[Sidenote: EDWARD.]
After the deceasse of king Edgar, there was some strife and
[Sidenote: Some write that the father king Edgar appointed Edward to
succeed him. _Simon Dun._ _Iohn Capg._]
contention amongst the lords & péeres of the realme about the
succession of the crowne: for Alfred the mother of Egelredus or
Ethelredus, and diuers other of hir opinion, would gladlie haue
aduanced the same Egelredus to the rule: but the archbishop Dunstan
taking in his hands the baner of the crucifix, presented his elder
brother Edward vnto the lords as they were assembled togither, and
there pronounced him king, notwithstanding that both queene Alfred and
hir friends, namelie Alfer the duke of Mercia were sore against him,
especiallie for that he was begot in vnlawfull bed of Elfleda the nun,
for which offense he did seuen yeares penance, and not for lieng with
Wilfrid (as maister Fox thinketh.) But Dunstane iudging (as is to be
[Sidenote: Alfer duke of Mercia and other immediately upon Edgars
death before the crowne was established, renounced the moonks and
restored the canons. _Simon Dun._]
thought) that Edward was more fit for their behoofe to continue
the world in the former course as Edgar had left it, than his brother
Egelred (whose mother and such as tooke part with hir vnder hir sonnes
authoritie were likelie inough to turne all vpside downe) vsed the
matter so, that with helpe of Oswald the archbishop of Yorke, and
other bishops, abbats, and certeine of the nobilitie, as the earle of
Essex and such like, he preuailed in his purpose, so that (as before
is said) the said Edward, being the second of that name which gouerned
this land before the conquest, was admitted king, and began his reigne
ouer England in the yeare of our Lord 975, in the third yeare of
[Sidenote: 975.]
the emperour Otho the second, in the 20 yeare of the reigne of Lothar
king of France, and about the fourth yeare of Cumelerne king of
Scotland. He was consecrated by archb. Dunstane at Kingston vpon
Thames, to the great griefe of his mother in law Alfred and hir
friends. ¶ About the beginning of his reigne a blasing starre was
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
seene, signifieng (as was thought) the miserable haps that
followed. And first there insued barrennesse of ground, and thereby
famine amongest the people, and morraine of cattell.
[Sidenote: Alfer or Elfer, duke of Mercia.]
Also duke Alfer or Elfer of Mercia, and other noble men destroyed
the abbies which king Edgar and bishop Adelwold had builded within the
limits of Mercia. The priests or canons, which had béene expelled in
Edgars time out of the prebends and benefices, began to complaine of
the wrongs that were doone to them, in that they had beene put out of
possession from their liuings, alleging it to be a great offense
and miserable case, that a stranger should come and remoue an old
inhabitant, for such maner of dooing could not please God, not yet be
allowed of anie good man, which ought of reason to doubt least the
same should hap to him which he might sée to haue béene another mans
vndooing. About this matter was hard hold, for manie of the temporall
lords, and namelie the same Alfer, iudged that the priests had
[Sidenote: _Iohn Capg._ _Wil. Malm._ _Ran. Higd._ _Matt. West._
_Simon Dun._]
wrong. In so much that they remoued the moonks out of their places,
and brought into the monasteries secular priests with their wiues. But
Edelwin duke of the Eastangles, & Alfred his brother, with Brightnoth
or Brightnode earle of Essex, withstood this dooing, & gathering an
armie, with great valiancie mainteined the moonks in their houses,
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
within the countrie of Eastangles. Herevpon were councels holden,
as at Winchester, at Kirthling in Eastangle, and at Calne.
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
At Winchester, when the matter was brought to that passe that the
priests were like to haue had their purpose, an image of the rood that
stood there in the refectorie where they sat in councell, vttered
[Sidenote: A pretie shift of the moonks to disappoint the priests.
_Polydor_.]
certeine woords in this wise; God forbid it should be so, God forbid
it should be so: ye iudged well once, but ye may not change well
againe. As though (saith Polydor Virgil) the moonks had more right,
which had bereft other men of their possessions, than the priests
which required restitution of their owne. But (saith he) bicause the
image of Christ hanging on the crosse was thought to speake these
words, such credit was giuen thereto, as it had béene an oracle, that
the priests had their sute dashed, and all the trouble was ceassed. So
the moonks held those possessions, howsoeuer they came to them, by the
helpe of God, or rather (as saith the same Polydor) by the helpe of
man. For there were euen then diuers that thought this to be rather an
oracle of Phebus than of God, that is to say, not published by Gods
power, but by the fraud and craftie deceit of men.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
The matter therefore was not so quieted, but that vpon new trouble
an other councell was had at a manour house belonging to the king,
called Calne, where they that were appointed to haue the hearing of
the matter, sat in an vpper loft. The king by reason of his yoong
yéeres was spared, so that he came not there. Héere as they were
busied in arguing the matter, either part laieng for himselfe what
could be said, Dunstane was sore reuiled, and had sundrie reproches
laid against him: but suddenlie euen in the verie heat of their
communication, the ioists of the loft failed, and downe came all the
companie, so that manie were slaine and hurt, but Dunstane alone
[Sidenote: Dunstane by woorking miracles had his will, when
arguments failed.]
standing vpon one of the ioists that fell not, escaped safe and sound.
