179 which he boasted nothing could resist, and assumed the government of both kingdoms; and he afterwards received the submission of all the nations and provinces of Britain. At that time the nation of the West Saxons, Cinegils being their king, embraced Christianity, the word of God being preached to them by bishop Birin. Saint Wilfrid was born.

A.D. 635. King Oswald sent to the elders of the Scots, requesting that they would send bishops to him. Bishop Aidan was sent ; by whom, and the said most renowned and holy king Oswald, the church of Christ was first founded and established in the province of Bernicia. By means of the preaching of Birin (who was sent into England for that purpose by pope Honorius) in the WestSaxon province, king Cinegils and all his people became believers : the most victorious king Oswald was his sponsor at the baptismal font. From those kings the said bishop received the city of Dorcic [Dorchester] for the purpose of making it an episcopal see.

A.D. 636. Sigebert, brother of Eorpwald, king of the East Angles, a man in all respects most christian and most learned, soon after he began to reign, was careful to make his whole province participate in the faith and sacraments. Bishop Felix, a Burgundian, who had become very intimate with Sigebert, king of the East Angles, while he was an exile in Gaul, and had come over to England with him after the death of Eorpwald, and was made bishop of the East Angles, encouraged his designs, and brought the province over to the faith of Christ; and receiving an episcopal see in the city of Dummoc [Dunwich], presided for a long time over that race.

At that time there came from Ireland to the province of the East Angles a most holy man named Fursey, who, being honourably entertained by the aforesaid king, preached there the word of life, and turned many unbelievers to Christ; and he afterwards built a splendid monastery.

Meanwhile, the king, having abandoned the cares of state to his kinsman Egric, retired to the monastery which he had prepared for himself, and receiving the tonsure, was for a long time a devout soldier of the eternal King. But when Penda, the pagan king of Mercia, marched to battle against the East Angles, he was most reluctantly drawn out of the monastery, and against his will led to the engagement, where, with a staff in his hands, he was slain, as was also king Egric. They were succeeded in the kingdom by Anna, the son of Eni. Quichelm, the son of king Cinegils, was baptized by bishop Birin, in the city of Dorcic [Dorchester], and died in the same year.

A.D. 637, 638.

A.D. 639. Bishop Birin baptized Cuthred, the son of king Cuichelm, in the city of Dorcic [Dorchester], and stood sponsor for him at the font of regeneration.

A.D. 640. Eadbald, king of Kent, departed this life in the twenty-fifth year of his reign, leaving his kingdom to his son Erconbert. He was the first of the English kings who ordered the idols to be abandoned and destroyed throughout his kingdom, and the fast of Lent to be observed. His daughter Ercongota,

by his queen, Saint Sexburg, was a virgin of pre-eminent

virtue.

A.D. 641.

A.D. 642. The most Christian king Oswald, nephew' of king Edwin, and son of king Aethelfrith, was slain in the thirty-eighth year of his age, and the ninth of his reign, by Penda, the pagan king of Mercia, in a severe battle fought at a place called Maserfeld: he was humble and courteous, and generous to strangers and the poor. A.D. 643. His brother Osuiu, a young man about thirty years of age, succeeded to his kingdom shortly afterwards, and by dint of great exertion, retained it for twenty-eight years. In the same year, Cenwalch, son of king Cinegils, assumed the government of the West-Saxon kingdom, and retained it for thirty-one years. He built the cathedral church at Winchester.

A.D. 644. On the 6th of the ides of October [10th Oct.], Paulinus, who had been formerly bishop of York, but was then bishop of Rochester, died, having held the bishopric eighteen years, two months, and twenty-one days. Ithamar was ordained in his place by archbishop Honorius, the successor of Justus.

A.D. 645. Cenwalch, king of the West Saxons, being attacked and dethroned by Penda, king of the Mercians, for having repudiated his wife, who was Penda's sister, fled to Anna, king of the East Angles. In this year, too, king Oswine, son of Osric, who was Edwin's cousin, began to reign in the province of Deira, and he reigned seven years. He was of a handsome countenance, and tall, pleasant of speech, courteous in his manners, openhanded to all; as a king most humble, and beloved of all men.

A.D. 646. King Cenwalch was baptized by bishop Felix in East Anglia.

A.D. 647. Felix, the first bishop of the East Angles, died. His deacon, Thomas, was ordained in his stead, by archbishop Honorius. On the death of Thomas, in the fifth year of his bishopric, his place was filled by Boniface.

A.D. 648. King Cenwalch returned from East Anglia to West Saxony, and in the same year made a grant of a large portion of his territory to his nephew, Cuthred, son of king Cuichelm. A.D. 649.

