SWAINE hauing now got the whole rule of the land, was reputed full
king, and so commanded that his armie should be prouided of wages and
vittels to be taken vp & leuied through the realme. In like maner
Turkill commanded that to his armie lodged at Gréenewich, wages and
vittels sufficient should be deliuered, for the finding, releeuing,
[Sidenote: Swaine handleth the Englishmen hardlie.]
succouring, and susteining thereof. Swaine vsed the victorie verie
cruellie against the Englishmen, oppressing them on each hand; to the
intent that them being brought low he might gouerne in more suertie.
The yéere in which he obteined the rule thus of this realme, and that
king Egelred was constreined to flie into Normandie, was in the 35
yeere of the same Egelred his reigne, and after the birth of our Lord
1014. Swaine being once established in the gouernment, did not onelie
vse much crueltie in oppressing the laitie, but also stretched foorth
his hand to the church, and to the ministers in the same, fléecing
them and spoiling both churches and ministers, without anie remorse of
conscience, insomuch that hauing a quarell against the inhabitants
within the precinct of S. Edmunds land in Suffolke, he did not onelie
harrie the countrie, but also rifled and spoiled the abbeie of Burie,
where the bodie of saint Edmund rested.
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: S. Edmund fighteth for the wealth, but not for the
slaughter of his people.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: 1015.]
Wherevpon shortlie after, as he was at Gainesbrough or Thetford (as
some say) and there in his iollitie talked with his Nobles of his good
successe in conquering of this land, he was suddenlie striken with a
knife, as it is reported, miraculouslie, for no man wist how or by
whome: and within thrée daies after, to wit, on the third of Februarie
he ended his life with grieuous paine and torment in yelling and
roring, by reason of his extreame anguish beyond all measure. There
hath sproong a pleasant tale among the posteritie of that age, how he
should be wounded with the same knife which king Edmund in his life
[Sidenote: _Albertus Crantz._]
[Sidenote: _Saxo Grammaticus._]
time vsed to weare. Thus haue some of our writers reported, but the
Danish chronicles report a farre more happie end which should chance
to this Swaine, than is before mentioned out of our writers: for the
said chronicles report, that after he had subdued England, he tooke
order with king Egelred, whome they name amisse Adelstane, that he
should not ordeine any other successor, but onlie the said Swaine.
Then after this, he returned into Denmarke, where vsing himselfe like
a right godlie prince, at length he there ended his life, being a
verie old man.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malmes._]
[Sidenote: _H. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: Canute or Cnute.]
Notwithstanding all this, when or howsoeuer he died, immediatlie after
his deceasse the Danes elected his sonne Cnute or Knought to succeed
in his dominions. But the Englishmen of nothing more desirous than to
shake off the yoke of Danish thraldome besides their necks &
shoulders, streightwaies vpon knowledge had of Swaines death, with all
[Sidenote: Eglered sent for home.]
spéed aduertised king Egelred thereof, and that they were readie to
receiue and assist him if he would make hast to come ouer to deliuer
his countrie out of the hands of strangers. These newes were right
ioiful vnto Egelred, who burning in desire to be reuenged on them that
had expelled him out of his kingdome, made no longer tariance to set
[Sidenote: Edmund K. Egelreds eldest sonne.]
that enterprise forward. But yet doubting the inconstancie of the
people, he sent his elder son (named Edmund) to trie the minds of
them, and to vnderstand whether they were constant or wauering in that
which they had promised.
The yoong gentleman hasting ouer into England, and with diligent
inquirie perceiuing how they were bent, returned with like spéed as he
came into Normandie againe, declaring to his father, that all things
were in safetie if he would make hast. King Egelred then conceiued
[Sidenote: King Egelred returneth into England.]
an assured hope to recouer his kingdom, aided with his brother in laws
power, and trusting vpon the assistance of the Englishmen, returned
into England in the time of Lent. His returne was ioifull and most
acceptable to the English people, as to those that abhorred the rule
[Sidenote: Canutes endeuor to establish himselfe in the kingdome.]
of the Danes, which was most sharpe and bitter to them, although Cnute
did what he could by bountifulnesse and courteous dealings to haue
reteined them vnder his obeisance.
And of an intent to procure Gods fauour in the well ordering of things
for the administration in the common wealth, he sought first to
appease his wrath, and also to make amends to saint Edmund for his
fathers offense committed (as was thought) against him: insomuch that
[Sidenote: S. Edmunds ditch.]
after he had obteined the kingdome, he caused a great ditch to be cast
round about the land of saint Edmund, and granted manie fréedoms to
the inhabitants, acquiting them of certeine taskes and paiments, vnto
the which other of their neighbours were contributarie. He also
builded a church on the place where saint Edmund was buried, and
ordeined an house of moonks there, or rather remooued the canons or
secular priests that were there afore, and put moonks in their roomes.
