they should all the whole night geue them selues to prayer, that the Lord might reueale, declare, open and shewe vnto them by some euident signe or token, which of these two seruices he would haue vsed in the Temples. Thus they doyng in all pointes, as they had determined, in the mornyng opened the Churche doores, and founde both the Myssals or Masse bookes open vpō the altar: or rather, as some say, they found Gregories Masse booke vtterly plucked a sūder one peece from an other, and scattered ouer all the Church. As touchyng Ambrose booke, they onely found it open vpō the altar in the very same place where they had before layd it.MarginaliaNote well the practise of Prelates in plātyng their popishe masse. This miracle Pope Adrian like a wise expounder of dreames sayth, that as the leaues were torne and blowen abroad all the Church ouer: so should Gregories booke be vsed throughout the world. Whereupon they thought themselues sufficiently instructed and taught of God, that the seruice which Gregory had made, ought to be set abroad and vsed throughout all the world: and that Ambrose his seruice should onely be obserued and kept in his owne Church of Mediolanum, where he sometyme was Byshop.

Thus hast thou heard (brother Reader) the full and whole narration of this misticall miracle, with the Popes exposition vpon the same: whiche seemeth to be as true, as that whiche Daniell speaketh of, how the Idole Bell did eate vp all the meate that was set before him all the night Daniell. 14. Concernyng the whiche myracle, I neede not admonish thee to smell out the blind practises of these night crowes, to blinde the world with foreged inuentiōs, in steede of true stories. Albeit to graunt the miracle to be most true and vnfallible, yet as touchyng the expositiō therof, an other man beside the Pope, percase might interprete this great miracle otherwise, as thus: That God was angry with Gregories booke, and therfore rent it in peeces, and scattered it abroad: and the other as good, lay sound vntouched, & at the least so to be preferred. Notwithstandyng what soeuer is to be thought of this miracle with the expositiō therof, thus the matter fell out, that Gregories seruice had onely the place, and yet hath to this day in the greatest part of Europe, the seruice of Ambrose beyng excluded.MarginaliaGregories masse taketh place in Europe. And thus much touching the great act of Pope Adrian, for the setting vp of the Masse. By the relation wherof, yet this knowledge may come to the Reader, at least to vnderstand, how that commonly in Christen nations abroad, as yet no vniforme order of any Missall or Masse booke was receaued, as hath been hetherto discoursed.

Now from the Popes to returne agayne to the Emperours from whence we digressed, like as Pipinus the father of Charles (as hath bene before sufficiently told) had geuen to the sea Papall all the Princedome of Rauenna with other donations and reuenewes, and landes in Italy:MarginaliaCarolus Magnus beneficiall to the sea of Rome. so this Carolus followyng his fathers deuotion did confirme the same, addyng moreouer therunto the Citie and dominion of Venice, Histria, the Dukedome Foroiuliense, the Dukedome Spoletanum, and Beneuentanum, and other possessiōs moe, to the patrimonie of S. Peter, makyng him the prince of Rome and of Italy.MarginaliaRex christianissimus intituled to Fraunce. The Pope agayne to recompēse his so gentle kyndnes, made him to be intituled most Christen king, and made him Patricium Romanum. Moreouer ordeined him onely to be taken for Emperor of Rome. For these and other causes moe, Carolus bare no litle affection to the sayde Adrian aboue all other Popes: as may well appeare by this letter of Carolus Magn⁹ sent to kyng Offa, what tyme the sayd Offa (as is aboue prefixed) sent to him Alcuinus for entreaty of peace: whereunto the foresayd Carolus aunswereth agayne to the message of Offa in a letter, the contentes wherof be these.

C Arolus Rex Francorum & Longobardorum, Patricius Romanorum viro venerando, & fratri charissimo Offæ Regi Merciorum Salut. Primò gratias agimus omnipotēti Deo, de Catholicæ fidei sinceritate, quam in vestris laudabilibus paginis reperimus exaratam. De peregrinis verò qui pro amore Dei, & salute animarum suarum, beatorum Apostolorū lumina desiderāt adire, cum pace sine omni perturbatione vadant. Sed si aliqui religioni non seruientes, sed lucra sectantes inueniantur inter eos, locis opportunis statuta soluāt telonia. Negociatores quoq; volumus vt ex mādato nostro patrocinium habeāt in regno nostro legitime. Et si in aliquo loco, iniusta affligātur oppressione, reclament se ad nos, vel nostros iudices, & plenam iusticiā iubem⁹ fieri. Cognoscat quoq; dilectio vestra qu࡞d aliquam benignitatem de Dalmaticis nostris vel pallijs ad singulas sedes Episcopales regni vestri vel Ethelredi direximus, in ellemosinā Domini Apostolici Adriani, deprecantes vt pro eo intercedi iubeatis, nullā habentes dubitationem beatam illius animā in requie esse, sed vt fidem & dilectionem ostendamus in amicū nobis charissimū. Sed & de thesauro humanarū rerum, quum Dominus Iesus gratuita pietate concessit aliquid per metropolitanas ciuitates: Direximus vestræ quoq; dilectioni vnum baltheum, & vnum gladium & duo pallia serica. &c. MarginaliaHow the Pope heareth the crye of poore widowes & orphanes. The cause why this Carolus writeth so fauourably of Adriā partly is touched before, partly also was for þ^t Carolomane his elder brother beyng dead, his wife called Bertha with her two children came to Adrian, to haue them confirmed in their fathers kyngdome: wherunto the Pope to shew a pleasure to Carolus would not agree: but gaue the mother with her two childrē, & Desiderius the Lōbard kyng with his whole kyngdome, his wife and children, into the handes of the sayd Carolus: who ledde them with him captiue into Fraunce, and there kept them in seruitude during their lyfe.

