About the same time also, and 585 of Christ, the kingdome of Mercia
[Sidenote: CRIDA. _H. Hunt._ This kingdome began in the yéere 585,
as _Matt. Westm._ saith. _Ran. Cest._]
began vnder one Crida, who was descended from Woden, and the tenth
from him by lineall extraction. The bounds of this kingdome were of
great distance, hauing on the east the sea vnto Humber, and so on the
north the said riuer of Humber, and after the riuer of Mercia, which
falleth into the west sea at the corner of Wirhall, and so comming
about to the riuer of Dee that passeth by Chester, the same riuer
bounded it on the west from Wales, and likewise Seuerne vp to Bristow:
on the south it had the riuer of Thames, till it came almost to
London. And in this sort it contained Lincolneshire, Notingamshire,
Derbishire, Chesshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Glocestershire,
Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertefordshire, Bedfordshire,
Huntingtonshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, and Warwikeshire.
¶ Thus haue ye heard how the Saxons in processe of time remoouing the
Britains out of their seats, dailie wan ground of them, till at length
they got possession of the best part of this Ile, and erected within
the same seuen kingdoms, which were gouerned by seuen seuerall kings,
who continued vntill the kings of Westsaxon brought them all at length
into one monarchie, as after shall appéere. Matth. Westmin. reckoneth
eight kingdoms as thus; The kingdom of Kent, the kingdom of Sussex,
the kingdom of Essex, the kingdom of Eastangle, the kingdom of Mercia,
the kingdom of Westsex, and the kingdom of Northumberland, which
was diuided into two kingdoms, that is to say, into Deira and into
Bernicia: wherevnto W. Harison addeth the ninth in the first part of
his chronologie, and calleth it Wales.
[Sidenote: CARETICUS.]
After that Malgo or Maglocune was departed this life, one
Careticus, or (as some write him) Caretius, was made king of the
Britains, and began his reigne in the yéere of our Lord 586, which
[Sidenote: 586.]
was in the third yéere of the emperour Mauricius, and thirtéenth of
Chilperike king of France. This Careticus was a nourisher of ciuill
warre and dissention amongst his owne people the Britains, so that
he was hated both of God and man, as writers testifie. The Saxons
vnderstanding that the Britains were not of one mind, but diuided in
partakings, so as one was readie to deuoure an other, thought it good
time for them to aduance their conquests, and ceassed not to pursue
the Britains by force and continuall warre, till they had
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._ See more of this Gurmundus in Ireland.
_Ranulf. Cest._]
constreined them for refuge to withdraw into Wales. And as some haue
written, the Saxons meaning to make a full conquest of the land, sent
ouer into Ireland, requiring one Gurmundus a king of the Affricans to
come ouer into Britaine to helpe them against the Britains.
This Gurmundus appointing his brother Turgesius to pursue the conquest
of Ireland, came and arriued heere in Britaine, making such cruell
warre in aid of the Saxons against the Britains, that Careticus was
constreined to kéepe him within the citie of Chicester or Cirencester,
and was there besieged, and at length by continuall assalts and
skirmishes, when he had lost manie of his men, he was glad to forsake
that citie, and fled into Wales. This Gurmundus tooke Cirencester or
Chichester, and destroied it in most cruell maner. Some write, that
he tooke this citie by a policie of warre, in binding to the féet of
sparrowes which his people had caught, certeine clewes of thred or
matches, finelie wrought & tempered with matter readie to take fire,
so that the sparrowes being suffered to go out of hand, flue into the
towne to lodge themselues within their neasts which they had made in
stacks of corne, and eues of houses, so that the towne was thereby
set on fire, and then the Britains issuing foorth, fought with their
enimies, and were ouercome and discomfited.
But whilest the battell continued, Careticus stale away, and got him
into Wales. After this, the foresaid Gurmundus destroied this land
throughout in pitifull wise, and then deliuered it in possession to
the Saxons, the which thankfullie receiued it: and because they were
descended of those that first came ouer with Hengist, they changed the
name of the land, and called it Hengistland, accordinglie as the
same Hengist had in times past ordeined: the which name after for
shortnesse of spéech was somewhat altered, and so lastlie called
England, and the people Englishmen. But rather it may be thought, that
sith a great part of those people which came ouer into this land out
of Germanie with the said Hengist, and other capteins, were of
those Englishmen which inhabited Germanie, about the parts of
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
Thoringhen, they called this land England, after their name, when they
had first got habitation within it: and so both the land and people
tooke name of them, being called _Angli_, a long time before they
entered into this Ile, (as before is shewed out of Cornelius Tacitus
and others.) But now to returne where we left.
[Sidenote: It should séeme that this historie of Gurmundus is but some
fained tale except it may be that he was some Dane, Norwegian or
Germane.]
