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.

* 1.1XII. CHAP.

1.2. &c. The Gests of S. Cedde and his Brethren.

6.7. The death of Sigebert King of the East Saxons: denounced by Saint Cedde.

1. AT the same time our Island of Britta∣ny received a notable luster by the piety of four Brethren, all of them conse∣crated Saints, their names were S. Cedd, Saint Celin, S. Cimbell and S. Ceadda (or Chad.) they were all of them Preists, and two of them exalted to the dignity of Bishops, to witt, S. Cedd, who was now Bishop of London, and S. Ceadda who shortly will be the first Bishop of Lichfeild.

* 1.22. As touching S. Cedd, how in this year of Grace six hundred and sixty he founded the Monastery of Lesting in Yorkshire,* 1.3 S. Beda at large thus relates: It was the custom of the man of God S. Cedd whilst he was Bishop of the East-Saxons, frequently to visit his own native coun∣trey of the Northumbers, to the end he might impart among them his Spirituall exhortations. Now Edilwald, the son of King Oswald, raigning then in the Province of the Deir•• (or York∣shire,) perceiving him to be a holy and wise man of great integrity, desired of him that he would accept at his hands a certain possession of land, there to build a Monastery, where to himself might repair to perform his devotions, and heare Gods word, as likewise bury the dead: For this King be∣leived that he should receive much benefit by the dayly prayers of those that served our Lord there.* 1.4 Now the said King had then in his atten∣dance a Brother of the said Bishop, named Celin, a man of great piety, who was wont to administer to him and hi•• family the Sacraments of our Faith, (for he was a Preist) and by his information he came to know and love the Holy Bishop. S. Cedd therefore complying with the Kings desire made choice for the Seat of a Monastery a place among steep and remote mountains, which seemd fitter to be a retrait for theeves, or lurking place for wild beasts, then a habitation for men. Now the man of God being desirous by prayers and fasting first to cleanse that place from the filth of crimes formerly executed there, and consequently to lay the foundation of a Monastery, desired permission of the King that he might abide there in Prayer the whole Lent then at hand. Which being gran∣ted, he according to the Ecclesiasticall custom, pro∣longed his Fast till evening every day, except Sundays; and then also he contended himself with a small portion of bread, one egg, and a little milk mingled with water. For he said that such was anciently the custom of those who founded Monasteries, and from whom he had received the Rule of Monasticall Profession, by prayers and fa∣sting to consecrate the places where they intended to build a Monastery or Church.

3. Now toward the latter end of Lent, when onely ten days remained, one came to call him to the King. He therefore to the end so Religious a work should not be intermitted for the Kings af∣faires, desired his Brother Cymbel, who was a Preist, to continue there the devotions which he had piously begun. Whereto he willingly condescended: And thus the full time of Prayer and fasting being consummated, he there built a Monastery, called now Lestinghen, and instructed the Monks with such Religious Instituts as were practised at Lindesfarn, where he had been brought up. The care of which Monastery he recommen∣ded to his Brother Ceadda▪ who was afterward Bishop, first of York and shorly after of Lich∣feild.

4. Now whereas Saint Beda calls this Edilwald King of the Deiri, he is to be esteemed only a King by courtesy of Os••••, ••o whom the whole Kingdom of the Northum∣bers at this time belonged: And therefore in the Catalogue of the Northumbrian Kings extant in Mathew of Westminster, Edilwald is omitted. And as for the Monastery of Lestinghen, in the Breviary of Sarum it is sayed to belong to the Isle of Lindesfarn. Which Island notwithstanding did not pertain to the Province of the Deiri, but of the Bernicians. Wheresoever it was placed, there flourished in it many persons emi∣nent for Sanctity, among which Os••i a Monk in our Martyrologe is reckoned in the number of Saints, who dyed in the year of Grace six hundred sixty sea∣ven.

5. Saint Cedd remaind among the Nor∣thumbers no long time:* 1.5 for the year follow∣ing hapned the death of Sigebert the good King of the East-Saxons, inflicted on him

for contemning the Ecclesiasticall C••nsure im∣posed by this Holy Bishop Cedd on one of his Nobles. The Story is thus particularly recoun∣ted by S. Beda.* 1.6 One of the Nobles of King Sige∣berts Court had contracted an unlawfull mariage against the Orders of the Church. Which the Bi∣shop not being able to prevent nor correct, he ex∣communicated him, commanding all under his care to abstain entring into his house, or eating of his meat. Which prohibition the King not regar∣ding, when he was invited by the said Count, he went to feast at his house. At his return the Holy Bishop mett him: Whom as soon as the King lookd ••n▪ he began to tremble, and leaping from his horse pr••strated himself at his feet, begging pardon for his offence: for the Bishop likewise who was on horse-back, had lighted down.

And being angry, he touched the King as he lay with his rodd which he held in his hand, and with an Episcopall au∣thority said to him, I tell thee, O King, because thou wouldst not abstain from the house of that despe∣rat excommunicated person, thou thy self shalt dye in the same house.

6. This denunciation of the Holy Bishop was accordingly accomplished: for as the same Authour relates, Whilst the Christian Faith encreased dayly in that Province to the great mutuall ioy both of the King and people,* 1.7 it hapned, by the instigation of the Enemy of all good, that the King himself was murdred by the hands of his own kinred. They were two Brethren who execu∣ted this heynous crime: And being askd why they did it, they could give no other answer but this, That they were enraged enemies to the king because he was wont to be too mercifull to his enemies, and quietly to pardon injuries when∣soever those who did them begged his mercy. Such was the fault for which this good King was slain, because with a devout heart he ob∣served the Precepts of the Gospell. Yet by this death hapning to him without his fault, a former reall fault was punished, according to the Prophecy of the man of God. Now we may piously beleive that such a death of this Religious Prince did not only wash away the stain of such a fault, but moreover encreased his Merit, since it hapned to him for iustice sake, and for his zeale to obser••e the Precepts of our Lord. Thus writes S. Beda: and the same iudgment is gi∣ven also by William of Malmsbury.* 1.8

7. The Successour to this good King Sige∣bert, was Suidelm the son of Sexbald: who was baptised by the same Holy Bishop Cedd in the Province of the East-angles, in a vil∣lage belonging to the King called Rendeles∣ham, or the mansion of Rendilus. And Edel∣wald King of the East-angles, the Brother of Anna formerly King, was his God father, who received him ascending out of the Sacred Font. His raign continued only three years.

Notes

• * 1.1

  XII. CH.
• * 1.2

  A. D. 660.
• * 1.3

  Bed. l. 3. c. 23.
• * 1.4

  A. D. 661.
• * 1.5

  A. D. 661.
• * 1.6

  Bed l 3. c. 22.
• * 1.7

  Idem ibid.
• * 1.8

  Malmsbur de Reg. l. ••. c. 16. Bed. vbi sup.