Not without good reason did king Edward permit vnto his sister Elfleda
the gouernment of Mercia, during hir life time: for by hir wise and
politike order vsed in all hir dooings, he was greatlie furthered &
assisted; but speciallie in reparing and building of townes & castels,
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._ _Matth. West._ _Simon Dun._]
wherein she shewed hir noble magnificence, in so much that during
hir government, which continued about eight yéeres, it is recorded by
writers, that she did build and repare these towns, whose
[Sidenote: Tamwoorth was by hir repared, anno 914. Eadsburie and
Warwike. 915.]
names here insue: Tamwoorth beside Lichfield, Stafford, Warwike,
Shrewsburie, Watersburie or Weddesburie, Elilsburie or rather
Eadsburie, in the forrest of De la mere besides Chester, Brimsburie
bridge vpon Seuerne, Rouncorne at the mouth of the riuer Mercia with
other. Moreouer, by hir helpe the citie of Chester, which by Danes had
[Sidenote: Chester repared, 905. _Sim. Dun._]
beene greatlie defaced, was newlie repared, fortified with walls
and turrets, and greatlie inlarged. So that the castell which stood
without the walls before that time, was now brought within compasse of
the new wall.
Moreouer she boldlie assalted hir enimies which went about to trouble
the state of the countrie, as the Welshmen and Danes. She sent an
armie into Wales, and tooke the towne of Brecknocke with the queene
[Sidenote: Quéene of the Welshmen taken. Brecenamere. _Ran. Higd._
_Hen. Hunt._ 918. Darbie won from the Danes.]
of the Welshmen at Bricenamere. Also she wan from the Danes the towne
of Darbie, and the countrie adioining. In this enterprise she put hir
owne person in great aduenture: for a great multitude of Danes that
were withdrawen into Darbie, valiantlie defended the gates and entries,
in so much that they slue foure of hir chiefe men of warre, which were
named wardens of hir person, euen fast by hir at the verie entrie of
the gates. But this notwithstanding, with valiant fight hir people
entered, and so the towne was woon: she got diuerse other places out
of their hands, & constreined them of Yorkeshire to agree with hir, so
that some of them promised to become hir subiects: some vowed to aid
hir, and some sware to be at hir commandement.
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt. Anno Christie_ 919.]
Finallie, this martiall ladie and manlie Elfleda, the supporter
of hir countriemen, and terrour of the enimies, departed this life at
Tamwoorth about the 12 of Iune, in the 18 or rather 19 yéere of
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._ _Simon Dun._]
hir brother king Edwards reigne, as by Matth. West it should appeere.
But Simon Dunelm. writeth, that she deceassed in the yeere of Christ
915, which should be about the 14 yéere of king Edwards reigne.
Hir bodie was conueied to Glocester, and there buried within the
monasterie of S. Peter, which hir husband and she in their life time
had builded, and translated thither the bones of saint Oswill from
Bardona. The same monasterie was after destroied by Danes. But
[Sidenote: _Ranul._]
Aldredus the archbishop of Yorke, who was also bishop of Worcester,
repared an other in the same citie, that was after the chiefe abbeie
there. Finallie, in memorie of the said Elfleds magnanimitie and
valorous mind, this epitaph was fixed on hir toome.
_O Elfleda potens, ô terror virgo virorum,
O Elfleda potens, nomine digna viri.
Te quóque splendidior fecit natura puellam,
Te probitas fecit nomen habere viri.
Te mutare decet sed solum nomina sexus,
Tu regina potens rexque trophea parans.
Iam nec Cæsareos tantum mirere triumphos,
Cæsare splendidior virgo virago, vale._
[Sidenote: Translated by _Abraham Fleming_.]
O puissant Elfled, ô thou maid
of men the dread and feare,
O puissant Elfled woorthie maid
the name of man to beare.
A noble nature hath thee made
a maiden mild to bee,
Thy vertue also hath procurde
a manlie name to thee.
It dooth but onelie thee become,
of sex to change the name,
A puissant queene, a king art thou
preparing trophes of fame.
Now maruell not so much at Cæsars
triumphs [trim to vieu;]
O manlike maiden more renowmd
than Cæsar was, adieu.
[Sidenote: This Alfwen was sister to Edelfled, as _H. Hunt._ saith.]
