[Sidenote: EGELRED.]
In the former booke was discoursed the troubled state of this land
by the manifold and mutinous inuasions of the Danes; who though they
sought to ingrosse the rule of euerie part and parcell therof into
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 bÈene 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 Ile, &
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 sÈeking the
totall regiment, were dispossessed of their partile principalitie,
which by warlike violence they obteined; and for that the Saxons were
interessed in the land, and these but violent incrochers, vnable
to kÈepe 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 hÈere dÈeme 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 hÈere the Danes lord it, heere they take vpon them like
souereignes, & hÈere (if at anie time they had absolute authoritie)
they did what they might in the highest degrÈe: as shall be declared
in the vnfortunate affaires of vngratious Egelred or Etheldred, the
sonne of king Edgar, and of his last wife queene 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
[Sidenote: 979. _Simon Dun._]
realme of England, in the yÈere of our Lord 979, which was in the
seuenth yÈere of the emperor Otho the second, in the 24 of Lothaire K.
of France, and about the second or third yeere of Kenneth the third
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
of that name king of Scotland.
This Egelred or Etheldred was the 30 in number from Cerdicus the 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 come to the vttermost
point or period of old and fÈeble age, which is the next degrÈe to the
graue. 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 yÈeres of mans life, which through fÈeblenesse is not
able to helpe it selfe. Dunstane archbishop of Canturburie was thought
to haue foresÈene 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 maner then was, on
the 24 day of Aprill, assisted by Oswald archbishop of Yorke, and ten
other bishops.
[Sidenote: _Will. Malmes._]
But (as hath bÈene reported) Dunstane then said that the English
people should suffer condigne punishment generallie, with losse of
ancient liberties, which before that time they had inioied. Dunstane
also long before prophesied of the slouthfulnesse that should remaine
in this Egelred. For at what time he ministred the sacrament of
baptisme to him; shortlie after he came into this world, he defiled
the font with the ordure of his wombe (as hath beene said:) whervpon
Dunstane being troubled in mind, "By the Lord (saith he) and his
blessed mother, this child shall prooue to be a slouthfull person." It
hath beene written also, that when he was but ten yeeres of age, and
heard that his brother Edward was slaine, he so offended his mother
with wÈeping, bicause she could not still him, that hauing no rod at
hand, she tooke tapers or sizes that stood before hir, and beat him so
sore with them, that she had almost killed him, whereby he could neuer
after abide to haue anie such candels lighted before him.
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
This Egelred (as writers say) was nothing giuen to warlike
enterprises, but was slouthfull, a louer of idlenesse, and delighting
in riotous lusts, which being knowne to all men, caused him to be
euill spoken of amongst his owne people, and nothing feared amongst
strangers. Heerevpon the Danes that exercised rouing on the seas,
began to conceiue a boldnesse of courage to disquiet and molest the
sea-coasts of the realme, in so much that in the second yÈere of
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._ 980.]
this Egelreds reigne, they came with seuen ships on the English coasts
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
of Kent, and spoiled the Ile of Tenet, the towne of Southampton,
and in the yeere following they destroied S. Petroks abbeie in
Cornwall, Porthland in Deuonshire, and diuerse other places by the
sea side, speciallie in Deuonshire & Cornwall. Also a great part of
Cheshire was destroied by pirats of Norway.
[Sidenote: 982.]
The same yÈere by casualtie of fire, a great part of the citie
[Sidenote: 983. Alfer or Elfer duke of Mercia departed this life.]
of London was burnt. In the yeere of our Lord 983, Alfer duke of
Mercia departed this life, who was coosen to king Edgar, & his
[Sidenote: Alfrike or Elfrike duke of Mercia. _Fabian_. _Wil. Malm._
_Matt. West._]
sonne Alfrike tooke vpon him the rule of that dukedome, and within
thrÈe yÈeres after was banished the land. About the eight yÈere of
his reigne, Egelred maried one Elgina or Ethelgina, daughter of earle
Egbert. In the ninth yeere of his reigne, vpon occasion of strife
betwÈene him and the bishop of Rochester, he made warre against
the same bishop, wasted his lordships, and besieged the citie of
Rochester, till Dunstan procured the bishops peace with paiment of an
hundred pounds in gold. And bicause the K. would not agrÈe with the
bishop without moneie at the onelie request of Dunstane, the said
Dunstane did send him woord, that sithens he made more account of gold
than of God, more of monie than of S. Andrew, patrone of the church of
Rochester, and more of couetousnesse than of him being the archbishop,
the mischiefs which the Lord had threatned would shortlie fall and
come to passe, but the same should not chance whilest he was aliue,
who died in the yÈere following, on the 25 of Maie, being saturdaie.
