5.81. Ceadwalla.

Ceadwalla.

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Compare 1587 edition: 1 THis Ceadwalla King of the Weſt Saxons ſucceeded after Centwine or Centiuinus,Cead|walla. Beda. VVil. Mal. whiche Centwine raigned nine yeares, though it ſhoulde appeare by that whiche is written by Authoures of good credite, that du [...]y [...] EEBO page image 184 two of thoſe yeares at the leaſt, the Kingdome of Weſt Saxons was deuided betwixte him, and Elcuinus or Eſcuinus, ſo that hee ſhoulde not reigne paſt ſeuen yeares alone.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 3 4 But now to Ceadwall, whom ſome take to be al one with Cadwallader,VVil. Malm. Ran. Ceſtren. we finde y^t he was ly|neally diſcended frõ Cutha or Cutwine, the bro|ther of Ceauline or Kenling K. of Weſt Saxõs, as ſon to Kenbert or Kenbright that was ſon to Ceadda the ſon of y^e foreſaid Cutha or Cutwin. Thus he being extract of y^e noble houſe of y^e kings of Weſt Saxons, prooued in his youth a perſo|nage of great towardnes, & ſuch a one as no ſmal hope was of him conceyued: he would let no oc|caſion paſſe where he mighte exerciſe his force, to ſhew proofe of his high valiancie, ſo that in the ende with his worthy attemptes ſhewed therein, he purchaſed to himſelfe the enuy of thoſe that ru|led in his countrey, by reaſon whereof he was ba|niſhed by a cõſpiracie made againſt him.Ceadwallo driuen to de|part out of his countrey. Wher|vpon hee tooke occaſion as it were in reuenge of ſuche vnthankfulneſſe to withdrawe out of hys countrey, leading with him all y^e principal youth of the ſame, the whiche eyther pitying his pre|ſent eſtate, or moued with pleaſure taken in hys valiante doings, followed him at his going into exile. The firſt brunt of his furious attemptes af|ter hee was out of his countrey, Edilwalke the king of the South Saxons taſted, the whiche in defence of himſelfe comming to trie battell with Ceadwalla, was ſlayne with the moſt part of all his army. Ceadwalla then perceiuing the valiãt courages of his Souldiers, filled with good hope of this happy atchieued victory, returned with good and proſperous ſpeede into his owne coun|trey, and that ere he was looked for, and earneſtly purſuing his aduerſaries, droue them out of the Kingdom, and taking vpon him to rule the ſame as king, reigned two yeares during the whych he atchieued diuers notable enterpriſes. And firſte,Beda. lib. 4. cap. 1 [...]. whereas Berthun and Authune Dukes of Suſ|ſex & ſubiectes vnto y^e late K. Edilwalke, had both expulſed him out of y^e countrey, after he had ſlain the ſaid Edilwalke, and alſo taken vpon them the rule of that Kingdome, he hauing now atteyned to the gouernement of the Weſt Saxons,Berthune [...] Earle of Suſ|ſex ſlayne. inua|ded y^e countrey of Suſſex againe, and ſlewe Ber|thune in battell, bringing that coũtrey into more bondage than before. He alſo ſet vpon the Iſle of wight, and welneere deſtroyed all the inhabitãts, [figure appears here on page 184] meaning to inhabite it with his owne people, hee bound himſelfe by vowe,Ceadwallo his vowe. The Ile of Wight con|quered. although as yet he was not baptiſed, that if he might cõquere it, he would giue a fourth part thereof vnto the Lorde. And in performãce of that vowe, he offered vnto Biſhop Wilfride who then chanced to be preſent, when he had taken that Iſle, ſo muche thereof, as con|teyned three hundred houſholdes or families, where the whole conſiſted in .1200. houſholdes. Wilfrid receiuing thankfully the gift, deliuered y^e ſame vnto one of his Clearkes named Berne|wine y^t was his ſiſters ſon, appointing to him al|ſo a Prieſt named Hildila, y^e which ſhould mini|ſter the word, & the Sacramẽt of Baptiſme vnto al thoſe y^t would receiue the ſame. Thus was y^e Ile of Wight brought to y^e faith of Chriſt laſt of al other y^e parties of this our Britain,The Wi [...] recey [...] ſay [...]