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EEBO page image 127

THE SIXT BOOKE of the Historie of England.

6.1. Inas king of the Westsaxons, the whole monarchie of the realme falleth into their hands, Inas for a summe of monie granteth peace to the Kentishmen, whom he was purposed to haue destroied, he & his coosen Nun fight with Ge|rent king of the Britains, and Cheolred king of Mercia, and Ealdbright king of Southsaxons, the end of their kingdoms, Inas giueth ouer his roialtie, goeth in pilgrimage to Rome, and there dieth; his lawes written in the Saxon toong; of what buildings he was the founder, queene Ethelburgas de|uise to persuade Inas to forsake the world, he was the first pro|curer of Peter pence to be paid to Rome; king Ethelred, king Kenred, and king Offa become moonks; the setting vp of images in this land authorised by a vision; king Ethelbalds exploits, he is slaine of his owne subiects by the suggesti|on of Bernred the vsurper, Boniface his letter of commendation to King Ethelbald, nuns kept for concubines, their pilgrimage. The first Chapter.

Inas king of the Westsaxons, the whole monarchie of the realme falleth into their hands, Inas for a summe of monie granteth peace to the Kentishmen, whom he was purposed to haue destroied, he & his coosen Nun fight with Ge|rent king of the Britains, and Cheolred king of Mercia, and Ealdbright king of Southsaxons, the end of their kingdoms, Inas giueth ouer his roialtie, goeth in pilgrimage to Rome, and there dieth; his lawes written in the Saxon toong; of what buildings he was the founder, queene Ethelburgas de|uise to persuade Inas to forsake the world, he was the first pro|curer of Peter pence to be paid to Rome; king Ethelred, king Kenred, and king Offa become moonks; the setting vp of images in this land authorised by a vision; king Ethelbalds exploits, he is slaine of his owne subiects by the suggesti|on of Bernred the vsurper, Boniface his letter of commendation to King Ethelbald, nuns kept for concubines, their pilgrimage. The first Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _AFter tht Ce|adwalla,Inas. 689 late K. of the Westsax|ons was gone to Rome, where he departed this life (as afore is shew|ed) his coosen I|nas or Ine was made king of the Westsaxons, be|gining his reigne in the yéere of our Lord 689, in the third yeere of the emperor Iustmianus the third, the 11 yéere of the reigne of Theodoricus K. of France, and about the second yéere of the reigne of Eugeni|us king of Scots. now because the rule of The Bri|tains commonlie called Welshmen,The Britains ceasse to reigne in this land. ceassed in this realme, as by confession of their owne writers it ap|péereth, and that in the end the whole monarchie of the same realme came to the hands of the kings of Westsaxons, we haue thought méet to refer things generall vnto the reignes of the same kings, as be|fore we did in the Britaine kings, reseruing the par|ticular dooings to the kings of the other prouinces or kingdoms, as the same haue fallen out, and shall come to hand.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This Inas,Fabian. H. Hunt. whome some (mistaking N for U) doo wrongfullie name Iue or Iewe, prooued a right excellent prince, he was descended of the anci|ent linage of the kings of the Westsaxons, as sonne to one Kenred, that was sonne to Geolwald the son of Cutha or Cutwine, that was sonne to Kenricke the sonne of Certicus, the first king of Westsaxons. But he was admitted to the kingdome more for the valiant prowes knowne to rest in his woorthie per|son, than for the successiue of spring of which he was descended. The first [...]biage that he made, was a|gainst the Kentishmen, on whome he purposed to re|uenge the death of his coosen Mollo, the griefe where|of as yet he kept in fresh memorie.Mart. Wastm. Wil. Malm. But when the Kentishmen perceiued, that to resist him by force, they were nothing able, they attempted by monie to buy their peace, and so obteined their purpose, vpon paiment made to him of thirtie thousand marks of siluer.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 After this, about the 21 yéere of his reigne, Anno 708, as is noted by Matt. West. king Inas and his coosen Nun fought with Gerent king of the Britains. In the beginning of the battell, one Higelbald a noble man of the Westsaxons part was slaine,H. Hunt. but in the end Gerent with his Britains was chased. In the 26 yéere of his reigne, the same Inas fought a mightie battell against Cheolred king of Mercia, Matt. VVest. saith 718. at Wodenessburie, with doubtfull victorie, for it could not well be iudged whether part susteined greater losse. In the 36 yéere of his reigne, king I|nas inuaded the Southsaxons with a mightie ar|mie, and slue in battell Ealdbright or Aldinius king of the Southsaxons, and ioined that kingdome vnto the kingdome of the Westsaxons: Matth. West. saith 722. The end of the kingdome of the South|saxons. so that from thencefoorth the kingdome of those Southsaxons ceassed, after they had reigned in that kingdome by the space of fiue kings successiuelie, that is to say, Ella, Cissa, Ethelwalke, Berutius, and this last Al|dinius or Ealdbright.