[Sidenote: INAS. 689.]
After that Ceadwalla, late K. of the Westsaxons was gone to Rome,
where he departed this life (as afore is shewed) his coosen Inas or
Ine was made king of the Westsaxons, begining his reigne in the yéere
of our Lord 689, in the third yeere of the emperor Iustinianus the
third, the 11 yéere of the reigne of Theodoricus K. of France, and
[Sidenote: The Britains ceasse to reigne in this land]
about the second yéere of the reigne of Eugenius king of Scots. Now
because the rule of the Britains commonlie called Welshmen, ceassed in
this realme, as by confession of their owne writers it appéereth, and
that in the end the whole monarchie of the same realme came to the
hands of the kings of Westsaxons, we haue thought méet to refer things
generall vnto the reignes of the same kings, as before we did in the
Britaine kings, reseruing the particular dooings to the kings of the
other prouinces or kingdoms, as the same haue fallen out, and shall
come to hand.
[Sidenote: _Fabian_. _H. Hunt._]
This Inas, whome some (mistaking N for V) doo wrongfullie name Iue
or Iewe, prooued a right excellent prince, he was descended of the
ancient linage of the kings of the Westsaxons, as sonne to one Kenred,
that was sonne to Ceolwald the son of Cutha or Cutwine, that was sonne
to Kenricke the sonne of Certicus, the first king of Westsaxons. But
he was admitted to the kingdome more for the valiant prowes knowne to
rest in his woorthie person, than for the successiue ofspring of which
he was descended. The first voiage that he made, was against the
Kentishmen, on whome he purposed to reuenge the death of his coosen
[Sidenote: _Matt. Westm._ _Wil. Malm._]
Mollo, the griefe whereof as yet he kept in fresh memorie. But when
the Kentishmen perceiued, that to resist him by force, they were
nothing able, they attempted by monie to buy their peace, and so
obteined their purpose, vpon paiment made to him of thirtie thousand
marks of siluer.
[Sidenote: Anno 708 as is noted by _Matt. West._ _H. Hunt._]
After this, about the 21 yéere of his reigne, king Inas and his
coosen Nun fought with Gerent king of the Britains. In the beginning
of the battell, one Higelbald a noble man of the Westsaxons part was
slaine, but in the end Gerent with his Britains was chased. In the
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._ saith 718]
26 yéere of his reigne; the same Inas fought a mightie battell against
Cheolred king of Mercia, at Wodenessburie, with doubtfull victorie,
for it could not well be iudged whether part susteined greater losse.
In the 36 yéere of his reigne, king Inas inuaded the Southsaxons with
a mightie armie, and slue in battell Ealdbright or Aldinius king of
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._ saith 722. The end of the kingdome of
the Southsaxons.]
the Southsaxons, and ioined that kingdome vnto the kingdome of
the Westsaxons: so that from thencefoorth the kingdome of those
Southsaxons ceassed, after they had reigned in that kingdome by the
space of five kings successiuelie, that is to say, Ella, Cissa,
Ethelwalke, Berutius, and this last Aldinius or Ealdbright.
Finallie, when Inas had reigned 37 yéeres, and 10 or 11 od moneths,
[Sidenote: Inas went to Rome and there died.]
he renounced the rule of his kingdome, togither with all worldlie
pompe, and went vnto Rome as a poore pilgrime, and there ended his
life: but before this, during the time of his reigne, he shewed
himselfe verie deuout and zealous towards the aduancement of the
christian religion. He made and ordeined also good & wholesome lawes
for the amendment of maners in the people, which are yet extant and to
be read, written in the Saxon toong, and translated into the Latine in
times past, and now latelie againe by William Lambert gentleman, and
printed by Iohn Day, in the yéere 1568, togither with the lawes and
statutes of other kings before the conquest, as to the learned maie
appéere.