. after that y^e ſame faith had failed here by the comming of the Saxons. Moreouer, K. Ceadwalla inuaded the kingdom of Kent, wher he loſt his brother Mol|lo, as after ſhall appeare, but yet hee reuenged hys death with great ſlaughter made of y^e inhabitats in y^t countrey. Finally, this worthy Prince Ce|adwalla turning himſelf from y^e deſire of warre & bloudſhed, became right courteis, gentle, & liberal towardes all men, ſo that ye could not haue wi|ſhed more vertuous manners to reſt in one as yet not Chriſtned. And ſhortly after, willing EEBO page image 185 to be admitted into the fellowſhip of the Chriſti|ans, (of whoſe Religion he had taken good taſt) he went to Rome, where of Pope Sergius her was baptiſed, and named Peter, and ſhortly af|ter ſurpryſed with ſickneſſe died, and was buried there within the Churche of Saint Peter in the yeare of our Lorde .689.689 [...]eda lib. 4. [...]p. 26.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 In the meane while, that is to witte, in the yeare of our Lorde .684. Ecgfrid king of Nor|thumberland ſent an armie vnder the guiding of a Captaine named Bertus into Irelande, the which waſted that Countrey, ſparing neyther Church nor Monaſterie, ſore endomaging the people of that Countrey, [...]reland inua| [...]ed by the [...]orthũbers. whiche had euer beene friendes vnto the Engliſh Nation, and deſerued nothing leſſe than ſo to be inuaded and ſpoyled at their handes.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The Iriſh men defended themſelues to theyr power, beſeeching god with manye a ſal [...]e teare, that he woulde reuenge theyr cauſe, in puniſhing of ſuche extreeme iniuries. And though curſers may not inherite the Kingdome of heauen, yet they ceaſſed not to curſe, hoping the ſooner thoſe which with good cauſe were thus accurſed, ſhould worthily be puniſhed for their offences by God, and ſo (peraduenture) it fell out. For in the yeare following the ſayde king Egfrid had led an army into Pictlande,King Ecgfrid [...]ain by Bru|deus king of [...]he Pictes. agaynſte Brudeus king of the Pictes, and beeing trayned into ſtraytes within hilles and craggie mountains, he was ſlain with the moſt part of all his armie, in the yeare of hys age .xl. and of his raigne .xv. vpon the .xiij. kalends of Iune.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 There were diuerſe of Ecgfrides friends, and namely Curbert (whome hee had aduaunced the ſame yeare vnto the Biſhops ſea of Lindeſfarne) that aduiſed him in no wiſe, eyther to haue taken this warre in hande agaynſt the Pictes, or the o|ther againſt them of Irelande, but he woulde not be counſayled, the puniſhment appoynted for his ſinnes being ſuch, that hee might not giue care to his faythfull friendes, that aduiſed him to the beſt. From that time forth, the hope and power of the Engliſh people began to decay.Theſe Britains were th [...]ſe vn|doubtedly that [...]welt in the North weſt [...]uttes of this [...]e, and is not [...]ent onely by [...]ẽlof Wales. For not onely the Pictes recouered that part of theyr Countrey which the Engliſh men had helde before in theyr poſſeſſiõ, but alſo the Scots that inhabited with in this Iſle, and likewiſe ſome part of the Bry|taynes tooke vppon them libertie which they kept and mainteyned a long time after, as Bede con|feſſeth. Ecgfride left no children behinde him. He had to wife one Ethelreda, or Edildrida, that was daughter vnto Anna king of the Eaſtangles which liued with hir huſbande the foreſayd Ecg|fride .xij. yeares in perfite virginitie (as it is ſuppo|ſed) contrarie to the purpoſe of hir huſbande, if hee might haue perſwaded hir to the contrarie, but ſhe founde ſuch meanes, that finally he was conten|ted that ſhe ſhould keepe hir firſt vow of chaſtity, which ſhe had made.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 She was both widow and virgin when hee maryed hir,Ethelreda. being firſt coupled in wedlocke with one Eunbert a noble man and a ruler in the ſouth partes of the Countrey, where the people called Giruij inhabited, whiche is the ſame where the fennes lye in the confines of Lincolnſhire,Giruii. Nort|folke, Huntingtonſhire, and Cambridgſhire, but he liued with hir but a ſmall while.