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Lla, the firft King of the South-Saxons, in the Twenty Third Year of Hengif's Reign, brought a fresh Supply of Germans to the Relief of his Country-men; who, landing at Shorebam in Suffex, vanquished the Britains in thofe Parts, after which he affumed the Name of King of that Province.

A. D. 485.

C

Herdick, the first King of the Weft Saxons, arrived in the 4 eftern Parts of this lfland, in the Seventh Year of Ella's Reign; where in his firft Battle with the Britains he flew a mighty King of theirs, named Natonleord, or NazaLead,** This Battle was fought in Hampshire, near unto a Brook of Water, which from Cherdick, began to be called Cherdickford, where now a Town of the fame Name flandeth; but by Contraction called Cherford.

Enrick, 2d King of the

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A. D.

562. Elbert, the 5th King of

was married to Berta, the Daughter of Chilperick, King of France, on thefe Conditi ons, That the Lady fhould enjoy the Profeffion of her Chriftian Faith, and the Converfation of Luidhard, her learned Bishop. About this time it chanced that Gregory the Great, then Arch-Deacon of Rome, faw certain Youths of this Ifland of Britain, brought to Rome to be fold, concerning whom he enquired, firft, of what Nation they were; ** Vodiand being answered they were An-nus and gles, Gregory replied, And not with-Theodoout Caufe are they fo named, their rus, A. B. Refemblance is fo Angelical; and of Lond. fit it is that they be made Inheritors with the Angels in Heaven. But of what Province are they in Britain, faid he? And being an

KWeft-Saxons, enlarged his fwered, of Deira; now great Pity

Confines upon the Territories of the
Britains, giving them two great
Overthrows, the one at Scarbury in
Wiltshire, the other at Banbury in
Oxfordshire.

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it is, faid he, but that thefe People
should be taken from Deira, the
Wrath of God. And being told
that their King's Name was Ella, he
by way of Allufion, faid, That Al-
lelujah to the Praife of God fhould
fhortly be faid in that Prince's Do-
minions: To which End, when he
had attained to be Bishop of Rome, Auguftine
he fent Augustine, a Monk, with the Monk,
forty others, his Affiftants, which A. B. of
landed in Thanet, about An. Dom. Canter-
596, finding at their coming feven bury..
Bishops

}

Angli! imo AngeliSunt

Bishops in the British Churches. Thefe Roman Chriftians, fent by Gregory, were by King Ethelbert freely permitted to preach the Gofpel, and in his chief City of Canterbury he allowed them fit Places of Refidence, and to Auguftine refigned his own Palace. In this City Austin laid the Foundation of that great, Church dedicated to the Name and Service of Chrilt. And alfo at his Coft built a moft fair Monaftery, wherein eight Kings of Kent, and ten Archbishops, were afterwards interred. But between the Britain Christians and Austin there was a great Difference about the due Time for celebrating the Feast of Eafter. Eafter was kept in Britain after the manner of the Eaftern Church, on the fourteenth Day of the Full Moon, whatsoever Day of the Week it happened on, and not on Sunday, as we at this Day obferve it; which made

own

Auguftine in great Displeasure againft them, and they to dislike him for his Pride. The British Bishops were confecrated by their Archbishops, and they by their own Suffragans, making no Profeflion of Subjection to any other Church. And when Augufine the Monk required of the British Bishops to profefs Subjection to the See of Rome, Dinothus, Abbot of Bangor, made it appear by divers Arguments, that they owed him none; nor did they follow the Rites of Rome. But King Ethelbert, being by Augufline converted to the Chriftian Faith, was the Inftrument of converting Sebert, King of the Eaft-Saxons, whom he affifted in the building of St. Paul's, where had stood the Temple of Diana, as alfo the Church of St. Peter's at Westminster, then called Thorney, where the Temple of Apollo ftood; and himself built the

Cathe

Cathedral Church at Rochefter, dedicating it to St. Andrew. He brought the Laws of his Country into their own Mother Tongue, and was very forward in advancing the Chriftian Religion. He died in or near A. D. 616, and was buried at Canterbury. Auguftine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, died during the Reign of Ethelbert, and was buried in the Northern Porch of the new Church in Canterbury, dedicated to St. Peter and Paul, and Laurentius fucceeded him in that Bishoprick.

