[Sidenote: 997.]
[Sidenote: The Danes inuade the west parts of this land.]
In the nineenth yere of king Egelreds reigne, the Danes sailed about
Cornewall, and comming into the Seuerne sea, they robbed & tooke
preies in the coasts of Deuonshire & Southwales, and landing at
Wicheport, they burned vp the countrie, and came about vnto
Penwithstréet on the south coast, and so arriuing in the mouth of
Tamer water, came vnto Lidford, and there wasted all afore them with
force of fire. They burned, amongst other places, the monasterie of
[Sidenote: Tauestocke.]
saint Ordulfe at Essingstocke. After this they came into Dorcetshire,
and passed through the countrie with flame and fire, not finding anie
that offered to resist them. The same yéere also they soiourned in the
[Sidenote: 998.]
[Sidenote: 999.]
[Sidenote: The Danes arriue in the Thames.]
Ile of Wight, and liued vpon spoiles & preies which they tooke in
Hampshire and Sussex. At length they came into the Thames, and so by
the riuer of Medwey arriued at Rochester. The Kentishmen assembled
togither and fought with the Danes, but they were ouercome, and so
left the field to the Danes. After this, the same Danes sailed into
Normandie, and king Egelred went into Cumberland, where the Danes
[Sidenote: 1000.]
inhabited in great numbers, whome he ouercame with sore warre, and
wasted almost all Cumberland, taking great spoiles in the same. About
the same time, or shortlie after, the Danes with their nauie,
[Sidenote: 1001.]
[Sidenote: Exmouth.]
returning out of Normandie, came vnto Exmouth, and there assaulted the
castell, but they were repelled by them that kept it. After this they
spread abroad ouer all the countrie, exercising their accustomed trade
of destroieng all before them with fire and sword. The men of
[Sidenote: Pentho.]
Summersetshire fought with them at Pentho, but the Danes got the vpper
hand.
Thus the state of the realme in those daies was verie miserable, for
there wanted worthie chieftains to rule the people, and to chastise
them when they did amisse. There was no trust in the noble men, for
euerie one impugned others dooing, and yet would not deuise which way
[Sidenote: Disagréement with councellors what fruit it bringeth.]
to deale with better likelihood. When they assembled in councell, and
should haue occupied their heads in deuising remedies for the
mischiefe of the common wealth, they turned their purpose vnto
altercation, about such strifes, contentions and quarels as each one
against other, and suffered the generall case to lie still in the
dust. And if at anie time there was anie good conclusion agreed vpon,
for the withstanding of the enimie, & reléefe of the common wealth,
anon should the enimie be aduertised thereof by such as were of
aliance or consanguinitie to them. For (as Caxton, Polychr. and others
say) the English bloud was so mixed with that of the Danes and
Britains, who were like enimies to the Englishmen, that there was
almost few of the nobilitie and commons, which had not on the one side
a parent of some of them.
Whereby it came to passe, that neither the secret purposes of the king
could be concealed till they might take due effect; neither their
assemblies proue quiet without quarelling and taking of parts. Manie
also being sent foorth with their powers one way (whilest the king
went to make resistance another) did reuolt to his enimies, and turned
their swords against him (as you haue heard of Elfrike and his
complices, and shall read of manie others) so that it was no maruell
that Egelred sped no better, and yet was he as valiant as anie of his
predecessors, although the moonks fauour him not in their writings,
because he demanded aid of them toward his warres, and was nothing
fauorable to their lewd hypocrisie. But what is a king if his subiects
be not loiall? What is a realme, if the common wealth be diuided? By
peace & concord, of small beginnings great and famous kingdomes haue
oft times procéeded; whereas by discord the greatest kingdoms haue
oftner bene brought to ruine. And so it proued here, for whilest
priuat quarels are pursued, the generall affaires are vtterlie
neglected: and whilest ech nation séeketh to preferre hir owne
aliance, the Iland it selfe is like to become a desert.
But to procéed with our monasticall writers: certes they lay all the
fault in the king, saieng that he was a man giuen to no good exercise,
he delighted in fleshlie lustes and riotous bankettings and still
sought waies how to gather of his subiects what might be got, as well
[Sidenote: The misgouernement of the king.]
by vnlawfull meanes as otherwise. For he would for feined or for verie
small & light causes disherit his natiue subiects, and cause them to
redéeme their owne possessions for great summes of monie. Besides
[Sidenote: Sicknesse vexeth the people.]
these oppressions, diuers kinds of sicknesses vexed the people also,
as the bloodie flix, and hot burning agues which then raged through
the land, so that manie died thereof. By such manner of meanes
[Sidenote: Treason in the nobilitie.]
therefore, what through the misgouernance of the king, the treason and
disloialtie of the nobilitie, the lacke of good order and due
correction amongst the people, and by such other scourges and mishaps
as afflicted the English nation in that season, the land was brought
into great ruine, so that, where by strength the enimie could not be
kept off, there was now no hope but to appease them with monie. By
[Sidenote: The inhancing of the tribute paid to the Danes.]
reason hereof from time of the first agréement with the Danes for 10
thousand pounds tribute, it was inhanced to 16000 pounds, (as you haue
heard) & after that to 20000 pounds, then to 24000 pounds, & so to
30000 pounds, & lastlie to 40000 pounds, till at length the relme was
[Sidenote: The death of quéene Elgina.]
emptied in maner of all that monie and coine that could be found in
it. In this meane time died Elgina or Ethelgina the quéene. Shortlie
[Sidenote: Emma.]
