[Sidenote: EDMUND IRONSIDE.]
After that king Egelred was dead, his eldest sonne Edmund surnamed
Ironside was proclaimed king by the Londoners and others, hauing the
assistance of some lords of the realme, although the more part, and
[Sidenote: The kingdom goeth where the spiritualtie fauoreth.]
speciallie those of the spiritualtie fauoured Cnute, bicause they had
aforetime sworne fealtie to his father. Some write, that Cnute had
planted his siege both by water and land verie stronglie about the
citie of London, before Egelred departed this life, and immediatlie
vpon his deceasse was receiued into the citie; but the armie that was
within the citie, not consenting vnto the surrender made by the
citizens, departed the night before the day on the which Cnute by
appointment should enter, and in companie of Edmund Ironside (whome
they had chosen to be their king and gouernour) they prepared to
increase their numbers with new supplies, meaning eftsoones to trie
[Sidenote: The author of the booke intitled _Encomium Emmæ_ saith that
it was reported that Edmund offered the combate unto Cnute at this his
going from the citie but Cnute refused it.]
the fortune of battell against the Danish power. Cnute perceiuing the
most part of all the realme to be thus against him, and hauing no
great confidence in the loialtie of the Londoners, tooke order to
leauie monie for the paiment of his men of warre and mariners that
belonged to his nauie, left the citie, and imbarking himselfe, sailed
to the Ile of Shepie, and there remained all the winter. In which
meane while, Edmund Ironside came to London, where he was ioifullie
receiued of the citizens, and continuing there till the spring of the
yeere, made himselfe strong against the enimies.
[Sidenote: 1016.]
This Edmund for his noble courage, strength of bodie, and notable
patience to indure and suffer all such hardnesse and paines as is
requisite in a man of warre, was surnamed Ironside, & began his reigne
in the yéere of our Lord 1016, in the sixtéenth yéere of the emperor
Henrie the second surnamed Claudius, in the twentieth yéere of the
reigne of Robert king of France, & about the sixt yéere of Malcolme
the second king of the Scots. After that king Edmund had receiued the
crowne in the citie of London by the hands of the archbishop of Yorke,
he assembled togither such a power as he could make, and with the same
marched foorth towards the west parts, and made the countrie subiect
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
to him. In the meane time was Cnute proclaimed and ordeined king at
Southampton by the bishops and abbats, and diuerse lords also of the
temporaltie there tógither assembled, vnto whome he sware to be their
good and faithfull souereigne, and that he would sée iustice trulie
and vprightlie ministred.
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: London besieged.]
After he had ended his businesse at Southampton, he drew with his
people towards London, and comming thither, besieged the citie both by
water and land, causing a great trench to be cast about it, so that no
man might either get in or come foorth. Manie great assalts he caused
to be giuen vnto the citie, but the Londoners and others within so
valiantlie defended the wals and gates, that the enimies got small
aduantage, and at length were constreined to depart with losse. Cnute
then perceiuing that he might not haue his purpose there, withdrew
[Sidenote: Cnute at Gillingham in Dorsetshire put to flight.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
westward, and besides Gillingham in Dorsetshire, incountred with K.
Edmund in the Rogation weeke, and after sore & sharpe battell was put
to the woorse, and constreined to forsake the field by the high
prowesse & manhood of the said Edmund. King Cnute the same night,
after the armies were seuered, departed towards Winchester, so to get
himselfe out of danger. Shortlie after, king Edmund hearing that an
[Sidenote: Salisburie besieged.]
other armie of the Danes had besieged Salisburie, marched thither to
succour them within, and immediatlie Cnute followed him, so that at a
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: A battel with equall fortune.]
place in Worcestershire called Scorastan, on the foure and twentith of
June, they incountred togither, and fought a verie cruell battell,
which at length the night parted with equall fortune. And likewise on
[Sidenote: An other battel with like successes.]
the next day they buckled togither againe, and fought with like
successe as they had doone the day before, for towards euening they
gaue ouer well wearied, and not knowing to whome the victorie ought to
be ascribed.
