caergrew where both the Brothers were slain many of their men treacherously deserting them the Night before the Battel ' This year Aella King of Deira died after 30 years Reign and Athelric succeeded him and reigned 5 years over all Northumberland having as Will. of Malmesbury relates obtained the Kingdom in his Old Age his Youth being spent in a very narrow Fortune yet having according to Florence of Worcester's Account reigned two years over Bernicia in Aella's time And this year also according to Matth. of Westminster this Athelric for so I suppose it should be and not Ethelfrid who had not yet begun to reign married Acca Daughter to Aella King of Deira and on her got seven Sons whose Names he there gives us Also this year in the Welsh Annals as well as those of Vlster Constantine is mention'd to be converted to the Lord whom Archbishop Vsher understands to have been that wicked Constantine King of Devonshire and Cornwall whom Gildas has before inveighed against and who at this time being now bereft of his Wife and Children was also weary of his Kingdom and therefore went privately into Ireland and there building a Monastery took upon him the Habit of a Monk as John of Tinmouth in his Life of St. David relates And this Constantine Hector Boethius in his Scotish History will have to have been sent over by a certain Irish Bishop to preach the Gospel to the Scots and being by them martyr'd to have been some Ages after canonized for a Saint But this sounds like a Legend since the Scots had been long before converted by St. Patrick to the Christian Faith This year there was a great and bloody Battel fought at Wodensbeorge now called Wodensburg a little Village in Wiltshire between the Britains and the Saxons though it is not here said who were the Generals on either side only H. Huntington tells us that the Britains having drawn up their Army after the Roman manner and the Saxons charging them boldly but confusedly there followed a sharp Battel in which GOD gave the Victory to the Britains for the Saxons being wont to have the better in all their Wars being now grown more careless were vanquished and the whole Army almost destroyed which as W. of Malmesbury relates happened through the English joining with the Britains against him though of what Countrey the English were he does not tell us so that Ceawlin being driven out of his Kingdom and Ceolric Son to his Brother Cuthwalf obtaining it reigned five years Ceawlin being thus expell'd after 31 years Reign was forced to take Refuge in some other Kingdom but whether in this Island or else beyond Sea our Histories are silent He had been a little before the greatest and most powerful of all the English-Saxon Kings his Atchievements being a Wonder to the English and
Also this Year the Body of St. Wihtburh was found at Durham entire and uncorrupt after she had been dead 55 Years And the same Year according to Roger Hoveden Osâ—ald who had been before King of Northumberland died an Abbot and was buried in York Minster and Alred the Ealderman who slew King Aethelred was also killed by one Thormond in Revenge of the Death of his Lord. Also the Moon was Eclipsed in the second Hour of the Night 17 o Kal. Feb. Also this Year Beorthric or Brihtrick King of the West Saxons deceased As also Worre an Ealderman Then also Ecgbriht began to Reign over the West Saxons and the same Day or Year as Florence of Worcester hath it Aethelmond Ealderman of Wiccon that is Worcestershire pass'd the River Severne at Cynesmeresford suppose to be Kemsford in Glocestershire and there met him Weoxton the Ealdormen with the Wiltshire Men who gained the Victory I cannot find in any Author the occasion of this Quarrel only that it was fought between these Earls one of the West Saxons and the other of the Mercians but such Bickerings we often meet with in these Writers and so related are of no more use to Human Life than to Chronicle the Skirmishes of Crows or Jack daws flocking together and Fighting in Air. The same Year is very remarkable because as our Annals relate Charles the Great was first made Emperour and saluted Augustus by the Romans he then condemned those to Death who had before outraged Pope Leo but by the Pope's Intercession they were pardoned as to Life and only banished but Pope Leo himself anointed him Emperour Also this Year according to the Welsh Chronicles Publisht by Arthen ap Sitsilt King of Cardigan and Run King of Divet and Cadel King of Powâ—s all three died Now also according to Florence and Simeon Alchmaid Son to Ethelred late King of Northumberland being taken by the Guards of K. Eardulf was by his Command slain but without telling us any Reason why Also about this time according to Sir H. Spelman's First Volume of Councils was held the Third Council of Cloveshoe under Kenwulf King of the Mercians and Athelherd or Ethelhard Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with all the Bishops Ealderman Abbots and other Dignified Persons of that Province in which few Things were transacted concerning the Faith only the Lands of a certain Monastery called Cotham which had been given by Ethelbald King of the Mercians to the Monastery of St. Saviours's in Canterbury and had been upon the Embezeling the Deeds unjustly taken away by King Kenwulph but he now repenting of it desired they should be restored whereupon Cynedrith his Daughter then Abbess of that Monastery gave the said Arch-Bishop other Lands in Kent there mentioned in exchange for the same But since I am come to the Conclusion of this Period I cannot omit giving you a fuller Account of the Character and Death of Brithric King of the West Saxons and of the Succession of Egbert who afterwards became the Chief or Supreme King of this Kingdom and to whom all those Kings that remained were forced to become Tributary As for King Britric he is noted by Will of Malmesbury to have been more desirous of Peace than War and to that end courted the Friendship of Foreign Princes to have been easie to his Subjects in such Things as did not weaken his Government yet being jealous of Prince Egbert who afterwards succeeded him he forced him to flee to King Offa for Refuge but upon the coming of certain Ambassadours to Treat of a Marriage between King Brithric and the Daughter of King Offa he retired into France till that King was made away by the means of his Wife Aeadburga the Daughter of King Offa who having prepared a Cup of poisoned Wine for one of his Favourites whom she hated the King coming in by chance tasted of it and so pined away After whose Death Asser in his Annals relates That when this Queen could live no longer among the English being so hated by them for her violent and wicked Actions she went into France where she was kindly Entertained by Charles the Great and there making that Emperour many great Presents for which he bidding her chuse whom she would have for a Husband himself or his Son she foolishly chose his Son whereupon the Emperour laughing said If thou hadst chosen me thou shouldest have had my Son but now thou shalt have neither A just Return for her desiring to marry one so much younger than her self So the Emperour put her into a Monastery where she lived for some Years as an Abbess but being Expelled thence for her Incontinency she wandred about with only one Servant and begged her Bread in Pavia in Italy till she died But as for Egbert above mentioned when he had been for about three Years banished into France where as William of Malmesbury tells us he polished the Roughness of his own Country Manners the French Nation being at that time the most Civilized of any of those Gothic and German Nations who had some Ages before as hath been already related settled themselves in this side of Europe But upon the Death of King Brihtric without any Issue as the same Author relates he was recalled by the Nobility of the West Saxon Kingdom and being there ordained King reigned with great Glory and Honour exceeding all the English Saxon Kings that went before him as shall be declared in the ensuing Book But before I conclude this I cannot forbear mentioning a Learned English-man who flourished about this time called Alcuinus or Albinus who going into France was in great Favour with Charles the Great whom he taught the Liberal Arts and by his means erected the University of Paris where he read Logic Rhetoric and Astronomy being the most Learned Man of all the English-men if not of all others in his Time He died Abbot of St. Martins at Tours which that King bestowed upon him He wrote elegantly in Verse as well as Prose considering the Age he lived in as appears by his Poem De Pontificibus Sanctis Ecclesiae Eboracencis lately Published by the Reverend and Learned Dr. Gale in his last Volume of English Historians So having arrived to the end of this Period I shall in the next Book shew how King Egbert obtained not only the Crown of the West Saxon Kingdom but also the Supreme Dominion of the English Nation The End of the Fourth Book A Continuation of the Succession of the English-Saxon Kings contaiâ—ed in the former Book from the Saxon Annals Florence of 〈◊〉 and Simeon of Durham Note That the last King of each Column in the former Table is again repeated in this that the 〈◊〉 the better see how the Series is continued This Account differs sometimes from the Annals some few Years wherein they are certainly mistakâ—n The Chronology of the Kings of Wales is according to the Account of Mr Robert Vaughan and 〈◊〉 Maâ—uscript Welsh Châ—onicle
now repaired it and made it habitable and then committed it to the Custody of his Son-in-Law Ethered Earl of the Mercians and now all the English viz. the Mercians and Kentishmen as also the East and West Saxons who had been before dispersed or made Prisoners with the Danes being now returned home put themselves under King Alfred's Protection But these Danish Storms being pretty well blown over King Alfred began now to make some use of the Learned Men he had sent for from abroad for as Mr. Camden shews us in his Britannia we have a large account of the University of Oxon. Under the Year of our Lord 886 viz. That in the Second Year of St. Grimbald's coming over into England the University of Oxford was founded the first Regents there and Readers in Divinity were St. Neot an Abbot an Eminent Professor of Theology and St. Grimbald and Eloquent and most Excellent Interpreter of the Holy Scriptures whilst Grammer and Rhetorick were Taught by Asser a Monk a Man of extraordinary Learning Logick Musick and Arithmetick were Read by John a Monk of St. Davids Geometry and Astronomy were professed by John another Monk and Collegue of St. Grimbald one of a sharp Wit and Immense Knowledge These Lectures were often honoured with the presence of the most Illustrious and Invincible Monarch King Aelfred which is also asserted by Will of Malmesbury who tells us a constant Tradition of his time that King Alfred by the Advice of Neot the Abbot first founded publick Schools of various Arts at Oxford which is further confirm'd by an Ancient Manuscript Copy of Randolph Higden's Polychron in Bayliol College Library which in the beginning treating of all the Kings of England when he comes to King Alfred says thus That he first founded the University of Oxford John Rouse in his Manuscript Treatise de Regibus Angliae Lib. 1. seems also to have seen this passage in Winchester Annals and adds Three Halls to have been thus built The one for Grammar near the East Gate the Second near the North-Gate for Logicians and the Third in the High-Street for Divines But since this only proves that King Alfred first founded publick Schools here and not that there was any such thing here before I shall recite also what follows as it is quoted by the said Mr. Camden out of an ancient Copy of Asser de Gestis Alfredi which I could wish may clear this point About this time says he there arose a sharp and grievous dissention between Grimbald and those learned Men whom he brought hither with him and the old Scholars whom he found here at his coming for these absolutely refused to comply with the Statutes Institutions and Forms of Reading perscribed by Grimbald the difference proceeded to no great height for the space of Three Years yet there was always a private Grudge and Enmity between them which soon after broke out with the utmost violence imaginable to appease these Tumults the most Invincible King Aelfred being informed of the Faction by a Message and Complaint from Grimbald came to Oxford to accommodate the matter and submitted to a great deal of Pains and Patience to hear the Cause and Complaint of both Parties The Controversie depended upon this The Old Scholars maintain'd that before the coming of Grimbald to Oxford Learning did here flourish thô the Students were less in number than they had formerly been because very many of them had been Expell'd by the cruel Tyranny of the Pagans They farther declar'd and proved by the undoubted Testimony of their ancient Annals that good Orders and constitutions for the Government of that place had been already made by Men of great Piety and Learning such as Gildas Melkin Ninnias Kentigern and others who had there prosecuted their Studies to a good old Age All things being then managed in happy Peace and quiet and that St. German coming to Oxford and residing there half a Year after he had gone through all England to Preach down the Pelagian Heresie did well approve of their Rules and Orders The King with incredible Humility and great attention heard both parties exhorting them with Pious and Importunate entreaties to preserve Love and Amity with one another upon this he left them in hopes that they both would follow his Advice and obey his Instructions But Grimbald resenting these proceedings retired imediately to the Monastery of Winchester which King Aelfred had lately founded and soon after he got his Tomb to be removed thither to him in which he had designed his Bones should be put after his Decease and laid in a Vault under the Chancel of the Church of S. Peters in Oxford which Church the said Grimbald had raised from the ground of Stones hewn and carved with great Art But since it must be confessed that this passage of the quarrel of St. Grimbald and the Old Scholars of Oxford is not to be found in that ancient Copy of Asser which Arch-Bishop Parker first published in Saxon Characters like those in which it is written being still Extant in the Cottonian Library yet though it was published by Mr. Camden in that Edition of Asser which was printed at Frankford in 1603. The Original of which the Lord Primate Usher in his Ant. Brit. Eccles. expresly tells us Mr. Camden never saw from whence Sir John Spelman in his History of the Life of King Aelfred hath made a very hard inferences as if that clause was not to be found in any of the ancient Copies of that Authour but had been foisted in either by the Publisher or else by Mr. Camden himself thô this Authour does not say so in express terms I shall therefore repeat in short what Mr. Ant. Wood hath answered to this Objection in the Antiquities of the University of Oxford from a Manuscript Testimonial under the hand of the learned Mr. Twyne viz. That he himself long after discoursing with Mr. Camden on this Subject and asking him expresly about this passage whose authority began to be then questioned His Answer was that he very well knew that he had truly transcribed that passage from an ancient Manuscript of Asser which he had then by him and which as the said Mr. Wood in his Notes tells us then belonged to Sir Henry Savile of Banke near Halifax in York-shire But I shall not now take upon me to Answer the rest of the Objections which the said Sir John Spelman does there produce against the validity of the above cited passage which supposes publick Schools to have been at Oxford before King Alfreds time for they are all reduceable to these two heads First the express words of the Annals of the Abbey of Hyde above-mentioned as also that of Polychronicon That King Alfred was the first King who founded a University there all which may be answered by allowing that to be true in respect of a University endow'd with Priviledges and distinct Halls and Colledges built on purpose and
no less than three Writers of part of our History who lived before Malmesbury as you may see above and therefore he must also be understood only in this Sense that till himself there was none had undertaken an entire Latin Body of English History for he distinguishing between an History and Annals did not reckon it seems these Saxon Annals as such though he often mentions them by the Name of the English Chronicles being as I said before the ground-Work upon which that Author as well as others that followed him built their History and these Annals remaining in Manuscript till long after Sir Thomas Craig's Death gave him perhaps occasion to affirm in the same Place That there is nothing of certainty to be found in the British History from 734. which was the Year of Bede's Death to the Year 957. but all things were founded upon the Rumours of Antient Men and it may be old Wives Fables which being collected together into one Book and put in a Latin Dress made up as it were the shadow of a History from whence Hollingshead does nevertheless bring most certain Arguments to establish his fictitious Homage THIS Point concerning the Homage I shall not take upon me here to decide but tho I confess there is no express mention of it in the Annals yet I must needs say there is somewhat to be met with in them that comes very near it for under Anno 924. they relate thus of King Edward the Elder That the King and whole Nation of the Scots chose him in Patrem Dominum in the Latin Version i. e. for their Father and Lord which is word for word the same with the Saxon Original which I omit because not commonly understood or read in that Character But because he supposes that Florence of Worcester was the first Author that wrote this Homage and Fealty therefore he must be the first that ever mentioned the Submission of the Scotish King to the King of England I desire those of Sir Thomas his Opinion to tell me tho the formal Ceremonies of Homage and Fealty which in different Ages and divers Countries even where the Feudal Law was obtained were very different were not brought up till after the Norman William came hither yet what could those words in Patrem Dominum signify but such an Acknowledgment or Dependance upon a Superior Lord as was tantamount And it is the more remarkable because this is mentioned above 20 Years before The same Annals relate that King Edmund the Younger Son to King Edward bestowed Cumberland upon Malcolm King of Scots viz. Anno 945. on condition that he should serve him in his Expeditions by Sea and Land for which alone the Scotish Writers will allow this Homage to have been due AND in the Year following we find in the same Annals that K. Eadred Brother to Edmund having reduced all Northumberland into his Power which then took in almost all the Low-Lands of Scotland as far as Edinburgh thereupon Scoti etiam ei juramenta praestiterunt sese velle quiâ—quid is vellet i. e. the Scotish Nation by which I suppose must be understood the King as well as the People took an Oath to King Eadred to perform whatsoever he should please to command them But that Florence of Worcester understood this to be an Oath of Fealty appears by his Paraphrase of these words in the Annals thus Edredus à Scotis ut sibi fideles essent juramentum accepit BVT that if not Homage yet somewhat very like it was rendered in that Age by the Kings of Scotland to those of England for the best part of what is now called the Lowlands may appear from the Testimony of John of Wallingford who in his History relates that Keneth King of Scots received Lothian from King Edgar under the Condition of doing Homage to himself and his Successors which if it had not then the direct Ceremony of Homage which perhaps came in with the Normans yet that it was somewhat very near it John Fordun the antientest Scotish Historian acknowledges in these words That King Edmund viz. of England gave the Province of Cumberland to Malcolm King of Scots sub fidelitate Juramenti and it was afterwards agreed between the said King Edmund and King Malcolm that Prince Indulf his next Heir and all the future Heirs of Scotland successively should pay to King Edmund and his Successors for the same Homagium fidelitatis Sacramentum so that if our English Writers have been mistaken in calling that Submission which the Kings and Princes of Scotland then payed to England Homage you may here see the most Antient Scotish Historian guilty of the same Error which was indeed an Oath of Fidelity if not the same yet very like what the Scotish Kings afterwards took when they did Homage to our Kings of England after the Conquest HAVING said thus much I shall now leave it to the Reader 's Judgment when he has gone through our Annals to consider whether this Author's Censure of our English History from the Year 734. when Bede ended his to the Year 957. be just that they were only things as he says founded upon the Rumours of Antient Men and it may be old Wives Fables and so being collected together in one Book dress'd up in Latin made up as it were the shadow of a History AS also whether what Florence is cited by the Author to say That after Bede's Death the English History ceased and that for his own part he had left things to Posterity either as he found them in the Text of the English Chronicles or as he had them from the relations of Men worthy of Credit or heard and saw them himself deserves that rash Censure not only concerning these Annals now published but of Florence himself viz. as to what concerned the Text of the English Chronicles he mentioned them that he might deceive his Reader with the greater Facility whereas Florence was accounted always a Writer of unquestionable Diligence and Veracity as appears by the several Testimonies of Learned Men before his History BVT the reason of this Author's Triumph before the Victory was that he did not believe any such thing as a Saxon Chronicle could be found for says he immediately after If there were any Chronicles of those Times seeing Florence lived about the Year 1148. they must still remain in the Archives which hitherto no English Author did ever alledg or hath been able to demonstrate for that Chronicle as is observed by the Prologue did only set down the number of Years And so he proceeds to invalidate the Credit of Florence of Worcester as if he had had no Voucher to warrant his Chronicle BVT I hope this Translation I here present you with will satisfy all ordinary Readers that the Saxon Annals do contain much more than the bare numbers of Years and the Edition first published by Mr. Wheelock in Saxon and Latin from two Copies in
derived from Or a Negative or Privative and Dal which signifies Distinction or Difference that is without any Distinction or Difference and imports a just impartial Judgment it was of two sorts by Fire or Water by Fire when the Person accused carried in his bare Hand a red-hot Iron some few steps which if it weighed but one Pound was called single Ordeal and so double or treble according to the Pounds the Iron weighed or when he walked bare-foot and blindfold over and between certain red-hot Plow-shares placed at a stated distance if in doing this the Party was burnt he was pronounced Guilty if not he was accounted Innocent Water-Ordeal was either when they cast the accused into Water and if they did swim were adjudged Guilty if they sunk Innocent or else their Hands and Arms were put sometimes up to the Wrist sometimes up to the Elbow in boiling-hot Water if they were scalded they were esteemed Guilty if not Innocent The Noble and Freemen were tried by Fire-Ordeal the Peasants and Servants by Water Ordeal A great Example of the former you will find towards the latter end of the sixth Book concerning the putting of Queen Emma Mother of Edward the Confessor to this Fire-Ordeal by Plow-shares upon suspicion of Incontinency with Ailwyn Bishop of Winchester but indeed this Story is very improbable for several reasons for first the Crime she stood accused of could be no more than simple Fornication which was then as well as now within the Cognizance of the Church and for which no higher Punishment than the common Penance was inflicted And further we find this Queen to have fallen into the King's Displeasure in the first or second Year of his Reign and being not long after restored to his Favour we do not read she was ever after questioned and as for Robert Arch-bishop of Canterbury who is said to have been one of her chief Prosecutors it is certain he was not consecrated to that See till about seven or eight Years after Besides all which Bishop Godwin in his Account of this Arch-bishop further proves from Florence of Worcester and William of Malmesbury that Bishop Ailwin was dead Anno 1047 a Year before ever Robert was made Arch-bishop and therefore this learned Author does wholly deny the reality of this Story But to return again to our Ordeal THE first mention made thereof as we meet with was at the Council of Mentz and afterwards in the Council of Triers but we have no Foot-step thereof in our English Laws till it was brought into this Nation by the Council of Berkhamstead under Bertwald Arch-bishop of Canterbury Anno 647 and it after became inserted into those of King Athelstan tho it was certainly in use before that time I have little more to add concerning this way of Trial by Ordeal but that it was under the Government of the Clergy who never permitted it to be put in Execution but when they were present And sometimes it was performed with the great Solemnity of receiving the Holy Eucharist especially if the suspected Person was of their Order and Function and if the Party was cast he was to suffer as Guilty THIS way of Trial by Ordeal continued long after the Conquest but at last it was forbid by the Pope's Decree and we have now no Remainders of it left unless it be in the Country Peoples trying of Witches who being tied with their Thumbs and Toes together and so flung into the Water if they sink are accounted Innocent if they swim Guilty but indeed if this Ordeal either by Fire or Water was performed by the help of the Devil one would wonder it should ever be introduced especially with such solemn Prayers and Preparations as you may find in Lambard's Explications of Law-terms and in Matthew Parker Arch-bishop of Canterbury his Antiquities of the British Church And on the other side if it was assisted by a Divine Power it is as wonderful how it came to be forbid by the Pope as wholly unlawful BUT besides these ways of Trial abovementioned upon more slight Suspicions our English Saxon Ancestors were used to content themselves with a Voyer dire or the Oath of the Party suspected and the concurring Testimony of other Men the first attesting his own Innocency the other attesting their own Consciences for the Truth of the former Testimony and therefore were and still are called Compurgators Their number was more or less and of greater or less Value according as the Offence or the Party suspected was of greater or less Concernment AND as for the way of Trial by single Combat or Duel tho some Writers suppose it to have been in use before the Conquest yet since I meet with no mention of it either in our Historians or Laws I shall defer discoursing of it till I come to the next Volume HAVING now dispatched this Head concerning Trials I 'll proceed to the Judgments and Penalties that were inflicted on Persons for several Offences And first I shall consider those against Almighty God as Sacrilege which you will find upon the first introducing of Christianity to have been appointed by the Pope as also by the Laws of King Egbert either in making satisfaction of nine times the Value or in case of Inability to pay that Sum in Stripes for not then nor long after was it punishable with Death for William of Malmesbury tells us that Theodered the good Bishop of London in the Reign of King Athelstan fell short of one thing viz. That he caused certain Thieves to be hanged who had robbed St. Edmunds Church in Suffolk and were there held by some invisible Power insomuch that they could not go away with what they had stolen but were all taken and executed accordingly for which piece of Severity he was much blamed THE next Offence was Working upon Sundays which by the Laws of King Ina was punishable by Fine if the Criminal were a Freeman and by Whipping if he were a Bond-Servant BUT as for Blasphemy Cursing or Swearing either they were Crimes the Saxons were not guilty of or else they inflicted no Punishments on those who were culpable of them for I find no mention of them in the Saxon Laws AS for the Offences against both God and Man I will first begin with Adultery and Fornication and these were Capital amongst the Saxons for by the Laws of Withred King of Kent if a Military Man should after that Council was ended despising the King's Law and the Judicial Sentence of the Bishop's Excommunication be taken in Adultery he should pay to his Lord an hundred Shillings But afterwards by the Laws of King Cnute a Wife found guilty of Adultery should have her Nose and Ears cut off and the Man was Fined or Banished and by those of King Alfred the Man convicted of Adultery with another's Wife should pay to the Husband so abused a Fine sutable to the Estate and Quality of
