[Sidenote:  Wil.  Malm. saith that pope Formosus pronounced this cursse. 904.] ¶ Heere ye must note, that where William Malme.  Polychro. and other doo affirme, that pope Formosus did accursse king Edward and the English nation, for suffering the bishops sees to be vacant, it can not stand with the agreement or the time, vnlesse that the cursse pronounced by Formosus for this matter long afore was not regarded, vntill Edward had respect thereto.  For the same Formosus began to gouerne the Romane see about the yeere of our Lord 892, and liued in the papasie not past six yeeres, so that he was dead before king [Sidenote:  Polydor.] Edward came to the crowne.  But how so euer this matter maie fall out, this ye haue to consider:  although that Pleimond was sent vnto Rome to aduertise the pope what the king had decreed & doone, in the ordeining of bishops to their seuerall sees, as before ye haue heard, yet (as maister Fox hath noted) the gouernance and direction of the church depended chieflie vpon the kings of this land in those daies, as it manifestlie appeereth, as well by the decrees of king Alfred, as of this king Edward, whose authoritie in the election of bishops (as before ye haue heard) seemed then alone to be sufficient.

Moreouer, I thinke it good to aduertise you in this place, that this Pleimond archbishop of Canturburie (of whome ye haue heard before) was the 19 in number from Augustine the first archbishop there:  for after Brightwold that was the 8 in number, and first of the English nation that gouerned the see, succeeded Taduin, that sat three yeeres, Notelin fiue yeeres, Cuthbert 18 yeeres, Brethwin three yeeres, Lambert 27 yeeres, Adelard 13 yeeres, Wilfred 28 yeeres, Theologildus or Pleogildus 3 yeeres, Celuotus or Chelutus 10 yeeres.  Then succeeded Aldred, of whome king Edward receiued the crowne, and he was [Sidenote:  Hen.  Hunt.] predecessor to Pleimond.  A litle before the death of king Edward, Sithrike the king of Northumberland killed his brother Nigellus, and then king Reinold conquered the citie of Yorke.

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Adelstane succeedeth his father Edward in the kingdome, Alfred practising by treason to keepe him from the gouernement, sanke downe suddenlie as he was taking his oth for his purgation; the cause why Alfred opposed himselfe against Adelstane, whose praise is notable, what he did to satisfie the expectation of his people, ladie Beatrice king Edwards daughter maried to Sithrike a Danish gouernor of the Northumbers, by whose meanes Edwin king Edwards brother was drowned, practises of treason, the ladie Beatrice strangelie put to death by hir stepsons for being of counsell to poison hir husband Sithrike, hir death reuenged vpon the tormentors by hir father king Edward, and how chronographers varie in the report of this historie.

THE XIX.  CHAPTER.