Page:The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Giles).djvu/29

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A.D. 561–571.
THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE.
11

years. Alla was the son of Iff, Iff of Usfrey, Usfrey of Wilgis, Wilgis of Westerfalcon, Westerfalcon of Seafowl, Seafowl of Sebbald, Sebbald of Sigeat, Sigeat of Swadd, Swadd of Sygar, Sygar of Waddy, Waddy of Woden, Woden of Frithuwulf.

A. 561—564.

A. 565. This year Ethelbert[1] succeeded to the kingdom of the Kentish-men, and held it fifty-three years. In his days the holy pope Gregory sent us baptism, that was in the two and thirtieth year of his reign: and Columba, a mass-priest, came to the Picts, and converted them to the faith of Christ: they are dwellers by the northern mountains. And their king gave him the island which is called Ii [Iona]: therein are five hides of land, as men say. There Columba built a monastery, and he was abbat there thirty-seven years, and there he died when he was seventy-two years old. His successors still have the place. The Southern Picts had been baptized long before: bishop Ninia, who had been instructed at Rome, had preached baptism to them, whose church and his monastery is at Whitherne, consecrated in the name of St. Martin: there he resteth, with many holy men. Now in Ii there must ever be an abbat, and not a bishop; and all the Scottish bishops ought to be subject to him, because Columba was an abbat and not a bishop.

A. 565. This year Columba the presbyter came from the Scots among the Britons, to instruct the Picts, and he built a monastery in the island of Hii.

A. 566. 567.

A. 568. This year Ceawlin, and Cutha, Ceawlin's brother, fought against Ethelbert, and drove him into Kent, and they killed two ealdormen at Wibban-dune [Wimbledon],[2] Oslaf and Cnebba.

A. 569. 570.

A. 571. This year Cuthulf fought against the Britons at Bedcanford [Bedford], and took four towns, Lygean-birg [Lenbury], and Ægeles-birg [Aylesbury], and Bænesington [Benson], and Egonesham [Eynsham]; and the same year he died. Cutha was Ceawlin's brother.

  1. Bede [ii. 5,] says Ethelbert died on February 23, a.d. 616, after a reign of fifty-six years. This would make it out that he succeeded to the throne in a.d. 560.
  2. Or Worplesdon, Surrey.