2. The memory of his name he left to severall places: For in Warwickshire having built a Church, a town thereto adioyning was called Off-Church: and in Suffolck another town was called Offton: Lastly he dyed in a village named Offley: From whence his Body was removed to the Town of Bedford, where it was buried in a Chappell without the Citty-walls with Royall solemnity. But in processe of time, his Sepulcher was swept away by a vio∣lent inundation of the River Vsk.
3. He left behind him by his Queen Quen∣dreda severall children. His eldest son and Successour was Egfrid, who succeeded to his Fathers vertues, but not the years of his raign, for he governed the Kingdom not a full half year. In Capgrave we read of ano∣ther Son of his called Fremond, slain after∣ward by the Danes: but the story related of him does so disagree from Chronology, that it is manifest the Authour of it mingled to∣gether the Occurrents of severall ages. He had two daughters the one, named Ethelbur∣ga, who in her vices ressembled her impious Mother Queen Quendreda: for she not only left a stain upon her own countrey by poy∣soning her husband King Brithric, but upon France also as wee shall declare. The other much unlike her sister, & truly the daughter of her fathers Piety 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Alfleda, whom the Holy Martyr King Ethe••••••rt had demanded for his wife, and who after his de••th preferred the fenns of Croyland before her Fathers Palace.
4. His eldest son Egfrid had been assumed by his Father into a society in his Throne nine years before this: yet this is called the first and only year of his raign, for he did not out-live his Father more then five months. Yet in that short time he left many and la∣sting Monuments of his piety, wholly em∣ploying the few days of his raign in ador∣ning and amplifying Monasteries and Chur∣ches. He was a Prince, saith William of Malms∣bury, who studiously avoyded the steps of his Fa∣thers cruelty. He restored all the Priviledges of Churches which had been preiudiced by his Fa∣ther. Moreover a possession which his Father had taken from the Monastery of Malmsbury he wil∣lingly returned into the hands of Cuthbert then Abbot thereof, upon the exhortation of the wor∣thy and courageous Archbishop of Canterbury.
5. Above all he most favoured the Monastery of S. Alban, to which he not only confirmd all the possessions and liberties given by his Father, but himself added new, in a place cal∣led Pinnelesfeld, as appears by his Charter re∣corded at the end of Mathew Paris, and sub∣scribed by the Queen Cynedrida, his Bishops and Nobility. In a second Charter likewise to the same Monastery, in like manner subscribed, he added another possession called Thyrefeld. The place where this was written and con∣firmed in a Synod, is named Celchyed.
6. Athelard Arch-bishop of Canterbury per∣ceiving the pious disposition of this young King, suggested to him his obligations to re∣pair the iniuries done by his Father to the Mother-Church of Brittany, Canterbury, which by all Princes since the beginning of Christia∣nity had been esteemed the only Metropolitan Church of that part of Brittany, but lately had been diminished by the uniust exaltation of the See of Lichfeild. With which suggestion of the worthy Archbishop King Egfrid was mollified, and had restored the honour of the Archiepiscopall See of Canterbury, if death had not too hastily taken him away. But what Athelard could not ef∣fect by reason of the too short raign of this King (since a busines of that importance re∣quired many messages and returns frō Rome, serious agitation on both sides, and reasons to be given by the two contrary pretendants) His Successour in the Archbishoprick, Kenulf at last perfected after the death of King Egfrid.
7. This good King therefore being accom∣plished, in a short time fullfilled a long age, and after five months payed his debt to na∣ture: He was taken away, saith Alcuin, not for his own sins, but because his father for the esta∣blishing his kingdom, had shed much blood. But how unsecure a foundation blood is for the establishing of kingdoms, was shewd in this example: for Offa was so far from confirming his Throne to his posterity, that five months after his death it was transferred to another family, a quite stranger to his.
8. The same year dyed also Eanbald Arch∣bishop of York, and in his place was chosen and consecrated another Eanbald a Preist of the same Church, and Disciple of Alcuin. The place where his Predecessour dyed was called Edere: and his body attended by great multitudes was conveyed to the Church of York, where it was honourably buried.
9. This second Eanbald ioyned courageously with Ethelard Archbishop of Canterbury to nullify the invasion which Offa King of the Mercians had made on the Archbishop of Canterbury, which they also effected, as shall shortly be declared. And this endeavour of Eanbald was much commended by his Master Alcuin, as appears by part of his Letter cited by William of Malmsbury.