A.D. 635. 'This year king Cynegils was baptized by Birinus the bishop, at Dorchester, and Oswold king of the North-humbrians was his godfather.

A.D. 636. This year king Cuichelm was baptized at Dorchester, and the same year he died. And bishop Felix preached the faith of Christ to the East-Angles.

A.D. 637, 638.

A.D. 639. This year Birinus baptized king Cuthred at Dorchester, and received him as his (god)son.

A.D. 640. This year Eadbald, king of the Kentish-men, died, and he reigned twenty-five years. He had two sons, Ermenred and Ercenberht, and Ércenberht reigned there after his father. He overthrew all idolatry in his kingdom, and was the first of the English kings who established the Easter-fast. His daughter was called Ercongota, a holy woman and a wondrous person, whose mother was Sexburh, daughter of Anna, king of the East-Angles. And Ermenred begot two sons, who afterwards were martyred by Thunor.

A.D. 641.

A.D. 642. "This year Oswold, king of the North-humbrians, was slain by Penda [and] the South-humbrians at Maser-feld on the nones of August [5th Aug.], and his body was buried at Bardney. His sanctity and his miracles were afterwards manifested in various ways beyond this island, and his hands are at Bambrough, uncorrupted. And the same year that Oswold was slain, Oswiu his brother succeeded to the kingdom of the North-humbrians, and he reigned two less (than) thirty years.

A.D. 643. 'This year Cenwalh succeeded to the kingdom of the West-Saxons, and held it thirty-one" years; and Cenwalh commanded the old" church at Winchester to be built in the name of St. Peter; and he was the son of Cynegils.

A.D. 644. "This year Paulinus died, on the "6th of the ides of October [10th Oct.]; he was archbishop first of York, and afterwards at Rochester. "He was bishop one less (than) twenty years, and two months and twenty-one days. "And this year Oswin's uncle's son," the son of Osric, succeeded to the kingdom of Deira, and reigned seven years.

1 See Eccl. Hist. III. vii.

See Beda, Eccl. Hist. II. xv.

AD. 639, E. by repetition. See Eccl. Hist. III. viii.
Redbald, G., and so apparently A. originally.

Twenty-four, E. F.

•From here to the end of the year is an insertion in A., and occurs in E. and F.

7 See Eccl. Hist. III. ix. X. In B. C. ascribed to 641.

To the end of the year from E.

10 Twenty-one, E

• A.D. 642, E.

11 The epithet "old" occurs only in B. C., the dedication of Winchester is from F., and the conclusion of the year from E., where by a clerical error the reading is Cynegilw instead of Cynegils.

12 See Beda, Eccl. Hist. III. xiv. ▲ D. 643, B. C. E.

13 This date is from E.

14 This clause is from E. and F.

15 The conclusion of the year from E.

16 This is apparently corrupt, and should be read "Oswin, the son of Osric, Edwin's uncle's son." See Beda, III. i. and above, An. 634.—P.

A.D. 645. 'This year king Cenwalh was driven out of his kingdom by king Penda.

A.D. 646. This year king Cenwalh was baptized.

A.D. 647.

A.D. 648. This year Cenwalh gave Cuthred, his kinsman, three thousand hides of land by Ashdown [Aston ?]. Cuthred was the son of Cwichelm, Cwichelm of Cynegils. This year the minster was built at Winchester, which king Cynwalh caused to be made, and hallowed in the name of St. Peter.

A.D. 649.

A.D. 650. This year Aegelbyrht, a native of Gaul, obtained the bishopric of the West-Saxons after Birinus the Romish bishop.

A.D. 650. This year Birinus the bishop died, and Aegebertus the Frenchman was ordained.

A.D. 650. This year king Oswiu ordered king Oswin to be slain, on the 13th of the kalends of September [20th Aug.]; and about twelve days after this bishop Aidan died, on the 2d of the kalends of September [31st Aug.].

A.D. 651. This year king Oswin was slain, and bishop Aidan died.

A.D. 652. This year Cenwalh fought at Bradford by the Avon. A.D. '653. This year the Middle-Saxons, under Peada the ealdorman," received the true faith.

A.D. 654. This year king Onna" was slain, and Botulf began to build a minster at Ycean-ho " [Boston ?]. "And this year archbishop Honorius died, "on the second of the kalends of October [30th Sept.].

A.D. 654. "This year king Osuiu slew king Penda at Winwedfield, and thirty men of the royal race with him, and some of them were kings, among whom was Aethelhere, brother of Anna, king of the East-Angles.

A.D. 655. "This year Penda perished, and the Mercians became Christians. From the beginning of the world to this time, five thousand eight hundred and fifty years were agone; and Peada," the son of Penda," succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians.

