[Sidenote: EDMUND.]
After that Adelstane was departed this life, without leauing issue
behind to succéed him in the kingdome, his brother Edmund, sonne of
Edward the elder, borne of his last wife Edgiue, tooke vpon him the
gouernement of this land, and began his reigne in the yeare of our
Lord 940, which was in the fift yeare of the emperor Otho the 1, in
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: 940.]
the 13 of Lewes surnamed Transmarinus king of France, and about the 38
yeare of Constantine the third king of Scotland. The Danes of
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
Northumberland rebelled against this Edmund, and ordeined Aulafe to be
their king, whom they had called out of Ireland. Some write that this
Aulafe, which now in the beginning of Edmunds reigne came into
Northumberland, was king of Norwaie, & hauing a great power of men
with him, marched foorth towards the south parts of this land, in
purpose to subdue the whole: but king Edmund raised a mightie armie,
and incountred with his enimies at Leicester. Howbeit, yer the matter
came to the vttermost triall of battell, through the earnest sute of
[Sidenote: A peace concluded.]
[Sidenote: 941.]
the archbishop of Canturburie and Yorke Odo and Wolstan, a peace was
concluded; so as Edmund should inioy all that part of the land which
lieth from Watlingstréet southward, & Aulafe should inioy the other
part as it lieth from the same street northward. Then Aulafe tooke to
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: Aulafe deceaseth.]
[Sidenote: Another Aulafe taketh upon him to rule.]
wife the ladie Alditha, daughter to earle Ormus, by whose counsell and
assistance he had thus obtained the vpper hand. But this Aulafe in the
yeare following, after he had destroied the church of saint Balter,
and burned Tinningham, departed this life. Then the other Aulafe that
was sonne to king Sithrike, tooke vpon him to gouerne the Northumbers.
[Sidenote: 942.]
After this, in the yeare 942, king Edmund assembling an armie, first
subdued those Danes which had got into their possession the cities and
towns of Lincolne, Leicester, Darbie, Stafford, and Notingham,
constreining them to receiue the christian faith, and reduced all the
countries euen vnto Humber vnder his subiection. This doone, Aulafe
and Reinold the sonne of Gurmo, who (as you haue heard) subdued Yorke,
[Sidenote: Gurmo or Godfrey.]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
as a meane the sooner to obteine peace, offered to become christians,
& to submit themselues vnto him: wherevpon he receiued them to his
peace. There be that write, that this Aulafe is not that Aulafe which
was sonne to king Sithrike, but rather that the other was he with whom
king Edmund made partition of the realme: but they agree, that this
second Aulafe was a Dane also, & being conuerted to the faith as well
through constraint of the kings puissance, as through the preaching of
the gospell, was baptised, king Edmund being godfather both vnto him,
and vnto the foresaid Reinold, to Aulafe at the verie fontstone, and
to Reinold at his confirmation at the bishops hands. Neuerthelesse,
[Sidenote: 944.]
their wicked natures could not rest in quiet, so that they brake both
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
promise to God, and to their prince, and were therefore in the yeare
next following driuen both out of the countrie, and punished by
perpetuall exile. And so king Edmund adioined Northumberland, without
admitting anie other immediat gouernor, vnto his owne estate.
[Sidenote: Leolin king of Southwales aided king Edmund in this
enterprise.]
[Sidenote: 946.]
Moreouer, he wasted and spoiled whole Cumberland, because he could not
reduce the people of that countrie vnto due obeisance, and conformable
subiection. The two sonnes of Dunmaile king of that prouince he
apprehended, and caused their eies to be put out. Herewith vpon
consideration either of such aid as he had receiued of the Scots at
that time, or some other friendlie respect, he assigned the said
countrie of Cumberland vnto Malcolme king of Scots, to hold the same
by fealtie of him and his successors. The Scotish chronicles,
peruerting the time and order of the acts and doings of the English
kings which reigned about this season, affirme, that by couenants of
peace concluded betwixt Malcolme king of Scotland, and Adelstan king
of England, it was agréed, that Cumberland should remaine to the
Scots: as in their chronicles you may find at full expressed. And
againe, that Indulfe, who succéeded Malcolme in the kingdome of
Scotland, aided king Edmund against Aulafe, whom the same chronicles
name Aualassus, but the time which they attribute vnto the reignes of
their kings, will not alow the same to stand. For by account of their
writers, king Malcolme began not his reigne till after the deceasse of
king Adelstan, who departed this life in the yeare 940. And Malcolme
succéeded Constantine the third in the yeare 944, which was about the
third yeare of king Edmunds reigne, and after Malcolme (that reigned
15 yeares) succeeded Indulfe in the yeare 959. The like discordance
precedeth and followeth in their writers, as to the diligent reader,
in conferring their chronicles with ours, manifestlie appeareth. We
therefore (to satisfie the desirous to vnderstand and sée the
diuersitie of writers) haue for the more part in their chronicles left
the same as we found it.
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: The lawes of king Edmund.]
