5.29. The true storie of the forenamed king Oswald, his desire to restore christian reli|gion, Cormans preaching taking small effect among the Northumbers, persuadeth him to de|part into his owne countrie, he slandereth them be|fore the Scotish clergie, Aidan a godlie man telleth the cause of the peoples not profiting by Cormans preaching, Aidan commeth into England to instruct the people in the faith, he varieth in the obseruation of Easter from the English churches custome, the Northumbers haue him & his doctrine in reue|rence, Oswalds earnest zeale to further religion by Aidans preaching and ministerie, 15000 baptised within 7 daies; Os|wald hath the Britains, Scots, Picts, & English at his comman|dement, his commendable deed of christian charitie, the West+saxons conuerted to the faith by the preaching of Birinus, king Kinigils is baptised, he maketh Birinus bishop of Dorcester, Penda king of Mercia maketh war against the christian kings of the Westsaxons, both sides after a bloudie battell fall to a|grement, Ercombert the first English king that destroied idols throughout the whole land, he ordeineth Lent; why English men became moonks, and English women nunnes in mo|nasteries beyond the seas; why Penda king of Mercia enuieth vertuous king Oswald, he is assaulted, slaine in battell, and canonized a saint after his death. The xxix. Chapter.

The true storie of the forenamed king Oswald, his desire to restore christian reli|gion, Cormans preaching taking small effect among the Northumbers, persuadeth him to de|part into his owne countrie, he slandereth them be|fore the Scotish clergie, Aidan a godlie man telleth the cause of the peoples not profiting by Cormans preaching, Aidan commeth into England to instruct the people in the faith, he varieth in the obseruation of Easter from the English churches custome, the Northumbers haue him & his doctrine in reue|rence, Oswalds earnest zeale to further religion by Aidans preaching and ministerie, 15000 baptised within 7 daies; Os|wald hath the Britains, Scots, Picts, & English at his comman|dement, his commendable deed of christian charitie, the West+saxons conuerted to the faith by the preaching of Birinus, king Kinigils is baptised, he maketh Birinus bishop of Dorcester, Penda king of Mercia maketh war against the christian kings of the Westsaxons, both sides after a bloudie battell fall to a|grement, Ercombert the first English king that destroied idols throughout the whole land, he ordeineth Lent; why English men became moonks, and English women nunnes in mo|nasteries beyond the seas; why Penda king of Mercia enuieth vertuous king Oswald, he is assaulted, slaine in battell, and canonized a saint after his death. The xxix. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _NOw will we (after all these diffe|ring discourses of the British chronolo|gers) approch and draw as néere as we can to the truth of the historie touching Oswald king of the Northumbers, of whom we find,Oswald mea|neth to be thankefull to God for his benefits. that after he had tasted of Gods high fauour extended to himwards,Beda. li. 3. cap. 3. 5. 6. Hector Boet. in vanquishing his enimies, as one minding to be thankefull therefore, he was desirous to restore the christian faith through his whole kingdome, sore lamenting the decay there|of within the same, and therefore euen in the begin|ning of his reigne, he sent vnto Donwald the Sco|tish king (with whome he had béene brought vp in the time of his banishment the space of 18 yéeres) requi|ring him to haue some learned Scotishman sent vn|to him, skilfull in preaching the word of life, that with godly sermons and wholesome instructions, he might conuert the people of Northumberland vnto the true and liuing God, promising to interteine him with such prouision as apperteined.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 At his instance, there was sent vnto him one Cor|man, a clerke singularlie well learned,Corman. and of great grauitie in behauiour: but for that he wanted such fa|cilitie, and plaine vtterance by waie of gentle per|suading, as is requisite in him that shall instruct the simple, onelie setting foorth in his sermons high my|steries, and matters of such profound knowledge, as the verie learned might scarselie perceiue the perfect sense and meaning of his talke, his trauell came to small effect, so that after a yéeres remaining there, he returned into his countrie, declaring amongst his brethren of the cleargie, that the people of Northum|berland was a froward, stubborne and stiffe-harted generation, whose minds he could not frame by anie good meanes of persuasion to receiue the christian faith: so that he iudged it lost labour to spend more time amongst them, being so vnthankfull and intrac|table a people, as no good might be doone vnto them.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Amongst other learned and vertuous prelats of the Scots, there chanced one to be there present at the same time called Aidan,Aidan. a man of so perfect life, that (as Beda writeth) he taught no otherwise than he liued, hauing no regard to the cares of this world, but whatsoeuer was giuen him by kings or men of wealth and riches, that he fréelie bestowed vpon the poore, exhorting other to doo the like. This Aidan hea|ring Cormans woords, perceiued anon that the fault was not so much in the people as in the teacher, and therefore declared, that (as he thought) although it were so that the people of Northumberland gaue no such attentiue eare vnto the preaching of that re|uerend prelate Corman, as his godlie expectation was they should haue doone, yet might it be that his vttering of ouer manie mysticall articles amongst them, farre aboue the capacitie of the vnderstanding of simple men, was the cause why they so lightlie re|garded his diuine instructions, whereas if he had (ac|cording to the counsell of Saint Paule) at the first ministred vnto their tender vnderstandings, onelie milke,S. Paules counsell. without harder nourishments, he might hap|pilie haue woone a farre greater number of them vnto the receiuing of the faith, and so haue framed them by little and little to haue digested stronger food. And therefore he thought it necessarie in dis|charge of their duties towards God, and to satisfie the earnest zeale of king Oswald, that some one a|mongst them might be appointed to go againe into Northumberland, to trie by procéeding in this ma|ner afore alledged, what profit would thereof insue.