[Sidenote:  Bishop Winfrid deposed.] Winfrid bishop of the Mercies, for his disobedience in some point [Sidenote:  Sexvulfe ordeined bishop of the Mercies. 685, as Matth.  Westm. saith, Bishop Erkenwald.] was depriued by archbishop Theodore, and one Sexvulfe that was the builder and also the abbat of the monasterie Meidhamsted, otherwise called Peterborough, was ordeined and consecrated in his place.  About the same time, Erkenwald was ordeined bishop of the Eastsaxons, and appointed to hold his see in the citie of London.  This Erkenwald was reputed to be a man of great holinesse and vertue.  Before he was made bishop, he builded two abbeies, the one of moonks at Chertsey in Southerie, where he himselfe was abbat, and the other of nuns at [Sidenote:  Ethelburga.] Berking, within the prouince of the Eastsaxons, where he placed his sister Ethelburga, a woman also highlie esteemed for hir [Sidenote:  Iohn Capgraue.] deuout kind of life.  She was first brought vp and instructed in the rules of hir profession by one Hildelitha a nun of the parties beyond the seas, whome Erkenwald procured to come ouer for that purpose.

[Sidenote:  Waldhere.  Sebbie king of Eastsaxons. Beda. lib. 4. cap. 16.] After Erkenwald, one Waldhere was made bishop of London, in whose daies Sebbie king of the Eastsaxons, after he had reigned thirtie yeeres, being now vexed with a greeuous sicknesse, professed himselfe a moonke:  which thing he would haue doone long before, if his wife had not kept him backe.  He died shortlie after within the citie of London, [Sidenote:  Wil.  Malm.] and was buried in the church of saint Paule.  King Sighere, which in the beginning reigned with him, and gouerned a part of the Eastsaxons, was departed this life before, so that in his latter time, the foresaid Sebbie had the gouernment of the whole prouince of the [Sidenote:  675.] Eastsaxons, and left the same to his sonnes Sighard and Sewfred.  About the yeere of our Lord 675, Vulfhere king of Mercia departed this life, after he had reigned (as some say) 19 yeeres, but (as other affirme) he reigned but 17 yeeres.  Howbeit they which reckon 19, include the time that passed after the slaughter of Penda, wherein Oswie and Peada held the aforesaid kingdome.

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Edilred king of Mercia inuadeth the kingdome of Kent, and maketh great waste without resistance of Lothaire the king thereof, Putta of a bishop becommeth a poore curat and teacheth musicke, Wilfred deposed from his bishoprike by king Egfrid vpon displeasure, he preacheth the gospell in Sussex by the licence of king Edilwalke, no raine in Sussex for the space of three yeeres, the woord and sacraments bring blessings with them; bishop Wilfrid the first teacher to catch fish with nets, the people haue him in great reuerence, a great and bloudie battell betweene Egfrid & king Edilred, they are reconciled by the meanes of archbishop Theodore; a synod holden at Hatfield, the clergie subscribe to certeine articles, of Hilda the famous abbesse of Whitbie.