Fabyans cronycle newly prynted, wyth the cronycle, actes, and dedes done in the tyme of the reygne of the moste excellent prynce kynge Henry the vii. father vnto our most drad souerayne lord kynge Henry the .viii. To whom be all honour, reuere[n]ce, and ioyfull contynaunce of his prosperous reygne, to the pleasure of god and weale of this his realme amen

THE SEXTE PARTE.

After that Cadwaladyr was thus departyd y^e londe / as some authours meane, this lande of Brytayne was in great dyscensyon, by meane of the Brytons and Saxons, by the terme of a .xi. yeres. And ouer that the mor¦talyte before spoken of encreasyd so hugely, and therewyth great hun∣ger & famyne ouer sprad the lande / that by occasion of one and other the people of this realme was wonder∣fully mynyshed & lassed / so ferforthly that as wytnessyth Gaufryde & also the englyshe cronycle, the quycke bo¦dyes suffysed not to bury y^e ded. But in so mych as of this spekyth not the mūke of Chester nor other authours as before is shewyd in the forsayde table, the whych I remytte to the cor¦reccyon of such as be lerned / and not onely to englyshe reders as there is fortherly declaryd: I therfore, as be¦fore is sayd folow the sayd Ranulph mūke of Chester / where he sayth that Iewe or Iue was kynge of westsa∣xons

next after y^e forenamed Cadwa¦ladyr. The whych I shall fyrst shew the story of, and so of the successours of hym in that kyngedome, for that that they subdued lastly all the other kyngedomes / and somdeale touche of the other kyngdomes or lordshyp¦pes as tyme conuenyente shall re∣quyre / in expressynge of the storyes of the sayd westsaxon kynges, tyll the lande be brought agayne to one monarchye.

And for the dyuysyon of the sayde kyngdomes stande somdeale farte a¦sonder / so that to the reders yt were somwhat paynfull to serche for eue∣ryche of them: I therfore haue sette them out in the compasse folowyng, that yt maye appere to the reder the begynnynge of eueryche of theym / and howe longe a season or tyme ey∣ther of the sayde kyngdomes conty∣nued or enduryd / the names also of euery kyngdome / and in what parte of thys lande euery lordshyp was sta¦blyshed for the tyme and sette.

THE .CXLI. CHAPITER.

IUe or Iewe discen¦dyd of the blode of Saxons / was ru∣ler or kyng of west¦saxons, nexte after that y^e forenamed Cadwaladyr had renounced the pompe of the worlde. The whyche to folowe the opynyon of Policronicon, began hys reygne the yere of grace .vi. hundred .lxxx. & vii, and the .xvi. yere of the seconde Theodoricus then kynge of Fraūce / and ruled the westsaxons knyghtly, and maynteyned such warre agayn the Kentyshe Saxons, y^t the men of Dorobernia or Caunterbury graun¦tyd vnto hym to haue peace. And al∣so for a recompensement of the deth of Mulkynge brother to Cadwala∣dyr before slayne, as is shewed in the precedynge chapyter by the sayde Kentyshe Saxons / they gaue vnto hym for the sayd consyderacyōs thre thousande pounde.

About y^e yere of the reygne of Iue / the holy man Cutlake about y^e .xxiiii. yere of his age, renouncyd the pōpe and pryde of this worlde / and toke y^e order of munkes in the abbay of Re∣pyndon. And the .iii. yere after he wēt to Crowlande / and there lad for the whyle an holy Ankers lyfe, and dyd there many myracles, and there fy∣nally was buryed.

In whyche yle and place of hys bu¦ryenge standeth nowe a fayre abbay, the whyche for the greate resorte of gestes that thyther drawyth, and for the good and frendely chere that ge∣stes there receyue and take / the sayd place hath purchasyd a surname and is named Crowlande the curteys / the whyche is a place of good fame. And there lyeth also the holy confes∣soure Neotus, somtyme dyscyple of Erkenwalde byshoppe of London.

In the .xi. yere of the reygne of Iue, befell the wounder and mer∣uayle that ys tolde of Bryghtwal∣dus / the whyche after he hadde ben a longe whyle ded, was restoryd to lyfe agayne, and tolde many thyn¦ges of great wonder to many men / whereby he causyd great almys, and many other dedes of charyte to be executyd.

And after the dysposycyon of hys owne goodes, by the agremēt of his wyfe he went vnto y^e abbay of Mayl¦roos / and there in great holynes con¦tynued the resydue of his lyfe.

About the .xvi. yere of the reygne of Iue / Etheldredus before mynded in the .C. & xxxv. chapiter kyng of Mer¦cia, forsoke this wordly honour, and

became a munke at Bardeney / when he hadde longe tyme rulyd the men of Mercia or myddell Anglys. Hys brother Kenredus was kynge after hym / the whych also after he had rey¦gned fyue yeres, lefte his kyngdome vnto Colredus the sonne of hys vn∣cle / and he wyth Offa the sonne of Iue now kynge of westsaxons, and wyth Egwinus byshop of wykcies or of wyke, whych see is now at wor¦ceter / wyth thys forsayde companye this Kenredus yode vnto Rome in pilgrimage and there endyd his life.

And aboute the .xviii. yere of the reygne of Iue dyed the holy byshop Aldelme, whyche fyrste was munke and abbot of Malmesbury, and the laste byshoppe. Of hym yt is writen, that when he was styryd by his gost¦ly enymy to the synne of the fleshe / he to do the more torment to hym selfe and of hys body / wolde holde within his bedde by hym a fayre mayden, by so longe tyme as he myght say ouer the hole sauter / all be yt that such ho¦lynesse is no artycle of saynt Benet∣tis lore, yor yet for dyuerse inconue∣nyence moste alowyd by holy doc∣tours. And amonge many of his ver¦tuous & holy dedys / Ranulph mūke of Chester she with, that for the same of hys holynes sprange wyde, Ser∣gius the fyrste of that name beynge pope, sente for hym to Rome. In whyche season of his there beynge / the sayde Sergius was accusyd or defamed of the gettynge of a chylde, the whyche the .ix. daye of the sayde chyldes age, was brought to holy Al¦delme to be crystyned. By vertue of whose prayer, the sayde chylde an∣swered vnto certayn questyons, and cleryd the pope of that cryme y^t was before put vppon hym.

Nere about the .xxiii. yere of Iue / Colredus then kynge of Mercia, for cause of variaunce betwene him and Ine vnremembred of myn authour, assembled hys knyghtes, and began to warre vppon hym. wherof y^e other hauynge knowlege, in lykewyse ga∣theryd his power / and lastely met to both theyr harmes, at a place called wodynsburgth. where after longe fyght eyther of them sped so vnhap∣pely, that yt was not knowen whe∣ther hoste hadde moste domage.

And nere about y^e .xxv. yere of Iue, as wytnessyth holy Beda / saynte Io¦han of Beuerlay that then was bys∣shoppe of yorke, dyed / and was bu∣ryed in the porche of the mynster of Deyrwood or Beuerlay. Thē Iewe or Iue callynge to mynde the coun∣sayll of holy Aldelme, y^t beforetyme had coūsaylyd hym to buylde an ab∣bay at Glastenbury / began the sayd worke about the .xxxii. yere of his rey¦gne / and founded there an abbaye, the whyche contynued prosperously tyll y^e comynge of y^e Danis / by whose cruelty yt was then sore blemyshed. But afterward by the helpe of saynt Dunstane, in the tymes of Edmond and Edgare, yt was agayne suffycy¦ently repayred, & so cōtynued tyll the comyng of the Normās / after which season yt was agayne besette wyth hard happes. But now at this daye yt standeth a place of great welthe and honour.

Then yt folowyth, when Iue had ruled the westsaxons nobly by the terme of .xxxvii. yeres / by the assy∣duate labour of hys holy wyfe Ethel¦burga, as she that longe had labou∣red hym to leue the world and coude not brynge about her purpose / vpon a season when the kyng and she had restyd them in a fayre paleys rychely behanged, and were vpon the morne thens departed, she by her commaun¦dement caused the sayd paleys to be replenysshyd wyth all kynd of fylth and dunge / and hogges and vyle be∣stes

there in to be layde, as well in y^e chambers as other houses of offyce. And when she knewe that thys pa∣leys was thus deformyd / she be∣sought the kynge to vysyte the sayde paleys. And when she had broughte hym therunto, she sayde to hym: I praye you my lorde behold now this house. where are now the ryche tap∣pets and clothes of gold and of silke and other ryche apparell that we left here thys other daye. And where be the delyces and plesaunt seruytours and costly dyshes, that you and I la¦tely were seruyd wyth. Be not all these passyd and gone? My lorde in lyke maner shall we passe and soden¦ly, as ye se these worldely thynges ben passyd. And oure bodyes whych now ben delycately kepyd / shall fall and turne into fylth of y^e erthe. wher∣fore haue in mynde my wordes that before this tyme to you I haue often shewyd & told / and busy you to pur∣chase that paleys y^e euer shal endure in ioy wythout transmutacyon.

By meane of these wordes & other / the quene turnyd so y^e kynges mynd, that shortly after he resygned the go¦uernaunce of his kyngdome vnto Ethellardus his neuewe / & he for the loue of Cryste toke vpon hym the ha¦byte of a poore man / and settynge a parte all pompe and pryde of thys worlde, accompanyed hym in the fe∣lowshyp of poore men, and yode vn∣to Rome in pylgrymage wyth great deuocyon, when he hadde ben kynge of the westsaxons, as before is sayde xxxvii. yeres. After whose departyng the foresayde Etheldreda hys wyfe went vnto barkynge .vii. mylys frō London / where in the abbay before of Erkenwalde foundyd, she conty∣nued and ended an holy lyfe, whē she hadde ben abbesse of the same place a certayn of tyme. It is sayd & testi¦fyed of wyllyam wryter of kynges, that this Iue was the fyrste kynge that grauntyd a peny of euery fyre house thorow this realm to be payed to the courte of Rome, whych at this daye is called Rome stote or Peter pens, and yet is payed in many pla¦ces of Englande. But why yt was graunted the cause is not here shew∣ed, how be it yt shall be shewyd after.

Francia. THE .CXLII. CHAPITER.

CLodoueus y^e thyrd of y^e name, & son of the secōd Theo¦doricus / beganne his domynyon o∣uer the realme of Fraunce, in the ye¦re of grace .vi. hon¦dred .lxxx. and .x / and the thyrd yere of Iue then kyng of westsaxons. Of this Clodoueus is of wryters lefte no maner of memorye soundynge to good or euyll / but Pepyn before na∣med contynued as master of the pa∣leys by all the tyme of the reygne of y^e sayd Clodoueus. The whych after that he hadde borne the name by the space of .iii. yeres, he dyed wythoute yssue / and was buryed by his father. By reason of whose deth the sayde kyngedome fell by successyon vnto hys brother Childebert.

THE .CXLIII. CHAPITER.

CHildebertus the second sonne to Theodoryche, and brother of Clodoueus foresayde / began his domynyon ouer y^e realme of Fraūce, in the yere of grace .vi. hundred .lxxx. and .xiii / and the .vi. yere of Iue then kynge of westsaxons. In tyme of whose reygne also the foresayde Pe∣pyn contynued as chefe ruler of the kynges house / all be yt y^e he for such other charge as he had of ouerseyng

of the realme, set in hys place a sub∣st••tute or depute, as his sonne Gri∣monart and other.

Thys Pepyn contrary to the lawe of the chyrche / helde besyde hys law∣full wyfe called Ple••trude, a womā named Alpayd. For the whyche the holy bysshop of Treet named Lam∣berte, blamynge and rebukynge the sayde Pepyn / of the brother of the forenamed Alpayde, whyche is cal∣led Dodon or Dodoin, was slayne & martyred, in the yere of our lorde .vi. hundred .lxxx. and .xii / as testyfyeth Antoninus in the .vi. chapyter of the ••iii. tytle of the seconde parte of hys worke called summa Antonini. And as affermeth the sayde Antoninus & also the Frenche cronycle / the sayde Pepyn receyued of the sayd Alpayde a sonne, whom he named Charlys / whyche Charlys was after surna∣med Marcellus, & was ryghte pro∣fytable to the realme of Fraunce, as after shall appere.

Of the foresayd kyng Chyldebert is nothynge lefte in wrytyng worthy memory / excepte that he receyued of hys wyfe a sonne named Dagobert / and kepte the name of a kynge by y^e terme of .xvii. yeres, as sayth the cro∣nycle in French / and than dyed / and was buryed in the abbey of Caus in y^e chyrch or chapell of saīt Stephan.

THE .CXLIIII. CHAPITER

DAgobert{us} the seconde of that name, and sonne of Chylde∣bert before named / began his reygne ouer the Frenchmen, in the yere of grace .vii. hundred and .x / & the .xxiii. of Iue than kynge of westsaxons. The whyche was vnder the rule of Plectrude the wyfe of Pepyn than dede, and of Theodowald than may∣ster of the paleys. Thys Plectrude as before is shewed was stepmother to Charlys sonne of Pepyn and of Alpayde, wherfore she berynge ma∣lyce to the sayd Charlys, caused hym to be holden as prysoner wythin Co¦leyne, where he so as prysoner remay¦nynge / the foresayd Theoldowalde exercysed suche tyrannys, and putte vpon the people suche exaccyons, y^e dyscensyon grewe bytwene hym and the lordes of Fraūce, so that dyuers cōflyctes and skyrmysshes were had amonge the nobles of Fraunce / for partyes were taken vpon eyther sy∣des, whereby the kynges partye at length was wekyd. And fynally the sayd Theoldowalde was depryued of hys rome / and one Rangafredus was made mayster of y^e paleys. The whyche beynge Accompanyed with conuenyent strength / toke with hym the kynge, and cōueyed hym thorow the forest of Charbōnur, tyll he came vnto y^e ryuer of Mense. In y^e which passetyme the forenamed Charlys beynge, as aboue is sayde prysoner / by fauoure of hys kepars or other∣wyse, brake pryson and escapyd. And shortly after dyed the kynge / whan he hadde reygned or borne the name of a kynge as other of hys pro¦genytours hadde done, by y^e terme of .xi. yeres / leuyng after hym nother chylde, as than knowynge, nor nere of a lye / whyche was cause of mysor∣der of the tytle of Fraunce, as after∣warde shall appere.

THE .CXLV. CHAPITER.

DAnyell that of y^e Frenchmen was after named Chilperich was by assente of them made kynge, in the yere of grace .vii. hundred and xxi / and the .xxxiiii. yere of Iue than kynge of westsaxons.

Thus as testyfyeth mayster Ro∣bert Gagwyne and also the Frenche cronycle, was a preste or clerke / and

for his wysedome was cherysshed be¦fore tyme in the kynges paleys / in y^e whyche tyme and season he sufferyd hys crowne to be ouer growen. Or ellys after Antoninus, this Danyell after y^e deth of Dagobert, for so mych as he lefte after hym none of y^e royall blode / the Frenchemen supposynge hym to be apte for y^e rule of the lond, for suche experyence as before tyme in hym had be proued / kepte hym se∣crete a certeyne of tyme tyll his heyre was fully growen / and than decla∣red hym to be the brother of Dago∣bert, and chaungyd hys name / and called hym Chylperych / & so by one assente admytted hym for kynge of Fraunce.

Charles before spoken of sonne of Pepyn, beynge escapyd the daunger of prysonement / sought and compas¦syd by all maner of wayes, how he myghte obteyne the rome that some∣tyme hys fader occupyed. And thys to brynge to effecte / he purchasyd to hym a yonglynge of fayre & goodly maners & stature named Clothayre, and sayd that he was descendyd of y^e royall blode of Fraunce / by meane wherof in shorte tyme he gaderyd to hym greate strength. wherof heryng Chylperych / commaunded Ranga∣frede to assemble hys knyghtes to wythstōde the purpose of Charlys. And soone after bothe hostes mette, nere vnto the forenamed ryuer of Mense / where was foughte a strong and cruell batayle / of y^e whych Ran∣gafrede was vyctor, and compellyd Charles to forsake the felde. But he shortly afterward assemblyd and ga∣deryd agayne togyder all suche as before were dysperklyd / and fought efte wyth the sayde Rangafrede at a Place called Ablane. Of the whyche batayle wyth great dyffyculte Char∣lys was lastly wyctour / and chasyd Rangafrede, and hys hoste greatly demynysshed & lassyd. Than thyrdly these two hostes met in a felde called the wyne felde / where also was pre∣sent the sayd Danyell or Chilperych hauynge in hys ayde amonge other prynces the duke of Gascoyne / and there fought a sore & cruell batayle. wherof lastly was vyctor the sayde Charlys / and constrayned the kyng wyth the sayde duke to fle vnto Or∣leaunce. where they takynge wyth them suche treasoure as belonged to the kynge / fled from thens vnto the Duchye of Gascoyne.

whan Charlys conceyued that the kynge was escapyd hys daunger, & knewe that Raganfrede was in the cyty of Aungiēs / he sped him thether in all haste: and compassyd the citye wyth so stronge a syege, that fynally he obteyned the cytye wyth all that was therin. But it was not longe af¦ter that Charlys shewed vnto Ragā¦frede suche benyuolence, that he was set at hys lyberte and fredome.

The next yere folowyng the duke of Gascoyn before mynded, hauyng parfyte informacyon by ambassade or otherwyse / that Charlys entēdyd to make sharpe & cruell warre vpon the Gascoynes, for that that they fa∣uouryd and kepte wyth them Da∣nyell or Chilperych / he in auoydyng the sayde daūger of warre, in shorte tyme after sent vnto Charlys, vnder certayne condycyons bytwene them agreed, the sayd Chylperyche / wyth al such treasour & iewellys as to him or the crowne of Fraunce belongyd.

In thys passetyme & season dyed the forenamed Clothayre, that Char¦les before had made kyng. wherfore to the more restfulnesse of y^e realme, he allowed the forenamed Chylpe∣ryche for kyng / and he as mayster of the kynges paleys, as other his pre∣decessours, ruled the land of Fraūce. Than Charlys hauynge thus the

rule and gouernaunce / ruled it well and substancyally, and defended yt from all enemyes durynge the lyfe of the sayd Chylperyche. And after the whych / Chylperych whan he had contynued as kynge by the terme of v. yeres dyed / and was buryed, as sayth the Frenche cronycle in y^e citye of Noen or Noyen / wythout issue of hys body.

Anglia. THE .CXLVI. CHAPITER.

EThelardus the neuew of Iue / be¦gan hys reygne ouer the westsa∣xons, in the yere of grace .vii. hun∣dred and .xxiiii / & the thyrde yere of Danyell otherwyse called Chylpe∣ryche than kynge of Fraunce. Thys after some wryters is named Ethel∣dredus.

In the tyme of hys reygne, Ofric{us} as kynge reygned in Northumber∣lande / to whom holy Beda wrote the story called historia Anglicana / or more verely to hys successoure Col∣woifus. Of the whyche Beda and of hys workes Ranulphe mūke of Che¦ster sheweth a compedyous processe, in the .xxiii. chapyter of hys .v. boke called Policronycon.

The forsayd Ofricus is named in the Englyshe cronycle Osbryght / of the whyche in the sayde cronycle is rehersed a longe worke. But for I se no authour of authoryte afferme the same / I therfore in thys worke passe it ouer.

It shulde appere also by the mea∣nynge of Polycronycon, that about thys tyme dyed Etheldredus before touchyd kyng of Mercia / the which whan he had longe tyme ruled that countrey, he lastlye renouncyd the pompe of thys worlde, & was shorne a munke at Bardony.

Of y^e soresayd Ethelarde kyng of westsaxon, is lefte no memory of any actes or dedes by hym done. But as agree many wryters, he dyed whan he hadde reygned .v. yeres, wythout issue of hys body.

And in Northumberlande after y^e forenamed Ofricus, reygned Col∣wolphus / after whom Egbertus / & after whom Oswolph / and after Os¦wolphe reygned Ethelbald or Ethel¦walde. All be it that dyuers au∣thours of these names of kynges & contynuaunce of theyr reygnes so dyuersly & sundryly report & wryte.

Francia. THE .CXLVII. CHAPITER.

THeodoricus, the whyche of mayster Robert Gagwyne is alowed to be the sonne of y^e seconde Dagobert / began hys reygne ouer y^e Frenchmen, in the yere of grace .vii. hundred and .xxvi / and the seconde yere of Ethelardus than kyng of westsaxōs. The which was from hys yonge and tender age fosteryd and norysshed in a house of nonnys in womans clothynge / and lastly espyed, and by cōsent of Char∣lys mayster of the paleys admytted for kynge.

After the whych solempnyte fynys¦shed / Charlys herynge of the rebel∣lyon of a people called the Sweuys or Swetesers / assembled an hoste, & lastly them subdued. whyche done / he turned hym toward an other part of the Almaynes, and in lyke wyse ouercame them / and after retourned into Fraunce wyth greate tryumphe and ryches, that he hadde wonne at

those two iourneyes.

It was not longe afterward, that Charlys had thus subdued the fore∣sayde people of Almayne, wyth also a greate parte of Germany / but that tydyng came to hym, y^t Endo duke of Gascoyne rebelled agayne y^e kyng of Fraūce. wherfore he in all goodly haste preparyd hys armye, and sped hym into Gascoyne / where he made so cruell warre, that he in short tyme damagyd greatly the countrey / and held the duke Endo so streyte, that he was compellyd to hyde hym in se∣crete places of the countreye / where after greate serche he myghte not be founde, wherfore he settynge the coū¦trey in some restfulnesse, retourned hym into Fraunce.

whan Endo was sure of the re∣tourne of Charlys into Fraunce / for so mych as he had prouyd the mar∣cyall knyghthode of hym, and knew well he myghte not hym selfe wyth∣stand hys knyghtly power / he there∣fore allyed hym wyth the kynge of Spayne than beyng a pagan or mys¦creaunt and named Abyderamus, and excyted and styred hym to make warre vppon the lande of Fraunce / promysynge to hym not all onely vyctory, but also that londe to hym and to hys heyres for euer. Uppon comforte of whyche promyse, and al∣so ayde of the sayde Endo / thys fore¦named Arbyderamus thrystyng cry∣sten mannys blode, and entendynge vtter desolacyon and destruccyon of the realme of Fraunce / assemblyd an excedynge hooste of people, and wyth theyr wyues chyldren and ca∣tayle entryd the londe of Fraunce. And what they wan, they enioyed it as theyr owne. And so in processe came vnto the cytye of Burdeaux / the whych after a certayne tyme of y^e cytesens defendyd, the sayde mys∣creaūtes wan into theyr possessyon, and dystroyed the people thereof, with all theyr chyrches and temples of the same. And from thens passyng the countreye in wastynge it wyth iron and wyth fyre, lastly came vnto Poytiers. whyche cytye as before ye haue harde in the story of the fyrste Dagoberte in the .C. and .xxxii. cha∣pyter, was by hym subuertyd / and at thys daye newely reedyfyed.

Thys cytye also of them posses∣syd / they in lyke maner as they had dalte wyth Burdeaux, so dyd they wyth thys / not sparynge that holy place of saynt Hyllary, but dyd vnto yt greate shame & vylany. And from thens they yode vnto Towers / wa∣stynge and sleynge the people wyth∣out mercy by all the waye that they passyd, and wasted that cytye as they had done the other.

In the whyche passetyme Char∣lys herynge of the cruelte of this Ar∣bideramus / assembled hys power, and shortly met with hym nere vnto Towers. where he bare hym so knyghtely / that he slewe of the Pa∣ganys to excedynge a nomber to be accordaunt wyth reason. But for I se it testyfyed of so many wryters yt boldeth me to expresse the nomber / whyche was .iii. hundred .iiii. score and .v. thousande and odde. And of the Frenchemen were slayne but .xv. hundred onely.

For the whyche vyctoryous acte / the sayde Charlys obteyned a sur¦name, and was called after that day Carolus Martellus, the whyche is to meane Charles the hamer. For lyke as the hamer maketh all metal∣lys plyable / so Charlys made hys foes or enemies pliable to his hestis. And as the hamer cutteth, breketh, or dysseueryth iron and other harde metallys / so dyd thys Charlys dys∣mēber & cut or breke the enemyes of Fraūce thorough his high prowesse.

It is shewyd in the bokes called Cronica cronicarum, Supplemen∣tum cronicarum, Policronica, and other / that this vyctory was obtey∣ned by Charlis of the Sarasins, but not as inhabytauns or incolers of Spayne / but that they were yssuyd out of Africa, and then warryd and hadde wonne great countreys in Spayne. The whyche is more ac∣cordaunt wyth hystoryes. For in the plegys or rehersayllys of the names of kynges of Spayne, I fynde no kynge of that name. Then yt folow∣eth in the story / when Charlis Mar¦tell hadde thus obteyned vyctory, he cōmaūded all y^e pillage to be brought to one place. That done, he deuyded it amonge hys knyghtes. And short¦ly after Endo knowlegynge hys of∣fence, and sekyng meanes of mercy / was agayne restoryd to the lande of Gascoyne.

THE .CXLVIII. CHAPITER.

CHarles Martell hauynge the duke of Gascoyne thus recoū¦cylyd / sent hym wyth a certayne of knyghtes agayn the reste of the sayd Sarazyns / the whyche by hys man hode he oppressyd and subdued, and clerely voydyd the lande of theym. Then soone vpon this beganne the Burgonyons to rebelle / and made sharpe warre vpon the Frenchemen nexte adioynaunte to them, and dyd vnto the countrey and inhabitaūtes of the same great harme. The which warre / the sayde Martell that therin toke great payne, not without great payne, lastely yt appeasyd and them subduyd.

In tyme of the whyche warre so contynuynge / Endo before rehersyd duke of Gascoyne dyed. wherfore Charlis to sette that prouynce in an order and due obeysaunce, yode the∣ther. where he beynge busyed about the nedes of the same / tydynges to hym were broughte that the wanda∣lys which ben of the kynde or lynage of the Hunys before touched, hadde entred the land wyth an houge pow∣er and in wastynge the countrey, ap¦prochyd y^e citye of Senōs or Sens, and yt enuyroned or beclypped wyth a stronge syege. But by the vertue and strength of the archbyshop of y^e cytye named Ebe, Ebbe, or Obbo, wyth the assystence of the cytezyns of the same / the sayde cytye was defen∣dyd and delyueryd from the power of the fayde wandalys / & the power of them abbatyd and subduyd.

For these manyfolde incurcyons and assautys of enymyes, and rebel∣lyon of the countrees that were sub∣iecte to the crowne of Fraunce / the treasour of Fraunce, & specyally of y^e temporall people was sore minyshed and wastyd. wherfore in defence of all the lande / Charlis Martell made requeste to the spirituall men / & with great dyffyculte hadde yt graunted, that he myght leuy certayne dymys to wage therwith soudyours, & pre∣payre other necessaryes for y^e warre. Thys after the opinyon of some wri¦ters, was the fyrste tyme that euery spirytuall mannes money wythin y^e realme was occupyed to temporall vse. wherfore as yt is reported of dy¦uerse cronyclars / the sayde Charlis when he was ded, was sene by the byshoppe of Orleaunce named Ethe¦reus, to be in great payne and tour∣ment.

Then Charlis moued his hoste to∣warde the Burgonyons, that agayn were of newe styred and exhortyd by dyuerse persones to newe rebellyon. And after his comynge thyther, dyd execucyon vppon suche persons as he founde culpable / and not without batayll, sette the country agayne in

quyet / & then retourned into Fraūce.

But he rested not longe there, or he harde worde that the Almaynes, whyche dwellyd ouer or beyonde the ryuer called the Ryne / brake ouer in to Fraunce. These people are named in y^e Frenche boke Sesues / y^e which dyd great domage vpon the coun∣treys adioynynge to the sayde ryuer. But yt was not long after, or he had theym chasyd and subduyd / wyth al so an nother people called the Hunis or Gothys, that he before hadde also vaynquyshed. The whych after this seconde scōfyture / they assocyat vnto theym the kinge of Longobardes na¦myd Luytprandus. By whose assys¦tens and power, the forsayde Gothis wan the citye of Auygnon and other stronge holdes, to the great hurte of the Frenche men.

And for at this season Charlis was greued wyth sykenesse / he therfore sent his brother named Chyldebert to wythstande the sayde enymyes / y^e whyche bare hym so manfully, that he chasyd the sayde enymyes.

But thys saynge dyscordyth wyth other authours, whyche shewen that betwene this Charlis and Luytpran¦dus was contynuall amyte & frend∣shyppe / in so myche that Luytpran∣dus ayded & assysted the sayde Char¦lis to auoyde y^e Sarasins that were entryd a countrey of Fraunce called then Gallia cisalpina.

In this tyme that Fraunce was thus wrapped in these harde happes and batayllys / dyed the kyng Theo¦doricus, when he hadde occupied the name onely of a kynge .xiiii. yeres.

Anglia. THE .CXLIX. CHAPITER.

CUtbertus the neuew of Ethe∣lard{us} / began his reygne ouer y^e westsaxōs, in the yere of grace .vii. hūdred & .xxix / and the thyrde yere of the seconde Theodoricus then kyng of Fraunce. In tyme of whose reygn Colwolphus reygned in Northum∣berland / to whome as before in the story of Ethelarde is touched, holy Beda wrote the story called Historia Anglicana. About the .ii. yere of the reygne of this Cutberte apperyd in the fyrmament .ii. blasynge starrys or .ii. starris wyth crestes / & caste as yt were brennynge brondes towarde the Northe.

And about the .vi. yere of the reygn of Cutbert dyed the foresayde holy Beda / the which in his tyme made & wrote .lxxviii. bokes, ouer and besyde his manyfold workes of vertue that he vsyd by all his lyfe tyme. It ys told of hym, that in his later dayes when he was blynd, he was brought by y^e frawde of his leder vnto a great hepe of stonys / the whych his leder shewyd to hym was an assemble of men and women, that were thether comyn to here hym preache the word of god. Then he thynkynge hys re∣porte to be true / anon wyth great de¦uocyon beganne there a collacyon. And therof when he came to the ende the stonys by dyuyne power, in lyke¦nesse of a great multytude of people sayd Amen / or after the sayng of An¦toninus, Deo gratias.

He was so noble of lernynge and ex¦cellent in connynge / that the fyrste Sergius pope of Rome sent for him to assoyle q̄styons there made in the popes vniuersyte. Also his connyng is apparent in the bokes whyche he wrote super Genesim, super Thobi∣am, super Esdriam, su{per} Neemiam, wyth other, whyche wolde aske a longe tracte of tyme to reherse, wyth also the omelies made vppon the gos¦pellys / but I passe ouer▪ when he was dede / he was buryed at y^e abbay of Gyruy / all be yt the comynyng is

that he restyth now wyth saynte Cut¦bert of Durham. About the .ix. yere of this kynges reygne / the holy vyr¦gyne saynt Fredeswide dyed. Of her yt is sayde, for vylanye that to her shulde haue ben done, by a kynge in Oxynford / that kynges of England at the seasons syns haue sparyd to entre that towne for drede of mys∣happe. who so wyll knowe the cyrcū¦staunce of the mater, and the holy∣nesse of her lyfe / lette hym serche the workes of holy Gyldas, where he shall be suffycyently informed.

Soone after thys tyme and sea∣son / Colwolphus kynge of Northū∣berlande when he had reygned .viii. yeres, he resygned his domynyon to his cosyn Egbertus / and was shorne a monke in the abbay of Geruy, or after some wryters in the abbay of Lyndesar or holy ylande.

Thus for as mych as lytle is shew¦yd of the dedis of Cutbert kynge of westsaxons, therfore I haue made the more rehersayll of other chynges done in his tyme. For of hym is no∣thynge lefte in wrytynge worthy to be remembryd or mynded / sauynge that he often and many tymes made warre vppon Ethelwalde kynge of Mercia and spedde therin diuersly / & lastely dyed when he had reygned after moste wryters .xvi. yeres.

Francia. THE .CXLIX. CHAPITER.

HIlderic{us} or Chil¦dericus y^e second of that name, & sonne of Theo∣doricus / began his reygne ouer the Frenshemen in y^e yere of our lordes incarnacyon .vii. hūdred and xl / and the .xi. yere of Cutbertus then kynge of westsaxons. Of the whych for his dulnesse and hys other enor∣mytes in hym exercysed / lytle or no thynge of his actes or dedes are put in memorye.

ye haue before in the story of Theo∣doryche, harde of the puyssaunt and stronge dedys of Charlis Martell / the whyche styll durynge his lyfe, cōtynued in great honour, to the great suertye of the realme of Fraūce, and to the great terrour and fere of theyr enymyes / wherof to reherse all the cyrcumstaunce yt wolde occupye a longe tyme. wherfore shortely to con¦clude / lastely after hys manyfolde trauayllys susteyned for the weale of the realme of Fraunce, he dyed / leuynge after hym thre sonnes, that is to wytte Charlemayne, Pepyn, and Gryffon / to the whyche he be∣quethed his possessions and goodes. But for the yongest named Gryffon helde hym not contentyd wyth suche bequest as hys father to hym gaue / he therfore made warre vppon hys other two bretherne. The whyche be¦haued theym so wysely / that wyth∣out notable batayll, they toke theyr sayde brother, and putte hym in a safe kepynge. And that done / the sayde two bretherne assemblyd theyr knyghtes, and spedde theym agayn Hanualde duke of Guyan, then re∣bellyng agayn the crown of Fraūce. The whych duke with the countrey, they brought vnder theyr fyrste obey¦saunce. After the whyche victorye of the sayde coūtrey obteyned, the sayd two bretherne spedde them to the cy¦tye of Poytyers, where they by ad∣uyse of the nobles of the lande, con∣syderynge the vnablenesse of Hilde∣ryche y^e kynge, that he was vnsuffy∣cyent to rule so great a charge / dy∣uyded the lande of Fraunce betwene theym. So that eyther of them shuld

vnder the kynge, rule and gouerne suche porcyon as then there was to them appoynted.

After the whyche porcyon Charl∣mayne herynge of the dyuysyon and stryfe amonge the Almaynes / as thynge belongynge to hys charge, spedde hym thyther in all haste. And after a parte of that countrey wastyd and spoylyd / and dyuerse of theyr stronge holdys caste playne wyth the erthe / he brought theym to due subieccyon.

And soone after he went agayne the Bauarys / y^e whyche by his knyghte¦ly strength, he appeased in lykewyse. In all whyche tyme and season / Pe∣pyn hys brother was occupyed in defendynge of the other partyes of Fraunce.

Then this foresayde Charlmayne steryd by dyuyne inspyracyon, or as some authours meane, as he before tyme hadde auowyd / sodeynely re∣nouncyd and gaue ouer all worlde∣ly prosperyte and domynyon, and with pure deuocyon yode to Rome. where of the pope then named za∣charias / he wyth all honour and ioy was receyuyd, and of hym shorne a munke, and dwelled a season in an abbaye of hym selfe buylded in the mounte Sarapte. But for he sawe that dayly drewe to hym many great lordes of Fraunce / by meane wher∣of he was lette from hys dyuyne ser∣uyce and contemplacyon: he ther∣fore yode thens to the mounte Cas∣syne, & there endyd his naturall lyfe.

After whose thus departynge or gyuynge ouer of the sayde Charle∣mayne / Pepyn as onely ruler, toke vppon hym the charge of the hole realme.

In thys passe tyme Gryffon the yonger brother was enlargyd from prysone / and by fauoure of hys bre∣therne was assygned to suche posses∣syons, as to hym was demed suffy∣cyent to lede an honorable lyfe.

