cended to the heavenly kingdom. The first who had A.D. 616. the like sovereignty was Elli, king of the South Saxons; the second, Celin, king of the West Saxons, who, in their own language, is called Ceaulin; the third, as has been said, was Ethelbert, king of Kent; the fourth was Redwald, king of the East Angles, who, whilst Ethelbert lived, had been subservient to him. The fifth was Edwin, king of the nation of the Northumbrians, that is, of those who live on the north side of the river Humber, who, with great power, commanded all the nations, as well of the English as of the Britons who inhabit Britain, except only the people of Kent, and he reduced also under the dominion of the English the Mevanian islands of the Britons, lying between Ireland and Britain; the sixth was Oswald, the most Christian king of the Northumbrians, who also had the same extent under his command; the seventh, Oswy, brother to the former, held the same dominions for some time, and for the most part subdued and made tributary the nations of the Picts and Scots, which possess the northern parts of Britain but of these hereafter.

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King Ethelbert died on the 24th day of the month of February, twenty-one years after he had received the faith, and was buried in St. Martin's porch within the church of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, where also lies his queen, Bertha. Among other benefits which he conferred upon the nation, he also, by the advice of wise persons, introduced judicial decrees, after the Roman model; which, being written in English, are still kept and observed by them. Among which, he in the first place set down what satisfaction should be given by those who should steal any thing belonging to the church, the bishop, or the other clergy, resolving to give protection to those whose doctrine he had embraced.

This Ethelbert was the son of Irminric, whose father was Octa, whose father was Orric, surnamed Oisc, from

Cantuariorum solent Oiscingas cognominare,) cujus pater Hengist, qui cum filio suo Oisc invitatus a Vortigerno Britanniam primus intravit, ut supra retulimus.

At vero post mortem Ethelberti, cum filius ejus Eadbaldus regni gubernacula suscepisset, magno tenellis ibi adhuc ecclesiæ crementis detrimento fuit. Siquidem non solum fidem Christi recipere noluerat, sed et fornicatione pollutus est tali, qualem nec inter gentes auditam apostolus testatur, ita ut uxorem patris haberet. Quo utroque scelere occasionem dedit ad priorem vomitum revertendi iis, qui sub imperio sui parentis, vel favore vel timore regio, fidei et castimoniæ jura susceperant. Nec supernæ flagella districtionis perfido regi castigando et corrigendo defuere, nam crebra mentis vesania, et spiritus immundi invasione premebatur.

Auxit autem procellam hujusce perturbationis etiam mors Saberti regis Orientalium Saxonum, qui ubi regna perennia petens tres suos filios, qui pagani perduraverant, regni temporalis heredes reliquit, cœperunt illi mox idololatriæ, quam vivente eo, aliquantulum intermisisse videbantur, palam servire, subjectisque populis idola colendi liberam dare licentiam. Cumque viderent pontificem, celebratis in ecclesia missarum solenniis, eucharistiam populo dare, dicebant, ut vulgo fertur, ad eum barbara inflati stultitia; "Quare non et nobis porrigis panem nitidum, quem et patri nostro Saba, (sic namque eum appellare consueverant,) dabas, et populo adhuc dare in ecclesia non desistis?" Quibus ille respondebat; "Si vultis ablui fonte illo salutari, quo pater vester ablutus est, potestis etiam panis sancti, cui ille participabat, esse participes; sin autem lavacrum vitæ contemnitis, nullatenus valetis panem vitæ percipere." At illi, "Nolumus," inquiunt, "fontem illum intrare, quia nec opus illo nos habere novimus, sed tamen

whom the kings of Kent are wont to be called Oiscings. A.D. 616. His father was Hengist, who, being invited by Vortigern, first came into Britain, with his son Oisc, as has been said above.

