Now will we (after all these differing discourses of the British
chronologers) approch and draw as néere as we can to the truth of the
historie touching Oswald king of the Northumbers, of whom we find,
[Sidenote: Oswald meaneth to be thankefull to God for his benefits.
_Beda li. 3. cap. 3. 5. 6._ _Hector Boet._]
that after he had tasted of Gods high fauour extended to himwards, 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 thereof within the same, and
therefore euen in the beginning of his reigne, he sent vnto Donwald
the Scotish king (with whome he had béene brought vp in the time of
his banishment the space of 18 yéeres) requiring him to haue some
learned Scotishman sent vnto 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.
[Sidenote: Corman.]
At his instance, there was sent vnto him one Corman, a clerke
singularlie well learned, and of great grauitie in behauiour: but for
that he wanted such facilitie, and plaine vtterance by waie of gentle
persuading, as is requisite in him that shall instruct the simple,
onelie setting foorth in his sermons high mysteries, 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 Northumberland 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
intractable a people, as no good might be doone vnto them.
Amongst other learned and vertuous prelats of the Scots, there chanced
[Sidenote: Aidan.]
one to be there present at the same time called 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
hearing 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 reuerend 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 regarded his diuine instructions,
[Sidenote: S. Paules counsell.]
whereas if he had (according to the counsell of Saint Paule) at
the first ministred vnto their tender vnderstandings, onelie milke,
without harder nourishments, he might happilie 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 discharge of their duties
towards God, and to satisfie the earnest zeale of king Oswald,
that some one amongst them might be appointed to go againe into
Northumberland, to trie by procéeding in this maner afore alledged,
what profit would thereof insue.
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
[Sidenote: Aidan commeth into England to preach the gospell.]
effect to accomplish their wished desires in that behalfe. Aidan,
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 Northumberland, and comming thither, was ioifullie
receiued of king Oswald, who appointed him the Ile of Lindesfarne,
wherein to place the see of his new bishoprike.
[Sidenote: _Beda li. 3 ca. 3_. _Hector Boet._]
This Aidan in one point varied from the vse of the new begun church
of England, that is to say, touching 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, following 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 himselfe so earnestlie in praier and preaching, that the
people had him within short while in woonderfull estimation, chiefelie
for that he tempered his preachings 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 churchyards, bicause the
audience was more than could haue roome in the church.
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
[Sidenote: _Beda_. Oswald an interpretor to the preacher.]
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, vsed as
an interpreter to report vnto the people in their Saxon toong, such
whole sermons 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 desire 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
[Sidenote: _Hector Boet._]
space of seuen daies (as is left in writing) he christened 15 thousand
persons, of the which no small part forsaking the world, betooke
themselues to a solitarie kind of life.
Thus by his earnest trauell in continuall preaching and setting foorth
the gospell in that countrie, it came to passe in the end, that the
faith was generallie receiued of all the people, and such zeale to
aduance the glorie of the christian religion dailie increased amongst
[Sidenote: Oswalds zeale to aduance religion.]
them, that no where could be found greater. Heerevpon were no small
number of churches built in all places abroad in those parties by
procurement of the king, all men liberallie consenting (according to
the rate of their substance) to be contributorie towards the charges.
By this meanes the kingdome of the Northumbers flourished, as well
[Sidenote: _Beda lib. 5. ca. 6_.]
in fame of increase in religion, as also in ciuill policie and
prudent ordinances: insomuch that (as Beda writeth) Oswald
[Sidenote: Oswald had in estimation with his neighbours.]
atteined to such power, that all the nations and prouinces within
Britaine, which were diuided into foure toongs (that is to say)
Britains, Picts, Scots, and Englishmen, were at his commandement. But
yet he was not lifted vp in anie pride or presumption, but shewed
himselfe maruellous courteous and gentle, and verie liberall to poore
people and strangers.
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
streightwaies 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 bishop, as he well deserued. By the good
policie and diligent trauell of this king, the prouinces of Deira and
Bernicia, which hitherto had béene at variance, were brought to peace
and made one.
[Sidenote: _Beda lib. 3. ca. 7_. Birinus conuerteth the Westsaxons
to the christian faith.]