How be yt when he sawe that hys brother Pepyn hadde all the rule and he nothynge: he dysdayned hys sayde brother / and thoughte no len∣ger to contynue in that maner, but to be partener of the rule of the lande as Charlemayne hys brother hadde ben. And this to brynge to hys pur∣pose, he fledde vnto the Saxons, whyche as after shall appere were na¦med Normans. And with the prynce of theym made alyaunce / so that wyth theyr ayde he mouyd warre a∣gayne his brother, and assembled a stronge hoste. wherof Pepyn be∣ynge warnyd, gaderyd hys people / and passynge thorow came to the ry¦uer of Sunaha, or after the latyne tonge Smussaha / and Gryffon sped hym tyll he came to a ryuer called Onacre.

whē these .ii. hostes were thus nere, meanes of treatye were soughte on both partyes. Durynge whych com¦munycacyon / Gryffon hauynge sus¦speccyon to the Saxons that were on his parte, leste they wold betraye hym and yelde hym into the handes of his brother, made for that tyme a sleyght agrement / and shortly after departyd from the sayd Saxōs, and fled to the Bauarys or into Bayon. where he allyeng hym wyth dyuerse nobles and barons of Fraunce / ve∣xyd and distourbed sore the duke and lorde of that countrey called Tassy∣lon / and lastly dysceasyd hym of that lordshyppe. wherof Pepyn beynge warned, spedde hym thyther wyth great strength / and so bare hym that he had the better of his brother, and restoryd the sayd Tassylon vnto his right / & after retourned into Fraūce, ledynge wyth hym his brother Gryf∣fon as his prysoner.

But ye was not long after, that by

medyatours the sayde Gryffon was reconcilyd to his brother. And for he shuld be cōtent & haue no more cause to vary with his broder, there was as¦sygned to hym, as wytnessyth y^e frēch cronicle and other, xii. erldomes with in the realme of Fraunce. wyth the whyche bounteous gyfte he not be¦ynge cōtente / the selfe same yere fled vnto y^e duke of Guyan named Gayf∣fer / and wyth hym newly conspyred agayne his sayde brother. But laste∣ly he was there slayne as after shall appere.

Pepyn then consyderynge in hys mynde in what daunger and trouble hys father before hym had ruled the lande, & he now for his tyme in lyke agony and trouble / and the kynge, to whome belonged all the charge, kepte hys paleys & folowed all his delytes and pleasures, wythoute ta∣kynge of any payne / wherfore con∣syderynge the premysses, & for a re∣formacyon of the same: sent hys am¦bassade to the pope then beynge za∣charye before named, askyng hys ad¦uyse, whether yt was more necessa∣ry or welfull for the realme of Fraūce that he shulde be admytted for kyng that dyd nothynge but applye hys mynde to all pleasure of hys bodye, wythout cure or charge takynge vp∣pon hym for the guydynge of the lande and the people of the same / or he that toke upon him all the charge and payne, in defence of the lande, and kepynge of the people in due sub¦ieccyon. To this the pope answeryd and wrote vnto Pepyn, that he was beste worthy and moste profytable for the realme to be admyttyd for kynge, that ruled well the comynal∣tye by iustyce and prudence, and the enymyes therof defendyth and sub∣dueth by his polycy and manhode. The whyche answere thus receyued frome the pope, and declared vnto the lordes and barons of the realme: anone they of one assente and mynde procedyd and went to the deposynge and puttynge downe of theyr kynge and gouernour Hylderyche. And in shorte space after closyd hym in a mo¦nastery or house of relygyon, when he hadde ben occupyer of a kynges rome by the name onely .x. yeres. And that done, the Frenche men ele∣ctyd and chase Pepyn for theyr soue¦rayne and kynge.

In the whyche Hilderyche or Chil¦derych endyd the lyfe or progeny of Meroneus / of whome the Frenche kynges lynyally descendyd by conty¦nuaunce of tyme as foloweth.

Meroneus.

x. yeres.

Childericus

xxiiii. yeres.

ii. yeres.

Clodoueus

xxx. yeres.

xvi. yeres.

iii. yeres.

Dagobertus

xiiii. yeres.

xi. yeres.

Clodoueus

xxx. yeres.

xvi. yeres.

iii. yeres.

Clotharius

iiii. yeres.

Theodoricus

iii. yeres.

xiiii. yeres.

xix. yeres

Childericus

xxiiii. yeres.

ii. yeres.

Lotharius

l. yeres.

xliii. yeres.

Chilpericus

xxiiii. yeres.

Lotharius

l. yeres.

xliii. yeres.

Clodoueus

xxx. yeres.

xvi. yeres.

iii. yeres.

Childebertus

xvii. yeres.

Dagobertus

xiiii. yeres.

xi. yeres.

Danyel

v. yeres.

Theodoricus

iii. yeres.

xiiii. yeres.

xix. yeres

Theodoricus

iii. yeres.

xiiii. yeres.

xix. yeres

Hildericus

x. yeres

Anglia. THE .CL. CHAPITER.

SIgebert{us} or Sig¦bertus the cosyne of Cutbert laste kynge of the west¦saxons / beganne his reygne ouer y^e sayd Saxons, in the yeres of y^e in∣carnacyon

of Cryst .vii. hūdred and xlv / and the .v. yere of Hilderic{us} then kyng of Fraunce. He was cruell and tyrannous to his subiectes / & turnyd theyr lawes and customes of his fore fathers after his owne wyll and plea¦sure. And for y^e one of the noble men of his dominyon somdele sharply ad¦uertysed him to chaūge his maners, and to behaue hym more prudently towarde his pleople / he therfore ma∣lycyously caused hym to be putte to cruell deth.

About this tyme Egbertus, after the yonger wylfryde, was made arch¦byshoppe of yorke. The whyche brought agayn thyther the pall that his predecessours hadde forgone, syns the tyme that the fyrst Paulin{us} had lefte that see and fled to Roche∣ster in Kent, and there lefte the sayd pall. This Egbert was brother vn∣to Egbert kyng of Northumberlād / by whose assystence and comforte, he dyd many thynges for the weale of y^e see, & made there a noble library.

Then yt folowyth, for so myche as the kyng Sygebert contynued in his malyce & cruell condycyons / his subiectes conspired agayn hym, and putte hym from all kyngely dyg∣nyte. So y^t he fell after to great de∣solacyon & mysery / in such wyse y^t he was founden after in a wood or deso¦late place wandryng alone without cōforte. where he beyng so foundē by a swyne herd or vylayne, some tyme belongyng to the erle Cōbran{us} y^t he before tyme wyckydly had slayn / in auengement of his sayd lordes deth slew hym in y^e sayd place. which sayd Sigebertus was thus depryued frō al houour / whē he after most writers had reygned or tyrannysed .ii. yeres.

THE .CLI. CHAPITER.

KEnulphus of the lyne or blode of Cerdicus fyrst kyng of west¦saxons / began hys domynyon ouer the sayde westsaxons in the yere of grace .vii. hundred & .xlviii / and the vii. yere of Hildericus then kynge of Fraunce. The vertue of thys man passyd his fame. For after he hadde with the agrement of the westsaxons depryued Sygebert theyr kynge frō his authorite and regally / he fyrst ap¦peasyd dyuers murmurs and grud∣gis that kyndelyd among his subiec¦tes / & set his lordshyp in great quyet¦nesse and rest touchynge theyr ciuyle dyscorde.

About the .viii. yere of the reygne of this Kenulphus / Offa slewe a ty∣raunt named Beoruredus, y^t before had slayne Ethelwald kyng of Mer¦cia. After whose deth the sayde Offa as neuew to the sayd Ethelwald, rey¦gned as kynge of that prouynce. Of this Offa is tolde many notable dedes, wherof somwhat I entende to shew. He hadde warre wyth the Nor¦thumbres, & thē for a tyme subdued. He also had warre wyth Etheldrede kynge of eest anglys / and wyth Eg∣bert otherwyse called Pren kynge of Kent. whome he toke prysoner, and led hym bounden wyth hym into Mercia.

Then after these vyctoryes, Offa buylded the chyrch of wychcom. In tyme of the whyche buyldynge, in presens of .xiii. byshoppes and ma∣ny other great estatys / kynge Offa enlargyd the sayde Egbert of impry¦sonement. In token wherof the peo¦ple beynge there present / made such an exclamacyon of ioye and glad∣nesse, that the chyrche therof range.

Thys kynge Offa hadde suche dys¦pleasure vnto the cytyzens of Caun∣terburye / that he remoued the arch∣byshoppes see by the agremente of the fyrste Adryane then pope, vnto Lychefelde. He also chased the Bry¦tons or welshmē into walys / & made

a famouse dyke betwene walys and the vtter bondys of Mercia or myd∣le Englande / the whyche to this day is named Offedyche. And after he buyldyd there a chyrch, whych longe tyme after was called Offekyrke. This Offa also by angelycall inspy¦racyon, translatyd the holy protho∣martyr saynt Albone / and was fyrst founder of that famous monasterye ouer that holy bodye. The whyche syns the fyrste foundacyon hath by sondry tymes ben perished and hurt by Danys & other / and newely syns that tyme reedyfyed. This holy Al∣bon was martyred as before appe∣ryth in the .lxvii. chapyter and storye of Cōstantius, about the yere of our lorde two hundred .lxxx. and .xvii. By whych reason he shuld lye or he were translatyd, ouer foure hundred and lx. yeres. This Offa also maried one of hys doughters to Bryghtricus y^• was kynge of westsaxons. And for that in his tyme was varyaunce be∣twene hym and the Frēche men, that passage of marchauntes was forbo∣den: therfore he sente that famouse doctour Anselmus vnto Charlis the great then kynge of Fraunce, to co∣mon the meanes of a peace. whyche Charlis hadde after thys Anselmus in suche fauour / that he became hys discyple.

Then retourne we to Kenelphus / y^t whyche before tyme had had often warre wyth Offa, and with hym ma¦ny conflyctes, and lastely agreed. About the .xi. yere of thys Kenelph{us} / Egbert kynge of Northumbres re∣nouncyd his kyngly dignyte, and be¦came a munke.

And lastely the sayde Offa, when he had reygned ouer Mercia .xxxix. yeres, as sayth Guydo / he lefte the kyngdome to hys sonne also named Kenelphus, and yode to Rome.

And this Kenulph{us} kynge of west¦saxon / kepte strongely hys lordshyp agayn y^e power of all his enymyes, & hadde his subiectes in due order of obedyence. Lastly Kenulph was sup¦prysed wyth the loue of a womā that he kept at Merton / and hauntyd her more secretly then stode wyth his ho¦nour. wherof hauynge knowlege a kynnesman of Sygebert late kyng, entendynge to reuēge the deposynge of his kynnesmā / awayted the tyme, and beset the house where Kenulphe & his paramour was smally accōpa∣nyed. But so soone as Kenulph had espyed his enymyes / he serte vppon them, whych as sayth Policronicon were .lxxx. in nōber, and fought with them a longe whyle. But in the ende he was slayn of Clyto or Clyton his enymye.

It was not longe after or worde sprang of the kynges deth. wherfore Offric{us} then beynge mayster of the kynges knyghtes / toke wyth hym a certayn of the sayde chyualry, & pur¦sued vpon the sayd murderers / & last¦ly encountred wyth them, and slewe the sayde Clyto theyr captayne with the more parte of his companye. And that done he retourned to Mer∣ton / and there toke the corps of Ke∣nulphe, and with great solemnyte cō¦ueyed yt vnto wynchester / where yt was with all reuerēce enterryd / whē he hadde ruled the westsaxons (all be yt that of hym the englyshe cronycle maketh no mencyon) .xxxi. yeres.

Francia. THE .CLII. CHAPITER.

PIpinus the secōd sonne of Charlis Martell, began his reygne ouer y^e Frenchemen, in y^e yere of grace .vii. hundred and .l / &

the seconde yere of Kenulphus then kyng of westsaxons. This as before ye haue harde, was elected to that ho¦noure, by assent of Pope zachary, & the consent of the nobles of Fraūce / and after he was confermyd of the se¦conde Stephan, when he satte after as Pope.

The fyrste yere of his reygne / the Saxons otherwyse called Danys or Normannys, beganne to warre vppon hym. The whyche he encoun¦tred at the ryuer of Isayr / and them knyghtly ouercame, and chased and brought them fynally vnder his sub¦ieccyon. And in his returnynge into the countrey of Fraunce / word was brought to him of the deth of his bro¦ther Gryffon / the whych as before is sayde fledde vnto Gayferus duke of Guyan, and there helde hym to the ende for to haue caused the people of Guyan to haue rebellid, and to make warre agayne his brother Pepyn. wherof when some of them consyde∣ryd the malycyous and vnstable con¦dycyons of hym / in auoydyng more daunger, that to theyr countrey by his meanes myght ensue, they fell so¦deynly vppon hym and slew hym.

when Pepyn was retourned into Fraunce / he by the aduyse of Remi∣gius then byshoppe of Roan, amen∣dyd the state of the chyrche / and cau∣syd goddes seruyce to be songe, that before tyme hadde ben wyth lytle de¦uocyon and reuerence done and vtte¦ryd. And other spyrytuall thynges that before were mysorderyd / he cau¦sed them to be sette in a better forme. And shortly after Stephā aboue na¦med, confyrmed this Pepyn and his heyres for kynges of Fraunce / and of hym axyd ayde and assystence to wythstāde the power of Aystulphus then kyng of Longobardes / y^e which then warryd vppon certayne landes belongyng vnto the chirch of Rome. The whyche kenge Pepyn to hym with good wyll graūtid / & the begyn¦nynge of the nexte yere folowynge, wyth a great hoste enteryd the boun∣des of Italy / and in the same made sharpe and cruell warre. In defence wherof the sayde Aystulphus made his beste prouysyon / and defendyd y^e straytes and moūtaynes, by y^e which the Frenche men shuld haue further entre into hys lande / and there gaue vnto his enymyes a stronge fyghte. All be yt he wyth his people was for¦cyd to gyue backe / & for hys refuge toke y^e citie of Papye. wherof Pepyn hauynge informacyon / beclyppyd y^e sayd cytye wyth a strong syege. when Aystulph{us} had a season defen¦ded hys cytye / & saw by experiēce day¦ly his enimyes encreace, & his power mynyshe and feble / in auoydynge of extreme daunger, he sought meanes of peace / and in suche wyse pursued the same, that he finally hadde peace to hym graunted / vppon condycyon that he by a daye lymytted, shuld re∣store to y^e pope all ryght to his chirch belongynge, that he or any for hym helde or before tyme hadde wythol∣den / wyth other thynges concer∣nynge the sayde peace. And for the perfourmaunce of the sayde condy∣cyōs / he deliueryd immediatly good hostages and pledgys. After whyche peace thus substancially confermed / Pepyn wyth his hoste wyth great tryumphe retourned into Fraunce.

But not wythstandyng this assu¦ryd peace, by the confyrmacyon of othe and other cyrcumstaunce before shewyd / the nexte yere folowynge he trustynge vppon better fortune of warre, denyed and reuokyd all his former grauntes / and refused to do as before he hadde fyrmyly promy∣sed. For this vnstablenes and vn∣trouth to remedy / the pope of newe made requeste vnto Pepyn. The

which wythout longe taryeng resem¦bled his knightes, & made good sped towarde Italy / & not wythout daū∣ger passyd the mountaynes / and fy∣nally besyeged Aystulphus wythin y^e foresayd cytye of Papy. By meane wherof he lastly was constrayned to restore certayne cyties and other pos¦sessyons that before tyme he had ta∣ken from the pope.

After the whych agrement endyd and perfyted / wythin a shorte terme the sayde Aistulphus beynge in hys dysporte of huntynge, fell from hys horse or with his horse. By vyolence wherof he was so brosyd, that he dyed shortly after / whan he had ru∣led the Longobardes, Lumbardys, or Italyans .viii. yeres.

After this vyctory thus obteyned by Pepyn / the lordes and prynces that dwellyd aboute hym, feryd and drad hym, and sought to hym for al∣lyaunce & amyte. Amonge the whych Tassylon duke of Bayon before spo¦ken of, that newly hadde conspyred agayn hym / yelded hym to the kyng, and became hys trewe lyege man / and swore to hym and to hys two sonnes feawte.

But the Saxons, whyche in the Frenche boke are named Soysons / coude neuer hold them cōtent with∣out dystorbynge of the Frenchemen. wherfore kynge Pepyn assembled a greate hoste and made towarde thē, and had wyth them dyuerse conflyc∣tes and batayles. So that at length they were dryuen to aske peace / vpō condicyō that yerely after they shuld yelde vnto the kynge of Fraunce iii. hundred good horses in waye of trybute.

And that done he retourned into Fraūce / and immedyatly after ordey¦ned by the aduyse of hys counceyle a courte or counceyle / y^e whiche at this day is called y^e parlyamēt of Fraūce, and is lyke vnto the courte of reque∣stes now at this day holden in Eng∣land. How be it y^t of mych greater resort of people, and therwyth veray delayous / in so mych that as I haue herde credyble persons say / some one mater hath hanged there in dysputa¦cyon ouer .xx. yeres. The whych par∣lyament at this daye is kepte at Pa∣rys, at Roan, and other two places of the lande. And for iudges of thys counceyll or parlyament, is deputyd of the kynges coste in euery place where it is kepte an hūdred persons, what of one and what of an other.

Than it foloweth, Gayfer duke of Guyan before mynded / of wyll more than of reason, set a trybute or imposycyon vppon the spyrytuall landes wythin hys lande wythout agrement of the clergy. wherfore the byshoppes for a redresse and remedy cōplayned them vnto kynge Pepyn. Then Pepyn sent vnto hym / mone∣stynge hym in fayre and goodly ma∣ner, that he shuld exchew and forbere such doyng. And for the duke wolde not abstayne for the kynges cōmaū∣dement / he in shorte whyle assembled hys army, and entred the territory of Guyan / in wastynge and spoylynge the countrey. And in so shorte whyle after put the duke in suche fere, that he was fayne to aplye hym to y^e kyn∣ges mynde and pleasure / and bound hym to restore to the clergy all that he had before taken by extort power. But whan the sayde duke was assu∣ryd of y^e kinges retorne into Fraūce / he gathered a strength of knyghtes, and sent theym to the cytye of Cha∣lours in Burgoyne / and dyd that he cowde or myghte to the domage of that towne and countrey. In whych season the kynge was at the towne or cytye called Dury / whyther and to the whyche towne tydynges were brought to hym of the vntrew dea∣lynge

of thys foresayd duke. where wyth he beynge sore dyscontent / re∣tournyd wyth his people into Guyā and therein bete downe many strong holdys & castlellys / and toke or wōne at length burbon, Cancaruyle, and Cleremoūt / and from thens wasting the coūtrey wyth iron and fyre, yode tyll he came to Lymoges. And for y^e wynter came on hande / the kyng for the ease and sauegard of his people, strengthyd these foresayde cytyes, townes, and holdes, that he before had wonne / and than yode to a place called Cause or Caus, & there kepte hys crystmasse and ester. And whan the new season was come / not forget¦tynge hys former purpose, reentryd the foresayd duchy of Guyan, in wa¦stynge the londe as he before hadde done / and after toke by strength the cytyes of Burgies and Towrs. In whyche season and tyme the duke wolde neuer apere in playne felde, but kepte hym in strong holdes / & as one was wone, he fled into another.

Thys warre thus contynuynge / the countreye and people were sore empouerysshed. wherfore they lastly consyderynge the obstynacy of theyr duke / wyth also the greate daunger which they stode in: murderyd theyr sayde duke / and after yelded them & the coūtrey to the kynges obeysaūce, wyth all suche treasure and iewelles as to the sayd duke belonged / where of Pepyn offerd a great parte of thē vnto saynte Denys.

Thys warre thus ended, wyth many other notable workes whereof the rehersall in order wolde aske a longe tracte of tyme: thys vyctory∣ous prynce Pepyn was vexed wyth greuous sykenesse. wherfore in all haste he sped hym vnto saynt Mar∣tynes, where he made certayne obla∣cyons and prayers / and thens hys sykenesse encreasyng, was conueyed vnto Parys / where he shortly after dyed, when he had reygned as kynge by the terme of .xviii. yeres / leuynge after him .ii. sonnes, that is for to say Charle mayne and Charlys.

THE .CLIIII. CHAPITER.

CArolomanus and Charlys sonnes of Pepyn / begā theyr reygne ioyntly ouer the Frenchmen, in the yere of our lorde .vii. hundred lxviii / and the .xx. yere of Kenulphe than kynge of westesaxons / so that Charlemayne had to his parte myd∣dell Fraunce, and Charlys had Au∣stracy wyth y^e other deale of Fraūce.

Of y^e elder brother Charlemayne lytell is lefte in memory / for he dyed whan he had reygned lytell ouer .ii. yeres. wherfore to Charlys fell the hole realme of Fraunce / the whyche of all the nobles was ioyously ad∣mytted.

It was not longe after / Hunyl∣dys whom Pepyn by hys lyfe hadde ordeyned ruler of Guyan, rebellyd agayne the kynge, wherfore Char∣lys preparyd anone hys armye, and sped hym thyder / and in processe of tyme constrayned the sayd Hunyld{us} to forsake the countrey, and for hys tuycyon to flee vnto Lupus than duke of Gascoyne, wherfore Char∣lys beynge aduertysed, sent hys mes¦sage to the sayd Lupus / wyllynge & commaundyng hym that he in spedy maner, shulde sende to hym hys re∣bell Hunyldus, or els he wolde with hys army inuade & spoyle his people and coūtrey. Uppon resceyt of which message, Lupus by coūceyll condes∣cendyd to the kynges pleasure / so y^t he causyd Hunyldus to submyt hym vnto the kynges grace and mercy. wherewyth the kynge was so well contentyd, that vppon assuraunce taken of the sayd Hunyldus, y^t there after he shulde be of good aberynge

toward the kyng / he clerely forgaue vnto hym all hys former offence. And after he had set that countrey in a rule and order / he retornyd into Fraunce. where to hym soone after came an embassade from the fyrste Adryan than pope / requyrynge hym of ayde agayne Desyderi{us} thā kyng of Longobardys / the whyche than had taken from the chyrche of Rome many cytyes and other possessyons.

Than Charlys acceptyng the po∣pes request / or he began any warre agayne the sayde Desyderius, sente vnto hym an embassade / wyllynge and requyrynge hym in all honora∣ble wyse to restore vnto the chyrche of Rome, all suche possessyons as he from the same chyrche before tyme hadde taken and yet withhelde / and also to refrayne hym from all suche warre as he dayly made vppon the londys of the sayd chyrche. But for he sawe no frute ensue of y^e message / he made prouysyon for all thyng ne∣defull to such a iourney. And shortly after passed the mountaynes, not all wythout batayle / and in processe cō∣strayned Desyderi{us} to take the cytye of Uercyle. where after he hadde re∣fresshed hys Italyans / he gaue vn∣to the Frenchemen a sharpe and cru∣ell batayle. But in the ende, Desyde¦rius was compellyd to forsake the felde, and fled after to the forenamed cytye of Papy / where he kepte hym as after shall appere a longe whyle.

And for to shewe you somewhat of the foresayde batayle / ye shall vn∣derstande that for the greate occysyō of men y^t there was slayne / the place was called longe after Mortaria, that is to meane in our vulgare or mother tonge the place of deth. In this fyghte were slayne amonge o∣ther two knyghtes greately famyd, Amys and Amylyon / of whom some fables are reportyd, bycause they were so lyke of semblaunt.

These two knyghtes as wytnes∣syth the Frenche story and also An∣toninus / were brought vppe in the court of the foresayde Charles, and wyth hym well cherysshed / and fy∣nally here slayne and buryed after some wryters in the two chappellys, whyche in the foresayde place were buylded to praye for the greate mul∣tytude of the soules of these knygh∣tes that there were slayne. But who that is desyrous to knowe the hole lyfe of those two foresayd knyghtes / let hym ouerse the thyrde chapyter of the .xiiii. tytle of Antoninus / and he shall there fynde a compendyous and goodly story / the whyche for length I ouerpasse and retorne my style agayne to Charlys. The which whan he was ware that Desyderius had taken thys cytye of Papy / and it greatly strengthyd both with men and vytell, in such wyse that he well vnderstode y^t it myghte not be short∣ly wonne: he therfore layde about it a stronge syege wyth the ouersyght of sure and wyse capytayns / and af∣ter yode to Rome to vysyte the holy apostles Peter and Poule, and also to speke wyth the pope for dyuers maters. where he taryed a greate parte of the wynter folowynge, and after retorned vnto Papy / whych as yet was not delyueryd nor gyuē vp.

But it was not longe after his re∣torne that the cytye was wonne / wherein was takyn as prysoner the sayde Desyderius wyth hys wyfe and chyldren. The whyche to make shorte processe, he at length forcyd hym to restore vnto the pope all such possessyons as he before tyme hadde taken from hys chyrche / and addyd more there vnto, the two cytyes of Spoletys and Beneuent. And fy∣nally depryued hym of all kyngely honoure, and ladde hym as prysoner

into Fraunce / and as a prysoner or exyle from hys naturall countreye kepte hym at the cytye of Lyons, as wytnessyth Cronica cronicarum, Ia¦cobus Philippus, and other. And after by agremēt the pope gaue that kyngdome vnto Pypynus hys son / the whych cōtynued so in the French mens rule and possessyon, ouer the terme of two hundred yeres.

For thys vyctoryous dede thus obteyned by Charlis / the forenamed pope graūted vnto hym many great pryuyleges. Amonge the nomber whereof, one was that no pope du∣rynge the lyfe of Charlys, shulde be in no wyse electid or chosyn tyll there came from hym a commaundement to go to that eleccyon. And also he graunted vnto hym inuestyture of benefyces spyrytuall. whyche graun¦tes and pryuyleges were confermed and authorysed in a Synode of an hundreth and .liii. bysshoppes, kepte in Fraunce by cōmaundement of the foresayd Adryan.

Of thys Charlys longe and te∣dyous it were to tell the hole of hys actes and dedes. wherfore I entende to towche but a parte of theym / and for the other deale I remitte to them y^t haue further desyre of knowlege, vnto the bokes of Turpyn and Egy¦ueaux chaplayne to the sayde Char∣lys / or ellys to the sayd bysshop Tur¦pyn, whyche wrote a longe worke of hys vertuous dedes.

THE .CLV. CHAPITER.

THis Charlys mar¦cyall after his re∣torne into Fraūce / without there lōge taryeng sped hym agayne to the fore¦named people cal∣led Soysons or Saxons, whyche newly rebellyd / and warryd sharpely vppon them, and fought wyth them sondry batay¦les. Amonge the whyche two ben spe¦cyally noted / whereof that one was foughten at a place called Onacre, and that other at the ryuer of Esam or Hesayre. By whyche two batayls the Saxons loste moch of theyr peo∣ple, and were so sore feblysshed that they were fayne shortely after to put them in the mercy of Charlys. By reason wherof he bonde them vnto certayne lawes and ordynaunces / wherof specyally one as pryncypall of them, was that they frō that daye forth, shulde renounce and forsake theyr worshyppynge of idollys and fals goddes, and beleue in the fayth of Crystes chyrch, wyth many other. For the performynge of the whyche couenauntes / the kyng toke of them good pledgys & hostages. And more ouer to the ende to mynysshe & make lesse theyr strengthe / he chase out of them .x. thousande of the moste apte men for the warrys, and conueyed them wyth hym into Fraunce. And after he hadde clothed them with the mantell of baptyme / takynge of thē assuryd othe to be trewe to hym and to hys heyres: he after inhabyted them in dyuers places of his realme. Of the whyche people, as affermeth myne authoure, descendyd the Flem¦mynges and Brabāders. And thus endyd the warre of the Saxons or Soysons, that hadde contynued by the terme of many yeres passyd.

And forthwyth by assent and ad∣uyse of hys counceyle / he preparyd all abilymentes and ordynaunce of warre, to go agayne y^e Hunys y^t then had wonne great groūd in Spayne. And for to bryng this war to y^e more effectuall ende / he chase .xii. perys, which after some wryters are called dozeperys or kynges. Of the whiche

vi. were byshoppes & .vi. temporall lordes. Of the whyche byshoppes thre were named dukes, whych were archbyshops / & .iii. erlys, which were byshoppes. Of the temporall lordes thre were dukes and thre erlys / that is to saye the duke of Burgoyne, the duke of Neustria or Normandy, and the duke of Guyan / & for .iii. erlys, the erle of Palantyne, y^e erle of Tho¦lons, and the erle of Champayn. Of y^t whyche also some writers afferme, that y^e famouse knyghtes Rowland and Olyuer were .ii / as Roulād erle of Palātyne. & Olyuer erle of Tho∣lous. when Charlis had prepared all thynges necessary to this gret iour¦ney / he fyrste made his pylgrymage vnto saynte Denys, and there offerd ryche great gyftes, and after proce∣dyd towarde his iourney / and fyrste besyegyd the citye called Pāpilona / the whych after .iii. monethes he sub¦dued to his obeysaunce. This cytye stode in the entre of Spayne in the montaynes callyd montes Pyreni. After the obteynynge of whyche cy∣tye, and by myracle of saynt Iamys as sayth Antoninus / Charlis com∣maūded all such as to Crystes fayth wolde be conuertyd, shuld be sauyd / & the other to passe by sentence of the sworde. And after he hadde wonne y^e fyrste cytye he wanne all the coūtrey adioynynge to the same / by reason wherof he caste great fere vnto the myscreantis / and wan by his strēgth and by appoyntemēt (so that they be¦came his trybutaryes) these coūtres and prouynces hereafter ensuynge / that is to saye as wytnessyth Uyncēt historyall, Antoninus, and other y^e land of Laudeluffe, the land of Par∣dis, the lande of Castyll, the lande of Maurys, the prouynce of Nauerne, the countrey of Portyngall, the lāde of Byscaye, & the lande of Palarge / and destroyed in them all idollis and buyldyd in them chyrches and mona¦steryes / and brought the more par∣tye of them to Crystes relygyon. And moste specyally the chyrche of saynt Iamys he buylded in Cōpos∣tella wyth sumptuous coste / & gaue there vnto great possessyons, to the maynteynyng of the diuyne seruyce of god and the mynysters of y^e same. And ouer that with the treasour that he gate in these foresayd countreys / he buyldyd many dyuerse chyrches, as well in other places as there.

Longe yt were to tell all the cyrcū∣staunce of this vyage and vyctoryes of the same. wherfore I passe ouer. And when Charlys hadde sped hys nedys / he had good wyll to retourne into Fraunce. In the whych retorne Carlis castynge no dought nor pa∣rell / by the treason of Gauelon a knyght or ruler of Gascoyn / y^e which Gauelon hadde receyuyd of a Pay∣nym kynge named Marsyll, great & ryche gyftes for to betraye the hoste of Charlis, was dysceyuyd as after shewyth. Thys Gauelon the better to compasse and brynge to effecte his purpose / aduised Charlis wyth a cer¦tayne of his people to passe the porte of Cesayre, and to leue behynde hym in the rerewarde Rouland & Olyuer wyth .xx. thousande of the resydue of his hoste. And when the kynge was passyd wyth his hoste / he gaue war∣nynge vnto the forenamed Marsyll and other, that they shulde close the sayde Rowlande in the place callyd Rounceuale. The whych accordyng to that false counsayll / with an hoste of .lx. thousande or mo, beclyppyd Rowlande and his people on euery syde, and there fell vppon the Crystē men and slew them wythoute mercy or pytye. In the whyche fyght, not wythstandynge the great slaughter that they made of the Sarasyns / fy¦nally was there slayne the sayd Row¦lande,

Olyuer, and many of the no∣bles of Fraunce. But this Gauelon scapyd not wythoute punyshement. For he was after taken / and wyth other to hym condescēdyng, were put to moste cruell deth at the cytye of Aquisgrany.

Of thys great vyctory of Charlis in subduynge of Spayn / are dyuers opynyons. For the Frenche cronycle and Antoninus agreen, that it shuld be after that Charlis was ennoynted emperour of Rome. But mayster Ro¦bert Gaywyn and other say, that yt was before he was emperour.

Thus this victoryous prynce re∣tournynge into Fraunce, subdued thā after diuerse coūtreys, as Gallia Narbonensis, Campania or Cham∣payn, and Beneuentana, and other / whych of one mynde hadde rebellyd agayne hym.

Aboute the .xxxi. yere of his reygne as moste wryters agre / certayne per∣sons of Italy conspyred agayn Leo the .iii. then Pope of Rome, and hym vngoodly entreatyd. But he lastely escapyng theyr daunger / came vnto Charlis, and requyryd hym of hys cōfort and ayde / wherof he was not daungerous. But when he had well serchyd, and vnderstode that y^e pope had susteyned wrong / he wyth all dy¦lygence spedde hym thyther. And af¦ter he had subdued y^e popes enimies / he restoryd the sayd pope to hys for∣mer dignyte. For the which dede and other that he had done for y^e defence of the chyrch of Rome / he was by the sayd pope Leo or Leon sacryd or en∣oyntyd emperour of Rome.

THE .CLVI. CHAPITER.

CHarlis then thus sacryd as emperour, in the yere of oure lord .viii. hundred and one / when he hadde accomplyshed hys nedys for the weale of the chyrch and the pope, he then wyth great gyftes retourned into Fraunce.

In this tyme or soone after as wit¦nessyth the Frenche cronycle, landed in Fraunce the famous clerkes Al∣cinnus or Albinus, Rabanus, & Io∣hannes, and other of the discyples of Beda. The whych Charlis receyued wyth great honour / and by theyr coū¦saylys instytuted and ordeyned fyrst the scole of Paris, and an other at Papia in Italy before minded. wher¦fore yt shulde seme that the sayde Al¦cinnus was not sent for any entrea∣tyse of peace betwene the two real∣mes of Fraunce and great Britayn, as in the storye of Kenulphus before is shewyd.

After this tyme and season many great and noble dedis were done by this sayd Charlis, and by his sonnes and capytaynes vnder hym, and by his commaundement.

And for the personage of so noble a prynce shuld be had in mynde / ther∣fore dyuerse authours testyfye y^t he was fayre & welfaryng of body, and sterne of loke & of face. His body was viii. fote long / & his armes & legges well lengthed & strengthed after the proporcyon of the body. His face of a spāne brede / & his berde very long. Of hys strength wonders are tolde. He wold at one mele ete an hole hare or two hennes, or a hole gose, or lyke quātyte of other mete / & drynke ther to a litle wyne mynglyd with water.

Amonge his other notable dedis, he made a brydge ouer the ryuer of Ryne of .v. hūdred pace longe, by the cytye of Magunce. And he buylded as wytnessyth Antonin{us} and other / as many abbayes or monasteryes as there ben letters in the crosse row of the A.B.C.

And in the front of eyther of y^e sayd abbayes, after the tyme of theyr foū∣dacion

/ he pight or set a letter of gold of the value of an hundred pounde turnoys, whych is nere to the value of englysh money now curraunt .xx. mark. For a poūde turnoys is mych lyke .ii.s.viii.d. starlyng / and a poūd Parysyen is nere vppon .xl.d. star∣lyng. But it standyth at no certayn∣te, for hyghtynge & lowynge of theyr coynes.

He also buylded or new reedyfyed the cytye of Aquisgrany / & endowyd the chyrch of our lady there wyth ma¦ny great gyftes and precyouse rely∣ques, whyche yet remayne there to this daye / in whych cytye and nere a¦boute, he vsyd myche to abyde & lye. And for his great dedes & vyctory∣es / he deserued to be named Charlis y^e great. And for all his great myght and honour / yet y^t not wythstādynge he was meke and lowly in herte, and mylde & gracyous to the poore, and mercyfull to wretches & nedy / & sette his sonnes to lerne, as wel letters as marcyall & knyghtly featys. And his doughter he set to spynnynge & woll worke. And he was expert in all spe∣chys / so that he neded none interpre∣tours to explane or expresse to hym y^e message of straunge ambassatours. And in the tyme of his dyner or mea¦les / he vsyd to haue red before hym lessons and pystles / and specyally of the workes of saynte Austayne de Ci¦uitate dei. In hym was nothynge to be dyscommendyd / but that he helde his doughter so longe vnmaryed.

