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 Witherne, hallowed 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.D. 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.D. 566, 567. A.D. 568. This year Ceawlin, and Cutha, Ceawlin's brother, fought against Aethelbirht, and drove him into Kent, and they killed two "ealdormen" at Wibban-dune [Wimbledon], Oslaf and Cnebba. A.D. 569, 570. A.D. 571. This year Cuthwulf fought against the Bretwalas at Bedcanford [Bedford], and took four towns, Lygean-byrg [Leighton?] and Aegeles-birg [Aylesbury], and Baenesington [Benson], and Egonesham [Eynsham]; and the same year he died. Cutha was Ceawlin's brother. A.D. 572-576. A.D. 577. This year Cuthwine and Ceawlin fought against the Britons, and they slew three kings, Comail, and Condidan, and Farinmail, at the place which is called Deorham [Derham ?], and took three cities from them, Gloucester, and Cirencester, and Bath-ceaster. A.D. 578-582. A.D. 583. This year Mauricius succeeded to the empire of the Romans. A.D. 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.D. 585-587. A.D. 588. This year king Aelle died, and Ethelric reigned after him five years. A.D. 589. A.D. '590. At this period Ceol' reigned five years. A.D. 591. This year in Britain was a great slaughter in battle at Woddesbeorg [Wemborow?], and Ceawlin was expelled. A.D. 592. This year Gregory succeeded to the popedom in Rome. A.D. 593. This year Ceawlin, and Cuichelm, and Crida' perished; and Aethelfrith succeeded to the kingdom of the North-humbrians; 'he was the son of Aethelric, Aethelric of Ida. 1 From B. C. and G. 2 From E. We should apparently read "Cuthwulf;" but both he and Cutha were the brothers of Ceawlin.-P. 3 E. F. and inserted in A. From Beda, I. xxiii. 4 A.D. 591, B. C. E. King of Mercia. So B. C. G. Ceol [ric], by interpolation, A. Ceolric, E. He was king of Wessex. 6 A.D. 592, B. C. E. 7 E. and inserted A.D. 591, in A. To the end of the year from E. A.D. 594, 595. A.D. 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.D. 597. This year Ceolwulf began to reign over the WestSaxons; and he fought and contended incessantly against either the Angles, or the Welsh, or the Picts, or the Scots. 2 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 Frithugar, Frithugar of Brond, Brond of Baeldaeg, Baeldaeg of Woden. This year Augustine and his companions came to the land of the Angles. A.D. 598-600. 3 A.D. 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 Eadwin, king of the North-humbrians, to baptism. A.D. 602. A.D. 603. This year there was a battle at Egesanstane.* A.D. 603. This year Aegthan, king of the Scots, fought against the Dalreods and against Aethelferth, king of the North-humbrians, at Daegsanstane [Dawston ?], and they slew almost all his army. There Theodbald, Aethelferth'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 army thither. 8 A.D. 604. This year the East-Saxons received the faith and baptism under king Saebriht and bishop Mellitus. A.D. 604. 10 This year Augustine consecrated two bishops, Mellitus and Justus. He sent Mellitus to preach baptism to the East-Saxons, whose king was called Saeberht, son of Ricole, the sister of Aethelberht, and whom Aethelberht had there appointed king. And Aethelberht gave Mellitus a bishop's see in London, and to Justus he gave Rochester, which is twenty-four miles from Canterbury. A.D. 605. 13 A.D. 12606. This year pope Gregory died, about 13 ten years after he had sent us baptism; his father was called Gordian, and his mother Silvia. A.D. 607. 15 This year Ceolwulf fought against the South-Saxons. 16 And this year Aethelfrith led his army to Legaceastre [Chester], 1 B. C. E. F. G., and inserted in A. See Beda I. xxiii. 2 This pedigree is not in E. 3 F. * Read "Degsastan" on the authority of Beda, Eccl. Hist. I. xxxiv. This passage is in B. C. G., and originally was in A. 5 E. and inserted in A. There is some confusion here; the Dalreods were Aedan's subjects. 7 E. 8 See the chronology appended to More's copy of Beda's Eccl. Hist. for this 16 E. A.D. 605, and inserted in A. under this year, but on what authority a date is assigned to this event is uncertain. Tigernach it occurred in 613. According to the Cambrian Annals and 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 about fifty escaped thence. A.D. 608-610. A.D. 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.D. 612, 613. A.D. 614. This year Cynegils and Cuichelm fought at Beandun,' and slew two thousand and sixty-five' Welshmen.* A.D. 615. 7 A.D. 616. This year Aethelbyrht, 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 in this same year five thousand eight hundred years were gone by, from the beginning of the world; 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 10 Laurentius, who was archbishop of Kent after Augustine, died, and was buried beside Augustine, "on the 4th of the nones of February [2d 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. 1 B. C. and G. 2 Beamdun, B. C. G. Probably Bampton, near Oxford. 