[Sidenote: Bertwolfe. of Mercia.]
After Wightlafe king of Mercia, one Bertwolfe reigned as tributarie
vnto the Westsaxons, the space of 13 yeeres, about the end of which
tearme he was chased out of his countrie by the Danes, and then one
Burthred was made king of that kingdome, which maried Ethelswida the
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._ saith the daughter.]
[Sidenote: _Ranulf. Cest._]
[Sidenote: _Iohn Capgraue._]
sister of Ethelwolfe king of Westsaxons. In this season, one Modwen a
virgine in Ireland was greatlie renowmed in the world, vnto whome the
forenamed king Ethelwolfe sent his sonne Alfred to be cured of a
disease, that was thought incurable: but by hir meanes he recouered
health, and therefore when hir monasterie was destroied in Ireland,
Modwen came ouer into England, vnto whom king Ethelwolfe gaue land to
build two abbeies, and also deliuered vnto hir his sister Edith to be
professed a nun. Modwen herevpon built two monasteries, one at
Pouleswoorth, ioining to the bounds of Arderne, wherein she placed the
foresaid Edith, with Osith and Athea: the other, whether it was a
monasterie or cell, she founded in Strenshall or Trentsall, where she
hir selfe remained solitarie a certeine time in praier, and other
vertuous exercises. And (as it is reported) she went thrice to Rome,
and finallie died, being 130 yéeres of age. Hir bodie was first buried
in an Iland compassed about with the riuer of Trent called Andresey,
taking that name of a church or chappell of saint Andrew, which she
had built in the same Iland, and dwelled therein for the space of
seuen yéeres. Manie monasteries she builded, both in England (as
partlie aboue is mentioned) and also in Scotland, as at Striueling,
Edenbrough; and in Ireland, at Celestline, and elsewhere.
[Sidenote: ETHELBALD AND ETHELBRIGHT.]
[Sidenote: 857.]
ETHELBALD and ETHELBRIGHT diuiding their fathers kingdom betwixt them,
began to reigne, Ethelbald ouer the Westsaxons and the Southsaxons,
and Ethelbright ouer them of Kent and Essex, in the yéere of our Lord
857, which was in the second yéere of the emperor Lewes the second, &
the 17 of Charles surnamed Caluus or the bald king of France, and
about the first yéere of Donald the fift of that name king of Scots.
[Sidenote: The vnlawful mariage of Ethelbald.]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
The said Ethelbald greatlie to his reproch tooke to wife his mother in
law quéene Iudith, or rather (as some write) his owne mother, whom his
father had kept as concubine. He liued not past fiue yéeres in
gouernement of the kingdome, but was taken out of this life to the
great sorrow of his subiects whome he ruled right worthilie, and so as
they had him in great loue and estimation. Then his brother
Ethelbright tooke on him the rule of the whole gouernment, as well
ouer the Westsaxons & them of Sussex, as ouer the Kentishmen and them
of Essex.
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: Winchester destroied by Danes.]
In his daies the Danes came on land, and destroid the citie of
Winchester: but duke Osrike with them of Hamshire, and duke Adelwolfe
[Sidenote: Danes vanquished.]
with the Barkeshire men gaue the enimies battell, & vanquishing them,
slue of them a great number. In the fift yeere of Ethelbrights reigne,
a nauie of Danes arriued in the Ile of Tenet, vnto whome when the
Kentishmen had promised a summe of monie to haue a truce granted for a
time, the Danes one night, before the tearme of that truce was
expired, brake foorth and wasted all the east part of Kent: wherevpon
the Kentishmen assembled togither, made towardes those trucebreakers,
and caused them to depart out of the countrie. The same yéere, after
that Ethelbright had ruled well and peaceably the Westsaxons fiue
yeeres, and the Kentishmen ten yéeres, he ended his life, and was
buried at Shireborne, as his brother Ethelbald was before him.
[Sidenote: ETHELRED.]
[Sidenote: 867.]
After Ethelbright succéeded his brother ETHELRED, and began his reigne
ouer the Westsaxons and the more part of the English people, in the
yéere of our Lord 867, and in the 12 yéere of the emperour Lewes, in
the 27 yéere of the reigne of Charles Caluus king of France, and about
the 6 yéere of Constantine the second king of Scots. Touching this
Ethelred, he was in time of peace a most courteous prince, and one
that by all kind of meanes sought to win the hearts of the people: but
abroad in the warres he was sharpe and sterne, as he that vnderstood
what apperteined to good order, so that he would suffer no offense to
escape vnpunished. By which meanes he was famous both in peace and
warre: but he neither liued any long time in the gouernement, nor yet
was suffered to passe the short space that he reigned in rest and
quietnesse.
[Sidenote: Foure yéeres six moneths saith _Harison._]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: Ethelred fought with the Danes nine times in one yéere.]
For whereas he reigned not past six yeeres, he was continuallie during
that tearme vexed with the inuasion of the Danes, and speciallie
towards the latter end, insomuch that (as hath béene reported of
writers) he fought with them nine times in one yéere: and although
with diuers and variable fortune, yet for the more part he went away
with the victorie. Beside that, he oftentimes lay in wait for their
forragers, and such as straied abroad to rob and spoile the countrie,
whom he met withall and ouerthrew. There were slaine in his time nine
earles of those Danes, and one king, beside other of the meaner sort
without number.
