A.D. 757. GEÏŒAXOGr OF OFFA. 23 greater tyrant. In the second year of his reign, having per-sisted in his intolerable pride and wickedness, the nobles and the people of the whole kingdom met together, and upon mature deliberation, by the universal consent of all, king Sigebert was expelled from the kingdom. On this, Kinewulph, a virtuous young man of royal descent, was elected king. The impious Sigebert on being banished by his people, fearing the death that was the due of his wickedness, took to flight, and concealed himself in a great wood which is called Andredeswald,75 where a certain swineherd of earl Cumbra, who, as I have mentioned, had been iniquitously slain, found the king in his concealment, and recognized him when thus found, and becoming the avenger of his master, slew him when thus recognized. Behold the manifest judgments of God ! behold how, not only in a future world, but even in this, he worthily recompenses our deserts. For choosing bad kings for the merited chastisement of their subjects, one He permits to rage for long, in order that both a wicked people may long be harassed, and he, a still more wicked king, may suffer the greater torments in eternity; as, for instance, Ethelbald, the above-named king of Mercia. But another one He cuts short with a speedy end, lest his people, weighed down with excessive tyranny, may not be able to take breath, and by reason of the immoderate wickedness of the ruler, may deservedly incur the speedy retribution of the eternal vengeance ; as, for instance, this Sigebert of whom we are speaking, who in as great a degree as he proved himself wicked, was as disgracefully slain by a swineherd, and passed from one calamity to another. For which reason, to the eternal justice be praise and glory, now and for ever ! In the first year of king Kinewulph, Beornred succeeded ethelbald, king of Mercia, in the kingdom, but only for a short time. For in the same year Offa expelled him, and reigned over Mercia thirty-nine years. Offa, a most noble youth, was the son of Winfred, the son of Kanwulph, the son of Osmod, the son of Epa, the son of "Wippa, the son of Creada, the son of Kine-wald, the son of Cinbba, the son of Hycis, the son of Comer, 75 This wood is considered by Lambarde to have been in Kent, and the part which is now called the Weald of Kent. The place, however, at which Sigebert was slain is mentioned as Privet's-flood, and is supposed to be the same as Privett, in Hampshire.