The chronicle of Iohn Hardyng. Containing an account of public transactions from the earliest period of English history to the beginning of the reign of King Edward the Fourth. Together with the continuation by Richard Grafton, to the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth. The former part collated with two manuscripts of the author's own time; the last, with Grafton's duplicate edition. To which are added a biographical and literary preface, and an index, by Henry Ellis.
Hardyng, John, 1378-1465?, Ellis, Henry, 1777-1869, ed., Grafton, Richard, -1572?

The. C.v. Chapiter.

¶ Athelwolfe, kynge of Westsex, reygned. xix. yere, & dyed the yere. viii. hundreth. liii5. [lviii. edit. alt.]. after Chrystes byrth.

AThelwolfe was king crowned at his citee *. [Tythes firste graūted to the clergy in En∣glande.]
Of Westchester, in [all] royall estate,
To whome the kinges & lordes made feaute,
And homage leege as was preordynate,
That reygned after. xix. yere fortunate,
Page  194[And graunted]1. [Which graunte.] the churche tythes of corne & haye, [Fol. C.v.]
Of bestiall also2. [als.] through3. [through all.] Westsex for ay.
¶ In the4. [The. edit. alt.] yere eyght hundred thirty and eyght,
The Danes arriued5. [arrofe.] with shippis fourscore & thre,
Where Athelstane his sonne did with theim feight,
And duke Wolfward, by greate fortunitee,
Theim toke and slewe with all6. [grete.] felicitee;
But Athelstane in that battaile was slaine
Of his warres, that was the capitain7. [chief capetayne.].
¶ And in the yere eight hundred thirty and nyne,
The kyng faught sore with Danes at Mersyngtō,
Wher erle Harbart was slain, a prince full fyne,
But Danes all were take and slain their8. [there.] [a] doune,
Without mercie cracked vpon the croune:
The kyng came home with honour and victorye,
As Flores saieth right in his memorye.
¶ And in the yere eyght hundred fourty and one,
The Danes watched thest sea cost throughout
With diuers hostes, for which ye kyng made [great] mone,
Al helples thē; the Danes that9. [than.] wer so stout,
In many places with many diuerse10. [a divers.] rout,
All harmlesse went, without11. [withoutyn.] hurt or pain,
By diuers tyme that yere home12. [and home.] again.
In the yere eyght hundred foure and fourty,
At Carham then the kyng full sore did fight
With Danes fell, and had the victorye;
And at Aluewik13. [Alnewik.] he faught again furth14. [full.] right
With Danes also, wher kyng Redwolf15. [Alfwolde.] that hight
Of Northumberlande, and erle Alffride was slain,
And full greate parte16. [party.] of their hoost certain.
¶ Kyng Athilwolf came to the South contree,
Wher Danes then in battaill with hym fought
In Somersetshire, where he made many dye,
And gate the feld and sleugh all that he caught,
Page  195[Wher great people yt daie the death hath raught;]1. [And made theym flee vnto the see full straught.]
Tharchbishop with his full wise clergie,
Bysyde Sandwiche of Danes had victorye.
¶ And in the yere eyght hundred fifty and one,
The Danishe hoste in Thamis did arriue,
Kent and Southray, Sussex and Hāshire anone
Distroyed sore, and through the South gā dryue,
Wher muche folke thei sleugh bothe māne & wife;
Whiche host2. [efte.] ye kyng with battaile slewe doune sore,
That home again retourned thei no more.
¶ And in the yere eight hundred fifty and three,
The kyng Edmond of Estangle3. [Estenglonde.] began
To reigne after Albert4. [Egilberte.], of greate beautee,
That holy was, as his legend tell can.
But Athilwolf5. [Athelwolfe.] the kyng, buryed6. [and Burthrede.] then
The kyng of Mers7. [Merse.], that had his doughter wed,
All Wales wan, theim8. [they.] thought thei had well sped.
¶ This Athilwolf to9. [vnto.] Roome toke his10. [the.] waye,
In pilgremage with hym his soonne Alured,
[Cardinall was]11. [With the bishop then.] of Wynchester that daye,
[Wher then he had the bishoprike in deede;]12. [Norished had beene, and deacon made in dede.]
A perfecte clerke he was, as saieth sainct Bede,
A philosphier wise and well approued,
And [by the bishop of Rome]13. [with the pope.] cōmēdid well & loued.
¶ And there thei were abydyng full twoo14. [oone.] yere,
And home thei came vnto the kyng of Fraunce, [Fol. C.vi.]
And his doughter Iudith ther weddid clere,
[By assent of hym and all his hole puysaunce.
And so with worship and noble gouernaunce,]15. []
Fro thens he came sone into England,
With hir and with his soonne, [as] I vnderstand.
¶ And in the yere eyght hundred fifty and three,
The death his soule [gan frome his body]16. [fro the body gan.] dryue,
Page  196Vnto the blisse eternall, there to bee
In heuen aboue, wher is euerlastyng life.
To Peter and Pole he graunted infenitife,
The Roome pence then of all Englande,
As Flores saieth, as I [can vnderstande1. [have vnderstande].
¶ He was thē buryed at Winchester, in royallwise,
As to suche a prince of reason should affere;
And with his wife as did full well suffice,
Foure sonnes he had, worthy without pere,
Sir Athilwold2. [Athilbalde.], Ethelbert, Elfride the dere,
And Alrude3. [Alurede.] the youngest of echone;
Afore theim all [one bast had,]4. [the booste hath.] Athelston.
¶ Athelbold was kyng after hym and heire
And protector, with all [the] prerogatife,
His stepdame wed, menne saied it was not faire,
The churche hym gan punishe5. [to punysh.] and chastiue
For cause he wed hir so vnto his wife,
Again the lawe and Christen concience,
Vnaccordant with his magnificence,
¶ That reigned [whole twoo yere and no more]6. [than two yere hoole and no more.]
In greate sikenesse and pain inmorderate,
Greately vexed7. [vesitt.] and punished was right8. [full.] sore,
Menne saied he was for sinne inordinate
With his stepdame that was so consociate;
But then he had, as God would9. [woll.], repentaunce,
For his trespas and10. [and his.] misgouernaunce.
¶ Afore he dyed he did full sore repent,
And for his synne stode to11. [in.] correccion
Of holy churche, for his amendement,
Submitted whole without obieccion;
And for to liue in clene perfeccion,
Departed were by lawe and deuorced,
Afore his soule was passed and vncorced.