IRELAND.

By the close

THIS Country, which was not attacked by the Romans, also escaped the ravages of the Saxons at their first coming, and long afforded a refuge to the distressed Britons. Christianity had been introduced probably in the fourth century, and in the following one it was very generally diffused by the preaching of St. Patrick. Dathi, the last pagan king, is said to have died A.D. 428. of that age, churches and monasteries abounded, and, without crediting all that national writers of comparatively recent date have affirmed, we may well believe that, until the arrival of the Ostmen, the island enjoyed a much greater share of peace and civilization than fell to the lot of the states of the Heptarchy.

A.D. 455. The kingdom of KENT said to be founded TM. A.D. 477. ELLA and his three sons land on the south coast and commence the foundation of the South Saxon kingdom (SUSSEX).

A.D. 488. Esc, son of Hengist, succeeds him as king of Kent.

A.D. 491. Ella storms and destroys Andreds-cester, (probably the Roman Anderida, near Pevensey",) and assumes the title of king.

A.D. 492. Ella is chosen Bretwalda.

THE BRETWALDAS.

BEDE enumerates seven early Saxon chiefs, who, he states, in succession ruled all Britain south of the Hum

k See A.D. 82.

"The lands given by the piety of St. Patrick's converts for the foundation of these establishments, often conveyed the rights of chieftainship, and so secured the allegiance of the clan. This was the real cause

Every such

of the great extension of the monastic life in Ireland.
society became a school for the education of the clergy." Todd's
Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," p. 506.

m This date is probably too late by 20 years.

St.

n Some writers believe that the Andreds-cester destroyed by Ella was a British settlement, in the forest of Andred, near Newenden, in Kent. A priest of Jarrow, in Northumberland, who flourished in the eighth E

ber; "Ella, king of the South Saxons," says the Saxon Chronicle, "was the first who had thus much dominion," and it mentions that their title was that of "Bretwalda." Various theories have been suggested as to the power implied by the term, but it is most probable that this differed at different times P. Ella, the first who bore the title, was a chief of warlike renown in his own country, and it is most likely that he was chosen as the leader of the rest when it was found that the Britons made a more stubborn defence than had been expected; it is in this sense, for military purposes, that the others are said to have been under his sovereignty; he was their war-king against the common enemy. This idea is supported by the statement of Nennius, that the Saxons when pressed by the Britons drew kings from Germany to rule over them in Britain. Afterwards the title was assumed by Ceawlin, and others, and it then implied a sort of honorary or imperial supremacy both in peace and war over their fellow kings; but it is remarkable that it was not taken by any of the Mercian rulers, though they were unquestionably the most potent princes of the Heptarchy.

Bede's list comprises Ella of Sussex, Ceawlin of Wessex, Ethelbert of Kent, Redwald of East Anglia, and Edwin, Oswald, and Oswy of Northumbria.

The appellation Bretwalda was revived by Egbert, as a glorious ancient title, but it does not appear to have been bestowed on any of his successors.

A.D. 495. CERDIC and his son CYNRIC establish themselves in the west.

century, and is usually known as the Venerable Bede, and the Father of English History. His Ecclesiastical History was translated from the Latin by King Alfred, and it apparently furnished the basis of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

The term is often understood to mean "wielder of the strength of Britain," but seems rather to imply "the widely-ruling chief."

A.D. 501. Port and his sons Bieda and Mægla land on the south coast.

A.D. 514. Stuf and Wihtgar, the nephews of Cerdic, land in Britain.

A.D. 516. The see of Bangor said to be founded *.

A.D. 519. Cerdic and Cynric defeat the Britons at Cerdic's ford (probably Charford, on the Avon, Hampshire), and establish the West Saxon kingdom (WESSEX).

To this period belongs whatever may be real of the achievements ascribed to the famous Arthur. Caradoc

of Llancarvan mentions him as a petty prince in Somersetshire, whilst Nennius attributes to him triumphs over the Saxons in every quarter of the island; but it is only in Geoffrey of Monmouth that we read of his conquests abroad, which are so extravagant as to have caused some doubt as to his actual existence. It seems, however, not improbable that he gained a victory over the Saxons at Caer Badon (Bath, or Badbury) in 520, and that he met his death in the field at Camelon in 542. A.D. 526. ERKENWIN founds the East Saxon kingdom (ESSEX).

Uffa lands on the east coast *.

A.D. 530. The isle of Wight conquered by the West Saxons, and granted to Stuf and Wihtgar.

A.D. 534. Cerdic dies, and is succeeded by Cynric.

A.D. 544. Death of Wihtgar.

A.D. 547. IDA founds the kingdom of NORTHUMBRIA.

q His memory was traditionally preserved in the name of the great naval arsenal, Portsmouth, (Port's mouth, or haven).