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The bishops hearing the opinion of Aidan, and therewith knowing Cormans maner of preaching, iudged the matter to be as Aidan had declared, and therevpon not onelie allowed his woords, but also willed him to take the iournie vpon him, sith they knew none so able with effect to accomplish their wished desires in that behalfe. Aidan,Aidan com|meth into England to preach the gospell. for that he would not seeme to refuse to take that in hand which he himselfe had motioned, was contented to satisfie their request, and so set forward towards Northum|berland, EEBO page image 114 and comming thither, was ioifullie receiued of king Oswald, who appointed him the Ile of Lin|desfarne, wherein to place the see of his new bishop|rike.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This Aidan in one point varied from the vse of the new begun church of England,Beda li. 3. ca. 3. Hector Boet. that is to say, tou|ching the time of obseruing the feast of Easter, in like maner as all the bishops of the Scots and Picts inhabiting within Britaine in those daies did, fol|lowing therein (as they tooke it) the doctrine of the holie and praise-woorthie father Anatholius. But the Scots that inhabited the south parts of Ireland, alreadie were agréed to obserue that feast, according to the rules of the church of Rome. Howbeit Aidan being thus come into Northumberland, applied him|selfe so earnestlie in praier and preaching, that the people had him within short while in woonderfull e|stimation, chiefelie for that he tempered his prea|chings with such swéet and pleasant matter, that all men had a great desire to heare him, insomuch that sometime he was glad to preach abroad in church|yards, bicause the audience was more than could haue roome in the church.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 One thing was a great hinderance to him, that he had not the perfect knowledge of the Saxon toong. But Oswald himselfe was a great helpe to him in that matter, who being desirous of nothing so much, as to haue the faith of Christ rooted in the harts of his subiects, Beda. Oswald an interpretor to the preacher. vsed as an interpretor to report vnto the people in their Saxon toong, such whole ser|mons as Aidan vttered in his mother toong. For Oswald hauing béene brought vp (as ye haue hard) in Scotland during the time of his banishment, was as readie in the Scotish, as he was in the Saxon toong. The people then seeing the kings earnest de|sire in furthering the doctrine set foorth by Aidan, were the more inclined to heare it: so that it was a maruellous matter to note, what numbers of people dailie offred themselues to be baptised, insomuch that within the space of seuen daies (as is left in writing) he christened 15 thousand persons,Hector Boet. of the which no small part forsaking the world, betooke themselues to a solitarie kind of life.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Thus by his earnest trauell in continuall prea|ching and setting foorth the gospell in that countrie, it came to passe in the end, that the faith was gene|rallie receiued of all the people, and such zeale to ad|uance the glorie of the christian religion dailie in|creased amongst them, that no where could be found greater.Oswalds zeale to ad|uance religion Heerevpon were no small number of chur|ches built in all places abroad in those parties by pro|curement of the king, all men liberallie consenting (according to the rate of their substance) to be contri|butorie towards the charges. By this meanes the kingdome of the Northumbers flourished, as well in fame of increase in religion, as also in ciuill poli|cie and prudent ordinances:Beda lib. 5. ca. 6 insomuch that (as Beda writeth) Oswald atteined to such power, that all the nations and prouinces within Britaine, which were diuided into foure toongs (that is to say) Britains, Picts,Oswald had in estimation with his neighbours. Scots, and Englishmen, were at his com|mandement. But yet he was not lifted vp in anie pride or presumption, but shewed himselfe maruel|lous courteous and gentle, and verie liberall to poore people and strangers.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 It is said, that he being set at the table vpon an Ester day, & hauing bishop Aidan at diner then with him, his almoner came in as the bishop was about to say grace, and declared to the king that there was a great multitude of poore folks set before the gates to looke for the kings almes. The king héerewith tooke a siluer dish, which was set on the table before him with meate, & commanded the same meate streight|waies to be distributed amongst the poore, & the dish broken into small péeces, and diuided amongst them: for which act he was highlie commended of the bi|shop, as he well deserued. By the good policie and di|ligent trauell of this king, the prouinces of Deira and Bernicia, which hitherto had béene at variance, were brought to peace and made one.