liberty to rove and plunder up and down, as hope of and gave order to build another part of the town, on prey led them, beyond Severn. The king guessing the south side of Ouse. • Thence the year following what might embolden them, sent before him the lightest went again to Maldon, repaired and fortified the town. of his army to entertain them; then following with Turkitel the Dane having small hope to thrive here, the rest, set upon them in their return over Cantbrig where things with such prudence were managed in Gloucestershire, and slew many thousands, among against his interest, got leave of the king, with as whom Ecwils, Hafden, and Hinguar their kings, many voluntaries as would follow him, to pass into and many other harsh names in Huntingdon; the place France. PEarly the next year King Edward reedified also of this fight is variously written, by Ethelwerd and Tovechester now Torchester; and another city in the Florent called Wodensfield. The year following, annals called Wigingmere. Meanwhile the Danes in Ethred the duke of Mercia, to whom Alfred had given Leicester and Northamptonshire, not liking perhaps London, with his daughter in marriage, now dying, to be neighboured with strong towns, laid siege to King Edward resumed that city, and Oxford, with the Torchester; but they within repelling the assault one countries adjoining, into his own hands; and the year whole day till supplies came, quitted the siege by after i built, or much repaired by his soldiers, the town night; and pursued close by the besieged, between of Hertford on either side Lee; and having a sufficient Birnwud and Ailsbury were surprised, many of them number at the work, marched about middle summer made prisoners, and much of their baggage lost. Other with the other part of his forces into Essex, and en- of the Danes at Huntingdon, aided from the Eastcamped at Maldon, while his soldiers built Witham; Angles, finding that castle not commodious, left it, where a good part of the country, subject formerly to and built another at Temsford, judging that place more the Danes, yielded themselves to his protection. Four opportune from whence to make their excursions; and years after (Florent allows but one year) the Danes soon after went forth with design to assail Bedford : from Leicester and Northampton, falling into Oxford- but the garrison issuing out slew a great part of them, shire, committed much rapine, and in some towns the rest fled. After this a greater army of them, gathereof great slaughter; while another party wasting thered out of Mercia and the East-Angles, came and Hertfordshire, met with other fortune: for the country besieged the city called Wigingmere a whole day; but people, inured now to such kind of incursions, joining finding it defended stoutly by them within, thence stoutly together, fell upon the spoilers, and recovered also departed, driving away much of their cattle: their own goods, with some booty from their enemies. whereupon the English, from towns and cities round About the same time Elfled the king's sister sent her about joining forces, laid siege to the town and castle army of Mercians into Wales, who routed the Welsh,' of Temsford, and by assault took both; slew their king took the castle of Bricnan-mere by Brecknock, and with Toglea a duke, and Mannan his son an earl, brought away the king's wife of that country, with with all the rest there found; who chose to die rather other prisoners. Not long after she took Derby from than yield. Encouraged by this, the men of Kent, the Danes, and the castle by a sharp assault. m But Surrey, and part of Essex, enterprise the siege of Colthe year ensuing brought a new fleet of Danes to Lid-chester, nor gave over till they won it, sacking the wic in Devonshire, under two leaders, Otter and Roald; who sailing thence westward about the land's end, came up to the mouth of Severn; there landing wasted the Welsh coast, and Irchenfield part of Herefordshire; where they took Kuneleac a British bishop, for whose ransom King Edward gave forty pound: but the men of Hereford and Gloucestershire assembling put them to flight; slaying Roald and the brother of Otter, with many more, pursued them to a wood, and there beset compelled them to give hostages of present departure. The king with his army sat not far off, securing from the south of Severn to Avon; so that openly they durst not, by night they twice ventured to land; but found such welcome that few of them came back; the rest anchored by a small island, where many of them famished; then sailing to a place called Deomed, they crossed into Ireland. The king with his army went to Buckingham, staid there a month, and built two castles or forts on either bank