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
Moreouer, king Ine builded the monasterie of Glastenburie, where
Ioseph of Arimathea in times past builded an oratorie or chappell (as
before is recited) when he with other christians came into this land
in the daies of Aruiragus, & taught the gospell heere to the Britains,
conuerting manie of them to the faith. Moreouer, king Ine or Inas
builded the church of Welles, dedicating it vnto saint Andrew,
where afterwards a bishops sée was placed, which at length was
[Sidenote: Ethelburga.]
translated vnto Salisburie. He had to wife one Ethelburga, a woman of
noble linage, who had béene earnest with him a long time to persuade
him to forsake the world: but she could by no meanes bring hir purpose
to passe, till vpon a time the king and she had lodged at a manor
[Sidenote: _Will. Malmes._]
place in the countrie, where all prouision had béene made for the
receiuing of them and their traine in most sumptuous maner that might
be, as well in rich furniture of houshold, as also in costlie viands,
and all other things needfull, or that might serue for pleasure,
[Sidenote: The deuise of quéene Ethelburga to persuade hir husband to
forsake the world.]
and when they were departed, the quéene the foresaid Ethelburga caused
the keeper of that house to remooue all the bedding, hangings, and
other such things as had béen brought thither and ordeined for the
beautifull setting foorth of the house, and in place thereof to bring
ordure, straw, & such like filth, as well into the chambers and hall,
as into all the houses of office, and that doone, to laie a sow with
pigs in the place where before the kings bed had stood. Héerevpon
when she had knowledge that euerie thing was ordered according to hir
appointment, she persuaded the king to returne thither againe, feining
occasions great and necessarie.
Now when he was returned to that house, which before séemed to the eie
a palace of most pleasure, and now finding it in such a filthie state
as might loath the stomach of anie man to behold the same, she tooke
occasion therevpon to persuade him to the consideration of the vaine
pleasures of this world, which in a moment turne to naught, togither
with the corruption of the flesh, being a filthie lumpe of claie,
after it should once be disolued by death: and in fine, where before
she had spent much labour to mooue him to renounce the world, though
all in vaine, yet now the beholding of that change in his pleasant
palace, wherein so late he had taken great delight, wrought such an
alteration in his mind, that hir woords lastlie tooke effect: so that
he resigned the kingdome to his coosen Ethelard, and went himselfe to
Rome (as aboue is mentioned) and his wife became a nun in the abbeie
of Barking, where she was made abbesse, and finallie there ended hir
[Sidenote: Peter pence.]
life. This Inas was the first that caused the monie called Peter
pence, to be paid vnto the bishop of Rome, which was for euerie
houshold within his dominion a penie.
[Sidenote: King Ethelred becommeth a moonk.]
In this meane time Edilred or Ethelred, hauing gouerned the
kingdome of Mercia by the tearme of 29 yéeres, became a moonke in the
abbeie of Bardenie, and after was made abbat of that house. He had
[Sidenote: Ostrida.]
to wife one Ostrida the sister of Egfride king of Northumberland, by
whome he had a sonne named Ceolred. But he appointed Kenred the sonne
of his brother Vulfher to succéed him in the kingdome. The said
[Sidenote: _Beda in Epit._ 697.]
Ostrida was cruellie slaine by the treason of hir husbands subiects,
[Sidenote: King Kenred.]
about the yéere of our Lord 697. And as for Kenred, he was a
prince of great vertue, deuout towards God, a furtherer of the
commonwealth of his countrie, and passed his life in great sinceritie
of maners. In the fift yéere of his reigne, he renounced the world,
and went to Rome, togither with Offa king of the Eastsaxons, where
[Sidenote: 711.]
he was made a moonke: and finallie died there, in the yéere of our
[Sidenote: _Nauclerus_. Egwin bishop of Worcester.]
Lord 711. By the aid and furtherance of this Kenred, a moonke of
saint Benets order (called Egwin) builded the abbeie of Eueshame, who
afterwards was made bishop of Worcester.
[Sidenote: A fabulous and trifling deuise.]