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 After ſhe had obteyned licence to departe from the Court, ſhe got hir firſt into Coldingham Ab|bay, and there was profeſſed a Nunne. And after ſhe went to Ely, and there reſtored the Monaſte|rie, and was made Abbes of the place, in the which after ſhee had gouerned .vij. yeares, ſhee departed this life, and was there buried.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 This ſame was ſhe which commonly is cal|led Saint Aubrey of Ely, had in great reuerence for the opinion conceyued of hir great vertue and puritie of life.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 [figure appears here on page 185] AFter that king Ecg|frid was ſlain Alfride 685(as before is [...]mẽcioned his brother Al|frid was made king of Nor|thumberland. This Alfride was the ba|ſtarde ſonne of king Oſwy, and in his brothers daye [...], eyther willingly, or by violent meanes cõ|ſtrayned, he liued as a baniſhed man in Irelande, where applying himſelfe to ſtudie hee became an excellent Philoſopher, and therefore being iudged to be better able to haue the rule of a kingdome, he was receyued by the Northumbers, and made king, gouerning his ſubiects by the ſpace of .x [...]. yeares & more, with great wiſedome and policie, but not with ſuch large bounds as his aunceſters had done: for the Pictes (as before is mencioned) had cut off one peece on the North part of the auncient limits of that kingdome.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 About the .xiij. yeare of his raigne, 698 Beda in Epit. Mat. VVeſt. that is to wit, in the yeare of our Lorde .698. one of hys Captaynes named Earle Berthred, or Bertus, was ſlaine in battaile by the Picts, whoſe cõfines he had as then inuaded.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The curſe of the Iriſhe men whoſe countrey in the dayes of king Ecgfrid he had cruelly wa|ſted (as before is mentioned) was thought at this time to take place.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Finally king Alfride after he had raigned .xx. yeares and odde monethes departed this life,705 Beda. in the yeare of our Lorde .705.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 In the beginning of king Alfrides dayes Eata EEBO page image 186 the Biſhop of Hexham being deade, one Iohn a man of great holineſſe was admitted Biſhop, and after that Biſhop Wilfride was reſtored, after he had remayned a long time in exile.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The ſayde Iohn was remoued to the Church of Yorke,Iohn Archby|ſhop of York. the ſame beeing then voyde by the death of the Archbyſhoppe Boſa. At length the foreſayd Iohn aweried with the cares-of pub|lyke affayres reſigned his Sea, and got him vn|to Beuerley,He reſigneth his See. 721 where hee lyued a ſolitarie lyfe for the ſpace of foure yeares, and then dyed, about the yeare of our Lorde .721. King Oſrike as then reigning in Northumberlande. Hee continued Byſhoppe for the ſpace of .xxiiij. yeares, and buylded a Churche, and founded a Colledge of Prieſts at Beuerley aforeſayde, in which church he lyeth buried.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The ſame yeare, or in the yeare after that king Ecgfride was ſlaine, Lother king of Kent departed this life,686. hath. Mat Weſt. Lother king of Kent dyeth of a wounde. the .viij. Ides of Februarie, of a wounde by hym receiued in a battaile whiche he fought agaynſt the South Saxons, the which came in ayde of Edricke, that was ſonne vnto his brother Ecgbert, and had mainteyned warre agaynſt his vncle the ſayde Lother, euen from the begynning of his raigne, till finally he was nowe in the ſayd battaile ſtriken through the bodie with a dart, and ſo died thereof, after he had raigned .xj. yeares, and .vij. Monethes.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 It was thought that hee was diſquieted with continuall warres and troubles, and finally brought to his end before the natural courſe of his time, for a pun [...]ſhment of his wicked conſent gi|uen, to the putting to death of his couſins Ethel|bert, and Ethilbrit, as appeared in that, when they were reported to be Martyrs, bycauſe it was knowne they dyed innocently,VVil. Malm. hee mocked them, and made but a ieaſt at it, although his brother in acknowledging his fault, repented him therof,Capg [...] their [...]