and reigned from that time twenty-six years; and they gave the whole island of Wight to their two nephews, Stuf and Wihtgar. A. 535.-537. A. 538. This year, fourteen days before the Kalends of March, the sun was eclipsed from early morning till nine in the forenoon. A. 539. A. 540. This year the sun was eclipsed on the twelfth before the Kalends of July, and the stars showed themselves full-nigh half an hour after nine in the forenoon. A. 541.-543. A. 544. This year Wihtgar died, and they buried him in Wiht-gara-byrg. [Carisbrooke.] A. 545. 546. A. 547. This year Ida began to reign, from whom arose the royal race of North-humbria; and he reigned twelve years, and built Bambrough, which was at first enclosed by a hedge, and afterwards by a wall. Ida was the son of Eoppa, Eoppa of Esa, Esa of Ingwi, Ingwi of Angenwit, Angenwit of Aloc, Aloc of Benoc, Benoc of Brond, Brond of Beldeg, Beldeg of Woden, Woden of Frithowald, Frithowald of Frithuwulf, Frithuwulf of Finn, Finn of Godwulf, Godwulf of Geat. A. 548.-551. A. 552. This year Cynric fought against the Britons at the place which is called Searo-byrig [Old Sarum], and he put the Britons to flight. Cerdic was Cynric's father, Cerdic was the son of Elesa, Elesa of Esla, Esla of Gewis, Gewis of Wig, Wig of Freawin, Freawin of Frithogar, Frithogar of Brond, Brond of Beldeg, Beldeg of Woden. And Ethelbert, the son of Ermenric was born; and in the thirtieth year of his reign he received baptism, the first of the kings in Britain. A. 553.-555. A. 556. This year Cynric and Ceawlin fought against the Britons at Berin-Byrig, [Banbury ?] Barberry Rings. A. 557.-559. A. 560. This year Ceawlin succeeded to the kingdom of the West-Saxons, and Ida being dead, Alla succeeded to the kingdom of North-humbria, each of whom reigned thirty years. Alla was the son of Iff, Iff of Usfrey, Usfrey of Wilgis, Wilgis of Westerfalcon, Westerfalcon of Seafowl Seafowl of Sebbald, Sebbald of Sigeat, Sigeat of Swadd, Swadd of Sygar, Sygar of Waddy, Waddy of Woden, Woden of Frithuwulf. A. 561-564. A. 565. This year Ethelbert* succeeded to the kingdom of the Kentish-men, and held it fifty-three years. In his days the holy pope Gregory sent us baptism, that was in the two and thirtieth year of his reign: and Columba, a masspriest, came to the Picts, and converted them to the faith of Christ: they are dwellers by the northern mountains. And their king gave him the island which is called Ii [Iona]: therein are five hides of land, as men say. There Columba built a monastery, and he was abbat there thirty-seven years, and there he died when he was seventy-two years old. His successors still have the place. The Southern Picts had been baptized long before: bishop Ninia, who had been instructed at Rome, had preached baptism to them, whose church and his monastery is at Whitherne, consecrated in the name of St. Martin: there he resteth, with many holy men. Now in li there must ever be an abbat, and not a bishop; and all the Scottish bishops ought to be subject to him, because Columba was an abbat and not a bishop. A. 565. This year Columba the presbyter came from the Scots among the Britons, to instruct the Picts, and he built a monastery in the island of Hii. A. 566. 567. A. 568. This year Ceawlin, and Cutha, Ceawlin's brother, fought against Ethelbert, and drove him into Kent, and they killed two ealdormen at Wibban-dune [Wimbledon],† Oslaf and Cnebba. A. 569. 570. A. 571. This year Cuthulf fought against the Britons at Bedcanford [Bedford], and took four towns, Lygean-birg [Lenbury], and Egeles-birg [Aylesbury], and Bænesington [Benson], and Egonesham [Eynsham]; and the same year he died. ~ ́~ Cutha was Ceawlin's brother. * Bede [ii. 5,] says Ethelbert died on February 23, A.D. 616, after a reign of fifty-six years. This would make it out that he succeeded to the throne in A.D. 560. + Or Worplesdon, Surrey. A. 572.-576. A. 577. This year Cuthwine and Ceawlin fought against the Britons, and they slew three kings, Comail, and Condi dan, and Farinmeail, at the place which is called Deorham [Derham ?], and took three cities from them, Gloucester and Cirencester, and Bath. A. 578.-582. A. 583. This year Mauricius succeeded to the empire of the Romans. A. 584. This year Ceawlin and Cutha fought against the Britons at the place which is called Fethan-lea, [Frethern?] and there was Cutha slain; and Ceawlin took many towns, and spoils innumerable; and wrathful he thence returned to his own. A. 585.-587. A. 588. This year King Ælle died, and Ethelric reigned after him five years. A. 589. 590. At this period Ceol reigned five years. 591. This year in Britain was a great slaughter in battle at Woddesbeorg [Wemborow ?], and Ceawlin was expelled. A. 592. This year Gregory succeeded to the popedom in Rome. A. 593. This year Ceawlin, and Cwichelm, and Crida, perished; and Ethelfrith succeeded to the kingdom of the North-humbrians; he was the son of Ethelric, Ethelric of Ida. A. 594. 