Fabyans cronycle newly prynted, wyth the cronycle, actes, and dedes done in the tyme of the reygne of the moste excellent prynce kynge Henry the vii. father vnto our most drad souerayne lord kynge Henry the .viii. To whom be all honour, reuere[n]ce, and ioyfull contynaunce of his prosperous reygne, to the pleasure of god and weale of this his realme amen

THE FYFT PARTE. (Book 5)

THE .LXXVI. CHAPITER.

HEre accordynge to the promyse made by me in y^e begynnynge of thys worke: I shall brynge in & shewe vnto you the begynnynge of the reygne of y^e kinges of Fraūce / and set them in suche a direct order, that it shalbe apparant to the reder, that it shalbe certaynly knowē what kyng reygned in Fraūce whan such a kyng reygned in Englande. And also I shall somdele touche the actes and dedys of the sayde kynges of Fraunce / so y^t the cronycles of bothe realmes shall in this worke appere, and the names of the prynces which at ones reygned in Englande and in Fraunce.

Then for the perfourmaūce of the same, fyrste is to be noted, that after the subuercyon of Troye by the Gre¦kes (as in y^e begynnyng of this work is shewyd) dyuers Troyans beyng vnder the rule of nobles of the same lygnage, as Helenus sonne of Prya∣mus, Eneas, Anthenorus, & other / serchyd y^e worlde & landyd in dyuers coūtrees. As Helen{us} in Grece or Gre¦cia / Eneas in Italia or Italy / & so of other amōg. The whych nobles one named Turchus, & an other named Franco cosyn Germayns / as Tur∣chus the sonne of Troylus, & Frāco or Francio the sonne of Ector / which sayd two cosyns serchyng theyr ad∣uenture: after many & dyuers daun¦gers & ieopardyes passyd by the see, lastly landed in a coūtre called Tra∣cea or Tracia in Grece. And there wyth theyr cōpany enhabyted them nere vnto a ryuer called Dion. And after they hadde contynued there a season of tyme: Turchus departed wyth a certayne of Troyans frō hys sayd cosyn Francio / and sayled after into a countre called Faso the lesse. where he wyth hys people dwelled longe tyme. whyche Faso shulde be in the countre of Sithia. Of thys Turchus dyscendyd as sayth y^e Frē∣che cronycle .iiii. maner of people. That is to saye, Austrogothis, Ipo¦gothis, wandalis, and Normans. And Frācio or Frāco remoued after wyth hys company into a countree named Pannoma / whyche countree now shuld seme to be a parte of Hun¦gery or ioynynge nere to it. There nere vnto a ryuer called Thanais they buylded them a cytye, and na∣med it Sicambria / by reason wherof they were longe after called Sicam¦bri. They were also named Franci, as sayth the Frenche cronycle, after thys man Francio. Turpinus that wrote the gestes of the greate Charles / sayth that whan Charles hadde made the countre of Spayne subiecte, and was retourned into Fraunce: he made all the bonde mē dwellynge aboute or nere vnto Pa∣ris or in all Gallia fre, in the wour∣shyppe of saynte Denis and of saynt Iamys of Galis / vppon condycyon that they shulde yerely offre foure pence to thys worke of saynt Denis churche. By reason wherof they we∣re named Franci, as men freed that to fore were bond. Policronica saith they were named Franci of Ualen∣tynyan the emperour, as it were for fyersnes. But how so euer they came by that name they were called Fran∣ci as Frenschemen.

This sayd peple were also named long tyme Galli / & were trybutaries to Rome & vnder theyr rule, tyll the

tyme of Ualentinyan emperour, a∣boute the yere of Cryste .iii. hoūdreth & .lxvi. Thys Ualentinyan hauynge the rule of the west parte of y^e world made warre vppon a people called Aleynys, that dwelled nere vnto the forenamed Gallis. These Aleynys were egre of fyghte / and ouer y^t they were so closyd wyth fennys & mar∣rys, that the Romaynes myghte not wynne to them by force / wherof they often rebellyd agayne the empyre. wherfore in the ende Ualentinyan consyderynge the fyersnes of y^e Gal∣lis, wyth theyr nere dwellynge vnto the sayd Aleynys / couenaūted with them yf they wolde subdue the sayde people, they shulde haue releace of .x. yeres trybute. whyche couenaūt well and suffycyently confermed to the Gallis / they in shorte whyle after by theyr knyghthode and polycy, sub∣dued or vtterly chased the sayd Aley¦nys. For the whyche dede they conty¦nued the foresayde .x. yeres wythout payenge of any trybute. whyche .x. yeres ronne and expyred / y^e Romay∣nes agayn claymed the former accu∣stomed trybute. To whom it was an¦swered, y^t they had redemed the sayd tribute with the price of theyr blood, and ought not any more to be char∣ged with any suche trybute.

wyth whych answere the Romay∣nes beynge sore dyscontentyd / made newe warre vpon y^e sayd Sicābris. Of whyche warre the Sicambris or Gallis had the worse, and were cha∣syd from theyr citye of Sicambria. Then as wytnessyth Polycronica & other, they drewe nere vnto the wa∣ter of Ryne / and grewe in shorte pro¦cesse to suche a multytude & of suche strength, that they in shorte whyle after by ledynge of theyr .iii. dukes named Marcomirus, Somom{us} or Symon, and Genebaur / warred vp¦pon the landes of the empyre, & such as were subiecte vnto y^e same. wherof Theodosius surnamed the yonger then emperour beynge warned: he anone sente .ii. of his dukes wyth a greate hoste for to subdue the sayde Gallis or Sicambris. But they de∣fendyd them so knyghtly, y^t the sayde dukes were chasyd / and as wytnes∣syth mayster Robert Gagwyne, a greate nomber of the Romaynes were slayne.

THE .LXXVII. CHAPITER.

AFter this victory thus optey¦ned by the Sicambris: they waxed so stronge that they wan from the Almaynes dyuers townes and stronge holdes wythin Germania. And after that they opteyned the fa∣mous cytye named Treueris / which as wytnessyth the aucthour of Cro∣nica cronicarum, was fyrst foundyd in the tyme of the patryarche Abra¦ham, before the incarnacyō of Cryst a thousande .ix. houndred .lxv. yeres. And so dayly wan vpon the nacyōs adioynynge to them, tyll they came to the ryuer of Seyn / where they re∣styd them, and buylded the countre all there about. In so mych that they than named them selfe Franci / as men freed and out of all daunger of the empyre of Rome / and theyr land after them they named Fraunce, whyche syns that tyme is greatly encreasyd. So that at this daye it is a countre of great welth & honoure, and conteyneth many prouynces & lordshyppes / as after the affyrmaūs of Policronica is touchyd in y^e .xxvii. chapyter of hys fyrste boke / where it is shewed that Gallia which now is Fraunce, had that name Gallia of whytenesse of people. Thys Gallia or Fraunce hath in the North syde, Germania / in the Eest, the ryuer of Ryne / in the Southest, the Alpis or the hyghe mountaynes / and in the

west, the see Occean, whyche is cal∣led both Brytannicum and Gallicū, whyche is to meane, Englyshe see & Frenche see. For yt departyth En∣glande and Fraunce, in the south see of myddell eerth, y^t wassheth about by the the prouynce of Narbon. In the tyme of Iulius Cesar, Gallia was departed in thre / but for diuers happes that befell after in that land / the countre and land that stretcheth from the Ryne to Seyn̄, is now cal∣led Gallia Belgica, whyche is very Fraunce. And that countre that stret¦cheth from Seyn̄ to y^e ryuer of Leyr, is called Gallia Lugdunensis / wher¦of the ouer parte hyght or is named Burgundia that is Burgoyne, and the nether parte is Nestria or Nor∣mandye.

And the countre that stretcheth frō the ryuer of Leyr to the ryuer of Ge∣round, is called Gallia Aquitania / whych is Guyan, and stretcheth out of the eest from the riuer of Roon̄, vn¦to the west Occean. wherof the ouer parte therof hyght Celtica, whyche is to meane Heuenly, because that hyghe mountaynes be therin.

From the water of Gerounde to the see of middell eerth, and to the Moū¦taynes called mōtes Pireni or great hylles of Spayne / is clepyd Gallia Narbonensis. And now a parte ther¦of is called Gothia, and some Uasco¦nia, whyche is to meane Gascoyne.

And so Gallia is closyd aboute wyth thre noble waters / wyth the ry¦uer of Ryne in the north syde / wyth the ryuer of Roone in the eest / and wyth the Brytyshe occean in y^e weste. In Gallia or Fraunce ben many no∣ble cytyes, wherof Parys is hed and pryncypall / whyche in the fyrst foun¦dacyon was clepyd Parydes, after Parides a Troyane, that departed from Troy wyth Eneas and other, as wytnessyth Carinus and other wryters of histories. But the frenche cronycle sayth it was fyrst foūded by y^e Sycambris, and named by them Lutecia, before the incarnacyon of Cryste .iii. hundred .lxxx. and .xv. yeres. And in the whyle that the fore¦named Marcomyrus was as there chyefe hedde and gouernour: for the more beauty of the name / and also in mynde of Paris sonne of Pry¦ame kynge of Troye, of the whych he was lynyally descendyd, he ther∣fore chaunged the name, and com∣maunded yt to be called Paris.

In Gallia also be these prouynces and lordshyppes folowynge / Bra∣ban, Flaundres, Normandye, Py∣cardye, Brytayn the lesse, Poytowe, Gascoyne, Guyan, Tolowse, Bur∣goyne, Angeo, and Mayne, Pro∣uynce, Champayne, and Aluerne. All whyche sygnouries and lorde∣shippes belonged or apperteyned vn¦to the crowne of Fraunce / all be yt that dyuers of theym hath ben gy∣uen oute by maryage or otherwyse. So that the kynge of Fraunce clay∣meth to be chyef lorde of theym, and at this daye hath the possessyon of them / excepte Burgoyne, Flaundres Braban, and Normandye / for the whyche he is trybutarye vnto the kynge of Englande.

Then yt folowyth, when the sayde Gallis or Frenchmen hadde thus cō¦quered these foresayde countres, or the more parte of theym, or at lesse made theym vnto the sayde Gallis trybutary: then the forenamed Mar¦comyrus as theyr chyef hedde or go∣uernour, closyd cytyes wyth stronge walles, and buylded stronge holdes and castelles / and after dyed, leuyng after hym a sonne garnyshed wyth all knyghtly vertue, named Phara∣mundus or Pharamonde.

Francio. THE .LXXVIII. CHAPITER.

PHaramund{us} the son of Mar∣comyrus beforenamed / was after the deth of his said fader, made or ordeyned the fyrst kyng of French¦men, by the agrement of hystoryes / & also as affermeth mayster Robert Gagwyne and other, in the yere of our lordes incarnacion foure hūdred and .xx. And of the worlde, or after y^e creacyon of the fyrste Adam folow∣ynge the accompte of thys worke, as before is shewed, fyue thousande vi. hundred and .xix. After Brute be∣ganne his domynyon in thys yle of Brytayne, a thousande, fyue hūdred and .lvi. And the yere of mysery of the Brytons .xxvi.

Of this Pharamundus is lytell thynge lefte in memory / excepte that myne authoure Gagwyne testyfy∣fyeth, that he made certayne lawes whyche longe tyme enduryd after. But for the names of the lawes and vse of them be derke to englyshe vn∣derstandynge: therfore I ouerpasse theym, and folowe the story / whych affermeth, that when the sayde Pha¦ramonde hadde ruled the Frenchmē well and nobly by the space of .xi. ye∣res, he dyed / and lefte after hym a sonne named Clodio Crinitus or Capellatus.

THE .LXXIX. CHAPITER.

CLodio y^e son of Pharamonde was made kyng of Fraunce, in the yere of our lorde .iiii. hūdred & xxxi. And the .xxxvii. yere of the fore¦sayd mysery of Brytons. The which as before is sayd was surnamed Cri¦nitus and Capellat{us} / by reason wher¦of the kynges of Frenchmen longe tyme after, were called Criniti. This to augment hys lordshyppe, made warre vpon a people called Turyn∣ges / and by great & sore fyght made them at lēgth subiecte to hym / which countre as sayth the frēche cronycle, is a parte of Almayne. And at thys daye or tyme of this Clodio his rey∣gne / the Romaynes had no more of the land of Gallia or Fraūce in theyr rule, then that whyche lyeth from y^e ryuer of Leyr vnto y^e ryuer of Ryne, whyche is called Gallia Lugdunen∣sis. And when he hadde thus sub∣dued the Turynges / he then sent his espyes ouer the Ryne to se what strength they were of, that inhaby∣ted that countre. And after reporte to hym brought of the sayde espyes, that the countre was fertyll and ryche, and the people therof but of small defence: he with his army ouer spred the countre / and after shortely beseged the cytyes of Cambrey, and Turney and them wanne. But in y^e cytye of Turney was a certayn nom¦ber of Romaynes / whyche manfully defendyd the towne longe tyme. And when they {per}ceyued that they myght no lenger holde the towne / they then manfully issued out, and gaue to the Frenchmen harde batayll. But for∣tune was to theym frowarde / so that they were dystressyd. After whyche countres and townes thus goten by Clodio, wyth other vyctoryous de¦des by hym done: he lastely dyed, when he had ruled the frēchmen .xix. yeres wythout issue of his body.

Anglia.

NOwe then lette vs retourne vnto tharchbyshop of Lōdon and the other Brytons beyng in Bri¦tayne the lesse / the whych vppon the promyse before rehersed, receyued of Albroenus kynge of lytell Bry∣tayne, his brother named Constan∣tyne / y^e whych wyth a certayne nom¦ber of knyghtes shortly after lāded at Totnesse in mych Brytayne, & ga¦deryd to them the floure of y^e Brytōs

whyche before theyre landynge were hydde in dyuerse places of the lande. By whose power & marcyall knyght¦hod / the enymyes of the lande were shēdfully chasyd and vtterly cōfoun¦ded. whyche victorye thus by the Britōs obteyned: they of one mynde conueyde theyr chefetayne Constan¦tyne vnto the towne of Kaercegent nowe called Cicestre / and there crow¦ned hym (accordynge to the pro∣myse made vnto his brother) kynge of this yle of the more Brytayne.

THE .LXXX. CHAPITER.

COnstantinus the brother of Aldroe¦nus kynge of ly∣tell Brytayn, was crowned kyng of myche Brytayne, in the yere of oure lorde foure hun∣dred and .xxxiii / and the thyrde yere of Clodio then kynge of Fraunce. The whyche guyded the lande with suche manhode and polyce, that he kepte yt from daunger of enymyes / and for tyme of hys lyfe helde yt in god quyete & reste. Of thys Cōstan¦tyne is lytell mynde made or lefte in wrytynge / excepte that he receyuyd of his wyfe thre sonnes / the whyche he named Constante, Aurely, or Cō¦stantius, Aurelius, Ambrosius, and Uter, whyche was surnamed Pen∣dragon.

But for he sawe and perceyuyd, that his eldest sonne named Constāt was dull and insolent of wytte: he therfore made hym a monke in the monasterye of saynte Amphyabyll of wynchester / whyche monasterye at this daye is called saynte Suy∣thynes abbey. And to the other two bretherne he betoke vnto Guethe∣linus archbyshoppe, to noryshe and brynge forth.

In the courte of this Cōstantyne, as witnesseth Gaufryde, was a Pict that was myche loued and greatly fauouryd of Constantyne / so that he myghte at all tymes come to the kynges presence. The whyche be¦yng an erraunt traytoure / and sechynge conuenyent tyme to execute his detestable treason: by a secrete meane slewe the kynge in his chamber / when he hadde ben kyng, after moste wryters tenne yeres

THE .LXXXI. CHAPITER.

COnstantius sonne of Con∣stantyne, by meane of Uorti∣gernus was made kynge of Bry∣tayne, in the yere of our lorde foure hundred and .xliii. This as before is touched, for so myche as his fader thought he was not very apt to take so great a charge as to gouerne the lande after hym, became a relygious man in the monastery before named. Or as some wryters meane, the sayd Constante of pure deuocyon that he hadde to god and saynt Amphiabyl, made hym selfe a monke vnwyt∣tynge the kynge his fader and other his frendes.

But how or in what maner so euer he became a monke / trouth it is that Uortigerus or Uortigernus after y^e deth of Constantyne, founde suche meanes that he was taken out of the abbey, and crowned kynge of Bry∣tayne. By meane wherof the sayde Uortiger had all the rule of the land so that Constante hadde but onely the name. This Uortyger then con∣syderynge the innocencye and myl∣denes of the kyng / cast in his mynde how he myght be kynge hym selfe. And amonge other meanes / founde

to haue aboute y^e kynges persone an hundred Pictes, or after some Scot¦tes / y^e whych he ordeyned for a garde for the kynges persone. which done / he bare hym in such wyse agayne the Pictes by meanes of great gyftes & otherwyse, that they at length had Uortyger in such fauoure, that they feryd not to saye openly that Uorty∣ger was more worthy to be kyng thē Constant. In this whyle Uortyger gatte into his possessyon the kynges treasour / and what was of hym cō∣maunded was done, though other therat murmured and grudge. And euer in ryght and wronge he fauou∣red the foresayd Pictes or Scottes. The whyche at length perceyuynge his corrupte mynde, when they sawe that they had conuenyent tyme, fyll vpon the kynge, and hym slewe or murderyd.

After whych cruell dede by theym done / they presentyd the hed of Con¦stante vnto Uortiger, then beyng at London. wherof when he was ware / to the ende that the Brytons shulde thynke that dede to be done agayne his mynde and wyll: wepte & made semblaunt of all sorowe and heue∣nes / and causyd the sayde hundred knyghtes to be taken in all haste af∣ter, and theym by dome and lawe of y^e lād to be be heddyd / by reason wher¦of he was taken not culpable, or in∣nocent of the kynges deth. when the kynges deth was knowen to suche persones as hadde the kepyng of the two yonger bretherne, Aurelius and Uter: they in all haste for the more sauegarde of them, fledde into lytell Brytayne / & there kept theym tyll yt pleasyd god ortherwyse to purueye for theym. And thus as ye haue herd was kynge Constante slayne / when he hadde reygned after moste wry∣ters fyue yere.

THE .LXXXII. CHAPITER.

UOrtigernus duke of y^e Iues∣ses, or Uortiger{us} erle of Ie∣wesses, after called westsaxons / was made kynge of Brytayne, in the yere of our lorde .iiii. hundred and .xlviii. and the .xviii. yere of Clodio kyng of Fraūce / whych after y^e deth of Con∣stant by strength and otherwise was made kynge, and ruled the land not all wythout trouble. For yt was not longe or the Pictes, whych hauyng knowlege of the deth and iudgemēt of theyr knightes and kynsmen, that they inuaded the north partes of the lande, doynge therin great harme and domage. And ouer that many & dyuerse of the great of the Brytons, perceyuyng that the kyng Constant was not murderyd all wythout con∣sent of the sayde Uortyger: rebelled agayne hym / and dayly sent and say led ouer into lytell Brytayne, to the ayde and assystence of the foresayde chyldern of Constant / whyche putte the sayde Uortiger to great vnrest∣fulnesse / and the more for that, that he wyst not nor knewe not in whom he myght putte his truste and con∣fydence in.

wyth these perturbaūces was med¦led plenty of corne & frute, y^t the lyke therof had not ben sene many yeres passyd. wherwyth was ioyned leche∣ry & pestylence, with many other in∣cōueniences / so y^e vice was accōpted for small or none offence. The which reygned not onely in the temporalty, but also in the spiritualtie & hedes of the same. So y^e euery mā turned the poynt of his spere agaynst the trewe & innocent man / & the cōmons gaue them all to dronkēnes and ydelnes / where thorough ensued fyghtynge, stryfe, and mych enuy. Of which fore¦sayd myschyues ensued mych morta¦lyte and deth of men, that the lyuyng

scantly suffysed in some countres to bury the dede. And ouer this y^e kyng was so hard beset with y^e forenamed enymyes / that he was cōstrayned, as affermyth Policronica, to sende for paynems, as the Saxōs, to helpe to withstand his enemyes and defende his lande / and also he dayly ferid the landyng of Aurely and Uther.

Uortyger thus beynge beset wyth many aduersytyes in vysytynge hys lande / and then beynge for dyuerse causes hym mouyng at Dorobernia or Caunterbury: tydynges came to hym of the arryuynge of thre longe shyppes full of armed men at the yle of Tenet. wherof fyrst he made coun¦tenaunce as though he hadde ben in doute whether it had ben the two bre¦thern of Constant or none. But whē the same was blowen aboute, y^t they were none enymyes: anon he caused the leders of them to be brought vn∣to his presence / freynynge of theym the cause of theyr landyng & of theyr nacyon and countre. The whych an¦swered vnto the kynge and sayd they were of the coūtre of Germany / and put out of theyr countre by a maner sorte or lot at sōdry tymes vsed with in the sayde lande / the whyche was vsed for so myche as the people ther∣in encreasyd so faste, that wythoute such prouysyon had, the coūtre shuld not suffyce for the people / the whych was suche as foloweth.

At sondry tymes when the sayd coū¦tre was replenyshed of people: the prynces and rulers therof wolde as∣semble at a certayne place, and call before theym the lusty yonge folkes. Of the whych they wold chose out a certayne nomber / and appoynte to them certayne dukes or leders, with all thyng necessary to the warre. And them so garnyshed / wold cōmaunde to serche theyr aduēture, & to wynne some lande by theyr knyghthode, where they myght inhabyte thēselfe. By whych vse & custome thus longe vsyd / now was fallen to theyr lotte, to do as theyr fore faders had done before theym.

wherfore syns fortune had brought them to this land / they besought the kyng, that he wold take them to his seruyce, & they wold be redy to fyght for y^e defence of him and his countre. And when the kyng hadde enquyred farther: he foūde that they had two leders named Hengist{us} and Horsus / and they and theyr people were cal∣led Saxons.

The kynge thus beyng asserteyned of the maner of these straūgers, and that they were of the gentyle of pa∣gan law: sayde he was very heuy & sory, that they were myscreantes. But he was ioyous & glad of theyr commynge / for so myche as he had nede of suche sowdyours to defende hym and his lande agayne his eny∣myes. And so receyued them to hys wages and seruyce, as is wytnessed of Gaufryde and other mo wryters.

THE .LXXXIII. CHAPITER.

BEda the holy man sayth, that Uortyger sent for the Saxōs stronge men of armes, that hadde no lande to dwelle in. The whych came in thre longe shyppes called Oby∣las / and receyued a place of hym to dwell in, in the Eest syde of Bry∣tayne called the yle of Tenet besyde Kent. Guillelmus de regibus a wri¦ter of hystoryes ••ayth, that the Sa∣xons came oute of Germany by wyll to wynne worshyppe & lande / and not by lotte or compulsyon.

And also that they worshypped at that dayes a god named woden, and a goddesse named Frya. In the worshyppe of the whyche god the

thyrde feryall daye in the weke they named wodnesd aye / whyche at this daye we call wednysdaye. And in worshyppe of the sayde goddes they called the fyfth daye friys daye / the whyche we call now frydaye.

Of these foresayde people came thre maner of people, or thre maner of na¦mes / that is to say Saxōs, Anglys, and Iewetes. Of the Saxons came the eest Saxons, westsaxons, & the south Saxons. Of y^e Anglys came the eest Anglys, the myddell Angl••s or Merceys, whyche helde myddell England, that stretcheth westwarde toward the ryuer of Dee besyde Che¦stre, and to Seuern̄ besyde Shroys¦bury, and so forth to Brystowe / and eestwarde toward the see, and south¦warde to Thamys, and so forth to London, and northwarde to Hum∣ber, and tourned downewarde and westward to the ryuer Mercea / and so forth to the weste see.

And of the Iewetys come the Ken¦tyshmen, & men of the yle of weyght. Of the fyrst cōmyng of these Saxōs into great Britayn, authours in par¦ty varrey. wherfore in the table be∣fore named / it shall appere vnder cor¦reccyon, that the forenamed Hengi∣stus and Horsus wyth theyr compa∣ny fyrst landed in the foresayde yle of great Brytayne in the yere of our lorde .iiii. hundred and .l, & the thyrd yere of Uortiger.

Then yt foloweth these Saxons wyth the kynges power bete downe the enymyes before sayde, and defen¦dyd the land in most knyghtly wyse, so that the kyng hadde the Saxons in great loue and fauour. whyche fa¦uour Hengistus wel apperceyuyng / vpon a season when he sawe conue∣nyent tyme, he axed of the kynge so myche grounde as the hyde of a bull or other beste wolde compare / which the kynge to hym graunted. After whyche graunt, the sayde Hengyste to the ende to winne a large groūde / causyd the sayd bestes skyn to be cut into a small and slender thonge. And with the same mette out a large and great circuyte of grounde / vpon the whyche he shortly after buylded and sette a large and stronge castell. By reason of whych thonge the sayd castell was lōg afternamed Thonge castell / whyche was sette by the agre¦ment of all wryters in the countre of Lyndesey. After thyse tydynges sprange into Germania, of the plen¦tye and fatnes of the lande of Bry∣tayne, wyth other commodytyes per¦teynyng to the same. By meane wher¦of the Saxons dayely drewe to the sayde lande / and conuenaūted with the Brytons, that the Britons shuld entende theyr worldlynes and other necessaryes / and y^e Saxons as theyr sowdiours, shulde defende the land from incursyon of all enymyes. For the whych the Brytons shulde gyue to them competent mete and wages.

Then by the sonde of Hengiste, came wyth .xvi. sayles Ronowen the doughter of the sayd Hengist / which was a mayden of excellēt beaute. Af¦ter whose commyng / Hengiste vpon a daye besought the kyng y^t he wold se his castell, whyche he had newely edyfyed. To whose request the kyng was agreable / & at the day assygned came to y^e sayd castell, where he was ioyously receyued. And there amōge other passetymes the sayde Ronowē wyth a cuppe of golde full of wyne presentyd the kynge, salutynge and sayeng wassayle. The kynge whych before that tyme had herd no lyke sa¦lutacyon, nor yet vnderstode what she ment / axed of her fader what she mente by that worde wassayle. To whom yt was answered by Hengist{us} that yt was a salutacyon of good & gladnesse / and that the kynge shuld

drynke after her, ioynynge there vn∣to this answere, drynke hayl•• wher¦fore the kyng as he was enfourmed toke the cuppe of the maydens hand and drank / & after beheld the wēche in suche maner, that he was woun∣ded with the darte of the blynde god Cupide, that neuer after he coude wythdrawe his loue from y^e wenche / but lastely by instygacyon of the de∣uyll, axed her in maryage of her fa∣der. And by force therof, as wytnes∣syth Policronica, he put from hym his laufull wyfe / of the whyche he had before tyme receyued .iii. noble sonnes called Uortimerus, Ca••agri¦nus, and Pascentius. Then the kyng gaue vnto Hengistus the lord shyppe of Kent, though Garango∣nus then erle therof therat grudged wyth many of his Brytons.

For this and for that that y^e kynge had maryed a woman of vncought beleue: well nere all the Brytons forsoke hym and his workes. Neuer¦thelesse some there were as well no∣bles & other, that cōforted the kynge in his euyll doyng. By whych meane and other vnlefull dedys then dayly vsyd / the fayth of Cryste began sore to apalle. And ouer that an heresye called Arianes heresy, began then to sprynge in Brytayn. For the which, two holy byshoppes named Germa∣nus and Lupus, as of Gaufryde is wytnessyd / came into Brytayne to refourme the kynge and all other y^t erred from the waye of trouth.

Of this holy man saynt Germayn / Uincent historyall sayth, that vpon an euenynge, when the weder was passynge cold, and the snowe fyll ve¦ry faste / he axed lodgyng of the kyng of Brytayne, for hym and his compe¦rys / whych was denyed. Then he af¦ter syttyng vnder a bushe in the feld, the kynges herdmen passyd by / and seynge this byshop wyth his compa∣ny sittyng in the weder / desyred hym to his house to take there such poore lodgynge as he had▪ wherof the bys∣shoppe beynge glad and fayne ••yode vnto the house of the sayd herdman, the whyche receyued hym wyth glad chere. And for hym and his compa∣ny wysled his wyfe to kyll his onely calfe / and to dresse yt for his gestes souper, y^e which was also done. when the holy man had souped, he called to hym his hostes, wyllynge and de∣syrynge her that she shulde dylygent¦ly gader to gyder all the bones of the deed calfe / and them so gaderyd, to wrappe to gyder wythin the skynne of the sayde calfe / & then it lay in the stall before the racke nere vnto the dame. whych done accordyng to the commaundement of the holy man I shortly after the calfe was restoryd to lyfe, and forth wyth e••e haye wyth the dame at y^e racke. Of whych mer∣uayle all the housholde was great∣ly astonyed / and yeldyd thankynge vnto almyghty god, and to that ho∣ly byshoppe.

Uppon the morowe this holy bys∣shoppe toke wyth hym the herdman, & yode vnto the presence of y^e kynge / & axed of hym in sharpe wyse, why that ouer nyght he hadde denyed to hym lodgynge. wherwyth the kyng was so abas••hed, that he hadde no power to gyue vnto the holy man an¦swere. Then saynt Germayne sayde to hym: I charge the in the name of my lorde god, that thou and thyne departe from this paleys / and resy∣gne yt & the rule of thy lande to hym that is more worthy this rome then thou arte. The whyche all thyng by power diuyne was obserued & done / and the sayde herdman by the holy byshoppes authoryte, was sette into y^e same dygnyte. Of whom after de∣scendyd all the kynges of Brytayne.

THE .LXXXIIII. CHAPITER.

THys story is also confermed of Antonin{us} archebysshoppe of Florence / and at lengthe by hym shewyd in the .xvii. chapyter and .ix. day of the seconde part of hys worke called Som̄ Antonini. But by whō so euer thys story was fyrste wry∣ten: I thynke he was none that dis∣cended of the walshmen, nor yet of theyr blode. For they come all of Pryamys blode, and not of an herd∣man, excepte that they fetche theyr lyne from Dauyd the holy kynge & prophete. Thys storye semeth to be of more fame then of credence. For other wryters tell thys story to be done in the region of Powys by Bu¦ly theyr kynge. And also for so mych as the foresayd authour maketh no mencyon of the more Brytayne nor of the lesse: it is doutefull whyther thys happe fyll in that one regyon or in that other. All be yt in the lyfe of saynte Germayne it ys redde, that the sayde saynte Germayne deposyd Uortiger & enhaunced the herdman, as before is declared, as affermeth Polycronica. Then it foloweth in y^e story, when saynte Germayne hadde restoryd some parte of Brytayne to the trewe fayth: he retourned into Fraunce, fro whens he was before comen. But in thys sayde sayenge shuld appere dyscorde in Cronycles. For as at this day was not the fayth of Cryste receyued in Fraunce, as after more clerely shall appere / wher¦fore no bysshoppe of Crystes fayth myghte then kepe any see in Fraun∣ce. And also as affermeth Iacobus Phylyppus and other / holy Remi∣gius was the fyrst y^t tourned Fraūce to Crystes relygyon / and that, after moste concorde of wryters, to be in the yere of our lorde .iiii. hundred lxxx. and .xix. and the .xv. yere of the reygne of Clodoueus Lewys fyrste Crysten kyng of y^e realme of Fraūce.

Then to furnysshe or perfourme the story of Uortiger, nedefull it is or necessary to retourne to the mater where we before lefte. And to shewe that for so moche as the Brytons wythdrewe them from Uortyger / he was therfore constrayned to holde wyth hym the Saxons. By whose counsayle he after sent for Octa the sonne of Hengyst / y^e whych brought wyth hym an other company of Saxons.

when the lordes of Britayne sawe and consyderyd the greate multytu∣de of Saxons, and theyr dayly re∣payre into thys lande: they assem∣bled them togyder, and shewed to the kyng the inconuenience and ieo∣pardy that myght ensue to hym and hys lande, by reason of the greate power of these straungers / and ad∣uertysed hym in aduoydyng of gre∣ter daunger, to expelle and put them out of hys realme or the more parte of them.

But all was in vayne / for Uorty∣ger bare suche a mynde to the Sax∣ons, by reason of hys wyfe / that he preferred the loue of them before the loue of hys owne naturall kynnes∣men and frendes. wherfore the Bry∣tons of one wyll and mynde crow∣ned for theyr kynge Uortimerus the eldest sonne of Uortyger, and depry∣ued hym of all kyngly dygnyte / whē he hadde reygned after moste con∣corde of hystoryes .xvi. yeres.

THE .LXXXV. CHAPITER.

MEroneus next of allie vnto Clodio last kyng of Fraūce, for so mych as of Clodeo remayned none issue / was made kyng of Fraū¦ce in y^e yere of our lorde .iiii. hundred

and .l / and the seconde yere yere of Uortiger than kynge of Brytayne. The whyche was stronge and mar∣cyall in all hys dedes / and there vn∣to ryght profytable for the realme. And amonge other notable dedes by hym done / he slewe in one day of Hu¦nes (the whyche by the commaun∣dement of Atti••a inuadyd & dystro∣yed dyuers countres, as Italy, Ger¦many, and other) an hundreth and lxxx. thousande / as is wytnessyd of mayster Robert Gagwine compyler and gaderer of the actes and dedes of Frenshmen. Thys forenamed At∣tila was kynge of Hunes / and led in one hoost .ii. hundred thousand men of warre, as testyfyeth Policronica. And after dyuers baytayles by hym wonne / he came into y^e feldes called Catulyntes, the whyche conteyned an hundred legys in length and .lxx. in brede, wherof euery lege contey∣neth .iii. Englysshe myles. In the whyche feldes or playnes he was en¦countred wyth the power of the Ro∣maynes / in whose ayde was y^e kyng of Fraunce Meroneus, the kynge or duke of Burgoyne, and other. where after a longe fyghte was slayne on bothe sydes the foresayde hundred and .lxxx. thousand. Of the whyche nomber the sayde kynge or duke of Burgoyne was one / as is more playnly shewed in the .xxxiii. chapiter in the .iiii. boke of the sayd Polycro∣nicon, wyth other wonders whyche I ouerpasse.

Of thys Meroneus dyscendyd all the kynges of Frensshemen, tyll the tyme of Pepyn the whyche was fa∣ther vnto Charles the greate or em∣perour. And fynally dyed thys Me∣roneus when he had reygned after moste wryters .x. yeres / leuynge af∣ter hym a sonne named Chylderych or Hylderych.

THE .LXXXVI. CHAPITER.

CHyldericus or Hildericus the sonne of Meroneus / was or∣deyned kyng of Fraunce, in the yere of oure lorde god .iiii. hundred & .lx / & the .xii. yere of Uortiger than kyng of Brytayne. The whiche ensued no thynge the warres of hys father / but allyed hym wyth all vyce and cruel∣nesse, in suche exterme wyse that he became odyble vnto hys subiectes. wherfore the said Childerich / percey¦uyng the murmur & grudge among the people / and ferynge hys sodayne distruccyon: coūsayled wyth a frend and lorde of hys named Guynoma∣dus or Guynemeus / by whose coun¦sayle in auoydynge greater paryll, he auoyded secretely hys lande, and yode vnto the kynge of Thurynges named Besygne, of whom he was ioyously receyued. But the at depar¦tynge of the kynge from y^e sayd Guy¦nemeus, he toke a pece of golde and brake it in two peces / wherof y^e one pece he delyuered vnto the kynge, & that other pece he kepte to hym self / sayenge to the kynge that whan so euer that he receyued from hym that pece of golde, that he shulde be sure to be restored agayne to hys regally and dygnyte.

After the kynge was departed his lande / the Frenshmen of one assent, chase for theyr gouernour and hed a Romayne named Gylf / whyche at that daye hadde a parte of Gallia or Fraunce in hys rule to the behofe of the Romaynes / whyche parte was named or nowe is named Soisons. whā thys Gilf was stablyssed in his authoryte / the forenamed Guyne∣meus behauyd hym in suche wyse towarde thys Gylf, that he had hym in specyall fauour aboue all the no∣bles of Fraunce / and wolde execute no thynge of charge wythout hys

and counsayll. wherof the sayd Guy¦nemeus beynge ware / and remem∣brynge how he myght restore Chyl∣derych to his former dygnyte, aduy∣sed the sayde Gill to sette more gre∣uous taskys vpon the Frenschmen / enfourmynge hym further, that yf any grudged there at, that he shuld punyshe some of the myghtyeste of them / by reason wherof he shulde fere the other.

whyche thus done accordynge to the forsayde counsayll / shortely after to brynge his purpose the better ab∣out, the sayde Guynemeus accused certayne rulers of Fraunce suche as he well knewe were great enymyes vnto Chylderych / the whych he cau∣sed to be taken and sent vnto Gill, & Gill vpon them dyd sharpe execucy∣on. In the whyche he so perseuered, that the Frenschmen for remedy com¦playned theym to Guynemeus. To whom it was by hym answered, that he greatly meruayled of theyr vnsta¦stablenesse that they hadde chosen to them a kynge, and now so sodaynly wolde haue hym deposed / shewynge furthermore that other they must cal agayn Childerich that exercysyd his lyfe in voluptuousnesse of lyuynge / or ellys they muste dwell vnder the kynge, whyche is cruell and full of blood shedynge, wyth dyuerse other exhortacyons cōcernynge the agayn callynge of Childerych to his four∣mer dygnyte, whyche for length I omytte and passe ouer.