This noble man Charlis .iii. yeres before his deth / he hadde peace wyth all countreys, as well suche as were obeysaunt vnto y^e empyre, as such as longed to his domynyon of Fraūce. In the tyme of reste amonge other goodly & vertuous dedys, he made hys testamēt / & dystrybuted his tem¦porall mouable goodes in .iii. {per}tes. wherof two part he gaue to y^e mayn¦teynynge of bishoppes and other my¦nysters of the chyrch, and for the re∣paracion of chyrches & necessaries to the same, and to the maynteynynge of the dyuyne seruyce of god, with al¦so ayde and fedynge of poore & nedy people / and the thyrde parte to hys chyldren and other of his allye.

ye shall vnderstande, this Charlis had in his treasory specyally noted before hys other iewellys, iiii. tables or bordes / wherof thre were of syluer and the fourth of gold. In one was grauē the lykenes of the cytye of Cō¦stantyne the noble, the whych he be∣quath to the chyrche of Romē. In an other was grauen or wrought the ly¦kenysse of the cytye of Rome / & that he gaue to the byshop of Reynes and to his chyrche. And the thyrd table of syluer, wherin was grauen the map¦pa mundi / and the fourth of gold he gaue to his sonnes.

Many thynges there were and cau¦sys of the exaltyng of y^e fame of this prynce. But among other one is spe¦cyally remembryd of myn authoure Gagwyne / that the kynge of Percye then rulynge a great parte of y^e Ori∣ent / sent vnto Charlis an ambassad honorable wyth many ryche presen∣tis. Amonge the whyche was an ho∣rologe of a clocke of laten of a won∣der artyfycyall makyng, that at eue∣ry oure of the daye and nyghte when the sayd clocke shuld stryke, images on horse backe apperyd out of son∣dry places, and after departid agayn by meane of certayne vyces.

He sente to hym also tentys of ry∣che sylke and balme naturall, with certayne Olyfauntys / requyrynge hym of amyty and frendshyppe. And in lyke wyse dyd the emperour of Cō¦stantyne the noble / all be yt thathe in his mynde was not well contentyd, that the pope had in y^e wyse dyuyded the empyre, and sette suche a man of

myghte in the rome therof.

Thys Charlis had dyuers wyues. But of the seconde named Eldegard he receyued .iii. sonnes / that is to say Lewys, Pepyn, & Charlis / y^e whyche Pepyn he made kynge of Longobar¦des or Italy, as before is shewyd.

Of thys great conqueroure what shulde I holde lenger processe? For lyke as I before shewyd / of his nota¦ble dedys myght I make a great vo¦lume, yf I shuld of them shew the cle¦renesse, and the circūstaunce of euery cōquest that he in his tyme acheuyd. But deth that is to all {per}sones egall / lastly toke him in his dymme daūce, when he had ben kynge of Fraunce with his brother & alone .xlvii. yeres. Of the whyche he ruled the empyre as before is shewyth .xiiii. yeres, in y^e yere of his age as sayen the frenche cronycles .lxxii / and was buryed at Aquisgrany wyth great pompe, in y^e yere of our lordes incarnacyon .viii. hundred and .xv. wyth this superscri¦pcyon vppon his toumbe.

Caroli Magne christianissimi imperatoris Romanorū corpus, sub hoc sepulchro conditū est. which may be englished as folowith.

Of Charlis the great and empe∣rour moste crysten.

Of Rome, the bodye is hyd thys toumbe wythin.

Of the forenamed sonnes of Char∣lys suruyued y^e eldest Lewys by na∣me / and the other two Pepin & Char¦lys dyed, before theyr father.

Anglia. THE .CLVII. CHAPITER.

BRigthricus of the blood of Cerdic{us} fyrst kyng of west¦saxons descēdyd / beganne hys rey∣gne ouer the sayd Saxons, in yere of oure lorde .vii. hundred and .lxxviii / and the .x. yere of Charlis the great then kynge of Fraunce.

This before tyme hadde maryed one of the doughters of Offa kynge of Mercia, as before is touchyd / by whose ayde and power he put out of hys rule Egbert the sonne of Alcu∣mundus / the whyche Egbert at that daye was an vnder kynge or ruler in the lordshyppe of westsaxon, whyche Egbert was descendyd of y^e blood of the holy Genulphus / of whome som parte of the storye ys declared in the .xxv. chapyter of the .v. boke of Po∣licronica. And after he was thus of Brigthricus expulsyd / he saylyd in∣to Fraunce, and there exercysyd hym¦selfe in featys of warre wyth the kny¦ghtes of Charlys courte, durynge the lyfe of the sayde Brigthricus.

About the .ii. yere of thys Brigth¦ricus, was sene in great Brytayne a wonder syghte. For sodeynly as men walked in y^e strete / crossys lyke vnto blood fell vppon theyr clothes, and blood fell from heuen lyke drop∣pes of rayne.

This after some exposytours / be∣tokened the commynge of the Da∣nes into this lande, the whyche en∣tryd shortely after. For as wytnes∣syth Polycronica, aboute the .ix. yere of Brigthricus the Danys fyrste en¦tryd this lande. In defence wherof / thys sayde kynge sent forth hys ste∣warde of housholde wyth a smalle company, whych shortly was slayn. But by the strength of Brygthricus and the other kynges of Saxons / they were cōpellyd to voyde the land for that tyme and season.

Brigthricus thus well & knyght∣ly rulynge his land / his wyfe named Ethelburga not wyth hym cōtentyd as she oughte to be, soughte dyuerse wayes and meanes how she myghte brynge her lorde oute of lyfe / so that

fynally she poysoned hym wyth ma∣ny other of hys housholde meyny. wherfore she ferynge punyshement, fledde into Fraunce / and by suche frēdshyppe as she there hadde, was well cheryshed in Charlis courte sur¦named the great.

Of her yt is told, that whan he had hadde some informacyon of the vn∣stablenes of this womans condycy∣ons / he at that season beynge a wy∣dowar, vppon a season in passynge of the tyme wyth her / sayde, nowe I put to youre choyse whyther ye wyll haue me vnto your wedded lorde, or ellys my sonne stādyng here in your presence. And hym that you chose / hym shall you haue and enioye for your husbande. But she chase y^e son and lefte the father. Then sayde the kynge / yf thou haddest chosen me, thou shuldest haue hadde my sonne. But for thou haste forsaken me thou shalt haue nother of vs. And after he closyd her in an abbey, where in pro¦cesse a lewde man kept with her such company, that she was voydyd that place / and after demeaned her so vy¦cyously, that in processe of tynie she fell in such pouerte, that she dyed in great penurye and myserye. For the whyche mysse demeanure of this wo¦man, that she had innaturally slayne her lorde and husbande / the kyng of Anglis and specially of westsaxons, wolde not suffer the wyues to be cal∣lyd Sueuys / nor yet suffer them to sette by them in places of great ho∣nour or kyngely sete by a long tyme after. Thus as before is shewyd by the impoysonynge of his own wyfe, dyed y^e kynge Brigthricus / when he had ruled y^e westsaxōs after most con¦corde of writers by the terme of .xvii. yeres.

THE .CLVIII. CHAPITER.

EGbertus the sonne of Alcumū¦d{us} as before is shewyd / began hys reygne ouer the westsaxons in y^e yere of grace .vii. hundred .lxxx. and xv / and y^e .xxvii. yere of Charlis the great then kynge of Fraunce. Thys as before is sayde was dryuen oute of the lande of Britayne by y^e strēgth of Brigthricus. But he hauynge knowlege of hys deth / spedde out of Fraunce, and in so knyghtely wyse hym demeaned, that he obteyned the regiment and gouernaunce of the a∣boue sayde kynge.

Bernulphus kynge of Mercia had this Egbert in derysyon / and made therof dyuerse scoffys & iapynge ry∣mes, y^t which he susteyned for a time. But when he was somdeale stablys∣shed, and hadde prouyd the myndes and hartis of his subiectes / he lastly assembled his knyghtes, and gaue to hym a batayll in a place called Elyn¦dome, in the prouynce of Hampton. And all be yt that in that fyght was great dyuersyte of nomber, as .vi. or viii. agayne one / yet Egbert had the victory. For his knyghtes were lene, megre, pale, and longe brethed, so that they myghte endure to fyghte. But Bernulphus knyghtes were fatte, corpulent, & shorte brethed / so that they were soone ouercome with swet and shorte labour.

Here is to be noted, that after the deth of Offa kyng of Mercia or mid¦dell Englande (of whome somwhat is touched in the story of Kenulph{us}) reygned his son Egfert{us} / & after Eg¦fert{us} reygned Kenulfus or Kēwolfus y^e which Kenwolphus was father to y^e holy martyr Kenelme, & to .ii. fayre vyrgyns Ouindred and Burgenul¦da or Ermenilda. And after Kenwol¦fus succedyd the foresayd Kenelme / and after Kenelme reygned Colwol¦phus / and after hym succedyd Ber∣nulphus before named.

Then to retourne agayne to Eg∣bert / the whych when he had as be∣fore

is sayd ouercome Bernulphus, he seasyd that lordshyppe into hys hande. And that done, he made war vppon the Kentyshe Saxons / and at lēgth in lyke wyse of them obteyned vyctorye. And as wytnessyth Poly∣cronica, he also subdued the Nor∣thumbrys / and caused the kynges of these thre kyngdomes to lyue vnder hym as trybutaryes or ioyned them to hys kyngedome as testyfyeth the authour of the Floure of hystories.

Thys Egbert also wanne from y^e Brytons or walshemen the towne of Chester, that they hadde kepte posses¦syon of tyll that daye. For the whych vyctoryes thus by hym obteyned / he shortely after called a counsayll of his lordes at wynchester / and there by theyr aduysys crowned him kyng and chese lorde of this lande, that to fore thys daye is called Brytayne / and sente then oute into all costes of thys lande his commaundementes and commyssyons, chargyng strayt¦ly that from that day forthward, the Saxons shulde be called Anglys / & the lande Anglia.

About the .xxiiii. yere of the reygne of Egbert, whyche shulde be the yere of our lord as meaneth Policronica viii. hundred and .xix. Kenelmus be∣fore mynded the son of Kenwolfus, was admytted for kynge of Mercia, beynge then a chyld of the age of .vii yeres. The whyche by treason of his syster Ouendreda was slayne in a thycke wood, by a tyraunt callid Hes¦bertus / and hys bodye after founde by a pyller of the sonne beame, or of lyght dyuyne that shone from his bo¦dye towarde heuen. It ys also redde of hym, that a coluer bare a scrowle wryten in englyshe then vsed / and lette yt fall from hyr vppon the aul∣ter of saynte Peter in Rome / wherof the wordes were these. At clense in Cowbacch, Kenelme Kenebern lyeth vnder Thorne hewyd beweuyd. whyche is to meane in englyshe now vsyd: at Clent in Cow vale vnder a thorne, lyeth Kenelmus hedlesse slayne by fraude.

when this holy body was founde, and was borne towarde the place of his sepulture / his forenamed syster entendynge some derysyon or other vylanye to be done to the corps, le∣nyd oute of a wyndowe where by the corps shulde passe. And to bryng her malycyouse purpose aboute, I note by what sorcery she ment / there she redde the psalme of the Sauter / be∣gynnynge Deus laudem, bacward, But what so her entente was / she there incontynently fell blynde, and her eyen dystylled dropes of blood, that fell vppon the Sauter boke. The which in token of goddes wret∣che, in that boke remayne at thys daye to be sene. Of the holynes of thys martyr & of his vertue, y^e legēde of sayntes reportyth the surplusage.

In the .xxix. yere of the reygne of Egbert, or after the englyshe crony∣cle Edbryght / the Danys wyth a great hoste enteryd the seconde tyme thys londe, and spoyled the yle of Shepey in Kent or nere to kent. wherof herynge the kynge Egbert / assembled hys people, and met wyth theym at a place callyd Carrum. But he wanne of that fyghte lytell worshyppe / for the Danys compel∣lyd him and his knyghtes to forsake the felde. And by presumpcyon of y^e vyctorye they drewe westwarde / and made a confederey wyth weste Bry∣tons that liued in seruage. By whose power they assayllyd Egbertus lan∣des, and dyd myche harme in ma∣ny placys of hys domynyon and el∣lys where / so that after thys daye they were contynuallye abydynge in one place of the realme of En∣glande or other, tyll y^e tyme of harde

Kynytus laste kynge of the Danys blood / so that many of theym were maryed to Englishe women, and ma¦ny that nowe ben or in tyme passed were called englyshe men, are dyscen¦dyd of theym. And all be yt that they were many and sondry tymes dry∣uen out of that lande, and chasyd frō one countrey to a nother, as after ye shall here: yet that not wythstādyng they euer gaderyd newe strengthes and power / so that they abode styll wythin the lande.

Of the kynge of these Danys, and of what people they be dyscended, dy¦uerse opynyons of wryters there be / whych now I passe ouer, for so mych as I entende to shewe somewhat of theym in this worke folowynge.

Then it folowyth in the storye / the tyme contynuyng of the persecucion of these foresayd Paganys and Da¦nes, Egbert or Edbryght dyed / whē he hadde well and nobly ruled the westsaxons and other the more parte of Englande, by the terme after most wryters of .xxxvii. yeres / and was bu¦ryed at wynchester as sayth Guydo, and lefte after hym a sonne named Athenulphus.

Francia. THE .CLIX. CHAPITER.

LOdouicus y^e fyrst of that name, and sonne of Charlis the great / began hys reygne ouer y^e realme of Fraū¦ce, & also his em∣pyre ouer the Ro¦maynes, in the yere of grace .viii. hū¦dred and .xv / and the .xx. yere of Eg∣bertus then kynge of westsaxons. Thys for his mekenesse was callyd Lewys the mylde or meke.

In tyme of hys fathers decease he was occupyed in Guyan / the whych he before tyme hadde the rule and do¦mynyon of by commaundement of his father. But when he was aduer∣tised of his faders deth, he anon sped hym toward Aquisgrani / so y^t y^e .xxx. day after hys departyng out of Guy¦an he came vnto the foresayde cytye, where he was mette wyth all the no∣bles and barons of Fraūce. And fyrst or he medled or toke vpon hym any cure or charge of hys owne besynes / he with most deuocyon causyd great obseruaunces and myche dyuyne ser¦uyce to be done aboute the sepulture of his father, whyche obseruaunce & prayers fynyshed and endyd / y^e sayde Lewes commaundyd to come before hym dyuerse ambassadours, that frō dyuerse prynces were sent vnto hys father Charlis, and to theym gaue answers concernyng theyr legacyōs and messagis / and then proceded vn¦to the nedes of his realm for y^e weale therof and of his people.

wherein he beynge besyed / worde was brought to hym of an ambassad royall, y^t was comen from Michael the emperour of Constantyne the no¦ble. Agayne the whyche he sent cer∣tayne of hys lordes to receyue them / and so wyth all honour to bryng thē vnto hys presence. Of whose com∣mynge the entente was, to presente hym wyth certayne ryche gyftes, and to desyre hym of his amyte and frendshyppe.

Also soone after came vnto hym messengers from the Beneuētanys / offerynge vnto his magnyfycence ob¦ligacyons and bondes to be his true lyeges, and to paye to hym yerely in way of trybute .vi. thousande duca∣tes of gold. A ducate is of sondry va∣luys / but the leste in value is .iii.s.iii.d. ob, and the beste .iiii.s.vii.d.

Then the Soysons or Saxons that were so dyuerse of condycyon /

beganne to murmoure and rebell a∣gayne this Lowys. wherfore or he wolde assemble any people agayne theym / he sent thyder certayne per∣sones to know y^e cause of theyr rebel¦lyon. And when he was enfourmed, that yt was for the takynge awaye from them of certayne lādes and pos¦sessyons by hys father / he then resto¦red agayne the sayde landes / and so recouncylyd the countrey to his sub¦ieccyon. For this dede some of his lor¦des grudged / and sayde such mylde∣nes was not to be vsyd to people of suche obstynacy and sternesse / but to haue forcyd them by dynte of sworde to haue lyued in due obedyence.

In thys passetyme dyed pope Ste¦phan the fourth of that name / after whose deth was elected to that dy∣gnyte the fyrste Pascall, wythout cō¦sente or knowlege of this Lowys, & somdeale to the dyscontentynge of his mynde & pleasure. But in shorte tyme after he receyued such wordes and presentes from the sayde pope, that he was well satysfyed and plea∣syd. And for at those days in Fraūce was vsyd of prestes and men of the chyrche precyouse and shewynge ve∣sture, and golden and riche starynge gyrdelles, with rynges and other or∣namentes of gold / the sayde Lowys purchasyd of the pope a correccyon for all suche as vsyd suche dysordy∣nate apparell / and causyd theym to vse and were browne & sad colours, accordynge to theyr honoures and sadnes.

This Lowys hadde thre sonnes, that is to saye Lothayre, whome he made felowe of the empyre / Pepyn the seconde, whome he made duke of Guyan / and Lowys the thyrde, to whom he betoke the rule of Bayton. To this yongeste sonne worde was broughte, that Bernarde a ruler in Italy had assembled a great power / & wyth y^e aydes of two other captay¦nes named Iylys and Reyner, the whyche Charlis the great by his lyfe greatly fauouryd / occupyed y^e strēg∣thys of the mountaynes, and enten∣dyd to kepe the countrey of Italye from the subieccyon of his father the emperoure. wherof he gyuynge his father knowlege / strong power was gaderyd, as well by the father as by Lothayre his sonne, and sped theym towarde the mountayns. But when the sayde Bernarde was ware of the emperours commyng wyth so great a strength / and consyderyd his lacke of power to mayntayn his purpose / wyth also the great mercy and pytye that he knew to be in the emperour: he submytted hym holy to hys grace and mercy, and dyscoueryd to hym the authours of that rebellyon / the whyche thys Lowys causyd vnder safe kepynge to be hadde vnto the cy¦tye of Aquisgrany. The whyche re∣bellys were the byshop of Mylayne, the byshop of Cremoun, and the bys¦shoppe of Orleaunce.

The kynge passed all the wynter folowyng at the foresayde cytye / and lastely caused to be broughte before hym the foresayde transgressours, & examyned the cyrcumstaunce of the foresayd treason, and after remytted them to the rygour of Lowes / where by processe they were condemnyd to deth as many of them as were tem∣porall men.

Then the emperour hauynge com¦passion of the forenamed Bernarde, for so myche as he was the sonne of Pepyn laste kynge of Italy, and his nere kynnesman / transmutyd the sen¦tence of deth vnto perpetuyte of pry∣son and losynge of hys syghte. But for the sayde Bernarde, Reyner, and other, chase rather to dye thē to lyue in pryson wyth that deformyte / they passyd by dinte of the sworde, & were

beheddyd within or nere to the sayd cytye of Aquisgrani. And the sayde bysshoppes were depryued of theyr dygnyteys & put into pryuate hou∣ses of relygyon.

And whyle thys Lewys was oc∣cupyed in lytell Brytayne, in subdu∣ynge of that countrey / Lothayre the eldest sonne of thys Lewys was sent to rule the lōdes of y^e empyre. where he bare hym ryght nobly, and execu∣ted dyuers actes for the weale of the empyre. But in thys season .ii. fren∣des of hys father and hys / were for certeyne crymes to them put, moste cruelly condēpned to vyle deth with in the cytye of Rome. wherof heryng Lothayre than beyng at the cytye of Papy, sent worde therof to hys fa∣ther in all hasty wyse / the which was lyke to haue turnyd y^e pope to greate trowble, yf he by polytyke and wyse meanes had not shortly pacifyed the mater. That one of the foresayd two persones so condempned was scrybe to the pope, and that other was Donar.

ye shall vnderstande that thys Le¦wys hadde two wyues / by the fyrste he had the forenamed thre sonnes, and of the seconde he receyued a son and named hym Charlys / the which whan he came to mannes stature, was surnamed Charlys y^e bolde. He loued entyerly thys Charlys, & wold often kysse hym in the presence of his brethern. For the whych they enuyed theyr sayd brother / and also dysday∣ned theyr father as here after shall appere.

Thus in processe of tyme Lewys gaue vnto thys Charlys the coūtrey of Neustria or Normādy / the which causyd greate dyscencyon amonge the bretherne / and also for thys and other causes, Lotharius toke partye agayne hys father.

THE .CLX. CHAPITER.

THys seconde wyfe of Lewys was named Indith / y^e which was accusyd to the pope to be with∣in suche degre of allyaunce to hyr husbonde, that she myghte not law∣fully contynewe hys wyfe. wherfore contrary to the wyll of Leuys, by the laboure of some bysshoppes & other lordes of Fraūce, she was deuorcyd from hym / and put into a house of nonnys, and there straytly kepte.

But Lewys for a tyme susteyned thys iniuryes, to y^e ende y^t he myght know whyther his sonnes fauoured the cause or not. But in processe of tyme whan he hadde experyence of hys frendes / and of hys sonnes / he thā assembled to hym a strong hoste, and recoueryd hys wyfe malgre to all hys enmyes. For the whych dede Lothayre, wyth dyuers of the Ba∣rons of Fraunce, assemblyd theyr people / and entendyd to depryue Le¦wys from all imperyall and kyngly dygnyte. wherfore Lewys ferynge hys sonne and hys assystens / & also for the entent that he myghte assem∣ble the strength of y^e empyre: he yode vnto Magunce. And after he hadde purueyed and garnysshed hys rety∣newe / he retornyd toward Fraunce, and met wyth some of hys enemyes and them subdued / and so kepte on hys iourney tyll he came to Aquys∣grany, where he restyd hym and hys people.

Thus contynuynge thys dyssen∣cyon / the sonnes sent wrytyng to the pope than beynge named Gregory y^e fourth, requyrynge hym of ayde and counceyle to deuyse a concorde and peace bytwene theyr fader and them.

At whose request / and for to cause a naturall charyte to be quyckenyd bytwene the father & hys .iii. sonnes / he came in hys proper persone into

Fraunce, and endeuoryd hym to the vttermoste of hys wyttes to agree to the sayd parties. In the tyme of this entreaty made by the pope / I can not saye for what cause, many of the lordes / on the partye of Lowys for∣sooke hym, and fled to the sōnys par¦tye / so that the emperoure was in great feere of hym selfe, & of hys par¦son. whan Lewys had seen his fren¦des thus in tyme of hys nede refuse & flee frome hym, and lefte hym in great feere and daūger of straūgers he than thoughte better for hym to put hym selfe vnder the Rule and tuycion of hys owne chyldren, than to abyde the doute of the sayde straū¦gers. wherfore he sent vnto his sayd sonnes / requyrynge theym to pro∣uyde for his safegarde and assuryn∣ge of his person, and that he were not there oppressyd or murdryd. And within shorte space after this messa∣ge sent to theym withoute answere of them agayne receyuyd, he rode to¦warde theym smally accompanyed. where of than Lothayre and hys bro¦ther hauynge warnynge in all hom∣ble wyse encountred hym, and recey∣ued hym vppon theyr knees / and so cōueyed hym wyth all reuerēce vnto theyr pauylyon or tent. And after for a begynnyng of a peace to be stablys¦shed bytwene hym and them / he to satysfye theyr myndes, refused the forenamed Indith, and closyd her in a place of relygyon called Torton, as testyfyeth myne authour mayster Robert Gagwyne. But the Frenche boke sayth that thys dede was done by Frederyke bysshoppe or Utryke / where fore he was after pyteously slayne by such as fauoured y^e quene / and not all wythout her concent, as wytnessyth the sayd cronycle.

And whan Lewys had in thys & other thynges agreed vnto hys son∣nes / and thought hym self to be in su¦rete of theyr amyte and fauours: so∣deynly he was cōueyed vnto the mo∣nastery of saynt Medrid / or as sayth the Frenche boke he was conueyed to a towne called in Frenche Melan¦guy, wyth hys yonge sonne Char∣lys. And that done / the sayd thre son∣nes deuyded theyr fathers possessy∣ons amonge theym thre. That is to saye Lothayre the eldeste, had to his porcyon the londes of the empyre / Pepyn, the countrey of Guyan / and to Lewys the yongest, fell the coun∣trey of Bayon.

whyche mysery of the emperour whan the pope had beholden & seen / he wyth greate mornynge retorned into Iuly & so vnto Rome. In which tyme of prysonemēt of the emperour the sayd Lewys made dyteys & pys∣telles of greate sorowe and lamenta¦cyon, to the ensample of all erthlye prynces / and to the entent that hys sonnes shulde of hym haue the more compassyon and pytye. The whyche I ouer passe for length of tyme / and the rather, for in tyme of prysonemēt of Edwarde the seconde callyd Car∣naruan was by hym made a lyke cō∣playnt / where of when tyme & place comyth, I entende to expresse some parte therof.

whan Lewys had thus a season remayned in pryson / for so myche as the comons shulde not thynke that thys shuld be done by the authoryte of y^e thre sonnes onely: therfore they causyd a coūsayle to be callyd at the cytye of Compeyne / & there by theyr meanes and labours causyd theyr father by authoryte of spyrytuall & temporall lordys, to be discharged of all rule and domynyon, as well of the empyre as of the realme of Fraū¦ce, by authoryte of the sayd coūsayle or parliament / and after caused hym to renoūce all hys temporall habyte, and to become a munke in the mona∣stery

of saynt Matke / where he was lefte of his sonne Lothayre, not with out sure watche and kepynge.

But full often it is seen, that whā the erthlye power of man faylyth or wekyth / god of hys greate mercy the repentaunt synner to grace callyth, & hym by hys dyuyne power aydeth and strengtheth / and so he dyd thys Lewys. For after thys mysery and trybulacyon thus to hym fallen / the peple in dyuerse placys of this londe murmured and grudgyd very sore, agayne the innaturall dealynge of the sonnes agayne theyr father.

In these dayes was a greate ru∣ler in Fraunce named Guyllyam, & stuarde or constable of that lande / y^e which wyth one Egebard or Edgare a man of greate byrth and alyaunce, coūsayled togyder for the enlargyng of y^e emperour. And lastly wyth ayde of theyr frendes assembled a greate peple. And than drewe vnto them .ii. noble men of Burgoyne called Bar∣narde and Gueryn, the whyche some¦tyme had ben well cherysshed wyth the emperoure Lewys.

All thys season Lothayre had re∣styd hym for y^e more partye at Aquys¦grany. But whan he harde of the as∣semblynge of these foresayd lordes, he sped hym towarde Parys. And whan he was thyther comen / the fore¦sayd lordes sent vnto hym two noble men Rowlande and Gantelyne / the whych made request vnto Lothayre in the name of the other lordes, that it wolde lyke hym to restore hys fa∣ther vnto hys former dygnyte / wyth other thynges concernynge theyr le∣gacyon. To the whyche two lordes Lothayre gaue answere, that of hys fathers restorynge to hys fyrste or former dygnyte, no man lyuynge wolde be therof more fayne than he wolde. But y^e deposyng of hym was done by the hole authoryte of y^e land. wherfore yf he shulde be agayne re∣storyd / it must be by the same autho∣ryte, and not by hym onely. All be yt that they myghte knowe of hys be∣nyuolēce and fauour that he bare to∣warde hys father / he wylled them to stonde a parte, whyle he had some cō¦munycacyon of his lordes for y^e same mater. By reason wherof were it for fere or for fauour / the emperour was shortly after put at hys lybertye, and restoryd to all hys fyrst honoure and dygnyte / & than with great honoure conueyed to a cytye or towne called Ciriciake, where met wyth hym hys other two sōnes Pepyn and Lewys / and there restyd hym certayne dayes in makyng all feest and ioye / and af∣ter rode vnto Aquysgrany, and there restyd an other season.

In whych tyme of hys there beyng / was brought vnto hym from y^e place where she had ben prisoner, his wyfe Indyth. But whan Lothari{us} knewe that hys father had hyr agayne re∣ceyued contrary to hys mynde and pleasure / he in wrath & dyspleasure entryd the countrey of Burgoyne / & made in it sharpe and cruell warre, & executed therin many spoylynges and other inordynate dedys. The whyche cruelty to wythstande & let / hys father wyth hys sonne Pepyn wyth a greate hoste sped hym thyder warde. But anone as he had know∣lege therof / mystrustyng his strēgth, he yelded hym vnto his faders grace and mercy / whom the meke fader re∣ceyued and forgaue to hym hys tres∣passe.

And after that of hym and dyuerse of hys lordes he had taken assuryd othes and other suretyes / he thā sent the sayd Lothayre into Italy with a certayne nomber of knyghtes, to de∣fende the countrey from daunger of enemyes, and strengthynge of the straytes and mountaynes.

And that wyth other thynges or∣deryd and done for the weale of hys realme / Lewys than toke vpon hym to ryde about hys lande, to thentent that he myghte be somwhat enfor∣med of the rule of hys offycers / and how the countreys were ruled by the rulers of them. And where he found any mysgouernaunce / he punysshed the executers therof, as well y^e bys∣shoppes as other, as farre as his au¦thoryte in that behalfe stretchyd.

Than Indith consyderynge the emperoure fell into greate age / and hyr sonne and his Charlis by name, had as yet no suffycyent landes nor possessyons to maynteyne any estate wyth: she compassed many wayes in hyr mynde, how she myghte acheue hyr entent, and to brynge it to good purpose. where fynally by counceyll of hyr frendes, to y^e ende to purchase the loue and fauour of Lothayre / she axed of hyr lorde and husbonde, that the sayd Lothayre myghte be tutour and gyder of hys yonge sonne Char¦les. Of this request y^e emperour was very glad, and graunted hyr, hyr pe∣ticion. And so it fell soone after, cer∣tayne messengers came to the empe∣roure from Lothayre hys sonne. To the whych whan Lewys had gyuen answere to such maters as they were sent fore, and gyuē vnto them other instruccyons / he sent them forthe a∣gayne, and with them certeyne other to wylle his sayd sonne to come vnto hym in as goodly wyse as he myght. But at that season he excusyd hym by sykenesse / and whan he was reco∣uered he fayned an other excuse.

In thys meane tyme worde was brougth to the emperoure, that hys sonne Lothayre had greued y^e chyrch of Rome / and takyn from it certeyne possessyons. wherewyth Lewys be∣ynge before amoued, sent vnto hys sonne / cōmaundynge hym in sharpe wordes, y^t he shulde haue in mynde the othe before by hym made / & that he shulde in exchewynge his dysplea¦sure, make restytucyō of all thynges that he before hadde taken from the chyrch / the whyche cōmaundement Lothayre promysed to obey in all wyse. And where Lewys was deter∣myned to haue gone vnto Rome, to haue sene y^e sayd promesse fulfylled / & also to haue spoken wyth the pope for dyuers maters nedefull for the chyrche: he was lette by occasyon of Danes or Normannes, y^t than had newly inuaded the lōdes of Fraūce / the whyche he shortly after expellyd and droue out of hys londys.

And that done, the emperour yode vnto Aquysgrany / where by the fren¦des of Indith & other of the nobles of Fraunce, the emperour gaue vnto hys yongest sonne Charlis a porcyō of y^e empyre, whyche after shall more clerely appere. And soone after at a counsayle holdyn at Cirycyake, be∣fore namyd in the presence of his son Lewys / he gaue to hym the order of knyghthode, & adournyd hym wyth kynges clothynge.

And ouer all thys in the presence of many lordes of Fraunce / he gaue to the sayde Charlys the hole coun∣trey of Neustria that now is named Normandye. Of whyche honoure and gyftes though hys moder were ioyous and gladde / yet hys brother Lewys was therewyth nothynge contentyd, whyche of Indith and of hyr frendes was well appercey∣uyd and knowen. wherefore as she before tyme had done / than of newe she made request vnto hyr lorde and husband, that he wolde of hys moste especyall grace graunte vnto hyr, that Lothayre myghte haue the go∣uernaunce of hyr sonne Charlys / the whych of hym was the seconde tyme graunted. Uppon whyche graunte

thus to her made / the emperour sent vnto hys son Lothayre pleasaūt let∣ters, wyllyng hym in all goodly hast to resorte vnto hys court. The which obeyenge hys fathers commaunde∣ment / retourned into Fraunce short¦ly after the receyte of the said letters, and came vnto his father to the citye of Uernayse, of whome he was ioy∣ously receyued. And after he hadde a season dwellyd with the emperour, he gaue vnto hym the coūtrey of Au¦stracy / the whyche countrey as shall after be shewyd in thys Lotharius story, was after his name named Lo¦rayne. But a parte of the sayde pro∣uynce or countrey that stretchyd to∣warde Hungrye / the sayde Lowys gaue vnto his yongest son Charlys. And immedyatly after thys gyftes before many lordes confermyd / the emperoure in presence of the sayd lor¦des, toke Charlys by the hande, and delyueryd hym vnto his brother Lo∣thayre / wyllynge and straytly char∣gynge hym that he shulde take hym vnto his cure, and be to hym as cu∣ryouse as he wolde be vnto hys own chyld, and to guyde hym and his pos∣sessyons, as the father shulde guyde the chylde. And to Charlys he com∣maunded that he shulde take & obey hym as his father, and loue and wor¦shyppe hym as his brother / y^e whych vppon eyther partye was promysyd to be obseruyd. And shortly after the sayd Lothayr with his brother Char¦lys, toke congy of father and mo∣ther, and returned agayn into Italy.

About this tyme dyed Pepyn the seconde sonne of Lewys, and duke of Guyan / the whych yf all shuld be expressyd, putte his father to great trouble and vexacyon / wherfore for hym was made the lesse mournynge. This left after hym a son named Pe¦pyn, of whome somwhat the storye spekyth after. But now I wyll re∣tourne to Lewys the thyrde sonne of the emperoure.

THE .CLXI. CHAPITER.

TRouth yt is that whē the yon¦ger brother Lewys sawe the bountye of his father so largely ex∣tende towarde his two brethern, and to hym nothynge / he was therwyth in his mynde greatly dyscontent, all be yt that for the tyme he kepte yt se∣crete to hym selfe. But when he was departyd from hys father, and retur¦nyd to his owne lordshyppe / he gade¦ryd a myghty power, and began to make warre vpon the dwellers nere about the Ryne. wherfore the empe∣rour wyth a conuenyent power ap∣prochyd vnto the citye of Dodayng / and sent from thens vnto hys sayde sonne wordes of reconcylyacyon / by meane wherof the sayde Lowes put hym holy in the grace of hys father, and was to hym reconcyled without shedynge of mannys blood.

But whyle the emperour was be∣syde at the citye of Cleremoūt in the countye of Auerne, to set a dyreccion amonge the Gascoynes, for opyny∣ons that were reryd amonge theym for the sonne of Pepyn there lately kynge or duke dyscessyd, whyche son as aboue is sayde was also named Pepyn / and there about had taken great payne and labour: thyther to hym tydynges were newly brought, that hys sayde sonne Lewys hadde wyth y^e Saxons or Soysons, & with the Thorynges made alliaunce / and was entryd into Germany, and ther∣in made warre in moste cruell wyse. wyth whyche tydynges Lowis was so greuously passyoned / that to hys great age was by meane of thys vn∣kynde anger, fyxyd a sykenes that lefte hym not whyle he lyued.

After yet thys not wythstandyng /

he lyke a strong hartyd knyght shew¦yd forth a good and comfortable coū¦tenaunce. And after he hadde in kny¦ghtly wyse preparyd all thynge ne∣cessarye to the warre / he spedde hym towarde Almayne, and contynued hys iourney tyll he came vnto Tho∣rynge / where a season he restyd hym and his people tyll he myght be bet∣ter assuryd where his sonne Lewys restyd hym. But the sonne hauynge knowlege of the great power of hys father / and also beynge in despayre of purchasynge of mercy, consyde∣ryng his many offences: fled by the coūtrey of Sclauony, and so by that costes retourned into Bayon or Ba∣uery / and so escapyd the daunger of hys father.

Then the emperoure beyng surely enformyd of the scape of hys sonne / helde on his iourney tyll he came to Magoūce. And after came vnto the cytye of Uermayse / where he called a counsayle of his lordes spyrytuall and temporall, and ordeyned there dyuerse thynges for the state of the empyre. And more entendyd to haue done / but sykenesse increasyd so sore in hym, that by the space of .xl. days he toke no temporall sustenaunce. But in that tyme he vsyd often to take the blessed sacrament / the which as he often sayde, strengthyd bothe the soule and the bodye.

Then he sent for Lothayre to come vnto hym / the whyche wythoute ta∣ryenge obeyed his commaundemēt, and abode styll wyth hym.

