[Sidenote: EDMUND.]
After that Adelstane was departed this life, without leauing issue
behind to succéed him in the kingdome, his brother Edmund, sonne of
Edward the elder, borne of his last wife Edgiue, tooke vpon him the
gouernement of this land, and began his reigne in the yeare of our
Lord 940, which was in the fift yeare of the emperor Otho the 1, in
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ 940.]
the 13 of Lewes surnamed Transmarinus king of France, and about
the 38 yeare of Constantine the third king of Scotland. The Danes of
Northumberland rebelled against this Edmund, and ordeined Aulafe to
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
be their king, whom they had called out of Ireland. Some write that
this Aulafe, which now in the beginning of Edmunds reigne came into
Northumberland, was king of Norwaie, & hauing a great power of men
with him, marched foorth towards the south parts of this land, in
purpose to subdue the whole: but king Edmund raised a mightie armie,
and incountred with his enimies at Leicester. Howbeit, yer the matter
came to the vttermost triall of battell, through the earnest sute of
the archbishop of Canturburie and Yorke Odo and Wolstan, a peace was
concluded; so as Edmund should inioy all that part of the land
[Sidenote: A peace concluded. 941.]
which lieth from Watlingstréet southward, & Aulafe should inioy the
other part as it lieth from the same street northward. Then Aulafe
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._ Aulafe deceaseth. Another Aulafe taketh upon
him to rule.]
tooke to wife the ladie Alditha, daughter to earle Ormus, by whose
counsell and assistance he had thus obtained the vpper hand. But this
Aulafe in the yeare following, after he had destroied the church of
saint Balter, and burned Tinningham, departed this life. Then the
other Aulafe that was sonne to king Sithrike, tooke vpon him to
gouerne the Northumbers.
[Sidenote: 942.]
After this, in the yeare 942, king Edmund assembling an armie,
first subdued those Danes which had got into their possession the
cities and towns of Lincolne, Leicester, Darbie, Stafford, and
Notingham, constreining them to receiue the christian faith, and
reduced all the countries euen vnto Humber vnder his subiection. This
doone, Aulafe and Reinold the sonne of Gurmo, who (as you haue heard)
[Sidenote: Gurmo or Godfrey. _Wil. Malm._]
subdued Yorke, as a meane the sooner to obteine peace, offered
to become christians, & to submit themselues vnto him: wherevpon he
receiued them to his peace. There be that write, that this Aulafe is
not that Aulafe which was sonne to king Sithrike, but rather that the
other was he with whom king Edmund made partition of the realme: but
they agree, that this second Aulafe was a Dane also, & being conuerted
to the faith as well through constraint of the kings puissance, as
through the preaching of the gospell, was baptised, king Edmund being
godfather both vnto him, and vnto the foresaid Reinold, to Aulafe at
the verie fontstone, and to Reinold at his confirmation at the bishops
hands. Neuerthelesse, their wicked natures could not rest in quiet,
[Sidenote: 944.]
so that they brake both promise to God, and to their prince, and
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
were therefore in the yeare next following driuen both out of
the countrie, and punished by perpetuall exile. And so king Edmund
adioined Northumberland, without admitting anie other immediat
gouernor, vnto his owne estate.
[Sidenote: Leolin king of Southwales aided king Edmund in this enterprise.
946.]
Moreouer, he wasted and spoiled whole Cumberland, because he
could not reduce the people of that countrie vnto due obeisance,
and conformable subiection. The two sonnes of Dunmaile king of that
prouince he apprehended, and caused their eies to be put out. Herewith
vpon consideration either of such aid as he had receiued of the Scots
at that time, or some other friendlie respect, he assigned the said
countrie of Cumberland vnto Malcolme king of Scots, to hold the
same by fealtie of him and his successors. The Scotish chronicles,
peruerting the time and order of the acts and doings of the English
kings which reigned about this season, affirme, that by couenants of
peace concluded betwixt Malcolme king of Scotland, and Adelstan king
of England, it was agréed, that Cumberland should remaine to the
Scots: as in their chronicles you may find at full expressed. And
againe, that Indulfe, who succéeded Malcolme in the kingdome of
Scotland, aided king Edmund against Aulafe, whom the same chronicles
name Aualassus, but the time which they attribute vnto the reignes of
their kings, will not alow the same to stand. For by account of their
writers, king Malcolme began not his reigne till after the deceasse of
king Adelstan, who departed this life in the yeare 940. And Malcolme
succéeded Constantine the third in the yeare 944, which was about the
third yeare of king Edmunds reigne, and after Malcolme (that reigned
15 yeares) succeeded Indulfe in the yeare 959. The like discordance
precedeth and followeth in their writers, as to the diligent reader,
in conferring their chronicles with ours, manifestlie appeareth.
We therefore (to satisfie the desirous to vnderstand and sée the
diuersitie of writers) haue for the more part in their chronicles left
the same as we found it.
[Sidenote: _Polydor_. The lawes of king Edmund.]
