68 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap. embrace the Christian faith 1I4 . His sons andconjunct successors , Sexted and Seward , relapsedinto idolatry, and were soon after slain in a battleagainst the West-Saxons. To shew the rudemanner of living in that age, Bede tells usthat these two kings expressed great desire toeat the white bread, distributed by Meliytus,the bishop, at the communion I “. But on hisrefusing them, unless they would submit to bebaptized, they expelled him their dominions.The names of the other princes, who reignedsuccessively in Essex, are Sigebert the little, Sige-bert the good, who restored Christianity, Swith-elm , Sigheri , Ossa. This last prince, havingmade a vow of chastity, notwithstanding hismarriage with Keneswitha, a IVlercian princess,daughter to Ben da, went in Bilgrimage to Rome ,and flint himself up during the rest of his life ina cloyster. Sclred, his successor, reigned thirty-eight years; and was the last of the royal line :The failure of which threw the kingdom into/ great confusion , and reduced it to dependenceunder Mcrcia “ 7 . Switherd first acquired thecrown , by the concession of the. Mercian princes ;and his death made way for Sigeric, who endedbis life in a pilgrimage to Rome. His successor.

114 Chron. Sax. p. 24.

Lib. 2. cap. 5.

116 II. Hunting, lib. 3. Brompton, p. 738. 743. BHe.lUalmes, lib. 1. cap. 6.

117