a strong battalle. But finally the army and power of Penda and Cedwal, whiche were far exceedyng the number of Oswaldus host, was chased and most part slayne by Oswaldus,MarginaliaPenda beaten in the fielde. after he had reigned ouer the Britaines xxij. yeares leauyng after him a sonne, whom Gaufridus calleth Cadwaladrus, the last kyng of the Britaines.

MarginaliaThe cōmendation of king Oswald. Of this Oswald, much prayse and commendation is written in auttors, for his feruent zeale in Christes Religion, and mercifull pitie towarde the poore, with other great vertues moe. As touchyng the miracles of S. Oswald, what it pleased the people of that tyme to reporte of him, I haue not here to affirme: This I finde in stories certaine, that he beyng well and vertuously disposed to the settyng forth of Christes fayth and doctrine, sent into Scotland for a certeine Byshop, there called Aidanus, whiche was a famous preacher. The kyng what tyme he was in Scotland banished, had learned the Scotish toung perfectly:MarginaliaKyng Oswald disdayned not to expounde and preach the Gospell to his people. wherfore as this Aidanus preached in his Scotish toung to the Saxōs, the kyng him selfe interpreting that which he had sayd, disdayned not to preach and expounde the same to his nobles & subiectes in the English toung.

MarginaliaThe goodnes & charitie of Oswald toward the people.
Historia iornalēsis. Polychronicō. lib. 5. ca. 12. Moreouer toward the poore and needy, his pitie & tendernes was such, beyng notwithstandyng of so hygh and Princely callyng: that vpon a tyme (beyng th? Easterday) he sittyng with the sayd Aidanus at meate, and serued after the maner of kynges in Siluer: there commeth to hym one of the seruitures bringyng him worde, that there was a greate multitude of poore people sitting in the streete, which desired some almes of the kyng. He hearyng this, commaūdeth not onely the meate prepared for his owne Table to be caried vnto them, but also takyng a Siluer platter whiche stode before him, brake it in peeces and sent it among them: And so releued his poore subiectes not onely with the meat of his Table, but with his dishes also. Aidanus the Byshop seyng this, and marueilyng thereat, taketh him by the hād, wishyng and praying in this wise: This hand, sayth he, I pray God may continue and neuer putrifie. What the stories say more concernyng this hand of Oswald, I entēd not to medle farther then simple, true, and due probabilitie, will beare me out. In those dayes, and partly by the meanes of the sayd Oswald,Marginalia[illegible text] the Westsaxons couerted to Christes fayth.
Ex Polychron. lib. 5. cap. 13. Kynigilsus kyng of the Westsaxons was conuerted to Christes fayth: especially through the godly labour of Birinus, which was sent by Pope Honorius to preach in Englād, and was then made Byshop of Dorchester. To whom Quicelinus brother of the foresayd Kynigilsus, after he had also receaued Baptisme of the sayd Berinus: gaue to him the sayd Citie to make there his sea. And as Guydo witnesseth,MarginaliaFabi?. part. 5
Landes geuē to Winchest. the sayd Quicelinus gaue after to the Byshop of Winchester, seuen myles compasse of land, to builde there the Byshops sea: the which was accomplished and finished by Kenwalcus his sonne.

MarginaliaMalmesberiensis lib. de p?tifi. Angl. Cestrensis. lib 5. Historia [illegible text]
Huntington. lib. 3. Of this Berinus, Mamesbery, Polychronicon, with diuers other writers do report, a thyng straunge and miraculous: which if it be a fable, as no doubt it is, I cannot but maruell that so many authors so constantly agree in reportyng and affirmyng the same. The matter is this: This Berinus being sent as is sayd, by Honorius to preach in England, promiseth him to trauayle to the vttermost borders therof: and there to preache the Gospell where the name of Christ, was neuer hard. Thus he settyng forward in his iourney passeth through Fraunce, and so to the Sea side, where he founde a passage ready, and the wynde serued so fayre, that he was called vpon in such hast that he had no leysure to remember him selfe to take all thyngs with him, which he had to cary. At length as he was on the Sea saylyng, and almost in the middle course of his passage, remembred him selfe of a certaine relique left behynd hym for hast: which Honorius had geuen him at his commyng out. Malmesberiensis calleth it Corporalia. Historia Iornalensis, calleth it Pallulam super quam Corpus Christi consecraret, which we call a Corporas, or such a like thyng, and what els inclosed within it I can not tell. Here Berinus in greate sorrow could not tell what to do, if he should haue spoken to the Heathen mariners, to turne their course backe agayne, they would haue mocked him, & it had bene in vayne. Wherfore as the stories write,MarginaliaBirinus walkyng on the sea with lye and all. he boldly steppeth into the sea, and walkyng on foote backe agayne, taketh with him that which was left behynd, and so returneth to his company agayne, hauyng not one thred of his garmentes wete. Of this miracle, or whether I should call it a fable rather, let the reader iudge therof, as he thinketh: because it is not writen in the Scripture, we are not bound to beleue it. But if it were true, it is thē to be thought to be wrought of God not for any holynes in the man, or in the Corporas, but a speciall gift for the conuersion of the Heath?en, for whose saluation God suffereth oft many w?ders to be done. Thus Berinus beyng receiued in the shyp agayne with a great admiration of the Mariners, beyng therewith conuerted and Baptised: was driuen at last by the weather, to the coast of the Westsax?s, where Kynigilsus and his brother Quicelinus aboue mentioned, did raigne. Which two kyngs, the same tyme by the preachyng of Berinus were conuerted, and made Christen men, with the people of the countrey beyng before rude and barbarous.MarginaliaOswald god father and [illegible text] in law to [illegible text] & all in one day. It happened the same tyme when the foresayd kinges should be Christened, that Oswaldus (mentioned a litle before) kyng of Northumberland, was then present, and the same day maryed Kyngilsus daughter, and also was Godfather to the kyng.