Of this Lewys Policronicon ma¦keth a shorte rehersall / and sayth y^• by his fyrste wyfe named Hermyn∣garde, he had .iii. sonnes / Lothayre, Pepyn and Lewys. The fyrst beyng felowe with his father of the empyre, was crowned of pope Pascall vpon an Ester daye / and he was also kyng of Italy. And Pepyn he made duke of Gascoyne and Guyan. And Lew∣ys was made ruler of Bauary.

And by his second wife named In∣dyth and doughter of y^e duke of Bay¦on, he hadde Charlis the Ballyd / to whome he gaue the countrey of Bur¦goyn as the sayd Policronica sayth. And for this Lewys was mylde / he was often troubled of hys own men and of other, tyll he delte wyth them more sharpely and wysely, and ruled the people more straytly.

It is there also shewyd, that when this Lewys had promotyd a yonge man named Frederyke to the see of Utryke / and to hym hadde gyuen sadde and good exhortacyon, that he shuld folowe the stablenes of hys an¦tecessours, and that he shulde pur∣pose the sothe and trouth wythoute excepcyon of persones / and punyshe mysdoers, as well the ryche as the poore: the sayde byshoppe shulde an¦swere to hym and saye, I beseche thy magestye syr emperour to take in pa¦cyence, that I maye dysclose to the that thynge that hath long walowed & turned in my mynde. Say thy ple¦sure sayd the emperour. I praye thy syr emperour shewe me thy mynde / whyther is more accordynge, to at∣tame thys fyshe here presente fyrste at the hedde or at the tayle. The em∣perour answered shortely and sayd, at the hedde the fyshe shall be fyrste attamyd. So yt is lorde emperoure sayd the byshoppe, that crysten fayth maye cause the to cease of thyne er∣roure, that thy subiectes be not bol∣dyd to folowe thy mysdoynge. wher¦fore fyrste forsake thou thy vnlawe∣full wedloke, that thou haste made wyth Indyth thy nere kynnes wo∣man.

By meane of those wordes the kyng was reconcylyd, and lefte the com∣pany of his wyfe, tyll he hadde pur∣chasyd a lycence of the pope. And the

emperour forgaue the sayde byshop all trespassys / but the woman hyred two knyghtes that slewe hym in his vestymentes, when he hadde ended hys masse.

After thys the empresse was falsely accused of wronge cryme, and made a menchon. But the same yere the emperoure delyueryd her from that habyte, when he hadde suffycyently prouyd the sayde cryme to be false.

Then to retorne where I lefte / whā this Lewys had longe lyen in thys agonyous sykenes, and knewe well that he amendyd nothynge / but fe∣blyd more and more / he commaun∣dyd his iewellys to be broughte be∣fore hym. wherof by hys owne hand he haue a parte vnto the chyrche of Rome / and to Lotharius his sonne there presente he gaue his crowne & his sworde / commaundynge hym straytly vppon his blessynge that he shuld haue in honour hys moder In¦dith, & that to Charlis his brother he shulde owe true loue & amyte, & that he shuld hym & his lādes deffende to the vttermoste of his power.

Then the lordes spirituall and tem¦porall, and specyally the archebys∣shoppe of Meaws / made a lamen∣table requeste to the emperoure for his sonne Lewys, that he wolde ac∣cepte hym to his grace and mercye, and to forgyue hym hys insolente and wanton wylde dedys. wherof when the emperour harde / he fell in suche wepynge, that he myghte not speke of a good whyle after.

And when he hadde refrayned hym therof / he remembryd to y^e lordes the many and great benefytes y^t he had done to hym, and the innaturall vn∣kyndnes that the sayd Lewys had a¦gayn shewyd vnto hym / & how often tymes he had perdoned his vnkynd sonnes trespasse. And finally all this not wythstandyng / he was at y^e oure in perfyte charite wyth hym, and for∣gaue hym as he trusted to be forgy∣uen / prayenge the lordes there pre∣sent, and specyally chargynge y^e sayd byshop, that he wold shew vnto hys sayd son that great daunger that he was in agaynst god for the dysplea∣sures done to him / and specially that he was a cause of the abrygement or shortynge of hys dayes.

Then to brynge this story to effect, wherof yf I shuld declare the special tyes therof, wolde aske a longe tyme (for ye shall vnderstand that these .ii. storyes of the great Charlis and of this Lewys, occupye in Frenche of leuys of great scantelyn ouer .lxiiii) wherfore I conclude y^t he dyed lyke a good crysten prynce, when he had ben emperour of Rome and kynge of Fraunce by the terme of .xxvi. yeres / and was buryed wyth great solem∣nyte at Meaws or at Mettis by hys mother Hyldegarde as sayth mays∣ter Robert Gaguyne, in the yere of hys age .lxiiii / leuynge af∣ter hym the foresayde thre sonnes Lothayre, Lew¦ys and Charlys the Ballyd.

Anglia. THE .CLXII. CHAPITER.

ADeulpus or Ethel¦wolphus the son of Egbertus / be∣ganne hys reygne ouer the westesa∣xons or Anglys, in the yere of oure lordes incarnacy∣on .viii. hundred and .xxxii / and the xvii. yere of Lewys the mylde then kynge of Fraunce.

Thys in his youth was wyllynge

to be a preste, and was enteryd the order of subdeacon.

But there after by dyspensacyon of Pascall the fyrst of that name pope / he was maryed to Osburga a wo∣man of lowe byrthe. By whome he hadde foure sonnes / that is to mea∣ne Ethelwalde, Ethelbert, Ethel∣drede, and Alurede / the whyche af∣ter theyr father reygned as kynges of Englād that one after that other, as after shall appere.

This Adeulphus after he hadde a certayne tyme ben kyng / he went to Rome, and toke wyth hym his yon∣gest sonne Alurede or Alphrede / and taryed there by the space of a yere. In the whyche season he repayred the Saxon scole / the whyche before tyme was there founden by Offa kynge of Mercia, as Guydo sayeth and other / but more veryly of Iue kynge of westsaxons, as sayth the authoure of the Floure of historyes. And for that he graunted of euery house of his kyngdome a peny, as in his storye is before shewyd.

But thys scole was sore decayed, and the house therof lately brent / the whyche thys Adeulphus newely repayred, and sette yt in better order then yt before was vsyd.

Thys kynge also to refourme the greuouse correccyons that he sawe there executyd to Englyshe men for spyrytuall offensys, as in werynge of irons and guyues: he graunted of euery fyre house of hys lande .i. d, as Iue foresayde hadde done.

By the whyche sayenge yt shulde seme / that by these two kynges shuld be grauntyd vnto Rome .ii. d. of eue¦ry fyre house thorough theyr lande.

But that maye not be so vnder∣stande / for thys Rome scot ys ga∣deryd of euery house a peny wyth∣out more.

wherfore yt muste folowe, that yt is mysse taken of wryters, that allege this dede to that one kynge for that other. How be yt, yt maye stande by reason, that Iue made the fyrste graunte, and this kynge after con∣fermyd the same. But the authoure of Cronica cronycarum sayth, that thys Adeulphus graunted to saynte Peter these sayde Peter pens / and spekyth no word of Iue nor of none other.

It is also shewyd of this kynge by Policronica / that he shulde for the ac¦quytynge of the chyrches of Englād of all maner of kynges trybute, pay¦ed yerely to Rome thre hundred mar∣kes. That ys to meane to saynte Pe¦ters chyrche a hundred markes / to the lyghte of saynt Paule a hundred marke / and to the popys treasorye a hundred marke. And ouer all thys of hys pure deuocyon, he offred to god & to saynte Peter the .x. parte of hys moueable goodes.

And also one cronycler sayth, that thys kynge founded fyrste the vny∣uersytye of Oxynforde / whyche was lykely to be done by Offa kynge of Mercia, for so myche as in his days flowred that famouse clerke Alcu∣mus or Albinus / the whych as sayth the frenche cronycle, was fyrste foū∣der of the scole of Parys and of Pa∣pya, as is before shewyd in y^e story of Charlys the great, in the thyrd cha∣pyter of the sayde storye.

when Adeulphus hadde thus sped hys besynes and pylgrymage at Rome, he retournyd by Fraunce / where at that tyme was kyng of that lande Charlys the Ballyd, of whom he was ioyouslye receyued. And af∣ter he hadde dysportyd hym there a season / he spousyd the doughter of the sayde Charlys, in the .xx. yere of the reygne of the sayde Adeulphus, as testyfyeth Policronica in the .xxx. chapiter of his .v. boke / whych shuld

be the yere of the reygne of the sayde Charlis the .xi. But of this mariage is nothynge touchyd in the frenche cronycle.

Then Adeulphus takynge leue of the kynge / toke shyppynge and lan∣ded in Englande wyth his wyfe In∣dyth by name. And for that he con∣trary the law made in y^e tyme of Brig¦thricus, sette his wyfe in the kynges trowne, and magnyfyed her lyke a quene / the lordes of his lande arose agayne hym, and pullyd from hym a great parte of his domynyon, and made his eldeste sonne ruler therof. whyche all was done in reproche of Ethelburga, whyche slew her lorde Brigthricus as before is shewyd. Lastly the mater was appeasyd, and he to his kyngly honour restoryd.

About this tyme Bertulph{us} kyng of Mercia, slewe wyckydly in the holy tyme of Penthecoste saynte wyl stone / whose holy bodye was buryed at Repyngedō. And in y^e place where thys holy wylstone was slayne stode a pyller of lyghte .xxx. dayes after.

And in the yere folowynge dyed the sayde Bertulphus. After whose deth, Burdredus was made kynge of Mercia or myddell Englande / the whyche before tyme hadde spou∣syd the doughter of kynge Adeul∣phus.

In the later dayes of thys Adeul∣phus, the Danys dyd myche harme in Lyndesey, and also in kent / and frome thens came to London, and robbed and spoyled the cytye. wher∣fore Adeulphus gaderyd his people, and lastely mette wyth them in Sou¦therey vppon a downe called Oclea / and there dyscomfyted theym, not wythoute shedynge of great plente of the Anglis blood, and forsyd them to take the see / so that after they lan¦ded in eest Anglia as after shall ap∣pere. Then lastely dyed thys good kynge Adeulphus or Ethelwolph{us} / when he hadde ruled hys subictes nobly by accorde of moste wrytes ful¦ly .xxii. yere / and was buryed at wyn¦chester, leuynge after hym four son∣nys aforesayde.

Francia. THE .CLXIII. CHAPITER.

CHarlys y^e yongeste son of Lewys the mylde / began hys reygne ouer the chefe part of Fraū¦ce, in y^e yere of our lorde .ix. hundred & .xli / and the .ix. ye¦re of Adeulphus then kynge of west∣saxons / the whyche as before is sayd was surnamed Ballyd.

Anon as his father was buryed / his brother Lothayre, to whome the father, as ye fore behaue harde, had cōmyttyd y^e guydynge of this Char∣lys, by the entysynge of his brother Lewys malygned agayn this Char¦lis / and sought many wayes to put hym from such landes as his father had gyuen hym. This sayd Lothayr was after the deth of his father empe¦rour / and Lewys the yonger brother was duke or knyght of Bayon. But for Charlis was yongest, and had to his parte the pryncypall porcyon of Fraunce, whych was called myddell Fraunce / therfore his .ii. bretherne & specially Lewys, malygned greuous¦ly agayne hym. wherof this Charlis beynge somdeale infourmed / bare hym so wysely & so egally to his sub∣iectes, that he hadde theyr loues and fauours / and trustyd alway by theyr good ayde that he shulde be of power to wythstande theyr vnkynde ma∣lyce. And lyke as the hydde fyre in processe breketh oute and shewyth great lyght and flammy blase, euen

so dyd thys couerde malyce at the laste breke oute, to great ire and opē wrath. For after foure yeres was passyd / the sayde two bretherne with oute defyaunce or groundely cause of warre, assygned or assembled a great hoste / suche lyke before thys daye hadde not ben sene / and entryd the lymyttes of kynge Charlys.

Then Charlis assembled in all y^e haste hys lordes / and requyred theyr aydes and counsayll to wythstande the malyce of hys bretherne. And when he hadde knowelege of theyr good myndes, anon theyr knyghtes were gaderyd and all thynge was re¦dy to the fyghte.

Nowe in thys whyle the two bre∣therne wyth theyr peple were comen to a place callyd Fountayns or Foū¦tanet, where to Charlis spedde hym. And when both hostes were nere / ey∣ther partye made prouysyon to sub∣due his enymye.

Then were the bataylles on bothe partyes orderyd & assygned to theyr standardes and capytaynes, and the wynges set to the moste auauntage. what shuld I lenger processe of this ordynaunce make, fynally the shote of arblasters beganne on both sydes whyche ouer threwe many an horse and man / and specyally the fore ry∣dars, that putte theym selfe in prese wyth theyr longe and sharpe laun∣cys, to wynne the fyrste brunte of the felde.

Pytye yt was to beholde the good∣ly bryght armyd knyghtes, lyēg and walowynge wyth theyr great stedys in the felde, wyth dedly woundes ga¦pynge agayne the son, y^t were slayne at the fyrst encountre. But when the shote was spent, and the speres to shateryd / then both hostes ranne to gyther wyth Rowlandes songe / so that in shorte whyle the grene felde was dyed into a perfyte redde. For there was heddes, armes, legges, & trunkys of ded mennys bodyes ly∣enge, as thycke as floures growe in tyme of maye in the floryshynge me∣dowys / myserable and pyteouse yt was to beholde the persones halfe ly¦uynge and halfe ded / with theyr gry¦sely woundes pyteously gronynge and cryenge wythoute comforte. So that there was shewyd all rygoure wythoute mercy, and all crueltyes wythout compassyon.

Thus duryd this mortall fyghte by a longe season / that doutefull yt was to knowe whyche partye hadde thauaūtage of other. Howbeit Char¦lys was putte to an afterdeale by .ii. meanes. The fyrste was for so mych as Charlis entendyd to haue forbor¦ne, for the reuerence of the hygh feste as the daye of the ascensyon of oure lorde, & that daye not to haue fough¦ten. And the seconde was, that he was farre lesse in nomber. whyche two causes of dysauaūtage not with standynge / yet in the conclusyon he wanne the honoure of that iourney. But not wythoute great losse of hys peple and many of the nobles of his lande / where of the frenche boke re∣hersith the names. But for they be to vs vnknowen, I passe theym ouer. And as yet is testyfyed of many wry¦ters / there was slayne that daye mo Frencheman, then was slayn at any felde euer before that day. wherof the nomber is not expressyd / for yt was so great. Then Lothayre was forced to take Aquisgrany for his safegard, and Lewys ellys where. But Char∣lys wyth a small cōpany that to hym were lefte / folowed his Bretherne, and cōstrayned Lothayre to forsake y^e citye, & thens to go vnto Lyon a cy¦tye y^e standeth at this day in the vtter most border of Fraūce, & after to Uy¦enne. To y^e which citye of Uyen short¦ly after came vnto hym hys brother

Lewys / where they two assembled a newe hoste.

In the whych passetyme, as Char¦lis was comynge towarde hys bre∣therne / messyngers mette with hym, sent from his bretherne to comon of a peace. So that fynally he was ac∣cordyd, that the realme of Fraunce shulde be dyuyded in .iii, as the fa∣ther had before dysposyd yt. That is to meane, Lothayr shuld enioy ouer the landes belongyng to the empyre the countrey of Austracy / the whych in processe of tyme was called Lo∣thayre or Lotharingia, whyche is to meane Lorayne after his name. And to Lewys shulde remayne the pro∣uynce of Germany, wyth the coūtrey of Buyan or Benery. And to Char∣lys shulde remayne the countrey cal¦led myddell or chefe Fraunce, wyth the prouynces of Normandy & Bur¦goyne. whyche sayde myddle Fraūce is reportyd to be in space from y^e Oc∣cean of Brytayne to the ryuer of Mawze.

The whyche concorde thus ferme∣ly stablyshed and fynyshed / eyther of other toke theyr departynge, and re∣sorted vnto theyr owne lordshyppes. But Lothayre dyed shortely after / leuynge after hym thre sonnes, na∣med Lewys, Lothayre, and Charlis. But this deth of Lothayre is not ta∣ken for temporall deth / for yt is sayd y^t he forsoke the trauayle of y^e world, and became a munke at the abbaye of Pruny, and lyued there a solytary lyfe many yeres after.

THE .CLXIIII. CHAPITER.

CHarlis y^e Ballyd thus beyng in peaseble possessyon of the chefe parte of the realme of Fraunce, and guydynge yt wyth all sobernes and indifferēt iustyce / was well drad and also beloued of his subiectes.

In processe of tyme, as vpon .viii. yeres after that Lothayr abouesayd renouncyd the pompe of the worlde / dyed fyrste Charlys the yongest son of the thre of the foresayd Lothayre. And after dyed Lothayre the second sonne / so that the sayde Lewys one∣ly suruyued, whych was after his fa¦ther enoynted emperour.

when Charlis kynge of Fraunce knewe certaynely of the deth of these two forsayde brethern, and that with out yssu / anon he assembled his pow¦er and entred the prouynce of Austra¦cy or Lorayne / the which his brother Lothayre hadde gyuen to Lothayre his sonne. And in shorte whyle af¦ter crowned hym kynge of that pro∣uynce, wythin the chyrche of saynte Stephan of the cytye of Meaws, chefe cyty of that lordshyppe & kyng¦dome. wyth the whyche dede Lewys his brother, and kynge of Germany and Bayon was dyscontentyd / thyn¦kyng hym selfe more ryghtfull enhe¦ritour then Charlis, for so myche as he was y^e elder brother, and also bro∣ther to the fyrste Lothayre of father & of mother / where as Charlis was but halfe brother, and by the fathers syde onely.

For this y^e sayd Lewys sent to Char¦lys the Ballyd certayn messyngers / gyuynge to hym monycyon that he shulde call to memory the couenaun¦tes betwene theym before tyme sta∣blyshed / and that he shulde not med∣dell hym nor haue to do wythin the landes of his cosyn lately deed, vnto such tyme as yt were determyned by theyr bothe counsayles, whyther of theym hadde the better ryght / & this to be obseruyd vppon payne of excō∣munycacyon or cursyng.

But for to Lewys was well sene, that his brother Charlis nothyng ab¦steyned hym from the occupyenge of the forenamed countrey / he therfore

gaderyd an armye to warre vppon his sayde brother.

In the whych passe tyme Charlys toke to his second wyfe a woman na¦myd Rychent or Ricent / the whyche he before tyme hadde vsyd as his cō¦cubyne or paramoure.

And soone after the Danys or Nor¦mans inuadyd the landes of Char∣lys / the whych for that tyme he was fayne to appease & please wyth ryche gyftes and other pleasures.

Then Charlys receyued from his brother a seconde ambassade or mes∣sage / the whyche shewyd vnto hym excepte he wold voyde his knyghtes and strengthes, that he had sette and put in dyuerse places of the lande of Austracy, he shuld be sure to haue of his sayd brother an enymy / and that in all haste he wolde entre his lande wyth great force and warre. wherup¦pon was suche answere sente, that by both theyr agrementes the mater was hadde in suche cōmunycacyon / that fynally yt was agreed that the sayde landes shulde egally be depar¦tyd betwene them. whyche conclusy¦on perfyted. Lewys wyth his people retournyd into Germany.

But yt was not longe after that Lewys repented hym of hys agre∣ment / so that newe legacyons were made vppon both partyes / and laste¦ly wyth myche payne newly agreed. After whyche agrement and accorde fynyshed / Lewys the emperour and sonne of the fyrste Lothayre, sente an ambassade to both the fornamed bre¦therne / admonestynge and warnyng them that nother the one nor y^e other shulde intermyt wyth the foresayde landes, for so myche as the ryghte therof belonged to him as next heyre to his brother / and not to them that were a degre forther. The answere of this was deferryd by Charlys / how be it his brother Lewis as sayth myne authour, gaue ouer his parte shortly after to Lewys y^e emperour.

In this passe tyme Charlys the sonne of Charlis the Ballyd by hys fyrste wyfe, whome the father had made ruler of a countrey called Belge / hadde rulyd hym insolently, and done in that countrey dyuerse outragiouse dedes. For the whyche he beyng cōplayned of, was brought vnto his father / and so by hym com¦maundyd to pryson. But shortely af¦ter he was deliueryd at y^e requeste of some nobles of Fraūce / & kept after in his fathers courte, where he conty¦nued but a shorte whyle. For wythin a lytle season after his father beynge at Lyons / he departyd from y^e sayde courte, and gaderyd to hym a wylde company of euyll dysposyd persons, and went agayne into the sayd coun¦trey of Belge / and dyd more harme then he had done before season / and so contynuyd a long whyle. But last¦ly he was taken and caste agayne in pryson / where after longe punyshe∣ment he was reued of his syght / and then sent vnto the monastery of Cor∣benyke, there safely to be kepte. But at length by the entycemēt of his vn¦cle Lewys kynge of Germany, and the treason of two mūkes of y^e place / he scapyd thens, and fledde vnto the sayd Lewys his vncle. In the which tyme Charlys his father was occu∣pyed in the defence of the Danys or Normannys, that then by strength had wonne the citye of Angyers and done therein myche harme / whome the kynge closyd wythin the sayd cy∣tye wyth a stronge syege, and fynally compellyd theym to seke meanys of peace at the kynges pleasure. After whych peace cōcludyd, and the sayd Danys auoydyd / the kynge reposses¦syd the sayde cytye.

It was not longe after, that ty∣dynges were brought vnto Charlis

of the deth of Lewys the emperoure. After knowlege wherof / the kynge sent hys other sonne named Lewys into Austracy, to haue the rule and y^e guydynge of y^e countrey. And after other thynges ordered for y^e weale of hys realme / he wyth a stronge com∣pany of men of armys passyd y^e moū¦taynes, and so into Italy towarde Rome. But Lewys hys brother and kynge of Germanye beynge therof warnyd / sent in all haste hys sonne Lewys wyth a stronge hoste to lette hys passage. But how it was for fere or other meane / the sayd Lewys yel∣dyd hym to hys vncle Charlys the Ballyd. wherewith the father beyng greuously dyspleasyd / sent hys se∣conde sonne namyd Charlō, to with∣stande the passage of the sayd Char∣lys. But thys for fere or other cause that he sawe that he myghte not pre∣uayle agayne hys vncle / retornyd hym agayne to hys father. After whose retorne, he for so mych as the sayd Lewys kyng of Germany well perceyued that hys brother Charlys was paste his daunger / he than with a more nomber ioyned vnto his son∣nes hoste, entryd y^e londe of Fraūce, in domagynge it to the vttermoste of hys power.

In whyche season Charlys the Ballyd kepte on his iourney toward Rome. wherof heryng the .viii. Iohn̄ than pope / sent agayne hym certayn persones of honoure, and welcomyd hym as Augustus or emperour. And after hys comynge thyther the sayde pope receyued hym wyth greate re∣uerence / and crowned hym wyth the imperyall dyademe and denouncyd hym as emperoure.

THE .CLXV. CHAPITER.

CHarlys y^e Ballyd thus beyng authorysed for emperour / ex∣ersyd hym for a tyme for the nedys of the chyrche of Rome / & after toke hys leue of the pope & retorned vnto Papye a cytye of Italy. where he cal¦lynge a generall counceyle of the lor¦des of the empire & other / he by theyr aduyses prouyded and ordered dy∣uerse thynges for the weale of y^e sayd empyre. And ouer that by theyr agre¦mentes he ordeyned for hys lyeu te∣naunt or debyte of the sayde empyre in hys absence, a noble man brother to hys wyfe recent named Besonne or Beson / and assygned to hym such people as was thought necessarye and conuenyent.

whan Charlys had sped hys ne∣dys in Papye, he hyed hym into Fraunce. But or he came wythin the terrytory therof / word was brought to hym that hys brother Lewys was retorned into hys owne countreye, wythout greate domage done to the realme of Fraunce.

In processe the emperoure came to Parys / where he was receyued of the cytesens wyth moste tryumphe & ioye / and kepte hys Eester tyde at saynte Denys.

It was not longe after that Char∣lys was thus returnyd into Fraūce / but that he receyued messengers frō hys brother kynge of Germany, the which in his name claymed his part of the empyre as hys ryghte and en∣herytaunce. whiche answere for that tyme was deferryd with pleasaunte wordes / so that at the nexte worde y^t he hadde from his sayd brother, was that he was dede and buryed in the chyrche of saynte Nazer in Franke∣borught. wherof whā Charlys was ascerteyned, anone he yode vnto Foū¦tenays / and sent hys messengers to the lordes of the countrey, commaū∣dynge them that they shulde meete hym at the cytye of Mettes.

Thys foresayd Lewys lefte after hym two sonnes named Lewys and

Charlon as before is towched / the whych deuyded bytwene them theyr fathers patrymony / so that Lewys had Germany, and Charlon hadde Bayon.

Thys Lewys ferynge hys vncle Charlys / gaderyd to hym a stronge power of Saxons and of Thoryn∣ges. And in the tyme of theyr assem∣ble / he sent an ambassade of certeyne byshhoppes & temporall lordes vnto hys vncle Charlys, prayeng hym of hys loue and fauour / wyth other re∣questes to hym made, of the whyche they myghte purchase no graunte. wherof whan they were retornyd he hauynge by them knowlege / y^e sayde Lewys incontinently wyth his hoste drewe nere vnto the Ryne. But thys Lewys was not so couert ī his work and assemblynge of hys people / but that hys vncle had therof wyttynge, and purueyed hys people as faste vp¦pon that other syde / so that he wyth an hoste was redy to fyghte with the sayd Lewys.

whan Lewys was ware of y^e great power that the emperour hadde as∣sembled, he made no haste to passe y^e water / but houed and caused his peo¦ple to falle vnto prayer. And Char∣lys also ferynge hys neuewe / vnder a colour sent alegacyon of entreaty. Durynge the whyche entreaty / the emperour contrary to hys honoure, led his peple by a secrete waye thyn∣kyng to haue fallen vpon his neuew sodeynly, and by that meane to haue dystressyd hym. But Lewys beynge ware of hys vncles treason / prouy∣ded so for hys peple, & kepte them in suche araye, that they receyued theyr foo men vpon theyr speres poyntes & to theyr great damage. For where the greate rayne and tedyousnesse of the harde and strayte wayes, whych they hadde passyd, hadde sore tyred and weryed them: than the fresshe fyersnesse of theyr enemyes, whyche they thoughte they shulde haue takē slepynge and vnpurueyed, abasshed thē in such wyse that they were soone ouercomen, and fled from the felde as shepe fle frō the wolfe. By meane of the whych flyght great slaughter of them was made / & many nobles & greate estates of Fraūce both slayne and taken prysoners / and the empe∣roure hym selfe scapyd wyth greate daunger. And of the prysoners that were takē they were so nere spoyled / y^t they were fayne to take vyne leues to couer wyth theyr secrete mēbres.

ye shall vnderstand y^• thys warre bytwene the emperoure Charlys the Ballyd and hys brothers sonne Le∣wys / was for the prouynce of Austra¦cy or Lorayne, the whyche somtyme belonged to the emperoure Lothayr and halfe brother to Charlys. The whych countreye after thys batayle, was by medyatours set in an order.

Than the emperoure wyth great trauayle came to a town called Ty∣guy. And Lewys kepte hys waye to Dandonyquyke / and from thens to Ayes the chapell.

In this whyle the Danes or Nor¦mans knowynge that Charlys was occupyed in the warre agayne hys neuewe / apparayled them a stronge hoste, and entred ofte the landes of Fraunce. But for Charlys was at y^e tyme letted wyth chargeable busy∣nesse / he therfore sent a noble man agayne them called Comarde, vnto the ryuer of Sayne, to wythstande the sayde enemyes. And also to hym was gyuen counceyle, to haue wyth them cōmunicacyon to make a peace yf he myghte.

And to thys trouble immedyatly was ioyned another. For ī this tyme and season a cytye belongyng to the chyrch of Rome rebellyd. wherfore to wythstand theyr malyce / the pope

than beynge Iohn̄ the .viii. of that name, sent messengers to Charlys for the defence of the sayd lōdes and other. And soone after the pope for to haste the sayd emperoure, or ellys to quyckē his deputye before named to assemble the Italyans and other people there adioynaūt / came downe to the cytye of Papye, & taryed there the emperours comynge.

Charlys thā beset with trowbles / assembled hys knyghtes & sped hym towarde Italy. And whan he was passyd the mountaynes / worde was brought to hym of the popes beynge in Papy / wherfore he sped hym thy∣der with all dylygence.

In thys tyme & season Charlone the brother of Lewys and sonne of Lewys kynge of Germany / whyche Charlone as before is shewyd was duke of Bayon or Bayory / gaderyd a stronge hoste, and entred the boun¦des of Italy. wherof herynge y^e pope and the emperour, than (as before is sayd) beynge at Papye, busyed in a great counceyle / dissoluyd the same. And the pope incontynētly toke leue of the emperour / & departyd agayne to Rome. And Charlys wyth a great power that he had gaderyd, as well of Italyans as of hys owne people / made towarde hys neuewe. wherof herynge the sayde Charlone / turned agayne by the waye that he had co∣men, tyll he came to hys owne coun∣trey, as sayth myne authour & also y^e French boke. But more verely Char¦lone kepyng togyther hys hoste, and hauynge fauour of dyuers lordes of Italye / the emperoure Charlys re∣mouyd to y^e cytye of Mantue / where he was grudged wyth a feuer. For remedy wherof he toke a pocyon of a physycyon Iewe named Sedechi∣as, whyche was intoxicat / by meane of whych venemous pocyon he dyed shortly after whan he hadde reygned as kynge & emperoure after moste ac¦corde of writers, by y^e space of .xxxvii. yeres, wherof he reygned as empe∣roure .iii. yeres / leuynge after hym a sonne named Lewys, whyche as be∣fore is shewed was ruler of the coū∣trey of Austracy or Lorayne.

whan thys Charlys was dede / hys frendes entendynge to haue ca∣ryed the corps into Fraunce / cau∣syd it to be seryd and enoynted wyth ryche and precyous bawmes, and other oyntmentes and aromatykes. But all myghte not stoppe the into∣lerable ayre of hys body / so that they were fayne to bury hym at Uercyle, wythin the monastery of saynt Eu∣seby. where he laye ouer .vii. yeres af¦ter / and then taken vp and conueyed to saynt Denys in Fraūce, and there honorably buryed.

THE .CLXVI. CHAPITER

IN the tyme of thys Charlys the Ballyd, as wytnessen ma∣ny wryters, began the erledome of Flaunders / the whyche euer before these dayes, the ruler therof was cal¦led the forester of the kynge of Fraū∣ce. whyche erledome had hys begyn¦nynge by thys meane.

ye haue harde before in the story of Adeulphus kynge of westsaxons / how in hys retornynge from Rome, he maryed the doughter of Charlys y^e Ballyd named Indith. The which Indyth after the deth of her sayde husbonde retornyd by Flaunders to¦warde Fraunce / thynkynge to passe wythout daunger, bycause the sayde countrey was vnder the obedyence or her father. But at those dayes was ruler or forester in that partyes a noble yonge amerous man callyd Bawdewyne / the whyche herynge of the great beautye of thys Indith, gaue attendaunce vppon her. And receyued her in hys best maner, ma∣kyng

to her all the chere that to hym was possyble / and fynally cast to hyr suche loue, that whan she supposed to departe and to haue gone into Fraunce / he delayed the mater in su∣che curteys and wyse maner, that he wan such fauour of her, that she ma∣de no greate haste to departe frome hym / all be it that moste authours agre, that he kepte hyr perforce.

whan Charlys hadde wyttynge that Bawdewyne thus helde hys doughter Indith / he sent to hym, straytly chargynge hym to sende ho∣me hys doughter / but that holpe not the mater. Thā he purchasyd agayn hym the censures of holy chyrch, and accursed the sayd Bawdewyne. But whan the kynge conceyued that the yonge man hadde suche loue to In∣dyth that he sette not by that punys∣shement / and also was certeynly en∣formed that hyr harte was gyuen vnto hym: he in processe by y^e meane of some bysshoppes and frendes of the sayd Bawdewine, agreed that he shulde take hyr to wyfe / and in the name of hyr dowar, he shulde holde and enioye the sayd countre of Flaū¦ders. And for he wolde haue hys doughter to be the more honoured / he creatyd the sayde Bawdewyne an erle, and commaunded hym to be cal¦led after that daye erle of Flaūders.

It is also shewyd in the Frenche cronycle and of other wryters / that thre dayes before hys deth, hys spi∣ryte shulde be rauysshed from hys body, and vnto places of payne and turment / where thys Charlys by the ledynge of an aungell, shulde se hyl∣les and mountaynes brenne, & pyt∣tes full of sulphyr, pytche, and hote boylynge lede. In whyche paynes the sayde Charlys shulde se many of hys progenytours and bysshoppes, that counceyled prynces to debate or stryfe, or gaue counceyle to them to rayse of theyr subiectys vnlefull tas∣kys or imposycyons / wyth many other thynges, whyche I passe ouer for length of the mater.

Anglia. THE .CLXVII. CHAPITER.

EThelwaldus or Ethelwoldus y^e eldeste sonne of Adeulphus, be∣gan hys reygne ouer the weste∣saxons or ouer y^e more partye of Englande, in the yere of our lorde viii. hundred and .lv / and the .x. yere of Charlys the Ballyd than kynge of Fraunce. The whyche became so vnhappy / that he maryed y^e woman whyche hys father hadde somtyme kepte or holden for hys concubyne, as wytnessyth y^e authour of y^e Floure of hystoryes. But Polycronycon sayth that he wedded his stepmoder / whyche dysaccordyth wyth the say∣enge of other wryters, which testifye his stepmoder to be maryed to Baw¦dewyn erle of Flaūders, as in y^e story of Charlys last before is shewyd.

Thys Ethelwolde though it be not expressyd by what hap he dyed, whan he hadde reygned one yere, as sayth Polycronyca. But another cro¦nycle beryth wytnesse, that he was slayne as a martyr, of Hungar and Hubba prynces of Danys.

About thys tyme the holy kynge saynt Edmund cōtynued his reygne ouer the Eest Anglis or Norfolke.

THE .CLXVIII. CHAPITER.

EThelbertus the seconde sonne of Adeulph{us} / began his reygn ouer the more partye of Englande, in the yere of our lorde .viii. hundred lvi / & the .xi. yere of Charlis y^e Ballid

then kynge of Fraunce. In whose tyme the Danys wyth more streng∣thes entred y^e west part of this land / and robbed and spoyled the coūtrey before theym tyll they came to wyn∣chester / & toke the cytye by strength, and dyd therin what they wold. But the kynge made suche prouysyon / that by hym & his dukes they were forcyd to forsake the cytye. And as they yode toward theyr shippes / they were fought wyth, and a great parte of theym slayne and taken.

Of this kynge is nothynge ellys lefte in memory more then before is shewyd / but that he dyed when had reygned after moste wryters .vi. ye∣res / and was buryed at Shyrborne, leuynge after hym none yssu of hys body. wherfore the rule of the lande fell to his brother Etheldrede.

THE .CLXIX. CHAPITER.

ETheldredus the thyrde sonne of Adeulphus / beganne hys reygne ouer the west Anglis and the more parte Englande, in the yere of our lorde .viii. hundred & .lxiii / & the xviii. yere of Charlis y^e Ballyd then kynge of Fraunce.

In the begynnyng of this kynges reygne, the Danes landed in eest En¦gland or Norff. and Suff. But they were compellyd to forsake that coun¦trey / and so toke agayne shyppynge and saylyd northwarde, and landed in Northumberlande. where they were mette wyth of the kynges then there reynynge callyd Osbryghte and Ella / whyche gaue to theym a stronge fyghte. But that not wyth∣standynge the Danys wyth helpe of suche as enhabyted y^e countrey, wan the cytye of yorke, and helde yt a cer¦tayne of tyme.

