[Sidenote: EDWIN. 955.]
After the deceasse of Edred, his nephue Edwin the eldest sonne of
king Edmund was made king of England, and began his reigne ouer the
same in the yeere of our Lord 955, & in the 20 yéere of the emperor
Otho the first, in the 28 and last yéere of the reigne of Lewes king
of France, and about the twelfe yeere of Malcolme the first of that
name, king of Scotland. He was consecrated at Kingston vpon Thames by
Odo the archbishop of Canturburie. On the verie day of his coronation,
as the lords were set in councell about weightie matters touching
[Sidenote: _Will. Malmes._ _Polydor_.]
the gouernment of the realme, he rose from the place, gat him into a
chamber with one of his néere kinswomen, and there had to doo with
hir, without anie respect or regard had to his roiall estate
and princelie dignitie. Dunstane latelie before named abbat of
Glastenburie, did not onlie without feare of displeasure reprooue
the K. for such shamefull abusing of his bodie, but also caused the
archbishop of Canturburie to constreine him to forsake that woman whom
vnlawfullie he kept.
[Sidenote: _Iohn Capgrave_.]
There be that write, that there were two women, both mother and
daughter, whome king Edward kept as concubines: for the mother being
of noble parentage, sought to satisfie the kings lust, in hope that
either he would take hir or hir daughter vnto wife. And therefore
perceiuing that Dunstane was sore against such wanton pastime as the
[Sidenote: Dunstane banished the realme.]
king vsed in their companie, she so wrought, that Dunstane was
through hir earnest trauell banished the land. This is also reported,
that when he should depart the realme, the diuell was heard in the
west end of the church, taking vp a great laughter after his roring
[Sidenote: Dunstane séeth not the diuell.]
maner, as though he should shew himselfe glad and ioifull at
Dunstanes going into exile. But Dunstane perceiuing his behauiour,
spake to him, and said: Well thou aduersarie, doo not so greatly
reioise at the matter, for thou dooest not now so much reioise at
my departure, but by Gods grace thou shalt be as sorrowfull for my
returne.
[Sidenote: Dunstane departed into exile.]
Thus was Dunstane banished by king Edwine, so that he was compelled
to passe ouer into Flanders, where he remained for a time within
a monasterie at Gant, finding much friendship at the hands of the
gouernor of that countrie. Also the more to wreake his wrath, the
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ Edwine displaceth monks and putteth secular
preists in their roomes.]
king spoiled manie religious houses of their goods, and droue out
the monks, placing secular priests in their roomes, as namelie at
Malmesburie, where yet the house was not empaired, but rather inriched
in lands and ornaments by the kings liberalitie, and the industrious
meanes of the same priests, which tooke vp the bones of saint Aldelme,
[Sidenote: Rebellion raised against king Edwine. _Simon Dun._]
and put the same into a shrine. At length the inhabitants of the
middle part of England, euen from Humber to Thames rebelled against
him, and elected his brother Edgar, to haue the gouernement ouer them,
wherwith king Edwine tooke such griefe, for that he saw no meane at
hand how to remedie the matter, that shortlie after, when he had
[Sidenote: Edwin departeth this life.]
reigned somewhat more than foure yéeres, he died, and his bodie was
buried at Winchester in the new abbeie.
[Sidenote: EDGAR. 959.]
Edgar the second sonne of Edmund late king of England, after the
decease of his elder brother the foresaid Edwine, began his reigne
ouer this realme of England in the yeere of our Lord God 959, in the
22 yéere of the emperour Otho the first, in the fourth yéere of the
reigne of Lotharius king of France, 510 almost ended after the comming
of the Saxons, 124 after the arriuall of the Danes, and in the last
yéere of Malcolme king of Scotland. He was crowned & consecrated
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
at Bath, or (as some say) at Kingstone vpon Thames by Odo the
archbishop of Canturburie, being as then not past 16 yéeres of
age, when he was thus admitted king. He was no lesse indued with
commendable gifts of mind, than with strength and force of bodie.
[Sidenote: Edgar a fauorer of moonks.]
He was a great fauorer of moonks, and speciallie had Dunstane in high
estimation. Aboue all things in this world he regarded peace, and
studied dailie how to preserue the same, to the commoditie and
aduancement of his subiects.
[Sidenote: The diligent prouision of K. Edgar for defense of the realme.]
When he had established things in good quiet, and set an order in
matters as seemed to him best for the peaceable gouernement of his
people, he prepared a great nauie of ships, diuiding them in thrée
parts, he appointed euerie part to a quarter of the realme, to waft
about the coast, that no forren enimie should approch the land, but
that they might be incountered and put backe, before they could take
land. And euerie yéere after Easter, he vsed to giue order, that his
ships should assemble togither in their due places: and then would he
with the east nauie saile to the west parts of his realme, and sending
those ships backe, he would with the west nauie saile into the north
parts; and with the north nauie come backe againe into the east.
This custome he vsed, that he might scowre the seas of all pirats &
theeues. In the winter season and spring time, he would ride through
the prouinces of his realme, searching out how the iudges and great
lords demeaned themselues in the administration of iustice, sharpelie
punishing those that were found guiltie of extortion, or had done
otherwise in anie point than dutie required. In all things he vsed
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
such politike discretion, that neither was he put in danger by
treason of his subiects, nor molested by forren enimies.
