The historie of Great Britannie declaring the successe of times and affaires in that iland, from the Romans first entrance, vntill the raigne of Egbert, the West-Saxon prince; who reduced the severall principalities of the Saxons and English, into a monarchie, and changed the name of Britannie into England.

CHAP. II.

Oswin Prince of the Northumbers ruleth the Mercians, after the death of Peda, till he is deposed by Wulfere, the brother of Peda. Lichfield is made a Bishops Sea, for the Province of the Mercians. Chadde is Bishop of that place. Wulfere is christned. Ethelred his bro∣ther succeedeth him in the Principalitie. He foundeth a Bishops Sea at Worcester. He resigneth his government, and goeth to Rome, where both himselfe, and Kinred his nephew, take vpon them the habit of religion. Celred his sonne succeedeth him.

PEnda being slaine in battell, and Peda his son made away by the trecherie of his wife, Oswin alone pos∣sessed the government, having at that time also the soueraigntie over the South-Saxons. The Picts, that forreyed the borders of his Province, he in short time reduced to obedience. Then he provided for establish∣ment both of the Civill and Ecclesiasticall state, advan∣cing the one by execution of Iustice, and augmenting the other by large Donations to Religious houses. He founded the church of Lichfield, which he made the Bi∣shops Sea for the province of Mercia. Dwina a Scottish man, Bishop of Holy-Iland, was made Bishop also of that Province (the number of Priests being then so smal, that

one man had the charge of two Bishoprikes.) The fift Bishop in succession from Dwina was Cedda; a man much reverenced for his holinesse of life, and after his death, commonly called Saint Chadde.

But the Mercians desirous to advance Wulfere the brother of Peda to the government, conspired against Oswin, and expulsed him by force out of the Province, which afterwards Wulfere peaceably enioyed.

Wulfere in the beginning of his raigne, was a perse∣cuter of the Christian faith. His two sonnes (that went to Bishop Chadde, to be instructed therein) he vnnatu∣rally slue with his owne hands: their dead bodies were by Ermenheld the Queene their mother, buried in a Se∣pulchre of stone, where afterwards a Church was erec∣ted; the place, by reason of the multitude of stones that were brought thither vpon devotion by the com∣mon people, gave the name vnto the towne, which is at this day called Stone (in the Countie of Stafford.) But Wulfere after his conversion to the Christian faith, en∣devoured (as he thought) to wipe away the guilt of that bloodie offence, with the teares of repentance and satisfactorie works of charitie, in erecting Churches, and devoting the rest of his life to the service of God: whose example therein, Ermenheld his wife did follow after his death, sequestring her self from the world, and taking vpon her the veile in the Nunrie at Ely, where Sexburga her mother was Abbesse.

Ethelred succeeding Wulfere his brother procured a Bishops Sea to be established at Worcester: Of that place Bosellus was the first Bishop. In his time diverse religi∣ous houses were erected, as the Monasterie of Euesham, (then called Hothe-Holme) founded by Egwinus the se∣cond Bishop of Worcester: the priorie of Teuksburie by Odo and Dodo: the Monasterie of Glocester by Osreck

Bishop of Glocester, and divers others. The King him∣selfe having raigned about thirtie yeares, became a Monke at Bardony, in the Countie of Lincolne: and Kinred the sonne of Wulfere, (his Nephew) having en∣joyed the governement fiue yeares, went to Rome, where he tooke vpon him the habite of religion.

Celred, the sonne of Ethelred, (succeeding him) shew∣ed great courage in his warres against Ina the West-Sax∣on Prince, but died before he could finish it.