[Sidenote: Anna. _Will Malmes._]
After Egricus succeeded Anna the sonne of Enus in the kingdome of
Eastangle, and is likewise slaine by Penda king of Mercia, with the
most part of his armie, as he gaue battell vnto the said Penda that
inuaded his countrie. He left behind him manie children, but his
[Sidenote: Edelhere K. of Eastangle.]
brother Edelhere succéeded him in gouernment of the kingdome, who was
slaine by Oswie the king of Northumberland, togither with the foresaid
Penda, and woorthilie, sith he would aid that tyrant which had slaine
his kinsman and his brother that were predecessors with him in his
kingdome. After this, when the sée of Canturburie had béene vacant by
[Sidenote: Deus dedit.]
the space of one whole yéere and six moneths, one Deus dedit of
the countrie of the Westsaxons, was elected and consecrated by Ithamar
the bishop of Rochester, on the 7 kalends of Aprill. He gouerned the
church of Canturburie by the tearme of nine yéeres, foure moneths,
and two daies. When he was departed this life, the foresaid Ithamar
consecrated for him one Damianus of the countrie of Sussex.
[Sidenote: _Beda hist. eccle. lib. 3. cap._ 21. 653.]
About this time, the people of Mercia commonlie called Middleangles,
[Sidenote: Peda or Peada king of Middleangles.]
receiued the christian faith vnder their king named Peda or Peada,
the sonne of Penda king of Mercia, who being a towardlie yoong
gentleman, and woorthie to haue the guiding of a kingdome, his father
Penda aduanced him to the rule of that kingdome of the Middleangles
during his owne life. [¶ Héere maie you note, that the kingdome of the
Middleangles was one, and the kingdome of Mercia another, though most
commonlie the same were gouerned by one king.] This yoong Peda came to
Oswie king of Northumberland, requiring of him to haue his daughter
Alchfled in mariage: but when he was informed that he might not haue
hir except he would become a christian, then vpon hearing the gospell
preached, with the promise of the celestiall ioies and immortalitie,
by the resurrection of the flesh in the life to come, he said that
whether he had king Oswies daughter to wife or not, he would suerlie
be baptised, and chieflie he was persuaded therevnto by his kinsman
Alchfrid, who had in mariage his sister the daughter of Penda name
Cimburgh.
[Sidenote: Ad murum.]
Wherefore he was baptised by bishop Finnan, with all those which
came thither with him at a place called At the wall, and taking with
him foure priests which were thought méete to teach and baptise his
people, he returned with great ioy into his owne countrie. The names
of those priests were as followeth, Cedda, Adda, Betti, and Diuna,
of the which, the last was a Scot by nation, and the other were
Englishmen. These priests comming into the prouince of the
Middleangles, preached the woord, and were well heard, so that dailie
a great number of the nobilitie & communaltie renouncing the filthie
dregs of idolatrie, were christned. Neither did king Penda forbid the
preaching of the gospell within his prouince of Mercia, but rather
hated and despised those whome he knew to haue professed themselues
[Sidenote: The saieng of king Penda.]
christians, and yet shewed not the woorks of faith, saieng, that
"Those were wretches and not to be regarded, which would not obeie
their God in whome they beléeued." This alteration of things began,
about two yéeres before the death of king Penda.
[Sidenote: _Beda lib. 3. cap._ 22.]
About the same time, the Eastsaxons at the instance of Oswie
king of Northumberland, receiued eftsoones the faith which they had
renounced, when they banished their bishop Melitus.
Melitus. Ye haue heard that Serred, Siward, and Sigibert brethren, and
the sonnes of king Sabert (which brethren occasioned the reuolting of
that prouince from the faith of Christ) were slaine in battell by the
kings of Westsaxon, after whome succéeded Sigibert surnamed the little
sonne to the middlemost brother Siward, as some write. This Sigibert
the litle left the kingdome to an other Sigibert that was sonne to one
Sigebald the brother of king Sabert, which second Sigibert reigned as
king in that prouince of the Eastsaxons, being a most especiall friend
of king Oswie, so that oftentimes he repaired into Northumberland to
visit him, whervpon king Oswie ceassed not most earnestlie at times
conuenient to exhort him to receiue the faith of Iesus Christ, and in
the end by such effectuall persuasions as he vsed, Sigibert gaue
[Sidenote: King Sigibert receiued the faith.]
credit to his woords, and so being conuerted, receiued the sacrament
of baptisme by the hands of bishop Finnan, at the kings house called,
At the wall, so named, bicause it was built néere to the wall which
the Romans had made ouerthwart the Ile, as is often before remembred,
being twelue miles distant from the east sea.