. and gaue as it were in recompence to theyr mo|ther, a part of the Ile of Thanet to the buylding of a Monaſterie.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Edrick [figure appears here on page 186] THe foreſaid Edrick af|ter that Lo|ther was dead, got the domi|nion of Kent, and ruled as king thereof, but not with|out ciuill war, inſomuch that before he had raigned the ful tearme of two yeres, he was ſlaine in the ſame warre.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Then Ceadwalla king of the Weſt Saxons being thereof aduertiſed, ſuppoſing the time now to bee come that would ſerue his purpoſe, as one ſtill coueting to worke the Kentiſh men all the diſpleaſure he coulde, entred with an armie into their Countrey, and beganne to waſt and ſpoyle the ſame on eche ſide, till finally the Kentiſhmen aſſembling themſelues togither, gaue battaile to their enimies and put them to flight.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Mollo brother to Ceadwalla was dryuen from hys companie, and conſtrayned to take an houſe for his refuge: but his enimies that purſued hym ſette fyre thereon, and burned both the houſe, and Mollo within it to Aſhes.Mollo [...] to king Cead|walla [...] death. Yet dyd not Ceadwalla herewith depart oute of the Countrey, but to wreake his wrathe, and to reuenge the griefe which he tooke for the death of his brother, hee waſted and deſtroyed a greate parte of Kent ere hee returned home, and left (as it were) an occaſion to his ſucceſſor alſo to purſue the quarell (as after ſhall appeare.)

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Compare 1587 edition: 1 EEBO page image 187The Kentiſhmen being deſtitute of a king, af|ter that diuerſe had coueted the place, and ſought to ataine therto, as well by force as otherwiſe, to the great diſquieting of that prouince for y^e ſpace of ſixe yeares togither, at length in the .vij. yeare after the death of Edrick. [...]ictred is [...]ade king of [...]ent. Withred an other of the ſonnes of king Ecgbert, hauing with diligente trauaile ouercome enuie at home, and with mo|ney redeemed peace abrode, was with great hope conceyued of his worthineſſe made king of Kent, the .xj. of Nouember .205. after the death of Hen|geſt, and raigned .xxxiij. yeares, not deceyuing his ſubiectes of their good conceyued opinion of him: for ouercomming all his aduerſaries which were readie to leuie cyuill warre agaynſt him, he alſo purchaſed peace of Inas king of the Weſt Sax|ons, whiche ment to haue made him warre, till with money he was made his friend.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 A little before that Withred was confirmed in the kingdome of Kent, Hen. Hunt. Beda. li. 5. ca. 8 Webhard and Nitred, kings [...]y vſurpation [...]nd not by [...]cceſsion, as H. Hunt. wri| [...]eth. there raigned two kings in that countrey, Suebhard, or Nidred, or rather the ſame Withred, if the printed copie of Be|das booke intituled Eccleſiaſtica hiſtoria gẽtis An|glorum, haue not that name corrupted: for where he ſheweth that the Archbiſhop Theodorus being of the age of .88. yeares, departed this life in the yeare of our Lorde .690. in the next chapter he de|clareth, that in the yeare .692. the firſt day of Iuly one Brightwalde was choſen to ſucceede in the Archbiſhops ſea of Canterburie, Wictredus, and Suebhardus as then raigning in Kent: but whe|ther Wicttedus gouerned as then with Sueb|hardus, or that ſome other named Nitred, it for|ceth not, for certain it is by the agreement of wri|ters, that till Wictred obteyned the whole rule, there was great ſtrife and contention moued a|bout the gouernment, and diuerſe there were that ſought and fought for it.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Brightwald the firſt Arch|biſhop of the Engliſh nationBut this ought to be noted, y^t the forenamed Brightwalde was the eight Archbiſhop in num|ber, and firſt of the Engliſh nation that ſat in the ſea of Canterburie: for the other ſeuen that were predeceſſors to him, were ſtraungers borne, and ſent hither from Rome.