as giftes whiche he thought good to send vnto hym from Rome. &c.

MarginaliaAn. 600 Austen thus receiuyng his palle from Gregory, as is aboue sayd, and now of a Monke beyng made an Archbyshop, after he had Baptised a great part of Kent: he after made two Archbyshops or Metrapolitanes, by the commaundement of Gregory, as witnesseth Polychronicon,MarginaliaPolychron. Lib. 5. ca 9.
Fabia. part. 5 ca. 119.
Archbyshopes of London and of Yorke made by Austen. the one at London, the other at Yorke.

MarginaliaMellitus Byshop of London. Mellitus, of whō mention is made before, was sent specially to the Eastsaxons in the prouince of Essex, where after he was made Byshop of London, vnder Sigebert kyng of Essex: whiche Sigebert together with his vncle Ethelbert, first built the Church and Minster of S. Paule in London, and appointed it to Mellitus for the Byshops see. Austen associate with this Mellitus and Iustus, through the helpe of Ethelbert assembled and gathered together the Byshops and Doctours of Britaine in a place, which takyng the name of the sayd Austen, was called Austēs Oke. In this assemble he charged the sayd Byshops, that they should preach with him the word of God to the Englishmen: and also that they should among them selues reforme certaine rites and vsages in their church, specially for keepyng of their Eastertyde: Baptising after the maner of Rome, and such other lyke.MarginaliaThe Britaynes and Scots vsed not the rites of Rome. To these the Scots and Britons would not agree, refusing to leaue the custome, which they so long tyme had cōtinued, without the assent of them all, which vsed the same. Here the stories both of Bede, Cestrensis in Polychron. Huntingtonensis, IornalENsis, Fabianus, and other mo write of a certainE miracle wrought vpō a blYnd English man: whom when the Britons could not helpe, Austē kneelyng downe and praying, restored the blynd man to his sight before them all: for a confirmation (as these authors say) of his opinion in keepyng the Easter. But cōcerning the credite of this miracle, that I leaue, to the authors of whom I had it.MarginaliaAn. 602. Then Austen gathered an other Synode, to the whiche came seuen Byshops of Britons, with the wisest mē ofMarginaliaAbbey of Bāgor.
Ex libro Iornalensi, Fabiano & alijs. that famous Abbey of Bangor. But first they tooke counsell of a certaine wise and holy man amongest them, what to do: and whether they should be obedient to Austen or not? And he sayd: if he be the seruaunt of God, agree vnto him. But how shall we know that, sayd they? To whom he aunswered agayne: If he be meeke and hūble of hart, by that know that he is the seruaunt of God. To thys they sayd agayne: & how shl we know him to be hūble and meeke of hart? By this (quoth he) seing you are þ^e greater number, if he at your commyng into the Synode rise vp, and courteously receaue you, perceaue him to be an humble and a meeke man. But if he shall contemne and despise you (beyng as ye are) the greater part, despise you him agayne. Thus the Britaine Byshops entryng into the Councell, Austen after the Romishe manner keepyng hys chayre would not remoue. Wherat they being not a litle offended, after some heate of wordes, in disdaine and great displeasure departed thence. To whom thē Austen spake: and sayd that if they would not take peace with their brethren, they should receiue warre with the enemyes: And if they disdayned to preach with them the way of lyfe to the English nation, they should suffer by their handes the reuenge of death. Which not lēg after so came to passe by the meanes ofMarginaliaEthelfride king of Northumberlād. Ethelfride kyng of Northumberland: who beyng yet a Pagan and styrred with fierce fury agaynst the Britaines, came with a great army agaynst the city of Chester:MarginaliaBrocmayl Consul of Chester. where Brocmayl the Consul of that Citie, a friend and helper of the Britaines side, was redy with his force to receaue him. There was at the same tyme atMarginaliaThe monastery of Bangor. Bangor in Wales, an exceedyng great Monastery, wherin was such a number of Monkes, as Galfridus with other authors do testifie, that if the whole company were deuided into seuen partes, in euery of the seuen partes were contained not so few as. 300 Mōkes: which all did liue with the sweat of their browes, and labour of their owne handes, hauyng one for their ruler named Dinoe.MarginaliaGalfridus Monumetensis.
Polichron. lib. 5. cap. 10.
Liber bibliothecæ Iornalensis.
Gu. Malmesberiensis. lib. [illegible text]de Reg.
Fabian part 5 cap. 109. 120. Out of this Monasterie came the Monkes to Chester, to pray for þ^e good successe of Brocmayl, fightyng for them agaynst the Saxons. Three dayes they cōtinued in fastyng and prayer. When Ethelfride the foresayd kyng, seyng them so intent to their prayers: demaunded the cause of their commyng thether in such a company. When he perceaued it was to pray for their Consul, then (sayth he) although they beare no weapō, yet they fight agaynst vs, and with their prayers & preachinges they persecute vs.MarginaliaA pitifull slaughter of vnarmed Monkes of Bangor. Wherupon, after that Brocmayl beyng ouercome did flee away, the kyng commaunded his men to turne their weapons agaynst the sely vnarmed Monkes: of whom he slewe the same tyme, or rather Martyred. 1100. onely fiftie persons of that number dyd flee and escape away with Brocmayl: the rest were all slayne. The authors that write of this la mentable murder, declare and say, how the forespeakyng of Austen, was here verified vpon the Britaines: whiche because they would not ioyne peace with their frendes, he sayd should be destroyed of their enemyes.MarginaliaWhether Austen or the Britaines in this case were more to blame. Of both these parties, the reader may iudge what he pleaseth: I cannot see but both together were to be blamed. And as I cannot but accuse the one so I cannot defend the other. First Austen in this matter can in no wise be excused, who beyng a monke before, and therfore a scholer & professor of humilitie: shewed so litle humilitie in this assemble, to seuen Byshops, and an Archbyshop, commyng at his cōmaundement to the Councell: that he thought scorne once to stirre at their commyng in. Much lesse would his Pharisaicall solemnitie haue girded him selfe, and washed his brethrēs feete, after their trauaile, as Christ our great maister did to his Disciples: seyng his Lordshyp was so hye, or rather so heauy, or rather so proude, that could not finde in his harte to geue them a little mouyng of his body, to declare a brotherly and humble hart. Agayne the Britaines were as much, or more to blame, who so much neglected their spirituall duety, in reuengyng their temporall iniurie: that they denyed to ioyne vnto their helpyng labour, to turne the Idolatrous Saxons to the way of lyfe and saluatiō. In which respect all priuate cases ought to geue place, and to be forgotten. For the whiche cause, although lamentable to vs, yet no great maruaile in them, if the stroke of Gods punishment did light vpon thē: accordyng to the wordes of Austen, as is before declared. But especially the cruell kyng, in this fact, was most of all to blame, so furiously to flee vpon them, whiche had neither weapon to resist him, nor yet any will to harme him. And so likewise the same or like, happened to himselfe afterward. For so was he also slayne in the field by Christian Edwine, who succeeded hym, as he had slayne the Christians before, which was about the yeare of our Lord. 610. But to returne to Austen agayne, who by report of authors was departed before this cruelty was done: after he had baptised and Christened. x. thousande Saxons or Angles in the West riuer, that is called Swale, beside Yorke on a Christēmasse day: perceauyng his ende to draw neare,MarginaliaLaurentius Archb. after Austen. he ordained a successour named Laurentius to rule after him the Archbyshops see of Dorobernia. Where note by the way Christian Reader, that where as Austen baptised then in riuers: it followeth, there was then no vse of fontes.MarginaliaBaptising in riuers not in fontes.
Baptising amōg the old Romaynes was not vsed with so many ceremonies as since. Agayne, if it be true that Fabian sayth, he baptised. x. thousād in one day: the rite then of Baptising at Rome was not so ceremoniall, neither had so many trinkets at that tyme, as it hath had since, or els it could not be, that he could baptise so many in one day.

