¶ De episcopis Mertio{rum}. Wilhelmus.
HEre take hede y• as the kyngdome of Mercia was alway gretest for the tyme / so it was deled in moo bysshop tyches / and specyally by grete herte by kynge Offa / whiche was .xl. yere kyng of Mercia / he chaūged y• a••chebysshops see fro Caunterbury to Lythfelde by as∣s••••t of Adryan the pept. Than th•• pro∣〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Mercia and of Linde••••at in the first begynnynge of theyr 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in kynge wulfrans tyme had one bys∣shop of Lychfelde / the fyrst bysshop that was there hyght Dwyn•• / the seconde hight Celath / & were bothe Scottes / af¦ter them y• thyrde Trumphere / y• fourth Iarmuanus / the fyfth Chedde. But in Edelfredes tyme that was Wulfrans broder whan Chedde was deed / Theo∣dorus the archebysshop ordeyned there wynfrede Cheddes deken. Neuertheles apud Hyndon after that for he was vn∣buxom in some poynt / he ordeyned there Sexwulf abbot of Medamstede that is named Burgh. But after Sex wulfes fourth yere / Th〈…〉〈…〉us y• archbysshop ordeyned .v. bysshops in the prouynce of Mercia / & so he ordeyned Bosell at Wor∣cestre / Cudwyn at Lychfelde / y• foresayd Sexwulfe at ••hestre / Edelwyn at Lyn¦desey at the cite Sidenia: & he to•••• EWord•• m••nke of the abbey of Hylde a•• whythy and made hym bysshop of Dorchestre ••e syde Oxford. tho hyght this Dorch estre Dorkynge / & sh y• sce of y• longed to west∣saxon / in saynt Birynes tyme longed to Mercia frō Th••••••orus y• archebisshops tyme Ethelred kynge of Mercia had de∣stroyed kent / this bysshop Sex••wulfe toke Pirtas bysshop of Rochestre y• came out of Kent & made hym fyrst bysshop of Herford. At y• last whan Sexwulfe was deed Hedda was bisshop of Lychfelde af¦ter h〈…〉〈…〉 wylfred flemed out of Northū∣berlōd was bisshop of Chestre / neuerthe ••es after two yere Alfred kȳg of North•• berloude dyed & wylfred turued agayne to his owne see Hagustalden / & so Hedda helde bothe y• bysshopriches of Lichfelde & Ehestre. After h•• came Albyn y• hyght wor••lso / & after ••ȳ came thre bysshops. Tortant Chestre / witta at Lychfelde / & Eata was yet at dorchestre. A•••• his ••eth bisshops of Lyndsey held his see .ccc. ••••iij yere vnto ••emigi{us} chaūged y• see to Lyn¦coln by leue of y• fyrst king william. But