The church-history of Brittany from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman conquest under Roman governours, Brittish kings, the English-Saxon heptarchy, the English-Saxon (and Danish) monarchy ... : from all which is evidently demonstrated that the present Roman Catholick religion hath from the beginning, without interruption or change been professed in this our island, &c. / by R.F., S. Cressy of the Holy Order of S. Benedict.

X. CHAP.* 1.1

1.2. &c. King Oswalds Mercy and Piety.

5.6. His desire to dye for his people.

7.8. His battell against Penda: and death.

1. KING Oswald yet remained alive, ex∣pecting the like end of his race. But before we conduct him to his death,* 1.2 it will be expedient, after the old Roman fashion▪ to adorn and crown the Sacrifice before its immolation, by declaring some of those many vertues which he shewd both in li∣ving and dying. We sayd some thing before of his Piety to God, and munificence in his service. These sublime vertues were accom••panied with others regarding Gods poorest servants, whose wants and incommodities he would not only supply, when they were in his view, but he would often be inquisi∣tive to find out objects of his mercy and li∣berality. He never sent away from him any poore man empty-handed,* 1.3 but performed exactly that precept of our Lord, Give to every one who asks thee. Yea his liberality was so boundlesse, that he almost empoverished himself by supplying the indigence of the poore.

2. One Noble Example of this vertue is recorded by S. Beda,* 1.4 and generally all our Historians: which was this. On a certain Feast of our Lords Resurrection the Holy Bishop Aidan and King Oswald dined together: when one of the Kings servants coming in, told him that at the gate there stood a great mul∣titude of beggars in great necessity. King Oswald glad of an occasion to exercise his Charity, stretched forth his hand and took up a silver dish full of meat, which he com∣manded the servant to distribute among those poore, not the meat only, but the dish, which for that purpose was to be broken in peices. S. Aidan was much affe∣cted with so commendable an expression of piety in the King, and taking that hand which had given the Plate, said, Let this hand never be consumed which has so liberally distri∣buted the Gifts of God. This propheticall be∣nediction God heard, and approved with a great Miracle: For after the Kings death, when all the rest of his body was dissolved

into dust that hand remaind entire both in the flesh and sinews for many ages, as shall be proved by many witnesses.

* 1.53. How acceptable these vertues were to Almighty God, he shewd by heaping on him even great temporal prosperity. For, sayes Saint Beda, King Oswald together with the Nation governd by him was blessed not only with a sure hope of a heavenly Kingdom, unknown to his Ancestours: but moreover, by Gods spe∣ciall assistance who made both heaven and earth, he encreased his Dominion by the accesse of more Provinces, then any of his Progenitours had enioyd: For he not only united the Kingdoms of the Deiri and Bernicians, but had a supereminent power over the four Nations and Provinces of Brittany, which were divided into four tongues, of the Brittains, Picts, Scotts and English

* 1.64. Yet did not the cares of so largean Empire withdraw his mind from a frequent conversation with God: On the contrary, the same Authour writes that whilst he managed the government of so many Provinces, his cheif solicitude and labours were how to obtain a cele∣stiall Kingdom. The generall same gives that his frequent practise was to persist in his prayers from Morning Lawds to br••ad day: and that by reason of his almost continuall custom of Praying and praising God, wheresoever he was sitting he would hold his hands on his knees, with his face looking up to heaven: and lastly that he ended his life in the midst of his Prayers. For being compassed on all sides with enemies and weapons, when he saw himself upon the point to be slain he prayed for the soules of his soldiers.

And hence arose the Now common Proverb, God have mercy on their soules, sayd King Oswald when he was falling dead to the Earth.

This expression of piety we English Catholicks to this day owe to this good King: for though the generall practise or the whole Church in all ages was to implore the Divine mercy for those who dyed in her Communion, yet this speciall form of expres∣sing our Charity by saying, God have mercy ••n their soules, came from this most pious King, who in his last danger, as it were for∣getting himself, became an intercessour for others.

5. Another eminent Example of the like Charity to others with neglect of himself, the same King formerly gave in the time of a wasting Pestilence.* 1.7 For being peirced to the soule with compassion, seing such a world of funeralls, he earnestly prayd to God, as King David had done, that he would spare his people, and turn the scourge against himself and his family. Which prayer Al∣mighty God heard: for presently after the plague seised upon him, with such violence that he was brought to the utmost extremity. Lying thus a victime for the whole Nation, and inwardly ioyfull in hope that with his single death he should purchase a world of lives to others, he saw three persons of a sta∣ture more then human, who approached to his bed, and conversing together spoke many words full of comfort to him:* 1.8 At last one of them sayd to him; O King, thy Prayers and resignation are acceptable to God: Thou art one of ours, for shortly thou shalt receive an im∣mortall crown for thy Faith, Charity and Piety. But that time is not yet come: For God at the present gives thee both thine own, and thy subiects live••. Now thou art willing to dye for them: Shortly thou shalt dye far more happily a Martyr for God. Having said this, they disappeared leaving the King full of wonder: Who presently recoverd his health, and after that; not any of his subiects dyed of the same infection.