By meane of whyche exhortacyon, Childerich was secretly sent for / and receyued from his trustye frende the foresayde pece of golde / and spedde hym hastely into Fraunce. Agayne whom the foresayde Guynemeus in lykewyse sped hym / so that they met at a castell in the countre of Cham∣pion, where they wyth other to them allyed / gaderyd a great hoste, and made towarde the foresayde Gill or Gillion. The whych hauynge know¦lege of the sayde conspyracye / ordey∣ned an armye of knyghtes, and yode agayne his enymyes. But he was ouerset and compelled for his saue∣garde to fle into the countre of Soi∣sons beforenamed, where he after en¦dyd his naturall lyfe / & Childerych was agayne restoryd & made kynge.

Childerych then thus restoryd vn¦to his regally / subdued soone after a Saxon prynce named Onager / & be¦segyd the cytye of Orleaunce, and yt receyued vnto his subieccyon and after passyd the ryuer of Leyr, & sub∣dued to his sygnory the countre of Angeo and Mayne.

when the fame of Childerich was brought vnto Basyna the wyfe of Besygne kyng of Turryng{is}: she a∣non forsoke her owne lorde, and sped her into Fraunce, and so to the pre∣sence of Childerich, whom he recey∣ued wyth all gladnes. And when he had of her frayned the cause of her commynge: she answeryd, for that that she knewe and vnderstode to be in hym more vertue and honour, thē in any other mā at y^e day lyuyng / she was therefore comyn vnto hym to contynue the remanaunt of her lyfe in his cōpany / addyng also therunto that yf in any countre she knew his better, she wolde then serche see and lande to haue hym to her lord or hus¦bande. But for she was assured, that he had no pere / she besought hym to accepte her in his company.

THE .LXXXVII. CHAPITER.

THen Childerych puttynge a parte and forgettynge kynde¦nesse to hym before shewyd by her housbande Besynge / maryed the sayde Basina yet beynge a pagan. And when the fyrste nyght was co∣men

that they shulde go to bedde / she exorted hym y^t he shulde y^t nyght ab∣steyn frō all fleshly lykyng, & watche the gates of his paleys / and to make reporte to her of suche vysyons as he sawe there y^t nyght. To the which he was agreable. where he so stan∣dynge, sawe fyrst a multitude of vny∣cornes, lyons, and lybardes, passyng foreby the paleys gate. And wythin a shorte space of tyme after, he sawe a great company of berys & wolues rēnyng after the other. And thyrdly & lastly he sawe a multytude of dog∣ges & other small rauenous bestes / the whyche in hys syghte fyll vppon the other .ii. companyes and vtterly deuoured them all.

when he hadde sene the fyne of his vision / not a lytell astonyed, he retur¦ned to hys wyfe / shewynge to her what he hadde sene. To whom she sayd / syr of me ye shal receyue a son / the whyche in all hys dedes shall be noble and honourable, lyke to y^e vny¦cornes and lyons shewyd to you in y^e fyrst vysyon. Of the whyche shall dis¦cende one other sonne, the whyche shall be rauenous and shall set hys mynde all to pyllage & rauyne, lyke vnto the rauenous wolfe and here. And after hym shall come a chylde or chyldern that shall be of suche in∣solency and wastynge, that lyke as the rauenous hounde stroyeth and wastyth all that he maye tere wyth hys teeth / so shall these persons wast and destroye by theyr folyes all that other noble men hath purchased to theyr handes. And the multytude whyche that ye sawe of other small rauenous bestes / betokeneth the co∣mon people, whyche in those dayes for lacke of a good and wyse prynce shall renne eyther vppon other and robbe and s••e eche other.

Of thys exposycyon the kyng was somdele troubled. But yet he reioy∣sed of the issue that shuld come of his body. Then it foloweth whan thys Chylderych hadde ouercomen some baytayles in Almayne, and them sub¦dued to hys empyre: he lastly dyed when he had reygned, wyth the .viii. yeres allowed to hys reygne for the tyme that he was exyled / and wyth the resydue that he reygned before & after in all .xxiiii. yeres / leuyng after hym a sonne begotten vpon the fore¦named Basina called Clodio or af∣ter moste wryters Clodoueus.

Anglia. THE .LXXXVIII. CHAPITER.

UOrtimerus the eldest sonne of Uortiger / was by assent of the Brytōs made kyng of Brytayn, in the yere of our lorde .iiii. hundred lxiiii / and the .iiii. yere of Chylderic{us} than kynge of Fraunce. The whych in all hast pursued the Saxons, and gaue vnto them a great batayle vp∣pon the ryuer of Darwent / where he hadde of them vyctory. And secunda¦ryly he faught wi••h them vppon the foord called Epi••••ord or Agliffhorp. In the whych fyght Catrignus the brother to Uortimer, & Horsus bro∣ther to Hengyst or Cosyn, after long fyght attwene them .ii. eyther of thē slewe other / in whyche fyght also the Brytons were vyctours.

The thyrd batayle he faught with them nere vnto the see syde / where also the Brytons chasyd y^e Saxōs, and compelled them to take the yle of wyghte for theyr suertye.

This batayle as wytnesseth Alfre¦dus; was more wonne by vertue of the prayers of the holy byshop saynt Germayne, than by myght of y^e Bry¦tons. For when the holy man sawe y^e Brytons gyue backe / he helde hys handes towarde heuen, and cryed thryse alleluya / whyche is to our vn¦derstādyng as mych to saye, as saue vs good lorde. Thorough whyche

prayer the Britons by dyuyne helpe obteyned y^e victory of theyr enimyes.

The fourth batayll was nere vnto a moore called Cole moore. The whych was long and sore foughten by the Saxons / by reason that the sayde moore closyd a parte of theyr hoste so strongly, that the Brytons myght not winne vnto them for daūger of theyr shot / All be yt that fynal¦ly they were chasyd, and many of thē of cōstraynt drowned and swalowed in the sayde moore

And ouer and besyde these foure pryncypall bataylles: Uortimerus had wyth the Saxons dyuers other conflictes / as in Kent, at Thetfoord in Northfolke, and in Essex nere vn¦to Colchestre / & lefte not tyll he had byrafte from them the more parte of such possessyons as before tyme they had wonne / and kepte them onely to the yle of Thanet, the whych Uorty¦mer oftē greuyd by such nauy as he then hadde.

when that Ronowen doughter of Hengiste apperceyued the great mys¦chy••f, that her fader and the Saxōs were in, by the mraciall knyghthode of Uortymer: she sought suche mea∣nes, that shortly after, as testyfyeth Gaufryde and other, Uortimer was poysoned / when he had ruled the Bri¦tons after moste concorde of wry∣ters seuen yeres.

THE .LXXXIX. CHAPITER.

UOrtigernus fader of Uorty∣merus last dede, was agayn restoryd to the kyngdome of myche Brytayne / in the yere of oure lordes incarnacyon foure hūdred .lxxi / and the .xi. yere of Childericus then kyng of Fraunce / the whyche all the tyme of the reygne of his sonne Uortimer, had restyd hym in the coūtre of Cam¦bria or walys. where in this passe tyme after some writers, he buyldyd a strōge castel in a place called Gene∣ron̄ or Gwayneren, in the west syde of walys nere vnto the riuer of Gwa¦na, in an hyll or vpon an hyll called Cloarcius. But the olde cronycle be¦fore spoken of, sayth y^• this Uortiger was kept somwhat vnder rule of cer¦tayne tutours to hym assygned in y^e towne of Caerlegion or Chester / and demeaned hym so well towarde hys sonne in aydynge of hym wyth hys counsayll and otherwyse, that the Brytons for it cast to hym such a fa¦uoure, that they after the deth of Uor¦timer made hym agayne kynge.

It was not longe after that Uor∣tiger was thus set in authoryte, but that Hengist{us} percyd this land with a great multytude of Saxons. wher¦of herynge Uortyger / in all haste as¦sembled his Brytons, and made to∣warde them. And when Hengistus hadde experyence of the great hoste of Brytons: he then ordeyned mea∣nes of treaty and peas. where lastly yt was concluded that a certayne nō¦ber of Brytons, and as many of Sa¦xons, shuld vpon a Maye day assem¦ble vppon the playne of Ambrii, now called Salesbury. whyche daye cer∣taynly prefyxyd / Hengistus vsynge a new maner of treason, chargyd all his Saxons by him appoynted, that eche of them shulde putte secretely a longe knyfe in theyr hose / & at suche season as he gaue to thē this watche or by worde, Nempnyth your sexis, that eueryche of them shulde drawe hys knyfe and slee a Bryton, not sparynge any one / except Uortiger y^e kyng. And at y^e day before appointed the kynge wyth a certayne of Bry∣tons not ware of this purposed trea∣son, came in peasyble wyse to y^e place before assygned / where he fande re∣dy Hengistus wyth hys Saxons. The whyche after due obeysaunce

made vnto the kynge / receyued hym with a coūtenaūce of all loue. where after a tyme of cōmunycacyon had / Hengiste beynge mynded to execute his former purposed treason, shew∣ed his watche word. By reason wher¦of anon the Brytons were slayne as shepe amonge woluys, hauynge no maner of wepyn to defēde them self / excepte y^t any of them myght by his manhode and strength get the knyfe of his enymye. Amonge the nomber of these Brytons was an Erle called Edoll or Edolf erle of Caerlegion or Chestre / y^e whych seynge his felowes and frendes thus murdered, as affer¦meth myne authoure Gaufryde and other: he by his manhode wanne a stake in the hedge or ellys where / wyth the whyche he knyghtly sauyd his owne lyfe, and slewe of the Sa∣xons .xvii, and fledde to the cytye or towne of Ambry nowe named Sa∣lysburye. After whyche treason thus executyd / the kynge remayned wyth Hengistus as prysoner.

Of the takynge of Uortyger, and sleynge of the lordes of Brytayne / an authoure called Guillelmus de regibus sayth, that Hengist{us} agreed wyth Uortyger and hys Brytons / and that he shulde enioye the castell by hym before made, wyth a certayn of lande therunto adioynynge for hym and his Saxōs to dwell vpon. And when the sayde agrement was suerly stablyshed / this Hengiste en∣tendynge treason / desyred the kynge wyth a certayn nomber of his lordes to come to hym to dyner wythin his sayde castell. The whych of y^e kynge was graunted. And at the daye assy∣gned the kyng with his lordes came to the sayde Thongcastell to dyner / where he wyth his was well and ho∣nourably receyued and also deynte¦ly serued.

But when the kynge & his lordes were in theyr moste myrth / this Hen¦giste had commaunded before, y^t his owne knyghtes shuld falle at vary∣aūce among thē selfe. whych so done the remenaunt of his Saxons, as yt were in partynge of frayes, shulde fall vppon the Britons & slee theym all, oute take onely the kynge. The whyche was done lyke as ye haue be¦fore harde deuysed / and the kynge was holden as prysoner.

THE .XC. CHAPITER.

HEngistus then hauynge the kynge as prysoner, & a great parte of the rulers of Britayne thus as before is sayd subdued: was some deale exalted in pryde / and compel∣lyd the kynge to gyue vnto hym, as wytnessyth Policronica, thre prouyn¦ces in the eest parte of Brytayne. whych thre prouynces shuld be Kēt, Southsaxon or Sussex, and Eestan¦glys, whych is to meane Norff. and Suff. as affermeth the authoure of the floure of hystoryes. But Guydo de columna sayth, that the foresayde thre prouynces was Kent, Eestsa∣xon or Essex, and Eestanglys / which is Norff. and Suff. Of the whyche sayde prouynces when Hengist was possessyd / he suffred the kynge to go at his lybertye. And then Hengiste beganne his lordshyppe ouer the pro¦uynce of Kent, and sent other of his Saxōs to beweld the other two pro¦uynces / that is to saye Eestanglys and Eestsaxons, tyll he hadde sente for other of his kynnesmen, y^t he entē¦dyd to gyue the sayd {pro}uynces vnto.

The kyngdome of Kent here begynnyth

THE .XCI. CHAPITER.

THus Hengistus beynge in the possessyon of this

prouynce of Kent: comaunded hys Saxons to call yt Hengistus lande / wherof as some authours meane the hole lande of Brytayn toke his fyrst name of Englande. But that sayeng shall appere cōtrary, as shalbe shew∣ed hereafter in the storye of Egbert kynge of westsaxons. The whych af¦ter he had subdued y^e more parte of the kyngedomes of Saxōs, & made of all but one monarchye: he then cō¦maundyd this lande to be called An¦glia, & his Saxons Anglys / whych after by corrupcyon of speche was called Englande, and the people En¦glyshemen.

This lordshyppe or kyngedome of Kent had his begynnyng vnder Hen¦giste, in the yere of oure lorde after moste concordaunce of wryters, and by reason of y^e time .iiii. hūdred .lxxvi. And the fyfte yere of Uortygers last reygne.

But Denys and other, that accōpt this kyngdome to begynne in the ye¦re of our lord foure hundred and .lv. allowe the begynnynge therof to be when Hengistus had fyrst gyft of the same, by reason that Uortyger ma∣ryed his doughter.

This lordeshyppe conteyned the countre that stretcheth from eest Oc¦cean vnto the ryuer of Thamys / and had vpon the southeest Southerye / and vppon the weste London / vpon the northeest the Thamys aforesayd and Eestsaxon nowe Essex. And this lordshyppe conteyned also the yle of Thanet.

whyche lordshyppe or kyngdome endured after moste wryters, from the tyme of the fyrste yere of the rey∣gne of Hengiste, tyll the .xxv. yere of Egbert before named, by the terme of .iii. hundred and .xlii. yeres folow∣ynge that accompte. At whyche sea∣son the sayde Egbert then kynge of westsaxons, subdued Baldredus thē kynge of Kent, and ioyned yt to hys owne kyngdome.

Al be yt that the authoure of Po∣licronica affermeth yt to endure by the space of thre hundred and .lxviii, vnder .xv. kynges, wherof Baldre∣dus was the laste: whyche folowyth nere vnto the accompt of Denys be∣fore named. The fyrste crysten kyng of this lordshippe was Ethelbertus, or Ethelbert / the whyche receyued the fayth of Cryste by that holy man saynt Austayne or Augustayne, nere about the yere of our lordes incarna¦cyon foure hundred .lxxx. and .xvi. The whyche Ethelbert caused soone after to be edyfyed the monastery of saynt Peter and Paule, in the eest¦syde or ende of the cytye of Dorober¦nia now Caunterbury. He gaue vn∣to this Austayn and his successours byshoppes of Caunterbury, a place for the byshoppes see at Chrystes chyrche wythin the sayd cytye, & en∣dowed it with many ryche possessiōs.

This Hengiste and all the other Saxons whyche ruled the .xvii. pryn¦cypates of Brytayne, as after shall be shewed, are called of moste wry∣ters reguli / whyche is to meane in oure vulgare or speche as small or lytell kynges. So that this Hengist is accompted a lyttell kynge. The whyche when he hadde thus rule of the foresayde .iii. prouynces, he sent for mo Saxons / & gatheryd them y^t were sparkled abrode / so y^t in these prouynces the fayth of Chryste was all quenchyd and in slepe.

Then Hengist wyth Octa his son gaderyd a great strēgth of Saxōs / and faught wyth the Brytons, and ouercame the Brytons, and chasyd them in suche wyse, that Hengiste kepte his lordesshyppe in peace and warre by the space of .xxiiii. yeres, as moste wryters testyfye.

THE .XCII. CHAPITER.

NOwe then lette vs retourne agayne to Uortiger / y^e which when he sawe the Saxons in suche wyse encrease theyr strength, and the Brytons dayly dyscreace / for as wri¦teth myne authour Gaufryde, y^t Sa¦xons had the rule of London, yorke, Lincolne, or Lindecoln̄, and Kaer∣guēt, that is wynchester, wyth other good townes / wherfore as affermeth the sayd Gaufryde, the kyng for fere of y^e Saxōs, & also for that y^• he was some deale warned of the commyng of the .ii. bretherne Aurely and Uter sonnes of Constantyne: he therfore consyderynge these many and great daungers, fledde into Cambria or walys, and there helde hym for the more suertye / where as wytnessyth the sayde Gaufryde he then buylded the castel before mynded. Of y^e which buyldynge and impediment therof / and also of the gettynge or byrthe of Merlyne, and of his prophecyes he made a longe worke, the whyche I passe ouer for dyuerse consyderacy∣ons, & retourne agayne to Uortiger.

Trouth yt is, that whyle Uorty∣gernus was thus besyed in walys / the forenamed brethern Aurely and Uter preparyd theyr nauy and men of armys, and passed the see, and lan¦ded at Totnesse as sayth the englysh cronycle. wherof when the Brytons were ware that were disparklyd and seueryd in many coūtres / they drewe to them in all hasty wyse. The which sayde bretherne when they sawe that they hadde a competent nomber of knyghtes / they made towarde wa∣lys to dystresse Uortyger.

wherof he beynge warned / for so myche as he well knewe, y^t he myght not make sufficyēt defence by strēgth of knyghtes: he therfore garnyshed his castell wyth strength of men and vytayll / entendynge to sauegarde hym selfe by that meane / but all in vayne. For the sayde two bretherne wyth theyr armye, besegyd the sayd castell / and fynally after many as∣sautes, wyth wylde fyre consumed the sayde castell wyth Uortiger, and all that was therin.

Of hym yt is redde, that he shulde lye by his owne doughter, in truste y^e kynges shulde come of his blood. For the whyche dede he was accur∣syd of saynte Germayne / and lastely ended his lyfe as hefore is expressed, when he hadde reygned nowe laste ix. yeres.

THE .XCIII. CHAPITER.

AUrelius Ambrosius the se∣conde sonne of Cōstantyne, and brother to Constancius slayne by the treason of Uortyger / was kynge made of the Brytons in the yere of oar lorde .iiii. hundred .lxxx. & one / and the .xxi. yere of Childeric{us} then kynge of Fraunce. Of thys yt is sayd, that when he hard of the dy∣uysion that was in the land of Bry∣tayne betwene Uortiger and the Sa¦xons / and in what maner the Saxōs had subdued the Brytons he in all goodly haste wyth ayde of the kynge of lytell Brytayne, spedde hym into thys lande. where after the aboue sayde vyctory hadde of Uortiger / he spedde hym towarde yorke, as affer∣meth Gaufride, and there chasyd the Saxons that helde the cytye wyth Octa or Osca sonne of Hengist / and toke the sayde Octa, & kepte hym as a prysoner somwhat of tyme.

But howe so yt was by treason of his keper or otherwyse he brake pry∣son. And he wyth his fader gaderyd after a great hoste / and mette Aure∣lius & his Brytons at a place called Crekynford, where was foughten a stronge & myghty batayll / to y^e losse

of both partyes / but the more losse fyll to the Saxōs. For of them was slayne foure dukes, and .iiii. thou∣sande of other men, & that other dele chasyd to theyr great daunger. yet this not wytstandynge Hengiste con¦tynued his lordshyppe in Kent / and Aurelius Ambrose, whyche the en∣glyshe cronycle nameth Aurilam∣brose, kepte the countre called Logi¦ers or myddell Englande wyth wa∣lys / and chasyd the Saxons y^• dwel¦led in y^e .ii. forsayd prouynces of eest Saxon and eest Anglis, out of those countres.

The seconde kyngdome.

THE .XCIIII. CHAPITER.

IN this passe tyme a Saxō na¦med Ella, wyth his thre son∣nes called Symen or Symon, Plet¦tynger, and Cissa / came wyth thre shyppes called Obilas, and landed in the south parte of Brytayne, and slewe many Brytons at a place that then was named Cuneueshore / & cha¦sed many vnto a wood thē called An¦dresleger / and after occupyed y^e coun¦tre, & inhabyted hym & his Saxons wythin the sayde prouynce / makyng hym selfe kyng and lorde therof. By reason wherof by his might & power the sayd prouynce or countre was af¦ter named y^e kyngdome or lordshyp of Southsaxons. The whyche after most concorde of wryters shuld haue his begynnyng y^• .xxxii. yere after the fyrst cōmyng of Hēgist. which folow¦ynge y^e accompte shuld be in the yere of our lorde .iiii. hundred .lxxxii / and in the seconde yere of Aurely then kynge of Brytayne.

This kyngdome or lordshippe had in the eestsyde Kent, in the south the see and the yle of wyght, in the west Hampsyre, and in the northe Sou∣threy / and conteyned as wytnessyth Guydo Southampton, Somerset¦shyre, Deuenshyre / and Cornewayl. Of whyche sayde kyngdome Ethel∣baldus or Ethelwald{us} was the .iiii. kynge, and the fyrste crysten kynge. Thys kyngdome endured shorteste season of all the other kyngdomes, and passyd soonest into the other. For yt endured not aboue an hun∣dred and .xii. yeres, vnder .v. or .vii. kynges at moste.

THE .XCV. CHAPITER.

THen to returne where we left Aurely, whyche as before ye haue harde helde and occupyed the myddell parte of Brytayne wyth Cā¦bria or walys, dyd hys dylygence to repayre ruynous places, as well tem¦ples as other / and caused y^e seruyce of god to be sayde and done, whyche by meane of the Saxons was great¦ly decayde thorough all Brytayne. And after this Aureli{us} beseged y^• Sa¦xons in y^e hyll of Badon or Badowe, where he slewe many of theym. But dayly the Saxons encreasyd & lan∣ded in myche Brytayn, as after shall appere. For shortely after a Saxon named Porth / landed wyth his two sōnes at an hauē in Southsex. After whome as some authours meane, y^e hauē was after called Portismouth, whyche kepeth the name at this day. And in lykewyse they came to lande in dyuers places of Britayne / so that Aurelius had wyth them many con∣flyctys and bataylles, in the whych he spedde dyuersly / for he was som∣tyme vyctour, and some season ouer set. It is wrytē of hym in y^e englyshe cronicle and other, that he by y^e helpe of Merlyn shuld fetche the great sto¦nes now standynge vpon the playne of Salysburye, and called the stone henge, oute of Irlande, and caused theym to be sette there as they nowe

stande / in remembraunce of the Bry¦tons that there were slayne and bu∣ryed in the tyme of the communyca∣cyon had with Hengiste and his Sa¦xons, as before in the storye of Uor∣tiger is touchyd. But Polycronica alledgyth y^t honour vnto Uter Pen¦dragon his brother. In the tyme of this Aurelius, as wytnessyth also y^e sayde Policronica / dyed Hengist in his bed, when he had reygned ouer y^e Kentysh Saxons .xxiiii. yeres. After whose deth Octa or Osca his sonne, ruled y^e sayd kyngdome other .xxiiii. yeres. All be yt that the brytyshe bo∣kes, and also the cronycles of En∣lande sheweth / that after that Aure∣lius had in batayll slayne Hengiste: he toke vnto his grace Octa his son, & gaue vnto hym a dwellynge place in the countre of Galewey for hym & his Saxōs then lefte on lyue. which semeth not to be true, for mater that shall after ensue / and also for y^• that before is touchyd of the Pictes and Scottes, in the tyme of the myserye of the Brytons. Then yt foloweth, this Octa nother augmented nor my¦nyshed his lordshyp / but helde hym therwyth contented as his fader had to hym lefte yt.

Lastely & in the ende of the reygne of Aurely, Pascentius the yongest son of Uortiger, whiche after y^e deth of his fader was fledde into Irland for fere of Aurely, purchasyd ayde of Guilamour kyng of Irlāde. And wyth a great armye inuadyd thys lande of Brytayne by the countre of walys / in takynge the cytye of Me∣nenia, and in wastynge the sayd coū¦tre wyth iron and fyre. In the which season and tyme Aureli{us} laye syke in his cytye of Kaerguent or wynches∣ter. For whych cause he desyred hys brother Uter to gather an hoste of Britōs, & to appease y^e malice of Pas¦cencius & his adherētis. The whych accordyngly preparyd his hoste / & at length ouercame the hoste of Pascē∣cius, and slewe hym and the forena∣med Guillamour in the same fyght.

In this whyle and season that Uter was thus gone agayne Pascentius / a Saxon or other straūger feynynge hym a Bryton, & a connyng man in physyke, by the intycemet of Pascen¦cius came vnto Aurely, where he lay syke / & by his subtyle & false meanes purchasyd such fauour wyth those y^t were nyghe vnto the prynce, that he was put in truste to mynystre medy¦cines vnto the kyng. This is named of writers Coppa or of some Eoppa.

The whyche when he had espyed his tyme cōuenyent to brynge about his false purpose / he gaue to Aureli{us} a pocyon enpoysoned / by vyolence wherof he shortely after was dede, when he hadde reygned after moste wryters vppon .xix. yeres.

The thyrde or fyfte.

THE .XCVI. CHAPITER.

IN the tyme of y^e reygne of this Aurelius as wytnesseth the au¦thour of Policronica & other / y^e kyng¦dome of Eestanglis began vnder a Saxon named Uffa, about the yere of our lorde .iiii. hundred .lxxx. and xii, and the .xi. yere of Aurelius. The whych kyngdome conteyned Norlf. and Suff. nowe called. This hadde in this eest and north sydes, the see / in the northweste, Cambryge shyre / and in the weste, saynte Edmundes dytche, and Hertfordshyre / and in the southe Essex. This lordshyppe was called fyrste Uffynys lordshyp / and the kynges therof were named Uffynys, or after some authoures the people. But fynally they were na¦med eest Anglys.

The fyrst cristen kyng of this pryn¦cypate

was Redwaldus the thyrde kynge / but he was not so stedfaste as belonged to his relygyon. His sonne named Corpwaldus was more sted¦faste / whyche after was slayne of a mysbyleuynge man, and for Crystes fayth as some wryte. But Guydo sayth that Sebertus was fyrste cri∣sten kynge of this lordshyppe / & that he made saynt Poulys chyrch of Lō¦don. This vnder .xii. kynges endu∣red, tyll the martyrdome of blessyd saynte Edmunde laste kynge therof / the whych was martyred nere about the yere of our lord .viii. hūdred and lxix. By the whyche reason yt shuld folowe, that this kyngdome shulde endure by the terme of .iii.C.lxxvii. yeres. And of this lordshyp, at that dayes was Elman or Thetforde the chyfe towne. But after Guydo, this lordeshyppe shulde begynne the ye∣re of Grace .v. hundred & .lxx / & then shuld yt endure but .ii. hundred .iiii. score and .xix. yeres.

Francia. THE .XCVII. CHAPITER.

CLodoueus the sonne of Chil∣dericus or Hildericus before named, was after the deth of his fa∣der ordeyned kynge of Fraunce, in y^e yere of oure lorde .iiii. hundred .lxxx. and .iiii / and the thyrde yere of Au∣relius then kyng of Brytayne. This of some wryters is named Clodoue{us} Lowys. The whyche shortely after that he of this realme was authory∣syd for kynge / heryng reporte of the beaute and grete vertue of Clotildis neuewe to Cundebald kynge or ru∣ler of Burgoyne: sente vnto hym a knyght named Aurelius to treat a maryage betwene the kynge and Clotyld or Crotild. The which Cun∣debald more for fere then for loue as¦sentyd.

The cause wherof as myn authour sayth was, for y^t thys Crotyld was enherytour vnto the sayde lande of Burgoyne / and that she be reason of y^t maryage shuld recouer her ryghte and put hym from the rule therof. This Crotild had before that day re¦ceyuyd the fayth of Cryste / and so cō¦tynuynge her relygyon was maryed to Clodoueus then a paynym, and so endured a certayne of tyme. But yet she left not to enduce and tourne her lorde to the fayth in all that she myghte.

And after a certayn of tyme she was delyueryd of a sonne / the whyche by meanes of the holy man Remigius byshop of Raynes, and of the quene Crotyld, was crystyned and named Clodomerus / the whych dyed wyth in shorte processe after. For y^t happe the kyng sayd that his goddes were dyscontented wyth hym, that he had suffred his chylde to be crystyned, & for wrathe therof had taken frō hym his chylde. The quene takynge the kynges sayenge in pacyence / concey¦ued the seconde sonne, whyche also by the kynges agrement was also baptysed.

This also after a certayne of tyme was vexed wyth a greuous sekenes, in suche wyse that yt was lykely to haue dyed. wherfore the kynge was then more impacyent, and blamed y^e relygyon of his wyfe in moste impa∣cyent maner. The whych sayenges the quene toke pacyētly, and put all her confidence in god / to whom both she and Remigeus prayed so effec∣tuously, that the chylde was restored vnto perfyte helth.

Thus Clodoueus perseuerynge in his erronyous lawe / made warre vp¦pon the Almaynes. In whych warre beynge one daye occupyed in fyght agayne hys enymyes / he wyth hys people was put to the werse. wherof

whan Clodoue{us} was ware / hauyng greate drede of hym selfe, called to mynde the often exortacyon of hys wyfe, and of the greate vertue of her goddes lawe / and sodaynly lyfte his eyen towarde heuen and sayde, god the whyche Clotylde my wyfe doth honoure, now helpe me. And yf this daye I may passe thys daunger and opteyne vyctory / I shall euer after worshyp the wyth true fayth. The whyche prayer skantly fynysshed the Frenchemen by dyuyne power were so vnyed and knyt togyther, and so knyghtly wythstode theyr enemyes / that in shorte whyle after they optey¦ned vyctory. whyche vyctory had / y^e kynge with greate tryumphe retour¦ned into Fraunce. wherof whan Clo¦tylde was warned / she anone recey∣ued hym wyth all ioye and gladnes, thankynge her lord god of his great vyctory / but more for that y^e he had forsaken hys idolatrye, and was be∣comen seruaunt of y^e onely god four∣mer of all the worlde.

THE .XCVIII. CHAPITER.

IT was not longe after y^t bles∣syd Remigius was sent for. The whyche enfourmed the kynge suffycyently in the fayth of Cryst / & vppon an Eester daye folowynge, wyth great solempnyte baptysed the kynge. In tyme of which solempny∣sacyon doynge / the holy Crysine or oyle by neglygence of the mynysters or otherwyse, lackynge / a doue dis∣cendyng from heuen, brought in her becke or byll a vyoll fylled wyth oyle of moste swetest sauour / and delyue∣red it to saynt Remigius. The which was construed to be done by vertue of y^e holy ghost. And wyth thys holy oyle whan the kyng was anoynted / the surplusage therof was kept with moste reuerence. I haue herde repor¦ted, that this oyle is kept at the cytye of Reynes or at Parys, and that yt neuer fayleth or wasteth / and that al ryghtfull enherytours of y^e crowne of Fraunce be therwyth at theyr co∣ronacyō anoynted. But & it happen any myghty mā to vsurpe y^e crowne by myghte / when the bysshoppe co∣meth for thys holy oyle, he fyndeth y^t vyoll or glasse drye, and ellys not.

To thys reporte euery man maye gyue credence as hym lyketh / for I fande not this wryten in the gospell, nor yet in no boke of holy scrypture.

Then it foloweth after thys solēp∣nyte done / the kynge hadde certeyne wordes to the people, in exortynge them to leue theyr idolatrye, and to byleue in Cryste and hys fayth, by whose myghte and power onely he hadde venquysshed hys enemyes. By the whyche exortacyō and other meanes of the holy bysshop Remi∣gius / myche people were some after conuertyd and baptysed.

Then the kyng buylded certeyne newe monasteryes / and dedycat the olde temples of idollys in honoure of Crystes sayntes. Among y^e which one was nere vnto the cytye of Pa∣rys, in the honour of the apostles Pe¦ter and Paule. It is wytnessed of mayster Robert Gagwyne / that be∣fore these dayes all Frenche kynges vsed to bere in theyr armes .iii. todys But after thys Clodoueus had re∣ceyued Crystes relygyon .iii. floure de lyse were sente to hym by dyuyne power, sette in a shylde of asure / the whyche syns y^e tyme hath ben borne of all Frenche kynges.

The sayd authour myndeth also that in a monastery of Fraunce cal∣led the monastery of saynte Bartyl∣mewe / was somtyme kepte a clothe of redde sylke, whyche was named the aurysflambe, and borne for a ba∣ner in the felde agayne the Barbaris or hethen people / by vertue wherof

the frenche prynces wan many vyc∣toryes. But after whan thys precy∣ous relyke or aurysflābe was borne agayne Crysten prynces / the vertue therof seasyd, and lastly was lost. But yet the lyke therof is kepte at saynt Denys / and had in greate re∣uerence of the bysshoppes and ab∣bottes of the same place.

Then it foloweth in y^e storye / whan Clodoueus hadde set hys realme in due order: Clotyld callyng to myn∣de the treason done to her fader, and also the wrongfull wythholdynge of her ryghtfull enherytaunce by her vncle Cundebalde / exorted her lorde Clodoueus to sende an embassade, & to requyre restytucyon of her sayde ryght / y^t whych was sone after done. And whan the kynge had receyued an answere, y^t the sayd Cundebalde wolde not restore the sayd ryghte of hys wyfe: he in all goodly wyse pre∣pared an armye, and made warre vp¦pon the sayd Cundebalde. And after greate waste and dystruccyon of the coūtre: Clodoueus fynally besegyd hym in a cytye / & after toke the sayd cytye by strength / and the sayd Cun¦debalde wythin y^e same as prysoner. But by medyacyon of frendes and greate gyftes / wyth also a yerely try¦bute to be payed to Clodoueus, the sayd Cundebalde was releaced and sette at lybertye.

THE .XCIX. CHAPITER.

THis voyage thus spedde and orderyd: the kynge lefte be∣hynde hym an armye of .v. thousand knyghtes, vnder the gydyng of Gū∣defyll brother of the foresayd Cun∣debalde / and after retourned into Fraunce. But sone after the kynges departynge / Cundebalde cōtrary to the promyse before made, gaderyd a power of knyghtes, & made warre vppon hys sayde brother / and lastly beseged hym in the cytye of Uienne / where vppon eyther parte was by skyrmysshes & assautes great people slayne. All be yt in the ende Cunde∣balde wanne the cytye / and hys bro∣ther therein beynge, he afterwarde behedyd. About thys tyme great dis¦cencyon grewe atwene Clodoueus and the kynge of Gothys called Ale¦ricus. whyche varyaūce by agremēt of bothe partyes was put to the iu∣gement of Theodorycus than kyng of Longobardes or of Italyās. The whyche after the sayde causes were well and suffycyently argued and de¦batyd before hym and hys coūsayle: he fynally gaue sentence y^t a knyght of Clodoueus shulde stande vppon an hylle holdynge a spere vpryghte in hys hande / and that the kynge of Gothys shuld throwe or lay so mych syluer as shulde in processe couer the poynt of the sayd spere. whyche sen∣tence as testyfyeth mayster Robert Gagwyne, the Gothis despysed say∣enge that they had not suffycyent syl¦uer wythin theyr land to perfourme the sayd sentence. And for despyte of the same / certeyne Gothys espyenge a prynce of Fraūce named Paterne, beynge assocyate wyth some dyuerse Frenshmen in a lofte or chamber / the whyche Paterne had ben solycy∣tour for the Frenshe kynge in y^e fore¦sayd mater: the sayde Gothys by crafty and false meanes caused the floorth of the sayd chamber to falle / by whyche meane the sayde Paterne was greuously hurte, and many of the other in lykewise, & some slayne.

wherof whan Clodoueus had wry¦tynge / he beynge therwyth greatly amoued, and also bycause y^e Gothys dysobeyde the foresayd awarde: he gadered shortly after a greate hoste. And after certeyne offerynges done to saynt Martyn / wyth also passyng the ryuer of Uian by myracle and le∣dynge

of an harte: he lastly came to the syghte of hys enemyes. Thenne Clodoueus lodged hys hoost nere vnto the monastery of saint Hillary / where in the nyght before y^e batayle, he receyued tokens of vyctory, the whyche I passe ouer.

And vppon the morne he set hys people in araye, and made towarde hys enemyes / and mette wyth them in a felde called Noglodien̄, nere vn¦to y^e ryuer of Cleue or Clyue. where after sore and longe fyght / he slewe the abouesayde Alaricus kynge of Gothys (as sayth myne authour) wyth hys owne hande.

But here shulde seme some dis∣corde of tyme wyth other wryters. For Cronica cronicarum, Iacobus Philippus, and other / testyfye that thys Alaricus was dede many yeres before. For he shulde be kynge of Go¦thys by theyr sayenge in the tyme y^t Honorius brother vnto Archadius was emperour whyche was aboute the yere of our lord .iiii. hūdred & .ix. that he began hys empyre. wherfore mayster Robert Gagwyne meaneth some other kynge of Gothys than Alaric{us}. For the sayd authours also affyrmen, that this Alaricus dyed of sodayne sykenesse at a cytye named Cesancia / whā he had reygned after moste wryters .vi. yere.

Then it foloweth in y^e story / whan Clodoueus had thus opteyned vyc∣tory of the Gothys, and set the coun¦tre of Guyan in order: he sped hym agayne into Fraunce.

And when he was comen into the countre of Turon̄ / he was encoūtred wyth embassadours of themperours Anastasius, and presented from the sayd emperour wyth gyftes & greate pryce and honour, and also admyt∣ted for a consull of Rome, whyche at that dayes was a dygnyte of moste honour. whyche done, he remytted the sayd embassade wyth great gyf∣tes. This sayenge is affyrmed of the other wryters / the whych shewe this honour to hym to be done, for as mych as he had ouercomen the Go∣thys, enemyes of Crystes fayth. But they name not the kynges name that then reygned ouer the Gothys.