But now to the other dooings of king Edmund: it is recorded, that he
ordeined diuers good and wholsome lawes, verie profitable and
necessarie for the commonwealth, which lawes with diuers other of like
antiquitie are forgot and blotted out by rust of time, the consumer of
things woorthie of long remembrance (as saith Polydor:) but sithens
his time they haue béene recouered for the more part, & by maister
William Lambert turned into Latine, & were imprinted by Iohn Day, in
the yeare 1568, as before I haue said. Finallie, this prince king
[Sidenote: Five yeares and 7 months hath _Si. Dun._]
Edmund, after he had reigned sixe yeares and a halfe, he came to his
end by great misfortune. For (as some say) it chanced, that espieng
where one of his seruants was in danger to be slaine amongest his
enimies that were about him with drawen swords, as he stepped in to
haue holpen his seruant, he was slaine at a place called Pulcher
church, or (as other haue) Michelsbourgh.
[Sidenote: Pridecire saith _Si. Dun._]
[Sidenote: _Will. Malm._]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: 946.]
Other say, that kéeping a great feast at the aforesaid place on the
day of saint Augustine the English apostle (which is the 26 of Maie,
and as that yeare came about, it fell on the tuesday) as he was set at
the table, he espied where a common robber was placed neere vnto him,
whome sometime he had banished the land, and now being returned
without licence, he presumed to come into the kings presence,
wherewith the king was so moued with high disdaine, that he suddenlie
arose from the table, and flew vpon the théefe, and catching him by
the heare of the head, threw him vnder his féet, wherewith the théefe,
hauing fast hold on the king, brought him downe vpon him also, and
with his knife stroke him into the bellie, in such wise, that the
kings bowels fell out of his chest, and there presentlie died. The
theefe was hewen in péeces by the kings seruants, but yet he slue and
hurt diuers before they could dispatch him. This chance was
lamentable, namelie to the English people, which by the ouertimelie
death of their king, in whome appeared manie euident tokens of great
excellencie, lost the hope which they had conceiued of great wealth to
increase by his prudent and most princelie gouernement. His bodie was
buried at Glastenburie where Dunstane was then abbat.
There be that write, that the death of king Edmund was signified
aforehand to Dunstane, who about the same time attending vpon the same
[Sidenote: _Capgraue._]
[Sidenote: A vaine tale.]
king, as he remooued from one place to an other, chanced to accompanie
himselfe with a noble man, one duke Elstane, and as they rode
togither, behold suddenlie Dunstane saw in the waie before him, where
the kings musicians rode, the diuell running and leaping amongst the
same musicians after a reioising maner, whome after he had beheld a
good while, he said to the duke; Is it possible that you may see that
which I sée? The duke answered that he saw nothing otherwise than he
ought to sée. Then said Dunstane, Blesse your eies with the signe of
[Sidenote: Crossing bringeth sight of the diuels, and crossing driueth
them away.]
the crosse, and trie whether you can see that I sée. And when he had
doone as Dunstane appointed him, he saw also the féend in likenesse of
a little short euill fauoured Aethiopian dansing and leaping, whereby
they gathered that some euill hap was towards some of the companie:
but when they had crossed and blessed them, the foule spirit vanished
out of their sight.
[Sidenote: Dunstane an interpreter of dreames.]
Now after they had talked of this vision, and made an end of their
talke touching the same, the duke required of Dunstane to interpret a
dreame which he had of late in sléepe, and that was this: He thought
that he saw in a vision the king with all his nobles sit in his dining
chamber at meate, and as they were there making merrie togither, the
king chanced to fall into a dead sléepe, and all the noble men, and
those of his councell that were about him were changed into robucks
[Sidenote: Dunstan séeth the diuell often, but now he was become a
waiter at the table when Dunstane sat with the king.]
and goats. Dunstane quicklie declared that this dreame signified the
kings death, and the changing of the nobles into dum and insensible
beasts betokened that the princes & gouernors of the realme should
decline from the waie of truth, and wander as foolish beasts without a
guide to rule them. Also the night after this talke when the king was
set at supper, Dunstane saw the same spirit, or some other, walke vp
and downe amongst them that waited at the table, and within thrée
daies after, the king was slaine, as before ye haue heard.
* * * * *
_Edred succedeth his brother Edmund in the realme of England, the
Northumbers rebell against him, they and the Scots sweare to be his
true subiects, they breake their oth and ioine with Aulafe the Dane,
who returneth into Northumberland, and is made king thereof, the
people expell him and erect Hericius in his roome, king Edred taketh
reuenge on the Northumbers for their disloialtie, the rereward of his
armie is assalted by an host of his enimies issuing out of Yorke, the
Northumbers submit themselues, and put awaie Hericius their king,
Wolstane archbishop of Yorke punished for his disloialtie, whereto
Edred applied himselfe after the appeasing of ciuill tumults, his
death and buriall, a speciall signe of Edreds loue to Dunstane abbat
of Glastenburie, his practise of cousenage touching king Edreds
treasure._