Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

CHAP. XII. How Haedde succeeded Leutherius in the bishopric of the West Saxons; how
Cuichelm succeeded Putta in the bishopric of the church of Rochester, and was himself
succeeded by Gebmund; and who were then bishops of the Northumbrians. [673-681 A. D.]
LEUTHERIUS was the fourth bishop of the West Saxons; for Birinus was the first, Agilbert
the second, and Wini the third. When Coinwalch,in whose reign the said Leutherius was made
bishop, died, the sub-kings took upon them the government of the nation, and dividing it among
themselves, held it for about ten years; and during their rule he died, and Haedde succeeded him
in the bishopric, having been consecrated by Theodore, in the city of London. During his episcopate,
Caedwalla, having subdued and removed the sub-kings, took upon himself the supreme authority.
When he had held it for two years, and whilst the same bishop still governed the church, at length
impelled by love of the heavenly kingdom, he quitted it and, going away to Rome, ended his days
there, as shall be said more fully hereafter.
In the year of our Lord 676, when Ethelred, king of the Mercians,ravaged Kent with a hostile
army, and profaned churches and monasteries, without regard to pity, or the fear of God, in the
general destruction he laid waste the city of Rochester; Putta,who was bishop, was absent at that
time, but when he understood that his church was ravaged, and everything taken away from it, he
went to Sexwulf, bishop of the Mercians and having received of him a certain church, and a small
piece of land, ended his days there in peace; in no way endeavouring to restore his bishopric, for,
as has keen said above, he was more industrious in ecclesiastical than in worldly affairs; serving
God only in that church, and going wherever he was desired, to teach Church music. Theodore
consecrated Cuichelm bishop of Rochester in his stead; but he, not long after, departing from his
122
The Venerable Bede
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

---

bishopric for want of necessaries, and withdrawing to other parts, Gebmund was put in his place
by Theodore.
In the year of our Lord 678, which is the eighth of the reign of Egfrid, in the month of August,
appeared a star, called a comet, which continued for three months, rising in the morning, and sending
forth, as it were, a tall pillar of radiant flame. The same year a dissension broke out between King
Egfrid and the most reverend prelate, Wilfrid, who was driven from his see, and two bishops
substituted for him, to preside over the nation of the Northumbrians,namely, Bosa,to govern the
province of the Deiri; and Eata that of the Bernicians;. the former having his episcopal see in the
city of York, the latter either in the church of Hagustald, or of Lindisfame; both of them promoted
to the episcopal dignity from a community of monks. With them also Eadhaed was ordained bishop
for the province of Lindsey, which King Egfrid had but newly acquired, having defeated Wulfhere
and put him to flight;and this was the first bishop of its own which that province had; the second
was Ethelwin ; the third Edgar; the fourth Cynibert, who is there at present. Before Eadhaed, Sexwulf
was bishop as well of that province as of the Mercians and Midland Angles; so that, when expelled
from Lindsey, he continued in the government of those provinces. Eadhaed, Bosa, and Eata, were
ordained at York by archbishop Theodore; who also, three years after the departure of Wilfrid,
added two bishops to their number: Tunbert, appointed to the church of Hagustald, Eata still
continuing in that of Lindisfarne; and Trumwine to the province of the Picts, which at that time
was subject to English rule. Eadhaed returning from Lindsey, because Ethelred had recovered that
province, was placed by Theodore over the church of Ripon.