A.D. 650. Aegelberht, a Gaul by birth, was on the death of Birin made bishop of the West-Saxon province by king Cenwalch, and he presided over it as bishop for many years.

A.D. 651. Saint Cuthbert entered the monastery of Mailrose, being received by the most holy man Eata, abbot of that church. On the 13th of the kalends of September [20th Aug.], in the seventh year of his reign, Oswine, king of Deira, a man of the deepest humility and great piety, having been betrayed by earl Hunwald, whom he had considered a trustworthy friend, was slain in a detestable manner by order of king Osuiu, and by the hands of his ealdorman Aethelwin. He was succeeded by Aethelwald, son of king Oswald. After Oswiu's death, and on the 2d of the kalends of September [31st Aug.], bishop Aidan died. Cuthbert, an 1 See the genealogy of the Northumbrian kings.

ingenuous youth, saw his spirit borne to heaven by angels. Finan, who was ordained and sent by the Scots, was made bishop in his stead.

A.D. 652.

A.D. 653. In the twenty-fifth year of his age, Benedict, surnamed Biscop, an Englishman of noble birth, and minister of king Oswiu, leaving his home, his kindred, his possessions, and his native country, went to Rome and returned full of learning. Honorius, archbishop of Canterbury, died on the 2d of the kalends of Oct. [30th Sept.] A year and six months afterwards, Deusdedit, the sixth from Augustine, succeeded him in the archbishopric, being ordained thereto by Ithamar, bishop of Rochester, on the 7th of the kalends of April [26th March], and ruled over the church for nine years, four months, and two days. The Midland Angles, under their prince Peada, son of Penda, king of the Mercians, received the faith and sacraments of Christ; the prince himself first of all, with his attendants who had come with him, being baptized by bishop Finan, in Northumbria, in the presence of king Oswiu. Afterwards, on his return home, the rest of his people were baptized by Cedd, Adda, Betti, and Diuma, four priests whom he had brought with him from that province. At that time, Sigebert, king of the East Saxons, successor of Sebert, surnamed the Little, was baptized by Finan, bishop of the Northumbrians, having been converted to Christianity by the arguments of king Oswiu, while on a visit to him in the province of Bernicia. On his departure home, king Oswi sent with him that man of God, Cedd, the priest, to preach the word to the East Saxons. There he gathered together a large church to the Lord. Afterwards, on the suggestion of bishop Finan, he went home and was ordained bishop by him, and then returned to the province [of the East Saxons], and carried out with more ample authority the work which he had begun. Once when he was on a visit to the Northumbrian province for the purpose of preaching, Aethelwald, king of Deira, son of king Oswald, requested him to accept a grant of land for the purpose of building a monastery. In accordance with the king's wish, he chose a site for a monastery in a place now called Leastingaig, and when it was built he furnished it with religious institutions. In the meantime, king Sigebert, at the instigation of the enemy of all good men, was slain by his own kindred; the reason given being that he was too much in the habit of sparing his enemies, and ready on their own petition easily to forgive their offences. He was succeeded by Suithelm, the son of Sexbald.

A.D. 654. Anna, king of the East Angles, was slain by king Penda, and was succeeded by his brother Aethelhere. St. Botulph built a monastery at a place called Ikanho.

A.D. 655. Penda, the perfidious king of Mercia, the slayer of Sigebert, Egric, and Anna, kings of the East Angles, and also of Edwin and Oswald, kings of the Northumbrians, invaded Bernicia at the head of thirty legions, commanded by as many noblemen, for the purpose of crushing king Oswiu. With only one legion, but

trusting in Christ as their leader, Oswiu and his son Alhfrid met them at a place called Winwidfeld. The battle commenced, and the pagans were routed and cut to pieces, and nearly all the thirty auxiliary chiefs were slain: among these was Aethelhere, brother and successor of Anna, king of the East Angles, who was the mover of the war his brother Aethelwald succeeded to the kingdom. King Oswiu having obtained the victory, made an offering to God of endowments for building twelve monasteries, and also of his daughter Aelfleda, devoting her to perpetual virginity. She entered the monastery of Heortesig, whereof Hild was then abbess. King Oswiu fought this battle in the district of Loidis, on the 17th of the kalends of December [15th Nov.], in the thirteenth year of his reign, and he converted the Mercians to Christianity. In his reign Diuma, whom we have mentioned before, was made first bishop of the province of Mercia, and of the Lindisfaras and the Middle Angles; the second was Ceollach, a Scot. Oswiu reigned three years over this nation [the Mercians], and the other people of the southern provinces. He brought the Picts under the dominion of the Angles, and gave the kingdom of the southern Mercians to his kinsman, Peada, the son of king Penda.