A. D.

fed without Danger or Damage o- 633.
ver all the Ifland, from Sea to Sea.
And for the Conveniency of way-fa-
ring Men, he inclofed clear Springs
by the Way-fides, where he placed
great Bafons of Brafs, both to wash
and bathe in. But Penda the Mer-
cian King, and Cadwallo the Britain,
confederated againfl him, and in
Fight flew him and his Son Osfryd.
His Body was buried at Streanfhall,
now called Whitby.

A. D.

633:

Sald, the 5th King of

Deira, the 9th of Berni

cia, and 3d of Northumberland, ha

624. R Edwald, third King of ving received the Chriftian Faith

Eaft-Angles, was bap

tized in Kent, but returning into his own Country, thro' the Perfuafions of his Queen, he returned to his Superftitions, and in one and the fame Temple erected an Altar for the Service of Chrift, and another for his Idols.

A. D.

E

Davin the Great, and 2d 636. King of Northumberland, fubdued all the Coafts of Britainy, wherefoever any Provinces were inhabited either by Britains or Saxens; which thing no King of the English before him had done. And added the Mevian lles, or Hebrides, unto his own Dominions. He was converted to the Chriftian Faith by Paulinus, and baptized at York in St. Peter's Church, then built of Wood, which he rebuilt of Stone, making it the Cathedral Church; and Paulinus Archbishop Church of of that See. He fupLincoln, preffed Idolatry, eftablifounded by thed the Gofpel in the Bp. Pau- Northern Parts, which linus. daily fpread into other Provinces, and with fuch Fruit of Peace, that throughout his Dominions, a weak Woman with her new-born Babe might have paf

in Scotland, during his Banifhment there; at his Return took fuch Care for the Salvation of his Subjects, that he fent into Scotland for Aidan, a Chriftian Bishop, to inftruct his Northumbrians in the Gofpel of Truth. And because the Bishop could not fpeak their Language, the King himself would interpret his Sermons to the People. Which godly Undertaking of the good King and Bifhop was fo fuccefsful, that, as it is reported, in feven Days fpace, Fifteen thoufand received Baptifm. At this time the whole Ifland flourified with Peace and Plenty, and acknowledged their Subjection to Ofwald. But Penda King of Mercia envying his flourishing Eftate, flew him in Battle, at a Place called Maferfield in Shropshire, and then tore his Body in Piece-meal. upon the faid Place of his Death is called to this Day Ofwald's Tree, or Of weftry. His difmembred Limbs were buried in the Monastery of Bradrey in Lincolnshire, afterwards removed to Gloucester, and buried in the North-fide of the upper End of the Choir, in the Cathedral Church.

Where

King Ofwald being at Dinner on Eafter-Day, one brought him word, that there was a great Company of

Door

690. poor People in the Streets, which asked Alms of him.; whereupon he commanded the Meat prepared for his own Table to be carried to them, and brake a Silver Platter to Pieces, and fent it amongst them. HonoriIn the Year of Chrift 636, Honous and rius, Archbishop of Canterbury, firft Deus De- divided England into Parishes. Nordit, A. B. thumberland was fometimes parted of Canter-into two Kingdoms, namely, Deira, and Bernicia.

bury.

A. D.

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E

Theldred, becaufe of his Nephew

Kenrid's Minority, and Difpofition to a private Life, was accepted of the Mercians for their King. His Entrance was with War againft the Kentish King Lothair, whofe Country he miferably destroyed, fparing neither religious nor fecular Place. But at length difquieted

4.43.0 of in because of his Cruelties,

Northumberland, flew Penda in Fight, with the Discomfiture of all his Mercian Power; and in the fame Battle flew Ethelbert, King of the Eaft-Angles, who fided with Penda; after which Victory he fubdued the Mercians, and made the Northern Part alfo wholly fubject unto him. He founded the Cathedral Church in Litchfield for a Bi fhop's See, died in A. D. 670, and was buried in St. Peter's Church in Streanfball.

to expiate his Crimes, he first built a goodly Monaftery at Beadney in Lincolnshire, then refign'd the Crown to Kenrid, became there a Monk himself, living there a regular Life the Term of twelve Years, and died Abbot of the Place, A. D. 716. In the 4th Year of his Reign, a fearful blazing Star difcovered it self, and for three Months together continued rifing in the Morning, and giving forth a blazing Pile, very high, and of a glittering Flame.