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 ABout the same time, Beda lib. 3. [...] Birinus con|uerteth the Westsaxons [...] the christian faith. the Westsaxons were con|uerted to the christian faith, by the preaching of one Birinus a bishop, who came into this land at the exhortation of pope Honorius, to set foorth the gospell vnto those people which as yet were not baptised. By whose diligent trauell in the Lords haruest, Cinigils or Kinigils, one of the kings of that countrie recei|ued the faith,Kinigils king of Westsaxon becommeth a christian. and was baptised about the fiue & twen|tith yéere of his reigne. K. Oswald that should haue had his daughter in mariage, was present the same time, who first yer he became a sonne in law, was made a godfather vnto Kinigils (that should be his father in law) by receiuing him at the fontstone, in that his second birth of regeneration. To this Biri|nus, who was an Italian,Polydor. king Kinigils (now that he was become a conuert or christian) appointed and assigned the citie of Dorcester,Dorcester or|deined a bi|shops sée. situat by the Tha|mes, distant from Oxford about seuen miles, to be the sée of his bishoprike, where he procured churches to be built, and by his earnest trauell & setting foorth the woord of life, conuerted much people to the right beliefe. In the yéere following, Quichelmus the o|ther king of the Westsaxons, and sonne to Kinigils was also christened, and died the same yéere, and so Cinigilsus or Kinigils reigned alone.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In this meane while Penda king of Mercia that succéeded next after Ciarlus,Henr. Hunt. being a man giuen to séeke trouble in one place or other, leauied warre a|gainst the kings of Westsaxon,This chance [...] in the yéere 620, as Math West. saith. Kinigils and Qui|chelmus, the which gathering their power, gaue him battell at Cirenchester, where both the parties fought it out to the vttermost, as though they had for|sworne to giue place one to another, insomuch that they continued in fight and making of cruell slaugh|ter till the night parted them in sunder. And in the morning, when they saw that if they shuld buckle to|gither againe, the one part should vtterlie destroie the other, they fell to agréement in moderating ech o|thers demands.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 After this,640 Beda lib. 3. cap. 7. Matth. West. in the yéere of our Lord 640, Eadbald king of Kent departed this life, after he had reigned 24 yéeres, leauing his kingdome to his sonne Er|combert. This Ercombert was the first of the En|glish kings, which tooke order for the vtter destroieng of all idols throughout his whole kingdome. He also by his roiall authoritie commanded the fast of fortieLent first or|deined to be kept in Eng|land. daies in the Lent season to be kept and obserued, ap|pointing woorthie and competent punishment a|gainst the transgressors of that commandement. He had by his wife Segburga,Segburga. that was daughter vnto Anna king of the Eastangles, a daughter named E|artongatha,Aimoinus. a professed nunne within the monasterie of Briege or Cala in France: for in those daies, bi|cause there were not manie monasteries builded within this land, a great number of Englishmen, that tooke vpon them the profession of a religious life, got them ouer vnto abbeies in France, and there professed themselues moonks: and manie there were which sent their daughters ouer to be professed nuns within the nunneries there, and speciallie at Briege, Cala, and Andelie: amongst other, there were Se|drike the lawfull daughter, and Edelburgh the bas|tard daughter of the said king Anna, both which in processe of time were made abbesses of the said mo|nasterie of Briege.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Ye haue heard alreadie, how Oswald king of Northumberland bare himselfe in all points like a most woorthie prince, not ceasing to releeue the ne|cessitie EEBO page image 114 [...] EEBO page image 115 of the poore, aduancing the good, and refor|ming the euill, whereby he wan to himselfe excée|ding praise and commendation of all good men, and still his fame increased for his vertuous dooings; namelie, for the ardent zeale he had to the aduan|cing of the christian faith. Herevpon Penda king of Mercia, enuieng the prosperous procéedings of Oswald, as he that could neuer abide the good re|port of other mens well-dooings, began to imagine how to destroie him, and to conquere his kingdome, that he might ioine it to his owne.Penda inua|deth the Nor|thumbers. At length he in|uaded his countrie by open warre, met with him in the field at a place called Maserfield,Beda. lib. 3. cap. 9. and there in sharpe and cruell fight Oswald was slaine on the fift day of August,King Os|wald slaine. Matt. Westm. saith 644. in the yeare of our Lord 642, and in the 38 yeare of his age, after he had reigned the tearme of eight or nine yeares after some, which ac|count that yeare vnto his reigne, in the which his predecessors Osrike and Eaufride reigned, whome they number not amongest kings, because of their wicked apostasie and renouncing of the faith which before they had professed. Such was the end of that vertuous prince king Oswald, being cruellie slaine by that wicked tyrant Penda. Afterwards, for the opinion conceiued of his holinesse, the foresaid Os|wald was canonized a saint,Will. Malmes. and had in great wor|ship of the people, being the first of the English na|tion that approoued his vertue by miracles shewed after his departure out of this life.