1. Aldelm.
AFter the death of Headda the fifth Bi∣shop [ 705] of Winchester, it pleased Iua king of the west Saxons to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his Dio∣ces (which before contained all the country of the west Saxons) into two parts. The one of them he committed vnto Damell, allotting vnto him Winchester for his Sée, and that Dio∣ces which now doth, and euer since hath belonged vnto the same: The other part containing the counties of Dorset, So∣merset, Wiltshire, Deuon and Cornwall he ordained to be gouerned by a Bishop, whose Sée he established at Sher∣borne, and appointed vnto the same one Aldhelme a neere 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of his owne, being the sonne of Kenred his brother. This Aldhelm spent all his youth in trauaile, and hauing vi∣sited the most famous vniuersities of Fraunce and Italy, be∣came very learned; in Poetry especially he was excellent and writ much in Gréeke and Latine, prose and verse. He deligh∣ted much in musicke and was very skilfull in the same. But his chiefe study was diuinity, in the knowledge whereof no man of his time was comparable to him. After his returne, he became first a monk, and after Abbot of Malmsbury for the space of fower and thirty yéeres. The yéere 705. he was consecrate Bishop of Sherborne, and that (as it séemeth vnto me) at Rome. For it is remembred that while he staied there for the Popes approbation, the same Pope (his name was Sergius) was charged with getting of a bastard, for which fact he was bold to reprehend his holinesse sharpely. He writ di∣uers learned works mentioned by Beda h. 4. c. 19. and died the yéere 709.