[Sidenote:  CELRIC.] Now after Cheuling, his nephue Celricus or Ceolric that was sonne vnto Cutwine, the sonne of the foresaid Cheuling, reigned as king ouer the Westsaxons fiue yeares & fiue moneths.  In like manner the same yeare died Ella or Alla king of Northumberland, after whome succeeded Ethelricus the sonne of Ida, and reigned but fiue yeares, being a man well growne in yeares before he came to be king.  About three yeeres after this, the Saxons & Britains fought a battell at Wodenesbourne, where the Britains being ranged in good order, the Saxons set vpon them boldlie indeed, but disorderedlie, so that the victorie remained with the Britains.  The Saxons the more valiant they had shewed themselues in battell, before that time, so much the more slow and vntowardlie did they shew themselues now in running awaie to saue themselues, so that an huge number of them were slaine.  Also about [Sidenote:  594.] the same time died Crida king of Mercia 594, after whome his sonne Wibbas or Wipha succeeded.  And after the deceasse of Ethelric, one Edelbert or Edelfride surnamed the wild, succeeded in gouernement of the Northumbers.  But to returne to our purpose.

Ethelbert king of Kent, not discouraged with the euill chance which [Sidenote:  Beda. Will.  Malmes.] happened in the beginning, but rather occasioned thereby to learne more experience in feats of warre, prooued so perfect a maister therein, that in processe of time he subdued by force of armes all those English Saxons which lay betwixt the bounds of his countrie, and the riuer of Humber.  Also to haue friendship in forraine parts, he procured a wife for himselfe of the French nation, named the ladie Bertha, being king Cheriberts daughter of France; but with condition, that he should permit hir to continue and vse the rites and lawes of christian faith and religion, and to haue a bishop whose name was Luidhard, appointed to come and remaine with hir here in this land for hir better instruction in the lawes of the Lord.  So that they two with other of the French nation that came ouer with them remaining in the court, and vsing to serue God in praiers and otherwise, according to the custome of the christian religion, began vndoubtedlie to giue light to the kings mind as yet darkned with the clouds of paganisme, so as the bright beames of the celestiall cleerenes of vnderstanding remooued the thicke mists of his vnbeleefe in tract of time, and prepared his heart to the receiuing of the gospell, which after by heauenlie prouidence was preached to him, by occasion, and in maner as followeth.

[Sidenote:  Beda. Matth.  West. saith 596. 47 saith the same author.] In the yeare of our Lord 596, which was about the 14 yeare of the reigne of the emperour Mauricius, and after the comming of the English Saxons into this land, about an 147 yeares almost complet, the bishop of Rome, Gregorie the first of that name, and surnamed Magnus, sent Augustinus a moonke, with certeine other learned men into this Ile to preach the christian faith vnto the English Saxons, which nation as yet had not receiued the gospell.  And here we hold it necessarie to shew how it is recorded by diuer writers, that the first occasion whereby Gregorie was mooued thus to send Augustine into this land, rose by this meanes.