[Sidenote:  CENWALCH. Henr.  Hunt. 643.] In the meane time, after that Kinigils or Cinigilsus king of the Westsaxons had reigned 31 yeares, he departed this life Anno 643, leauing his kingdome to his sonne Cenwalch or Chenwald, who held the same kingdome the tearme of 30 yeares, or 31 (as some write) in [Sidenote:  Ran.  Higd.] manner as his father had doone before him.  In the third, or (as others saie) in the fift yeare of his reigne, Penda king of Mercia made sharpe warre against him, because he had put awaie his wife the sister of the said Penda, and in this warre Chenwald was ouercome in battell, & driuen out of his countrie, so that he fled vnto Anna king of the Eastangles, with whome he remained the space of a yeare, or (as other say) three yeares, to his great good hap:  for before he was growen to be an enimie to the christian religion, but now by the wholesome admonitions and sharpe rebukes of king Anna, he became a christian, and receiued his wife againe into his companie, according to the prescript of Gods law, and (to be breefe) in all things shewed himselfe a new man, imbracing vertue, & auoiding vice, so that shortlie after (through the helpe of God) he recouered againe his kingdome.

[Sidenote:  Agilbertus a bishop.] Now when he was established in the same, there came a bishop named Agilbertus out of Ireland, a Frenchman borne (but hauing remained in Ireland a long time) to reade the scriptures.  This Agilbert comming into the prouince of the Westsaxons, was gladlie receiued of king Chenwald, at whose desire he tooke vpon him to exercise the roome of a bishop there:  but afterwards, when the said king admitted another bishop named Wini, which had beene ordeined in France, and knew the toong better than Agilbert, as he that was borne in England:  Agilbert offended, for that the king had admitted him without making him of anie counsell therein, returned into France, and there was made bishop of Paris:  within a few yeares after, the foresaid Wini was expelled also by king Chenwald, who got him into Mercia vnto king Vulfhere, of whome he bought the bishoprike of London, which he held during his life, and so the countrie of Westsaxon remained long without a bishop, till at length the said Agilbert at the request of king Chenwald sent to him Elutherius that was his nephue.

[Sidenote:  SIGIBERT.] Ye haue heard that after Carpwald, his brother Sigibert succeeded in rule of the Eastangles, a man of great vertue and woorthinesse, who whilest he remained in France as a banished man, being constrained to flee his countrie vpon displeasure that king Redwald bare him, was baptised there, and after returning into his countrie, and obteining [Sidenote:  Beda lib. 3. cap. 4] at length the kingdome, those things which he had seene well ordered in France, he studied to follow the example of the same at home, and herevpon considering with himselfe that nothing could more aduance the state of the common-wealth