Thys besynesse ouerpassed / Clodo¦ueus contynued hys iourney tyll he came to the monastery or chyrche of faynt Martyn. where wyth great de¦uocyon accordyng to hys former pro¦mysse / he offered his stede that he oc∣cupyed that iourney agayne the Go¦thys. And after for that he entended to occupye the sayd hors yf he hadde lyke nede: he redemed hym wyth a competent summe of golde. But yet the hors myghte not be remoued. Then y^e kyng added to an hundreth pecys of golde / which at those dayes were named golden shyllynges / and so receyued hys stede. wherfore the kynge sayd after in game, that saynt Martyn was a good helper at nede / but he was costelewe.

Thus thys noble and fyrste cry∣sten prynce cōtynued hys lyfe in no∣ble and marcyall dedys / in augmen∣tynge hys kyngdome by knyghtly batayles and other worldy prouy∣syons / and lastly dyed of goddes vi∣sytacyō with all stedfastnes of fayth, whan he hadde reygned .xxx. yeres / leuyng after hym .iiii. sonnes of Clo¦tylde hys wyfe / that is to saye Clo∣domyrus, Chyldebertus, Theodori∣cus, and Clotharius / or after some Latarius / and was buryed in y^e mo∣nastery that he before nere vnto Pa¦rys hadde buylded, wyth suche epy∣taphy or superscripcyon vppon hys tumbe as after shalbe shewed.

But or I procede to the declaryng of the foresayd epitaphy / for so mych as I haue hard dyuers hold an opy¦nyon, that the fayth of Cryste was

receyued in Fraunce or it were recey∣ued in this lande of Brytayne: ther∣fore I shall note here the tyme that this Clodoueus fyrst toke baptyme. whyche was as Ranulphe monke & other testyfye, in the .xv. yere of hys reygne / or nere about. whyche was y^e yere of our lord .iiii.C.lxxx. & .xix.

wherby yt apperyth, consyderynge the tyme of Luci{us} fyrst crystē prynce that euer was of Brytayne as before is shewed / that Cristes fayth was by a longe tyme honoured in Brytayn, or it were honoured in Fraunce / ex∣cepte that suche as holde the forsayd opynyō, accompte the fyrste comyng of Crystes fayth into Brytayne at y^e fyrste conuersyon of the Saxons, whenne yt was prechyd by the holy monke saynt Augustyne and hys fe∣lowes / whych is not to the purpose. Than to the foresayde epitaphy or superscrypcyon as foloweth.

Diues opum, virtute potens, clarus{que} triumpho, Condidit haue sedem, rex Clodoueus idem. Patricius magno, subsimis fulsit honore. Pfemis amore dei, contempsit credere nusso Lumina qui varijs horrent potenta figuris, Mox pur gatus aquis, & Christi fonte renatus Fragrantem gessit, infulso crisinate crinem. Exemplū'{que} dedit, sequitur quod plurima tur••a Gentisis populi / spreto{que} errore suorum. Doctorem cultura deum; verum{que} parentem. Hijs felix meritis, superauit gesta priorum Semper concilio, castris bellis{que} tremendus. Hortatu dux ipse bonus, ac pectore fortis Cōstructas acies formauit in a gmine primus.

The whyche verses maye be thus expouned in our moder tūge as here after foloweth.

Riche of goodes, stronge in vertue, in triumphe re shynynge, Kyng Clodoueus, this temple buyste of stone Fader of comon profete, clad with his honour ex¦cellynge. Replenyshed with goddes loue, despysed hys olde foon And hys pagaun lawe, wyth the straunge fygurs echone. Purgid with holy water, by cristes font born new And holy crisine enointed floured with vertue dew

Example gyuyng, hym foloweth many a man, Forsakyng theyr errour and theyr fals goddes all And by his techynge honour but one god than Thus by his merytes he excelled his parentall / And thorough his coūsayle made citye and castell thrall. He was a noble duke, & therwith of grete might And in front of batayle was euer the fyrst knyght

Anglia. THE .C. CHAPITER.

VTer the laste or yongest sonne of Cōstantyne, and brother of Aure∣lius / was made kyng of Britayn in the yere of our lorde .v. huu∣dred euen / and the .xvi. yere of Clo∣doueus than kynge of Fraunce. Thys as before ys touched, was sur∣named Pendragō. The cause therof was as wytnessyth y^e Englysshe cro∣nycle, for so mych as Merlyn lyke∣ned hym vnto a dragō vnder a sterre apperynge in the firmament. wherof there is made a long processe, and by Gaufryde in his Brytyshe boke also affermed / the whych to me semeth of lytell credēce. But trought it is, that after Uter was (as before is sayde) made kynge / he was enamowryd vp¦pon the dukes wyfe of Cornewayll named Igwarne or Igorne / & for to optayn his vnlefull lust, sought ma∣ny & dyuers meanes. So y^e lastly he made warre vpō her husbāde named Garol{us} or Gorleis / & at lēgth slew y^e

sayde duke at his castell called Tyn¦tagell, standynge in Cornewayle / & after maryed his wyfe, and receyued of her the noble knyght Arthur, and a doughter named Amye, as sayth the englyshe cronycle.

More is not lefte of any wryter of authoryte in remembraunce of thys Uter / all be it that some testifye, that he by the helpe of Merlyne shulde fetche Coria gigantum otherwyse called the stone henge, out of Irlād as before I haue shewed in the story of Aurelius. And of Gaufryde ys shewed, that Uter also shulde wynne the forsayde ladye by the enchaunte∣ment of Merlyn. whych is not come¦ly to any chrysten relygyon to gyue to any suche fantastycall illusyons any mynde or credence. wherfore I passe ouer, leuynge all the other ma∣ter, whych also ys there rehersyd of the warre betwene Uter and Osca, sonne of Hengyste, for so mych as it is dyscordaunt vnto other wryters / and fynally conclude that thys Uter Pendragon dyed by force of venym, when he hadde ruled thys yle of Bry¦tayne by the full terme of .xvi yeres / and after was buryed by his brother Aurely in Coria gigantum or stone henge, leuynge after hym the fore∣named sonne the puyssaunt Arthur.

Francia. THE .CI. CHAPITER.

LOtharius or Clo¦tharius the yon∣gest sonne of Clo¦doue{us} / was made kynge of a parte of Fraunce called Soisons, in y^e ye¦re of our lorde .v. hundred and .xiiii / and the .xiiii. yere of Uter then kynge of myche Bry∣tayne. ye shall vnderstande that af∣ter the deth of Clodoueus laste kyng of Fraunce / the lande by hym was dyuyded to hys foure sonnes. That is to say to the eldest sonne Clodomi¦rus was appoynted the lordshyppe of Orlyaunce / to Theodoricus the seconde sonne Austracye / to Childe∣bertus y^e thyrd son myddell Fraūce, or the countre lyenge about Paris / and to this Lothayr, the aboue sayd lordshyppe of Soisons. Of whyche sayd lordshyppes eyther of them pos¦sessyd / they were of theyr subiettes called kynges, and so contynued in good reste a certayne of tyme. In the whyche season Clotyld theyr moder, berynge in mynde the vnnaturall deth of her parentes / wylled her son¦nes to venge theyr deth. whych deth as testyfyeth Uincent historyall, and also Antoninus, was in this forme folowynge. Gundenchus the graūd father of Clotildis had .iiii. sonnes / that is to saye Cundebaldus, Gondi¦gisillus, Hilpericus, and Godoma∣rus: To these .iiii. sonnes Gunden¦chus besette the lande of Burgoyne. Gondigisill{us} and Godomar{us} dyed / wherfore the land of Burgoyne fyll to Cundebaldus and Hilpericus. Then Cundebaldus for couetyse of the hole lordeshyp, slew his brother Hilpericus / & fastened a great stone to the necke of his wyfe, and cast her into a depe water. And of hys .ii. dou¦ghters, wherof the eldest hyght Tro¦na / he exyled in poore wede or clo∣thynge. And the yonger he kepte in seruage wythin his owne courte. The whyche after as before is shew∣ed was maryed agayne hys wyll vn¦to Clodoue{us} fader to this Lothari{us}.

Then yt foloweth, this Lotharius sonne of Clotild made sharpe warre vpon Sigismonde sonne of Cunde¦baldus, whyche then was dede. In the whyche warre the eldest sonne Clodomyrus was slayne / leuyng af¦ter

hym .iii. sonnes named Theobal¦dus, Guntherus or Guntharre, and Clodoaldus. whych .iii. sonnes toke to her tuycyon and guydynge. But the other brother maynteyned the warre agayn y^t Burgoyniōs / in such wyse y^e finally they obteyned y^e ryght porcyon of theyr moder Clotilde.

After thys warre was fynyshed in Burgoyne: Childebertus the thyrd sonne herynge that Almarcus kyng of Spayne mysse entreated his sus∣ter / made warre vppon hym, & lastly hym subdued and sette his suster in her former estate.

But whyle the said Childebert was thus in Spayne occupyed: Theodo¦rus his brother toke from hym a cy∣tye to hym belongyng called Moūt∣clere / and slewe the knyghtes which Childebertus had lefte there to kepe the sayd cytye. For this myscheuous dede arose gret debate betwene these two bretherne / but by medyacyon of frendes they were at lēgth accordyd. Then Theodorus sought new mea∣nes of dyspleasure agayne his sayde brother, as well treason as other wyse / the whyche Childebert by his polycye and wysedome & wyth good fortune escapyd.

Childebertus than castynge in his mynde how he myght wynne to hym the patrymony or the lordeshyp that lately belōged vnto his eldest broder Clodomyrus: toke counsayle of his brother Clotharius. In such wyse y^t they to gyder or of one assent, sent vn¦to theyr moder Clotyld for theyr ne∣uewes, childern of theyr brother And she nothynge mystrustynge theym / sent the sayde childern vnto the sayd ii. brethern. But wythin shorte tyme of theyr commyng vnto theyr sayde vncles, as testifyeth mayster Robert Gagwyne, and also the frēche croni¦cle / Lotharius tyrānously wyth his sworde slew two of y^e sayde childern. And then the thyrde fledde for his sa¦uegarde vnto suche as hym fauou∣ryd. He was after agayne taken and compelled to make a solemne othe, y^t he shulde become a relygyous man, & neuer clayme any part of his ryght or enherytaunce. By which vnlefull meane the .ii. brothern obteyned the hole lordshyppe of Orleaunce / and partyd the reuennues thereof be∣twene them / but that enduryd but a whyle. And here I passe ouer the so∣rowe that Clotylde made for the chil¦dern of her sonne Clodomyrus / and also the orderyng of the yongest son called Clodoaldus, whyche escaped the daunger of his vncles, as before is shewed / the whyche wolde aske a longe season.

THE .CII. CHAPITER.

IT was not long after but that the seconde brother kynge or duke of Austracy, dyed of goddes vi¦sytacyon / leuynge after hym a sonne named Theodobertus. The whyche of his two foresayde vncles was gre¦uously warred by lōge tract of tyme, the whyche he defendyd thorough his marciall knighthode. And when he by dyuers meanes hadde sought peace, and myght not purchase it: he then founde suche meanes by ryche gyftes and otherwyse, that he wāne the fauoure of his vncle Childebert / and cherysshyd hym as his frende. Then fyll vnkyndnes betwene Chil¦debert and Lotharius / in so myche that eyther of thē assembled a great hoste to subdue that one the other. But the forenamed Theodobertus made all y^e power he myght, to ayde and assyste Chyldebert. So that vp¦pon bothe partyes was a great mul∣tytude of knyghtes armed redy to fyght. Clotilde then herynge of this mortall warre betwene her two son∣nes / and also consyderynge the lyke¦lyhode

of the great effusyon of man¦nes blood that myghte ensue, by the reason of the ioynynge of these foresayd two hostes: in all hast yode vnto the sepulture or shryne of saynt Martyn. where wyth due deuocyon she made her specyall prayers / bese∣chynge god and that blessyd saynt to sende by heuenly power some let or impedyment, y^t the sayd hostes shuld not ioyne in batayll. By meane of whyche prayer when the sayde two hostes were in preparyng for to haue ronne to gyther: sodeynly fyll suche a tempeste of wynde and hayll wyth thunder and lyghtnynge, that bothe hostes were so greuously beten with the sayde tempeste and wederynge, that eyther of them had most mynde how they myght defende them selfe from daunger of the said wederyng. And ouer that, as testyfyeth y^e aboue named Authour / eyther of the hostes thought in theyr myndes, that they were chased of theyr enimies / in such wyse that eyther of them fledde from other by a longe space.

After this eyther of them sent mea¦nes of treatyse eyther to other / and at length confermed a peace betwene them. The whyche peace surely on both partyes assured Childebert ex¦cytyd his brother to warre vppon a people or countre called Terra Co∣nens̄ in the prouynce of Spayn, and besegyd the cytye of Saragounce otherwise called Augusta / & fynally kept the cytesyns so shorte, that they to appeace theyr enimyes, caused the byshoppe of the cytye to open the se∣pulchre of saynt Uyncent, and gyue to Lotharius a parte of y^• holy mar¦tyrs bodye.

But yet that notwythstandynge / though the syege were wythdrawen and the cytye sparyd: yet the coun∣tre there aboute they pylled and was¦ted wythoute pyte. And after wyth great rychesse of praye, retourned in to Fraunce. where at Paris by Chil¦debert soone after was builded a mo¦nastery in the worshyppe of god and of saynt Uincent / where the foresayd relyke was sette and reuerētly kepte. whych monastery at this daye is cal¦led saynt Germayns de Pree.

In thys whyle, I can not saye by what happe / these two brethern new¦ly malygned agayne theyr neuewe Theodobert the son of theyr brother Theodorich. And entendyd by they•• malyce to byreue hym of the lorde∣shyppe of Austracy. And to that en∣tent gatheryd theyr people to warre vpon the sayde Theodobert. wherof when y^e sayd Theodobert was ware, consyderynge he coude not so shorte∣ly assemble his people to wythstande the malyce of his sayd vncles▪ he ••••¦lowly and good maner rode agayne them in a peasyble wise. And to them behaued hym so well in worde and dede, that they alonely forgaue no•• hys trespasse / but also sente hym ••••gayne with great rychesse of gyftes.

Soone after thys tyme dyed Clo••tilde the wife of Clodoueus / y^• which with great pompe of her two sonnes was buryed by her sayde husbande▪ And shortly after dyed Theodobert aforenamed / leuynge after hym •• sonne named Theobalde. In thys passe tyme Lotherius of hys wyfe r••¦ceyued .vii. sonnes & two doughters. Of the whyche Cramyris the eldest sonne he sente into Guyan, to haue the rule therof vnder his father. But he contrary to hys fathers mynde / oppressyd the inhabytauntes therof wyth greuous exaccyons and tribu∣te / wherfore hys father beynge dys∣content, called hym thens. Cramy∣ris wyth this beynge sore amoued / in great angre departed his fathers courte, & yode vnto Childebert hys vncle, excytynge hym to make warre

vppon hys father / imagynynge fals occasyons to bryng the two brethern at dystaunce / and made a solemne othe to his vncle, that durynge hys lyfe he shuld strēgth his party agayn his owne father. whyche assuraunce thus made, Chyldebert preparyd hys hoste to warre agayne his bro∣ther Lothari{us}. But y^e sayd Lothari{us} of this beynge warned / for such lette as he then haddde, sent agayne hys enymyes two sonnes of hys, named Gunthranus and Aribert{us} / & whyle these two fonnes made toward Chil¦debert, he in that whyle made great waste in the countre of Champayne / and takynge great pryses, returned into hys owne countre of myddell Fraunce. wherof herynge the forena¦med Guntranus and hys brother / and also that in Guyan was moued warre by Cramyr̄: spedde them thy∣der wyth all theyr people. But they dydde nothynge worthye memorye or laude.

In thys season dyed the forsayde Chyldeberte brother of Lotharius wythout heyre / when he hadde ruled myddell Fraunce .xivii. yeres, as sayeth the Frenche cronycle / and was enterred in y^e monastery of saint Uyncent, otherwyse called saynte Germayne de Pree.

THE .CIII. CHAPITER.

AFter the deth of Childebert / for so myche as he dyed with¦out heyre, Lotharius forenamed sea¦syd all myddell Fraunce into his pos¦sessyon. And after he hadde somdele sette yt in order / not forgetynge the innaturall rebellyon of hys son Cra¦myris: chase vnto hym a puryd com¦pany of knyghtes and of competent nomber / & in all haste made toward Guyan, where y^e sayd Cramyr̄ was then abydynge. But when he harde of the cōmynge of his father agayn hym with his chosyn armye: he with¦drewe hym to the vttermost partyes of Fraunce / and requyryd ayde of a kynge or duke to that partye adioy∣nynge named Gonobalde / the which to hym promised ayde to his power.

Lotharius of this affinyte beyng warned / pursued the sayde Gono∣balde so sharpely, that he constray∣ned hym at length to take the chyrch of saynte Martyne, and to holde yt for his sauegarde. But when Lotha¦rius had assayd by dyuerse meanes, as well by fayre promyse as wordes of Manasses, and myght not get the sayde Gonobalde oute of that holy place: he set the chyrche on fyre, and brent the duke in the same / the which shortely after he reedifyed and made in more better maner then yt before hadde ben.

when Cramyris was thus dispoyn¦ted of y^e ayde of Gonobalde: he then fledde into lyttell Brytayne, and re∣quyred ayde of the erle therof named Cenabutus / where by comforte of y^t sayde erle he assembled a great hoste to wythstand his father. wherof the father beynge asserteyned drewe to∣warde hym. And when both hostes were nere: they sent messagers to y^e father to entreate a peace. But Lo∣tharius included so many harde con¦dycyons wythin the sayde peace / or as some writersmeane, Cramyris de¦syred such vnlefull desyres of his fa¦ther / that the sayd treaty myght take none effecte. And for truste that he had in the Brytons and his strength he was vtterly bent to trye his cause by dynt of swerde.

Lotharius hauynge experiēce that fortune of batayl is in victory dout∣full & vncertayne: he therfore made hys prayer to god / besechynge hym of ayde agayne the innaturall and obstynate rebellyon of his sonne.

After whych prayer endyd / he com∣maunded in the name of god to sette vppon his enymyes. whyche mette with so grete ire / that shortly y^e grene feld was dyed into a perfyght redde / and many knyghtes vpon both par∣tyes laye slayne, and gruntynge vp∣pon the erthe. The father comfor∣tynge and callynge vpon his knygh¦tes vppon the one parte, and the son vpon his knyghtes vpon that other parte / eyther of them entendynge y^e deth and vtter destruccyon of eche other / thus this batayll hangynge in suspence to whether of them the vy∣ctorye shuld turne: sodeynly the Bri¦tons gaue backe / and gaue place to the Frenchemen. wyth the which the French partye beyng cōforted / enfor¦ced y^t Britons wyth so sharpe fyght, that they were compelled to forsake the felde, and toke theym to flyght / whom the Frenchemen chasyd and slewe wythout mercy.

In the whyche chase Cramyris wyth hys wyfe and chyldern were ta¦ken and presentyd vnto Lotharius. The whyche shortly after, settynge a parte all faderly loue, compassion, and pytye, causyd a great fyre to be made / into the whyche he commaun¦ded to be caste the sayde Cramyris with also hys wyfe and chyldern. Or as wytnessyth the frenche cronycle, they were all enclosyd in a house / and the house and they to gether con¦sumyd wyth fyre.

Thus the moste cruell father with¦out pyte chastysyd y^e inobedyent son, to the example and lernyng of other, to bere dewe obedyēce vnto theyr pa¦rentes. After this vyctory and cruell chastysement executed by Lothari{us}: he retourned into Fraunce. And so to the sepulcre or shryne of saynte Martyne / yeldynge to god and hym thankes of thys vyctorye, and offe∣ryd there many & ryche gyftes. And after spedde hym to Soisons / where he as kynge of all Fraunce / excepte the lordshyppe of Austracy, whyche Theobald sonne of his brother sons Theodorich then helde. The father of this Theobald was Theodobert. Then Lotharius seynge hys lande in reste and quyetnesse / gaue hym to huntynge and chace of wylde bestes, a game of great vse amōg all Frēche prynces.

In whyche dysporte he beyng one daye greatly trauayled, caught some surfet / of the whyche ensued a mor∣tall sykenes, so that he dyed shortely after, when he hadde reygned as be∣fore is specifyed ouer the lordshyppe of Soysons and other, by the terme of .l. wynter full. And was after bu∣ryed at Soisons with great pompe / leuynge after hym foure sonnes, Gū¦thranus, Aribertus, Chilpericus, & Sigebertus.

It is testyfyed of mayster Robert Gagwyne, that saynte Radegunde borne of the countre of Thurynge, of a pagan father named Bernigari¦us, was wyfe to this Lothar̄. whose vertuous lyfe Antonin{us} in his boke called Sm̄ Antonini, in the .viii. cha¦pyter & .xii. tytle of the seconde parte of his worke, shewyth cōpēdyously.

Anglia. THE .CIIII. CHAPITER.

ARthur{us} the sonne of Uter Pendra∣gon a strepelynge of .xv. yeres of age beganne his rey∣gne as kynge of Brytayne, in the yere of oure lorde v. hundred and .xvii / and the thyrde yere of Lotharius, then kynge of Fraunce, or of a parte therof, as be∣fore is declared. Of this Arthure is

by Gaufryde recyted a longe storye, and alowed by the englysh cronycle, the whyche from other wryters ys greatly dyscordaunte. But yet all au¦thours agreen that he was noble an victoryous in all his dedys.

Fayne I wolde declare the fame of this noble prynce, to the comforte of other to folowe his marcyall de∣dis / so that I myght somwhat iustly fye my reporte by some authoure of authoryte. But the more I am in doute, bycause of the sayenge of Ra¦nulphe monke of Chestre / whyche vouchyth yt vppon wyllyam wry∣ter of hystoryes of kynges, as ys re∣hersed at length in the .vi. chapyter of the .v. boke of Policronicō / which is there open to euery man that ys desyrous to knowe the sayde reporte or opynyon / the whyche for the lēgth therof I ouerpasse. And somwhat to the honour of so great a champyon as was thys Arthur, I shall lay vn∣to the reder, that he may wyth autho¦ryte shewe vnto the herers / and ther wyth gladde the welsheman that he shuld descēde of so noble a vyctour / whych so many dedys of honour exe¦cuted in his dayes.

Then as testyfyeth Polycrony∣con and other / Arthur faught .xii. no table batayllis agayne the Saxons, and of them all was victour.

wherfore the fyrste was vpon the ryuer of Cleuy / and .iiii. the nexte were foughten vpon the ryuer Dou¦glys, which rynneth vnder the town of wygan, vpon ten myles from the ryuer of Merse in Lancashyre.

The .vi. batayll was vppon the ry¦uer called Bassa.

The .vii. besyde Lyncoln̄ in a wood called Celidon̄.

The .viii. and the .ix. were fough∣ten about yorke.

The .x. was about Nycolf towne, whyche is named warwyk as after some wryters.

The .xi. was at Bathe / where he longe besegyd Cerdicus kynge of westsaxons.

The .xii. and last was at a place cal¦led Badon or Babowe hyll / in which he slewe many Saxons. But that notwythstandynge he myght not cle¦rely voyde them his lande / but that they kepte theyr coūtes, which they were before possessyd of / as Kente, Southerey, and Norff: all be it that some authours testyfy that they held these countres as trybutaryes vnto Arthure.

Thys noble warryour as wytnes¦syth holy Gildas, slew with his own hande in one daye by y^e helpe of our ladye saynte Marye / whose picture he bare peynted in his shelde, a hun¦dred and .xl. Saxons. whyche shelde he called Prydwen̄ / his swerd was called Caliboure / and his spere was called Ron̄, after the brytyshe tunge or speche.

The thyrde or fourth.

THE .CV. CHAPITER.

ABout the .v. yere of this Arthur, af¦ter the agrement of moste wryters beganne the lord shyppe of westsa¦xōs, vnder y^e Sa¦xon called Cerdicus & Kenricus hys sonne. For Denys and other wyt∣nesse, that this lordshyppe or kyng∣dome shulde haue his begynnynge the .lxxi. yere. after the fyrste com∣mynge of Hengiste / or the yere of oure lorde fyue hundred .xxii. which agreeth wyth the .v. yere of Arthure aforesayde.

Thys lordshyppe conteyned the weste countre of Englande / as wylt

wyltshyre, Somersetshyre, Berk{is}, Dors. and other / as Deuonshyre, and Cornewayll / and hadde in the Eest syde Southampton / in y^e north Thamys the famouse ryuer / in the south and weste the see Occean.

This foresayde Cerdicus, whyche of some authours is named Childri∣cus / lāded fyrst at Cerdyshore which nowe is called yermouth, an hauen towne in the countre of Norff. And by helpe of other Saxons then inha¦byted in that countre then called eest Anglys: the sayd Cerdicus at lēgth obteyned the foresayde countre and named yt westsaxon or westsaxonia / and reygned therin as lorde or kyng a certayne of yeres, and Kenric{us} his sonne after hym.

The fyrste chrysten kynge of this prouynce was named Kyngilsus / and cōuertyd by meanes of that bles¦sed man Berinus byshoppe of Dor∣chester. To whom Quichelinus bro¦ther of the foresayd Kyngilsus, gaue the sayd cytye to make there hys see, after he also had receyued baptyme of the sayde Berinus. And as Guy∣do wytnessyth the sayde Quicheli∣nus gaue after to the byshoppe of wynchester .vii. myles compasse of lande, to buylde there a byshoppes see / the whyche was accomplyshed and finyshed by Kenwalcus his son. Thys kyngdome enduryd longeste of all the other / whyche were .vii. in nomber, or .vi. besyde thys. Some wryters accompte the terme of the duraunce of thys kyngdome, from Cerdicus to Egbert / and some to the laste yere of Aluredus. But Guydo accomptyth the enduraunce of thys kyngdome, from the fyrste yere of Cerdicus vnto the laste yere of Ed∣warde the cōfessour. By reason wher¦of yt shuld endure fyue hundred and & .liiii. yeres. But moste accordyng∣ly yt shulde be rekened from the fyrst yere of Cerdicus to the laste yere of Aluredus. For he made one monar∣chye of all .vii. kyngdomes / in which tyme dyd flowe or passe thre hūdred lxxviii. yeres.

THE .CVI. CHAPITER.

NOwe then I wyl returne vnto Ar∣thur / the whych by a longe tyme dwelled in warre and mortall ba∣tayll wyth y^e Sa¦xōs, by meane of theyr dayly repayre into this lande. The whyche also a∣lyed them with Pictes and other na¦cyons, and made theyr partye the strenger by y^e meane. But yet Arthur by his marciall knyghthod brought theym in suche frame / that he was accōpted for chyef lord of Brytayne.

Fynally when he hadde by a longe tyme maynteyned hys warres a∣gayne the Saxons / and specyally a∣gayne Cerdicus or Childricus kyng of westesaxons: he for a fynall con∣corde gaue vnto the sayde Cerdicus as testyfyeth Policronica in the .vi. chapyter of his .v. boke. the two coū¦tres of Hampshyre and Somerset. And when he hadde sette hys lande in some quietnesse, he betoke the rule therof vnto hys neuewe Mordred / and wyth a chosyn armye sayled, as sayth Gaufryde and other, vnto Fraūce / where by the reporte of Gau¦fryde he wrought wonders.

But the wryters of Frenche crony¦cles touche nothynge of suche nota∣ble dedes / nor yet the wryters of Ro¦maynes mynde nothynge of suche actes done agayne theyr consull or emperoure called by Gaufryde Lu∣cius Hybert{us}. Therfore I wyll spare all that longe mater: remyttyng the welshemen as touchynge y^e processe

vnto the sayd Gaufride. And here I wyll folowe Policronicon, where he sayth, that for as mych as the forena¦med Mordred was desyrous to be kynge / & feryd some dele the myght of Cerdicus kyng of westsaxons: he therfore drewe to hym the sayde Cer¦dicus by great gyftes, as of townes and castelles & other meanes / where thorough the sayd Cerdicus to hym assented, so that Mordred was at London crowned kyng of Brytayn / and Cerdicus after the vse of pagās was at wynchester then called Kaer∣guent crowned kyng of westsaxons.

when relacyō came to Arthur of all this treason wrought by his neuewe Mordred: he in all haste made to∣warde Brytayn, as yt is redde in the englyshe cronycle / & lāded at Sand∣wyche, where he was mette of Mor∣dred and hys people / whych gaue vn¦to hym strong batayll in tyme of his landyng, and loste there many of his knyghtes, as the famouse knyghte Gawyne and other. But yet this not withstandyng Arthur at lēgth wāne the lande, and chasyd his enymyes / and after the enterynge of his cosyn Gawyn and other of his knyghtes there slayne, he sette forwarde his hoste to pursue his enymyes. Mor∣dred thus beynge ouersette of his vn¦cle at the see syde / withdrewe hym to wynchester. where he beynge furnys¦shed of newe soudyours, gaue vnto Arthur, as sayth Gaufryde, y^e secōde fyghte / wherin also Mordred was put to the worse, and constrayned to flee. Thyrdely and lastely the sayde Mordred faught wyth his vncle Ar¦thur besydes Glastynbury / where af¦ter a longe and daungerouse fyght, Mordred was slayn / & y^e victorious Arthur wounded vnto the deth / and after buryed in the vale of Aualon be¦syde Glastynbury beforesayde.

Of this laste ende and buryenge of Arthur in the brytyshe bokes are tolde many fables. But to oppresse y^e errours of Brytons y^e thynke or by∣leue y^t Arthur yet lyueth: Policroni¦conshe with in his forenamed chapy¦ter of his .v. boke, y^t in the secōde Hen¦ryes tyme kynge of Englande the bonys of the sayd Arthur and Gway¦nour his wyfe were foūden / and trās¦lated into the forsayde chyrch of Gla¦stynbury, and there newe buryed in the yere of our lord .xi. hundred .lxxx. And more specially yt is noted in the xxiii. chapyter of the .vii. boke of Po¦licronicon aboue sayde.

wherfore to be at cōclusyon of a fyne of this noble warryour / he was as before is shewed slayne or woun∣ded to deth, when he hadde reygned ouer the Britons by y^e terme of .xxvi. yeres / wyllynge before his deth that Constantyne the son of Cador duke of Cornewayle, for so mych as of his bodye remayned none heyre, that he shulde be his heyre and enheryte the land of mych Britayn after his deth.

Anglia. THE .CVII. CHAPITER.

CONstantinus the son of Cador duke of Cornewayle / by assent of the Bry∣tons was of them crowned kynge of myche Brytayne, in the yere of Cry∣stes incarnacyon fyue hūdred .xliii / and the .xix. yere of Lotharius then kynge of Fraunce. This was nere kynnesman vnto Arthur / and was by the two sonnes of Mordred gre∣uously vexed, for so myche as they claymed the lande by the ryghte or tytle of theyr father. So y^t betwene hym and them were foughten many and sondry bataylles. wherof nother

of place nor of tyme is left any con∣uenyent memorye / nor yet of the na¦mes of the sayde two sonnes.

But as dyuerse authours agreen, after these forsayde batayllys thus foughten / fynylly the two sonnes of Mordred were constrayned of pure force to seche strong holdes for theyr refuge▪ wherfore that one toke Lon∣don, and that other wynchester.

wherof Constantyne beynge war¦ned / lefte not tyll he had slayne that one wythin the monastery of saynte Amphiabil•• at wynchester / and that other wythin a temple or chyrche of London, whych temple is named of Gaufryde an hous of freres. But y^e sayeng is doutefull / for at that days yt is to be supposed that there was none hous of freres within London nor by a longe tyme after.

when Constantine hadde thus sub¦dued his enymyes, and thought hym¦selfe in a maner of suertye of his re∣gyon: then fortune as she hadde en∣uyed his glory, arreryd agayne hym his owne kynnesman named Aureli¦us Conanus / the whych agayn hym made mortall batayll / and finally or at the last slewe hym in y^e felde, when he hadde reygned after most accorde of wryters .iii. yeres / the whych was then huryed at Stone hyenge by the sepulture of Uter Pēdragon / wyth great solemnytye.

THE .CVIII. CHAPITER.

AUrelius Conanus the cosyn of Constantync last named / was crowned kyng Brytayne, in the yere of our lord .v. hundred & .xlvi / & the .xxxii. yere of Lothari{us} before na∣med then kynge of Fraunce. This was noble and lyberall. But he was a man that cherysshed suche as loued stryfe and dyscencyon wyth in his lande / and gaue lyghte cre∣dence to them y^t accused other, were yt ryght or wronge. And as testyfy∣eth Gaufryde and other / he toke by strength his vncle whyche of ryght shulde haue ben kyng, and caste hym in a strong pryson / and after s••ew ty∣rannously the .ii. sonnes of his sayd vncle. But he reioysed his reygne but shorte whyle. For as wytnessyth the sayde Gaufryde, when he hadde reygned two yeres he dyed, were yt of the sonde of god or otherwyse / le∣uynge after him a sonne named Uor¦tiporius, as hath the authoure of the boke named Floure of hystoryes.

Of this Uortiporius speketh no∣thynge the englyshe cronycle / but tel¦leth of two kynges that shulde rey∣gne nexte after Constantyne both at ones / wherof that one he nameth Adelbryght, and that other Edyll. wherunto none other writer agreeth except that he nameth them for some of the kynges of the Saxons. For a∣boute that tyme reygned in kent or soone after, Ethelbert or Athelbert / whyche myghte be taken of some for Adelbryght. And that other whyche he named Edylf, myght be taken for Ella kynge of Southsaxons. But this Ella shulde not by concorde of wryters be lyuynge at this tyme. It myght wyth more conuenyency ac∣corde, that yt shulde be a kynge of Deira or of Northūberlande named Ella, the whyche reygned more a∣boute this tyme and season.

Of these two kynges, the sayde englyshe cronycle telleth a longe pro¦cesse / the whych for I fynde none au¦thour of authoryte that wryteth or speketh of the same, I passe yt ouer.

ye shall also furthermore vnder∣stande, that after this daye the Bry¦tons dayly dyscreasyd of lordshyppe and rule wythin Brytayne, & drewe them towarde Cambyr or walys / so that the countre about Chestre was

the chyefe of theyr lordshyp wythin Brytayne. For dayly the Saxons landed wyth companyes, and occu∣pyed y^e princypall partes of y^e same / as shortely here after shall appere.

The fyfthe kyngdome of the Saxons.

THE .CIX. CHAPITER.

IN the tyme of the reygne of this fore named Aurelius Conanus / as wyt¦nessyth Polycroni¦ca, Guido, & other: beganne the kyng¦dome or lordshyp of Brenicia vnder a Saxon named Ida / the yere of our lorde .v. hundred and .xlvii / and the seconde or laste yere of the sayd Co∣nanus. Thys lordshyp was in the north parte of Brytayne / and grewe in short whyle more & more, so that fynally it was named the kyngdome of Northumberlande. But ye shall vnderstande, that this lordshyp was fyrste deuyded in two kyngdomes / wherof the fyrste, as aboue is sayde was called Brenicia, and that other Deyra. The meris or markis of this kyngdome of Northūberlande were by Easte and by west the occean see / by south the ryuer of Humber, and so downwarde towarde the weste by the endys of y^e shyres of Notynghm and Derby, vnto the ryuer of Merse or Mercia / and by north the Scot∣tysshe see, whyche is called forth in Scottysh / & in Brettyshe the werde.

The southsyde of thys lordshyppe was called Deyra, whyche is nowe called the bysshopryke of Durham, and the north syde was called Breni¦cia / whyche were than departyd or seuered by the ryuer of Tyne. Deyra conteyned the lande from Humber to the ryuer of Tyne / and Brenicia included the countree from Tyne to the Scottysshe see.

In Brenicia regned fyrste as is a∣boue sayd Ida or Idas / & in Deyra regned fyrste Ella / whych lordshyp∣pes began bothe within .iii. yeres. But in processe of tyme bothe in one were named the kyngdome of Nor∣thumberlande / whych so contynued somwhyle vnder one kynge, & somewhyle vnder two, by the terme of .iii. hundred and .xxi. yeres, as sayth Ra¦nulphe munke of Chester. And after furth contynued y^e name vnder Sa∣xons and Danes, tyll the comynge of Edredus brother of Ethelstane & son of Edwarde y^e elder. The whiche Edredus in the .ix. or last yere of hys reygne, ioyned thys to hys owne kyngdome. By which reasō it shulde seme, that thys kyngdome endured vnder that name vpon .iiii. hundred and .ix. yeres.

The fyrste crysten prynce of thys kyngdome was named Edwynus / that receyued the fayth of saynt Pau¦lyne, as testyfyeth Guydo. In thys lordshyppe also were included these shyres and countrees nowe called yorke, Notyngham shyre or Snot∣hyngham shyre, Derby shyre, y^e bys∣shopryke of Durham, Copelande, and other.

