[Sidenote: The abbeie of Malmesburie.]
man, and was first made abbat of Malmesburie, in the yéere of our Lord
675 by Eleutherius then bishop of the Westsaxons, by whose diligence
that abbeie was greatlie aduanced, being afore that time founded by
one Medulfe a Scotish man, but of so small reuenues afore Aldhelms
time, that the moonks were scarse able to liue thereon. Also the same
Aldhelme was a great furtherer vnto king Inas in the building of
Glastenburie.

[Sidenote: ETHELARD. 728. _Matth. West._ saith 727.]
Ethelard, the coosen of king Inas, to whome the same Inas resigned
his kingdome, began to gouerne the Westsaxons in the yéere of our
Lord 728, or rather 27, which was in the 11 yéere of the emperor Leo
Isaurus, in the second yeere of Theodorus king of France, and about
the 8 or 9 yéere of Mordacke king of the Scots. In the first yéere
of Ethelards reigne, he was disquieted with ciuill warre, which one
Oswald a noble man, descended of the roiall bloud of the Westsaxon
kings, procured against him: but in the end, when he perceiued that
the kings power was too strong for him, he fled out of the countrie,
leauing it thereby in rest.

[Sidenote: _Matth. West._ 729. Blasing stars.]
In the yéere 729, in the moneth of Ianuarie there appeered two
comets or blasing starres, verie terrible to behold, the one rising in
the morning before the rising of the sunne, and the other after the
setting thereof: so that the one came before the breake of the day,
and the other before the closing of the night, stretching foorth their
fierie brands toward the north; and they appeered thus euerie morning
and euening for the space of a fortnight togither, menacing as it
were some great destruction or common mishap to follow. The Saracens