[Sidenote: EDWARD THE ELDER. 901.]
After the deceasse of Alured, his sonne Edward surnamed the elder
began his reigne ouer the more part of England, in the yeare of our
Lord 901, which was in the second yeare of the emperor Lewes, in the
eight yeare of the reigne of Charles surnamed Simplex king of
France, and about the eight yeare or Donald king of Scotland. He was
consecrated after the maner of other kings his ancestors by Athelred
the archbishop of Canturburie. This Edward was not so learned as his
father, but in princelie power more high and honorable, for he ioined
the kingdome of Eastangles and Mercia with other vnto his dominion, as
after shall be shewed, and vanquished the Danes, Scots, and Welshmen,
to his great glorie and high commendation.
In the beginning of his reigne he was disquieted by his brother
[Sidenote: Winborne.]
Adelwold, which tooke the towne of Winborne besides Bath, and
maried a nun there, whome he had defloured, & attempted manie things
against his brother. Wherevpon the king came to Bath, and though
Adelwold shewed a countenance as if he would haue abidden the chance
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._ Adelwold fleeth to the Danes. _Wil. Malm._]
of warre within Winborne, yet he stole awaie in the night, and fled
into Northumberland, where he was ioifullie receiued of the Danes. The
king tooke his wife being left behind, and restored hir to the house
from whence she was taken. ¶ Some haue written, that this Adelwold or
Ethelwold was not brother vnto king Edward, but his vncles sonne.
After this, king Edward prouiding for the suertie of his subiects
against the forraies, which the Danes vsed to make, fortified diuers
cities and townes, and stuffed them with great garrisons of
[Sidenote: The English nation practised in wars go commonlie awaie
with the victorie.]
souldiers, to defend the inhabitants, and to expell the enimies. And
suerlie the Englishmen were so invred with warres in those daies, that
the people being aduertised of the inuasion of the enimies in anie
part of their countrie, would assemble oftentimes without knowledge of
king or capteine, and setting vpon the enimies, went commonlie awaie
with victorie, by reason that they ouermatched them both in number and
practise. So were the enimies despised of the English souldiers,
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
and laughed to scorne of the king for their foolish attempts. Yet in
the third yeare of king Edwards reigne, Adelwold his brother came with
a nauie of Danes into the parties of the Eastangles, and euen
[Sidenote: Essex yéelded to Adelwold. _Ran. Higd._]
at the first the Essex men yeelded themselues vnto him. In the yéere
following he inuaded the countrie of Mercia with a great armie,
wasting and spoiling the same vnto Crikelade, and there passing ouer
[Sidenote: Brittenden.]
the Thames, rode foorth till he came to Basingstoke, or (as some
bookes haue) Brittenden, harieng the countrie on each side, and so
returned backe vnto Eastangles with great ioy and triumph.
[Sidenote: _Henr. Hunt._]
King Edward awakened héerewith assembled his people, and followed
the enimies, wasting all the countries betwixt the riuer of Ouse and
saint Edmunds ditch. And when he should returne, he gaue commandement
that no man should staie behind him, but come backe togither for
[Sidenote: The Kentishmen disobeing the kings commandement, are
surprised by the enimies. Adelwold king Edwards brother.]
doubt to be forelaid by the enimies. The Kentishmen notwithstanding
this ordinance and commandement, remained behind, although the king
sent seuen messengers for them. The Danes awaiting their aduantage,
came togither, and fiercelie fought with the Kentishmen, which a long
time valiantlie defended themselues. But in the end the Danes obtained
the victorie, although they lost more people there than the Kentishmen
did: and amongst other, there were slaine the foresaid Adelwold, and
diuerse of the chiefe capteins amongst the Danes. Likewise of the
English side, there died two dukes, Siwolfe & Singlem or Sigbelme,
with sundrie other men of name, both temporall and also spirituall
lords and abbats. In the fift yéere of his reigne, king Edward
concluded a truce with the Danes of Eastangle and Northumberland at
Itingford. But in the yéere following, he sent an armie against them
[Sidenote: Fortie daies saith _Simon Dun._]
of Northumberland, which slue manie of the Danes, and tooke great
booties both of people and cattell, remaining in the countrie the
space of fiue weekes.
The yéere next insuing, the Danes with a great armie entered into
Mercia, to rob & spoile the countrie, against whome king Edward sent a
mightie host, assembled togither of the Westsaxons & them of Mercia,
which set vpon the Danes, as they were returning homeward, and slue
of them an huge multitude, togither with their chiefe capteins and
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
leaders, as king Halden, and king Eolwils, earle Vter, earle
Scurfa, and diuerse other. In the yéere 912, or (as Simon Dunel.
saith) 908, the duke of Mercia Edred or Etheldred departed this life,
and then king Edward seized into his hands the cities of London and
Oxford, and all that part of Mercia which he held. But afterwards he
suffered his sister Elfleda to inioy the most part thereof, except the
said cities of London and Oxford, which he still reteined in his owne
hand. This Elfleda was wife to the said duke Edred or Etheldred, as
before you haue heard: of whose woorthie acts more shall be said
heereafter.
In the ninth yéere of his reigne, king Edward built a castell at
[Sidenote: Wightham.]
Hertford, and likewise he builded a towne in Essex at Wightham,
and lay himselfe in the meane time at Maldon, otherwise Meauldun,
bringing a great part of the countrie vnder his subiection, which
before was subiect to the Danes. In the yéere following, the armie of
[Sidenote: Chester, or rather Leicester, as I thinke. Digetune.]
the Danes departed from Northampton and Chester in breach of
the former truce, and slue a great number of men at Hochnerton in
Oxfordshire. And shortlie after their returne home, an other companie
of them went foorth, and came to Leighton, where the people of the
countrie being assembled togither, fought with them & put them to
flight, taking from them all the spoile which they had got, and also
their horsses.
