5.34. Sighere and Sebbie associats reigne o|uer the Eastsaxons, the one falleth from, the other cleaueth to the faith, Vulfhere king of Mercia sendeth bishop Iaroman to redresse that apostasie of the prince and the people, Cead bishop of Mercia, the king of that countrie hath him in hie reputa|tion, Egfrid king of Northumberland, a synod of bishops holden at Herford, articles propounded out of the canons by Theodore archbishop of Canturburie, Bisi vnable to dis|charge his episcopall office, a remedie therefore; Kenwalke of a very euill prince becometh a verie good ruler, his wife go|uerneth the kingdome after his death, Escuius succeedeth hir in the roome, of Thunnir a murtherer king Egberts principall vicegerent, bishop Winfrid deposed for disobedience, Sebbie king of the Eastsaxons a professed moonke, his death. The xxxiiij. Chapter.
Sighere and Sebbie associats reigne o|uer the Eastsaxons, the one falleth from, the other cleaueth to the faith, Vulfhere king of Mercia sendeth bishop Iaroman to redresse that apostasie of the prince and the people, Cead bishop of Mercia, the king of that countrie hath him in hie reputa|tion, Egfrid king of Northumberland, a synod of bishops holden at Herford, articles propounded out of the canons by Theodore archbishop of Canturburie, Bisi vnable to dis|charge his episcopall office, a remedie therefore; Kenwalke of a very euill prince becometh a verie good ruler, his wife go|uerneth the kingdome after his death, Escuius succeedeth hir in the roome, of Thunnir a murtherer king Egberts principall vicegerent, bishop Winfrid deposed for disobedience, Sebbie king of the Eastsaxons a professed moonke, his death. The xxxiiij. Chapter.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 _ABout the same time, af|ter that Suidhelme king of the Eastsaxons was dead, Sighere the son of Sigbert the little, and Sebbie the son of Suward succéeded him in gouernement of that king|dome, albeit they were sub|iect vnto Uulfhere the king of Mercia.Beda. lib. 3. cap. 39. Sighere in that time, when the great mortalitie reigned, re|nounced the faith of Christ, with that part of the peo|ple which he had in gouernement, for both the same Sighere and others of his chiefest lords, and also part of his commons louing this life, and not re|garding the life to come, began to repaire their ido|lish churches, and fell to the worshipping of idols, as though thereby they should haue beene defended EEBO page image 121 from that mortalitie. But his associat Sebbie with great deuotion continued stedfast in the faith which he had receiued.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 King Uulfhere being informed of Seghers apo|stasie, and how the people in his part of the prouince of Eastsaxons were departed from the faith, sent thither bishop Iaruman or Iaroman, that was suc|cessour vnto Trumhere,Bishop Iaru|man or Iaro|man. which vsed such diligence and godlie meanes, that he reduced the said king and all his people vnto the right beliefe, so as the idolish synagogs were destroied, and the idols also with their altars quite beaten downe, the christian churches againe set open, and the name of Christ eft|soones called vpon amongest the people, coueting now rather to die in him with hope of resurrection in the world to come, than to liue in the seruice of idols, spotted with the filth of errors and false be|leefe. And thus when bishop Iaroman had accom|plished the thing for the which he was sent, he retur|ned into Mercia.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 After this, when the said Iaroman was depar|ted this life, king Uulfhere sent vnto the archbishop Theodorus, requiring him to prouide the prouince of the Mercies of a new bishop. Theodorus not min|ding to ordeine anie new bishop at that time, requi|red Oswie king of Northumberland, that bishop Cead might come into Mercia to exercise the office of bishop there. This Cead liued as it were a priuat life at that time in his monasterie of Lestingham, for Wilfrid held the bishoprike of Yorke, extending his authoritie ouer all Northumberland & amongest the Picts also, so farre as king Oswies dominion stretched. Therefore Cead hauing licence to go into Mercia, was gladlie receiued of king Uulfhere, and well enterteined, in so much that the said king gaue vnto him lands and possessions conteining 50 families or housholds to build a monasterie in a cer|teine place within the countrie of Lindsey called Etbearne. But the sée of his bishoprike was as|signed to him at Lichfield in Staffordshire, where he made him a house néere to the church, in the which he with 7 or 8 other of his brethren in religion vsed in an oratorie there to praie and reade, so often as they had leasure from labour and businesse of the world. Finallie, after he had gouerned the church of Mercia by the space of two yeares and an halfe, he departed this life, hauing 7 daies warning gi|uen him (as it is reported) from aboue, before he should die, after a miraculous maner, which because in the iudgement of the most it may séeme méere fa|bulous, we will omit and passe ouer. His bodie was first buried in the church of our ladie, but after that the church of saint Peter the apostle was buil|ded, his bones were translated into the same.671