Army to relieve it and made many assaults upon the Saxons Rear whil'st they lay before the Town who thereupon raising the Siege turned all their Forces against the Britains whil'st they being more nimble presently ran away to the Woods when the Saxons returning again to the Siege they were as soon upon their backs by which means the Saxons being for a time tired out received a great loss till they divided their Army into two bodies so that whil'st the one assaulted the City the other should defend the Assailants whereby at last the Citizens being quite spent with hunger and fatigue could no longer endure the Force of the Besiegers and all perished by the Sword even to the very Women and Children none escaping and the Saxons quite destroyed that City which remained a vast heap of Ruins in his Time thô the Town of Newenden was afterwards built where it stood in the Reign of Edward the I. But news being carried into Germany of the good success of the Saxons it gave occasion for new Commanders together with their Armies to come over hither to try their Fortunes and thus Five Years after began the Kingdom of the West Saxons For now Two Commanders viz. Cerdic and Cynric his Son landing in Britain with Five Ships at a place called Cerdicisora i. e. Cerdic's Shore the same day fought with the Britains this Cerdic was the Tenth in descent from Woden His pedegree which is needless here to be recited I have referred to another place but in Six Years after their coming he and his Sons conquered all the Country of the West Saxons This Cerdic reigned Twenty Five Years to his Son Cynric whom succeeded Then follows in the Saxons Annals the whole Succession of these Kings as far as K. Edward called the Martyr Son of Edgar which I have omitted because it serves for no other use but to let us see about what time these Annals were drawn into the form we now have them but to return to the History H. Huntington further informs us that the same day in which Cerdic landed there assembled a great multitude of Britains to oppose him the Saxons standing in Battel array before their Ships the Britains boldly assaulted them but were forced to return without any great Execution because the Saxons could not be over come though they fought till Night parted them whereupon the Britains finding the Saxons too strong to be dealt with were forced to retreat it proving a drawn Battel but after this Cerdic and his Son seised all the Countries upon the Sea Coast though not without divers Battels But about Six Years after came over to their assistance Porta with his Two Sons Bleda and Megla who landed in Britain with two Ships at a place which from him is still called Portsmouth Here as soon as they landed they slew a Young British Prince or Commander who as H. Huntington relates being then Governour of this Province advancing with a great multitude without any Order they all perished in the twinckling of an Eye so that Port and his Sons obtained a great Victory but in Anno Dom. 500. Aurelius Ambrosius King of the Britains is said by the Welsh Chronicles to have dyed being poysoned as Geoffery relates by the procurement of Pascent Son to Vortigern who had before rebelled against him Thô who succeeded him is uncertain for as to his supposed Brother Uther Pendragon whom Geoffery of Monmouth would here bring in he is looked upon even by the British Antiquaries as a mere imaginary King of his own Therefore this must be owned for the most obscure time of all the Welsh History but this is certain that for about the space of Seven Years there is no mention made of any Wars between the Saxons and the Britains until Cerdic and Cynric slew the great British King Natanleod or Nazaleod together with 5000 Men from which time that Province is called Natanleage as far as Cerdicsford but H. Huntington is more particular in this War and tells us That this Natanleod was the greatest and most powerful King of the Britains who having gathered together his whole Forces Cerdic and his Son were fain to send for aid to Aesc King of Kent and Aella King of the South Saxons as also from Port who came lately over and that before the Battel the Saxon Army was divided into two bodies whereof Cerdic Commanded the one and his Son Cynric the other that the Battle being begun King Nazaleod seeing the Saxons Right Wing to be the strongest fell upon it with all his Forces and immediately routed it whereupon Cerdic being put to flight there happned a great slaughter on that side which when it was perceived by his Son Cynric from the Left Wing he rushed upon the backs of the pursuers So that the Battle being again renewed King Nazaleod was Slain and his Army totally defeated whereby the Saxons obtaining a great Victory remain'd undisturbed for a long time and then came to them some Years after many Valiant assistants out of Germany But to make some Reflections upon this Story before we proceed further it is worth our enquiry who this Nazaleod was some think him to be Ambrosius aboved mentioned but others take him for his pretended Brother Uther Pendragon whil'st others again suppose him not to be any King at all but only the General of the King of the Britains thô what King that was remains as uncertain and since it is so much in the dark I shall not undertake to determine it It is also as uncertain who now succeeded this Nazaleod most of the Welsh Annals here leave an inter-regnum of about Six Years and do not begin the Reign of K. Arthur till the Year 514 or 515. So likewise whether he was sole King of the Britains is much questioned since some ancient Manuscripts Welsh Chronicles and Poems make him to have been only King of Cornwall As to his Father Arch-bishop Usher very well conjectures that this Uther who is said to have been his Father was no other than Nazaleod above mentioned who for his great Actions was called in Welsh Uther which signifies as much as Wonderful or Terrible and thus as Nennius tells us Artur whose name signifies in Welsh an horrible bear was also called Mabuter that is a horrible Son because in his Childhood he was very cruel or rather because he was the Son of this Nazaleod Sirnamed Uther out of which Geoffery of Monmouth forged the Name of Uter Pendragon if this could be proved as it is an ingenious conjecture of the learned Lord Primate it would go a great way to clear the British History of these obscure times But since we are now treating of King Arthur and that it is certain he gained many considerable Victories over the Saxons thô the particular Years are not set down by Nennius or any other Author I shall here set them down altogether as they are found in Nennius his first Battle was
Gift do confirm it with Christ's Cross before the Arch-Bishop Deus Dedit Then follow the Subscriptions of the Kings and others of the Blood Royal viz. Oswi King of Northumberland King Sygar King Sibbi Ethelred the King's Brother together with his Sisters above named as also of Deus Dedit Arch-Bishop of Canterbury after whom follow the Subscriptions of the rest of the Bishops together with some Presbyters and Saxulf the Abbot as also of divers Eoldermen or Governours of Countries who with divers others of the King 's great Men did likewise confirm it This Charter was made in the Year after our Lord's Nativity 664 being the Seventh Year of King Wulfer's Reign they did then also denounce the Curse of God and all his Saints against all that should violate any thing that was there done to which they all answered Amen As soon as this was over the King sent to Rome to Pope Vitalian desiring him to confirm all that he had granted by his Letters or Bull which the Pope immediately performed being to the same effect with the King's Charter already mentioned in this manner was the Monastery of Medeshamsted Founded which was afterwards called Burgh now Peterburgh But to return again to Civil Affairs having dwelt I doubt too long upon Ecclesiastical This Year Kenwalk King of the West-Saxons fought against the Welsh at a place called Peonnum and pursued them as far as Pedridan Of which Fight H. Huntington gives us this further Account That at the first Onset the Britains were too hard for the English but they abhoring flight as bad as Death it self persisted in fighting with them till the Britains growing tired and disheartened fled and were pursued as hath been already said so that they received a very great blow This Year according to Florence of Worcester Hilda the Abbess Founded a Monastery at a place called Streanshale wherein she lived and dyed Abbess The same Year also according to the same Author Inumin Eaba and Eadbert Eoldermen of Mercia rebelled against King Oswi and proclaimed for their King Wulfer the Son of Penda whom they had hitherto kept concealed Also Aedelbert or Agâ—â—bert the Bishop left King Cenwalch and took the Bishoprick of Paris and Wina held the Bishoprick of Winchester of both which Bede hath already given us a particular account The same Year also according to Florence of Worcester Cuthred the Son of Cuichelm a Cousin to King Cenwalch as also Kenbryht the Eolderman great Grandson to King Ceawlin and Father of King Cadwalla dyed This Year according to the Saxon Annals King Cenwalch fought about the time of Easter with King Wulfher at Posentesbyrig supposed to be Pontesbury in Shropshire and Wulfher the Son of Penda wasted the Country as far as Aescesdune now Aston near Wallingford and Cuthred the Son of Culthelm as also King Kenbryht dyed The same Year according to Bede Wulfher took the Isle of Wight with the Country of the Meanvari and gave them to Athelwald King of the South Saxons because he had been that King's Godfather at his Baptism and Eoppa the Priest at the Command of Bishop Wilfrid and King Wulfher first of all offered Baptism to the Inhabitants of that Island whether they accepted it or not is very uncertain But I cannot but here observe the uncertainty of the History of these Times for Ethelwerd in his Chronicle under this Year and at this very place above mentioned relates that Cenwalk had the Victory and carried away Wulfher Prisoner These Meanvari here mentioned by Bede are supposed by Mr. Camden in his Britannia to have been the People of that part of Hampshire lying over against the Isle of Wight This Year also Sigebert King of the East-Saxons thô standing firm in the Christian Faith was as Bede tells us wickedly Murder'd by the Conspiracy of two Brethren in places near about him who being asked what moved them to do so wicked a Deeed gave no other than this Barbarous Answer That they were angry with him for being so gentle to his Enemies as to forgive them their Injuries when ever they besought him But the occasion of his death is much more remarkable for one of those Earls who slew him living in unlawful Wedlock stood thereof excommunicated by the Bishop so that no man might presume to enter into his House much less to Eat with him the King not regarding this Church-Censure went to a Feast at his House upon an Invitation whom the Bishop meeting in his return thô penitent for what he had done and fallen at his Feet yet gently touched with the Rod in his Hand and being provoked thus foretold Because thou hast neglected to abstain from the House of this Excommunicate in that House thou shalt dye and so it fell out not long after perhaps from that Prediction God then bearing witness to his Minister in the due power of Church Discipline when Spiritually executed on the Contemner thereof Yet Bede is so Charitable as to believe that the unfortunate Death of this Religious Prince did not only attone for his fault but might also increase his merit To Sigebert Swidhelm the Son of Sexbald succeeded in that Kingdom who was Baptized by Bishop Cedda in the Province of the East-Angles in the Royal Village called Rendlesham Edelwald King of that Country who was the Brother of King Anna being his Godfather The Sun was now eclipsed V o Non Maij and Ercenbryht King of Kent departed this Life and Ecgbryht his Son succeeded him in that Kingdom As for King Ercombert Will. Malmesbury gives him a very good Character being famous for his Religion to God and his Love to his Country but he had no Right to the Crown save only by Election having an Elder Brother called Ermenred who was alive at the beginning of his Reign and left two Sons behind him Coleman also with his Companions then departed to his own Nation the same Year there was a great Plague over all the Isle of Britain in which perished Tuda the Bishop and was buried at Wagele which Bede calls Pegnaleth also Ceadda and Wilverth were now Consecrated Bishops and the same Year too the Archbishop Deus Dedit dyed after whom the See remained void for Four Years But of the occasion of this departure of Coleman Bede hath given us a long and particular account viz. That a Synod being called at Strean-shall now Whitby in York-shire by the procurement of Hilda the Abbess of that place thô by the Authority of King Oswi who was there present concerning the old Difference about the observation of Easter Wilfred the Abbot and Romanus a Priest were very earnest for the observation of it according to the Order of the Church of Rome and Coleman Bishop of Lindisfarne was as zealous on the other side but after many Arguments pro and con which you may find at large in Bede the Synod at last determining in favour of the Romish Easter it so far displeased
relates Swebriht King of the East-Saxons died this Year Eadbriht or Egbert the Son of Eatta who was the Son of Leodwald began to Reign in the Kingdom of the Northumbers and held it One and Twenty Years Egbert Arch-Bishop of York was his Brother who were both buried in the City of York in the same Church-Porch But it there is an over-sight in these Annals for this Eadbriht above mentioned must be the same with Eadbriht under the former Year This Year also according to Simeon of Durham Swebright King of the East-Saxons died Ceolwulf late King of Northumberland died this Year according to Mat. Westminster in the Monastery of Lindisfarne Also as Simeon of Durham relates Nothelm Arch-Bishop of Canterbury deceased but the Saxon Annals defer his Death two Years longer This Year Acca Bishop of Hagulstad deceased who as the same Author relates was had in great Reverence not only during his Life but also after his Decease for his great Sanctity and supposed Miracles King Ethelred deceased and Cuthred his Cousin succeeded in the Kingdom of the West Saxons and held it 16 Years This King made sharp War against Ethelbald King of the Mercians and that with various Success as H. Huntington tells us sometimes making Peace and then again renewing the War This Year also Nothelm the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury deceased and Cuthbriht was Consecrated in his stead as was also Dun Bishop of Rochester after the Death of Eadulph ' This Year also the City of York was burnt together with the Monastery as Simeon has it Now was held the great Synod at Cloveshoe where were present Ethelbald King of the Mercians and Cuthbert the Arch-Bishop with many other wise Men. Where this Cloveshoe was is now very uncertain since the Name is wholly lost some suppose it to have been Cliffe in Kent near Gravesend but it is not likely that Ethelbald being now the chief King of England would permit this Council to have been held out of his own Dominions so that others suppose it to have been Abingdon in Berkshire which was anciently called Secvesham where as the old Book of that Abbey tells us was anciently a Royal Seat of the Kings and where there used to be great Assemblies of the People concerning the arduous Affairs of the Mercian Kingdom But thô we are more certain of the Decrees of this Council than of the Place where it was held yet since it was a meer Ecclesiastical Synod and no great Council of that Kingdom and that its Decrees were chiefly made in Confirmation of the Charter of King Withred concerning free Elections to Monasteries in Kent according to the Directions of the Archbishop of Canterbury I shall refer you to the Canons themselves as they are to be found in the Decem Scriptores and Sir H. Spelman's British Councils and shall only take notice of this one that now Bishops were first ordered to visit their Diocesses once a Year This Year Ethelbald King of the Mercians and Cuthred King of the West Saxons fought against the Britains H. Huntington tell us That these two Kings now joyning their Forces brought two great Armies into the Field against the Welsh-men who not being able to defend themselves were forced to flie leaving great Spoils behind them so both the Kings returned home Victorious According to Florence of Worcester Wilfred the second Bishop of York of that Name died after he had fate 30 Years Also this Year according to the Annals Daniel resigned the Bishoprick of Winchester being worn out by Age and Hunferth succeeded him and they say the Stars seemed to fall from Heaven But Simeon of Durham calls them with more probability such Lightnings as those of that Age had never before seen About this time also according to Simeon there happened a great Fight between the Picts and the Britains I suppose he means those of Camberland for no other Britains lay near the Picts This year Bishop Daniel above-mentioned deceased after he had been 43 years Bishop ' This year Selred King of the East-Saxons was slain But by whom or which way is not here said This Selred was Sirnamed The Good and reigned 38 years Switheard King of the East-Angles dying Elfwold succeeded him as the Chronicle of Mailros relates This Year also was held the second Council at Cloveshoe under Cuthbert Arch-Bishop of Canterbury there being present beside the Bishops Abbots and many Ecclesiasticks Ethelbald King of the Mercians with his chief Men and Ealdermen In which besides many Decrees concerning the Unity of the Church and for promoting Peace which you may see at large in Sir H. Spelman's First Volume of Councils and after the reading of Pope Zachary's Letters to the People of England to live more continently These among other Decrees were likewise passed viz. 1. That the Reading of the Holy Scriptures be more constantly used in Monasteries 2. That Priests receive no Reward for baptizing Children or for other Sacraments 3. That they learn the Creed and the Lord's Prayer in English and are likewise to understand and interpret into their own Tongue the Words of Consecration in the Celebration of Mass and also of Baptism c. This year Cynric Aetheling that is Prince of the Blood-Royal of the West Saxons was slain and Eadbriht King of Kent died after six Years Reign and Ethelbryht the Son of King Withred succeeded him This Cynric was he whom H. Huntington relates to be Son of Cuthred King of the West Saxons who thô young in Years was a great Warriour for his time yet perished in a sudden Sedition of his own Souldiers but where he does not say Simeon affirms That Elfwald King of the East Angles now dying Hunbeanna and Albert divided that Kingdom between them but what relation they had to the late King he does not tell us This year Cuthred King of the West Saxons in the 12th Year of his Reign fought against Ethelune that couragious Ealderman H. Huntington calls him a bold Earl who moved Sedition against his Lord and thô he were inferiour in the number of his Souldiers yet maintained the Fight a great while by his sole Courage and Conduct but while he was ready to get the Victory a Wound he then unfortunately received so disabled him and disheartened his Men that the King's being the stronger as well as the juster Side did thereby prevail Also the same Year according to Simeon of Durham and the Chronicle of Mailros Eadbert King of Northumberland led Kynwulf Bishop of Lindisfarne Prisoner to the City of Beban who it seems had some ways rebelled against him for he then also caused the Cathedral Church of Lindisfarne to be besieged The same Year as Bede's Continuator relates Eadbert King of Northumberland made War upon the Picts and subdued all the Country of Kyle with other Territories joyning them to his own Dominions This Year according to the Saxon Annals King
of the Northern Britains This year Eadbert King of the Northumbers was shorn a Monk and Ofwulf his Son succeeded him yet Reigned but one Year being slain by the Treachery of his own Servants on the 9th of the Kal. August following thô without any just Cause as I can find Concerning this Eadbert Simeon of Durham in his History of that Church tells us That after he had reigned 21 Years and ruled his Kingdom with great Wisdom and Courage so that all his Adversaries being either overcome by force or else submitting themselves to him the English Pictish and Scotish Kings not only maintained Peace and Friendship with him but rejoyced to do him Honour so that the Fame of his Grandeur spreading as far as France King Pipin not only made a League with him but sent him great Presents and the Kings his Neighbours when he was about to resign the Crown had him in that Esteem that they offered him part of their own Dominions on Condition that he would not lay down his Charge but he refused it and resigned his Kingdom to Usulf his Son Also about this time according to the British Chronicles there was a great Battle fought at Hereford between the Britains and the Saxons where Dyfnwal ap Theodore was slain But they do not tell us who obtained the Victory This Year Cathbert Arch Bishop of Canterbury deceased having fate Arch-Bishop 18 Years Also according to Florence about this time Swithred reigned over the East and Osmund over the South Saxons as also Beorne was King over the East Angles This Year Bregowin was consecrated Arch-Bishop of Canterbury at the Feast of St. Michael and Ethelwold Sirnamed Moll began to reign over the Northumbers and at last resigned the Crown ' Ethelbryght King of Kent deceased he was the Son of King Wythred Of this King William of Malmesbury records nothing remarkable but that the City of Canterbury was burnt in his Reign Ceolwulf also late King of Northumberland departed this Life the same Year dying a Monk in the Isle of Lindisfarne But Simeon of Durham prolongs his Life 4 Years longer This Year was a very sharp Winter and Ethelwald Moll King of Northumberland slew Duke Oswin at Edwinsclife on the Eighth of the Ides of August But thô who this Duke was our Annals do not tell us yet Simeon of Durham and Roger of Hoveden relate he was one of those Great Northumbrian Lords that rebelled against the King who gained the Victory over him and those Rebels that took his part ' This Year deceased Bergowine the Arch-Bishop above-mentioned But if he sate 4 Years as these Annals affirm he could not have died till the Year following in which also Janbryht who is also called Lambert was now consecrated Arch-Bishop of Canterbury about 40 Days after Christmas Also Frithwald Bishop of Witherne died on the Nones of May he had been Consecrated in York on the 18th Kalends of September in the Reign of Ceolwulf and sate Bishop 29 Years and then Piyhtwin or Pechtwin was Consecrated Bishop of Witerne at Aelfet on the 16th Kal. of August ' Janbryht the Arch-Bishop received his Pall This was as Florence of Worcester informs us from Pope Paul I. ' This Year also as Simeon of Durham relates there was much Mischief done by Fire at London Winchester and other Places ' Alhred King of Northumberland began to reign and reigned Eight Years Ethelwold Moll having now by Death quitted that Kingdom The manner of which is given us more perfectly by William of Malmesbury and Roger Hoveden viz. That Ethelwold lost the Kingdom of Northumberland at Winchan-hea 1 o Kal. November being murder'd by the Treachery of this Albred who succeeded him and was also of the Race of Ida being his Great Nephew The same Year also according to William of Malmesbury Offa King of the Mercians envying the Greatness of the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury did by most noble Presents made to the Pope obtain a Pall for the See of Lichfield that is That it should be for the future an Arch-Bishoprick and that all the Bishops of the Provinces of the Kingdom of Mercia and the East Angles should be subject to it and this he not only gained notwithstanding the Opposition and Remonstrances of Arch-Bishop Jambert to the contrary but also bereaved the Arch-Bishoprick of Canterbury of all its Lands which lay within the Mercian Territories which Injustice continued during the whole Reign of King Offa till Kenulph his Successour by the Intercession of Eanbald then Arch-Bishop of York restored the See of Canterbury to its ancient Rights This Year deceased Egbert Arch-Bishop of York 13 o Kal. Sept. who sate Bishop 36 Years This is he who was Base Brother to the King of the same Name and regained the Pall to his See after it had been without it ever since the time of Paulinus He also built a Noble Library at York which was then counted one of the best in Europe for William of Malmesbury relates that Alcuin the greatest Scholar of his time once told the Emperour Charles That if he would give him such Books of exquisite Learning as he had in his own Country by the Pious Industry of his Master Arch-Bishop Eghert then he would instruct and send him back some young Men who should carry over the choicest Flowers of the English Learning into France According to Simeon of Durham Albert was now ordained Arch-Bishop of York ' Eadbert the Son of Eatta deceased on 14 o Kal. September This Eadbert had been formerly King of Northumberland and according to Simeon of Durham died 10 Years after his taking the Habit of a Monk and was buried at York Also this Year as the Welsh Chronicles acquaint us by the means of Flbodius that Learned and Pious Bishop of North Wales it was decreed in a General Synod of the British Nation That Easter should be kept after the Custom of Rome so that all Differences between that Church and the British now ceased ' Charles King of the Franks began his Reign for Pepin his Father died this Year as R. Hoveden informs us Also the fair City of Cataract in Yorkshire was burnt by Bâ—ornred the Mercian Tyrant and He also perished by Fire the same Year This Year according to Simeon of Durham and R. Hoveden Offa King of the Mercians subdued the Nation of the Hestings by force of Arms but who these People were or where they inhabited no Author informs us Mr. Lambert in his Glossary at the end of the Decem Scriptores will have them to be Danes but I see no reason for it here since the Danes were not then settled in England ' This Year died Milred the Bishop Florence says he was Bishop of the Wiccii that is of the Diocess of Worcester and was in great Reputation for his Sanctity This Year Albert Arch-Bishop of York received his Pall from Pope Adrian as Simeon informs us
