[A.D. 556], Kenric, with his son Ceaulin, had another battle with the Britons, which was after this manner: to avenge the defeat which they had sustained five years before, the Britons assembled vast numbers of their bravest warriors, and drew them up near Banbury. Their battle array was formed in nine battalions, a convenient number for military tactics, three being posted in the van, three in the centre, and three in the rear, with chosen commanders to each, while the archers and slingers and cavalry were disposed after the Roman order. But the Saxons advanced to the attack in one compact body with such fury, that the standards being dashed together and borne down, and the spears being broken, it became a hand-to-hand fight with the sword. The battle lasted till night-fall without either party being able to claim the victory. Nor is that wonderful, considering that the warriors were men of extraordinary stature, strength, and resolution; while in our days they are so degenerate, that when armies come into collision, one or other of them is put to flight at the first onset. Kenric, having reigned 26 years, died [A.D. 560], and Ceaulin his son reigned in his stead 30 years. In the same year, Ida, king of Northumbria, also died, and after him Ella reigned 30 years, though he was not the son of Ida, but the son of Iffa, the son of Uscfrea, the son of Witgils, the son of Westrefalcna, the son of Sefugil, the son of Seabald, the son of Sigegeat, the son of Wepdeg, the son of Woden, the son of Fredealaf.

In the sixth year of Ceaulin's reign in Wessex, Ethelbert, that great king, began to reign in Kent1. He was the third of the English kings who ruled all their eastern provinces which are divided by the river Humber, and the neighbouring boundaries, from the northern kingdom. The first who possessed this supreme power was Ella, king of the EastSaxons; the second, Ceaulin, king of the West-Saxons; the third, as just stated, Ethelbert, king of Kent; the fourth,

The Saxon Chronicle fixes the accession of Ethelbert in the first year of Ceaulin, instead of the sixth, in which it appears to agree with the computation of Bede. See book i. c. 5.

? These paramount kings were called Bretwalda. The rank was personal and not hereditary.

Redwald, king of the East-Angles, who, during the lifetime of Ethelbert, held the government of his own state. The fifth monarch was Edwin, king of the Northumbrians, the most powerful people of all who inhabited Britain. His dominion extended over all the tribes both of the English and Britons, with the exception of the people of Kent. He also reduced to the dominion of the English, the Isle of Man and the other islands which lie between Britain and Ireland. Sixthly, Oswald, king of Northumbria, a prince of great sanctity, held the sovereignty of the various nations within the same boundaries. Seventhly, Oswy, his brother, in a short time established his rule with almost equal limits; and he also subjugated and rendered tributary most of the tribes of Scots and Picts who occupied the northern districts of Britain. The eighth was Egbert, king of Wessex, whose rule extended as far as the Humber. The ninth was Alfred, his grandson, who esta blished his authority in all parts of the kingdom. The tenth was Edgar, great-grandson of Alfred, a brave though peaceful king, whose dominion, or at least his ascendancy, extended over all the English and Scottish people; which his successors inherit to the present day. It was in the time of Ethelbert that the English were converted to the Christian faith, which will be diligently treated of in the sequel of our history1.

[A.D. 568.] Ceaulin, in the ninth year of his reign, with his brother Chuta, two very valiant men, were compelled by various causes to engage in war with Ethelbert, who had arrogantly intruded himself into their kingdom. (In a battle fought at Mirandune, his two generals, Oslap and Cneban, thunderbolts of war, with a vast number of their followers, were slain, and Ethelbert himself was pursued as far as Kent. This is remarkable as the first international war among the English kings.

[A.D. 571.] In the twelfth year also of Ceaulin, his brother Cutha fought a battle with the Britons at Bedeanford, now called Bedford, the chief town of the neighbouring dis1 In Book iii. following.

2 Query, Merton, in Surrey. Some MSS. read Wipandune or Wibbandune.

trict. In this battle he was victorious, and the fruits of his arms were four fortified places, namely, Lienbirig, Aelesbury, Benesintune, and Ecgnesham1; but Cutha, a great man, the king's brother, died the same year.

The founder of the kingdom of East-Anglia, which includes Norfolk and Suffolk, was Uffa, from whom the kings of the East-Angles were called Uffingas. It was afterwards held by his brother Titulus, the bravest of the East-Anglian kings.

[A.D. 577.] Ceaulin, with his son Cuthwine, in the eighteenth year of his reign fought a battle with the Britons at Deorham2. Three British kings, Commagil, Candidan, and Farinmagil, led their followers against them splendidly and skilfully arrayed, so that the conflict was very obstinate. But the Almighty gave the victory on that day to his enemies, and discomfited his own people, who had foolishly offended Him, so that the three Christian kings were slain, and the survivors from the slaughter were put to flight. The Saxons pursued them fiercely, taking three important towns, Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath.