Compare 1577 edition: 1 In the yeare of our Lord 671, which was the se|cond yeare after that Theodorus the archbishop came into this land,Matth. West. Oswie king of Northumber|land was attached with a grieuous sicknesse, and di|ed thereof the 15 kalends of March, in the 58 yeare of his age, after he had reigned 28 yeares complet.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 AFter Oswie,Egfrid. Beda. lib. 4. cap. 5. Matth. West. his sonne Egfrid succéeded in rule of the kingdome of Northumberland, in the third yeare of whose reigne, that is to say, in the yeare of our Lord 673,673 Theodorus the archbishop of Canturburie kept a synod at Herford, the first ses|sion whereof began the 24 of September,A synod hol|den at Her|lord. all the bishops of this land being present either in person or by their deputies, as Bisi bishop of Estangle, Wil|frid of Northumberland by his deputie Putta bi|shop of Rochester, Eleutherius bishop of West|saxon, and Wilfrid bishop of Mercia. In the pre|sence of these prelats, the archbishop shewed a booke, wherein he had noted ten chapters or articles taken out of the booke of the canons,Articles pro|poned by Theodore. requiring that the same might be receiued.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 1 The first chapter was, that the feast of Easter should be kept on the sundaie following the four|téenth day of the first moneth.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The second, that no bishop should intermedle in an others diocesse, but he contented with the cure of his flocke committed to him.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 3 The third, that no bishop should disquiet in a|nie thing anie monasterie consecrated to God, nor take by violence anie goods that belonged vnto the same.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 4 The fourth, that bishops being moonks should not go from monasterie to monasterie, except by sufferance and permission of their abbats, & should continue in the same obedience wherein they stood before.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 5 The fift, that none of the cleargie should depart from his bishop to run into anie other diocesse, nor comming from anie other place should be admitted, except he brought letters of testimonie with him. But if anie such chanced to be receiued, if he refu|sed to returne, being sent for home, both he and his receiuer should be excommunicated.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 6 The sixt, that bishops and other of the cleargie being strangers should hold them content with the benefit of hospitalitie, & should not take in hand a|nie priestlie office, without licence of the bishop, in whose diocesse he chanced so to be remaining.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 7 The seuenth, that twice in the yeare a synod should be kept, but because of diuers impediments herein, it was thought good to them all, that in the kalends of August a synod should be kept once in the yeare, at a certeine place called Cloofeshough.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 8 The eighth chapter was, that no one bishop should by ambition séeke to be preferred aboue ano|ther, but that euerie one should know the time and order of his consecration.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 9 The ninth, that as the number of the christians increased, so should there be more bishops ordeined.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 10 The tenth was touching mariages, that none should contract matrimonie with anie person, but with such as it should be lawfull for him by the orders of the church: none should match with their kinsfolke, no man should forsake his wife, except (as the gospell teacheth) for cause of fornication. But if a|nie man did put awaie his wife which he had lawful|lie married, if he would be accounted a true christi|an, he might not be coopled with an other, but so re|maine, or else be reconciled to his owne wife.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 These articles, being intreated of and concluded, were confirmed with the subscribing of all their hands, so as all those that did go against the same, should be disgraded of their priesthood, and separa|ted from the companie of them all.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 THe forsaid Bisi that was bishop of the Eastan|gles, and present at this synod,Bisi bishop of the Eastan|gles. was successor vnto Bonifacius, which Bonifacius held that sée 17 yéeres, and then departing this life, Bisi was made bishop of that prouince, and ordeined by the archbi|shop Theodore. This Bisi at length was so visited with sicknesse, that he was not able to exercise the ministration, so that two bishops were then & there e|lected and consecrated for him, the one named Aecci, and the other Baldwin.