Vpon knowledge giuen into Denmarke of the cruell murder of the Danes
here in England, truth it is, that the people of the countrie were
greatlie kindled in malice, and set in such a furious rage against the
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: The Danes returne to inuade England.]
[Sidenote: Excester taken.]
[Sidenote: 1002.]
Englishmen, that with all spéed they made foorth a nauie full fraught
with men of warre, the which in the yeare following came swarming
about the coasts of England, and landing in the west countrie, tooke
[Sidenote: Hugh a Norman conspireth with the Danes.]
the citie of Excester, and gat there a rich spoile. One Hugh a Norman
borne, whome quéene Emma had placed in those parties as gouernour or
shirife there, conspired with the Danes, so that all the countrie was
ouerrun and wasted.
The king hearing that the Danes were thus landed, and spoiled the west
parts of the realme, he sent vnto Edricus to assemble a power to
withstand the enimies. Herevpon the people of Hampshire and Wiltshire
rose and got togither: but when the armies should ioine, earle Edricus
[Sidenote: The counterfait sicknesse of duke Edrike.]
surnamed de Streona feigned himselfe sicke, and so betraied his
people, of whome he had the conduct: for they perceiuing the want in
their leader, were discouraged, and so fled. The Danes followed them
[Sidenote: Wilton spoiled.]
vnto Wilton, which towne they rifled and ouercame. From thence they
went to Salisburie, and so taking their pleasure there, returned to
their ships, because (as some write) they were aduertised that the
king was comming towards them with an huge armie. In the yeare next
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: 1004.]
insuing, that is to saie 1004, which was about the 24 yeare of
[Sidenote: Swein king of Denmarke.]
K. Egelreds reigne, Sweine or Swanus, king of Denmarke, with a mightie
nauie of ships came on the coast of Northfolke, and there landing with
[Sidenote: Norwich taken by the Danes.]
[Sidenote: Thetford burnt.]
his people, made toward Norwich, and comming thither tooke that citie,
and spoiled it. Then went he vnto Thetford, and when he had taken and
[Sidenote: Vikillus or Wilfeketell gouernour of Norffolke.]
rifled that towne, he burnt it, notwithstanding a truce taken by
Vikillus or Wilfketell gouernor of those parties with the same king
Swaine after the taking of Norwich. In reuenge therefore of such
breach of truce, the same Vikillus, or Wilfeketell, with such power as
he could raise, assaulted the host of Danes as they returned to their
ships, and slue a great number of them, but was not able to mainteine
the fight, for his enimies ouermatched him in number of men. And so he
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
was constrained in the end to giue backe: and the enimies kept on
their waies to their ships.
[Sidenote: 1005.]
[Sidenote: Swaine returned into Denmarke.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
In the yeare following king Swaine returned into Denmarke with all his
fléet, partlie constrained so to doo (as some write) by reason of the
great famin & want of necessarie sustenance, which in that yeare sore
[Sidenote: 1006.]
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: Swaine returned into England.]
oppressed this land. In the yeare of our Lord 1006, king Swaine
returned againe into England with a mightie & huge nauie, arriuing at
Sandwich, and spoiled all the countrie néere vnto the sea side. King
Egelred raised all his power against him, and all the haruest time
laie abroad in the field to resist the Danes, which according to their
woonted maner spared not to exercise their vnmercifull crueltie, in
wasting and spoiling the land with fire and sword, pilfering and
taking of preies in euerie part where they came. Neither could king
Egelred remedie the matter, because the enimies still conueied
themselues with their ships into some contrarie quarter, from the
place where they knew him to be, so that his trauell was in vaine.
[Sidenote: The Danes winter in the Ile of Wight.]
[Sidenote: They inuade Hampshire, Barkeshire, &c.]