This Year the Northumbrians expelled their King Albred from York about Easter and chose Ethelred the Son of Moll once King for their Lord He reigned 4 Years Of which Transaction Roger Hoveden gives us this particular Relation That King Alhred being deposed by the Common-Council and Consent of his own Subjects and forsaken of all his Great Men was forced to retire first to the City of Bebban afterwards called Banbarough-Castle from whence he betook himself to Cynoth King of the Picts with but very few Followers The same Year also appeared a Red Cross in the Heavens after Sun-set and the Mercians and Kentish-men fought at Ottanford now Otford in Kent But neither the Saxon Annals nor any other vouchsafe to tell us what was the Quarrel nor who were the Commanders on either side nor yet what was the Success Also strange Serpents were seen in the Province of the South Saxons Mat. Westminster places this Prodigy two Years after and says They seemed to creep out of the Earth This Year Cynwulf King of the West Saxons and Offa King of the Mercians fought at Binsington now Bensington in Oxfordshire but Offa took the Town So it seems Cynwulf had the worst of it Here follows in the Peterburgh Copy another Relation concerning that Abbey which is thus That In the Reign of King Offa there was a certain Abbot of Medeshamstead called Beonna who with the Consent of the Monks of his Monastery leased out to Cuthbriht the Ealderman X Bonde-land that is the Ground of ten Bond-men or Villains at Swinesheafde with the Meadows and Pastures and all other Things thereunto belonging upon this Condition That Cuthbriht should pay the Abbot Fifty Pounds and one Night's Entertainment every Year or else Thirty Shillings in Money and that after his Death the Lands should again revert to the Monastery To which Grant King Offa King Egferth Arch Bishop Higebert the Bishop Ceolwulf the Bishop Inwona with Beon the Abbot and many other Bishops Abbots and Great Men were Witnesses I have inserted this Passage thô it does not relate to the Civil History of these Times because it is the First Example of a Lease of this kind and seems to have been done in a great Council of the Kingdom where these Kings were present which was then necessary for such a Grant Also in the time of this King Offa as the Peterburgh Copies relate there was a certain Ealderman called Brordan who desired of the King That for his sake he would free a certain Monastery of his called Wocingas because he intended to give it to St. Peter and to the Church of Medeshamsted one Pusa being then Abbot of it This Pusa succeeded Beonna and the King loved him very well wherefore he freed the Church of Wocingas by the King's consent with that of the Bishop Earls and all other Men's consents so that no body should from thenceforth have any duty or Tribute besides St. Peter and the Abbot this was done in the King's Town called Freoricburne Pehtwin Bishop of Witerne called in Latin Candida Casa deceased XIII Kal. Octob. he was Bishop Fourteen Years and had been bred under Aldhelm that Pious Bishop of Winchester and the same Year Ethelbert was consecrated Bishop of that See at York XVII Kal. Junii This Year according to the Welsh Chronicle the South-Welshmen destroyed great part of Mercia with Fire and Sword As also The Summer following all the Welshmen both of North and South-Wales gathered themselves together and Invading the Kingdom of Mercia made great spoil by burning and plundering the Country whereupon King Offa was forced to make Peace with the other Saxon Kings and to bend his whole Forces against the Welsh Men who not being able to encounter so great a strength as he then brought against them were forced to quit all the plain Country between the Rivers of Severne and Wye and retired into the Mountains whereupon Offa perceiving this seised upon all the Country and planted Saxons in their places and annexing it to his own Kingdom caused that famous Ditch or Trench to be made from Sea to Sea betwixt his Kingdom and Wales whereby he might the better defend his Country from the Incursions of the Welsh hereafter This Ditch is seen at this day in divers places and is called Welsh Clawdh Offa i.e. Offa's Ditch This Year Aethebald and Hearbert kill'd Three chief Gerifs or Governours Ealdwulf the Son of Bosa at Cyningeselife i. e. Kings Cliffe and Cynwulf and Ecga at Helathyrn XI Kal. Aprilis then Alfwold took the Kingdom Aethelred being Expel'd the Land and Reigned Ten Years But H. Huntington and Simeon of Durham gives us a more exact account of this Matter that Aethelred King of Northumberland having caused Three of his Nobles Aldwulf Kinwulf and Ecga to be treacherously slain by two of the same rank The Year following his Subjects Rebelling against him they first slew Aldwulf General of the King's Army in Flight at the place above mentioned as they also did the two other Commanders in the same manner so that King Aethelred's Captains being all slain and his hopes as well as his Forces defeated he was forced to flee into another Country and so Elfwald the Son of Oswulf succeeded him thô not without Civil Broils He was a Just and Pious Prince yet could not escape the hard Fate of his Predecessors as you will see in due time The same Year as the Laudean Copy relates King Charles entred Spain and destroyed the Citties of Pampelona and Cesar Augusta now called Saragosa and having joined his Army subdued the Saracens and received Hostages from them and then returned by Narbon and Gascony into France This Year the chief Gerifs or Governours of Northumberland burnt Beorne the Ealderman in Seletune 19 Kal. Januarij Roger Hoveden calls these Gerifs Osbald and Aethelheard and H. Huntington says They burnt this Ealderman or Chief Justice of the Kingdom because he was more Rigid and Severe than in Reason he ought to have been The same Year the Ancient Saxons and Franks fought against each other in which Battle Charles King of the Franks gained the Victory having wasted the Saxon Territories with Fire and Sword and laid them to his own Dominions as not only our own but the French Historians relate Also Bishop Aethelheard dyed at York and Eanbald was consecrated to the same See and Cynebald the Bishop resigned his See at Lindisfarne and Alchmuna Bishop of Hagulstead deceased 7 th Id. Sept. and Higbert was consecrated in his stead the 6 th of the Nones of Octob. as likewise Higbald was consecrated at Soccabrig to be Bishop of Lindisfarne Also King Allwold sent to Rome to demand the Pall for Eanbald Arch-Bishop of York This Year Werburh the Wife of King Ceolred late King of the Mercians deceased at her Nunnery of Chester where she was Abbess and where the Church is dedicated to her Memory also Cenwulf Bishop of Lindisfarne died
there was likewise now a Synod at Aclea But under what King this Council was held or whereabouts the place is or what Decrees were there made our Histories are altogether silent in but Sir H. Spelman in his first Volume of Councils supposes it to have been at a place of that Name in the Bishoprick of Durham where there are two places so called the one Alca and the other Scole Aclea This Year Cyneheard slew Cynewulf King of the West-Saxons but Cyneheard himself was there slain and Eighty Four Men with him but these Annals in the beginning of this King's Reign under Anno Dom. DCCLV have given us a full account of this King 's unfortunate end which I rather chuse to insert in its proper place and was thus That he endeavouring to Expel Cyneheard Brother to the late King Sigebert out of the Kingdom in the mean time when he knew that the King with a small Company was gone to Merinton now called Merton in Surrey to visit a certain Woman he there besieged him and beset the Chamber where he was before the King 's Attendants could know any thing of it which as soon as the King perceived he got out of Doors and Manfully defended himself but all of them assaulting the King at once they in the end slew him thô as Florence relates he first sorely wounded Cynheard but when the King's Thanes who were then in the same House heard the noise they all ran thither as fast as they could get themselves ready but Cyneheard Aetheling promised them great Rewards and Pardon if they would take his part which none of them would agree to but presently all fought against him till they were all killâ—d except one British Hostage who was grievously wounded but the next morning the King's Thanes that remained at home coming to know that he was kill'd viz. Osric the Ealderman and Wiverth his Thane and all those whom he had left behind him they all came thither on Horseback and when they found Cyneheard Aetheling in the Town where the King lay dead and having the doors fast locked upon them as they approached and endeavoured to break in Cynheard promised to grant them all their Liberties and all their Lands and Goods with great Riches and Honours if they would deliver up the Kingdom to him peaceably telling them moreover That he had some of their Kinsmen with him who would never desert him but they answered That none of their Relations were dearer to them than their own Lord and they would never obey his Murderers and they then farther told their Kinsmen That if they would leave their Leader they should all be safe from whom they also received this Answer That the like had been already promised to those who were of the King's Party and said That as they then refused their promise so themselves should now refuse the like from them then they fought at the Gates until they were broken open and the Conspirators forced to retire within them but there Cyneard Aetheling was Slain and all those that were with him except one who was the Ealderman's God-son to whom being grievously wounded he granted his Life This King Cynwulf Reigned One and Thirty Years and his Body lyes buried at Wintencester but that of the Aetheling at Axanmister now Axminster in Devon-shire being both of them descended from Cerdic the first King of that Kingdom This same Year also Brihtic began his Reign over the West-Saxons whose Body lyes buried at Werham and he was also descended from Cerdic in a right Line In those times King Aealmond Reigned in Kent he was the Father of King Egbert and Egbert was the Father of Athulf or Athelwulf But the Authour of these Annals is here mistaken for thô one Aealmond was Father of King Egbert yet was there never any of that Name King of Kent Bothwin Abbot of Ripun deceased this Year and the same Year was held that troublesome Synod at Cealchythe where Arch-Bishop Janbryht lost part of his Province to the See of Litchfield also Higebryht was this Year chosen Arch Bishop of Litchfield by King Offa and Egbert his Son was anointed King with him and in those times there were Legates sent from Pope Adrian to renew the Faith which had been sent us by Augustine Note the Pope had before granted the Pall to Litchfield and thereby made it an Arch-Bishoprick but it was not till the following Year confirmed in a general Synod of the Kingdom This Year that great Synod or Council of Calcuith above mentioned was held by Gregory Bishop of Ostia and Theophilact Bishop of Tudertum then the Pope's Legates in England at which were also present Offa King of the Mercians and Cinwulf King of the West-Saxons where not only the Nicene Creed was again received and confirm'd as also the Seven first General Councils but many Canons were made concerning Matters of Religion and Ecclesiastical Discipline of all which I shall here recite some that I think proper The second of these Decrees is That Baptism be performed at the times appointed by the former Canons of the Church and no other and that all Men in general learn the Creed and the Lord's Prayer that Godfathers shall be answerable for those Children for whom they stand till they come to Years capable of learning the Creed and the Lords Prayer The Twelfth Canon is That in the Election or Ordination of Kings no Man should permit the Assent or Vote of Evil Men to prevail but Kings shall be Lawfully Elected by the Clergy and Elders of the People not begot of Adultery or Incest because as in our times an Adulterer according to the Canons cannot arrive to the Priest-hood so neither can he be the Lord 's Anointed and the Heir of his Country and King of the whole Kingdom who is not begot of Lawful Matrimony The rest of it is for rendering Honour and Obedience to Kings without speaking Evil of them and the chief Texts out of St. Peter and St. Paul are cited to that purpose It is also there forbid That any Man should conspire the Death of the King because he is the Lord 's Anointed and if any shall be guilty of that wickedness if he be a Bishop or one in Priest's Orders he shall be deprived as Judas was cast out from his Apostleship There is also here likewise cited out of Scripture several examples of those that have been punished either for conspiring the Death of Kinsg or having actually kill'd them The Sixteenth Canon is That Bastards and those begotten of Nuns shall not inherit which is the first Decree we find of this kind The Seventeenth Canon is That Tythes shall be paid according to the Scriptures viz. Thou shalt bring the Tenth part of all thy encrease when thou bringest thy first fruits into the House of the Lord thy God there is likewise cited the Text in Malachi Chap. 3. concerning the paying of Tythes and therefore says the Canon
them reaching the Shore were presently slain at the Mouth of the same River But Simeon of Durham imputes this to a Judgment inflicted on them by St. Cuthbert for thus spoiling his Monastery The Moon was Eclipsed 5 o Kal. Aprilis from the Cock crowing till the Morning Eardwulf also began to reign over Northumberland 1 o Idus Maii and was afterwards Consecrated and placed on the Throne 7 o Kal. Junii at York by Eanbald the Arch-Bishop and by the Bishops Ethelbert Higbald and Badewulf This Eardwulf as Florence of Worcester informs us was he who 5 Years before had so strangely escaped Death at Ripun after he had been carried out to be buried but the Chronicle of Mailross does here give great Light of the Saxon Annals for it tells us that now the Northumbers murthered their King Ethelred the Son of Moll Simeon places it a Year after but says The Murther was committed on the 14th of the Kalends of May at a Place called Cobene but they both agree that immediately after his Death one Osbald a Nobleman of that Country was made King but reigned only 27 Days and that then being forsaken by the Chief Men of his Kingdom he was driven into the Isle of Lindisfarne with a few Followers from whence he fled by Sea to the King of the Picts where he became a Monk And this Eardwulf reigned of his stead William of Malmesbury further adds that Alcuin writing to King Offa tells him That King Charles so soon as he heard of this Murther of King Ethelred above-mentioned and of the Perfidiousness of the Northumbrian Nation not only stopt the Gifts he was then sending but falling into a Passion against them called them a perverse and perfidious Nation and worse than Pagans so that if Alcuin had not interceded for them he would have done them all the Mischief he could About this time also the Welsh Chronicles relate there was a great Battle fought at Ruthlan between the Saxons and the Britains where Caradoc ap Gwin King of North Wales was slain But as Dr. Powel observed in his Notes upon Caradoc's Chronicle in those Times there was no settled Government in Wales therefore such as were Chief Lords of any Country there are in this History called Kings This Year died Eanbald Arch-bishop of York the 4th of the Ides of August whose Body was there buried also the same Year Bishop Ceolwulf died and another Eanbald was Consecrated in his stead This Year likewise Cenwulf King of the Mercians destroyed Kent to the Borders of Mercia and took Eadbert or Ethelbert Sirnamed Praen and carryed him Prisoner into Mercia and there caused his Eyes to be put out and his Hands to be cut off Also Ethelheard Arch-bishop of Canterbury called a Synod which by the Command of Pope Leo established and confirmed all those things relating to God's Church which had been before constituted in the Reign of King Withgar and then the Arch-bishop said thus I Ethelheard Arch-bishop of Canterbury with the Unanimous Consent of the whole Synod and of the whole Body of all the Monasteries to whom Exemption hath been granted of Old Times by Believers in the Name of GOD and by his fearful Judgments and as I have received Command from Pope Leo do Decree That for the future none shall presume to Elect themselves Covâ—rnours amongst Lay-men over GOD's Heritage but as it is contained in the Charter or Bulls which the Pope hath granted or Holy Men to wit our Kings and Ancestors have ordained concerning the Holy Monasteries so let them remain inviolate without any gain-saying and if there be any one who shall refuse to obey this Command from GOD the Pope and Us but shall despise it and count it as nothing let him know that he shall give an Account of it before the Tribunal of GOD. And I Aethelheard the Archbishop with Twelve Bishops and Three and Twenty Abbots do hereby establish and confirm this Decree with the Sign of the Cross. This Council thô the Annals do not expresly mention it under that Title is that great Council of Becanceld placed in Sir H. Spelman's Collection under Anno 798 being held under Cenwulf King of the Mercians Aethelheard Arch-bishop of Canterbury with 17 Bishops more who all subscribed to this Decree thô the Annals mention no more than 12 Bishops to have been there This Year the Romans took Pope Leo and cut out his Tongue and put cut his Eyes and deposed him but presently after if it may be believed he could both see and speak by the help of GOD as well as he could before and was also restored to the Papacy by the Emperour Charles Also Eanbald the Arch-bishop of York received the Pall and Ethelbert Bishop of Hagulstad deceased 3 o Kal. Nov. This Year was a bloody Battle in the Province of Northumberland in Lent-time at Wealaege now called Whalie in Lancashire where was slain Alric the Son of Heardbert and many others with him The occasion of which Civil War Simeon of Durham hath thus given us â—iz That besides Alric there were divers others in Northumberland who had formerly conspired against King Ethelred and now raising a Rebellion against Eardwulf under Wadâ— their Captain after much slaughter on both sides at Billangahoth near Whalie in Lancashire the Conspirators being at last put to flight King Eardwulf returned home Victorious The same Year London according to the same Author with a great multitude of its Inhabitants by a sudden Fire was Consumed And now according both to Simeon of Durham and Roger Hoveden was held the Second Council of Pinchinhale in the Kingdom of Northumberland under Eanbald Arch-bishop of York and divers other Principal and Ecclesiastical Men where many things were ordained for the Profit of GOD's Church and of the Northumbrian Nation as concerning the keeping Easter and other Matters not particularly mentioned The same Year also according to Monasticon Anglicanum Kenwulf King of the Mercians founded a stately Abbey at Winchelcomb in Glocestershire for 300 Benedictine Monks and when it was Dedicated in the Presence of Wilfrid Arch-bishop of Canterbury and 13 other Bishops he then set free before the High Altar Eadbert King of Kent who was then his Prisoner of War But having before most cruelly put out his Eyes and cut off his Hands and disposed of his Kingdom to another I doubt that Liberty proved but a small Satisfaction to his poor injured Prince But such was the Superstitious Zeal of that Age the Foundation of a Monastery was counted a sufficient Atonement to GOD for whatsoever Cruelties or Injustice Princes hath then committed This Year Ethâ—lheard the Arclt-bishop and Cynebriht Bishop of the West Saxons went to Rome the latter to take the Habit of a Monk and Bishop Alfwin deceased at Southburg now Sutbury in Suffolk and was buried at Domuc now Dunwich in the same County being then the Seat of that Bishoprick and Tidfrith was chosen in his Room
Plunder and Spoil But of this we shall speak more in due time and shall now proceed in our History where we left off in our last Book Egbert the only surviving Prince of the Blood-Royal of the West Saxon Kings as great Nephew to Ina by his Brother Inegilds being arrived in England was now ordained King as Ethelwerd expressly terms his Election But since Asser in his Annals places this King 's coming to the Crown under Anno 802. as does Simeon of Durham and also Roger Howden from an Ancient piece of Saxon Chronologie inserted at the beginning of the first Book of his first part and this account being also proved by that great Master in Chronology the now Lord Bishop of Litchfield to be truer then that of the Saxon Annals or Ethelwerd by divers Proofs too long to be here Inserted I have made bold to put this King 's coming to the Crown two Years backwarder then it is in the last Book thô I confess the former Account in the Saxon Annals would have made a more exact Epocha Also about this time as appears from the ancient Register of St. Leonard's Abbey in York cited in Monast. Anglican viz. ' That Anno Dom. 800 Egbert King of all Britain in a Parliament at Winchester by the consent of his People changed the Name of this Kingdom and commanded it to be called England Now thô by the word Parliament here used it is certain that this Register was writ long after the Conquest yet it might be transcribed from some more ancient Monument since Will. of Malmesbury tells us of this King tho' without setting down the time that by the greatness of his Mind he reduced all the Varieties of the English Saxon Kingdoms to one uniform Empire or Dominion which he called England though others perhaps more truly refer it towards the latter end of his Reign as you will find when we come to it This Year Eardulf King of the Northumbers led his Army against Kenwulf King of Mercia for harbouring his Enemies who also gathering together a great Army they approached to each other when by the Advice of the Bishops and Noblemen of England as also by the Intercession of the chief King of the English by whom is meant King Egbert who then passed under that Title They agreed upon a lasting Peace which was also confirmed by Oath on both sides This we find in Simeon of Durham's History of that Church and in no other Authour About this time also St. Alburhe Sister to King Egbert founded a Benedictine Nunnery at Wilton which was long after rebuilt by King Alfred and augmented by King Edgar for Twenty Six Nuns and an Abbess The same Year the Moon was Eclipsed on the 13 Kal. Jan. and ' Beormod was Consecrated Bishop of Rochester About this time in Obedience to a Letter from Pope Leo III. who at the desire of Kenwulf King of the Mercians had Two Years since restored the See of Canterbury to its ancient Primacy was held the Third Synod at Cloveshoe by â—rch bishop Ethelward and 12 Bishops of his Province whereby the See of Canterbury was not only restored to all its ancient Rights and Priviledges but it was also forbid for all times to come upon Pain of Damnation if not repented of for any Man to violate the Rights of that ancient See and thereby to destroy the Unity of Christ's Holy Church then follow the Subscriptions of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and of 12 other Bishops of his Province together with those of many Abbots and Presbyters who never Subscribed before but without the Subcriptions of the King or any of the Lay Nobility Which plainly shews it to have been a meer Ecclesiastical Synod and no great Council of the Kingdom as you may see at large in Sir H. Spelman's 1 Vol of Councils the Decree of which Synod also shews that the Church of England did not then conceive the Authority of the People alone sufficient to disanul what had been solemnly Decreed in a great Council of the Kingdom as was the Removal of the Primacy from Canterbury to Litchfield The next Year According to our Annals Ethelheard Arch-bishop of Canterbury deceased and Wulfred was consecrated Arch-bishop in his stead and Forther the Abbot dyed The same Year also Deceased Higbald Bishop of Lindisfarne 8 o Kal Julii and Eegbert was Consecrated to that See 3 o Ides Junii ' This Year Wulfred the Arch bishop received his Pall. Cuthred King of Kent deceased as did also Ceolburh the Abbess and Heabyrnt the Ealdorman This Cuthred here mentioned was as Will. of Malmesbury informs us he whom Kenulph King of the Mercians hath made King of Kent instead of Ethelbert called Pren. This Year the Moon was Eclipsed on the Kal. of September and Eardwulf King of the Northumbers was driven from his Kingdom and Eanbryth Bishop of Hagulstad Deceased Also this Year 2 o Non Junii the sign of the Cross was seen in the Moon upon Wednesday in the Morning and the same Year on the Third Kal. Septemb. a wonderful Circle was seen round the Sun This Eardwulf above-mentioned is related by Simeon of Durham to have been the Son of Eardulf the first of that Name King of Northumberland and after Ten Years Reign to have been driven out by one Aelfwold who Reigned Two Years in his stead During these Confusions in the Northumbrian Kingdom Arch-Bishop Usher with great probability supposes in his Antiquitat Britan. Eccles. that the Picts and Scots Conquered the Countries of Galloway and Lothian as also those Countries called the Lowlands of Scotland as far as the Friths of Dunbritain and Edenburgh And that this City was also in the possession of the English Saxons about an Hundred Years after this I shall shew in due order of time and that our Kings did long after maintain their claim to Lothian shall be further shewn when I come to it But that all the Lowlands of Scotland as far as the English Saxon Tongue was spoken were anciently part of the Bernician Kingdom the English Language as well as the Names of places which are all English Saxon and neither Scotish nor Pictish do sufficiently make out The Sun was Eclipsed on the 7th Kal. of August about the Fifth Hour of the Day This Year as Sigebert in his Chronicle relates King Eardulph above-mentioned being expelled his Kingdom and coming for Refuge to the Emperour Charles the Great was by his Assistance restored thereunto but since neither the Saxon Annals nor Florence nor yet any of our English Historians do mention it I much doubt the Truth of this Relation thô it must be also acknowledged that it is inserted in the ancient French Annals of that time and recited that this King's Restitution was procured by the Intercession of the Pope's and Emperour's Legates who were sent into England for that purpose This Year according to Mat. Westminster Egbert King of the West
