[Sidenote: EDRED.]
[Sidenote: 946.]
EDRED the brother of Edmund, and sonne to Edward the elder and to
Edgiue his last wife, began his reigne ouer the realme of England in
the yéere of our Lord 946, or (as other say) 997, which was in the
twelfe yéere of the emperor Otho the first, and in the 21 yéere of the
reigne of Lewes K. of France, & about the third or fourth yéere of
Malcolme the first of that name, king of Scotland. He was crowned and
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
annointed the 16 day of August by Odo the archbishop of Canturburie at
Kingstone vpon Thames. In the first yéere of his reigne, the
[Sidenote: The Northumbers rebell and are subdued.]
Northumbers rebelled against him, wherevpon he raised an armie,
inuaded their countrie, and subdued them by force. This doone, he went
forward into Scotland: but the Scots without shewing anie resistance
submitted themselues vnto him, and so both Scots and Northumbers
receiued an oth to be true vnto him, which they obserued but a small
while, for he was no sooner returned into the south parts, but that
Aulafe which had beene chased out of the countrie by king Edmund, as
[Sidenote: Aulafe returned into Northumberland.]
before ye haue heard, returned into Northumberland with a great nauie
of ships, and was ioifullie receiued of the inhabitants, and restored
againe to the kingdome, which he held by the space of foure yéeres,
and then by the accustomed disloialtie of the Northumbers he was by
[Sidenote: Hirke or Hericius.]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: The disloialtie of the Northumbers punished.]
them expelled, and then they set vp one Hirke or Hericius the sonne of
one Harrold to reigne ouer them, who held not the estate anie long
time. For in the third yeere of his reigne, Edred in the reuenge of
such disloiall dealings in the Northumbers, destroied the countrie
with fire & swoord, sleaing the most part of the inhabitants. He burnt
the abbeie of Rippon, which was kept against him.
As he was returning homeward, an host of enimies brake out of Yorke,
and setting vpon the rereward of the kings armie at a place called
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: Easterford.]
Easterford, made great slaughter of the same. Wherefore the king in
his rage ment to haue begun a new spoile and destruction, but the
Northumbers humbled themselues so vnto him, that putting awaie their
forsaid king Hirke or Hericius, and offering great rewards and gifts
to buy their peace, they obteined pardon. But bicause that Wolstane
the archbishop of Yorke was of counsell with his countriemen in
reuolting from king Edred, and aduancing of Hericius, king Edred tooke
him and kept him in prison a long time after, but at length in respect
of the reuerence which he bare to his calling, he set him at libertie,
and pardoned him his offense. Matth. Westm. reciteth an other cause of
[Sidenote: The archbishop of Yorke imprisoned.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: 951.]
Wolstans imprisonment, as thus. In the yéere of Grace, saith he, 951,
king Edred put the archbishop of Yorke in close prison, bicause of
often complaints exhibited against him, as he which had commanded
manie townesmen of Theadford to be put to death, in reuenge of the
abbat Aldelme by them vniustlie slaine and murthered.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
After this, when Edred had appeased all ciuill tumults and dissentions
within his land, he applied him selfe to the aduancing of religion,
wholie following the mind of Dunstane, by whose exhortation he
suffered patientlie manie torments of the bodie, and exercised
himselfe in praier and other deuout studies. This Edred in his latter
daies being greatlie addicted to deuotion & religious priests, at the
request of his mother Edgiua, restored the abbeie of Abington which
was built first by king Inas, but in these daies sore decaied and
[Sidenote: Edredus departeth this life.]
fallen into ruine. Finallie, after he had reigned nine yéeres and a
halfe, he departed this life to the great gréeuance of men, and
reioising of angels (as it is written) and was buried at Winchester in
the cathedrall church there. ¶ Heere is to be noted, that the foresaid
Edred, when he came first to the crowne, vpon a singular and most
[Sidenote: Dunstane in fauour.]
especiall fauour which he bare towards Dunstane the abbat of
Glastenburie, committed vnto him the chiefest part of all his
treasure, as charters of lands with other monuments, and such ancient
princelie iewels as belonged to the former kings, with other such as
he got of his owne, willing him to lay the same in safe kéeping within
his monasterie of Glastenburie.
Afterward, when king Edred perceiued himselfe to be in danger of death
by force of that sickenesse, which in déed made an end of his life, he
sent into all parties to such as had anie of his treasure in kéeping,
to bring the same vnto him with all spéed, that he might dispose
[Sidenote: But was not this a deuise thereby to deteine the treasure?
for I doo not read that he deliuered it out of his hands.]
thereof before his departure out of this life, as he should sée cause.
Dunstane tooke such things as he had vnder his hands, & hasted forward
to deliuer the same vnto the king, and to visit him in that time of
his sickenesse according to his dutie: but as he was vpon the waie, a
voice spake to him from heauen, saieng; Behold king Edred is now
departed in peace. At the hearing of this voice, the horsse whereon
Dunstane rode fell downe and died, being not able to abide the
presence of the angell that thus spake to Dunstane. And when he came
to the court, he vnderstood that the king died the same houre in which
[Sidenote: An angell, or as some think a woorse creature.]
it was told him by the angell, as before ye haue heard.
* * * * *
_Edwin succeedeth Edred in the kingdome of England, his beastlie and
incestuous carnalite with a kinswoman of his on the verie day of his
coronation, he is reproued of Dunstane and giueth ouer the
gentlewomans companie, Dunstane is banished for rebuking king Edwin
for his unlawfull lust and lewd life, the diuell reioised at his
exile, what reuenging mischiefs the king did for displeasure sake
against the said Dunstane in exile, the middle part of England
rebelleth against king Edwin, and erecteth his brother Edgar in roiall
roome ouer them, he taketh thought and dieth; Edgar succeedeth him, he
is a fauourer of moonks, his prouision for defense of his realme, his
policie and discretion in gouernment, what kings he bound by oth to be
true vnto him, eight princes row his barge in signe of submission, the
vicious inconueniences that grew among the Englishmen vpon his
fauouring of the Danes, a restraint of excessiue quaffing; Dunstane is
made bishop of Worcester and Ethelwold bishop of Wincester; iustice in
Edgars time seuerelie executed, theft punished with death, a tribute
of woolfs skins paid him out of Wales, and the benefit of that
tribute._