After the deceasse of Elfleda, king Edward tooke the dominion of
Mercia (as before we haue said) into his owne hands, and so disherited
his néece Alfwen or Elswen, the daughter of Elfleda, taking hir
awaie with him into the countrie of Westsaxons. By this meanes he so
amplified the bounds of his kingdome, that he had the most part of all
[Sidenote: Stratcluid or Stretcled, a kingdome in Wales.]
this Iland of Britaine at his commandement: for the kings of the
Welshmen; namelie the king of Stretcled, and of the Scots,
acknowledging him to be their chiefe souereigne lord, and the Danes
in Northumberland were kept so short, that they durst attempt nothing
[Sidenote: K. Edward a great builder and reparer of townes.]
against him in his latter daies: so that he had time to applie the
building and reparing of cities, townes, and castels, wherein he so
much delighted. He builded a new towne at Notingham on the southside
[Sidenote: Notingham bridge built. _Matt. West._]
of Trent, and made a bridge ouer that riuer betwixt the old towne
[Sidenote: Manchester repared. Anno 816. _Simon Dun._]
and the new. He also repared Manchester beyond the riuer of Mercia
in Lancashire, accounted as then in the south end of Northumberland,
and he built a towne of ancient writers called Thilwall, neere to the
same riuer of Mercia, and placed therein a garrison of souldiers:
[Sidenote: _Henr. Hunt._]
diuerse other townes and castels he built, as two at Buckingham on
either side of the water of Ouse (as before is shewed) and also one at
the mouth of the riuer of Auon. He likewise built or new repared
the townes of Tocetor and Wigmore, with diuerse other, as one at
Glademuth, about the last yéere of his reigne. Some also he destroied
which séemed to serue the enimies turne for harborough, as a castell
at Temnesford, which the Danes builded and fortified.
At length, after that this noble prince king Edward had reigned
somewhat aboue the tearme of 23 yéeres, he was taken out of this life
at Faringdon: his bodie was conueied from thence vnto Winchester, and
there buried in the new abbeie. He had thrée wiues, or (as some haue
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
written) but two, affirming that Edgiua was not his wife, but his
concubine, of whome he begat his eldest sonne Adelstan, who succéeded
him in the kingdome. This Edgiua (as hath béene reported) dreamed
[Sidenote: A dreame.]
on a time that there rose a moone out of hir bellie, which with the
bright shine thereof gaue light ouer all England: and telling hir
dreame to an ancient gentlewoman, who coniecturing by the dreame that
which followed, tooke care of hir, and caused hir to be brought vp in
good manners and like a gentlewoman, though she were borne but of base
parentage.
Heerevpon when she came to ripe yéeres, king Edward by chance comming
to the place where she was remaining, vpon the first sight was
streight rauished with hir beautie (which in déed excelled) that she
could not rest till he had his pleasure of hir, and so begot of hir
the foresaid Adelstan: by hir he had also a daughter that was maried
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._ _Polydor_.]
vnto Sithrike a Dane and K. of Northumberland. The Scotish writers
name hir Beatrice, but our writers name hir Editha. His second or
rather his first wife (if he were not maried to Eguina mother to
Adelstan) was called Elfleda or Elfrida, daughter to one earle
Ethelme, by whom he had issue; to wit, two sonnes Ethelward and
[Sidenote: The issue of K. Edward.]
Edwin, which immediatlie departed this life after their father; and
six daughters, Elfleda, Edgiua, Ethelhilda, Ethilda, Edgitha, and
Elfgiua. Elfleda became a nun, and Ethelhilda also liued in perpetuall
virginitie, but yet in a laie habit.
[Sidenote: Alias Edgiua. _Wil. Malm._]
Edgitha was maried to Charles king of France, surnamed Simplex.
And Ethilda by helpe of hir brother Adelstan was bestowed vpon Hugh
sonne to Robert earle of Paris, for hir singular beautie most highlie
estéemed: sith nature in hir had shewed as it were hir whole cunning,
in perfecting hir with all gifts and properties of a comelie
personage. Edgiua and Elgiua were sent by their brother Adelstan into
Germanie, vnto the emperor Henrie, who bestowed one of them vpon his
sonne Otho, that was after emperor, the first of that name; and the
other vpon a duke inhabiting about the Alpes: by his last wife named
Edgiua, he had also two sonnes, Edmund & Eldred, the which both
reigned after their brother Adestan successiuelie. Also he had by hir
two daughters, Edburge that was made a nun, and Edgiue a ladie of
excellent beautie, whom hir brother Adelstan gaue in mariage vnto
Lewes king of Aquitaine.