"In his time he and Oswiu, the brother of king Oswald, came together, and agreed that they would rear a monastery to the glory of Christ and the honour of St. Peter. And they did so, and named it "Medeshamstede " [Peterborough], because there is a

10 Namely, Anna, king of East Anglia. See Eccl. Hist. III. xviii.

11 The name of Ycean-ho is from B. C. E. F.

12 See Eccl. Hist. III. xx. F. ascribes this event to 653.

13 This date is from E.

14 E. F. as far as "with him," afterwards from F. only, which continues as at

15 above, which it ascribes to the year 654.

15 See Eccl. Hist. III. xxiv.

16 E. F. omit " fifty."

18 "The son of Penda," not in G.

17 So B. C. E. Penda, A. G.

19 This is the first of many late additions to the Chronicle concerning the monastery of Peterborough. They occur only in MS. G. It is here ascribed to A.D. 654.

whirlpool, which is called Medeswæl. And they began the foundations and wrought thereon, and then committed it to a monk who was called Saxulf. He was greatly God's friend, and all the people loved him, and he was very nobly born, in a worldly sense, and rich; but he is now much richer, being with Christ. And king Peada reigned no long time, for he was betrayed by his own wife at Easter.

'This year Ithamar, bishop of Rochester, consecrated Deus-dedit to [the see of] Canterbury, on the seventh of the kalends of April [26th March].

A.D. 656.

A.D. 657. This year Peada died, and Wulfhere, the son of Penda, succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians.

'In his time the abbacy of Medeshamstede, which his brother had begun, waxed very rich. The king loved it much for the love of his brother Peada, and for the love of Oswi his "wed-brother" [brother by baptism], and for the love of abbat Saxulf. And he said that he would dignify and honour it, and this by the counsel of Aethelred and Merwala, his brothers, and Kyneburg and Kyneswith, his sisters, and by the counsel of the archbishop, who was called Deus-dedit, and by the counsel of all his "witan," both clergy and laity, who were in his kingdom; and he did so.

Then the king sent after the abbat, that he should come to him with all speed, and he did so. Then the king said to the abbat, "Lo! I have sent for thee, beloved Saxulf, for the behoof of my soul, and I will plainly tell thee for why. My brother Peada and my dear friend Öswi began a monastery to the glory of Christ and St. Peter. But my brother, as it has pleased Christ, is departed this life, and my prayer to thee, O beloved friend, is, that they work diligently on the work, and I will provide thee thereto gold and silver, land and possessions, and all that behoveth thereto." Then the abbat went home, and began to build; and he so sped, by the grace of Christ, that in a few years the monastery was ready. When the king heard that said, he was very glad: he bade send throughout the nation after all his thanes, after the archbishop, and after the bishops, and after his earls, and after all who loved God, that they should come to him; and he set a day on which the monastery should be hallowed.

At the hallowing of the monastery, king Wulfere was present, and his brother Aethelred, and his sisters Kyneburg and Kyneswith. And Deus-dedit, archbishop of Canterbury, hallowed the monastery, and Ithamar, bishop of Rochester, and the bishop of London, who was called Wina, and the bishop of the Mercians, who was called Jeruman, and bishop Tuda. And there was Wilfrid the priest, who was afterwards a bishop; and were there all his thanes who were within his kingdom.

When the monastery had been hallowed in the name of St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Andrew, then the king stood up before all his thanes, and said, with a clear voice, "Thanked be the high Almighty

1 From E. Ascribed in F. to 655. See Beda, Eccl. Hist. III. xx.

2 E. See the Anglo-Saxon Charters, No. 984.

God for the worthy deed which here is done, and I will this day do honour to Christ and St. Peter; and I desire that ye all assent to my words: I, Wulfere, do this day give to St. Peter and abbat Saxulf, and the monks of the monastery, the lands, and the waters, and meres, and fens, and wears, and all the lands which lie thereabout, which are of my kingdom, freely, so that none but the abbat and the monks shall have any claim upon them. This is the grant. From Medeshamstede to North-borough, and thence to the place which is called Folies, and thence all the fen straight to Esendic, and from Esendic to the place which is called Fethermouth, and thence along the straight way ten miles to Cuggedike, and thence to Raggewilh, and from Raggewilh five miles to the main stream which goeth to Aelm and to Wisbeach, and thence about three miles to Throkonholt, and from Throkonholt straight through all the fen to Derevord, which is twenty miles long, and thence to Grætecross, and from Grætecross through a clear water called Bradanæ, and thence six miles to Paccelade, and thence onward through all the meres and fens which lie toward Huntendune-port, and these meres and lakes, Scalfremere and Witlesmere, and all the others which lie thereabout, with the land and the houses which are on the east half of Scalfremere, and from thence all the fens to Medeshamstede, and from Medeshamstede to Welmesford, and from Welmesford to Clive, and thence to Aestun, and from Aestun to Stamford, and from Stamford even as the water runneth to the aforesaid North-borough." These are the lands and the fens which the king gave to St. Peter's monastery.

