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MErcia the fifth Kingdome and greatest of the other, contayned Gloucester, Hereford, Chester, Stafforde, Wircester, Oxforde, Warwicke, Darby, Leicester, Bucking∣ham, Northampton, Notingham, Lincolne, Bedforde, Hun∣tington, and parte of Hartforde shires. It had on the Weast side, the riuer Dee fast by Chester, and Seuerne fast by Shrews∣burie vnto Bristow: in the East, the East sea: in the South,
Thamis vnto London, in the North y• riuer Humber, & so West∣ward, down to the riuer Merce, vnto the corner of Wyrhall.
This kingdome of Merce in the beginning was departed into thrée parts, into West Mercia middle Mercia, and East Mercia: it cōtayneth the diocesses of Lincolne, Wircester, Here∣forde, Couentrie and Lichfielde.
CReda (the eleuenth from Woden) firste King of the Mer∣cies, raigned ten yeares.
¶ Wibba his sonne raigned. xx. yeares.
¶ Ceorlus his sonne raigned. x. yeares.
PEnda the sonne of Wibba, a manne actiue in warres, but franticke and most wicked, toke on him the kingdome of the Mercies, when he was fiftie yeres old: he shooke the Ci∣ties, and disturbed the borders of the kings, that were hys owne Countreymenne borne: he slewe Edwin and Oswald, kings of Northumberlande, (where Oswald was slaine is nowe scituate the town of Oswalstre, which of him toke that name,) he also slew Sigebert, Egfride, and Anna, kings of the East Angles, which all were of holy life and conuersation: hée banished Kenewallus king of West Saxons, but in the ende himselfe was slaine by Oswyn which succéeded Oswald hys brother, when he had raigned. xxx. yeares.
PEda the sonne of Penda succéeded in part of the Kingdome being preferred by the gift of Oswin, whose daughter hée had taken to wife, on condition he shoulde embrace Christi∣anitie and forsake Idolatry. This Peda was the first foūder of Medeshamsted, now called Petarborow. Through yt treason of his wife he dyed sodainly, when he had raigned after hys Father. iij. yeares.
EThelred brother to Vlferus succéeded in the kingdome of the Mercians: hée obtayned a Byshoppes Sea to be in the Citie of Worcester▪ Bosellus was firste Bishoppe there: Egwi∣nus was the second. This Egwinus, by the helpe of Kenredus King of Mercies, founded the Monasterie of Euesham, in a place then called Eouesham, of the shepherdes fielde and house, purchased by the saide Bishop. The towne in the Sax∣ons time was called Hotheholme. Aboute the same time two noble men named Odo and Dodo founded the Priorie of Tewkesburie. Also Osricke duke of Gloucester founded the Mo∣nasterie of Gloucester then since the same is a Bishops Sea.
Etheldred became a Monke at Bardoney, when he had raigned xxx. yeares.
CElred the sonne of Ethelred, who as he was maruellous in prowes against Ina of the West Saxons, so was he mi∣serable by vntimely death, for he rained not past. viij. yeres, and was buried at Lichfielde.
EThelbalde raigned in continuall peace many yeares, and then by the procurement of Beruredus, was slaine of hys own subiects. Unto this Ethelbald, Boniface, ye secōd Bishop of Verche in Holland, after Archbishop of Mens vpon the Rijne, an English māborn, who was afterward martyred, sent an Epistle, of the whiche I will here sette downe a péece to be séene, for that it sheweth partlye the state of that time, and serueth for example in time to come.
