The firste [laste] volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande conteyning the description and chronicles of England, from the first inhabiting vnto the conquest : the description and chronicles of Scotland, from the first original of the Scottes nation till the yeare of our Lorde 1571 : the description and chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the first originall of that nation untill the yeare 1571 / faithfully gathered and set forth by Raphaell Holinshed.

King Ethelred.

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AFter Vulf∣here,* 1.1 hys brother Edil∣red or Ethel∣red succeeded in gouernemēt of the Kyng∣dome of Mer∣cia. This Edil¦red inuaded the Kyngdome of Kente with a mighty army in the yeare of oure Lord .677. destroying the countrey afore him, not sparing Churches nor Abbeyes, but spoyled the

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same without respect, as well as other common places.* 1.2 King Lothaire durst not appeare in the fielde to giue hym battell, so that Edilred wente through the countrey, destroyed the Citie of Ro∣chester & with great riches gotten by the spoyle, he returned home.

The Bishoppe of Rochester Putta, after that his Church was spoyled and defaced by the eni∣mies, wente vnto Sexvulfe the Bishop of Mer∣cia, and there obteyning of him a small ••••re, and a portion of ground, remayned in that countrey, not once labouring to restore his Church of Ro∣chester to the former state, but wente aboute in Mercia to teach song, & instruct suche as would learne musicke, wheresoeuer hee was required, or could get entertaynement.

Herevpon the Archbishop Theodore consecra∣ted one William Bishop of Rochester in place of Putta, and after when the sayd William con∣streyned by pouertie, left that Church, Theodore placed one Gebmound in his steede. In the yeare of our Lord .678. in the moneth of August,* 1.3 a bla∣sing Starre appeared, with a long bright beame like to a piller. It was seene euery morning for the space of three monethes togither. The same Ecgfrid king of Northumberland,* 1.4 banished Bi∣shop [ 10] Wilfrid vppon displeasure taken with hym, out of his See, and then were two Bishops or∣deyned in his place, to gouerne the Church of the Northūbers, y^e one named Bosa at Yorke, & the other called Eata at Hagustald or Lindesferne. Also one Eadhidus was ordeined about the same time Bishop of Lindsey, the which prouince king Egfride hadde of late conquered and taken from Vulfhere the late King of Mercia, whome he o∣uercame in battel, and droue him out of that coū∣trey. [ 20] The said three Bishops were consecrated at Yorke by the Archbishop of Canterbury Theo∣dorus, the whiche within three yeares after or∣deyned two Bishops more in that prouince of the Northumbers, that is to witte, Tumbert at Hagustald, Eata that was appoynted to remain at Lindesferne, and Trumuine was ordeyned to haue the cure of y^e prouince of those Pictes which as then were vnder the Englishe dominion. Also bycause Edilred King of Mercia recouered the [ 30] countrey of Lindsey, and ioyned it to his domi∣nion,* 1.5 Bishop Eadhedus comming from thence, was appoynted to gouerne y^e Church of Ryppō.

After that Bishop Wilfrid was expulsed out of his diocesse and prouince of the Northumbers, he went to Rome, & returning from thence, came into the kingdome of the South Saxons, y^e whi∣che conteyning seuen thousande housholdes or families, as yet was not conuerted to y^e Christian faith.* 1.6 Wherefore the said Wilfrid began there to [ 40] preach the Gospell with licence of K. Edilwalke, who as before is mencioned, was conuerted and baptised in Mercia, by the procurement of King Vulfhere, that then became his Godfather, & gaue him at the same time the Isle of Wight, and the prouince of the people auntiently called Mean∣uari, which he had wonne frō the West Saxōs. Bishop Wilfrid then by King Edilwalke hys furtherance and helpe, baptised the chiefest Lords and Gentlemen of that prouince. But certayne [ 50] Priestes baptised the residue of the people, eyther then or in time following.* 1.7 It chanced that for the space of three yeares (as it is said) before the com∣ming thither of Bishop Wilfrid, there had fallen no rayne from the ayre within that prouince of the South Saxons, so that y^e people wer brought into greate miserie by reason of famine, whyche through wante of necessary fruites of the earthe, sore afflicted the whole countrey, in somuch, that no small number threwe themselues headlong into the Sea, despayring of life, in suche lacke of necessary victuals. But as God would, the same daye that Wilfrid began to minister the Sacra∣ment of Baptisme, there came downe sweete and plentifull showres of rayne, so watering y^e earth, that thereby great store of all fruites plentifully tooke roote, and yeelded full increase in growth, to the great comfort and reliefe of al y^e people, which before were in manner staruen and lost through want of foode.* 1.8 Bishop Wilfrid also taught them in that countrey the manner howe to catche fishe with nettes, where before that time, they had no great skill in any kind of fisshing, except it were in catching eeles. Heereby the sayd Bishop grew there in greate estimation with the people, so that his wordes were the better credited amongst thē, for that through him, they receyued so greate be∣nefites, God by such meanes working in the peo∣ples hartes a desire to come to the vnderstandyng of his lawes. The King also gaue vnto Wilfrid a place called Seolesew, compassed about on each side (except on the West halfe) with the Sea, con∣teyning .87. housholdes or families, where he built an Abbey, and baptised all his tenauntes there, a∣mounting to the number of .250. bond men and bond women,* 1.9 whome hee made free both in body and soule, for he did not only baptise them, but al∣so enfranchised them of all bodily seruitude and bondage.

