The chronicle of Iohn Hardyng. Containing an account of public transactions from the earliest period of English history to the beginning of the reign of King Edward the Fourth. Together with the continuation by Richard Grafton, to the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth. The former part collated with two manuscripts of the author's own time; the last, with Grafton's duplicate edition. To which are added a biographical and literary preface, and an index, by Henry Ellis.

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Title
The chronicle of Iohn Hardyng. Containing an account of public transactions from the earliest period of English history to the beginning of the reign of King Edward the Fourth. Together with the continuation by Richard Grafton, to the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth. The former part collated with two manuscripts of the author's own time; the last, with Grafton's duplicate edition. To which are added a biographical and literary preface, and an index, by Henry Ellis.
Author
Hardyng, John, 1378-1465?
Publication
London,: Printed for F. C. and J. Rivington [etc.]
1812.
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Subject terms
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485
Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/CME00023
Cite this Item
"The chronicle of Iohn Hardyng. Containing an account of public transactions from the earliest period of English history to the beginning of the reign of King Edward the Fourth. Together with the continuation by Richard Grafton, to the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth. The former part collated with two manuscripts of the author's own time; the last, with Grafton's duplicate edition. To which are added a biographical and literary preface, and an index, by Henry Ellis." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/CME00023. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 19, 2025.

Pages

The. lxxxviii. Chapiter.

¶ Ethelbert kyng of Saxons.

WHils Ethelberte was reignyng kyng of Kēt, Sainct Austin, sēt by Gregory [of R. [Rome. edit. alt.] bisshop,] [the pope.] Landed in Tenet with clerkes of his assēt [intent.] , [And many] [Of holy.] monkes, to teache the faith I hope, [Fol. lxxxiii.] That clothed were echeone vnder [a] blacke cope; Whiche in procession with crosse and belles came, The latinies [latenye.] syngyng [syngynge deuoutely.] in [Iesus his] [Ihesu.] name.
¶ In the yere of Christ his incarnacion Fiue hundreth foure score and sixtene, Kyng Ethelbert [had in] [and.] his dominacion All Kent throughout, with greate ioy, as was seen, Were [He.] baptized then in holy water clene;

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To whome Gregory [the pope.] sent Mellito [Mellite.] and Iusto, With other clerkes and doctours many mo.
¶ Gregory [the pope.] hym made archebishop of Caūterbury, Of all Englande hiest [the hieste.] then primate, And had the paule [palle.] with hyest legacye By Gregorye sent to hym and ordinate. Fro London then, thus was that tyme translate, To Caunterbury, the sea [cee.] metropolitan, And London sette as for his suffrigan.
¶ Saynt Augustyne [Austyn.] then, wt helpe of Ethelbert, Saynt Augustyns [Austyns.] made, & Christes churche [Crichurche than.] also, That Chriestes churche hight, as it was aduerte, And sacred so by hym and halowed tho, For the chiefe sea [cee.] metropolitan so Of all Englande, by Gregory ordinate, And saynt Augustyne [Austyn.] of all Englande primate.
¶ Then Augustyne [Austyn.] made Peter, a clerke deuoute, Of saynt Augustynes [Austyns.] thabbot religious; And made Mellito [Mellite.] , as Bede clerly hath note, Of London then byshoppe full vertuous, A clarke that was then beneuolus; Who then conuerted [conuerte.] of Essex the kyng Sebert, And all his lande baptized with holy herte.
¶ Kyng Ethelbert sainct Poules edefied, And kyng Sebert Westminster founded, Mellito [Mellite.] theim both halowed and edefied [deified.] . Austyn then made clerke full wel grounded Iusto [Iustus.] that hight, of Rochester [full] well bounded The bishop then, to preache and helpe Austyn, And to baptise the folke by his doctrine.
¶ Saint Austyn set ful nere [nygh.] to Walis his seane, That prelates all, bishops and doctours wise, Of Brytons bloodde, thither might well atteine, To make all rest and loue in humble wise, Through all ye churche and lande, by good auice;

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To whiche sean came tharchbishop [archbishopes.] of Brytain, And bishops fiue, with doctours wise certain:
¶ In [To.] whiche Austyn syttyng as president, Archbishop, and also [eke.] the high primate, Required and prayed, with all his whole entent, As he that was of England high prelate By Gregory [pope Gregorie.] sacred and ordinate, Of fraterne loue and due obedience, To helpe hym furth with all their diligence.
¶ To [For to.] conuerte and to teache the Saxons all, The Englishe also, in Christen feith and trewe, And baptize theim; through Brytain, ouer [than ouer.] all, The pasche to kepe, as Roome did then full dewe: To whiche Brytons aunswered, yt they not [ne.] knewe That he had suche estate in all Britayn, [Fol. lxxxiiii.] For they had three archebyshops to obeyn;
¶ Of Cairlyon, London and Yorke citee, By byshops of Rome graūted to vs & ordinate, Full long afore ye had suche dignitee, Wherfore we will obeye no newe primate, And specially none Englyshe newe prelate: For Englyshemen and Saxons haue vs noyed, And [haue our lande] [hath oure londes.] and all our kyn [londe.] destroyed.
¶ And Pasche we wyll holde forth as we afore, And holy fathers vnto this daye haue vsed, We wyll not chaunge for youre doctrine ne lore, There shall no newe emong vs been abused, As saynt Iohn did we haue it not refused, That on Christes bozome [breste.] saw his great priuetees, So will we vse, and none other solempnitees.
¶ S. Austyne saied, sith ye nowe thus forsake The seed of God to sowe, by your doctryne, The Christen fayth for to encrease and make; By ryghtfull dome of God ye muste enclyne Vnder theyr handes that fro the fayth declyne,

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The cruel death to suffer for hie vengeaunce, Sith ye refuse Christes wyll and ordinaunce.
¶ This tyme eche kyng warred on others lande, Of seuen kynges of Saxones nacion, And of Englyshe with Peightes [Vectes.] I vnderstand, And Britons also [als.] did great aduersacion; But Ethelfryde of Englyshe gouernacion [generation.] , Of Northumberlande kyng, and panyme [paien.] cruell, Fought with Aydan the kyng of Scottes fell.
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