Then said the king, "This gift is little; but it is my will that they shall hold it so royally and so freely that neither geld nor tribute be taken from it, except for the monks alone. And thus free I will make this minster, that it be subject to Rome alone; and here it is my will that all of us who are unable to go to Rome shall visit St. Peter."

While he was saying these words, the abbat desired of him that he would grant him what he should desire of him: and the king granted it. "I have here God-fearing monks, who wish to spend their lives in an anchorite's abode, if they knew where. And there is an island here, which is called Ancarig, and my desire is that we might build a minster there to the glory of St. Mary, so that those may dwell therein who wish to lead a life of peace and rest."

Then the king answered, and said thus: "Beloved Saxulf, lo! not only that one thing which thou hast desired, but all things which I know that thou desirest on our Lord's behalf, I thus approve and grant. And I beg of thee, my brother Aethelred, and my sisters Cyneburg and Cyneswith, that ye be witnesses, for your souls' redemption, and that ye write it with your fingers. And I beg all those who come after me, be they my sons, be they my brothers, or kings that come after me, that our gift may stand, even as they would be partakers of the life eternal, and as they would escape everlasting torment. Whosoever shall take from this our gift, or the gifts of other good men, may the heavenly gate-ward take from him in the kingdom of heaven; and whosoever will increase it, may

the heavenly gate-ward increase (his state) in the kingdom of heaven."

"

"

"

These are the witnesses who were there, who subscribed it with their fingers on the cross of Christ, and assented to it with their tongues. King Wulfhere was the first who confirmed it, first by his word, and afterwards with his fingers wrote on it the cross of Christ; and said thus: " I, king Wulfhere, with the kings, and earls, and dukes, and thanes, the witnesses of my gift, do confirm it before the archbishop Deus-dedit with the cross of Christ." "And I, Oswi, king of the North-humbrians, the friend of this monastery and of abbat Saxulf, approve of it with the cross of Christ.' "And I, king Sighere, grant it with the cross of Christ. And I, king Sibbi, subscribe it with the cross of Christ. "And I, Aethelred, the king's brother, grant that same with the cross of Christ." "And we, the king's sisters, Cyneburh and Cyneswith, we approve it." "And I, Deus-dedit, archbishop of Canterbury, grant it." After that, all the others who were there assented to it with the cross of Christ. They were by name Ithamar, bishop of Rochester, and Wine, bishop of London, and Jeruman, who was bishop of the Mercians, and bishop Tuda, and Wilfrid the priest, who was afterwards bishop, and Eoppa the priest, whom king Wulfhere sent to preach Christianity in Wight, and abbat Saxulf, and Immine the ealdorman," and Eadberht the "ealdorman," and Herefrid the "ealdorman," and Wilberht the "ealdorman," and Abo the "ealdorman," Aethelbold, Brorda, Wilberht, Elhmund, Frethegis. These and many others who were there, servants of the king, all assented to it. This writing was written six hundred and sixty-four years after the birth of our Lord, (in) the seventh year of king Wulfhere; the ninth year of archbishop Deus-dedit. They then laid the curse of God, and the curse of all saints, and of all Christian people (upon him) who should undo any thing which there was done. "So be it," say all, "Amen."

"

When these things were done, the king sent to Rome to Vitalian,' who then was pope, and desired that he should grant by his writing, and with his blessing, all the before-mentioned things. And the pope sent then this writing, thus saying," I, pope Vitalian, concede to thee, king Wulfhere, and archbishop Deus-dedit, and abbat Saxulf, all the things which ye desire; and I forbid that any king or any man have any claim thereon, except the abbat alone; nor let him obey any man except the pope of Rome, and the archbishop of Canterbury. If any one break this in any thing, may St. Peter exterminate him with his sword: if any one observe it, may St. Peter, with the keys of heaven, undo for him the kingdom of heaven." Thus the monastery at Medeshamstede was begun, which since has been called Burh [Peterborough].

After that, another archbishop came to Canterbury, who was called Theodorus, a very good and a wise man, and he held his synod with his bishops and with the clergy. There was Winfrid, bishop of the Mercians, deposed from his bishopric, and abbat Saxulf was

1 There is no other trace of this bull of Vitalian than the notice here preserved.