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
after it was deuised that the king should be a suter vnto Richard duke
of Normandie, for his sister Emma, a ladie of such excellent beautie,
that she was named the floure of Normandie. This sute was begun and
[Sidenote: 1002.]
[Sidenote: Emma daughter of R. duke of Normandie maried to K. Edgar.]
tooke such good successe, that the king obteined his purpose. And so
in the yeare of our Lord 1002, which was about the 24 yeare of king
Egelreds reigne, he maried the said Emma with great solemnitie.
This mariage was thought to be right necessarie, honorable, and
profitable for the realme of England, because of the great puissance
of the Norman princes in those daies: but as things afterward came to
passe, it turned to the subuersion of the whole English state: for by
such affinitie and dealing as happened hereby betwixt the Normans and
Englishmen, occasion in the end was ministred to the same Normans to
pretend a title to the crowne of England, in prosecuting of which
title, they obteined and made the whole conquest of the land, as after
shall appeare. Egelred being greatlie aduanced (as he thought) by
reason of his mariage, deuised vpon presumption thereof, to cause all
the Danes within the land to be murthered in one day. Herevpon he sent
priuie commissioners to all cities, burrowes and townes within his
dominions, commanding the rulers and officers in the same, to kill all
such Danes as remained within their liberties, at a certeine day
[Sidenote: 1012.]
[Sidenote: The 18 of Nouember.]
[Sidenote: The murder of the Danes.]
prefixed, being saint Brices day, in the yeare 1012, and in the 34
yeare of king Egelreds reigne. Herevpon (as sundrie writers agree) in
one day & houre this murther began, and was according to the
commission and iniunction executed. But where it first began, the same
is vncerteine: some say at Wellowin in Herefordshire, some at a place
[Sidenote: Hownhill, or Houndhill, a place within Merchington parish
beside the forest of Néedwood, somewhat more than two miles from
Vtoxcester.]
in Staffordshire called Hownhill, & others in other places, but
whersoeuer it began, the dooers repented it after.
[Sidenote: The miserable state of this realme vnder the thraldome of
the Danes.]
But now yer we procéed anie further, we will shew what rule the Danes
kept here in this realme before they were thus murthered, as in some
bookes we find recorded. Whereas it is shewed that the Danes compelled
the husbandmen to til the ground & doo all maner of labour and toile
to be doone about husbandrie: the Danes liued vpon the fruit and
gaines that came thereof, and kept the husbandmens wiues, their
daughters, maids and seruants, vsing and abusing them at their
pleasures. And when the husbandmen came home, then could they scarse
haue such sustenance of meats and drinkes as fell for seruants to
haue: so that the Danes had all their commandements, eating and
drinking of the best, where the sillie man that was the owner, could
hardlie come to his fill of the worst. Besides this, the common people
were so oppressed by the Danes, that for feare and dread they called
[Sidenote: _Hector Boet._]
them in euerie such house where anie of them soiourned, Lord Dane. And
if an Englishman and a Dane chanced to méet at anie bridge or streight
passage, the Englishman must staie till the Lord Dane were passed. But
in processe of time, after the Danes were voided the land, this word
Lord Dane was in derision and despight of the Danes turned by
[Sidenote: Lordane whereof the word came.]
Englishmen into a name of reproch, as Lordane, which till these our
daies is not forgotten. For when the people in manie parts of this
realme will note and signifie anie great idle lubber that will not
labour nor take paine for his liuing, they will call him Lordane. Thus
did the Danes vse the Englishmen in most vile manner, and kept them in
such seruile thraldome as cannot be sufficientlie vttered.
* * * * *
_A fresh power of Danes inuade England to reuenge the slaughter of
their countrimen that inhabited this Ile, the west parts betraied into
their hands by the conspiracie of a Norman that was in gouernement,
earle Edrike feined himselfe sicke when king Egelred sent vnto him to
leuie a power against the Danes, and betraieth his people to the
enimies; Sweine king of Denmarke arriueth on the coast of Northfolke,
and maketh pitifull spoile by fire and sword; the truce taken betweene
him and Vikillus is violated, and what reuengement followeth; king
Sweine forced by famine returneth into his owne countrie, he arriueth
againe at Sandwich, why king Egelred was vnable to preuaile against
him, the Danes ouerrun all places where they come and make cruell
waste, king Egelred paieth him great summes of monie for peace; the
mischiefes that light vpon a land by placing a traitorous stranger in
gouernement, how manie acres a hide of land conteineth, Egelreds order
taken for ships and armour, why his great fleet did him little
pleasure; a fresh host of Danes vnder three capteines arriue at
Sandwich, the citizens of Canturburie for monie purchase safetie, the
faithlesse deeling of Edrike against king Egelred for the enimies
aduantage, what places the Danes ouerran and wasted._