Of this Gurmundus the old English writers make no mention, nor
also anie ancient authors of forren parties: and yet saith the British
booke, that after he had conquered this land, and giuen it to the
Saxons, he passed ouer into France, and there destroied much of that
land, as an enimie to the faith of Christ. For which consideration he
was the more readie to come to the aid of the Saxons, who as yet had
not receiued the christian faith, but warred against the Britains, as
well to destroie the faith of Christ within this land, as to establish
to themselues continuall habitations in the same. There be, that
omitting to make mention of Gurmundus, write thus of the expelling
of the Britains out of this land at that time, when with their king
Careticus they got them into Wales.
[Sidenote: 586.]
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
In the yéere of Grace 586, Careticus a louer of ciuill
warre succéeded Malgo an enimie to God and to the Britains, whose
inconstancie when the English and Saxon kings perceiued, with one
consent they rose against him, and after manie battels chased him from
citie to citie, till at length incountering with him in a pight field,
they droue him beyond Seuerne into Wales. Héerevpon clerks and priests
were driuen out of their places with bright swoords brandishing in
all parts, and fire crackling in churches, wherewith the same were
consumed. The remnant of the Britains therefore withdrew into the west
parts of the land, that is to say, into Cornwall, and into Wales, out
of which countries they oftentimes brake out, and made insurrections
vpon the Saxons, the which in maner aforsaid got possession of the
chiefest parts of the land, leauing to the Britains onlie three
prouinces, that is to say, Cornwall, Southwales, and Northwales, which
countries were not easie to be woone, by reason of the thicke woods
inuironed with déepe mareshes and waters, and full of high craggie
rocks and mounteins.
The English and Saxon kings hauing thus remooued the Britains,
inlarged the bounds of their dominions. There reigned in that season
within this land, beside the Britaine kings, eight kings of the
English and Saxon nations, as Ethelbert in Kent, Cissa in Sussex,
Ceauline in Westsex, Creda or Crida in Mercia, Erkenwine in Essex,
Titila in Estangle, Elle in Deira, and Alfrid in Bernicia. In this
sort the Britains lost the possession of the more part of their
ancient seats, and the faith of Christ thereby was greatlie decaied:
for the churches were destroied; and the archbishops of Caerleon
Arwiske, London and Yorke withdrew togither with their cleargie into
the mounteins and woods within Wales, taking with them the reliks of
saints, doubting the same should be destroied by the enimies, and
themselues put to death if they should abide in their old habitations.
Manie also fled into Britaine Armorike with a great fléete of ships,
so that the whole church or congregation (as ye may call it) of the
two prouinces, Loegria and Northumberland, was left desolate in that
season, to the great hinderance and decaie of the christian religion.
Careticus was driuen into Wales (as before is rehearsed) about the
second or third yéere of his reigne, and there continued with his
Britains, the which ceassed not to indamage the Saxons from time to
time as occasion still serued.
But here is to be noted, that the Britains being thus remoued into
Wales and Cornwall, were gouerned afterwards by thrée kings, or rather
tyrants, the which ceased not with ciuill warre to seeke others
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
destruction, till finallie (as saith the British booke) they became
all subiect vnto Cadwallo, whome Beda nameth Cedwallo. In the meane
time, Ceaulinus or Cheuling king of the Westsaxons, through his
owne misgouernance and tyrannie, which towards his latter daies he
practised, did procure not onelie the Britains, but also his owne
subiects to conspire his death, so that ioining in battell with his
aduersaries at Wodensdic, in the 33 yeare of his reigne, his armie was
discomfited, and he himselfe constreined to depart into exile, and
shortlie after ended his life before he could find meanes to be
restored.
¶ So that we haue here a mirror or liuelie view of a tyrant and
a king, wherein there is no lesse ods in the manner of their
gouernement, than there is repugnance in their names, or difference in
their states. For he seeth but little into the knowledge of toongs,
that vnderstandeth not what the office of a king should be, by
the composition of his name, the same sounding in Gréeke [Gréek:
_básileus_], which being resolued is in effect [Gréek: _básis
láo_], that is, the foundation or stay of the people; from which
qualitie when he resulteth, he maketh shipwracke of that goodlie
title, and degenerateth into a tyrant, than the which violent and
inforced gouernement as there is none more perillous, so is it of
all other the least in continuance: this is prooued by historicall
obseruation through the course of this historie.
* * * * *
_Ceolric reigneth ouer the Westsaxons, the Saxons and Britains
incounter, Ethelbert king of Kent subdueth the Englishsaxons, he is
maried to the French kings daughter vpon cautions of religion, the
king imbraceth the gospell, Augustine the moonke and others were sent
into this Ile to preach the christian faith, the occasion that moued
Gregorie the great to send him, buieng and selling of boies, the
Englishmen called Angli commended, Ethelbert causeth Augustine and his
fellowes to come before him, they preach to the king and his
traine, he granteth them a conuenient seat and competent reliefe in
Canturburie, the maner of their going thither and their behauiour
there, the king and his people receiue the christian faith, and are
baptised._