About the same time, the Westsaxons were conuerted 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
[Sidenote: Kinigils king of Westsaxon becommeth a christian. _Polydor_.]
trauell in the Lords haruest, Kingils or Kinigils, one of the kings
of that countrie receiued the faith, and was baptised about the fiue
& twentith 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 Birinus, who was an
Italian, king Kinigils (now that he was become a conuert or christian)
[Sidenote: Dorcester ordeined a bishops sée.]
appointed and assigned the citie of Dorcester, situat by the
Thames, 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 other king
of the Westsaxons, and sonne to Kinigils was also christened, and died
the same yéere, and so Cinigilsus or Kinigils reigned alone.
[Sidenote: _Henr. Hunt._]
In this meane while Penda king of Mercia that succéeded next after
[Sidenote: This chancéd in the yéere 620, as _Matth. West._ saith.]
Ciarlus, being a man giuen to séeke trouble in one place or other,
leauied warre against the kings of Westsaxon, Kinigils and Quichelmus,
the which gathering their power, gaue him battell at Cirenchester,
where both the parties fought it out to the vttermost, as though
they had forsworne to giue place one to another, insomuch that they
continued in fight and making of cruell slaughter till the night
parted them in sunder. And in the morning, when they saw that if they
shuld buckle togither againe, the one part should vtterlie destroie
the other, they fell to agréement in moderating ech others demands.
[Sidenote: 640. _Beda lib. 3. cap. 7_. _Matth. West._]
After this, 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 Ercombert. This Ercombert was the first of the
English kings, which tooke order for the vtter destroieng of all idols
[Sidenote: Lent first ordeined to be kept in England.]
throughout his whole kingdome. He also by his roiall authoritie
commanded the fast of fortie daies in the Lent season to be kept and
obserued, appointing woorthie and competent punishment against the
[Sidenote: Segburga. Aimoinus.]
transgressors of that commandement. He had by his wife Segburga, that
was daughter vnto Anna king of the Eastangles, a daughter named
Eartongatha, a professed nunne within the monasterie of Briege or
Cala in France: for in those daies, bicause 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 Sedrike the lawfull daughter, and
Edelburgh the bastard daughter of the said king Anna, both which in
processe of time were made abbesses of the said monasterie of Briege.
Ye haue heard alreadie, how Oswald king of Northumberland bare
himselfe in all points like a most woorthie prince, not ceasing to
releeue the necessitie of the poore, aduancing the good, and
reforming the euill, whereby he wan to himselfe excéeding 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
aduancing of the christian faith. Herevpon Penda king of Mercia,
enuieng the prosperous procéedings of Oswald, as he that could neuer
abide the good report of other mens well-dooings, began to imagine how
[Sidenote: Penda inuadeth the Northumbers. _Beda. lib. 3. cap. 9_.]
to destroie him, and to conquere his kingdome, that he might ioine it
to his owne. At length he inuaded his countrie by open warre, met
with him in the field at a place called Maserfield, and there in
[Sidenote: King Oswald slaine. _Matt. Westm._ saith 644.]
sharpe and cruell fight Oswald was slaine on the fift day of
August, 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 account 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 Oswald was canonized a saint, and had in great worship
[Sidenote: _Will. Malmes._]
of the people, being the first of the English nation that approoued
his vertue by miracles shewed after his departure out of this life.
* * * * *
_Oswie succeedeth Oswald in the kingdome of Northumberland, he is sore
vexed by Penda, Oswie and Oswin are partners in gouernement, they fall
at strife, Oswin is betræied into the hands of Oswie and slaine, a
commendation of his personage and goodlie qualities, bishop Aidan
dieth; Cenwalch king of the Westsaxons, Penda maketh warre against him
for putting away his wife, his flight, he becommeth a christian and
recouereth his kingdome, Bishop Agilbert commeth into Westsaxon, and
afterwards departing (upon occasion) is made bishop of Paris, Wini
buieth the bishoprike of London; Sigibert king of the Eastangles, the
vniuersitie of Cambridge founded by him, he resigneth his kingdome and
becometh a moonke, he and his kinsman Egric are slaine in a skirmish
against Penda king of Mercia._