[Sidenote: Edrike de Streona his treason.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
Writers haue reported, that this second day, when duke Edrike
perceiued the Englishmen to be at point to haue got the vpper hand, he
withdrew aside, and hauing by chance slaine a common souldier called
Osmear, which in visage much resembled king Edmund, whose head he cut
off, held it vp, & shaking his swoord bloudie with the slaughter,
cried to the Englishmen; "Flée ye wretches, flee and get awaie, for
your king is dead, behold heere his head which I hold in my hands."
Héerewith had the Englishmen fled immediatlie, if king Edmund aduised
of this stratagem, had not quicklie got him to an high ground where
his men might seé him aliue and lustie. Héerewith also the traitor
Edrike escaped hardlie the danger of death, the Englishmen shot so
egerlie at him. At length, as is said, the night parting them in
sunder, they withdrew the one armie from the other, as it had béene by
consent. The third day they remained in armor, but yet absteining from
battell, sate still, in taking meate and drinke to relieue their
[Sidenote: Twentie thousand dead bodies.]
wearied bodies, and after gathered in heapes the dead carcases that
had béene slaine in the former fight, the number of which on either
partie reckoned, rose to the point of twentie thousand and aboue.
[Sidenote: The armies dislodged.]
In the night following, Cnute remooued his campe in secret wise, and
marched towards London, which citie in a maner remained besieged by
the nauie of the Danes. King Edmund in the morning when the light had
discouered the departure of his enimies, followed them by the tract,
and comming to London with small adoo remooued the siege, and entered
[Sidenote: The Danes ouercome at Brentford.]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
the citie like a conqueror. Shortlie after he fought with the Danes at
Brentford, and gaue them a great ouerthrow. In this meane while queene
Emma the widow of king Egelred, doubting the fortune of the warre,
sent hir two sonnes Alfred and Edward ouer into Normandie vnto hir
brother duke Richard, or rather fled thither hirselfe with them (as
some write.)
Moreouer, earle Edrike, perceiuing the great manhood of king Edmund,
began to feare, least in the end he should subdue and vanquish the
Danes, wherefore he sought meanes to conclude a peace, and take such
order with him as might stand with both their contentations, which yer
long he brought about. This was doone (as you shall heare) by the
[Sidenote: _Henr. Hunt._]
consent of Cnute (as some write) to the intent that Edrike being put
in trust with king Edmund, might the more easilie deuise waies how to
betraie him. But Cnute disappointed of his purpose at London, and
fetching a great bootie and preie out of the countries next adjoining,
repared to his ships, to sée what order was amongst them, which a
little before were withdrawen into the riuer that passeth by Rochester
[Sidenote: The river of Medwaie.]
called Medwaie. Héere Cnute remained certeine daies, both to assemble
a greater power, and also to hearken and learne what his enimies ment
to doo, the which he easilie vnderstood.
[Sidenote: King Edmund's diligence.]
King Edmund, who hated nothing woorse than to linger his businesse,
assembled his people, and marching forward toward his enimies,
approched néere vnto them, & pitcht downe his tents not farre from his
enimies campe, exhorting his people to remember their passed
victories, and to doo their good willes, at length by one battell so
to ouerthrow them, that they might make an end of the warre, and
dispatch them cleerelie out of the realme. With these and the like
woords he did so incourage his souldiers, that they disdaining thus to
haue the enimies dailie prouoke them, and to put them to trouble, with
eger minds and fierce courages offered battell to the Danes, which
Cnute had prepared to receiue whensoeuer the Englishmen approched: and
heerewith bringing his men into araie, he came foorth to méet his
[Sidenote: The battell is begun.]
enimies. Then was the battell begun with great earnestnesse on both
sides, & continued foure houres, till at length the Danes began
somewhat to shrinke, which when Cnute perceiued, he commanded his
horssemen to come forward into the forepart of his dawnted host.