as his own ever since the time that King Offa took it but now the Mercians tried to recover it by Force The same Year was also held another Synodal Council at Cloveshoe for the Kingdom of Mercia under K. Beornwulf and Wilfred Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with all the Bishops and Chief Men of that Kingdom wherein some disputes about Lands between Heabert Bishop of Worcester and a certain Monastery called Westburgh were determined This Year Ludican King of the Mercians and five of his Ealdermen were slain and Wiglaf began to Reign in his stead Ingulf and Will of Malmesbury tell us That this Ludican was Kinsman to the last mentioned King Beornwulf and leading an Army against the East-Angles to revenge his Death was there overcome and Slain and that both these Tyrants were justly removed who had not only made Kings without any Right but had also by their imprudence been the occasion of the destruction of the Military Forces of that Kingdom which had till then proved Victorious and that thereupon one Withlaf being before Ealderman of Mâ—rcia was by the consent of all the People created King whose Son Wimond had Married Alfleda the Daughter of Ceolwulf the late King This King Withlaf Reigned thirteen Years as Tributary to King Egbert as shall be further related anon The Moon was Eclipsed on Christmass day at Night and the same Year King Egbryht subdued the Kingdom of Mercia and all the Country that lay South of Humber He was the Eighth King who Ruled over all Britain but the First who had so great a Command was Aella King of the South Saxons the Second was Ceaâ—lin King of the West-Saxons the Third was Aethelbryght King of Kent the Fourth was Redwald King of the East Angles the Fifth was Edwin King of Northumberland the Sixth was Oswald who succeeded him the Seventh was Oswi the Brother of Oswald and the Eight was Egbryght King of the West-Saxons who not long after led an Army against the Northumbers as far as Dore which place is supposed to have been in York-shire beyond the River Hâ—mber but the Northumâ—ers offering him Peace and due Subjection they parted Friends From which passage in the Saxon Annals it is apparent that this Supream Dominion of one English King over all the rest was no new thing Bede having taken notice of it long before yet did they not therefore take upon them the Title of Monarchs any more than Egbert who now succeeded them in that Power thô most of our Historians who have written the Saxon History in English have but without any just reason given them that Title which could not properly belong to Kings who had divers others under them with the like Regal Jurisdiction within their own Territories not but that King Egbert was in a more peculiar manner the Supream King of England because by his Absolute Conquest of the Kingdoms of Kent and of the South and East Saxons he was the greatest King who had hitherto Reigned in England all the rest of the Kings that remained Reigning by his permission and paying him Tribute a power which never had been exercised by any other King before him But to return to our History it seems that King Egbert was so highly displeased with the Mercians for setting up a King without his consent that Ingulf and Florence of Worcester tell us That as soon as ever Withlaf was made King before he could raise an Army he was expell'd his Kingdom which Egbert added to his own but Withlaf being search'd for by Egbert's Commanders through all Mercia he was by the industry of Seward Abbot of Croyland concealed in the Cell of the Holy Virgin Etheldrith Daughter of King Offa and once the Spouse of Ethelbert King of the East Angles where King Withlaf found a safe retreat for the space of Four Months until such time as by the Mediation of said Abbot Seward he was reconciled to King Egbert and upon promise of the payment of an Yearly Tribute permitted to return to his Kingdom in Peace which is by him acknowledged in that Charter of his that Ingulf hath given us of his Confirmation of the Lands and priviledges of the Abbey of Croyland It was made in the Great Council of the whole Kingdom in the presence of his Lords Egbert King of West-Saxony and his Son Ethelwulf and before the Bishops and great Men of all England Assembled at the City of London to take Counsel against the Daniâ—h Pyrats then infesting the English Coasts And in the Year 833 as you shall see when we come to that Year This Restoration of King Withlaf to his Kingdom is also mentioned in the Saxon Annals of the next Year where it is said That Withlaf again obtained the Kingdom of the Mercians and Bishop Ethelwald deceased also the same Year King Egbryht led an Army against the Northern Britains and reduced them absolutely to his Obedience For it seems they had again rebelled Now likewise as Mat. Westminster relates King Egbert vanquished Swithred King of the East-Saxons and drove him out of his Kingdom upon whose expulsion the West Saxon Kings ever after possest that Kingdom Now according to the same Authour King Egbert having subdued all the South Parts of England led a great Army into the Kingdom of Northumberland and having grievously wasted that Province made King Eandred his Tributary which is also confirmed by Will of Malmesbury who relates that the Northumbers who stood out the last fearing least this King's anger might break out upon them now giving Hostages submitted themselves to his Dominion but they continued still under Kings of their own as you will further find To this Year I think we may also refer that great Transaction which the Annals of the Cathedral Church of Winchester printed in Monast. Angl. from an ancient Manuscript in the Cottonian Library place under the Year following viz. That King Egbert having thus subdued all the Kingdoms above-mentioned and forced them to submit to his Dominions called a great Council at Winchester whereto were summoned all the Great Men of the whole Kingdom and there by the General Consent of the Clerus Populus i. e. the Clergy and Laity King Egbert was crowned King of Britain And at the same time he Enacted That it should be for ever after called England and that those who before were called Jutes or Saxons should now be called English â—en And this I could not omit because thô William of Malmesbury and other Historians agree of the Matter of Fact yet I think this the truest and most particular Account of the Time and manner when it was performed Also this Year Wilfred the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury deceased and Feologild the Abbot was Elected Arch-Bishop 7 Kal. Maij. and was Consecrated 5. Id. Junij being Sunday and dyed the 3. Kal. Sept. after But here is certainly a mistake in this Copy of the Annals for it was not Feologild but Ceolnoth who was then chosen
Article is That it is agreed that the Limits of K. Alfred's Land are first upon the Thames then proceed they to the River Lee as far as his Fountain then straight to Beaford and then along the River Ouse as far as Watling-street which I suppose is thus to be understood that K. Alfred did hereby grant him East-England and Essex so that the bounds of these Kings Dominions were first the Thames then the River Lee as far as Harford whereabouts it arises Then from Harford to Bedford all along Watling-street and then from Bedford all along the Ouse to the Sea The Second Article appoints the value of a Man slain whether English or Dane to be four Marks of pure Gold and the Redemption of each Four hundred Shillings But if the King's Servant or Thane was accused of Man-slaughter the Third Article proceeds That he then should be tried by Twelve other of the King's Servants or in ease he was not the King's Servant but belonged to some inferiour Lord he should be tried by eleven of his Equals and by one of the King's Servants The same Order was taken in all Suits which exceeded four Marks but in case he refused to undergo this Trial his Fine was to be encreased threefold The Fourth appoints Vouchers for the Sale of Men Horses or Oxen. The Fifth and Last Ordains That none from either Army should pass to the other without Leave and in case it be by way of Traffick such shall find Sureties for their good Behaviour that the Peace may not be broken This was the League it self with some other Articles needless to be here recited the Preface to which declares That it was made betwixt the two Kings Aelfred and Gythrum so the Saxon Original by Consent of all the Wise Men of the English and of all those that inhabited East England and that not only in behalf of themselves but of their Posterity This sufficiently shews that the Eastern Parts of England then belonged to the Danes yet Polydore Virgil calling this King by the Name of Gormon vehemently contends that he had not that Country bestowed upon him Krantzius also denies that this Gormon was converted to the Faith yet confesses that about this time one Froto was converted But whatever they write this League sufficiently evinceth the Distinction of their Territories and the Testimoy of Asser is uncontrollable as to his Baptism who lived himself at this very time not to mention that the Saxon Annals also affirm the same thing After which follow the Ecclesiastical Laws said in their Title to be made between King Alfred and King Gythrum as they are to be found in Abbot Brompton's Chronicle The First of which is That the Danes and English should Love and Serve the true GOD alone and Renounce Paganism And in the next place That if any should Renounce his Christianity and Relapse to Paganism then he should pay his Weare Wite and Lashlite according to what he had done The Third Law is That if any in Holy Orders shall either Fight Perjure himself or commit Fornication let him likewise make Amends by the like Penalties above-mentioned and likewise make Satisfaction to GOD according to the Canons of the Church and also give a Pledge or Security to do so no more Note That the Weare Wite and Lashlite above-mentioned were all of them Fines or Mulcts which the Danes and English were to pay according to the value of their Heads as hath been already shewn but as for the last of these Words Mr. Somner in his Glossary supposes it to be purely Danish and signified no more than the two former Words but was so called in relation to the Danes alone who were to undergo it after which follow several Constitutions against the Offences of Clergy-men against committing Incest and with-holding of Tythes and Romescot or Peter-pence in all which Offences a Dane was to pay the like Weare and Wite with an English-man as also against Buying Selling and Working on the Lord's Day in which Cases if a Freeman wrought upon Holy-days he was to lose his Liberty or pay his Wite but if he were a Servant or Villain he was to satisfie it with his Skin i. e. by Whipping or pay his Head-Gild but if a Master compelled his Servant to work upon Holy-days he was to pay his Lashlite as the Danes and his Wite as the English did that is according as he was a Dane or an English-man which sufficiently justifies Mr. Somner's Sense of that Word The rest of these Laws being against divers other Offences as against violating the Fasts of the Church against making Ordeal or taking an Oath on Sundays or Fast-days Not that this Ordeal or Trial by a hot Iron or boyling Water in case the Person was accused of a Crime was to be used unless there was no direct Proof against him The rest of the Laws are against putting any Man to Death upon a Sunday as also against Witches Perjured Persons and Common Whores all which Persons were to be banished the Country But the last Law saving one is a sort of Cruel Mercy for thereby if a Man had lost any of his Members for any Crime and survived the same four Nights it was afterwards lawful with the License of the Bishop for any one to give him Help and Assistance which it seems before that time it was not lawful to do But the Reader may further from the Title of these Laws observe the Subjection or Dependence which King Gytrum then had upon K. Alfred at that time for King Gytrum and his Danes gave their Consent to them in a Common-Council of the Kingdom in the same manner as the Kings of Mercia and of the East Angles were wont to do in the General Council of the West Saxon Kingdom in acknowledgment of its Superiority over them as may be proved by divers Examples and if this King Gytrum could have made Laws by his own Authority he might have called a Council of his own to do so which we do not find he ever did having received his Kingdom wholly from the Bounty of King Alfred Also about the Year last mentioned King Alfred new built the Town of Shaftsbury as appears by an old Inscription cited by Mr. Camden out of an old Manuscript Copy of William of Malmesbury then belonging to the Lord Burghley which Inscription was in that Author's time to be seen in the Chapter-house of that Nunnery which was built at this place by this King some Years after The Pagans entred further into France where the French fought with them and as it is supposed were routed for here the Danes found Horses enough to mount the greatest part of their Men. This Year the Danes sailed up the Maese now the Meuse into Frankland and there stayed another Year The same Year also King Aelfred sailing out with his Fleet fought against four Danish Pirat Ships and took two of their Men and the other two the
of England gives us a very good Reason if true why the King dealt thus severely with this young Princess his Niece which was this That Aelfwinna not making the King her Uncle whom her Mother had appointed her Guardian privy to her Designs had contracted a Mariage with Reginald King of the Danes Whereupon King Edward to prevent his Enemy entred the Country of Mercia and took it into his own Hands and also carried the said Lady away with him The same Author likewise reporteth That about this time Leofred a Dane and Griffyth ap Madoc Brother-in-Law to the Prince of West-Wales came from Ireland with a great Army to Snowdon in Caernarvonshire and designing to bring all Wales and the Marches thereof to their subjection over-ran and subdued all the Countrey as far as Chester before ever King Edward had Intelligence of their Arrival whereat he was very much offended but being loath to trouble his Subjects in that behalf he made a Vow That he and his Sons with their own people would be revenged on Leofred and Griffyth and thereupon he came to Chester and took the City from them After this he made two Divisions of his Army whereof he and his Son Athelstan led the first and Edmund and Edred the second and followed them with such Celerity that he overtook them at the Forest of Walewode now Sherwood where Leofred and Griffyth set upon him so fiercely that the King at the beginning was in some distress until Prince Athelstan stepped in between his Father and Leofred and gave the Dane such a Wound in the Arm that it disabled him from holding his Spear whereupon he was soon taken and committed to the Custody of Athelstan In the mean time Prince Edmund and Edred encountering with Griffyth slew him and brought his Head to their Father Upon that Athelstan caused Leofred to be beheaded likewise and so both their Heads were set up together on the top of the Tower of Chester and Edward and his Sons returned home with a great Triumph But it appears by the Age of Prince Edmund when he came to the Crown that this Relation concerning himself and his Brother Edred's commanding part of their Father's Army cannot be true for he was not above Four years old when King Edward his Father died and not above Eighteen when he began to reign This year according to our Annals King Edward commanded his men to go to the Town of Tofeceaster now Tocester in Northamptonshire and to rebuild it after which the same year about Lent he commanded the Town of Wigingamere now Wigmore in Herefordshire to be rebuilt But the same Summer between Whitsuntide and Midsummer the Danes of Hamptune i. e. Northampton as was said before and Ligeracester and those that lay Northward broke the Peace and marched to Tofeceaster and assaulting the Town a whole day hoped to take it but those that were within defending it until such time as more men could come to their assistance the Danes were forced to leave the Town and march'd off After this they often went out by night to plunder and falling upon those that were unprovided took a great many men and much Cattle between Barnewoode and Eglesbyrig the former of which was Barnwood Forest near Bury-hill and the latter Alisbury both in Buckinghamshire About the same time the Danes of Huntandune i. e. Huntington and the East-Angles marched out and built a Castle at Temsford where they settled themselves for they had left that at Huntandune supposing that from thence they might recover a greater share of the Countrey and so they march'd till they came to Bedanford but the men who were within it going out to meet them killed great numbers of them putting the rest to flight After this a great Army of Danes being got together advanced to the Town of Wiggingamere and stormed it for most part of the day but those who were within defending it very well they were forced to leave the Town and retreat carrying away with them all the Cattel they found thereabouts After this also the same Summer there were great Forces assembled of King Edward's Subjects from the Towns round about Temesford whither they went and laying close Siege to the Town they at length took it and kill'd a Danish King and Taglosse an Earl and Mannan his Son together with his Brother and all those who defended the Town From which time according to Florence the Danish Power did by little and little decrease and that of the English increase But this Author places all these actions of this year under Anno 917. The same year a great many men assembled together in Autumn as well from Kent Surry and Essex as from the neighbouring Towns and marching to Colneceaster i.e. Colchester assaulted that City till they took it and all the Plunder they found in it and killed all the men except those that escaped over the Wall After which also the same Autumn a great Army of Danes were got together with the East-Angles both Land-Soldiers and Pyrates whom they had invited to their assistance hoping thereby to revenge the Defeat they had lately received wherefore they went directly to Maeldune and besieged that Town till such time that more men coming to its assistance the Danes were forced to quit it and retreat but the men who were within it together with those that came to their assistance overtaking the Danes killed many hundreds of the Land-men as well as Pyrates not long after which King Edward marched with an Army of South-Saxons to Passenham i. e. Pasham in Northamptonshire and there continued till the Town of Tofeceaster could be encompassed with a Stone-Wall where Earl Thurferth and the chief Commander of the Danish Forces that belonged to Hamtune with all towards the North as far as Weolade that is the River Weland accepted King Edward for their Lord and Protector but about the time that the King's Army was to return home he sent out fresh Forces to the Town of Huntandune who repaired and rebuilt it in those places that were destroyed according to the King's Command so that all the people of that Countrey that ramained alive surrendred themselves to King Edward and sought his Peace and Protection Likewise this very year before Martinmass the King marched with an Army of West-Saxons to Colneceaster and rebuilt the Wall and repaired all places which were ruinous Then many as well of the East-Angles as also of the East-Saxons who were before under the Danish Dominion and had been so for above thirty years now delivered themselves up to the King and also all the Danish Army in East-England swore Allegiance to him promising to do whatever he thought good and to defend his Subjects as well by Sea as by Land but the Army that belonged to Grantanbyrig i. e. Cambridge did by themselves chuse the King for their Lord and Patron confirming it by their Oaths as he had appointed him This year also Sytric the Danish King
Friends not only to marry her but also to fulfil the Covenants made between them and shall also engage to maintain her After that the Bridegroom is to declare what he will give his Bride besides that which she formerly made choice of with his good liking if she survive him In case they so agree it provides that after his Decease she shall have the one half of all his Estate and if they have a Child betwixt them the whole till such time as â—he marry again Then when they have agreed on all things the Kindred of the Bride shall contract her to him and engage for her Honesty and at the same time they shall give Caution for the Celebration of the Marriage The rest being not very material I omit and have only set down these to let the Reader see the Antiquity of Covenants before Marriage and of Bonds for the performance of them as also of Jointures the Thirds of the Estate not being then settled by Law as Dower by what I can find Having now finished the Reign of King Edmund I have no more to observe but that though he left two Sons by the Queen his Wife viz. Edwi and Edgar yet notwithstanding his Brother Edred succeeded to him as Next Heir for so Ethelwerd as well as Florence of Worcester stiles him King EDRED THIS year according to our Annals Eadred Aetheling after his Brother's Decease was made King and presently reduced all Northumberland under his Obedience Upon which the Scots also swore to perform whatever he would require of them But the Manuscript Life of St Dunstan written by a Monk of those times and which is now in the Cottonian Library is much more particular concerning this King's Succession saying That King Edmund being slain Eadred took the Kingdom succeeding to his Brother as his Heir Which is also confirmed by Florence of Worcester who says That Edred being Next Heir to his Brother succeeded him And Ethelwerd gives us the reason of it more fully That he succeeded him quippe ejus Haeres because he was Next Heir And Simeon of Durham further adds That this King was Crowned at Kingston by Odo Archbishop of Canterbury H. Huntington and Mat. Westminster give us the Particulars of this War against the Northumbers and Scots more at large viz. That he subdued the Northumbrians with a powerful Army they refusing to submit to his Dominion and that the Scots thereupon being afraid submitted themselves to him without any War at all and that the King of the Scots swore Fidelity to him It seems here by Ingulph that this Submission of the Northumbers was wrought by the means of Turketule Chancellor to King Edred and afterwards Abbot of Croyland who was now sent Ambassador to the Northumbers to reduce them to their Duty which he upon his Arrival at York performed with that Prudence and Diligence that he brought back the Archbishop and all the People of that City to their former Allegiance But R. Hoveden places the Oath taken by the Northumbrians under this year and that Wulstan Archbishop of York and all the Northumbrian Lords swore Fealty to King Edred in a Town called Tadencliff though they did not long observe it Under this year most of the Welsh Chronicles place the death of that Worthy Prince Howel Dha and say That he left his four Sons Owen Run Roderic and Edwin his Heirs of all his Territories in South-Wales But as for North Wales it returned to the two Sons of Edwal Voel called Jevaf and Jago because Meyric their Elder Brother was not thought fit to govern These as being of the Elder House would have had the Supreme Government of all Wales which being denied them by the Sons of Howel caused great and long Wars between them Yet nothwithstanding other of the Welsh Chronicles place the death of Howel Dha much later for they make him Contemporary with our King Edgar as shall be shewn when we come to the History of his Reign in the next Book Also the same year according to R. Hoveden King Edred being much provoked by the Treachery of the Northumbers laid all Northumberland waste in which devastation the Monastery of Ripun which had been built by Bishop Wilfrid was burnt But our Annals defer this Rebellion of the Northumbers to the year following When Anlaf again returned into the Countrey of the Northumbers This is also confirmed by Florence of Worcester and H. Huntington viz. That King Edred being returned into the Southern parts of the Kingdom Anlaf who had been formerly expell'd the Kingdom of Northumberland reâ—urned thither with a great Navy and being received with joy by the people was again restored to his Kingdom About this time Jago and Jevaf Princes of North-Wales entred South-Wales with a great and powerful Army against whom came over the Eldest Son of Howel with his Brethren and fought a Battel at the Hills of Carne where Jevaf and Jago obtained the Victory And the year following the same Princes twice invaded South-Wales and spoiled Dyvet and slew Dunwallon Lord thereof And to place these Welsh Wars together in the year 952. the said Sons of Howel Dha gathered their Forces together against Jevaf and Jago and entred their Countrey as far as the River Coâ—â—y where they fought a cruel bloody Battel at a place called Gwrhustu or Llanrwst Multitudes being slain on both sides as Edwin the Son of Howel Dha with other Welsh Princes and the Sons of Howel being vanquish'd Jevaf and Jago pursued them as far as Curdigan destroying their Countrey with Fire and Sword This year according to the Annals Aelfeag Bishop of Winchester deceased at the Feast of St. Gregory The Northumbers again expelled King Anlaf and set up Eric the Son of Harold for their King This is the same with Eric mentioned by Hoveden who yet did not immediately enter upon the Throne as that Author supposes till Anlaf had been expell'd but Florence of Worcester and the Chronicle of Mailrosse place the expulsion of Anlaf and the setting up of Eric two years sooner and perhaps with better reason For the same year according to Hoveden King Edred made Wulstan Archbishop of York close Prisoner at Witharbirig because he had been often accused to him upon divers accounts Yet Will. Malmesbury tells us expresly it was for favouring or conniving at his Countreymen in their late Rebellion But after he had kept him a long time in Prison he thought fit to pardon him out of reverence to his Function And the year following the Chronicle of Mailrosse relates that Archbishop Wulstan being set free was restored to his Episcopal Function at Doncacester But this is certain King Edred could not have done this till after Eric had been driven out as this Author more truly reckons tho our Annals do it the next year saying That The Northumbers drove out King Eric and King Eadred again possessed himself of that Kingdom With which also H.