Amonge the many kynges y^t reyg∣ned in thys lordshyppe, whych after some wryters were to the nomber of xxiii. reygned one accōpted the .viii. kynge by Guydo, named Ethelfrid{us} & sonne of Ethelricus. whych Ethel∣fridus destroyed mo Brytons than all y^e other kynges of Saxōs. This was fader to saint Oswold & Oswi.

He slewe also many of the Brytōs at a batayle that he had agayn them besyde Kaerlegyon or Chester, and two thousande and a hūdred of mon¦kes of the house of Bangor, as it ys

testyfyed of Polycronicon in the .x. chapyter of hys .v. boke / the whyche monkes were comen thyder to praye for the good spede of the Brytons. And ouer thys forsayde nomber of monkes .l. fled / whereby they wyth theyr leder named Brucyuall were sauyd. Of suche a nomber of mon∣kes of one house / myghte be demyd a wonder. But the sayd Policroni∣ca, wyth Guydo, and other wryters / affermyn that in that house of Ban∣gor were at those dayes for the more party thre tymes. vii, hundred mon∣kes, the whych lyued by the trauayle of theyr handes onely.

The forenamed Oswye, was after Oswolde kynge of thys prouynce / whych gaue wyth hys doughter El∣fleda a nonne .xii. lordshyppes into y^e chyrche, to buylde wyth .xii. monaste¦ryes / whereof .vi. of the sayde lord∣shyppes were in Brenicia, and .vi. in Deyra / as sayth Guydo. And also Ranulphe in hys .v. boke of Poly∣cronyca and .xvi. chapyter affermyth the same.

THE .CX. CHAPITER.

UOrtipori{us} sonne of Aureli{us} Conanus after the opynyon before sayd / was ordeyned kynge of Brytayne in the yere of our lorde .v. hundred and .xlviii. and the .xxxiiii. yere of Clotharius thenne kynge of Fraunce. Of the whych is lytell me∣mory lefte in any cronycler or wry∣ter / excepte y^t Guydo testyfyeth hym to be a vyctoryous knyght / shewyng breefly that he in sondry batayles scomfyted the Saxons / and defen∣dyd hys lande and Brytons from y^e daunger of them and other that the Saxons alyed them wyth.

In the tyme of the reygne of thys kynge / a Saxon named Ella the son of Iffus, began to reygne in y^e south syde of the kyngdome of Northum∣berlande called Deyra / as before is touchyd in the chapyter of the sayde kyngdome.

Then yt foloweth / whan this Uor¦tiporius hadde ruled the Brytons knyghtly by the terme of .iiii. yeres / he dyed, and was put to hys fader / leuynge none heyre of hys body.

For as myche as all wryters agre∣en, that the kynges of westsaxon at length subdued all the other kyng∣domes / and made of the hole land of mych Brytayne but one kyngdome or monarchye / and all other as well of Brytons as of Saxons fayled or lefte of, that all onely excepted: ther∣fore I entende to brynge in, the na∣me of euerych kyng of westsaxon frō the fyrst Cerdycus or Chyldricus, & ioyne them wyth the kynges of Bry¦tons / for so long as hereafter y^e sayd Brytons contynued theyr reygne wythin any parte of Brytayne.

THE .CXI. CHAPITER.

MAlgo a duke of the Brytons and neuewe of Aureli{us} Co∣nanus, as sayth the authour of the Floure of hystories / begā his reigne ouer the Brytons in the yere of oure lorde .v. hundred .lii / and the .xxxviii. yere of Clotharius then styll kynge of Fraunce / and also the .xv. yere of Kenricus the sonne of Cerdicus and seconde kyng of westsaxō aforesayd: accomptyng .xv. yeres of the reygne of hys fader, as Guydo allowyth. Thys Malgo after y^e accorde of all wryters that make mencyon / was y^e comlyest and moost personable man of all Brytons than lyuyng, & there∣wyth endowed with knyghtly man∣hode. The whyche wythstode y^e Sa∣xons and kepte them of, that they da¦maged not the lande / the whyche he then had possessyon of. And as wyt∣nessyth Gaufryde & other / he by hys manhode subdued y^e iles of Iseland,

Orchades or Orkeys, and Norway wyth other.

In the tyme of the reygne of thys Malgo / reygned in the lordshyp or kyngdome of Kent Ethelbertus / the whych as wytnessyth Polycronycō, assembled an hoste of hys knyghtes, and gaue batayle vnto Ceawlmus sonne of Kenricus and then kyng of westsaxon / the cause whereof ys not expressyd. But thys batayle was y^e fyrste batayle that was foughten by twene the Saxons, after that they opteyned lande and dwellynge with in Brytayne / whyche was foughten in a place called wylbaldowne. And in the fyghte was slayne .ii. dukes of Ethelbertus / and hym selfe with his people chasyd.

Also yt'ys wytnessyd of the sayde Polycronica, that y^e yere folowynge Cutwolfus the brother of Ceawim{us} before named / faughte strongely a∣gayn the Brytons at Bedforde / and berafte them .iiii. cytyes or townes named Liganbroght, Egelsborgth, Besyngton, and Euysham.

Then to retorne agayn to Malgo kynge of the Brytons / the authour of the Floure of historyes sayth, that not wythstandynge the many ver∣tues, the whyche god had endowed hym wyth / he lastely forgate god for sakynge all vertue, and gaue hym to sondry vices and synnes, wherof the odible synnes of Sodomy was one / wherfore fell to hym great {per}secucyō of hys enemyes the Saxons, as be∣fore sōdele is shewyd & more ensueth

It was not longe after the forena∣med batayle done at Bedforde / but that the foresayd Cutwolfus dyed. But yet hys sayd brother Ceawlm{us} couetouse of worshyppe, mayntey∣ned hys warre agayne the Brytons / so that after he made a newe voyage agayne them, and made of them an other scomfyture / & toke from them y^e famous cytyes of Bathe, of Glou¦ceter, and w••rceter / whyche shulde be by y^e meanynge of Ranulfe about the yere of the reygne of thys Mal∣go .xxix.

Of all thys spekyth nothynge the cronycle of England / but he maketh hys processe of a kynge named Cor∣tyf. By the whyche as yt shulde seme by the rehersall folowynge that he makyth of Gurmunde / that Careti∣cus ruled the Brytōs nexte after the deth of thys Malgo / as when the tyme cometh more playnly yt shall appere. Then it foloweth aboute the .xxxiii. yere of thys Malgo / Ce∣awlmus before named gadered hys Saxons, and foughte wyth the Bry¦tons at a place called Fechanlege. where after longe fyght Ceawlmus chasyd the Brytons, & wan of them vyctory. But hys brother called Cu∣tha, was slayne in y^e fyght / for whom he made greate sorowe. Thus in his latter dayes Malgo beynge oppres∣syd & pursued of hys enemyes lastly dyed / when he hadde reygned after moste cōcorde of storyes .xxxv. yeres.

Francia. THE .CXII. CHAPITER.

CHilperic{us} the .iii. son of Lotharius or Clotharius be¦fore named / begā hys reygne ouer y^e parte of Fraūce called Soysons, in the yere of oure lorde god .v. hundred .lxiiii / and the xiiii. yere of Malgo then kynge of Brytayne. Thys not beyng content wyth suche as hys fader had hym be set / so soone as the obsequy and en∣terremēt of his fader was fynysshed, he spedde hym vnto Parys and pos∣sessyd hym of hys faders treasoure. wherof his .iii. bretherne beyng war∣ned

/ purchasyd to thē such frēdshyp of the nobles of Fraunce, that they vnwetynge theyr sayd broder hadde entre into Paris / and lykely to haue takyn hym there in, yf he had not the soner escaped.

For thys incōuenyence grete discē∣cyon was lykely to haue growen by twene these .iiii. bretherne / hadde not ben the mediacyon of frendes vpon bothe partyes. The whyche by good & polityke wayes, at length pacyfied all varyaūces amonge them / & con∣cluded for a fynall pease, y^t eyther of the sayd bretherne shuld hold hym cō¦tent with such porcyō as was before assygned to thē by theyr fader. That is to saye to the eldest brother named Aribert{us} or after some wryters Che∣rebris, shulde falle the countrey that is lyenge about Paris called mydle Fraunce / to Guntranus shulde falle the prouynce of Orleaunce / and to thys Chylpericus / the prouynce of Soysons / and to Sygebertus the yongest brother, shulde belonge the countrey of Mees or of Austracy. whych lordshyp begynneth at Cham¦peyne as affyrmeth the Frenche cro∣nicle, and stretchyth to the lordshyp or prouynce of Lorayne vppon one parte, & to Almayne vppō that other part. After which cōcorde & agremēt thus fynysshed / eyther of y^e sayd bre∣thern depted vnto his {pro}per lordshyp

If I shulde here discribe the ma∣ners & condycyons of these .iiii. pryn¦ces / or to expresse y^e vnlauful lechery of the eldest brother Aribertus, in re∣fusyng hys laufull wyfe Ingebryda or Ingeberta / or of the rauyshement of wyues & virgyns by hym done / or yet the vnstablenesse of lyuyng that was also in y^e seconde brother Gun∣tran{us}, with vertues and vyces of the other: I shuld therof make a longe worke. wherfore to brynge this story to some cōuenyēce, I thus begynne.

Trouth it is that thys Chilperi∣cus or after some Hilpericus / toke to wyfe the doughter of the kynge of Spayne called Athanahild{us}, whose name was Golsanda. The whyche had to hyr handmayden a mayde cal¦led Fredegunda, the whyche was of passyng beaute, and shappe of body. But to hyr was ioyned subtyll wyt and euyll condycyons / contrary to hyr lady and maysters, which was symple and of vertuous condycyōs.

To the yongest brother named Si¦gebert was coupled in mariage the syster of the sayde Golsanda named Brunechildis, or after y^e Frensh cro¦nicle Brunecheuste / a woman of per∣uers & wycked cōdicyō as after shall appere. Then it foloweth, Chilpe∣rich within shorte tyme that he was thus maryed vnto Golsanda, caste vnlaufull loue vnto hyr woman Fre¦degūda. By reason wherof fell suche vnkyndnesse bytwene them, y^e lastly she was foūden in her chamber dede and strangelyd wyth a corde / whych was done by the hande of hyr hous∣bande, as testyfyeth y^e frenche boke.

Then secondly he maryed a nother wyfe named Audouera a woman of great byrth: how be it myne authour nor yet y^e frenche cronycle declaryth not her progeny / with y^e which he cō∣tynued & kepte hyr after hyr honour. But yet he withdrew not hys vnlau¦full loue frō y^e forenamed Fredegūd.

In thys passetyme / cause of warre was moued bytwene Sigebert the yonger brother, and men of the coun¦trey of Sweuy / for the whyche the sayde Sigebert requyred ayde of hys brother Chilperich. At whose request he in all haste assembled hys people and spedde hym towarde hys brother / leuynge hys wyfe greate wyth chylde, in the kepynge of the soresayde Fredegunde. Of the why∣che wyfe as testyfyeth the Frenche

booke, he hadde before receyued .iii. sonnes named Theodobertus, Me∣ronens, and Clodoueus.

It was not longe after that Chil∣periche, as before is sayd, in ayde of his brother was departed / but that his wyfe was delyueryd of a dough∣ter. And when thys chylde shulde be confermed of the byshoppe / this Fre∣degunde entendynge to make a de∣uorce betwene Chilperich & his wife, by her subtyle and false coniectoure counsayled the quene that she shulde for the more honoure conferme her own childe. And the quene trustyng her counsayle / supposynge her coun¦sayle hadde ben for the beste, confer∣med her owne chylde.

THE .CXIII. CHAPITER.

IN this whyle the kynge wyth his brother occupyed in warre agayne y^• Suytzers or men of Swe¦uy / bare them so knyghtly, that they subdued theyr enymyes, and after re¦tourned into theyr countres. wherof when Fredegunde was ware, she in secrete maner mette with the kynge / & shewyd to hym all the demeanure of his wyfe, but nothyng of her own crafty workyng, wherewyth kyng was greuously dyscontente in shew∣ynge of his outwarde contenaunce / and sayd, yf that were true, she shuld from hym be deuorcyd / and that she shulde be quene in her stede.

After this the kynge commynge to his paleys / the quene to the entēt to be the more accepted in his presence, not knowynge of the malicyous wor¦kynge of Fredegūde, brought in her armes the yonge baby, to the whych she was moder bothe naturally and spirytually / and welcommed y^e kyng her lorde in ryght humble maner, sa∣lutynge hym wyth wordes of all cō∣forte. But the kyng beynge warned of her symple demeanure / & as some authours wryte, glad that he hadde occasyon to fynde mater to her of dis¦pleasure / blamed her in greuous ma¦ner, and commaunded her out of his presence for that tyme / & after by coū¦sayle of spyrytuall men, causyd her from hym to be deuorcyd / & her wyth her yonge doughter to be put into an house of relygyon, to the whyche he gaue possessyons for the fyndyng of her and of her yonge doughter na∣med Childeynda.

And when Chilperic{us} hadde thus fynyshed this foresayde besynesse / he shortely after toke to wyfe the forna¦med Fredegūd, not without grudge of some of hys lordes and other.

It was not longe after this ma∣ryage, that stryfe and discencyon fell betwene this Chilpericus and Sige¦bert hys brother / the whyche grewe for certayne lande that Chilpericus claymed to haue of hys brother a∣fore sayde. Then Chilpericus assem∣bled hys knyghtes and made warre vppon the lande of hys brother Si∣gebert / the whyche then was besyed in lyke warre agayne a people called Hunes / by reason wherof Chilperic{us} hadde the more fordell, and wan by strength the cytye of Reynys.

But yt was not longe after or Si¦gebert was warned of his brothers vnkyndnesse. wherfore he after hys enymyes were by hym somdele sub∣dued / went wyth hys armye into the countre of Soysons belongynge to his brother Chilperic{us} / and warred in lykewyse in that lande as hys bro¦ther dyd in his / and at length toke y^e cytye of Soysons, and therin the el∣dest son of Chilperic{us} named Theo∣dobert, and helde hym as his pryso∣ner. Then Chilpericus herynge of the scomfyture of his people and ta∣kynge of his sonne, was agayne hys brother more feruently amoued / and

caste in his mynde all wayes & mea∣nes howe he myghte reuenge hym vppon hys brother. But yt was in vayne. For his brother at that tyme had such auauntage of hym / that he well apperceyuyd, that he had no bet¦ter meane then a treaty of peace, by meane wherof he shortly after obtey¦ned his sonne out of daunger, wyth other thynges concernynge his pro∣fyte / assurynge to hys sayde brother by solemne othe, that after that daye he shuld neuer were armes, nor yet warrey his brother.

This cōcorde and vnite in due ma¦ner fynyshed, & suffycyently by both counsayles stablysshed / yet Chilperi¦cus beynge alwayes mynded to be re¦uengyd vpon his brother Sigebert / sent his yongest sonne named Clodo¦ueus, and caused hym to warre vpon a cytye called Burdeaux, in the pro∣nice of Neustria / now called Normā dye. But by the manhode of a cap¦tayne of Sigebert named Singul∣phus, the sayd Clodoueus was ouer comen and compelled to voyde the countre, and so fledde to Paris.

For thys happe Chilpericus was fyryd with all malyce / and in all hast commaunded hys forenamed sonne Theodobert wyth a great armye to inuade the sayd coūtrey of Neustria, or Normandye. The whyche ac∣cordynge to hys fathers commaun∣dement spedde him thyder / and there by hys extorte myghte and power, toke many cytyes and stronge hol∣des / not sparynge chyrches, howses of relygyon, as nunnes and other / and robbed and spoyled the countre in moste cruell wyse.

Lastly this persecucion thus done, a cheuetayne or duke named Gun∣doaldus of the erldome of Poitowe / assembled a great power, and wyth∣stode Theodobert / and fynally slew hym in playne batayll, and a great parte of hys people. wherof herynge Chilpericus gatheryd a great hoste, and yode into the countrey of Cham¦payne / wastynge and destroyenge the countrey wyth fyre and iron to the vttermoste of hys power, and at length toke the cytye of Reynes, and spoylyd yt wythout mercy.

THE .CXIIII. CHAPITER.

SIgebertus aduer¦tysynge / and cas∣tynge in hys myn¦de the innaturall dysposycyō of his brother / percey∣uyng well that he entendyd hys vt∣ter destruccyon: {pro}uyded in his beste maner for to wythstande his malyce. And for to brynge his continued ma¦lyce to a fynall ende / he gatheryd to hym a puysant power / and after sped hym towarde his sayd brother. wher¦of Chilpericus beynge aduertysed / by hys couert meanes sought ways of entreaty and peace, in suche wyse that or the hostes mette, a peace was concluded.

Then these two bretherne thus ac¦cordyd / condescendyd in shorte tyme after to make warre vppon theyr bro¦ther Gunthranus then lorde of Or∣leaunce / the whyche sygnory at that daye belonged to the countrey or pro¦uynce of Burgoyne. The cause of this warre is not expressyd / except y^t they enuyed theyr brother to haue so great lordshyp. But by medyatours on both partes / after great aray pur¦ueyed on all sydes, a concorde and peace was concludyd in the temple of saynt Lowpe at y^e cytye of Trois in Uyncent.

when this sayd peace was fynyshed / the sayd .iii. brethern in syght depar∣tyd as frendes eyther of theym from

other. But as peace somtyme conten¦tyth not saudyours / & specially such as delyte them in pyllage and robbe¦ry: ryght so amonge the knightes of Sigebert was spronge a great ru∣moure / sayeng that they were not cō¦tente and rewardyd for theyr great laboure and trauayle accordynge to theyr desert / and specyally for y^e fyrst iourney of these .ii hadde agayne his brother Chilpericus / thynkynge the peace wyth hym made was nothyng honorable, consyderyng y^e great dou¦blenesse and vntrouth that in hym was prouyd. For the whyche they ex¦cytyd Sygebert in all that in theym was / to breke those boūdes of peace, and to make newe warre vpon hym. And in lyke maner some euyll dyspo¦syd persons were more agreable to warre then to peace, vppon the party of Chilpericus, and murmured in ly¦kewise. And for they thought to haue ben better rewarded of Sygebert, then they were of theyr own maister, they therfore lefte hym and yode to y^e hoste of Sygeberte. By whose euey¦tynge & report, Sygebert was more kyndelyd to sette vppon his brother.

Chilpericus hauynge notycyon of hys brothers purpose / wyth also the murmoure and departynge of hys knyghtes, and hauynge in the other somme mystruste: he anon wyth his wyfe and chyldren and chefe of hys treasoure, went vnto y^e cyty of Tour¦ney / entēdyng to kepe that for theyr and hys sauegarde. But when Sy∣gebert knew therof, he was nothyng in the pursuynge of hym foūde slow / but foloweth streyght after, and clo¦syd hym wythin the sayde cytye with a stronge syege / where Chilpericus was in a maner dyspayred of y^e wel∣fare of hym & hys Fredegunde. But she that was replenyshed of all ini∣quyte, called to her two wycked per∣sones / and promysed vnto theym great gyftes, yf they wolde by ve∣nym or otherwyse slee her brother Sigebert. The whyche two felowes dysceyued wyth the fayre speche and great gyftes of the sayde Fredegun∣da, toke vppon theym that vnlefull charge / and by theyr subtell & false imagynacyon, brought theyr cur∣sed purpose to an ende / but to theyr owne confusyon. For after they had wounded the kynge Sygebert to deth, and wolde then haue escapyd / the kynges knyghtes espyeng theyr treason, fell soone vppon them, and all to hewed them. And when y^e deth of the kynge was knowen / a great noyse and crye was areryd in the hoste. By meane wherof the kynges deth was blowen in to the cytye, and after to the ceres of Chilpericus / wherof he was not a lytell ameruay∣led, nor wolde to yt geue ferme cre∣dence, tyll he was enfourmed of hys wyfe Fredegunde of all hyr subtyle workynge.

It was not longe after or the kny∣ghtes or some of the captaynes of the hoste of Sygebert presentyd thē vnto Chylpericus, besegynge hym of hys grace and pardon / the whych he gladly accepted. And when he hadde sette hys charges in order / he then commaunded prouysyon to be made for the beryenge of hys sayd brother wythin the monasterye of saynte Medarde of Soysons.

And when all that besynesse after a kyngely maner where fynyshed and endyd / he then exylyd Brunechyel∣dys and Childebert, the wyfe and sonne of hys brother Sygebert, vn∣to the cytye of Roane / takynge from theym great treasour that they were possessyd of. But shortly after the sonne of Sygebert by helpe of Gun debolde or Gundealde duke of Poy towe here before named / was dely∣ueryd from the daunger of the sayde

Chilperycus, and sent into his owne lordeshyppe of Austracye, whych his father Sygebert was lorde of.

In thys passetyme he hadde sent hys sonne Meroneus into a coūtrey called Buturynges, to appeace cer∣tayne rebellyons there areysyd. But when he hard of the deth of his vncle Sygebert / and of the be∣ynge of hys wyfe Bruncchyelde at the cytye of Roane / he sette a parte all the charge of his father, and sped hym streyght thyder, kepynge com∣panye wyth her. In whome he toke suche consolacoin and pleasure / that lastely he maryed her, and kepte her as hys wyfe. And when hys father was therof warned / he feryd leste by the counsayle of hys sayde wyfe, he wolde arryse agayne hym / wherfore he in all haste assembled hys people, and spedde hym towarde Roane.

when tydynges came to Mero∣neus of the conunynge of hys father wyth so great araye / and he as then vupurucyed of strength of knightes to resyste hys father / for hys moste suertye fled wyth hys vnlefull wyfe to the temple or chyrche of saynte Martyne, takynge the pryuylege therof for theyr defence. And when Chilpericus hadde temptyd by ma∣ny sondry meanes to haue them out of the sayde pryuylege, and myghte not wythout brekynge of the same: he to brynge aboute hys cautelouse purpose, made to theym assuryd pro¦myse, that yf they wyllfully wolde re¦nounce the sayde place, and putte theym in hys grace / he wolde vtter∣lye pardon theyr trespace, and suffer theym from that tyme for to conty∣nue theyr lyfe to gether as man and wyfe. Uppon whyche promyse the sayd Merone{is} wyth his wyfe renoū¦ced the sayde pryuylege, and putte theym hole in the kynges mercy / the whyche them receyuyd wyth all con¦tenaunce of loue and fauoure, and theym festyd and cherysshyd louyng¦ly, by the space of two dayes onely. But the thyrde daye the feaste was fynyshed / for then he sent his sonne vnto Parys vnder sure guydes / and there causyd hym to be professyd in a house of relygyon. But by the mea¦nes of hys vncle Gunthranus he was after taken thens / and so resto∣ryd to hys former knyghthode. For the whych his father hym newly pursued and cōstrayned hym to take for hys sauegarde y^e chyrche of saynt Martyne in Turon.

And when he was warned that his fader perforce wold take hym thens / he then fledde vnto a cytye of Cham¦payne accompanyed wyth .vi. ser∣uauntes onely / where he was in so great fere to be taken and in suche despayre to obteyne grace of hys fa∣ther, that he causyd one of the sayde vi. persones to slee hym wyth hys sworde / & the foresayd Bruncchyel∣dis hys wyfe put in sure kepynge.

THE .CXV. CHAPITER.

CHilperic{us} then be∣ynge asserteyned of the doth of hys sonne Meroneus, & the sure kepyng of Brunechieldis, he thoughte hym¦selfe somdele assu∣ryd / for y^e mystruste y^t he had in them many tymes inquieted hym. But yet he was not ī quiete or reste. For short¦ly after y^e peple of Turon rebellyd a∣gayne him. Agayn whom he sent his son Clodoueus / & a noble man of his courte named Desideri{us}, y^e which he sent as a gyde & a counsayloure of his sayd son. And vpon the party of his enymyes was a captayne of the kynge Gunthranus / for so mych as the said Gunthranus claymed parte

of those landes about Turon. This captayne named Momelues heryng of the cōmynge of the foresayd hoste, wyth a chosen cōpany made taward them / and gaue vnto Clodoueus a great sharpe fyght / and not without great losse of his men wanne of hym the felde, and compellyd hym to for∣sake that countre.

Thus Chilperyche was wrapped in warre and troubles of the worlde, sometyme wyth ryght, & some whyle wyth wronge / so that he some tyme wanne worshyppe and other whyle he loste. wherof to tell all the cyrcum¦staunce I thynke yt shulde be tedy∣ouse bothe to the reders / and also to y^e herers. wherfore I passe ouer, in a∣brydgynge and shortynge somedele of this storye.

Then foloweth within y^e storye / af¦ter Chylpericus had by intycemēt of Fredegunde / wrongfully tormentyd the archebyshoppe of Roan named Breteste, & hym after the sufferaunce of many vylanyes exyled (for the whych and other god sent vnto hym some correccyom, in takynge awaye by sodeyne deth the chyldern that he had by Fredegunde) he then began to knowe god, and toke great repen¦taunce / in promysynge to god amen¦dement of his lyfe. And to thentent that he might haue the more prayers of the comyn people to stand in state of grace: he fyrst releasyd a greuous trybute or imposicyon that he hadde lately sette vpon all vynes thorough his regyon. And that done he reedy∣fyed olde chyrches and some he made newe, and endowed them with great possessyons. And ouer thys he rele∣uyd greatly y^e poore people, by enlar¦gynge of his lyberall almes / and be∣came very humble and meke, where before tyme he was ryght sterne and cruell. But lyke as oftē it happeneth that hote loue is soone colde / so thys sodayne deuocyon was soone aswa∣ged. For lyke as hys troubles began to aswage, and his prosperyte to en∣crease: ryght so hys olde cōdycyons beganne in hym to reuyue and quyc¦ken / so that at length he retourned to hys olde accustomed vyces.

In this tyme a pleople called Lon¦gobardes, and now Italyans / war∣red sore vppon the landes of the em¦pyre. wherfore Mauricius then be∣ynge emperour of Constantyne the noble / for so mych as he tought that the frenche kynges myght was lesse coste and payne to subdue them, then he myght beyng so farre from them / he therfore sent to hym a great sūme of golde / wyth letters of recommen∣dacyon, exortyng hym in the defence of the chyrche of Rome, to assemble hys people and to withstande y^e sayd Longobardes / and not to sease ther of tyll he hadde expellyd theym from the landes of the empyre.

whyche somme of golde he goodly receyuyd / promysynge to the bryn∣gers therof, that he wyth all dyly∣gence shulde execute the vttermoste of his power to accomplyshe the re∣queste of the emperoure. And accor∣dynge to a parcell of his sayde pro∣myse / he assembled a great people, and made towarde the sayde Longo¦bardes. Of whom the sayde Longo∣bardes ferynge y^e great myght, made meane of entreaty / offrynge to hym great summes of money. By reason wherof he lefte theym in reste, and so retourned into Fraunce. when Mau¦ricius had vnderstandyng y^t the fore¦sayde enymyes remayned styll in the foresayde landes, and contynued in theyr malice: he sent agayne to Chil∣pericus / requyryng hym other to per¦forme his promyse or ellys to restore hys money, whych he had takē for y^e perfourmaunce of the same. But all was in vayne / for he wolde neyther

execute that one nor that other. But at lēgth as affermeth myne authour, he was by goddes ordynaunce com∣pelled for to restore the sayde money or a great parte therof, by meane of his suster wyth her chylde that was as a prysoner to the sayde emperour, whyche suster was before tyme ma∣ryed vnto the kynge of Spayne.

THE .CXVI. CHAPITER.

CHilpericus thus encreasynge in vyce and dyshonoure, laste¦ly repugned agayne god / so that he fell into that detestable heresye of the Arianes / and commaūded certayne artycles of the same touchyng the de¦uysyon of the trynyte to be prechyd thorough hys regyon. But the holy byshoppe of Towres withstode that precepte, and blamed hym greuous∣ly for that dede / all be yt the sayd bys¦shop named Gregory wyth great as¦systence of the other byshoppes of Fraunce, hadde great laboure to re∣moue hym from the sayde opynyon.

This with many other crymes pas¦sed by Chilpericus / Fredegunde, whyche euer encreasyd in peruerse & malycyouse purpose, soughte many vnlefull meanes howe she myghte brynge to confusyon the thyrd sonne of her husbonde / knowynge well y^e whyle he leuyd, her chyldern shulde neuer enheryte the crowne of Fraun¦ce. This purpose to brynge about many and dyuerse wayes she attem∣ted, whyche were longe to reherse. But fynally she causyd hym wrong∣fully to be accusyd, & by meane ther∣of to be caste in pryson. where he so beynge, she hyred a felon to sle hym / and after shewyd to her husbande y^t the sayde Clodoueus hadde stayne hym selfe. In profe wherof she hadde appoynted the foresayde murderer to leue a sworde styckyng in hym, as thoughe he hadde wylfully slayne hym selfe vppon the same sworde. whyche when the kynge sawe / he de∣med hym gylty of such offense as be¦fore was putte vppon hym.

ye haue harde before of the sonne of Sygeberte named Childebert, that was delyuered from the handes of Chilpericus his vncle by the mea¦nes of Gundoald duke or erle of Poi¦towe / the whyche in this tyme was growen to mannes stature and ruled at this daye his enherytaunce of Au¦stracye, not wythout great stryfe had betwene hym and hys sayde vncle, whych were to long to wryte y^e cyrcū¦staunce therof. wherof at this daye somdele was vndyscussyd / all be yt they at thys daye vsyd eyther other as frendes.

About this tyme the other vncle of Chyldebert called Gūthran{us} / sought occasyon agayne hym, for cause of a byshop named Theodor{us}, & byshop of Marsill or Marsyle / y^e which was put from his see by Gūthranus, and receyuyd of Chyldebert, and by hym agayne restoryd to the sayde see of Marsyle. For the whych Gunthrane was sore amoued / and entendyd to make warre vpon hym. But by me∣dyatours it was somdeale appeasyd and sette in quyete / vppon certeyne condycyons to be obserued and also perfourmed vpon the party of Gun¦thranus / the whyche after were not vppon his syde kept nor performed. wherfore after request to hym made for reformacyon of all such poyntes / and answere agayne receyuyd of no reformacyon: Chyldebert to haue hys partye the strenger / and also for that that he well knewe, that hys vn¦cle Chilpericus bare towarde the sayde Gunthranus not very fra∣ternall loue / he therfore sente vnto hym a noble man of hys courte na∣med Gyllon, requiryng hym of ayde

agayne hys vncle / the whych by ma¦ny-seasons had as well broken pro∣myse agayne hym, as nowe he hadde agayne Childebert. Of this Chilpe riche beynge ryght fayne, assentyd to the desyre of Gyllon / and after in all haste preparyd theyr hostes / and by two sondry companyes inuadyd the countres of Orleaunce, wherof Gun¦thranus was kynge or ruler. But y^e inhabytauntes of that prouynce de∣fendyd theym in so stronge maner / y^t theyr enymyes hadde of theym lytell auauntage. In whyche meane sea∣son Gunthran{us} assembled a myghty hoste, and spedde hym towarde his enymyes, at a place called Medio∣lan̄, he supprysed a parte of hys sayd enymies / and after drewe nere to the great nomber of bothe hostes, where was made preparacyon on bothe sy∣des to haue foughten. But as before tyme ye haue often harde, that by dis¦crete & wyse men the fyght was put by, and meanes of accorde was foun¦den: so nowe at this tyme by labour of good and wise prelates and other / these kynnesmen were sette in vnyte, and departed without great shedyng of crysten bloode.

In this passetyme / deth whych spa¦ryth no creature, berafte Chilperic{us} a sonne borne of Fredegūde and na∣med Theodorus / for the whyche the kynge and also the quene toke great heuynesse. But as she y^t was prōpte & redy to all euyll / cast in her mynde that thys chylde was slayne by poy∣son, or by some other purposed ma∣lyce. For the whyche lastely was ac∣cusyd a baylyfe or lefe offycer called Monuole, with diuers wytches and sorseresses, that shuld imagyne this chyldes deth. The whych she payned and tormētyd in such wyse / that last¦ly the sayde wytches confessed, that they hadde destroyed the chylde, and not wythoute consente of the sayde Monuole. wherfore she after caused the sayde sorceresses to dye by cruell deth, as by fyre and otherwyse / and the sayde baylyffe to be so tourmen∣tyd that he dyed soone after.

The frenche cronycle sayth, that by the meane of the takynge a way of the lyfe of the kynges chylde / a chyld of the sayde Monuole was restoryd to helth, whych before was in great ieoperdye / whyche is for folys to be∣leue. Thys sorow and heuenesse of Chilpericus and Fredegunde hys wyfe / was somdele aswaged by the byrthe of a son shortly after borne of y^e sayd Fredegunde / whych the kyng lette call Lotharius, or Clotharius. For ioye wherof the kyng lette open the prysones / and suffred the pryso∣ners to goo at theyr lyberte / and spe∣cyally suche as concerned causes tou¦chynge hym selfe for dette or other∣wyse, with other thynges cōcernyng hys honoure.

But lyke as dame Fortune is ac∣customed to medle her ioyes of thys world wyth some bytternesse: so dyd she now with Chilperic{us}. For where he was nowe in great tranquillyte and reste / and thought to haue ladde the resydue of his lyfe in pleasure: so deynly word was brought vnto hym that hys brother Gunthranus, and hys neuewe Childebert / was allyed and fermely accorded to make warre vppon hym / for the whych they had assemblyd a great army. wherfore he in all haste commaunded all his trea¦sour and chyfe iewellys to be had to the cytye of Cambria / where he wyth his wyfe and frendes entended to cō¦tynue the resydue of his lyfe. And y^t done spedde hym thyder in all haste / and fortyfyed the sayde cytye in such wyse, that he feryd lytle or nothynge hys enymyes / where he so kepte hym wythin the sayde cytye a certayne of tyme. And whē he sawe nor hard not

of the commynge of his sayd broder nor neuewe / he then walkyd more at large / and sportyd hym in haukynge and chase of the wylde bestes, as wol¦ues and other / whych at those dayes was greatly vsyd of the kynges of Fraunce, and yet is contynued.

Uppon a day as he was purposyd towarde this dysporte, and all thyng redy preparyd for the same / so that the quene thought veryly he had be gone oute of the paleys / for what happe I can not tell, the quene yode into her chāber, and there rested her vppon her bedde. where she so lyeng the kynge passyd by / & wyth a lytle wande, whych he bare in his hande, in maner of game strake the quene with yt vppon the backe. The quene supposynge the kynge had ben gone to the felde, and not lokyng vp sayd, Laundrye why dareste thou thus stryke me. This Laundrye was a great man in the kynges courte / and hadde ben peramoure to the quene longe tyme. But the kynge herynge these wordes, made semblaunt as he hadde not herde them, and so passyd on hys waye.

THE .CXVII. CHAPITER.

FRedegunda apperceyuynge & after seynge yt was the kyng, to whome she hadde thus sayde / sore was abasshed, and in great fere and agony. And after she had by a longe season coniected in her mynde what remedy she myght fynde for this mis¦happe: she lastely dyuely shely deter∣myned to sle her sayd husbande and lorde. And this to brynge about she sent in all haste for the sayde Laun∣drye, and shewed to hym in order all the cyrcumstaunce of the foresayde mater. wherafter he was strykē with suche a fere / that his wytte and coun¦sayle faylyd hym to deuyse in such a case any remedy. wherfore the quene as she that was fully determyned to execute her detestable & cursyd pur∣pose / sayde to hym boldely: Laūdry thou seest well y^t this case is brought to so strayte a poynt, that other thou muste thynke to destroy my lord and husbande, or ellys thou and I muste both be shamefully confounded. Of whyche thou well knowest our owne is moste to be regarded / therfore dys∣pose the to do after my counsayll. Thou knowest well that the kynge is accustomed to come late from hys dysporte. wherfore prouyde to the a certayne, that thou well trustyst / and in the euenynge when he retourneth aspye thy tyme and fall vppon hym sodeynly, and so rydde hym. And af¦ter make an out crye, & sende to serch about as thou woldest take the homi¦cydes / & cause some of thyne own cō¦panye to flee frō the, as though thou shuldest thē pursue. Laundry heryng this cursyd coūsayll, alowed it well & therunto assentyd / and incontynent¦ly went aboute the perfourmaunce of the same. And when he hadde pur¦ueyde his accessaryes / he towarde nyght assemblyd thē, gyuynge to thē informacyon how they in y^t mischyef shuld behaue them in that thyng, ta¦kynge of them assuryd othes, for ke¦pyng of his coūsayle. The kyng not mysdemynge any thynge of thys con¦spyred treason / toke his delectacyon and pleasoure in folowynge of hys game, so that he loste myche of hys company / and towarde nyght as he before tyme was accustomed, wyth fewe accōpanyed drewe homewarde. wherof Laundry beyng warned / met the kynge salutynge hym and sayng that he was comen wyth hys compa¦ny to cōdute hym home, for so mych as he douted how he was garnyshed of his meyneyall seruaūtes or other.

What shuld I lenger make delaye

or farther reharsall in thys matyer, or to tell the cyrcumstaunce of thys purposyd treason. But fynally when the kynge was nere hys paleys / or as reherseth the Frenche cronycle wythin the courte of hys paleys / as he lyght from hys horse he was so∣deynly wounded to the herte, that he streyght fell to the erth dede.

