THE FOURTH CHAPTER.

[Sidenote:  OFFA. 758.] After that Offa had slaine Bernred the vsurper of the kingdome of Mercia (as before is mentioned) the same Offa tooke vppon him the [Sidenote:  Matth.  West. Wil.  Malm.] gouernment of that kingdome 758, a man of such stoutnesse of stomach, that he thought he should be able to bring to passe all things whatsoeuer he conceiued in his mind.  He reigned 39 yeares.  His dooings were great and maruellous, and such as some times his vertues surpassed his vices, and sometime againe his vices seemed to [Sidenote:  The victories of king Offa. Matth.  West. 779.] ouermatch his vertues.  He ouercame the Kentishmen in a great battell at Otteford, and the Northumbers also were by him vanquished, and in battell put to flight.  With Kenvulfe king of Westsaxons he fought in open battell, and obteined a noble victorie, with small losse of his people, although the same Kenwulfe was a right valiant prince, and a good capteine.

[Sidenote:  Falsehood in fellowship.] Againe, perceiuing that to proceed with craft, should sooner aduance his purpose, than to vse open force against Egilbert king of Eastangles, vnder faire promises to giue vnto him his daughter in mariage, he allured him to come into Mercia, and receiuing him into his palace, caused his head to be striken off, and after by wrongfull meanes inuaded his kingdome, and got it into his possession:  yet he caused the bones of the first martyr of this land saint Albane (by a miraculous meanes brought to light) to be taken vp, and put in a rich shrine adorned with gold and stone, building a goodlie church of excellent woorkmanship, and founding a monasterie in that place in honor of the same saint, which he indowed with great possessions. [Sidenote:  The archbishops see remoued from Canturburie to Lichfield. 785.] He remoued the archbishops see from Canturburie vnto Lichfield, thereby to aduance his kingdome of Mercia, as well in dignitie & preheminence of spirituall power as temporall.  He made great suit to bring his purpose to passe in the court of Rome, and at length by [Sidenote:  Matt.  West.] great gifts and rewards obteined it at the hands of pope Adrian the first, then gouerning the Romane see.  And so Eadulfus then bishop of Lichfield was adorned with the pall, and taken for archbishop, hauing all those bishops within the limits of king Offa his dominion suffragans vnto him; namelie, Denebertus bishop of Worcester, Werebertus bishop of Chester, Eadulfus bishop of Dorcester, Wilnardus bishop of Hereford, Halard bishop of Elsham, and Cedferth bishop of Donwich.  There remained onelie to the archbishop of Canturburie, the bishops of London, Winchester, Rochester, and Shireburne.