[Sidenote: OSWIE King of Northumberland. _Beda li. 3. ca. 14_.]
After that king Oswald was slaine, his brother Oswie (being
about 30 yeares of age) tooke vpon him the rule of the kingdome of
Northumberland, gouerning the same with great trouble for the space of
28 yeares, being sore vexed by the foresaid Penda king of Mercia
and his people, which as yet were pagans. In the first yeare of his
[Sidenote: 644.]
reigne, which was in the yeare of our Lord 644. Pauline the bishop
of Rochester which had beene also archbishop of Yorke departed this
life, and then one Thamar an Englishman of the parties of Kent
was ordeined bishop of Rochester by Honorius the archbishop of
Canturburie. King Oswie had one Oswin partener with him in gouernment
of the Northumbers in the first beginning of his reigne, which
[Sidenote: Bernicia.]
was sonne to Osrike, so that Oswie gouerned in Bernicia, and Oswin in
Deira, continuing in perfect friendship for a season, till at length,
through the counsell of wicked persons, that coueted nothing so much
as to sowe discord and variance betwixt princes, they fell at debate,
and so began to make warres one against an other, so that finallie
when they were at point to haue tried their quarrell in open battell,
Oswin perceiuing that he had not an armie of sufficient force to
incounter with Oswie, brake vp his campe at Wilfaresdowne, ten mile by
west the towne of Cataracton, and after withdrew himselfe onelie with
one seruant named Condhere vnto the house of earle Hunwald, whome
he tooke to haue béene his trustie friend: but contrarie to his
expectation, the said Hunwald did betraie him vnto Oswie, who by his
captaine Edelwine slue the said Oswin and his seruant the forsaid
Condhere, in a place called Ingethling, the 13 kalends of September,
[Sidenote: 651.]
in the ninth yeare of his reigne, which was after the birth of our
Sauiour 651.
This Oswin was a goodlie gentleman of person, tall, and beautifull,
and verie gentle of spéech, ciuill in manners, and verie liberall both
to high & low, so that he was beloued of all. Such a one he was, to
be breefe, as bishop Aidan gessed that he should not long continue
in life, for that the Northumbers were not woorthie of so good and
vertuous a gouernour. Such humblenesse and obedience he perceiued to
rest in him towards the law of the Lord, in taking that which was told
him for his better instruction in good part, that he said, he neuer
saw before that time an humble king. The same Aidan liued not past
12 daies after the death of the said Oswin, whome he so much loued,
departing this world the last daie of August, in the seuenteenth yeare
after he was ordeined bishop. His bodie was buried in the Ile of
Lindesferne. After Aidan, one Finan was made bishop in his place, a
Scotishman also, and of the Ile of Hui, from whence his predecessor
the foresaid Aidan came, being first a man of religion professed in
the monasterie there (as some writers doo report.)
[Sidenote: CENWALCH. _Henr. Hunt._ 643.]
In the meane time, after that Kinigils or Cinigilsus king of the
Westsaxons had reigned 31 yeares, he departed this life Anno 643,
leauing his kingdome to his sonne Cenwalch or Chenwald, who held the
same kingdome the tearme of 30 yeares, or 31 (as some write) in
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
manner as his father had doone before him. In the third, or (as others
saie) in the fift yeare of his reigne, Penda king of Mercia made
sharpe warre against him, because he had put awaie his wife the sister
of the said Penda, and in this warre Chenwald was ouercome in battell,
& driuen out of his countrie, so that he fled vnto Anna king of the
Eastangles, with whome he remained the space of a yeare, or (as other
say) thrée yeares, to his great good hap: for before he was growen
to be an enimie to the christian religion, but now by the wholesome
admonitions and sharpe rebukes of king Anna, he became a christian,
and receiued his wife againe into his companie, according to the
prescript of Gods law, and (to be bréefe) in all things shewed
himselfe a new man, imbracing vertue, & auoiding vice, so that
shortlie after (through the helpe of God) he recouered againe his
kingdome.
[Sidenote: Agilbertus a bishop.]
Now when he was established in the same, there came a bishop named
Agilbertus out of Ireland, a Frenchman borne (but hauing remained in
Ireland a long time) to reade the scriptures. This Agilbert comming
into the prouince of the Westsaxons, was gladlie receiued of king
Chenwald, at whose desire he tooke vpon him to exercise the roome of
a bishop there: but afterwards, when the said king admitted another
bishop named Wini, which had béene ordeined in France, and knew the
toong better than Agilbert, as he that was borne in England: Agilbert
offended, for that the king had admitted him without making him of
anie counsell therein, returned into France, and there was made bishop
of Paris: within a few yeares after, the foresaid Wini was expelled
also by king Chenwald, who got him into Mercia vnto king Vulfhere, of
whome he bought the bishoprike of London, which he held during his
life, and so the countrie of Westsaxon remained long without a bishop,
till at length the said Agilbert at the request of king Chenwald sent
to him Elutherius that was his nephue.
