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5.37. Alfride (the bastard) king of Northum|berland, his life and death, Iohn archbishop of Canturburie reigneth his see, Lother king of Kent dieth of a wound, Edrike getteth the re|giment thereof but not without bloudshed, Cead|walla wasteth Kent being at strife in it selfe, his brother Mollo burned to death; Withred made king of Kent, he vanquisheth his enimies, Inas king of Westsaxons is made his friend, Sueb|hard and Nidred vsurpers of the Kentish kingdome, the age and death of Theodore archbishop of Canturbu|rie, Brightwald the first archbishop of the Eng|lish nation; the end of the British regi|ment, and how long the greatest part of this Iland was vnder their gouernement. The xxxvij. Chapter.

Alfride (the bastard) king of Northum|berland, his life and death, Iohn archbishop of Canturburie reigneth his see, Lother king of Kent dieth of a wound, Edrike getteth the re|giment thereof but not without bloudshed, Cead|walla wasteth Kent being at strife in it selfe, his brother Mollo burned to death; Withred made king of Kent, he vanquisheth his enimies, Inas king of Westsaxons is made his friend, Sueb|hard and Nidred vsurpers of the Kentish kingdome, the age and death of Theodore archbishop of Canturbu|rie, Brightwald the first archbishop of the Eng|lish nation; the end of the British regi|ment, and how long the greatest part of this Iland was vnder their gouernement. The xxxvij. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 _AFter that king Egfride was slaine (as before is men|tioned)Alfride 685. his brother Alfride was made king of Nor|thumberland. This Alfride was the bastard sonne of king Oswie, and in his bro|thers daies (either willinglie, or by violent means constreined) he liued as a bani|shed man in Ireland, where applieng himselfe to stu|die, he became an excellent philosopher. And therfore being iudged to be better able to haue the rule of a kingdome, he was receiued by the Northumbers, and made king, gouerning his subiects the space of 20 yeares and more, with great wisedome and policie, but not with such large bounds as his an|cestors had doone: for the Picts (as before is mentio|ned) had cut off one péece of the north part of the an|cient limits of that kingdome. About the 13 yeare of his reigne, that is to say,698 Beda in Epit. Matt. VVest. in the yeare of our Lord 698, one of his capteins named earle Berthred, or Bertus, was slaine in battell by the Picts, whose confins he had as then inuaded. The curse of the I|rish men, whose countrie in the daies of king Egfrid he had cruellie wasted (as before is mentioned) was thought at this time to take place. Finallie king Alfride,705 Beda. after he had reigned 20 yeares & od months, departed this life, in the yeare of our Lord 705.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In the beginning of king Alfrids daies, Eata the bishop of Hexham being dead, one Iohn a man of great holinesse was admitted bishop, and after that, bishop Wilfrid was restored, when he had remai|ned a long time in exile.Iohn archbi|shop of Yorke. The said Iohn was remo|ued to the church of Yorke, the same being then void by the death of the archbishop Bosa. At length the foresaid Iohn wearied with the cares of publike affaires resigned his sée,He resigneth his sée. 721 and got him to Beuerley, where he liued a solitarie life for the space of foure yeares, and then died, about the yeare of our Lord 721, king Os [...]ike as then reigning in Northumber|land. He continued bishop for the space of 24 yeares, and builded a church, and founded a colledge of priests at Beuerley aforsaid, in which church he lieth buried.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The same yeare, or in the yeare after that king Egfrid was slaine, Lother king of Kent departed this life,686 saith Matth. West. Lother king of Kent dieth of a wound. the 8 Ides of Februarie, of a wound by him receiued in a battell which he fought against the Southsaxons, the which came in aid of Edrike, that was sonne vnto his brother Egbert, and had main|teined warre against his vncle the said Lother, euen from the beginning of his reigne, till finallie he was now in the said battell striken thorough the bodie with a dart, and so died thereof, after he had reig|ned 11 yeares, and seuen moneths. It was thought EEBO page image 126 that he was disquieted with continuall warres and troubles, and finallie brought to his end before the naturall course of his time, for a punishment of his wicked consent giuen to the putting to death of his cousins Ethelbert & Ethelbrit, as appeared, in that when they were reported to be martyrs,Wil. Malm. because it was knowen they died innocentlie, he mocked them and made but a iest at it, although his brother in ac|knowledging his fault, Capgraue faith, their sister. repented him thereof, and gaue in recompense to their mother a part of the Ile of Thanet to the building of a monasterie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 THe foresaid EdrikeEdricke. (after Lother was dead) got the dominion of Kent, and ruled as king thereof, but not without ciuill warre, insomuch that before he had reigned the full terme of two yeares, he was slaine in the same warre. Then Ceadwalla king of the Westsaxons being thereof aduertised, supposing of the time now to be come that would serue his purpose, as one still coueting to worke the Ken|tishmen all the displeasure he could, entred with an armie into theri covntrie, and began to waste and spoile the same on ech side, till finallie the Kentish|men assembled themselues togither, gaue battell to their enimies, and put them to flight. Mollo brother to Ceadwalla was driuen from his companie, and constrained to take an house for his refuge: but his enimies that pursued him set fire thereon, and bur|ned both the hosue and Mollo within it to ashes. Yet did not Ceadwalla herewith deaprt out of the coun|trie,Mollo bro|ther to king Ceadwalla burnt to death. but to wreake his wrath, and to reuenge the griefe which he tooke for the death of his brother, he wasted and destroied a great part of Kent yer he re|turned home, and left (as it were) in occasion to his successor also to pursue the quarell with reuen|ging. Wherein we sée the cankerd nature of man, speciallie in a case of wrong or displeasure; which we are so far from tollerating & forgiuing, that if with tooth and naile we be not permitted to take venge|ance, our hearts will breake with a full conceit of wrath. But the law of nature teacheth vs otherwise to be affected, namelie,