345, B. C.; 46, E. G., and so perhaps A. originally. In F. there is a Latin insertion here, of which the following is a translation:— "In this year, on the 7th of the kalends of June [26th May], the blessed Augustine, who was the apostle of the English, having finished the labour of this miserable life, obtained the society of the angels; to whom in the year of our Lord's incarnation 614 succeeded Laurence, whom, while he was yet young, Augustine himself had consecrated with this purpose, that he might succeed himself in the archbishopric." The Saxon narrative has here been mostly cut off or obliterated. 5 See Beda, Eccl. Hist. II. v. 6 From F. as far as " Eormenric;" the duration of his reign is from E. and F. 7 5616 G. To the end of the year from E. F., and an insertion in A. 9 Beda, II. vi. 10 See Beda, II. vii. 11 This date is not in A. 12 See Beda, II. viii. A.D. 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 church 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. A.D. 617. This year Aethelfrith, king of the North-humbrians. was slain by Reodwald, king of the East-Angles, and Eadwin the son of Aella succeeded to the kingdom, and subdued all Britain, the Kentish-men alone excepted. And he drove out the “ ethelings," sons of Aethelfrith; that is to say, first Eanfrid, Oswald, and Oswiu, Oslac, Oswudu, Oslaf, and Offa. A.D. 618. A.D. 619. This year archbishop Laurentius died. A.D. 624. This year archbishop Mellitus died. A.D. 625. This year Paulinus was ordained bishop of the Northhumbrians by archbishop Justus, on the 12th of the kalends of August [21 July]. A.D. 625. This year archbishop Justus consecrated Paulinus bishop of the North-humbrians. A.D. 626. This year Eanfled, daughter of king Eadwin, was baptized on the holy eve of Pentecost [8th June], and (now) Penda held the kingdom thirty years, and he was fifty years (old) when he succeeded to the kingdom. 'Penda was the son of Pybba, Pybba of Creoda, Creoda of Cynewald, Cynewald of Cnebba, Cnebba of Icel, Icel of Eomaer, Eomaer of Angeltheow, Angeltheow of Offa, Offa of Waermund, Waermund of Wihtlaeg, Wihtlaeg of Woden. 8 A.D. 626. This year Eomer came from Cwichelm king of the WestSaxons, thinking to stab king Eadwin. But he stabbed Lilla his thane, and Forthhere, and wounded the king. And on the same night a daughter was born to Eadwin: she was called Eanfled. Then the king promised Paulinus that he would give his daughter to God, if he would obtain of God that he might kill his foe who had before sent the assassin thither. And he then went with an army against the West-Saxons, and there killed five kings, and slew a great number of the people. And at Pentecost Paulinus baptized his daughter, she being one of twelve. 10And within a twelvemonth the king, and all his nobility, were baptized at Easter; that year Easter fell on the 2d of the ides or April [12th April, A.D. 627]. This was done at York, where he first ordered a church to be built of wood, which was consecrated in the name of St. Peter. There the king gave Paulinus 1 From F. instead of the passage indicated in the text at note 9. 2 See Beda, II. xii. and II. v. The whole of this year is from E. 3 From F. See Beda, II. vii. 5 The date is from E. F. See Beda, II. xiv. 7 This pedigree is from B. C. and G. 9 See Beda, Eccl. Hist. § 114, note 2. E. F. Beda, ibid. 6 E. F. 8 E. 10 Ibid. II. xiv. 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 about fifty escaped thence. A.D. 608-610. A.D. 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.D. 612, 613. A.D. 614. This year Cynegils and Cuichelm fought at Beandun,' and slew two thousand and sixty-five Welshmen.* A.D. 615. 3 A.D. 616. This year Aethelbyrht, 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 in this same year five thousand eight hundred years' were gone by, from the beginning of the world; 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 10 Laurentius, who was archbishop of Kent after Augustine, died, and was buried beside Augustine, "on the 4th of the nones of February [2d 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. 1 B. C. and G. 2 Beamdun, B. C. G. Probably Bampton, near Oxford. 345, B. C.; 46, E. G., and so perhaps A. originally. In F. there is a Latin insertion here, of which the following is a translation :— "In this year, on the 7th of the kalends of June [26th May], the blessed Augustine, who was the apostle of the English, having finished the labour of this miserable life, obtained the society of the angels; to whom in the year of our Lord's incarnation 614 succeeded Laurence, whom, while he was yet young, Augustine himself had consecrated with this purpose, that he might succeed himself in the archbishopric." The Saxon narrative has here been mostly cut off or obliterated. 5 See Beda, Eccl. Hist. II. v. From F. as far as "Eormenric;" the duration of his reign is from E. and F. 7 5616 G. 8 To the end of the year from E. F., and an insertion in A. 9 Beda, II. vi. 10 See Beda, II. vii. 11 This date is not in A. 12 See Beda, II. viii. |