[A.D. 584.] In the twenty-fifth year of his reign, Ceaulin and Cuthwine again fought with the Britons at Fedhanlea3. The battle was fought with great loss and fury on both sides. Cuthwine, overcome by numbers, was struck down and slain; and the English were routed and put to flight. But the king Ceaulin succeeded in rallying his troops, and snatched the victory from those who had been at first victors, and, pursuing the vanquished, gained much land and great booty.

Crida, as far as we learn from old records, was the first king of Mercia. Such were the beginnings of the several English kingdoms, of which I have pointed out the dates and revolutions as clearly as I could from what we find in the books of ancient writers, bringing them into relation with the æras of the kings of Wessex.

[A.D. 590-596.] Ceaulin died in the thirtieth year of his

Lygcanburh (Petrie), Lenbury (Ingram). The three last places are clearly Ailesbury, Benson, and Ensham.-See Sax. Chron.

2 Dyrham, in Gloucestershire.

3 Frethern, near the Severn in Gloucestershire.

reign', and after him Ceolric reigned five years. Ella, king of the Northumbrians, died the same year2, and after him Ethelric reigned also five years. In the third year after this, the Britons and Saxons fought a battle at Wodnesburie". The British army advanced in close order, after the Roman fashion, but the Saxons rushed forward with desperate, but disorderly, courage, and the conflict was very severe. God gave the victory to the Britons; and the Saxons, who commonly were as much superior to the Britons in fight, as they were slower in flight, suffered much in their retreat. After these times Crida, king of Mercia, departed this life, and his son Wippa [or Pybba] succeeded him. About this time also Ethelfert, who is named the Fierce, succeeded Ethelric in Northumbria. Now also the Lombards invaded Italy; and not long afterwards Gregory introduced the word of God into England.

[A.D. 597.] During the reign of Ceolric in Wessex, of Ethelfert in Northumbria, and of Wippa in Mercia, Ethelbert, the king of Kent, and the Kentish people, were converted to the faith, as will be shown in the Book following *. Wippa was succeeded by Keorl', who was not his son, but his kinsman. Ceolric departed this life after a reign of five years, after whom Ceolwulf reigned in Wessex fourteen years, through all of which he was engaged in wars, either with the English, or the Scots, or the Picts. Ceolwulf was

1 The Saxon Chronicle states that Ceaulin " was driven from his kingdom" in 590 [or 591], and died in 593. It does not speak of his having been restored, and dates the accession of Ceolric from his expulsion. Henry of Huntingdon, however, confuses the two events, though he computes Ceaulin's reign correctly at 30 years.

2 Henry of Huntingdon also errs in fixing the death of Ella and the accession of Ethelric the same year as the death of Ceaulin. The Saxon Chronicle, the better authority, places it in 588.

3 Wansborough, or Wanborough, Wilts. According to the Saxon Chronicle, it was after this battle, which was in 591, that Ceaulin was expelled.

4 Book iii.

5 "Flor. of Worcester makes Keorl the same person as Crida; but as the name of "Keorl' does not appear in the genealogies of the kings, Henry o Huntingdon considers him a different person, and describes him as a xinsman, and not a son, of Wippa."-Petrie.

son of Chute, who was son of Kenric, who was son of Cerdic.

In the seventh year of Ceolwulf1, which was the first of the Emperor Phocas, who governed the Roman Empire eight years, Êthelbert, the fierce king of the Northumbrians, who was more powerful and more ambitious than all the English kings, made great havoc of the Britons. No one of their generals, no one of their kings, reduced more of the land to the condition of being either tributary to the Saxons or colonized by them, after the native inhabitants were either exterminated or enslaved. What was said of Benjamin may truly be applied to him: "Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil." Wherefore, roused by his ag-. gressions, Ædan, king of the Scots who had settled in Britain, marched against him with a numerous and powerful army, but was defeated and fled with a very few followers. [A.D. 603.] In this battle, which was fought at a wellknown place called Degsfanstan3, almost the whole army of the Scots was slaughtered. Tedbald also, the brother of Ethelfrid, was slain with the body of troops which he commanded. From that time none of the Scottish kings ventured to engage in war with the English nation.

112

[A.D. 607.] In the ninth year of Ceolwulf, the king Ethelfrid obtained a victory over the Britons at Carlisle; of the events of this, the greatest of his wars, we propose to treat in the Book which follows, respecting the conversion of the English. Among the various wars in which Ceolwulf was engaged, which we omit to notice for the sake of brevity, there was a very memorable battle against the men of Sussex, in which both armies suffered grievously, that of Sussex the most severely, Ceolwulf died after a reign of fourteen years, and after him Kinigils was king of Wessex during 31 years, in the time of Heraclius, who was emperor 26 years. Kinigils was son of Ceolric, the son of Chute, the son of Cerdic. In the fourth year of his reign [A.D. 614] he associated with himself in the regal dignity his brother Kichelm, and they assembled an army against the Britons

1 Bede, i. 34.

2 Gen. xlix. 27. 3 Dauston? in Cumberland. Saxon Chronicle, Cwichelm.