Then the people of Northumber¦land varyed with in them self / & had more leuer ayde the Danys then to reygne vnder the kyng of westsaxōs. For here is to be notyd that all such kynges as reygned there after Eg∣bert, whyche as before is sayde sub∣dued that prouynce and other / rey∣gned as trybutaryes to the kynge of of westsaxons or Anglys.

wherfore Etheldredus herynge of the auauntage that the Danys then had, assembled his people and sped hym thytherwarde / and sente vnto the foresayd two kynges, commaun¦dynge them also to prepare theyr pe¦ple agayne hys cōmynge. But howe yt was or the kynge came wyth hys hoste / the Danys so prouokyd the Northumbres to batayll, that they met in playne feld & foughte a longe batayll. But finally the Danys wan the pryce / and slew both the foresayd kynges wyth a great multytude of theyr people.

After whych vyctory they subdued myche of the sayde countrey, and de∣stroyed y^e town of Aklynt or Aclynd / the whyche, as testyfyeth Beda, was somtime one of the strongest townes of the Northe.

when Etheldrede hadde preparyd all thynge for the warre / and was purposyd towarde the North, for cō¦syderacyon aforesayde: worde was brought vnto the sayde kynge Ethel¦drede of the dyscomfyture of the Nor¦thumbres / and also of dyuerse of the sayde Danys wyth other that were comen to Mercia, and hadde wonne the towne of Snotyngham or No∣tyngham / whyche tydynges lettyd hym of his forth spedde in that iour∣ney. But thys sayenge is dysagrea∣ble vnto Policronicon. For he sayth that the Northumbres were yet of theyr kynge Osbrutus or Osritus after some authours / and chase vnto thē a tyraunt named Ella / by meane wherof great dissensyon grew amōg

them to the great hurte of the coun∣trey. But when the Danys hadde passed the countre, and wonne the cytye of yorke, that then was febly wallyd: then by constraynte and of fere, for the defence of theyr coūtrey, they were fayne to agree and to ga∣ther strengthe on all sydes / so that bothe the foresayde kynges went a∣gayne the foresayd Danis, and both were slayn. After whych scomfyture the people as desolate / some fledde the countrey, and some made peace wyth the Danys, and lyued vnder theyr tuycyon. And so the Danys kepte the possessyon of that coūtrey / in suche wyse that no Angle hadde rule therof, tyll the time of Adelstone or Ethelstone, or after some wryters tyl the tyme of Edredus / so that they helde the possessyon therof ouer the terme of .lx. yeres.

Then the Danys beynge thus pos¦sessyd of the Northe countrey / man∣ned the same, & fortyfyed the stronge holdes therof. And the other of them came downe into Mercia or myddell Englande / and wanne a parte ther∣of wyth the forsayde towne of No∣thyngam / and dwellyd there y^e more parte of the yere folowynge.

wherfore kynge Etheldrede wyth ayde of Burdredus then kynge of Mercia, layde seage vnto the towne. The whyche when the Danys per∣ceyued shulde be wonne / they refu∣syd the towne, and toke the towre or castell, and defendyd yt in so stronge maner, that they helde yt tyll a peas or apoyntement was concludyd be∣twene the two kynges and theym. whyche was that they shulde go free where they wolde, and carye wyth theym theyr horse and harnesse wyth¦out any pyllage. And whē this peace was thus made, eyther of the kinges departed to theyr owne / and the Da∣nys retourned vnto yorke, & dwelled there the yere folowynge.

And the yere folowynge that sayde yere / a parte of the sayde Danys ta∣kynge shyppynge in the Northe, en∣tendynge to sayle towarde eest En∣glande / mette in the see wyth a flo∣te of Danys, wherof the captaynes or ledars were named Hynguoar & Hubba. The whyche by exhortacyon of the other commynge oute of the North / made all one course, and last¦ly landed in eest Englande or Norf∣folk / and in processe of time came vn¦to Therforde.

Therof herynge Edmundus then kyng of that prouynce / assembled an hoste, that gaue vnto them batayll. But Edmūde and his hoste was for¦sed to forsake y^e feld / & the kyng with a few persones fledde vnto the castel of Framilynghā or Framyngeham / whome the Danys pursued. But he in short whyle after yelded hym selfe vnto the persecucyon of the Danys. And for this blessyd man Edmunde wolde not renye or deny Cryste and hys lawys / they therfore moste cruel¦ly bonde him vnto a tree, and causyd hym to be shot to deth / and lastely causyd his hedde to be smytten from the body, & caste amonge the thycke of the bushes. But when his frendes came after to burye this holy trea∣soure and lacked the hed, and made for yt busy serche / the hedde beyng in the clawys of a wylde wolfe spake, & sayde thre tymes dystynctely, here, here, here. By reason of whyche speche they came vnto y^e place where the hedde in the sayde bestys kepyng laye. whyche sayde wolfe contrarye to his kynde / anon as he sawe the people, fledde from the hedde and suffred theym to take yt vp / and fo∣lowyd theym after a certayn of tyme as he hadde ben rame.

Then they wyth great solempnyte caryed the body and hed vnto Egly∣don

or Eglysdon now callyd saynte Edmundes bury / and there buryed hym, aboute the yere of our lorde as wytnessen Policronica, Guydo, and other, viii. hūdred. & .lxix / as before it is shewyd in y^e chapyter of this wor∣ke foure score & .xiv, for whom dayly god shewyd there many miracles.

THE .CLXX. CHAPITER.

WHan this blessyd Edmūde was thus martyred for the loue that he bare towarde his mayster Criste and his lawes / his brother na¦med Edwoldus settynge a parte the lykynge and pleasure of the worlde, all be yt that to hym belongyd the ryght of that kyngdome, toke vpon hym the habyte of an heremyte, and lyued onely by brede and water at the abbay of Cern̄ in the countye of Dorset / by the clere welle that saynt Austyne by his prayers made to sprynge, when he conuertyd fyrst the Saxons of that prouynce to y^e fayth of Cryste.

Of this said abbay of Cerū, Policro¦nica sayth y^t it was after these dayes ryche and ryght welthy. But the go∣uernours therof mysspent the patry¦mony therof in excesse glotony, & not amonge the seruauntes of god.

wherfore he sayth farther, that co∣uetyse and pryde hadde so chaūged all thyng in England in these days / that all thynges that before tyme were gyuē to abbays, were then more wasted in glotony and outrage of the owners, then in sustenaunce and ayde of nedy men and of gestes or nedy waygoers. Albe yt he sayth the fyrst doers or gyuer lose not theyre re¦warde. For theyr wyll and entent is full euenly paysed in a balaunce, be∣fore hym that is the rewarder of all good. But though Treuysa y^t was the translatoure of this boke of Po∣lycronycon out of laten into our vul¦gare tunge / reporte this to be done, or thys mysorder to be vsyd in thys dayes, whyche lyued in the tyme of that honorable prynce Edwarde the thyrde / yf he now lyued, he wold not in no gouernours of munkes blacke or yet whyte, laye no suche outrage. For nowe at these dayes pryde and glotony is clerely banyshed frō theyr monasteryes and cellys / and in the rome of pryde wyth hys frende dys∣obedyence, haue they now lodgyd humylyte with his suffer obedyence. And in the stede of glotonye and vn∣clēnesse of lyuynge / haue they nowe newely professyd them vnto all cha∣styte, temperaunce, abstynence, a∣uoydynge all slowth and idelnesse / and exercyse theym in gostely studye and preachynge of the worde of god wyth all dylygence. So that nowe the holy rulys & ordynaunces made by that holy father and abbote saynt Benet, which by ignoraūce haue lōg tyme slepte / nowe by grace of good gouernaunce are newely renyued and quyckened. And here and ende, lest I be accused of dyssymulacyon.

Then to retourn vnto the Danys, from whome I haue made a longe dygressyon / trouth yt is that when they hadde as before is sayde, mar∣tyred the blessed man Edmunde, and robbed and spoyled that countrey / and they toke agayne theyr shyppes and landed agayne in Southerye / and there contynued theyr iourney tyll they came to the towne of Re∣dynge, and wanne the towne wyth the castell.

Policronyca sayth y^t the thyrd day of theyr thyther cōming / Hingwar & Hubba as they wente in purchasyng of prayes, were slayne at a place cal∣led Engelfelde. whyche prynces of Danys thus slayne / the other dele of theym kepte hole to gyther, in suche

wyse that the weste Saxons myght take of theym none auauntage. But yet wythin few dayes after the Da∣nys were holden so shorte, that they were forced to yssue out of the castell, and to defende theym in playne ba∣tayll. In y^t whych by cōforte of kyng Etheldrede and of Alurede his bro∣ther / the Danys were dyscomfyted, and many of theym slayne. wherof the other beynge ware / fled agayne to the castell, and kepte theym wyth in the same a certayne of tyme.

Then the kynge cōmaunded Etel∣wold then duke of Baroke or Bark∣shyre, to attende wyth hys peple vp∣pon that castell / & to se that the Da¦nys breke not oute at large while he went in other costes of that countrey to subdue other of the sayde Danys But when the Danys knewe of the kynges departure / they brake out so daynly anon of theyr hold, and toke the duke vnpuruayed & slewe hym and myche of hys people / and cau∣sed the other to with drawe them far¦ther from that towne or castell.

Then these Danys drewe them to other that were theyr lordes in that coūtrey / and enbatelled them in such wyse, that of theym was gatheryd a stronge hoste.

It was not long after duke Ethel wolde was slayne, but the kyng was ascertayned therof. The whyche re∣newed his heuenesse, and made hym full heuy / to consyder the losse of his frende, and the encreace and multy∣plyenge of his enymyes. For y^e daye before reporte of these tydynges as affermeth an olde cronycle / worde was brought to hym of the landyng of a Dane named Osryk, whyche of Policronyca is named kyng of Den¦marke. The whyche in shorte tyme after with assystence of the other Da¦nys / hadde gaderyd a great hoste, and were enbatellyd vppon ashe downe. To his batayll Alured was forced by great nede to come before his brother the kynge, that then was herynge of a masse wyth great deuo¦cyon, not knowynge of that hasty spede of his brother. where y^e kynge thus beynge in hys medytacyons / y^e hostes of Anglys and Danys strake to gyders wyth houge vyolēce. And how be yt the Danys hadde won the hyllande & y^e crysten men were in the valley / yet by grace and vertue of y^e kynges holy prayers and manhode of theym selfe, they at length wanne the hyll of the Danis, and slew theyr duke or kynge called Osryke, or af∣ter the englyshe cronycle Oseg, and fyue of theyr dukes, wyth myche of theyr people / and chased y^e other dele vnto Redynge towne.

wherfore the Danys resembled theyr people, and gathered a newe hoste / so that wythin .xv. dayes they mette at a towne called Basynge Stoke / and there gaue batayll vnto the kynge, and hadde the better.

Then the kynge gatheryd his peo∣ple, the whych at that felde were cha¦chyd & dysparklyd / and wyth freshe soldyours to theym accompanyed, mette the Danys within two mone∣thes after at a towne called Mer∣ton / and gaue to theym a sharpe ba∣tayll, so that myche people were slayn as well of the crysten as of the Danys. But in the ende the Danys hadde the honour of the felde / and the kynge of Anglys was wounded, and fayne to sauegarde hym selfe by polycy when myght fayled.

After these two feldes thus won by the Danys / they obteyned great cyrcuyte of grounde, and destroyed man and chyld that to them were in∣obedyēt. And chyrches and temples they tourned to vse of stables, and other vyle occupacyons. And to this sorowe was added an other.

For where the kyng hoped well to re¦couer his losses by ayde of his subie∣ctes, as wel of other {per}tes of his land as of hys owne of westsaxon / when he hadde sent his commyssyons into Northumberland into Mercia, and éest Anglia: He had of them small or lytell comforte / so that the coūtre of west Saxon was brought in great desolacyon. For the kyng was beset wyth enymyes vpon euery syde / and ouer that his knyghtes and soldy∣ours were tyred & palled wyth ouer watche and laboure. whyche many∣folde aduersytyes and troubles syn∣kynge in the kynges mynde / wyth brose or hurte ensuyng of the woūde before takē at y^e batayll besyde Mer∣ton, shortened his dayes / so that he dyed when he had reygned in great persecucion of the Danys after most wryters .viii. yeres, wythout yssue of his body. By reason wherof the rule of the lande fyll vnto hys brother Alurede.

It is wytnessyd of some cronycles that not wythstandynge the great trouble and vexacion that this kyng Etheldrede hadde wyth the Danys, he founded the house or college of chanons at Exeter, and was bu∣ryed at the abbaye of wynbourne or wobourne.

THE .CLXXI. CHAPITER.

ALuredus the .iiii. sonne of Adolfus & brother to Ethel∣dredus laste kynge / beganne his rey¦gne ouer the westsaxons and other prouynces of Englande, in the yere of our lorde .viii. hundred & .lxxii / and the .xxxi. yere of Charlis forenamed, then kyng in Fraunce. This Alured or after some wryters Alphred was xii. yere of age or he were set to scole. But for all that he spedde so well his tyme, that he passed his brother and other that were long set forth before hym. And by the counsayll of Neot{us} or Not{us} / he ordeyned the fyrst gram¦mer scole at Oxenford, & other free scoles, and fraunchaysyd that towne wyth many great lybertyes / & trans∣lated many lawes, & Marcyan lawe and other, out of Bretyshe speche vn¦to Saxon tunge. He was also a sub∣tyll mayster in buyldyng and deuy∣synge therof, and excellent connyng in all huntynge. Fayre he was of sta¦ture / and moste beloued of his father of all his chyldren.

Longe tyme it wold aske to reherse all his vertue. But for he was in his youth dysposed to y^e syn of the fleshe, and thereby letted from many a ver∣tuous purpose: he lastely after many resystences by hym done to auoyde y^e temtacyon therof / besought god en∣terly, that he wold sende to hym som contynuall sykenes in quenchyng of y^e vyce, & that he were not vnprofyta¦ble to wordely besynesse & serue god the better.

Then at goddes ordynaūce he had y^e euyll called Fyc{us} / wyth the whych sekenes he was greued many yeres, and lastely cured of that holy virgyn saynt Modwenna then dwellyng in Irlande. But after this cure by her done she came into Englande, for so myche as her monastery or chyrch y^t she there dwelled in was destroyed. wherfore Adulfus father to Alured, knowynge the vertue and holynesse of this mayden / gaue to her ground to buylde vppon .ii. abbays of may∣dens. That is to say one in Arderne at a place callyd Polliswortham, an¦other at Strenesalte in the Northe. But this holy mayden dyed in the yland of Andrese besyde Burton, af∣ter many yeres of the buyldynge of these sayd two abbays, & after .vii. ye¦res y^t she had ben closyd within stone walles in the yle before named.

when Alurede was cured of this se¦kynes,

to him fyll an other / the which contynued with hym from the .xx. ye∣re of his age tyll the .xlv. yere of hys sayed age. But y^t not wythstādynge he wedded a noble woman named Ethelwyda / of the which he receyued two sonnes, Edwarde surnamed the elder, & Egelwarde / & .iii. doughters, Elphleda y^t after was ladye of Mer∣cia Ethelgota a mēchon or nūne, & y^e thyrd was named Elfrida. The why¦che he caused all as well doughters as other▪ to studye the arte or scyence of grāmer, & to be noryshed wyth all vertue. And when this Alurede was admyttyd to be kynge, he well consy¦deryd the great daunger y^t his lande was in. wherfore he gaderyd to hym his lordes / & suche as he myghte not wyn wythout stryfe, he wanne wyth great iustyce and fayre hostes. So y^t he shorlty assembled a stronge hoste / and in the seconde moneth y^t he was made kynge, he mette wyth the Da∣nys besyde wylton, & yelded to them batayll, but not wythout great losse of men on both partyes.

Then he remeuyd his pleople, and in sondry places faught wyth y^e Da∣nys in the fyrste yere .vi. tymes. By meane wherof his peple were so sore mynyshed and wekyd / that he was forsed to take peas wyth his enymy∣es, vppon couenaunt that they shuld auoyde the countres & prouynces y^t he had domynyon of.

Uppon whych agremēt fermely con¦cluded the Danis for a tyme voyded those coūtreys / & drew towarde Lon¦don, & rested theym about y^e coste the more parte of the yere folowynge / & from thens to Lyndesey, in robbyng and spoylyng the townes & villages as they wente, & holdynge y^e cōmon people vnder theyr seruage / & so con¦tynued ouer the terme of two yeres. But or the thyrde yere were endyd they yode vnto Repindon / and there put down or slewe Burdredus then kyng of Mercia / and betoke y^e kyng¦dome vnto a seruaunt of his named Colwolphus, vppon condicyon on that he shulde kepe it to theyr behofe. And then they besegyd a town thereby cal¦led Hambourgth, & assauted yt right sharpely. wherfore the people therof beynge in great drede and fere / toke the body of that holy vyrgyne saynt werbourgth, by vertue of whose bo∣dy the enymyes were somwhat put a backe. And after for a more suerty / y^e inhabytauntes of y^e towne of Ham∣burgth wyth that holy treasure, fled vnto westchester / where at this daye she lyeth honorably shryned.

Then the kyng made oft peas with the Danys, in truste wherof he rode with the fewer peple, wherof they be¦yng ware, layd bushemētes for hym, & set so nere hym, y^t they slew a great parte of his cōpany in a nyght as he rode towarde wynchester.

For this treason the hyng was sore amouyd agayne the Danys / & in as secrete maner as he myght he assem∣bled a chosen cōpany of knyghtes / & as wytnessyth Guydo, fyll vpon thē sodeynly, & dystressed many of them, and lefte them not tyll he had chased them to Chester, or after an other au¦thour to Exetour. And there kynge Alurede kept the Danys so short / y^t he constrayned them to gyue to hym pledges to kepe the peace, & to dwell no lenger there then they myght pur¦uey shyppynge at the next porte to sayle into Denmarke.

After which accorde thus fynyshed the kynge returned vnto Mercia or myddell England. And for he harde y^t Colwolphus was dede, to whom the Danys had taken that lordshyp to kepe: he therfore seasyd y^t kynge∣dome, and ioyned yt to his owne of west Saxons. By whych reason the kyngedome of Mercia surseasyd y^e

had continued from theyr fyrst kyng named Penda, as in the chapyter of this worke .C.xxix. precedynge, is more at length declared.

Aboute the .v. yere of the reygne of Alurede / the Danys as affermeth Policronica, sayled fro warham to∣warde Exetour / in the whyche iour∣ney they loste .vi. score of theyr small shyppes by a tempeste in the see. But some of them occupyed the towne of Chepynham and the countrey ther∣unto adioynynge / and chasyd y^e An∣gles, or made them as subiectes to y^e Danys. And so sore the power of thē augmentyd / that the Angles loste dayly and they encresyd / and y^e more by reason of the landyng of a prynce of the Danys named Gutteron or Gowthram, whyche ys named kyng of Denmarke.

THE .CLXXII. CHAPITER.

ALurede beynge thus ouerset in multytude of enymyes, as affermeth Policronica & other / ladde an vncertayne lyfe and vneasy wyth few folkes aboute hym, in the wode coūtrey of Somersetshyre / and had ryght scante to lyue wyth, but suche as he and hys peple myght purchase be huntyng and fyshynge. In which mysery he thus by a certayn of tyme contynuynge / he was by a vysyon to hym shewyd of saynte Cutbert com¦forted, as folowyth. Uppon a tyme when his cōpany was from hym de¦parted & besyed in purchasyng of vy∣tayle, and he for a passetyme was re¦dynge on a boke / a pilgryme came to him and requyred his almes in god∣des name. The kynge lyfte vp hys handes towarde heuen and sayde, I thanke god that of his grace, he vy∣syteth hys poore man this day by an other poore man / and that he woll wytsaue to aske of me y^t he hath gy∣uen to me. Then the kynge anon cal¦led his seruaunt that hadde but one lofe and a lytell what of wyne / and badde hym gyue the halfe therof vn∣to the poore man. The whyche recey¦ued yt thankefully / and sodaynly va¦nished from his syght, so that no step of hym was sene in the nesshe fenne or more y^t he passed thorough. And also all that was gyuen to hym / was lefte there by in such wyse as yt was to hym gyuen. And shortely after his company returned to theyr maister / and brought wyth theym great plen¦ty of fyshe that they had then taken.

The nyght folowynge when the kynge was at his reste / one apperyd to hym in a byshoppes wede, & char∣gyd hym that he shuld loue god, and kepe iustyce, and be mercyable to the poore men, and worshyppe prestes. And sayd more ouer, Alurede Criste knowyth thy cōscience and thy wyll, and nowe wyll put an ende of thy so∣rowe and care. For to morow strong helpers shall come to the, by whose helpe thou shalte subdue thyne eny∣myes. who arte thou sayd the kyng. I am Cutbert sayd he, y^e pylgryme y^t yester day was here with y^t / to whom thou gauest both brede and wyne. I am besy for the and thyne wherfore haue thou mynde hereof when yt is wel with the. But how he had his pil¦gryme in mynde after, by the fredam that he gaue with the possessyons vn¦to Durham chyrche / yt is well and euydently sene.

Then Alurede after this vysyon, was wel comforted, and shewed hym more at large / so that dayly resortyd to hym men of wylshyre, Somerset∣shyre, & Hamshyre / tyll that he was strongly companied. Then the kyng put hym in a great ieo{per}dye, as sayth wyllyam de regibus. For he dyd on hym the habite of a mynstrell / & with his instrument of musyke, he entred

the tentes and pauylyons of the Da¦nys / and in shewynge there his en∣terlude & songes, he espyed all theyr slouth and idelnesse, and harde mych of theyr counsayll / and after retour∣ned vnto his company, and tolde to theym all the maner of the Danys.

Then the kynge wyth a chosen cō¦pany / fyll vpon y^e Danys by nyght, and dystressyd and slewe of theym a great multytude, and chasyd theym from that coste. And when the kyng had thus chasyd the Danys / by coū∣sayll of his knyghtes, he buylded there a toure and named it Edelyng, whyche is to meane in oure speche a toure of noble men. Oute of whych toure he and his soldyers made ma∣ny assautes vppon theyr enymyes, & dyd to them myche harme & scath / and clerely voyded the countrey of them betwene that and Selwood.

This Edelynge or Ethelyngyssey, standeth in a great marys or more / so that men may not wyn to yt with∣oute shyppe or bote, and conteynyth no great grounde / but yet therin is venyson and other wyld bestes, and fowle, and fyshe great plenty.

Thus kynge Alurede dayly pur∣suyd his enymyes by helpe of god & his subiectes / whyche heryng of his vyctoryes and manfull dedes, drewe to hym dayly out of all costes. By whose powers and assistens he helde the Danys so shorte / that he wanne from them wynchester, & many other good townes / and forced them lastly to seche for peace, the whych was cō¦cludyd vppon certayn couenauntis. wherof one and principall was / that theyr kynge named as before is sayd Guttrun or Gothram, or after y^e En¦glyshe cronycle Gurmunde, shuld be crystyned, and a certayne of his du∣kes wyth hym. And for y^e kyng wold haue the Danys banyshed out of the west partyes of Englande / he graun¦ted to hym eest Anglia to abyde and dwell in.

Then this prynce of Danys accor∣dynge to the couenauntes, was cry∣styned at wynchester / and .xx. of the grettest of his dukes. And to this sayde Danys prynce Alurede was godfather at the funte stone, and na¦med hym Athelstane. And after he hadde a season feasted the sayde Da¦ues / he accordynge to his promys•• gaue vnto theyr kynge the countrey of eest Anglia, whyche then contey∣ned Norffolk and Suffolk, & parte of Cambrydshyre. And also as wyt∣nessyth Policronica he graūted to y^e Danys that were crystened the coun¦trey of Northumberlande. And the other that wold not be crystyned, de∣parted the land & failed into Fraūce / where they restyd theym wyth theyr cosyns and Kynnesmen, that at those dayes wasted the lande of Fraunce, as in the frenche storys is somwhat apparent. when this Danys kynge Athelstane hadde the possessyon of these countreys / ye shall vnderstand y^t all suche Angles as dwelled there, and wythin the precyncte of theym, were vnder his obedyence. And all be yt that he helde the sayd prouynce as in fee of y^e kyng, and promysed to dwell there as his lyege mā / yet that promyse not wythstandynge, he con¦tynued lyke a tyraunte by the terme of .xi. yeres full, and dyed in the .xii.

In the whyche tyme kynge Alu∣rede amended the cytye of Septon̄ that nowe is called Shaftesburye / and other townes and stronge hol∣des y^t by the Danys were sore aba∣tyd and enpayred. And as wytnes∣syth Guydo and other / he buylded y^e house of nonnes at Shaftesbury, or was fyrste founder therof.

He also founded an house of rely¦gyon in the aboue named place of Ethelyngesey / and a nother in wyn∣chester,

that was named the new mo¦nastery. In the whiche he was after buryed. And ouer this he endowed the churche of saynte Cuthberte in Doreham, as before is touched.

Aboute the .xv. yere of the reygne of Alurede / y^e Danys whiche before as ye haue hard sayled into Fraūce, retorned into Englande and landed in Kent / and so lastly came vnto Ro∣chester and beseged that cytye / and lay there so longe, that they buylded a towre of tymber and not of stone, agayne the gates of the cytye. But by strength of y^e cytesyns that towre was destroyed, and the cytye defen∣ded tyll kyng Alurede restowed thē. The whyche hadde made suche pur∣ueyaunce for the dystressyng of them by water and lande / that they were so nere trapped, that for fere they left theyr horses behynde them and fled to theyr shyppes by nyght. But whā the kynge was therof ware / he sent after them & toke .xvi. of theyr shyp∣pes, and slewe many of the sayd Da¦nys. After thys iourney, the kynge retorned to London / and repayred certayne placys therof, that before had ben hurte or febled wyth the Da¦nys / and betoke the guydyng therof vnto Etheldredus than erle or duke of Mercia, to whom as wyfe he had gyuen hys doughter Elfleda.

About thys tyme dyed Dunber∣tus than bysshop of wynchester / and the kyng made Dunwolfus bysshop after hym. The whyche as sayth Po¦lycronycon the kynge fande in the wodde kepyng of bestes, in the tyme whan he hym selfe kepte the woddes for fere of the Danys.

About the .xxi. yere of the reygne of thys kynge Alurede / the Danys landed in .iiii. places of thys lande, that is to wytte in the Eest England and the North, and in the west in .ii. places. But for y^e kynge before theyr landynge had warnynge of the deth of Athelstan̄ kyng of Danys of Eest England, and of other complayntes of y^e Danys / he therfore yode thyder in whyche tyme of hys there beynge these tydynges came vnto hym.

THE .CLXXIII. CHAPITER

WHan kynge Alurede was acer∣tayned of these tydynges / for so mych as some of the sayde Da∣nes were landed in that coste, and knewe well that y^e ferther they drewe vnto these partyes, the more they shulde be ayded and strengthed: he therfore sent messengers in all haste vnto Etheldred erle or duke of Mer¦cia / chargynge hym to assemble an hoste of the men of Mercia and the border there about / and to make re∣systens agayne the Danes, whyche landed in the west. And that done / y^e kyng sped hym toward hys enmyes, and pursued them so sharpely, that in y^e ende he droue them out of Eest Anglia. The whyche than landed in Kent / whyther the kynge wyth hys people spedde hym, and in lyke ma∣ner draue the Danes from thens. How be it of any specyall fyghte or batayle authours therof leue no me∣mory. After thys agayne the Danes toke shyppynge & sayled into North wales, and there robbed and spoyled the Britōs / and from thens retorned by the see into the Eest Anglia, and there rested them, for so mych as the kynge than was gone westwarde.

In thys whyle some of the fore∣sayd Danys had wonne the towne of Chester. But for the countrees ad¦ioynaūt presed so sore vppon them / the sayd Danys were compelled to kepe them wythin the sayd towne or cytye, and to defende theym by that maner. But that holdyng of y^e towne lasted so longe, that the Danys were

compellyd to eate theyr horses for hunger. But by apoyntement they lastely gaue ouer the towne, & went thens into Northumberland. And in the whyle that the kynge with his hoste spedde hym thyderwarde / they leuynge the stronge holdes and ca∣stels garnysshed wyth men and vy∣tayle, toke agayne shyppynge & fet theyr course in suche wyse that they landed in Sussex / and so came vnto the towne of Lewes, and from thens toward London / & buylded a towre or castell nere vnto the ryuer of Le∣wes. But the Londoners heryng of theyr doynges, māned out a certayn nomber of men of armes / the whiche wyth assystens of the men of y^e coun¦tree, put the Danys from that towre and after bete it downe to the groūd.

Soone after y^e kyng came downe thyder / and for he thoughte that ry∣uer shulde be a meane to brynge ene∣myes efte soones into that countre: therfore he cōmaunded y^e streme to be deuyded into diuers stremes / so y^t by reasō therof there a shyp myght sayle in tyme afore passed, thā a lytell bote myghte scantly rowe. Than by pre∣sence of the kynge, the Danes were forsed to fle that countre, and from thens toke agayne waye toward wa¦lys, and kept a parte of the ryuer of Seuerne / & vppon the border therof buylded them a castell nere vnto wa¦lys, & so rested them there for a tyme. So that .iii. yeres after thys lande was vexed wyth thre maner of so∣rowes / wyth warre of the Danes, pe¦stylence of men, & moreyne of bestes. whyche troubles & aduersytees not wythstandynge / the kyng knyghtly and manfully resysted the malyce of his enmyes / and thanked god alway what trouble so euer fyll to hym or to hys realme / and susteyned it with greate humylyte and pacyence.

It is tolde of hym y^t he deuyded y^e daye and nyght in thre partyes yf he were not let by warre or other greate besynes. wherof .viii. houres he spēt in study and lernyng of scyence / and other .viii. he spente in preayer and almes dedes wyth other charytable dedes / & other .viii. houres he spent in his natural reste, sustinaūce of his body, & the nedes of the realme. The whych order he kept duely by waxen tapers kepte by certayne persons.

Thus thys marcyall knyght con¦tynuyng in all prowesse and vertue, lastly dyed / whan he hadde reygned ouer the more parte of thys lande by the terme of .xxviii. yeres full. And was fyrst buryed at wyltō, and after certayne yeres remoued and caryed vnto wynchester / leuynge after hym a sonne named Edwarde, surnamed Edwarde the elder. For the other b••o¦ther called Egelwarde dyed before hys father.

Francia. THE .CLXXIIII. CHAPITER.

LEwys the second of that name, and sonne of Charlis y^e Balled / began hys reygne ouer the Frenchmen, in the yere of our lorde .viii. hūdred lxxviii / and the .vi. yere of Aluredus than kynge of the more parte of En∣glande. Thys was named Lodowi∣cus Balbus, whych is to meane Le∣wys the stamerer / for so mych as he had an impedyment in hys tunge.

ye haue before in y^e story of Char∣lys the Balled herde, How Charlon the neuew of Charlys foresayd, with hys hoste had entred Italy, and en∣tended towarde Rome. The whyche after the deth of his sayd vncle Char¦lys, kepte on hys waye, & lastly came

vnto Rome. But for the pope than beynge Iohn̄ the .viii. of that name / fauoured the aboue named Lewys Balbus, and entended to make hym emperoure: therfore he refrayned y^t enoyntyng of the sayd Charlon. For the whyche dede he fynally was com¦pelled to auoyde the towne & coūtre, & fled into Fraūce. where he beynge honourably of Lewys receyued / de∣clared and admytted hym for empe∣roure, as sheweth the Cronycles of Rome. But after two yeres of hys reygne or short tyme of thys admys∣syon to that dygnyte, thys Lewys dyed. wherfore the sayde pope to en∣ioye hys papasy in reste / retorned to Rome, and anoynted the forenamed Charlon, and crowned hym with the imperyall dyademe / the whyche in y^e Roman̄ cronycle is named Carolus tertius, the thyrde emperour, that is to meane of that name.

But of all thys speketh nothyng the Frenche Cronycle / excepte that it is there testyfyed, that he was of the sayd pope admytted for emperour.

Polycronycon sheweth, that the seconde Lewys kynge of Fraunce, was accursed of the pope Nicolas y^e fyrste of that name / for so myche as he refused hys lawfull wyfe, & toke to him his concubine named waldra¦da. But that is vnderstande by Le∣wys the second emperour of that na∣me / whyche was sonne of Lothayre, whyche Lothayre was eldest sonne of Lewys the mylde, as in the story of Charlys the Ballyd appereth. And for the genelogy of Charlis the conqueroure, or of hys ofspyng may the clerelyer appere / and also that y^e reder may haue the more certeyne of the names, whych were emperours, whych kynges of Fraunce, & whych were kynges of Germany: I shall in the story of Lewys the .v. (in whome for a tyme surseasyd y^e blode) make a remembraunce of euery emperour, & kynges of Fraunce & Germany, that reygned from y^e sayd Charlis y^e grete or conquerour, tyll Hugh Capet / the whyche Hugh vsurped the crowne of Fraunce, as after shall appere.

Than it foloweth in the story, that for partycyon of the lande of Austra¦cy or Lorayn, grudge and varyaūce contynued alwaye bytwene the kyn∣ges of Fraūce & Germany / whyche bothe kynges at thys daye were na∣med Lewys, albeit that the kyng of Fraunce was surnamed Balbus, as before is shewed. For the whych va∣ryaunce by laboure of frendes these two kynges mette at y^e cytye or place called Gundeuyle. where after longe cōmunycacyō it was fynally agreed, that the sayde prouynce of Austracy shulde than be deuyded, as it som∣tyme had ben parted bytwene Char∣lys the Balled and Lewys kynge of Germany theyr bothe fathers.

After whych peas thus cōcluded, eyther parted from other in frendely wyse. And Lewys Balb{us} yode vnto Ardern̄, where he halowed the feste of Crystmas. And frō thens he yode vnto Compeyne / where he herde of the rebellyon of a marques of hys realme called Barnarde, or more ve¦rely after the Romayn story a mar∣ques of Italy. For thys Barnarde wyth one Helberde had before tyme taken from the chyrche of Rome cer∣teyne possessyons / whyche by meane of thys Lewys & the sentence of the chyrche denounced agayne them by the foresayd pope Iohn̄, were agayn restored, and the partyes also recon∣cyled. But now of newe thys Bar∣narde rebelled agayne. wherfore the pope as to Lewys for the defensour of the chyrch of Rome sent for ayde / for, as before I haue shewed you, thys Lewys of the sayde pope Iohn̄ was authorysed for emperoure. But

for he was not crowned at Rome wyth the imperyall dyademe / he is not accōpted amonge y^e emperours.

For thys newe rebellyon of Bar∣narde, Lewys assembled hys armye at Cōpayne foresayd / and frō thens rode to y^e cytye of Troyes in Uincēt, where he was taken wyth sodayne malady, of y^e whyche he dyed shortly after, and not wythout suspeccyon of venym, whan he had ben kynge of Fraunce fully two yeres / leuyng af∣ter hym two sonnes, that is to saye Lewys and Charlys, or after some wryters Charlemayne.

THE .CLXXV. CHAPITER.

LEwys and Charlys / the son∣nes of Lewys Balbus or Le¦wys y^e stamerer / began theyr reygne ouer the Frenchemen, in the yere of oure lordes incarnacion .viii.C.lxxx / and the .viii. yere of y^e reygne of Alu∣rede than kynge of Englande. The whyche for they were yonge of age, were put vnder tuyssyō and gydyng of Barnarde the erle of Auuergii / to whom the father by hys lyfe had thē commytted. wherfore the sayd Bar∣narde wyth other of hys affynyte as∣sembled shortly after at Meaux in Lorayne / & thyder called vnto them the lordes of the lande, to treate ma∣ters for the comon weale of y^e same.

In those dayes was a man of grete myght in Fraūce named Gosseleyn̄ / the whyche enuyed the foresayd erle Barnarde & other, for certayne har∣mes to hym by them done in tyme be fore passed. In auengynge wherof the sayd Gosseleyn̄ intended to putte hym and other from the rule of the land, whych he knew well they shuld occupye whyle the sayd two childern had rule of the same.

