[Sidenote: _Beda. lib._ 3. _cap._ 24.]
After three yeeres were complet, next ensuing the death of king Penda,
the dukes of the countrie of Mercia, Immin, Eaba, and Eadbert rebelled
against king Oswie, aduancing one Wulfhere a yoong gentleman the sonne
of Peda, and brother to Peada, whom they had kept in secret to be
their king, and expelling the lieutenants of king Oswie, they
recouered both their owne confines and libertie withall, and so liuing
in fréedome with their owne naturall king the foresaid Vulfhere, they
also continued with glad hearts in seruice of the celestiall king our
God and Sauior.
[Sidenote: VULFHERE.]
[Sidenote: _Beda. lib._ 3. _cap._ 24.]
This Vulfhere gouerned the Mercies seuentéene yeares, the which
Mercies (during the reigne of the said Vulfhere) had foure bishops
successiuelie gouerning the church of that prouince one after another,
as the aboue mentioned Trumhere, Iaroman, Ceadda, and Winfrid, as
hereafter shall more at large appeare.
[Sidenote: _Henr. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
About the beginning of king Vulfheres reigne, that is to say, in the
seuentéenth yeare of the reigne of Chenwald king of the Westsaxons,
the same Chenwald fought with the Britains at Pennum, where the
Britains being assembled in great number, proudlie incountred with the
Englishmen, and at the first put them to the woorst, but when the
Englishmen would in no wise giue ouer, but did sticke to their tackle,
[Sidenote: The Britains put to flight by Chenwald.]
at length the Britains were put to flight, so that the posteritie of
Brute receiued that day an incurable wound. But within thrée yeares
after, that is, in the ninetéenth yeare of the reigne of the said
Chenwald, he had not the like lucke in battell against the foresaid
Vulfhere king of Mercia, as he had before against the Britains, for
[Sidenote: Chenwald vanquished by Vulfhere.]
the said Vulfhere vanquishing him in the field, passed through this
countrie with a great armie vnto the Ile of Wight, which he conquered,
[Sidenote: Adelwold of Sussex.]
and deliuered it vnto Adelwold king of Sussex, as a gift at that time,
when he receiued him at the fontstone after he had conuerted him to
the faith. He gaue vnto Adelwold that Ile, to the end he should cause
the people there to receiue the faith and religion of Christ. Now
after that Edelhere king of Eastangles was slaine, as before is
mentioned, his brother Edelwald succéeded him in that kingdome,
reigning as king thereof by the space of nine yeares. Then after
Edelwald succéeded Aldulfe the son of Edelhere in gouernment of that
kingdome, and reigned 25 yeares.
[Sidenote: _Beda. lib._ 3. _cap._ 24.]
After Finan bishop of the Northumbers that held his see at
[Sidenote: Colman ordeined bishop.]
Lindesferne, as Aidan did before him, one Colman was ordeined bishop,
a Scot borne, and an earnest obseruer of the customes vsed amongest
them of his nation, so that when the controuersie began to be reuiued
[Sidenote: _Beda. lib._ 3. _cap._ 25.]
for the holding of the feast of Easter, he would by no meanes yéeld to
them that would haue perswaded him to haue followed the rite of the
Romane church. There was a great disputation kept about this matter,
and other things, as shauing or cutting of heares, and such like in
the monasterie of Whitbie, at the which king Oswie and his sonne
Alcfrid were present, where Colman for his part alledged the custome
of Iohn the euangelist, and of Anatholius; and the contrarie side
brought in proofe of their opinion, the custome of Peter and Paule. At
length, when bishop Colman perceiued that his doctrine was not so much
regarded, as he thought of reason it ought to haue béene, he returned
into Scotland with those, which taking part with him, refused to
obserue the feast of Easter according to the custome of the church of
[Sidenote: Controuersie about shauing of crownes.]
[Sidenote: _Cap._ 6.]
[Sidenote: 664.]
Rome, nor would haue their crownes shauen, about which point no small
reasoning had béene kept. This disputation was holden in the yeare of
our Lord 664, and in the yeare of the reigne of king Oswie 22, and 30
yeare after the Scotishmen began first to beare the office of bishops
within Northumberland, which was (as W. Harison saith) 624. For Aidan
gouerned 17 yeares, Finan 10 yeares, & Colman 3 yeares. After that
[Sidenote: Tuda ordeined bishop.]
Colman was returned into his countrie, one Tuda that had béene brought
vp amongest the Southerne Scots, and ordeined bishop by them,
succéeded in his roome, hauing his crowne shauen, and obseruing the
feast of Easter according to the custome of the prouince and rite of
[Sidenote: _Cap._ 27.]
