'A.D. 673. A COUNCIL CONVENED AT HERTFORD.

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A.D. 669. The emperor Constans was most wickedly murdered in a bath by his servants. And after his death the soldiers took an Armenian of the name of Mezentius, and

made him emperor. But a few days afterwards, Constantine, the son of the deceased Constans, coming up with his friends, condemned the before-named Mezentius and the assassins of his father to a terrible death. About this time the false prophet Mahomet, of whom we have spoken before, died, and was buried in Hell.1

The

A.D. 670. Deodatus was elected pope, and occupied the Roman chair four years, two months, and five days, and the see was vacant four months and fifteen days. The same year, Constantinus, the son of Constans, obtained the empire of Rome, and reigned seventeen years. He restored the churches which had been destroyed ever since the time of Heraclius, his great grandfather, and endeavoured to extirpate the heresy of the Monothelites, and to put down its favourers. same year, Oswy, the noble king of Northumberland, died, worn out with sickness and old age, and was buried in the church at Streneshale, where king Edwin had been buried before, and his son, Egfrid, became king in his stead, and reigned fifteen years. But Oswy was the son of Ethelfrid, who was the son of Ethelric, who was the son of Ida, the first king of Northumberland, of the nation of the Angles.

A.D. 671. There was a great battle of birds in England, so that many thousands were found slain, and the foreign birds seemed to be leaving the kingdom.

A.D. 672. Kiniwalc, king of the West Saxons, died, when he had reigned thirty-one years, and his wife Sexburga reigned in his stead, and reigned one year; but as the nobles of the kingdom were indignant, she was expelled from the kingdom, as they would not serve under a female commander.

A.D. 673. While Lothaire was king of Kent, and Eascwino king of West Saxony, Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, convened a council at Hertford of all the bishops and kings and nobles of England who were present in the island. The archbishop of York, Wilfrid, was present, and Bosa, bishop of the East Angles, and Leutherius, bishop of the West Saxons, and Putta, bishop of Rochester, and Winfrid, bishop of Mercia. And when they were all seated, Theodore proposed before The real date of the death of Mahomet is June 7th, A.D. 632, in his sixty-third year; the date of the Hegira is A.D. 622.-GIBBON, ch. 1.

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them all, ten articles, the first of which was that they should all observe the sacred day of Easter together; on the next Sunday after the fourteenth day of the first month, the second that no bishop should invade the province of another; the third, that no bishop should be permitted to disturb the monasteries which had been consecrated by God, nor to appropriate any of their possessions; the fourth, that monks should not go from place to place, but should persevere in that obedience which they had promised at the time of their conversion; the fifth, that no clerk should forsake his bishop or be admitted if he went to any other diocese, without letters from his own superior; the sixth, that foreign bishops and clergy should perform no duty without the consent of the bishop in whose diocese they were sojourning; the seventh, that a synod should be held twice a year, or at the very least once a year, because different causes and occupations hinder many; the eighth, that no bishop should out of ambition prefer himself to another, but that all should be guided by the time and order of their consecration; the ninth, that more bishops should be made, as the number of the faithful increased; the tenth, that no one should be permitted to contract any connection with a woman except a legitimate marriage; that no one should commit incest, and that no one should put away his wife except for the cause of fornication. And as all the bishops consented to these articles, every one confirmed what was thus settled by the subscription of his own signature.

A.D. 674. Bosa, the bishop, being removed while still alive, because he was prevented by grave infirmity from the discharge of his episcopal duty, two persons were ordained in his place, namely, Acca and Bedwin ; and ever since that time that province has been in the habit of having two bishops, and the seats of their respective sees were Dommoc and Helmham. And not long afterwards, archbishop Theodore being offended at the disobedience of Winfrid, bishop of Mercia, deposed him, and in his stead ordained Sexulf bishop, who was the founder and abbot of the monastery which is called Medeshamstede, in the district of the Girvians. But Winfrid, when he was deposed, returned to his monastery, which is called Cobarune, where he ended his life in all goodly conversation.

A.D. 675. When Sebba, son of Seward, and Sigeher, son of the uncle of Sigebert, were reigning jointly in the country of

A.D. 676.

CADWALLON DIES.

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the West Saxons, Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, ordained Erkenwald bishop of the city of London. He, before he was made bishop, had founded two famous monasteries, one for himself, and the other for Ethelberga, his sister; he had established in each the most excellent discipline, and his own was called Chertsey, and that of his sister Berfingum. But in process of time Erkenwald became diseased in his feet, and when he was going round his district in a litter, he came, as it chanced, to the bank of a most rapid river; and when his companions hesitated, because he, being infirm, could not pass the river, either on horseback or on foot, the flood suddenly disappeared, and as soon as the bishop and his retinue had passed over the dry channel, the river returned to its natural bed. And the touch of this litter of Erkenwald cured many feeble persons and those afflicted with fevers. At last, the man of God, Erkenwald, after he had finished the course of this present life, died, and was buried in the church of the blessed Paul, in London, where, to this very day, he gives immediate recovery from many ailments to his suppliants. The following are the names of his successors: Walder, Jugwald, Egulf, Wiger, Eadbrith, Eadgar, Kiniwalc, Eadbald, Edbert, Osmund, Ethelnoth, Celbert, Revulf, Suithulf, Eadstan, Ulf, Ethelward, and Elstan; and all these men filled the chair of the see of London till the time of Edward the Elder, king of England; but the memory of them all is so completely effaced, that neither their acts nor their burial-places are known.