And thys euyll purpose to brynge to effecte / he went vnto Conrade erle of Parys, and shewed to hym moche of his wyll. And amonge other thyn∣ges lette hym wytte, that yf Lewys kynge of Germany myght with hys helpe be made kynge of Fraūce / that he shulde by hym be greatly auaun∣ced. By whych meanes he caused the sayde Conrade to take hys parte / so that he & other of hys affynyte whan they came vnto the foresayde coun∣sayle at Meaux / sayde that Lewys kynge of Germany, was more apte to rule the lande of Fraūce than any other was. And also after some wry∣ters / these Lewis and Charlys afore sayde were not the legyttymate son∣nes of the forenamed Lewis Balb{us}, but gotten in baste of a concubyne of the sayd Lewys.

Thys mater thus debated and argued amonges the coūsayle / lastly by moste in nomber it was agreed, that Lewys kynge of Germanye shulde be by ambassade requyred to come and take vppon hym the rule of the lande of myddell Fraunce. The whych wyth small request was agreable / and in shorte tyme after came vnto the sayd cytye of Meaux, and after to Uerdune. But as soone as the knowlege was come to Bar∣narde and other of hys affynyte / by counceyle of Hughe and Terry two nobles of Fraunce, the bysshop of Orlyaunce with an erle and other were sent to Uerdune vnto the sayd kynge of Germany wyth thys mes∣sage. That yf he were contente to take vnto hym all suche parte of the prouynce of Lorayne, as Char∣lys the Balled kepte from hys fader Lewys, wythout more clayme of the lande or realme of Fraunce / he shuld gladly haue it. And yf nat, he shulde abyde the iugement of Mars and hys batayle. wyth whyche offer Le∣wys was well contented / and beyng of it in a suertye, departed agayne into Germanye.

Thorough that doynge, the fore∣named Gosselyne and Conrade with other of theyr frēd{is}, were with yt sore dyscōtentyd of the departure of Lew¦ys forsayde. But the sayd Bernarde with other of his syde, in goodly hast after cōueyed the sayd two chyldren vnto the citye of Ferrer / & there crow¦ned and proclaymed theym for kyn∣ges, as wytnessyth mayster Robert Gaguyne. But the forenamed Gos∣selyne and Conrade not leuynge so the mater / sente messengers vnto y^e quene of Germanye, cōplaynynge theym vnto her of the vnstablenesse and tymerousnesse of her lorde / wher¦by he had not alonely loste the posses¦syon of the realme of Fraunce, but also he hadde put them and all theyr frendes in great fere and daunger. wherof herynge the quene / in her mynde was sore dyscontentyd wyth her lorde and husbande, and as she durste shewyd yt to hym as his re∣proche and dyshonour. And fynally to satysfye the myndes of the sayde Gosselyn̄ and Conrade, she sent into Guyan her brother named Boso / by whose aydes and assystence he was of that prouynce proclaymed kynge.

Endurynge whyche troubles / the Danys entred the lande, and came vnto the ryuer of Lyger, and robbed and spoyled the countrey wythoute mercy. wherfore the kynges assem∣bled theyr people / and gaue to them batayll nere vnto the ryuer of Uyen. where they dystressyd the sayde Da∣nys and slewe of them .ix. thousand, and drowned of thē ouer that a grete multytude in the sayde ryuer. After whyche vyctory by the kynges obtey¦ned / a new vexacyon & trouble was to them ascertayned, y^t Lewys kyng of Germany with a great puysaunce was comen vnto a place called Du∣cy / and to hym was gone the forena¦med Gosselyn̄ and Conrade with all the power that they myghte make / & by theyr ledynge was from thens cō¦ueyed vnto Rybemaunt. But howe so yt was, for lacke of performaunce of promyse made by the sayde two er¦les vnto the kyng of Germany & not obserued / he herynge of the kynges of Fraunce drawynge towarde hym wyth stronge hoste, cōcluded a peas, and retourned into Germany. And the two bretherne rode to gyder vn∣to the citye of Damens or Demeus / where they deuyded the lande of Fraunce betwene theym. So that Lewes held to hym the coūtrey nere & about Parys, with the prouince of Neustria or Normandye / and Char∣les had vnto his part Burgoyn and Guyan / with promyse made & assu¦red on eyther partye, that eyther of them shulde ayde and assyste other.

THE .CLXXVI. CHAPITER.

AFter this partycyon betwene the two bretherne thus ma∣de / by the meanes of Lewys kynge of Germany the foresayde erles Gos¦selyn̄ & Conrade were vnto the sayde bretherne recouncyled and agreed. And for to theym redy worde was brought, y^• Bose before named kyng of Guyan hadde wonne the cytye of Uyen / & therin lefte his wyfe whyle that he occupyed y^e hylles and moun¦taynes beynge there aboute: they ioyntly assembled theyr knyghtes, & sped thē thyther, & layde theyr seage aboute the cytye. But durynge this syege the Danis often wasted y^e land of Fraunce. wherfore Lewys the el¦der brother, departed frō that syege / leuynge there his brother Charlys. But or the sayde Lewis myght wyn to the sayde Danys, they as tyraun∣tes and cruell enymyes to Crystes fayth, hadde spoyled many chyrches and temples, and a monasterye of

saynt Peter in Corby, and throwen yt downe to the ground. After which vyle and cruell dede by theym done / Lewys gaue vnto them batayll, and slew of them great nomber, and cha∣sed the remanaunt.

But after this vyctorye ensuyd a great wonder. For when the crysten hadde as before is sayde chasyd the pagans or Danys / they retourned as confusyd and dysparkled, lyke as all the hoste of Danys hadde theym pursued / so that well was hym that myghte ronne fastest, and hyde hym selfe from the daunger of his enymy. For yt was thought to them and ap∣parent to theyr syght, that theyr eny¦myes folowed at theyr backes wyth all kynde of wepyn / and yet folowed thē no man. The whych fere & flyght of Frenche men, as sayth myne au∣thour, was sent to theym by dyuyne purueaunce / for so myche as they so often before tyme had won the pryce of theyr enymyes, and had not ther∣fore gyuen due thanke vnto god, but referred yt to theyr owne strenghtes and vertue.

Then the Danys herynge of this dysparklyng of the crysten hoste / re∣assembled theyr power and ppayred them to new fyght. wherfore y^e kyng called to gyther his knyghtes, so as before is sayd dysparkled / and mette wyth theym nere vnto the aboue na∣med ryuer of Lyger. But when both hostes were wythin a days iourney / the kynge was aduysed by some of his coūsayll, y^t he shulde not as then fyght wyth thē. For the whych cause he yode vnto Compeynge, and there kept the feast of Crystemasse.

And whyle the kynge was lodged in Cōpeynge / he delyueryd his hoste vnto a noble man of his land named Theodorych / wyllynge hym to go a∣gayne the Danys. Of whose exployt or spede myne authoure maketh no mencyon / but sayeth that soone after the foresayde feast, the kynge spedde him to Turon̄ / where he sent to rayse the Brytōs of lytell Britayn to with stande the foresayde enymyes.

In the whyche passetyme he was there taken wyth a maladye, & from thens in a lytter caryed vnto saynte Denis, where he dyed & was buried. Or as sayth maister Gaguyn, he dy∣ed at Turon̄, and was after cōueyed vnto saynt Denys, and there buried. But for all wryters ioyne the reygn of these two bretherne in one / ther∣fore I wyll now shewe vnto you the fyne or conclusyon of the other bro∣ther called Charlys or Charlemayn / the whyche all thys whyle maynte∣ned the syege aboute Uyenne, where his brother as before is touchyd left hym. To whom the lordes of Fraū∣ce sente in all haste, gyuynge to hym knowlege of the deth of his brother / and also of the great daunger that the land was in by reason of the Da¦nys. wherof when the sayd Char∣lys hadde thus wyttynge / he lefte a parte of hys people at the sayde sye∣ge, and wyth the other deale he sped hym towarde Champayne, for so mych as he was enfourmed that the Danys were drawen towarde that coste. And as he was in hys iour∣ney / worde was broughte vnto hym that Uyenne was delyueryd vnto suche persones as he hadde there left to maynteyne the syege.

And after thys came a nother mes∣senger / whyche shewyd to hym that the Danys hadde destroyed dyuers chyrches in Champayne and other places / and howe the byshoppe of Meaws that agayne theym hadde ladde an host of people, was of them slayne, and hys people chasyd / and ouer thys at the foresayde ryuer of Lyger an other hoste of Danis, with theyr leder called Hastynges was as∣sembled.

The whych in that partyes wasted the countrey as the other in other places dyd / whyche somdeale apasled the herte of the kynge Char∣lys. How beyt by the comforte that he hadde dayly receyued from the lordes of Fraunce / he kepte on hys iourney, and made towarde the next of his enymyes.

But when he drew nere vnto them / were yt for his own cowardyse, or of the counsayll of his lordes / he fell to a communycacyon of peace. And fy∣nally concluded that Godfrey the prynce of Danys, to cōfesse the fayth of Cryste and to be crystened / shulde enioye the hole prouynce of Fryse. And wyth in the same / he wyth hys Danys to inhabyte theym.

The whyche condycyon of peace was the begynnynge of greate so∣rowe and losse vnto Fraunce, as af∣ter shall appere. For all be yt that the sayd Godfrey to deceyue the French¦men, shewed outwarde countenaūce to be crysten man for a whyle / he shortely after wyth an hoste of .xl. thousande Danys, entred the land, wastynge the countrey tyll he came to Parys / and layde there hys syege about the same citye. But by the arch byshoppe of Parys then named Ios¦selen̄, and the inhabytaunces of the same, the cytye was manfully defen¦ded / so that he with his Danys was fayne to breke hys syege / and from thens yode to the cytye of Laon̄, and wan yt by strength / and after yt spoy¦led and robbed, and after brent. And fro thens to Soysons in pyllynge and destroyeng the countrey as they went, in so cruell wyse, that the bys∣shoppes and prestys fled from theyr chyrches, wyth relyques and anour∣namentes or ornamētes belongyng to the same / as the bodyes of saynte Germanye, saynte Remigius, and dyuers other.

In y^e tyme of this persecucyō / lyke as the lande of Englande was in great daunger, so also was the land of Fraunce / by meane of these pa∣gans or myscreauntes Danys. The whyche resortyd from that one real∣me to that other / and releued theym selfe in that one land, whē they were chased oute of that other. But one myshappe amonges other befell in Fraunce at these dayes. For Char∣lys theyr kynge was taken from theym in suche wyse, that no wryter leueth of hym any mencyon how he dyed, nor when he dyed / nor no men∣cyon is made in the frenche cronycle nor of myne auhoure, howe longe whyle he and hys brother Lewys rey¦gned. All by Uyncent historyall, and Antoninus, whych groūded hym vp¦pon the sayde Uyncent, and Iaco∣bus Philippus saye / that these two foresayde bretherne regned togyder and alone, by the terme of .v. yeres wythoute more.

And the frenche cronycle and also myne authour sayen, that Lewys dy¦ed wythoute heyre / and that Char∣lys lefte after hym a sonne, whyche was named Lewys, and after for his symple dedes surnamed in laten Ni¦hil faciens, or in frēche Ryen fezant / whyche is to meane in our speche nought doynge.

But who that lysteth wele to ad∣uertyse & remēber the order of thys cronycle / he shall fynde in this latter sayenge some dyscorde. For where yt is sayde that thys Charlis shulde leue a sonne after hym, to my yt se∣meth, that consyderynge hys youth he shulde not be of any lawfull age to gette a chylde. For by all lykly∣hode of conuenyence of the storye / yf all be veryfyed as yt is before decla∣red / he coude not passe y^e age of .viii. yeres at the moste.

wherfore yt muste folowe of a con∣gruence

/ that other they reygned len¦ger tyme, or ellys thys chylde or heyre Lewys aboue named, was the sonne of some other man. But to fo∣lowe myne authour I shall procede as foloweth.

THE .CLXXVII. CHAPITER.

LEwys the fourth af that na∣me, and sonne of Charlis as before is sayde / beganne his reygne ouer y^e Frenchmen, in the yere of our lorde .viii. hundred .lxxx. & .vi / and the .xiiii. yere of Aluredus then kyng of Englande. Of thys Lewys yt ys testyfyed of dyuers wryters, that he shulde enamoure hym selfe vppon a menchon of the monastery of Chyell, and her drawe oute by force, and ma¦rye her vnto his wyfe. For the which dede and other, he purchasyd the a∣boue said name / & was called Lewis nought doynge.

In thys tyme the Danys, contra∣ry to theyr {pro}myse before made / made new warre wythin the land of Fraū∣ce. wherfore the Frenchmen hauyng lytell hope in theyr kynge / sente vn∣to Charlon or Charlys y^e emperour, sonne of Lewys kynge of Germany as before is shewyd / requyryng him in all humble wyse to vysyte y^e realm of Fraunce / and to defende yt from the persecucyon of the Danys.

In these dayes also was lyuynge in Fraunce the forenamed Hugh / whych as ye before haue herd / mayn¦teyned the quarell of Lewys & Char¦lys last kynges, agayn Lewys kyng of Germanye. The whyche Hugh of some writers is called Hue le graūd, that is Hugh the great. Thys man gaderyd an hoste of Frenchmen, and gaue batayll vnto the Danys, and slewe of them a great nomber.

It shulde seme by the wryters of the frenche storye, that these noble men of Fraunce, as thys Hugh and other, shulde haue the rule of the spy¦rytuall possessyons of abbayes and other houses of relygyon. For of myne Authour mayster Gagwyne, they are in laten named abbates / and in the Frenche boke abbis, whych is to meane abbottes.

And also yt is testyfyed of the sayd writers / that this Hugh and Robert erle of Parys, were the fyrst that left the dystrybucyon of those spyrytuall goodes vnto theyr knightes / & gaue ouer that name of abbotte, the why∣che in some other estates contynued tyll the dayes of Roberte kynge of Fraunce.

Then yt folowyth, accordynge to the request made vnto the emperour as aboue is shewyd / he gatheryd a stronge hoste of Italyons, and par∣ced the lande of Fraunce / and bare hym so vyctoryously agayne the Da¦nys, that he forced theym to obey to all theyr former promyse & condycy∣ons. But Eusebi{us} and other y^t wrote the actes of the emperours / sayen, y^t this Charlis whyche they name the thyrd of y^• name, and also Grossus, y^t is great / subdued the Danys of Fraunce, & compellyd theyr leder or prynce named there Rodefredus, to take the habyte of Crystes relygyon, and receyued hym at the coulde wa / ter. In whyche tyme or soone after (wherof y^e tyme is not duely ascertay¦ned) dyed the forenamed kynge Lew¦ys surnamed nought doynge / when he hadde reygned after most wryters viii. yeres / leuyng after hym a sonne named Charlis, y^t whyche after was surnamed symple. But for he was to yonge to take vpon hym such a char¦ge / the lordes put hym vnder good & conuenyent guydynge / and chase an other as foloweth to guyde y^e lande tyll he were come to hys laufull age, whyche was named Eudo.

THE .CLXXVIII. CHAPITER.

EUdo the sonne of Robert erle of Angeowe / beganne his rey¦gne ouer the French men, in the yere of our lorde .viii. hundred .lxxx. & .xv / and the .xxiii. yere of Alurede then kynge of Englande.

ye shall vnderstand that the aboue named Robert erle of Angeow was as tutor and guyder vnto the forena¦med kynges of Fraunce Lewys and Charlys / and lastely was slayne of the Danys. The whyche Robert left after hym .ii. sonnes, Eudo and Ro∣bert. whych Eudo for the great fame that he was of, and also for y^e great trouth that in hym was prouyd and knowen / y^e lordes of one assent chose hym to be kynge of the lande for the terme of his lyfe. And as affermeth the french boke & other he was crow¦ned of walter then archebyshoppe of Senys.

Howe be yt this is somdele doutfull to be gyuen credence vnto, for dy∣uers reasons that therunto myghte be made. Mayster Gagwyne sayth, that he hath sene some authoures, that testyfye this forenamed Charlis the symple, to be the lawfull son of Lewys Balbus / and the foresayde Lewys and Charlis late kynges of Fraunce, to be the bastarde sonnes of the sayde Lewys Balbus.

Then to folowe the mater, thys Eudo in cōsyderacyon that the sayd Charlis the symple was insuffycyēt to guyde the lande, he was putte vn¦der the guydyng of this sayd Eudo / and he was made kynge in his stede. The whyche myghtly defendyd the lande from all daunger of enymyes. And ouer y^t he caused the sayde Char¦lys the symple to be noryshed and broughte vp wyth moste dylygence / so that he was informed & exercysed wyth all vertues doctrine, and other thynges necessarye vnto a prynces son. And finally when this noble and vertuous knyghte Eudo knew y^t he shulde dye / he called before hym the lordes & nobles of Fraunce / y^t whych he charched by solemne othe, that af∣ter his deth, they immedyatly shulde crowne Charlis for theyr kyng / and dyed soone after, when he hadde rey∣gned as affermeth authours by the terme of .ix. yeres.

Anglia. THE .CLXXIX. CHAPITER.

EDwarde surna∣med the elder and son of Aluredus / began his reygne ouer y^e more part of England, in y^e yere of our lord .ix hundred & one / & the .vii. yere of Eudo then kynge of Fraunce. This was lower then hys father in letter and connynge / but he was hygher in honoure & worshyp. By his fyrst wife he had a son named Ethelstane, the whych was kynge af¦ter hym. By his seconde wyfe he had two sonnes Edredus & Edwynus / & vii. doughters. And of y^e thyrd wyfe he receyued two sonnes, Edmunde & Edrede / and two doughters Edbur∣ga and Edgina.

The fyrste of these .iii. wyfes hyght Edwyna the second hyght Edgina / & the thyrde was named Ethleeswy¦da. Of y^e forenamed .vii. doughters, which he had by his second wife / one named Alunda or Almyda, was ma¦ryed to the fyrst Otto the emperour. And a nother named Algina, was maryed to Charlis the symple kyng of west Fraūce. And the yōgest of his doughters as sayth Policronica / he wedded vnto Lewys kyng of Guy∣an. But therof speketh nothyng the

frenche cronicle. He set his sonnes to scole / and his doughters he sette to woll worke, takyng exemple of Char¦lis the conquestour.

By authoryte of Formosus the pope, he made .vii. byshoppes in En¦lande. wherof he ordeyned .v. in west Saxon, one in southe Saxon, & one in Mercia at Dorchester. He also for that the munkes of wynchester sayd that his father Alurede walkyd / cau¦sed hym to be remoued vnto the new abbay. About the .v. yere of his rey∣gne Clyto Ethelwaldus a nere kyn∣nesman of his / rebellyd agayn hym, and occupyed y^e towne of wymborne besydes Bathe / & toke thens by force & nunne / & went thens vnto the Da∣nys dwellyng in Northūberlande, & excyted them to ryse agayn kyng Ed¦warde. But the kynge pursued hym so sharpely, that he was constrayned to leue the countrey / and sayled into Fraunce, and lefte the nūne behynde hym / the whych the kynge caused to be restoryd agayn to the house y^t she was taken fro.

The nexte yere folowyng, the sayd Clito wyth his cōpany landed in eest Englande, & gaderyd to hym y^e Da∣nys of that countrey, and with theyr ayde destroyed and pylled the coun∣trey about Crekynforde & Criklade. And then passed y^e ryuer of Thamis & spoyled the land to Bradenestoke / and so frō thens retourned into eest Anglia, y^t is Norffolke & Suffolke.

The kynge folowed his enymyes and spoyled of theyr landes, whyche they helde by composycyon from the ryuer of Owse, to the bordure of saynte Edmundus lande / commaun¦dynge hys knyghtes of hys hoste that none shulde dragge or tarye af∣ter hys hoste, for fere that they were not beclyppyd of theyr enmyes. But the Kentyshe men, whych trusted to myche in theyr owne strength, dyso∣beyed that commaundement. wher∣fore the Danys awaytynge theyr praye / fyll vppon them by bushemen¦tes, and slewe the more partye of theym, wherwyth the kyng was sore dyscontentyd.

Soone after bothe hostes mette. where after longe fyght Clyto wyth many of the Danys was slayne, and the remenaunt constrayned to seche peace / the whyche was graunted vp¦pon certayne condycyons, that they shulde holde theym wythin the boun¦des to theym lymytted / and ouer that paye yerely a certayne money in waye of trybute.

After whyche peace wyth them sta¦blyshed / he repayred cytyes, townes, and castellys, that by the sayde Da∣nys were shatered and broken.

And about the .viii. yere of his rey¦gne / kynge Edwarde repayred the wallys and also the cytye of Kaer∣lyon, that now is called Chester. To the whych were great helpers Ethel¦dred{us} duke of Mercia, & Elfleda his wyfe, doughter of Alurede as before is shewyd, & suster of this kynge Ed∣warde. And that done the kynge buylded a stronge castell at Herforde in y^e egge of walys. And he enlarged so greatly y^e walles of Chester / y^t the castell whych before tyme was wyth out the wall, is now wythin.

And the .ix. yere of his reygn / Ethel¦dred{us} duke of Mercia by coūsayll of his wyfe trāslated y^e bones of y^e holy kyng Oswald, frō Bradony to Glou¦cestre / & there buylded a fayre mona¦stery in the worshyp of saynt Peter.

In the .xii. yere of kyng Edwardes reygne / the Danes repentynge them of theyr couenauntes before made, myndyng & entēdyng y^e breche of the same / assēbled an hoste & met with y^e kynge in Staffordeshyre, at a place called Toten halle, and soone after at wodenesseylde. At whyche .ii. pla∣ces

the kynge slew two kynges, two erlys, and many thousandes of the Danys that then occupyed the coun¦trey of Northumberlande.

And soon after dyed the noble man Etheldredus duke or erle of Mercia or myddell Englande. After whose deth, the kynge for so myche as he hadde often prouyd her wysedome / he toke the rule of that countrey to hys wyfe Elfleda, London alonely exceptyd, the whyche he toke vnder his onwe rule.

THE .CLXXX. CHAPITER.

OF this noble woman Elfleda, yf I shulde shewe all the ver∣tues, yt shuld aske a long tyme and leasure. But amonges other of her noble dedes / she buylded and newly repayred many townes, cytyes, and castellys / as Tomworth besyde Ly∣chefeld, Stafforde, warwyke, Shro∣wesbury, watrysbury, Eldysbury, in the forest besyde Chester, that nowe is ouer tourned and destroyed. Also she buylded a cytye wyth a castell in the Northe ende of Mercia vpon y^t ry∣uer Merce, that in those dayes was named Runcofan̄, but now yt is cal∣led Runcorn̄. And she also buylded a brydge ouer the ryuer of Seuern̄, whyche is or was named Brymmys¦burye brydge. This stronge virago fauour of cytezeyns and fere of eny∣myes / halpe myche the kyng her bro¦ther, in gyuynge of counsayll & buyl¦dynge of cytyes. Of her is told that when she hadde ones assayed, the wo and sorowe that women fele and suf¦fer in berynge of a chylde, she hated the enbrasynge of her husband euer / and toke wytnesse of god and sayde, that yt was not cōuenyent or semely to a kinges doughter to vse such fles¦shely lykynge, wherof suche sorowe shuld ensue or folowe.

In the .xiii. yere of the reygne of this Edwarde / a great nauy of Da∣nys, whych in tyme of Alurede were driuen into Fraunce, now retourned agayn and sayled about the west coū¦trey / and landed in dyuers places, & toke prayes, and went to theyr shyp∣pes agayn. And at one time amōges other they robbed and spoyled at a place called Irchynfeylde, and toke a Brytyshe byshop and caryed hym to theyr shyppes, and fynally raun∣somed hym at .xl. pounde. But as soone as kynge Edwarde had know¦lege of theyr beyng / he assembled his knyghtes, and sped hym westwarde by lande / and sent a nother hoste by shyppe to encounter the Danys vp∣pon the see. wherof heryng the sayd Danys fledde into Irlande / and by that course voyded the land and han¦des of the kynge.

Then the kynge for strengthynge of the countrey / made a castell at the mouth of the water of Auene, and a nother castell at Bokyngham / and the thyrd faste therby, y^t is to meane vpon eyther syde of y^e ryuer of Owse¦one. And after retourned into Nor∣thamtonshyre and Bedfordshyre, & faughte there wyth the Danys of these coūtres / and at length subdued the•• wyth theyr leder or duke cal∣led Turketyllus.

About the .xvii. yere of this kynges reygned / Elfleda lady of Mercia be¦fore mynded, gaderyd her knightes. And where the Brytons or walshe men brake into the lande about Bre¦kenoke, she wyth her people wyth∣stode theym / and amonge other pry∣soners & prayes, toke there the quene of walshemen.

And the yere folowynge kynge Ed¦warde buylded or newly reedyfyed the townes of Towsetour and wyg∣more / and destroyed the castell that the Danys hadde made at Temes∣forde.

And that yere the noble Elfle¦da wanne the towne of Derby from the power of the Danys / where they put her in such aduēture, that foure knyghtes, whyche were called Gar∣deyns of her corps, were slayne faste by her.

And y^e .xviii. yere of his reygne dyed that noble pryncesse Elfleda in the moneth of Iune / and was buryed in the monastery of saynt Peter, which her lorde and she before tyme hadde buylded wythin the towne of Glou∣cetour as aboue is touched, ouer the bones of that holy kynge saynte Os∣walde / whyche monastery was after throwen to grounde by the Danys. But Aldredus byshop both of yorke & of worcetour, made there an other / whyche is now chefe house or abbay of that towne or cytye.

when Elfleda was deed / her dough¦ter named Elswyna helde the lorde∣shyppe of Mercia a season. But for the kynge cōsydered yt to be to great a thynge for her to rule / he therfore dyscharged her therof, and ioyned it to his kyngedome, but not all wyth∣out stryfe. For dyuers townes kepte of the kyng for a tyme / as Snotyn∣gham or Nothyngam, Tomworth, Derbye, and other / supposynge the doughter wold haue defended them as the mother by her lyfe had done. But finally they came to the kynges subieccyon.

Henry archbyshoppe of Huntyng∣don, that wrote myche of the crony∣cles of Englande / in prayse of thys noble woman Elfleda made dyuers dytyes / of the whyche some ben ex∣pressyd as foloweth.

Cesers tryūphes were not so myche to prayse, As was of Elfleda, that sheldes so ofte dyd rayse Agayne her enymyes this noble ven queresse Uirago and made whose vertue can I not expresse.

WHen Edwarde hadde reconciled these foresayde townes / he then buylded a new towne for agayn the olde towne of Nothyngham, on the south syde of the ryuer of Trent / and made a brydge ouer the sayd ry∣uer betwene the sayd .ii. twones. And as wytnessyth Policronica, the yere folowynge in the sayde towne or cy∣tye of Notyngham, two kinges, that is to saye, of Scotlande and walys yeldyd them vnto kynge Edwarde. The cause why, nor of warre be∣twene theym to be contynued, is not of hym expressyd.

How be yt dyuers bokes of writers of cronycles of Englande, as of Ma¦rian{us} the Scot, wyllam of Malmes∣bury, Henry of Huntyngdon, & other yt is shewyd that this Edwarde sub¦dued the kynges of Scotlande and of Cūbrys, aboute the .ix. yere of hys reygne. And of the sayde authours yt is also testifyed, that about the .xx. yere of the reygne of the sayde Ed∣warde, these sayde kynges of Scot∣tes and Cumbrys, shulde chose this kynge Edwarde for theyr chefe lord and patrone, whyche shuld be about this season before expressyd.

Then this noble prynce Edwarde, after these thynges set by hym in an order / he in the northe ende of Mer∣cia by the ryuer of Merce, buylded a cytye or towne, and named yt Thyl∣wall, and strengthyd yt wyth knygh¦tes. And after repayred the cytye of Maynchester / that sore was defaced with warre of y^e Danys. After which notable dedis by y^e puyssaunt prynce fynyshed / wyth the maryage of hys chylder and many other, whyche I omytte and passe ouer for length of tyme: fynally this noble man dyed, when he hadde reygned wyth great

trauayle by the terme of .xxiiii. yeres at Faryngdon / and from thens con∣ueyed to wynchester, and there ente∣ryd in the monastery of saynt Swy∣thyne / leuyng after hym dyuers son∣nes as before is shewed, of the which Ethelstane was eldest.

Francia. THE .CLXXXI. CHAPITER.

CHarlys surnamed the symple, & sonne of Lewys the .iiii. or Ryen Fayzand / began hys reygne ouer the Frenche∣men, in the yere of our lordes incar∣nacyon, as wytnessyth Iacob{us} Phi∣lippus and other .ix. hundred & .iiii / and the thyrde yere of Edwarde the elder than kynge of Englande. In tyme of whose reygne the Danys, whyche contynuelly ouer the terme of .l. wynters / that is to saye from y^e x. yere of Charlys the Ballyd som∣tyme kynge of Fraunce, vnto y^e sayd dayes, had wasted and spoyled the lande, not wythstandyng y^e agremen¦tes made bytwene Charlys the em∣perour and them, as before in y^e story of the .iiii. Lewys is shewed: yet they wyth greate hostes aryued in the coū¦tre of Neustria or Normandy, & rob∣bed and spoyled the countre before them, and slewe the people thereof wythout pytye / and from cytye to cy∣tye kepte on theyr iourney tyll they came vnto the cytye of Roan. wherof the bysshop beynge in greate drede, of subuersyon of the cytye and de∣struccyon of the crysten people wyth in the same / delyuered the cytye by appoyntment, that he wyth y^e people myghte departe thens wythout bo∣dely harme / whyche vnto the sayde Danys was a greate strength, and hurte to the lande of Fraunce.

Of thys hoste of Danys was ru∣ler and leder a myscreaunt named Rollo / the whyche was a man of lowe byrthe, but he was of greate strength. The whyche whan he had a season rested hym and hys hoste, & refresshed them wythin the cytye of Roan / he than set forth hys waye, cō¦maūdyng hys vawnewarde to kepe theyr iourney towarde Parys. And for y^e more spede to be made / he shyp¦ped hys Danis ryght there / and one parte he sent by the ryuer of Sean, the seconde by the ryuer of Lyger or Leyr, and the thyrde by the water Geronde.

Than the Danys that passyd by the ryuer of Leyr came at length to the cyte of Nauntes / and wan that cytye by strength, and slewe therin moche people. And the byshop of the same named Guymerte beynge at masse, they slewe at the aulter. And whan they had spoyled that cytye & the countre there about / than yode they to the cytye of Angiers, & brent and robbyd it most cruelly. And that done they yode vnto Towres, and layde syege to that cytye. The which by the presens of the holy body of saynt Martyne, whych at that tyme was wythin y^e cytye / it was a whyle preserued. But soone after the mun∣kes feryng the sworde of the Danys fled the cytye secretly, and toke the body wyth them. And soone after the Danes had the towne at theyr wyll / and brent the abbay before the town or stādynge without the towne / and spoyled and robbed the cytye & tow∣nes thorough the countre of Guyan.

whan the Danys had thus sub∣dued the more parte of Neustria or Normandy. They wyth theyr duke Rollo by y^e ryuer of Seyn̄ drewe to∣warde Parys. And fyrst entred the landes of Burgoyne and Auerne & in effecte to Senons. wherof heryng

the monkes of the monastery of Flo¦ry, where the body of saynte Benet than rested, they toke that holy trea∣soure and bare it vnto Orlyaunce / & layde it in the chyrche of saynt Any∣an, tyll the persecucyon were ouer passed.

Of thys monastery was at that dayes lyuynge a defensour by pro∣myse before made, whose name in la¦tyne is called Sigillosus, & in Frēch Sigillophes an erle / whych was ta∣ken for patrone of the same abbaye. To whom in the nyght folowynge that the monkes were fled, as before is sayd / saynt Benet appered, & bla∣med hym y^t he none other wyse had defended y^e place of hys Sepulture. wyth whych visyon the sayd erle be∣ynge feryd / gaderyd vnto hym vpon the daye folowyng such small power as he than myghte make, & set vpon the Danys and draue them backe, & slewe of them a great nomber. And y^e prayes that he there wan, he offered to god and saynte Benet / by whose prayers he knewe well that he optey¦ned that vyctory.

In tyme y^t the Danys thus per∣secuted the countre of Fraunce, and the kynge was not of power them to resyst / for so mych as Charles knew well that the bysshop of Roan na∣med Franke, was in good fauour of Rollo: he therfore sent hym in am∣bassade to the sayd Rollo, to requyre a trewe or trewse for thre monethes / the whych was graūted. The which trewse ended, the sayd Rollo beseged the cytye of Chartrys. Duryng whi∣che syege / the duke of Burgoyne na∣med Richarde wyth hys retynue as∣sayled the Danys. In tyme of which fyght Ebalde erle of Poytowe was present, and draue backe y^e Danys. wherwyth the bysshop of the cytye beynge encoraged / toke wyth hym y^e smocke of our lady, whyche at those dayes was kepte there wyth greate reuerence / and wyth the cytesyns & other issued out of the cytye, & made vpon the Danys a great scomfyture So that by the prowesse of the fore∣sayde two temporall lordes, and as∣systens of this spyrituall man / Rollo was compelled to fle and forsake his siege, & not without huge slaughter.

Rollo then hauynge greate dys∣dayne and dyspleasure of thys ouer¦throwe and scumfyture of hys Da∣nys / reassembled them that were a∣brode scatered, and cōmaunded thē to ouer ryde the countre, and to de∣stroye it in all that they myght. After whych cōmaundement thus to them gyuen / this cruell people slewe man, women, & chylde, that were not apte to do to them seruyce / and brent the chyrches and temples, and rauyshed virgyns as well religious as other / So that miserable it was to beholde the greate abhomynacyon of these tyrannous Danys, that brent, rob∣bed; and slewe that innocent people wythout mercy.

The lordes and comons thus be∣set with cruell fury of theyr enmyes, assembled them by sondry cōpanyes and went vnto the kynge / shewynge vnto hym theyr mysery, and blamed as they durste hys ferefulnesse and negligence, that he nor none for hym otherwyse wythstode the crueltye of the Danys / that hadde destroyed a greate parte of hys lande.

THE .CLXXXII. CHAPITER.

CHarlys herynge this exclama¦cyon of hys subgettes, and cō¦syderyng hys lacke of power to with¦stande that malyce of hys enemyes, was ryght pensyfe and heuy in hys herte / and castynge in hys mynde many sondry wayes, he lastly deter∣myned to sende agayne the aboue

named Frank byshop of Roan vnto Rollo prynce of Danys / shewynge hym that yf he wolde renye hys pa∣gan lawe and become a crysten man, he wolde to hym gyue in maryage Gylda his doughter, wyth the hole countre of Neustria for her dowar.

whan Rollo had receyued this ty¦dynges from the kyng by the mouth of his frende Frank / he somwhat at∣tempred hys fury and crueltye, and condescended to a trewe, by the coun¦sayle of hys lordes for y^e terme of .iii. monethes / in the whyche tyme he myghte haue some cōmunycacyon wyth the kynge, for ferther processe of thys mater. So that after it was concluded by the counsayle of bothe prynces / that theyr metynge shulde be vpon y^e ryuer or flode named Ept. where shortly after the sayd prynces had cōmunycacyon the one wyth the other / theyr people standynge vpon eyther syde of the sayd ryuer. where it was concluded, that Rollo shulde forsake hys pagan lawe, and take vppon hym the lyuerey of Crystes baptym / and after to marye the fore∣named Gylda, and to receyue wyth her as is aboue shewed. whyche con∣clusyon thus taken eyther fro other departed / and shortly after at the cy∣tye of Roan, all the foresayd coue∣naūtes were executed and fulfylled. And whan the sayd Rollo was cry∣stened / his name was chaunged and called Robert, after the erle of Poy∣towe / whyche receyued hym at the fonte stone.

Of thys Rollo or Robert, dyscen∣ded lynyally duke wyllyam of Nor∣mandy, whych conquered England / as after shalbe more clerely shewed.

Than this Robert thus crystened, was seased of the coūtre of Neustria / whom the kynge created duke, and named hym duke of Neustria.