After whyche murder thus com∣mytted: a greate crye was areryd, the kynge ys slayne / so y^t thys Laun¦drye made in great haste to be called certeyne persons to attende vppon y^e corps, whyle he wyth other pursued suche as were dempte gylty of thys offence. But lastly he retourned, and sayd that thys dede was done by the knyghtes of Chyldebert / the whych by the derkenes of the nyght were escapyd.

To shewe here the vayne and dis∣symuled sorowe y^t Fredegund made for the kynge, it were but lettyng of tyme. For euery wyse man knoweth well, that all suche as ben of that dis¦posycyon, can fayne ryghte well in suche semblable casys. But to my purpose / when the kynge was thus slayne, and at that tyme nother the quene nor yet Laundrye suspectyd / prouysyon was made for enterryng of y^e corps. The whyche was shortly after shypped at the next ryuer / and so conuayed vnto saynt Germayns de Pree before spoken of / and there wyth greate solēpnyty buryed, when he hadde regned, as before is sayde xxiiii. yeres / leuynge after hym a son before mynded called Clotharius or Lotharius.

Thus as affermyth myn authour mayster Robert Gagwyne endyd Chylperych myserably his lyfe / whi∣che in pryde and mysery before tyme it cōtynued. And where in his lyfe he cherysshed no frende / at hys ende he fande few or no frendes. Thys gaue the patrymony of y^e chyrche to lewde & symple clerkys, and was an enmye to all holy relygyous places / and fa¦uored more suche as had lately bene conuerted to the fayth, than he dyd them that had cōtynued by holy lyfe a longe season therin / & gaue vnto such persons the rule of Crystes chyr¦che. Amonge the whyche, one there was of perfyght lyuyng and byshop of Parys / that garnysshed hys tōbe with this cpytaphy as after in meter foloweth.

Ecclesiae specusum, patriae vigor, ara reorum, Et pater & medicus, pastor, amor{que} gregit, Gernianus Virtuti, fide corde ore beatus: Carne tenet tumulum, mentis honore posunt. Vir cui dura nihil nocuerunt fata sepulchri. Viuit enim, nam mors quam tulit ipsa timet. Creuit ad hue pocius, iustus post funera: nam qu•• Fictile vas fucrat, gemma superba micat. Huius opē ac meritū mutis data verba loquūtur. Redditus & caecis, praedicatore dies Nunc vir apostolicus, rapiens de carne tropheum. Iure triumphale confidet arce throni.

The whych verses in our mother tunge, maye thus be expounded in meters as foloweth.

Myrrour to the chyrche, and of the countrey the strength. Compassyon of gylty, to them shewynge mercy, A fader and a leche, an herde and louer at length Of hys people / cosyn to vertue and of allye In fayth and in herte, and eke in mouth holy, Of whom the flesshe now holdyth thys sepulture. But the spyryte is in heuen euer to endure.

To thys nothynge noyed, nor faute of sepulture. He lyueth southly / for deth whyche he not drede / Hath hym hense tane. But yet he hoped sure / Thys ryghtwyse man, though somtyme he were ladde. As a bryttell vessell, whych myth the erth was cladde And somewhyle felle, yet ofte he rose anone / Wherfore he now shyneth as doth an Orient stone.

By helpe and meryte now hath the dumbe hys speche Of thys blessyd man, and to the blynde hys syghte Restoryd of god / as thys daye doth vs teche. And he of the flesshe hath gotten now the fyght And vpperhande wyth a tryumphant myght By vertue wherof he lyke a conquerour. Of the hygh heuyn, nowe fytteth in the tower.

Thus maye ye well apperceyue and knowe / that as erthly men fa∣uoure, so woll they wryte / as nowe shewyth by thys superscrypcyō. But to god all thyng is manyfestyd and knowen / and nothynge to hym hyd, whatsoeuer erthly man wryteth / or demyth / to whom all the premysses I remytte.

Anglia. THE .CXVIII. CHAPITER.

CAreticus or Lare¦ticus after y^t wry∣tynge of Guydo, of whom nother y^t progeny nor yet other addicyon of honour is of wry∣ters of hym remē∣bred / began to rule the Brytons, the yere of our lord .v. hundred .iiii. score and .vi. as the sayde authour recor∣dyth / and y^e .xxii. yere of Chylperyche than kynge of Fraunce / and also the ix. yere of Ceawlmus then kynge of westsaxons. Thys as wytnessyth all wryters was a louer of cyuyle ba∣tayle & was worst of all men / so y^t he was odible to god and his subiectes, in suche wyse that they excyted the Saxons to warre vpon hym, as te∣styfyeth Guydo / & chasyd hym from cytye to cytye, & towne to towne, tyll they had berafte hym the most•• parte of suche lande as hys predeces soure Malgo had holdē before hym.

But Polycronycō, Gaufryde and other, adde more there vnto / & sayen y^t for as mych as the Saxons knew of the discensyon betwene Careticus and hys Brytons / they in all haste sent into Irelande for the kynge cal¦led Gurmundus Affrican{us} / y^e which of some wryters are named two per∣sons, as Gurmūdus and Affrican{us}. But by the rehersall that Ranulfe monke of Chester maketh in y^e .xxiii. chapyter of hys fyrste boke of Poly∣cronycō, it shulde seme, that he shuld be named Gurmundus / the whyche by hys meanynge shulde warre in Brytayne and Fraunce, whyle hys brother Turgecius regned as kyng in Irelande, as in the sayd chapyter is more at lengthe declared. whyche fayd Gurmundus with the strength of y^e Saxons, warred so sore agayne the Brytōs / that lastly the sayd Care¦ticus was fayne to take the towne of Kaersegent now called Sichester / & therein besegyd hym wyth hys Bry∣tons by a certeyne of tyme / where by dayly skyrmysshes and assautes he

loste mych of hys people.

when Careticus had a season as∣sayed and prouyd the strength of his enemyes / and sawe that they encrea∣syd, and hys knyghtes lassed & my∣nysshed: he sodenly lefte that towne / and with a certeyne of Brytons toke ouer Seuarne water, and so into wa¦lys then callyd Cābria. whych shuld be after moste accorde of wryters, y^e iii. yere of y^e reygne of this Caretic{us}.

About thys tyme as meaneth An∣toninus / the great Gregory then be∣yuge a monke and after pope, sawe at Rome childyrn of Anglis or Sax¦ons to sell at Rome. And whē he had aryd of them what coūtrey they were of, and it was answered to hym that they were named Anglis / he sayde y^e Alleluya shulde be songe in that coū¦tree, that so fayre chylderne were borne in Alleluya before in the .iiii. score and .viii. chapyter rehersyd / ys there takē after y^e exposycyō of saynt Austayne, for ayde and helpe of god. But here it is ment for louynge and praysynge of god / as to hym y^e laude and thankes shulde be gyuen vnto, that sendyth to men so fayre frewte. wherfore as after shalbe shewyd the sayd Gregory beynge Pope / sent y^t holy man Austayne wyth other, for to preache to the sayde Anglis the fayth of Cryste.

Then to retourne to Careticus, whom the Englysh cronycle nameth Cortife. Trouth it is, that after he wyth his Brytons were dryuen into Cambria or walis: yet he lefte not contynually to make reyses and as∣sautes vppon the Saxons nexte to hym adioynaunte.

In thys tyme or soone after / ruled Ethelfridus the north Saxons. For as wytnesseth the foresayde authour Guydo / he began the reygne of Dei∣ra and Brenicia, in the yere of oure lorde .v.C.lxxx. & .xiii. This is Ethel∣fridus son of Ethelricus, y^e pursued so sore the Brytons, & slewe so great a nomber of y^e monkes of the towne of Bangor, as is before rehersyd in the .C. and .ix. chapyter of this worke The whyche dayly warred vpon the Brytons, & the Brytons vpon hym / so y^• he destroyed or subuerted myche of Crystes fayth wyth the helpe of y^e foresayd Gurmunde thorough Loe∣gria or myddle England / in so mych that the bysshoppes of London and yorke wyth other mynysters of the chyrche, wyth such goodes & relykes as they myght cary, fled into dyuerse countrees / so that theyr chyrchdores were shytte after them, or ellys occu¦pyed in worship of theyr fals goddes

Thus the fayth that had endured in Brytayne from the tyme of Luci{us} fyrst crysten kynge in Brytayne tyll thys daye, nere vppon the season of iiii.C. yeres and odde / was well nere extyncte thorough all the lande.

And when y^e forenamed Gurmūde had fynysshed hys tyrannye wythin the land of Brytayne / he then sayled into Fraunce, where he was after slayne, as wytnessyth Polycronycō / all be it y^e french cronycle speketh no¦thyng of any such man duryng thys persecucyon, as wytnessyth Guydo.

The chyrche or monastery before buylded in Uerolamy nowe called saynte Albanes, was by the sayde myscreauntes beten downe / whyche there was buylded of the Brytōs in the honoure of y^e holy prothomartyr saynt Albō, with diuerse many other the whyche are loste out of memory.

Duryng also this trouble bytwene the Saxons & Brytōs / the lordshyp or kyngdome of Eest Saxon began to take place as after shalbe shewed.

THE .CXIX. CHAPITER.

IN thys tyme also after the ac∣corde of moste wryters, as wyt¦nessyth Polycronyca & other, Ethel∣bert{us}

reygned in Kent / & by knyght∣hode and greate myghte bare hym / and behaued hym so victoryously, that he enlarged hys kyngdome to the boundys of Humbyr. In which tyme Gregory, whyche for hys nota¦ble dedes was surnamed great / was made pope of Rome. The whych as before is touchyd in the precedynge chapyter / hauynge compassyon that the coūtre from whens so fayre chyl∣derne came as he before had seyne, shulde be inhabyte wyth Pagans or people of mysbyleue / sent into Bry∣tayne that holy man Austayne wyth other of hys bretherne, to preche to the Anglis the fayth of Cryste. But as wytnessyth Antoninus in the .iii. chapyter & .xii. tytle of hys foresayde worke, when Austayn was .iii. dayes iourney gone and passed / suche a so∣deyne fere entryd in hym and hys fe∣loushyppe, that they turned agayne. Then Gregory cōforted the sayd cō∣pany / and sent them wyth letters to the bysshop Arelatensis / wyllynge hym to helpe and ayde Austayne in all that in hym nedyd. The tenoure of whyche letters and other sent to Ethelbert kynge of Kent wyth theyr answeres / are wrytē with other que∣styons in the regester of Gregory, & in the bokes of Beda and other.

Austayne thus comfortyd / sped his iourney, and landed in the Eest syde of Kent in the ile of Thauet wyth .xl. felowes / wherof some were interpre¦tours or such as cowde speke all lan¦gages. Nere vnto the place before named where holy Austayne landed stode at those dayes the manoyre or palayes of the sayd kyng Ethelbert / wherof at thys daye appere somme of the ruynous walles, & is called of the inhabytaunces of that ile Rych∣bourgh. It is apparent betwene the ile & the towne of Sandwych, vpon a myle & a halfe from the sayd towne Eestwarde from Caunterbury. Thē when Austayne was landed, he sent the sayde interpretours vnto Ethel∣berte / sayenge y^t they were sent from Rome for the hele and saluacyon of the kynge & hys realme. The kynge before tyme had herde of the fayth of Cryst / for he hadde to wyfe as sayth Polycronycon a french woman that was cristened / and had receyued hyr vppon condycyon that he shuld suf∣fer hyr to lyue after hyr lawe.

Then after a certeyne tyme y^e kyng spoke with Austayne / but that was without y^e house after the maner of hys lawe. Agayn his comyng he ar∣reryd a baner of y^e crucifyx, & sange y^e lateny, & preachyd to hym the worde of god. Then y^e kyng sayd it is fayre that ye promyse. But for it is to me vncowth & new / I may not so soone assent to you. But for ye be comen so farre for my sake / ye shalbe fayre en∣treatyd, and haue all thynge y^t is to you necessary / & we graunte to you leue to torne of our people whom ye maye. when they had receyued thys cōfort of the kynge / they went wyth processyō to the cytye of Dorobernia or Caūterbury, syngynge Alleluya / where they lad theyr lyues as holy faders dyd in the begynnynge of the chyrch / as in fastyng, prayeng, wat∣chyng, & preachynge of the worde of helth / & sange masses / and crystened such as they cōuertyd in y^e Eest syde of the cytie in the old chyrch of saynt Martyne, vnto the tyme y^t the kyng was cōuertyd. At length when the kyng had well consyderyd the cōuer¦sacyō & holy lyfe of Austayn and his felowes, he harde them more gladly / and lastly by theyr good exortacyōs and gostly loue, was by them cōuer∣tyd & crystened / in y^e yere of our lorde after moste accorde of wryters .v.C. lxxx. & xvi / and the .xxxvi. yere of hys reygne, as affermeth Policronicon.

Then he gaue to Austayne a place for his bishoppes see at Cristes chyr∣che in Dorobernia / and buylded the abbey of saynte Peter and Paule in the eest syde of the sayde cytye / where after Austayne and all the kynges of Kent were buryed / and that place is nowe called saynte Augustyne.

In thys whyle Augustyne saylyd into Fraunce to the byshoppe Arela∣tens̄ / and was of hym sacryd arche∣byshoppe.

when holy Gregory was certyfy∣ed of the good expedycyon of Augu∣styne / he sent then to him mo helpers as Melyt{us}, Iust{us}, & Paulinus, with bokes and relykes of holy sayntes / and answeres to saynte Augustynes questyons / that was that all suche goodes as fell to the chyrche shulde be deuyded in foūre {per}tes / that is to meane the fyrste shuld go to the hous¦holde of the byshoppes house and charge of the same / the seconde to the clergy / the thyrde to the amendemēt of chyrches / the fourth to the relyfe of the poore people and other dedys of mercye.

when Austayne hadde baptyzed a great part of the kyngdome of Kent / he after made two archebyshoppes by the cōmaundement of saynte Gre¦gorye, as wytnessyth Polycronicon: that one at London, and that other at porke / and by the helpe of Ethel∣bert, he assembled and gatheryd to∣gether the byshoppes and doctoures of Brytayne, that were before dysper¦kled. The place of assemble was cal¦lyd longe after Austeyns oke, whych is expowned to be Austeyns strēgth, and is in the marche of wykeres and of the westsaxons.

In thys place he charged the sayd byshoppes, y^t they shulde wyth hym preache the worde of god to the An∣glys / and also that they shuld amōg them selfe amende certayne errours then vsyd in the chyrche, and specyal¦ly for kepynge of theyr Ester tyde. where agayne the byshoppes of Bry¦tayne helde opynyon, tyll Austayne by hys prayers shewyd there a my∣racle by a blynde Angle or Saxon. After the whyche myracle shewed / y^e sayd byshoppes applyed them to the wyll of Austayne in that cause. But for all this there was of theym that sayd, that they myghte not leue the custome, whych they so longe hadde continued, wythout assent of all such as hadde vsyd the same. Then he ga¦theryd a synode / to the whyche came seuen byshoppes of Brytons, wyth the wysest mē of that famouse abbey of Bangor, But fyrste they toke coū¦sayle of an holy man and heremyte / whether they shulde be obedyent to Austayne or not. The heremyte sayd yf ye fynde hym humble or meke, as to Crystes dyscyple belonged / y^t then they shulde assent to hym. whych me¦kenesse they shulde perceyue in hym, yf he at theyr commynge into the sy∣node or councell, arose agayne them. when the sayde byshoppes entred y^e sayde synode / Austayne sate styll in the chayre and remouyd not. wher∣fore they were wroth and dysdaynyd hym, and wolde not obey to hys re∣questes. Then he sayd to them / syns ye woll not assente to my hestes ge∣nerally / assent ye to me specyally in thre thynges.

The fyrste is, y^t ye kepe Ester daye in due fourme and tyme as yt is or∣deynyd.

The seconde, that ye geue crysten∣dome to the chyldern in the maner y^t is vsed in the chyrche of Rome.

And the thyrde is, that ye preache vnto the Anglys the word of god, as a fore tymes I haue exhorted you. And all the other deale I shall suffer you to amende and refourme wyth∣in your selfe / but they wold not ther∣of.

of. Then saynt Augustyne sayde vn¦to them, and warned them by maner of inspyracyon / that syns they wold not receyue peace of theyr bretherne, they shulde of other receyue warre & wreche / the whyche was after put in experyence by Ethelfrydus kynge of Northumberlande.

Longe yt were to tell the cyrcum∣staūce of the lyfe of this blessyd man, wherfore I passe ouer. Lastly whē he hadde in one daye crystyned .x. thou¦sande of Saxons or Anglys, in the weste ryuer that is called Swale be∣syde yorke, and knewe that he shuld shortely dye after / he ordeyned a suc¦cessour named Laurence whyle he ly¦ued / for the state of holy chyrche in Brytayn was as yet but rude & boys¦tous. But in y^t doynge he folowed the ensample of Peter that was fyrst pope / whyche made Clement by his lyfe helper and successour. Also this Augustyne made Mellitus bysshop of London and of Eestsaxōs / whych after moste wryters were then newly entred the lande. The ryuer of Tha¦mys departed theym and Kent / and after dyed and was buryed in y^e mo∣nastery before rehersed, wythoute the wallys of Dorobernia or Caun∣terburye.

THE .CXX. CHAPITER.

EThelbertus then confermyd in the fayth / among other cost¦ly dedys beganne he foundacyon of Paulys chyrche wythin the cytye of London / and ordeyned yt for the bys¦shoppes see of London. For the arch¦byshoppes see that before tyme was at London / was by Augustyne and Ethelbert at the prayer of y^e cytezyns of Dorobernia trāslated to the sayde cytye / as in the .lix. chapyter of thys treatyse yt is more at length decla∣red. But of the buyldynge of thys chyrche of saynt Paule, dyuerse opy¦nyons ben. For some wryters testy∣fye, that yt was buylded or begonne to buylde, by Sygebertus kynge of Eestanglys, but more veryly kynge of Eestsaxōs or Eestsex. This Ethel∣bert also foūded the chyrche of sayne Andrew, in the cytye of Dorubres in Kent nowe called Rochester / of the whyche Iustus was byshoppe ordey¦ned before of saynt Albane.

About y^e tyme or a season after / the forenamed Ethelfrydus, whyche in the englyshe cronycle is named El∣fryde / foughte wyth the Brytons at the cytye of Legyscestre or Chestre / & slew of the Brytons a great nomber. At whyche tyme and season, a great nomber of the monkes of Bangor were also there assembled, for to pray for the good spede of the Brytons. wherof when Ethelfrydus was war¦ned / he fell also vppon theym, and flewe of theym at that tyme, as wyt∣nessyth dyuers authours .xxi. hūdred as yt is before shewyd in the .C. and ix. chapyter of this boke.

This forenamed Ethelbert excy∣ted a dweller or cytezen of London, to make a chyrche or chapell in the worshyp of saynte Peter, in the west ende of London then called Thor∣ney, and now the towne of westmyn∣ster / the whyche that tyme was for∣growen wyth bushes and b••eres ex∣cedyngly. where the sayde cytezen be ganne, and buylded the fyrst chyrche of westmynster in y^e honour of saynt Peter, whych was after by saynt Ed¦warde the cōfessour enlarged or new buylded. But of the thyrde Henry, when he reygned as kynge of En∣gland / yt was newe edyfyed & made as yt now is a beauteous monaste∣ry, and rychely endowed bothe wyth possessyon and relykes, and ryche iewellys.

It is shewyd in the Englyshe cro∣nycle

of Englande / that thys Ethel∣bert shulde be slayne in a fyghte be∣twene hym and Ethelfryde kynge of Northumberlande. But Policroni∣con sayth that he dyed and went to heuen / when he hadde reygned ouer the lordshyppe of Kent .lvi. yeres / and the .xxi. yere after that he hadde receyuyd Crystendome.

The kyngdome of Eestsaxons.

THE .CXXI. CHAPITER.

DUrynge also the foresayde persecu∣cyon of y^e Brytōs, or any ruler of thē were specyally na¦med / beganne the reygne of Eestsa∣xons as wytnessyth Policronicon, vnder Sebertus theyr fyrste kynge / nere about the yere of our lordes in∣carnacyon .vi. hundred and .xiiii. All be yt that Guydo de Columna sayth that yt beganne nere about the tyme and season, when the kyngdome of Eestanglys beganne. But I folowe Polycronicon / for he leyeth holy Be¦da for his Authour in myche of his worke. This kyngdome whych is to meane Essex / hadde in the eest syde the see / in the weste Myddelsex and London / in the southe the cyuer of Thamys / & in the north Suffolke / and endured after moste wryters by the terme of two hundred and odde yeres. But by y^• sayeng of Policroni¦ca yt shuld not endure ouer two hun¦dred yeres. Neuerthelesse yt shulde appere by the storye of Edwarde the elder sonne of Aluredus, y^t yt shulde cōtynue vnder the Danys and other wyse, tyll the .viii. yere of his reygne. And by that reason yt shulde endure two hundred .lxxx. & .xiii. yeres. The contynuaūce therof is more doutfull to be iustly determyned, for so myche as wryters be of dyuers opynyons of the begynnyng therof. All be it y^e Polycronycon in the .li. chapyter of hys fyrste boke, sayth that yt began vnder Sebertus, and vnder .x. kyn∣ges / tyll Egbertus kynge of westsa∣xons subdued yt and ioyned yt to his owne kyngedome.

The fyrste crysten kynge of thys lordshyppe was the forenamed Se∣bertus, conuertyd by meanes of Mel¦litus byshoppe of London, as sayth Guydo. But after hys sayeng thys Sebertus shulde be the thyrd kynge of Essex. All wryters agreen that the kynges of thys lordshyp were more comynly named vnder kynges, and were more subiecte to other kyn∣ges / and chefely vnto the kynges of Mercia or Mercheryke.

Then to retourne agayn vnto the Brytons, whyche by all this season occupyed a parte of Cornewayl and the countres of Cambria / as Uene∣docia, whyche now is called North∣walys, ad Demecea whych now is called Southwalys / and there held them in makynge assautes vpon the Saxons, as before is touchyd, some whyle in one coste, and some whyle in that other, vnder sondrye dukes, as witnessyth Gaufryde and also the englysh cronycle. The whych so con¦tynued after moste accorde of tyme, and to accorde thys hystorye wyth other, by the terme of .xxiiii. yeres / ouer and aboue thre yeres alowed for the reygne of Careticus aforesayd. So that from the fyrste yere of Care¦tycus, to the laste of these .xxiiii. ye∣res. / expyryd or flowyd .xxvii. yeres. At whyche tyme the Brytons of one assent chase for theyr hedde or ruler, y^• duke of Uenedocia, or Southwa∣lys, named Cadwanus.

Francia. THE .CXXII. CHAPITER.

CLotharius or Lo∣tharius the sonne of Chilpericus, & second of y^t name / was made kynge of a parte of Fraū∣ce in y^e yere of oure lorde .v. hundred lxxx. and .viii / and the .ii. yere of Ca∣reticus then kynge of the Brytons. Thys Clotharius by the reporte of mayster Robert Gagwyne, is notyd to be descendyd of Clodoue{us} Lowis fyrste crystened kynge of Fraunce / & not expressely to be the sonne of Chil∣pericus.

But for so myche as in the cronycle of Chilperych, I haue shewed to you somwhat of the dedys of Fredegund wyfe of Chylperiche: therfore I en∣tende in the declarynge of thys story of Clothayre, to expresse the rema∣naunte, in as shorte wyse as I good¦ly may. And fyrst ye shall vnderstād, that after thys fredegunde had as before is shewed, causyd her lorde to be slayne: she ferynge that at length her vntrouth shulde be dyscoueryd / wyth all her goodes in shorte tyme after yode vnto Paris / and there in the monasterye or house of our ladye held her. And for she wold be in more suerty / and also her son the sayd Clo¦tharius shuld be the strēger in his do¦mynyon and kingdome: therfore she sent messengers vnto Gunthranus kynge of Orleaunce & brother to her lorde Chilperich / requyryng hym of fauoure and ayde / & that he wolde of his goodnesse be tutour & defendour of her yonge sonne Clotharius. The whych not denyenge the requeste of Fredegunde, spedde towarde Paris in all haste / where wyth the assent of other nobles of the realme, he toke the gydynge of the yonge kynge. By whose aduyse and cōmaundement, the sayde Clotharius was conueyd & shewyd thorough many of the chefe cytyes of his lande. But in lykewyse as Gunthranus wyth other bysyed theym selfe to strength Lotharius in hys ryghte / euen so were other of the nobles of Fraūce (by the meanes of Brunechyeldis, wyfe some tyme of Sygebert, yongest sonne of Lo∣thayre the fyrst / the whyche Syge∣bert receyued of hys sayde wyfe two sonnes named Chilperich and Chyl∣debert / of the whych two, Chilperich suruyued the other) that dyd all theyr entent to promote Chyldebert to the porcyon of hys father / that Chilperi¦cus father of Lotharius occupyed af¦ter the deth of Sigebert forenamed.

Here dyscordeth the frenche crony∣cle frō myne authour Gagwyne. For there yt is sayd, y^e Brunechield with the other of her assent / wold then by theyr meanes haue p̄ferred a bastard son of the forenamed Sygebert cal∣led Theodoric{us}, to the kyngdome of Fraūce. An other authour sayth that this Theodorich was the son of Chil¦deric{us} afore named, whyche was the sonne of Sygebert.

But to folowe mayster Gagwyne / This Childebert whych by y^e former sayeng rehersyd in y^t .C. and .xiiii. cha¦piter of this treatyse, was delyueryd from y^e handes of Chilperich his vn¦cle, by meanes of the erle of Poytow named Gūdebald: this with a small cōpany came vnto Paris / where of y^e cytesēs he was kept out. For y^e which soon after he sent a noble man of his named Gillon with other, as ambas¦sadours vnto Gūthran{us}. And where among other thynges of hym requy¦red, they axed of him Fredegūd to suf¦fer deth, for y^• she had by her subtylty caused to be murdred bothe Syge∣bert father to theyr kynge, and also

Chilpericus her owne husbande: yt was of him vtterly denyed. Wherfore this sayd Gyllon sayd vnto Gūthra¦nus / syr kynge knowe thou for cer∣tayne, synnes thou haste refused this peace to the offeryd of thy neuewe / that the deth of thy brother shall cle∣u•• to thy hedde. wyth these wordes the kynge beynge greatly amoued / commaunded the ambassadours to be putte oute of his court / and when they were in the strete, all fylthe and ordoure to be caste vppon theym as enymytyes.

And varyaunces thus kyndelyng betwene these two kinges / Gunthra¦nus soone after sent Fredegunde in∣to Neustria or Normandy / & caused her there to be kepte not farre from y^e citye of Roan, whyther to her came many noble men of Fraūce in cōfor∣tynge her, and also mouynge her for the trouble she was in / promysynge to her ayde to the vttermoste of theyr power. But when that Fredegunde apperceyuyd the great fauoure that Brunechyelde stode in, of the no∣bles of Orleaunce or Fraunce, she en¦uyenge her welth and honoure, cal∣led to her an homycyde & a felon cal∣led Holderyche / to whom the sayde Fredegūde pmysyd great treasour, yf he coude by venyme or otherwyse brynge to deth the sayde Brunechiel¦dis. By meane of whych promyse he graūted to brynge her entent about / & shortely after drewe vnto the court of the sayde Brunechyeldis. where he fyll in suche famylyaryte wyth dy¦uerse of her courte, that he came ma∣ny seasons to the p̄sence of y^e quene. But by what happe I can not saye / lastely he was taken in suspeccyon / and so tormentyd & pyned, that he cō¦fessyd y^e cause of his thyder cōmyng, and by whom he was sent / with all y^e other cyrcūstaunce of the matter. Af¦ter whych cōfessyon so made / he was to betyn & arrayed in moste vyle ma¦ner, and so sent agayn to Fredegūd. And when he was comen to her pre∣sence, and shewed what tourment he had suffred for her cause: she incon∣tynēt in fulfyllyng of her malycyous purpose / commaunded that his han¦des and fete shulde be stryken of and so lette go / to the ende that yt shulde be thought that she had not desyred hym to that besynesse. Aboute thys tyme & season arose a yonge mā in a corner of Fraunce / the whych by his subtyle wytte named hym selfe to be the sonne of the fyrst Lotharius, and brother vnto Gunthran{us}. The which by synystre meanes and crafty, gatte the fauoure of the lordes of Guyan / and by theyr assystence held and occu¦pyed a great parte therof.

And after somdele of hys counsay les to Gunthranus by hys espyes dis¦closyd / this sayde yonge man beyng named Gūdoaldus, sent vnto Gun∣thranus an ambassade / and requy∣ryd hym to be restoryd to a porcyon of hys faders goodes. Addyng ther∣to that yf he denyed / the sayde Gun∣doaldus wolde wyth a strong armye repayre out of Gwyan, and get hys ryght wyth strength / & that to bryng about he shulde also haue great ayde of Chyldebert his neuewe aboue na¦med. whan kynge Gunthranus had at leyser herde the message: he in dys¦daynyng the same cōmaunded them to be sette vppon horse backes theyr facys towarde the tayle / and so with betynge and vylanye to be dryuen thorough the town. It was not long after that a daye was appoyntyd be∣twene Gunthranus and Childebert / at whych day both prynces met with great companyes & lordes. And whē they were sette in theyr counsayll / Gunthran{us} cōmaunded the foresayd messyngers of Gundoaldus to be brought to fore them, & there agayne

to recyte, theyr foresayde message. whych done, he shewyd furthermore that the sayd Gundoalde had before tyme dispoyled the doughter of Chil peryche named Rygonde, of all such rychesse as she wyth her conueyed, when she went towarde Spayne to be maryed / of the whyche some lor∣des of Childebert were of counsayll. whyche vnto the sayde two prynces was thought trewe / for so myche as the sayde lordes then accusyd, were absent from that great counsayll.

THE .CXXIII. CHAPITER.

AFter many and great actes concludyd by thys counsayll betwene these two foresayd prynces: Gunthranus in open audyence ad∣mytted hys neuewe Chyldebert for his heyre, for so mych as he had none heyre of hys bodye / commyttynge the rule therof to hym before all that were there. And after toke hym a{per}te, and shewyd to hym whych of his no¦bles he shulde take to counsayll, and whyche he shuld refuse. And specyal¦ly he warnyd hym to be well ware of hys moder Brunechyeldis, for that he knewe in her so great vntrouthe & subtylty / and also of Gyllon the bys∣shoppe, the whyche he also sayde he was not to be trusted. when he had thus aduertysed hys neuewe, they both retourned vnto the place of coū¦sayll / where by them and theyr coun¦sayllys certayn thynges concernyng the comone wele were sette in an or∣der. And that done, the sayde coun∣sayll was fynyshed / and purueyaūce for theyr dyner pronyded, the pryn∣ces wyth theyr baronye went vnto dyner. In the season of whych dyner the sayde Gunthranus sayde vnto y^e great nomber of lordes beynge pre∣sente / ye my lordes and nobles of Fraunce, the whych to me haue euer more ben true and dere / here is myn neuew, the whyche as myne heyre I haue allowed and ordeynyd, whome I praye you to honoure, and wyth true fayth be vnto hym obedyent as to your kyng. For of y^e great worthy¦nesse that of hym is to come, I am in great hope / whyche is allyed wyth myght and vertue. And to the aug∣mentacyon of these wordes / shortely after restored to hym all such cytyes, as Chilpericus by hys lyfe had with holden from hym. And soone after eyther from other in moste humble & louynge maner departyd.

Of thys peace betwene these two prynces thus stablysshyd, the fame ranne wyde. wherfore certayne lor∣des beyng vppon the partye of Gun¦doaldus refused hym / and went vn∣to the party of Gunthranus.

Soone after wyth hys people Gū∣doaldus resortyd vnto a cytye ouer the ryuer of Gerounde named Con∣uena / where for the strength therof, he thought to abyde hys fortune. wherof when Gunthranus was war¦ned / he in goodly spede made thyder warde, and layd hys people nere vn¦to the sayde cytye. But when he had espyed the strēgth therof / and knew well yt was daungerous for to ob∣teyn: he thē vsyd gyle, where strēgth myghte not preuayle / and deuysed or forged certayn letters in the name of Brunechyeldys, wherin was fay∣ned, that the sayde Brunechyeldys shulde desyre Gundoaldus in all ha¦sty wyse, to resorte vnto the cytye of Burdeaux.

Of whyche fraude Gundoaldus no thynge suspectynge / commaundyd hys treasoure wyth other hys stuffe vnder saufe gydynge thyderward to be conueyed. wherof the knightes of Gunthran{us} hauyng knowlege, with a stronge cōpany made ouer the fore sayd water of Geroūde, & layde such

watche for them, that they encoun∣tred the sayde people that caryed the sayde treasure and stuffe / and par∣force toke it from the knyghtes of Gundoaldus and presentyd it vnto Gunthranus.

Lyke as before ye haue harde that certeyne lordes of the hoste of Gun∣doalde fled vnto the hoste of Gun∣thranus / so in thys passe tyme .iiii. capytaynes or rulers of the hoste of Gunthranus fled vnto Gundoalde / y^t whych myne authour nameth De∣siderius, Mommolus, Bladascus, and Sagyttaryus. whyche .iiii. after theyr comynge to Gundoalde stode in such fauour / that he was by theyr counsayle myche what aduysed and gyded. It was not longe after that y^e knyghtes of Gunthranus had thus wonne y^e foresayd treasoure & stuffe / that Gundoald was so sore pursued that he was fayne to close hym wyth in a stronge cytye / the whyche Len∣degylsus mayster of the hoste of Gū¦thranus assayled by dyuerse feates of warre to wynne. But whā he saw hys labour lost / than he cautelously fande y^• meane to speke secretly with one of the foresayde .iiii. capytaynes named Mommolus, and wyth hym treatyd of the betrayenge of y^e cytye. The whyche after many and longe exhortacyons, wyth the assuraūce of theyr lyues and other, graūtyd vnto the sayd treason / whereof the maner shulde be thus. Thys sayd Mommo¦lus wyth the forenamed Bladascus and other of that affynyte / shulde set a fyre an olde temple wythin y^t citye. And when the people of y^e citye were besyed to quenche the fyre / the sayde Mommolus wyth hys adherentes to open the gates, & so to let in Lyn∣degylsus and hys knyghtes. But yet thys treason set a parte / Mōmo∣lus goeth to Gōdoalde, and sheweth to hym the greate daunger that he standeth in of his enemyes. wherfore he counsayled hym that he wyth the other rulers about hym go vnto the tentys of Gunthranus and yelde them all vnto hys grace and mercy. And also to the entent that he shuld there shewe and proue, that he was the indubytate son of the fyrste Clothayre / the whyche to the kynge and all his hoste was very doutfull, and the more bycause he so fled from them. whan Gundoaldus had at ley soure harde the counsayle of Mom∣mole, gyuynge to hym credence / for so mych as by hys counsayle before tymes he had fortheryd hys causes / and also by comfort that he reportyd to haue by meanes of Lyndegylsus before named: he settyng a parte all fere, wyth certayne nomber in peasy¦ble wyse issued the cytye. And whan he had a lyttell space gone: ii. erles of Gunthranus hoste named Bole and Boson receyued hym, and delyuered hym to the power of Lyndegylsus / and Mommole retourned wyth the other of his confederey, vnto y^e citye / and closed faste the gates bytwene y^e citye and the pauyllyons of Gūthra∣nus. where was a lytell coppyd hyll / to the heyght whereof whan Gundo¦alde was comen, the sayd Bosō hym sodeynly threwe downe. And as he was rollynge downe the hyll / with a great stone he strake him on the hed, by vyolēce wherof he was forthwith slayne or dede. And Mommole, the whych as before is towched was re∣entred the citye / fyrste dyspoyled the goodes of the sayd Gundoalde / and after fell vpon the citesyns, and rob∣bed and spoyled them in lyke maner, not sparynge prestes nor other / and after brente chyrches, temples, and houses without pytye / whyche done he sped hym vnto the tentys of Lyn¦degylsus. But he not beynge sure of the sauegarde of the sayde Mōmole

and hys cōpany from the murmoure of hys knyghtes / or more veryly for he wolde not be a knowen of the pro¦uyded deth of theym / commaunded the sayde Mōmole wyth hys adhe∣rentes to tary without, & not to come in the prese of hys knyghtes, tyll he had somedele pacyfyed them. whiche was done, but not all without strife / for some there were that beganne to quarell wyth hym and hys. But whē Lyndegylse sawe that this Mōmole and his company were somdele with¦drawē frō his pauylyon, he made a to¦ken to hys knyghtes / whereby they knowyng his mynde, fell vpon him & slewe hym. Sagyttarius one of the foresayde .iiii. of that company, the whyche myne authour reporteth to be a byshoppe, fledde to haue saue∣garded hym self / but in his flyght he was slayne. And whē these enymyes where thus brought out of lyfe / Gun¦thranus commaūded the goodes of the sayde Mommole to be broughte vnto hys tresorye / whyche were of great valure, and after were egallye deuyded betwene hym and Childe∣bert hys neuewe. It was not longe after but certayne tokens & fygures appered in the fyrmament, the which by astronomers were iuged the fyne of some prynce / whyche after a yere shewyd to be true. For the sayd Gun¦thranus dyed vpon a yere folowyng the sayd fygures or sygnes / when he hadde ben kyng of Orleaunce by the terme of .xxxvii. yeres / and was bu∣ryed wyth great pompe in the cytye of Cabylon wythin the prouynce of Burgoyne, in y^e monastery of saynte Marke, whyche he before had buyl∣ded / and lefte for hys heyre of that kyngdome his neuewe the foresayde Chyldebert.