And so this miracle with the other made an end of the controuersie
betwéene the priests and moonks, all the English people following the
mind of the archbishop Dunstane, who by meanes thereof had his will.
In this meane while, king Edward ruling himselfe by good counsell of
such as were thought discréet and sage persons, gaue great hope to the
world that he would walke in his fathers vertuous steps, as alreadie
he well began, and bearing alwaie a reuerence to his mother in law,
[Sidenote: _Polydor_. _Will. Malms._]
and a brotherlie loue to hir sonne Egelred, vsed himselfe as
became him towards them both. Afterward by chance as he was hunting in
a foruest néere the castell of Corfe, where his mother in law and his
brother the said Egelred then soiourned, when all his companie were
spred abroad in following the game, so that he was left alone, he
[Sidenote: The wicked purpose of quéene Alfred.]
tooke the waie streight vnto his mother in lawes house, to visit
hir and his brother. The quéene hearing that he was come, was verie
glad thereof, for that she had occasion offered to woorke that which
she had of long time before imagined, that was, to slea the king hir
sonne in law, that hir owne sonne might inioy the garland. Wherefore
she required him to alight, which he in no wise would yéeld vnto, but
said that he had stolne from his companie, and was onelie come to see
hir and his brother, and to drinke with them, and therefore would
returne to the forrest againe to sée some more sport.
[Sidenote: The shameful murther of K. Edward.]
The queene perceiuing that he would not alight, caused drinke to
be fetched, and as he had the cup at his mouth, by hir appointment,
one of hir seruants stroke him into the bodie with a knife, wherevpon
féeling himselfe wounded, he set spurres to the horsse thinking to
gallop awaie, and so to get to his companie. But being hurt to the
death, he fell from his horsse, so as one of his féet was fastened in
the stirrup, by reason whereof his horsse drew him foorth through
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._ _Fabian_. _Sim. Dun._ _Wil. Malm._]
woods and launds, & the bloud which gushed out of the wound shewed
token of his death to such as followed him, and the waie to the place
where the horsse had left him. That place was called Corphes gate or
Corfes gate. His bodie being found was buried without anie solemne
funeralls at Warham. For they which enuied that he should inioy the
crowne, enuied also the buriall of his bodie within the church: but
the memorie of his fame could not so secretlie be buried with the
bodie, as they imagined. For sundrie miracles shewed at the place
where his bodie was interred, made the same famous (as diuerse haue
[Sidenote: Miracles.]
reported) for there was sight restored to the blind, health to the
sicke, and hearing to the deafe, which are easilier to be told than
beleeued.
Queene Alfred also would haue ridden to the place where he laie,
mooued with repentance (as hath beene said) but the horsse wherevpon
she rode would not come neere the graue, for anie thing that could be
doone to him. Neither by changing the said horsse could the matter
be holpen: for euen the same thing happened to the other horsses.
Heerevpon the woman perceiued hir great offense towards God for
murthering the innocent, and did so repent hir afterward for the same,
that besides the chastising of hir bodie in fasting, and other
[Sidenote: Building of abbeies in those daies was thought to be a full
satisfaction for all manner of sinnes.]
kind of penance, she imploied all hir substance and patrimonie on the
poore, and in building and reparing of churches and monasteries. She
founded two houses of nuns (as is said) the one at Warwell, the other
at Ambresburie, and finallie professed hirselfe a nun in one of them,
that is to say, at Warwell, which house she builded (as some affirme)
in remembrance of hir first husband that was slaine there by king
Edgar for hir sake (as before is mentioned.)
The bodie of this Edward the second, and surnamed the martyr, after
that it had remained thrée yéeres at Warham where it was first buried,
was remooued vnto Shaftesburie, and with great reuerence buried
[Sidenote: Elferus.]
there by the forenamed Alfer or Elfer, duke of Mercia, who also did
sore repent himselfe, in that he had beene against the aduancement of
the said king Edward (as ye haue heard.) But yet did not he escape
woorthie punishment: for within one yéere after, he was eaten to
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
death with lice (if the historie be true.) King Edward came to his
[Sidenote: _Will. Malmes._]
death after he had reigned thrée yéeres, or (as other write) thrée
yéeres and eight moneths. ¶ Whatsoeuer hath béene reported by writers
of the murther committed on the person of this king Edward, sure it
is that if he were base begotten (as by writers of no meane credit it
should appéere he was in déed) great occasion vndoubtedlie was giuen
vnto quéene Alfred to seeke reuenge for the wrongfull keeping backe
of hir son Egelred from his rightfull succession to the crowne: but
whether that Edward was legitimate or not, she might yet haue deuised
some other lawfull meane to haue come by hir purpose, and not so to
haue procured the murther of the young prince in such vnlawfull
maner. For hir dooing therein can neither be woorthilie allowed, nor
throughlie excused, although those that occasioned the mischiefe by
aduancing hir stepsonne to an other mans right, deserued most blame in
this matter.
_Thus farre the sixt booke comprising the first arriuall of the Danes
in this land, which was in king Britricus his reigne, pag. 652, at
which time the most miserable state of England tooke beginning._