[Sidenote: An eclipse. Punishment of God for yelding to superstition.]
the Romane church. ¶ The same yeare, there chanced a great eclipse of
the sunne, the third of Maie about 10 of the clocke in the day. A
great dearth and mortalitie insued, both in all the parties of this
our Britaine, and likewise in Ireland. Amongest other, the foresaid
bishop Tuda died, and was buried in the abbeie of Pegnalech. After
this Tuda, succéeded in gouernement of the church of Lindesferne,
[Sidenote: Wilfrid bishop.]
otherwise called Holie Iland, one Wilfrid, which was sent by king
Alcfrid into France, to be ordeined there.
About the same time king Oswie, the father of king Alcfrid, mooued
[Sidenote: _Cap._ 28.]
with the good example of his sonne, sent Ceadda, the brother of Ced
sometime bishop of the Eastsaxons into Kent, to be ordeined bishop of
Yorke, but at his comming into Kent he found that Deus dedit the
archbishop of Canturburie was dead, and none other as yet ordeined in
[Sidenote: Ceadda ordeined archbishop of Yorke.]
his place, so that Ceadda repaired into the prouince of the
Westsaxons, where he was ordeined by bishop Wini, who tooke two other
bishops of the British nation vnto him to be his associats, which vsed
to obserue the feast of Easter contrarie to the custome of the Romane
church. But there was no other shift, sith none other bishop was then
canonicallie ordeined in the prouince of the Westsaxons in those
daies, this Wini onlie excepted, and therefore was he constreined to
take such as he might get and prouide.
After that Ceadda was thus ordeined, he began forthwith to follow the
true rules of the church, liued right chastlie, shewed himselfe humble
and continent, applied his studie to reading, and trauelled abroad on
foot and not on horssebacke through the countries, townes, and
villages, to preach the word of God. He was the disciple of Aidan, and
coueted by his example, and also by the example of Ced, to instruct
his hearers with the like dooings & maners as he had knowen them to
doo. Wilfrid also being consecrated bishop, and returned into England,
indeuored to plant the orders of the Romane church in the churches of
England, whereby it came to passe, that the Scots which inhabited
amongst the Englishmen, were constreined either to follow the same, or
else to returne into their owne countrie.
[Sidenote: EGBERT king of Kent.]
In this meane time, king Ercombert being departed this life, after he
had gouerned the Kentishmen by the space of twentie yeares, his sonne
Egbert succéeded him in the kingdome, and reigned nine yeares. There
is little remembrance of his dooings, which in that short time were
not much notable, except ye will ascribe the comming into this land of
the archbishop Theodorus, and the abbat Adrian vnto his glorie, which
chanced in his time. For in the yeare of the great eclipse and sore
mortalitie that insued, it chanced that both king Ercombert, & the
archbishop Deus dedit departed this life, so that the see of
Canturburie was void a certeine time, in so much that king Egbert, who
[Sidenote: _Beda. lib._ 3. _cap._ 9.]
succéeded his father Ercombert, togither with king Oswie, did send one
[Sidenote: Wighart.]
Wighart a priest of good reputation for his excellent knowledge in the
scriptures, vnto Rome, with great gifts and rich vessels of gold and
siluer, to be presented vnto the pope, requiring him that he would
ordeine the foresaid Wighart archbishop of Canturburie, to haue rule
of the English church. But this Wighart comming vnto Rome, and
declaring his message vnto Vitalianus then gouerning the church of
Rome, immediatlie after he died of the pestilence (that then reigned
in that citie) with all those that came with him.
[Sidenote: _Beda. lib._ 4 _cap._ 1.]
[Sidenote: _Adrian._]
The pope then taking aduice whome he might ordeine vnto the sée of
Canturburie, being thus destitute of an archbishop, appointed a moonke
named Adrian to take that office vpon him, but Adrian excused himselfe
as not sufficient for such a roome, and required the pope to appoint
one Andrew a moonke also, wherevnto the pope consented. But when
Andrew was preuented by death, eftsoones Adrian should haue béene made
archbishop, but that he named one Theodore an other moonke that abode
as then in Rome, but was borne in the citie of Tharsus in Cilicia,
verie well learned both in the Greeke and Latine, and being of
reuerend yeares, as of 76. This Theodore by the presentment of Adrian,
was appointed to be ordeined archbishop of Canturburie, with
condition, that Adrian should neuerthelesse attend vpon him into
England, both for that he had béene twise before this time in France,
and so knew the coasts; and againe, for that he might assist him in
all things, and looke well to the matter, that Theodore should not
bring into the church of England anie rite or custome of the Gréekes,
contrarie to the vse of the Romane church. Theodore being first
ordeined subdeacon, tarried foure moneths till his heare was growen,
that he might haue his crowne shauen after the maner of Peter. For he
was rounded or shauen after the maner of the East church, which was as
they persuaded themselues, according to the vse of saint Paule the
[Sidenote: Theodore ordeined archbishop of Canturburie.]