THE .CXXIIII. CHAPITER.

CHildebertus then hauyng the rule & possessyon of hys owne enherytaunce, that ys to saye of Au∣stracy, and also of Orleaunce / cas∣tynge in his mynde howe he myghte be reuenged of Fredegunde, y^e which as before is shewed in the .C. & .xiii. chapyter of this lybell slewe hys fa∣ther Sygebert: called vnto hym his olde frende and councelloure Gun∣debald erle of Poytowe / and then cō¦maunded y^t he shuld with his power inuade the countre of Soysons, the whyche was in the rule of Clothari∣us. wherof Fredegunde beyng war¦ned / assembled to her y^e lordes of the countrey, and exhorted them to wyth¦stande the malyce of theyr enymyes / shewynge to them furthermore that that thynge they shuld of iustyce and equyte do, consyderynge that theyr kynge Clotharius was yet tender of age, and hadde as yet no knyghtely prowesse to defende hym self and his lande. And after a longe exhortacy∣on to them made / she wyth her sonne prepared to go agayne the sayde eny¦myes. And when all thynge to the warre was preparyd and redy / she wyth a great army made toward the hoste of Gundebalde. And when she knewe she was nere vnto the hoste / she commaundyd her captaynes to reste & fortyfye her people vppon all {per}tes for brekyng in of her enymyes. And agayne nyghte she called to her Laundry her olde paramoure wyth other / wyllyng them that in the dede of the nyght they wolde manfully set vppon the other partye / for so myche as she sayde to them that she was cer¦taynly enfourmed by her espies, that her sayde enymyes were sore weryed by reason of that dayes laboure. Af∣ter whose counseyll the sayde Laun¦dry wyth other wrought / and sup∣prysed theyr enymyes so vnwarelye, that of theym she slewe a parte & cha¦syd the remanaunt. And that done spedde them vnto Champayne nere

vnto Reynes, and spoyled and brent a parte of that countre. Thys feat of warre thus compassyd by the subtyle wytte of Fredegunde was nere to a place called Truet.

Then Childebert entendyd after certentye hadde of the ouerthrowe of Gundebalde, for to haue made newe warre vppon Fredegunde. But he was let by meane of the Longobar∣dis, whyche than made warre vpon hym. Of the whyche warre he hadde somdeale his entent / and more shuld yf Mauricius emperour of Constā∣tyne the noble had kept all promesse with hym before made. After y^e which warre in party endyd, he retourned into hys owne countree / and shortly after he and also hys wyfe dyed, and not wythout suspeccyon of venym / leuyng after hym two sōnes named Theodobert and Theodorych / gy∣uynge to the eldest the lordshyppe of Austraci, and to the yonger the pro∣uynce of Burgoyne.

About thys tyme the Hunes brake out of theyr places, and warryd vpō certeyne partyes of myddle Fraunce and dyd therein greate harme. But lastly by meanes of greate gyftes by them receyued / they left the countre & drewe towarde Soysons. Agayne whom Fredegūde gaderyng a grete powar / sent Clotharius hyr sonne & kynge, to the entent to defende the sayd Hunes / that they shulde not in∣uade theyr countrees. And shortly after bothe hostes mette in the felde / where after longe and sharpe fyght the Frenchmen were vyctours, and chased the Hunes in suche wyse, that the more parte of them were slayne and taken, for the whyche vyctory Fredegunde made excedynge ioye to hyr son Clothayre / & receyued hym with greate pleasure, and excedynge gyftes. After the whyche passyd not longe whyle, but that she fell syke & dyed / and than buryed by hyr hous∣bonde Chylperich.

whan the forenamed bretherne had knowlege of the deth of Fredegūde / they by the exhortacyon and styryng of Brunechieldis theyr graundmo∣ther, callyng to mynde the wronges to theyr auncesters done by Frede∣gund, and somdele by Lothayre: as¦sembled a greate powar, & met wyth Lothayre and hys powar at the ry∣uer of Arrune or Aruēne. In y^e which place was so sore fyght and so many slayne, that the cource of the ryuer was let, by the multytude of the ca∣ryens or dede bodyes y^t were therein caste. But the more parte fell of the knyghtes of Lothayre / so y^t he was forcyd to forsake the feld, and thens to flee to the cyty of Meleon, & from thens to Parys: whom the sayde bretherne folowed / & compelled hym to make peas after theyr pleasure. The effecte of which peas was this. Theodobert y^e elder brother of these two, shuld enioye all the lande lyeng bytwene the ryuer of Seyn & Leyr, vnto the Bryttysh Occean, or the see of lytell Brytayne. And Theodorich the yonger brother, to haue all the lande from the sayd ryuer of Seyn vnto the ryuer of Isayr to the brynk of the see. And to Clothayr shuld re∣mayne .xii. prouinces, which the sayd two ryuers of Isayr and Seyne flo∣wen by or thorough.

whyche peas thus confermed and graūted / Theodobert to whom Neu¦stria or Normandye belonged, sent thyder a cheuetayne of hys court cal¦led Berthalde, to defende the sayde countre. But Clothayre of thys for∣mer accorde beynge nothynge con∣tentyd / sent his sonne Merone{us} vn∣der the gydynge of Laundry prefect or ruler of hys paleys into Neu∣stria to warre in that countrey. And for so mych as Berthalde sawe

well he lakked power to wythstande so great an host / he therfore toke the cytye of Orleaunce, tyll he had gade¦ryd more company. Then Laundry seasyd that parte of y^e coūtrey, & cam to the wallys of the cytye / and by dy¦uerse wordes of reproche, excyted y^e sayde Berthalde to gyue batayll to hym in the playne felde. The whych he refusyd because of the inequalyte of nomber of knyghtes. But he offe¦ryd to issue out of y^e cytye, & to fyght wyth Laundry hande to hand / wyth that he myght be assuryd agayne his people / the whyche offer Laundrye refusyd.

It was not longe after or bothe kynges wyth great hostes drewe in∣to that countrey / and at the ryuer of Stampis mette, where betwene thē was foughten a stronge batayll. But by the polycye of Theodobert / Lothary was putte to a disuaūtage. For whyle the sayde Lotharye was cōueyeng hys people ouer the ryuer at a narowe passage / Theodobert be¦ganne so fyersly and kepte the passa¦ge so streyt, that the peple of Clotha¦rye came not two partes of theym to the felde. Neuerthelesse the fyght cō¦tynued by a longe season / in whyche tyme Berthalde encountred many ty¦mes Laundrye, and prouoked hym to batayll / but euer that other refu∣syd. Lastly he seynge and knowyng well that he shuld wynne great wors¦shyppe and also profyte, yf he myght slee or take this Laūdry / he therfore put hym selfe in the more daunger of hys enymys, and fynally of thē was slayn. But Theodobert in pursuyng Lotharye and in comfortynge of his knyghtes bare hym so well, that he causyd his enimyes to lese grounde / and at length put them to flyght, the whyche he foloweth to the gates of Parys, to the great damage of y^e peo¦ple of Lothary. In this chase was ta¦ken Meroneus the sonne of Clotha¦rye wyth many other / but Laundry was goten wythin the cytye. And when Theodobert had thus goten the vyctory of hys enemyes / he lyste no lenger to tary about them at that season / but shortly after retourned to hys countre.

In the court of Theodorich broder of this Theodobert, was at this day dwellynge an Italian named Pro∣thadi{us} / the whyche as myne authour sayth was paramour vnto Brune∣chyeld before sayd. The which, Bru¦nechyeld by hyr meanes had exalted from poore estate vnto hyghe autho¦ryte / the whyche was of a subtyle & far castynge wytte, and therwyth ex∣cedynge couetous / and in greate fa∣uour of the kynge, but to all hys lor∣des odyous & hatefull: for the which vnlefull meanes by hym to the no∣bles and comons of the lande vsed / & for the yll condycyons and bad coun¦ceyll that Brunechyelde & thys Pro¦thadi{us} vsed within y^e court of Theo∣dobert / he bannysshed them both as well of hys lande as of hys courte. wherfore euer after they malygned agayne Theodobert. And for the ex∣ecucyon of theyr malicious purpose / they tolde vnto Theodoryche, that hys enemy and not brother Theodo¦bert, had wythdrawen from hym the chefe of hys faders treasoure / alled∣gyng also, that he was not the sonne of Chyldebert hys fader, but gotten of a gardener / and wyllyd hym ther∣fore to sende vnto hym and to aske restytucyon of the sayde goodes. By the whyche wycked counceyle Theo¦doryche was so lad, that he sent vn∣to hys brother / and in suche wyse so vexyd and styryd hym, that dedely malice was kyndelyd betwene them. In so myche that eyther of them as∣sembled great hostes / and lastely met nere vnto a towne named Carysse.

where the sayde hostes beynge redy to haue runne togyders / the lordes of Theodoberte so demeaned them vnto hym, that by theyr wyse coun∣sayle he agreed to sende to hys bro∣ther, and to haue a cōmunicacyon of peas. And whan the embassade was comen to the pauylyon of Theodo¦ryche, and there had shewyd the vn∣kyndnesse of thys warre, wyth the ieopardy that myghte ensue of the same / anone the foresayde Protha∣dius toke vppon hym the answere, & sayd: it is not requysyte so lyghtly to graunte peas / but necessary it is to attempte the wyll of our enemye by batayle, whether he woll be agre∣able to condescende to our desyres. The whyche wordes thus expressyd of hym, anone the more party of the lordes dysdayned it / and conspyryd wythin them selfe howe they myghte putte hym to deth. And forthwyth arose amonge them such a murmur, that y^e kynge apperceyued well that they entendyd some harme to Pro∣thadius. For the whyche he called vnto hym a knyght named Uselyne / chargynge hym to go vnto the lor∣des, commaundynge them that they in no wyse shulde do any harme to Prothadius. The whyche Uselyne beynge of the mynde of the other / sayd that the kynge wolde that they shulde slee Prothayde. After whyche message done / they ranne in all haste and hym slewe, as he sate playenge at dyce or tables wyth one Peter a physicyon / and that done all hoolly ranne vnto y^e kynges tent, besechyng hym to take no dyspleasure of y^e deth of so euyll a man, that as well was knowē, was enemye to all frendshyp and peas. But for Theodoryche ap∣perceyued well, that he cowde not reuenge hys deth wythout ponyshe∣mēt of a multytude / he therfore toke pacience, and suffred the offence to passe vnpunysshed. After whyche man thus murdered / bothe prynces without notable acte de{per}ted eyther into hys countree.

THE .CXXV. CHAPITER

TO thys daye Theodoryche had taken no wyfe / all be yt of hys concubyne he receyued two sonnes. He therfore by thaduertyse∣ment of hys frendes, set hys mynde to mary some noble woman / & soone after sent certeyne ambassadours vn¦to Berthric{us} then kyng of Spayne / wyllyng to graūte vnto hym Mem∣berge his doughter in mariage. The whiche vppon certeyne condicyons was perfourmed, and wyth greate ryches to hym shortly after sent and maryed / •• by a certayn tyme well en¦treated & cheryshed. But that season rōne & spent / Brunechyeld so turned the kynges mynde from the quene, that lastely he wyth suche treasoure and iewellys as he of her receyued, sent her home agayn. The whych in∣iury Berthricus her father toke at herte greuously / & shortly after sente hys messengers vnto Clothary kyng of Soysons, requiryng hym of ayde to warre vppon Theodoriche, which hadde done vnto hym great dysplea¦sure / and the rather for y^e warre that the sayde Theodoryche wyth his bro¦ther lately made agayne hym / the whyche wyth both theyr strengthes they myghte then well reuenge. To whome Clotharius graūted. And to haue hys party the stronger, he sente vnto hys neuewe Theodobert and brother to Theodoriche, to styre hym agayne hys sayde brother.

wherof when Berthricus hadde re∣ceyuyd knowlege of hys sayde mes∣sengers / he thē sent vnto Agon king of Longobardys / or more veryly Adoaldus the .v. kynge after Alboy¦nus / requyryng hym in lyke maner.

And he desyrous of wreche / made faste and sure promyse to gyue ayde to the vttermoste of his power.

when Theodoryche was warned of the cōspyracy of these .iiii. kynges, that entendyd to warre ioyntly vp∣pon hym / he was therwyth greatly amoued, and prouyded for hys de∣fence in his best•• maner. Then Theo¦dobert trustyng the appoyntmēt be∣fore made, assembled a great hoste / and made spede fyrst toward y^e place bytwene theym appoynted, whyche was nere to y^e castell of Salas. But or any preparacyon was made to∣warde batayle / a meane was founde that the forenamed two bretherne shulde mete eyther wyth other, accō∣panyed wyth .x. thousand knyghtes. But Theodobertus enter••••ynge to dysceyue hys sayd brother, & to force hym to graūte to his pleasure / brou∣ghte wyth hym ferre aboue y^e nōber. wherfore Theodoricus beynge ouer¦sette wyth strength / graunted all his brothers wyll. whych was that ouer certeyne thynges and appoyntemen¦tes concluded bytwene Berthricus and hym / Theodobert shulde holde to hym and his heyres two lordship∣pes called Champayne and Turon. whych conclusyon fynysshed / eyther takynge leue of other departyd vnto theyr countreys / but not wythout greate vnrestfulnesse of the sayde Theodorych, berynge in mynde the wronge doynge of hys brother. wherfore he shortly after made mea∣nes to hys neuewe Clothayre desy∣rynge hym that he wolde not assyste hys brother agayne hym / but to suf∣fer hys quarell to be demyd by dynt of swerde bytwene theym two. This requeste, Lothayre by the aduyse of saynte Columbane munke of Ire∣lande than beynge in those costes, graunted.

And the french cronicle sayth, that he was warned of thys foresayd ho∣ly munke and abbot, that he shulde not medle bytwene the sayd two bre∣therne / for so myche as yt was pro∣uyded of god, that he shuld be heyre to them bothe.

whan Theodorych had receyued thys answere, he gaderyd his strēgth and spedde hym vppon hys iourney to the cytye of Langresse, and from thens to Uerdune or Uerdoune. Theodoberte hauynge knowlege of hys malycyouse brothers purpose, gaderyd in Austracy a greate hoste / and so sped hym tyll he came to the cytye of Toull. where bothe hostes shortely after met / and in the feldes or playnes nere to the cytye foughte a stronge batayle. In the which was slayne greate people vppon bothe sydes / but the more parte vppon the syde of Theodobert. wherfore he fy∣nally was compelled to forsake the felde, and fled vnto Coleyne. where he gaderyng a newe powar / fought agayne wyth hys brother. In the whyche fyght he had lyke fortune / & was agayn chasyd to hys grete sha∣me and losse / whom Theodoricus as hys mortall enemye folowed, fy∣rynge and wastynge the countreys as he went / in so myche that the in∣habytauntes of the coūtreys fell be∣fore hym, besechynge his grace, that for the offence of one man, he wolde not destroye so many innocentes / as∣surynge hym forthermore that they wolde become hys lyegemen, and holde theyr lande of hym for euer. At whyche request he sayde gladly he wolde to them graunte theyr pe∣tycyon, yf that they wolde presente to hym the hedde of hys brother. After the whych answere by them of Theodorych receyued / they amonge them selfe appoynted out a certayne of persones moste apte to theyr pur∣pose / and wyllyd theym to go vnto

Theodobert to execute theyr entent. The whyche sped theyr iourney tyll they came to the presence of Theodo¦bert / & shewyd vnto hym that yf he wolde be agreable to departe wyth suche stuffe and iewellys as he had of hys faders, so that Theodoryche myghte be partener therof / he shulde haue perfyght amyte and rest wyth hym. To the whyche wordes he gy∣uynge confydence and truste / called wyth hym the sayde persones / and brought them into y^e howses, where the sayd stuffe and iewellys lay. And whyle he was busyed to deuyde out and appoynte y^e porcyon of hys, one of the sayde persons slewe hym so∣deynly / and after of one agrement strake of hys hed, and in secrete wyse caused yt to be conueyed vnto hys brother. whan Theodoryche hadde receyued the hed of hys brother, he sped hym to Coleyne where this trea¦son was wrought / and receyued the cytye into hys possessyon, wyth all y^e kyngdome of Austracy to hys bro∣ther belongynge. And when he had there ordred hys nedes after hys mynde / wyth two sonnes and an ex∣cedynge fayre doughter of Theodo∣bert, he spedde hym vnto Mees the chefe cytye of Austracy / where wyth hym met hys graundmoder Brune∣chyelde. The whyche perseuerynge in all malyce and myschefe / caused y^e sayd two sonnes to be shortly slayn.

Theodorych then restoryd or dely∣uered vnto Clothayre, all such lādes as to hym he had before promysed.

Theodoryche thus endynge hys warre, the whyche by a longe season spent hys tyme in kepynge of concu∣bynes / was nowe rauyshed wyth the beaute of his brothers doughter, the whyche he hadde brought from Co∣leyne. But that doyng Brunechyeld wythstode wyth all her power, be∣cause the mayde was so ••e••e of hys kynne. For the whych he beyng with herfore dyscōtent sayde, o thou most wycked & false woman / dyd not thou make me to beleue, that Theodobert was not the sonne of my father / but that he was the sonne of a gardyner. For what cause hast thou caused me to {per}secute my brother, and lastely to ••lee hym. After the whyche wordes he wolde haue slayne her, yf he of his lordes hadde not ben letted. whyche dede not forgotten of this vngoodly woman / euer after imagyned howe she myght brynge Theodoryche out of lyfe. And lastely she hyryd such as were about hym to consent to her ini¦quyte / so that vpon a season when he came out of his stew or bayn, he axyd drynke by y^e force wherof he was poy¦soned & ••yed soone after, whē he had reygned .xviii. yeres. Howe be yt An¦toninus in the .vi. chapyter & .xii. ty¦tle of the seconde parte of hys worke, sayth that he was brent wyth fyre by the dyuyne power.

THE .CXXVI. CHAPITER.

NOw that I haue shewed vn∣to you the fyne & ende of these two bretherne / by reason of whose deth the hole pryncypate of Fraunce fell vnto the abouenamed Clothayr: I shall now expresse vnto you the de¦dys by hym done after he hadde all the rule onely.

So yt was that y^e forenamed Bru¦nechyelde malygned euer agayn Lo¦thayr. And to the fortheraūce of her malyce▪ she behauyd her in such wise wyth some of the rulers & lordes of Austracy, that she caused them to ad¦mytte owne named Sygebert to be ryghtfull enherytoure of that lande▪ But for that some of them had good experyence of theyll dysposycyon of this woman / they therfore sent two noblemen of that lande name Pe∣pyn

and Arnold vnto Clothayre / wil¦lynge hym to sende hastely into that prouynce. After the whyche message by these two lordes reported, Clotha¦rius shortely after spedde hym into Austracy / and at a castell called Ca∣thomat he lodgyd hym with hys peo¦ple. whereof herynge Brunechielde sent vnto hym / & gaue vnto hym mo¦nicyon that he shuld voyde the land, for so myche as Sygebert the eldest sonne of Theodoryche was therof ryghtefull enherytour.

ye haue harde before that Theodo¦ryche vsyd lemmans / of the whyche he receyued foure sonnes, y^t is to say Sygebert, Corbe, Chyldebert, and Merone. wherfore y^e foresayde Bru∣nechyelde entendynge to dystourbe Lothayre and all the lande / fortyfy∣ed the sayd Sygebert to clayme the lande of Austracye. And when Clo∣thayre hadde receyued knowlege of this maundemēt from Brunechielde or Bruncheuste / he sent to her answe¦re that he wolde assemble the lordes of Austracy, and be demed by theym, whyther thys land belonged to hym, or Sygebert. And she ferynge that sentence / excyted people of the pro∣uynce of Germanye to strength her partye, wyth all the people that she myght make of the sayde countre of Austracy. And that to bryng about / she sente one Garnery an other Al∣bon. Of this Garnery she hadde su∣speccyon that he shuld fauour y^e par∣tye of Lothayre / wherfore to Albone hys felowe she sente letters, that he shulde put the sayde Garnery away. whē Albone had ouer rad the letter / he brake yt in peces & threwe theym from hym. And afterwarde a frende of Garneryes gaderyd the peces / and so ioyned theym that he concey∣uyd the sentence of the letter, and forthwyth shewyd yt vnto Garnery. when Garnery perceyued the maly∣cyous entent of Brunechielde, he kepte yt secrete to hym selfe: all be it that he by his secrete meanes caused the Germanyes that they shuld take no partye wyth Brunechyelde. And that done he retourned into Bur∣goyne / where wyth her and in her cō¦panye he solycyted so the lordes of Burgoyne, that some of them abhor¦red the crudelite of that woman. And when Garnery hadde in thys wyse compassed hys maters / he sent vnto Lothayr, & shewyd that yf he myght haue hys grace and safecondute / he wolde come to hym and shew to hym thynges concernynge hys aduaun∣tage. All the whyche was graunted.

Then Clothayre by counsayle of y^e sayd Garnery assembled his power / & shortly sente a strenght of theym in to Champayne and Cathaloyne / where yt was shewed that Sigebert hadde gatheryd great strenghtys. Then forsoke the party of Sigebert many nobles of Austracye / amonge the whyche myne authoure nameth Rucco, Sigoldus, and Enulanus, and yelded them to the mercy of Clo¦thayre. Then shortly after the hostes of Clothayre and Sygebert mette / where Garnerye, by tokens betwene hym and dyuerse of the captaynes of Sygebert before assygned, y^e sayd captaynes wyth theyr people wyth∣drewe them, so that Sygebert wyth hys two bretherne Corbo and Mero¦neus gaue backe whyle they came to the ryuer of Sigoune / where after lytle resystence the foresayde two bre∣therne were taken. But the frenche cronicle sayth that all foure brethern were there taken. All be yt mayster Gagwyn sayth, that Sygeberte by the vertue of hys horse escapyd / so that he was not after that daye seen.

And soone after thys victory Bru¦nechyeldes, which also of the frenche cronycle ys named Bruneheuste /

was broughte as prysoner vnto the presence of Lothayre, wyth a suster of Theodoryche, whych Garnery or Gerney hadde taken in the tentes of his enymyes. Then Lotharius forth¦wyth commaūded Corbon to be be∣hedded / and preseruyd Meroneus, for so mych as he was to hym godfa¦ther / and euer after cheryshed hym as his kynnesman.

Lotharius thus hauyng y^e victory of his enimyes, made great ioy. And after he hadde somedeale sette that countrey and other in quyete / he then toke aduyse of hys lordes howe he shulde be demeaned wyth Brune∣chielde, that hadde ben authoryce of so manyfolde mychyefes and crymy∣nous ded{is}. The whych of one cōsent and mynde condescendyd & agreed, that she shuld be put to moste payn∣full and vyle deth. And fynally after fore betynges she was sette vppon a horse / and so conueyed thorough the hoste / that all men myghte beholde and se her / and after brought agayn to y^e kynges presence. where then the kynge rehersed vnto her a longe pro¦cesse of all her murdurs, conspyra∣cis, and wycked dedes / affermynge that she hadde ben the occasyon and cause of the deth of .x. prynces, be∣syde other meane persones. And whē he hadde sayde hys pleasure / he then commaunded her to be bounden to a wylde horse tayle by the here of her hedde / and so to be drawen whyle she were dede.

And when this iudgement was exe¦cuted / she by the lycence of the kynge was buryed in an house of relygyon wythin the cytye of Hosdon̄ or Os∣don̄, that she before tyme hadde buyl¦dyd in the honoure of saynte Mar∣tyne, besyde other many that she in her lyfe buyldyd in dyuerse other pla¦ces, endowyng them wyth great and ryche possessyons.

THE .CXXVII. CHAPITER.

THus dame Fortune fauoured the partye of Lotharius / that this kyngdome, whyche hadde from the tyme of Clodoueus Lewes cōty¦nued vnder .iiii. gouernours or ru∣lers for the more partye, nowe was fallen to hym / so that he hadde all vn¦der obeysaunce and rule / then anon thys Lotharius made Garnery pre∣fecte and mayster of hys paleys / and releasyd vnto the Longebardes or Lombardes a trybute of .xii. thou∣sand pounde yerely payde to the kyn¦ges of Frannce / the whych was fyrst sette vppon theym by Gunthranus hys vncle.

And in thys whyle to hys more en∣creace of wordely ioye / he receyuyd of hys wyfe Bergeruda a sonne, the whych he named Dagobertus. The whyche when he came to couenable age / he betoke to the lore of Arnolde then byshoppe of Me••s. And when the fyrste wyfe of Lotharius was ded / he maryed a seconde named Si¦childe, of whom he receyued a chyld and named yt Haybert. when Dago¦bert the fyrste sonne was comen to a lawfull age / after vsuell custome of all prynces of Fraunce, he gaue hym myche to the chase of wylde bestys. And as by chaunce one daye he fo∣lowed the chace of an hert / and tryed yt so sore y^t he broughte hym to a bay in a place that then was called the strete of Catulyen. In the whyche strete was then an old lytle chapell / to the whyche the forsayde herte en∣tred, and there helde hym / all be yt that a great nomber of houndes fo∣lowed hym to y^e chapell dore, & none of theym wold enter, but there stode bayenge. And when Dagobertus came after and behelde the maner of the houndes, and dyd what he coude to cause them to entre the chapel and

myghte not / he thus departed wyth∣out more doynge at that season, not wythout great meru••••••lynge in hys mynde.

It was not longe after, that Clo∣thayr cōsyderynge the frowardnesse of growyng in his sonne Dagobert / assygned to hym a tutour or lerner of worldely and knyghtely maners, whose name was Sadragesyle. And for his sonne shulde haue hym in the more awe and fere / the kyng gaue vn¦to the sayde tutoure the dukedome of Guyan. But so yt was one daye that for a cause thys Sadragesyle wold haue chastyzed this Dagobert / wherof he beyng ware, associated vn¦to hym certayne wanton persones and bete his mayster / & after in way of dyspyte caused the berd of hys tu∣tour to be shauen of. For the whyche dede Lothayre was agayne hym gre¦uously dyspleasyd / & in greatire and haste, sente for hys sonne Dagobert. But he feryng punyshement, wyth∣drewe hym, and went vnto the fore∣named chapell / trustyng veryly that wheretofore a beste was shewid such comforte, that he by holy prayers shulde there be comforted tyll suche tyme as he myghte atteyne vnto the grace of hys father.

ye shall vnderstande that before tyme after he hadde experyence of that wonder shewyd by the herte / he lerned that the holy martyrs saynte Denys, and hys two felowes Rusti∣cus and Eleutherius shulde be bu∣ryed wythin the sayde chapell / the whych were martyryd in the persecu¦cyon of Domycyane the emperour, aboute the yere of Crystes incarnacy¦on .lxxx. and .xvi. In the honoure of y^e whych martyrs the foresayd poore chapell was arreryd, as witnessyth the frenche cronycel, by the meanes of a deuout french man whose name ys not expressyd. Thus Dagobert in thys chapell abydynge in prayer / in the fyrste nyght he beyng in slepe, ap¦peryd vnto hym .iii. olde faders, say¦enge vnto hym / yonge man we be those martyrs, whyche many yeres passyd were slayne for the fayth of Cryste, and buryed in thys place by Catula that good woman. whyche place is not duely nor suffyciently ho¦noured / nor yet the people of Fraūce hath not vs in due reuerēce and wor¦shyppe. And therfore when thou art of myghte and power, then remem∣bre vs, and helpe thys place to be otherwyse buyldyd / whych shall not be longe to. And for thou shalte not take thys for a dreme or fantasye / dygge hereafter thys grounde, and thou shalte fynde oure thre bodyes hole and vncorrupt / and vppon eue¦ryche of vs our names with letters fresshely wryten. And after thys they vanyshed awaye.

when Dagobert awoke / he called well to mynde thys vysyon. And pro¦mysed inwardely betwene god and hym, that yf he were recouncylyd to hys father as to hym they hadde promysed / he wolde fulfyll that they hadde desyryd. After thys the father beynge warnyd that Dagobert was in thys chapell / sent vnto the place certayne of hys knyghtes to pull or take hym thens per force. And when they came wythin a myle of y^e sayde chapell / they were so astonyed that they myghte not go one fote forwar∣de to do the beste they coude.

when they hadde long stryuē with oute preuaylynge / they retournyd to the kynge, and shewed to hym y^e trouthe in all thynge as they had done.

The kynge beynge dyscontent wyth theyr reporte, blamed theym, and sayde that they feryd hys sonne, for the whyche cause they hadde fayned that excuse.

And incontynently he sente forth an other company / the which were delte wyth in lyke maner as y^e other. were Lothari{us} somdele troubled wyth the reporte of his seruauntes / consyde∣ryd the chapell to be nere vnto Pa∣ris where he then lay / & cōmaundyd his horse to be brought, for he wolde proue the mater hym selfe. But lyke as his seruauntes were seruyd, euen so became of hym / so that he myghte go or ryde frowarde or sydewarde / but towarde the chapell myght he in no wyse atteyne.

when this was knowen to y^e kyng / he cōsydered well yt was the handy∣worke of god. wherfore by fayre and easy meanes he called home his son, and recouncylyd hym, and forgaue all trespace. To this accordyth the le¦gende of the lyfe of saynte Denys, wyth more that shall after folowe in the storye of this Dagobert.

After thys reconcylyacyon, Lotha¦rius ordeyned vnder hym hys sonne Dagobert to be ruler of the sygnory of Austracye. But whyther yt were by the elacyon of hys owne mynde, or by badde counsayll, he shortely af¦ter rebellyd agayne hys father / and wolde haue reteyned that prouynce to his owne vse.

For thys were chosen .xii. noble men of Fraūce, to arbytre and deme betwene the father and the son. The whyche Lordes after they had longe debated this mater / by fayre entrea∣tyse contentyd so the father, that he gaue vnto the sonne the sayde lord∣shyppe of Austracy.

Soone after thys accorde, Clo∣thayre made warre vppon the Go∣this or Saxons / and them at length subdued. For yt is to be knowē, that lyke as the sayde Saxons inuadyd myche Brytayne or Englande / in ly∣kewyse warryd they in Fraunce / and lastely subdued the prouynce of Neustria and named yt after theym Normandye, as after in the storye of Charlis the symple shall more euy∣dently appere.

Of thys vyctorye of Saxons ys made a longe rehersayll / and howe lastly when Clothayre hadde slayne the kynge or ruler of theym named Berthrande, he after yode into the countrey of Germanye, and slewe man and chylde that passyd y^e length of hys swerde.

Of this and other dedes by this Lo¦thayre done, I myght make a longe worke / but I passe ouer.

Then yt foloweth, when Lothayre hadde set his countrey in some reste / he assembled hys lordes at a cytye or towne called Traacas or Trecas. And after dyuers maters dyscussyd and endyd / he axed of theym perfyte allegeaunce and fydelite to hym and hys heyres to be kepte. The wyche by the sayde lordes fyrmely promy∣sed and assuryd / he commaundyd e∣ueryche of theym to repayre to theyr owne countreys. And soone after he made an assemble of hys byshoppes and spyrytuall men at the cytye or towne of Troys / by whose counsayl∣lys he orderyd thynges and maters concernynge the wele of the chyrche. And shortly after he was vexyd with greuous sekenes / wherof he fynally dyed, when he hadde reygned after moste wryters .xliii. yeres, leuynge for heyre the forenamed Dagobert / the whyche enterryd hys fader wyth great pōpe at the abbey of saynt Uin¦cent wythoute the wallys of Paris / the whiche abbey is at thys daye cal¦led saynte Germaynes.

The foresayde yeres accomptyd for the reygne of Lothayre / be ac∣comptyd from the fyrste daye that he was ordeyned kynge of Soysons, vnto the daye of hys deth. wherof he reygnyd after some wryters ouer a

parte .xxvii. yeres / & ouerall Fraūce xvi. yeres. whyche make the full of xliii. yeres.

Anglia. THE .CXXVIII. CHAPITER.

CAdwanus or Ca∣dwan, the whyche of Guydo ys na∣med duke of Uene¦doyce or of North¦walys / was by one assente of the Britōs lastly ma∣de theyr souerayne or gouernour, in the yere of our lorde .vi. hundred and xiii / and the .xxv. yere of the seconde Clothayre kynge of Fraunce / and al¦so the fyrst yere of Colwolphus then kynge of westsoxons / accomptynge for the reygne of Ceawlmus kynge of the sayde westsaxons .xxxi. yeres. And for Colricus nexte succedynge hym .v. yeres.

ye haue before hard what dyscorde and trouble was amonge the Bry∣tons in the tyme of Careticus laste kynge & longe after, by reason wher of the Saxōs wanne the more land / and as before is rehersyd in the .C. and .xx. chapyter, howe Ethelfryde kynge of Northumberlande ouer set the Brytons at the cytye of Chestre / & forcyd thē to take ouer Seuarne, and so into walys / where they then chase thys Eadwane to theyr duke and leder. The whyche after he was putte in authoryte / assembled hys Brytons, and came agayne into Bri¦tayne / and gaue batayll vnto the sayde Ethelfryde. In the whych they spedde dyuersly, so that some season the Saxons wanne / and some while the Brytons. But the Brytons held Chestre & other good townes / whych they hadde recoueryd sene theyr last commynge.

It shulde seme by the meanynge of Policronica, that thys Cadwan or Cedwall shulde at length slee the sayde Ethelfryde and Osricus bothe kynges of Brennicia and Deyra. But Guydo and also Gaufryde wyt¦nessen, that after thys Cadwan had the better of Ethelfryde / by medya∣tours yt was agreed that Ethelfryd shulde enioye all the lande ouer and beyonde Humber vnto Scotlande / and Cadwan shulde haue the lande from Humber towarde the sowthe. To the whyche sayenge agreeth the englyshe cronycle, affermynge also that he shulde be the sonne of Brucy¦uall kynge of Leyceter, the whych of other wryters is not testyfyed.

It is also there shewed that after y^e sayde accorde betwene Ethelfryde & Cadwan confyrmed / that they conty¦nued durynge the lyfe of Cadwan as two especiall louers and frendes / and durynge the reygne of this Cad¦wan the two sonnes of Colric{us}, Kyn¦gilsus and Quichillynus, after the deth of theyr fathers brother Colwol¦phus, ruled ioyntly the pryncypate of westsaxons. The whyche in theyr begynnynge faught agayn the Bry∣tons at Ampton besyde Oxynford / & wanne of them the towne & other hol¦des, whyche the Brytons in y^t coūtre occupyed. But by agrement of wry∣ters this Cadwan was not at this cō¦flycte, nor yet medlyd hym so farre within y^e land. But as yt shuld seme by Guydo / these Brytons shulde be some cōpany that shulde lyue vnder trybute of the Saxons / y^e whych for the manhode y^t they hard reported of Cadwan, rebelled agayn y^e Saxons. Then it foloweth, whē this Cadwan had thus contynued his amite wyth Ethelfryde / a chaunge fell, that this Ethelfryde for hatered or otherwise put frō hym hys wyfe beynge great wyth chylde, & toke to hym an other.

wherfore thys woman beynge reed∣lesse / callyng to mynde y^e great loue, that was betwene her husbande and Cadwan, she went vnto hym, and spe¦cyally besoughte hym to recoenyle her lorde & husbande, that she myght be restoryd to hys company. But for Cadwan after many meanes and re¦questis myght not bryng that about / he therfore tenderynge her necessyte, kepte her in hys owne courte tyll she were lyghted. The whyche at tyme brought fourth a man chylde whom she lette call Edwyn. And soone af∣ter was the wyfe of Cadwan delyue¦ryd of a sonne, whom the father cal∣lyd Cadwalyn. But the authour of the Floure of hystoryes sayth y^t these two chyldern were long borne before this tyme. The whych shuld seme to be true, for so myche as this Cadwa∣lyn was of lawfull age to beweld his lande whē his father dyed / the which he coude not do, yf he hadde nowe be borne. But as affermeth Policrony¦con, yt shulde seme lyke to a fable, all the rehersayll that Gaufride maketh in the ende of hys boke / as well for Cadwalyn and Edwyn, as for the other cyrcūstaunce of the mater there rehersyd. whych varyeth from other wryters both for the tyme, and also for the mater, as somdeale is more in the hystorye hereof before made men¦cyon / and also by the cōtynuaūce of this storye. For as Giraldus Cam∣brens and other seyen / this Edwyn was the sonne of Elle or Ella kynge of Deyra / the whyche was persecu∣tyd of Ethelfridus before named thē kynge of both prouynces, that is to meane Brennicia and Deyra, so sore that he was compellyd to flee to Re∣dwaldus then kynge of Gestanglys. The whyche for mede or fere of the sayde Ethelfride, was lastely consen¦tynge to haue betrayed Edwyn / of whyche daunger the sayde Edwyn was delyueryd by warnynge of a frende of hys.