595. A. 596. This year Pope Gregory sent Augustine to Britain, with a great many monks, who preached the word of God to the nation of the Angles. A. 597. This year Ceolwulf began to reign over the West-Saxons; and he fought and contended incessantly against either the Angles, or the Welsh, or the Picts, or the Scots. He was the son of Cutha, Cutha of Cynric, Cynric of Cerdic, Cerdic of Elesa, Elesa of Esla, Esla of Gewis, Gewis of Wig, Wig of Freawine, Freawine of Frithogar, Frithogar of Brond, Brond of Beldeg Beldeg of Woden. This year Augustine and his companions came to the land of the Angies. A. 599.-600, A. 601. This year Pope Gregory sent a pall to Archbishop Augustine in Britain, and also a great many religious teachers to assist him, and amongst them was Paulinus the bishop, who afterwards converted Edwin, king of the Northhumbrians, to baptism. A. 602. A. 603. This year there was a battle at Egesanstane.* A. 603. This year Ethan, king of the Scots, fought against the Dalreods and against Ethelfrith king of the North-humbrians, at Dægsanstane [Dawston?], and they slew almost all his army. There Theodbald, Ethelfrith's brother, was slain with all his band. Since then no king of the Scots has dared to lead an army against this nation. Hering, the son of Hussa, led the enemy thither. A. 604. This year the East-Saxons received the faith and baptism under King Sebert and Bishop Mellitus. A. 604. This year Augustine consecrated two bishops, Mellitus and Justus. He sent Mellitus to preach baptism to the East-Saxons, whose king was called Sebert son of Ricole, the sister of Ethelbert, and whom Ethelbert had there appointed king. And Ethelbert gave Mellitus a bishop's see in London, and to Justus he gave Rochester, which is twenty-four miles from Canterbury. A. 605. A. 606. This year Pope Gregory died, about ten years after he had sent us baptism; his father was called Gordian, and his mother Silvia. A. 607. This year Ceolwulf fought against the SouthSaxons. And this year Ethelfrith led his army to Chester, and there slew numberless Welshmen: and so was fulfilled the prophecy of Augustine, wherein he saith, 'If the Welsh will not be at peace with us, they shall perish at the hands of the Saxons.' There also were slain two hundred priests, who came to pray for the army of the Welsh: their ealdor was called Scromail [Brocmail], who with some fifty escaped thence. A. 608.-610. A. 611. This year Cynegils succeeded to the kingdom of the West-Saxons, and held it thirty-one years. Cynegils was the son of Ceol, Ceol of Cutha, Cutha of Cynric. A. 612. 613. A. 614. This year Cynegils and Cuichelm fought at * See Bede's Eccl. Hist. lib. i. c. 34, p. 61. Beandune* [Bampton ?], and slew two thousand and sixtytive Welshmen. A. 615 A. 616. This year Ethelbert, king of the Kentish-men, died; he was the first English king who received baptism, and he was the son of Eormenric; he reigned fifty-six years, and from the beginning of the world to this same year five thousand eight hundred years were gone by; and after him Eadbald his son succeeded to the kingdom; he forsook his baptismal vow, and lived after the manner of the heathens, so that he had his father's widow to wife. Then Laurentius, who was archbishop of Kent, was minded that he would go southwards over the sea, and leave it entirely. But the apostle Peter came to him by night and scourged him sorely, because he wished thus to forsake the flock of God, and commanded him to go to the king and preach the true faith to him; and he did so, and the king was converted and was baptized. In this king's days Laurentius who was archbishop of Kent after Augustine, died, and was buried beside Augustine on the 4th Non. Feb. After him Mellitus, who formerly had been bishop of London, succeeded to the archbishopric: then the men of London, where Mellitus had been formerly, became heathens (again). And in about five years, during the reign of Eadbald, Mellitus departed to Christ. Then after him Justus succeeded to the archbishopric; and he consecrated Romanus to Rochester, where formerly himself had been bishop. A. 616. In that time Laurentius was archbishop, and for the sorrowfulness which he had on account of the king's unbelief he was minded to forsake this country entirely, and go over sea; but St. Peter the apostle scourged him sorely one night, because he wished thus to forsake the flock of God, and commanded him to teach boldly the true faith to the king; and he did so, and the king turned to the right (faith). In the days of this same king, Eadbald, this Laurentius died. The holy Augustine, while yet in sound health, ordained him bishop, in order that the commu nity of Christ, which was yet new in England, should not after his decease be at any time without an archbishop. After him Mellitus, who had been previously bishop of London, succeeded to the archbishopric. And within five years of the decease of Laurentius, while Eadbald still reigned, Mellitus departed to Christ. * This is more likely to be Bampton in Oxfordshire, than Bampton in Devonshire, which is by far too remote to admit the supposition that the battle in question was fought there. |