6.6. Kinewulfe king of Westsaxons, his con|quest ouer the Britains, his securitie and negligence, he is slaine by conspirators, inquisi|tion for Kineard the principall procurer of that mischiefe, he is slaine in fight; legats from the pope to the kings and archbishops of this land about reformation in the church, a councell holden at Mercia; iudge Bearne burnt to death for crueltie, Alfwold reigneth ouer Northumber|land, his owne subiects murther him; a booke of articles sent by Charles king of France into Britaine quite contra|rie to the christian faith, Albinus writeth a|gainst it; great waste by tempests of wind and rage of fire. The sixt Chapter.

Kinewulfe king of Westsaxons, his con|quest ouer the Britains, his securitie and negligence, he is slaine by conspirators, inquisi|tion for Kineard the principall procurer of that mischiefe, he is slaine in fight; legats from the pope to the kings and archbishops of this land about reformation in the church, a councell holden at Mercia; iudge Bearne burnt to death for crueltie, Alfwold reigneth ouer Northumber|land, his owne subiects murther him; a booke of articles sent by Charles king of France into Britaine quite contra|rie to the christian faith, Albinus writeth a|gainst it; great waste by tempests of wind and rage of fire. The sixt Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _AFter that theWestsax|ons had depriued their vn|profitable king Sigibert, Kinewulf Hon. Hunt. they aduanced Kinewulfe or Cinevulfus, the which be|gan his reigne about the yéere of our Lord 756, which was in the 16 yéere of the emperor Constantinus,756 Simon Dun. saith 755. surnamed Copronimos, in the 6 yéere of the reigne of Pipin king of France, and about the 22 yéere of Ethfine king of Scots. This Kinewulfe prooued a right woorthie and valiant prince, and was descended of the right line of Cerdi|cus.The Bri|tains vanqui|shed. He obteined great victories against the Bri|tains or Welshmen, but at Bensington or Benton he lost a battell against Offa king of Mercia, in the 24 yéere of his reigne: and from that time forward tasting manie displeasures, at length through his owne follie came vnto a shamefull end. For where|as he had reigned a long time neither slouthfullie nor presumptuouslie, yet now as it were aduanced with the glorie of things passed, he either thought that nothing could go against him, or else doubted the su|ertie of their state whom he should leaue behind him, and therefore he confined one Kineard the brother of Sigibert, whose fame he perceiued to increase more than he would haue wished.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This Kineard dissembling the matter, as he that could giue place to time, got him out of the countrie, and after by a secret conspiracie assembled togither a knot of vngratious companie, and returning pri|uilie into the countrie againe, watched his time, till he espied that the king with a small number of his seruants was come vnto the house of a noble wo|man, whome he kept as paramour at Merton, where|vpon the said Kineard vpon the sudden beset the house round about. The king perceiuing himselfe thus besieged of his enimies, at the first caused the doores to be shut, supposing either by curteous woords to appease his enimies, or with his princelie authori|tie to put them in feare.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But when he saw that by neither meane he could doo good, in a great chafe he brake foorth of the house vpon Kineard, and went verie néere to haue killed him: but being compassed about with multitude of enimies, whilest he stood at defense, thinking it a dis|honour for him to flée,Kinewulfe slaine by con|spirators. he was beaten downe and slaine, togither with those few of his seruants which he had there with him, who chose rather to die in sée|king reuenge of their maisters death, than by cowar|dise to yeeld themselues into the murtherers hands. There escaped none except one Welshman or Bri|taine, an hostage, who was neuerthelesse sore woun|ded and hurt.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The brute of such an heinous act was streight|waies blowne ouer all, and brought with speed to the eares of the noble men and peeres of the realme, which were not farre off the place where this slaugh|ter had béene committed Amongst other, one O [...]|rike, for his age and wisedome accounted of [...] au|thoritie, [...]ted the residue that in no wife they should suffor the death of their souereigne lord to passe vnpunished vnto their perpetuall shame and reproofe. Wherevpon in all hast they ran to the place where they knew to find Kineard, who at the first be|gan to plead his cause, to make large promises, to pretend coosenage, and so foorth: but when he percei|ued all that he could say or doo might not preuaile, he incouraged his companie to shew themselues vali|ant, and to resist their enimies to the vttermost of their powers. Heerevpon followed a doubtfull fight, the one part striuing to saue their liues, and the other to atteine honour, and punish the slaughter of their souereigne lord. At length the victorie rested on the side where the right was, so that the wicked murthe|rer after he had fought a while, at length was slaine, togither with fourescore and eight of his mates. The kings bodie was buried at Winchester,Simon Dun. H. Hunt. & the mur|therers at Repingdon. Such was the end of king Kinewulfe, after he had reigned the tearme of 31 yéeres.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In the yeere of our Lord 786,Eccle. hist Magd. pope Adrian sent two legats into England, Gregorie, or (as some co|pies haue) George bishop of Ostia, and Theophylac|tus bishop of Tuderto,786 H. Hunt. Legats from the pope. with letters commendatorie vnto Offa king of Mercia, Alfwold king of Nor|thumberland, Ieanbright or Lambert archbishop of Canturburie, and Eaubald archbishop of Yorke. These legats were gladlie receiued, not onlie by the foresaid kings and archbishops, but also of all other the high estates, aswell spirituall as temporall of the land, & namelie of Kinewulfe king of the West|saxons, which repaired vnto king Offa to take coun|sell with him for reformation of such articles as were conteined in the popes letters.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 There were twentie seuerall articles which they had to propone on the popes behalfe,Twentie ar|ticles which the legats had to propone. as touching the receiuing of the faith or articles established by the Nicene councell, and obeieng of the other generall councels, with instructions concerning baptisme and kéeping of synods yéerelie, for the examination of priests and ministers, and reforming of naugthie li|uers. Moreouer touching discretion to be vsed in admitting of gouernors in monasteries, and curats or priests to the ministerie in churches: and further for the behauior of priests in wearing their apparell, namelie that they should not presume to come to the altar bare legged, lest their dishonestlie might be dis|couered. And that in no wise the chalice or paten were made of the horne of an oxe, bicause the same is bloudie of nature: nor the host of a crust, but of pure bread. Also whereas bishops vsed to sit in coun|cels to iudge in secular causes, they were now for|bidden so to doo.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 Manie other things were as meanes of reforma|tion articled, both for spirituall causes, and also con|cerning ciuill ordinances, as disabling children to be heirs to the parents, whch by them were not be|got in lawfull matrimonie but on concubines,Nuns con|cubines. whe|ther they were nunnes or secular women. Also of paiment of tithes, performing of vowes, auoiding of vndecent apparell, and abolishing of all maner of heathenish vsages and customes that sounded con|trarie EEBO page image 135 to the order of christianitie,Curtailing of horsses. as curtailing of horsses, and eating of horsses flesh. These things with manie other expressed in 20 principall articles (as we haue said) were first concluded to be receiued by the church of the Northumbers in a councell holden there, and subscribed by Alfwold king of the Nor|thumbers, by Delberike bishop of Hexham, by Eu|bald archbishop of Yorke, Higwald bishop of Lin|disferne, Edelbert bishop of Whiterne, Aldulfe bi|shop of Mieth, Ethelwine also another bishop by his deputies, with a number of other of the clergie; and lords also of the temporaltie, as duke Alrike, duke Segwulfe, abbat Alebericke, and abbat Erhard. Af|ter this confirmation had of the Northumbers, there was also a councell holden in Mercia at Cealtide, in the which these persons subscribed, Iambert or Lambert archbishop of Canturburie, Offa king of Mercia, Hughbright bishop of Lichfield, Edeulfe bi|shop of Faron, with Unwone bishop of Ligor, and nine other bishops, besides abbats; and thrée dukes, as Brorda, Farwald, and Bercoald, with earle Oth|bald.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 But now to returne backe to speake of other doo|ings, as in other parts of this land they fell out. A|bout the yéere of our Lord 764,764 the sée of Canturbu|rie being void, one Iambert or Lambert was elec|ted archbishop there,Sim. Dum. saith 780. and the yéere 766, the archbi|shop of Yorke Egbert departed this life, in whose place one Adelbert succéeded. About the 25 yéere of Kenwulf king of Westsaxons, the Northumbers hauing to their capteine two noble men,Simon Dun. Osbald and Ethelherard, burned one of their iudges named Bearne, bicause he was more cruell in iudgement (as they tooke the matter) than reason required. In which vengeance executed vpon the cruell iudge (if he were so seuere as this attempt of the two noble men dooth offer the readers to suspect) all such of his liuerie & calling are taught lenitie & mildnes, wher|with they should leuen the rigor of the lawe. For