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._ _Wil. Malm._ _Matth. West._]
Whilest this land was in continuall trouble of warres against the
Danes, as before is touched, small regard was had to the state of the
church, in somuch that the whole countrie of the Westsaxons by the
space of seuen yéeres togither (in the daies of this king Edward)
remained without anie bishop, to take order in matters apperteining to
[Sidenote: England first accurssed.]
the church. Wherevpon the pope had accurssed the English people,
bicause they suffred the bishops sees to be vacant so long a time.
[Sidenote: Anno 903.]
King Edward to auoid the cursse, assembled a prouinciall councell,
905, in the which the archbishop of Canturburie Pleimond was
president. Wherein it was ordeined, that whereas the prouince of
Westsaxons in times past had but two bishops, now it should be diuided
into fiue diocesses, euerie of them to haue a peculiar bishop.
When all things were ordered and concluded in this synod (as was
thought requisite) the archbishop was sent to Rome with rich presents,
to appease the popes displeasure. When the pope had heard what order
the king had taken, he was contented therewith. And so the archbishop
returned into his countrie, and in one day at Canturburie ordeined
[Sidenote: Winchester. Cornewall. Shireborne. Welles. Kirton. Mercia.]
seuen bishops, as fiue to the prouince of Westsaxons, that is to
say, Fridestane to the sée of Winchester, Adelstan to S. German in
Cornwall, Werstan to Shireborne, Adelme to Welles, and Edulfe to
Kirton. Also to the prouince of Sussex he ordeined one Bernegus, and
to Dorchester for the prouince of Mercia one Cenulfus.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ saith that pope Formosus pronounced this cursse.
904.]
¶ Heere ye must note, that where William Malme. Polychro. and
other doo affirme, that pope Formosus did accursse king Edward and the
English nation, for suffering the bishops sees to be vacant, it can
not stand with the agreement or the time, vnlesse that the cursse
pronounced by Formosus for this matter long afore was not regarded,
vntill Edward had respect thereto. For the same Formosus began to
gouerne the Romane see about the yéere of our Lord 892, and liued
in the papasie not past six yéeres, so that he was dead before king
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
Edward came to the crowne. But how so euer this matter maie fall
out, this ye haue to consider: although that Pleimond was sent vnto
Rome to aduertise the pope what the king had decréed & doone, in the
ordeining of bishops to their seuerall sées, as before ye haue heard,
yet (as maister Fox hath noted) the gouernance and direction of the
church depended chieflie vpon the kings of this land in those daies,
as it manifestlie appeereth, as well by the decrees of king Alfred, as
of this king Edward, whose authoritie in the election of bishops (as
before ye haue heard) seemed then alone to be sufficient.
Moreouer, I thinke it good to aduertise you in this place, that this
Pleimond archbishop of Canturburie (of whome ye haue heard before) was
the 19 in number from Augustine the first archbishop there: for after
Brightwold that was the 8 in number, and first of the English nation
that gouerned the sée, succeeded Taduin, that sat three yeeres,
Notelin fiue yéeres, Cuthbert 18 yéeres, Brethwin thrée yéeres,
Lambert 27 yéeres, Adelard 13 yéeres, Wilfred 28 yéeres, Theologildus
or Pleogildus 3 yéeres, Celuotus or Chelutus 10 yéeres. Then succéeded
Aldred, of whome king Edward receiued the crowne, and he was
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
predecessor to Pleimond. A litle before the death of king Edward,
Sithrike the king of Northumberland killed his brother Nigellus, and
then king Reinold conquered the citie of Yorke.
* * * * *
_Adelstane succeedeth his father Edward in the kingdome, Alfred
practising by treason to keepe him from the gouernement, sanke downe
suddenlie as he was taking his oth for his purgation; the cause why
Alfred opposed himselfe against Adelstane, whose praise is notable,
what he did to satisfie the expectation of his people, ladie Beatrice
king Edwards daughter maried to Sithrike a Danish gouernor of the
Northumbers, by whose meanes Edwin king Edwards brother was drowned,
practises of treason, the ladie Beatrice strangelie put to death by
hir stepsons for being of counsell to poison hir husband Sithrike, hir
death reuenged vpon the tormentors by hir father king Edward, and how
chronographers varie in the report of this historie._