and instead thereof engaged the Prince of Wales to send him a Yearly Tribute of so many Wolves Heads in lieu of that Tribute which the said Prince performed till within some Years there being no more Wolves to be found either in England or Wales that Tribute ceased But to proceed with our Annals This Year deceased Aelfgar Cousin to the King and Earl also of Devonshire whose Body lies buried at Wilton Sigeferth likewise here called a King though he was indeed no more than Vice-King or Earl of some Province now made himself away and was buried at Winborne The same Year was a great Mortality of Men and a very Malignant Feaver raged at London Also the Church of St. Pauls at London was this Year burnt and soon after rebuilt and Athelmod the Priest went to Rome and there died I have nothing else to add that is remarkable under this Year but the Foundation of the Abby of Tavistock by Ordgar Earl of Devonshire afterwards Father-in-law to King Edgar though it was within less than fifty years after its foundation burnt down by the Danes in the Reign of King Ethelred but was afterwards rebuilt more stately than before This Year Wolfstan the Deacon deceased and afterwards Gyric the Priest These I suppose were some men of remarkable Sanctity in that Monastery to which this Copy of these Annals did once belong The same Year also Abbot Athelwald received the Bishoprick of Winchester and was consecrated on a Sunday being the Vigil of St. Andrew The second year after his Consecration he repaired divers Monasteries and drove the Clerks i. e. Canons from that Bishoprick because they would observe no Rule and placed Monks in their stead He also founded two Abbies the one of Monks and the other of Nuns and afterwards going to King Edgar he desired him to bestow upon him all the Monasteries the Danes had before destroyed because he intended to rebuild them which the King willingly granted Then the Bishop went to Elig where St. Etheldrith lieth buried and caused that Monastery to be rebuilt and then gave it to the care of one of his Monks named Brightnoth and afterwards made him Abbot of the Monks of that Monastery where there had been Nuns before Then Bishop Athelwald went to the Monastery which is called Medeshamstead which had also been destroyed by the Danes where he found nothing but old Walls with Trees and Bushes growing among them but at last he spied hidden in one of these Walls that Charter which Abbot Headda had formerly wrote in which it appeared that King Wulfher and Ethelred his Brother had founded this Monastery and that the King with the Bishop had freed it from all secular servitude and Pope Agatho had confirmed it by his Bull as also the Archbishop Deus Dedit Which Charter I suppose is that the Substance of which is already recited in the Fourth book Anno 656. and which I have there proved to be forged for the Monks had then a very fair opportunity to forge that Charter and afterwards to pretend they found it in an old Wall But letting that pass thus much is certain from the Peterburgh Copy of these Annals That the said Bishop then caused this Monastery to be rebuilt placing a new Set of Monks therein over whom he appointed an Abbot called Aldulf Then went the Bishop to the King and shewed him the Charter he had lately found whereby he not only obtained a new Charter of Confirmation of all the Lands and Privileges formerly granted by the Mercian Kings but also many other Townships and Lands there recited as particularly Vndale with the Hundred adjoining in Northamptonshire which had formerly been a Monastery of it self as may be observed in the account we have already given of the Life of the Archbishop Wilfrid The King likewise granted That the Lands belonging to that Monastery should be a distinct Shire having Sac and Soc Tol and Team and Infangentheof which terms I shall explain in another place the King there also grants them a Market with the Toll thereof and that there should be no other Market between Stamford and Huntington and to the former of these the King also granted the Abbot a Mint But as for the Names of the Lands given together with the Limits and the Tolls of the Market there mentioned I refer the Reader to the Charter it self Then follows the Subscription of the King with the Sign of the Cross and next the Confirmation of the Archbishop of Canterbury with a dreadful Curse on those that should violate it as also the Confirmation of Oswald Archbishop of York Athelwald Bishop of Winchester with several other Bishops Abbots Ealdormen and Wisemen who all confirmed it and signed it with the Cross This was done Anno Dom. 972. of our Lord's Nativity and in the sixteenth year of the King's Reign which shews this Coppy of the Annals to be written divers years after these things were done as does also more particularly that short History concerning the Affairs of this Abby and the Succession of its Abbots for many years after this time As how Abbot Adulf bought many more Lands wherewith he highly enriched that Monastery where he continued Abbot till Oswald Archbishop of York deceased and he succeeded him in the Archbishoprick and then there was another chosen Abbot of the said Monastery named Kenulph who was afterwards Bishop of Winchester he first built a Wall round the Monastery and gave it the name of Burgh which was before called Medeshamested but he being sometime after made Bishop of Winchester another Abbot was chosen from the same Abby called Aelfi who continued Abbot fifty years He removed the Bodies of St. Kyneburge and St. Cynesuith which lay buried at Castra and St. Tibba which lay entomb'd at Rehala i. e. Ryal in Rutlandshire and brought them to Burgh and dedicated them to St. Peter keeping them there as long as he continued Abbot I have been the more particular in the Account of this so Ancient and Famous Monastery as having been the Episcopal See of the Bishops of Peterburgh almost ever since the Dissolution of that Abby in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth This Year also according to Simeon of Durham King Edgar married Ethelfreda the Daughter of Ordgar Earl of Devonshire after the Death of her Husband Ethelwald Earl of the East-Angles Of her he begot two Sons Edwald and Ethelred the former of whom died in his Infancy but the latter lived to be King of England But before he married this Lady it is certain he had an Elder Son by Elfleda sirnamed The Fair Daughter of Earl Eodmar of whom he begot King Edward called the Martyr But whether King Edgar was ever lawfully married to her may also be doubted since Osbern in his Life of St. Dunstan says That this Saint baptized the Child begotten on Ethelfleda the King's Concubine with whom also agrees Nicholas Trevet in his Chronicle though I confess the Major
the English being now full had provoked the Divine Vengeance for that the Priests despising God's Law treated Holy Things with corrupt hearts and polluted hands and not being true Pastors but Mercenaries exposed the Sheep to the Wolves seeking the Wool and the Milk more than the Sheep themselves That the Chief Men of the Land were Infidels Companions of the Thieves and Robbers of their Countrey who neither feared God nor honoured his Law to whom Truth was a Burthen Justice a Maygame and Cruelty a Delight And that therefore since neither the Rulers observed Justice nor the Ruled Discipline the Lord had drawn his Sword and bent his Bow and made it ready for that he would shew this People his Wrath and Indignation by sending Evil Angels to punish them for a year and a day with Fire and Sword But when the King replied to them That he would admonish his People to repent them of the evil of their ways and doings and then he hoped God would not bring these dreadful Judgments upon them but would again receive them into his Mercy To this they answered That now it could not be because the hearts of this people were hardened and their eyes blinded and their ears stopped so that they would neither hear those that would instruct them nor be advised by those that should admonish them being neither to be terrified by his Threatnings nor melted by his Benefits And the King asking them when there would be an end of all these Judgments and what comfort they might be like to receive under all these great afflictions those holy men only answered him in a Parable of a certain Green Tree that should be cut down and removed from the Root about the distance of Three Acres and when without any human hand the Tree should be restored to its Ancient Root and flourish and bear Fruit then and not till then was there any Comfort to be hoped for But this Author's application of the Tree that was to be cut down to the English-Saxon Royal Family's being for a time destroyed and its Separation to the distance of three Acres to Harold and the two first Norman Kings and its Restitution again to King Henry the first by his marrying of Queen Mathildis and its flourishing again in the Empress her Daughter and then its bearing Fruit to the Succession of Henry the second do sufficiently shew that great part of this Vision was made and accommodated for the Reigns of these Princes William of Malmesbury indeed recites the same Vision though in fewer words but without any Interpretation of the Parable But be this Vision true or false I think we may have reason to pray to God that neither our Clergy nor Laity by falling into the like wicked and deplorable state above described may ever bring the like Judgments upon this Nation But when the Queen Robert the Lord Chamberlain and Earl Harold who are said to have been present at the Relation of this Vision seemed very much concern'd Archbishop Stigand received it with a Smile saying That the good Old Man was only delirous by reason of his Distemper But says Malmesbury we have too dearly tried the Truth of this Vision England being now made the Habitation of Strangers and groaning under the Dominion of Foreigners there being says he at this day i. e. at the time when he wrote no Englishman either an Earl a Bishop or an Abbot but Strangers devour the Riches and gnaw even the very Bowels of England neither is there a prospect of having any End of these Miseries This it seems was written in the beginning of the Reign of Henry the First and before he had seen the more Happy Times that succeeded in that of Henry the Second when the Abbot above-mentioned tells us That England had then a King of the Ancient Blood Royal as also Bishops and Abbots of the same Nation with many Earls Barons and Knights who as being descended both from the French and English Blood were an Honour to the One and a Comfort to the Other But to come to the Death and Last Words of this most Pious King The Abbot above-mentioned gives us an Excellent Discourse which he made before his Death recommending the Queen to her Brother and the Nobility there present and highly extolling her Chastity and Obedience who though she appeared publickly his Wife yet was privately rather like a Sister or Daughter desiring of them That whatsoever he had left her for her Jointure should never be taken from her He also recommended to them his Servants who had followed him out of Normandy and that they should have their free choice either of returning home to their own Countrey or staying here After which he appointed his Body to be buried in St. Peter's Church at Westminster which he had so newly dedicated and so having received the Blessed Eucharist and recommended his Soul to God he quietly departed this Life having reigned Three and twenty Years Six Months and Seven and twenty Days It is very observable That this Abbot does not tell us that he said any thing concerning who should be his Successor whereas many of the Monks of those Times make him to have bequeathed the Crown at his Death to his Cousin William Duke of Normandy and Ingulph further says That King Edward â—â—me years before his Death had sent Robert Archbishop of Canterbury as an Ambassador to him to let him know that he had design'd him his Successor both because he was of his Blood and also Eminent for his Virtue What Pretences the Duke might have to the Crown by the latter I know not but it is certain the former could give him no Title to it since all the Relation that was between King Edward and Duke William was by Queen Emma who was Mother to the King and Aunt to the Duke so that it is evident on the score of this Relation that Duke William could have no pretence by Blood to the Crown of England But it is very suspicious that this Story of Archbishop Robert's being sent into Normandy upon this Errand was but a Fiction since he sate but three years in that See before his Expulsion and that happened near ten years before after which King Edward sent over for his Cousin Edward sirnamed The Outlaw to make him his Heir King Edward being dead they made great haste to bury him for his Funerals were performed the next day with as great Solemnity as the shortness of that time would admit of but it was sufficient that all the Bishops and Nobility of the Kingdom attended his Body to the Grave in the Church aforesaid where his Tomb is at this day to be seen behind the Altar and his Body was afterwards preserved in a Rich Shrine of Gold and Silver till the Reign of Henry the Eighth As for the Character which the Writers of the following Age give this Prince it is such as they thought was due to One whom they took to be
by it for it was only a Voluntary Annual Alms or Benevolence Id. p. 239. Alfred call'd it his Alms and how he sent it to Rome l. 5. p. 281 286 291 298. Justly called Alms and not a Tribute as the Modern Popish Writers term it Id. p. 291. When it was to be paid and the Penalty for not performing it accordingly l. 6. p. 13. Edward the Confessor's Law to reinforce the Payment of it Id. p. 100. Vid. Romescot Petroc a Learned British Preacher in Cornwall l. 3. p. 149. Philip upon the death of Henry is made King of France l. 6. p. 88. Visited by Duke William who solicited his Assistance in his designed War against Harold but he would not hearken to the Proposals made him and for what reason Id. p. 109. Philippus Marcus Julius an Arabian succeeded Gordianus in the Empire but his Army soon made away with him l. 2. p. 81. Philippus Nonnius a Lieutenant in Britain under the Emperor Gordianus Id. Ib. Phoenicians the first Discoverers of this Island l. 1. p. 2 3. Picts came out of Scythia and landed first in the North of Ireland l. 1. p. 4. Are totally subdued by the Scots Their Language is unknown Id. p. 5. Confederate with Carausius against Constantius Chlorus l. 2. p. 83. Surrender up many of their Forts and strong Places to Fergus Id. p. 98. And Scots their landing first in Britain passing over that part of the Irish Sea which is called the Scythic Vale l. 3. p. 114. And Saxons privately make a Peace Id. p. 126. The Picts cut off King Egfrid and his whole Army and recover their Countrey the English had taken away l. 4. p. 202. Slay Bert the Ealdorman Id p. 211. Fight against Beorfrith the Ealdorman Id. p. 215. Keep their League with the English and rejoice to be partakers of the Catholick Peace and Truth Id. p. 221. A great fight between them and the Britains that is those of Cumberland Id. p. 225. These and the Scots conquer Galloway and Lothian and the Low-lands of Scotland as far as the Friths of Dunbritton and Edinburgh l. 5. p. 249. Rout the English and slay King Athelstan in fight a story Id. p. 250. The total Conquest of the Picts by Kened the first King of Scotland Id. p. 259. Pightwin or Pechtwin is consecrated Bishop of Witherne called in Latin Candida Casa at Aelfet l. 4. p. 228. His Decease Id. p. 231. Pinchenhale or Finkenhale now Finkney in the Bishoprick of Durham and Kingdom of Northumberland where a General Synod assembled l. 4. p. 236. The second Synod or Council held here under Eanbald Archbishop of York c. Id. p. 242. Pius Antoninus succeeds Hadrian and at his first coming to the Throne hath a Law made That all the Subjects of the Roman Empire should be Free Citizens of Rome l. 2. p. 67. Plague a very sore one in Britain when l. 3. p. 117. A great one over all the Isle of Britain and then it went into Ireland l. 4. p. 190. A great Mortality both of Men and Beasts l. 5. p. 269. Another great one upon Men and Murrain of Cattle Id. p. 302. A great Mortality of Men and a very malignant Feaver in London l. 6. p. 4. A great Mortality of Cattle in England Id. p. 21. A great number of Cattle died and by the Intemperance of the Season the Fruits of the Earth were destroyed Id. p. 70. So great a Murrain of all sorts of Cattle in England that none could ever remember the like Id. p. 85. Plautius Praetor in Gaul invades Britain and his Success l. 2. p. 38 39. Has an Ovation allowed him by Claudius Id. p. 41. Pledge Alfred's Law about keeping the Peace and the Punishment in breaking it l. 5. p. 292 295. Those who violate the Peace of Holy Church and despise the Bishop's Sentence shall give Pledges to reconcile themselves to God the King and Church or to be outlaw'd l. 6. p. 99 100. Vid. Security Plegmund elected by God and all his Holy Men to be Archbishop of Canterbury l. 5. p. 298. Sent for by King Alfred out of Mercia to help him in his Learning Id. p. 306. Presides at the Great Council held by King Edward the Elder where five new Bishopricks were â—rected at once by the Authority of the King and Council with the Pope's Confirmation of this Decree Id. p. 313 314. His Decease Id. p. 324. Plâ—nty a wonderful one of all sorts of Prâ—vision in Britain l. 3. p. 115. Polidore Virgil an Historian of no â—xtraordinary Credit though he had the Perusal of a great many curious Manuscripts l. 5. p. 323. Polycleâ—us one of Nero â—s Free'd Men sent to â—nspect the State of Britain l. 2. p. 50. Pope who called the Emperor Mauritius his Lord and dated his Letters by the Year of his Reign l. 4. p. 153 158. Sends more Preachers of the Word into England upon Augustine's notice of the want of them Id. p. 157. Sends Letters to King Edwin exhorting him to casâ— off his Idols and to receivâ— Chrisâ— Id. p. 17â— The Kings of Northumberland thoâ—ght themselves not bound to observe the Pope's Deâ—rees on Appeals if contrary to a General Synod or Council of the whole Nation Id. p. 206 207 208. Always encouraging Appeals to Rome Id. p. 215. Usually sent his Pall to every new Archbishop on his Consecration as a token of his Dependance on the See of Rome Id. p. 223. The Church of England thought his Authority alone not sufficient to annul what had been solemnly decreed in a great Council of the Kingdom l. 5. p. 248. Anointâ— Alfred King in his Father's Life-time in way of Prophecy of his future Royal Grâ—atness Id. p. 262. Aethelwulf orders by his last Last Will Three hundred Mancuses to be sent to Rome every year for such and such uses and One hâ—ndred of them to be for the Pope himself Id. p. 264 265. Port now called Portland in Dorsetshire where the Danes were put to flight l. 5. p. 258. The Isle spoiled by the Danish Pyrates that landed in Dorsetshire l. 6. p. 21. The whole Island and other Possessions given to the Church of Winchester by Edward the Confessor and upon what account l. 6. p. 79. Portlock-bay in Somersetshire anciently called Portlocan l. 5. p. 319. Portsmouth so called from one Portâ— who with his two Sons obtained a great Victory over the Britains l. 3. p. 133. Portus Ictius where it was and whether it be yet in being l. 2. p. 30 31. Posentesbyrig supposed Pontesbury in Shropshire l. 4. p. 188. Praeâ—idialis a Province that is so is not governed by any particular Praetor or Proconsul but is under the immediate Protectioâ— and Eye of the Emperor l. 2. p. 65. Prasutagus King of the Icenians deceived in leaving Caesar Co-heir with his two Daughters and how the Romans used them l. 2. p. 47. Prayer to be made for Kings by Withred King of Kent's Law l. 4. p. 211. Priests to learn
bloody slaughter on both sides l. 6. p. 31. University of Paris by whose means erected Alcuinus an Englishman reading there Logick Rhetorick and Astronomy l. 4. p. 244. Of Oxford and Cambridge Vid. their particular Heads Unust King of the Picts Vid. Eadbert King of Northumberland Vortigern is chosen King by the Britains l. 3. p. 116. By the Advice of his Council he sent for the Heathen Saxons to repel the Scots and Picts Id. p. 117. Falls passionately in Love with Rowena Hengest's daughter Id. p. 125. Marries her and is divorced from his former Wife Id. p. 126. The story of his taking his own Daughter to Wife and having a Son by her is all unlikely Id. p. 127 128. Is deposed and Vortimer his Son is chosen King by the British Nobles Id. p. 128. Is restored wages War with the Saxons but by the Treachery of Hengest is taken Prisoner and for his Ransom gives up East-Sex Middlesex and Sussex Id. p. 129. Uncertain what at last became of him but was again deposed and thought to be burnt in his Castle by his Successor Aurelius Ambrosius Id. p. 131. Vortimer obtainâ— a great Victory over the Saxons l. 3. p. 128. Drives them into Germany for all his lifâ—time Id. Ib. Dies supposed by Poyson of his Mother-in-Law Rowena's Procurement Id. p. 129. Vortipore King of that part of South-Wales called Demetia l. 3. p. 139. Urbgen or Urien King of Cumberland and his Sons fight with Theodoric and his Sons and where l. 3. p. 146. Urbicus Lollius drives back the Brigantes draws another Wall beyond that of Hadrian and keeps out the Incursions of the Northern Britains l. 2. p. 68. Urgeney Bishop of St. David's is slain by the Danes l. 6. p. 27. Urych Merwin King of the Britains slain at the Battel of Ketell l. 5. p. 260. Uscfrea a Son of King Edwin's l. 4. p. 176. Usurers not to continue in the Kingdom but if any were convicted to forfeit their Goods and be look'd on as outlaw'd l. 6. p. 102. Uther Pendragon look'd on by the British Antiquaries as a mere imaginary King l. 3. p. 133. Uthred his Bravery against the Scots and the Reward he met with for it from King Ethelred casts off his Wife but gives her back her Fortune and marries another one Sigâ— l. 6. p. 27. Submits with all his Northumbrian Kingdom to King Sweyn the Dane and the mischiefs he his Son and their Army did both there and where ever they went Id. p. 37 38. He with Edmund Etheling plunders all places where ever they come Id. p. 41. But at last submits to Cnute and though he gave Hostages was soon after slain and some say by Cnute's Orders Id. Ib. Utrecht in the Gallick Tongue Trajectum in the old Language Wiltaburg l. 4. p. 212. Vulgar or Common People the Care the English-Saxons had of the Persons and Chastity of their meanest Subjects l. 5. p. 293 294. W WAda a Rebel in chief in Northumberland that leads out the Conspirators to Battel against King Eardwulf at Billingahoth near Whalie in Lancashire l. 4. p. 241. Wakes or Parish Feasts their Antiquity in several parts of England l. 6. p. 99. Wales anciently called Cambria by some supposed to come from the King Ina's marrying Gualla the Daughter of Cadwallader King of the Britains but it is certainly a notorious Falshood l. 4. p. 220. Their Chief Lords of any Countrey there called Kings Id. p. 241. Kings of Cardigan Divet and Powis died in one year Id. p. 243. The several Princes of Wales were perpetually weakning each other with Civil Wars which the English observing at last reduced them all under their Dominion l. 5. p. 279 280. Great Commotions there between Jevaf and Jago and their Children after them sevâ—ral Countries being thereby spoiled l. 6. p. 16 20 21 22. Laws concerning the Inabitants of the Mountains of this Countrey Id. p. 44. A great Revolution happen'd there from the fickleness of the Nation Id. p. 64. The last Civil War or Rebellion there that happen'd in Edward the Confessor's Reign Id. p. 85. Is called Brytland and subdued by E. Harold and E. Tostige Id. p. 89. Wall That which Severus built from Sea to Sea 132 miles in length which procured him the stile of Britannicus l. 2. p. 76. Is repaired and fortified with Castles c. by Carausius Id. p. 84. Built cross the Island between the two Seas or Streights called then Glotta and Bodotria now the Friths of Edinburgh and Dunbritton with Turf instead of Stone Id. p. 99 100. A Description of the other Wall of Stone Id. p. 100. Wall-brook whence it had its name l. 2. p. 85. Waltham-Abbey the Foundation of it and the story of the Crucifix brought thither and the Miracles said to be effected by it l. 6. p. 89. King Harold is buried in the Abbey-Church there Id. p. 144. Wall-Town near the Picts-Wall anciently called Admurum l. 4. p. 184. Wanating now Wantige in Berkshire l. 5. p. 261. l. 6. p. 43. Warewell now Harwood Forest l. 6. p. 10. Warham in Dorfetshire formerly Werham a strong Castle of the West-Saxons is taken and destroyed by the Danes together with the Nunnery there l. 5. p. 278. Warwick anciently called Caer-Gaurvie supposed to be built by Gurgwint l. 1. p. 13. And Weringwic l. 5. p. 316. l. 6. p. 41. Watchet in Somersetshire anciently called Weced l. 5. p. 319. And Weedport destroyed by the Danes l. 6. p. 22 26. Wax-Tapers hated by King Ethelred because of his Mother 's unmercifully beating him with one and for what reason l. 6. p. 19. Wectij or Wiccij now Worcester l. 4. p. 160 197.230 The same Shire also anciently called Wiccon l. 4. p. 242. l. 5. p. 247. Vid. the City and County of Worcester Wedesbury in Staffordshire anciently supposed to be called Wearbyrig l. 5. p. 316. Weland River in Northamptonshire on the side of Rutland anciently called Weolade l. 5. p. 322. Welsh the Chronicle called Triades l. 3. p. 140. Manuscript of Britain the Credit of it arraign'd by a late Romish Writer l. 4. p. 162. Are forced to quit all the plain Countrey bâ—tween Severne and Wye and to retire to the Mountains l. 4. p. 231. Western-Welsh that is Cornish-men where a great Fleet of Danes landed l. 5. p. 257. The Welsh beaten by Igmond the Dane Id. p. 303. Are forbid to come into England or the English to enter Wales l. 6. p. 44. Raise some Insurrections in Harold's time and upon what account Id. p. 65. A Law that no Welshman should pass over Offa's Ditch on pain of death Id. Ib. And on the Penalty of losing his Right Hand Id. p. 115. Vid. Britains Build a Castle in Herefordshire upon the Lands of Earl Sweyn and what ensued thereupon Id. p. 77. Wenbury in Devonshire by the Saxons called Wicganbeorch a place where Earl Ceorle with his Forces fights the Pagan Danes and gets the Victory l. 5. p. 261. Werfriht Bishop of Worcester one
the Saxons being invited by the Britains over hither ever mention their being sent by any of their Kings but only by the Saxon Nation in general and if it continued thus in Bede's Time it ought reasonably to be concluded that it was likewise so before their coming over unless any Man can shew me some better Authority than ever I have yet met with to the contrary AND that this likewise continued so not only in Bede's Time but many Years after may appear from this Testimony of Johan Pomarius in his Saxon Chronicle which tho written in Latin yet not being able as yet to procure the sight of it I shall give you what he says almost to the same effect out of Verstegan's Restitution of decayed Intelligence As for the General Government of the Countrey they ordained twelve Noble-men chosen from among others for their Worthiness and Sufficiency These in the Time of Peace rode their several Circuits to see Justice and good Customs observed and they often of Course â—t appointed Times met all together to consult and give Order in Publick Affairs but ever in Time of War one of these twelve was chosen to be King and so to remain as long only as the War lasted and that being ended his Name and Dignity of King also ceased and he became as before and this Custom continued among them until the Time of their Wars with the Emperor Charles the Great at which time Wittekind one of the Twelve as aforesaid a Nobleman of Angria in Westphalia bore over the rest the Name and Authority of King and he being afterwards by the means of the said Emperor converted to the Faith of Christ had by him his mutable Title of King turned into the induring Title and Honour of Duke and the eleven others were in like manner by the said Emperor advanced to the honourable Titles of Earls and Lords with Establishment for the continual remaining of these Titles and Dignities unto them and their Heirs of whose Descents are since issued the greatest Princes at this present in Germany FROM what now I have given you I think nothing is more evident than that the Government of the Antient English Saxons was rather Aristocratical than Monarchical and admitting they allowed the King they had set over them somewhat more Power than those Noblemen abovementioned by whom they where governed in their own Countrey in time of Peace yet was this Power of theirs far short of that absolute Dominion which Dr. Howell in his Discourse of the Polity of the English-Saxons supposes tho without any just Ground that these Kings enjoyed and therefore he would have it That the Government was Monarchical and that not only in respect of the particular Kingdoms during the Heptarchy which had their peculiar Kings but even of the whole Body of the Nation which was usually commanded by one of the Seven of all which Bede takes notice in his Time BUT if every one of these Kings were no more a Monarch than he who was sometimes Supream or Chief above the Rest I doubt he will fall very short of that Title which is not found either in Bede or in the Saxon Annals or yet in any other Antient Writer before the Conquest until the Time of King Edred BUT I have said enough to confute this Notion I hope in the Preface THE Doctor 's next Argument is from the Nature of the Monarchy which he says We must believe at the first followed the Condition of the Tenure absolute Conquests and Territories both got and held by the Sword alone usually producing absolute Governments which many times either by reason of the infirm Foundation laid by the Conquerors themselves the Humour of the People not induring such Subjection or other Accidents change into more Moderate and less Arbitrary That Hengest Aella and the other Captains where they first erected their Dominations governed their Souldiers whom now being Kings they called Subjects with as great Authority and as full Command as formerly we little doubt IN answer to this and to shew you that notwithstanding what this Author hath alledged we have still great reason to doubt the Truth of it as being founded on no Authority but rather the quite contrary appears I shall therefore only desire the Reader in the first place to take notice that it is no good Argument at all to say that because the Saxon Princes were Conquerors by the means of their Followers therefore they must have submitted themselves absolutely to their Dominion when the War was over FOR the better Proof of which I would farther intreat the Reader to observe FIRST That those Princes or Generals over the English-Saxons thô all of them were descended from Woden their Common Ancestor knew no such Power as that of Kings of Home according to Bede or if we believe Pomarius the Title of King lasted at the most no longer than the War nor could those Princes be made Kings by their own Nation before they came over since being only meer Souldiers of Fortune they had as yet conquered no Dominions from whence they could receive that Denomination so that then it must fall out that they could only be so by the Election of their Souldiers and Followers that came over along with them which may be also proved from the ensuing Annals themselves FOR first they call Hengest and Horsa the two Brothers who came over hither only Heretogan i.e. Leaders or Captains of the Jutes that accompanied them as you may see An. 449. of these Annals NOR secondly do they begin the Reign of Hengest till the Death of Horsa his Brother Anno 455. six Years after his coming over so that it is plain he could have no other Right to his Kingdom of Kent but the free Election of the People that came over with him or else followed him not long afterwards THE like I might say of all the rest of the Kingdoms of the Heptarchy for the same Reason were there no express Authorities to prove it which yet also are not wanting FOR as to the Kingdom of the West-Saxons which afterwards swallowed up all the rest our Annals Anno 495. tell us Of Cerdic and Cynric his Son their landing in Britain with five Ships and having fought with the Britains they about six Years after their coming over upon their conquering the Countrey of the West-Saxons became their first Kings which is further confirmed under Anno 519. where it is expresly related that Cerdic and Cynric then began their Reigns over the West-Saxon Kingdom So likewise in Anno 547. it is there said that Ida began first to reign from whom is derived the Royal Stock of the Northumbrian Kings AND yet we find from Nennius and Malmesbury and all our other Historians who treat of this Matter that Octa and Ebusa Son and Nephew to Hengest had landed in the Northern Parts of England not long after Hengest himself and having conquered those Countries they and their Descendants ruled there