After this escape as Edwyn satte vppon a time in a great study alone / a straunger apperyd to hym sodeyn¦ly, and sayde, I know well the cause of thy thought and heuynes. Ther∣fore yf thyn enymyes were slayne, & thou restoryd vnto thy kyngdome & sette the in better maner then any of thy forefathers / woldyst thou not ad¦mytte such one for thy frende, and as¦sent and do by his rede and coūsayll. yes trewly sayd Edwyn / and that I surely and fastely promise the. Then this man layd his hand vpon Edwy¦nes hedde and sayde to hym, Edwyn when this token is broughte to the / then haue thou mynde of this tyme of trybulacyon, and of this promyse thou haste made. And anon as thys was spoken this man vanyshed out of his syght sodeynly.

In a conuenyent season after, Ed∣wyn assemblyd hys hoste and gaue batayll vnto Ethelfryde in the coun¦trey of Mercia by eest the ryuer of Idle / and slewe hym in that fyghte, wyth a great nōber of his knyghtes / and thē seasyd in his possessyon both the foresayde pryncypates / and was kynge of Northumberlande by the terme of .xvii. yeres.

ye shall vnderstande that the fore∣named Ethelfride hadde .iii. sonnes, whyche are mynded besyde other. The fyrste & eldest was named Eau∣fricus, the seconde Oswaldus, and the thyrde Oswye. The fyrst was of lawfull age / so that he myght helpe and shyft for hym selfe. But Oswald was but .xii. yeres of age / and Oswy farre yonger. wherfore theyr war∣deyns immediatly after theyr faders deth, sente theym into Armorica or lytell Brytayne, there to be brought vppe / or more veryly into Albania or Scotlande.

THE .CXXIX. CHAPITER.

ABoute this tyme and season, as wytnessen Policronica, Guydo, and other / began the kyng∣dome or lordshyp of Mercia, vnder the stronge paynym and Saxon cal∣led Penda. The whyche Mercia or Mercherike conteyned Huntyngdon shyre, Hertfortshyre, Gloucetershyre, wyth dyuers other / and was grettest and largeste of all the other / & was closyd in y^e west syde wyth the ryuer of Dee, stretchynge to Chestre & Se¦uarne, and so to Shrouesburye and Brystowe / in the eest yt was closyd wyth the see Occean / in the South with Thamys vnto London / and in the north with y^e ryuer of Hōber / and had hys begynnynge vnder the fore named Penda, as the accorde of dy∣uerse authours wytnessyth, in the yere of oure lordes incarnacyon .vi. hundred & .xxvi / and after the fyrste commynge of Hengyste a hundred and lxxvi. yeres. All be yt that of the fyrste kyng dyuerse opynyons there ben / wherof a cause maye be, for so myche as this lordshyppe in the fyrst begynnyng was departyd in .iii / that is to say y^• fyrst was called eest Mer∣cia, the .ii. was named myddell Mer¦cia, and the .iii. weste Mercia. But after yt was brought to one pryncy∣pate & called Mercherike, or of some wryter myddell Englande. Of thys lordshyppe the fyrste crysten kynge was called wolpherus that was the sonne of the forenamed Penda. But of all the kynges of thys kyngdome of Mercia, whych were .xviii. in nom¦ber, as testyfyeth Policronica / Offa was of moste myght and power, as after shall more playnly appere.

This lordshippe endured to reken moste certaynly, tyll the yere of oure lorde .viii. hundred and .lxxvi. In the whych yere Alurede or Alhered then kynge of westsaxons, ioyned yt vnto his owne kyngdome / whych by that accompte shulde be two hundred & .l. yeres. All be yt that some accompte the enduraūce therof, to the last yere of Burdredus that was putte out by the Danes / by whyche rekenynge yt shulde then endure .iiii. yeres lesse. And some wryters accōpte the terme therof whyle the tyme of Edward cal¦led the elder / whych after the deth of his fader Alured put out the Danes from the sayde lordshyppe, and ioy∣ned yt agayne to westsaxon / and by that accompte yt shulde laste .ii. hun¦dred .lxxx. yeres and odde.

ye shall also vnderstande, that in this kyngdome reygned dyuerse ho∣ly kynges, whyche nowe be alowed by the chyrche for sayntes / as Offa, Kenelphus, Kenelm{us}, and other, as hereafter somedeale shall appere.

I haue seen an old regyster within the chyrche of Poulys of London / wherin ys conteyned many thynges concernynge the fyrst foundacyon of that chyrch, wyth certayne olde cro∣nycles of thys lande. Amonge the whyche yt is there notyd, that in the tyme and season when Cadwan was kynge or ruler of the Brytons / that in the same moment and tyme rey∣gned in dyuers partes of this lande these .vii. kynges vnder wryten. As fyrste Sybertus, that then was kynge of Eestsaxons no Essex, Red∣waldus was then kynge of Eestan∣glys now Norff. and Suff. Ethel∣bertus was then kyng of Kēt, Ethel¦wald{us} was kynge of Southsex. Kyn¦gylsus was kynge of westsaxons. Penda was kynge of Mercheryke. And Ethelfridus was then kynge of the North coūtre or Northumb. All whyche regyster this worke accor∣dyth with, yf the storys of this Cad∣wan, Careticus, & Cadwall be due∣ly serchyd.

THE .CXXX. CHAPITER

LEtte vs than retourne to the perfourmaūce of the story of Cadwan / and of such dedes as were done in his dayes. About the .xiiii. yere of his reygne, Quincellinus y^• was brother vnto Kyngylsus, and kynge with hym, as before in the .C. and .xxviii. chapyter is touchyd, ru∣led y^e westsaxōs / sent vpon an Eester day a swerdman to sle Edwyn kyng of Northumberland. This swerde∣man came to a cytye besyde the wa∣ter of Darwent in Derbysshyre, and wayted his tyme / and lastly fand the kynge smally accompanyed, and en∣tended to haue ronne thorough the kynge wyth a sworde enuenemed. But one Lilla the kynges trusty ser∣uaunt, dysgarnysshed of shylde or other wepyn to defende his mayster / starte betwene the knyg & the sword, and was stryken thorough the body and dyed / and the kynge was woun∣ded with the same stroke. And after he woūded the thyrde / and was takē and confessyd by whom he was sent to worke that treason. The other knyght that was secondly wounded dyed / and the kynge laye after longe syke or he were helyd. And the same nyght folowynge the quene was de∣lyuered of a doughter / the whyche kyng Edwyn caused to be crystened of Paulinus y^e bysshop, in tokē that he wolde fulfylle all suche promyse as he before had made. And she was named Enfleda / and halowed vnto god. And after whytsontyde y^• kyng beynge scantly hole of the wounde, assembled his hoste & made towarde the kynges of westsaxon / and after a greate and sore fyghte venquysshed them and theyr hoste. But Edwyn for all thys vyctory and other thyn∣ges gyuen to hym of god / as he that was in helthe of the worlde, forgate his former promesse, and had lytell mynde therof / excepte that he by the preachyng of Paulinus forsoke his maumētrye, and for his excuse sayde that he myghte not clerely renye his olde lawe that his forefaders hadde kepte so longe, and sodeynly be cry∣stened without authoryte and good aduyse of hys counceyle. He also re∣ceyued letters of exhortacyon and cō¦forte to take the baptyme, from y^e .v. Boniface thā pope. The whiche also sent to the quene lyke letters, with a myrrour garnysshed with syluer and a combe of iuory, and for the kyng a shyrte wrought in sōdry places with letters of golde. But all this preuay¦led nothynge.

Then Paulin{us} made his specyall prayers to god / and had it shewed to hym by reuelacyon, of the token that was gyuen to Edwyn in tyme of his trybulacyon. After the which know∣lege hadde / Paulinus shortly after came vnto the kyng / and layeng his hande on hys hed, frayned of hym whyther he had any lyke remēbraū∣ce of any lyke token. The whyche whan the kynge hadde confessyd / the holy bysshoppe sayde vnto hym. Lo thou hast ouercomen thyne enemyes and wonne thy kyngdome, & holdest it in moste large wyse / therfore per∣fourme thy promesse, and be trew to hym that hath holpen thy.

It was not longe after that the kynge assemblyd hys counceyll / and by theyr agremēt he was of the sayd Paulinus byshop of yorke baptysed wythin the sayde cytye the .xi. yere of hys reygne / and the yere of grace, as testifyeth Guido .vi.C.xxvii. He was the fyrste crysten kyng that reygned in that coūtrey. And after hym many of hys lordes & subiectes were also crystened of the sayd Paulinus / and the flamyns or bysshoppes of theyr false goddes, were turned to Crystes

faythe. In token wherof they armed them as knyghtes, & bestrode good horses / where before by theyr lawe they myghte vse none armoure nor ryde but onely on a mare.

From that tyme forthwardes by the term of .vi. yeres, durynge the lyfe of kynge Edwyn, Paulinus cry¦stened contynuelly in bothe prouyn∣ces of Deyra and in Brēnicia in the ryuers of Gweuy & Swala, whyche he vsed for hys fontes / and preached in the shyre of Lyndesey / and buyl∣ded there a chyrche of stone at Lyn∣decoln or Lyncolne.

In thys tyme was so great peace in that kyngdome of Edwyne, that a woman myghte haue gone from one towne to an other without grefe or noyaunce.

And for the refresshynge of waye goers / this Edwyn ordeyned at clere wellys cuppes or dysshes of iron or brasse to be fastened to postes stan∣dynge by the sayd wellys sydes, and no man was so hardy to take awaye those cuppes / he kept so good iustyce and with that he was knyghtely of hys dedes.

He was the fyrste that wanne this ile of Eubonia now called the ile of man. And by hys meanes / Orpewal¦dus or Corpewaldus, the sonne of Redwaldus kynge of Eest anglis or Norphis / to whom as before is tou∣chyd Edwyn had fledde for socoure, was conuerted to the true fayth, and a greate parte of his men with hym. And for this Edwyn excellyd y^e other kynges / they enuyed at hym, and spe¦cyally Penda kynge of Mercia / the whyche excyted Cadwan kynge of Brytons agayne hym. So that they two assemblyd a great hoste agayne Edwyn, and lastly met in a palce cal¦led Hatfelde / and after sharpe fyght on bothe sydes there Edwyne was slayne, whan he had reygned ouer y^e Northumbris .xvii. yeres, in the yere of our lorde, as sayth Guydo .vi.C. xxxiii. when these two kynges Cad∣wan or Cedwalla and Penda, hadde thus ouercomen the kynge and hym slayne and mych of hys people / they became so cruell to men of that coun¦trey, that they destroyed therin mych people, as men, women, & chyldren, as well religyous as other. wherfore Paulinus the archebysshop behol∣dyng theyr cruelnesse / toke with him the quene & Enfleda hyr doughter, & fled by water into Kent. And for the bysshoprych of Rochester was than voyde, by reason that Romanus the last bysshop was adreynte / Paulyne was there ordeyned and made bys∣shop of that see, and there dyed. And also lefte there his Paull, as affyr∣meth Policronycon and other / the archebysshoppes see of yorke was voyde .xxx. yeres after. But y^e quene whyche was named Etherberga be∣came a menchon, & sayled into Gal∣lia or Fraunce / wherein an abbaye called Brydgence or Bryggence, she lyued an holy lyfe and dyed / and hyr doughter Enfleda cōtynued hyr pro¦fessyon, and was afterwarde abbesse of Strenshalt in the vale of whitby.

After the deth of Edwyn Osrycus that was the sonne of Elfric{us} which was brother of Ethelfridus, toke vp¦pon hym to be kynge of Deyra / and Eaufricus the eldest sonne of Ethel∣frida, as before in the .C. and. xxviii. chapiter is touched, was made kyng of Brennicia / the whyche turned thē both frō Crystes fayth, and became myscreaūtes. For the whych goddes wrech fell vpon them in short whyle after / for they were bothe slayne in y^e yere folowynge, of y^e fornamed Cad∣wan and Penda.

And whan these sayde two kynges were thus slayne / Oswalde y^• second sonne of Ethelfrid began his reygne

ouer the prouynce of Brennicia, as chefe of that kyngdome of Northum¦berlande / and had the rule of Deira in lyke wyse. wherof whan Cadwan or Cedwalla was ware / he gathered hys Brytons and thoughte to slee Oswalde as he hadde before slayne his brother Eaufricus. But Oswald whan he was warned of the greate strength of thys Cadwan / he made his prayers to god, and besoughte hym mekely of helpe to withstande his enemyes. And or he yode to prayer he arreryd a crosse of tre / be∣fore the whyche he knelyd a longe whyle in a felde / whyche longe after was called Heuynfelde, and at thys daye is had in greate worshyppe. That place is nere vnto the town or chyrche of Agustalde in Brennicia / the whyche chyrche was there buyl∣ded by Oswalde after the wynnyng of that batayle. And of the spones of that crosse are tolde many wounders the whiche I ouer passe.

Than after Oswalde had prayed for the saluacyon of hys people / the two hostes met in a felde named thā Denysborne or Denyslake, where was foughten a stronge batayle. But fynally Cadwan, whyche Po∣lycronyca nameth Cedwalla, was slayne and his people chasyd / which were farre excedynge the nomber of Oswaldus hoste / whanne the sayde Cadwan had reygned ouer the Bry∣tons after moste accorde of wryters and also of the tyme, by the terme of xxii. yeres / leuynge after hym a son, as affermeth Gaufryde, named Cad¦wallus or Cadwalyn.

Francia. THE .CXXXI. CHAPITER.

DAgobertus the fyrste of that name, and sonne of Clothayr before rehersed / beganne his reygne ouer the hole monarchye of Fraunce in the yere of our lorde .vi. hundred xxxi / and the .xviii. yere of Cadwan than kynge of Brytons. The which at the tyme of hys faders deth was in the prouynce of Austracy, gyuen to hym by his fader, as before is she∣wed in the .C.xxvii. chapyter prece∣dynge. But anone as worde came to hym of hys faders decease / he sped hym well accompanyed into Fraūce. And when he was comen to the cyty of Reynes thyder came vnto hym many nobles / as well out of Bur∣goyne as out of other partyes of Fraunce, and dyd vnto hym feauty and homage.

It is shewed in the .C.xxvi. chapy∣ter of thys worke, how Clothayre had by his seconde wyfe a sonne na∣med Heybert / the which claymed his parte of the kyngdome of Fraunce, and for y^e same began to make some styrynge. But by the good polycy & meanes of one Brunulphe vncle to the sayd Haybert, and brother to Si¦chyld hys moder, the mater was ap∣peased / so that he had vnto hym cer∣teyne cytyes assygned, wyth landes in Guyan. with the whiche he was cōtentyd / & ordeyned Tholouse for the chefe cytye of hys pryncypate. And after that peace confermed / Da¦gobert was in quiete by the terme of iii. yeres folowyng. But the .iiii. yere the Gascoynes rebelled agayn hym / the whych by hys manhode he short∣ly subdued. And whan he had set his lande in a quyetnesse / he called to mynde y^e promyse before tyme which he hadde made to saynt Denys and hys felowes. wherfore he with great solempnite caused the groūd, where these holy bodyes laye to be openyd / and wyth great reuerēce to be taken vp. Upon the whych bodyes he fand fresshely wryten eyther of theyr na∣mes, so that he myghte perfyghtely knowe that one from that other / and

then caused thē to be layd in a sump∣tuouse shryne. And ouer them in the sayd place he buylded a royall myn∣ster of lyme and stone, and conue∣ryd it with plates of syluer in stede of sclate or leade / and assygned vnto y^e prestes and mynysters therof greate and ryche possessyons. And for so goodly a temple that was of suche beautye outwarde, shulde not lacke of garnysshynge within: he therfore causyd hangynges to be made to hange within the same temple / of the whiche tapettes suche as scruyd for the quere, were garnyshed & set with dyuerse stones in those dayes vsed. And by the foresayde place or shryne where the holy martyrs bodyes laye he ordeyned a cheste or trūke of clene syluer / to the entēt y^t all such iewelles and ryche gyftes as were offered to y^e holy sayntes, shulde therin be kept to the vse of the mynysters of y^e same place, and ouer that endowed y^t same place with many greate lybertyes & pryuyleges. And this place thus fy∣nysshed / he caused a crosse of golde to be made, & to be garnysshed with moste precyous stones of a greate bygnesse and value / and caused it to be set ouer the hyghe aulter wythin the sayde monastery.

This translacyon of these blessyd sayntes shulde be as wytnessyth the Frēche Cronycle, in the .v. yere of the reygne of the sayd Dagobert / which made y^e yere of our lorde .vi.C.xxxvi. The which whā he had clerely with all honour and due reuerence fynys∣shed / he thā vysyted and cyrcued his lande in mynystrynge iustyce to all persons / and ordeyned such meanes as bylles of supplicacyon and other, that the causes and maters of poore men myghte come to his knowlege by meane wherof he gate great loue and fauour of his comons.

But amonge hys many notable dedes / one dede by hym was com∣mytted, the whyche somdeale longe after blemysshyd hys honour. And that was that he without iudgement or processe of the lawes / caused to be slayne the forenamed Brunulphe vncle vnto Haybert hys brother, for malyce y^t he bare to hym, for the fa∣uouryng of y^e sayd Haybertis party.

After thys the kynge was deuor∣syd from his wyfe named Gertrude, for that she was bareyne & broughte forthe no frute / and was after ma∣ryed to a fayre wenche named Ra∣netrude, of the whyche he receyued at conuenyent tyme after, a son that was named Sigebert. Of this chyld it is told that whan he was brought to the holy bysshoppe Amandus to be confermed, beyng than of the age of .xl. dayes / and the bysshoppe sayd ouer hym certeyne prayers concer∣nynge the offyce of confyrmacyon, and none of the cyrcumstauntes by neglygēce gaue answere vnto y^e bys∣shop at conuenyent tyme: the chylde by dyuyne power sayde, Amen, in so lowde maner that all the people a∣bout standynge myghte well vnder stande it / whereof the bysshoppe and all the people were hougely amer∣uayled.

Than it foloweth, this Dagobert all thys passetyme was ruled by a noble man of Fraunce, or more pro∣perly of the prouynce of Austracy, named in the Frenche booke saynte Arnulphe bysshoppe of Mees / and by Pepyn, whyche was ruler of the kynges paleys. By whyche season, he and also hys lande were in greate honour and prosperyte, tyll the deth of the forenamed Arnulphe / whych dyed about the season that the kyng beganne to alter and chaunge his cō¦dycyons, to the hurte of hys comons and of hys lande.

THE .CXXXII. CHAPITER.

DAgobertus y^t be∣fore exercised hym in all honour and vertue, beganne now to exercise in∣iustyce and tyran∣nye / in pyllynge hys commons by exaccyons and try¦butes, in suche wyse that those that dwellyd in the outwarde partyes of hys realme, and nere vnto the Tur∣kys and other straunge landes and nacions, were fayne to be vnder the rule of theym then of theyr owne na∣turall prynce. But howe so euer he bare hym agayne hys subiectes, in pyllynge and takyng from thē what he myght yet he euer hadde such a fa¦uour to saynt Denys, that he gaue to hym what he myghte purchace, were yt wyth ryght or otherwyse. Conty∣nuynge whyche season / he went in∣to the countrey of Poytiers and rob¦byd and spoyled there the chyrche of saynte Hyllary, of many great iewel¦lys / and after toke wyth hym the bo¦dye of that blessyd man, and causyd yt to be hadde into the monasterye of saynt Denys, & there shrynyd hym. And that done / he destroyed the coū∣trey of Poytiers wyth iron and fyre / and the wallys of the cytye he made playne wyth the grounde. And for y^t more cruelty or terrour to the people to be shewyd / he eryd the stretys of the sayde cytye, and sewe theym wythsalte for a sygne and token that he wolde haue that cytye subuer∣tyd for euer. The whyche ruyne to thys daye appereth / for there where the olde cytye stode, is now called y^e olde Poytiers / and where that other standyth nowe, is called the newe cy¦tye of Poytiers. The cause of thys destruccion of the citye & countre as sayeth mayster Roberte Gagwyne / was for, that that y^e erle of Poytiers rebellyd agayne the kynge.

Thus this man that whylome was a lambe / was now turned to a tygre. And ouer hys cruelnesse he was gy∣uen to all sensuall luste of hys body / in so myche that where so he rode he hadde folowynge hym a company of strumpettes, besyde suche as he kept in dyuerse places of his realme, ap∣pareylyd and fed lyke vnto quenes.

For thys rule & other vyces vsyd by the kynge / Pepyn then mayster of the paleys was put in great wyte and blame of dyuerse lordes of the lande / thynkynge that by hys coun∣sayle and sufferaunce, the kyng was so lad and guyded. This was y^e fyrst Pepyn. The seconde was mayster of the placys in that tyme of the se∣conde reygne of the fyrste Theo∣doricus / and was surnamed Uetul{us} and Breuis, whyche is to meane old and lytle. And y^e .iii. Pepyn was son of Carolus Marcellus. The fyrste Pepyn was graundefader to the se∣conde by the moders syde / and the se¦conde was graunsyr to the .iii. by y^e mannes syde. whyche thyrde Pepyn was by hole assent of Frenchmen or∣deyned kyng of Fraūce as after shall appere / & was father vnto the kynge named Charlis the great and empe∣rour of Rome. All whyche Pepyns descendyd of the blood of Austracye / and hadde great possessyons wythin that prouynce. when the forenamed Pepyn vnderstode the grudge and murmour of the lordes, whyche they bare agayne hym for the kynges de∣meanour / he by theyr aduyces toke vnto hym a nother great lorde na∣med Martyn, to be vnto hym assy∣stent / and ouer that he caused y^e bles∣syd man Amandus to accompany y^e kynge. By whose coūsayle the kyng somdeale refrayned hym from vyce / but not all as the good byshop hym

aduertysed.

In this tyme Heybart the kynges halfe brother dyed, and also hys son shortly after named Chilperych. By reason of whose dethes / the lordshyp and countrey of Tholouse fell to the possessyon of Dagobert. It was not longe after that a people called As∣clauons or Sclauons, made warre vpon the coūtrey of Austracy. These also are called Bulgaris, and ioyne vppon a parte of Austracy. Of these tydynges when Dagobert was ler∣ned / he sped hym into Austracy, and there assembled a myghtye hoste of knyghtes / & so sped him tyll he came nere hys enymyes. But y^e sayd Scla¦uons hauynge knowlege of the kyn∣ges great hoste, agreed by oratours to hym sent, to contynue the trybute that they before tyme payde / y^e which was yerely fyue hūdred oxen. where thorough y^e warre was appesyd for that tyme / and newe allyaunce vpon both partyes confermed.

After the whych peace thus stablys¦shyd / y^e kyng made his son Sigebert as kynge & ruler of that lordshyp of Austracy / assygnynge to hym the bis¦shop of Colayn named Cunbert, and the erle Palatyne named Agasyle, to be hys tutours and rulers conty∣nuynge his yeres of youth. And that done, y^e kyng retourned into Fraūce, where soone after he receyued of hys wyfe a sonne named Clodoueus, the whych of many wryters is called Lodouicus or Lowes. To thys Lo∣wes the father at couenable tyme af∣ter gaue the countyes of Burgoyne and Neustria or Normandy.

Then the kynge graunted to the house of saynte Denys, a fayre to be kepte yerely in the moneth of Iune in a felde nere vnto the sayde mona∣sterye / and that no marchaunte of Paris nor good towne there about; shulde sell any marchaundyse but onely in the fayre / wyth many other customes to the great auauncement of that house.

And after the kynge hadde subdu∣ed the Gascoynes, and the Brytons of Armorica or lytle Brytayne / he then assembled a multytude of bys∣shoppes for to dedycate and halowe the monasterye of saynte Denys in moste solemne wyse. where a great myracle was shewyd of the clensyng of a leper or lazar / that durynge the nyght laye wythin the sayde chyrch, and there beyng in his deuoute pray¦ers, sawe our sauyour Cryste accom¦panyed wyth Peter and Paule, and also the holy martyrs saynte Denys wyth hys two felowes, entre the chyrche by one of the wyndowes / and after halowed the sayde chyrch. whyche after came to the sayd lazar / and commaunded hym to shew vnto the byshoppes, y^t he in proper person hadde halowed the sayd chyrche / and for a token and knowlege of y^e same, he hadde receyued hys helthe. And for more recorde of the trouth of this mater / our sauyour Cryste, as wyt∣nessyth mayster Robert Gagwyn, & also the frenche cronicle, drewe of the skynne of the face of the sayde lazar, and threwe yt agayne a stone, where yt remayneth at thys daye to be sene. The whyche token when Dagobert and his byshoppes vppon the morne after behelde and sawe / they beynge greatly ameruaylyd, laft of any for∣ther besynesse touchynge the dedyfy∣enge of the sayde chyrche. For thys myracle great concurse of people ye∣rely in the .vi. kalendis of Marche cōmyth wyth great deuocyon vnto y^e sayd monastery, there makyng theyr oblacions / fermly beleuyng that the sayde chyrch was halowed with Cry¦stes own hand. when Dagobert had this besynesse wyth other {per}fyted & en¦dyd / he then called a great counsayll

of his lordes spyrytuall and tēporall at hys cytye of Biguage, where he beyng set betwene his .ii. sonnes Si¦gebert & Clodoueus / he made a long preposycyon & oracyon concernynge the allegyaunce / whyche he exhorted hys lordes to owe and bere to hym for the terme of his lyfe, and after to hys two sonnes there beynge pren∣sent. And then he exhorted his .ii. son∣nes charitably to loue / and that they shulde in moste fraternall wyse con∣tynue theyr lyues. The whyche pre∣posycyon fynyshed / he there in that presence made his testament, that be¦fore he hadde causyd to be wryten in iiii. sondry skynnes endentyd, to be rad, and then sealyd wyth certayn of theyr sealys / wherof that one he wyl∣lyd to be kept in the treasory of saynt Denys, the .ii. in the treasorye of the cytye of Lyons, the .iii. in the tresory of Mees in Austracy, whyche howe is named Lorayne, and the .iiii. in the kynges tresorye. And when the kynge had orderyd hys matiers som deale to hys purpose / he dyssoluyd thys counsayll, and cōmaundyd eue¦ryche estate vnto hys owne countre / and after was somwhat besyed wyth the rebellyon of the forenamed Bry∣tōs and Gascoynes & such other ma∣ters, the whyche I passe ouer for length of tyme.

Then the kynge lastely was syke of the flyx / and was brought by hys desyre vnto the monastery of saynte Denys. where after he had commyt∣ted hys wyse Nantyld wyth her son Clodoue{us} vnto the guydyng & tuy∣cyon of a noble man of Fraūce, & thē mayster of hys Paleys named Agay¦nus / he dyed, when he had reygned xiiii. yeres / & was buryed with great pompe in the forenamed monastery.

Of this Dagobert is reported by myne authour, & also the frenche cro¦nycle besyde other wryters, that an holy ancre or heremyte of Fraunce beynge in his medytacyons, shuld se a company of fendes / whyche beyng in the see shuld haue amonge theym in a bote the soule of Dagobert, and were conueyenge yt towarde payne. But thys spiryte ceasyd not to crye & to call to saynt Denis and his felow¦es for helpe / the whyche lastely came clad in whyte vestymentes & delyue∣red that soule from the paynes of his enymyes, and conueyed it vnto euer¦lastynge ioy / as more at length and wyth more cyrcūstaunce yt ys decla¦red in the bokys beforesayde.

Anglia. THE .CXXXIII. CHAPITER.

CAdwallus or Cadwalyne the sonne of Cadwan lastely spo∣ken of in y^e cronycle of mych Britayn as testyfyeth Guydo, Gaufryde, and other / beganne hys reygne ouer the Brytons in the yere of Crystes incar¦nacyon .vi. hundred & .xxxv / & y^e fyrst yere of the fyrst Dagobert then kyng of Fraunce / and also the .xii. yere of Kyngilsus & Quichillinus then kyn¦ges of westsaxon. This Cadwallus was stronge and myghty, & warryd strongly vpon the Saxōs nere vnto hym / and wanne from them both cas¦tels and townes, and droue theym backe into the lande towarde Lon∣don. wherof herynge Penda kynge of Mercia / he assembled his Saxōs and made towarde Cadwall. But he was in the ende dystressyd / and fayn to seche and purchace the fauoure of Cadwal, and lyue vnder his tribute. This Penda after this was in great fauour with Cadwall / in so myche y^t he toke parte wyth Cadwall agayne his other Saxon kynges, as after shall appere. About thys tyme Kyn∣gylsus one of the kynges of westsa∣xons

/ was by the doctryne of y^e bles∣syd man Berin{us} cōuertyd to y^e ryght beleue, and cristyned of hym at the ci¦tye of Dortyke or Dorchester. And Oswald kynge of Northumberland was hys godfather / and weddyd his doughter afterwarde. And then that cytye was geuen to the byshop, to the ende that he shuld there ordeyne hys see / where the sayde Berin{us} sat .xiiii. yeres after, & there was buryed / tyll Beda bishop of wynchester trāslatyd his body to y^e citye of wynchester: all be it y^t the chanōs of Dorchester sayē, that the sayd bodye of holy Beryne was not taken thens but a nother in the stede of hym. And yet in tokē ther¦of / a beers of wonder worke stādyth at this day ouer that graue / where y^e holy man was fyrst buryed. It shuld seme that this cytye of Dorchester is now called Dorset. Thys see was in the tyme of wyllyam conqueroure chaunged to Lyncolne.

About thys tyme Sigebertus or after some Segebertus kynge of Eestenglande or Norfolke, whyche reygned there next his brother Corp¦waldus / ordeyned letters to be ler∣nyd, and set scolys in dyuerse places of his kyngdome / and ordeyned ouer thē schole maysters & pedagoges, as he somtyme hadde seen in Fraunce. The whyche Sygebert was conuer¦tyd to Crystes fayth by the doctryne of an holy man named Felix / y^e which he was fyrste acqueynted wyth in Fraūce or in Burgoyne. The whych Felix came soone after that acqueyn¦taunce into Eestanglia or Norfolke / where the kynge made hym byshop of Dūwyche nowe called Thetford. Lastelye the kynge betoke hys kyng¦dome vnto hys neuew Egritus / and became a munke in an abbay whych he hym selfe buyldyd.

But when Penda kynge of Mer∣cia warryd after in that coūtrey / the sayde Sygebert was agayne hys wyll pulled oute of the sayde mona∣stery, and went in armes, or as some testyfye vnarmyd wyth a whyte rod in hys hande nycely, & so was slayne, and well nere all his hoste of knygh∣tes that came wyth hym to that feld.

By this rehersayll apperyth here dyscorde of wryters of the begyn∣nyng of this sayd kyngdome of Eest¦anglis. For yf yt were true that this beganne as wytnessyth Policrony∣con in the .iiii. chapyter of hys fyfte boke, in the yere of grace .iiii. hūdred lxxx. and .xii, as before also I haue shewed in the .lxxx. and .xvi. chapyter of this worke: then myght yt not a∣gree wyth conuenyency of tyme, that this Sygebert or Sebert shulde rey¦gne as kynge at those dayes nowe mynded. wherfore y^e sayenge of Guy¦do is more concordaunte / whyche shewyth this kyngdome to haue his begynnynge in the yere of grace .v.C. & .lxx, as in the ende of the forsayd chapyter yt is there shortly touched.

Then yt foloweth in the story / af∣ter the deth of this Sigebert, Anna was made kyng of Eestanglis.

And durynge the reygne of Sige∣bertus, befell the wōder y^t is tolde of that holy man Furce{us} / as is shewed at lēgth in the .xiii. chapiter of the .v. boke of Policronicon aforesayd / and in the .xiii. tytle of the .vi. chapyter of the .ii. parte of y^e famous worke cal∣led Summa Antonini.

And about this season reygned or began to reygne the cursyd secte of y^e detestable & false prophete Macho∣met / y^e which syns y^e tyme hath so en¦fected / y^t it hath enfectyd .ii. prīcipall {per}tes of y^e world, as Asia, & Affrica / & the more part of y^e third named Eu¦ropa / & dayly wynneth vpon the cry¦sten peple great lādes & possessions. Aboute the .vii. yere of thys forena∣med Cadwall kynge of Britons / rey¦gned

in Kent a Saxon kyng named Ercombertus, the whyche had that pryncypate .xx. yeres nobly.

And amonge other of hys famous dedys / he reuyued and quyckened agayne the fayth of Cryste, that in some places of hys kyngedome was sore appallyd. For he destroyed the temples of false goddes thorough all that countrey / and ordeyned by the aduyse of his clergye, the tyme of lente to be fasted. He wedded the dou¦ghter of Anna kynge of Eestanglis named Sexburga / of whom he recey¦uyd a doughter and named her Eu∣kengoda / y^e whyche after was a men¦chon or nunne in the abbey of Bryd¦gence in Fraunce before mynded, where Ethelburga y^e wyfe somtyme of Edwyn kynge of Northoumber∣lande serued god, as in the hundred and .xxx. chapyter precedynge yt ys shewed / and eyther of them was ab∣besse of the same place. And though at those dayes there were many ab∣beys in thys yle of myche Brytayne / yet many both of men and of women sayled into other landes / as Fraūce, and Burgoyne and other places, be∣cause the conuersacyon and lyuynge of those countres were of more fame and perfeccyon then was then vsyd in thys yle of Brytayne.

About thys tyme as yt were about the .viii. yere of Cadwall / dyed kyn¦gylsus kyng of westsaxons, when he had reygned with his brother and a∣lone .xxxi. yeres. And Kenwalcus his sonne was kynge after hym / y^e which in y^e begynnyng of his reygne wolde not be crystyned / & forsoke hys wyfe the doughter of Pēda, & toke to hym a nother. wherfore Penda in aduen∣gynge hys doughter / gatheryd hys hoste, and chasyd Kynwalcus out of his kyngdome / & kept hym thens .iii. yeres. By whyche season was Anna kynge of Eestanglis / & there conuer¦tyd to the feyth of Cryste, & cristyned of Felix aforenamed then byshoppe of Dūwyke or Thetforde / and after he recoueryd hys kyngdome, by the ayde and assystence of the sayde An∣na. when Kenwalcus was restoryd to hys lande / he made a byshoppes see at Kaerguent or wynchestre / and ordeyned there a byshop named Agil¦bert a frenche man of byrthe, but he was called out of Irlād. The which when he had sytten there a certayn of tyme / he was put thēs I ne wote for what cause / and in his place was set an other named wyn. Of this wyn, as sayeth Policronicon, the towne of wynchester toke y^e name, as he de∣claryth in y^e .liii. chapyter of his fyrst boke / as yt were wynnes cytye. But he was also putthens / and then was Leutherius byshop, and after Leu∣therius succedyd Cedda. And after Theodorus the archbyshop of Caun¦terbury ordeyned two byshoppes to that prouynce of westsaxō. That one at wynchester / & to that was subiecte two coūtreys Southrey and South hampshyre. And that other see he or∣deyned at Shyreborne, to the which were subiecte .vi. coūtreys, that is to saye Berkshyre, wyltshyre, Somer∣setshyre, Dorsetshyre, Deuenshyre, & Cornewayll. But in wyllyam the cō¦querours tyme y^e see of Shyreborne was tourned to Salysbury with the see of Rāmysburye.

It was not longe after that Ken∣walcus was warreyd with the kyng of Brytons / the whyche fought with hym at a place called wyght Gosne∣borough, and were of him there ouer¦comyn. Then Cadwall assembled a newe hoste of Brytons / and mette wyth Kenwalcus at a place called the hyll of Pent / where after longe fyghte the Brytons were putte to flyghte.

YE haue harde before how that bles¦syd man Oswall the son of Ethel∣fryde, was ordeyned kynge of Northumberlande / the whyche con∣tynued hys lyfe in iustyce and ver∣tue as kynge, by the terme of .ix. ye∣res. But Penda kynge of Mercia, that to hym & to all crysten men had great disdayne and enuye / about the ix. yere of Cadwall made warre vp∣pon Oswald, and slew hym in a feld callyd Meserfeld / where after hys deth god shewed for hym many my∣racles. But after one yere of his deth Oswy his yonger brother recoueryd the kyngdome / and buryed his hed in the chyrcheyarde of Lyndesar, for the bodye was conueyed by the Pa∣gans and deuyded in sundry peces. But yt is sayde that the hed is nowe at Durham betwene saynt Cutbert∣tus armes. And the other parte of y^e bodye whyche was longe after foun¦den / was had to the abbay of Bur∣deaux, by Ostrida doughter of Os∣wy & quene of Mercia. where straūg¦nesse was made by the ruler of that hous for the receyte of those relykes, tyll a myracle or dyuyne token there was shewyd. But after the sayde bo¦dye & bones were brought to Glow∣ceter to an hous of chanōs / and one of hys armes is at Peterboroughe, hole of fleshe & fell as some haue and tellen. whan Oswy had a season ru∣lyd hys kyngdome / he fande vnle∣full meanes to slee Oswyn that was kynge of Deyra. This Oswyn was the son of Eaufrycus eldest brother of Oswalde / whyche Oswyn was good of condycyon, and there wyth both meke and mylde. when thys Os¦wyn was slayn by the consent of his neuewe Oswy / then Oswy toke to hym as felow of that kyngdome his broders sonne Odylwaldus the son of Oswalde. Thys Oswalde gaue vnto Cedda byshoppe of whynches∣ter before named a groūde in a place of the North coūtrey in the hygh hyl¦les called Lastyngaye, for to buylde vpon an abbay, which he there buyl¦dyd / & after there taught his brother Chymbyllus how he shuld rule that place. Pēda kynge of Mercia, which forgate not the strengthynge and fa¦uourynge that Anna kynge of Eest∣anglys had shewyd to Kenwalchus hys doughters husband and his eny¦mye / gaderyd a power of knyghtes, and yode agayne the sayde Anna, & slewe hym in playne batayll. And the same yere one Botulphus buyldyd an abbay besyde Lindecolne or Lin∣colne, in a place that hyght I canno.