About the beginning of winter they remained in the Ile of Wight, & in
the time of Christmasse they landed in Hampshire, and passing through
that countrie into Barkeshire, they came to Reading, and from thence
to Wallingford, and so to Coleseie, and then approching to Essington,
came to Achikelmeslawe, and in euerie place wheresoeuer they came,
they made cleane worke. For that which they could not carie with them,
they consumed with fire, burning vp their innes and sleaing their
hoasts. In returning backe, the people of the west countrie gaue them
battell, but preuailed not, so that they did but inrich their enimies
[Sidenote: Winchester.]
with the spoile of their bodies. They came by the gates of Winchester
as it were in maner of triumph, with vittels and spoiles which they
had fetched fiftie miles from the sea side. In the meane time king
Egelred lay about Shrewsburie sore troubled with the newes hereof, and
[Sidenote: 1007.]
in the yeare next insuing, by the aduise of his councell he gaue to
[Sidenote: 36000 pound saith _Si. Dun._]
king Swaine for the redeeming of peace 30000 pounds.
[Sidenote: Edrike de Streona made duke or earle of Mercia.]
In the same yeare K. Egelred created the traitor Edrike earle of
Mercia, who although he had maried Edgiua the kings daughter, was yet
noted to be one of those which disclosed the secrets of the realme,
and the determinations of the councell vnto the enimies. But he was
such a craftie dissembler, so greatlie prouided of sleight to
dissemble and cloake his falshood, that the king being too much abused
by him, had him in singular fauour, whereas he vpon a malicious
purpose studied dailie how to bring the realme into vtter destruction,
aduertising the enimies from time to time how the state of things
stood, whereby they came to knowlege when they should giue place, and
when they might safelie come forward. Moreouer, being sent vnto them
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
oftentimes as a commissioner to treat for peace, he persuaded them to
warre. But such was the pleasure of God, to haue him and such other of
like sort aduanced to honor in this season, when by his diuine
prouidence he meant to punish the people of this realme for their
wickednesse and sinnes, whereby they had iustlie prouoked his wrath
and high displeasure.
[Sidenote: _Henr. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: An hundred acres is an hide of land.]
[Sidenote: 1008.]
In the 30 yeare of king Egelreds reigne, which fell in the yeare of
our Lord 1008, he tooke order that of euerie thrée hundred and ten
hides of land within this realme, there should one ship be builded,
and of euerie eight hides a complet armor furnished. In the yeare
following, the kings whole fléet was brought togither at Sandwich, and
such souldiers came thither as were appointed to go to sea in the same
fléet. There had not béene séene the like number of ships so trimlie
[Sidenote: Provision for ships and armour.]
rigged and furnished in all points, in anie kings daies before. But no
great profitable péece of seruice was wrought by them: for the king
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
had about that time banished a noble yoong man of Sussex called
Wilnot, who getting togither twentie sailes, laie vpon the coasts
taking prices where he could get them. Brithrike the brother of earle
Edrike, being desirous to win honor, tooke forth foure score of the
said ships, and promised to bring in the enimie dead or aliue. But as
he was sailing forward on the seas, a sore tempest with an outragious
wind rose with such violence, that his ships were cast vpon the shore:
and Wilnot comming vpon them, set them on fire, and so burned them
euerie one. The residue of the ships, when newes came to them of this
mishap, returned backe to London; and then was the armie dispersed,
and so all the cost and trauell of the Englishmen proued in vaine.
[Sidenote: Danes land at Sandwich.]
[Sidenote: 1009.]
After this, in the haruest time a new armie of Danes, vnder the
conduct of thrée capteines, Turkill, Henning, and Aulafe landed at
Sandwich, and from thence passed forth to Canturburie, and had taken
the citie but that the citizens gaue them a 1000 pounds to depart from
[Sidenote: 3000 pound saith _Sim. Dun._]
thence, and to leaue the countrie in peace. Then went the Danes to the
[Sidenote: Sussex and Hampshire spoiled.]
Ile of Wight, and afterwards landed and spoiled the countrie of Sussex
and Hampshire. King Egelred assembled the whole power of all his
subiects, and comming to giue them battell, had made an end of their
cruell harieng the countrie with the slaughter of them all, if earle
Edrike with forged tales (deuised onelie to put him in feare) had not
[Sidenote: The Danes returne into Kent.]
dissuaded him from giuing battell. The Danes by that meanes returning
in safetie, immediatlie after the feast of saint Martine, returned
into Kent, and lodged with their nauie in the winter following in the
Thames, and oftentimes assaulting the citie of London, were still
beaten backe to their losse.
