Danes vpon the sea they sweare to him that they will depart out of his kingdome they breake the truce which was made betwixt him and them he giueth them battell and besides a great discomfiture killeth manie of their capteines the Danes and English fight neere Abington the victorie vncerteine seuen foughten fieldes betwixt them in one yeare the Danes soiourne at London The xiij Chapter AFter the decease of king Ethelred his brother Alured or Alfred succéeded him and began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons and other the more part of the people of England in the yeare of our Lord 872 which was in the 19 yeare of the emperour Lewes the second and 32 yeare of the reigne of Charles the bald king of France and about the eleuenth yeare of Constantine the second king of Scotland Although this Alured was consecrated king in his fathers life time by pope Leo as before ye haue heard yet was he not admitted king at home till after the decease of his thrée elder brethren for he being the yoongest was kept backe from the gouernement though he were for his wisdome and policie most highlie estéemed and had in all honour In the beginning of his reigne he was wrapped in manie great troubles and miseries speciallie by the persecution of the Danes which made sore and greeuous wars in sundrie parts of this land destroieng the same in most cruell wise About a moneth after he was made king he gaue battell to the Danes of Wilton hauing with him no great number of people so that although in the beginning the Danes that day were put to the woorse yet in the end they obteined the victorie Shortlie after a truce was taken betwixt the Danes and the Westsaxons And the Danes that had lien at Reading remoued from thence vnto London where they lay all the winter season In the second yeare of Alured his reigne the Danish king Halden led the same armie from London into Lindseie and there lodged all that winter at Torkseie In the yeare following the same Halden inuaded Mercia and wintered at Ripindon There were come to him thrée other leaders of Danes which our writers name to be kings Godrun Esketell Ammond so that their power was greatlie increased Burthred king of Mercia which had gouerned that countrie by the space of 22 yéeres was not able to withstand the puissance of those enimies wherevpon he was constreined to auoid the countrie and went to Rome where he departed this life and was buried in the church of our ladie néere to the English schoole In the fourth yeare of king Alured the armie of the Danes diuided it selfe into two parts so that king Halden with one part thereof went into Northumberland and lay in the winter season néere to the riuer of Tine where hee diuided the countrie amongest his men and remained there for the space of two yeares and oftentimes fetched thither booties and preies out of the countrie of the Picts The other part of the Danish armie with the thrée foresaid kings or leaders came vnto Cambridge and remained there a whole yeare In the same yeare king Alured fought by sea with 7 ships of Danes tooke one of them chased the residue In the yeare next insuing the Danes came into the countrie of the Westsaxons and king Alured tooke truce with them againe and they sware to him which they had not vsed to doo to anie afore that time that they would depart the countrie Their armie by sea sailing from Warham toward Excester susteined great losse by tempest for there perished 120 ships at Swanewicke Moreouer the armie of the Danes by land went to Excester in breach of the truce and king Alured followed them but could not ouertake them till they came to Excester and there he approched them in such wise that they were glad to deliuer pledges for performance of such couenants as were accorded betwixt him and them And so then they departed out of the countrie and drew into Mercia But shortlie after when they had the whole gouernment of the land from Thames northward they thought it not good to suffer king Alured to continue in rest with the residue of the countries beyond Thames And therefore the thrée foresaid rulers of Danes Godrun Esketell and Ammond inuading the countrie of Westsaxons came to Chipnam distant 17 miles from Bristow there pitched their tents King Alured aduertised hereof hasted thither and lodging with his armie néere to the enimies prouoked them to battell The Danes perceiuing that either they must fight for their liues or die with shame boldlie came foorth and gaue battell The Englishmen rashlie incountered with them and though they were ouermatched in number yet with such violence they gaue the onset that the enimies at the first were abashed at their hardie assaults But when as it was perceiued that their slender ranks were not able to resist the thicke leghers of the enimies they began to shrinke looke backe one vpon an other and so of force were constreined to retire and therewithall did cast themselues into a ring which though it séemed to be the best way that could be deuised for their safetie yet by the great force and number of their enimies on each side assailing them they were so thronged togither on heaps that they had no roome to stir their weapons Which disaduantage notwithstanding they â—lue a great number of the Danes and amongest other Hubba the brother of Agner with manie other of the Danish capteins At length the Englishmen hauing valiantlie foughten a long time with the enimies which had compassed them about at last brake out and got them to their campe To be briefe this battell was foughten with so equall fortune that no man knew to whether part the victorie ought to be ascribed But after they were once seuered they tooke care to cure their hurt men and to burie the dead bodies namelie the Danes interred the bodie of their capteine Hubba with great funerall pompe and solemnitie which doone they held out their iournie till they came to Abington whither the English armie shortlie after came also and incamped fast by the enimies In this meane while the rumor was spread abroad that king Alured had béene discomfited by the Danes bicause that in the last battell he withdrew to his campe This turned greatlie to his aduantage for thereby a great number of Englishmen hasted to come to his succour On the morrow after his comming to Abington he brought his armie readie to fight into the field neither were the enimies slacke on their parts to receiue the battell and so the two armies ioined and fought verie sore on both sides so that it séemed by Englishmen had not to doo with those Danes which had béene diuerse times before discomfited and put to flight but rather with some new people fresh and lustie But neither
the one part nor the other was minded to giue ouer in so much that the horssemen alighting on foot and putting their horsses from them entered the battell amongst the footmen and thus they continued with equall aduantage till night came on which parted the affraie being one of the sorest foughten fields that had beene heard of in those daies To whether partie a man might iustlie attribute the victorie it was vtterlie vncerteine with so like losse gaine the matter was tried ended betwixt them With the semblable chance of danger and glorie seuen times that yéere did the English and Danes incounter in batell as writers haue recorded At length when their powers on both parts were sore diminished they agreed vpon a peace with these conditions that the Danes should not attempt anie further warre against the Englishmen nor bring into this land anie new supplie of souldiers out of Denmarke But this peace by those peacemakers was violated and broken in so much as they ment nothing lesse than to fall from the conceiued hope which they had of bearing rule in this land and of inriching themselues with the goods possessions rents and reuenues of the inhabitants The same yéere the Danes soiorned in the winter season at London according as they had doone often times before Rollo a noble man of Denmarke with a fresh power entreth England and beginneth to waste it king Alured giueth him batell Rollo saileth ouer into France who first inhabited Normandie and whereof it tooke that name the Danes breake the peace which was made betwixt them and Alured he is driuen to his shifts by their inuasions into his kingdome a vision appeereth to him and his mother king Alured disguising himselfe like a minstrell entereth the Danish campe marketh their behauiour vnsuspected assalteth them on the sudden with a fresh power and killeth manie of them at aduantage the Deuonshire men giue the Danes battell vnder the conduct of Haldens brother and are discomfited Alured fighteth with them at Edanton they giue him hostages Gurthrun their king is baptised and named Adel stan a league concluded betwixt both the kings the bounds of Alureds kingdome The xiiij Chapter ABout the same time or shortlie after there came into England one Rollo a noble man of Denmarke or Norway with a great armie and notwithstanding the peace concluded betweene the Englishmen and the Danes began to waste and destroy the countrie King Alured hearing these newes with all spéed thought best in the beginning to stop such a common mischiefe and immediatlie assembling his people went against the enimies and gaue them battell in the which there died a great number of men on both sides but the greater losse fell to Rollo his armie Yet Matthew Westmin saith that the Englishmen were put to flight After this it chanced that Rollo being warned in a dreame left England sailed ouer into France where he found fortune so fauourable to him that he obteined in that region for him and his people a countrie the which was afterwards named Normandie of those northerne people which then began to inhabit the same as in the histories of France you maie sée more at large The Danes which had concluded peace with king Alured as before you haue heard shortlie after vpon the first occasion brake the same and by often inuasions which they made into the countrie of Westsaxons brought the matter to that passe that there remained to king Alured but onelie the three countries of Hamshire Wiltshire Summersetshire in so much that he was constreined for a time to kéepe himselfe close within the fennes and maresh grounds of Summersetshire with such small companies as he had about him constreined to get their liuing with fishing hunting and other such shifts He remained for the most part within an I le called Edlingsey that is to say the Iland of noble men enuironed about with fennes and mareshes Whiles he was thus shut vp within this Iland he was by dreame aduertised of better hap shortlie to follow for as it hath béene said saint Cuthbert appéered to him as he laie in sléepe and comforted him declaring to him that within a while fortune should so turne that he should recouer againe his kingdome to the confusion of his enimies And to assure him that this should prooue true he told him that his men which were gone abroad to catch fish should bring home great plentie although the season was against them by reason that the waters were frosen and that a cold rime fell that morning to the hinderance of their purpose His mother also at that time being in sleepe saw the like vision And as they had dreamed so it came to passe for being awakened out of their sleepe in â—ame his men with so great foison of fish that the same might haue sufficed a great armie of men for the vittelling of them at that season Shortlie after king Alured tooke vpon him the habit of a minstrell and going foorth of his closure repaired to the campe of the Danish king onelie accompanied with one trustie seruant and tarrieng there certeine daies togither was suffered to go into euerie part and plaie on his instrument as well afore the king as others so that there was no secret but that he vnderstood it Now when he had séene and learned the demeanour of his enimies he returned againe to his people at Edlingsey and there declared to his nobles what he had séene and heard what negligence was amongst the enimies and how easie a matter it should be for him to indamage them Wherevpon they conceiuing a maruellous good hope and imboldened with his words a power was assembled togither and spies sent foorth to learne and bring woord where the Danes lodged which being doone and certificat made accordinglie king Alured comming vpon them on the sudden slue of them a great number hauing them at great aduantage About the same time the brother of king Halden came with thirtie and three ships out of Wales into the countrie of Westsaxons on the coast of Deuonshire where the Deuonshire men gaue him battell and slue him with 840 persons of his retinue Other write that Halden himselfe was present at this conflict with Inguare otherwise called Hungar and that they were both slaine there with twelue hundred of their companie before a certeine castell called Kinwith receiuing as they had deserued for their cruell dealing latelie by them practised in the parties of Southwales where they had wasted all afore them with fire and swoord not sparing abbeies more than other common buildings King Alured being with that good lucke the more comforted builded a fortresse in the I le of Edlingsey afterwards called Athelney and breaking out oftentimes vpon the enimies distressed them at sundrie times with the aid of the Summersetshire men which were at hand About the seuenth wéeke after Easter in the seuenth yéere
friuolous and wholie impertinent to our purpose onelie this I read that through declaring of his dreames and visions he obteined in the time of king Edgar first the bishoprike of Worcester after the London last of all the archbishoprike of Canturburie But leauing Dunstane and the fond deuises depending vpon the commemoration of his life we will now returne to the dooings of Egelred and speake of such things in the next chapter as chanced in his time The Danes inuade England on each side they are vanquished by the English Goda earle of Deuonshire slaine the Danes in a battell fought at Maldon kill Brightnod earle of Essex and the most of this armie ten thousand pounds paid to them by composition that they should not trouble the English subiects they cease their crueltie for a time but within a while after fall to their bloudie bias the English people despaire to resist them Egelred addresseth a nauie against the Danes vnder the erles Alfrike and Turold Alfrike traitorouslie taketh part with the Danes his ship and souldiers are taken his sonne Algar is punished for his fathers offense the Danes make great wast in many parts of this Iland they besiege London and are repelled with dishonor they driue king Egelred to buy peace of them for 16000 pounds Aulafe king of Norwey is honorablie interteined of Egelred to whome he promiseth at his baptisme neuer to make warre against England the great zeale of people in setting forward the building of Durham towne and the minster The second Chapter SHortlie after the decease of Dunstane the Danes inuaded this realme on each side wasting and spoiling the countrie in most miserable wise They arriued in so manie places at once that the Englishmen could not well deuise whither to go to encounter first with them Some of them spoiled a place or towne called Wichport and from thence passing further into the countrie were met with by the Englishmen who giuing them battell lost their capteine Goda but yet they got the victorie and beat the Danes out of the field and so that part of the Denish armie was brought to confusion Simon Dunel saith that the Englishmen in déed wan the field here but not without great losse For besides Goda who by report of the same author was Earle of Deuonshire there died an other valiant man of warre named Strenwold In the yeere 991 Brightnod earle of Essex at Maldon gaue battell to an armie of Danes which vnder their leaders Iustine and Guthmond had spoiled Gipswich and was there ouercome and slaine with the most part of his people and so the Danes obteined in that place the victorie In the same yéere and in the 13 yeere of king Egelreds reigne when the land was on each side sore afflicted wasted and haried by the Danes which couered the same as they had béene grashoppers by the aduise of the archbishop of Canturburie Siricius which was the second of that séee after Dunstane a composition was taken with the Danes so that for the sum of ten thousand pounds to be paied to them by the king they should couenant not to trouble his subiects anie further This monie was called Denegilt or Dane monie and was leuied of the people Although other take that to be Danegilt which was giuen vnto such Danes as king Egelred afterwards reteined in his seruice to defend the land frm other Danes and enimies that sought to inuade his dominions But by what name so euer this monie which the Danes now receiued was called true it is that herevpon they ceassed from their most cruell inuasions for a time But shortlie after they had resfreshed themselues and recouered new strength they began to play their old parts againe dooing the like mischéefe by their semblable inuasions as they had vsed before By reason hereof such feare came vpon the English people that they despaired to be able to resist the enimies The king yet caused a nauie to be set foorth at London whereof he appointed earle Alfrike whome before he had banished to be high admerall ioining with him earle Turold This nauie did set forward from London toward the enimies who hauing warning giuen them from Alfrike escaped away without hurt Shortly after a greater nauie of the Danes came and incountered with the kings fléet so that a great number of the Londoners were slaine and all the kings ships taken for Alfrike like a traitor turned to the Danes side ¶ Matt. West maketh other report of this matter declaring that Alfrike in déed being one of the chiefe capteins of the fléet aduertised them by forewarning of the danger that was toward them and that when they should come to ioining the same Alfrike like a traitor fled to the Danes and after vpon necessitie being put to â—light escaped away with them but the other capteins of the kings fléet as Theodred Elstan and Escwen pursued the Danes tooke one of their ships and slue all those that were found therein The Londoners also as the same Matt. West saith met with the nauie of the Danish rouers as they fled away and slue a great number and also tooke the ship of the traitor Alfrike with his souldiers armor but he himselfe escaped though with much paine hauing plaied the like traitorous part once before and yet was reconciled to the kings fauor againe Upon this mischiefe wrought by the father the king now tooke his sonne Algar and caused his eies to be put out About the same time was Bambrough destroied by the Danes which arriued after in Humber and wasted the countrie of Lindsey and Yorkeshire on either side that riuer And when the Englishmen were assembled to giue them battell before they ioined the capteines of the English armie Frena Godwin and Fredegist that were Danes by their fathers side began to flie away and escaped so giuing the occasion of the ouerthrow that lighted on their people But by some writers it should appéere that after the Danes had destroied all the north parts as they spred abroad without order and good arraie the people of the countrie fell vpon them and slue some of them and chased the residue Other of the Danes with a nauie of 94 ships entered the Thames and besieged London about our ladie daie in September They gaue a verie sore assault to the citie and assaied to set it on fire but the citizens so valiantlie defended themselues that the Danes were beaten backe and repelled greatlie to their losse so that they were constreined to depart thence with dishonor Then they fell to and wasted the countries of Essex Kent Sussex and Hamshire and ceassed not till they had inforced the king to compound with them for 16 thousand pounds which he was glad to pay to haue peace with them Moreouer whereas they wintered that yéere at Southampton the king procured Aulafe king of the Norwegians to come vnto Andeuer where at
