The chronicles of England from Brute vnto this present yeare of Christ. 1580. Collected by Iohn Stow citizen of London.

South Saxons.

SOuthsex the second Kingdome, cōtained the Counties of Southsex and Surrey, which had on the Easte side

Kent, on the South side the Sea, on the Weste side Hamp∣shire, and on the North the riuer of Thamys: it con aineth the diocesses of Chichester and part of Winchester.

AEle the eight from Woden, with his thrée sonnes, Cimē* 1.1 Plencing, & Cissa, came into Brytaine with. itj. ships, & landed in a place called Kimenesore, & there slew many of the Brytaines, and forced the rest to make their flighte into a woodde whiche is called Andredsleage. Afterwarde fighting wyth the Brytaines in a place néere vnto Marerodes burne, slew many of them, and put the reste to flight. Then he and Cissa his sonne after long siege, brake into the Citie of An∣dreds Cester, and slewe the inhabitantes from the greatest to the smallest, and so beganne the Kingdome of Southsex: hée raigned. xxxvj. yeares.

CIssa hys sonne succéeded, he builte the Citie of Chiche∣ster,* 1.2 and named it after hys owne name, he raygned lxxvj. yeares.

EThelwulfus (whom Bede nameth Edelwach) was christe∣ned* 1.3 in the prouince of the Mercies, in the presence and at the exhortation of King Wulfhere, who also at the font was his godfather, and in signe of that adoption, gaue him two prouinces, that is to saye, the Ile of Wight, and the prouince of Manures, in the West part of England.

Wilfride the Bishop came to the prouince of the South-Saxons, vnto them did he minister the worde of Faith, by the permission and gret reioysing of the King. This Bishop Christened the chiefe Lordes and Knightes of the Coun∣trey: and the rest of the people at the same time, or sone af∣ter were Christened by other Priestes. The Quéene Ebba was christened in hir Ile, which was in the prouince of the Vicctans: for she was the daughter of Eanfride, who was Eanheres brother, whiche were both Christian men, and all their people. But al the prouince of South Saxons had neuer before that time hearde of the name of God, nor the faith.

This Wilfride preached the Gospell, and not onelye deliuered the people from the perill of damnation, but also from an horrible moraine of temporall death. For in thrée yeares before, it had not rayned in all those quarters, whereby a famine destroyed the people by heapes, in so∣much that diuerse tymes fortye or fiftie in a companye, bée∣ing famished for hunger, woulde goe togyther to some rocke or Sea bancke, and caste themselues all downe, eyther to be killed with the fal, or drowned in the Sea: but on the same day they receyued Baptisme and Faith, there fell a plentifull shoure of rayne, wherewith the Earth flou∣rished againe.

Thys Bishop also taught the people there to get their sustenance by fishing.

Edilwach gaue vnto Byshoppe Wilfride the lande of fourscoure and seauen tenements, where he might place his companye, the name of the place was Seolesey. In thys* 1.4 place he founded a Monasterye, to be hys Episcopall Sea.

CEadwall a valiaunt yong manne of the Weaste Sax∣ons, being banished from hys Countrey, came wyth an hoste of men and slewe King Edilwach, wasted that prouince, cruelly murdered and spoyled euery where. Edil∣wach raigned. xxv. yeares.

And soone after Ceadwall was driuen out by two Cap∣taines of the Kings, Bertham and Anthun, which from that tyme dyd holde and kéepe the Dominion of that pro∣uince: the chiefe of whyche two, was afterwarde slayne of the same Ceadwall, (being then King of the Weast-Saxons,) and the prouince subdued: and the latter was slaine by Ina.

Notes

• * 1.1

  478
• * 1.2

  514
• * 1.3

  590 Eeade. First Christened King in South∣sex.
• * 1.4

  Selsee Monesta∣rie in Southsex.