[Sidenote: EDWIN.]
[Sidenote: 955.]
After the deceasse of Edred, his nephue Edwin the eldest sonne of king
Edmund was made king of England, and began his reigne ouer the same in
the yéere of our Lord 955, & in the 20 yéere of the emperor Otho the
first, in the 28 and last yéere of the reigne of Lewes king of France,
and about the twelfe yeere of Malcolme the first of that name, king of
Scotland. He was consecrated at Kingston vpon Thames by Odo the
archbishop of Canturburie. On the verie day of his coronation, as the
[Sidenote: _Will. Malmes._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
lords were set in councell about weightie matters touching the
gouernment of the realme, he rose from the place, gat him into a
chamber with one of his néere kinswomen, and there had to doo with
hir, without anie respect or regard had to his roiall estate and
princelie dignitie. Dunstane latelie before named abbat of
Glastenburie, did not onlie without feare of displeasure reprooue the
K. for such shamefull abusing of his bodie, but also caused the
archbishop of Canturburie to constreine him to forsake that woman whom
vnlawfullie he kept.
[Sidenote: _Iohn Capgrave._]
There be that write, that there were two women, both mother and
daughter, whome king Edward kept as concubines: for the mother being
of noble parentage, sought to satisfie the kings lust, in hope that
either he would take hir or hir daughter vnto wife. And therefore
perceiuing that Dunstane was sore against such wanton pastime as the
king vsed in their companie, she so wrought, that Dunstane was through
[Sidenote: Dunstane banished the realme.]
hir earnest trauell banished the land. This is also reported, that
when he should depart the realme, the diuell was heard in the west end
of the church, taking vp a great laughter after his roring maner, as
[Sidenote: Dunstane séeth not the diuell.]
though he should shew himselfe glad and ioifull at Dunstanes going
into exile. But Dunstane perceiuing his behauiour, spake to him, and
said: Well thou aduersarie, doo not so greatly reioise at the matter,
for thou dooest not now so much reioise at my departure, but by Gods
grace thou shalt be as sorrowfull for my returne.
[Sidenote: Dunstane departed into exile.]
Thus was Dunstane banished by king Edwine, so that he was compelled to
passe ouer into Flanders, where he remained for a time within a
monasterie at Gant, finding much friendship at the hands of the
gouernor of that countrie. Also the more to wreake his wrath, the king
spoiled manie religious houses of their goods, and droue out the
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: Edwine displaceth monks and putteth secular preists in
their roomes.]
monks, placing secular priests in their roomes, as namelie at
Malmesburie, where yet the house was not empaired, but rather inriched
in lands and ornaments by the kings liberalitie, and the industrious
meanes of the same priests, which tooke vp the bones of saint Aldelme,
[Sidenote: Rebellion raised against king Edwine.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
and put the same into a shrine. At length the inhabitants of the
middle part of England, euen from Humber to Thames rebelled against
him, and elected his brother Edgar, to haue the gouernement ouer them,
wherwith king Edwine tooke such griefe, for that he saw no meane at
hand how to remedie the matter, that shortlie after, when he had
[Sidenote: Edwin departeth this life.]
reigned somewhat more than foure yéeres, he died, and his bodie was
buried at Winchester in the new abbeie.
[Sidenote: EDGAR.]
[Sidenote: 959.]
EDGAR the second sonne of Edmund late king of England, after the
decease of his elder brother the foresaid Edwine, began his reigne
ouer this realme of England in the yeere of our Lord God 959, in the
22 yéere of the emperour Otho the first, in the fourth yéere of the
reigne of Lotharius king of France, 510 almost ended after the comming
of the Saxons, 124 after the arriuall of the Danes, and in the last
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
yéere of Malcolme king of Scotland. He was crowned & consecrated at
Bath, or (as some say) at Kingstone vpon Thames by Odo the archbishop
of Canturburie, being as then not past 16 yéeres of age, when he was
thus admitted king. He was no lesse indued with commendable gifts of
[Sidenote: Edgar a fauorer of moonks.]
mind, than with strength and force of bodie. He was a great fauorer of
moonks, and speciallie had Dunstane in high estimation. Aboue all
things in this world he regarded peace, and studied dailie how to
preserue the same, to the commoditie and aduancement of his subiects.
[Sidenote: The diligent prouision of K. Edgar for defense of the
realme.]
When he had established things in good quiet, and set an order in
matters as seemed to him best for the peaceable gouernement of his
people, he prepared a great nauie of ships, diuiding them in thrée
parts, he appointed euerie part to a quarter of the realme, to waft
about the coast, that no forren enimie should approch the land, but
that they might be incountered and put backe, before they could take
land. And euerie yéere after Easter, he vsed to giue order, that his
ships should assemble togither in their due places: and then would he
with the east nauie saile to the west parts of his realme, and sending
those ships backe, he would with the west nauie saile into the north
parts; and with the north nauie come backe againe into the east. This
custome he vsed, that he might scowre the seas of all pirats &
theeues. In the winter season and spring time, he would ride through
the prouinces of his realme, searching out how the iudges and great
lords demeaned themselues in the administration of iustice, sharpelie
punishing those that were found guiltie of extortion, or had done
otherwise in anie point than dutie required. In all things he vsed
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
such politike discretion, that neither was he put in danger by treason
of his subiects, nor molested by forren enimies.