Moreouer fortie of their ships or rather as some write 45 were reteined to serue the king promising to defend the realme with condition that the souldiers and mariners should haue prouision of meate and drinke with apparell found them at the kings charges As one autor hath gathered Swaine king of Denmarke was in England at the concluding of this peace which being confirmed with solemne othes and sufficient hostages he departed into Denmarke The same author bringeth the generall slaughter of Danes vpon S. Brices day to haue chanced in the yéere after the conclusion of this agréement that is to say in the yéere 1012 at what time Gunthildis the sister of king Swaine was slaine with hir husband hir sonne by the commandement of the false traitor Edrike But bicause all other authors agrée that the same murther of Danes was executed about ten yéeres before this supposed time we haue made rehearsall thereof in that place Howbeit for the death of Gunthildis it maie be that she became hostage either in the yéere 1007 at what time king Egelred paied thirtie thousand pounds vnto king Swaine to haue peace as before you haue heard or else might she be deliuered in hostage in the yéere 1011 when the last agréement was made with the Danes as aboue is mentioned But when or at what time soeuer she became hostage this we find of hir that she came hither into England with hir husband Palingus a mightie earle and receiued baptisme héere Wherevpon she earnestlie trauelled in treatie of a peace betwixt hir brother and king Egelred which being brought to passe chieflie by hir sute she was contented to become an hostage for performance thereof as before is recited And after by the commandement of earle Edrike she was put to death pronouncing that the shedding of hir bloud would cause all England one day sore to rue She was a verie beautifull ladie and tooke hir death without all feare not once changing countenance though she saw hir husband and hir onelie sonne a yoong gentleman of much towardnesse first murthered before hir face Turkillus the Danish capteine telleth king Swaine the faults of the king nobles commons of this realme he inuadeth England the Northumbers and others submit themselues to him Danes receiued into seruice vnder Egelred London assalted by Swaine the citizens behaue themselues stoutlie and giue the Danish host a shamefull repulse Ethelmere earle of Deuonshire and his people submit themselues to Swaine he returneth into Denmarke commeth back againe into England with a fresh power is incountred withall of the Englishmen whose king Egelred is discomfited his oration to his souldiers touching the present reliefe of their distressed land their resolution and full purpose in this their perplexitie king Egrlred is minded to giue place to Swaine lie sendeth his wife and children ouer into Normandie the Londoners yeeld vp their state to Swaine Egelred saileth ouer into Normandie leauing his land to the enimie The sixt Chapter NOw had Turkillus in the meane time aduertised king Swaine in what state things stood here within the realme how king Egelred was negligent onlie attending to the lusts pleasures of the flesh how the noble men were vnfaithfull and the commons weake and féeble through want to good and trustie leaders Howbeit some write that Turkillus as well as other of the Danes which remained héere in England was in league with king Egelred in somuch that he was with him in London to helpe and defend the citie against Swaine when he came to assalt it as after shall appéere Which if it be true a doubt may rise whether Swaine receiued anie aduertisement from Turkillus to mooue him to rather to inuade the realme but such aduertisements might come from him before that he was accorded with Egelred Swaine therefore as a valiant prince desirous both to reuenge his sisters death and win honor prepared an huge armie and a great number of ships with the which he made towards England and first comming to Sandwich taried there a small while and taking eftsoones the sea compassed about the coasts of the Eastangles and arriuing in the mouth of Humber sailed vp the water and entering into the riuer of Trent he landed at Gainesbourgh purposing to inuade the Northumbers But as men brought into great feare for that they had béene subiect to the Danes in times past and thinking therefore not to reuolt to the enimie but rather to their old acquaintance if they should submit themselues to the Danes streightwaies offered to become subiect vnto Swaine togither with their duke named Wighthred Also the people of Lindsey and all those of the northside of Watlingstreet yéelded themselues vnto him and deliuered pledges Then he appointed his sonne Cnutus to haue the kéeping of those pledges and to remaine vpon the saâ—egard of his ships whiles he himselfe passed forward into the countrie Then marched he forward to subdue them of south Mercia and so came to Oxford to Winchester making the countries subiect to him through out wheresoeuer he came With this prosperous successe Swaine being greatlie incouraged prepared to go vnto London where king Egelred as then remained hauing with him Turkillus the Dane which was reteined in wages with other of the Danes as by report of some authors it maie appeare and were now readie to defend the citie against their countriemen in support of king Egelred togither with the citizens Swaine bicause he would not step so farre out of the way as to go to the next bridge lost a great number of his men as he passed through the Thames At his comming to London he bagan to assault the citie verie fiercelie in hope either to put his enimie in such feare that he should despaire of all reliefe and comfort or at the least trie what he was able to doo The Londoners on the other part although they were brought in some feare by this sudden attempt of the enimies yet considering with themselues that the hazard of all the whole state of the realme was annexed to theirs sith their citie was the chiefe and metropolitane of all the kingdome they valiantlie stood in defense of themselues and of their king that was present there with them beating backe the enimies chasing them from the walles and otherwise dooing their best to kéepe them off At length although the Danes did most valiantlie assault the citie yet the Englishmen to defend their prince from all iniurie of enimies did not shrinke but boldlie sallied foorth at the gates in heapes togither and incountered with their aduersaries and began to fight with them verie fiercelie Swaine whilest he went about to kéepe his men in order as one most desirous to reteine the victorie now almost gotten was compassed so about with the Londoners on each side that after he had lost a great number of his men he was constreined for his safegard to breake out through the
Oswy Egfrid Alfrid Osred Kinred Osrijc Kilwulf Edbert Offulse Ethelwold Elred Ethelred Alswold Osred Ethelred Osbald Eardulf Aldeswold Eandred Edelred Redwulf Edelred againe Osbright Ecbert Ricisiuus a Dane Ecbert againe ¶ Alfride king of the westsaxons subdueth this kingdome in the 878. after our sauiour Christ and 33. after Ida. Deira 7. ¶ Ella brother to Adda is ouer the south Humbers whose kingdome reched from Humber to the These in the 590. after the incarnation of Iesus Christ our sauiour ELla Edwijn Athelbright Edwijn againe Osrijc Oswald Oswijn ¶ Of all the kingdomes of the Saxons this of Deira which grew by the diuision of the kingdome of the Northumbers betwéene the sons of Ida was of the smallest continuance it was vnited to the Northumbers wherof it had bene I saie in time past a member by Oswijn in the 91. after Ella when he had most traitorouslie slaine his brother Oswijn in the yéer of the world 4618. or 651. after the comming of Christ and conteined that countrie which we now call the bishoprike Estanglia 8. ¶ Offa or Vffa erecteth a kingdome ouer the Estangles or Offlings in the 561. after the natiuitie of Christ and 114. after the deliuerie of Britaine OFfa Titellius Redwaldus Corpenwaldus The seat void Sigebert Egricus Anna. Adeler Ethelwold Adwulf Beorne Ethelred Ethelbert ¶ Offa of Mercia killeth Ethelbert and vniteth Estanglia vnto his owne kingdome in the 793. of Christ after it had continued in the posteritie of Offa by the space of 228. yéers and yet of that short space it enioyed onelie 35. in libertie the rest being vnder the tribute of the king of Mercia aforesaid Mercia 9. ¶ Creodda beginneth his kingdome of Mercia in the 585. of our sauiour Christ and 138. after the captiuitie of Briteine ended CReodda Wibba Cherlus Penda Oswy Weada Wulferus Ethelred Kinred or Kindred The seat void Kilred Ethebald Beorred Offa. Egferth Kinwulf Kenelme Kilwulf Bernulf Ludicane Willaf Ecbert Willaf againe Bertulf Butred Kilwulf ¶ Alfride vniteth the kingdome of Mercia to that of the westsaxons in the 291. after Creodda before Alfred the Dane had gotten hold thereof and placed one Clcolulphus therein but he was soone expelled and the kingdome ioyned to the other afore rehearsed The succession of the kings of England from William bastard vnto the first of Queene ELIZABETH WIlliam the first William his sonne Henrie 1. Stephen Henrie 2. Richard 1. Iohn Henrie 3. Edward 1. aliàs 4. Edward 2. Edward 3. Richard 2. Henrie 4. Henrie 5. Henrie 6. Edward 4. aliàs 7. Edward 5. Richard 3. Henrie 7. Henrie 8. Edward 6. Marie his sister Elizabeth ¶ Thus haue I brought the Catalog of the Princes of Britaine vnto an end that in more plaine and certeine order than hath béene done hertofore by anie For though in their regions since the conquest few men haue erred that haue vsed any diligence yet in the times before the same fewer haue gone any thing néere the truth through great ouersight negligence Their seuerall yéeres also doo appéere in my Chronologie insuing Of the ancient religion vsed in Albion Cap. 9. IT is not to be doubted but at the first and so long as the posteritie of Iaphet onelie reigned in this Iland that the true knowledge and forme of religion brought in by Samothes and published with his lawes in the second of his arriuall was exercised among the Britans And although peraduenture in proces of time either through curiositie or negligence the onelie corruptors of true pietie and godlinesse it might a little decaie yet when it was at the woorst it farre excéeded the best of that which afterward came in with Albion and his Chemminites as may be gathered by view of the superstitious rites which Cham and his successours did plant in other countries yet to be found in authors What other learning Magus the sonne of Samothes taught after his fathers death when he also came to the kingdome beside this which concerned the true honoring of God I cannot easilie say but that it should be naturall philosophie and astrologie whereby his disciples gathered a kind of foreknowledge of things to come the verie vse of the word Magus or Magusaeus among the Persians dooth yéeld no vncerteine testimonie In like maner it should seeme that Sarron sonne vnto the said Magus diligentlie followed the steps of his father and thereto beside his owne practise of teaching opened schooles of learning in sundrie places both among the Celts and Britans whereby such as were his auditors grew to be called Sarronides notwithstanding that as well the Sarronides as the Magi and Druiydes were generallie called Samothei or Semnothei of Samothes still among the Grecians as Aristotle in his De magia dooth confesse and furthermore calling them Galles he addeth therevnto that they first brought the knowledge of letters and good learning vnto the Gréekes Druiyus the son of Sarron as a scholer of his fathers owne teaching séemed to be exquisit in all things that perteined vnto the diuine and humane knowledge and therefore I may safelie pronounce that he excelled not onlie in the skill of philosophie and the quadriuials but also in the true Theologie whereby the right seruice of God was kept and preserued in puritie He wrote moreouer sundrie precepts and rules of religious doctrine which among the Celts were reserued verie religiouslie and had in great estimation of such as sought vnto them How and in what order this prince left the state of religion I meane touching publike orders in administration of particular rites and ceremonies as yet I doo not read howbeit this is most certeine that after he died the puritie of his doctrine began somewhat to decaie For such is mans nature that it will not suffer any good thing long to remaine as it is left but either by addition or subtraction of this or that to or from the same so to chop and change withall from time to time that in the end there is nothing of more difficultie for such as doo come after them than to find out the puritie of the originall and restore the same againe vnto the former perfection In the beginning this Druiyus did preach vnto his hearers that the soule of man is immortall that God is omnipotent mercifull as a father in shewing fauor vnto the godlie and iust as an vpright iudge in punishing the wicked that the secrets of mans hart are not vnknowne and onelie knowne to him and that as the world and all that is therein had their beginning by him at his owne will so shall all things likewise haue an end when he shall see his time He taught them also with more facilitie how to obserue the courses of the heauens and motions of the planets by arithmeticall industrie to find out the true quantities of the celestiall bodies by geometricall demonstration and thereto the compasse of the earth and hidden natures of things contained in the same by
of the Danish race And from thence vntill we came vnto the coast of Norffolke I saw no more Ilands Being therfore past S. Edmunds point we found a litle I le ouer against the fall of the water that commeth from Holkham likewise another ouer against the Claie before we came at Waburne hope the third also in Yarmouth riuer ouer against Bradwell a towne in low or little England whereof also I must néeds saie somewhat bicause it is in maner an Iland and as I gesse either hath béene or may be one for the brodest place of the strict land that leadeth to the same is little aboue a quarter of a mile which against the raging waues of the sea can make but small resistance Little England or low England therefore is about eight miles in length and foure in bredth verie well replenished with townes as Fristan Burgh castell Olton Flixton Lestoft Gunton Blundston Corton Lownd Ashebie Hoxton Belton Bradwell and Gorleston and beside this it is verie fruitfull and indued with all commodities Going forward from hence by the Estonnesse almost an Iland I saw a small parcell cut from the maine in Oxford hauen the Langerstone in Orwell mouth two péeces or Islets at Cattiwade bridge and then casting about vnto the Colne we beheld Merseie which is a pretie Iland well furnished with wood It was sometime a great receptacle for the Danes when they inuaded England howbeit at this present it hath beside two decaied blockehouses two parish churches of which one is called east Merseie the other west Merseie and both vnder the archdeacon of Colchester as parcell of his iurisdiction Foulenesse is an I le void of wood and yet well replenished with verie good grasse for neat and sheepe whereof the inhabitants haue great plentie there is also a parish church and albeit that it stand somewhat distant from the shore yet at a dead low water a man may as they saie ride thereto if he be skilfull of the causie it is vnder the iurisdiction of London And at this present master William Tabor bacheler of diuinitie and archdeacon of Essex hath it vnder his iurisdiction regiment by the surrender of maister Iohn Walker doctor also of diuinitie who liued at such time as I first attempted to commit this booke to the impression In Maldon water are in like sort thrée Ilands inuironed all with salt streames as saint Osithes Northeie and another after a mersh that beareth no name so far as I remember On the right hand also as we went toward the sea againe we saw Ramseie I le or rather a Peninsula or Biland likewise the Reie in which is a chappell of saint Peter And then coasting vpon the mouth of the Bourne we saw the Wallot Ile and his mates whereof two lie by east Wallot and the fourth is Foulnesse except I be deceiued for here my memorie faileth me on the one side and information on the other I meane concerning the placing of Foulenesse But to procéed After this and being entered into the Thames mouth I find no Iland of anie name except you accompt Rochford hundred for one whereof I haue no mind to intreat more than of Crowland Mersland Elie and the rest that are framed by the ouze Andredeseie in Trent so called of a church there dedicated to saint Andrew and Auon two noble riuers hereafter to be described sith I touch onelie those that are inuironed with the sea or salt water round about as we may see in the Canwaie Iles which some call marshes onelie and liken them to an ipocras bag some to a vice scrue or wide sléeue bicause they are verie small at the east end and large at west The salt rilles also that crosse the same doo so separat the one of them from the other that they resemble the slope course of the cutting part of a scrue or gimlet in verie perfect maner if a man doo imagine himselfe to looke downe from the top of the mast vpon them Betwéene these moreouer and the Leigh towne lieth another litle Ile or Holme whose name is to me vnknowne Certes I would haue gone to land and viewed these parcels as they laie or at the least haue sailed round about them by the whole hauen which may easilie be doone at an high water but for as much as a perrie of wind scarse comparable to the makerell gale whereof Iohn Anele of Calis one of the best seamen that England euer bred for his skill in the narow seas was woont to talke caught hold of our sailes caried vs forth the right waie toward London I could not tarie to sée what things were hereabouts Thus much therefore of our Ilands so much may well suffice where more cannot be had The description of the Thames and such riuers as fall into the same Cap. 11. HAuing as you haue séene attempted to set downe a full discourse of all the Ilands that are situat vpon the coast of Britaine and finding the successe not correspondent to mine intent it hath caused me somewhat to restreine my purpose in this description also of our riuers For whereas I intended at the first to haue written at large of the number situation names quantities townes villages castels mounteines fresh waters plashes or lakes salt waters and other commodities of the aforesaid Iles mine expectation of information from all parts of England was so deceiued in the end that I was fame at last onelie to leane to that which I knew my selfe either by reading or such other helpe as I had alreadie purchased and gotten of the same And euen so it happeneth in this my tractation of waters of whose heads courses length bredth depth of chanell for burden ebs flowings and falles I had thought to haue made a perfect description vnder the report also of an imagined course taken by them all But now for want of instruction which hath béene largelie promised slacklie perfourmed and other sudden and iniurious deniall of helpe voluntarilie offered without occasion giuen on my part I must needs content my selfe with such obseruations as I haue either obteined by mine owne experience or gathered from time to time out of other mens writings whereby the full discourse of the whole is vtterlie cut off and in steed of the same a mangled rehearsall of the residue set downe and left in memorie Wherefore I beséech your honour to pardon this imperfection and rudenesse of my labour which notwithstanding is not altogither in vaine sith my errors maie prooue a spurre vnto the better skilled either to correct or inlarge where occasion serueth or at the leastwise to take in hand a more absolute péece of worke as better direction shall incourage them thereto The entrance and beginning of euerie thing is the hardest and he that beginneth well hath atchiued halfe his purpose The ice my lord is broken and from hencefoorth it will be more easie for
the mouth of the Sauerne Chap. 12. AFter the Midwaie we haue the Stoure that riseth at Kingeswood which is fourtéene or fifteene miles from Canturburie This riuer passeth by Ashford Wie Nackington Canturburie Fordish Standish and Sturemouth where it receiueth another riuer growing of three branches After our Stoure or Sture parteth it self in twaine in such wise that one arme therof goeth toward the north and is called when it commeth at the sea the north mouth of Stoure the other runneth southeast ward vp to Richborow and so to Sandwich from whence it goeth northeast againe and falleth into the sea The issue of this later tract is called the hauen of Sandwich And peraduenture the streame that commeth downe thither after the diuision of the Stoure maie be the same which Beda calleth Wantsome but as I cannot vndoo this knot at will so this is certeine that the Stoure on the one side and peraduenture the Wantsome on the other parteth and cutteth the Tenet from the maine land of Kent whereby it is left for an Iland There are other little brookes which fall into the Stoure whereof Leland speaketh as Fishpoole becke that ariseth in Stonehirst wood and meeteth with it foure miles from Canturburie another beginneth at Chislet and goeth into the Stoure gut which sometime inclosed Thanet as Leland saith the third issueth out of the ground at Northburne where Eadbert of Kent sometime past held his palace and runneth to Sandwich hauen as the said authour reporteth and the fourth called Bridgewater that riseth by S. Marie Burne church and going by Bishops Burne meeteth with Canturburie water at Stourmouth also Wiham that riseth aboue Wiham short of Adsam and falleth into Bridgewater at Dudmill or Wenderton and the third namelesse which riseth short of Wodensburgh a towne wherein Hengist the Saxons honored their grand idoll Woden or Oshine and goeth by Staple to Wingam but sith they are obscure I will not touch them here From hence passing by the Goodwine a plot verie perilous for sea-faring men sometime firme land that is vntill the tenth of the conquerours sonne whose name was William Rufus and wherein a great part of the inheritance of erle Goodwine in time past was knowne to lie but escaping it with case we came at length to Douer In all which voiage we found no streame by reason of the cliffes that inuiron the said coast Howbeit vpon the south side of Douer there is a pretie fresh riuer whose head ariseth at Erwell not passing foure miles from the sea and of some is called Dour which in the British foong is a common name for waters as is also the old British word Auon for the greatest riuers into whose mouthes or falles shippes might find safe entrance and therefore such are in my time called hauens a new word growen by an aspiration added to the old the Scots call it Auen But more of this else-where sith I am now onelie to speake of Dour wherof it is likelie that the towne castell of Douer did sometime take the name From hence we go toward the Camber omitting peraduenture here and there sundrie small creeks void of backwater by the waie whereabouts the Rother a noble riuer falleth into the sea This Rother separateth Sussex from Kent and hath his head in Sussex not farre from Argas hill néere to Waterden forrest and from thence directeth his course vnto Rotherfield After this it goeth to Ethlingham or Hitchingham and so foorth by Newendon vnto Mattham ferrie where it diuideth it selfe in such wise that one branch thereof goeth to Appledoure where is a castell sometime builded by the Danes in the time of Alfred as they did erect another at Middleton and the third at Beamflete and at this towne where it méeteth the Bilie that riseth about Bilsington the other by Iden so that it includeth a fine parcell of ground called Oxneie which in time past was reputed as a parcell of Sussex but now vpon some occasion or other to me vnknowne annexed vnto Kent From hence also growing into some greatnesse it runneth to Rie where it méeteth finallie with the Becke which commeth from Beckleie so that the plot wherein Rie standeth is in manner a by-land or peninsula as experience doth confirme Leland and most men are of the likeliest opinion that this riuer should be called the Limen which as Peter of Cornhull saith doth issue out of Andredeswald where the head thereof is knowne to be Certes I am of the opinion that it is called the Rother vnto Appledoure from thence the Limen bicause the Danes are noted to enter into these parts by the Limen and sailing on the same to Appledoure did there begin to fortifie as I haue noted alreadie Howbeit in our time it is knowne by none other name than the Rother or Appledoure water whereof let this suffice Being thus crossed ouer to the west side of Rie hauen in vewing the issues that fall into the same I meet first of all with a water that groweth of two brookes which come downe by one chanell into the east side of the mouth of the said port The first therfore that falleth into it descendeth from Beckleie or thereabouts as I take it the next runneth along by Pesemarsh soone after ioining with all they hold on as one till they fall into the same at the westerlie side of Rie the third streame commeth from the north and as it mounteth vp not farre from Munfield so it runneth betweene Sescambe and Wacklinton néere vnto Bread taking another rill withall that riseth as I heare not verie far from Westfield There is likewise a fourth that groweth of two heads betweene Ielingham and Pet and going by Winchelseie it méeteth with all about Rie hauen so that Winchelseie standeth inuironed on thrée parts with water and the streames of these two that I haue last rehearsed The water that falleth into the Ocean a mile by southwest of Hastings or therabouts is called Aestus or Asten perhaps of Hasten or Hasting the Dane who in time past was a plague to France and England rising not far from Penhirst it meeteth with the sea as I heare by east of Hollington Buluerhith is but a creeke as I remember serued with no backewater and so I heare of Codding or Old hauen wherefore I meane not to touch them Into Peuenseie hauen diuerse waters doo resort and of these that which entereth into the same on the east side riseth out from two heads where of the most easterlie is called Ash the next vnto the Burne and vniting themselues not farre from Ashburne they continue their course vnder the name and title of Ashburne water as I read The second that commeth thereinto issueth also of two heads whereof the one is so manie miles from Boreham the other not far from the Parke east of Hellingstowne and both of them concurring southwest of Hirstmowsen they