Ulfbere, the 6th King of KEared, the 8th King Tarninus

the

of Mercia, reign- Noed in Peace the Term of thelmus, four Years; but affecting A. B. of a private retired Life, Cant. he appointed Chelred his Coufin to rule in his Stead, and accompanied with Offa, King of the Eaft Saxons, and Edwin, Bishop of Winchester, he went unto Rome, where himself and Offa became Monks, and there died."

A. D.TUlfhere, 668. two Sons Vulfald and Rufin, becaufe they ufually reforted to Reverend Chad for the Profit of their Souls, and had received at his Hands the Sacrament of Baptifm. Their martyr'd Bodies Queen Erminhild their Mother caufed to be buried in a Sepulchre of Stone, and thereupon a fair Church to be erected, which, by reason of the many Stones brought thither for the Foundation, was ever after called Stones; and is now A. D. Theodo- a fair Market Town in Staffordshire. and But Vulfhere repenting his moft inBertual- humane Murther, and becoming a dus, A. P. Chriftian, converted his Heathen of Canter- Temples into Churches and Monabury. fteries, and finished Medifham, now Peterborough (his Brother Puda's Foundation) inriching it largely

rus

C

Helred, the 9th King of the Mercians, was all along, during his feven Years Reign, engaged in Wars against Inas, King of the Weft Saxons. Which Inas being in Pilgrimage at Rome, in A. D. 722, gave a Tribute to Rome, called Peter-Pence, being a Penny for every Houfe. At first it was the

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Wells, and a ftately Abby at Glaftenbury, where formerly the old Cell of Jofeph of Arimathea had been. He alfo built a Caftle at Taunton. King Chelred died A. D. 716, and was buried in the Cathedral Church at Litchfield.

Cuthbert and Brog. mius, A. B. of Canterbu

Mercians, fpent the moft Part of his Reign in Peace, and too much thereof in Luxury; for the which he was reproved by Boniface (an English Man) Bishop of Mentx: whofe Epiftle redargutory had this Influence upon the King, that in Sign of Repentance, he privileged the Church from all Tributes to himself, and founded the Abby of Crowland. About which Time it was appointed by Archbishop Cuthbert and his Clergy, in a Convocation held in his Province (the King being prefent at the fame Council with his Princes and Dukes) that the facred Scriptures fhould be read in their Monafteries, and the Lord's Prayer and Creed taught in the English Torgue. A. D. 733. In January the Sun fuffered fo great an Eclipfe, that the Earth feemed to be over fhadowed as with Sackcloth. And A. D. 756, in December, the Moon being in her Full, appeared both dark and bloody, for a Star (tho' there be none lower than the Moon) feemed to follow her, and to deprive her of Light, till it had got before her. But great Ethel bald fighting againft Cutbred, the Weft Saxon, was traiteroufly flain by the Procurement of one of his own Captains, near Tamworth, and was buried at Repton in Derbyshire.

ry.

758. the as is was born both lame, deaf, and blind, continuing fo unto his Man's Eftate. He was of fuck a ftout and daring Spirit, that he thought nothing impoffible for him to attain unto. The firft that felt his Fury were the Kentish Men, whofe King Alrick he flew in Fight with his

he then marched, and beyond Humber made havock of all that opposed him. Whence returning in Triumph, he vanquish'd Kenwolph and his Weft Saxons, with whom Marmadius, King of the Britains, fided. He caufed a great Ditch to be made between his and the Britains Borders, that is, from Bafingwark in Flintbire, and North-Wales, not far from the Mouth of Dee, running along the Mountains into the South, ending near Bristol at the Fall of Wye. The Tract, whereof in many Places is yet feen, being called Clawidh Offa, or Offa's Ditch. The Danes that had invaded England, he forced back to their Ships, with the Lofs of all their Booty, and many of their Lives. Then making his Son Egfryd Partner with him in the Kingdom, he went to Rome, where he made his Kingdom fubject to a Tribute, called Peter-Pence, and gave rich Gifts to Pope Hadrian for canonizing Alban a Saint; in Honour of whom, at his Return, he built a magnificent Monaftery overagainst Verolamium. Alfo in Testimony of his Repentance for the Blood he had fhed in the Wars, he gave the tenth Part of his Goods unto the Churchmen and Poor. At Bath he built a Monaftery, and in Warwickshire a Church, where the adjoining Town from it and him beareth the Name Offchurch. He died at Offley in A. D. 794, and was buried without the Town of Bedford,

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