The succession of the bishops of England since the first planting of Christian religion in this island together with the historie of their liues and memorable actions faithfully gathered out of the monuments of antiquity. VVhereunto is prefixed a discourse concerning the first conuersion of our Britaine vnto Christian religion. By Francis Godwin now Bishop of Hereford.

11. Cuthbert or Cudbrict.

* 1.1CVthbert an Englishman of great parentage, being Bi∣shop of Hereford, the yeare 742. was translated to Can∣terbury. Fiue yeares after, to wit, 747. by the counsell of Bo∣niface Bishop of Mentz, he called a conuocation at Cliff beside Rochester, to reforme the manifold enormities wherewith the Church of England at that time was ouergrowne. Our Kinges forsaking the company of their own wiues, in those dayes delighted altogether in harlots, which were for the most part Nunnes. Regis ad exemplum totus componi∣tur orbis. The rest of the Nobility therefore following their example, trode also the same trace. The Bishops like∣wise, and other of the Clergy that should haue béen a means of reforming these faults in others, were themselues no lesse faulty; spending their times eyther in contentions and brab∣bles, or else in luxurie and voluptuousnesse, hauing no care of study, and seldome, or neuer preaching. Whereby it came to passe that the whole land was ouerwhelmed with a most darke and palpable mist of ignorance, and polluted with all kinde of wickednesse and impietie in all sorts of peo∣ple.

Cuthbert therfore endeuouring (like a good Pastor) by the reformation of these things to turne away the wrath of God which séemed to hang ouer this land, and to threaten those plagues which shortly after fell vpon it when the Danes in∣uaded the same: gathered together his Cleargy at the place before mentioned, and there after long consultation, caused certaine Canons to bee decréede which are to bée séene at large elsewhere. Amongest the rest, by one, all the Cleargy were required to read to their parishioners the Lords prayer and the Créede in the English tongue. This man obtained from the Pope a dispensation for making of cemiteries or Churchyards within townes and citties, whereas vntill his time, within the wals none were buried. He also procured Eadbert king of Kent to command, that the bodies of Archbishops deceased héereaf∣ter should not be buried at S. Augustines (as héeretofo••e) but at Christchurch: And that hee might put his monkes of Christ Church as it were in possession of this priuiledge; he took order his death should bée concealed vntill his funerals were ended. Hee died ann. 758. and was buried according to his owne de∣sire in Christchurch, or (as one reporteth) in a little Church néere adioyning, which he had built and dedicated vnto Saint Iohn Baptist; meaning to settle his consistorie there, and to make it a place of buriall for himselfe and his successors. This Church many yéeres after was consumed with fire, together with Christchurch it selfe, and a great part of the monasterie. Christchurch was afterward re-edified by Lanfranke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  742.