But it was not longe after, y^t this name of Neustria was chaunged & called Normandye / after the name of Normayns, or men commyng out of the North / or of Nor, that is to meane North, and men, whyche two syllables togyder make Norman, or a man of the North.

whyche Normans or Danys af∣ter the exposycyon of mayster Gag∣wyne / shulde be descended of the na∣cyon called the Gothes. whyche Go∣thes of the cytye or men of Sithica ben descended. The whyche Gothys in the dayes of the grete Cōstantine / for theyr feersnesse and cruelty, were dryuen from theyr countre then by them inhabyted nere vnto the ryuer called Thamys, in y^e North partyes of Europe / and nowe ben inhabyted in Dacia, whych in our speche is cal¦led Dēmarke. And where some men holde an opynyon, that Danys and Saxons shulde be one maner of peo¦ple / it may congruly folowe. For Sa¦xons ben of the coūtre of Germany / and contayne the lande after the say∣enge of Strabo, in the west parte of Germania. From the flode called Ui¦stergus or wysera, vnto the famous ryuer called the Ryne. And Dacia or Denmarke is in the North partyes.

Than to retorne to thys Rollo or Robert / the story sayth y^t he became a good crysten man. In token wher∣of as affermeth the French boke / he gaue vnto dyuers chyrches and mo∣nasteryes of Fraunce greate gyftes, as well of possessions as of mouable goodes / & contynued hys pease with the kyng as he before had promised.

After whyche pease thus stablys∣shed bytwene the kynge and the Da¦nys / Robert brother vnto Eudo last kyng of Fraūce, contrary hys trouth and allegyaunce, seased certayne cy∣tyes and other holdes of the kynges enherytaunce. wherfore the kynge seynge that he coude not refourme

hym of that errour, by no meanes of entreaty or other lyke wayes / assem∣bled an hoste and met wyth hym in playne batayle / in the whych y^e sayde Robert was slayne. Thys Robert hadde a suster, whyche was maryed vnto Hebert erle of Uermendoys / whyche erle herynge of the deth of his brother in lawe, by enticement of hys wyfe, as the story demeth, mette the kynge at the retorne of the felde / and requyred hym in moste humble wyse, that he wolde vouchesafe to lodge wyth hym in hys manour cal∣led the castell of Perone.

The kynge castynge no parell, thanked hym of hys kynde request, and graūted to go wyth hym / where he was receyued and fested wyth all honoure. But whan thys erle hadde conueyed the kynges frendes and strength from hym / he thā kepte him there as a prisoner or murdred hym / so that he neuer came at large after. whyche tydynges certaynly knowē / Algina wyfe vnto the sayd Charlys the symple mystrustynge the French¦men / wyth fewe accōpanyed toke se∣crete shyppyng / and wyth her yonge sonne named Lewys sayled into En¦glande, there to be comforted of her fader Edwarde surnamed the elder. And thus ended the reygne of thys Charlys the symple / whan he hadde reygned after the sayeng of Uynsent hystoryall and other, by the terme of xvi. yere full / leuynge after hym the foresayde chylde named Lewys.

THE .CLXXXIII. CHAPITER.

RAdulphus the sonne of Ry∣charde duke of Burgoyne / be¦gan his reygne ouer the Frēchmen, in the yere of our lorde .ix. hundred & xxii / and the .xxi. yere of Edwarde y^e elder than kynge of Englande.

Here is to be noted that for so mych as Algina wyfe vnto Charlys the symple, was thus secretly voyded y^e lande of Fraunce wyth her sonne Le¦wys / and that the lande myghte not be wyth out a ruler / the lordes as∣sembled at Parys, and there toke theyr counsayle for the admyssyon of an hed or kyng of the lande. which lordes after longe debatynge of this mater, fynally agreed that thys abo¦uer••amed Radulphus or Rauf. son of the duke of Burgoyne, as aboue is sayd / as nexte heyre to the crowne shulde be admytted for kynge, and so was admytted. Of the whyche ly∣tell of hys dedes are put in memory / except that in the tyme of hys reygne the Sarasyns entred the lande of Burgoyne wyth a grete armye, and dyd mych harme in that duchy. wher¦fore the kynge gaderynge his hoste, met wyth them at a place called in la¦tyne Carrolas, and in French Callo the lasse / where the Frenchmen were vyctours, but nat wythout greate losse of theyr people.

Than it foloweth, whanne thys Rauff. had ruled the lande of Fraūce by y^e space of .xii. yeres / he dyed with out issue male. And was buryed in the chyrche of saynte Calumb in the prouynce of Senys.

Anglia. THE .CLXXXIIII. CHAPITER.

EThelstan̄ y^e son of Edwarde the elder, began hys reygne ouer the more part of En¦glande, in y^e yere of our lorde .ix. hundred & .xxv / and the thyrde yere of Rauff. than kynge of Fraunce.

In the fyrst yere of the reygne of Ethelstan̄ / the holy chyld Dunstane was borne in the coūtre of Glasten∣bury,

whose lyfe shone after wyth many myracles.

This was somtyme abbot of Glastē¦bury / & lastly archbyshop of Caunter¦bury. whose holynes & {pro}phecyes are shewed at length, in the .vi. chapyter of the .xvi. tytle of the worke called Sin̄ Antonini, and in the legende of the chyrche also.

In the seconde yere of the reygne of Ethelstane / for an vnytye and a peace to be hadde betwene the kyng and the Danis of Northumberland, he maryed to Sithyric{us} theyr kyng his suster. But after .v. yeres this Si¦thyricus dyed. After whose deth he seasyd the countrey into hys owne hande / and put oute the sonne of the foresayd Sythyricus. And when he hadde thus accorded wyth the Da∣nys of Northumberlande / he shortly after made subiect to him Cōstantyn kynge of Scottes. But the sayd Cō¦stantyne meked hym so lowely to the kynge / that he restoryd hym to hys former dygnytye. wherfore the sayd Constantyne sayde in prayse of the kynge / that yt was more honour to make a kynge, then to be a kynge. whyche acte was done by the affyr∣maunce of Polycronycon, in the ye∣re of grace .ix. hundred & .xxvi / which then after that saynge shuld be the se¦conde yere of the reygn of this Ethel¦stane. It is testyfyed of Policro¦nica, that thys Ethelstane shuld ma¦rye one of his susters named Editha or Edyth, vnto Otto the fyrst of that name emperour of Almayne, and re∣ceyued from hym many precyous ie∣wellys and relyques. But of this spe¦keth nothyng the cronicle of Romay¦nes. Howe be yt yt is shewyd there, that the foresayd Ottho or Otto had a wyfe named Alunda / whych as be¦fore is sayde in the storye of Edward the elder, myght be the doughter of the sayd Edward and of Edgina his seconde wyfe. But Uincentius histo¦rialis sayth / that Henry duke of Sa¦xony, whyche was father vnto the fyrste Otto / sent vnto Ethelstane, re∣quyrynge of hym hys suster to mary vnto his sonne Otto. By whych rea∣son I maye folowe, that this Ottho maryed the suster of Ethelstane, but not Edythe.

Of these foresayde iewelles sent by Otto / one was a precyouse vessell of stone called Onechynus / whych was of suche clerenesse, & also so subtily & craftely wrought, that yt apperyd to mannes syght as grene corne hadde growen wythin yt, and moued and waued as corne doth standyng in the felde. More ouer in yt apperyd vy∣nes burgenyng and berynge fruyte / and men also to syght mouynge and styrynge. He also receyued the great Constantynes sworde / wherin was grauen wyth great letters of golde, the name of the owner. And the hyl∣tes therof were coueryd wyth great plates of golde. And one of the nay∣les was fastenyd to the crosse of the sayd sworde, that Criste suffred with his passyon. But in thys reporte or saynge, Polycronycon varyeth from his former sayng / were he reporteth two of the sayd nayles to be spent vp¦pon the brydell of the sayde Constan¦tyne, and the thyrde nayle to be caste into a daūgerous swalowe of the see, as before is rehersed in the .lxix. chapi¦ter of thys worke. He also receyued the spere of Charlys the gret, whych after the opynyon of some wryters, was the spere that Longeus opened wyth Crystes syde. And the baner of saynte Morys, a relyque of greate pryce / wyth a part of the holy crosse, and a parte of the crown of thorne of our sauyoure.

Of the whych iewellys kyng Ethel¦stane gaue a parte vnto saynte Swi¦thunys of wynchester / and some he

gaue vnto y^e abbay of Malmesbury.

I haue sene a cronycle of Englād, which testyfyeth, that this Ethilstan̄ was y^e fyrst kynge that euer was en∣oynted in this land. All be yt I fynd therof lytell authorytye / excepte that Guydo and other testyfyen, that he was crowned at the kynges towne nowe called Kyngestone, x. myles from London, of Athelyne their arch¦byshoppe of Caunterbury. But that proueth not or argueth hym to be the fyrste for that reason. For ryghte so was his fader Edwarde crowned of Plemounde archbyshoppe of the sayde see. But Guydo aforesayd af∣fyrmeth that Alurede graund fader to thys Ethylstane / was enoyntyd kyng by authoryte of Leo y^e .v. then pope. wherfore it agreeth better that he shulde be the fyrste.

Then yt foloweth in the story, that aboute the .viii. yere of the reygne of thys Ethilstane, dyed Frystane byshoppe of wynchester / and Bry∣stane was byshoppe after hym. Of whom yt is radde, that he sange eue¦ry daye masse for all Crysten soules. And as the byshoppe Brystane went vppon a nyght about a chirch yerde, and sayde hys deuocyons for all cry∣sten soules, and lastly sayde, requies∣cant in pace / he harde a voyce as yt hadde ben a great hoste of people saynge. Amen.

Soone after Constantyne kynge of Scottes, brake couenaunt wyth kynge Ethylstane. wherfore he as∣sembled his knyghtes and made to∣warde Scotlande. And in hys way he tourned to saynte Iohn̄ of Be∣uerley and offeryd there hys knyfe vppon the aulter / sayenge that yf he retourned wyth vyctorye, he shulde redeme hys knyfe wyth a noble pry∣ce / and that done proceded vppon hys iourney, and in cōclusyon scom¦fyted the Scottes, and broughte theym agayne vnto dewe subieccy∣on. And after accordynge to the pro∣myse before made / he retourned to yorke, and so to the chyrche where the corps of saynt Iohn̄ of Beuerley laye / redemynge his knyfe worthely as he before hadde promysed.

In the .vi. chapyter of the .vi. boke of Polycronycon / yt is remembred that kynge Ethilstane after this sub¦duynge of the Scottes, beyng wyth hys lordes and famylyers nere vnto the castell of Dunbar / prayed to god and saynte Iohn̄ yf Beuerley, that in that countrey he myght leue some remembraunce or token, that those that then were lyuynge, and also suche as shulde come after, myghte knowe that the Scottes by ryghte shulde be subiectes to Englyshmen. And soone after wyth hys sworde he smote vppon a great stone standyng nere vnto the sayd castell / with why∣che stroke the stone was ryuen to an elle in length, that in the tyme of Ed¦warde the thyrde was there remay∣nyng to be sene. And whyther at this daye yt is so / that I am in doute.

ye haue harde before, that kynge Ethilstane after the deth of Sythe¦ricus kynge of Northumberlande / seasyd that lande or prouynce into hys owne handes, and putte out his sonne. whyche after allyed hym with Constantyne kynge of Scottes, and maryed his doughter. By whose sty¦rynge and exhortacyon, he gatheryd a company of Danys, Scottes, and other / and entred the mouth of Hum¦ber wyth a stronge nauy.

wherof herynge Ethilstane, in all goodly haste prepared hys armye / and at length met wyth hym and his people at a place called Brymforde, where he hadde a great and solemne vyctorye. For as yt is shewyd in the foresayde chapyter and boke / after the kynge by helpe of god and saynt

Adelyne hadde defended the subtyll assaute made vppon hym by nyghte of his enymyes / he vppon the morne by helpe of hys brother Edmunde & Dodo the archbyshoppe, chased his sayde enymyes, and slew there Con¦stantyne kynge of Scottes, and .v. small or vnder kynges, and .xii. du∣kes, wyth the more partye of all the straūge nacyons at y^e tyme there ga¦deryd. whyche batayll shuld be done by the meanyng of the sayd Policro¦nicon, about y^e last yere of his reygn.

THE .CLXXXV. CHAPITER.

IT is also testyfyed of dyuers wryters, that Ethylstane af∣ter this vyctory thus obteyned of the Danys and Scottes, or Scottes & Danys / he also subdued the Northe Brytons that dwelled at Herforde & there about / and compelled theym to pay to hym yerely for a tribute .iii. hū¦dred pounde of syluer, xxv. hundred hede of nete, and .xx. pounde in gold. But Guydo sayth that kynge Ethil¦stane caused to come before hym at Herforde cytye the rulers of all the North Brytayne / & there had wyth them suche communycacyon / that he forced them to graunte vnto hym as a yerely trybute .xx. pounde of gold. iii. hundred poūde in syluer, & of hed∣des of nete .xxv. hundred / wyth dog∣ges & haukes to a certayne nomber. After whych vyctories he went vnto Exeter, and repayred yt & the wal∣lys therof suffycyently.

Dane Iohn̄ Lydgate a munke somtyme of saynt Edmundes bury, made a goodly treatyse of this kyng Ethilstane / shewynge that he was in so great persecucyon of the Danys, y^t he was constrayned to call at wyn¦chester a great counsayll of his lor∣des. where after longe debatyng of the mater, & dyuers ambassades and messages sent about by y^e kyng & the Danys / It was fastly cōcluded that the kynge shuld puruey hym a cham¦pyon to fyghte wyth Colibronde or Colbronde a geaunt & Dane, which the Danys had appoynted for theyr cheuetayne. wherfore the kyng enser¦chyng thorough his landes for such a knyght, & myght none fynde / was in great daunger & dystresse & heuy∣nesse. And for so mych as he well per¦ceuyd y^e mannes power fayled / he by the aduyse of lordes spyrituall & tem¦porall fyll to fastynge & prayer, and cōtynued therin by a certayn of time, wyth perfyte & charitable deuocyon.

In tyme of whyche sayde absty∣nence / a vysyon was shewed vnto Ethilstane, cōfortyng hym, & also cō¦maundyng hym, y^t erely vppon the next mornynge he shuld stand at the North gate of the citye of winchester and there he shuld fynde amonges y^e porayll / a pylgryme clad in palmers wede, whome he shulde chose for his champyon. After whyche vysyon thus to hym shewyd, he dyd accor∣dyngly / and founde a man of good∣ly stature, and somdeale stryken in age, and clade as he was monyshed by the vysyon. wherof he fyrste ga∣ue vnto god thankynges / and after made request to this pylgryme, that he wold take vpon hym thys batayll for the defence of the lande / whyche layde for hym many reasonable excu¦ses, as well for his age as otherwise. How be it finally he graūted y^e kyng to fullfyll his request and cōmaunde¦ment. And at the daye before lymyt∣ted and assygned met in the feld with the forenamed geaunt called Col∣bronde, wythoute the gate of y^e cytye in a medow or pasture called Hyde∣mede / where betwene them two was faughten a longe and cruell fyghte, so that the kynge was in great fere of hys champyon. But fynally by

helpe of god the pylgryme wanne the honoure of that fyghte / and slew that geaunt that was of excedynge stature, and therunto of great and passynge strength. whyche vycto¦rye by the pylgryme thus by grace obteyned / the kynge wyth his baro∣ny fette hym into the citye of wynche¦ster wyth solemne processyon, and cō¦ueyed hym vnto the cathedral chirch of the same / where he thanked god wyth great deuocyon, & offryd there the axe, wyth the whych he had slayn the Danys champyon. After whych oblacyon with dew reuerence & other obseruances by hym and other fy∣nyshed / the kynge caused hym to be conueyed vnto hys courte, where he taryed that nyght wyth myche daun¦ger. And vppon the morne erely he made suche meanes / that he wolde nedely departe, and y^t in the same ap¦parell y^t he came thyther. when the kynge was aduertysed that his pyl∣gryme wold so hastly departe / whom he entendyd to haue holden wyth hym in his courte, and to haue en∣dowed with ryche possessyons: he cō¦maunded hym to be broughte vnto hys presence. And when he sawe he coude not cause him to tary, he requi¦red hym to shewe his name / wherof also he besought the kyng to pardon hym. wherfore the kyng cōsyderyng hys hasty departynge, wyth many other thynges in hym to be consyde∣red / was the more desyrous to haue of hym some knowlege. And for that he was effectuose in his desyre, when the pylgryme perceyuyd that he coude not wyth the kynges plea∣sure departe wythoute dysclosynge of hys name / he sayde he myght not dyscouer hys name wythin the wal¦les of the cytye, wythoute the offence of hys conscyence.

wherfore the kyng graunted to go wyth hym tyll he were in the brode feldes. Uppon whyche graunt thus made / the kynge commaunded dy∣uers great gyftes to be to hym pre∣sented, whyche all he vtterly refused. Shortely to cōclude / the kyng wyth a certayne of his lordes conueyed this sayd pylgryme vnto the townes ende. And when he was thyther cō∣men / he there requyred of the perfor¦maunce of the promyse. where thys pylgryme syttynge one his kne / be∣soughte the kynge of his especyall grace, that he wolde put a parte his lordes and other, so that he myghte shewe vnto hym his name onely.

whyche done / he in moste humble wyse besoughte hym, that he wolde kepe hys name secrete for the space of .xxiiii. oures. where of by y^e kyng af¦fyrmaunce to hym fyrmely made / he shewed vnto hym, that he was hys naturall lyege man and subiect, and that his name was Guy of warwike. Of whyche tydynges the kyng was very ioyous, and offeryd hym then of newe many ryche rewardes and gyftes. But all was in vayne, for he wolde nothynge receyue / so that the kynge and he lastely departed wyth wepynge eyen. And after as affyr∣meth my sayde authoure / not farre from warwyke in a wyldernesse, he purchased by goddes purueyaunce a lodgynge in a heremytage / where by the terme of two yeres and more he dwelled & kept an harde lyfe.

And herynge that dame Felyce his owne wyfe fed dayly .xiii. poore men for Cristes sake / he went thyther son¦dry tymes and fette there his aimes / hys sayde wyfe then lyenge at the ca¦stell of warwyke, not knowynge of any man what he was / tyll lastely he was visited with so sore sykenes, that he knew well that he shuld dye. wherefore he sente hys weddynge rynge vnto hys wyfe / requyrynge her in all haste to come and speke

wyth hym. whych she obeyed in hum¦ble wyse / and sped her vnto the sayd Heremytage wyth all womanly dy∣lygence, and fande hym deed at her commynge / whom she besprent with many a salt tere. And as she was en∣fourmed of the messenger as he dyed she buryed hym ryghte there. And more ouer as saith my sayd authour he monyshed her by the sayd messen∣ger, that she shulde prouyde for her selfe / for she shuld also alter her mor¦tall lyfe the .xv. day folowyng. which also she obeyed, and made suche pro∣uisyon, that she was in that place bu¦ryed by hym. All whyche mater the sayde Dane Iohn̄ Lydgate affyr∣meth, that he toke out of the boke of Gerarde Cambres̄ / whyche wrote mych of the dedes and storyes of the prynces of Englande, as Policroni∣ca and other authour testyfyen / and as the sayde Lydgate in the ende of his sayde treatyse wytnessyth, as by the mater folowynge appereth.

For more authorite, as of this mater This translacyon, such as in sentēce Out of laten made by the cronycler Called of old Gerardus Cambrēce / whyche wrote the dedes, wyth great dylygence.

Of them that were in weste Saxon crowned kynges, Greatly cōmendyd for theyr knyght¦ly excellence Guy of warwyke, in hys famouse wrytynges.

AL whyche sayde treatyse is shewyd at length in meter of viii. stauys, after the maner of the precedentes, by the dylygent labour of the sayde Dane Iohn̄ Lydgate. The whyche I haue here sette in / for so mych as yt concernyth mater that was done in the tyme of the reygne of thys Ethylstane. The whyche af¦ter the accorde of moste wryters▪ broughte thys lande agayne to one monarchye / and reygned as kynge therof by the full terme of .xvi. yeres / and was buryed at the monastery of Malmysbury, leuynge after hym no chylde. wherfore the rule of the land fyll vnto Edmunde his brother.

Francia. THE .CLXXXVI. CHAPITER.

LEwys the sonne of Charlis y^e sym¦ple / beganne hys reygne ouer the Frenchmen, in y^e yere of our lorde ix. hundred and xxxiiii / and the .ix yere of Ethelstane then kynge of En¦glande. ye haue harde before in the ende of the storye of Charlys y^e sym∣ple, how Elgina the quene wyth Le¦wys her yonger sonne, was fledde into England to her father Edward the elder. wherfore y^e lordes of Fraū¦ce not knowynge where she with the Chylde was gone / chose the forena∣med Rauf. for theyr kynge. After whose deth the said lordes of Fraūce beynge ascertayned of the beynge of the sayd Lewys in England / sent vn¦to hym the archbyshop of Senys, & Hughe surnamed le graunde / desy∣rynge hym to restore into Fraunce, and take therof possessyon.

Then Elgina herynge the message of the lordes, and trustyng vnto thē / by counsayll of her frendes made her redy wyth her son, & sayled shortly af¦ter into Fraunce. where she was re∣ceyued wyth myche honour / & short∣ly after crowned her sonne Lewys kynge / at the cytye of Laon̄.

This Lewys is named y^e .v. Lewys. In the thyrde yere of whose reygne fyll a scarcytye of corne & vytayll / by

reason wherof ensued a great famyn in so myche that people voyded the realme, & many dyed for defaut. For as wytnesseth the frenche cronycle / a quarter of whete was then worth .xx. poūde. of y^e money / which is of value after sterlynge money .l.s. or there a∣bout. This kyng beryng in mynd the murder and treason done agayn his father by Hebert, as before in the storye of Charlis the symple is decla¦red / cast and ymagined in his mynde how he myght wythout shedynge of blood, reuenge the deth of his fader / and after many ymagynacyons and thought is reuolued in his mynde, he lastely dyuysed a letter / the whych he charged a seruaunt of his to brynge to hys presence when he was sette a∣monge his lordes in counsayll. when kynge Lewys hadde compassed this in hys mynde / he for nedes of hys realme called a great coūsayll of his barony at Laon̄ / whyther amonges the other, the sayde Heberte erle of Uermendoys was warned to come. And when the kynge was ascertay∣ned of theyr commynges / he apoyn∣ted a secrete cōpanye in harnes to be in a secrete chamber, nere vnto the place of the sayde counsayll / and at conuenient tyme after yode vnto the same, and all his lordes wyth hym. And when he hadde a season commo¦ned wyth hys lordes of suche ma∣ters as hym lyked / sodeynly came one to hym and sayd that a man was cōmen wyth a letter dyrected to hys grace oute of Englande / the whych he commaunded to be broughte vn∣to hys syghte.

when the kyng hadde vnfolde the letter, and radde a parte therof, he smyled. whereof the lordes beynge ware purposed the kynge to haue re¦ceyued some iewyllys or ioyous no∣uellys oute of Englande.

whyle the kynge was aboute to de∣lyuer this letter to his scribe or secre¦tory / one of hys lordes sayde vnto hym. Syr we truste ye haue some io∣cande & mery tydynges oute of En∣glāde, that ye haue cause of smilyng. I shall shewe the cause to you sayde the kyng. There is dwellyngin En¦gland a kynnesman of myne named Harman / the whych is a man of gret myghte, and myne especyall frende. He shewyth me by this letter, that an husbandeman or a vyleyne badde or requyred hys lorde vnto his howse to dyner / and vnder the coloure ther¦of he slewe hys sayde lorde. And for the sayde Harman thynketh the law of that lande to fauourable for such an haynous dede / hetherfore writeth to me to haue myne aduyse in thys mater. wherfore sens ye be all pre∣sent / I praye you shewe to me your opynyons in this mater. whych with one voyce sayde y^t the murderer was worthy to suffer the moste shamefull and cruell deth, & to be hanged and strangled in a rope. But for y^e kynge wolde be certaynely enfourmed of the consentes of theym all / he began at the hygest, and so pursued theym tyll he came to Hebert erle of Uermē¦doys / the whych alowed the sentēce as the other hadde done.

Then the kynge made a token to y^e walshemen betwene hym & them be∣fore appoynted / so y^e anon they were present. & sette sure hold vppon the sayde Hebert. To whom the kynge sayd, Hebert thou art the husbond∣man or vilayne y^t I haue spoken of / whych slew his lord vnder colour of byddynge or gestynge hym in hys house. For traytoursly thou dydeste requyre my lorde and father vnder thyne house or castell of Peron̄ / and there not remembrynge the kyndnes to the by hym before dayes shewyd, nor thyne allegyauntes and trouthe that toward hym thou shuldest haue

borne / kept hym lyke a prysoner and lastely murderyd hym, to the greate daunger agayne god, & to the world shame. wherfore accordynge to thy desert, and after thyne own sentence and iudgemēt / take now thy reward and guardon.

After whyche sentence thus gyuen by the kynge / the sayde Hebert was by the executers ladde vnto an hylle wythout the citye of Laon̄ / and there most shamefully hanged. whych hyll for that cause was named Hebertes hyll longe tyme after.

About thys tyme the seconde duke of Normandy named wyllyam lon∣ga Spata, y^e son of Rollo or Robert fyrste duke of Normandy / was slay∣ne by treason of one Arnolde erle of Flaūdres / for encheson that the sayd wyllyam ayded a noble man of Py∣cardy named Herloyn̄, agayne the sayde Arnolde.

This wyllyam left after hym a son named Richarde / whych at the tyme of his fathers deth was not of suffy∣cient age to rule so gret a dukedome. wherfore Lewys kynge of Fraunce desyrous of that prouynce, whyche of late dayes belonged to his anteces¦sours and progenitours / sought be∣syly the wayes and meanes, to haue this chylde Rycharde vnder his tuy∣cyon & gydynge. And this to brynge to effecte spedde hym vnto Roan̄ / callynge there before hym the lordes and rulers of the countrey / hauynge vnto them many plesaunt and fayre wordes, in promysyng to them ayde and assystence to reuenge the deth of theyr lorde and duke / and in the con∣clusyon desyred of them y^t he myght haue the noryshynge and bryngyng vp of the chylde, tyll he came to hys lawfull age.

whyche thynge thus by the kynge desyred / the lordes anon coniectured in theyr myndes, y^t he desyred the ke¦pyng of theyr yonge lord, to y^e ende y^t he myghte y^e more easely obteyne the possession of that dukedome. For the whych, the lordes and other of the cy¦tye were in great rumour and grud∣ge agayne the kynge. wherof he be∣ynge monyshed, to appeace the mul∣tytude / the kynge toke the chylde in his armes, and so bare hym into the place of the assemble of the people / & there shewyd vnto theym wyth affyr¦maunce of great othes, that hys en∣tent was onely for y^e wele of the child and for defence of hys countrey, and not to clayme any ryghte or tytle of the duchy / excepte onely the homage therof, whyche belongeth to hym by iuste tytle.

By meane of whyche fayre speche, the kynge obteyned his purpose, and caried the chyld with hym into Fraū¦ce, not forgetynge the vnkynde dea∣lynge of the Normans.

when Arnolde erle of Flaūdres vn∣derstode that to the kynge of Fraūce the guydynge of y^e yonge chyld was commytted, ferynge y^t he wyth pow∣er of the Normans wolde ronne vp∣pon hym reuengynge of the chyl∣des fathers deth / sent vnto the kyng x. pounde weyghte of golde, wherof euery pounde cōteyneth .xii. ounces, and euery oūce in value of fyne gold xl.s / so that after this rate his pre∣sente shulde be in value to y^e summe of .ii. hundred & .xl. pounde. All be yt mayster Gagwyne sayth he sent vn∣to hym but .xl. marke / besechyng him to be his good and gracyous lorde, and not to gyue to hasty credence to hys accusours. For he in suche wyse wolde declare hym selfe, and delyuer vnto the kynge the murderers of duke wyllyam / he meane wherof he shulde certaynly know, that he was innocēte of the sayd dukes deth. And ouer this he made a frende about the kynge, whyche spake good wordes

for hym, & put in the kynges mynde the great hurtes & iniuryes that he and his progenytours hadde sustey∣ned of the Danys or Normans. By meane whereof this murdour was forgoten / & more and more the kyng malygned agayne the Normans / and to the chylde he bare not so good mynde as some men thoughte that he wolde do.

Uppon a daye when the kyng was retourned from hys dysporte of hun¦tynge / a lyght cōplaynt was brouht to hym of the chylde Rycharde, of an offence that he had commytted. For the which he rebuked him otherwyse then was syttyng to his honour, and called hym opprobryously, and thre∣tened hym greuously / and after that caused hym to be kept more straytly, then he before hadde vsed to be.

To this chylde Rycharde was as∣sygned a mayster or teacher named Osmunde / whyche Osmunde hadde a famylyer named Iuon̄. These two apperceyuynge the kynges indygna¦cyon that he bare towarde the chyld / studyed for his enlargynge, and last¦ly coūsaylyd hym that he shuld fayne hym self syke. The whych was done, in suche wyse that all suche as away¦ted vppon hym, supposed hym to be very syke, by reason wherof his ke∣pers toke the lesse cure of hym.

wherof Osmunde beynge ware, and also beynge sure of the kynge / made a great trusse of herbes or grasse, wherin he wrapped the chyld, and so conueyed hym oute of the cytye of Laon̄ / and there receyued hym an horse redy for the iourney / & so sped hym vnto Cosuy, and delyueryd the chylde to the captayne of that town. And from thēs he rode all nyght tyll he came vnto Senlys / & there shew∣ed all hys doynge vnto y^e erle of that coūtrey named Bernard, which was nere kynnesman vnto y^e yonge duke.

THE .CLXXXVII. CHAPITER.

BErnarde hauynge knowlege of the escape of his kynnesmā Rycharde / sente in all haste vnto Hugh le graunde erle of Parys, for to haue his ayde and assystence. The whych without taryeng assēbled his knyghtes, and conueyed the chylde from Cousy to Senlys or Saynlys to his neuewe Bernarde / where he was receyued wyth mych ioye and honoure.

when Lewys was ascertayned of the scape of Rycharde, and howe he was in the guydynge of Hughe the great or graunde / anon he sent vnto hym, gyuynge hym in commaunde∣ment that he shulde restore the chyld to hym. The whyche excused hym, and sayde that the chylde was in the kepynge of erle Bernarde and not in hys.

The kynge seynge how he was de∣luded / sente for Arnolde or Arnulfe erle of Flaundres / whyche at his cō∣maundement counsayled the kynge to wynne Hugh le graūde with riche behestes or gyftes. After whose coun¦sayll worchynge / kynge Lewys wyl¦led the sayd Hugh to mete with hym at the crosse of Compeyn̄, where the sayd Hugh shortly after met with the kynge. To whome the kynge promy¦sed great parte of the duchy of Nor∣mandy / wyth that that he wolde re∣fuse the partye of the Normans, and take his parte agayne them. By mea¦ne of which promises this erle Hugh was ouercomē / and agreed with the kynge to warre vppon one parte of the countrey, whyle he warred vpon that other. And forthwyth receyuyd an armye of the kynge, and spedde hym to Bayon̄, & made cruell warre vppon that countrey. And kynge Le¦wys entryd vppon the prouynce of Caux / and wasted and spoyled that

Coste in all that he myghte.

whan Barnarde the Dane, and also Barnarde erle of Senlys, con∣ceyued y^e vntrouth of Hugh le graūt, and also the greate hostes that they were beset wyth / by theyr counsayles and other they sent vnto the kynge certayne messengers, gyuynge them in commaundement to saye, that in vayne the kynge hadde entred that countre with his armye / for the citye of Roan and all the prouince was at hys commaundement. Besechynge hym not to waste nor spoyle the coū∣tre but to ayde and helpe defende it agayne theyr enemyes.

Of thys message the kynge was ryght fayne / and forthwith sped him tyll he came to Roan, wher he was accordynge to hys honour receyued. For the whyche cause he sent in all hast vnto Arnulfe erle of Flaūders / monassynge hym that he sease of his warres in Bayon, tyll he receyued farther knowlege.

The kyng thus restyng in Roan, deuysed hys maters at hys pleasure / so that the Normayns obeyed them to all hys requestes. And for y^e good aberynge that Barnarde the Dane was of agayne the kynge / he graun∣ted to hym the gydynge of the yonge duke. And whan he shulde departe / he ordeyned as hys deputye one na∣med Raoull or Rauf. The whyche after the kynges departure, behaued hym so cruelly to the Normans / that they were very irke of hym. And ouer thys the foresayd Barnard fe∣rynge the kynges retorne, and other more greuous punysshement than they before hadde susteyned / sent his messengers vnto Grolle kynge of Denmarke than beynge at Chyer∣bourk / wyllyng hym to assemble his people / and to make of them two ho∣stes. wherof to sende y^e one by lande, and that other by water / & so to entre the coūtre of Normandy in wastyng and spoylynge it / by reason wherof he myghte brynge the kynge to some cōmunycacyon. whych all was done as the sayd Barnarde had deuysed.

whan the kynge had wyttyng of the Danys, that wyth so grete a mul¦tytude were entred the prouynce of Normandy / he assembled hys hoste and sped hym thytherwarde / and in processe of tyme came vnto the cytye of Roane. where by hys counsayle it was condyscended, that a metynge and frendly communycacyon shulde be had bytwene the kynge & the sayd Grolle, at a place called in Frenche Herlycum. where at the day appoyn∣ted bothe prynces mette, wyth bothe hostes standynge or hauynge a lytell dystaūce of. And whyle the two pryn¦ces were there in communycacyon of the deth and murder of duke willm̄ / a Dane markynge Herloyne (For whose causes, as before is shewed duke willm̄ was slayne) with a spere wounded hym so greuously that he dyed forthwyth, whych dede hys bro¦ther called Lambert wyth other of y^e Frenchmen entendynge to reuenge, wyth theyr wepons fylle vppon the Danys / whyche them receyued with greate vyolence. So that of that a fraye ensued a skyrmysshe / and after the skyrmysshe a sore batayle. For bothe hostes ioyned on bothe sydes / and faught cruelly eyther with other a longe whyle. But in the ende the Frenchmen had the worse, and were compelled to flee. And the kynge to saue hys lyfe fledde also / whyche by reason of hys vntrusty horse was ta¦ken and kepte secrete a certayne of tyme by his taker. But lastly he was discouered and brougth to the cytye of Roane as a prysoner.

The kynge thus beynge in holde vnder the kepynge of the Danys / Engeberge hys wyfe makynge for

hym grete dole and sorowe / toke her iourney to the kynge of Germany, whose doughter she was / besechyng hym to prouyde for the delyuerye of her lorde and husbande. But of hym had she no socour / but rather dyscō∣fort / shewyng to her that the trowble that her husbande susteyned he had well deserued, for his vnstedfastnesse that he agayne wyllyam the duke & Rycharde hys sonne had vsed.

wherfore the quene beynge thus answered of her father / rode vnto Hugh le graunde, besechyng hym of helpe in this greate nede. The which at the request of the quene sent vnto Barnard erle of Senlys / requiryng to moue some wayes to the Danys for the enlargynge of the kynge. By whose labour and meanys lastely a counsayle was kepte at saynt Clere vpon the ryuer of Ept. where after many argumentes & reasons made / fynally it was agreed that the kyng shulde be enlarged tyll an other day of cōmunycacyon / layenge for pled∣ges hys sonne and heyre named Lo∣thayr, the bysshop of Senlys, and y^e bysshop of Beauuayze. whyche done the kynge was set at large, and forth wyth rode vnto the cytye of Laon. where he abode the other daye of cō∣munycacyon / whyche after was hol∣den at y^e foresayd ryuer of Ept. And concluded a peas, whyche lasted but a shorte whyle after.

