[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
When Cuthred K. of Kent had reigned 8 yeeres, as before is
mentioned, he was constreined to giue place vnto one Baldred, that
tooke vpon him the gouernment, & reigned the space of 18 yéeres,
without anie great authoritie, for his subiects regarded him but
sorilie, so that in the end, when his countrie was inuaded by the
Westsaxons, he was easilie constreined to depart into exile. And thus
was the kingdome of Kent annexed to the kingdome of the Westsaxons,
after the same kingdome had continued in gouernment of kings created
of the same nation for the space of 382 yéers, that is to say, from
the yéere of our Lord 464, vnto the yéere 827. Suithred or Suthred
[Sidenote: The end of the kingdome of Kent. 827.]
king of Essex was vanquished and expelled out of his kingdome by
Egbert king of Westsaxons (as before ye maie read) in the same yéere
that the Kentishmen were subdued by the said Egbert, or else verie
[Sidenote: The end of the kingdome of Essex.]
shortlie after. This kingdome continued 281 yeeres, from the yéere
614, vnto the yeere 795, as by the table of the Heptarchie set foorth
by Alexander Neuill appéereth. After the deceasse of Kenwulfe king
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._ 821]
of Mercia, his sonne Kenelme a child of the age of seuen yéeres was
admitted king, about the yeere of our Lord 821. He had two sisters,
Quendred and Burgenild, of the which the one (that is to say)
[Sidenote: The wickedness of Quendred.]
Quendred, of a malicious mind, mooued through ambition, enuied hir
brothers aduancement, and sought to make him awaie, so that in the
end she corrupted the gouernour of his person one Ashbert, with great
rewards and high promises persuading him to dispatch hir innocent
brother out of life, that she might reigne in his place. Ashbert one