[Sidenote: This was about the yéere 649, as _Matth. West._ hath noted.]
King Sigibert hauing now receiued the Christian faith, when he
should returne into his countrie, required king Oswie to appoint him
certeine instructors and teachers which might conuert his people to
the faith of Christ. King Oswie desirous to satisfie his request, sent
[Sidenote: Cedda.]
vnto the prouince of the Middleangles, calling from thence that
vertuous man Cedda, and assigning vnto him another priest to be his
associat, sent them vnto the prouince of the Eastsaxons, there to
preach the christian faith vnto the people. And when they had preached
& taught through the whole countrie, to the great increase and
inlarging of the church of Christ, it chanced on a time that Cedda
returned home into Northumberland to conferre of certeine things with
bishop Finnan which kept his sée at Lindesferne, where vnderstanding
[Sidenote: Ced or Cedda bishop of the Eastsaxons.]
by Cedda the great fruits which it had pleased God to prosper
vnder his hands, in aduancing the faith among the Eastsaxons, he
called to him two other bishops, and there ordeined the foresaid Cedda
bishop of the Eastsaxons.
Héerevpon, the same Cedda returned vnto his cure, went forward with
more authoritie to performe the woorke of the Lord, & building
churches in diuerse places, ordeined priests and deacons which might
helpe him in preaching, and in the ministerie of baptising, speciallie
[Sidenote: Tilberie.]
in the citie of Ithancester vpon the riuer of Pent, and likewise
in Tileburge on the riuer of Thames. Whilest Ced was thus busie to the
great comfort and ioy of the king and all his people, in the setting
forward of the christian religion with great increase dailie
procéeding, it chanced thorough the instigation of the deuill, the
common enimie of mankind, that king Sigibert was murthered by two of
his owne kinsmen who were brethren, the which when they were examined
of the cause that should mooue them to that wicked fact, they had
nothing to alledge, but that they did it bicause they had conceiued an
hatred against the king, for that he was too fauourable towards his
enimies, and would with great mildnesse of mind forgiue iniuries
committed against him: such was the kings fault for the which he was
murthered, bicause he obserued the commandements of the gospell with a
deuout hart.
Notwithstanding, in this his innocent death, his offense was punished,
wherein he had suerlie transgressed the lawes of the church. For
whereas one of them which slue him kept a wife, whome he had
vnlawfullie maried, and refused to put hir away at the bishops
admonition, he was by the bishop excommunicated, and all other of the
christian congregation commanded to absteine from his companie. This
notwithstanding, the king being desired of him came to his house to a
banket, and in his comming from thence met with the bishop, whome when
the king beheld, he waxed afraid, and alighted from his horsse, and
fell downe at his féet, beséeching him of pardon for his offense. The
bishop, which also was on horssebacke likewise alighted, and touching
the king with his rod which he had in his hand, as one something
[Sidenote: The authoritie of a bishop.]
displeased, and protesting as in the authoritie of a bishop, spake
these words; "Bicause (saith he) thou wouldst not absteine from
entring the house of that wicked person being accurssed, thou shalt
die in the same house:" and so it came to passe.
* * * * *
_Suidhelme king of the Eastsaxons, he is baptised, the bishoplike
exercises of Ced in his natiue countrie of Northumberland; Ediswald K.
of Deira reuerenceth him, the kings deuout mind to further and inlarge
religion; the maner of consecrating a place appointed for a holie vse;
the old order of fasting in Lent, bishop Ced dieth; warre betweene
Oswie and Penda, Oswie maketh a vow to dedicate his daughter a
perpetuall virgine to God if he got the victorie, he obteineth his
request and performeth his vow, she liueth, dieth, and is buried in a
monasterie, the benefit insuing Oswies conquest ouer his enimies, the
first second and third bishops of Mercia, the victorious proceeding of
king Oswie; prince Peado his kinsman murthered of his wife._