obeisance to this Cadwallo during eight and twentie yeares Thus Cadwallo reigned in the whole monarchie of great Britaine hauing all the seuen kings thereof as well Saxons as others his subiects for albeit the number of Saxons from time to time greatlie increased yet were they alwaies either at the first expelled or else made tributarie to the onelie kings of Britons for the time being as all their owne writers doo confesse Cadwallader was next king of the whole great Britaine he reigned twelue yeares ouer all the kings thereof in great peace and tranquillitie and then vpon the lamentable death of his subiects which died of sundrie diseases innumerablie he departed into little Britaine His sonne and cousine Iuor and Iue being expelled out of England also by the Saxons went into Wales where among the Britons they and their posteritie remained princes Upon this great alteration and warres being through the whole dominion betwéene the Britons and Saxons the Scots thought time to slip the collar of obedience and therevpon entred in league with Charles then king of France establishing it in this wise 1 The iniurie of Englishmen doone to anie of these people shall be perpetuallie holden common to them both 2 When Frenchmen be inuaded by Englishmen the Scots shall send their armie in defense of France so that they be supported with monie and vittels by the French 3 When Scots be inuaded by Englishmen the Frenchmen shall come vpon their owne expenses to their support and succour 4 None of the people shall take peace or truce with Englishmen without the aduise of other c. Manie disputable opinions may be had of warre without the praising of it as onlie admittable by inforced necessitie and to be vsed for peace sake onelie where here the Scots sought warre for the loue of warre onelie For their league giueth no benefit to themselues either in frée traffike of their owne commodities or benefit of the French or other priuilege to the people of both What discommoditie riseth by loosing the intercourse and exchange of our commodities being in necessaries more aboundant than France the Scots féele and we perfectlie know What ruine of their townes destruction of countries slaughter of both peoples haue by reason of this bloudie league chanced the histories be lamentable to read and horrible among christian men to be remembred but God gaue the increase according to their séed for as they did hereby sowe dissention so did they shortlie after reape a bloudie slaughter and confusion For Alpine their king possessing a light mind that would be lost with a little wind hoped by this league shortlie to subdue all great Britaine and to that end not onelie rebelled in his owne kingdome but also vsurped vpon the kingdome of Picts Whervpon Edwine king of England made one Brudeus king of Picts whom he sent into Scotland with a great power where in battell he tooke this Alpine king of Scots prisoner and discomfited his people And this Alpine being their king found subiect and rebell his head was striken off at a place in Scotland which thereof is to this daie called Pasalpine that is to saie the head of Alpine And this was the first effect of their French league Osbright king of England with Ella his subiect and a great number of Britons and Saxons shortlie after for that the Scots had of themselues elected a new king entered Scotland and ceassed not his war against them vntill their king and people fled into the Iles with whome at the last vpon their submission peace was made in this wise The water of Frith shall be march betwéene Scots and Englishmen in the east parts and shall be named the Scotish sea The water of Cluide to Dunbriton shall be march in the west parts betwéene the Scots and Britons This castell was before called Alcluide but now Dunbriton that is to say the castle of Britons and sometimes it was destroied by the Danes So the Britons had all the lands from Sterling to the Ireland seas and from the water of Frith Cluide to Cumber with all the strengths and commodities thereof and the Englishmen had the lands betwéene Sterling and Northumberland Thus was Cluide march betwéene the Scots and the Britons on the one side and the water of Frith named the Scotish sea march betwéene them and Englishmen on the other side and Sterling common march to thrée people Britons Englishmen and Scots howbeit king Osbright had the castle of Sterling where first he caused to be coined Sterling monie The Englishmen also builded a bridge of stone for passage ouer the water of Frith in the middest whereof they made a crosse vnder which were written these verses I am free march as passengers may ken To Scots to Britons and Englishmen Not manie yeares after this Hinguar and Hubba two Danes with a great number of people arriued in Scotland and slue Constantine whom Osbright had before made king wherevpon Edulfe or Ethelwulfe then king of England assembled his power against Hinguar and Hubba and in one battell slue them both but such of their people as would remaine and become christians he suffered to tarie the rest he banished or put to death c. This Ethelwulfe granted the Peter pence of which albeit Peter Paule had little need and lesse right yet the paiment thereof continued in this realme euer after vntill now of late yeares But the Scots euer since vnto this daie haue and yet doo paie it by reason of that grant which prooueth them to be then vnder his obeisance Alured or Alfred succéeded in the kingdome of England and reigned noblie ouer the whole monarchie of great Britaine he made lawes that persons excommunicated should be disabled to sue or claime anie propertie which law Gregour whome this Alured had made king of Scots obeied and the same law as well in Scotland as in England is holden to this daie which also prooueth him to be high lord of Scotland This Alured constreined Gregour king of Scots also to breake the league with France for generallie he concluded with him and serued him in all his warres as well against Danes as others not reseruing or making anie exception of the former league with France The said Alured after the death of Gregour had the like seruice and obeisance of Donald king of Scots with fiue thousand horssemen against one Gurmond a Dane that then infested the realme and this Donald died in this faith and obeisance with Alured Edward the first of that name called Chifod sonne of this Alured succéeded his father and was the next king of England against whome Sithrtic a Dane and the Scots conspired but they were subdued and Constantine their king brought to obeisance He held the realme of Scotland also of king Edward and this dooth Marian their owne countrieman a Scot confesse beside Roger Houeden and William of Malmesberie In the yeare of our Lord 923 the same king Edward was president and gouernour of
all the people of England Cumberland Scots Danes and Britons King Athelstane in like sort conquered Scotland and as he laie in his tents beside Yorke whilest the warres lasted the king of Scots feined himselfe to be a minstrell and harped before him onelie to espie his ordinance and his people But being as their writers confesse corrupted with monie he sold his faith and false heart together to the Danes and aided them against king Athelstane at sundrie times Howbeit he met with all their vntruthes at Broningfield in the west countrie as is mentioned in the ninth chapter of the first booke of this description where he discomfited the Danes and slue Malcolme deputie in that behalfe to the king of Scots in which battell the Scots confesse themselues to haue lost more people than were remembred in anie age before Then Athelstane following his good lucke went throughout all Scotland and wholie subdued it and being in possession thereof gaue land there lieng in Annandale by his deed the copie wherof dooth follow I king Athelstane giues vnto Paulam Oddam and Roddam al 's good and al 's faire as euer they mine were and thereto witnesse Mauld my wife By which course words not onelie appeareth the plaine simplicitie of mens dooings in those daies but also a full proofe that he was then seized of Scotland At the last also he receiued homage of Malcolme king of Scots but for that he could not be restored to his whole kingdome he entered into religion and there shortlie after died Then Athelstane for his better assurance of that countrie there after thought it best to haue two stringes to the bowe of their obedience and therefore not onelie constituted on Malcolme to be their king but also appointed one Indulph sonne of Constantine the third to be called prince of Scotland to whome he gaue much of Scotland and for this Malcolme did homage to Athelstane Edmund brother of Athelstane succéeded next king of England to whome this Indulph then king of Scots not onelie did homage but also serued him with ten thousand Scots for the expulsion of the Danes out of the realme of England Edred or Eldred brother to this Edmund succéeded next king of England he not onelie receiued the homage of Irise then king of Scots but also the homage of all the barons of Scotland Edgar the sonne of Edmund brother of Athelstane being now of full age was next king of England he reigned onelie ouer the whole monarchie of Britaine and receiued homage of Keneth king of Scots for the kingdome of Scotland and made Malcolme prince thereof This Edgar gaue vnto the same Keneth the countrie of Louthian in Scotland which was before seized into the hands of Osbright king of England for their rebellion as is before declared He inioined Keneth their said king also once in euerie yéere at certeine principall feasts whereat the king did vse to weare his crowne to repaire vnto him into England for the making of lawes which in those daies was doone by the noble men or péeres according to the order of France at this daie He allowed also sundrie lodgings in England to him and his successours whereat to lie and refresh themselues in their iourneies whensoeuer they should come vp to doo their homages and finallie a péece of ground lieng beside the new palace of Westminster vpon which this Keneth builded a house that by him and his posseritie was inioied vntill the reigne of king Henrie the second In whose time vpon the rebellion of William king of Scots it was resumed into the king of Englands hand The house is decaied but the ground where it stood is called Scotland to this daie Moreouer Edgar made this law that no man should succéed to his patrimonie or inheritance holden by knights seruice vntill he accomplished the age of one and twentie yéeres because by intendment vnder that age he should not be able in person to serue his king and countrie according to the tenor of his deed and the condition of his purchase This law was receiued by the same Keneth in Scotland and as well there as in England is obserued to this daie which prooueth also that Scotland was then vnder his obeisance In the yeere of our Lord 974 Kinald king of Scots and Malcolme king of Cumberland Macon king of Man and the Iles Duuenall king of Southwales Siferth and Howell kings of the rest of Wales Iacob or Iames of Gallowaie Iukill of Westmerland did homage to king Edgar at Chester And on the morrow going by water to the monasterie of saint Iohns to seruice and returning home againe the said Edgar sitting in a barge and stirring the same vpon the water of Dée made the said kings to row the barge saieng that his successors might well be ioifull to haue the prerogatiue of so great honour and the superioritie of so manie mightie princes to be subiect vnto their monarchie Edward the sonne of this Edgar was next king of England in whose time this Keneth king of Scots caused Malcolme king of Scotland to be poisoned Wherevpon king Edward made warre against him which ceased not vntill this Keneth submitted himselfe and offered to receiue him for prince of Scotland whome king Edward would appoint Herevpon king Edward proclamed one Malcolme to be prince of Scotland who immediatlie came into England and there did homage vnto the same king Edward Etheldred brother of this Edward succéeded next ouer England against whome Swaine king of Denmarke conspired with this last Malcolme then king of Scots But shortlie after this Malcolme sorrowfullie submitted himselfe into the defense of Etheldred who considering how that which could not be amended must onelie be repented benignlie receiued him By helpe of whose seruice at last Etheldred recouered his realme againe out of the hands of Swaine and reigned ouer the whole monarchie eight and thirtie yéeres Edmund surnamed Ironside sonne of this Etheldred was next king of England in whose time Canutus a Dane inuaded the realme with much crueltie But at the last he married with Emme sometime wise vnto Etheldred and mother of this Edmund Which Emme as arbitratrix betweene hir naturall loue to the one and matrimoniall dutie to the other procured such amitie betwéene them in the end that Edmund was contented to diuide the realme with Canutus and keeping to himselfe all England on this side Humber gaue all the rest beyond Humber with the seigniorie of Scotland to this Canutus Wherevpon Malcolme then king of Scots after a little accustomable resistance did homage to the same Canutus for the kingdome of Scotland Thus the said Canutus held the same ouer of this Edmund king of England by the like seruices so long as they liued togither This Canutus in memorie of this victorie and glorie of his seigniorie ouer the Scots commanded Malcolme their king to build a church in Buchquhan in Scotland where a field betweene him and them was fought to be dedicated to Olauus patrone
of England 2 Of the number of bishoprikes and their seuerall circuits 3 Of vniuersities 4 Of the partition of England into shires and counties 5 Of degrees of people in the common-wealth of England 6 Of the food and diet of the English 7 Of their apparell and attire 8 Of the high court of parlement authoritie of the same 9 Of the lawes of England since hir first inhabitation 10 Of prouision made for the poore 11 Of fundrie kinds of punishment appointed for malefactors 12 Of the maner of building and furniture of our houses 13 Of cities and townes in England 14 Of castels and holds 15 Of palaces belonging to the prince 16 Of armour and munition 17 Of the nauie of England 18 Of faires and markets 19 Of parkes and warrens 20 Of gardens and orchards 21 Of waters generallie 22 Of woods and marishes 23 Of baths and hot welles 24 Of antiquities found 25 Of the coines of England Of the ancient and present estate of the church of England Chap. 1. THere are now two prouinces onelie in England of which the first and greatest is subiect to the sée of Canturburie comprehending a parte of Lhoegres whole Cambria also Ireland which in time past were seuerall brought into one by the archbishop of the said sée assistance of the pope who in respect of méed did yéeld vnto the ambitious desires of sundrie archbishops of Canturburie as I haue elsewhere declared The second prouince is vnder the sée of Yorke and of these either hath hir archbishop resident commonlie within hir owne limits who hath not onelie the cheefe dealing in matters apperteining to the hierarchie and iurisdiction of the church but also great authoritie in ciuill affaires touching the gouernement of the common wealth so far foorth as their commissions and seuerall circuits doo extend In old time there were thrée archbishops and so manie prouinces in this Ile of which one kept at London another at Yorke and the third at Caerlheon vpon Uske But as that of London was translated to Canturburie by Augustine and that of Yorke remaineth notwithstanding that the greatest part of his iurisdiction is now bereft him and giuen to the Scotish archbishop so that of Caerlheon is vtterlie extinguished and the gouernement of the countrie vnited to that of Canturburie in spirituall cases after it was once before remoued to S. Dauids in Wales by Dauid successor to Dubritius and vncle to king Arthur in the 519 of Grace to the end that he and his clearkes might be further off from the crueltie of the Saxons where it remained till the time of the Bastard and for a season after before it was annexed vnto the sée of Canturburie The archbishop of Canturburie is commonlie called primat of all England and in the coronations of the kings of this land and all other times wherein it shall please the prince to weare and put on his crowne his office is to set it vpon their heads They beare also the name of their high chapleins continuallie although not a few of them haue presumed in time past to be their equals and void of subiection vnto them That this is true it may easilie appéere by their owne acts yet kept in record beside their epistles answers written or in print wherein they haue sought not onelie to match but also to mate them with great rigor and more than open tyrannie Our aduersaries will peraduenture denie this absolutelie as they doo manie other things apparant though not without shamelesse impudencie or at the leastwise defend it as iust and not swaruing from common equitie bicause they imagine euerie archbishop to be the kings equall in his owne prouince But how well their dooing herein agreeth with the saieng of Peter examples of the primitiue church it may easilie appéere Some examples also of their demeanor I meane in the time of poperie I will not let to remember least they should saie I speake of malice and without all ground of likelihood Of their practises with meane persons I speake not neither will I begin at Dunstane the author of all their pride and presumption here in England But for somuch as the dealing of Robert the Norman against earle Goodwine is a rare historie and deserueth to be remembred I will touch it in this place protesting to deale withall in more faithfull maner than it hath heretofore beene deliuered vnto vs by the Norman writers or French English who of set purpose haue so defaced earle Goodwine that were it not for the testimonie of one or two méere Englishmen liuing in those daies it should be impossible for me or anie other at this present to declare the truth of that matter according to hir circumstances Marke therefore what I saie For the truth is that such Normans as came in with Emma in the time of Ethelred and Canutus and the Confessor did fall by sundrie means into such fauor with those princes that the gentlemen did grow to beare great rule in the court and their clearkes to be possessors of the best benefices in the land Hervpon therefore one Robert a iolie ambitious préest gat first to be bishop of London and after the death of Eadsius to be archbishop of Canturburie by the gift of king Edward leauing his former sée to William his countrieman Ulfo also a Norman was preferred to Lincolne and other to other places as the king did thinke conuenient These Norman clerkes and their freends being thus exalted it was not long yer they began to mocke abuse and despise the English and so much the more as they dailie saw themselues to increase in fauour with king Edward who also called diuerse of them to be of his secret councell which did not a litle incense the harts of the English against them A fraie also was made at Douer betwéene the seruants of earle Goodwine and the French whose maisters came ouer to see and salute the king whereof I haue spoken in my Chronologie which so inflamed the minds of the French cleargie and courtiers against the English nobilitie that each part sought for opportunitie of reuenge which yer long tooke hold betwéene them For the said Robert being called to be archbishop of Canturburie was no sooner in possession of his sée than he began to quarrell with earle Goodwine the kings father in law by the mariage of his daughter who also was readie to acquit his demeanor with like malice and so the mischiefe begun Herevpon therefore the archbishop charged the earle with the murther of Alfred the kings brother whom not he but Harald the sonne of Canutus and the Danes had cruellie made awaie For Alfred and his brother comming into the land with fiue and twentie saile vpon the death of Canutus and being landed the Normans that arriued with them giuing out how they came to recouer their right to wit the crowne of England therevnto the vnskilfull yoong gentlemen shewing themselues to like of the rumour that was