of Ouse ere his departing; and Turkitel a Danish leader, with those of Bedford and Northampton, yielded him subjection. Whereupon the next year, he came with his army to the town of Bedford, took possession thereof, staid there a month, town and putting to sword all the Danes therein, except some who escaped over the wall. To the succour of these a great number of Danes inhabiting ports and other towns in the East-Angles united their force; but coming too late, as in revenge beleaguered Maldon : but that town also timely relieved, they departed, not only frustrate of their design, but so hotly pursued, that many thousands of them lost their lives in the flight. Forthwith King Edward with his West-Saxons went to Passham upon Ouse, there to guard the passage, while others were building a stone wall about Torchester; to him their earl Thurfert, and other lord Danes, with their army thereabout, as far as Weolud, came and submitted. Whereat the king's soldiers joyfully cried out to be dismissed home: therefore with another part of them he entered Huntingdon, and repaired it, where breaches had been made; all the people thereabout returning to obedience. The like was done at Colchester by the next remove of his army; after which both East and West-Angles, and the Danish forces among them, yielded to the king, swearing allegiance to him both by sea and land: the army also of Danes at Grantbrig, surrendering themselves, r not long after. But King Edward thus nobly doing, and thus honoured, the year following died at Farendon; a builder and restorer even in war, not a destroyer of his land. He had by several wives many children; his eldest daughter Edgith he gave in marriage to Charles king of France, grandchild of Charles the Bald above mentioned: of the rest in place convenient. His laws are yet to be seen. He was buried at Winchester, in the monastery, by Alfred his father. And a few days after him died Ethelward his eldest in subjection, yet so as petty kings reigned under him. In Northumberland, after Ecbert whom the Danes had set up and the Northumbrians, yet unruly under their yoke, at the end of six years had expelled, one Ricsig was set up king, and bore the name three years; then another Ecbert, and Guthred; the latter, if we believe legends, of a servant made king by command of St. Cudbert, in a vision; and enjoined by another vision of the same saint, to pay well for his royalty many lands and privileges to his church and monastery. But now to the story. ATHELSTAN. took the same oath. The summer following a he came with his army to Stamford, built a castle there on the south side of the river, where all the people of these quarters acknowledged him supreme. During his abode there, Elfled his sister, a martial woman, who after her husband's death would no more marry, but gave herself to public affairs, repairing and fortifying many towns, warring sometimes, died at Tamworth the chief seat of Mercia, whereof by gift of Alfred her father she was lady or queen; whereby that whole nation became obedient to King Ed-son, the heir of his crown. He had the whole island ward, as did also North Wales, with Howel, Cledaucus, and Jeothwell, their kings. Thence passing to Nottingham, he entered and repaired the town, placed there part English, part Danes, and received fealty from all in Mercia of either nation. The next autumn, coming with his army into Cheshire, he built and fortified Thelwell; and while he staid there, called another army out of Mercia, which he sent to repair and fortify Manchester. About midsummer following he marched again to Nottingham, built a town over against it on the south side of that river, and with a bridge joined them both; thence journeyed to a place called Bedecanwillin in Pictland; there also built and fenced a city on the borders, where the king of Scots did him honour as to his sovereign, together with ATHELSTAN, next in age to Ethelward his brother, the whole Scottish nation; the like did Reginald and who deceased untimely few days before, though born the son of Eadulf, Danish princes, with all the Nor- of a concubine, yet for the great appearance of many thumbrians, both English and Danes. The King also virtues in him, and his brethren being yet under age, of a people thereabout called Streatgledwalli (the was exalted to the throne at Kingston upon Thames,2 North-Welsh, as Camden thinks, of Strat-Cluid in and by his father's last will, saith Malmsbury, yet Denbighshire, perhaps rather the British of Cumber- not without some opposition of one Alfred and his acland) did him homage, and not undeserved. For, complices; who not liking he should reign, had conBuchanan himself confesses, that this king Edward, spired to