And as wytnessyth Beda in the .iiii. chapiter of his thyrd boke / thys yere whych shuld be the .xxi. yere of y^e reygne of Cadwall, Penda that of thys former vyctory was supprysyd wyth great pryde, came wyth hys hoste into the boundes of Northum∣land / entendynge to slee Oswy, as before he had slayne his brother Os∣walde. wherof whē Oswy was ware he assemblyd hys knyghtes & made towarde hym. And for affynyte of maryage y^e was betwene theyr chyl∣dren, as after shall be shewed, and other causes / Oswy offeryd to hym many great offers, to the entente to haue had hym refused that batayll, & to haue hadde peace with hym. when Oswy perceyued the obstyna∣cye and pryde of Pēda, and saw that by no reasonable offers he myghte of hym wynne no peace / he sayde / sens thys paynym can not receyue our gyftes and proffers that we ha∣ue offeryd to hym, we shall offer thē to hym that can receyue theym.

And anon he made hys auowe vn∣to god, that yf he myght haue vycto¦ry of his enymyes, he shuld offer his

doughter Elfleda to hym wyth suf∣fycyent possessyons for to buylde .xii. abbayes / and after ioyned in batayll with the sayde Penda in the coūtrey of Ledis not farre from yorke / which was so sore foughten, y^t the lyke ther¦of was not seen many yeres beforne. But fynally Penda was slayne, and xxx. of his chefe captayns with hym / and yet he had thryes the people that Oswy hadde. And those that scaped the shot and the swerde / were for the more partye drowned in the ryuer of wynwed, whyche was nere vnto the place of that batayll. And among the prysoners that were taken at this felde / the wyfe of Penda was one, and her sonnes vncle named Egfri∣dus was an other. Then Oswy yel∣ded hys thankes to god / and accor∣dynge to hys former promyse, he of∣fryd hys doughter Elfleda or Enfle¦da of the age of .iii. yeres vnto god, and toke her to the lore of Hylda ab∣besse of Hertsey or Hertis iland. And after that the sayde Hylda remoued to the abbaye of Stremshalte in the vale of whitby .xxx. myle from yorke / where she was after abbesse, & y^e sayd Elfleda also. And Oswy as he had promysed / gaue landes and rentes to buyld .xii. abbeys. wherof .vi. were in the prouynce of Brēnicia, and .vi. in the prouynce of Deyra.

This fornamed Penda hadde dy∣uerse sonnes by accorde of wryters / that is to meane wolfer{us} weda, and Egfridus, besyde other not mynded. To this seconde sonne weda, Oswy had beforetyme maryed a doughter of his by cōsent of Penda his fader / The whyche weda by helpe of Oswy was made kynge of south Mercia, the whyche lordshyp is seueryd from the northe Mercia by the ryuer of Trent, and conteyned by recorde of holy Beda fyue thousande houshol∣des. This weda also promysed when he maryed the sayd doughter of Os∣wy, that he shulde become a crysten man / the whyche he perfourmyd af∣ter the deth of his father. But when he hadde scantly reygned thre yeres ouer the sayd Southmercis / he was by the treason of hys wyfe slayne. And after that kyngdome fell to wol¦ferus the other brother / the whyche hadde weddyd the doughter of Er∣combert kynge of Kent named Er∣menylda. This wolferus was short¦ly after crystyned or before / so that he is accōpted for the fyrste cristened kyng that reygned in Mercia. This was fader to Keneredus, & that holy virgyne and menchon wereburga.

And for yt is longe that I spake of Kenwalcus kynge of westsaxons / yt is to be noted that after he hadde ouercomen the Brytons, as before is shewyd, and at that tyme had not perfyted the byshoppes see of Kaer∣guent or wynchester, he then besyed hym there about. And accordyng to the wyll of kyngylsus hys father / he gaue to the sustentacyon of the sayd see all the lande whyche laye wythin vii. myles of the sayde cytye, as af∣fermeth the authoure of the Floure of hystoryes / and fynyshed yt som∣dele to hys purpose.

But let no man thynke that it was buylded as yt is nowe. For nother y^t nor none other ben at this daye stan¦dynge monastery, paleys, nor other / but y^t they haue ben sens those daies alteryd, and new chaūged, and some clerely throwē downe, and some new buylded / all be yt that many stande vppon theyr fyrste foundacyon as thys yet dothe.

Soone after that Kenwalcus had endyd this worke / he made warre vp¦pon wolfer{us} of Mercia. But in that iourney fortune was not to hym fa∣uourable / for he loste thereby, & wan nothynge of hys entent.

It was not long after that Ercom¦bert kynge of Kent dyed / and his son Egbert was kyng after hym .ix. yere.

And soone thereafter fell great mor¦talyte and sekenesse in thys lande of Brytayne / the whyche cōtynued and encreasyd more and more durynge y^e lyfe of Cadwall now kyng of Bry∣tons and of Cadwaldyr hys succes∣sour or sonne, after some writers. In the whyche season and begynnynge of this mortalyte and sekenesse, dyed many byshoppes in this lande / in so myche that Uitalcanus then beynge pope, ordeyned Theodorus archbys¦shoppe of Caūterbury to haue y^e rule of the chyrches of Brytayne.

Somwhat before this tyme, Benet that was in good fauour wyth kyng Ofwy, & dyscendyd of ryche kynne forsoke seruyce and house, and all hys kynred, and became Crystes ser¦uaunt. He went .v. sythes to Rome and came agayne / and at euery tyme he brought wyth hym relykes or bo∣kes of Crystes lore. And lastely he was made munke / and buyldyd .ii. abbeys, that one ouer agayn y^e other vppon the ryuer of wyre, that ren∣neth in the countrey of.

This Benet was the fyrst y^t brought the crafte of glasyng into this lande / and he was Abbot of both the fore∣sayde abbayes / and toke to hys lore Beda when he was but .vii. yeres of age, and taughte hym durynge hys lyfe. Of the vertue and pacyence of thys holy munke and byshoppe Be∣net, I myghte make a longe reher∣sayll. But for the holynes of his lyfe is declaryd in the legende of sayntes and other bokes of authoryte / here for lengthynge of the tyme I ouer passe yt, and wyll retourne agayne to Oswy. The whyche when he had longe reygned ouer the Northum∣bers / he made Cedda that was ab∣botte of Lastyngay, archbishoppe of yorke, more by wyll then by skyll / and put out wylfrida the archbishop of that see. But yt was not longe af∣ter that Cedda was depryued of that dygnyte by the authoryte of tharche∣bisshop Theodorus / as he depryuyd dyuerse other that tyme, whych came to theyr benefyces agayne the ordy∣naunce of the holy lawes of Crystes chyrche / and made hym by great in∣staunce after thys, byshoppe of west∣saxons. And about the .xxx. yere of the reygne of Cadwall Cissa that was father to Ine kynge of westsa∣xons / buyldyd y^e abbey of Abyndon. In these dayes the munkes and cler¦gye of Brytayne, set all theyr myn∣des to serue god and not the worlde, the herte and not the wombe. wher∣fore they were then hadde in great re¦uerence & honour / so y^t they were thē receyuyd wyth all worshyp. And as they went by y^e stretys & wayes / men that sawe them, wold ronne to them and desyre thē blessynges. And well was hym that thē myght gyue vnto them possessyons, & buyldyd to them houses & chyrches. But as they en∣creasyd in ryches of the worldly trea¦soure / so they dyscreaced in heuenly treasour / as in the dayes of Alure∣dus somdeale beganne, and sythen that tyme hath spronge not all to the pleasure of god / wherof all is to be cōmytted to his pleasure. Then they plyed nothynge that was worldely / but gaue them to prechynge and te∣chynge of the worde of our sauyour / and folowyd the lyfe that they prea∣chyd, by gyuynge of good example. And ouer that they were so voyde of couetyse, that they receyuyd no pos∣sessyons, but yf yt were perforce.

THE .CXXXV. CHAPITER.

OSwy kynge of Northumber∣lande dyed / and Edfrydus his

sonne was kyng after hym .xv. yeres Hys fader had reygned wyth hys fe∣lowes Oswynus and Odyswalde xxviii. yeres. Edfrydus or Egfrydus had to wyfe that holy woman Ethel¦fryde, y^t before was the wyfe of Ton¦bert{us} prynce of the south Eyrwayes, the whyche whan Egfrydus hadde holden .xii. yeres as hys wyfe, and myghte not in that whyle haue leue of hyr to deale wyth hyr carnally for prayer nor great gyfte / he then gaue to hyr lycence to be a menchyon at Colud vnder Aebba, that than was awnte vnto hym. And after she reme¦ned to Ely, and there was abbesse, & lyued in greate penaunce and absty∣nence / and dyed there, after she had ben .vii. yere abesse.

And Kenwalcus kynge of weste Saxon, dyed about the yere of the reygne of Cadwall kyng of Brytōs, the .xxxix. when he had regned ouer them .xxx. yeres. And hys sonne Ke∣newinus succedyd hym / after that Sexburga hys mother or wyfe to hys fader, had ruled that prouynce one yere.

Cedda the bysshop of westsaxons dyed / and hys deken wenfrede was hys successoure. And whan he was put down / the abbot of Medāpstede that now is called Peterboroughe, was there bysshop after hym.

Sone after this tyme dyed wyna bysshop of Lōdon / after whom was bysshop Erkenwald, the whych was brother to Ethelburga or Alborough the Menchen, and after abbesse of Berkynge in Essex. Thys holy bys∣shop Erkenwalde foundyd the mo∣nasteryes of Chertsey in Southery, and Berkynge afore sayde / whyche place hath ben preserued sens y^e fyrst foundacyon. But that of Chertsey was throwen downe by the Danes and reedyfyed by Edgar kynge of Englande, as after foloweth.

After the deth of wolpherus kyng of Mercia / reygned hys brother E∣theldredus. And the wyfe of wolphe¦rus named Ermenilda, was made a menchon at Ely / and wereburga his doughter was also made a nonne at Trikyngham, and dyed at hambur∣gam, where she laye in the Erth .iii. hundred yeres hole and sounde / and after that she was conueyde to Che∣ster. Thys Etheldredus kynge of Mercia had .iii. holy doughters / y^t is to say Mylburga, Myldreda, and Mylguida / and a sonne of great ho∣lynesse named Meresyn. But after some wryters all these forsayde chyl¦dren shulde be the chyldren of wol∣pherus and not of Etheldrede. And wolpherus also had .ii. holy susters named Kynedda and Kyneswyda, bothe nonnes and buryed at Peter∣borough / where saynte Ethelwolde buyldyd after an abbey of maydens.

ye haue harde before how wylfryd was put out of y^e see of yorke / where∣fore he went to Rome and complay∣ned hym to Agathon the pope / and was well allowed in some thynges. But the kynge and Theodorus had there such protectours and frendes / that he retourned without spedynge of hys cause. wherfore he retourned vnto the South Saxons, and buyl¦ded an abbey in Silesey, and prea∣chyd to the south Saxons .xv. yeres, and conuertyd myche people / and shewed there a greate wonder. For where by y^e terme of .iii. yeres before hys commynge there fell no rayne vppon the grounde / by hys prayer / god sent to them rayne, & the groūde began to burgen and wax grene, y^t before was bareyn & dryed for lacke of water. He also taught to them the crafte of fysshynge.

Egfrydus kynge of Northumber∣lande claymed the lande that Ethel∣drede kynge of Mercia helde / for the

whyche dyuerse assembles of treaty bytwene them were had, but all were dyssoluyd wythout agremēt. where∣fore eyther {per}ty gathered hys strēgth and met vppon a playne nere vnto y^e ryuer of Trent / where was foughtē bytwene them a longe and sharpe fyght. In the whiche among a great nombre on bothe parties, was slayn y^e brother of Egfryde named Elswy¦nus / but Edfryde or Egfryde had the better. Than after this batayle meanes of peace were agayn trea∣tyd / so y^t fynally Edfryde had great summes of Money in recompence∣ment of his Brothers deth / & so re∣styd the sayd .ii. kynges accorded. In this batayll was takē as priso∣ner a knyght of Egfryde, the which after hys takynge was solde to one Fryson by the knyghtes of Ethel∣fryde. This Fryson to thentent to haue his prysoner the shortelyer redemed kept hym in bandes of iron which prysoner had to his brother a preest & a vertuous man, that for the delyuere of his brother prayed dayly By meane of whose prayers as oftē as y^e sayd preste sang masse / so often were the bandes of iron lousyd from the prysoner duryng the tyme of the masse. The whyche so cōtynued, tyll he was clerely delyuered, and hys raunson payde.

And in thys yere apperyd stella co¦mata a blasynge sterre, whyche beto∣keneth deth or mortalyte of y^e people And in the yere folowynge dyed of y^e Epedemye sykenesse, the holy abbes of Ely saynt Etheldrede / hyr suster Sexburga that somtyme hadde ben wyfe to Ercobert kyng of Kent, was hyr successoure. And thys yere also dyed Helda y^e holy abbesse of whythy before spoken of, whiche was neuew to Edwyne lately kynge of Northū∣berlande. In thys abbey were also bretherne vnder the rule of Hylda, as at these dayes ben at Syō vnder the abbesse there. wherfore sondry of thē were made bisshoppes, as Besa, wylfryde, and other. Amonge these bretherne was one named Cedman a man of greate perfeccyon / y^e which by inspyracyon was taught to make dytyes and songes to moue men to deuocion, wherin he passyd all other at those dayes.

Soone after thys tyme Theodor{us} for dyuerse causes, kepte a synode or counceyll of Bysshoppes and other men of the chyrche at Hatfelde. By authoryte of whych counceyll he de∣uyded the prouynce of Mercia, that Sexwolphus then ruled alone, into v. bysshopryches / that is one to Che∣stre, the seconde to worcetyr, y^e thyrd to Lychefelde, the fourth to Cedema in Lyndesey, & the .v. to Dorchester.

About the .xlvi. yere of the reygne of Cadwall, Kenewynus kynge of westsaxons had occasyon of warre agayne y^e Brytons, so that they met nere vnto the west see / where after a sharpe skyrmysshe y^e Brytōs were chasyd. And soone after Egfrydus kynge of Northumberlande made warre vpon the Pyctes or Scottes / bycause they fauouryd greatly y^e cest anglis agayne hym. But lastly by colour or fleyng backe / they brought Edfryde into a streyte amonge Hyl∣les and mountaynes, and slewe hym there with a grete part of his people. And after his deth a bastard brother of hys named Alfridus Notus was kynge of Northumberlande, & reyg∣ned there .xviii. yeres, as wytnessyth willyam wryter of storyes of kynges And shortly after dyed Cadwall or Cadwalyne kynge of Brytōs / when he hadde reygned as testyfyeth Gal∣fryde, Guydo, & other .xlviii. yeres. But nother Polycronyca, nor none of the other authours of authoryte, which Policronica allegyd / shewyth

any lyke actes of thys Cadwall as Galfryde doth / nor yet that he shuld be buryed to the terrour and fere of the Saxons / or an image of brasse set of hym vppon an horse ouer the west gate of Londō called Ludgate or yet the chyrche of saynt Martyne there now stondynge shulde be buyl¦dyd by the Brytons, to the ende to pray for the sayd Cadwall and hys Frendes / or y^e Cadwaladrus, whych of Beda is named Cedwalla, shulde be hys sonne / as of y^e sayd Gaufryde is affermed.

Francia. THE .CXXXVI. CHAPITER.

CLodoueus y^e yon∣ger sonne of Da∣gobert, & of Nau∣tylda hys wyfe / be¦ganne hys reygne ouer the myddell parte of Fraunce and other partes therof, in the yere of our lorde .vi.C.xlv / and the .x. yere of Cadwall then kynge of Brytons. And hys elder brother Sigebert was made kynge of Austracy or Lorayne accordynge to the wyll of Dagobert theyr fader. Thys as before is sayd of some wry¦ters is called Lowes / the which was guyded by hys mother & by the coū∣seyle of Agaynus than mayster of hys Paleys / to whom the fader had by hys lyfe commytted hym, for he at thys daye was yonge of age and of dyscrecyon. And shortly after he was made kynge / all suche porcyon as belonged to the ryght of hys bro∣ther Sigebert, which was the thyrd of hys faders treasour and iewelles, was to hym delyuered. whych dystry¦bucyon made / he sped hym to Orle∣aunce, and thyder called to hym the lordes of Burgoyne, and receyued of them feauty and homage / & ordey¦ned there for hys leutenaunte or de∣putye a noble Burgonyon named Flantas̄ / & gaue to hym in mariage the neuew of hys mother Nautylda named Ranebert. And after with a due charge to hym gyuen for guy∣dyng of the sayd countrey / sent hym and the other lordes into Burgoyn. But wythin a season of tyme after wilibaldus a great man of birth and myght, enuyed this Flantas̄ / in su∣che wyse that he had hym in dysday∣nynge, and began to dystourbe the countrey & the kynges peace. wher∣of herynge Clodoueus / in all hast commaunded the sayd wilibaldus to appere before hym. But whyle wilibaldus sent an erle & a bysshop to y^e kynges courte to purchace hym frendys about the kynge / he was in that whyle slayne by the gyle of hys enemy Flantas̄.

About the .iiii. yere of the reygne of Clodoueus dyed his mother Nau∣tylda, a woman of great wisdome & of vertuous condicion / and was ho¦norably buryed by Dagobert hyr husbande in the church of saynt De∣nys. Soone after ensued such scar∣cety of corne / y^• whete & other grey∣nes were at an excedynge pryce. For after the rate of money nowe currāt, a quarter of whete was worth .ii. markes & a halfe / by meane of which scarcitye myche poore people were famisshed & dyed for defaut. where∣fore the kyng entendyng a remedy for the nedy people / causyd ȳe house or church of saynt Denys that his fader before tyme had coueryd with plates of syluer, to be rased of & co∣ueryd with lede / & that syluer to be dystributyd amonge the poore co∣mōs, to socoure thē agayn the great and huge famyn that then reygned / all be it that this ded was somedea∣le withstanden by Agulphus Abbot of that place for that tyme.

About the .viii. yere of his reygne / the firste Pepyn that than ruled the house of Sigebert kyng of Austra∣cy, dyed. And soone after dyed Agay¦nus mayster of the paleys of Clodo∣ueus. For which .ii. princis in eyther Countreys that they rulyd, great dole and sorowe was for theym ma∣de. After the deth of which sayd Prī∣cis / a noble man & cosyn to Dago∣berte late kynge, was chosen may∣ster of the paleys with Clodoueus

Thus kynge Clodoueus otherwy¦se called Lowes, contynued his rey∣gne in great peace & prosperyte, tyll lastly it fell in his mīde that he wol∣de vysyte y^e sepulcre of saynt Denys where after he had done certayne obseruaūces, and made his prayers / he wolde nedely se the holy relykes and handle them. wyth the doynge whereof it semed the holy martyrs were not contentyd. For immedy∣ately ensued suche a derknes, that the kynge and all that were aboute hym were wyth it greately astonyed and aferde, in so mych that the kyng loste the vse of reason, and wente from hym selfe more than two ye∣res folowynge. It is wryten of some authours, that the kynge han∣delyd the body of saynte Denys so rabbysshely that he brake one of his armes. But the Frenche booke and mayster Roberte Gagwyne sayen, y^t he dysseueryd one of the armes from the sayd holy body / the whych he af∣ter whan he was somdele restoryd to hys helthe, closyd in golde and pre∣cyous stoones, and restored it to the sayd monasterye / and lyued vppon two yeres folowynge that he was amendyd, but not lyke vnto hys for∣mer beynge / so y^t he lastly dyed whan he had reygned syke and hole by y^e terme of .xvi. yeres, not without vyce as glotony, lechery, & excedyng aue¦ryce. And was buryed by hys paren∣tes in the monasterye forenamed / le∣uynge after hym thre sonnes named Clotharius, Chyldericus, and Theo¦dorych. After whose deth hys wyfe named Batylde / became a nonne in the monastery of Corbye, that she be¦fore tyme had newly renued or reedy¦fyed / and ended there in holy lyfe.

THE .CXXXVII. CHAPITER

CLotharius the eldest sonne of Clodoueus / was ordeyned kynge of Fraunce, in the yere of our lordes incarnacyon .vi. hundred .lxii / and the .xxvi. yere of Cadwall than kynge of Brytōs. The whych anone as he was somwhat stablysshed / he made the mayster of hys palayes, a myghty man and tyrannous of con∣dycyon named Eboryn / as shall ap∣pere by hys condycyons ensuynge, whan the tyme conuenyent of the ex∣pressement of them shall come. But of thys Clotharius is lefte nothyng in wrytynge of worthy memory / ex∣cepte that the Frenche cronicle sayth that he reygned .iiii. yeres.

THE .CXXXVIII. CHAPITER.

THeodoricus the second sonne of Clodoueus / beganne hys reygne ouer the Frenchemen, in the yere of grace .vi. hundred .lxvi / and the .xxx. yere of Cadwall than kynge of Brytons. The whych by coūceyll of his lordes sent his yonger brother Chylderych into the lordshyp of Au∣stracy or Lorayne, to guyde that coūtrey / wyth the ayde and assystence of wolphanus a noble man of y^e coun∣trey. For Sigeberte laste kynge of that prouynce / was before this tyme dede wythout heyre of hys body. This Theodorych gaue hym all to slowth & rest / so that the gouernaūce of the realme was all in the power of

the mayster of y^e paleys, whych was styll contynuynge, the forenamed Eboryne. The whyche among other cruell dedys by hym done / he empry¦soned the holy bishoppe of Oston cal¦led Leodegayr. And lastely after ma¦ny tormentes and vylanyes to hym done / he raced hys eyen oute of hys hedde. This dede wyth many other to the kynges dyshonour he ••momy¦syd / which all were layd to y^e kynges charge, for so myche as the kynge kept most what his paleys. Except y^e one season of the yere in the moneth of may / he shulde be broughte wyth great pompe into a place where the people shulde behold hym, and gyue and offer vnto him gyftes / and retur¦ne vnto y^e paleys y^t he was broughte fro, and there to reste all the yere fo∣lowynge. By meane wherof Eboryn dyd what to hym was lykynge / and vexyd and troubled the people gre∣uously. wherfore by one assent y^e lor∣des assembled theym / and by autho∣ryte depryued the kynge of all digny¦tye / and closyd hym in a monastery, there to contynue the resydue of hys lyfe, when he hadde borne the name of a kynge wythout execucyon of the acte therunto belongynge .iii. yeres / and the cruell Eboryn they exyled to Luxon or Luxunborgh in the pro∣uynce of Burgoyne / and not to de∣parte thens vppon payn of hys lyfe.

THE .CXXXIX. CHAPITER.

CHildericus or Hildericus the thyrde sonne of Clodoueus, that was sent to rule the prouynce of Austracy / was ordeyned kynge of Fraunce in the yere of grace .vi. hun¦dred .lxix. & the .xxxiii. yere of Cadwal before named. Of the whyche dede the sayde lordes shortely after repen∣ded thē. For this Chylderych which was yonge and of lyght maners, op¦pressyd his subiectes greuously / and vsed the lawes of hys progenytours after hys pleasure and wyll / & wold nothynge be aduertised nor ruled by wolphanus before named, y^e whyche was before tyme assigned to hym for hys counceyllour and guyde. But in augmentynge his malyce / he caused a noble mā of his realme named Bo¦lyde, wythout gylte or trespace or greuous offence doynge, to be boun¦den to a stake, and there betyn tyll he yelded the spyrite. For y^e whych cruel¦tye and other / the lordes wyth the cō¦mons murmuryd sore agayne hym, ferynge lyke punyssyon wythout de∣seruynge. wherfore they conspyryd agaynste hym, and moste specyally two noble men of byrth & of myghte named Iugebert & Amabert. which two wyth other awayted theyr tyme & season whē they myght fynde tyme cōueniēt to bryng y^e kyng out of lyfe. And vpon a daye when y^t kyng with his wyfe and small companye wyth theym, were in the wood in theyr dys¦porte and game / the sayde two lor∣des accompanyed purposely fell vp∣pon hym & slewe hym there and hys wyfe also great wyth chyld, y^e which ranne betwene her lord and them, to y^e entent to haue sauyd her lord and husbande from the dynt of y^e sworde. The whyche dede was done when y^e sayde Childeriche had reygned ouer the Frenchemen after moste wryters two yeres.

THE .CXL. CHAPITER.

THeodoricus before deposyd / was by the lordes of Fraūce agayne restoryd to hys former dy∣gnyty, in the yere of our lorde .vi. hū¦dred .lx. and .xi / and the .xxxv. yere of Cadwall forenamed. Therof when Eboryn was warned, he anon drew vnto the kynges presence. By whose fauour & hys owne strength he was

agayne restoryd to his former digny¦tie & honour / so that he was in lyke authorite as he before tyme had ben.

Then he gatheryd to hym great strength, and chasyd Lyndesyle then mayster of the paleys vnto a place named Boccauyle / and shortly after was possessyd of the kynges treaso∣rye. After the which season, this Ebo¦ryn faynynge loue and amytye vnto the sayde Lyndesyle, trayterouslye slewe hym. And when Eboryne had thus delyuerid Līdesyle / he thought he myght the better exercyse his olde tyranny and wylfull actes. So that then he exylyd dyuerse prelates and men of the chyrche / and sette in theyr places suche as hym lyked. wherof the nobles of Fraunce beynge aduer¦tysed / and specyally Martyne and Pepyn two of the most nobles of the regyon: they called to them assystēce to wythstande the tyrannye of Ebo∣ryne / the whyche yf yt myghte be so sufferyd, shulde destroye the comon¦wele of the lande. Then this Pepyn (whyche after the rehersayle before made in the .C. and .xxxii. chapyter, shulde be the seconde of that name, and surnamed Uetulus and Breuis / also yet by conuenyency of the tyme to me yt semeth to be one man that ruled in the tyme of Dagobert and nowe, all be yt the frenche cronycle meaneth two sondry persones) wyth the forenamed Martyne, assembled a great hoste, and gaue batayll vnto the sayde Eboryn. But that was to theyr harme / for the loste they felde, and were coacted to flee, the one to the cytye of Laon, and that other to Austracye.

And Eboryne whych amonge vsed his accustomyd treason, vnder dyssy¦myled loue slew the sayde Martyne, as he before had slayne Lyndesyle.

In thys tyme flouryd Harmefre∣ditus a nere kynnesman of the holy byshop Leodegayre, that Eboryn be¦fore had martyred, as before is shew¦yd. The whyche Harmefreditus be∣rynge in mynde the passyon of hys sayde kynnesman / waytyd his tyme, and slewe the sayde Eboryne. After whose deth dyssencyon grewe amōg the Frenche men, for the admyssyon of a mayster of the paleys / all be yt that after the sayde varyaunce one Graccon was chosen and admytted. But yt was longe after that Gyllo∣marus his sonne, putte hys father from the rule therof. Thys after he hadde a whyle occupyed / he dyed of sodayne deth. After whom succedyd agayne hys father Graccon or Ga∣racon / the whyche also dyed shortely after.

Then beganne newe questyons a∣monge the nobles of Fraūce for this offyce / so that lastely they chase a man of lowe byrth and vnmete to that Rome named Bethayr or Bar∣thayr. But Pepyn whych by all this season was in y^e coūtrey of Austracy, and harde of the contrauersies and dyuerse opynyons of the Frenche men / assembled to him a strōge hoste, and spedde hym towarde the kynge / entendynge to haue the rule of hym, rather then suche other that were of lesse authoryte and honoure. wherof the kynge beynge warned / by the pro¦uysyon of Barthayer foresayde, he gatheryd hys armye and mette with Pepyn. And after a sharpe fyghte betwene bothe hostes hadde / Bar∣thayre was slayne and the kyng cha¦syd / and finally was forced to admyt Pepyn for the mayster and gouer∣nour of his paleys. But for as mych as Pepyn had thē the rule of Austra¦cy, and myght not well ouerse bothe charges / he therfore purueyed vnder hym a substitute named Nordobert, whyle he returned into Austracy or Lorayne. And shortly after dyed the

kynge / when he hadde borne y^e name therof by the terme of .xix. yeres / le∣uynge after hym two sonnes named Clodoueus and Childebertus.

Anglia. THE .CXL. CHAPITER.

CAdwaladrus that of y^e reuerente Be∣da is named Ced∣walla / beganne to aryse and rule the Brytons and also the westsaxons, in the yere of grace vi. hundred .lxxx. and thre / and y^e .xii. yere of Theodoricus then kynge of Fraunce / and also the last yere of Ke¦newinus or Kentwinus then kynge of westsaxon. This of Gaufryde and other authours wyth y^e englyshe cro¦nicle is called the sonne of Cedwall. But wyllyam that wrote the actes & dedys of kynges sayth, that he was the sonne of Kenebryght / and descen¦dyd lynyally of the blode of Cerdic{us} the fyrste kynge of the westsaxons. The which Cadwaladyr or Cedwal¦la made warre vpon Lothari{us} kyng of Kent, and destroyed myche of that prouynce / and wan the yle of wyght, and gaue the fourth parte therof vn¦to saynte wylfryde / in the whyche sayde .iiii. parte were accompted .iii. hundred housholdes.

The whyle that Calwaladyr was besyed in one parte of Kent / his bro∣ther named Mulkyn wyth a certayn of knyghtes was beseged, and laste¦ly brente in a nother parte therof. In reuengement wherof, Cadwaladyr of new destroyed a more parte of the sayde prouynce.

Contynuynge the whyche warre, Lotharius forenamed was woūded and dyed. After whom Edricus was kynge / y^e whych reygned but a shorte season.

Aboute this tyme saynte Cutbert was byshop of Hogulstald or Dur∣ham / & after byshop of Lyndefarn. But lastely he rufusyd that / and be¦came an anker in the yle of Farne, and there dyed. This ile now is cal∣led holy ilande.

Thē Cadwaladyr made warre vp¦pon Athelwold kynge of Southsa∣xons or Southsex / and slewe hym in playne batayll, and after made hys prouynce thrall to hym. But thys agreeth not with y^e former sayeng re¦hersyd in the .lxxx. & .xiiii. chapyter of this worke precedynge / where yt is sayde that the kyngdome of South∣saxons enduryd but a hundred .xii. ye¦res. By whyche reason this Ethel∣wolde or Athelwolde shulde not at this season be kyng of Southsaxōs. For the terme of a hundred and .xii. yeres was expyrd more then .lxxx. and .viii. yeres before this daye. But ye shall vnderstande y^t this forsayde terme of a hundred and .xii. yeres / is ment for the contynuaunce of this kyngedome or they were subdued, and the kynges therof named vnder kynges as this Ethelwold was.

Then yt foloweth when Cadwa∣ladyr hadde ruled the Brytons and also the westsaxons, by the terme of thre yeres, as wytnessyth Ranulphe munke of Chester / he then of pure de¦uocyon renouncyd the pompe and pryde of the worlde, and yode in pyl¦grymage to Rome / where of the fyrst Sergius then pope, he was confyr∣myd and after made a white munke, and contynued there hys lyfe tyme in perfyte holynes.

Of thys Cadwaladyr or Cedwal¦la many and dyuers opynyons are wryten of authours, both of hys rey¦gne and also of the contynuaunce therof / and ouer that, of the tyme whē he forsoke hys lande. wherin is great varyaunce, as I haue shewed

in the table in the begynnyng of this symple worke. So that it shuld seme that these two names shulde sounde to be sondry persones / wherof the cō¦trary is a certayned by the foresayde Ranulphe / where as he sayeth that Cadwaladr{us} or Cedwalla was but one persone, the whyche was laste kyng of Britons and of westsaxons. Also for so mych as they ioyned next vnto Cambria or walys.

If I shuld here bryng in the cause of the auoydynge of thys lande by Cadwaladyr, as is rehersyd by Gau¦fryde / yt wolde aske a longe tracte of tyme / and also to me yt apperyth the more doutefull, that yt is not te∣styfyed of the authour of Policrony¦con / consyderynge the great nomber of authours, whyche he sought and allegyd for his authoryte, as yt shew¦yth in the fyrste chapyter of his fyrst boke. And specyally syns that ho∣ly Gyldas and Bede is amonge the sayde authours accomptyd / y^e whych dyd great dilygence in serchynge of the dedes and actes of the Brytons / and of the aungellis monycyon that to hym was geuen / with also the pro¦phecye of Merlyn, that the Brytons shulde not recouer this lande tyll the relykes of Cadwaladyr wyth other of holy saintes, were brought hyther out of Rome. I hold that for no part of my beleue though many welshe∣men yt do. wherfore to folowe the moste authoryte as before is sayde / when this Cadwaladyr had reygned thre yeres, he went to Rome / & there lastely dyed, and was buryed in the chyrche of saynt Peter, with this epy¦thaphye or superscrypcyon vppon his toumbe, as foloweth in metyr,

Culmen opus sobolem pollencia regna triumphos, Eximias proceros moenia castra lares, Quae{que} patrum virtus, & quae congesserat ipse. Cadwald armipotens, linquit amore dei.

The whyche versys may be englys∣shed in maner as foloweth.

worshypfull ryches, kynred, trium∣phes assuryd, Plenteous welth, wyth clothes rych¦ly dyghte, Houses, castellys, and townes strōg¦ly muryd, And other honours whyche by hys parentes myght / And his ownes this marcyall ver∣tuous knyghte, Cadwalde the stronge, descendyd of kynges bloode, For Crystes loue renouncyd all hys good.

And thus here endeth the lyfe & rule of the Brytons nowe called welshe¦men / whych toke that name of theyr duke or leder as sayth Guydo called wallo or Guallo / or ellys of a quene of walys named Galaes or walaes. But how so y^e name came first to thē, onw are they called welshe mē, y^t som¦tyme were named Brytons or Bru∣tons, descendyd fyrste of Troyans, and after of Brute, & lastely of Dū∣wallo Moliuncius or Molmucius Dūwallo. All be yt they were gretly mynglyd or medelyd wyth other na∣cyōs, as Romayns, Pictes, & other / as by the redyng of the premisses ye may wel perceyue & know. And now be they englyshe, that in theyr begyn¦nyng were named Saxōs or Anglis

But yet for so myche as welchmē extolle so hougely theyr blode & ally∣aūce, fetchyng yt frō Pryam but not from Eneas, & regarded so lytle the progeny or lynyall descent of y^e Sa∣xōs or Anglis: therfore to y^e entēt to kele somwhat theyr hygh corage, or to opp̄sse in {per}ty their brutyshe blast{is}, I will bryng in here y^e sayng of Guy¦do & other, y^e auaūce the blode or dys¦sent of the Saxōs to be farre aboue the Britons / as they y^t ar descendyd of goddes & men immortall / where

the Britons clayme the ofsprynge to come of men they were mortall / & not moste to be alowed in honour, yf they thynke vppon Eneas vntrouth and treason.

Then to folowe the foresayde au∣thour Guydo, that sayth. woden, of whom the Saxons taken theyr ory∣gynall, was y^e sonne of Frealoffe the sonne of Fredewolfe, the sonne of Flyn, the son of Flokwald, the son of Geta, that was the sonne of Minos, that is nexte in honour to Pluto god of hell, and chefe iudge of his infer∣nall iurisdyccyon.

Therfore ye welshe men here after nurture lere.

And dyspyse not Saxōs that ben to god so nere.

Thus then apperyth by the con∣ueyaunce of this worke, y^t the last or thyrd yere of Cadwaldyr was y^e yere of grace .vi. hundred .lxxx. & vi. which maketh the yere of y^e worlde .v. thou∣sand .viii. hūdred .lxxx. & .v. By which reason yt apperyth, that the Britons had the rule of this land for the more party, to reken frō the fyrst cōmynge of the duke or leader Brute, by the space of a thousande .viii. hundred & xxii. yeres.

And thus here an ende of the fyfte parte of this worke, for the consyde∣racyon before rehersyd, that Briton kynges after this day, reygned none in this realme / and the Saxons or Anglis began fully to haue domyny¦on therof.

wherfore as before tyme I haue vsed and done in the other parties be¦fore specyfyed, so now I here agayn salute and gyue thankes to that moste excellēt virgyn our lady saynt Mary, with the .v. ioy∣es of the forenamed seuen ioyes, begynnynge.

Gaude mater miserorum &c.

Thou mother to wretches and other disconsolate, Hayll and be glad, for god of worldes all To them that here in this presente state Done to the worshyppe, he rewarde shall, Wyth condygne meryte passynge all temporall, In heuen to be stallyd, wyth moste felicyte, Euermore to reygne with thy sonne and th••.

This .v. parte to be accompted from the laste yere of the mysery of Bry∣tons, or the fyrste yere of Constan∣tyne brother to kynge of Armorica / vnto the thyrd or last yere of Cadwa¦ladyr, includyth of yeres .CCliii.

Thus endyth the fyfte parte.