[Sidenote: CADWALLADER.] But now to returne vnto that which is found in the British histories, by the tenor wherof it should appeare, that when their king Cadwallo was dead, his son Cadwallader succeeded him in gouernement [Sidenote: 676 saith Matth. West.] of the Britains, in the yeere of our Lord 678, which was about the 10 yeere of the emperour Constantius Paganotus, and in the 13 yeere of [Sidenote: Galfrid.] the reigne of Childericus king of France. This Cadwallader, being the sonne of Cadwallo, was begot by him of the halfe sister of Penda king of Mercia, for one father begot them both, but of two sundrie mothers, for she had to mother a ladie descended of the noble blood of the Westsaxons, and was maried vnto Cadwallo when the peace was made betwixt him and hir brother the said Penda. After that Cadwallader had reigned the space of 12 yeers (as Geffrey of Monmouth saith) or (as others write) but 3 yeeres, the Britains were brought into such miserie through ciuill discord, and also by such great and extreme [Sidenote: Cadwallader constreined to forsake the land.] famine as then reigned through all the land, that Cadwallader was constreined with the cheefest part of his people to forsake their natiue countrie, and by sea to get them ouer into Britaine Armorike, there to seeke reliefe by vittels for the sustentation of their languishing bodies.
¶ Long processe is made by the British writers of this departure of Cadwallader, & of the Britains out of this land, and how Cadwallader was about to haue returned againe, but that he was admonished by a dreame to the contrarie, the which bicause it seemeth but fabulous, we passe ouer. At length he went to Rome, and there was confirmed in the christian religion by pope Sergius, where shortlie after he fell sicke, and died the 12 kalends of May, in the yeere of our Lord [Sidenote: 689.] 689. But herein appeareth the error of the British writers in taking one for another, by reason of resemblance of names, for where Ceadwalla king of the Westsaxons about that time mooued of a religious deuotion, after he was conuerted to the faith, went vnto Rome, and was there baptised, or else confirmed of the foresaid pope Sergius, and shortlie after departed this life in that citie in the foresaid yeere of 689 or therabouts. The Welshmen count him to be their Cadwallader: which to be true is verie vnlike by that which may be gathered out of the learned writings of diuers good and approoued authors.
[Sidenote: CEADWALLA. Wil. Malm. Beda.] This Ceadwalla king of the Westsaxons succeeded after Centwine or Centiuinus, which Centwine reigned nine yeeres, though it should appeare by that which is written by authors of good credit, that during two of those yeeres at the least, the kingdome of Westsaxons was diuided betwixt him and Elcuinus or Escuinus, so that he should not reigne past seuen yeeres alone.