seize on him after his father's death, and to with a small number of men compared to his enemies, put out his eyes. But the conspirators discovered, overthrew in a great battle the whole united power and Alfred, denying the plot,a was sent to Rome, to both of Scots and Danes, slew most of the Scottish no- assert his innocence before the pope; where taking his bility, and forced Malcolm, whom Constantine the oath on the altar, he fell down immediately, and carScotch king had made general, and designed heir of ried out by his servants, three days after died. Meanhis crown, to save himself by flight sore wounded. Of while beyond Humber the Danes, though much awed, the English he makes Athelstan the son of Edward were not idle. Inguald, one of their kings, took poschief leader; and so far seems to confound times and session of York; Sitric, who some years b before had actions, as to make this battle the same with that slain Niel his brother, by force took Davenport in fought by Athelstan about twenty-four years after at Cheshire; and however he defended these doings, Bruneford, against Anlaf and Constantine, whereof grew so inconsiderable, that Athelstan with great sohereafter. But here Buchanan " takes occasion to in- lemnity gave him his sister Edgith to wife: but he veigh against the English writers, upbraiding them enjoyed her not long, dying ere the year's end; nor with ignorance, who affirm Athelstan to have been su- his sons Anlaf and Guthfert the kingdom, driven out preme king of Britain, Constantine the Scottish king the next year by Athelstan : not unjustly saith Hunwith others to have held of him: and denies that in the tingdon, as being first raisers of the war. Simeon calls annals of Marianus Scotus any mention is to be found him Gudfrid a British king, whom Athelstan this year thereof; which I shall not stand much to contradict, drove out of his kingdom; and perhaps they were both for in Marianus, whether by surname or by nation one, the name and time not much differing, the place Scotus, will be found as little mention of any other only mistaken. Malmsbury differs in the name also, Scottish affairs, till the time of king Dunchad slain by calling him Adulf a certain rebel. Them also I wish Machetad, or Macbeth, in the year 1040: which gives as much mistaken, who write that Athelstan, jealous of cause of suspicion, that the affairs of Scotland before his younger brother Edwin's towardly virtues, lest that time were so obscure, as to be unknown to their added to the right of birth they might some time or own countrymen, who lived and wrote his chronicle other call in question his illegitimate precedence, caused him to be drowned in the sea;e exposed, some say, with one servant in a rotten bark, without sail or oar; where the youth far off land, and in rough weather despairing, threw himself overboard; the servant, more patient, got to land, and reported the success. But this Malmsbury confesses to be sung in old songs, not read in warrantable authors: and Huntingdon speaks as of a sad accident to Athelstan, that he lost his brother Edwin by sea; far the more credible, in that Athelstan, as it is written by all, tenderly loved and bred up the rest of his brethren, of whom he had no less cause to be jealous. And the year following he prospered better than from so foul a fact, passing into Scotland with great puissance, both by sea and land, and chasing his enemies before him, by land as far as Dunfeoder and Wertermore, by sea as far as Cathness. The cause of this expedition, saith Malmsbury, was to demand Guthfert the son of Sitric, thither fled, though not denied at length by Constantine, who with Eugenius king of Cumberland, at a place called Dacor or Dacre in that shire, surrendered himself and each his kingdom to Athelstan, who brought back with him for hostage the son of Constantine.s But Guthfert escaping in the mean while out of Scotland, and Constantine, exasperated by this invasion, persuaded Anlaf, the other son of Sitric, then fled into Ireland, bothers write Anlaf king of Ireland and the Isles, his son-in-law, with six hundred and fifteen ships, and the king of Cumberland with other forces, to his aid. This within four years i effected, they entered England by Humber, and fought with Athelstan at a place called Wendune, others term it Brunanburg, others Bruneford, which Ingulf places beyond Humber, Camden in Glendale of Northumberland on the Scotch borders; the bloodiest fight, say authors, that ever this island saw to describe which the Saxon annalist, wont to be sober and succinct, whether the same or another writer, now labouring under the weight of his argument, and overcharged, runs on a sudden into such extravagant fancies