But now to the other dooings of king Edmund: it is recorded, that
he ordeined diuers good and wholsome lawes, verie profitable and
necessarie for the commonwealth, which lawes with diuers other of like
antiquitie are forgot and blotted out by rust of time, the consumer of
things woorthie of long remembrance (as saith Polydor:) but sithens
his time they haue béene recouered for the more part, & by maister
[Sidenote: Five yeares and 7 months hath _Si. Dun._]
William Lambert turned into Latine, & were imprinted by Iohn Day,
in the yeare 1568, as before I haue said. Finallie, this prince king
Edmund, after he had reigned sixe yeares and a halfe, he came to his
end by great misfortune. For (as some say) it chanced, that espieng
where one of his seruants was in danger to be slaine amongest his
enimies that were about him with drawen swords, as he stepped in to
haue holpen his seruant, he was slaine at a place called Pulcher
church, or (as other haue) Michelsbourgh.
[Sidenote: Pridecire. saith _Si. Dun._ _Will. Malm._ _Matth. West._
946.]
Other say, that kéeping a great feast at the aforesaid place on
the day of saint Augustine the English apostle (which is the 26 of
Maie, and as that yeare came about, it fell on the tuesday) as he was
set at the table, he espied where a common robber was placed neere
vnto him, whome sometime he had banished the land, and now being
returned without licence, he presumed to come into the kings presence,
wherewith the king was so moued with high disdaine, that he suddenlie
arose from the table, and flew vpon the théefe, and catching him by
the heare of the head, threw him vnder his féet, wherewith the théefe,
hauing fast hold on the king, brought him downe vpon him also, and
with his knife stroke him into the bellie, in such wise, that the
kings bowels fell out of his chest, and there presentlie died. The
theefe was hewen in péeces by the kings seruants, but yet he slue
and hurt diuers before they could dispatch him. This chance was
lamentable, namelie to the English people, which by the ouertimelie
death of their king, in whome appeared manie euident tokens of great
excellencie, lost the hope which they had conceiued of great wealth to
increase by his prudent and most princelie gouernement. His bodie was
buried at Glastenburie where Dunstane was then abbat.
There be that write, that the death of king Edmund was signified
[Sidenote: _Capgraue_. A vaine tale.]
aforehand to Dunstane, who about the same time attending vpon
the same king, as he remooued from one place to an other, chanced to
accompanie himselfe with a noble man, one duke Elstane, and as they
rode togither, behold suddenlie Dunstane saw in the waie before him,
where the kings musicians rode, the diuell running and leaping amongst
the same musicians after a reioising maner, whome after he had beheld
a good while, he said to the duke; Is it possible that you may see
that which I sée? The duke answered that he saw nothing otherwise than
[Sidenote: Crossing bringeth sight of the diuels, and crossing driueth
them away.]
he ought to sée. Then said Dunstane, Blesse your eies with the
signe of the crosse, and trie whether you can see that I sée. And
when he had doone as Dunstane appointed him, he saw also the féend
in likenesse of a little short euill fauoured Aethiopian dansing and
leaping, whereby they gathered that some euill hap was towards some of
the companie: but when they had crossed and blessed them, the foule
spirit vanished out of their sight.
[Sidenote: Dunstane an interpreter of dreames.]
Now after they had talked of this vision, and made an end of their
talke touching the same, the duke required of Dunstane to interpret a
dreame which he had of late in sléepe, and that was this: He thought
that he saw in a vision the king with all his nobles sit in his dining
chamber at meate, and as they were there making merrie togither, the
king chanced to fall into a dead sléepe, and all the noble men, and
those of his councell that were about him were changed into robucks
and goats. Dunstane quicklie declared that this dreame signified
[Sidenote: Dunstan séeth the diuell often, but now he was become a
waiter at the table when Dunstane sat with the king.]
the kings death, and the changing of the nobles into dum and
insensible beasts betokened that the princes & gouernors of the realme
should decline from the waie of truth, and wander as foolish beasts
without a guide to rule them. Also the night after this talke when the
king was set at supper, Dunstane saw the same spirit, or some other,
walke vp and downe amongst them that waited at the table, and within
thrée daies after, the king was slaine, as before ye haue heard.
* * * * *
_Edred succedeth his brother Edmund in the realme of England, the
Northumbers rebell against him, they and the Scots sweare to be his
true subiects, they breake their oth and ioine with Aulafe the Dane,
who returneth into Northumberland, and is made king thereof, the
people expell him and erect Hericius in his roome, king Edred taketh
reuenge on the Northumbers for their disloialtie, the rereward of his
armie is assalted by an host of his enimies issuing out of Yorke, the
Northumbers submit themselues, and put awaie Hericius their king,
Wolstane archbishop of Yorke punished for his disloialtie, whereto
Edred applied himselfe after the appeasing of ciuill tumults, his
death and buriall, a speciall signe of Edreds loue to Dunstane abbat
of Glastenburie, his practise of cousenage touching king Edreds
treasure._