[Sidenote:  KINEWULF. Hen.  Hunt. 756.] After that the Westsaxons had depriued their vnprofitable king Sigibert, they aduanced Kinewulfe, or Cinevulfus, the which began his reigne about the yeere of our Lord 756, which was in the 16 yeere of the emperor Constantinus, surnamed Copronimos, in the 6 yeere of [Sidenote:  Simon Dun. saith 755.] the reigne of Pipin king of France, and about the 22 yeere of Ethfine king of Scots.  This Kinewulfe prooued a right woorthie and valiant prince, and was descended of the right line of Cerdicus.  He obteined [Sidenote:  The Britains vanquished.] great victories against the Britains or Welshmen, but at Bensington or Benton he lost a battell against Offa king of Mercia, in the 24 yeere of his reigne:  and from that time forward tasting manie displeasures, at length through his owne follie came vnto a shamefull end.  For whereas he had reigned a long time neither slouthfullie nor presumptuouslie, yet now as it were aduanced with the glorie of things passed, he either thought that nothing could go against him, or else doubted the suertie of their state whom he should leaue behind him, and therefore he confined one Kineard the brother of Sigibert, whose fame he perceiued to increase more than he would haue wished.

This Kineard dissembling the matter, as he that could giue place to time, got him out of the countrie, and after by a secret conspiracie assembled togither a knot of vngratious companie, and returning priuilie into the countrie againe, watched his time, till he espied that the king with a small number of his seruants was come vnto the house of a noble woman, whome he kept a paramour at Merton, wherevpon the said Kineard vpon the sudden beset the house round about.  The king perceiuing himselfe thus besieged of his enimies, at the first caused the doores to be shut, supposing either by curteous woords to appease his enimies, or with his princelie authoritie to put them in feare.

But when he saw that by neither meane he could doo good, in a great chafe he brake foorth of the house vpon Kineard, and went verie neere to haue killed him:  but being compassed about with multitude of enimies, whilest he stood at defense, thinking it a dishonour for [Sidenote:  Kinewulfe slaine by conspirators.] him to flee, he was beaten downe and slaine, togither with those few of his seruants which he had there with him, who chose rather to die in seeking reuenge of their maisters death than by cowardise to yeeld themselues into the murtherers hands.  There escaped none except one Welshman or Britaine, an hostage, who was neuerthelesse sore wounded and hurt.