He caused diuerse kings to bind themselues by oth to be true and
faithfull vnto him, as Kinadius or rather Induf king of Scotland,
[Sidenote: Mascutius.]
Malcolme king of Cumberland, Mascutius an archpirat, or (as we may
[Sidenote: Kings of Welshmen.]
call him) a maister rouer, and also all the kings of the Welshmen, as
Duffnall, Girffith, Duvall, Iacob, and Iudithill, all which came to
his court, and by their solemne othes receiued, sware to be at his
commandement. And for the more manifest testimonie therof, he hauing
them with him at Chester, caused them to enter into a barge vpon the
[Sidenote: King Edgar roweth on the water of Dée.]
water of Dée, and placing himselfe in the forepart of the barge, at
the helme, he caused those eight high princes to row the barge vp and
downe the water, shewing thereby his princelie prerogatiue and roial
magnificence, in that he might vse the seruice of so manie kings that
were his subiects. And therevpon he said (as hath bin reported) that
then might his successours account themselues kings of England, when
they inioied such prerogatiue of high and supreme honor.
The fame of this noble prince was spred ouer all, as well on this side
the sea as beyond, insomuch that great resort of strangers chanced in
his daies, which came euer into this land to serue him, and to sée the
state of his court, as Saxons and other, yea and also Danes, which
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: King Edgar fauoureth Danes.]
became verie familiar with him. He fauored in déed the Danes (as hath
béene said) more than stood with the commoditie of his subiects, for
scarse was anie stréet in England, but Danes had their dwelling in the
same among the Englishmen, whereby came great harme: for whereas the
Danes by nature were great drinkers, the Englishmen by continuall
[Sidenote: English learned to quaffe of the Danes.]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
conuersation with them learned the same vice. King Edgar to reforme in
part such excessiue quaffing as then began to grow in vse, caused by
the procurement of Dunstane, nailes to be set in cups of a certeine
measure, marked for the purpose, that none should drinke more than was
assigned by such measured cups. Englishmen also learned of the Saxons,
[Sidenote: Englishmen learne other vices of strangers.]
Flemings, and other strangers, their peculiar kind of vices, as of the
Saxons a disordered fiercenesse of mind, or the Flemings a féeble
tendernesse of bodie: where before they reioised in their owne
simplicitie, and estéemed not the lewd and vnprofitable manners of
strangers.
Dunstane was made bishop of Worcester, and had also the administration
of the sée of London committed vnto him. He was in such fauor with the
[Sidenote: Ethelwold made bishop of Winchester.]
king, that he ruled most things at his pleasure. Ethelwold, which
being first a moonke of Glastenburie, and after abbat of Abington, was
likewise made bishop of Winchester, and might doo verie much with the
[Sidenote: Oswald.]
[Sidenote: Floriacum.]
king. Also Oswald, which had beene a moonke in the abbeie of Florie in
France, and after was made bishop of Worcester, and from thence
remooued to the sée of Yorke, was highlie in fauor with this king, so
that by these thrée prelates he was most counselled. Iustice in his
[Sidenote: Moonks must néeds write much in praise of Edgar who had men
of their cote in such estimati[=o].]
daies was strictlie obserued, for although he were courteous and
gentle towards his friends, yet was he sharpe and hard to offenders,
so that no person of what estate or degree soeuer he was escaped
worthie punishment, if he did transgresse the lawes and ordinances of
the realme. There was no priuie theefe nor common robber that durst
lay hands vpon other mens goods, but he might looke to make amends
with losse of his life, if he were knowne to be giltie. For how might
men that did offend, thinke to escape his hands, which deuised waies
how to rid the countrie of all wild rauening beasts, that liued vpon
sucking the bloud of others? For as it is said, he appointed Iudweall
[Sidenote: A tribute instituted of woolf-skins.]
or Ludweall king of Wales to present him thrée hundred woolues
yéerelie in name of a tribute, but after thrée yéeres space, there was
not a woolfe to be found, and so that tribute ceased in the fourth
yéere after it began to be paid.
* * * * *
_The death of Alfred king Edgars wife (or concubine) causeth him to
fall into a fowle offense, an example teaching men to take heed how
they put others in trust to woo for them; earle Ethelwold cooseneth
the king of his wife, the danger of beholding a womans beautie with
lustfull eies; king Edgar killeth earle Ethelwold to marrie faire
Alfred his wife; the bloudie and unnaturall speach of Ethelwolds base
sonne: examples of king Edgars great incontinencie and lewd life;
Dunstane putteth the king to penance for his vnchastitie, the Welshmen
rebell against him and are corrected, king Edgars vision before his
death, of what religious buildings he was founder, his example a spur
to others to doo the like, moonks esteemed and secular priests little
regarded, king Edgars deformed reformation, his vices, stature, and
bodilie qualities, he offereth to fight hand to hand with Kinadius
king of Scots vpon occasion of words euill taken, Kinadius submitteth
himselfe and is pardoned; his wiues and children, the good state of
the realme in king Edgars time, the amplenesse of his dominions._