tera, manu propria strangulatam cremant, & supra fossa sepultæ corruptorem suspendunt: aut cingulo tenus (vestibus abscissis) flagellant eam castæ matronæ, & cultellis pungunt. Et de villa in villam missæ occurrunt nouæ flagellatrices: donec interimant. Insuper & vinuli, quod est fædissimū genus hominum, hunc habent morem vt mulier viro mortuo, se in rogo cremanti pariter arsura præcipitet. Si ergo gentiles Deum ignorantes, tantum zelum castitatis habent: quid tibi conuenit fili Charissime, qui Christianus & rex es? Parce ergo animæ tuæ: Parce multitudini populi tui pereūtis exemplo tuo: de quorum animabus redditurus es rationem. Attende & illud, quid si gens Anglorum (sicut in Frācia, & Italia, & ab ipsis Paganis nobis improperatur) spretis legitimis matrimoniijs per adulteria deficit: nascituraq; sit ex ea commixtione gens ignaua & Dei contemptrix, quæ perditis moribus patriā pessundet: sicut Burgundionibus, & prouincialibus, & Hispanis contigit, quos Saraceni multis annis in festarunt propter peccata præterita?Marginalia Nihil factum quod non factum prius. Præterea nunciatum est nobis, quòd multa priuilegia Ecclesiarum & monasteriorum auferens, ad hoc audendum duces tuos exemplo prouoces. Sed recogita quæso quam terribilem vindictam Deus in anteriores reges exercuit, eiusdem culpæ conscios, quam in te arguim⁹. Nam Celredum prædecessorem tuum stupratorem Sanctimonialium, & Ecclesiasticorum priuilegiorum fractorem, splendidè cum suis comitibus epulantem spiritus malignus arripuit: & sine confessione & viatico, cum diabolo sermocinanti, & legē Dei detestāti animam extorsit. Osredum quoq; regem Deiorum & Bernicorum, earundem culparum reum, ita effrenatum regem egit: vt regnum & iuuenilem ætatem contemptibili morte amitteret. Carolus quoq; Princeps Francorum monasteriorum multorum euersor, & Ecclesiasticarum pecuniarum in vsus proprios commutator longa tortione, & verenda morte consumptus est. Et mox infra: Quapropter fili Charissime, paternis & obnixis precibus deprecamur, vt non despicias consilium patrum tuorum, qui pro Dei amore celsitudinem tuam appellare satagunt. Nihil enim bono regi salubrius, quàm, si talia commissa cum arguuntur, libenter emendentur. Quia per Salomonem dicitur: Qui diligit disciplinā, diligit sapientiā. Ideo, fili Charissime, ostendentes consilium iustū, contestamur & obsecramus per viuentē Deum & per filium eius Iesum Christum, & per spiritū sanctum: vr recorderis quàm fugitiua sit vita præsens, & quā breuis & momentanea delectatio spurcæ carnis: & quam ignominiosum sit, vt breuis vitæ homo mala exempla in perpetuū posteris relinquat. Incipe ergo melioribus moribus vitā compenere, & præteritos errores iuuentutis corrigere: vt hic coram hominibus laudem habeas, & in futuro æterna gloria gaudeas. Valere celsitudinem tuam, & in bonis moribus proficere optamus.

MarginaliaThe corrupt lyfe of Nūnes noted. In this Epistle here is to be seene and noted first the corruption and great disorder of lyfe whiche alwayes from tyme to tyme hath been founde in these religious houses of Nunnes: whose professed vowe of coacted chastitie, hath yet neuer bene good to the Churche, nor profitable to the common wealth, and least of all to them selues. Of such young and wanton widowes S. Paule in his tyme complayneth. 1. Tim. 5. which would take vpon them the wilfull profession of single lyfe, which they were not able to performe, but falling into damnable luxurie deserued worthely to be reprehended. How much better had it bene for these lasciuious Nunnes, not to haue refused the safe yoke of Christiā matrimonie: then to intangle themselues in this their superstitious vow of perpetual maydenhode, which neither was required of them, nor they were able to keepe.

Secondly, no lesse are they also to be reprehended, which mayntayned these superstitious orders of vnprofitable Nunnes and of other Religiōs: In the number of whom was this foresayd Boniface otherwise called Winfride, who although in this Epistle doth iustly reprehend the vicious enormities both of secular, and of Religious persons: yet he him selfe is not without the same or rather greater reprehēsion, for that he gaue the occasiō therof in maintaining such superstitious orders of such lasciuious Nunnes and other Religions, and restreinyng the same from lawfull mariage. For so we finde of him in stories that he was a great setter vp and vpholder of such blind superstition, and of all Poperie. Who beyng admitted by Pope Gregory the secēd, Archbyshop of Magunce,MarginaliaThe popish actes [illegible text] of [illegible text]. and indued with full authoritie legantine ouer the Germanes, brought diuers countreys there, vnder the Popes obedience: held many great Councels, ordained Bishops, builded Monasteries, canonised Saints, commaunded reliques to be worshypped, permitted religious fathers to cary aboute Nunnes with them a preaching.MarginaliaThe [illegible text] in Germany builded by [illegible text] Amongest all other he founded the great monastery of Fulda in Germany of English monkes: into the which no women might enter, but onely Lieba, and Tecla, two Englishe Nunnes. Item, by the authoritie of the sayd Archbyshop Boniface, which he receiued from Pope Zacharie,MarginaliaChildericus the French king deposed, and Pipinus intruded.
Dist. xl. cap. Si Papa. Childericus kyng of Fraunce, was deposed from the right of hys crowne: and Pipinus betrayer of his maister was cōfirmed, or rather intruded in. From this Boniface proceeded that detestable doctrine whiche now standeth registred in the Popes decrees. Dist xl. Cap. Si. Papa. which in a certaine Epistle of his, is this. That in case the Pope were of most filthy liuyng, and forgetfull or negligent of him selfe, and of the whole Christianitie in such sorte that he led innumerable soules with him to hell: yet ought there no mā to rebuke him in so doyng. For he hath (sayth he) power to iudge all men, and ought of no man to be iudged agayne. &c.

