Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066; Middle Ages -- Sources
After this all the princes of the Britons met together at the city of
Legecester, and consented to make Cadwan their king, that under his
command they might pursue Ethelfrid beyond the Humber. Accordingly, as
soon as he was crowned, they flocked together from all parts, and passed
the Humber; of which when Ethelfrid received intelligence, he entered
into a confederacy with all the Saxon kings, and went to meet Cadwan. At
last, as they were forming their troops for a battle, their friends
came, and made peace between them on these terms: that Cadwan should
enjoy that part of Britain which lies on this side of the Humber, and
Ethelfrid that which is beyond it. As soon as they had confirmed this
agreement with an oath made to their hostages, there commenced such a
friendship between them, that they had all things common. In the
meantime it happened, that Ethelfrid banished his own wife and married
another, and bore so great a hatred to her that was banished, that he
would not suffer her to live in the kingdom of Northumberland. Whereupon
she, being with child, went to king Cadwan, that by his mediation she
might be restored to her husband. But when Ethelfrid could by no means
be brought to consent to it, she continued to live with Cadwan, till she
was delivered of the son which she had conceived. A short time after her
delivery, Cadwan also had a son born to him by the queen, his wife. Then
were the two boys brought up together in a manner suitable to their
royal birth, one of which was called Cadwalla, the other Edwin. When
they were nearly arrived at men's estate, their parents sent them to
Salomon, king of the Armorican Britons, that in his court they might
learn the discipline of war, and other princely qualifications. This
prince, therefore, received them graciously, and admitted them to an
intimacy with him; so that there was none of their age in the whole
court, that had a free access, or more familiarly discoursed with the
king than they. At last he himself was an eye-witness of their exploits
against the enemy, in which they very much signalized their valour.
CHAP. II.--_Cadwalla breaks the covenant he had made with Edwin._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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