TO his most deare Lorde, and to be preferred in the loue of Christ aboue all other kings of England, Edbaldus, Boniface Archbishoppe, the Germaine legate, perpetual helth of charitie & loue in Christ. We acknowledge before God that we did reioyce to heare of your prosperitie, your Faith and good workes: and we be sory when we heare any thing that goeth against you, eyther in successe of warre, or in dan∣ger of your soule, for we haue heard, that you forbid thefte and robbery, that you loue peace, defende the widowe and
the poore, for the which we giue God thanks: but in that you refuse lawfull marriage, which if it were to the preferring of chastitie, it were cōmendable: and sith you wallow in lea∣cherie and adultery with Uirgins consecrate to God, it is both shamefull and damnable, for it doth confounde your renowme, bothe before God and man, placing you among Idolators, bicause you violate the temple of God. Wherfore my deare sonne repent, and remember how filthy a thing it is, that thou who by the gifte of GOD raygnest ouer so many nations, shouldest to the great displeasure of GOD, make thy selfe a bonde slaue to thyne owne fleshly lust. Wée haue hearde also that the more parte of noble men and peo∣ple of the Mercians, by thyne euill example haue left theyr lawfull wiues, and haue defiled the wiues of other, and also Uirgins, whiche howe farre it differeth from all good order and honestie, let the lawes of straunge nati∣ons touche you: for in the auntient Countrey of the Saxons (where was no knowledge of God) if eyther a mayde in hyr fathers house, or being married to an husband, were become an aduoutresse, she shoulde be strangled by hir own hande closed to hyr mouth, and the corrupter shoulde be hanged vpon the pitte where the aduoutresse was buryed. If shée were not so vsed (hyr garmentes being cutte awaye downe to the gyrdle-stéede) the chaste matrones dyd scourge and whip hyr, and pricke hyr wyth kniues, and so was sent from Towne to Towne, where other freshe and newe scour∣gers or whippers did méete and whippe hir, vntyll they hadde killed hyr. Likewise the Womedeans, who are the moste vncleane kinde of people, hadde thys manner of vsage wyth them, that the husbande beyng deade, the wo∣man togyther wyth the deade bodye shoulde caste hyr selfe headlong into the fiered stacke or pile of woodde prepared for the burning of theyr bodyes. If therefore the Gentiles (not knowing GOD) hadde so greate zeale to chastitie, howe muche the more (my deare sonne) it is to be required at thy handes, who arte a Christian and a King. Haue
therefore compassion of thyne owne soule, and spare the greate number of people, that by thy Fatherlye▪ exam∣ple yet may beware to offende God, for whose soules thou shalt giue an accompte. Consider also, that if the Englshe nation, despising lawfull matrimonye, doe encrease by ad∣uoutrye, (as the Frenche men, Italians, and also the verye Pagans do caste in our téeth and vpbrayde vs withall,) of suche coniunctions and copulations, shall spring vppe a peakishe dasterdely people, which shall despise God, & wyth theyr wicked qualities vndoe the Countrey, as it came to passe to the Burgundians, the people of Prouance, and the Spaniardes, whom the Sarazens haue many yeares assaulted for theyr sinnes whiche in times past they had committed. Besides this, it is told vs, that you take away priuileges of Churches, and thereby giue euill example to your noble men to do the like, but I praye you remember howe terri∣ble vengeaunce God toke vppon the Kings your predeces∣sours, whiche committed suche offences as we rebuke you for.
A wicked spirit came vpon Colredus your predecessoure, whiche was a defiler of Uirgins, and a breaker of ecclesia∣sticall Priuileges, for sitting royally among his barrons at a dinner, the Diuell plucked away his soule without confes∣sion of his sinnes. The Diuell also drewe in suche a rage. Osredus king of the Northumbers, whiche was guiltie of the same crimes, that with a vile death he loste both kingdome and life in his lusty yong age. Also Charles king of Fraunce whiche ouerthrewe Churches, and altered the Churche money to hys owne vse, was consumed with a long tormēt and fearefull death. It followeth therefore my deare belo∣ued sonne, that with Fatherlye and earnest prayers we be∣séeche you that you will not despise the Counsel of your Fa∣thers which diligently do admonishe your highnesse, for no∣thing is more commodious to a good king, than willinglye to amend such faultes when he is warned of them, as Salo∣mō sayth, who so loueth discipline, loueth wisdome: therfore
my déere son, declaring our aduice, we beséech you by the li∣uing God, by his sonne Jesus Christ our Lord, and by hys holy spirit, that you will remember how transitorie this present life is, and howe shorte and momentane the plea∣sure of this filthie fleshe is, and how vile and shamefull a thing it is, that man shall leaue euill examples vnto his posteritie for euer: beginne therefore to frame your life in better wayes, and amend the errors of your youth, that you may obtayne prayse with men in this life, and eternall glo∣rie in the life to come: we wish your Highnesse well to fare, and to encrease in all goodnesse. Ethelbald was slayne at Secgeswald, and was buryed at Hrependune.
