here Oswin, son of Osric, Edwin's father's brother's son, succeeded to the kingdom of the Deirans and reigned seven winters.

644 [A]. Here Paulinus died, who was archbishop in York and afterwards in Rochester.

645 [A]. Here Cenwalh was expelled by king Penda.1 646 [A] .2 Here Cenwalh was baptized.

3

648 [A]. Here Cenwalh gave Cuthred his kinsman three thousand [hides] of land near Ashdown; this Cuthred was son of Cwichelm, Cwichelm of Cynegils. 648 [F]. Here was built the church in Winchester which king Cenwalh caused to be made and consecrated in St. Peter's name.

4

650 [A]. Here Ægelbert from Gaul succeeded to the bishopric of the West-Saxons after Birinus the Roman bishop. 650 [E]. Here king Oswy commanded king Oswin to be slain on xiii kal. Sept. (Aug. 20th) and about twelve nights after bishop Aidan died on ii kal. Sept. (Aug. 31st).

651 [A]. Here king Oswin was slain and bishop Aidan died.

652 [A]. Here Cenwalh fought at Bradford on Avon. 653 [A]

5

Here the Middle-Saxons received the true faith under aldorman Peada. 654 [A[. Here king Onna was slain and Botulf began to build a church at Icanho; [and here died archbishop Honorius on ii kal. Oct. (Sept. 30th)]."

655 [A]. Here Penda perished and the Mercians became Christian. At that time from the beginning of the world five thousand eight hundred and fifty winters were gone; and Peada, son of Penda, succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians.

1 From his kingdom-E, which places event in 644.

2 E.

3 648 E. Here Cenwalh gave Eadred, his kinsman, three thousand [hides] of land near Ashdown.

4 Of the Saxons-E, which places event under 649.

5 Middle Angles.-B, C and E. The last-named MS. puts event

in previous year.

E, which puts annal in 653.

654 [E]. Here Oswy slew Penda in Winwæd-field and thirty men of royal kin with him—and some of them were kings, of whom one was Æthelhere, brother of Onna, kings of the East-Angles. At that time were gone from the beginning of the world five thousand and eight hundred winters; and Peada, son of Penda, succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians.

In his time he and Oswy, brother of king Oswald, came together and decided that they would raise a monastery to the glory of Christ and to the honour of St. Peter. And they did so and gave it for a name Medeshamstead because there is a well at this place called Medeswell. 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 people loved him and he was very nobly born in the world and rich, but he is now much richer with Christ.

And king Peada reigned no long time for he was betrayed by his own wife at Easter-tide.

655 [E]. Here Ithamar bishop of Rochester consecrated Deusdedit to Canterbury on vii kal. April (Mar. 26th). 656 [E]. Here Peada was slain and Wulfhere, son of Penda, succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians.

In his time the abbacy of Medeshamstead, which his brother had begun, waxed very rich. The king favoured it much for love of his brother Peada and for love of Oswy his pledge-brother and for love of abbot Saxulf. He said that he would dignify and honour it by the counsel of Æthelred and Merwala his brothers and by the counsel of Cyneburg and Cynes with his sisters and by the counsel of the archbishop who was called Deusdedit and by the counsel of all his witan, clerical and lay, who were in his kingdom; and he did so.

Then the king sent after the abbot that he should

This is the first of many late additions to the chronicle concerning the monastery of Peterborough. They occur only in the Laud MS.

2 The second of the Peterborough insertions.

come to him with all speed; and he did so. Then the king said to the abbot "Lo! I have sent for thee, beloved Saxulf, for the behoof of my soul and I will plainly tell thee why. My brother Peada and my dear friend Oswy began a monastery to the glory of Christ and St. Peter. But my brother, as Christ has willed it, is departed this life, and lo! my prayer to thee is, beloved friend, that they work diligently at the building and I will find thee gold and silver, land and possessions, and all that behoveth thereto." Then the abbot went home and began to build: he so sped, as Christ granted him, 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 thegns, 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 was to be consecrated.

At the consecration of the monastery king Wulfhere was present and his brother Ethelred and his sisters Cyneburg and Cyneswith. And the archbishop Deusdedit of Canterbury consecrated the monastery and the bishop of Rochester, Ithamar, and the bishop of London who was called Wine and the bishop of the Mercians who was called Jaruman and bishop Tuda. And there was Wilfrid priest who was afterwards bishop; and all his thegns who were in his kingdom were there.

When the monastery had been consecrated in the name of St. Peter, St. Paul and St. Andrew, then the king stood up before all his thegns and said with a clear voice "Thanked be the high almighty God for the worthy deed which is done here and I will this day do honour to Christ and St. Peter; and I desire that ye all assent to my words-I, Wulfhere, do this day give to St. Peter and abbot Saxulf and the monks of the monastery these lands and these 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 abbot and the monks shall have any

authority there. This is the grant. From Medeshamstead to Northborough 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 Cuggedic and thence to Raggewith and from Raggewith five miles to the straight stream which goeth to Elm and to Wisbech and thence about three miles to Throkenholt and from Throkenholt straight through all the fen to Derworth which is twenty miles long and thence to Great Cross and from Great Cross through a clear water called Bradanee and thence six miles to Paccelad and thence onward through all the meres and fens which lie toward Huntingdonport and these meres and lakes, Scalfre-mere and Witles-mere 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 Medeshamstead and from Medeshamstead to Welmsford and from Welmsford to Cliue and thence to Aston and from Aston to Stamford and from Stamford even as the water runneth to the aforesaid Northborough." 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 I will that they shall hold it so royally and so freely that neither tax nor rent be taken from it save for the monks alone. And thus I will free this monastery that it be not subject save to Rome alone; and here I will that all of us who are unable to go to Rome shall visit St. Peter."

While he was saying these words, the abbot 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 as anchorites-if they knew where. And there is an island here which is called Ancarig, and my desire is that we might build a monastery there to the glory of St. Mary so that those may dwell therein who wish to lead life in peace and rest.

Behold,

Then the king answered and said thus: Saxulf, not only that which thou desiredst but all things, which I know thee to desire on our Lord's behalf, I thus approve and grant. And I beg of thee, my brother Æthelred, and my sisters, Cyneburg and Cyneswith, for your souls' redemption that ye be witnesses 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 would escape everlasting torment. Whosoever shall lessen this our gift or the gifts of other good men, may the heavenly gate-warder lessen him in the kingdom of heaven; and whosoever will increase it, may the heavenly gate-warder increase him in the kingdom of heaven."

These are the witnesses who were there, who wrote it with their fingers on the cross of Christ and assented to it with their tongues. The king Wulfhere was the first who confirmed it by word and afterwards wrote it with his fingers on the cross of Christ; and said thus-“I king Wulfhere with the kings and earls and dukes and thegns--the witnesses of my gift-do confirm it before the archbishop Deusdedit with the cross of Christ." "And I Oswy king of the Northumbrians, the friend of this monastery and of abbot Saxulf, approve of it with the cross of Christ X.” "And I king Sighere grant it with the cross of Christ." "And I king Sebbi write it with the cross of Christ." "And I Æthelred the king's brother grant the same with the cross of Christ." "And we the king's sisters, Cyneburg and Cyneswith, we approve it." "And I Deusdedit 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 Jaruman who was bishop of the Mercians and bishop Tuda and Wilfrid priest, who was afterwards bishop, and Eoppa priest, whom king Wulfhere sent to preach Christianity