for near 100 Years tho without the Title of Kings but only as subordinate Lords or Earls under the Kings of Kent till this Ida obtained the Kingdom but whether by Succession or Election William of Malmesbury cannot tell us but rather inclines to the latter and tho it be true that these Annals mention no other Kingdoms of the Heptarchy than these three last yet it appears from very good Testimonies in the ensuing History that Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgshire being the Countrey of the East-Angles were conquered by them under several petty Princes that ruled there long before Vffa who was made the first King of that whole Countrey THE like I may say for the Mercian Kingdom where Creoda or Crida began his Reign about Anno 585. above 60 Years after the East-Angles first settled in those Parts HAVING now I hope sufficiently proved this Point against the Learned Dr. Howell I think it will plainly follow that all those Kings above-mentioned could have no other Title to their Crowns besides Election who from Captains and Generals in time of War became Kings in time of Peace over the Countries they had conquered I will here therefore leave it to the Impartial Reader to consider whether what Dr. Howell asserts is at all likely to be true viz. That the Power of these Kings commencing by the Sword was as absolute in Time of Peace as in that of War for we plainly see that these were a free People and it is in no ways probable that they should contrary to the Genius of so noble and free a Nation submit themselves to the absolute Dominion of one Man who owed his delegated Power to themselves BESIDES this the original Constitution of all these several Kingdoms speaks the quite contrary for we find in the following History frequent mention made of great Councils of the Wites i. e. the chief or wise Men of the whole Kingdom which Councils were established to curb the exorbitant Power of their Kings since by these they were elected and by these too they were likewise often deposed when ever their Tyranny rendered them insupportable as you will see in several Instances when you peruse the following Books in this Volume AND thus having traced as far as we are able the Original of the first English-Saxon Kings we shall now in the next Place treat of the manner of their Succession to the Crown which some of our Modern Authors fancy to have been by a Lineal Succession because we find the Son to have often succeeded the Father in most of these Kingdoms for several Descents But if this should be granted yet is it no good Argument to prove a Lineal Succession by Blood for tho I am sensible that the Saxon Annals as well as all other Historians are very obscure in this Point not declaring which way those Princes came to the Crown whether by Succession or Election because it was omitted in the old Saxon Annals out of which they wrote and which we find very short in that particular yet this will by no means warrant those Kingdoms to have been only Successive as some Men fondly suppose seeing we may observe that in the German Empire which every one knows to be Elective the Son hath succeeded the Father or a younger Brother the Elder for above 150 Years ever since the Time of the Emperor Ferdinand Brother to Charles the Fifth however I hope no Body will have the Confidence to affirm that the Empire hath been only Successive and not Elective all this while THE same I may say concerning the Succession of our English-Saxon Kings in which tho we find the Son often succeeded the Father or one Brother another yet does not this prove that the Succession went by right of Inheritance as it does at this day I MAY say the like as to Denmark and Sweden the latter of which has been by Succession but little above fourscore Years from Charles the Ninth and as for the former it has become so even in our own Memories and yet for many Successions in both these Kingdoms he that was the next Heir by Lineal Descent was most commonly chosen King after the Death of his Father Uncle or Brother but before this Election he could claim no Legal Right to the Crown by the Laws of these Kingdoms of which I shall give you divers Instances And I think we may affirm this of all the Kingdoms of the Saxon Heptarchy where tho the Mycel-Gemots commonly obliged themselves to choose one of the Blood-Royal and the next Heir rather than any other provided he were equally fit to govern especially if he were recommended or designed for Successor by the Will of the last King however in this they took a great Latitude as will evidently appear in the pursuit of this Discourse BUT I must confess the manner how the Saxon Kings came to the Throne is but darkly expressed by the words FENG to RICE in Saxon in Latin Regnum capessit which we have commonly rendered succeeded in or to the Kingdom yet those words do not signify any Lineal Succession but are often promiscuously used when the next Successor could have no Title but Election as shall be farther shewn by and by NOW the best way to prove this I think will be briefly to survey the Successions of each Kingdom and the several Breaches and Alterations that were made therein upon this supposed Lineal Succession And first to begin with the Kingdom of Kent of which we indeed have scarce any more than the bare Names of the Kings with but very little of their Actions for about four Descents till Ethelbert the first Christian King there began to reign only that the Son still succeeded the Father SO likewise from this Ethelbert to Earcombert his Grandson for two Descents more we find the like seeming Lineal Succession yet for all this doth it not therefore follow that there might not have been either elder Brothers or the Sons of them who were excluded during that Time seeing that we only meet with the next Successor mentioned without telling us whether there were not such Heirs put by for under the Year 640. we learn from our Annals that Earcombert King of Kent succeeded Eadbald his Father abovementioned who yet left an elder Son named Ermenred that according to the Course of Lineal Descent ought to have succeeded to the Kingdom before his younger Brother Earcombert but whether he was disinherited by his Father or rejected by the People our Annals mention not only that this Ermenred left two Sons who afterwards were made away by one Thunor Servant to King Earcombert AFTER him Egbert his Son succeeded leaving a Son called Eadric yet he did not succeed as he ought to have done according to our Modern Opinions by Hereditary Right but Lothaire his Uncle that kept the Kingdom twelve Years from him But whether he came in by the Testament of his Brother or Election of the People or by both neither Bede
and Bell-house The Bell-house may denote the Hall which was the place of ordinary Diet and Entertainment in the Houses of Lords It may well so signify if the Saxons used the like Reason in imposing the Name on the Lord's Hall as some say the Italian Spanish and French have done in calling it Tinello Tinello and Tinel which in our Laws also is retained in Tinel le Roy for the King's Hall They would have it therefore so named because the Tin or tinkling of a Bell at the Times of Dinner and Supper were signified by it BUT Sundernota mentioned in the Latin Copy of this Law seems to denote the distinct Office which he was to hold in the King's Court to make him equal to a Thane And it is also observable that by the same Laws of King Athelstane abovementioned such a Ceorlsman so advanced and having five Hides of Land ad Vtwarum Regis that is as Mr. Selden in the same place interprets held by Knights Service Si occidatur reddentur 2 Millia Thrymsarum so that his Wiregyld shews him to have been every way equal to a Thane BUT the most considerable Observation that may be made from this Law is that V. Hides of Land were at that time reckoned a sufficient Estate to constitute a Thane But as to the Quantity of Land that then went to make a Hide it was sometimes more and sometimes less according to the Goodness or Quality of the Soil but was certainly no more than what one Plow could well manure together with Pasture Meadow and Wood competent for the Maintenance of that Plow and the Servants of the Family So that the Estate of such a Thane could not be much more than what an ordinary Gentleman has at this day NOR can I here pretermit what follows in the same Law above recited where after having shewn us by what means an Under Theyn might come to be a Chief Thane and from thence attain to the Dignity of an Earl it thus proceeds And if a Merchant so thrived that he had passed thrice over the wide or broad Sea by his own Cunning or Craft as it is in the Saxon he was thenceforth a Thane's Right-worthy i. e. was every way equal to him Where you may observe that Wealth and Industry conferred Nobility in the Saxon Times as well as at this Day I come now to the lowest Rank of Men viz. that of Slaves who were called in Latin Servi and in Saxon Freortorlings and there were two sorts of them viz. such as were Personal possessing no Estates but all that they earn'd was their Lords by whom therefore they were maintained The others were Praedial such as were of Servile Condition and Original but possessed their small Holdings and Goods at the Will of their Lord doing all those Servile Countrey Works that were set them and from thence in the more modern Norman Dialect were called Villains from those Villages where they lived and wrought But before as well as after the Conquest that the Latin word Villanus did not signify a Villain or Servant I could prove from many Instances both out of Records and Histories if I thought it would not be too tedious in this Place AS for the Original of these Slaves among the Saxons there is some doubt about them some supposing them to have been derived from the remainder of those meaner sort of Britains who were either taken Prisoners or else never forsook the Land and so their Lives being saved they were made servile by their Conquerors or else such as were descended from those who came over in the nature of Slaves to the English Saxons that first landed here but it is not much material how they began since they might proceed from both or either of these Originals nor had their Lords Power of Life or Death over them for if they killed any of them they were to pay the Value of their Heads to the King THESE Slaves if they were set free at any time by their Masters were what the Romans called Liberti and in Saxon Freolaetan but being then resolved into the Body of Ceorles or Countrey-men they did not as among the Romans constitute any new Order of Men. HAVING now gone through all the Sorts and Degrees of Men who either lived in or were maintained out of the Countrey I shall in the next Place say somewhat of another distinct Body of Men called in Saxon Burh-witan or Burh-wara that is Citizens or Townsmen who had Privileges peculiar to themselves and living in Cities or great Towns were governed by their own particular Magistrates called Ealdormen or Portgerefan i. e. Port-Reeves assisted by the Chief Men of the Place called in Saxon Yldist-Burh-wara who were much the same with what we now call Aldermen or Common-Council Men for as for the Title of Mayor it came not in use here till long after the Conquest BUT as for these Magistrates and Members of Cities and Towns I shall speak more by and by when I come to treat of the constituent Parts of the Great Council of the Kingdom FROM the different Orders of Men we shall now descend to speak of the different Courts where these Persons abovementioned all except the Villains were bound to appear and there either to do or receive Justice for which it will be necessary to look back to the Reign of King Alfred who after the first Invasion of the Danes when he began to resettle the Kingdom found his Subjects so far corrupted by a long and hazardous War that all Places being full of Robberies and Murders there was an absolute necessity for the making of more severe Laws to restrain them so that omitting the Division of Counties or Shires which I shall speak to hereafter he Canton'd his Kingdom 1 st into Trihings or Lathes as they are still called in Kent and other Places consisting of three or four Hundreds in which the Freeholders being Judges such Causes were brought as could not be determined in the Hundred Court concerning the Proceedings in which Court of the Trihing or Lathes you may see divers Precedents in Sir William Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales NEXT to which there was also the Hundred-Court in Saxon Hundred-Gemot and in Latin Centuriata Because it originally consisted of an hundred Hides of Land as an Hide usually of an hundred Acres or else because super decem Decanos centum Friburgos judicabat that is it had Jurisdiction over ten Decennaries or an hundred Friboroughs THIS Court before the Conquest was held twelve times a Year and afterwards was increased by Henry I. to once a Fortnight and then by Henry the Third reduced to once in three Weeks IN this Court antiently Vnus de melioribus qui vocatur Aldermannus one of the principal Inhabitants called the Alderman together with the Barons of the Hundred id est the Freeholders was Judg as may seem by the Register of Ely which saith that Aegelwynnuâ—
Nobility wherein Plegmund presided Here he thinks he hath a strong hold and therefore says That this Author tells us the meaning of the long Title of this Synod which just before he had mentioned viz. that the Bishops Abbots FIDELES Proceres POPVLVS were all NOBILES NOBLE-MEN that is the Ecclesiasticks and Laicks or the Bishops and Lay-Nobility and not the Vulgus Commons or ordinary sort of People SO then according to the Doctor 's Construction all the fore-going Relation of the Members of this Council was a jumbled heap of Tautologies of Noble Tenants in Capite Noble-men and Noble People BUT I must needs acknowledg that he is so far in the right that by these words Nobilium Anglorum are not meant the vulgar mean or ordinary sort of People or the Mob as they are now contemptuously term'd for certainly they had never any thing to do in those August Assemblies Nor does Mr. Petyt or my self maintain any such thing and yet for all this I think we may affirm that all the Members that appeared there were not Noble-men or Great Lords only in the sense they are now taken FOR to begin with the word Nobilis which the Doctor so much insists on it is his own too narrow Conception of that Title which has been I think one main Cause of the greatest part of the Quarrel between Mr. Petyt and him for in all the Counties of Europe except England it is very well known that the word Nobilis includes not only Noble-men of Title such as Dukes Marquesses c. but also all Gentlemen of Families who are well born and do not exercise Mechanick Trades Thus Nobilezza in Italian and Noblesse in French comprehends the less as well as the greater Nobility So likewise the word Aedelmen among the Germans comprehends all sorts of Noble-men as well those of Title as others which is owned by Sir H. Spelman in his Glossary in these words Anglorum Legibus Adelingos dici pro Nobilibus in genere qui omnes nobiles Aedelmen vocant à Saxonico Aedel nobilis And so it was here in England long after the Conquest as well as before when Knights and Gentlemen were reckoned inter Nobiles minores before the Title of Noble-men began to be appropriated to the higher Nobility or Peers only which is also owned by Dr. Brady in his Preface to his Compleat History where he tells us of Lands held by Knights Service as well in the Hands of the lower sort of Noblesse as of the greater Noble-men AND this being so I shall easily prove that all the rest of the words insisted upon by the Doctor do not signify only great Lords and Noblemen by Birth To go on therefore to the next word Proceres that neither this does signify only Men Noble by Birth Isidore an antient Spanish Author in his Origines says thus Proceres sunt Principes Civium that is the chiefest of Subjects or Citizens And the Learned Du-Fresne also tells us in his Glossary Proceres appellabantur qui in Civitatibus praecipuos Magistratus gerebant that those were called Proceres who were the chief Magistrates or Rulers in Cities and certainly these could scarce ever be Noble-men by Birth AND as for the word Primates it signifies no more than Principal or Chief Men however born and that it was understood no otherwise among our English-Saxons appears from Aelfric's Glossary above-mentioned at the end of Somner's Saxon Dictionary where he renders the words Primates vel Primores Civitatis seu Burgi by YLDEST BVRHWARA i. e. the Chief Magistrates in a City or Town who were then Persons of very considerable Note in the Nation as I shall prove further by and by I come now to the word Optimates which signifies no more than the better sort of Men and not always Noble-men and great Lords much less as confined to the King's Thanes or Tenants in Capite only since the same Du-Fresne in his Glossary defines Optimates to be Vassalli Barones qui ab ullo Domino ratione Hominii nudè pendent that is the Feudatory Barons that meerly depend on any Superiour Lord by reason of their Homage which tho spoken in relation to France five or six hundred Years ago yet was certainly used in the same sense and no otherwise in England as well before as after that time and did include all the Inferiour as well as Superiour Thanes such as were the only Freeholders in those Ages BUT for the word Principes he that understands any thing of the Latin Tongue knows that it doth not always signify Princes or Men Noble by Birth but any Chief or Principal Man remarkable by Place Office or Dignity and therefore we often read in Livy and other Latin Authors of Principes Civitatis and in the above-cited Laws out of Tacitus de moribus Germanorum it is plain that the word Princeps or Principes in the plural signified no more than chief or considerable Men among the Germans by reason of their Office or present Dignities without any respect to their Birth And in this sense I suppose every Member of Parliament may at this day be reckoned inter Principes among the most considerable or chief Men of the Kingdom BUT the Doctor lays a great stress upon a Passage out of two Manuscript Malmesburies one in the Bodleian Library cited by Sir William Dugdale and the other in the Treasury of the Records of the Church of Canterbury cited by Sir Henry Spelman who both report of this very Council that Edward the Elder Congregavit Synodum Senatorum Gentis Anglorum cui praesidebat Plegmundus c. i. e. convened a Synod of the Senators in Saxon the Aldermen of the English Nation that is such as were usually called to such Councils which were only the Nobiles and Great Men. IN Answer to this I must refer the Doctor again to good old Livy where he will find that the Roman Senators were not all Noble by Birth for they were tà m Patricii quà m Plebeii Ordinis BUT when Mr. Petyt cites William of Malmesbury for calling a Saxon Wittena Gemote Generalis Senatus Populi Conventus to distinguish the lesser Nobility from the greater the Doctor replies There is no heed to be taken how our old Monks and Historians stiled the Saxon Wittena Gemotes or their great and Common-Councils for the same Authors expressed them sometimes one way sometimes another nor were they ever exact and curious in observing and noting the Title or the Constituent Parts or Members of them FROM whence I cannot but observe the Doctor 's great Partiality for his own Opinion for whenever William of Malmesbury in the Manuscript above-cited mentions the word Senatores it must with him immediately signify nothing less than Great Noblemen or what we now call Peers but when the same Author mentions the lower degree of Men whom we now call Commons as a distinct Order from the
BRITANNIAE but the greatest work done by him in this Island was the building of a Wall Fourscore Miles in length cross the Island from Solway Frith upon the Irish Seas to the Mouth of Tine by New Castle on the German Ocean laying the Foundation thereof with huge Piles and Stakes driven deep into the Earth and fastned together in manner of a strong Rampire or Mound this he did to keep out the Caledonians from infesting the Roman Province who could not it seems be contained within those farther Fortifications raised by Agricola between Glota and Bodotria now the Friths of Edinburgh and Dun Britton by which the Northern and more Barbarous Britains had more room to inhabit and quitting those colder Countries inclosed only the warmer and richer parts of the Island by which means the bounds of the Empire as well in Britain as the East were reduced to more convenient compass In the Reign of this Emperour Priscus Licinius was also Propraetor or Lieutenant in this Island as appeareth by an Antient Inscription lately found near this Wall which mentions this Licinius to have been not only Propraetor of Britain but also before of Capadocia and to have been Praefect over the Fourth Legion as also to have been honoured with a Military Banner by Hadrian in his Jewish Expedition as may be seen at large in this Inscription in Mr. Camden's Britannia I have nothing to add in this Reign relating to Britain more than that Geoffrey of Monmouth makes King Marius to have dyed about the Year of our Lord 132 and to have left the Kingdom to his Son Coil who loved the Romans and was honoured by them so that paying his Tribute and receiving their protection he filled up a long and peaceable Reign governing Britain many Years To Hadrian succeeded Antoninus Pius at whose first coming to the Throne that Law was made whereby all the Subjects of the Roman Empire were made free Citizens of Rome by which Edict the Southern Britains within Hadrians's Wall as well as other Provinces enjoyed that Priviledge but the Brigantes ever least patient of Foreign Servitude breaking in upon Genoani which Camden guesses ought to be read Guinethia or North Wales then part of the Roman Province were with the loss of much of their Territory driven back by Lollius Urbicus Lieutenant here who drew another Wall made of Earth and Piles beyond the former Wall of Adrian and as Mr. Camden proves from Capitolinus extending it self between the Friths of Dunbritton and Edinburgh kept out the Incursions of the Northern Britains for these Atchievements this Emperor received the Sir Name of Britannâ—cus thô the War was managed by his Lieutenant it is also recorded in the Digest that Seius Saturninus had then the charge of the Roman Navy on the British Shore Marcus Aurelius Antoninus called also the Philosopher succeeded Antoninus Pius having been before by him adopted and declared Caesar in whose Time Britain impatient of Foreign Subjection again raised new Commotions for the appeasing whereof Calphurnius Agricola was sent Lieutenant the Sir-name of Agricola no doubt was terrible to the Britaâ—ns who could not but remember the great overthrows they had received formerly under a General of that Name and indeed these Commotions lasted not long after his arrival but seemed to have been ended with Fortunate success for which it is likely there was made that Inscription Ingratititude to the Syrian Goddess which has been of late Years dug up out of the Earth near Adrian's now called the Picts Wall but this is more certain that the glory of having dispatched this War so soon is by Fronto the Roman Orator ascribed to this Prince in a Panegyrick made in his Praise where he tells him that although sitting at home in his Pallace at Rome he had given Commission to another General for the War yet like the Pilot of a Galley sitting at the Stern and guiding the Helm he deserved the Honour of the whole Expedition Nothing else is recorded of Britain during Antoninus his Reign saving that Helvius Pertinax afterwards Emperour was employ'd in these Wars being called hither from his Service against the Parthians and here for some time afterwards remained Lieutenant About the end of this Emperours Reign according to Geoffrey Coil the Tributary King of the Britains dying left his Son Lucius for his Successor who by Nennius is called Lhes and Sir-named by the Britains Lever Maur that is the Great Light To Marcus Aurelius succeeded Commodus his Son having before been made partner of the Empire with his Father in the beginning of whose Reign King Lucius above mentioned is by Bede supposed to have sent to Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome desiring that by his means he might be made a Christian the relation you may find more at large in Arch-Bishop Ushers De Brit. Eccles. Ant. from the old Book of Landaffe which relates this King sent Two Embassadours to the Pope beseeching him that by his means he might be made a Christian and he did not long after obtain his request and so the Britains till the time of Dioclesian maintained the Christian Faith without any disturbance this is the Account which Bede hath given us though there are other but more Modern Historians that take upon them to give a much different and larger relation of this matter and do not only take upon them to tell us the Message but also who where the Messengers that carried it The old Book of Landaffe as also divers other Monkish-writers call them Eloanus and Medwinus but Will. of Malemsbury in his Antiquities lately printed at Oxford of the Monastery of Glastenbury calls them Faganus and Deravianus and others Faganus and Damianus yet though they differ about the Names of these Men they all agree that these being sufficiently instructed in the Christian Faith and Baptized were sent back to Preach the Gospel here who at their return converted King Lucius and his whole Kingdom to Christianity but as for the story it self it is thought by several learned Men to be of very suspicious Credit for thô Bede places Lucius his writing to the Pope in the Year of our Lord 156 and in the Reign of Marcus Antoninus Verus and Aurelius Commodus his Brother yet it is certain from the best accounts in Chronology that neither Antoninus then succeeded to the Empire nor was Eleutherius chosen Pope till near Twenty Years after that time and besides all this there is so great a difference amongst our Historians as well Antient as Modern about this matter that Arch Bishop Usher has given us above Twenty different accounts some whereof differ from this of Bede as also from each other some Twenty some Thirty Years nay some Forty and others near Fifty Years only this must be acknowleged that they all agree that such an Embassie was sent by Lucius in the Papacy of Eleutherius and that the Pope returned such an answer