better hope in the beginning than of Bladudus and yet I read of none that made so ridiculous an end in like sort there hath not reigned anie monarch in this I le whose waies were more feared at the first than those of Dunwallon king Henrie the fift excepted and yet in the end he prooued such a prince as after his death there was in maner no subiect that did not lament his funerals And this onelie for his policie in gouernance seuere administration of iustice and prouident framing of his lawes and constitutions for the gouernment of his subiects His people also coueting to continue his name vnto posteritie intituled those his ordinances according to their maker calling them by the name of the lawes of Mulmutius which indured in execution among the Britons so long as our homelings had the dominion of this I le Afterward when the comeling Saxons had once obteined the superioritie of the kingdom the maiestie of those lawes fell for a time into such decaie that although Non penitùs cecidit tamen potuit cecidisse videri as Leland saith and the decrêes themselues had vtterlie perished in déed at the verie first brunt had they not beene preserued in Wales where they remained amongst there likes of the Britons not onlie vntill the comming of the Normans but euen vntill the time of Edward the first who obteining the souereigntie of that portion indeuoured verie earnestlie to extinguish those of Mulmutius and to establish his owne But as the Saxons at their first arriuall did what they could to abolish the British lawes so in processe of time they yéelded a little to relent not so much to abhorre and mislike of the lawes of Mulmutius as to receiue and imbrace the same especiallie at such time as the said Saxon princes entered into amitie with the British nobilitie and after that began to ioine in matrimonie with the British ladies as the British barons did with the Saxon frowes both by an especiall statute and decrée wherof in another treatise I haue made mention at large Héerof also it came to passe in the end that they were contented to make a choise and insert no small numbers of them into their owne volumes as may be gathered by those of Athelbert the great surnamed king of Kent Inas and Alfred kings of the west Saxons and diuerse other yet extant to be séene Such also was the lateward estimation of them that when anie of the Saxon princes went about to make new ordinances they caused those of Mulmutius which Gildas sometime translated into Latine to be first expounded vnto them and in this perusall if they found anie there alreadie framed that might serue their turnes they foorthwith reuiued the same and annexed them to their owne But in this dealing the diligence of Alfred is most of all to be commended who not onelie chose out the best but gathered togither all such whatsoeuer the said Mulmutius had made and then to the end they should lie no more in corners as forlorne bookes and vnknowne to the learned of his kingdome he caused them to be turned into the Saxon toong wherein they continued long after his decease As for the Normans who for a season neither regarded the British nor cared for the Saxon statutes they also at the first vtterlie misliked of them till at the last when they had well weied that one kind of regiment is not conuenient for all peoples and that no stranger being in a forren countrie newlie brought vnder obedience could make such equall ordinances as he might thereby gouerne his new common-wealth without some care trouble they fell in with such a desire to sée by what rule the state of the land was gouerned in time of the Saxons that hauing perused the same they not onelie commended their maner of regiment but also admitted a great part of their lawes now currant vnder the name of S. Edwards lawes and vsed as principles and grounds whereby they not onelie qualified the rigor of their owne and mitigated their almost intollerable burden of seruitude which they had latelie laid vpon the shoulders of the English but also left vs a greeat number of the old Mulmutian lawes whereof the most part are in vse to this daie as I said albeit that we know not certeinlie how to distinguish them from others that are in strength amongst vs. After Dunwallon the next lawgiuer was Martia whome Leland surnameth Proba and after him John Bale also who in his Centuries dooth iustlie confesse himselfe to haue béene holpen by the said Leland as I my selfe doo likewise for manie things conteined in this treatise Shée was wife vnto Gutteline king of the Britons and being made protectrix of the realme after hir husbands deceasse in the nonage of hir sonne and séeing manie things dailie to grow vp among hir people worthie reformation she deuised sundrie and those verie politike lawes for the gouernance of hir kingdome which hir subiects when she was dead and gone did name the Martian statutes Who turned them into Latine as yet I doo not read howbeit as I said before of the lawes of Mulmutius so the same Alfred caused those of this excellentlie well learned ladie whome diuerse commend also for hir great knowledge in the Gréeke toong to be turned into his owne language wherevpon it came to passe that they were dailie executed among his subiects afterward allowed of among the rest by the Normans and finallie remaine in vse in these our daies notwithstanding that we can not disseuer them also verie readilie from the other The seuenth alteration of lawes was practised by the Saxons for I ouerpasse the vse of the ciuill ordinances vsed in Rome finallie brought hither by the Romans yet in perfect notice among the Ciuilians of our countrie though neuer generallie nor fullie receiued by all the seuerall regions of this Iland Certes there are great numbers of these later which yet remaine in sound knowlege and are to be read being comprehended for the most part vnder the names of the Martian and the Saxon law Beside these also I read of the Dane law so that the people of middle England were ruled by the first the west Saxons by the second as Essex Norffolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire and part of Herfordshire were by the third of all the rest the most inequall and intollerable And as in these daies what soeuer the prince in publike assemblie commanded vpon the necessitie of his subiects or his owne voluntarie authoritie was counted for law so none of them had appointed anie certeine place wherevnto his people might repaire at fixed times for iustice but caused them to resort commonlie to their palaces where in proper person they would often determine their causes and so make shortest worke or else commit the same to the hearing of other and so dispatch them awaie Neither had they any house appointed to assemble in for the making of their ordinances as
forward courage hasted to incounter his enimies the which receiued him so sharplie and with so cruell fight that at length the Englishmen were at point to haue turned their backs But herewith came king Ethelred and manfullie ended the battell staied his people from running away and so encouraged them and discouraged the enimies that by the power of God whom as was thought in the morning he had serued the Danes finallie were chased and put to flight losing one of their kings that is to say Basreeg or Osréeg and 5 earles Sidroc the elder and Sidroc the yoonger Osberne Freine and Harold This battell was sore foughten and conâ—inued till night with the slaughter of manie thousands of Danes About 14 daies after king Ethelred and his brother Alured fought eftsoones with the Danish armie at Basing where the Danes had the victorie Also two moneths after this they likewise fought with the Danes at Merton And there the Danes after they had béene put to the woorse pursued in chase a long time yet at length they also got the victorie in which battell Edmund bishop of Shireborne was slaine and manie other that were men of woorthie fame and good account In the summer following a mightie host of the Danes came to Reading and there soiourned for a time ¶ These things agrée not with that which Polydor Virgil hath written of these warres which king Ethelred had with the Danes for he maketh mention of one Iuarus a king of the Danes who landed as he writeth at the mouth of Humber and like a stout enimie inuaded the countrie adioining Against whome Ethelred with his brother Alured came with an armie and incountring the Danes fought with them by the space of a whole day togither and was in danger to haue béene put to the woorse but that the night seuered them asunder In the morning they ioined againe but the death of Iuarus who chanced to be slaine in the beginning of the battell discouraged the Danes so that they were easilie put to flight of whome before they could get out of danger a great number were slaine But after that they had recouered themselues togither and found out a conuenient place where to pitch their campe they chose to their capteines Agnerus and Hubba two brethren which indeuored themselues by all meanes possible to repaire their armie so that within 15 daies after the Danes eftsoones fought with the Englishmen and gaue them such an ouerthrow that little wanted of making an end of all incounters to be attempted after by the Englishmen But yet within a few daies after this as the Danes attended their market to spoile the countrie and range somewhat licentiouslie abroad they fell within â—he danger of such ambushes as were laid for them by king Ethelred that no small slaughter was made of them but yet not without some losse of the Englishmen Amongest others Ethelred himselfe receiued a wound whereof he shortlie after died Thus saith Polydor touching the warres which king Ethelred had with the Danes who yet confesseth as the trueth is that such authors as he herein followed varie much from that which the Danish writers doo record of these matters and namelie touching the dooings of Iuarus as in the Danish historie you may sée more at large But now to our purpose touching the death of king Ethelred whether by reason of hurt receiued in fight against the Danes as Polydor saith or otherwise certeine it is that Ethelred anon after Easter departed this life in the sixt yeare of his reigne and was buried at Winborne abbey In the daies of this Ethelred the foresaid Danish capteins Hungar otherwise called Agnerus and Hubba returning from the north parts into the countrie of the Eastangles came vnto Thetford whereof Edmund who reigned as king in that season ouer the Eastangles being aduertised raised an armie of men and went foorth to giue battell vnto this armie of the Danes But he with his people was chased out of the field and fled to the castell of Framingham where being enuironed with a siege by his enimies he yéelded himselfe vnto them And because he would not renounce the christian faith they bound him to a trée and shot arrowes at him till he died and afterwards cut off his head from his bodie and threw the same into a thicke groue of bushes But afterwards his friends tooke the bodie with the head and â—uried the same at Egleseon where afterward also a faire monasterie was builded by one bishop Aswin and changing the name of the place it was after caâ—â—ed saint Edmundfburie Thus was king Edmund put to death by the cruell Danes for his constant confessing the name of Christ in the 16 yeare of his reigne and so ceased the kingdome of Eastangles For after that the Danes had thus slaine that blessed man they conquered all the countrie wasted it so that through their tyrannie it remained without anie gouernor by the space of nine yeares and then they appointed a king to rule ouer it whose name was Guthrun one of their owne nation who gouerned both the Eastangles and the Eastsaxons Ye haue heard how the Danes slue Osrike and Ella kings of Northumberland After which victorie by them obteined they did much hurt in the north parts of this land and amongest other cruell deeds they destroied the citie of Aâ—â—uid which was a famous citie in the time of the old Saxons as by Beda and other writers dooth manifestlie appeare Here is to be remembred that some writers rehearse the cause to be this Osbright or Osrike king of Northumberland rauished the wife of one Berne that was a noble man of the countrie about Yorke who tooke such great despight thereat that he fled out of the land and went into Denmarke and there complained vnto the king of Denmarke his coosin of the iniurie doone to him by king Osbright Wherevpon the king of Denmarke glad to haue so iust a quarell against them of Northumberland furnished foorth an armie and sent the same by sea vnder the leading of his two brethren Hungar and Hubba into Northumberland where they slue first the said king Osbright and after king Ella at a place besides Yorke which vnto this day is called Ellas croft taking that name of the said Ella being there slaine in defense of his countrie against the Danes Which Ella as we find registred by writers was elected king by such of the Northumbers as in fauour of Berne had refused to be subiect vnto Osbright Alfred ruleth ouer the Westsaxons and the greatest part of England the Danes afflict him with sore warre and cruellie make wast of his kingdome they lie at London a whole winter they inuade Mercia the king whereof Burthred by name forsaketh his countrie and goeth to Rome his death and buriall Halden king of the Danes diuideth Northumberland among his people Alfred incountreth with the
of his reigne king Alured went to Eglerighston on the east part of Selwood where there came to him the people of Summersetshire Wiltshire Hamshire reioising greatlie to sée him abroad From thence he went to Edanton there fought against the armie of the Danes and chased them vnto their strength where he remained afore them the space of fouretéene daies Then the armie of the Danes deliuered him hostages and couenants to depart out of his dominions and that their king should be baptised which was accomplished for Gurthrun whome some name Gurmond a prince or king amongst these Danes came to Alured and was baptised king Alured receiuing him at the fontstone named him Adelstan and gaue to him the countrie of Eastangle which he gouerned or rather spoiled by the space of twelue yéeres Diuerse other of the Danish nobilitie to the number of thirtie as Simon Dunelmensis saith came at the same time in companie of their king Gurthrun and were likewise baptised on whome king Alured bestowed manie rich gifts At the same time as is to be thought was the league concluded betwixt king Alured and the said Gurthrun or Gurmond in which the bounds of king Alureds kingdome are set foorth thus First therefore let the bounds or marshes of our dominion stretch vnto the riuer of Thames and from thence to the water of Lée euen vnto the head of the same water and so foorth streight vnto Bedford and finallie going alongst by the riuer of Ouse let them end at Watlingstréet This league being made with the aduise of the sage personages as well English as those that inhabited within east England is set foorth in maister Lamberts booke of the old English lawes in the end of those lawes or ordinances which were established by the same king Alured as in the same booke ye may sée more at large Th'English called diuers people Danes whom the French named Normans whervpon that generall name was giuen them Gurmo Anglicus K. of Denmark whose father Frotto was baptised in England the Danes besiege Rochester Alfred putteth them to flight recouereth London out of their hands and committeth it to the custodie of duke Eldred his sonne in law he assaulteth Hasting a capteine of the Danes causeth him to take an oth his two sonnes are baptised he goeth foorth to spoile Alfreds countrie his wife children and goods c are taken and fauourablie giuen him againe the Danes besiege Excester they flie to their ships gaine with great losse they are vanquished by the Londoners the death of Alfred his issue male and female The xv Chapter HEre is to be noted that writers name diuerse of the Danish capteins kings of which no mention is made in the Danish chronicles to reigne in those parties But true it is that in those daies not onelie the Danish people but also other of those northeast countries or regions as Swedeners Norwegians the Wondens and such other which the English people called by one generall name Danes and the Frenchmen Normans vsed to roaue on the seas and to inuade forren regions as England France Flanders and others as in conuenient places ye may find as well in our histories as also in the writers of the French histories and likewise in the chronicles of those north regions The writers verelie of the Danish chronicles make mention of one Gurmo whome they name Anglicus bicause he was borne here in England which succeeded his father Frotto in gouernement of the kingdome of Denmarke which Frotto receiued baptisme in England as their stories tell In the eight yéere of king Alfred his reigne the armie of the Danes wintered at Cirencester and the same yéere an other armie of strangers called Wincigi laie at Fulham and in the yéere following departed foorth of England and went into France and the armie of king Godrun or Gurmo departed from Cirencester and came into Eastangle and there diuiding the countrie amongst them began to inhabit the same In the 14 yéere of king Alfred his reigne part of the Danish armie which was gone ouer into France returned into England and besieged Rochester But when Alfred approched to the reskue the enimies fled to their ships and passed ouer the sea againe King Alfred sent a nauie of his ships well furnished with men of warre into Eastangle the which at the mouth of the riuer called Sture incountering with 16 ships of the Danes set vpon them and ouercame them in fight but as they returned with their prises they incountered with another mightie armie of the enimies and fighting with them were ouercome and vanquished In the yeere following king Alfred besieged the citie of London the Danes that were within it fled from thence and the Englishmen that were inhabitants thereof gladlie receiued him reioising that there was such a prince bred of their nation that was of power able to reduce them into libertie This citie being at that season the chiefe of all Mercia he deliuered into the kéeping of duke Eldred which had maried his daughter Ethelfleds held a great portion of Mercia which Colwolphus before time possesed by the grant of the Danes after they had subdued K. Burthred as before is said About the 21 yere of K. Alfred an armie of those Danes Normans which had béene in France returned into England and arriued in the hauen or riuer of Limene in the east part of Kent néere to the great wood called Andredesley which did conteine in times past 120 miles in length and thirtie in breadth These Danes landing with their people builded a castle at Appledore In the meane time came Hasting with 80 ships into the Thames and builded a castle at Middleton but he was constreined by siege which king Alfred planted about him to receiue an oth that he should not in any wise annoie the dominion of king Alfred who vpon his promise to depart gaue great gifts as well to him as to his wife and children One of his sonnes also king Alfred held at the fontstone and to the other duke Aldred was god father For as it were to win credit and to auoid present danger Hasting sent vnto Alfred these his two sonnes signifieng that if it stood with his pleasure he could be content that they should be baptised But neuerthelesse this Hasting was euer most vntrue of word and déed he builded a castle at Beamfield And as he was going foorth to spoile and wast the kings countries Alfred tooke that castle with his wife children ships and goods which he got togither of such spoiles as he had abroad but he restored vnto Hasting his wife and children bicause he was their godfather Shortlie after newes came that a great number of other ships of Danes were come out of Northumberland and had besieged Excester Whilest king Alfred went then against them the other armie which lay at Appledore inuaded Essex and built
castell which they besieged till the Danes within it gaue hostages and couenanted to depart out of the kings land The king caused the coasts about Seuerne to be watched that they should not breake into his countrie but yet they stale twise into the borders neuerthelesse they were chased and slaine as manie as could not swim and so get to their ships Then they remained in the I le of Stepen in great miserie for lacke of vittels bicause they could not go abroad to get anie At length they departed into Northwales and from thence sailed into Ireland The same yéere king Edward came to Buckingham with an armie and there taried a whole moneth building two castels the one vpon the one side of the water of Ouse and the other vpon the other side of the same riuer He also subdued Turketillus an earle of the Danes that dwelt in that countrie with all the residue of the noble men and barons of the shires of Bedford and Northampton In the 12 yéere of king Edwards reigne the Kentishmen and Danes fought togither at Holme but whether partie had the victorie writers haue not declared Simon Dunelm speaketh of a battell which the citizens of Canturburie fought against a number of Danish rouers at Holme where the Danes were put to flight but that should be as he noteth 8 yéeres before this supposed time as in the yéere 904 which was about the third yéere of king Edwards reigne After this other of the Danes assembled themselues togither and in Staffordshire at a place called Tottenhall fought with the Englishmen and after great slaughter made on both parties the Danes were ouercome and so likewise were they shortlie after at Woodfield or Wodenfield And thus king Edward put the Danes to the woorse in each place commonlie where he came and hearing that those in Northumberland ment to breake the peace he inuaded the countrie and so afflicted the same that the Danes which were inhabitants there gladlie continued in rest and peace But in this meane time Ericke the king of those Danes which held the countrie of Eastangle was about to procure new warre and to allure other of the Danes to ioine with him against the Englishmen that with common agréement they might set vpon the English nation and vtterlie subdue them King Edward hâ—â—ing intelligence héereof purposed to preuent him and therevpon entering with an armie into his countrie cruellie wasted and spoiled the same King Ericke hauing alreadie his people in armor through displeasure conceiued heereof and desire to be reuenged hasted foorth to incounter his enimies and so they met in the field and fiercelie assailed ech other But as the battell was rashlie begun on king Ericks side so was the end verie harmefull to him for with small a doo after great losse on both sides he was vanquished and put to flight After his comming home bicause of his great ouerthrow and fowle discomfiture he began to gouerne his people with more rigor sharper dealing than before time he had vsed Whereby he prouoked the malice of the Eastangles so highlie against him that they fell vpon him and murthered him yet did they not gaine so much hereby as they looked to haue doone for shortlie after they being brought low and not able to defend their countrie were compelled to submit themselues vnto king Edward And so was that kingdome ioined vnto the other dominions of the same king Edward who shortlie after annexed the kingdome of Mercia vnto other of his dominions immediatlie vpon the death of his sister Elfleda whom he permitted to rule that land all hir life Elfleda the sister of king Edward highlie commended for gouernment what a necessarie staie she was vnto him in hir life time what townes she builded and repared hir warlike exploits against the Danes hir death and buriall the greatest part of Britaine in K. Edwards dominion he is a great builder and reparer of townes his death the dreame of his wife Egina and the issue of the same what children king Edward had by his wiues and how they were emploied the decay of the church by the meanes of troubles procured by the Danes England first curssed and why a prouinciall councell summoned for the reliefe of the churches ruine Pleimond archbishop of Canturburie sent to Rome bishops ordeined in sundrie prouinces dissention among writers what pope should denounce the foresaid cursse a succession of archbishops in the see of Canturburie one brother killeth an other The xviij Chapter NOt without good reason did king Edward permit vnto his sister Elfleda the gouernment of Mercia during hir life time for by hir wise and politike order vsed in all hir dooings he was greatlie furthered assisted but speciallie in reparing and building of townes castels wherein she shewed hir noble magnificence in so much that during hir gouernment which continued about eight yéeres it is recorded by writers that she did build and repare these towns whose names here insue Tamwoorth beside Lichfield Stafford Warwike Shrewsburie Watersburie or Weddesburie Elilsburie or rather Eadsburie in the forrest of De la mere besides Chester Brimsburie bridge vpon Seuerne Rouncorne at the mouth of the riuer of Mercia with other Moreouer by hir helpe the citie of Chester which by Daâ—es had beene greatlie defaced was newlie repared fortified with walls and turrets and greatlie inlarged So that the castell which stood without the walls before that time was now brought within compasse of the new wall Moreouer she boldlie assalted hir enimies which went about to trouble the state of the countrie as the Welshmen and Danes She sent an armie into Wales and tooke the towne of Brecknocke with the queene of the Welshmen at Bricenamere Also she wan from the Danes the towne of Darbie and the countrie adioining In this enterprise she put hir owne person in great aduenture for a great multitude of Danes that were withdrawen into Darbie valiantlie defended the gates and entries in so much that they slue foure of hir chiefe men of warre which were named wardens of hir person euen fast by hir at the verie entrie of the gates But this notwithstanding with valiant fight hir people entered and so the towne was woon she got diuerse other places out of their hands constreined them of Yorkeshire to agree with hir so that some of them promised to become hir subiects some vowed to aid hir and some sware to be at hir commandement Finallie this martiall ladie and manlie Elfleda the supporter of hir countriemen and terrour of the enimies departed this life at Tamwoorth about the 12 of Iune in the 18 or rather 19 yéere of hir brother king Edwards reigne as by Matth. West it should appeere But Simon Dunelm writeth that she deceassed in the yeere of Christ 915 which should be about the 14 yéere of king Edwards reigne Hir bodie was conueied to