BEraredus the murtherer of Ethelbald, did nothing worthy to be remembred, but being straightway slayne by Offa, had an end méete for a Traytour.
OFfa, Nephew to Ethelbald succéeded: he ioyned battayle with Kineulfus King of the Weast Saxons, and gote the victorie. He sent for Ethelbert King of the East Angles, pro∣mising great things by flatterie, but when he had got him to his Palace, he caused him to be beheaded, and then vn∣iustly inuaded the Kingdome of the East Angles.
He caused the reliques of S. Albon to be taken vp, and put in a Shrine aborned with golde and precious stones, and builded there a princely Monasterie.
He founded the Abbey of Bathe.
He translated the Archbishops Sea to Lichfield.
He made a dike betwéene Wales and the Kingdome of the Mercies, which ditch extendeth by South from the parts about Bristow, ouer the Mountaynes of Wales, and so North toward Flint, and vnder a hill of coale, euen to the mouth of Dee, or the North Sea. He raigned xxxix. yeares, and dyed at Oflay, and was buryed in a Chappell which then stoode on the bancke of the Riuer Ouse, without the Towne of Bedford.
KEnulfus, Nephew in the fifth degrée vnto Penda, warre•• on the Kentish Saxons punished their Country very sore, and caryed away bound their King Egberthus, but not long after, when he had builded a Church at Winchelcomb▪ on the day of dedication therof, he deliuered him, declaring a wor∣thy example of clemencie. He founded the Church of S. E∣thelbert in Hereford and raigned xxiiij. yeares.
KEnelmus sonne to Egbertus a child of seauen yeares, was innocently slayne by his Sister Quenda, whereby he ob∣tayned the name of a Martyre.
BErnulfus in the third yeare of his raigne, was ouercome by Egbertus King of Weast Saxons at Elyndune.
VVIthlasnus being at the first subdued by Egbirth raig∣ned xiij. yeares, paying to him and his son a tribute.
BErthulfus raigned xiij. yeares, in the same estate, till at the last he was chased beyond the seas, by the sea rouers of Denmarke.
BVrdredus paying the Tribute, enioyed the same twenty yeares, and then he being deposed, and driuen out of his Coūtrey, fled to Rome, and there was buryed at the English schole. Then that kingdome was by the Danes deliuered to Geolwolfus and in few yeares after that, Alfred y• Nephew of Egbirth gate it. So the kingdome of the Mercies fel away in the yeare of Christ. 875.
586
596 616 626 W. Malme.
656 W. Malme.
Peterborow founded.
659
662
676 Bishops sea •• VVorcester.
Ex Carta.
Euesham.
Liber Tewks.
Tewkesbury. Monastery of Gloucester. Inscriptiones Gloucestriae.
706
710
718 Chronicle of Ho∣lande. Ro. Mai. Epistle of Boni∣face to Ethelbald.
Aduoutry amōg the Infidels pu∣shed by death.
749
749
Vita Alboni. S▪ Albons builded
Offa Dike.
Offlay.
Alquine.
Plae•••••• A••••inus. 789 W••l. Malme.
Winchelcomb founded.
Bishops Sea a•• Hereford foun∣ded.
813
820
821
824
826
839 W. Malme.
852