In the meane season, about this tyme departed Gregory Byshop of Rome: of whom it is sayd, that of the number of all the first Bishops before him in the primitiue time, he was the basest: of all them that came after him, he was the best.Marginalia604.
S. [illegible text] in Wales otherwise called Dewy. About whiche tyme also dyed in Wales, Dauid Archbyshop first of Keyrleion, who then translated the see from thence to Meneuia, and therfore is called Dauid of Wales. Not long after this also deceased the foresayd Austen in England after he had sat there. xv. or. xvi. yeares: by the which count we may note it, not to be true that Henry Hungtynton and other do witnesse, that Austen was dead before that battell of Ethelfride against the Mōkes of Bāgor.MarginaliaCōomputatiō of tyme examined. For if it be true that Polychronicon testifieth of this murder to be done about the yeare of our Lord. 609. and the commyng of Austen first into the Realme, to be. an. 596. then Austen enduryng. xvj. yeares could not be dead at this battell. Moreouer Galfridus Monumentensis declareth, concernyng the same battell,MarginaliaGalfridus Monumentensis. that Ethelbert the kyng of Kent, beyng (as is sayd) conuerted by Austen to Christes fayth: after he saw the Britaines to disdayne and deny their subiection vnto Austen, neither would assist him with preaching to the English nation: therfore stirred vp he the foresayd Ethelfride to warre agaynst the Britaines. But that seemeth rather suspicious then true, that he beyng a Christen kyng, either could so much preuayle with a Pagan Idolater, or els would attempt so farre to committe such a cruell deede. But of vncertaine thinges I haue nothyng certainly to say, lesse to iudge.

Marginalia610.
Poly. lib. 5. cap. 10.
A story of Iohn Patriarch of Alexandria. About this present tyme aboue prefixed, which is. 610. I read in the story of Ranulphus Cestrensis the writer of Polichronicon, of Iohn the Patriarch of Alexandria: who for his rare example of hospitalitie and bountifulnes to the poore: I thought no lesse worthy to haue place amongst good men, then I see the same now to be followed of fewe. This Iohn (beyng before belike a hard and sparyng man) as he was at his prayer vpon a tyme (it is sayd) there appeared to him a comely virgine hauyng on her head a garland of Oliue leaues: which named her selfe mercy, saying to hym and promising that if he would take her to wife, he