remained Master there the Army in Gaul then taking part with him against Honorius and withaâ— Gildas saith That the Roman Legion having driven out the Picts and Scots returned in Triumph And so much is confessed by Bâ—de But at what time can we suppose that to have happen'd Is it likely that after the Usurpation of Constantine a Roman Legion should return in so much Triumph For immediately aftâ—r Constantine's Usurpation the Roman Empire begâ—n extreamly to decline in those parts through which they were to pass Gaul being upon Composition not long after delivered up to the Goths by Honorius and besides the Franks and Burgundians making continual incursions there I conclude it therefore most probable that the first supplies sent to the Britains were not after Constantine's Usurpation but between the Death of Maximus and the setting up of Gratianus Municeps Now let us see if we can hence discover when the second Assistance was sent to the Britains for which we must own our selves beholding to the aforesaid learned Doctor in the same place where he thus makes it out The Second time the distressed Britains were forced to sollicite the Romaâ—s for supplies is placed by Arch-bishop Usher Anno Dom. 426 when Gallio of Ravenâ—a was sent hither as he supposes because the next Year Prosper saith that Gallio was sent against Bonifacius in Africa but then the Arch-bishop makes the first supplies to have been sent in the latter end of Honorius's Reign for which the Doctor says he can see no reason for the Lord Primate grants that immediately after the Death of Maxâ—mus the Scots and Picts did waste Britain and that then Stillico did send assistance to them Why then should the first wasting of the Island mentioned by Gildas and the Legion sent thereupon be that in the latter end of Honorius his Reign and not rather in the beginning since the latter was very perplexed and troublesome the Alani Swevi and Vandali having possessed themselves of great part of Spain whil'st the Franks Burgundians and Goths had all Gaul so that Honorius the Year before his Death was forced to send his Forces under Castinus into Spain against the Vandals as Prosper in his Chronicle affirms And that also prov'd the occasion of new Troubles in Africa by the difference between Castinus and Bonifacius who for his own security sent over the Vandals thither Is it not therefore most probable that the first Supplies of the Britains should be sent in the latter end of Honorius's Reign especially since the learned Primate confesseth that Honorius did not in his time recover the Province of Britain and he proves it against Sabellicus from Procopius's Authority a much more ancient Authour besides that of Bede so that the single testimony of Sigebert that Honorius sent assistance to the Britains at the same time that he did to the Spaniards when Prosper Idatius and Cassiodore who all mention the latter say not one word of the former cannot bear down the more weighty Reasons on the other side But it is certain that in this interval between the sending of the two supplies the Roman Affairs became so desperate That the Saxon Annals as well as Ethelward in his Chronicle relates that now the Romans hid their Treasures in the Earth or else carried them away with them into Gaul so that it seems most likely during all the rest of the Reign of the Emperour Honorius the Britains did no more return to his Obedience thô notwithstanding they did again endeavour to put themselves under the protection of the Roman Empire in the time of his Successour Valentinian III. as the learned Dr. above cited makes it more than probable in the same place from divers other Circumstances too long to be here particularly set down So that the second supplies which were sent upon the mighty importunity of the Britains were in all probability in the beginning of the Reign of Valentinian III. after that Aetius had somewhat recovered the credit of the Roman Empire in Gaul for after his success there both against the Goths and Franks he had liberty enough to send over a Legion to the assistance of the Britains who were again miserably harassed by the Scots and Picts And at this time it was that Gildas saith the Romans upon the sad representations of the British Ambassadours sent them speedy supplies So far we have been beholding to the learned Dr. Stillingfleet now Lord Bishop of Worcâ—ster but if I may interpose my own Opinion I should assign the sending of these last supplies by the Romans to have been in the Year of our Lord 435 when Aetius had good sucess against the Burgundians in Gaul To which Year also the Saxon Annals refer the ceasing of the Roman Empire in Britain only the Compiler was mistaken in two things the first in making Rome to have been taken this Year by the Goths the other in supposing the time of the Romans ruling here to be but 470 Years whereas indeed it was 488 Years as I shall presently make out So that from this last departure of the Roman Legion which no doubt was done by the Emperour 's express Order I think I may very well date the total dereliction of Britain by the Romans who now by refusing them their protection left them by the Laws of Nature to provide for and defend themselves And from hence I may also date the final period of the Roman Empire in this Island which had now lasted from Julius Caesar's second landing in Britain in the 53d Year before Christ to this Year being the 435th Year after Christ the space of 488 Years but if you account from the more absolute Conquest of it by Claudius in the Forty Fourth Year after Christ it continued but 391 Years But that the Britains were at last very unwillingly cut off from being any longer a part of the Roman Empire appears by the last message they sent to Aetius again imploring assistance which the Emperour not being able to grant they had no other way left but to provide for themselves as well as they could which since it happened after the time that I suppose the Roman power to have ceased in this Island I shall refer the further Relation of it to the next Book But before I conclude this I shall give you a short account of Ecclesiastical Affairs in this Island in these Two last Centuries where after the last Persecution under Dioclesian Bede tells us the British Church enjoyed a perfect Peace till the Arrian Heresie over-ran the whole World and at last infected this Island though divided from the rest of it but though neither Gildas nor Bede hath set down the Year when this Heresie first began to spread it self here yet he seems to refer it to the Reign of Constantius when this Pestilent Opinion carried the face of Authority as having been confirmed in several pretended Councils But in the beginning of this Century though the Year
the knowledge we have of the History of our Ancient Times we shall begin where we left off in the former Book and shew you by what means this part of Britain was brought to the knowledge of Christ and all the Kingdoms of the Saxon Heptarchy became by degrees united in the same Faith For the doing of which it is necessary that we look some years backward and give you Venerable Bede's Relation how Pope Gregory sirnamed The Great to whom the English Nation owes its Conversion came to send Augustine the Monk to preach the Gospel here in Britain which he thus relates as he received it down by Tradition The Report is That many Merchants coming to Rome great store of Commodities being exposed in the Market-place to be sold Chapmen flocking in apace Gregory also himself going thither tho rather out of Curiosity than to buy saw among other things certain handsome Boys exposed to sale whom when he beheld he demanded from what Countrey they were brought and answer being made That they came out of the Isle of Britain then he asked again Whether those Islanders were Christians To which it was answered They were Heathens when fetching a deep sigh he said It was pity the Father of Darkness should be Master of such bright Faces They also told him that they were called Angles of the Kingdom of Deira and that their Kings were named Aella On each of which Names Bede either invents or else had heard that Pope Gregory made divers Latin Allusions which since if translated they would seem dry or trivial to most Readers I therefore pass by But Will. of Malmesbury further adds to this story That it was then and long after the Custom of the Nation of the Northumbers to sell their own Children or other near Relations to Foreign Merchants which shews them then to have been either extraordinary necessitous or else to have been as barbarous and void of Natural Affection as the Negroes of some parts of Africa are at this day Gregory going immediately to the then Bishop of Rome for himself was not so as yet intreated him to order some Preachers of God's Word to be sent to the English Nation by whose means it might be converted to Christ and that he himself was ready to undertake the Performance of this Work in case it would please the Pope to send him who although he was willing to grant his Request yet the Citizens of Rome who had a great value for him would by no means permit that he should go so far from that City But Gregory being not long after himself advanced to the Papacy he performed by others his so long desired design for in his Fourth Year being admonished saith Bede by Divine instinct he sent Augustine whom he had designed for Bishop of the English Nation and other Zealous Monks along with him to preach the Gospel in Britain who being now upon their way and discouraged by some false Reports dispatch'd Augustine in all their Names beseeching the Pope that they might return home and not be sent a Journey so full of hazard to a fierce and Infidel Nation whose Language they understood not But the Pope immediately sent back their Messenger with Exhortatory Letters to them not to be discouraged by vain Reports but vigorously to pursue the work they had undertaken since their labours would be attended with lasting Glory both in this life and that to come and that they should obey Augustine whom he had appointed for their Abbot besides which Letters the Pope Wrote also to Eutherius Arch-Bishop of Arles wherein he recommended them to his Care and Protection and that he would furnish them with what they wanted also recommending to him Candidus a Presbyter whom he had sent to receive and dispose of the Churches Revenues in France besides which there is nothing remarkable in these Letters except the date which is in the Tenth of the Kalends of August in the Fourteenth Year of the Reign of our Lord Mauritius Tiberius Augustus and the Fourteenth Indiction which falls out in the Year of our Lord 596 though the Author of the old Gregorian Register hath for some Reasons omitted to put down the dates of these Epistles perhaps lest Posterity might understand that the Pope at that time called the Emperour his LORD and dated his Letters by the Year of his Reign Agustine and his Companions being thus confirmed by the Pope's Exhortation proceeded in their Voyage and passing thorough France took Sea and landed in the Isle of Thanet lying on the East part of Kent with about Forty Persons in his Company together with some Interpreters of the French Nation Ethelbert was at that time King of that Country being the most powerful Prince that had Reigned there as having extended the bounds of his Dominion as far as the banks of the River Humber As soon as Augustine arrived he sent to King Ethelbert giving him to understand that he came from Rome and had brought good tidings of Eternal Happiness to all them that would receive it the King hearing this commanded that they should remain in the place where they landed and that all necessaries should be plentifully supplied them till he had determined what to do for he had heard of the Christian Religion long before as having married a Christian Lady called Bertha Sister to the King of France as hath been already said upon this condition that she should have the free Exercise of her Religion and liberty to have a Bishop of her own named Lethard whom she brought with her to assist and strengthen her in the Faith The King after some Days came to the Island and fearing Inchantments sate down in the open Air commanding that Augustine and his Companions should be brought into his presence for he was perswaded by his Country Superstition that if they brought with them any Inchantments they could not there so easily work upon him but Augustine and his Companions Armed with the Power of God and bearing a Silver Cross before them with the Image of our Lord and Saviour painted on a Banner came on singing as in a solemn Procession the Litany as they went and praying unto God for the Eternal Salvation of those to whom they were sent But when sitting down with the King they had preached the Word of Life to him and his Nobles the King thus spoke The Doctrines and the promises ye have made are indeed fair and inviting But I am not as yet resolved to embrace them since I cannot suddenly consent to quit that Religion I have so long professed together with the whole English Nation yet because ye are Strangers and come a long Journey and as it seems would impart to us the knowledge of that Religion you believe to be the best we will not give you the least Molestation but rather will protect you and take care that all things necessary shall be provided for your Maintenance neither shall we prohibit you from gaining as
what degrees of Consangâ—iâ—ity Men and Women may Marry I shall omit as being impertinent to our purpose and shall proceed to the Eighth Question which is this If for the great distance of places Bishops cannot easily meet Whether a Bishop may be ordain'd without the presence of other Bishops The Answer of Pope Gregory is to this effect Certain it is That in the English Church wherein as yet there is no other Bishop but your self you can ordain a Bishop no other way than without Bishops for how can Bishops come from Gaul that may assist at the Ordination of a Bishop in Britain But we would have you so to appoint Bishops that they be not too far asunder from one another that there may be no hinderance but that at the Ordination of a Bishop others may be present and such other Presbyters also whose presence is requisite ought to have easie means of access when therefore Bishops shall be so ordained in places near one another the Ordination of a Bishop ought never to be without Three or Four Bishops assisting c. Augustine's Ninth Question was this How ought we to behave our selves towards the Bishops of Gaul and Britain The Pope's Answer was to this purpose for being somewhat long we shall also contract it In the first place The Pope allows him no Authority over the Bishops of Gaul any further than by Advice or Spiritual Admonition if they should happen to be guilty of any faults because they were no ways subject to his Authority and concludes thus But all the Bishops of Britain we commit to your Brotherhood That the Ignorant may be Taught the Weak by perswasions strengthned and the perverse corrected by our Authority The remaining Questions concerning Women with Child and other unnecessary if not immodest things I omit This Year also according to Florence of Worcester Ceolric King of the West-Saxons dying Ceolfus or Ceulphus succeeded him and Reigned Twenty Four Years This Year Redâ—ald King of the East Angles dying his Son Eorpenwald Reigned in his stead as Mat. Westminster reâ—ates But Bede proceeds to tell us That Augustine having settled his Archiepiscopal See at Canterbury rebuilt that old Church which had been first erected by the Christian Romans and having dedicated it in the Name of Christ our Saviour he appointed it as a See for himself and his Successours he likewise founded a Monastery towards the East not far from the City where also Ethelbert by his perswasion built the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in which the Bodies of St. Augustine himself and of all the other Bishops of Canterbury as also of the Kings of Kent should be interred Peter a Presbyter was made the first Abbot of this Monastery who was drown'd going on a Message into France but Augustine never lived to to finish this Church which was afterwards Consecrated by Arch-Bishop Laâ—rence his Successour But the Reader is desired to take notice That according to a fair but indifferent ancient Manuscript concerning the Foundation of the Church and Monastery of St. Peter and S. Paul afterwards called St. Augustine's in Canterbury which is now preserved in the Library of Trinity Hall in Cambridge part of which is printed in Sir H. Spelman's Vol. of Councils it appears that though the Cathedral of Christ Church be first mentioned by Bede yet that according to the same Author it was not the first built but rather the Church of St. Pancrace which from a Heathen Temple was turned into a Christian Church where King Ethelbert himself was Baptized and upon the ground belonging to which the Church and Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul were first founded as hath been already related from Bede Augustine having about this time sent the Pope word that the Harvest indeed was great but the Labourers few he therefore sent him more Preachers of the Word among whom the chiefest were Mellitus Justus Paulinus and Rufinian and with them all those things which were necessary for the Service or Ornament of the Church such as Holy Vessels and Altar-Cloaths as also Sacerdotal Vestments together with divers Relicts and a great many Books he also signified to him in his Letters That he had sent him an Archiepiscopal Pall and thereby he gives him power to ordain Twelve other Bishops in several places all which should be subject to his jurisdiction only the Bishop of London was to be chosen by his own Synod and should receive his Pall from the Apostolic See for it seems the Pope then intended London for an Arch-bishoprick but as for York when converted he gives him power to ordain whom he pleased Bishop there who should likewise ordain Twelve Bishops more and should enjoy the honour of a Metropolitan yet so that as long as Augustine lived he should be subject to him but after his Decease he should not be at all subject to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury or any other Bishop only that he should have the precedence who was first ordained then exhorts him to transact all things by a common consent yet gives him a jurisdiction over all the Bishops of Britain that they might learn how to perform their duties as well by his Instruction as Example this Letter bears date in the Eighteenth Year of the Emperour Mauritius which falls out in the Year of our Lord Sixty with which also the Saxon Annals agree for under this very Year They place Pope Gregory's sending to the Pall to Arch Bishop Augustine with many holy Teachers to assist him Sometime after the sending these Messengers with these Letters the Pope also writ other Letters to Mellitus Wherein he gives him Instructions concerning the Temples of Idols which the Pope would not have pull'd down but only new Consecrated by the sprinkling of Holy Water and erecting of new Altars and as for the Oxen that used to be sacrificed to their false Gods he would have such kind of Solemnities so to be observed That on the days of the Dedication of their Churches or of the Holy Martyrs whose Relicts were there preserved Booths should be made up of boughs near the said Churches where having kill'd those Oxen that were formerly wont to be sacrificed they might make merry in giving God thanks since it was certain that it should be impossible to take away all vain and Superstitious customs at once out of Men's minds so prejudiced by long Education At the same time also the Pope returned an Answer to other Letters which Augustine had before wrote to him wherein having congratulated his great success in the Conversion of the English Nation and also taking notice of the great Miracles that Almighty God had done by him he tells him That though he may rejoyce in some measure for that Heavenly gift yet with such a joy as ought to be allay'd with fear for as he might rejoyce that the Souls of the English were through Miracles drawn to an inward Grace so he ought to be
afraid least by the Miracles that were now wrought his Mind might be puffed up by vain Glory Therefore that he ought still to remember that when the Disciples returning from their preaching with joy said to their Heavenly Master Lord in thy name the Devils be subject unto us they presently received a rebuke rejoyce not for this but rather rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven Bede also tells us That Pope Gregory about this time sent King Ethelbert many noble Presents together with a Letter full of good Advice and Instructions Exhorting him to cultivate that Grace which he had received by the especial providence of God to make haste to propagate the Christian Faith among his Subjects to increase the fervency of his own Faith by furthering their Conversion to destroy the Worship of Idols to establish the Manners of his Subjects in the purity of Life by Exhorting Encouraging and Correcting them and by shewing himself as Example of good Works that so he may find his Reward in Heaven Then proposing to him the Example of Constantine the Emperour who had freed the Common-Wealth from Idols to the Worship of our LORD Jesus Christ advising him to hearken to and perform the good Advice which should be given him by Augustine the Bishop and that he should not be troubled in Mind if he should see any Terrours or Prodigies from Heaven contrary to the ordinary course of the Seasons as Tempests Famine and the like since the Lord had already foretold that such things should happen before the end of the World then concludes with wishing a more perfect Conversion of the whole Nation and that God would preserve and perfect him in the Grace he had begun and after a course of many Years would receive him into the fellowship of the Saints above These Letters bear the same date with the former and so must be wrote in the same Year I have dwelt the longer on these things to let you see that the primitive Christian Temper had not yet left the Bishops of the Roman Church thô infected with some Superstitions Let us now return to our Civil History from which we have so long digressed About this time when Ethelbert and his People were wholly taken up in Acts of Piety Ethelfrid still govern'd the Kingdom of Northumberland who being a Warlike Prince and most ambitious of Glory had wasted the Britains more than any other Saxon King of his time winning from them divers large Territories which he either made Tributary or planted with his own Subjects whence Adian as Bede or Aedan or Aegthan as the Saxon Chronicle calls him growing Jealous of Ethelfred's great Success came against him with a great and powerful Army to a place called Degsa-stan or Degstan and was there routed losing most of his Men but in this Battel Theobald the Brother of Ethelfrid was slain that part or wing of the Army which he commanded being unfortunately cut off yet nevertheless the loss was so great on the Scotish side that no King of the Scots durst any more in hostile manner march into Britain to the time that Bede wrote his History which was above a Hundred Years after He also tells us That this happned in the first Year of the Reign of the Emperour Phocas Buchanan in his Scotch History writes that this Ethelfrid assisted by Keawlin whom he mistiles King of the East instead of the West-Saxons had before this time fought a Battel with this Adian wherein Cutha Keawlin's Son was slain but neither the Saxon Chronicle nor any of our English Historians mention any such thing for this Cutha as appears by the said Chronicle was slain in the Year 584. fighting against the Welsh The number of Christians beginning now to multiply not only in Kent but other Countries Augustine found it necessary to ordain two other Bishops Mellitus and Justus sending Mellitus to Preach the Gospel to the Kingdom of the East Saxons which was divided from that of Kent by the River Thamesis over which Nation Sebert the Son of Richala the Sister of K. Ethelbert then Reigned thô under his Authority for he had then the supreme command over all the Nations of the English Saxons as far as the Banks of Humber but when this Province had by the preaching of Mellitus received the Gospel of Christ K. Sebert also baptized Ethelbert caused the Church of St. Paul to be built at London where Mellitus and his Successours should fix their Episcopal See But as for the other Bishop Justus Augustine ordained him Bishop in the Kingdom of Kent of a certain little City then called Rofcaester now Rochester being about Twenty Miles from Canterbury in which King Ethelbert built the Church of St. Andrew and bestowed good endowments on it Hitherto Augustine had laboured only to convert Infidels but now he took upon him by vertue of his Archiepiscopal or rather Legatine Authority which the Pope had conferr'd upon him over all the Bishops of Britain properly so called to make a general Visitation of his Province and coming as far as the borders of Wales being assisted by the power of King Ethelbert he summoned all the British Bishops of the adjoyning Provinces to a Synod at a place called in Bede's time Augustines Ake or Oak then Scituate on the confines of the Wecti now the Diocess of Worcester and the West Saxons supposed to be somewhere on the edge of Worcester-shire and began to perswade them by brotherly Admonitions that they would maintain the Catholick Unity and also joyn in the work of Preaching the Gospel to the Infidel Nations For there was then a great difference between them about the Rule of keeping Easter which Bede tells us The Britains did not keep at a right time but observed it from the Fourteenth to the Twentieth Day of the Moon which Computation is continued in a Cycle of Eighty Four Years which account being somewhat obscure I shall for the clearing of it set down what the learned Bishop of St. Asaph hath given us upon this subject in his Historical Account of Church Government already cited in the last Book where he takes notice that this Cycle of Eighty Four Years which was also called the Roman Account so lately as in Pope Leo's Time the Scots and South Picts used the same Cycle from the time of their Conversion and so did the Britains without any manner of alteration but about Eighty Years after the rending in pieces of the Roman Empire the Romans having left off the use of that Cycle took up another of Nineteen Years which though it was better in many respects yet was new in these Parts and made a great difference from the former and when the Romans had used this new Cycle another Eighty Years coming then to have to do with these Northern Nations who were yet ignorant of it they would needs impose the use of it upon them as a necessary condition of their