In the tyme of this Archbyshop, Pope Gregory the second, also Gregory the third, and Pope Zachary, and before these also Pope Constantine the first: wrought great maisteryes agaynst the Greke Emperours, Philippicus, & Leo, and others, for the maintayning of Images to be set vp in Churches.MarginaliaImages in Churches subuerted by Emperours, mayntayned by Popes.
Philippicus for holding against Images, lost hys Empyre and his eyes. Of whom Philippicus lost both his Empire & also his eyes. Leo for the same cause likewise was excommunicate of Gregory the third. This Gregory the third (so farre as I can coniuecture) was he that first wrote the. 4. bookes of Dialogues in Greeke,MarginaliaThe author of the booke called the dialogues of Gregory. falsely bearyng the name of Gregory the first: which bookes afterward Zachary hys successor translated out of Greeke into Latin. Item, the same Gregory the third, first brought into the Masse Canon, the clause for reliques begynnyng, Quorum solemnitates hodie in conspectu. &c. MarginaliaMemoriall of reliques offering & sacrifice for the dead brought in to the masse canon. Itē, brought into the sayd Canon the memoriall, the offeryng, and sacrifice for the dead: Like as Zachary brought in the Priestes vesture and ornaments: and as the foresaydMarginaliaThe Popes feete first kissed of the Emperours.
Sigebert kyng of Westsaxons. Constantinus also was the first that gaue his feete to be kissed of the Emperours. But turne agayne into the course of our English story.

In the tyme of this Egbert kyng of Northumberland, Sigebert or Sigbert raigned in Westsaxonie: a man of so cruell tyranny to his subiectes (turnyng the lawes & customes of his forefathers after his owne will and pleasure) that when he was somewhat sharpely aduertised by one of hys nobles, an Earle called Combranus, to chaūge his māners, & to behaue him more prudētly towarde his people: he therfore malciously caused him to be put to cruell death.MarginaliaSigebert slayne. Wherupon, the said king Sigebert continuyng in his cruell conditions, by his subiectes conspiryng agaynst him, was put frō his kyngly dignitie: and brought into such desolation, that wandryng alone in a woode without comfort, was there slayne euen by the swynheard of the sayd Earle, whom before he had so wrongfully murdered, as partly is aboue touched:MarginaliaCruel tyrāny with like crueltie reuēged. whereby is to be seene, the cruel tyranny of Princes neuer to prosper well, without the iust reuenge both of God and man.

MarginaliaKenulphus kyng of the Westsaxons
748. Thus Sigebert beyng slayne, in his place succeeded Kenulphus, in the yeare of our Lord. 748. who with the agreement of the Westsaxons was one of the chief doers agaynst Sigebert his maister. This Kenulphus kept strongly his Lordship agaynst Offa, & against the power of all his enemyes: till at length, after that he reigned, as Fabian sayth, 31. yeares, he resortyng to a paramour which he kept at Merton,MarginaliaMurder reuenged with murder. was there beset & likewise slayne by the trayne and meanes of a certaine kynsman of the foresayd Sigebert, named Clito or Cliton, in reuengement of kyng Sigebertes death.

MarginaliaOffa kyng of Mertia. Moreouer in the raigne of the foresayd Egbert kyng of Northumberland, and in the viij. yeare of Kenulphus kyng of Westsaxons: Offa after he had slayne the tyraunt Beornredus whiche before had slayne Ethelwald kyng of Mercia, and vncle to this foresayd Offa: raigned kyng of that Prouince.

Of this Offa are told many notable deedes, which because they cōcerne rather politicall affayres, & do not greatly appertayne to the purpose of this Ecclesiastical history, I omit here to recite. As his warres and victories agaynst Egbert and the Northumbres, as also agaynst Etheldred kyng of East Angles. Item, agaynst Egbert king of Kent, otherwise called Wren, whom Fabian sayth he tooke prisoner, and led him bound with him to Mercia.MarginaliaAn vntruth noted in the story of Fabianus. Malmesbery witnesseth otherwise., this is to be done not by Offa, but by Kenulphus, as Christ willyng hereafter shall appeare. After these victories Offa had such displeasure vnto the Citizens of Canterbury,MarginaliaThe primacy of Canterbury remoued to Lichfield.
Lanbrith Archbyshop of Cant. that he remoued the Archbyshoppes sea, and landes of Lambrith Archbishop of Canterbury (by the agreemēt of pope Adrian) vnto Lichfield. He also chased the Britaines or Welshmen into Wales, and made a famous dike betwene Wales and the vtter bondes of Mercia or middle England, which was called Ofditche. And builded there a Church whiche long tyme after was called Offekyrke. This Offa also married one of his daughters