In the 11 yéere of king Edward, a fleet of Danes compassed about the
west parts, & came to the mouth of Seuerne, and so tooke preies in
Wales: they also tooke prisoner a Welsh bishop named Camelgaret,
[Sidenote: Irchenfield.]
at Irchenfield, whome they led to their ships: but king Edward
redéemed him out of their hands, paieng them fortie pounds for his
ransome. After that the armie of Danes went foorth to spoile the
countrie about Irchenfield, but the people of Chester, Hereford, and
other townes and countries thereabout assembled togither, and giuing
battell to the enimies, put them to flight, and slue one of their
[Sidenote: Danes discomfited.]
noble men called earle Rehald, and Geolcil the brother of earle
Vter, with a great part of their armie, & draue the residue into a
castell, which they besieged till the Danes within it gaue hostages,
and couenanted to depart out of the kings land. The king caused the
coasts about Seuerne to be watched, that they should not breake into
his countrie: but yet they stale twise into the borders: neuerthelesse
they were chased and slaine as manie as could not swim, and so get to
[Sidenote: The Ile of Stepen. Deomedun.]
their ships. Then they remained in the Ile of Stepen, in great
miserie for lacke of vittels, bicause they could not go abroad to
[Sidenote: Danes saile into Ireland.]
get anie. At length they departed into Northwales, and from thence
sailed into Ireland.
The same yéere king Edward came to Buckingham with an armie, and there
taried a whole moneth, building two castels, the one vpon the one side
of the water of Ouse, and the other vpon the other side of the
[Sidenote: Turketillus an earle.]
same riuer. He also subdued Turketillus an earle of the Danes that
dwelt in that countrie, with all the residue of the noble men and
barons of the shires of Bedford and Northampton. In the 12 yéere of
king Edwards reigne, the Kentishmen and Danes fought togither at
Holme: but whether partie had the victorie, writers haue not declared.
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
Simon Dunelm. speaketh of a battell which the citizens of
Canturburie fought against a number of Danish rouers at Holme, where
the Danes were put to flight, but that should be (as he noteth) 8
yéeres before this supposed time, as in the yéere 904, which was about
the third yéere of king Edwards reigne.
[Sidenote: _Anno_ 911. _Simon Dun._]
After this, other of the Danes assembled themselues togither,
and in Staffordshire at a place called Tottenhall fought with the
Englishmen, and after great slaughter made on both parties, the Danes
were ouercome: and so likewise were they shortlie after at Woodfield
or Wodenfield. And thus king Edward put the Danes to the woorse
in each place commonlie where he came, and hearing that those in
Northumberland ment to breake the peace: he inuaded the countrie, and
so afflicted the same, that the Danes which were inhabitants there,
[Sidenote: _Polydor_. Ericke king of Eastangles.]
gladlie continued in rest and peace. But in this meane time,
Ericke the king of those Danes which held the countrie of Eastangle,
was about to procure new warre, and to allure other of the Danes to
ioine with him against the Englishmen, that with common agréement they
might set vpon the English nation, and vtterlie subdue them.
[Sidenote: King Edward inuadeth the countrie of the Eastangles.]
King Edward hauing intelligence héereof, purposed to preuent him,
and therevpon entering with an armie into his countrie, cruellie
wasted and spoiled the same. King Ericke hauing alreadie his people
in armor through displeasure conceiued heereof, and desire to be
reuenged, hasted foorth to incounter his enimies: and so they met in
[Sidenote: Ericke put to flight.]
the field, and fiercelie assailed ech other. But as the battell
was rashlie begun on king Ericks side, so was the end verie harmefull
to him: for with small adoo, after great losse on both sides, he was
vanquished and put to flight.
After his comming home, bicause of his great ouerthrow and fowle
discomfiture, he began to gouerne his people with more rigor & sharper
dealing than before time he had vsed. Whereby he prouoked the malice
of the Eastangles so highlie against him, that they fell vpon him and
murthered him: yet did they not gaine so much hereby as they looked to
haue doone: for shortlie after, they being brought low, and not able
to defend their countrie, were compelled to submit themselues vnto
[Sidenote: The kingdom of the Eastangles subdued by K. Edward.]
king Edward. And so was that kingdome ioined vnto the other dominions
of the same king Edward, who shortlie after annexed the kingdome of
Mercia vnto other of his dominions, immediatlie vpon the death of his
sister Elfleda, whom he permitted to rule that land all hir life.
* * * * *
_Elfleda the sister of king Edward highlie commended for government,
what a necessarie staie she was vnto him in hir life time, what townes
she builded and repared, hir warlike exploits against the Danes,
hir death and buriall; the greatest part of Britaine in K. Edwards
dominion, he is a great builder and reparer of townes, his death, the
dreame of his wife Egina, and the issue of the same, what children
king Edward had by his wiues, and how they were emploied, the decay of
the church by the meanes of troubles procured by the Danes, England
first curssed and why; a prouinciall councell summoned for the reliefe
of the churches ruine, Pleimond archbishop of Canturburie sent to
Rome, bishops ordeined in sundrie prouinces; dissention among writers
what pope should denounce the foresaid cursse; a succession of
archbishops in the see of Canturburie, one brother killeth another._