The preface to the deeds of the kings and sub-kings of England begins.

When the rule of the Britons had ended, the kingdom of Britain passed to the English. Invited in by Vortigern, king of the Britons, because of the invasion by the Picts and the Scots, they did indeed at first liberate the country from their attacks. But they discovered the weakness of the Britons and soon, attracted by the abundant fertility of the country, they allied themselves with those against whom they had been fighting and turned their weapons upon the very Britons who had summoned them. After inflicting many grave defeats on the Britons, finally the English brought Gormundus, king of the Africans, over from Ireland, which he had conquered in war. With his help they drove the Britons and their king Kareticus out of Northumbria and central England into Wales and confined them to that area. Thenceforward, the English, claiming the kingdom of Britain for themselves, began to have their own kings, drawn from among their own people and instead of one kingdom of Britain, they established seven.

The first kingdom was Kent, in which Canterbury is situated. This was established eight years after the coming of the English. The first to rule there was Hengest and, after him, his son Oeric, known as Oisc, which is why the kings of the Kentish are called Oiscingas. Then followed his son Octa and, after him, his son Eeormenric, the father of Æthelberht, who was the first to be converted to Christ, by the teaching of St Augustine.

Secundum est Sudhsexa, in quo sita est Cicestria, quod incepit post mortem Hengisti .xxx. fere anno aduentus Anglorum in Britanniam, in quo primus regnauit Ælle potentissimus.

Tertium est Westsexea, in qua sitae sunt Wiltonia, Wincestria, Serebiria, quod incepit anno aduentus eorum in Britanniam .lxxi. anno ab incarnatione Domini quingentesimo nono .x. imperante Iustino seniore. In quo primus regnauit Cerdic, et post eum filius suus Kenric, et progenies eorum usque ad tempora Normannorum. Quorum regnum cetera omnia sibi processu temporum subiugauit, et monarchium totius Britanniae obtinuit.

Quartum est Estsexe, in quo primus regnauit Æswyne, et post eum Sledda filius suus.

Quintum est regnum Estangliae, quod continet Nordfolc et Sudhfolc, in qua sita est Nordwic.

.vi. est Merciae, in qua est Lincolnia, Leircestria, et aliae quamplures, ubi primus regnauit Peanda.

.vii. est Northumbriae, in quo est Eboracum.