[Sidenote: The Danes put to flight.]
But whilest one part of the Danes gaue backe with feare, and the other
came slowlie forward, the arraie of the whole armie was broken, & then
[Sidenote: The number of Danes slaine.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: _Will. Malmes._]
without respect of shame they fled amaine, so that there died that day
of Cnutes side foure thousand and fiue hundred men; and of king
Edmunds side, not past six hundred, and those were footmen. This
battell was fought as should appéere by diuerse writers, at Okefort or
Oteford. It was thought, that if king Edmund had pursued the victorie
and followed in chase of his enimies in such wise as he safelie might
haue doone, he had made that day an end of the warres: but he was
[Sidenote: Edriks counsell.]
counselled by Edrike (as some write) in no condition to follow them,
but to staie and giue time to his people to refresh their wearie
bodies. Then Cnute with his armie passed ouer the Thames into Essex,
and there assembled all his power togither, and began to spoile and
waste the countrie on each hand. King Edmund aduertised thereof,
hasted foorth to succour his people, and at Ashdone in Essex three
miles from Saffron Walden, gaue battell to Cnute, where after sore and
cruell fight continued with great slaughter on both sides a long time,
duke Edrike fled to the comfort of the Danes, and to the discomfort of
the Englishmen.
Héerevpon king Edmund was constreined in the end to depart out of the
field, hauing first doone all that could be wished in a woorthie
chieftaine, both by woords to incourage his men, & by deeds to shew
them good example; so that at one time the Danes were at point to haue
giuen backe, but that Cnute aduised thereof, rushed into the left wing
where most danger was, and so relieued his people there, that finallie
the Englishmen, both wearied with long fight, and also discouraged
with the running awaie of some of their companie, were constreined to
giue ouer, and by flight to séeke their safegard, so that king Edmund
might not by anie meanes bring them againe into order. Héerevpon all
the waies and passages being forelaid and stopped by the enimies, the
[Sidenote: [*_Sic._]]
Englishmen wanting both carriage* to make longer resistance, and
perceiuing no hope to rest in fléeing, were beaten downe and slaine in
heapes, so that few escaped from that dreadfull and bloudie battell.
[Sidenote: Noble men slaine at the battell of Ashdone.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
There died on king Edmunds side, duke Edmund, duke Alfrike, and duke
Goodwine, with earle Vlfekettell or Vrchell of Eastangle, and duke
Aileward, that was sonne to Ardelwine late duke of Eastangle; and to
be briefe, all the floure of the English nobilitie. There were also
slaine at this battell manie renowmed persons of the spiritualtie, as
the bishop of Lincolne, and the abbat of Ramsey, with others: king
[Sidenote: King Edmund withdraweth into Glocestershire.]
Edmund escaping awaie, got him into Glocestershire, and there began to
raise a new armie. In the place where this field was fought, are yet
seuen or eight hils, wherein the carcases of them that were slaine at
the same field were buried: and one being digged downe of late, there
were found two bodies in a coffin of stone, of which the one laie with
his head towards the others féet, and manie chaines of iron, (like to
the water-chains of the bits of horsses) were found in the same hill.
But now to the matter.
* * * * *
_London & other great cities & townes submit themselues to Cnute, he
hasteth after Edmund with his power, both their armies being readie to
incounter by occasion are staied, the oration of a capteine in the
hearing of both hosts; the title and right of the realme of England is
put to the triall of combat betweene Cnute and Edmund, Cnute is
ouermatched, his woords to king Edmund, both kings are pacified and
their armies accorded, the realme diuided betwixt Cnute and Edmund,
king Edmund traitorouslie slaine, the dissonant report of writers
touching the maners of his death, and both the kings dealing about the
partition of the realme, Cnute causeth Edrike to be slaine for
procuring king Edmunds death, wherein the reward of treason is noted;
how long king Edmund reigned, and where he was buried, the eclipsed
state of England after his death, and in whose time it recouered some
part of its brightnesse._