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 In this meane while, that, is, about the yéere of our Lord 872,872 or in the beginning of 873, as Harison noteth, Kenwalch king of the Westsaxons departed this life, after he had reigned 30 yéeres. This Ken|walch was such a prince,Matt. West. de reg. lib. 1. as in the beginning he was to be compared with the woorst kind of rulers, but in the middest and later end of his reigne, to be mat|ched with the best. His godlie zeale borne towards the aduancing of the christian religion well appéered in the building of the church at Winchester, where EEBO page image 122 the bishops sée of all that prouince was then placed. His wife Seghurga ruled the kingdome of West|saxons after him, a woman of stoutnesse inough to haue atchiued acts of woorthie remembrance, but be|ing preuented by death yer she had reigned one whole yéere, she could not shew anie full proofe of hir noble courage. I remember that Matth West. maketh o|ther report heereof, declaring that the nobilitie re|mooued hir from the gouernment. But I rather fol|low William Malmesburie in this matter.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 TO procéed,Escuinus. Will. Malmes. after Segburga was departed this life, or deposed (if you will néeds haue it so) Escu|inus or Elcuinus, whose grandfather called Cuthgi|sio, the brother of K. Kinigils, succéeding in gouern|ment of the Westsaxons, reigned about the space of two yéeres: and after his deceasse, one Centiuinus or Centwine tooke vpon him the rule, and continued therein the space of nine yeeres. But Beda saith that these two ruled at one-time, and diuided the kingdom betwixt them. Elcuinus fought against Uulfhere king of Mercia,Hen. Hunt. a great number of men being slaine on both parties, though Uulfhere yet had after a maner the vpper hand, as some haue written.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 In the same yéere that the synod was holden at Herford, Beda lib. & ca. supr. dict. that is to say, in the yéere of our Lord 673, Egbert the king of Kent departed this life in Iu|lie, and left the kingdome to his brother Lothaire, which held the same eleuen yéeres,Io. Lothaire. & seuen moneths. Some haue written that king Egbert by the sug|gestion of one Thunnir, Wil. Malm. Beda de reg. lib. 1. Thunnir. A vile mur|ther. who had the chiefe rule of the kingdome vnder him, suffered the same Thunnir in lamentable maner to kill the two innocent sonnes of Ermenredus the brother of king Ercombert, that was father vnto king Egbert, for doubt least they being towardlie yoong gentlemen, might in time grow so into fauour with the people, that it should be easie for them to depriue both Egbert, and his issue of the kingdome. Also, that they were priuilie put to death, and secretlie buried at the first, but the place of their buriall immediatlie being shewed after a mi|raculous maner, their bodies long after in the daies of king Egilred the sonne of king Edgar, were ta|ken vp, & conueied vnto Ramsey, and there buried. And although Egbert being giltie of the death of those his coosens, did sore repent him, for that he vn|derstood they died giltlesse, yet his brother Lothaire was thought to be punished for that offense, as after shall be shewed.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Winfrid bishop of the Mercies,Bishop win|frid deposed. Sexbulfe or|deined bishop of the Mer|cies. 685, as Matth. VVestm. saith. Bishop Er|kenwald. for his disobedi|ence in some point, was depriued by archbishop The|odore, and one Sexvulfe that was the builder and al|so the abbat of the monasterie of Meidhamsted, o|therwise called Peterborough, was ordeined and consecrated in his place. About the same time, Er|kenwald was ordeined bishop of the Eastsaxons, and appointed to hold his sée in the citie of London. This Erkenwald was reputed to be a man of great holi|nesse and vertue. Before he was made bishop, he builded two abbeies, the one of moonks at Chertsey in Southerie, where he himselfe was abbat, and the other of nuns at Berking, within the prouince of the Eastsaxons, where he placed his sister Ethelbur|ga,Ethelburga. a woman also highlie estéemed for hir deuout kind of life.Iohn Cap. graue. She was first brought vp and instructed in the rules of hir profession by one Hildelitha a nun of the parties beyond the seas, whome Erkenwald procured to come ouer for that purpose.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 After Erkenwald, one Waldhere was made bi|shop of London,Waldhere. Sebbie king of Eastsaxons Beda. lib. 4. cap. 16. in whose daies Sebbie king of the Eastsaxons, after he had reigned thirtie yéeres, be|ing now vexed with a gréeuous sicknesse, professed himselfe a moonke: which thing he would haue doone long before, if his wife had not kept him backe. He died shortlie after within the citie of London, and was buried in the church of saint Paule. King Sig|here, which in the beginning reigned with him,Wil. Malm. and gouerned a part of the Eastsaxons, was departed this life before, so that in his latter time, the foresaid Sebbie had the gouernment of the whole prouince of the Eastsaxons, and left the same to his sonnes Sighard and Sewfred. About the yéere of our Lord 675,675 Uulfhere king of Mercia departed this life, af|ter he had reigned (as some say) 19 yéeres, Will. Malm [...]. But other af|firme that he reigned 17 yéeres. Beda. Peada or ra|ther Weada. but (as o|ther affirme) he reigned but 17 yéeres. Howbeit they which reckon 19, include the time that passed after the slaughter of Penda, wherein Oswie and Peada held the aforesaid kingdome.