[Sidenote: CADWAN king of Britaine]
After that the Britains had c[=o]tinued about the space almost of
24 yéeres without anie one speciall gouernour, being led by sundrie
rulers, euer sithens that Careticus was constreined to flée ouer
Seuerne, and fought oftentimes not onelie against the Saxons, but also
[Sidenote: 613]
one of them against another, at length in the yéere of our Lord
613, they assembled in the citie of Chester, and there elected Cadwan
that before was ruler of Northwales, to haue the souereigne rule &
gouernement ouer all their nation, and so the said Cadwan began to
reigne as king of Britaine in the said yéere 613. But some authors
say, that this was in the yéere 609, in which yéere Careticus the
British king departed this life. And then after his deceasse the
Britains or Welshmen (whether we shall call them) chose Cadwan to
gouerne them in the foresaid yéere 609, which was in the 7 yéere
of the emperour Phocas, and the 21 of the second Lotharius king of
France, and in the 13 yéere of Kilwoolfe king of the Westsaxons.
This Cadwan being established king, shortlie after assembled a
power of Britains, and went against the foresaid Ethelfred king of
Northumberland, who being thereof aduertised, did associate to him the
most part of the Saxon princes, and came foorth with his armie to méet
Cadwan in the field. Herevpon as they were readie to haue tried the
matter by battell, certeine of their friends trauelled so betwixt them
for peace, that in the end they brought them to agréement, so that
[Sidenote: _Gal. Mon._]
Ethelfred should kéepe in quiet possession those his countries beyond
the riuer of Humber, and Cadwan should hold all that which of right
belonged to the Britains on the southside of the same riuer. This
couenant with other touching their agréement was confirmed with oths
solemnelie taken, and pledges therewith deliuered, so that afterwards
they continued in good and quiet peace, without vexing one an other.
What chanced afterward to Ethelfred, ye haue before heard rehersed,
which for that it soundeth more like to a truth than that which
followeth in the British booke, we omit to make further rehersall,
passing forward to other dooings which fell in the meane season,
whilest this Cadwan had gouernement of the Britains, reigning as king
[Sidenote: _Iohn Hard._]
ouer them the tearme of 22 or (as some say) but 13 yéeres, and
finallie was slaine by the Northumbers, as before hath béene, and also
after shall be shewed.
In the 8 yéere after that Cadwan began to reigne, Ethelbert king
of Kent departed this life, in the 21 yéere after the comming of
Augustine with his fellowes to preach the faith of Christ here in this
realme: and after that Ethelbert had reigned ouer the prouince of Kent
the tearme of 56 yéeres (as Beda saith, but there are that haue noted
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ _Beda li. 2. cap. 5_.]
thrée yéers lesse) he departed this world, as aboue is signified,
in the yeere of our Lord 617, on the 24 day of Februarie, and was
buried in the Ile of saint Martine, within the church of the apostles
Peter and Paule, without the citie of Canturburie, where his wife
quéene Bartha was also buried, and the foresaid archbishop Augustine
that first conuerted him to the faith.
Amongst other things, this king Ethelbert with the aduise of his
councell ordeined diuers lawes and statutes, according to the which
decrées of iudgements should passe: those decrées he caused to be
written in the English toong, which remained and were in force vnto
the daies of Beda, as he declareth. And first it was expressed in
those lawes, what amends he should make that stole anie thing that
belonged to the church, to the bishop, or to anie ecclesiasticall
person, willing by all means to defend them whose doctrine he had
receiued.
[Sidenote: EADBALD.]
After the deceasse of Etthelbert, his sonne Eadbald succéeded in
the gouernment of his kingdome of Kent, the which was a great hinderer
of the increase of the new church amongst the Englishmen in those
parties: for he did not onelie refuse to be baptised himselfe, but
also vsed such kind of fornication, as hath not béene heard (as the
apostle saith) amongst the Gentiles, for he tooke to wife his mother
in law, that had béene wife to his father. By which two euill
[Sidenote: The princes example occasion of euill.]
examples, manie tooke occasion to returne to their heathenish
religion, the which whilest his father reigned, either for the prince
his pleasure, or for feare to offend him, did professe the christian
faith. But Eadbald escaped not woorthie punishment to him sent from
the liuing God for his euill deserts, insomuch that he was vexed with
a certeine kind of madnesse, and taken with an vncleane spirit.
The foresaid storme or vnquiet troubling of the christian
congregation, was afterwards greatlie increased also by the death of
Sabert or Sebert king of the Eastsaxons, who was conuerted to the
faith of Christ, and baptized by Melitus bishop of London (as
before is mentioned) & departing this life to go to a better in the
blissefull kingdome of heauen, he left behind him thrée sonnes as true
successours in the estate of his earthlie kingdome, which sonnes
[Sidenote: _Ran. Cest._ _Beda li. 2. cap. 5_. Serred, Seward, and
Sigebert, the sonnes of Sabert.]
likewise refused to be baptised. Their names were Serred, Seward, &
Sigebert, men of an ill mind, & such as in whome no vertue remained,
no feare of God, nor anie respect of religion, but speciallie hating
the professours of the christian faith. For after their father was
dead, they began to fall to their old idolatrie, which in his life
time they séemed to haue giuen ouer, insomuch that now they openlie
worshipped idols, and gaue libertie to their subiects to do the like.