A.D. 676. Cadwallon, king of the Britons, being worn out by old age and infirmity, died, after he had reigned fortyeight entire years, and the Britons embalmed his body with balm and spices, and placed it in a brazen image, made with wonderful skill in his likeness and of his size, over the west gate of London; and the figure was sitting on a brazen horse, in token of the severe tyranny which he exercised over the English. They also made a church at the gate in honour of the blessed Martin, that divine service for him and for all the faithful who were departed might be everlastingly performed in it. He was succeeded in his kingdom by Cadwallader, his son, whom Bede calls the young Cadwalla, whose mother was the sister of Penda, king of Mercia, whom Cadwalla, after he had made peace with his brother, took for his wife, and by her he became the father of Cadwallader.

The same year Ulpher, king of Mercia, died, whose queen, Hermengilda, daughter of Erconbert, king of Kent, and of the holy Sexburga, daughter of Annos, king of the East Angles, and sister of the holy Ethelfrida, made him the father of the holy Wereburga, a virgin of great virtues. She, after the death of her father, renounced the world, and entered the monastery of her mother's aunt, Ethelfrida. And when Ethelred, her uncle, who succeeded Ulpher in the kingdom, heard of her holy disposition, he appointed her to preside over some monasteries of virgins devoted to God, with the rank of abbess, and she lived among them with great strictness, and to the end of her life served Christ, her king. At length, in one of her monasteries, which is called Trikingeham, she departed this life, and her corpse, as she herself had enjoined in her lifetime, was borne to the monastery called Mihealbrig, and buried with all honours; and that monastery remained uninjured to the time when the wicked race of the Danes ravaged the provinces of England with cruel slaughter.

King Ulpher had also brothers by name Ethelred and Penda, of whom we have spoken above, and Merwald, who reigned in the western division of Mercia. His queen, the holy Ermenburga, daughter of Ermenred, the brother of Erconbert, king of Kent, bore him three daughters, namely, the holy Milburga, the holy Mildrith, and the holy Mildgyth. She also bore him a son, named Merefin, a boy of eminent sanctity. Ulpher was succeeded by his brother Ethelred, who married Ostrica, the sister of Egfrid, king of Northumberland, and had by her a son named Ceolred. The same year, Eascwin, king of the West Saxons, died, who was the son of Kenseus, who was the son of Kenferth, who was the son of Cuthgis, who was the son of Ceulf, who was the son of Kenric; and Eascwin was succeeded by Kentwin, who was the son of Kinegilf, who was the son of Čeulf, and who reigned ten years.

CH. XII.-FROM A.D. 677 TO A.D. 704.

Disputes and Ecclesiastical affairs in Britain-Wilfrid is deposed from his Bishopric-Saint Etheldreda-Saint Hilda -A Council is held at Hatfield-Saint Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne-Egfrid is killed Cadwallader is baptized-Dies-The Histories of Geoffrey of Monmouth, Cu

A.D. 678.

WILFRID EXPELLED FROM HIS KINGDOM..

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radoc of Lancarban, William of Malmesbury, and Henry of Huntingdon-Pepin, king of France-Part of the true Cross is found at Rome-A Dead Man is restored from Purgatory in Northumberland-The Bishopric of Winchester is divided.

A.D. 677. Donus was elected to the Roman chair, and filled it one year, five months, and ten days, and the see was vacant ten months and fifteen days. At this time Saint Ethelreda flourished in the Isle of Ely. This year also, a comet appeared for three months, and one day it shone in the morning like the sun.

A.D. 678. A quarrel arose between Egfrid, king of Northumberland, and the venerable archbishop Wilfrid. And the holy man being expelled, three bishops were appointed in his room, namely, Bosa, to govern the province of Deiri, and Eatta, to govern that of the Bernicians. The one had the seat of his bishopric at York, and the other in the church of Hagustald; and both of them came from the community of monks. And with them Eadhed was ordained bishop of the province of Lindsey, which king Egfrid had lately made himself master of, having defeated in battle and put to flight Wilfer, king of Mercia. He was the first bishop of that province. The second was Ethelwin, the third Edgar, the fourth Kinibert, who governs it at present. For, before the appointment of Eadhed, it had a president named Sexulf, who was also at the same time bishop of the Mercians and of the Midland Angles. And when he was driven out of Lindsey, he continued to regulate these provinces. But these bishops whom I have mentioned were ordained by archbishop Theodore, who, three years after the departure of Wilfrid, ordained two more bishops, namely, Tunbert, for the church of Hagustald, when Eata returned to Lindisfarne, and Trunwin, for the province of the Picts, which at that time was reduced under the dominion of the Angles. The same year, Agatho was appointed pope, and filled the Roman chair two years, six months, and three days. And the see was vacant one year, six months, and five days.

When Wilfrid was expelled from his bishopric, he went to Rome, and intended to plead his cause and argue against his expulsion before pope Agatho. But when he embarked on

1 There is manifestly some great error here, probably of the text, but I cannot conjecture what it may be, or how it ought to be corrected.