A.D. 656. At the feast of Easter, king Peada was foully slain by the treacherous connivance of his wife.

A.D. 657.

A.D. 658. Cenwalch, king of the West Saxons, fought against the Britons, at Peonn, and drove them defeated as far as Pedrida [the Parret]. The blessed abbess Hild began to build a monastery at a place called Streoneshalh [Whitby]: the daughter of king Oswiu was a nun there, and afterwards became superior thereof. Her mother, queen Eanfleda, built a monastery known as In Getling, on the spot where king Oswine, the son of her cousin king Osric's father, was unrighteously slain, and made the godly Trumhere, who was a relative of the deceased king, abbot thereof.

A.D. 659. Immin, Eaba, and Eadberht, ealdormen of the Mercians, rebelled against king Oswiu, setting up as king Wulfer, the son of Penda, a youth whom they had kept in concealment ; and so together with their king they joyfully became servants of Christ. This king's first bishop was the aforesaid Trumhere, the second was Jarumann, the third was Cedd, and the fourth Winfrid.

A.D. 660. King Cenwalch divided the West-Saxon province into two dioceses, and gave the city of Winchester as bishop Wina's episcopal see. Bishop Agelbert was grievously offended at this, and retiring into Gaul, was made bishop of Paris. King Egfrid, son of king Oswiu, married Atheldritha, daughter of Anna, king of the East Angles.

A.D. 661. Cuthred, son of king Cuichelm, and grandson of king Cinegils, and also nephew of the kings Cenwalch, and Centuuin, and the under-king Cenbriht, who was the great grandson of king Ceaulin, and father of king Ceadwala, died. Wulfer, king of the Mercians, laid waste Ascesdun, and afterwards took the Isle of Wight. The latter he gave to his godson Aethelwold,

king of the South Saxons, and also the province of the Mavori [Meanvara] in the nation of the West Saxons. Finan, bishop of the Northumbrians, died, and was succeeded by Colmann, who was also sent from Ireland.

A.D. 662, 663.

A.D. 664. In the thirtieth year from the foundation of the Scotch bishoprics which existed in the Northumbrian province, and in the twenty-second year of the reign of king Oswiu, a controversy having arisen in that province concerning Easter, and the tonsure, and other ecclesiastical affairs, it was arranged that a synod should be held in the monastery of Streoneshealh, of which Hild was then the abbess. The following persons came to the synod:-King Oswiu and his son Alhfrid, who succeeded king Aethelwald, the son of king Oswald, bishop Colman and his clerks, Agelbert, bishop of the West Saxons, with the elders Agatho and Wilfrid, Cedda, bishop of the East Saxons, and the abbess Hild with her attendants. The debate between them was long, but at last all, both high and low, renounced the less accurate observances of the Scots, and hastened to conform themselves to what they had ascertained to be better. The dispute being ended, and the differences being determined, Agelbert returned home, and Cedda, forsaking the observances of the Scots, returned to his see. Colman, whom all the orthodox considered as vanquished, returned to Scotland to his own people. On his departure homewards, Tuda was made bishop of the Northumbrians in his place, but he held the office only for a short time. Eata, a most reverend man, abbot of the monastery of Mailrose, and who at the request of king Alhfrid had founded the monastery of Ripon, was made abbot of the brethren of Lindisfarn, and removed the blessed Cuthbert from the monastery of Mailrose to the island of Lindisfarn. In this year, about the tenth hour of the third day of May, occurred an eclipse of the sun. A sudden pestilence followed, which snatched from the world Tuda, the priest of the Lord. King Alhfrid, with the advice and consent of his father, king Oswiu, sent the venerable presbyter Wilfrid, abbot of the monastery of Ripon, to the king of France, requesting that he might be ordained a bishop, he being at that time about thirty years of age. But the king sent him to be ordained by Agelbert, who had left Britain and been made bishop of Paris; and Agelbert and eleven other bishops met together for the purpose of consecrating him a bishop, and performed the ceremony with great honour. Deusdedit, sixth archbishop, counting from Augustine, died on the second of the ides of July [14th July]. Erconbert, king of Kent, died on the same day of the same year, leaving the kingdom to his son Egbert. The holy Ceadda, brother of the holy bishop Cedda, and abbot of the monastery of Leastingaeig, was by command of king Oswiu consecrated bishop of York by Wine, bishop of Winchester, Wilfrid being still absent beyond sea. On the fifth of the ides of October [11th Oct.], Athelburg, the God-beloved mother of the monastery of Bercing, subsequently first abbess of the same place, was

1 This date does not occur in Beda.