And when the bishop Melitus, at the solemnizing of masse in the
church, distributed the eucharisticall bread vnto the people, they
asked him (as it is said) wherfore he did not deliuer of that bright
white bread vnto them also, as well as he had béene accustomed to doo
to their father Saba (for so they vsed to call him.) Vnto whome the
bishop made this answer: "If you will be washed in that wholesome
fountaine, wherein your father was washed, ye may be partakers of that
holie bread whereof he was partaker, but if you despise the washpoole
of life, ye may by no meanes tast the bread of saluation." But they
offended herewith, replied in this wise: "We will not enter into that
fountaine, for we know we haue no néed thereof: but yet neuerthelesse
we will be refreshed with that bread."
After this, when they had beene earnestlie and manie times told, that
vnlesse they would be baptised, they might not be partakers of the
sacred oblation: at length in great displeasure they told him, that if
he would not consent vnto them in so small a matter, there should be
no place for him within the bounds of their dominion, and so he was
constrained to depart. Wherevpon he being expelled, resorted into
Kent, there to take aduise with his fellow-bishops, Laurence and
Iustus, what was to be doone in this so weightie a matter. Who
finallie resolued vpon this point, that it should be better for them
to returne into their countrie, where with frée minds they might serue
almightie God, rather than to remaine amongest people that rebelled
against the faith, without hope to doo good amongest them. Wherefore
Melitus and Iustus did depart first, and went ouer into France,
minding there to abide till they might sée what the end would be. But
shortlie after, those brethren the kings of Essex, which had expelled
their bishop in maner aboue said, suffered woorthilie for their wicked
dooings. For going forth to battell against the Westsaxons, they were
[Sidenote: The sonne of king Sebert slaine.]
ouerthrowen and slaine altogither with all their armie, by the two
kings Kinigils and Quichelme. But neuerthelesse, albeit the authors of
the mischiefe were thus taken awaie, yet the people of that countrie
would not be reduced againe from their diuelish woorshipping of
false gods, being eftsoones fallen thereto in that season by the
incouragement and perilous example of their rulers. Wherefore the
archbishop Laurence was in mind also to follow his fellowes Melitus
and Iustus: but when he minded to set forward, he was warned in a
dreame, and cruellie scourged (as hath béene reported by the apostle
saint Peter, who reprooued him) for that he would so vncharitablie
forsake his flocke, & leaue it in danger without a shepherd to kéepe
the woolfe from the fold.
The archbishop imboldned by this vision, and also repenting him of his
determination, came to king Eadbald, and shewed to him his stripes,
and the maner of his dreame. The king being herewith put in great
feare, renounced his heathenish worshipping of idols, and was
baptised, and as much as in him laie, from thenceforth succoured the
congregation of the christians, and aduanced the church to his power.
He sent also into France, and called home the bishops Melitus and
Iustus, so that Iustus was restored to his sée of Rochester.
But the Eastsaxons would not receiue Melitus to his sée at London,
but continued in their wicked mawmetrie, in obeieng a bishop of their
pagan law, whom they had erected for that purpose. Neither was king
Eadbald of that authoritie and power in those parties, as his father
was before, whereby he might constreine them to receiue their lawfull
bishop. But suerlie the said king Eadbald with his people, after he
was once conuerted againe, gaue himselfe wholie to obeie the lawes of
GOD, and amongt other déeds of godlie zeale, he builded a church
[Sidenote: _Beda lib. 2_.]
to our ladie at Canturburie, within the monasterie of saint Peter,
afterwards called saint Agnes. This church was consecrated by Melitus,
who after the death of Laurence succéeded in gouernance of the
archbishops sée of Canturburie. After Melitus, who departed this
[Sidenote: _Beda. lib. 2. ca. 8_.]
life in the yeare of our Lord 624, Iustus that before was bishop
of Rochester, was made archbishop of Canturburie, and ordeined one
Romanus to the sée of Rochester. About that time, the people of the
north parts beyond Humber receiued the faith, by occasion (as after
shall appéere.)
* * * * *
_Edwin reigneth ouer the Northumbers, his great power and reputation,
a marriage betweene him and Ethelburga the sister of king Eadbald vpon
religious couenants, the traitorous attempts of murtherous Eumerus
against him, his wife Ethelburga is deliuered of a daughter, he
assalteth the Westsaxons, and discomfiteth them, Boniface the fift
writeth to him to desist from his idolatrie, and to his ladie to
persist in true christianitie; the vision of Edwin when he was a
banished man in the court of Redwald king of the Eastangles, whereby
he was informed of his great exaltation and conuersion to christian
religion._