6.3. Cuthred king of the Westsaxons, he is greatlie troubled by Ethelbald king of Mercia, they are pacified; Kenric king Cuth|reds sonne slaine, earle Adelme rebelleth against him whom the king pardoneth; Cuthred fighteth with Ethelbald at Hereford, he hath the victorie, he falleth sicke and dieth; Sigebert succedeth him in the kingdome, he is cruell to his people, he is expelled from his roiall estate, mur|ther reuenged with murther, succession in the kingdome of Eastangles, kings change their crownes for moonks cowles; the Britaines subiect to the king of Northumberland and the king of Picts, the moone eclipsed. The third Chapter.

Cuthred king of the Westsaxons, he is greatlie troubled by Ethelbald king of Mercia, they are pacified; Kenric king Cuth|reds sonne slaine, earle Adelme rebelleth against him whom the king pardoneth; Cuthred fighteth with Ethelbald at Hereford, he hath the victorie, he falleth sicke and dieth; Sigebert succedeth him in the kingdome, he is cruell to his people, he is expelled from his roiall estate, mur|ther reuenged with murther, succession in the kingdome of Eastangles, kings change their crownes for moonks cowles; the Britaines subiect to the king of Northumberland and the king of Picts, the moone eclipsed. The third Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 _AFter the decease of Ethelard king of Westsaxons,Cuthred. his coosine Cuthred was made king and gouernour of those people, reigning the tearme of 16 yéeres. He began his reigne in the EEBO page image 131 yeere of our Lord 740, in the twentie fourth yere of the emperour Leo Isaurus,740 in the 14 yéere of the reigne of the second Theodorus Cala K. of France, and about the 6 yéere of Ethfine king of Scots. This Cuthred had much to doo against Edilbald king of Mercia,Matt. West. Hen. Hunt. who one while with stirrin [...] his owne sub|iects the Westsaxons to rebellion, an other while with open warre, and sometime by secret craft and subtill practises sought to disquiet him. Howbeit, in the fourth yeere of his reigne, a peace as con|cluded betwixt them, and then ioining their powers togither, they went against the Welshmen, & gaue them a great ouerthrow, as before is partlie tou|ched.Kenric the kings sonne slaine. In the 9 yeere of this Cuthreds reigne, his sonne Kenric was slaine in a seditious tumult a|mongst his men of warre, a gentleman yoong in yeeres,749 Matth. West. but of a stout courage, and verie forward, wherby (as was thought) he came the sooner to his wofull end.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 In the 11 yeere of his reigne,751 Cuthred had wars against one of his earls called Adelme, who raising a commotion against him, aduentured to giue battell though he had the smaller number of men, and yet was at point to haue gone away with victorie, if by a wound at that instant receiued, his periurie had not béene punished, and the kings iust cause aduan|ced to triumph ouer his aduersarie, whom yet by way of reconciliation he pardoned. In the 13 yeere of his reigne, king Cuthred being not well able to susteine the proud exactions and hard dooings of Edilbald752 Matt. West. king of Mercia, raised his power, and encountered with the same Edilbald at Hereford, hauing before him the said earle Adelme, in whose valiant prowesse he put great hope to atteine victorie: neither was he deceiued, for by the stout conduct and noble cou|rage of the said Adelme, the loftie pride of king Edel|bald was abated,K. Edilbald put to flight. so that he was there put to flight, and all his armie discomfited, after sore and terrible fight continued and mainteined euen to the vtter|most point. In the 24 yeere of his reigne, this Cuth|red fougth eftsoones with the Welshmen, and obtei|ned the vpper hand, without anie great losse of his people: for the enimies were easilie put to flight and chased, to their owne destruction. In the yeere after, king Cuthred fell sicke, and in the 16 yéere of his reigne he departed this life, after so manie great victories got against his enimies.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 AFter him succéeded one Sigibert,Sigibert. a cruell and vnmercifull prince at home, but yet a coward abroad. This Sigbert or Sigibert be|gan his reigne in the yeare of our Lord 755,755 ve|rie néere ended. He intreated his subiects verie euill, setting law and reason at naught. He could not abide to heare his faults told him, and therefore he cruellie put to death an earle named Cumbra, which was of his councell, and faithfullie admoni|shed him to reforme his euill dooings: wherevpon the rest of his nobles assembled themselues togither with a great multitude of people, and expelled him out of his estate in the beginning of the second, or (as some say) the first yeare of his reigne. Then Si|gibert, as he was fearefull of nature fearing to be apprehended, got him into the wood called as then Andredeswald, and there hid himselfe, but by chance a swineheard that belonged to the late earle Cum|bra at Priuetsfloud found him out, and perceiuing what he was, slue him in reuenge of his maisters death.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 ¶Lo here you may sée how the righteous iustice of God rewardeth wicked dooings in this world with worthie recompense, as well as in the world to come, appointing euill princes sometimes to reigne for the punishment of the people, according as they deserue, permitting some of them to haue gouerne|ment a long time, that both the froward nations may suffer long for their sins, and that such wicked princes may in an other world tast to more bitter torments. Againe, other he taketh out of the waie, that the people may be deliuered from oppression, and also that the naughtie ruler for his misdemea|nour may spéedilie receiue due punishment.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 AFter Beorne king of Eastangles one Ethel|red succéeded in gouernment of that kingdomeEthelred. a man noted to be of good and vertuous qualities, in that he brought vp his sonne Ethelred738 (which succéeded him) so in the feare of the Lord, that he prooued a right godlie prince. This Ethelbert reig|ned (as writers say) the terme of 52 yeares.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 After that Ceolvulfe king of Northumberland was become a moonke in the abbie of Lindesferne,Egbert king of Northum|berland. 758 his vncles sonnes Egbert (by order taken by the said Ceolvulfe) succeeded him in the kingdome, and go|uerned the same right woorthilie for the terme of 24 yeares, and then became a moonke, by the example both of his predecessor the forsaid Ceoldulfe, and also of diuers other kings in those daies,Changing of crownes for moonkes cowles. so that he was the eight king who in this land had changed a kings crowne for a moonks cowle (as Simon Dunel. wri|teth.)

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This Egbert (in the 18 yeare of his reigne) and Ungust king of Picts came to the citie of Alcluid with their armies,756 and there receiued the Britains into their subiection, the first day of August: but the tenth day of the same month, the armie which he led from Ouan vnto Newbourgh, was for the more part lost and destroied. ¶The same yeare on the 8 kalends of December, the moone being as then in hir full, appeared to be of a bloudie colour, but at length she came to hir accustomed shew, after a maruellous meanes, for a starre which followed hir, passed by hir, & went before hir, the like distãce as it kept in following hir before she lost hir vsuall light.