MarginaliaKyng Oswald slaine in the fielde.
An. 643.
Penda kyng of Mercians slaine.
Oswy kyng of Northumberland. Thus Oswald after he had reigned ix. yeares in such holynes and perfectnesse of life as is aboue specified, was slayne at length in the field called Maxfield, by wicked P?da, kyng of the Mercians. Which Penda, at length after all his tyranny, was ouercome and slayne by Oswy brother to Oswald, next king after Oswald of Northumberland, notwithstādyng he had thrise the people that Oswy had. This Penda beyng a Panym had iij. sonnes Wolferus, Weda, and Egridus. To this second sonne Weda, Oswy had before time maryed his daughter by consent of Penda his father. The whiche Weda by helpe of Oswy was made kyng of Southmercia: the whiche Lordship is seuered frō Northmercia by the ryuer of Trent. The same Weda moreouer, at what tyme he maried the daughter of Oswy, promised to him that he should become a Christen man: which thyng he performed after the death of Penda his father, but afterward within iij. yeares of his reigne, he was by reason of his wife slayne. And after him the kyngdome fell to Wolferus the other brother, who beyng wedded to Ermenilda daughter of Ercombert kyng of Kent,MarginaliaThe conuerting of the Mercians to the fayth of Christ.
Wolferus first christened kyng of Mercia. was shortly after Christened: so that he is accōpted the first Christened kyng of Mercia. This Wolferus conquered Kenwalcus, kyng of Kent, & gat the Ile of Wight, whiche after he gaue to Sigbert kyng of Theastangles, vpon condition he would be Christened.MarginaliaThe Eastangles reduced to the Christian fayth. And thus the Eastangles, which before had expulsed Mellitus there Byshop, as is declared recouered agayne the Christian fayth vnder Sigbert their kyng, who by the meanes of the foresayd Wolferus was reduced, and Baptised by Finanus the Byshop.

MarginaliaOswy and Oswyne, fellow kinges in Northūberland. But to returne agayne to Oswy, from whom we haue a litle digressed, of whom we shewed before how he succeeded after Oswald, in the Prouince of Bernicia: to whom also was ioyned Oswynus his cosin, ouer the Prouince of Deyra, and there with his felow Oswy raigned the space of vij. yeares. This Oswyne was gentle, & liberall to his people, and no lesse deuout toward God: who vpon a tyme had geuen to Aidanus the Byshop, aboue mentioned, a Princely horse, with the trappers and all that perteined therto: because he should not so much trauayle on foote, but some tyme ease him selfe withall.MarginaliaNote the worthy liberality in the kyng, and no lesse in the Bysh. Thus Aidanus the Scottishe Byshop as he was ryding vpon his kyngly horse, by the way meteth him a certeine poore man askyng and crauyng hys charitie. Aidanus hauyng nothyng els to geue him: lighteth downe, and geueth to hym his horse trapped and garnished as he was.MarginaliaH. Huntyng. de historia Anglorum. lib. 9.
Example of true almose. The kyng vnderstandyng this, and not contented therewith: as he was entryng to dinner with the sayd Aidanus: what ment you father Byshop (sayd he) to geue away my horse I gaue you vnto the begger? Had not I other horses in my stable, that might haue serued hym well inough: but you must geue away that whiche of purpose was pickt out for you among the chiefest? To whom the Byshop made aunswere agayne saying or rather rebuking the kyng: what be these wordes (O kyng sayd he) that you speake? Why set you more price by an horse, whiche is but the fole of an horse, then you do by him whiche is the sonne of Mary, yea which is the sonne of God? He sayd but this, when the kyng forthwithal vngyrding his sword frō about him (as he was then newly come in from huntyng) falleth downe at the feete of the Byshop: desiryng him to forgeue him that, and he would neuer after speake word to him, for any treasure he should afterward geue away of his.MarginaliaA perfect example of humilitie in a Prince The Byshop seyng the kyng so meekely affected, he then takyng him vp, & chearyng him agayne with wordes, began shortly after to weepe & to be very heauy, his Minister askyng the cause therof, Aidanus aunswered in his Scottish language saying to him: I weepe (sayth he) for that this king cannot lyue long. This people is not worthy to haue such a Prince as he is, to raigne among them. And so as Aidanus sayd, it came to passe.MarginaliaOswine traiterously murthered. For not long after Oswy the kyng of Bernicia disdainyng at him, when Oswine either beyng not able, or not willyng to ioyne with him in battayle, caused him traiterously to be slayne. And so Oswy with his sonne Egfride raigned in Northumberland alone.

MarginaliaAn. 651. In the tyme, & also in the house, of this Oswy kyng of