¶ We find recorded by writers, that this Egwin had warning giuen
him by visions (as he constantlie affirmed before pope Constantine)
to set vp an image of our ladie in his church. Wherevpon the pope
approuing the testifications of this bishop by his buls, writ to
Brightwald archbishop of Canturburie, to assemble a synod, and by
authoritie thereof to establish the vse of images, charging the kings
of this land to be present at the same synod, vpon paine of
[Sidenote: _Bale_. 712.]
excommunication. This synod was holden about the yéere of our Lord
712, in the daies of Inas king of Westsaxons, and of Ceolred king of
Mercia successor to the foresaid Kenred.
After Kenred succéeded Ceolred, the sonne of his vncle Edilred, & died
[Sidenote: _H. Hunt._]
in the 8 yeere of his reigne, and was buried at Lichfield. Then
succéeded Ethelbaldus that was descended of Eopa the brother of king
Penda, as the fourth from him by lineall succession. This man gouerned
a long time without anie notable trouble: some warres he had, and sped
[Sidenote: _Ran. Cestren._]
diuerslie. In the 18 yéere of his reigne, he besieged Sommerton
and wan it. He also inuaded Northumberland, and got there great riches
by spoile and pillage, which he brought from thence without anie
battell offered to him.
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
He ouercame the Welshmen in battell, being then at quiet, and
[Sidenote: Bereford. 755.]
ioined as confederats with Cuthred K. of Westsaxons. But in the
37 yéere of his reigne, he was ouercome in battell at Bereford by the
same Cuthred, with whome he was fallen at variance, and within foure
yéeres after, that is to say, in the 41 yéere of his reigne he was
[Sidenote: Thrée miles from Tamworth. _Wil. Malm._ 758.]
slaine in battell at Secandon, or Sekenton, by his owne subiects,
which arreared warres against him, by the procurement and leading of
one Bernred, who after he had slaine his naturall prince, tooke vpon
him the kingdome: but he prospered not long, being slaine by Offa that
succéeded him in rule of the kingdome of Mercia, as after shall be
shewed. The bodie of Ethelbald was buried at Ripton.
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: The historie of Magd.]
Bonifacius the archbishop of Mentiz or Moguntz, hauing assembled a
councell with other bishops and doctors, deuised a letter, and sent it
vnto this Ethelbald, commending him for his good deuotion and charitie
in almes-giuing to the reliefe of the poore, and also for his vpright
dealing in administration of iustice, to the punishment of robbers
and such like misdooers: but in that he absteined from mariage, and
wallowed in filthie lecherie with diuerse women, and namelie with
nuns, they sore blamed him, and withall declared in what infamie the
whole English nation in those daies remained by common report in other
countries for their licentious liuing in sinfull fornication, and
namelie the most part of the noble men of Mercia by his euill example
did forsake their wiues, and defloured other women which they kept
[Sidenote: Nuns kept for concubines.]
in adulterie, as nuns and others. Moreouer, he shewed how that such
euill women, as well nuns as other, vsed to make awaie in secret wise
their children which they bare out of wedlocke, and so filled the
graues with dead bodies, and hell with damned soules. The same
Bonifacius in an other espistle wich he wrote vnto Cutbert the
[Sidenote: Pilgrimage of nuns.]
archbishop of Canturburie, counselled him not to permit the
English nuns to wander abroad so often on pilgrimage, bicause there
were few cities either in France or Lombardie, wherein might not be
found English women, that liued wantonlie in fornication and whordome.
* * * * *
_Offa king of the Eastsaxons with other go to Rome, he is shauen and
becommeth a moonke, succession in the kingdome of the Eastsaxons and
Eastangles, Osred king of Northumberland hath carnall knowledge
with nuns, he is slaine in battell, Osrike renouncing his kingdome
becommeth a moonke, bishop Wilfrid twise restored to his see,
Westsaxonie diuided in two diocesses, bishop Aldhelme a founder of
religious houses; Ethelard succeedeth Inas in regiment, two blasing
starres seene at once, and what insued, the king dieth: the successiue
reigne of Wichtreds three sonnes ouer Kent, what prouinces were
gouerned by bishops; of what puissance Ethelbald king of Mercia was,
Egbert archbishop of Yorke aduanceth his see; a notable remembrance of
that excellent man Beda, his death._