[Sidenote: EDWARD THE ELDER.]
[Sidenote: 901.]
After the deceasse of Alured, his sonne Edward surnamed the elder
began his reigne ouer the more part of England, in the yeare of our
Lord 901, which was in the second yeare of the emperor Lewes, in the
eight yeare of the reigne of Charles surnamed Simplex king of France,
and about the eight yeare or Donald king of Scotland. He was
consecrated after the maner of other kings his ancestors by Athelred
the archbishop of Canturburie. This Edward was not so learned as his
father, but in princelie power more high and honorable, for he ioined
the kingdome of Eastangles and Mercia with other vnto his dominion, as
after shall be shewed, and vanquished the Danes, Scots, and Welshmen,
to his great glorie and high commendation.
In the beginning of his reigne he was disquieted by his brother
[Sidenote: Winborne.]
Adelwold, which tooke the towne of Winborne besides Bath, and maried a
nun there, whome he had defloured, & attempted manie things against
his brother. Wherevpon the king came to Bath, and though Adelwold
shewed a countenance as if he would haue abidden the chance of warre
within
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: Adelwold fleeth to the Danes.]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
Winborne, yet he stole awaie in the night, and fled into
Northumberland, where he was ioifullie receiued of the Danes. The king
tooke his wife being left behind, and restored hir to the house from
whence she was taken. ¶ Some haue written, that this Adelwold or
Ethelwold was not brother vnto king Edward, but his vncles sonne.
After this, king Edward prouiding for the suertie of his subiects
against the forraies, which the Danes vsed to make, fortified diuers
cities and townes, and stuffed them with great garrisons of souldiers,
to defend the inhabitants, and to expell the enimies. And suerlie the
[Sidenote: The English nation practised in wars go commonlie awaie
with the victorie.]
Englishmen were so invred with warres in those daies, that the people
being aduertised of the inuasion of the enimies in anie part of their
countrie, would assemble oftentimes without knowledge of king or
capteine, and setting vpon the enimies, went commonlie awaie with
victorie, by reason that they ouermatched them both in number and
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
practise. So were the enimies despised of the English souldiers, and
laughed to scorne of the king for their foolish attempts. Yet in the
third yeare of king Edwards reigne, Adelwold his brother came with a
nauie of Danes into the parties of the Eastangles, and euen at the
[Sidenote: Essex yéelded to Adelwold.]
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
first the Essex men yeelded themselues vnto him. In the yéere
following he inuaded the countrie of Mercia with a great armie,
wasting and spoiling the same vnto Crikelade, and there passing ouer
the Thames, rode foorth till he came to Basingstoke, or (as some
[Sidenote: Brittenden.]
bookes haue) Brittenden, harieng the countrie on each side, and so
returned backe vnto Eastangles with great ioy and triumph.
[Sidenote: _Henr. Hunt._]
King Edward awakened héerewith assembled his people, and followed the
enimies, wasting all the countries betwixt the riuer of Ouse and saint
Edmunds ditch. And when he should returne, he gaue commandement that
no man should staie behind him, but come backe togither for doubt to
[Sidenote: The Kentishmen disobeing the kings commandement, are
surprised by the enimies.]
[Sidenote: Adelwold king Edwards brother.]
be forelaid by the enimies. The Kentishmen notwithstanding this
ordinance and commandement, remained behind, although the king sent
seuen messengers for them. The Danes awaiting their aduantage, came
togither, and fiercelie fought with the Kentishmen, which a long time
valiantlie defended themselues. But in the end the Danes obtained the
victorie, although they lost more people there than the Kentishmen
did: and amongst other, there were slaine the foresaid Adelwold, and
diuerse of the chiefe capteins amongst the Danes. Likewise of the
English side, there died two dukes, Siwolfe & Singlem or Sigbelme,
with sundrie other men of name, both temporall and also spirituall
lords and abbats. In the fift yéere of his reigne, king Edward
concluded a truce with the Danes of Eastangle and Northumberland at
Itingford. But in the yéere following, he sent an armie against them
of Northumberland, which slue manie of the Danes, and tooke great
[Sidenote: Fortie daies saith _Simon Dun._]
booties both of people and cattell, remaining in the countrie the
space of fiue weekes.
The yéere next insuing, the Danes with a great armie entered into
Mercia, to rob & spoile the countrie, against whome king Edward sent a
mightie host, assembled togither of the Westsaxons & them of Mercia,
which set vpon the Danes, as they were returning homeward, and slue of
them an huge multitude, togither with their chiefe capteins and
leaders, as king Halden, and king Eolwils, earle Vter, earle Scurfa,
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
and diuerse other. In the yéere 912, or (as Simon Dunel. saith) 908,
the duke of Mercia Edred or Etheldred departed this life, and then
king Edward seized into his hands the cities of London and Oxford, and
all that part of Mercia which he held. But afterwards he suffered his
sister Elfleda to inioy the most part thereof, except the said cities
of London and Oxford, which he still reteined in his owne hand. This
Elfleda was wife to the said duke Edred or Etheldred, as before you
haue heard: of whose woorthie acts more shall be said heereafter.
In the ninth yéere of his reigne, king Edward built a castell at
[Sidenote: Wightham.]
Hertford, and likewise he builded a towne in Essex at Wightham, and
lay himselfe in the meane time at Maldon, otherwise Meauldun, bringing
a great part of the countrie vnder his subiection, which before was
subiect to the Danes. In the yéere following, the armie of the Danes
[Sidenote: Chester, or rather Leicester, as I thinke.]
departed from Northampton and Chester in breach of the former truce,
and slue a great number of men at Hochnerton in Oxfordshire. And
shortlie after their returne home, an other companie of them went
[Sidenote: Digetune.]
foorth, and came to Leighton, where the people of the countrie being
assembled togither, fought with them & put them to flight, taking from
them all the spoile which they had got, and also their horsses.
In the 11 yéere of king Edward, a fleet of Danes compassed about the
west parts, & came to the mouth of Seuerne, and so tooke preies in
Wales: they also tooke prisoner a Welsh bishop named Camelgaret, at
[Sidenote: Irchenfield.]
Irchenfield, whome they led to their ships: but king Edward redéemed
him out of their hands, paieng them fortie pounds for his ransome.
After that the armie of Danes went foorth to spoile the countrie about
Irchenfield, but the people of Chester, Hereford, and other townes and
countries thereabout assembled togither, and giuing battell to the
enimies, put them to flight, and slue one of their noble men called
earle Rehald, and Geolcil the brother of earle Vter, with a great part
[Sidenote: Danes discomfited.]
of their armie, & draue the residue into a 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
[Sidenote: The Ile of Stepen.]
[Sidenote: Deomedun.]
they remained in the Ile of Stepen, in great miserie for lacke of
vittels, bicause they could not go abroad to get anie. At length they
[Sidenote: Danes saile into Ireland.]
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
[Sidenote: Turketillus an earle.]
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
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
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.
[Sidenote: _Anno_ 911.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
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,
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: Ericke king of Eastangles.]
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.
[Sidenote: King Edward inuadeth the countrie of the Eastangles.]
King Edward hauing 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
[Sidenote: Ericke put to flight.]
on king Ericks side, so was the end verie harmefull to him: for with
small adoo, 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
[Sidenote: The kingdom of the Eastangles subdued by K. Edward.]
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 government,
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 another._