[Sidenote: SIGIBERT.]
Ye haue heard that after Carpwald, his brother Sigibert succéeded
in rule of the Eastangles, a man of great vertue and woorthinesse, who
whilest he remained in France as a banished man, being constrained to
flée his countrie vpon displeasure that king Redwald bare him, was
baptised there, and after returning into his countrie, and obteining
[Sidenote: _Beda lib. 3. cap. 4_]
at length the kingdome, those things which he had séene well ordered
in France, he studied to follow the example of the same at home, and
herevpon considering with himselfe that nothing could more aduance the
state of the common-wealth of his countrie than learning & knowledge
in the toongs, began the foundation of certeine schooles, and namelie
[Sidenote: The vniuersitié of Cambridge founded by king Sigibert.]
at Cambridge, where children might haue places where to be instructed
and brought vp in learning vnder appointed teachers, that there might
be greater numbers of learned men trained vp than before time had
béene within this land, to the furtherance of true religion and vertue.
So that England hath good cause to haue in thankfull remembrance this
noble prince king Sigibert, for all those hir learned men which haue
bin brought vp & come foorth of that famous vniuersitie of Cambridge,
the first foundation or rather renouation whereof was thus begun
[Sidenote: _Bate_ saith 636.]
by him about the yeare of our Lord 630. At length when this worthie
king began to grow in age, he considered with himselfe how hard a
matter, and how painefull an office it was to gouerne a realme as
apperteined to the dutie of a good king, wherevpon he determined to
leaue the charge thereof to other of more conuenient yéeres, and to
[Sidenote: Sigibert resigneth his kingdome to Egricus.]
liue from thencefoorth a priuat kind of life, and so resigning the
administration vnto his kinsman Egricus, he became a moonke, and led
the rest of his life in a certeine abbeie.
Shortlie after it so came to passe that Penda king of Mercia (that
cruell ethnike tyrant) made sore warres vpon Egricus, whervpon
the people of Eastangles compelled Sigibert to come foorth of his
monasterie, & to go with them into the field against Penda. Sigibert
being thus constreined against his will, would not put on armour or
beare anie other kind of weapon, than onelie a wand in his hand in
steed of a scepter, and so the armie of the Eastangles in hope of
good spéed by the presence of Sigibert, ioined in battell with their
enimies, but the Eastangles were finallie vanquished, and the more
[Sidenote: Sigibert and Egricus slaine. 652.]
part of them slaine, togither with Sigibert and his coosen Egricus
their king. This happened in the yere after the birth of our Sauiour
(as some haue noted) 652.
[Sidenote: _Baleus_. _Beda lib. 3 cap_. 19. Fuersus.]
In the daies whilest Sigibert as yet ruled the Eastangles, there
came out of Ireland a deuout person named Furseus, who comming into
the countrie of the Eastangles, was gladlie receiued of king Sigibert,
by whose helpe afterwards he builded the abbeie of Cumbreburge, in the
which Sigibert (as some haue written) when he renounced his kingdome,
was professed a moonke. Of this Furseus manie things are written, the
which for briefenesse we ouerpasse. After that Felix the bishop of the
Eastangles was dead, one Thomas was ordeined in his place, who after
he had béene bishop fiue yéeres, died, and then one Beretgils was
ordeined in his roome by Honorius the archbishop of Canturburie. The
said Honorius himselfe when he had run the race of his naturall life,
deceassed also the last of September in the yéere of our Lord 653.
[Sidenote: 653.]
* * * * *
_Anna king of Eastangles is slaine by Penda king of Mercia, his
brother succeeding him is slaine also by Oswie king of Northumberland,
the Mercians or Middleangles receiue the faith vnder vertuous Peda
their prince, he requesteth Alchfled the king of Northumberlands
daughter in mariage, he is baptised by bishop Finnan, by whose meanes
the Eastsaxons imbraced christian religion vnder Sigibert their king,
he is murthered of two brethren that were his kinsmen vpon a conceiued
hatred against him for his good and christian life, how dangerous it
is to keepe companie with an excommunicate person, the authoritie of a
bishop._