[Sidenote: 668.]
apostle. And so at length was this Theodore ordeined archbishop of
Canturburie by pope Vitalianus in the yeare of our Lord 668, the sixt
kalends of June, and with Adrian sent into Britaine.
These with their retinue came to France, and being come thither,
shortlie after king Egbert had knowledge thereof: wherevpon with all
conuenient spéed he sent ouer one of his nobles named Redfrid to bring
the archbishop into England, and so he did: but Adrian was staied for
a time, because he was suspected to haue had some commission from the
emperour to haue practised with the Englishmen, for the disquieting of
the realme of France. Howbeit, after it was perceiued that this
suspicion was grounded on no truth, he was also suffered to follow the
archbishop, and so comming vnto Canturburie, he was made abbat of the
monasterie of saint Augustines. The archbishop Theodore came thus vnto
his church of Canturburie in the second yeare after his consecration,
about the second kalends of June, being sundaie. He gouerned the same
church also 21 yeares and 16 daies, and was the first archbishop to
whome all the churches of England did acknowledge their obeisance.
Being accompanied with the foresaid Adrian, he visited all the parts
of this land, ordeined bishops and ministers in churches where he
thought conuenient, and reformed the same churches as séemed to him
néedfull, as well in other things which he misliked, as also in
[Sidenote: _Ran. Cest._]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
causing them to obserue the feast of Easter, according to the right
[Sidenote: _Beda._]
and vsage of the church of Rome. Ceadda that was bishop of Yorke,
because he was not lawfullie ordeined, as he himselfe confessed, was
remoued from the sée of Yorke, and Wilfrid was therevnto restored, so
that Ceadda (though he were not disgraded of his degrée of bishop)
liued yet a priuat kind of life, till he was admitted bishop of
Mercia, as after shall be shewed. Also whereas before time there was
in maner no singing in the English churches, except it were in Kent,
[Sidenote: Singing in churches brought in vse.]
now they began in euerie church to vse singing of diuine seruice after
the rite of the church of Rome. The archbishop Theodore finding the
[Sidenote: Putta bishop of Rochester.]
church of Rochester void by the death of the last bishop named Damian,
ordeined one Putta a simple man in worldlie matters, but well
instructed in ecclesiasticall discipline, and namelie well séene in
song and musicke to be vsed in the church after the maner as he had
learned of pope Gregories disciples.
[Sidenote: The worthie praise of Theodore and Adrian.]
To be bréefe, the archbishop Theodore, and the abbat Adrian deserued
great commendation in this, that whereas they were notablie well
learned themselues in the Greeke and the Latine toongs, and also had
good knowledge as well in the liberall arts, as in the scripture, they
tooke great paines to traine vp scholers in knowledge of the same, so
[Sidenote: Englishmen happy and why.]
that the Englishmen had not seene more happie times than in those
daies, hauing as then kings of great puissance, so as strangers stood
in feare of them; and againe, those that coueted learning, had
instructors at hand to teach them, by reason whereof diuers being
[Sidenote: _Beda._]
giuen to studie, prooued excellent both in knowledge of the Gréeke and
Latine. There came in companie of the said archbishop from Rome, an
[Sidenote: Benedict or Benet surnamed Biscop.]
English man named Benedict Biscop, which had taken vpon him the habit
of a moonke in Italie, and now returning into his countrie, builded
two abbeis, the one named Wiremouth, because it was placed at the
mouth of the riuer of Wire, and the other Girwie, distant from
Wiremouth about fiue miles, and from the towne of Newcastle foure
[Sidenote: 670.]
miles, situated neere to the mouth of Tine. Wiremouth was built in the
yeare 670, and Girwie in the yeare 673. There were a 600 moonks found
[Sidenote: Glasiers first brought into England.]
[Sidenote: _Ran. Cest._]
in those two houses, and gouerned vnder one abbat. The said Benedict
was the first that brought glasiers, painters, and other such curious
craftsmen into England. He went fiue times to Rome, and came againe.
* * * * *
_Sighere and Sebbie associats reigne ouer the Eastsaxons, the one
falleth from, the other cleaueth to the faith, Vulfhere king of Mercia
sendeth bishop Iaroman to redresss that apostasie of the prince and
the people, Cead bishop of Mercia, the king of that countrie hath him
in hie reputation, Egfrid king of Northumberland, a synod of bishops
holden at Herford, articles propounded out of the canons by Theodore
archbishop of Canturburie, Bisi unable to discharge his episcopall
office, a remedie therefore; Kenwalke of a very euill prince becometh
a verie good ruler, his wife gouerneth the kingdome after his death,
Escuius succeedeth hir in the roome, of Thunnir a murtherer king
Egberts principall vicegerent, bishop Winfrid deposed for
disobedience, Sebbie king of the Eastsaxons a professed moonke, his
death._