women both mother and daughter whome king Edward kept as concubines for the mother being of noble parentage sought to satisfie the kings lust in hopeto doo with hir without anie respect or regard had to that either he would take hir or hir daughter vnto wife And therefore perceiuing that Dunstane was sore against such wanton pastime as the king vsed in their companie she so wrought that Dunstane was through hir earnest trauell banished the land This is also reported that when he should depart the realme the diuell was heard in the west end of the church taking vp a great laughter after his roring maner as though he should shew himselfe gled and ioifull at Dunstanes going into exile But Dunstane perceiuingto doo with hir without anie respect or regard had to his behauiour spake to him and said Well thou aduersarie doo not so greatly reioise at the matter for thou dooest not now so much reioise at my departure but by Gods grace thou shalt be as sorrowfull for my returne Thus was Dunstane banished by king Edwine so that he was compelled to passe ouer into Flanders where he remained for a time within a monasterie at Gant finding much friendship at the hands of the gouernor of that countrie Also the more to wreake his wrath the king spoiled manie religious houses of their goods and droue out the moonks placing secular priests in their roomes as namelie at Malmesburie where yet the house was not empaired but rather inriched in lands and ornaments by the kings liberalitie and the industrious meanes of the same priests which tooke vp the bones of saint Aldelme and put the same into a shrine At length the inhabitants of the middle part of England euen from Humber to Thames rebelled against him andof the gouernor of that countrie Also the more to elected his brother Edgar to haue the gouernement ouer them wherwith king Edwine tooke such griefe for that he saw no meane at hand how to remedie the matter that shortlie after when he had reigned somewhat more than foure yéeres he died and his bodie was buried at Winchester in the new abbeie EDgar the second sonne of Edmund late king of England after the decease of his elder brother the foresaid Edwine began his reigne ouer this realme of England in the yeere of our Lord God 959 in the 22 yéere of the emperour Otho the first in the fourth yéere of the reigne of Lotharius king of France 510 almost ended after the comming of the Saxons 124 after the arriuall of the Danes and in the last yéere of Malcolme king of Scotland He was crowned consecrated at Bath or as some say at Kingstone vpon Thames by Odo the archbishop of Tanturburie being as then not past 16 yéeres of age when he was thus admitted king He was no lesse indued with commendable gifts ofrealme of England in the yeere of our Lord God mind than with strength and force of bodie He was a great fauorer of moonks and speciallie had Dunstane in high estimation Aboue all things in this world he regarded peace and studied dailie how to preserue the same to the commoditie aduancement of his subiects When he had established things in good quiet and set an order in matters as séemed to him best for the peaceable gouernement of his people he prepared a great nauie of ships and diuiding them in thrée parts he appointed euerie part to a quarter of the realme to wast about the coast that no forren enimie should approch the land but that they might be incountered and put backe before they could take land And euerie yeere after Easter he vsed to giue order that his ships should assemble togither in their due places and then would he with the east nauie saile to the west parts of his realme and sending those ships backe he would with the west nauie saile into the north parts and with the north nauie come backe againe into the east This custome he vsed that he might fcowre the seas of all pirats theeues In the winter season and spring time he would ride through the prouinces of his realme searching out how the iudges and great lords demeaned themselues in the administration of iustice sharpelie punishing those that were found guiltie of extortion or had done otherwise in anie point than dutie required In all things he vsed such politike discretion that neither was he put in danger by treason of his subiects into the north parts and with the north nauie come nor molested by forren enimies He caused diuerse kings to bind themselues by oth to be true and faithfull vnto him as Kinadius or rather Induf king of Scotland Malcolme king of Cumberland Mascutius an archpirat or as we may call him a maister rouer and also all the kings of the Welshmen as Duffnall Girffith Huvall Iacob and Iudithill all which came to his court and by their solemne othes receiued sware to be at his commandement And for the more manifest testimonie therof he hauing them with him at Chester caused them to enter into a barge vpon the water of Dée and placing himselfe in the forepart of the barge at the helme he caused those eight high princes to row the barge vp and downe the water shewing thereby his princelie prerogatiue and roiall magnificence in that he might vse the seruice of so manie kings that were his subiects And there vpon he said as hath him reported that then might his successours account themselues kings of England when they inioiedAnd for the more manifest testimonie therof such prerogatiue of high and supreme honor The fame of this noble prince was spred ouer all as well on this side the sea as beyond insomuch that great resort of strangers chanced in his daies which came euer into this land to serue him and to sée the state of his court as Saxons and other yea and also Danes which became verie familiar with him He fauored in déed the Danes as hath béene said more than stood with the commoditie of his subiects for scarse was anie stréet in England but Danes had their dwelling in the same among the Englishmen whereby came great harme for whereas the Danes by nature were great drinkers the Englishmen by continuall conuersation with them learned the same vice King Edgar to reforme in part such excessiue quaffing as then began to grow in vse caused by the procurement of Dunstane nailes to be set incups of a certeine measure marked for the purpose that none should drinke more than was assigned by such measured cups Englishmen also learned of the Saxons scarse was anie stréet in England but Danes had Flemings and other strangers their peculiar kind of vices as of the Saxons a discordered fiercenesse of mind of the Flemings a féeble tendernesse of bodie where before they reioised in their owne simplicitie and estéemed not the lewd
woorthie punishment for within one yéere after he was eaten to death with lice if the historie be true King Edward came to his death after he had reigned thrée yéeres or as other write thrée yéeres and eight moneths ¶ Whatsoeuer hath béene reported by writers of the murther committed on the person of this king Edward sure it is that if he were base begotten as by writers of no meane credit it should appéere he was in déed great occasion vndoubtedlie was giuen vnto quéene Alfred to seeke reuenge for the wrongfull keeping backe of hir son Egelred from his rightfull succession to the crowne but whether that Edward was legitimate or not she might yet haue deuised some other lawfull meane to haue come by hir purpose and not so to haue procured the murther of the yoong prince in such vnlawfull maner For hir dooing therein can neither be woorthilie allowed nor throughlie excused although those that occasioned the mischiefe by aduancing hir stepsonne sonne to an other mans right deserued most blame in this matter Thus farre the sixt booke comprising the first arriuall of the Danes in this land which was in king Britricus his reigne pag. 135 at which time the most miserable state of England tooke beginning THE SEVENTH BOKE of the Historie of England Egelred succeedeth Edward the martyr in the kingdome of England the decaie of the realme in his reigne Dunstane refusing to consecrate him is therevnto inforced Dunstans prophesies of the English people and Egelred their king his slouth and idlenes accompanied with other vices the Danes arriue on the coasts of Kent and make spoile of manie places warre betwixt the king and the bishop of Rochester archbishop Dunstans bitter denunciation against the king because he would not be pacified with the bishop of Rochester without moncie Dunstans parentage his strange trance and what a woonderfull thing he did during the time it lasted his education and bringing vp with what good qualities he was indued an incredible tale of his harpe how he was reuoked from louing and lusting after women whereto he was addicted his terrible dreame of a rough beare what preferments he obteined by his skill in the expounding of dreames The first Chapter IN the former booke was discoursed the troubled state of this land by the manisold and mutinous inuasions of the Danes who though they sought to ingrosse the rule of euerie part and parcell therof in to their hands yet being resisted by the valiantnesse of the gouernors supported with the aid of their people they were disappointed of their expectation and receiued manie a dishonorable or rather reprochfull repulse at their aduersaries hands Much mischiefe doubtlesse they did and more had doone if they had not béene met withall in like measure of extremitie as they offred to the offense and ouerthrow of great multitudes Their first entrance into this land is controuersed among writers some saieng that it was in the daies of king Britricus other some affirming that it was in the time of king Egbert c about which point sith it is a matter of no great moment we count it labour lost to vse manie woords onelie this by the waie is notewoorthie that the Danes had an vnperfect or rather a lame and limping rule in this land so long as the gouernors were watchfull diligent politike at home and warlike abroad But when these kind of kings discontinued and that the raines of the regiment fell into the hands of a pezzant not a puissant prince a man euill qualified dissolute slacke and licentious not regarding the dignitie of his owne person nor fauoring the good estate of the people the Danes who before were coursed from coast to coast and pursued from place to place as more willing to leaue the land than desirous to tarrie in the same tooke occasion of stomach and courage to reenter this I le waxing more bold and confident more desperate and venturous spared no force omitted no opportunitie let slip no aduantage that they might possiblie take to put in practise and fullie to accomplish their long conceiued purpose Now bicause the Danes in the former kings daies were reencountred and that renowmedlie so often as they did encounter and séeking the totall regiment where dispossessed of their partile principalilie which by warlike violence they obteined and for that the Saxons were interessed in the land and these but violent incrochers vnable to keepe that which they came to by constreint we haue thought it conuenient to comprise the troubled estate of that time in the sixt booke the rather for the necessarie consequence of matters then in motion and héere déeme it not amisse at so great and shamefull loosenesse speciallie in a prince ministring hart and courage to the enimie to begin the seuenth booke Wherin is expressed the chiefest time of their flourishing estate in this land if in tumults vprores battels and bloudshed such a kind of estate may possiblie be found For héere the Danes lord it héere they take vpon them like souereignes héere if at anie time they had absolute authoritie they did what they might in the highest degrée as shall be declared in the vnfortunate affaires of vngratious Egelred or Etheldred the sonne of king Edgar and of his last wife quéene Alfred who was ordeined king in place of his brother Edward after the same Edward was dispatched out of the waie and began his reigne ouer this realme of England in the yéere of our Lord 979 which was in the seuenth yéere of the emperor Otho the second in the 24 of Lothaine K. of France and about the second or third yéere of Kenneth the third of that name king of Scotland This Egelred or Etheldred was the 30 in number from Cerdicus he first king of the Westsaxons through his negligent gouernment the state of the commonwealth fell into such decaie as writers doo report that vnder him it may be said how the kingdome was 〈◊〉 to the vttermost point or period of old 〈…〉 age which is the next degrée to the graâ—e For wheras whilest the realme was diuided at the first by the Saxons into sundrie dominions it grew at length as it were increasing from youthfull yeeres to one absolute monarchie which passed vnder the late remembred princes Egbert Adelstane Edgar and others so that in their daies it might be said how it was growne to mans state but now vnder this Egelred through famine pestilence and warres the state thereof was so shaken turned vpside downe and weakened on ech part that rightlie might the season be likened vnto the old broken yéeres of mans life which through féeblenesse is not able to helpe it slefe Dunstane archbishop of Canturburie was thought to haue foreséene this thing and therfore refused to annoint Egelred king which by the murther of his brother should atteine to the gouernment but at length he was compelled vnto it and so he consecrated him at Kingston vpon Thames as the
that time he lay vpon pledges receiued of the king for his safe returne Elphegus bishop of Winchester and duke Ethelwold were appointed by king Egelred to bring Aulafe vnto him in most honorable maner The same time was Aulafe baptised king Egelred receiuing him at the fontstone and so he promised neuer after to make anie war within this land And receiuing great gifts of the king he returned into his countrie and kept his promise faithfullie but the euils tooke not so an end for other of the Danes sprang vp as they had béene the heads of the serpent Hydra some of them euer being readie to trouble the quiet state of the English nation About this season that is to say in the yéere of our Lord 995 bishop Aldaine which was fled from Chester in the stréet otherwise called Cunecester with the bodie of saint Cuthbert for feare of the inuasion of Danes vnto Rippon brought the same bodie now vnto Durham and there began the foundation of a church so that the sée of that bishoprike was from thencefoorth there established and the woods were there cut downe which before that time couered and ouergrew that place wherevpon it began first to be inhabited Earle Uthred who gouerned that countrie greatlie furthered the bishop in this worke so that all the people inhabiting betweene the riuers of Coquid and Theis came togither to rid the woods and to helpe forwards the building of the church and towne there The Danes inuading the west parts of this land make great hauocke by fire and sword they arriue at Rochester and conquer the Kentishmen in field king Egelred ouercommeth the Danes that inhabited Cumberland and wasteth the countrie the Summersetshire men are foiled the miserable state of the realme in those daies the English bloud mixed with the Danes and Britaines and what inconueniences grew thervpon the disordered gouernement of king Egelred sicknesses vexing the people treason in the nobles the tribute paid to the Danes vnmercifullie inhansed the realme brought to beggerie king Egelred by politike persuasion and counsell marrieth Emma the duke of Normandies daughter vpon what occasion the Normans pretended a title to the crowne of England they conquer the whole land what order king Egelred tooke to kill all the Danes within his kingdome and what rule they bare in this realme yer they were murdered the thraldome of the English people vnder them whereof the word Lordane sprang The third Chapter IN the ninteenth yere of king Egelreds reigne the Danes sailed about Cornewall and comming into the Seuerne sea they robbed tooke preies in the coasts of Deuonshire Southwales and landing at Wicheport they burned vp the countrie and came about vnto Penwithstréet on the south coast and so arriuing in the mouth of Tamer water came vnto Lidford and there wasted all afore them with force of fire They burned amongst other places the monasterie of saint Ordulfe at Essingstocke After this they came into Dorcetshire and passed through the countrie with flame and fire not finding anie that offered to resist them The same yéere also they soiourned in the I le of Wight and liued vpon spoiles preies which they tooke in Hampshire and Sussex At length they came into the Thames and so by the riuer of Medwey arriued at Rochester The Kentishmen assembled togither and fought with the Danes but they were ouercome and so left the field to the Danes After this the same Danes sailed into Normandie and king Egelred went into Cumberland where the Danes inhabited in great numbers whome he ouercame with sore warre and wasted almost all Cumberland taking great spoiles in the same About the same time or shortlie after the Danes with their nauie returning out of Normandie came vnto Exmouth and there assaulted the castell but they were repelled by them that kept it After this they spread abroad ouer all the countrie exercising their accustomed trade of destroieng all before them with fire and sword The men of Summersetshire fought with them at Pentho but the Danes got the vpper hand Thus the state of the realme in those daies was verie miserable for there wanted worthie chiestains to rule the people and to chastise them when they did amisse There was no trust in the noble men for euerie one impugned others dooing and yet would not deuise which way to deale with better likelihood When they assembled in councell and should haue occupied their heads in deuising remedies for the mischiefe of the common wealth they turned their purpose vnto the altercation about such strifes contentions and quarels as each one had against other and suffered the generall case to lie still in the dust And if at anie time there was anie good conclusion agreed vpon for the withstanding of the enimie reléefe of the common wealth anon should the enimie be aduertised thereof by such as were of aliance or consanguinitie to them For as Caxton Polychr and others say the English bloud was so mixed with that of the Danes and Britains who were like enimies to the Englishmen that there was almost few of the nobilitie and commons which had not on the one side a parent of some of them Whereby it came to passe that neither the secret purposes of the king could be concealed till they might take due effect neither their assemblies proue quiet without quarelling and taking of parts Manie also being sent foorth with their powers one way whilest the king went to make resistance another did reuolt to his enimies and turned their swords against him as you haue heard of Elfrike and his complices and shall read of manie others so that it was no maruell that Egelred sped no better and yet was he as valiant as anie of his predecessors although the moonks fauour him not in their writings because he demanded aid of them toward his warres and was nothing fauorable to their lewd hypocrisie But what is a king if his subiects be not loiall What is a realme if the common wealth be diuided By peace concord of small beginnings great and famous kingdomes haue oft times procéeded whereas by discord the greatest kingdoms haue oftner bene brought to ruine And so it proued here for whilest priuat quarels are pursued the generall affaires are vtterlie neglected and whilest ech nation séeketh to preferre hir owne aliance the Iland it selfe is like to become a desert But to proceed with our monasticall writers certes they lay all the fault in the king saieng that he was a man giuen to no good exercise he delighted in fleshlie lustes and riotous bankettings and still sought waies how to gather of his subiects what might be got as wll by vnlawfull meanes as otherwise For he would for feined or for verie small light causes disherit his natiue subiects and cause them to redéeme their owne possessions for great summes of monie Besides these oppressions diuers