and metaphors, as bear him quite beside the scope of being understood. Huntingdon, though himself peccant enough in this kind, transcribes him word for word as a pastime to his readers. I shall only sum up what of him I can attain, in useful language. The battle was fought eagerly from morning to night; some fell of King Edward's old army, tried in many a battle before; but on the other side great multitudes, the rest fled to their ships. Five kings, and seven of Anlaf's chief captains, were slain on the place, with Froda a Norman leader; Constantine escaped home, but lost his son in the fight, if I understand my author; Anlaf by sea to Dublin, with a small remainder of his great host. Malmsbury relates this war, adding many circumstances after this manner: that Anlaf, joining with Constantine and the whole power of Scotland, besides those which he brought with him out of Ireland, came on far southwards, till Athelstan, who had retired on set purpose to be the surer of his enemies, enclosed from all succour and retreat, met him at e Post Christ. 933. Sim. Dun. f Post Christ. 931. Sax. an. Sim. Dun. : Bruneford. Anlaf perceiving the valour and resolution of Athelstan, and mistrusting his own forces, though numerous, resolved first to spy in what posture his enemies lay and imitating perhaps what he heard attempted by King Alfred the age before, in the habit of a musician, got access by his lute and voice to the king's tent, there playing both the minstrel and the spy: then towards evening dismissed, he was observed by one who had been his soldier, and well knew him, viewing earnestly the king's tent, and what approaches lay about it, then in the twilight to depart. The soldier forthwith acquaints the king, and by him blamed for letting go his enemy, answered, that he had given first his military oath to Anlaf, whom if he had betrayed, the king might suspect him of like treasonous mind towards himself; which to disprove, he advised him to remove his tent a good distance off: and so done, it happened that a bishop, with his retinue coming that night to the army, pitched his tent in the same place from whence the king had removed. Anlaf, coming by night as he had designed, to assault the camp, and especially the king's tent, finding there the bishop instead, slew him with all his followers. Athelstan took the alarm, and as it seems, was not found so unprovided, but that the day now appearing, he put his men in order, and maintained the fight till evening; wherein Constantine himself was slain with five other kings, and twelve earls; the annals were content with seven, in the rest not disagreeing. Ingulf abbot of Croyland, from the authority of Turketul a principal leader in this battle, relates it more at large to this effect: That Athelstan, above a mile distant from the place where execution was done upon the bishop and his supplies, alarmed at the noise, came down by break of day upon Anlaf and his army, overwatched and wearied now with the slaughter they had made, and something out of order, yet in two main battles. The king, therefore in like manner dividing, led the one part, consisting most of West Saxons, against Anlaf with his Danes and Irish, committing the other to his chancellor Turketul, with the Mercians and Londoners, against Constantine and his Scots. The shower of arrows and darts overpassed, both battles attacked each other with a close and terrible engagement, for a long space ther side giving ground. Till the chancellor Turketul, a man of great stature and strength, taking with him a few Londoners of select valour, and Singin who led the Worcestershire men, a captain of undaunted courage, broke into the thickest, making his way first through the Picts and Orkeners, then through the Cumbrians and Scots, and came at length where Constantine himself fought, unhorsed him, and used all means to take him alive; but the Scots valiantly defending their king, and laying load upon Turketul, which the goodness of his armour well endured, he had yet been beaten down, had not Singin his faithful second at the same time slain Constantine; which once known, Anlaf and the whole army betook them to flight, whereof a huge multitude fell by the sword. nei This Turketul, not long after leaving worldly affairs, became abbot of Croyland, which at his own cost he had repaired from Danish ruins, and left there this memorial of his former actions. Athelstan with his brother Edmund victorious thence turning into Wales, with much more ease vanquished Ludwal the king, and possessed his land. But Malmsbury writes, that commiserating human chance, as he displaced, so he restored both him and Constantine to their regal state: for the surrender of King