In this meane while, many things happened in other partes of this lande, and first in the yeare after the appearing of the blasing Starre before mentioned, a mightie battell was fought betwixt the sayd Ecgfrid, and Edilred King of Mercia, neere to the riuer of Trent, where Alswine y^e bro∣ther of King Ecgfrid was slaine, with many o∣ther of the Northumbers, so that King Ecgfrid was constreyned to returne home with losse. The Archbishop of Canterbury Theodorus percey∣ning that great warre and effusion of bloud was like to followe thereof, trauelled so in the matter betwixt them, that they were made friendes, and Ecgfrid had a peece of money in recompence of his losses. The foresayd battell was fought in the yeare of our Lord .679. and in the yeare follo∣wing, that is to say,* 1.10 in the yere of our Lord .680. whiche was also the tenth yeare of the raigne of Ecgfrid King of Northumberland, the sixth yere of the raigne of Edelred King of Mercia, the se∣uententh of the raigne of Aldvulfe King of the East angles, and in y^e seuenth yeare of the raigne of Lothere king of Kente,* 1.11 the Archbishop of Cā∣terbury Theodorus held another Synod at Hat∣field, about the day of the fifteenth Kalendes of October, in the which all the Cleargie there pre∣sent, subscribed to certaine Articles touching the

beleefe of the trinitie of persons,* 1.12 in the vnitie of the Gadhead of like substāce, and also of the same vnitie in trinitie, according to the true faith of the Church of God: and moreouer, they acknowled∣ged by the like subscription, the fiue generall coū∣cels of Nice, and Constantinople the first, of E∣phesus, of Calcedone, and of Constantinople the second, with the Synode also holden at Rome in the dayes of Martin Bishop of Rome, about the ninth yeare of the Emperour Constantine. At [ 10] this Sinode holden at Hatfield, was presente one Iohn the Archechanter of Saint Peters Church at Rome, sent into this lande of purpose to bring from hence a certificat vnto Pope Agatho of the agreement of the English Church in matters of faith, with other churches of the Christiā world: but the foresayde Archechantor dyed by the way in Fraunce, as he returned homewards, and was buried at Towers in Towrayne.

* 1.13The same yeare, that famous woman Hilda [ 20] Abbesse of Whitby, departed out of this life, or as other say, a fiue yeares after, hauing firste bin de∣teyned a long time with greeuous sicknesse. She was the daughter of one Herrericus the Nephew of King Edwin, and conuerted to the faythe of Christ at the preaching of Bishop Pauline, and afterwards instructed by Bishop Aydan, profes∣sed hir selfe a Nunne, applying hir whole studie to the reading of the Scriptures, to prayer, and o∣ther godly exercises. She builded the Abbey of [ 30] Whitby, wherein were placed both men and wo∣men, with suche an equalitie in all thyngs, that there was no rich person amongst them, nor any that wanted things necessary. She departed out of this life on the fifteenth Kalendes of Decem∣ber,* 1.14 being .66. yeares of age. As some haue writ∣ten she argued stoutly on Bishop Colmons part, at the disputation holden in the Monasterie of Whitby, in the yeare of grace .664. whereof yee haue heard before. [ 40]

* 1.15About the yeare of our Lorde .682. that is to say, in the seuenth yeare of Centwine or Centi∣uinus King of West Saxons, the same Cent∣wine fought with the Britaynes, and ouercame them in battayle,* 1.16 pursuing them with fire and sword vnto the Sea side.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Edilred
• * 1.2

  H. Hunt.
• * 1.3

  678 A blasing Starre.
• * 1.4

  Mat. VVest. Beda. li. 4. cap. 12. Bishop Wil∣•…•…rid banished. Hlagustald Hexam. Eadhidus. Lindesferne •…•…oly ilande.
• * 1.5

  The Church of Ryppon.
• * 1.6

  Wilfrid by li∣•…•…ence of King Edilwalke preacheth •…•…he Gospell to •…•…hem of Sus∣•…•…ex.
• * 1.7

  •…•…acke of •…•…ayne.
• * 1.8

  Catching of fishe with nettes.
• * 1.9

  Bondmen made t•…•…ely free.
• * 1.10

  679 680
• * 1.11

  A Synode at Hatfielde.
• * 1.12

  Articles sub∣scribed.
• * 1.13

  Bale. The Abbesse Hilda. Beda.
• * 1.14

  Bale. Beda. Ran. Cestren. Mat. VV est.
• * 1.15

  H. Hunton.
• * 1.16

  The Britaynes discomfited.