kinds of sicknesses vexed the people also as the bloodie flix and hot burning agues which then raged through the land so that manie died thereof By such manner of meanes therefore what through the misgouernance of the king the treason and disloialtie of the nobilitie the lacke of good order and due correction amongst the people and by such other scourges and mishaps as afflicted the English nation in that season the land was brought into great ruine so that where by strength the enimie could not be kept off there was now no helpe but to appease them with monie By reason hereof from time of the first agréement with the Danes for 10 thousand pounds tribute it was inhanced to 16000 pounds as you haue heard after that at 20000 pounds then to 24000 pounds so to 30000 pounds lastlie to 40000 pounds till at length the relme was emptied in maner of all that monie and coine that could be found in it In this meane time died Elgina or Ethelgina the quéene Shortlie after it was deuised that the king should be a suter vnto Richard duke of Normandie for his sister Emma a ladie of such excellent beautie that she was named the floure of Normandie This sute was begun and tooke such good successe that the king obteined his purpose And so in the yeare of our Lord 1002 which was about the 24 yeare of king Egelreds reigne he maried the said Emma with great solemnitie This mariage was thought to be right necessarie honorable and profitable for the realme of England because of the great puissance of the Norman princes in those daies but as things afterward came to passe it turned to the subuersion of the whole English state for by such affinitie and dealing as hapned hereby betwixt the Normans and Englishmen occasion in the end was ministred to the same Normans to pretend a title to the crowne of England in prosecuting of which title they obteined and made the whole conquest of the land as after shall appeare Egelred being greatlie aduanced as he thought by reason of his mariage deuised vpon presumption thereof to cause all the Danes within the land to be murthered in one day Herevpon he sent priuie commissioners to all cities burrowes and townes within his dominions commanding the rulers and officers in the same to kill all such Danes as remained within their liberties at a certeine day prefixed being saint Brices day in the yeare 1012 and in the 34 yeare of king Egelreds reigne Herevpon as sundrie writers agree in one day houre this murther began and was according to the commission and iniunction executed But where it first began the same is vncerteine some say at Wellowin in Herefordshire some at a place in Staffordshire called Hownhill others in other places but whersoeuer it began the dooers repented it after But now yer we procéed anie further we will shew what rule the Danes kept here in this realme before they were thus murthered as in some bookes we find recorded Whereas it is shewed that the Danes compelled the husbandmen to til the ground doo all maner of labour and toile to be doone about husbandrie the Danes liued vpon the fruit and gaines that came thereof and kept the husbandmens wiues their daughters maids and seruants vsing and abusing them at their pleasures And when the husbandmen came home then could they scarse haue such sustenance of meats and drinkes as fell for seruants to haue so that the Danes had all at their commandements eating and drinking of the best where the sillie man that was the owner could hardlie come to his fill of the worst Besids this the common people were so oppressed by the Danes that for feare and dread they called them in euerie such house where anie of them soiourned Lord Dane And if an Englishman and a Dane chanced to méet at anie bridge or streight passage the Englishman must staie till the Lord Dane were passed But in processe of time after the Danes were voided the land this word Lord Dane was in derision and despight of the Danes turned by Englishmen into a name of reproch as Lordane which till these our daies is not forgotten For when the people in manie parts of this realme will note and signifie anie great idle lubber that will not labour nor take paine for his liuing they will call him Lordane Thus did the Danes vse the Englishmen in most vile manner and kept them in such seruile thraldome as cannot be sufficientlie vttered A fresh power of Danes inuade England to reuenge the slaughter of their countrimen that inhabited this Ile the west parts betraied into their hands by the conspiracie of a Norman that was in gouernement earle Edrike feined himselfe sicke when king Egelred sent vnto him to leuie a power against the Danes and betraieth his people to the enimies Sweine king of Denmarke arriueth on the coast of Northfolke and maketh pitifull spoile by fire and sword the truce taken betweene him and Vikillus is violated and what reuengement followeth king Sweine forced by famine returneth into his owne countrie he arriueth againe at Sandwich why king Egelred was vnable to preuaile against him the Danes ouerrun all places where they come and make cruell waste king Egelred paieth him great summes of monie for peace the mischiefes that light vpon a land by placing a traitorous stranger in gouernement how manie acres a hide of land conteineth Egelreds order taken for ships and armour why his great fleet did him little pleasure a fresh host of Danes vnder three capteines arriue at Sandwich the citizens of Canturburie for monie purchase safetie the faithlesse dealing of Edrike against king Egelred for the enimies aduantage what places the Danes ouerran and wasted The fourth Chapter VPon knowledge giuen into Denmarke of the cruell murder of the Danes here in England truth it is that the people of the countrie were greatlie kindled in malice and set in such a furious rage against the Englishmen that with all spéed they made foorth a nauie full fraught with men of warre the which in the yeare following came swarming about the coasts of England and landing in the west countrie tooke the citie of Excester and gat there a rich spoile One Hugh a Norman borne whome queene Emma had placed in those parties as gouernour or shirife there conspired with the Danes so that all the countrie was ouerrun and wasted The king hearing that the Danes were thus landed and spoiled the west parts of the realme he sent vnto Edricus to assemble a power to withstand the enimies Herevpon the people of Hampshire and Wiltshire rose and got togither but when the armies should ioine earle Edricus surnamed de Streona feigned himselfe sicke and so betraied his people of whome he had the conduct for they perceiuing the want in their leader were discouraged and so fled
midst of his enimies weapons and was glad that he might so escape and so with the residue of his armie ceassed not to iournie day and night till he came to Bath where Ethelmere an earle of great power in those west parts of the realme submitted himselfe with all his people vnto him who shortlie after neuerthelesse as some write was compelled through want of vittels to release the tribute latelie couenanted to be paied vnto him for a certeine summe of monie which when hée had receiued he returned into Denmarke meaning shortlie to returne againe with a greater power King Egelred supposed that by the paiment of that monie he should haue béene rid out of all troubles of warre with the Danes But the nobles of the realme thought otherwise and therefore willed him to prepare an armie with all spéed that might be made Swaine taried not long to proue to doubt of the noble men to be grounded of foreknowledge but that with swift spéed he returned againe into England and immediatlie vpon his arriuall was an armie of Englishmen assembled and led against him into the field Herevpon they ioined in battell which was sore foughten for a time till at length by reason of diuerse Englishmen that turned to the enimies side the discomfiture fell with such slaughter vpon the English host that king Egelred well perceiued the state of his regall gouernement to bée brought into vtter danger Wherevpon after the losse of this field he assembled the rest of his people that were escaped and spake vnto them after this manner The oration of king Egelred to the remanent of his souldiers I Shuld for euer be put to silence it there wanted in vs the vertue of a fatherlie mind in giuing good aduise counsel for the well ordering and due administration of things in the common wealth or if their lacked courage or might in our souldiers and men of warre to defend our countrie Trulie to die in defense of the countrie where we are borne I confesse it a woorthie thing and I for my part am readie to take vpon me to enter into the midst of the enimies in defense of my kingdome But here I see our countrie and the whole English nation to be at a point to fall into vtter ruine We are ouercome of the Danes not with weapon or force of armes but with treason wrought by our owne people we did at the first prepare a nauie against the enimies the which that false traitour Elfrike betraid into their hands Againe oftentimes haue we giuen battell with euill successe and onelie through the fault of our owne people that haue beene false and disloiall whereby we haue bin constreined to agree with the enimies vpon dishonorable conditions euen as necessitie required which to ouercome resteth onelie in God Such kind of agreement hath beene made in deed in our destruction sith the enimies haue not sticked to breake it they being such a wicked king of people as neither regard God nor man contrarie to right and reason and beside all our hope expectation So that the matter is come now to this passe that we haue not cause onlie to feare the losse of our gouernement but least the name of the whole English nation be destroied for euer Therefore sithens the enimies are at hand and as it were ouer our heads you to whom my commandement hath euer bene had in good regard prouide take counsell and see to succor the state of your countrie now readie to decay and to fall into irrecouerable ruine Herevpon they fell in consultation euerie one alledging and bringing foorth his opinion as seemed to him best but it appeared they had the woolfe by the eare for they wist not which way to turne them If they should giue battell it was to be doubted least through treason among themselues the armie should be batraied into the enimies hands the which would not faile to execute all kind of crueltie in the slaughter of the whole nation And if they stood not valiantlie to shew themselues readie to defend their countrie there was no shift but yeeld themselues Which though it were a thing reprochfull and dishonorable yet should it be lesse euill as they tooke the matter for thereby might manie be preserued from death and in time to come be able to recouer the libertie of their countrie when occasion should be offered This point was allowed of them all and so in the end they rested vpon that resolution King Egelred therefore determined to commit himselfe into the hands of his brother in law Richard duke of Normandie whose sister as ye haue heard he had maried But bicause he would not doo this vnaduisedlie first he sent ouer his wife quéene Emma with his sonnes which he had begotten of hir Alfred and Edward that by their interteinment he might vnderstand how he should be welcome Duke Richard receiued his sister and his nephues verie ioifullie and promised to aid his brother king Egelred in defense of his kingdome But in this meane while had Swaine conquered the more part of all England and brought by little and little that which remained vnder his subiection The people through feare submitting themselues on each hand king Egelred in this meane time for the Londoners had submitted themselues to Swaine was first withdrawne vnto Gréenwich and there remained for a time with the nauie of the Danes which was vnder the gouernement of earle Turkill and from thence sailed into the I le of Wight and there remained a great part of the winter and finallie after Christmas himselfe sailed into Normandie and was of his brother in law ioifullie receiued greatlie comforted in that his time of necessitie Swaine king of Denmarke is reputed king of this land he oppresseth the English people cruellie and spoileth religious houses the strange and miraculous slaughter of Swaine vaunting of his victories the Danish chronicles write parciallie of him and his end Cnute succeedeth his father Swaine in regiment the Englishmen send king Egelred woord of Swaines death Edward king Egelreds eldest sonne commeth ouer into England to know the state of the countrie and people of certeintie Egelred with his power returneth into England what meanes Cnute made to establish himselfe king of this land and to be well thought of among the English people Egelred burneth vp Gainesbrough and killeth the inhabitants therof for their disloialtie Cnutes flight to Sandwich his cruel decree against the English pledges he returneth into Denmarke why Turkillus the Danish capteine with his power compounded with the Englishmen to tarrie in this land his faithlesse seruice to Egelred his drift to make the whole realme subiect to the Danish thraldome The seuenth Chapter SWaine hauing now got the whole rule of the land was reputed full king and so commanded that his armie should be prouided of wages and vittels to be taken vp leuied through the realme In like maner Turkill
shortlie after erle Turkill with 9 of those ships sailed into Denmarke submitted himselfe vnto Cnute counselled him to returne into England and promised him the assistance of the residue of those Danish ships which yet remained in England being to the number of thirtie with all the souldiers and mariners that to them belonged To conclude he did so much by his earnest persuasions that Cnute through aid of his brother Harrold king of Denmarke got togither a nauie of two hundred ships so roially decked furnished and appointed both for braue shew and necessarie furniture of all maner of weapons armor munition as it is strange to consider that which is written by them that liued in those daies and tooke in hand to register the dooings of that time Howbeit to let this pompe of Cnutes fléete passe which no doubt was right roiall consider a little and looke backe to Turkill though a sworne seruant to king Egelred how he did direct all his drift to the aduancement of Cnute and his owne commoditie cloking his purposed treacherie with pretended amitie as shall appeare hereafter by his deadlie hostilitie A great waste by an inundation or in-breaking of the sea a tribute of 30000 pounds to the Danes king Egelred holdeth a councell at Oxford where he causeth two noble men of the Danes to be murdered by treason Edmund the king eldest sonne marieth one of their wiues and seizeth vpon his 〈◊〉 lands Cnute the Damsn king returneth into England the Damsn and English armies encounter both 〈…〉 Cnute maketh waste of certeine 〈◊〉 Edmund preuenteth 〈◊〉 purposed treason Edrike de Streona 〈◊〉 to the Danes the Westernemen yeeld to Cnute Mercia refuseth to be subiect vnto him Warwikeshire wasted by the Danes Egelred assembleth an armie against them in vaine Edmund Vtred with ioined forces lay waste such countries and people as became subiect to Cnute his policie to preuent their purpose through what countries he passed Vtred submitteth himselfe to Cnute and deliuereth pledges he 〈◊〉 put to death and his lands alienated Cnute pursueth Edmund to London and prepareth to besiege the citie the death and buriall of Egelred his wiues what issue he had by them his infortunatenesse and to what affections and vices he was inclined his too late and bootlesse seeking to releeue his decaied kingdome The eight Chapter BUt now to returne to our purpose and to shew what chanced in England after the departure of Cnute In the same yeare to the forsaid accustomed mischiefes an vnwoonted misaduenture happened for the sea rose with such high spring-tides that ouerflowing the countries next adioining diuers villages with the inhabitants were drowned and destroied Also to increase the peoples miserie king Egelred commanded that 30000 pounds should be leuied to paie the tribute due to the Danes which lay at Gréenewich This yeare also king Egelred held a councell at Oxford at the which a great number of noble men were present both Danes and Englishmen and there did the king cause Sigeferd and Morcad two noble personages of the Danes to be murdered within his owne chamber by the traitorous practise of Edrike de Streona which accused them of some conspiracie But the quarell was onelie as men supposed for that the king had a desire to their goods and possessions Their seruants tooke in hand to haue reuenged the death of their maisters but were beaten backe wherevpon they fled into the steeple of saint Friswids church and kept the same till fire was set vpon the place and so they were burned to death The wife of Sigeferd was taken sent to Malmsburie being a woman of high fame and great worthinesse wherevpon the kings eldest sonne named Edmund tooke occasion vpon pretense of other businesse to go thither and there to sée hir with whome he fell so far in loue that he tooke and maried hir That doone he required to haue hir husbands lands and possessions which were an earles liuing and lay in Northumberland And when the king refused to graunt his request he went thither and seized the same possessions and lands into his hands without hauing anie commission so to doo finding the farmers and tenants there readie to receiue him for their lord Whilest these things were a dooing Cnute hauing made his prouision of ships and men with all necessarie furniture as before ye haue heard for his returne into England set forward with full purpose either to recouer the realme out of Egelreds hands or to die in the quarrell Herevpon he landed at Sandwich and first earle Turkill obteined licence to go against the Englishmen that were assembled to resist the Danes and finding them at a place called Scoraâ—tan he gaue them the ouerthrow got a great bootie and returned therewith to the ships After this Edrike gouernor of Norwaie made a rode likewise into an other part of the countrie with a rich spoile and manie prisoners returned vnto the nauie After this iournie atchiued thus by Edrike Cnute commanded that they should not waste the countrie anie more but gaue order to prepare all things readie to besiege London but before he attempted that enterprise as others write he marched foorth into Kent or rather sailing round about that countrie tooke his iournie westward came to Fromundham and after departing from thence wasted Dorsetshire Summersetshire Wiltshire King Egelred in this meane time lay sicke at Cossam and his sonne Edmund had got togither a mightie hoast howbeit yer he came to ioine battell with his enimies he was aduertised that earle Edrike went about the betraie him and therefore he withdrew with the armie into a place of suertie But Edrike to make his tratorous purpose manifest to the whole world fled to the enimies with fortie of the kings ships fraught with Danish souldiers Herevpon all the west countrie submitted it selfe vnto Cnute who receiued pledges of the chiefe lords and nobles and then set forward to subdue them of Mercia The people of that countrie would not yéeld but determined to defend the quarrell and title of king Egelred so long as they might haue anie capteine that would stand with them and helpe to order them In the yeare 1016 in Christmas Cnute and earle Edrike passed the Thames at Kirkelade entring into Mercia cruellie began with fire and sword to waste and destroie the countrie and namelie Warwikeshire In the meane time was king Egelred recouered of his sicknesse and sent summons forth to raise all his power appointing euerie man to resort vnto him that he might incounter the enimies and giue them battell But yet when his people were assembled he was warned to take héed vnto himselfe and in anie wise to beware how he gaue battell for his owne subiects were purposed to betraie him Herevpon the armie brake vp king Egelred withdrew to London there to abide his enimies within the walles with whom in the field he doubted