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
He offered vp also his crowne vnto the same S. Edmund, and redéemed it
againe with a great summe of monie, which maner of dooing grew into an
vse vnto other kings that followed him. He adorned the church there
with manie rich iewels, and indowed the monasterie with great
possessions.
But these things were not done now at the first, but after that he was
established in the kingdome. For in the meane time, after that king
Egelred was returned out of Normandie, Cnute as then soiourning at
Gainesbrough, remained there till the feast of Easter, and made
agréement with them of Lindsey, so that finding him horsses, they
should altogither go foorth to spoile their neighbors. King Egelred
aduertised thereof, sped him thither with a mightie host, and with
great crueltie burned vp the countrie, and slue the more part of the
[Sidenote: Canute driven to forsake the land.]
inhabitants, bicause they had taken part with his enimies. Cnute as
then was not of power able to resist Egelred, and therefore taking his
ships which lay in Humber, fled from thence, & sailed about the coast,
[Sidenote: He was driuen thither by force of contrarie winds as should
appeare by _Matth. West._]
till he came to Sandwich, and there sore gréeued in his mind to
remember what mischéefe was fallen and chanced to his friends and
[Sidenote: The cruell decrée of Cnute against the English pledges.]
[Sidenote: _Will. Malmes._]
subiects of Lindsey, onelie for his cause; he commanded that such
pledges as had béene deliuered to his father by certeine noble men of
this realme, for assurance of their fidelities, should haue their
noses slit, and their eares stuffed, or (as some write) their hands
and noses cut off.
[Sidenote: This Turkill was reteined in seruice with Egelred, as I
thinke.]
When this cruell act according to his commandement was doone, taking
the sea, he sailed into Denmarke: but yet tooke not all the Danes with
him which his father brought thither. For earle Turkill perceiuing the
wealthinesse of the land, compounded with the Englishmen, and chose
rather to remaine in a region replenished with all riches, than to
returne home into his owne countrie that wanted such commodities as
were here to be had. And yet (as some thought) he did not forsake his
souereigne lord Cnute for anie euill meaning towards him, but rather
to aid him (when time serued) to recouer the possession of England
againe, as it afterwards well appeared. For notwithstanding that he
was now reteined by K. Egelred with fortie ships, and the flower of
all the Danes that were men of warre, so that Cnute returned but with
60 ships into his countrie: yet shortlie after, erle Turkill with 9 of
those ships sailed into Denmarke, submitted himselfe vnto Cnute,
counselled him to returne into England, and promised him the
[Sidenote: _Encomium Emmæ._]
assistance of the residue of those Danish ships which yet remained in
England, being to the number of thirtie, with all the souldiers and
mariners that to them belonged. To conclude, he did so much by his
earnest persuasions, that Cnute (through aid of his brother Harrold
king of Denmarke) got togither a nauie of two hundred ships, so
roially decked, furnished, and appointed, both for braue shew and
necessarie furniture of all maner of weapons, armor & munition, as it
is strange to consider that which is written by them that liued in
those daies, and tooke in hand to register the dooings of that time.
Howbeit to let this pompe of Cnutes fléete passe, which (no doubt) was
right roiall, consider a little and looke backe to Turkill, though a
sworne seruant to king Egelred, how he did direct all his drift to the
aduancement of Cnute, and his owne commoditie, cloking his purposed
treacherie with pretended amitie, as shall appeare hereafter by his
deadlie hostilitie.
* * * * *
_A great waste by an inundation or inbreaking of the sea, a tribute of
30000 pounds to the Danes, king Egelred holdeth a councell at Oxford,
where he causeth two noble men of the Danes to be murdered by treason,
Edmund the kings eldest sonne marieth one of their wiues, and seizeth
vpon his predecessors lands; Cnute the Danish king returneth into
England, the Danish and English armies encounter, both susteine losse;
Cnute maketh waste of certeine shires, Edmund preuenteth Edriks
purposed treason, Edrike de Streona flieth to the Danes, the
Westernemen yeeld to Cnute; Mercia refuseth to be subiect vnto him,
Warwikeshire wasted by the Danes; Egelred assembleth an armie against
them in vaine; Edmund & Vtred with ioined forces lay waste such
countries and people as became subiect to Cnute; his policie to
preuent their purpose, through what countries he passed, Vtred
submitteth himselfe to Cnute, and deliuereth pledges, he is put to
death and his lands álienated, Cnute pursueth Edmund to London, and
prepareth to besiege the citie, the death and buriall of Egelred, his
wiues, what issue he had by them, his unfortunatnesse, and to what
affections and vices he was inclined, his too late and bootlesse
seeking to releeue his decaied kingdome._