He caused diuerse kings to bind themselues by oth to be true and
[Sidenote: Mascutius.]
faithfull vnto him, as Kinadius or rather Induf king of Scotland,
Malcolme king of Cumberland, Mascutius an archpirat, or (as we may
[Sidenote: Kings of Welshmen.]
call him) a maister rouer, and also all the kings of the Welshmen, as
Duffnall, Girffith, Duvall, Iacob, and Iudithill, all which came to
his court, and by their solemne othes receiued, sware to be at his
commandement. And for the more manifest testimonie therof, he
[Sidenote: King Edgar roweth on the water of Dée.]
hauing them with him at Chester, caused them to enter into a barge
vpon the water of Dée, and placing himselfe in the forepart of the
barge, at the helme, he caused those eight high princes to row
the barge vp and downe the water, shewing thereby his princelie
prerogatiue and roial magnificence, in that he might vse the seruice
of so manie kings that were his subiects. And therevpon he said (as
hath bin reported) that then might his successours account themselues
kings of England, when they inioied such prerogatiue of high and
supreme honor.
The fame of this noble prince was spred ouer all, as well on this side
the sea as beyond, insomuch that great resort of strangers chanced in
his daies, which came euer into this land to serue him, and to sée the
state of his court, as Saxons and other, yea and also Danes, which
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._ King Edgar fauoureth Danes.]
became verie familiar with him. He fauored in déed the Danes (as hath
béene said) more than stood with the commoditie of his subiects, for
scarse was anie stréet in England, but Danes had their dwelling in the
same among the Englishmen, whereby came great harme: for whereas
[Sidenote: English learned to quaffe of the Danes. _Will Malm._]
the Danes by nature were great drinkers, the Englishmen by continuall
conuersation with them learned the same vice. King Edgar to reforme in
part such excessiue quaffing as then began to grow in vse, caused by
the procurement of Dunstane, nailes to be set in cups of a certeine
measure, marked for the purpose, that none should drinke more than was
assigned by such measured cups. Englishmen also learned of the Saxons,
[Sidenote: Englishmen learne other vices of strangers.]
Flemings, and other strangers, their peculiar kind of vices, as of
the Saxons a disordered fiercenesse of mind, or the Flemings a féeble
tendernesse of bodie: where before they reioised in their owne
simplicitie, and estéemed not the lewd and vnprofitable manners of
strangers.
Dunstane was made bishop of Worcester, and had also the administration
of the sée of London committed vnto him. He was in such fauor with the
[Sidenote: Ethelwold made bishop of Winchester.]
king, that he ruled most things at his pleasure. Ethelwold, which
being first a moonke of Glastenburie, and after abbat of Abington, was
likewise made bishop of Winchester, and might doo verie much with
[Sidenote: Oswald. Floriacum.]
the king. Also Oswald, which had beene a moonke in the abbeie of
Florie in France, and after was made bishop of Worcester, and from
thence remooued to the sée of Yorke, was highlie in fauor with this
king, so that by these thrée prelates he was most counselled. Iustice
[Sidenote: Moonks must néeds write much in praise of Edgar who had men
of their cote in such estimati[=o].]
in his daies was strictlie obserued, for although he were
courteous and gentle towards his friends, yet was he sharpe and hard
to offenders, so that no person of what estate or degree soeuer he
was escaped worthie punishment, if he did transgresse the lawes and
ordinances of the realme. There was no priuie theefe nor common robber
that durst lay hands vpon other mens goods, but he might looke to make
amends with losse of his life, if he were knowne to be giltie. For how
might men that did offend, thinke to escape his hands, which deuised
waies how to rid the countrie of all wild rauening beasts, that liued
vpon sucking the bloud of others? For as it is said, he appointed
Iudweall or Ludweall king of Wales to present him thrée hundred
[Sidenote: A tribute instituted of woolf-skins.]
woolues yéerelie in name of a tribute, but after thrée yéeres space,
there was not a woolfe to be found, and so that tribute ceased in the
fourth yéere after it began to be paid.
* * * * *
_The death of Alfred king Edgars wife (or concubine) causeth him to
fall into a fowle offense, an example teaching men to take heed how
they put others in trust to woo for them; earle Ethelwold cooseneth
the king of his wife, the danger of beholding a womans beautie with
lustfull eies; king Edgar killeth earle Ethelwold to marrie faire
Alfred his wife; the bloudie and unnaturall speach of Ethelwolds base
sonne: examples of king Edgars great incontinencie and lewd life;
Dunstane putteth the king to penance for his vnchastitie, the Welshmen
rebell against him and are corrected, king Edgars vision before his
death, of what religious buildings he was founder, his example a spur
to others to doo the like, moonks esteemed and secular priests little
regarded, king Edgars deformed reformation, his vices, stature, and
bodilie qualities, he offereth to fight hand to hand with Kinadius
king of Scots vpon occasion of words euill taken, Kinadius submitteth
himselfe and is pardoned; his wiues and children, the good state of
the realme in king Edgars time, the amplenesse of his dominions._