tributes and paiments He caused indeed eight markes of siluer to be leuied of euerie port or hauen in England to the reteining of 16 ships furnished with men of warre which continued euer in a readinesse to defend the coasts from pirats To conclude with this Harold his spéedie death prouided well for his fame bicause as it was thought if his life had béene of long continuance his infamie had been the greater But after he had reigned foure yeeres or as other gathered three yéeres and thrée moneths he departed out of this world at Oxford was buried at Winchester as some day Other say he died at Meneford in the moneth of Aprill and was buried at Westminster which should appeare to be true by that which after is reported of his brother Hardiknoughts cruell dealing and great spite shewed toward his dead bodie as after shall be specified Hardicnute is sent for into England to be made king alteration in the state of Norwaie and Denmarke by the death of king Cnute Hardicnute is crowned he sendeth for his mother queene Emma Normandie ruled by the French king Hardicnute reuengeth his mother exile vpon the dead bodie of his stepbrother Harold queene Emma and erle Goodwine haue the gouernment of things in their hands Hardicnute leuieth a sote tribute vpon his subiects contempt of officers deniall of a prince his tribute sharpelie punished prince Edward commeth into England the bishop of Worcester accused and put from his see for being accessarie to the murthering of Alfred his restitution procured by contribution Earle Goodwine being accused for the same trespasse excuseth himselfe and iustifieth his cause by swearing but speciallie by presenting the king with an inestimable gift the cause why Goodwine purposed Alfreds death the English peoples care about the succession to the crowne moonke Brightwalds dreame and vision touching that matter Hardicnute poisoned at a bridall his conditions speciallie his hospitalitie of him the Englishmen learned to eate and drinke immoderatlie the necessitie of sobrietie the end of the Danish regiment in this land and when they began first to inuade the English coasts The xv Chapter AFter that Harold was dead all the nobles of the realme both Danes Englishmen agréed to send for Hardiknought the sonne of Canute by his wife quéene Enma and to make him king Héere is to be noted that by the death of king Canute the state of things was much altered in those countries of beyond the seas wherein he had the rule and dominion For the Norwegians elected oen Magnus the sonne of Olauus to be their king and the Danes chose this Hardiknought whome their writers name Canute the third to be their gouernor This Hardiknought or Canute being aduertised of the death of his halfe brother Harold and that the lords of England had chosen him to their king with all conuenient speed prepared a nauie and imbarking a certeine number of men of warre tooke the sea and had the wind so fauorable for his purpose that he arriued vpon the coast of Kent the sixt day after he set out of Denmarke and so comming to London was ioifullie receiued and proclaimed king and crowned of Athelnotus archbishop of Canturburie in the yere of our Lord 1041 in the first yéere of the emperour Henrie the third in the 9 yeere of Henrie the first of that name king of France and in the first yéere of Magâ—â—nloch alià s Machabeda king of Scotland Incontinentlie after his establishment in the rule of this realme he sent into Flanders for his mother queene Emma who during the time of hir banishment had remained there For Normandie in that season was gouerned by the French king by reason of the minoritie of duke William surnamed the bastard Moreouer in reuenge of the wrong offered to quéene Emma by hir sonne in law Harold king Hardicnute did cause Alfrike archbishop of Yorke and earle Goodwine with other noble men to go to Westminster and there to take vp the bodie of the same Harold and withall appointed that the head thereof should be striken off and the trunke of it cast into the riuer of Thames Which afterwards being found by fishers was taken vp and buried in the churchyard of S. Clement Danes without Temple barre at London He committed the order and gouernement of things to the hands of his mother Emma and of Goodwine that was erle of Kent He leuied a sore tribute of his subiects here in England to pay the souldiers and mariners of his nauie as first 21 thousand pounds 99 pounds and afterward vnto 32 ships there was a paiment made of a 11 thousand and 48 pounds To euerie mariuer of his nauie he caused a paiment of 8 marks to be made and to euerie master 12 marks About the paiment of this monie great grudge grew amongst the people insomuch that two of his seruants which were appointed collectors in the citie of Worcester the one named Feader and the other Turstane were there slaine In reuenge of which contempt a great part of the countrie with the citie was burnt and the goods of the citizens put to the spoile by such power of lords and men of warre as the king had sent against them Shortlie after Edward king Hardicnutes brother came foorth of Normanâ—ie to visit him and his mother quéene Emma of whome he was most ioifullie and honorablie welcomed and interteined and shortlie after made returne backe againe It should appeare by some writers that after his comming ouer out of Normandie he remained still in the realme so that he was not in Normandie when his halfe brother Hardicnute died but here in England although other make other report as after shall bée shewed Also as before ye haue heard some writers seeme to meane that the elder brother Alfred came ouer at the same time But suerlie they are therein deceiued for it was knowne well inough how tenderlie king Hardicnute loued his brethren by the mothers side so that there was not anie of the lords in his daies that durst attempt anie such iniurie against them True it is that as well earle Goodwine as the bishop of Worcester that was also put in blame and suspected for the apprehending and making away of Alfred as before ye haue heard were charged by Hardicnute as culpable in that matter insomuch that the said bishop was expelled out of his see by Hardicnute and after twelue moneths space was restored by meanes of such summes of monie as he gaue by waie of amends Earle Goodwine was also put to his purgation by taking an oth that he was not guiltie Which oth was the better allowed by reason of such a present as he gaue to the king for the redéeming of his fauour and good will that is to say a ship with a sterne of gold conteining therein 80 souldiers wearing on each of their armes two braceiets of gold of 16 ounces weight
a triple habergion guilt on their bodies with guilt burgenets on their heads a swoord with guilt hilts girded to their waâ—â—es a battell are after the maner of the Daues on the left shoulder a target with bosses and mails guilt in their left hand a dart in their right hand and thus to conclude they were furnished at all points with armor and weapon accordinglie It hath beene said that earle Goodwine minded to marie his daughter to one of these brethren and perceiuing that the elder brother Alfred would disdaine to haue hir thought good to dispatch him that the other taking hir to wife hée might be next heire to the crowne and so at length inioy it as afterwards came to passe Also about that time when the linage of the kings of England was in maner extinct the English people were much carefull as hath béene said about the succession of those that should inioie the crowne Wherevpon as one Brightwold a moonke of Glastenburie that was afterward bishop of Wincester or as some haue written of Worcester studied oftentimes thereon it chanced that he dreamed one night as he slept in his bed that he saw saint Peter consecrate annoint Edward the sonne of Egelred as their remaining in exile in Normandie king of England And as he thought he did demand of saint Peter who should succéed the said Edward Wherevnto answer was made by the apostle Haue thou no care for such matters for the kingdome of England is Gods kingdome Which suerlie in good earnest may appeare by manie great arguments to be full true vnto such as shall well consider the state of this realme from time to time how there hath béene euer gouernours raised vp to mainteine the maiestie of the kingdome and to reduce the same to the former dignitie when by anie infortunate mishap it hath beene brought in danger But to returne now to king Hardicnute after he had reigned two yéeres lacking 10 daies as he sat at the table in a great feast holden at Lambeth he fell downe suddenlie with the pot in his hand and so died not without some suspicion of poison This chanced on the 8 of Iune at Lambeth aforesaid where on the same day a mariage was solemnized betwéene the ladie Githa the daughter of a noble man called Osgot Clappa and a Danish lord also called Canute Prudan His bodie was buried at Winchester besides his fathers He was of nature verie curteous gentle and liberall speciallie in keeping good chéere in his house so that he would haue his table couered foure times a day furnished with great plentie of meates and drinks wishing that his seruants and all strangers that came to his palace might rather leaue than want It hath béene commonlie told that Englishmen learned of him their excessiue gourmandizing vnmeasurable filling of their panches with meates and drinkes whereby they forgat the vertuous vse of sobrietie so much necessarie to all estates and degrées so profitable for all common-wealths and so commendable both in the sight of God and all good men In this Hardicnute ceased the rule of the Danes within this land with the persecution which they had executed against the English nation for the space of 250 yeres more that is to say euer since the tenth yeere of Brithrike the king of Westsaxons at what time they first began to inuade the English coasts Howbeit after others they should séeme to haue ruled here but 207 reckoning from their bringing in by the Welshmen in despite of the Saxons at which time they first began to inhabit here which was 835 of Christ 387 after the comming of the Saxons and 35 néere complet of the reigne of Egbert ¶ But to let this peece of curiositie passe this land felt that they had a time of arriuall a time of inuading a time of ouerrunning and a time of ouerrunling the inhabitants of this maine continent Wherof manifest proofes are at this day remaining in sundrie places sundrie ruines I meane and wastes committed by them vpon the which whensoeuer a man of a relenting spirit casteth his eie he can not but enter into a dolefull consideration of former miseries and lamenting the defacements of this I le by the crueltie of the bloudthirstie enimie cannot but wish if he haue but Minimam misericordiae guttam quae maiorest spatioso oceano as one saith and earnestlie desire in his heart that the like may neuer light vpon this land but may be auerted and turned away from all christian kingdomes through his mercie whose wrath by sinne being set on fire is like a consuming flame and the swoord of whose vengeance being sharpened with the whetstone of mens wickednesse shall hew them in péeces as wood for the fornace Thus farre the tumultuous and tyrannicall regiment of the Danes inferring fulnesse of afflictions to the English people wherewith likewise the seuenth booke is shut vp THE EIGHT BOOKE of the Historie of England Edward the third of that name is chosen king of England by a generall consent ambassadours are sent to attend him homewardes to his kingdome and to informe him of his election William duke of Normandie accompanieth him Edward is crowned king the subtill ambition or ambitious subtiltie of earle Goodwine in preferring Edward to the crowne and betraieng Alfred the Danes expelled and rid out of this land by decree whether earle Goodwine was guiltie of Alfreds death king Edward marieth the said earles daughter he forbeareth to haue carnall knowledge with hir and why he vseth his mother queene Emma verie hardlie accusations brought against hir she is dispossessed of hir goods and imprisoned for suffering bishop Alwine to haue the vse of hir bodie she purgeth and cleareth hir selfe after a strange sort hir couetousnesse mothers are taught by hir example to loue their children with equalitie hir liberall deuotion to Winchester church cleared hir from infamie of couetousnesse king Edward loued hir after hir purgation why Robert archbishop of Canturburie fled out of England into Normandie The first Chapter IMmediatlie vpon the deth of Hardiknought and before his corps was committed to buriall his halfe brother Edward sonne of king Egelred begotten of quéene Emma was chosen to be K. of England by the generall consent of all the nobles and commons of the realme Therevpon where ambassadours sent with all spéed into Normandie to signifie vnto him his election and to bring him from thence into England in deliuering pledges for more assurance that no fraud nor deceit was ment of the Englishmen but that vpon his comming thither he should receiue the crowne without all contradiction Edward then aided by his coosine William duke of Normandie tooke the sea with a small companie of Normans came into England where he was receiued with great ioy as king of the realme immediatlie after was crowned at Winâ—hester by Edsinus then archbishop of Canturburie on Easter day in the yeare of our Lord 1043
which fell also about the fourth yeare of the emperour Henrie the third surnamed Niger in the 12 yeare of Henrie the first of that name king of France and about the third yeare of Macbeth king of Scotland This Edward the third of that name before the conquest was of nature more méeke and simple than apt for the gouernement of the realme therefore did earle Goodwine not onelie séeke the destruction of his elder brother Alfred but holpe all that he might to aduance this Edward to the crowne in hope to beare great rule in the realme vnder him whome he knew to be soft gentle and easie to be persuaded But whatsoeuer writers doo report hereof sure it is that Edward was the elder brother and not Alfred so that if earle Goodwine did shew his furtherance by his pretended cloake of offering his friendship vnto Alfred to betraie him he did it by king Harolds commandement and yet it may be that he meant to haue vsurped the crowne to him selfe if each point had answered his expectation in the sequele of things as he hoped they would and therfore had not passed if both the brethren had béene in heauen But yet when the world framed contrarie peraduenture to his purpose he did his best to aduance Edward trusting to beare no small rule vnder him being knowen to be a man more appliable to be gouerned by other than to trust to this owne wit and so chieflie by the assistance of earle Goodwine whose authoritie as appeareth was not small within the realme of England in those daies Edward came to atteine the crowne wherevnto the earle of Chester Leofrike also shewed all the furtherance that in him laie Some write which seemeth also to be confimed by the Danish chronicles that king Hardiknought in his life time had receiued this Edward into his court and reteined him still in the same in most honorable wise But for that it may appeare in the abstract of the Danish chronicles what their writers had of this matter recorded we doo here passe ouer referring those that be desirous to know the diuersitie of our writers and theirs vnto the same chronicles where they may find it more at large expressed This in no wise is to be left vnremembred that immediatlie after the death of Hardiknought it was not onelie decreed agreed vpon by the great lords nobles of the realme that no Dane from thenceforth should reigne ouer them but also all men of warre and souldiers of the Danes which laie within anie citie or castell in garrison within the realme of England were then expelled and put out or rather slaine as the Danish writers doo rehearse Amongst other that were banished the ladie Gonild neece to king Swaine by his sister was one being as then a widow and with hir two of hir sonnes which she had then liuing Heming and Turkill were also caused to auoid Some write that Alfred the brother of king Edward came not into the realme till after the death of Hardiknought and that he did helpe to expell the Danes which being doon he was slaine by earle Goodwine and other of his complices But how this may stand considering the circumstances of the time with such things as are written by diuers authors hereof it may well be doubted Neuerthelesse whether earle Goodwine was guiltie to the death of Alfred either at this time or before certeine it is that he so cleared himselfe of that crime vnto king Edward the brother of Alfred that there was none so highlie in fauour with him as earle Goodwine was insomuch that king Edward maried the ladie Editha the daughter of earle Goodwine begotten of his wife Thira that was sister to king Hardiknought and not of his second wife as some haue written Howbeit king Edward neuer had to doo with hir in fleshlie wise But whether he absteined because he had happilie vowed chastitie either of impotencie of nature or for a priuie hate that he bare to hir kin men doubted For it was thought that he estéemed not earle Goodwine so greatlie in his heart as he outwardlie made shew to doo but rather for feare of his puissance dissembled with him least he should otherwise put him selfe in danger both of losse of life and kingdome Howsoeuer it was he vsed his counsell in ordering of things concerning the state of the common wealth and namelie in the hard handling of his mother queene Emma against whome diuers accusations were brought and alledged as first for that she consented to marie with K. Cnute the publike enimie of the realme againe for that she did nothing aid or succour hir sons while they liued in exile but that woorse was contriued to make them away for which cause she was despoiled of all hir goods And because she was defamed to be naught of hir bodie with Alwine or Adwine bishop of Winchester both she and the same bishop were committed to prison within the citie of Winchester as some write Howbeit others affirme that she was strictlie kept in the abbie of Warwell till by way of purging hir selfe after a maruellous manner in passing barefooted ouer certeine hot shares or plough-irons according to the law Ordalium she cleared hir selfe as the world tooke it and was restored to hir first estate and dignitie Hir excessiue couetousnesse without regard had to the poore caused hir also to be euill reported of Againe for that she euer shewed hir selfe to be more naturall to the issue which she had by hir second husband Cnute than to hir children which she had by hir first husband king Egelred as it were declaring how she was affected toward the fathers by the loue borne to the children she lost a great péece of good will at the hands of hir sonnes Alfred and Edward so that now the said Edward inioieng the realme was easilie iuduced to thinke euill of hir and therevpon vsed hir the more vncurteouslie But hir great liberalitie imploied on the church of Winchester which she furnished with maruellous rich iewels and ornaments wan hir great commendation in the world and excused hir partlie in the sight of manie of the infamie imputed to hir for the immoderate filling of hir coffers by all waies and meanes she could deuise Now when she had purged hir selfe as before is mentioned hir sonne king Edward had hir euer after in great honor and reuerence And whereas Robert archbishop of Canturburie had béene sore against hir he was so much abashed now at the matter that he fled into Normandie where he was borne But it should séeme by that which after shal be said in the next chapter that he fled not the realme for this matter but bicause he counselled the king to banish earle Goodwine and also to vse the Englishmen more strictlie than reason was he should Why Robert archbishop of Canturburie queene Emmas heauie friend fled out of England the Normans first
quicklie into arâ—â—ie began to charge them againe afresh and so hauing them at that aduantage they slue them downe on euerie side The Englishmen on the other part fought sore and though their king was beaten downe among them and slaine yet were they loth to flée or giue ouer so sharpe was the battell that duke William himselfe had thrée horsses slaine vnder him that day and not without great danger of his person Some of the Englishmen got them to the height of an hill and beate backe the Normans that forced themselues to win the hill of them so that it was long yer the Normans could preuaile being oftentimes driuen downe into the botome of the vallie beneath At length the Englishmen perceiuing themselues to be ouermatched and beaten downe on euerie side and therevnto greatlie discouraged with slaughter of their king began first to giue ground and after to scatter and to run away so that well was he that might then escape by flight When they had fought the most part of all that saturday the Normans followed the chase with such eger rashnesse that a great number of them falling with their horsses and armour into a blind ditch shadowed with reed and sedges which grew therein were smouldered and pressed to death yer they could be succoured or get anie reliefe The next day the Normans fell to gathering in the spoile of the field burieng also the dead bodies of their people that were slaine at the battell giuing licence in semblable manner to the Englishmen to doo the like Of the death of Harold diuerse report diuerslie in so much that Girald Cambrensis saith that after king Harold had receiued manie wounds and lost his left eie he fled from the field vnto the citie of Westchester and liued there long after an holie life as an anchoret in the cell of S. Iames fast by S. Iohns church and there made a godlie end But the saieng of Girald Cambren in that point is not to be credited bicause of the vnlikelihood of the thing it selfe and also generall consent of other writers who affirme vniuersallie that he was killed in the battell first being striken thorough the left eie by the scull into the braine with an arrow wherevpon falling from his horsse to the ground he was slaine in that place after he had reigned nine moneths and nine daies as Floriacensis dooth report He was a man of a comelie stature and of a hawtie courage albeit that for his valiancie he was highlie renowmed and honored of all men yet through his pride and ambition he lost the harts of manie There were slaine in this battell besides king Harold and his two brethren Girth and Leofrike what on the one side and on the other aboue twentie thousand men The bodie of king Harold being found among other slaine in the field was buried at Waltham within the monasterie of the holie crosse which he before had founded and indowed to the behoofe of such canons as he had placed there with faire possessions Uerelie as some old writers haue reported there was nothing in this man to be in anie wise dispraised if his ambitious mind could haue beene staied from coueting the kingdome and that he could haue béene contented to haue liued as subiect Among other manifest proofes of his high valiancie this is remembred of him that being sent against the Welshmen as before is partlie mentioned knowing their readie nimblenesse in seruice and how with their light armed men they were accustomed to annoie and distresse those that should assaile them he likewise to match them prepared light armed men for the purpose so being furnished with such bands of nimble men and light souldiers entered vpon the mounteins of Snowdon and there remained amongst the enimies for the space of two yéeres He sore afflicted the Welsh nation tooke their kings and sent their heads vnto the king that sent him about his businesse and proceeding in such rigorous maner as might mooue the hearers to lament and pitie the case he caused all the male kind that might be met with to be miserablie slaine and so with the edge of his swoord he brought the countrie to quiet and withall made this lawe that if anie Welshman from thencefoorth should presume to passe the limits ouer Offas ditch with anie weapon about him he should lose his right hand To conclude by the valiant conduct of this chieftaine the Welshmen were them so sore brought vnder than in maner the whole nation might séeme to faile and to be almost vtterlie destroied And therefore by permission of the king of England the women of Wales ioined themselues in marriage with Englishmen Finallie héereby the bloud of the Saxons ceassed to reigne in England after they had continued possession of the same from the first comming of Hengist which was about the yéere of our Sauiour 450 or 449 vntill that present yeere of king Harolds death which chanced in the yéere 1069. So that from the beginning of Hengist his reigne vnto Harolds death are reckoned 916 yéeres or after some 617 as by the supputation of the time will easilie appeere By all the which time there reigned kings of the Saxons bloud within this land except that for the space of twentie yéeres and somewhat more the Danes had the dominion of the realme in their possession for there are reckoned from the beginning of K. Swaines reigne which was the first Dane that gouerned England vnto the last yéere of K. Hardicnute the last Dane that ruled heere 28 yéeres in which meane space Egelred recouering the kingdome reigned 2 yéeres then after him his sonne Edmund Ironside continued in the rule one yéere so that the Danes had the whole possession of the land but 25 yéeres in all Touching this alteration and others incident to this Iland read a short aduertisement annexed by waie of conclusion to this historie comprising a short summarie of the most notable conquests of this countrie one after an other by distances of times successiuelie The rule of this realme by Gods prouidence allotted to duke William his descent from Rollo the first duke of Normandie downewards to his particular linage he was base begotten vpon the bodie of Arlete duke Roberts concubine a pleasant speech of hirs to duke Robert on a time when he was to haue the vse of hir person a conclusion introductorie for the sequele of the chronicle from the said duke of Normandies coronation c with a summarie of the notable conquests of this Iland The twelfe Chapter NOw forsomuch as it pleased God by his hid and secret iudgement so to dispose the realme of England and in such wise as that the gouernance therof should fall after this maner into the hands of William duke of Normandie I haue thought good before I enter further into this historie being now come to the conquest of the realme