[Sidenote: _Vita Dunstani._]
Of this Dunstane manie things are recorded by writers, that
he should be of such holinesse and vertue, that God wrought manie
miracles by him, both whilest he liued heere on earth, and also
[Sidenote: _Iohn Capgr._ _Osborne_. _Ran. Higd._]
after his deceasse. He was borne in Westsaxon, his father was named
Heorstan, and his mother Cinifride, who in his youth set him to
schoole, where he so profited, that he excelled all his equals in age.
Afterward he fell sicke of an ague, which vexed him so sore that it
draue him into a frensie: and therefore his parents appointed him to
the cure and charge of a certeine woman, where his disease grew so on
him, that he fell in a trance, as though he had bÈene dead, and after
that he suddenlie arose, & by chance caught a staffe in his hand, and
ran vp and downe through hils and dales, and laid about him as though
he had bÈene afraid of mad dogs. The next night (as it is said) he gat
him to the top of the church (by the helpe of certeine ladders that
stood there for woorkemen to mend the roofe) and there ran vp and
downe verie dangerouslie, but in the end came safelie downe, and laid
him to slÈepe betwÈene two men that watched the church that night, &
when he awaked, he maruelled how he came there. Finallie, recouering
his disease, his parents made him a priest, and placed him in the
abbeie of Glastenburie, where he gaue himselfe to the reading of
scriptures and knowledge of vertue. But as well his kinsmen as
certeine other did raise a report of him, that he gaue not himselfe
so much to the reading of scriptures, as to charming, coniuring and
sorcerie, which he vtterlie denied: howbeit learned he was in dÈed, &
could doo manie pretie things both in handie woorke and other deuises:
he had good skill in musicke and delighted much therein. At length he
grew in such fauour, that he was aduanced into the seruice of king
Adelstane.
Vpon a time, as he came to a gentlewomans house with his harpe, and
hoong the same on the wall, while he shaped a priests stole, the harpe
suddenlie began to plaie a psalme, which draue the whole houshold in
such feare, that they ran out and said, he was too cunning, and knew
more than was expedient: wherevpon he was accused of necromancie, and
so banished out of the court. After this he began to haue a liking to
women, and when Elfeagus then bishop of Winchester and his coosen,
persuaded him to become a moonke, he refused it, for he rather wished
to haue maried a yoong damesell, whose pleasant companie he dailie
inioied. But being soone after striken with such a swelling disease in
his bellie, that all his bodie was brought into such state, as though
he had bÈene infected with a foule leprosie, he bethought him selfe,
and vpon his recouerie sent to the bishop, who immediatlie shore him a
moonke, in which life he liued in so great opinion of holinesse, as he
in time became abbat of Glastenburie: where on a time as he was in his
praiers before the altar of S. George, he fell aslÈepe: and imagining
in his dreame, that an vglie rough beare came towards him with open
mouth, and set his forefeet vpon his shoulders readie to deuoure him,
he suddenlie wakening for feare, caught his walking staffe which he
commonlie went with, and laid about him, that all the church rang
[Sidenote: _Polychron._]
thereof, to the great woonder of such as stood by. The common tale
of his plucking the diuell by the nose with a paire of pinsors, for
tempting him with women, while he was making a chalice: the great loue
that the ladie Elfleda nÈere kinswoman to king Adelstane bare him to
hir dieng day, with a great manie of other such like matters, I leaue
as 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 of
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 his
armie, ten thousand pounds paid to them by composition that they
should not trouble the English subjects, 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_.