Pope as well as the English did afterwards therefore it is most likely according to the Traditions given you in the Second Book that it was first preached and propagated here by some Apostle or Disciple of the Eastern or Asiatick Church And thô a late Romish Writer very much arraigns the Credit of this Manuscript as made since the Days of King Henry the Eighth and cavils at the Welsh thereof as Modern and full of false Spelling yet is not this any material Exception against it since the Welsh used in it is not so Modern as he would make it as I am credibly informed by those who are Criticks in that Language and as for the Spelling that may be the fault of the Transcribers And thô the Archiepiscopal See was then removed from Caer-Leon to St. David's yet it might still retain the former Title as of the first and most famous Place About which time Arch-Bishop Augustine is supposed by the best Chronologers to have departed this Life thô the certain Year of his Death is not to be found either in Bede or the Saxon Chronicle His Body was buried abroad near the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul till that could be finished and dedicated which as soon as that was done was decently buried in the Porch on the North-side of the Church in which were also buried all the succeeding Arch-Bishops except two viz. Theodore and Birthwald who were buried in the Church because the Porch would contain no more but his Epitaph thô it mentions his being sent by the Pope to convert the English Nation and his being the first Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and that he died in the 7th of the Kalends of June in the Reign of King Ethelbert yet omits the Year of that King's Reign as well as that of our Lord in which he died I suppose because the Year of Christ was not then commonly made use of either in the Ecclesiastical or Civil Accounts of that Time but of this we shall treat further hereafter Under this Year Bede also places the Death of Pope Gregory the Great of whose Life and Actions he gives us a long Account to which I refer you but the Saxon Chronicle puts off the Death of this Pope to the next Year but I rather follow Bede as the ancienter and more authentick Author The same Year is also very remarkable for Civil as well as Ecclesiastical Affairs in this Island for now King Ethelbert summoned a Mycel Synod or Great Council as well of the Clergy as Laity wherein by their common Consent and Approbation all the Grants and Charters of this King whereby he had settled great Endowments on Christ-Church and that of St. Pancrace in Canterbury were confirmed which had been before the old ruinous Church of St. Martin without the City already mentioned but the Charters now made and confirmed by King Ethelbert in this Council are almost word for word the same with those he had made by himself before with heavy Imprecations against any who should dare to infringe them as you may see in Sir H. Spelman's First-Volume of British Councils where this Learned Author in his Notes farther shews us that these Charters above-mentioned are very suspicious of being forged in many respects as First That this King there stiles himself King of the English in general whereas indeed he was no more than King of Kent Secondly Because the Year of our Lord is expressed at their Conclusion which was not in use till long after Besides an old Manuscript of the Church of Canterbury says expresly That the Monks of the Monastery had their Lands and Priviledges by a long and peaceable Possession according to Custom until King Wightred Anno Dom. 693 made them a confirmation of all their Priviledges by a Charter under his Soul There are also other Exceptions against the Bull that is there recited to be Arch-Bishop Augustine's which you may see at large in those Learned Notes above-mentioned In this great Council or Synod among many other Secular Laws and Decrees these deserve particularly to be taken notice of the first Law assigns the Penalty of Sacriledge appointing what Amends is to be made for Things taken from a Bishop by a Restitution of nine times the value from a Priest by a Ninth and from a Deacon by a Threefold Restitution The Second Law is That if the King summon'd his People and any Man should presume then to do them Injury he shall make double Amends to the Party and besides shall pay Fifty Shillings to the King The Third Law is That if the King shall drink in a Man's House and there be any Injury done in his Presence the Party so doing it shall make double Satisfaction the rest that follow since they belong only to the Correction of Manners are omitted To these Laws Bede relates when he says That King Ethelbert amongst other good Things which he conferr'd upon his Nation appointed certain Laws concerning Judgments by the Councel of his wise Men according to the Example of the Romans which being written in the English Tongue were yet kept and observed by them to this time and then mentions some of those Laws to the same effect as they are already expressed This Year was fulfilled Arch-Bishop Augustine's Prediction upon the Britains for as Bede and the Saxon Annals relate Ethelfrid King of Northumberland now led his Army to Leger-Ceaster and there killed a great multitude of Britains and so was fulfilled the Prophecy of Augustine above-mentioned and there were then killed 200 Priests or Monks who came thither to prey for the British Army but in Florence of Worcester's Copy it was 2200 but Brockmaile who was to be their Protector escaped with about 50 Men. H. Huntington gives a more particular account of this Action and says That King Ethelfrid having gathered together a powerful Army made a great Slaughter of the Britains near the City of Legions which is called by the English Lege Cestre but more rightly by the Britains Caerlegion so that it is evident it cannot be Leicester as our common Historians write but West-Chester which lay near the Borders of King Ethelfrid's Kingdom where this Battle was fought This Author further adds That when the King saw those Priests or Monks of the Abby of Bangor who came out to pray for the Army ranged by themselves in a place of Safety having one Brockmaile for their Defender and that the King knew for what end they came thither he presently said If these Men pray to their GOD against us though they do not make use of Arms yet do they as â—eally fight against us as if they did And so he commanded his Forces to be first turned upon them who being all cut off he presently defeated the rest of the Army without any great difficulty and he also agrees with Florence of Worcester's Relation of the number of the Monks there slain and accuses their Defender Brockmaile of Cowardice
England and sojourned with the most Holy and Religious Monks in the City of Winchester Helmestan Abbot of the said Cathedral Church and the Venerable Swithune Praepositus i. e. Bishop of the same who had been before in Professione sacrae Theologiae in Studio Canterbriggiensi Cathedratus i. e. Professor of Divinity in the University of Cambridge had often relieved him during the many Hardships he suffered in his Banishment with special Favour he desired always should be acknowledged If we were assured that this Epistle was Genuine it would advance the Antiquity of this University far higher than the time we are now treating of and would make it Ancienter than the time of King Alfred in the latter end of whose Reign St. Swithune sate Bishop of Winchester But since we have not the Originals but only Citations from these ancient Pieces I shall not take upon me to determine of their Validity but leave that as also this Authors Credit to the Reader 's Judgment But to return to our Annals This Year Egbriht the innocent Abbot was slain on the 16th Kal. of July a little before the Summer Solstice and about three Days after Aethelfleda sent an Army against the Welsh which took Brecenanmere supposed to be either Brecknock Castle or else some place near it and there she took the King's Wife and about thirty four Prisoners The Danes marching now on Horseback after Easter from Hamtune i. e. Northampton and Lygraceaster now Leicester slew many Men at Hocneratune now Hoocnorton in Oxfordshire and the places adjoyning and as soon as they had returned home again they sent out another Company of Robbers which marched towards Ligtune most likely to be Leighton in Bedfordshire but the People of that Country being forewarned of their coming fought with them and not only put them to flight but also recovered whatsoever they had taken away so that they left a great many of their Horses and Arms behind them Now a great Fleet sailed from the Southern Parts of Armorica under the Command of two Earls Ohtor and Rhoald and sailing about toward the East entred the Mouth of the River Severne and there spoiled all the Coasts of North Wales toward the Sea as far as they could and they also took Cumeleac the Welsh Bishop in Yrcingafield now Archenfield in Herefordshire and carried him Prisoner to their Ships but King Edward within some time Ransomed him for Forty Pounds but after this the Danes quitting their Ships marched again towards Yrcingafeild where the Men of Hereford and Gleawcester and the neighbouring Towns fought them and put them to flight and there slew Rhoald and a Brother of Earl Ohtor's with a great part of their Army and drove them into a certain Wood where they besieged them till they made them give Hostages to depart out of King Edward's Kingdom But at last it seemed advisable for the King to place a good Guard from the South part of the Mouth of Severne and from the West of Wales toward the East as far as the River Avon that so the Danes might not Land any more on that side nevertheless leaving their Ships they stole away privately by Night in two Companies to plunder the one to Weced now Watchet in Somersetshire and the other to Portlocan now Portlochbay in the same County but they were routed in both places insomuch that few of them escaped alive unless it were those who swam off to their Ships Then they besieged an Island at Bradanrelic Florence calls it Reoric which is supposed to be a little Island now called Shepholm in the Mouth of Severne where they were in such great want of Victuals that many died with Hunger because they could get no Provisions there After this they went to Deomed supposed to be South Wales from whence they passed into Ireland All this happened in Autumn And the same Year a little before Martinmass King Edward marched with his Army to Buckingaham and there stayed a Month building two Forts on each side the River Ouse before he parted thence Thurkytel the Danish Earl owned him for his Lord as also all their chief Commanders and almost all their Noblemen who were at Bedanford now Bedford with many of them that belonged to Hamptune This Year also Ethelfleda Lady of the Mercians before Whitsontide took the Town of Deorby where within the Gates were killed four Thanes who were very dear to her Also we read in the Collections of that Learned Antiquary Mr. Lambert and by him given to the Cottonian Library that it is found in an Ancient Chronicle once belonging to the Monastry of Rochester and collected by one Edmund de Hadenham That this Year the Lady Elfleda by the Assistance of the King her Brother besieged the City of Canterbury and taking it slew a great many Danes that were therein King Edward marching with his Army to Bedanford about Martinmass had the Town surrendred to him and then all the Inhabitants who were his Subjects returned thither and there he stayed a Month and before he departed he commanded a Castle to be built there on the South-side of the River After this King Edward went to Maeldune now Maldon and rebuilt the Town and saw it fortified whilst he was there Also Earl Thurkytel passed over into France by K. Edward's Leave and Convoy with all those Danes that would follow him as likewise Aethelfleda brought under her Dominion the Town of Legracester now Leicester and a great many of the Danes belonging to that place became subject to her as also those who were at York nay some of them confirmed it both with an Oath and by giving of Hostages that they would continue so but as soon as this was done she departed this Life twelve days before Midsummer at Tammeworth it being the Eighth Year of her Government over the Mercians after her Husband's Death with great Moderation and Justice Her Body lies buried at Gleawcester in the East Isle of St. Peter's Church This Lady's Death is placed in our printed Annals under the Year 918 and that more rightly for the Cottonian Copy of these Annals is certainly mistaken in putting the Death of this Princess two Years later than this viz. 920. though they all agree in Substance viz. that she died at Tamworth about a Fortnight before Midsummer and that thereupon King Edward going thither the whole Nation of the Mercians submitted to him But whenever this Princess died she was certainly a Woman of great Virtue Prudence and Courage and truly resembled her worthy Father King Alfred as far as the Difference of Sex would permit But to return again to our Annals The same Year the Daughter and Heir of Ethered Lord of the Mercians called Aelfwinna whom her Mother had left her Heir was deprived by the King of that Dominion and she was about three weeks before Christmas brought into West-Seax John Bevour who calls himself Castoreus in his Manuscript History of the Kings
slew Neil his Brother And under this year I suppose we may justly place the total subduing of the Danes and subjection of the East-Angles and consequently their being freed from the Danish Yoak under which they had groaned for above fifty years though what Government they had from the Death of the last Danish King Eoric is hard to determine William of Malmesbury the only Ancient Author that hath mentioned these Affairs telling us in general That after the Death of this Eoric the Danish Earls or Governors either oppressed them or else excited them against the West-Saxon Kings until this King Edward by driving out the Danes restored the English to their Liberties and added this Kingdom to his own Dominions fifty years after the death of King Edmund which falls out much about this time But Polidore Virgil I know not from what Author hath a long Story how King Eoric above-mentioned made War against King Edward and being routed by him in a great Battel and returning home fell so far into the Hatred and Contempt of his Subjects that they rose up against him and being then divided into Factions were forced to submit themselves to King Edward This if it were true would give a great light into this dark part of the History of the East-Angles of which we have but a very imperfect Account But since this Relation is found in no other Author except Polydore and besides expresly contradicting the Testimony of William of Malmesbury a much more Authentick Writer by whose Account as well as by the Saxon Annals it appears that this Eoric was dead long before I think we may justly look upon Polydore's Relation as a mere Fiction either invented by himself or else taken from some Modern Author of no great Credit Therefore I must now warn the Reader concerning this Historian That though he had the Perusal of a great many Rare Manuscripts yet since he very seldom cites any Authors and that we find he sometimes differs from our most Ancient Writers and is plainly mistaken in divers Relations we have great reason to refuse his Testimony where it is not agreeable with more Authentick Authorities I have nothing else to add under this year but that as William of Malmesbury tells us the Body of King Edmund the Martyr having lain for above Fifty Years obscurely buried at a place called Halesdon in Suffolk was now by some devout people removed to a Town adjoining called Badricesworth now St. Edmundsbury where there was quickly a Church built over him and unto which King Edmund Brother to King Athelstan was a great Benefactor though this place was not much taken notice of until King Cnute to gain the Favour of this Saint whom his Countreymen had murthered here afterwards built a Noble Monastery This year also according to Florence of Worcester and Mat. Westminster the King of Scots Reginald the Danish King of Northumberland with the Duke or Earl of the Gallawy Welshmen or Britains came to King Edward and submitting themselves to him made a firm League with him This is the first time we find any Submission of the King of Scots which whether it amounted to a downright Homage and to hold that Kingdom of the Crown of England may be much questioned and is absolutely denied by the Scotish Historians Between Lent and Midsummer King Edward march'd with his Army to Stanford and there commanded a Castle to be built on the South-side of the River Weland so that all the people who dwelt in the Town on the North-side of that River submitted themselves and besought him to be their Lord. Also according to the Cottonian Copy of these Annals Howel and Cledauc and Jeothwell Prince of Wales with all the Nation of the Northern Britains desired to take the King for their Lord. But in this the Welsh Chronicles are wholly silent as commonly they are of any action that tends to the lessening of their Countrey Out of Wales the King marched to Snottingaham and took the Town and commanded it to be repaired and Garison'd with Danes as well as English and then all the people in the Province of Mercia of both those Nations came over to him This year also according to Florence Athelward Brother to King Edward died and was buried at Winchester This is that Learned Prince Son to King Alfred whose Character we have already given This year King Edward carried his Army about the end of Autumn to Thaelwale that is Thaelwalle in Cheshire and which is supposed to have been so called from its being encompassed at first with a Wall made of Bodies of Trees called in the Saxon Tongue Thal where he ordered that Town to be repaired and he commanded another part of his Forces whilst he stayed there to march out of Mercia to Manigeceaster now Manchester in the Kingdom of Northumberland and order'd it to be rebuilt and strengthened with a Garison This year also Plegmond Archbishop of Canterbury deceased and Reginold the Danish King took Eoferwick that is York Before Midsummer King Edward marched with his Army to Snottingaham and ordered a new Town to be built on the South-side of the River Trent over-against that on the other side and made a Bridge over the River between the two Towns from thence the King went into Peakland that is the Peak in that Shire to Bedecanwell which is supposed may be Bakewell in Dâ—rbyshire and commanded a Town to be built near to it and to be fortified with a Garison Then also the King of Scots with all the Scotish Nation and Reginald the Son of Eardulph the Danish King of Northumberland with all the Inhabitants of that Kingdom whether English or Danes together with the King of the Straecled Welshmen and all his Subjects did chuse King Edward for their Patron and Lord. But this year's actions are placed by Florence of Worcester and Mat. Westminster three years sooner which shews the Copies they had of these Annals differ'd from those we have though which of them is the truest I shall not now take upon me to affirm but it sufficiently shews that both these Copies were not written at one and the same time And now King Edward deceased at Fearndune in the Province of the Mercians now called Farrington in Berkshire and Aelsweard his Son also deceased not long after him at Oxnaford i. e. Oxford But the Canterbury Copy of these Annals as also Florence of Worcester place the Death of these two Princes under the foregoing year and indeed they seem to have been in the right But this is most certain that this Prince who is called Aethelward by William of Malmesbury was his Eldest Son by Queen Aelfleda his Wife the Daughter of Earl Aethelune and being very well instructed in Learning did much resemble King Aelfred his Grandfather as well in Face as Disposition yet though he survived his Father he never took upon him the Title of King because he outlived him so
the Welsh to come into England or the English to enter Wales except received at either Bank by the Borderers who shall take care for their safe conduct and return And in case any Borderer be accused of false dealing herein and cannot by witness disprove it he should be fined King EDMUND sirnamed Ironside AFter the Death of King Ethelred all the Wise and Great Men who were then at London together with the Citizens of that place elected Eadmund the Eldest Son of that King to reign over them who held it but a short time and that with great difficulty William of Malmesbury says he was born of a Woman whose name he did not know but Ethelred Abbot de Rievallis saith she was the only Daughter of Toret a Noble Earl whom the Chronicle of John of Wallingford calls Ethelred's first Wife But Mat. Westminster relates otherwise that he was not born of Queen Emma who was his only Wife but of a certain Ignoble Woman yet besides the Obscurity of his Birth he was a Man without all exception both for Strength of Body and Mind and therefore called by the English Ironside He would have made amends both for his Father's Cowardise and his Mother's want of Birth had he been but allowed some longer time to have lived So that it appears by these Authors that this King Edmund was born of a Concubine But to come to our History When King Edmund was thus declared King at London as Simeon of Durham tells us with great Acclamations of Joy he also relates That many of the Bishops Abbots and Noblemen of England coming to Southampton abjuring the Progeny of King Ethelred at the same time chose Cnute for their King who according to our Annals immediately came with his Fleet to Grenawic about Lent and within a short time after marched up to London where they dug a great Trench on the South-side of the River and drew their Ships to the West-side of the Bridge and besieged the City insomuch that none could go in or out making such frequent Assaults upon it yet the Citizens resisted them vigorously But King Eadmund was marched out before into West-Saxony where all that Nation willingly submitted themselves to him Not long after he fought with the Danes at Peonnan now Pen near Gillingam in Somersetshire But Cnute not being there they do not tell us who commanded in his stead for he was then with his Fleet at the Siege of London ' After Midsummer King Eadmund fought another Battel at Sceorstan which place is supposed to be a Stone that now parts the four Counties of Oxfordshire Gloucestershire Worcestershire and Warwickshire But our Annals do not mention who had the Victory only That there were many kill'd on both sides and that the two Armies marched off from each other of their own accord for Eadric the Ealdorman and Aelmer then joined with the Danes against King Edmund But as William of Malmesbury tells us Eadric the Traytor was the cause of the King's Soldiers running away for holding up his Sword dipped in the Blood of some mean person or as Simeon says his Head which was very like King Edmund's whom he had newly killed he cried out to the English to fly for their King was dead Yet R. Hoveden adds That the Fight was very bloody and both Parties were forced to leave off being quite tired Our Annals do then thus proceed That King Edmund having gathered an Army the third time march'd to London and raised the Siege driving the Danes to their Ships and within two days after the King passed over at Brentford and there fought the Danes and put them to flight but many of the English were drrown'd by their own negligence as they ran before the Army being greedy of spoil After this the King marched down toward the West-Saxons and there reinforced his Army whilst in the mean time the Danish Forces returned to London and besieged that City assaulting it both by Land and Water but God at that time also delivered it whereupon the Danes departed from London with their Ships into Arwan and there landing marched up into Mercia killing and burning all they met with according to their old custom and there furnished themselves with Provisions and then drew all their Ships with their Spoil up the Medway But where this Arwan abovementioned lay is very uncertain That it could not be the River Arrow in Warwickshire as some fancy is plain that being no where Navigable Therefore the Ingenious Editor of these Annals in the explication of the Proper Names of Places at the end of the Book does very probably guess that this River was either that which we now call Orwell which divides Essex from Suffolk or else that there is an Error in the Saxon Copy and instead of into Arwan it should be read to Waran that is they went up the River Lee as far as Ware But this I leave to the Reader 's Judgment and shall again return to the Annals themselves Then King Eadmund assembled the whole English Nation a fourth time and passed the Thames again at Brentford and from thence went into Kent and there put the Danish Horse to flight in Seapige and killed as many of them as they could meet with But Eadric the Ealdorman by his subtle Artifices persuaded the King to stay at Aeglesford which was the most perfidious advice that could be given him Florence of Worcester and William of Malmesbury are more particular in this Transaction and say That the Traitorous Earl above-mentioned so over-persuaded the King by his plausible Insinuations that he did not pursue the Danes when almost routed or else he might have obtained an absolute Victory Then according to our Annals the Danes turned against the West-Saxons and marched into Mercia killing all before them but when the King understood that the Danes were gone thither he drew all the English Forces together the fifth time and following them himself in the Rear overtook them near a Hill called Assandun now Ashdown in Essex where they had a very sharp Engagement but there Eadric the Ealdorman playing his old pranks first of all began the flight with the Magesaetons by Cambden supposed to be the Radnorshire men and so once more deceived his Natural Lord and the whole Nation But here though I cannot but admire the wonderful Courage and Constancy of this Brave Prince yet can I not commed his Prudence who could thus trust a known Traytor that had not only betrayed himself but his Father before him But I need make no long reflections upon this since we find few Princes guilty of the like Easiness in later Ages But this is certain from our Annals That Cnute now obtained the Victory against the greatest part of the English Nation and there were slain on the spot Eadnoth the Bishop and Wilfsige the Abbot Aelfric and Godwin the Ealdormen and Wulfkytel Earl of East-England and most of the English Nobility William of Malmesbury
were with him at a Great Council at Gloucester Id. p. 77 81. But being summoned to appear at another Curia held at London he and Earl Sweyn his Son fled to Baldwin Earl of Flanders for Protection Id. p. 77 78. His sailing for England but being pursued he returns to Bruges and coming again soon after commits a thousand Ravages Id. p. 80 81. What the ground of all this contest between the King and him at last in a Great Council a Peace was made and Hostages given on both sides Id. p. 81. Is Accused by King Edward for the Death of his Brother in the Great Council and how he made his Peace Id. p. 83. He and his Sons restored to their former Honours and Estates in a Great Council Id. p. 82 83 84. His Death and Burial in the old Monastery of Winchester Id. p. 84 85. His Character Wives and Issue Id. p. 85. Gogmagog the mighty Gyant in Cornwall taken up by Corinaeus in his Arms though he was no Gyant himself and flung off by him if you will believe the Fable from a Cliff into the Sea l. 1. p. 9. Gordianus M. Anton. elected Emperor by the Praetorian Bands had an Army in Britain though nothing was done by what can be found l. 2. p. 81. Gormond an African King comes out of Ireland to fight Careticus and what the success l. 3. p. 148. Gospatrick a great Officer in Northumberland murthered upon the account of a quarrel between him and Earl Tostige l. 6. p. 90. Gospel supposed to be first preached in this Island in the Reigns of either Claudius or Nero though by whom unknown l. 2. p. 51 52. The story of Joseph of Arimathea and his Twelve Companions coming to preach the Gospel in Britain Id. p. 52 53. Christ was preached here as early as the first Conquest of it by the Britains Id. p. 69. Who first preached the Gospel in the Countrey of the Grisons l. 2. p. 70. The first preaching of the Gospel in Germany and by whom l. 4. p. 211. The joyful Tidings of it first brought to us from Canterbury l. 6. p. 36. Government devolved on the People when the Emperor acquitted the Britains of the Roman Jurisdiction l. 2. p. 104. Graetanleage the Laws that were made there by King Athelstan in a Great Council l. 5. p. 339 340 341. Grand Inquest Vid. Inquest Gratian the Emperor creates Theodosius the Younger his Partner in the Empire assigning him the East for his share l. 2. p. 95. Being routed by the Forces of Maximus is forced to fly with Three hundred Horse towards the Alps but Andragathius with some Light-Horse being sent after him overtakes him near the Bridge of Singidunum and there kills him Id. Ibid. Gratianus sirnamed Funarius from his great strength in pulling a Rope from Four Men made General of all the Forces throughout Britain l. 2. p. 89. The British Army elected him Emperor and cloathed him with the Imperial Purple Id. p. 102. But he is soon after deprived both of his Life and Empire Id. p. 104 105. Gregory made Bishop of Rome in what year l. 3. p. 149. Sirnamed the Great to whom the English Nation owed its Conversion l. 4. p. 152. Would have come himself to preach God's Word to the English but the Citizens of Rome would by no means suffer him to go so far from them l. 4. p. 153. In the Fourth Year of his Pontificate he sends Augustine with many Monks over to the Britains to preach Gospel to them Calls the Emperor his Lord and dates his Letters by the year of His Reign and not that of his own l. 3. p. 149. l. 4. p. 153 158. His Decease the Account of his life may be read in Bede Id. p. 163 165. Griffyn Prince of Wales entring England spoils great part of Herefordshire and carries away much Booty l. 6. p. 84 86 87. The Son of Ratherch ap Justin raises a great Army against Griffyth Prince of North-Wales and what the success Id. p. 85. A Peace mediated between Edward the Confessor and this Prince Id. p. 87. How he restores Aelfgar to his Earldom after he was a second time banished by King Edward Id. p. 88. Is slain by his own people and his Head sent to Earl Harold and the gilded Stern of his Ship which he caused to be carried to King Edward Id. p. 89. Griffyth ap Lewellin ap Sitsylt raises a great Army against Prince Jago of North-Wales whose Soldiers deserting him he was soon overthrown and slain l. 6. p. 64. His good Government afterwards over those of North-Wales and his total subduction of South-Wales and his other Conquests Howel ap Edwin narrowly escapes him but he took his Wife Prisoner whom he liked so well that he kept her for his Mistress Ibid. He is taken Prisoner by surprize but is immediately rescued Id. p. 70. His Engagement with Ritherch and Rees and the success thereof Id. p. 71. Revenges the death of One hundred and forty of his best Soldiers treacherously killed by the Gentlemen of Ystrad Towy Id. p. 73. Griffyth ap Madoc designing to bring all Wales c. under his subjection was slain by the Princes Edmund and Edred who brought his Head to their Father l. 5. p. 321. St. Grimbald the University of Oxford founded in the second year of his coming over into England the difference between him and those he brought over with him and the Old Scholars whom he found there l. 5. p. 288 289 290 306. St. Grimbald sent for from France by King Alfred to assist him in his Learning l. 5. p. 306. His Decease Id. p. 312. Grime King of the Scots refusing to pay part of a Tribute to the Danes which King Ethelred demanded of him had his Countrey of Cumberland laid almost waste l. 6. p. 28. Grisons make Lucius to have been their Apostle and first to have Preached the Gospel in their Countrey and shew his Tomb at Cloir at this day l. 2. p. 70. Grymkyrel made upon the Death of Ethelric Bishop of the South-Saxons that is of Selsey l. 6. p. 65. His Decease Id. p. 73. Guarinus King of the Huns l. 2. p. 96. Gueld that is Tribute l. 4. p. 187. Guendelew Son of Keidiaw a Prince of the North parts of Britain l. 3. p. 146. Gueniver Vid. Glastenbury Guiderac in the British Tongue is Mould in Flintshire in the English the place is called Maes German that is German's Field where the Britains got a great Victory over the Picts and Saxons by the means of Germanus a French Bishop l. 2. p. 108 109. Guild or Fraternity signified sometimes such as were Fellow-Contributors to the same Parish-Feast in honour of the Saints sometimes such as were bound together in the same Decennary or Tything l. 5. p. 294. Guintelin his Character his Virtuous Wife Maetia and his Reign l. 1. p. 13. Gunhilda Cnute's Niece being his Sister's Daughter Marries Hacun a Danish Earl l. 6. p. 53. Hardecnute's