[Sidenote: 1010.]
[Sidenote: Oxford burnt.]
After the feast of Christmasse they passed through the countrie and
woods of Chilterne vnto Oxford, which towne they burned, and then
returning backe they fell to wasting of the countrie on both sides the
Thames. But hearing that an armie was assembled at London to giue them
battell; that part of their host which kept on the northside of the
[Sidenote: Stanes.]
riuer, passed the same riuer at Stanes, and so ioining with their
fellowes marched foorth through Southerie, and comming backe to their
ships in Kent, fell in hand to repare & amend their ships that were in
anie wise decaied. Then after Easter, the Danes sailing about the
[Sidenote: Gipswich in Suffolke.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
coast, arriued at Gipswich in Suffolke, on the Ascension day of our
Lord: and inuading the countrie, gaue battell at a place called
Wigmere or Rigmere, vnto Vikill or Wilfeketell leader of the English
host in those parties, on the fift of Maie. The men of Northfolke and
Suffolke fled at the first onset giuen: but the Cambridgeshire men
sticked to it valiantlie, winning thereby perpetuall fame and
commendation. There was no mindfulnesse amongest them of running
awaie, so that a great number of the nobilitie and other were beaten
[Sidenote: Capat formicæ.]
downe and slaine, till at length one Turketell Mireneheued, that had a
Dane to his father, first began to take his flight, and deserued
thereby an euerlasting reproch.
The Danes obteining the vpper hand, for the space of thrée moneths
togither went vp and downe the countries, & wasted those parties of
the realme, that is to say, Northfolke, and Suffolke, with the borders
of Lincolnshire, Huntingtonshire, and Cambridgeshire where the fens
are, gaining excéeding riches by the spoile of great and wealthie
abbies and churches which had their situation within the compasse of
[Sidenote: Thetford.]
[Sidenote: Cambridge.]
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
the same fens. They also destroied Thetford, and burnt Cambridge, and
from thence passed through the pleasant mountaine-countrie of Belsham,
cruellie murdering the people without respect of age, degrée or sex.
After this also they entred into Essex. and so came backe to their
[Sidenote: The Danes arrive in the Thames.]
[Sidenote: 1011.]
ships, which were then arriued in the Thames. But they rested not anie
long time in quiet, as people that minded nothing but the destruction
of this realme. So as soone after, when they had somwhat refreshed
them, they set forward againe into the countrie, passing through
Buckinghamshire, & so into Bedfordshire. And about saint Andrewes
[Sidenote: Northampton burnt by Danes.]
tide they turned towards Northampton, & comming thither set fire on
that towne. Then turning through the west countrie, with fire & sword
they wasted and destroied a great part thereof, & namelie Wiltshire,
with other parties. And finallie about the feast of Christmas they
came againe to their ships. Thus had the Danes wasted the most part of
[Sidenote: How manie shires the Danes wasted.]
16 or 17 shires within this realme, as Northfolke, Suffolke,
Cambridgeshire, Essex, Middlesex, Hartfordshire, Oxfordshire,
Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire, with a part of Huntingtonshire, and
also a great portion of Northamptonshire. This was doone in the
countries that lie on the northside of the riuer of Thames. On the
southside of the same riuer, they spoiled and wasted Kent, Southerie,
Sussex, Barkeshire, Hampshire, and (as is before said) a great part of
Wiltshire.
* * * * *
_King Egelred offereth the Danes great summes of moneie to desist from
destroieng his countrie, their unspeakable crueltie,
bloudthirstinesse, and insatiable spoiling of Canturburie betraied by
a churchman; their merciles murthering of Elphegus archbishop of
Canturburie, Turkillus the Dane chiefe lord of Norfolke and Suffolke,
a peace concluded betweene the Danes and the English vpon hard
conditions; Gunthildis a beautifull Danish ladie and hir husband
slaine, hir courage to the death._