6. The Authour of his life adds, That the King was wont to relate to his Bishops,* 1.9 that not only with his intellectual, but corporall eyes also he often saw Angelical Spirits in great splen∣dour. By which visitations Divine love was much more kindled in his heart and a stu∣dious care to encrease in all vertues. And because corporal purity doth frequently attend that of the mind, by the consent of his Queen Kineburga (daughter of Kinegils King of the West-Saxons) he abstaind from matrimonial conversation, knowing well how gratefull to heavenly spirits is an aver∣sion from carnall sensuality.

7. Thus happily did King Oswald proceed in his course to heaven, when that scourge of all good men Penda King of the Mercians, envying the progresse of Christianity, and the glory of Oswald, became an instrument of exalting him to a heavenly Crown. For whilst King Oswalds thoughts were busied in advancing Ch••ists Kingdom, the said Tyrant made an impression into a Province belonging to him: to repell which, King Oswald with an army mett him in a place by S. Beda calld Macerfelth.* 1.10

8. It is not yet decided, in what Province that place of combat between these two Kings is seated. The inhabitants of Lancashire earnestly contend that King Oswald was slain neer a well known village of theirs calld Winwick, where they find a place to this day nam'd Macerfelth, and alledge like∣wise an ancient Inscription in the Church of Winwick importing the same. And their con∣iecture may seem to receive strength from this consideration, that the said Province cer∣tainly belonged to the Dominion of King Oswald, who was assalted by Penda.

9. Notwithstanding Camden and others of our learned Writers doe rather design the place of the Combat in the Western part of Shropshire,* 1.11 neer the Kiver Morda, where there is a town from Oswald calld Oswestre,* 1.12 and by the Brittains, Oswalds-Crosse: And this agrees with what wee read in Saint Oswalds life, that the place of the Combat was near the con∣fines of Armorick Wales, seaven miles distant from Shrews bury, not full half a mile from King Offa's ditch dividing Wales from England, and Sixteen mile••

from the Monastery of Wenlock.* 1.13 In the feild where the battell was fought a Church called the White Church was founded to the honour of Saint Oswald, near which arises a fresh spring which the Inhabitants call Saint Oswalds foun∣tain.

10. Now although Shropshire anciently belonged to the Kingdom of the Mercians, yet at this time it seems among other Pro∣vinces to have been a portion of King Oswalds conquests. For the same Authour relates, how Penda a little before this had been overcome and pu••t to flight by King Oswald, so that it seems that part of the Mercian kingdom was become an ac∣cession to that of the Northumbers.

11. The two armies therefore ioyning here, that of King Oswald could not su∣stain the fury of Penda, but after a short combat was forced either to seek safety by flight, or like devout Soldiers fighting for God and his Church, by patient expo∣sing themselves to purchase immortality. King Oswald seing his Army dispersed, per∣ceived that now the hower promised him by the Angels was come. Therefore he was not very solicitous to avoyd his Ene∣mies weapons, but in the expression of William of Malmsbury,* 1.14 having seen all his guards cutt in peices, though he had as it were a grove of iron weapons planted on his breast, yet neither the greivousnes of his wounds, nor the approach of death could hinder, or interrupt his devout Prayers to God for the salvation of his faithfull subjects. Thus was this Blessed King slain, saith Saint Beda, in a place called in the English tongue Macer∣felth, in the year of our Lords Incarnation six hundred forty two, and the thirty eighth of his age, on the fifth day of August.

12. The barbarous Tyrant Penda was not satisfied with the death of his Enemy, but most cruelly raged against his dead body, which he cutt in peices, and cau∣sed his head and armes, divided from the trunk, to be hung up on three stakes, as a Trophey and monument of his Cruelty, and to be a terrour to others.

Notes

• * 1.1

  X. CHAP.
• * 1.2

  A. D. 64••.
• * 1.3

  Ap. Capgrav. in vit. Sanct. Oswald.
• * 1.4

  Bed. l.
• * 1.5

  Bed. l. 3. c. 6.
• * 1.6

  Id. ib. c. 12.
• * 1.7

  Ap. Capgrav∣in vis. Sa••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Oswaldi.
• * 1.8

  A. D. 634.
• * 1.9

  Ibid.
• * 1.10

  Bed. l. 3. c. 9.
• * 1.11

  Camden. in. Cornavi. s.
• * 1.12

  ap. Capgrav. in••v••t. a••cti Osvvaldi
• * 1.13

  A. D. 642.
• * 1.14

  Malmsburg de R••g. l. 1. c. 3.