BISHOPS. 539
in the see of Lichfield, and gave a portion of his dio- cese for the foundation of an episcopal see at Here- ford; and king Ecgbert having conquered Wulfheri king of Mercia in 675, subjected the province of Lin- disse, then a part of the see of Lichfield, to his rule, and annexed it to the diocese of Wilfrith, bishop of the Northumbrians, who ordained Eathhed as bishop of Lindisse in 679, and appointed Sidnacester as his see. Eathhed was expelled in the same year by Aethilred of Mercia, who restored the province of Lindisse to the see of Lichfield ; though only for a short time, for before a year had elapsed after its restoration, archbishop Theodore, at a synod assem- bled at Haethfield 17th Sept. 680, brought forward the decree of the council of Hertford for augmenting the number of bishops in Mercia ; and^ with the consent of king Aethilred, divided the diocese of Lichfield into four sees^^^ and placed them at Lich- field, Leicester, Lindisse^, and Worcester. The choice of these sees was given to Seaxwulf ; he pre- ferred Lichfield, because it was the place to which he had been originally ordained, and moreover had a more extensive jurisdiction; Cuthwine was placed at Leicester 1^, Ethelwine at Lindisse, and Tetfrith at Worcester. Seaxwulf died about the year 69 1^ 9, and
��1^ Tempore Ethelredi Regis apud Lichfeldiam, quarta in
Merciorum et Sexwlfi Episcopa- Lindeseia apud Sideneiam, quin-
tus Lichfeldensis in quinque pa- ta apud Dorcestriam. Ran. Ci-
rocliias dividebatur, \az. Here- cast. lil). v. c. 19. Sed Pucta
fordensenijWigorniensem, Lich- mansit apud Hereford, quondam
feldensem, Legecestrensem, et institutus per Sexwlfum.
Lindisiensem. (Vit. Sexwlfi.) 17 Sometimes called Sidnaces-
Anno 680. Theodoras archiepi- ter, sometimes Dorchester, and
Scopus coegit concilium episco- sometimes Lindisse.
porum apud Hatfeld. Quo in I8 Cuthvvine did not continue
tempore provincia Merciorum, long at Leicester ; and Seaxwulf
quam solus Sexwlfus tunc rege- administered to that diocese
bat, divisa est in quinque paro- during the remainder of his life,
chias ; una apud Legecestriam, 19 Angl. Sac. pars i. p. 427,
alia apud Wigomiam, tertia note (h).
3 Z 2
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