—per te nulli vnquam iniuria fiat,
Sed verbis alijsque modis fuge laedere quenquam,
Quod tibi nolles, alijs fecisse caueto,
Quódque tibi velles, alijs praestare studeto;
Haec est naturae lex optima, quam nisiad vnguem
Seruabis, non ipse Deo (mihi crede) placebis,
Póstque obitum infoelix non aurea sydera adibis.

Which lesson taught by nature, and commanded of God, if these men had followed (as they minded nothing lesse in the fier of their furie) they would haue béene content with a competent reuenge, and not in such outragious maner with fier and sword haue afflicted one another, nor (which is more than tigerlike crueltie) haue ministred occasion to poste|rities to reuenge wrongs giuen and taken of their ancestors. But we will let this passe without fur|ther discourse, meaning hereafter in due place to declare the processe.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The Kentishmen being destitute of a king, after that diuers had coueted the place, and sought to at|teine thereto, as well by force as otherwise, to the great disquieting of that prouince for the space of 6 yeares togither, at length in the 7 yeare after E|dricks death, Withred an other of the sonnes of king Egbert,Withdredis made king [...] Kent. hauing with diligent trauell ouercome en|uie at home, & with monie redéemed peace abroad, was with great hope conceiued of his worthinesse made king of Kent, the 11 of Nobuember, & 205 after the death of Hengist, he reigned 33 yeares, not deceiuing his subiects of their good conceiued opi|nion of him: for ouercomming all his aduersaries which were readie to leuie ciuill warre against him, he also purchased peace of Inas king of the West|saxons, which ment to haue made him warre, till with monie he was made his friend.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 A little before that Withdred was confirmed in the kingdome of Kent, Hen, Hunt. Beda. lib. 5. Suebhard and Nidred kings by v|surpation and not by succe [...]|sion, as He [...] Hunt. wri|teth. there reigned two kings in that countrie, Suebhard and Nidred, or rather the same Withred, if the printed copie of Bedas booke intituled Ecclesiastica historia gentis Anglorum 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 Lord 690, in the next chapter he declareth, that in the yeare 692, the first daie of Iulie on Brightwald was chosen to succéed in the archbishops sée of Canturburie, Wi|thredus and Suebhardus as then reigning in Kent: but whether Withredus gouerned as then with Suebhardus, or that some other named Nidred, it forceth not: for certeine it is by the agréement of othere writers, that till Withdred obteined the whole rule, there was great strife and contention moued about the gouernement, and diuers there wre that sought and fought for it.Brightwald the first arch|bishop of the English na|tion. But this ought to be noted, that the forenamed Brightwald was the eight archbishop in number, and first of the English na|tion that sat in the sée of Canturburie: for the other seuen that were predecessors to him, were strangers borne, and sent hither from Rome.

¶Here endeth the line and gouernement of the Britains, now called Welshmen, which tooke that name of their duke or leader Wallo or Gallo; or else of a queene of Wales named Gales or Wales. But howsoeuer that name fell first vnto them, now they are called Welshmen, which sometime were called Britains or Brutons, and descended first of the Troians, and after of Brute, and lastlie of Mul|mucius Dunwallo: albeit they were mingled with sundrie other nations, as Romans, Picts, &c. and now they be called English that in their be|ginning were named Saxons or Angles. To con|clude therefore wiht this gouernement, so manie times intercepted by forren power, it appeareth by course of histories treating of these matters, that the last yeare of Cadwallader was the yeare of our Lord 686, which makes the yere of the world 4647. So that (as Fabian saith) the Britains had the grea|ter part of this land in rule (reckoning from Brute till this time) 1822 yeares. Which terme being expired, the whole dominion of this realme was Saxonish.

Thus farre the interrupted regiment of the Britains, ending at the fift booke.

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5.81. Ceadwalla.

Ceadwalla.

[figure appears here on page 183]

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 yt 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 ye foreſaid Cutha or Cutwin. Thus he being extract of ye noble houſe of ye 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 ye 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 ye late K. Edilwalke, had both expulſed him out of ye 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 ye 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 ye ſame vnto one of his Clearkes named Berne|wine yt was his ſiſters ſon, appointing to him al|ſo a Prieſt named Hildila, ye which ſhould mini|ſter the word, & the Sacramẽt of Baptiſme vnto al thoſe yt would receiue the ſame. Thus was ye Ile of Wight brought to ye faith of Chriſt laſt of al other ye parties of this our Britain,The Wi [...] recey [...] ſay [...]. after that ye 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 ye inhabitats in yt countrey. Finally, this worthy Prince Ce|adwalla turning himſelf from ye 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.)

[figure appears here on page 186]

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 ye 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, yt 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.