But here is to be vnderstood, that in this meane time, whilest
Ethelred was busied in warre to resist the inuasions of the Danes in
the south and west parts of this land, the kings and rulers of Mercia
and Northumberland taking occasion therof, began to withdraw their
[Sidenote: The kings of Mercia and Northumberland neglect their
duties.]
couenanted subiection from the Westsaxons, and tooke vpon them as it
were the absolute gouernment and rule of their countries, without
respect to aid one another, but rather were contented to susteine the
enimies within their dominions, than to preuent the iniurie with
dutifull assistance to those, whom by allegiance they were bound to
serue and obeie.
[Sidenote: The Danes grow in puisance.]
By reason hereof, the Danes without resistance grew into greater power
amongst them, whilest the inhabitants were still put in feare each day
more than other, and euerie late gotten victorie by the enimies by the
increase of prisoners, ministred occasion of some other conquest to
follow. Euen about the beginning of Ethelreds reigne, there arriued
vpon the English coasts an huge armie of the Danes, vnder the conduct
[Sidenote: Hungar and Vbba.]
of two renowmed capteins Hungar and Vbba, men of maruellous strength
and valiancie, but both of them passing cruell of nature. They lay all
the winter season in Estangle, compounding with them of the countrie
for truce vpon certeine conditions, sparing for a time to shew their
force for quietnesse sake.
In the second yéere of king Ethelred, the said capteins came with
their armies into Yorkshire, finding the country vnprouided of
necessarie defense bicause of the ciuill discord that reigned among
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: King Osbright deposed and Ella placed.]
the Northumbers, the which had latelie expelled king Osbright, that
had the gouernement of those parts, and placed one Ella in his roome:
howbeit now they were constreined to reuoke him home againe, and
sought to accord him and Ella. But it was long yer that might be
brought to passe, notwithstanding yet at length they were made
friends, by reason of this inuasion attempted by forren enimies, and
then raising their powers they came to Yorke, where the Danes, hauing
wasted the countrie euen to the riuer of Tine, were lodged.
The English host entring the citie, began to fight with the Danes, by
reason whereof a sore battell insued betwixt them: but in the end the
[Sidenote: Osbright and Ella kings of Northumberland slaine.]
two kings Osbright and Ella were slaine, and a great number of the
Northumbers, what within the citie, and what without lost their liues
at that time, the residue were constreined to take truce with the
[Sidenote: It must be vpon the 10 kalends of Aprill, or else it will
not concurre with Palmsunday.]
[Sidenote: Sée _Mat. West._]
Danes. This battell was fought the 21 day of March being in Lent, on
the Friday before Palmsunday, in the yere 657.
¶ Some haue written otherwise of this battell, reporting that the
Northumbers calling home king Osbright (whome before they had
banished) incountred with the Danes in the field, without the walles
of Yorke, but they were easilie beaten backe, and chased into the
[Sidenote: Yorke burnt by Danes.]
citie, the which by the Danes pursuing the victorie, was set on fier
and burnt, togither with the king and people that were fled into it
for succour. How soeuer it came about, certeine it is, that the Danes
got the victorie, and now hauing subdued the Northumbers, appointed
one Egbert to reigne ouer them as king, vnder their protection, which
Egbert reigned in that sort six yeares ouer those which inhabited
beyond the riuer of Tine. In the same yeare, Adelstane bishop of
Shireborne departed this life, hauing gouerned that sée the terme of
[Sidenote: The commendation of Adelstan bishop of Shirborne.]
50 yeares. This Adelstane was a man of high wisedome, and one that had
borne no small rule in the kingdome of the Westsaxons, as hereby it
may be coniectured, that when king Ethelwulfe returned from Rome, he
would not suffer him to be admitted king, because he had doone in
certeine points contrarie to the ordinances and lawes of the same
kingdome, wherevpon by this bishops means Ethelbald the sonne of the
same king Ethelwulfe was established king, and so continued till by
agréement the kingdome was diuided betwixt them, as before is
mentioned. Finallie, he greatlie inriched the sée of Shireborne, and
[Sidenote: Bishop Adelstan couetous.]
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
yet though he was feruentlie set on couetousnesse, he was
neuerthelesse verie free and liberall in gifts: which contrarie
extremities so ill matched, though in him (the time wherein he liued
being considered) they might seeme somewhat tollerable; yet simplie &
in truth they were vtterlie repugnant to the law of the spirit, which
biddeth that none should doo euill that good may come thereof. Against
which precept because Adelstane could not but offend in the heat of
his couetousnes, which is termed the root of all mischiefe, though he
was excéeding bountifull and large in distributing the wealth he had
gréedilie gotten togither, he must néeds incur reprehension. But this
is so much the lesse to be imputed vnto him as a fault, by how much he
was ignorant what (by the rule of equitie and conscience) was
requirable in a christian man, or one of his vocation.
* * * * *
_Burthred king of Mercia with aid beseegeth the Danes in Notingham,
Basreeg and Halden two Danish kings with their powers inuade the
Westsaxons, they are incountred by Ethelwulfe earle of Barkeshire;
King Ethelred giueth them and their cheefe guides a sore discomfiture;
what Polydor Virgil recordeth touching one Iuarus king of the Danes,
and the warres that Ethelred had with them, his death; Edmund king of
Eastangles giueth battell to the Danes, he yeeldeth himselfe, and for
christian religion sake is by them most cruellie murthered, the
kingdome of the Eastangles endeth, Guthrun a Dane gouerneth the whole
countrie, K. Osbright rauisheth the wife of one Bearne a noble man, a
bloodie battell insueth therevpon, wherein Osbright and Ella are
slaine._