Dubritius, styled the first archbishop of Wales, is supposed to have lived about this time, and to have held the see of Llandaff, as well as that of Caerleon (now St. David's). He resigned both, and retired to Bardsey island, where he died. He was commemorated in the old English Calendar on November 14.

s One of the latest investigators of English history, Dr. Lappenberg, treats Geoffrey with more consideration than he usually meets with. "We will venture," he says, "to express a hope of one day seeing what is historical in Geoffrey of Monmouth separated from that which is fabulous; the latter honoured as a pleasing relic of the times of old, and the rest exalted into useful matter for the national history."

The conquests of this chief laid the foundation of the kingdom of East Anglia, but the title of king was not assumed till 571, by another leader of the same name.

A.D. 550 (circa). Kentigern, a Scot, founds a bishop's see at St. Asaph.

A.D. 560. CEAWLIN (Bretwalda) succeeds in Wessex.

Ella succeeds in the southern part of Northumbria ". A.D. 565. Columba, a priest from Ireland, converts the Northern Picts, and builds a monastery in Hii".

ETHELBERT (Bretwalda) succeeds in Kent*.

A.D. 568. The West Saxons make war on Ethelbert, and drive him into Kent.

A.D. 571. The kingdom of EAST ANGLIA founded. A.D. 575 (circa). Ethelbert marries Bertha, a Christian princess; Luidhard, a Gallic bishop, accompanies her. A.D. 577. Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath captured by the West Saxons.

A.D. 584. Cutha, the brother of Ceawlin, killed in battle at Frethern (near Stroud, in Gloucestershire) : "and Ceawlin took many towns, and spoils innumerable; and wrathful he thence returned to his own."

CRIDA founds the kingdom of MERCIA. A.D. 588. Death of Ella of Northumbria. ceeded by ETHELFRITH of Bernicia ".

He is suc

A.D. 591. Ceawlin defeated at Woddesbeorg (Woodborough, or Wanborough, in Wiltshire), by his brother Ceol, and driven from his kingdom.

A.D. 593. Ceawlin and his brother Cwichelm, and Crida of Mercia, killed.

Ethelfrith of Bernicia succeeds to the whole of Northumbria.

"The conquests of Ida extended from the Humber to the Frith of Forth, but on his death they were divided into the two states of Deira and Bernicia. Ella, the son of Yffa, a Saxon prince, seized on the former, and only the latter, which lay between the Tweed and the Frith of Forth, remained to Adda, the son of Ida. His nephew Ethelfrith, however, recovered Deira in 593.

Now Iona, one of the Inner Hebrides.

* Ethelbert's kingdom was originally larger than the modern county of the same name, but it was afterwards limited by the West Saxons. His accession is sometimes ascribed to the year 560, but this would appear to be a mistake, as he was then only eight years of age.

y Ella, left a child, Edwin, only three years old, who, after many years of exile, became the first Christian king of Northumbria.

A.D. 597. Augustine, the prior of a Roman monastery, despatched by Pope Gregory the Great to attempt the conversion of the Saxons, arrives with a few companions in Kent. Ethelbert receives them with kindness, and is baptized on Whitsunday, June 2.

CEOLWULF succeeds in Wessex. "He fought and contended incessantly against either the Angles, or the Welsh, or the Picts, or the Scots."

A.D. 599. REDWALD (Bretwalda) succeeds in East Anglia. A.D. 600 (circa). Ethelbert of Kent issues the earliest collection of laws now remaining to us".

A.D. 602. Augustine fixes his archiepiscopal seat at Canterbury.

A.D. 603. The Scots invade Northumbria, but are defeated at Degsastan (probably Dalston, near Carlisle).

Augustine holds two conferences with the British bishops; they decline communion with him a.

A.D. 604. The East Saxons converted by Mellitus. The sees of London and Rochester established.

Death of Augustine, May 26.

A.D. 611. Ceolwulf of Wessex dies. CYNEGILS, his nephew, succeeds.

66

A.D. 613. Ethelfrith of Northumbria 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 200 priests, who came to pray for the army of the Welsh; their 'ealdor' was called Brocmail, who with some fifty escaped thence "."

See section on Anglo-Saxon Laws.

The dates 599, 601, 602, 604 have also been assigned for these conferences, but that in the text is considered the best supported. The place is believed to have been Aust, on the Severn.

The place was Bangor on Dee, near Wrexham, and 12 miles from Chester. • One MS. of the Saxon Chronicle places this battle in 605; the Cambrian Annals and the Annals of Tigernach in 613. The "prophecy" (or rather, denunciation) was uttered at the second conference of Augustine with the British bishops.