—capit indulgentia mentes,Ouid. lib. 2. de artam.

Asperitas odium saeuáeque bella mouet.

Odimus accipitrem, quia viuit semper in armis,

Et pauidum solitos in pecus ire lupos.

At caret insidijs hominum, quia mitis hirundo est,

Quásque colat turres Chaonîs ales habet.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 At the same time, one Aswald or Alfewald reigned ouer the Northumbers, being admitted K. after that Ethelbert was expelled, and when the same Alfwald had reigned 10, or (as some say) 11 yéeres, he was traitorouslie and without all guilt made away;He began his reigne Anno. 779, as saith Simon Dun. and reigned [...]at ten yéeres. the chéefe conspirator was named Siga. The same Alfwald was a iust prince, and woorthilie gouerned the Northumbers to his high praise and commen|dation. He was murthered by his owne people (as before ye haue heard) the 23 of September, in the yéere of our Lord 788, and was buried at Hexham.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In the yéere 792,788 Matth. West. Simon Dun. 792 Charles king of France sent a booke into Britaine, which was sent vnto him from Constantinople, conteining certeine articles agreed vpon in a synod (wherein were present aboue the number of thrée hundred bishops) quite contrarie and disagréeing from the true faith, namelie in this, that images ought to be worshipped, which the church of God vtterlie abhorreth. Against this booke Albi|nus that famous clearke wrote a treatise confirmed with places taken out of holie scripture, which trea|tise, with the booke in name of all the bishops and princes of Britaine, he presented vnto the king of France. ¶In the yéere 800,Sim. Dunel. 800 on Christmasse éeuen chanced a maruellous tempest of wind, which ouer|threw whole cities and townes in diuerse places, and trees in great number, beside other harmes which it did, as by death of cattell, &c. Int the yeere following a great part of London was consumed by fire.