▁was ▁evidently ▁important , ▁although ▁no ▁other ▁reference ▁to ▁it ▁has ▁surv ived . ▁The ▁letter ▁describes ▁a ▁council ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁at ▁Br ent ford ▁to ▁medi ate ▁between ▁the ▁k ings ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁and ▁West ▁Sax ons . ▁In ▁the ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁historian ▁Frank ▁St ent on , ▁the ▁letter ▁ill umin ates ▁the ▁" conf used ▁relations ▁of ▁the ▁southern ▁English ▁at ▁a ▁moment ▁when ▁they ▁had ▁no ▁common ▁over l ord ". ▁The ▁reduced ▁prest ige ▁of ▁both ▁Co en red ▁and ▁his ▁successor , ▁Ce ol red , ▁may ▁have ▁stir red ▁un rest ▁among ▁the ▁Mer cian ▁nob ility : ▁ Æ th el b ald ▁was ▁in ▁ex ile ▁during ▁Ce ol red ' s ▁reign , ▁and ▁the ▁surv ival ▁of ▁a ▁host ile ▁account ▁of ▁Ce ol red ▁may ▁indicate ▁a ▁more ▁general ▁diss atisf action ▁with ▁the ▁r uling ▁line . ▁ ▁Abd ic ation ▁and ▁succession ▁Co en red ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁very ▁religious ▁king . ▁B ede ▁tells ▁a ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁companion ▁of ▁Co en red ' s ▁whose ▁s ins ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁dam n ation ▁despite ▁Co en red ' s ▁ple as ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁rep ent ▁and ▁reform . ▁In ▁ 7 0 9 ▁Co en red ▁ab dic ated ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁his ▁cousin ▁Ce ol red , ▁son ▁of ▁ Æ th el red , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁mon k ▁in ▁Rome ; ▁B ede ' s ▁story