But after the death of Ethelbert, his son Eadbald ascending the throne, proved very prejudicial to the new church; for he not only refused to embrace the faith of Christ, but was also defiled with such a sort of fornication, as the apostle testifies, was not heard of, even among the Gentiles; for he kept his father's wife. By both which crimes he gave occasion to those to return to their former uncleanness, who, under his father, had, either for favour, or through fear of the king, submitted to the laws of faith and chastity. Nor did the perfidious king escape without Divine punishment and correction; for he was troubled with frequent fits of madness, and possessed by an evil spirit. This confusion was increased by the death of Sabert, king of the East Saxons, who, departing to the heavenly kingdom, left three sons, still pagans, to inherit his temporal crown. They immediately began to profess idolatry, which, during their father's reign, they had seemed a little to abandon, and they granted free liberty to the people under their government to serve idols. And when they saw the bishop, whilst celebrating mass in the church, give the eucharist to the people, they, puffed up with barbarous folly, were wont, as it is reported, to say to him, "Why do you not give us also that white bread, which you used to give to our father Saba, (for so they used to call him,) and which you still continue to give to the people in the church?" To whom he answered, "If you will be washed in that laver of salvation, in which your father was washed, you may also partake of the holy bread of which he partook; but if you despise the laver of life, you may not receive the bread of life." They replied, "We will not enter into that laver, because we do not know that we stand in need of it, and yet we will cat of

pane illo refici volumus." Cumque diligenter ac sæpe ab illo essent admoniti, nequaquam fieri posse ut absque purgatione sacrosancta quis oblationi sacrosanctæ communicaret, ad ultimum furore commoti, aiebant, "Si non vis assentire nobis in tam facili causa, quam petimus, non poteris jam in nostra provincia demorari ;" et expulerunt eum, ac de suo regno cum suis abire jusserunt. Qui expulsus inde venit Cantiam tractaturus cum Laurentio et Justo coepiscopis, quid in his esset agendum; decretumque est communi consilio, quia satius esset, ut omnes patriam redeuntes libera ibi mente Domino deservirent, quam inter rebelles fidei barbaros sine fructu residerent. Discessere itaque primo Mellitus ac Justus, atque ad partes Galliæ successere, ibi rerum finem exspectare disponentes. Sed non multo tempore, reges qui præconem a se veritatis expulerant, dæmoniacis cultibus impune serviebant; nam egressi contra gentem Gewissarum in proelium, omnes pariter cum sua militia corruerunt, nec, licet auctoribus perditis, excitatum ad scelera vulgus potuit recorrigi atque ad simplicitatem fidei et caritatis, quæ est in Christo, revocari.

CAP. VI.-UT CORREPTUS AB APOSTOLO PETRO LAURENTIUS EADBALDUM REGEM AD CHRISTUM CONVERTERIT, QUI MOX MELLITUM ET JUSTUM AD PRÆDICANDUM REVOCAVERIT.

UM vero et Laurentius Mellitum Justumque secuturus ac Britanniam esset relicturus, jussit ipsa sibi nocte in ecclesia beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli, de qua frequenter jam diximus, stratum parari; in quo, cum post multas preces ac lacrimas ad Dominum pro statu ecclesiæ fusas, ad quiescendum membra posuisset atque obdormiisset, apparuit ei beatissimus apostolorum princeps, et multo illum tem

that bread." And being often earnestly admonished by A.D. 616. him, that the same could not be done, nor any one admitted to partake of the sacred oblation without the holy cleansing, at last, they said in anger, "If you will not comply with us in so small a matter as that is which we require, you shall not stay in our province." And accordingly they obliged him and his to depart from their kingdom. Being forced from thence, he came into Kent, to advise with his fellow-bishops, Laurentius and Justus, what was to be done in that case; and it was unanimously agreed, that it was better for them all to return to their own country, where they might serve God in freedom, than to continue without any advantage among those barbarians, who had revolted from the faith. Mellitus and Mellitus and Justus accordingly went away first, and withdrew into Britain. France, designing there to await the event of things. But the kings, who had driven from them the preacher of the truth, did not continue long unpunished in their heathenish worship. For marching out to battle against the nation of the Gewissæ, they were all slain with their army. However, the people, having been once turned to wickedness, though the authors of it were destroyed, would not be corrected, nor return to the unity of faith and charity which is in Christ.

CHAP. VI.-LAURENTIUS, BEING REPROVED BY THE APOS

TLE, CONVERTS KING EADBALD TO CHRIST; MELLITUS AND
JUSTUS ARE RECALLED.

Justus leave

remains.

LAURENTIUS, being about to follow Mellitus and Justus, Laurentius and to quit Britain, ordered his bed to be laid the A.D. 616. night before in the church of the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul, which has been often mentioned before; wherein having laid himself to take some rest, after he had poured out many prayers and tears to God for the state of the church, he fell asleep; in the dead of night, the blessed prince of the apostles appeared to him, and