MarginaliaThe Empire translated from Grece to France. Thus, Carolus Magnus beyng proclaymed Emperour of Rome, through the preferment of Adrian, and of Pope Leo the. third which succeeded nexte after him: was the Empire translated from the Grecians about the yeare of our Lord. 801. vnto the Frenchmen: where it continued about 102. yeares till the commyng of Conradus and his nephew Otho, which were Germaines: and so hath it continued after them among the Almanes vnto this present time. This Charles builded so many Monasteries as there be letters in the row of A. B. C: he was beneficiall chiefly to Churchmen also mercyfull to the poore, in his Actes valiaunt and triumphaunt, skild in all languages, he held a Councell at Francford, where was condēned the Councell of Nice and Irene, for setting vp and worshipping of images. &c.

Concernyng which Councell of Nice, & thynges there concluded and enacted (because no man shall thinke, the detestyng of Images to be any new thyng now begon) this I finde it recorded in an auncient written historie, of Roger Houeden, called Continuationes Bedæ, His wordes in Latin be these: Anno. D .cc. xc. 11. Carolus Rex Francorum misit Synodalem librum ad Britanniam, sibi a Constantinopoli directuū. In quo lib. Heu, proh dolor, multa incōuenientia, & veræ fidei contraria reperiuntur, maximè ф pene omnium orientalium Doctorum non minus q̃ 300. vel eo amplius Episcoporum vnanimi assertione confirmatūum sit, imagines adorari debere:MarginaliaImages written against, as cōtrary to the true faith. Quod omnino Ecclesia Dei execratur. Contra quod scripsit Albinus Epistolam ex autoritate diuinarū scripturarum mirabiliter affirmatam, illamq̀ cum eodem libro ex persona Episcoporum ac principum nostrorum, Regi Francorum attulit. Hæc ille. That is. In the yeare of our Lord. 792. Charles the French kyng sent a booke conteynyng the actes of a certaine Synode, vnto Britaine, directed vnto hym from Constantinople. In the which booke (lamētable to behold) many thynges inconuenient, & cleane contrary to the true fayth are there to be founde: especially for that by the common consent of almost all the learned byshops of the East Church not so few as 300. it was there agreed that Images should be worshypped. Whiche thyng the Church of God hath alwayes abhorred. Against which booke AlbinusMarginaliaThis Albinus was Alcuinus aboue mentioned. wrote an Epistle substantially grounded out of the autority of holy Scripture. Which Epistle with the booke, the sayd Albinus in the name and person ofMarginaliaThe bishops & Princes of England against images. our Byshops, and Princes, did present to the French kyng.

And thus much by the way of Romish matters: now to returne agayne to the Northumberland kynges, where we left at Egbert. Which Egbert, as is before declared, succeeded after Ceolulphus after he was made Monke.MarginaliaKing Egbert made a Monke And likewise the sayd Egbert also followyng the deuotion of hys vncle Ceolulphus, and Kenredus before him: was likewise shorne Mōke, after he had reigned xx. yeares in Northumberland, leauyng his sonne Osulphus after him to succeede: about which tyme and in the same yeare when Ceolulphus deceassed in his Monastery, whiche was the yeare of our Lord. 764. diuers Cities were brent with sodeine fire as the Citie of Wenta, the Citie of Lōdon, the Citie of Yorke, Donacester with diuers other townes besides. Roger Houeden. Lib. Contin. post Bedam, who in the first yeare of his reigne,Marginalia757
Osulphus.
Mollo, otherwise called Adelwold. which was the yeare of our Lord. 757. beyng innocently slayne, next to him folowed Mollo, otherwise called Adelwald, who likewise beyng slayne of Alcredus after he had reigned. xi. yeares departed.MarginaliaAlcredus or Aluredus.
Ethelbert otherwise named Adelred. or Eardulphe.
Alfwold.
Osredus.
Adelred, againe kinges of Northumberlād.
764. After, Alcredus whē he had reigned. x. yeares was expulsed out of his kyngdome by his people. Then was Ethelbert otherwise named Edelred the sonne of the foresayd Mollo receaued kyng of Northumberland. Whiche Ethelbert, or Adelred in like sorte after he