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.

The. C.vii. chapiter.

¶ Elfride, kyng of Westsex, protector of Englande, reigned sixe yere, & died in the yere of Christ eyght hundred. lxvi.

ELfride [Ethelrede.] was kyng after his brother then, [Elfride kyng.] That reigned so with all the dignitee In Westsex hole, and mightely began, Protector was as was necessitee; For Danes then of great iniquite

His land foule brent, wasted and destroyed, That al England was combred and anoyed.

¶ In the East cost of Englande, specially In Eastangle [Estenglonde.] , where Edmond then was kyng, There [The Danys.] did great hurt ful cruelly; [In Northumberland ful felly warryng, The people destroiyng and the land brennyng,] [

And with an other hooste they were murderynge, In Northumberlonde full cruelly werrynge.

] Wher Danes then sleugh the kyng of that lande, Byside Yorke, so as Flores [dooeth] vnderstand.

¶ Also thei sleugh in Northfolke all about The people doune, and in Suffolke also, The kyng Edmond thei sleugh without doubt, Of Estangland with arowes sharpe tho [than so.] Was shot to death, with [muche other] [other mekeyll.] woo; That [Whiche.] is a sainct honored this daye in blisse, At Edmondes Bury canonyzed I wisse.

¶ Hungar and Vbba sleugh him ful cruelly, And brent abbeis throut [throughout. edit. alt.] [all] England y^t tyme, By North and South, and priestes full cursedly. [All holy folke fled out of that realme, Thei sleugh all people that had take bapteme.] [

They slewe all folke that hade takyn baptyme, They spared noone so cruell was theyr tyme.

] At Colyngham [Coldyngham.] sainct Ebbe that was abbesse, Their [Hir.] nonnes put from theim in sore [grete.] distresse,

¶ For dred of the tyrauntes. ii. full cruell, And their people cursed [and] ful of malice, That rauished nonnes [euer wher thei] [ay wher as she.] herd tell, In her chaptre [ordeined againe their] [lesse that tho fell.] enemies Should not deffoule their clene virginitees, She cut hir nose of and her ouer lippe, To make hir lothe that she might from hym [theym.] slipe.

¶ And counseled all hir susters [to] dooe the same, To make thei[r] fooes to hoge [bouge. edit. alt. vgge. MS.] so with the sight; And so thei did afore thenemies came, Echon their nose and ouer lipe ful [furth.] right Cut of anone, which was an hogly sight: For whiche tho fooes thabbey and nonnes brent, For thei them selfe disfigured had [hade and.] shent.

Frō Twede to Thamys abbais [all abbaies.] then thei brent, And churches hole and people sleugh right doune, Wiues [Wifes and.] , maydens, widdowes and nonnes shent, Through all the lande the [of the.] Est region, [People sleyng in euery borough and toune;] [And dispoilynge euerich mansioun.] The women euer [ay.] they diuiciate In euery place, and fouly defflorate. [Fol. C.viii.]

¶ And in the yere. viii. hundreth fyftie [sexty.] and sixe He died so, and from this worlde expired; Whome all his tyme the Danes full sore did vexe, Againe him euer [ay.] ful sore they had conspired, [Theyr hertes in malice alway sore affeerd;] [Hym to haue stroied in wagese men they hired.] Sometyme the worse they had, sometyme the better, As Flores sayeth, and written hath in letter.