bread is verie ill kept or not at all looked vnto in the countrie townes and markets Browne bread Panis Cibarius Summer wheat and winâ—er barâ—eie verie rare in England Drinke Malt. Making of malt Bruing of beere Charwoore Cider Perrie Metheglin Mead. Hydromel Lesse time spent in eating than heretofore Canutus a glutton but the Normans at the last excéeded him in that vice Long sitting reprehended * That is at thrée of the clocke at afternoone Li. 4. epig. 8. Andrew Boord Strange cuâ—s Much cost vpon the bodie and little vpon the soule Beards Excesse in women Ezeâ—h 16. Attire of merchants The parlement house diuideth the estate of the realme into nobilitie and the commons Time of summons Of the vpper house Places of the peeres Of the lower house Speaker Petitions of the speaker Clerke of the parlement Of the nether house Samothes Albion Brute Mulmutius The praise of Dunwallon Martia Martian law Saxon law Dane law Ordalian law Fire Water The cup yet in vse Water Ciuill law Canon law Lawiers of England not alwaies constant in iudgment Parlement law Number of congregates in the parlement Common law Customarie law Prescription Terme Deceipt Manie of our lawiers stoope not at small fées Poore men contentious Promooters séeke matters to set lawiers on worke withall The times of our termes no hinderance to iustice Thrée sorts of poore A thing often séene At whose hands shall the bloud of these men be required Thomas Harman Halifax law Mute Cleargie Pirats Three things greatlie amended in England Chimnies Hard lodging Furniture of household This was is the time of generall idlenesse By the yeare Six and twentie cities in England Sitomagus Nouiomagus Neomagus Niomagus Salisburie of Sarron Sarronium Sarrous burg Greater cities in times past when husbandmen also were citizens The cause of the increase of villages Leouitius placeth yorke in Scotland de eclipsibus A legion conteined sixtie centuries thirtie manipuli thrée cohortes Cair Segent stood vpon the Thames not farre from Reding When Albane was martyred Asclepiodotus was legat in Britaine Sullomaca and Barnet all one or not far in sunder This soundeth like a lie The best keepers of kingdomes The wandles in time past were called windles King Hen. 8. not inferior to Adrian and Iustiman White hall S. Iames. Oteland Ashridge Hatfield Enuéeld Richmond Hampton Woodstocke 〈◊〉 Gréenewich Dartford Eltham Of the court 〈…〉 Traines of attendants Striking within the court and palace of the prince 〈…〉 The Britons fasted all the while they were at the sea in these ships Suborned bodgers Bodgers licenced Tillage and mankind diminished by parkes The decaie of the people is the destruction of a kingdome Gipping of going vp to anie place Pegened Lespegend Nunc sortè Tringald Ealdermen Tineman Michni Hundred law Warscot Muchehunt Ofgangfordell Purgatio ignis triplex ordaliâ— Pegen Forathe Helfehang Pere Pite Gethbrech Ealderman Staggon or Stagge Frendlesman Bubali olim in Anglia Ilices aliquando in BritaÌ„nia nisi intelligatur de quercu Greihounds Uelter Langeran Ramhundt Pretium hominis mediocris Pretium liberi hominis Great abundance of wood sometime in England Desire of much wealth and ease abateth manhood ouerthroweth a manlie courage The like haue I séene where hens doo féed vpon the tender blades of garlike * This gentleman caught such an heate with this sore loade that he was faine to go to Rome for physicke yet it could not saue his life but hée must néeds die homewards Marises and tennes Chap. 25. The Pyritis is found almost in euerie veine of mettall in great plentie diuersities and colour and somtimes mixed with that mettall of whose excrements it consisteth Crosse bath Common bath King bath Hot houses in some countâ—res little â—etter than brodels Colour of the water of the baths Taste of the water Fall or issue of the water Hot good to enter into baths at all seasons Sterbirie a place where en armie hath lien Copper monie Siluer restored Old gash New gold Oxen. Athenaeus lib. 10. cap. 8. Horsses Geldings Shéepe Shéepe without hornes Goats Swine Bores Brawne of the bore Baked hog Flat fish Round fish Long fish Legged fish Woolfes Tribute of woolfes skins Foxes Badgers Beuers Marterns Stags Hinds haue béene milked * Galenus de Theriaca ad Pisonem * Plin. lib. 10. cap. 62. Adder or viper Sée Aristotle Animalium lib. 5. cap. vltimo Theophrast lib. 7. cap. 13. Snakes Sol. cap. 40. Plin. lib. 37. cap. 11. Todes Frogs Sloworme Efts. Swifts Flies Cutwasted whole bodied Hornets Waspes Honie Sée Diodorus Siculus Homelie kind of dogs Tie dogs Some 〈…〉 Some bite and barke not Occasion of the name Paung Gathering Sée 〈◊〉 Raising The lord Mountioy Gold Siluer Tin Lead Iron Copper Stéele Geat Laon. Chalchonvtle Triall of a stone Lib. 7. A common plague in all things of anie great commoditie for one beateth the bush but another catcheth the birds as we may see in batfowling Priuileges doo somtimes harme Night Vesper Crepusculum Concubium Intempestum Gallicinium Conticinium Matutinum Diluculum Watches Houre weeke * Ferias Moneth Triuethus in Antartico Britannia Pag. 5 6 7 8 15. 16 28 29 of the description and pag. 202 of the historie of England The originall of nations for the most part vncerteine whither Britaine were an Iland at the first Geog. com lib. No Ilands at the first as some coniecture In the first part of the acts of the English votaries Britaine inhabited before the floud Genesis 6 Berosus ant lib. â— Noah In comment super 4. lib. Berosus de antiquit lib. 1. Annisus vt supr Iaphet and his sonnes Iohannes Bodinus ad fac hist. cogn Franciscus Tarapha Britaine inhabited shortlie after the floud Theophilus episcop Antioch ad Anâ—ol lib. 2. The words of Theophilus a doctor of the church who liued an Dom. 160. Gen. 2. De migr gen Cent. 1. Anti. lib. 1. Bale script Brit. cent 1. Caesar commenâ— lib. 8. In epithes temp De aequiuocis contra Appionem Lib. de Magic success lib. 22. Script Brit. cent 1. De ant Cant. cent lib. 1. This I le called Samothes Magus the son of Samothes Lib. 9. Annius in coâ— men super â—â—dem Geogr. De diui lib. 1. DE fastis li. 5. H. F. Sarron the sonne of Magus De ant Cant. lib. 1. Bale script Brit. cent 1. Lib. 6. Druis the son of Sarron De morte Claud Anti. lib. 5. Annius super euâ—ndem De bello Gallico lib. 9. De belio Gallico 6 Hist. an lib. 1. De diui lib. 1. Hiâ—t Sâ—oti li. 2. Demigr gen 〈◊〉 2. Marcellinus Anna. B oiorum lib. 22. De ant Caut. Bardus the sonne of Druis Berosus ani lib. 2. Annius in comâ—en super eurâ—dem Ant. Cant. li. 1. script Britain cent 1 Nonnius Marcel Strabo Diodor. Sicul. lib. 6. â—arol Stepha â—n dict hist. Bale Iohn Prise Lucan lib. 1. H. F. Iohn Bale script Britan. cent 2. Iohn Prise defen hist. Brit. Caius de ant Cant lib. 1. Iohn Leland syllab an
or Elfer duke of Mercia departed this life Alfrike or Elfrike duke of Mercia Fabian Wil. Malm. Matt. West Vita Dunstani Iohn Capgr Osborne Ran. Higd. Polychron Wil. Malm. Matt. Westm. The Danes inuade this land Alias Wecederport H. Hunt Simon Dun. Danes vanquished Simon Dun. Goda earle of Deunonshire slaine Matt. VVest 991 Ten thousand pounds paid to the Danes Danegilt Wil. Malm. 992 Hen. Hunt A nauie set forth Alfrike a traitour to his countrie Matth. West Henr. Hunt The son punished for his fathers offense 993 Simon Dun. Polydor. Matth. West Aulafe king of Norway Swein king of Denmarke were capteins of this fleet as saith Simon Dun. 994 Hen. Hunt Wil. Malm. The king compoundeth with the Danes for monie Matt. West Simon Dun. Aulafe king of Norwey baptised His promise Iohn Leland Simon Dun. 995 The church of Durham builded Earle Uthred Durham town and minster builded 997 The Danes inuade the west parts of this land Tauestocke 998 999 The Danes arriue in the Thames 1000 1001 Exmouth Pentho Disagréement with councellors what 〈◊〉 fruit it bringeth The misgouernement of the king Sicknesse vexing the people Treason in the nobilitie The inhancing of the tribute paid to the Danes The death of quéene Elgina Emma Hen. Hunt 1002 Emma daughter of R. duke of Normandie maried to K. Edgar 1012 The 13 of Nouember The murder of the Danes Hownhill or Houndhill a place within Merchington parish beside the forest of Néedwood somewhat more than two miles from Utoxcester The miserable state of this realme vnder the thraldome of the Danes Hector Boet. Lordane whereof the word came Hen. Hunt Simon Dun. The Danes returne to inuade England Excester taken 1002 Hugh a Norman conspireth with the Danes The counterfeit sicknesse of duke Edrike Wilton spoiled Simon Dun. 1004 Swein king of Denmarke Norwich taken by the Danes Thetford burnt Uikillus or Wilfeketell gouernour of Norffolke Hen. Hunt 1005 Swaine returned into Denmarke Simon Dun. 1006 Hen. Hunt Swaine returned into England The Danes winter in the I le of Wight They inuade Hampshire Barkeshire c. Winchester 1007 36000 pound saith Si. Dun. Edrike de Streona made duke or earle of Mercia Wil. Malm. Henr. Hunt Simon Dun. An hundred acres is an hide of land 1008 Prouision for ships and armour Matt. West Danes land at Sandwich 1009 3000 pound saith Si. Dun. Sussex and Hampshire spoiled The Danes returne into Kent 1010 Oxford burnt Stanes Gipswich in Suffolke Simon Dun. Caput formicae Thetford Cambridge Hen. Hunt She Danes arriue in the Thames 1011 Northampton burnt by Danes How manie shires the Danes wasted The king senbeth to the Danes Simon Dun. 1011 Canturburie woone by Danes Fabian ex Anâ—onino The archbishop Elphegus taken Hen. Hunt Antoninus Vincentius Wil. Lamb. ex Asserio Meneuensi alijs 1112 Henr. Hunt The archbishop Elphegus murthered Miracles Elphegus buried in London Translated to Canturburie Wil. Malms Turkillus held Norffolk and Suffolke 48 thousand pound as saith Sim. Dun. and M. West Henr. Hunt Matth. West Gunthildis the sister of K. Swaine murthered Wil. Malm. Turkillus discloseth the secrets of the realme to K. Swaine Simon Dun. Swaine prepareth an armie to inuade England He landeth at Sandwich 1013 Gainsbourgh The Northumbers yeeld to Swaine The people of Lindsey yeeld themselues to him Simon Dun. South Mercia Sim. Dunel Swaine assaulteth London Polydor. Wil. Malm. Erle of Deuonshire as saith Matt. West Polydor. Swaine returneth into Denmarke Swaine returneth into England to make warre King Egelred discomfited in battell King Egelred determineth to giue place vnto Swaine He sendeth his wife and sonnes ouer into Normandie Richard duke of Normandie Simon Dun. Hen. Hunt Turkill 1014 King Egelred passeth into Normandie Swaine handleth the Englishmen hardlie Fabian S. Edmund fighteth for the wealth but not for the slaughter of his people Simon Dun. 1115 Albertus Crantz Saxo Granamaticus Wil. Malm. H. Hunt Canute or Cnute Egelred sent for home Edmund K. Egelreds eldest sonne King Egelred returneth into England Cnutes endeuor to establish himselfe in the kingdome S. Edmunds ditch Polydor. Fabian Cnute driuen to forsake the land He was driuen thither by force of contrarie winds as should appeare by Matth. West The cruell decrée of Cnute against the English pledges Will. Malmes This Turkill was reteined in seruice with Egelred as I thinke Encomium Emmae 1015 Matt. VVest Simon Dun. Wil. Malm. Matth. West A councell at Oxford Sigeferd and Morcad murdered Edmund the kings eldest sonne marrieth the widow of Sigeferd Cnute returneth into England 〈…〉 Wil. Malm. Hen. Hunt Matth. West Sim. Dun. King Egelred sicke Matth. West Edrike de Streona â—â—eth to the Danes Simon Dun. The west countrie The people of Mercia would not yéeld Matth. West Hen. Hunt 1016 Warwikeshire wasted by the Danes King Egelred recouered of his sicknesse He assembleth an armie in vaine Wil. Malm. Edmund king Egelreds sonne Cnute what countries he passed through Earle Utred deliuered pledges to Cnute Alâ—ds Egricus Cnute prepareth to besiege London King Egelred departed this life Simon Dun. Matth. West He is buried in the church of S. Paul at London The pride of king Egelred alienated the harts of his people Sée the historie of Cambriae pag. 62 63 Edmund Ironside The kingdom goeth where the spiritualtie fauoureth The author of the booke intituled Encomium Emmae saith that it was reported that Edmund offered the combate vnto Cnute at this his going from the citie but Cnute refused it 1016 Ran. Higd. Hen. Hunt Simon Dun. London besieged Cnute at Galingham in Dorsetshire put to flight Polydor. Salisburie besieged Simon Dun. Matt. West Wit Malm. I battell with equall fortune An other battell with like successe Edrike de Streona his treason Simon Dun. Twentie thousand dead bodies The armies dislodged The Danes ouercome at Brentford Wil. Malm. Hen. Hunt Fabian Caxton Polydor. Hent Hunt The riuer of Medwaie King Edmunds diligence The battell is begun The Danes put to flight The number of Danes slaine Polydor. Fabian Ran. Higd. Matt. West Hen. Hunt Will. Malmes Noble men slaine at the battell of Ashdone Simon Dun. Wil. Malm. King Edmund withdraweth unto Glocestershire Polydor. Matth. West Simon Dun. Matth. West saith this was Edrike The two kings appoint to try the matter by a combat Oldney Matt. Westm. Cnute of what stature he was Cnute ouermatched Cnutes woords to Edmund H. Hunt They take vp the matter betwixt them selues Wil. Malm. Encomium Emmae This is alleged touching the partitioÌ„ of the kingdome K. Edmund traitorcuster slaine at Oxford Fabian Simon Dan. This is allged againe for the proofe of Edmunds natural death Fabian Ranul Hig. Hen. Hunt Some thinke that he was duke of Mercia before and now had Essex adioined thereto Diuerse and discordant reports of Edmunds death Ran. Higd. Will. Malm. Canute Knought or Cnute 1017 Wil. Malm. Ran. Higd. King of châ—rles Wil. Malm. Ran. Higd. Polydor. King Cnute maried to quéene Emma the widow of Egelred in Iulie anno 1017. Polydor.
commanded that to his armie lodged at Gréenewich wages and vittels sufficient should be deliuered for the finding releeuing succouring and susteining thereof Swaine vsed the victorie verie cruellie against the Englishmen oppressing them on each hand to the intent that them being brought low he might gouerne in more suertie The yéere in which he obteined the rule thus of thus realme and that king Egelred was constreined to flie into Normandie was in the 35 yeere of the same Egelred his reigne and after the birth of our Lord 1014. Swaine being once established in the gouernment did not onelie vse much crueltie in oppressing the laitie but also stretched foorth his hand to the church and to the ministers in the same fléecing them and spoiling both churches and ministers without anie remorse of conscience insomuch that hauing a quarell against the inhabitants within the precinct of S. Edmunds land in Suffolke he did not onelie harrie the countrie but also rifled and spoiled the abbeie of Burie where the bodie of saint Edmund rested Wherevpon shortlie after as he was at Gainesbrough or Thetford as some say and there in his iollitie talked with his Nobles of his good successe in conquering of this land he was suddenlie striken with a knife as it is reported miraculouslie for no man wist how or by whome and within three daies after to wit on the third of Februarie he ended his life with grieuous paine and torment in yelling and roring by reason of his extreame anguish beyond all measure There hath sproong a pleasant tale among the posteritie of that age how he should be wounded with the same knife which king Edmund in his life time vsed to weare Thus haue some of our writers reported but the Danish chronicles report a farre more happie end which should chance to this Swaine than is before mentioned out of our writers for the said chronicles report that after he had subdued England he tooke order with king Egelred whome they name amisse Adelstane that he should not ordeine any other successor but onlie the said Swaine Then after this he returned into Denmarke where vsing himselfe like a right godlie prince at length he there ended his life being a verie old man Notwithstanding all this when or howsoeuer he died immediatlie after his deceasse the Danes elected his sonne Cnute or Knought to succeed in his dominions But the Englishmen of nothing more desirous than to shake off the yoke of Danish thraldome besides their necks shoulders streightwaies vpon knowledge had of Swaines death with all spéed aduertised king Egelred thereof and that they were readie to receiue and assist him if he would make hast to come ouer to deliuer his countrie out of the hands of strangers These newes were right ioifull vnto Egelred who burning in desire to be reuenged on them that had expelled him out of his kingdome made no longer tariance to set that enterprise forward But yet doubting the inconstancie of the people he sent his elder son named Edmund to trie the minds of them and to vnderstand whether they were constant or wauering in that which they had promised The yoong gentleman hasting ouer into England and with diligent inquirie perceiuing how they were bent returned with like spéed as he came into Normandie againe declaring to his father that all things were in safetie if he would make hast King Egelred then conceiued an assured hope to recouer his kingdom aided with his brother in laws power and trusting vpon the assistance of the Englishmen returned into England in the time of Lent His returne was ioifull and most acceptable to the English people as to those that abhorred the rule of the Danes which was most sharpe and bitter to them although Cnute did what he could by bountifulnesse and courteous dealings to haue reteined them vnder his obeisance And of an intent to procure Gods fauour in the well ordering of things for the administration in the common wealth he sought first to appease his wrath and also to make amends to saint Edmund for his fathers offense committed as was thought against him insomuch that after he had obteined the kingdome he caused a great ditch to be cast round about the land of saint Edmund and granted manie fréedoms to the inhabitants acquiting them of certeine taskes and paiments vnto the which other of their neighbours were contributarie He also builded a church on the place where saint Edmund was buried and ordeined an house of moonks there or rather remooued the canons or secular priests that were there afore and put moonks in their roomes He offered vp also his crowne vnto the same S. Edmund and redéemed it againe with a great summe of monie which maner of dooing grew into an vse vnto other kings that followed him He adorned the church there with manie rich iewels and indowed the monasterie with great possessions But these things were not done now at the first but after that he was established in the kingdome For in the meane time after that king Egelred was returned out of Normandie Cnute as then soiourning at Gainesbrough remained there till the feast of Easter and made agréement with them of Lindsey so that finding him horsses they should altogither go foorth to spoile their neighbors King Egelred aduertised thereof sped him thither with a mightie host and with great crueltie burned vp the countrie and slue the more part of the inhabitants bicause they had taken part with his enimies Cnute as then was not of power able to resist Egelred and therefore taking his ships which lay in Humber fled from thence sailed about the coast till he came to Sandwich and there sore gréeued in his mind to remember what mischéefe was fallen and chanced to his friends and subiects of Lindsey onelie for his cause he commanded that such pledges as had béene deliuered to his father by certeine noble men of this realme for assurance of their fidelities should haue their noses slit and their eares stuffed or as some write their hands and noses cut off When this cruell act according to his commandement was doone taking the sea he sailed into Denmarke but yet tooke not all the Danes with him which his father brought thither For earle Turkill perceiuing the wealthinesse of the land compounded with the Englishmen and chose rather to remaine in a region replenished with all riches than to returne home into his owne countrie that wanted such commodities as were here to be had And yet as some thought he did not forsake his souereigne lord Cnute for anie euill meaning towards him but rather to aid him when time serued to recouer the possession of England againe as it afterwards well appeared For notwithstanding that he was now reteined by K. Egelred with fortie ships and the flower of all the Danes that were men of warre so that Cnute returned but with 60 ships into his countrie yet