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walking among the poor people, while the alms were being distributed
among them. Brian, as soon as he had taken knowledge of the man,
ordered his sister to steal out privately from her apartment the night
following, and come to him near an old church without the city, where
he would conceal himself in expectation of her. Then dismissing her, he
thrust himself in among the crowd of poor people, in that part where
Pellitus was placing them. And the same moment he got access to him, he
lifted up his staff, and at once gave him a stab under the breast which
killed him. This done, he threw away his staff, and passed among the
rest undistinguished and unsuspected by any of the by-standers, and by
good providence got to the place of concealment which he had
appointed. His sister, when night came on, endeavoured all she could to
get out, but was not able; because Edwin, being terrified at the killing of
Pellitus, had set a strict watch about the court, who, making a narrow
search, refused to let her go out. When Brian found this, he retired from
that place, and went to Exeter, where he called together the Britons, and
told them what he had done. Afterwards having despatched away
messengers to Cadwalla, he fortified that city, and sent word to all the
British nobility, that they should bravely defend their cities and towns,
and joyfully expect CadwallaÕs coming to their relief in a short time with
auxiliary forces from Salomon. Upon the spreading of this news over the
whole island, Penda, king of the Mercians, with a very great army of
Saxons, came to Exeter, and besieged Brian.
Chapter 8. Cadwalla takes Penda, and routs his army.
In the meantime Cadwalla arrived with ten thousand men, whom
king Salomon had delivered to him; and with them he marched straight
to the siege against king Penda. But, as he was going, he divided his
forces into four parts, and then made no delay to advance and join battle
with the enemy. wherein Penda was forthwith taken, and his army
routed. For, finding no other way for his own safety, he surrendered
himself to Cadwalla, and gave hostages, with a promise that he would
assist him against the Saxons. Cadwalla, after this success against him,
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summoned together his nobility, that had been a long time in a decaying
state, and marched to Northumberland against Edwin, and made
continual devastations in that country. When Edwin was informed of it,
he assembled all the petty kings of the Angles, and meeting the Britons
in a field called Heathfield, presently gave them battle, but was killed,
and almost all the people with him, together with Osfrid, his son, and
Godbold, king of the Orkneys, who had come to their assistance.
Chapter 9. Cadwalla kills Osric and Aidan in fight.
Having thus obtained the victory, Cadwalla marched through the
provinces of the Angles, and committed such outrages upon the Saxons,
that he neither spared age nor sex; for his resolution being to extirpate
the whole race out of Britain, all that he found he put to extreme
tortures. After this he had a battle with Osric, EdwinÕs successor, and
killed him together with his two nephews, who ought to have reigned
after him. He also killed Aidan, king of the Scots, who came to their
assistance.
Chapter 10. Oswald routs Penda in fight, but is killed
by Cadwalla coming in upon him.
Their deaths made room for Oswald to succeed to the kingdom of
Northumberland; but Cadwalla drove him, with the rest that had given
him disturbance, to the very wall which the emperor Severus had
formerly built between Britain and Scotland. Afterwards he sent Penda,
king of the Mercians, and the greatest part of his army, to the same place,
to give him battle. But Oswald, as he was besieged one night by Penda,
in the place called Heavenfield, that is, the Heavenly Field, set up there
our LordÕs cross, and commanded his men to speak with a very loud
voice these words: ÒLet us all kneel down, and pray the Almighty, living
and true God, to defend us from the proud army of the king of Britain,
and his wicked leader Penda. For he knows how justly we wage this war
for the safety of our people.Ó They all therefore did as he commanded
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them, and advanced at break of day against the enemy, and by their faith
gained the victory. Cadwalla, upon hearing this news, being inflamed
with rage, assembled his army, and went in pursuit of the holy king
Oswald; and in a battle which he had with him at a place called Burne,
Penda broke in upon him and killed him.
Chapter 11. Oswy submits to Cadwalla.
Penda desires leave of Cadwalla to make war against him.
Oswald, with many thousands of his men, being killed, his brother
Oswy succeeded him in the kingdom of Northumberland, and by making
large presents of gold and silver to Cadwalla, who was now possessed of
the government of all Britain, made his peace and submission to him.
Upon this Alfrid, his brother, and Ethelwald, his brotherÕs son, began an
insurrection; but, not being able to hold out against him, they fled to
Penda, king of the Mercians, desiring him to assemble his army and pass
the Humber with them, that he might deprive Oswy of his kingdom. But
Penda, fearing to break the peace, which Cadwalla had settled through
the kingdom of Britain, deferred beginning any disturbance without his
leave, till he could some way work him up, either to make war himself
upon Oswy, or allow him the liberty of doing it. At a certain Pentecost
therefore, when Cadwalla was celebrating that festival at London, and
for the greater solemnity wore the crown of Britain, all the kings of the
Angles, excepting only Oswy, being present, as also all the dukes of the
Britons; Penda went to the king, and inquired of him the reason, why
Oswy alone was wanting, when all the princes of the Saxons were
present. Cadwalla answered, that his sickness was the cause of it; to
which the other replied, that he had sent over to Germany for more
Saxons, to revenge the death of his brother Oswald upon them both. He
told him further, that he had broken the peace of the kingdom, as being
the sole author of the war and dissension among them; since Elthelfrid,
king of Northumberland, and Ethelwald, his brotherÕs son, had been by
him harassed with a war, and driven out of their own country. He also
desired leave, either to kill him, or banish him the kingdom.
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