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Finallie, when Inas had reigned 37 yéeres, and 10 or 11 od moneths, he renounced the rule of his kingdome, togither with all worldlie pompe, and went vnto Rome as a poore pilgrime,Inas went to Rome and there died. and there en|ded his life: but before this, during the time of his reigne, he shewed himselfe verie deuout and zealous towards the aduancement of the christian religion. He made and ordeined also good & wholesome lawes for the amendment of maners in the people, which are yet extant and to be read, written in the Saxon toong, and translated into the Latine in times past, and now latelie againe by William Lambert gentle|man, and printed by Iohn Day, in the yéere 1568, togither with the lawes and statutes of other kings before the conquest, as to the learned maie appéere.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Moreouer, king Ine builded the monasterie of Glastenburie,Polydor. where Ioseph of Arimathea in times past builded an oratorie or chappell (as before is reci|ted) when he with other christians came into this land in the daies of Aruiragus, & taught the gospell heere to the Britains, conuerting manie of them to the faith. Moreouer, king Ine or Inas builded the church of Welles, dedicating it vnto saint Andrew, where afterwards a bishops sée was placed, which at length was translated vnto Salisburie. He had to wife one Ethelburga,Ethelburga. a woman of no [...]le linage, who had béene earnest with him a long time to persuade him to forsake the world: but she could by no meanes bring hir purpose to passe,Will. Malmes. till vpon a time the king and she had lodged at a manor place in the countrie, where all prouision had béene made for the receiuing of them and their traine in most sumptuous maner that might be, as well in rich furniture of houshold, as also in costlie viands, and all other things need|full, EEBO page image 128 or that might serue for pleasure, and when they were departed, the quéene the foresaid Ethelburga caused the keeper of that house to remooue all the bedding, hangings,The deuise of quéene Ethel|burga to per|suade hir hus|band to for|sake the world and other such things as had béen brought thither and ordeined for the beautifull set|ting foorth of the hosue, and in place thereof to bring ordure, straw, & such like filth, as well into the cham|bers and hall, as into all the houses of office, and that doone, to laie a fow with pigs in the place where be|fore the kings bed had stood. Héerevpon when she had knowledge that euerie thing was ordered according to hir appointment, she persuaded the king to re|turne thither againe, feining occasions great and ne|cessarie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Now when he was returned to that house, which before séemed to the eie a palace of most pleasure, and now finding it in such a filthie state as might loath the stomach of anie man to behold the same, she tooke occasion therevpon to persuade him to the considera|tino of the vaine pleasures of this world, which in a moment turne to naught, togither with the corrup|tion of the flesh, being a filthie lumpe of claie, after it should once be dissolued by death: and in fine, where before she had spent much labour to mooue him to re|nounce the world, though all in vaine, yet now the beholding of that change in his pleasant place, wherein so late he had taken great delight, wrought such an alteration in his mind, that hir woords lastlie tooke effect: so that he resigned the kingdome to his coosen Ethelard, and went himselfe to Rome (as a|boue is mentioned) and his wife became a nun in the abbeie of Barking, where she was made ab|besse, and finallie there ended hir life. This Inas was the first that caused the monie called Peter pence, to be paid vnto the bishop of Rome,Peter pence. which was for eue|rie houshold within his dominion of penie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 In this meane time Edilred or Ethelred, hauing gouerned the kingdome of Mercia by the tearme of 29 yéeres,King Ethel|red becom|meth a moonk. Ostrida. became a moonke in the abbeie of Barde|nie, and after was made abbat of that house. He had to wife one Ostrida the sister of Egfride king of