Constantine hath been above spoken of. However the Welsh did him homage at the city of Hereford, and covenanted yearly payment of gold twenty pound, of silver three hundred, of oxen twenty-five thousand, besides hunting dogs and hawks. He also took Exeter from the Cornish Britons, who till that time had equal right there with the English, and bounded them with the river Tamar, as the other British with Wey. Thus dreaded of his enemies, and renowned far and near, three years after he died at Gloucester, and was buried with many trophies at Malmsbury, where he had caused to be laid his two cousin germans, Elwin and Ethelstan, both slain in the battle against Anlaf. He was thirty years old at his coming to the crown, mature in wisdom from his childhood, comely of person and behaviour; so that Alfred his grandfather in blessing him was wont to pray he might live to have the kingdom, and put him yet a child into soldier's habit. He had his breeding in the court of Elfled his aunt, of whose virtues more than female we have related, sufficient to evince that his mother, though said to be no wedded wife, was yet such of parentage and worth, as the royal line disdained not, though the song went in Malmsbury's days (for it seems he refused not the authority of ballads for want of better) that his mother was a farmer's daughter, but of excellent feature; who dreamed one night she brought forth a moon that should enlighten the whole land: which the king's nurse hearing of took her home and bred up courtly; that the king, coming one day to visit his nurse, saw there this damsel, liked her, and by earnest suit prevailing, had by her this famous Athelstan, a bounteous, just, and affable king, as Malmsbury sets him forth, nor less honoured abroad by foreign kings, who sought his friendship by great gifts or affinity; that Harold king of Noricum sent him a ship whose prow was of gold, sails purple, and other golden things, the more to be wondered at, sent from Noricum, whether meant Norway or Bavaria, the one place so far from such superfluity of wealth, the other from all sea: the embassadors were Helgrim and Offrid, who found the king at York. His sisters he gave in marriage to greatest princes; Elgif to Otho son of Henry the emperor; Egdith to a certain duke about the Alps; Edgiv to Ludwic king of Aquitain, sprung of Charles the Great; Ethilda to Hugo king of France, who sent Aldulf son of Baldwin earl of Flanders to obtain her. From all these great suitors, especially from the emperor and king of France, came rich presents, horses of excellent breed, gorgeous trap k Post Christ. 941. Sax. an. Malms. Ingulf. 1 Post Christ. 942. Sax, an. m Post Christ. 944. Sax. an. pings and armour, relics, jewels, odours, vessels of onyx, and other precious things, which I leave poetically described in Malmsbury, taken, as he confesses, out of an old versifier, some of whose verses he recites. The only blemish left upon him was the exposing his brother Edwin, who disavowed by oath the treason whereof he was accused, and implored an equal hearing. But these were songs, as before hath been said, which add also that Athelstan, his anger over, soon repented of the fact, and put to death his cupbearer, who had induced him to suspect and expose his brother; put in mind by a word falling from the cupbearer's own mouth, who slipping one day as he bore the king's cup, and recovering himself on the other leg, said aloud fatally, as to him it proved, one brother helps the other. Which words the king laying to heart, and pondering how ill he had done to make away his brother, avenged himself first on the adviser of that fact, took on him seven years' penance, and as Mat. West. saith, built two monasteries for the soul of his brother. His laws are extant among the laws of other Saxon kings to this day. EDMUND. EDMUND not above eighteen years old succeeded his brother Athelstan, in courage not inferior. For in the second of his reign he freed Mercia of the Danes that remained there, and took from them the cities of Lincoln, Nottingham, Stamford, Derby, and Leicester, where they were placed by King Edward, but it seems gave not good proof of their fidelity. Simeon writes, that Anlaf setting forth from York, and having wasted southward as far as Northampton, was met by Edmund at Leicester; but that ere the battles joined, peace was made between them by Odo and Wulstan the two archbishops, with conversion of Anlaf; for the same year Edmund received at the fontstone this or another Anlaf, as saith Huntingdon, not him spoken of before, who died this year, (so uncertain they are in the story of these times also,) and held Reginald another king of the Northumbrians, while the bishop confirmed him : their limits were divided north and south by Watlingstreet. But spiritual kindred little availed to keep peace between them, whoever gave the cause; for we read him two years m after driving Anlaf (whom the annals now first call the son of Sitric) and Suth frid son of Reginald out of Northumberland, taking the whole country into subjection. Edmund the next " year harassed Cumberland, then gave it to Malcolm king of Scots, thereby bound to assist him in his wars, both by sea and land. Mat. West. adds, that in this action Edmund had the aid of Leolin prince of North Wales, against Dummail the Cumbrian king, him depriving of his kingdom, and his two sons of their sight. But the year after, he himself by strange accident came to an untimely death: feasting with his nobles on St. Austin's day at Puclekerke in Gloucester, to celebrate the memory of his first converting the Saxons; he spied n Post Christ. 945. Sax. an. o Post Christ. 946. Sax. an. Leof a noted thief, whom he had banished, sitting among his guests: whereat transported with too much vehemence of spirit, though in a just cause, rising from the table he run upon the thief, and catching his hair, pulled him to the ground. The thief, who doubted from such handling no less than his death intended, thought to die not unrevenged; and with a short dagger struck the king, who still laid at him, and little expected such assassination, mortally into the breast. The matter was done in a moment, ere men set at table could turn them, or imagine at first what the stir meant, till perceiving the king deadly wounded, they flew upon the murderer and hewed him to pieces; who like a wild beast at bay, seeing himself surrounded, desperately laid about him, wounding some in his fall. The king was buried at Glaston, whereof Dunstan was then abbot; his laws yet remain to be seen among the laws of other Saxon kings. EDRED. some say both her and her daughter; so inordinately EDGAR. EDRED, the third brother of Athelstan, the sons of Edmund being yet but children, next reigned, not degenerating from his worthy predecessors, and crowned at Kingston. Northumberland he thoroughly subdued, the Scots without refusal swore him allegiance; yet the Northumbrians, ever of doubtful faith, soon after chose to themselves one Eric a Dane. Huntingdon still haunts us with this Anlaf, (of whom we gladly would have been rid,) and will have him before Eric recalled once more and reign four years, then again put to his shifts. But Edred entering into Northumberland, and with spoils returning, Eric the king fell upon his rear. Edred turning about, both shook off the enemy, and prepared to make a second inroad which the Northumbrians dreading rejected Eric, slew Amancus the son of Anlaf, and with many presents appeasing Edred submitted again to his government; nor from that time had kings, but were governed by earls, of whom Osulf was the first. About this time Wulstan archbishop of York, accused to have slain certain men of Thetford in revenge of their abbot, whom the townsmen had slain, was committed by the king to close custody; but soon after enlarged, was restored to his place. Malmsbury writes, that his crime was to have connived at the revolt of his countrymen: but King Edred two years after, sickening in the flower of his youth, died much lamented, and was buried at Win-West. reckons them four thousand eight hundred, dichester. EDGAR by his brother's death now b king of all England at sixteen years of age, called home Dunstan out of Flanders, where he lived in exile. This king had no war all his reign; yet always well prepared for war, governed the kingdom in great peace, honour, and prosperity, gaining thence the surname of peaceable, much extolled for justice, clemency, and all kingly virtues, the more, ye may be sure by monks, for his building so many monasteries; as some write, every year one: for he much favoured the monks against secular priests, who in the time of Edwi had got possession in most of their convents. His care and wisdom was great in guarding the coast round with stout ships to the number of three thousand six hundred. Mat. vided into four squadrons, to sail to and fro, about the four quarters of the land, meeting each other; the first of twelve hundred sail from east to west, the second of as many from west to east, the third and fourth between north and south; himself in the summer time with his fleet. Thus he kept out wisely the force of strangers, and prevented foreign war, but by their too frequent resort hither in time of peace, and his too much favouring them, he let in their vices unaware. Thence the people, saith Malmsbury, learned of the outlandish Saxons rudeness, of the Flemish daintiness |