Northumberland, by whome he had a sonne named Ceolred. But he appointed Kenred the sonne of his brother Uulfher to succéed him in the kingdome. The said Ostrida was cruellie slaine by the treason of hir husbands subiects, Beda in Epit. 697 King Kenred about the yéere of our Lord 697. And as for Kenred, he was a prince of great vertue deuout towards God, a furtherer of the common|wealth of his countrie, and passed his life in great sinceritie of maners. In the fift yéere of his reigne, he renounced the world, and went to Rome, togither with Offa king of the Eastsaxons, where he was made a moonke: and finallie died there, in the yéere of our Lord 711.711 Nauclerus. Egwin bishop of Worcester. By the aid and furtherance of this Kenred, a moonke of saint Benets order (called Eg|win) builded the abbbie of Eueshame, who after|wards was made bishop of Worcester.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 ¶We find recorded by writers,A fabulous and trifling deuise. that this Egwin had warning giuen him by visions (as he constant|lie affirmed before pope Constantine) to set vp an image of our ladie in his church. Wherevpon the pope approouing the testifications of this bishop by his buls, writ to Brightwald archbishop of Cantur|burie, to assemble a synod, and by authoritie thereof to establish the vse of images, charging the kings of this land to be present at the same synod, vpon paine of excommunication. This synod was holden about the yéere of our Lord 712,Bale. 712 in the daies of Inas king of Westsaxons, and of Ceolred king of Mercia suc|cessor to the foresaid Kenred.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 After Kenred succéeded Ceolred, the sonne of his vncle Edilred, & died in the 8 yeere of his reigne, and was buried at Lichfield.H. Hunt. Then succéeded Ethel|baldus that was descended of Eopa the brother of king Penda, as the fourth from him by lineall suc|cession. This man gouerned a long time without a|nie notable trouble: some warres he had, and sped di|uerslie.Ran. Cestre [...]. In the 18 yéere of his reigne, he besieged Sommerton and wan it. He also inuaded Northum|berland, and got there great riches by spoile and pil|lage, which he brought from thence without anie bat|tell offered to him.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 He ouercame the Welshmen in battell,Hen. Hunt. being then at quiet, and ioined as confederats with Cuthred K. of Westsaxons. But in the 37 yéere of his reigne, he was ouercome in battell at Bereford by the same Cuthred,Bereford. with whome he was fallen at variance, and within foure yéeres after, that is to say, in the 41 yéere of his reigne, he was slaine in battell at Se|candon,755 Three miles from Tam|woorth. Wil. Malm. or Sekenton, by his owne subiects, which ar|reared warres against him, by the procurement and leading of one Bernred. who after he had slaine his naturall prince, tooke vpon him the kingdome: but he prospered not long, being slaine by Offa that suc|céeded him in rule of the kingdome of Mercia, as af|ter shall be shewed. The bodie of Ethelbald was bu|ried at Ripton.758 Matth. West.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Bonifacius the archbishop of Mentz or Moguntz,The historie of Magd. hauing assembled a councell with other bishops and doctors, deuised a letter, and sent it vnto this E|thelbald, commending him for his good deuotion and charitie in almes-giuing to the reliefe of the poore, and also for his vpright dealing in administration of iustice, to the punishment of robbers and such like misdooers: but in that he absteined from mariage, and wallowed in filthie lecherie with diuerse wo|men, and namelie with nuns, they sore blamed him, and withall declared in what in famie the whole En|glish nation in those daies remained by common re|port in other countries for their licentious liuing in sinfull fornication, and namelie the most part of the noble men of Mercia by his euill example did forsake their wiues, and defloured other women which they kept in adulterie, as nuns and others.Nuns kept for concu|bines. Moreouer, he shewed how that such euill women, as well nuns as other, vsed to make awaie in secret wise their chil|dren which they bare out of wedlocke, and so filled the graues with dead bodies, and hell with damned soules. The same Bonifacius in an other epistle which he wrote vnto Cutbert the archbishop of Can|turburie, counselled him not to permit the English nuns to wander abroad so often on pilgrimage,Pilgrimage of nuns. bi|cause there were few cities either in France or Lombardie, wherein might not be found English women, that liued wantonlie in fornication and whordome.

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