Thys peas thus confermed / Grol¦lo the kynge of Danys wyth greate gyftes was retorned from whens he was desyred. And Richarde the yon∣ge duke toke vpon hym the rule of hys owne Signory / and grewe and encreased forthwardly. wherof Hugh the graunde takyng hede / and behol¦dynge hys wyse demeanure and con¦uersacyon / made suche labour and meanes vnto Barnarde erle of Sen¦lis, y^t he maried to him his doughter named Emmacet. wherof beynge en∣fourmed the French kynge / caste in hys mynde thys greate alyaunce by¦twene the yonge duke and two grete perys of hys lande / and thoughte y^t these .iii. kn••t in amyte and alyaunce shulde dysturbe hym whan them ly∣ked. wherof he called to hym Arnold erle of Flaunders / by whose coun∣sayle he sent the sayde Arnolde vnto Ottho kynge of Germany / requy∣rynge hym of ayde to warre vpon y^e Normayns, and to breke thys affy∣nyte of thys yonge duke, & of Hugh le graunde, and of Barnarde erle of Senlys / and for his labour he shuld haue to hym and to hys heyres the prouynce or lordshyp of Lorayne.

Ottho wyth thys couetous pro∣messe deceyued, assēbled his knygh∣tes / and at the day and place appoyn¦ted met wyth the kynge / and wyth theyr people sped them to Roan, and layde siege vnto y^e cytye. And whyle the kynges were occupyed in wa∣stynge and brennynge the vylages nere vnto the cytye / to put the Nor∣mans in the more fere, Ottho sent hys neuewe wyth a certayne of hys people in secrete wyse to the gates of the cytye. But whan he was comen to the gate that opened towarde the ryuer of Sayn̄, and thoughte there to wynne hys enterpryse / y^e cytesyns issued out vppon hym sodeynly, and gaue to hym batayle / and slewe hym and many of hys company, and the remenaunt they chased frō the wal∣les of the cytye.

whan Ottho had wyttyng of the ouerthrowe of hys men and deth of his neuew, whom he entyrely loued / he made inward heuynesse, and caste in his minde how he myght reuenge the deth of hys neuewe. But whan he approched the cytye, and behelde the strength therof, wyth also the fy∣ersnesse of the Normādes / he repen∣ted

hym of enterprysyng of that iour¦ney / and torned all hys hatered vnto Arnolde erle of Flaunders, by whose sterynge and counsayle that vyage was fyrste begon / in so mych that he sought the meanes to brynge y^e sayd Arnolde into the handes of the Nor∣mans.

wherof Arnolde beynge warned / trussed his stuffe and harneys secret∣ly, and in the nyght stale away / and so retorned into Flaunders with his retynew. The whych thyng knowen to the two kynges / in as secrete wise as they myghte departed also from y^e siege. But yet therof theyr enmyes beynge ware / pursued them & slewe many of theyr company. And or the yere that thys was done in, had rōne hys full compas, Lewys the kynge dyed and was buryed in the temple of the holy bysshoppe saynte Remy∣gius wythin the cytye of Raynys / whan he had reygned in great trou∣ble .xxi. yeres / leuynge for hys heyre a sonne named Lothayr.

Anglia. THE .CLXXXVIII. CHAPITER.

EDmunde y^e bro∣ther of Ethel∣stan̄ and sonne of Edwarde the elder, & of Ethel¦wyda the thyrde wyfe of the sayd Edwarde / begā hys reygne ouer Englande, in the yere of our lorde .ix. hundred and .xl / and the .vii. yere of the .v. Lewys thā kynge of Fraunce.

In the fyrste yere of hys reygne, the Danys of Northumberland re∣belled agayne hym. And for to make theyr party the strōger / they sent for a prynce of Danys named Aulaffe than beynge in Irlande. The which brought wyth hym an other prynce or ruler of Danys named Reygnald wyth a great hoste of Danys & other straūge nacyons / and entred the fore¦sayd countre, and warred vppon the next borders, in wastynge and spoy∣lynge the inhabytaūtes of the same.

wherof whan kyng Edmund was warned / anone he assembled his peo¦ple and sped hym toward y^e countre / and lastly faught wyth the two sayd prynces of the Danys, or at the leest chaced them from towne to towne tyll he forsyd them wyth all theyr cō∣pany of straunge nacyons to forsake vtterly that prouynce / and bet down that countre of Cumberlande y^t had mych fauoured and ayded the sayde enmyes agayne hym / and toke ther∣in greate prayes, and deuyded them amōges hys knyghtes. And y^e done / other for the good seruyce that Mal¦colyn̄ kynge of Scotlande hadde in thys vyage done vnto the kynge, or for the trowth and allegyaunce that he in tyme folowyng shulde bere vn¦to hym, or for bothe / the kynge gaue there to the sayd Malcolyn̄ the coun¦tre of Cumberlande, and seased all y^e resydue of the kyngdom or lordshyp of Northumberlande, and ioyned it vnto hys owne kyngdome.

But yet y^e Danys retorned agayn in the tyme of Edredus the nexte kynge as after shalbe shewed / so that as yet the fyne or ende of thys kyng∣dome is not accompted.

In thys Edmundus dayes the authour of Polycronyca sayth, that whan Edmunde hadde ended hys iourney, and set that countree in an order / he toke wyth hym the bones of the holy abbot Colfrydus, and of that holy abbesse Hylda, & brought theym vnto Glastenbury, and there shryned theym. This Colfryde was abbot of Bedas abbey, or of the ab∣bey of Gyrwye / & Hilda was abbesse of Stenshalt or whytby. And as af∣fermeth

y^e sayd authour, both places ben in y^e North partyes of England.

Thys kynge Edwarde had a no∣ble woman to wyfe named Elgina / of whom he receyued two sonnes na¦med Edwyne and Edgar.

And as testyfyeth Henry arche∣dekē of Huntyngdon / thys Edward had ofte warre wyth the Danes / the whyche as he affermeth helde than many good townes in myddle En∣gland, as Lyncoln̄, Nothinghm̄, Der¦by, Stafforde, & Laycetour / y^e which by his knyghtly manhode he wanne from them. And by the helpe of holy Dunstan / he amēded many thynges within his realm y^t had bē lōge tyme misordered by meane of y^e Danys.

Of the ende or fyne of thys Ed∣munde dyuers opynyons there be. For Marianus the Scot sayth, that whyle thys kynge Edmunde ende∣uered hym selfe to saue his sewer frō the daūger of hys enemye, that wold haue slayne hym at Pulkerchyrche / the kynge in ryddynge of the fraye was wounded to the deth, and dyed shortly after.

But wyllyam de regibus sayth, that the kynge beynge at a feest at y^e foresayd towne or place, vppon the daye of saynte Augustyne / espyed a felon syttyng in y^e halle named Leof, whych he before tyme for hys felony hadde exyled / and lept ouer the table and plucked that thefe by the here of the hedde to the grounde. In whych doynge the sayd felon wyth a knyfe wounded the kynge to the deth / and also wyth the same knyfe wounded many other of the kynges seruaun∣tes / and at length was all to hewen & dyed forthwyth. If this be trewe / it shulde seme that kynges at those dayes vsed not the honour that they nowe haue and exercyse. But whych of these two meanes was vsed in the kynges deth / by agreemēt of all wry¦ters thys kynge dyed, whan he had reygned .vi. yeres and more / & was buryed at Glastenbury the whyche before he hadde sumptuously repay∣red / and lafte after hym two yonge sonnes, as before is remembred, Ed¦wyne and Edgar. But for they were to yonge to rule the lande / therfore y^e rule therof was cōmytted to Edred{us} theyr vncle & brother to theyr fader.

THE .CLXXXIX. CHAPITER.

EDredus y^e brother of Edmūde and sonne of Edwarde the el∣der, and of Ethylswyda hys thyrde wyfe / began his reygne ouer the real¦me of Englande, in the yere of our lorde .ix. hundred and .lxvii / and the xiii. yere of the fyfte Lewys thā kyng of Fraunce. The whych as before is towched was admytted kyng by au∣thoryte of hys barony. For so myche as the two forenamed chylderne of Edmunde, Edwyn and Edgar, were thought to yonge and insuffycyent to take vpon them so great a charge. The whyche Edrede was enoynted kynge of Oddo archbyshop of Caū∣terbury in y^e towne of Kyngestowne. And soone after he warred vpon the Danys, that then were reentred into Northumberland / or after some wry¦ters, there dwellynge vnder trybute of the kynge, subdued before of Ed∣munde hys brother / and bette theym downe, and caused theym to holde and obeye vnto theyr former coue∣nauntes. And the Scottes than be∣gan to varye which he also brought vnto due obedyence.

After a certayne terme / y^e Danys of Northumberlande, whyche euer contynued full of gyle and dowble∣nesse, not beyng content to holde the couenaūtes before made & promisses vnto Edredus the kynge / called vn∣to theym theyr olde accessaryes and

helpers, and bereuyd from the kyn∣ges subiectes the cytye of yorke and other stronge townes and castelles, to the great hurte of the coūtrey, and vtter dyspleasure of the kynge. wherfore he beynge therof aduerty∣sed / in goodly and conuenyent haste assembled hys people, and spedde hym thyther, and destroyed myche of the lande. And in that fury brent the abbey of Rypon, whyche the Danys kept for a fortresse and strength / and wan from them myche of the streng∣thes that they to fore had wōne / and broughte theym agayne vnder hys subieccyon.

when this kynge Edrede had thus spedde hys iourney, and was retour¦nynge into Englande, nothynge su∣spectynge the sayde Danys / a com∣pany of them by the excytyng of Hyr¦cus a kyng or prynce of the Danys, thē folowyd the kinges hoste, and on thys halfe yorke fyll vppon the kyn∣ges rerewarde, and destroyed & slew many a man. For the whyche doyng the kynge was sore amoued / & tour∣ned hys people agayne, entendynge to haue destroyed y^e countrey vtterly.

wherof the Danys beynge ware / so lowely meked theym vnto hym, & gaue to hym suche gyftes, that the kyng refrayned hym of the great yre that he had purposed to theym. But amonges other articles y^t he bounde them vnto / one was that they shuld banyshe and vtterly refuse theyr fore sayde duke or kynge called Hyrcus. whyche thynge with dyuers and ma¦ny other graunted & fermely bounde to kepe, as well by hostages taken as other suertye / the kynge re∣tourned into England ioynyng this kyngedome to hys other. So that here is rekened the ende of this kyng¦dome / whyche shulde endure as be∣fore is shewyd in the .C.ix. chapyter of thys worke, by the terme of foure hundred & .ix. yeres.

In the same yere that the kynge hadde thus subdued the danys, a strong sykenesse toke hym / wherfore he sent for holy byshoppe Dunstane to come vnto hym. The whych Dun¦stane in goynge towarde the kynge / harde a voyce saye vnto hym, now re¦styth kynge Edredus in peace. At tyme of whych voyce thus sayenge / the horse of that holy byshop fyll to the grounde and dyed, wythout hur∣tynge of hys mayster.

Then this holy man continued his iourney, and fande the kynge dede at his commynge / whome he buryed wyth great reuerence, in the mona∣stery or cathedrall chyrche of the cy∣tye of wynchester, in the .xxviii. yere of his age, and the .x. yere of hys rey¦gne, as testyfyeth Guydo and other.

THE .CXC. CHAPITER.

LOtharius the el∣dest sonne of the v. Lewys / began his reygne ouer the Frenchemen, in the yere of our lordes incarnacy on .ix. hundred & lv / and y^e .viii. yere of Edredus then kynge of Englande. Thys Lothayr by meanes of Thebaude or Theo∣balde erle of Chartres, toke partye agayne Rycharde duke of Norman¦dye. And for to haue agayn hym som groūdely cause, he sent vnto y^e duke, monyshynge hym to haue in mynde, the fayth and allegyaunce that the dukes of Normandye ought to bere vnto the kynges of Fraūce. And for maynteynynge of the same, and for other maters that he hadde to speke wyth hym of / he wylled hym to come to a place appoynted, where all such

maters myght haue farther expedici¦on. All whyche commaundement or request was graunted of the duke.

when the kynge had receyued this answere from the duke, wherof he de¦myd before the contrary / he sent for Arnolde erle of Flaundres, Godfrey erle of Angewe, and Theobalde be∣fore named. By whose counsaylles after many argumentes made / the kynge agreed to call the duke vnto the ryuer of Isayr, & there to betraye hym. At which daye & place appoyn¦ted / y^e duke with a cōuenyent cōpany came vnto the sayd ryuersyde, there abydyng the cōmyng of Lothayr vp¦pon y^e other syde / whyche lastly came thyther wyth a great people. wherof when the duke was ware he fered treason / for the whyche cause he sent espyes to knowe of the kynges en∣tent. And they as wyse mē espyed all the purpose of the hoste / and shorte∣ly retourned, and shewed to the du∣ke that he was in great daunger. The whyche shortely after apperyd / for the Frenchemen began to passe the ryuer in great nomber.

Then duke Rychard consyderyng that he was of so litell myght to with stande the great power of the Frēche hoste / sente a parte of his men to de∣fende the passage, & wyth the reme∣naunt retourned vnto the cytye of Roan̄. wherof the kynge beyng ware that the duke was hym escaped / cal∣led agayne his people, & wyth great dyspleasure retourned vnto Laon.

It was not longe after y^t the kyng assembled a great hoste of Burgony¦ons and Frenchemen / & entred into Normandye, and beseged the cytye of Bayon, and lastly wanne it by the treason of one Gylberde a smyth be∣longynge vnto y^e erle Theobald a∣boue named. when the kynge hadde thus wōne y^e citye of Bayon / he beto¦ke the kepynge therof vnto the sayde erle. The whyche puttynge therin a strength of knyghtes / yode vnto a ca¦stell called Harmauyle, & besegyd yt wyth a certayn of knyghtes. In why¦che season the kynge for nedes of his realme / retourned into Fraunce.

when duke Rycharde was ware of the kynges departure / he wyth hys people passed the water of Sayn̄ / & costed the countrey, & fyll sodaynely vppon erle Theobalde lyenge at the foresayd syege / and slewe of his men vi. hūdred & .xl. persons / and put the erle in such a fere, that he scaped with great daunger, and fledde with smal company, tyll he came to his owne ci¦tye of Charters.

Then duke Rycharde consyderyng the great malice of his foon & strēgth of them / sent vnto the kynge of Den¦marke then named Erarde, requy∣ryng him of ayde or helpe for to with¦stande the malyce of his enymyes.

The whych Erarde receyued glad∣ly that message, & promysed to them all theyr request / & shortely after sent to the sayd duke a great army of Da¦nys, which sped thē by y^e see tyll they came to to the place where the water of Sayn̄ falleth into the see. wherof the duke beynge aduertysed, in short space drew vnto them wyth his peo∣ple / and so with them entred the coū∣trey of y^e erle of Chartris, in wastyng & destroynge it wythout mercy / and after entred the landes of Fraunce, in pyllynge, robbynge, brennynge, & wastynge yt, and slew y^e people with out mercy and pytye.

For this mysery & tyranny thus ex∣ercysed by the Danys / y^e kyng beyng therwyth confused, sente for the bys∣shoppes of his land, to haue theyr ad¦uyce. Amonges the which the bishop of Chartris beynge present, was by the hole counsayll admitted to go to the duke, and knowe the cause why that he beynge a crysten man, made

suche destruccyon of the crysten peo∣ple, and occupyed the land of crysten men with so manyfolde harmes and seathes / and to conclude the trew or trewce for a certayne of tyme. The sayde byshoppe accomplyssynge the kynges pleasure, was answered of the duke / that this vexacyon that he put the lande of Fraunce to, was for the iniurye y^t the kyng hadde before tyme done vnto hym / & yet cōtynued the same in holdynge from hym hys cytye of Bayon, the whych he hadde gyuen to his great enymy the erle of Chartris. So that in conclusyon a restraynte of warre was graunted, vppon condycyon that by a day assy∣gned, the kynge wold apoynte a day of communycacyon / and in the mea∣ne tyme restore vnto hym hys cytye of Bayon.

when the kynge had receyued y^e an¦swere from the duke / he made suche meanes that y^e duke receyued his city of Bayon, with all dyspeasure forgy¦uen agayn y^e forenamed Theobald. whych was done by medyacyon of a relygyous munke, as affermeth the Frenche boke. And after the daye of metynge was appoynted at a place called Gyndolfoss. where the duke made ordynaūce for receyuynge of y^e kyng / and cōmaunded the paynyms and Danis to behaue them reuerent¦ly agayne the kynge and his people / the whych was obeyed in all due ma¦ner. And y^e kyng there receyued with myche honour, hadde vnto the duke many goodly wordes, requyrynge hym to forget all his former vnkynd¦nesse, trustynge to shewe vnto hym suche pleasures in tyme to come, that shulde recompence all the former dis¦pleasures and vnkyndnes by him be¦fore commytted. wyth whyche fayre speche the duke takynge yt wythout dyssymulacyon, was well satysfyed and content / so that after assuraunce of amytye and peace betwene theym stablysshed, eyther gyuynge vnto other great and ryche gyftes, they de¦parted as frendes. The whych peas contynued durynge theyr lyues.

THE .CXCI. CHAPITER.

LOthayre thus beyng in loue and amytye wyth the Nor∣mans / caste in his mynde howe he myght wynne from his neuewe Ot∣thon kynge of Germany, y^e prouynce of Austracy or Lorayn, y^t in tyme pas¦sed was belongynge to his progeny tours. And this to brynge to effecte / he gaderyd in right secret wyse a cho¦sen host of Frenchemen, & with them passed the countrey, in such wise that he was entred the cytye of Aquisgra¦ni, or any great fame or noyse were therof made. wherwith Ottho beyng dysmade / fledde for that season, & suf¦fred the sayde Lothayr for that tyme to execute his pleasure / so y^t the sayd Lothayre spoyled the kynges paleys and other places, to the great enry∣chinge of hym & his hoste. And when he hadde taryed there a certayne of tyme, he retourned wythout batayll wyth great pompe into Fraunce.

It is shewyd before in the begyn∣nyng of the story of Ethelstane kyng of England / that Henry duke of Sa¦xony, the whyche is ment for Germa¦ny, sent vnto the sayde Ethilstane to haue his suster Alunda to mary vn∣to his sonne Ottho or Otthon.

ye shall vnderstande this Henry is of some wryters admytted for empe¦rour. But his sonne Ottho forena∣med, was emperour in dede / whose sonne this Ottho was abouenamed, and called the seconde of that name, and emperour after hys father, and son of the forenamed Alunda suster to Ethilstane.

Then this second Ottho emperour

& kyng of Germany, beyng thus as ye haue hard surprised of his neuew Lothayre kyng of west Fraunce / ga∣deryd a stronge hoste and entred the realm of Fraūce. And as wytnessyth Gerardus wryter of hystoryes, des∣troyed the coūtrey of Soysons / and lastly came vnto Paris, and brent y^e suburbes of that cytye, and hadde a great parte of his wyll of the sayde Lothayre. But the frenche cronycle varyeth from this saynge / and sayth that Lothayr (by the helpe of the du∣ke of burgoyne and of Hugh Capet erle of Paris, after y^e sayd Otthō had fyred the suburbes of the citye of Pa¦rys) issued out of the towne & faught wyth the emperoure, and compelled him to gyue backe and fle. whom the kynge pursued tyll he came to the ry¦uer of Isayr or Sue / where eyther hoste encoūtred wyth other & faught cruelly. But at length the emperour was forced to forsake y^e feld / & mych of his people slayn and droned with in the said ryuer. And so grete a nom¦ber as affermeth the frenche storye / that the course of the water was stop¦ped, and ouerflowed the feldes nere vnto the sayde ryuer.

But this victory not wythstādyng as wytnessyth mayster Gagwyn / the kynge cōtrary the mynde of the duke of Burgoyne, and also of Hugh Ca¦pet / releasyd vnto the emperour the tytle and ryghte of Lorayne. The whyche was cause of couetynge of the realme by the sayde Hugh, and vsurpynge of the same, as affermeth the sayde authoure. whyche agre∣ment betwene the two princes stablis¦shed and ended, eyther retourned in∣to his own countrey. After the which season no notable dede is put in me∣mory of the sayde Lothayre / so that he fynally sykened and dyed, in the yere of our lorde .ix hundred .lxxx. & vi, when he had ruled his pryncypat vygurously by the full terme of .xxx. wynter / and was buried in the myn∣ster of saynte Remigius in the cytye of Raynes, leuynge after hym a son named Lewys.

Anglia. THE .CXCII. CHAPITER.

Edredus or Ed∣wyne the eldeste son of Edmund brother of Ethil stane / began his reygne ouer En¦glande, in the ye¦re of our lord .ix. hundred & .lvi / and the second yere of Lothayre then kynge of Fraunce. This Edwyne was crowned kynge at Kyngistone or Kyngestowne be∣syde London, of the archbyshoppe of Caunterbury. The whych selfe daye of his {pro}fessyon or coronacion / broke sodeynly from his lordes, & entred a secrete chāber, & there occupyed him selfe synfully wyth a nother mannes wyfe. wherof saynt Dūstane hauyng knowlege, rebuked and blamed hym greuously / & caused the woman to be voyded from his bed and company. whose husband as one authour testy¦fyeth he slew, for to haue y^e vnlawful vse of her beaute / not cōsideryng y^e al¦lyaūce of affynyte of kynred betwene them, affermeth y^e sayde authour.

Guydo writer of storyes sayth, that Edwyn cōtrary y^e lawes of y^e chyrch, held a woman as his cōcubyne. wher¦fore holy Dūstane accused him vnto Oddo archbishop of Caūterbury, by whose power the kynge was causyd to refuse & forsake the cōpany of that woman. For the which dede Edwyn bare great malice vnto the holy man Dunstane / & at length by his extorte power, banyshed hym his lande, and forced hym for a season to holde hym

in Flaunders. And for the malyce y^e he bare towarde hym, he dyd myche dyspleasure to all blacke munkes of Englande / in so myche that at Mal∣mysbury he put oute the mōkes and set in seculer prestes in theyr stede.

It is rad of hym that he also toke from the chyrch what he myght / and specyally from the blacke monkes. In so myche that such precyouse ie∣wellys as Ethylstane hadde before receyued from Othon̄ the emperour, gyuē vnto wynchester and Malmys¦bury / he toke theym thens and gaue theym vnto alyauntes and straun∣gers. And thus was not onely vn∣kynde to god / but also he vsyd suche tyranny, and other vnlefull meanes to hys subiectes, that lastely they re∣belled agayn hym / and specyally the inhabytaūtes of the countre of Mer¦cia or myddell Englande, and also of Northumbers / and put hym clerely from all kyngely honour and dygny¦tye, when he had reygned after most wryters the full terme of .iiii. yeres / and was buryed after in y^e cathedrall chyrche of wynchester, leuynge none heyre of his body / wherfore the rule of the lande fyll vnto Edgar his yon¦ger brother.

Antoninus archebyshop of Florēce in this worke often before mynded, amonges many myracles and ver∣tues actes, which he in y^e .vi. chapiter of y^e .xvi. title of his boke called Sm̄ Antonini / reherseth of this holy man Dunstan̄, & sayth that when he had vnderstandynge of the deth of thys Edwyn̄ by reuelacyon or otherwyse, he made hys specyall prayer to god to know what state the soule of Ed∣wyn̄ was in. To whome after thys prayer made / apperyd to the sayde Dūstane a great company of fēdes, turmentynge the soule of the sayde Edwyn, and ledynge yt vnto the pla¦ces of peyne. The whyche when this holy man hadde sene, he fell to great wepynge and sorowe / besechynge god with most deuocyon to haue py∣tye and compassyon of that soule. And whyle he was occupied in his prayer, the sayde cōpany of fendes re¦turned wyth yellynge and cryenge / shewynge to hym that thorough hys prayer, the angelles of god had by∣rafte from them the soule of Edwyn.

THE .CXCIII. CHAPITER.

EDgar the seconde sonne of Ed¦munde and brother of Edwyn laste kynge / began hys reygne ouer the realme of Englande, in the yere of our lorde .ix. hundred and .lx / and the .v. yere of Lotharius then kynge of Fraunce. The whyche of dyuers wryters is wytnessed to be of the age of .xvi. yere, when he was admytted for kynge / and that he was not crow¦ned kynge tyll he hadde reygned the full terme of .xii. yeres. whych terme ended and expyred / he was enoynted and crowned kynge in the cytye of Bathe, vppon a whytsondaye / fal∣lyng then vpon the .xv. day in May, of Dunstane and Oswolde byshop∣pes, that one of Caunterburye, and that other of yorke.

In the begynnynge of his reygn he called home holy Dunstane / that before was exyled of kyng Edwyne / whych Dunstane harde aungellys synge, peace be to the lande of En∣glyshemen.

Then he made Dūstane that was abbot of Glastenburye, byshoppe of worceter / and vnyed and knyt into one, the prouynce and lorshyppes of Englande, and made of theym one monarchye and kyngedome.

In many places he putte away cler∣kes and prestes that lyued vycyous¦ly / and sette there for theym mun∣kes. And as wytnessyth Guydo, Po¦licronica,

and other / he buylded and repayred to the nomber of .xl. houses of relygyon / wherof Abyndon, Pe∣terburgh, Thorney, Ramesey, and wylton̄ were parcell of theym.

And at wynchester in the newe ab∣bay he putte in munkes / where be∣fore dayes were seculer prestes. The cause wherof was, for so myche as the prestes fled or neglygently slow∣thed the dyuyne seruyce of god, and sette vykers in theyr places, whyle they lyued at theyr pleasure in other places, and spente the patrymo∣nye of that chyrche after theyr sen∣suall wyll.

Then kynge Edgar gaue to the vy¦kers the lande that before belonged to the prebendaryes / trustynge ther∣by that they wolde do theyr duetyes. But yt was not longe to, or the sayd vycares were as neglygent as the other. wherfore fynally, the kyng by authoryte of pope Iohn̄ the .xiii. of that name, voyded clerely the pres∣tes & ordeyned there mōkes / though some of hys prelates where not ther∣wyth contented.

This Edgar kepte suche iustyce, and dyd so sharpe execucyon / that neuer before his days was vsyd lesse felony or robberyes. And for he wold haue the rauenous bestes destroyed thorough hys lande / he caused Lud¦wallus prynce or kynge of walys, to yelde to hym yerely by way of try∣bute thre hundred woluys. By mea∣ne wherof wythin the space of .iiii. ye¦res after, in Englande and walys myght scantely be founden one wolf a lyue.

It is wytnessyd of dyuers authours that Kynadus kynge of Scotlande dispysed Edgar, for that that he was lytell of stature. wherof Edgar be∣ynge warned / desyred the sayd Kyna¦dus to dyner, and made to him good countenaunce. After whych dyner en¦ded / he toke the sayd Kynadus by y^e arme, and so wyth hym helde compa¦ny tyll they came into y^e feldes. where beynge dysseuered from bothe theyr seruauntes / Edgar drew from vnder his garment two swordes, & desyred Kynadus to take the chose of theym, & sayd to hym: nowe thou hast good laysure to a saye thy strength wyth myne, that before tyme thou haste so myche dyspysed. And lette vs nowe proue whyche is more worthy to be subiecte to other. It is not syttynge for a knyghte to make great boste at the borde, and to do lytell in felde. when the Scottyshe kynge hard the kyng thus challenge hym / he knew well his wordes before spoken were disclosyd to y^e kynge / wherof he was not a litle abashed. But for apeace y^e kynge / he behaued hym so lowely, and gaue to hym suche plesaunte wordes, that the kynge forgaue the trespace.

This Edgar amonge other of hys polytyke dedes / vsed in the somer tyme to scowre the see wyth certayne shyppes of warre. And agayn y^e wyn¦ter he prouyded to laye the sayd shyp¦pes in sure hauens / and had redy in his owne seruyce, and in hys lordes houses, a certayne nomber of so••dy∣ours that were alway redy when the kyng had nede of them. And his shyp maysters were in wages wyth hym thorough the yere / that euer attēdyd vpon the shippes, to se that nothyng fayled that vnto theym was necessa∣ry. By meane wherof he kepte hys land in great quyete fro outward en¦myes. And in the wynter he vsed to ryde ouer the land, and to se how hys offycers entreated the people. And yf any were accused of extorcyon or other crymes, and agayne them suf∣fycyently proued / he dyd vppon all suche sharpe correccyon.

And for so mych as in his days grete

multytude of Danys dwelled in dy∣uers places of England, which vsed many vyces / & specyally great dryn∣kynge, wherof ensued dronkenesse and many other vices, to the euyll ex¦amples and hurte of hys commons and subiectes: he therfore ordeyned certayne cuppes with pynnes or nay¦les set in them / and ordeyned & made a law, that what person dranke past that marke at one drought, shuld for fayte a certayn peny. wherof the one half shuld fall to the accusour, & that other half to the ruler of y^e brough or towne that the offence was done in.

It is told of this Edgar by dyuers authours, y^t he vpon a season beyng at Chester, entred y^e ryuer of Dee / & there syttynge in a bote, toke the ru∣le of the helme, and caused .viii. kyn¦ges, whyche of Guydo are called re∣gul••, whyche is to meane small or ly¦tell kynges or vnder kinges, y^e why∣che he commaunded to rowe hym vp and downe the ryuer vnto saynte Iohn̄s chyrche, and from thens to hys owne paleys / in token y^t he was lorde & kynge of so many prouynces.

This noble Edgar had two wy∣ues. By the fyrste y^t was called Egel¦fleda the whyte / he hadde a son that was named Edwarde. He was after kynge, and slayne by reason of hys stepmoder Alfrita, called in the en∣glyshe cronycle Estrylde. And vpon his seconde wyfe Alfrida or Estrylde he gat a son named Egelredus, or af¦ter the englyshe boke Eldrede / which was kynge after Edwarde the mar∣tyr, as after shall be shewyd. And of saynte wylfryth, whych of some wry¦ters is accōpted for a mēchon, he had a doughter named saynte Edyth in {pro}cesse of ryme. But this was of bast and not in wedloke. For as Guydo and Policronicon testyfyen / this vir¦gyne wylfryth knowynge that the kyng caste to her vnlawfull loue, put vppon her the habyte of a nūne, thyn¦kyng thereby to wythdrawe the kyn¦ges loue. But that not wythstan∣dynge, she was at length brought to the kynges bedde. For whych dede he was greatly blamed of the holy byshop Dunstane / and dyd therfore vii. yere penaūce, by the heste or byd∣dynge of the sayde Dunstane. And the forenamed wylfrith after y^e chyld borne lyued so relygyousely / y^t she is now cōpted for a saynt in heuen. Of her doughter Edyth yt is radde, that at lawefull age she was at wylton̄ shorne a nunne / where she vsyd more gayer apparell then was thought cō¦uenyent to her religyon. For y^e which she beynge blamed of the holy bys∣shop Ethelwolde answered. Goddes dome that maye not fayle is pleasyd onely wyth conscyence. wherfore I truste that vnder these clothes maye be as clene a soule, as vnder other y^e ben of lasse shewynge. Many ver∣tues ben rehersed of this holy virgyn Edyth, in the .ix. chapyter of the .vi. boke of Policronycon. The which I passe ouer for length of the mater.

THE .CXCIII. CHAPITER.

EDgar thus rulynge the lande after the deth of his fyrst wyfe Egelfleda / worde was broughte to hym of y^e beaute of Alfrida or Estrild doughter of Orgarus erle of Deuen¦shire. wherfore he sent a knight of his court named Ethelwold, to espy whe¦ther the mayde were of such beautye as she was reported of or not / char∣gynge hym yf she were so beauty∣ous, that then he shulde aske her to wyfe for the kynge.

But this knyght hauyng syght of this mayden, was so wounded wyth the darte of the blynde god Cupyde, that he forgate his trouth and alle∣giaunce, y^t he shuld owe to his may∣ster

and souerayne / and retourned, shewynge to the kynge, that she was nothynge of the beaute that she was reported of, but of meane fayrenesse as other women were. wherfore he besought the kynge consyderyng she was her fathers heyre & a good ma∣ryage / that he wolde be so good lord to hym as to wryte vnto her fader, y^t he myght haue her to wyfe. The why the grace he obteyned, and at length was maryed vnto her.

In processe of tyme the fame of the beaute of thys woman sprange so wyde, that lastly yt came to the erys of Edgar. wherwyth the kynge in mynde beynge sore dyscontentyd wyth Ethilwolde, whyche hym had dysceyued / yet kepte good counte∣naunce, and made semblaunte, as though he hadde nothynge forced y^t mater. And vpon a tyme as yt were in game / warned this Ethilwolde, y^t then was an erle by reason of hys wyfe or otherwyse, that he wold lod∣ge one nyght in his house / & appoyn¦ted the daye when yt shulde be. wyth thys monyssyon the erle beynge no∣thynge contented / ranne home nygh deed for fere, and prayed his wyfe of helpe in that tyme of nede, and y^t she wold in all that she myght make her self as fowle and as vnsemely as she coude / and shewed to her all the resy¦due of y^e mater. Then y^e woman cast in her mynde the great dyspleasure y^t might ensue toward her agayn god, to make that fowle, whych he hadde made goodly and fayre / and also to her lorde and husbande agayne the kynge, thynkyng that he shuld cause her thus to do, to the ende to mocke and dysceyue hym. wherfore in con∣syderacyon of the premysses, she en∣ourned her in moste costly and shew∣ynge aparayll. And ouer y^t yf dame nature hadde had any thynge forgo∣ten or mysprinted in her / she left not that by womās helpe might be amen¦ded or refourmed / and at the kynges cōmynge receyued hym wyth all ioy and gladnesse. By whyche meanes this yonge amorous kyng was soon caught in the dyuylles snare / so that he sette reason a parte, and folowed his own sensualyte. And for to bryng his purpose the better about, he kept forth a countenaunce as he had ben well contentyd wyth all thynge, and desyred the erle, that he wolde wyth hym ryde on huntyng into the wood of welwerley that now is called hore wood / where he awaytynge his sea∣son & tyme, strake the erle thorough the bodye wyth his shafte / so that he dyed soon after. And then he maryed this Elfryda or Estrylde shortely, & hadde by her Egelredus as before I haue shewyd. For the whyche dede sayth Ranulf, this Elfrida buylded an house of nunnes at warwell. But other authours saye, yt was for the slayeng of her stepson Edwarde.

Also the englyshe cronycle sheweth that this Ethilwolde was slayne by an other meane and not by the kyng.

About this tyme dyed Oddo arch¦byshoppe af Caunterbury, that was of the nacyon of Danys. Of hym is tolde a longe processe in the .x. chapy¦ter of the .vi. boke of Polycronycon. And after hym Bryglinus, that then was byshoppe of wynchester, was made hys successour. But for he was not suffycyent for so great a charge / he went agayne to wynchester. And holy Dunstane byshop of London & of worceter, was sacryd archbys∣shoppe of Caunterbury / and went to Rome and receyued the palle of pope Iohn̄ the .xiii. of that name. This Dunstane was fyrste abbot of Glas∣tynbury, and byshoppe of London & worceter, and lastely archbyshoppe of Caunterbury. In his dayes the order of munkes was religyous and

Full of vertues. For it hadde relygy¦ous rulers, clere of scyence and of clergy / so that then men were lad as mych wyth other dedes and good ex¦amples of vertuous lyuynge as by theyr famous & vertuous prechyng.

Than Edgare as before ys sayde was crowned kynge at the cytye of Bathe, of Dunstane archbysshop of Caunterbury, and Oswolde archbys¦shop of yorke, whan he hadde ruled thys lande .xii. yeres. The cause why it was so longe or this Edgar were enoynted / was as testyfyeth Guydo for hys vnlefull Lechery, and specy∣ally for the offence done wyth wyl∣fryde. For the whyche dede he was of Dunstane ioyned to .vii. yeres pe∣naunce. The whyche penaunce du∣rynge, he was kept from the sayd en∣oyntement as affermeth the sayde Guydo. But for what cause so euer it was / by agrement of dyuers wry∣ters, he was not crowned tyll he had reygned .xii. yeres.

It is also tolde of thys Edgare, that he beynge vpon a season at the towne of And••uyr / he was enamou∣red vpon a noble mannes doughter whyche was of passynge beautye / & made suche meanes by force or other wyse, that the parentes were agreed that the kynge shulde haue hys plea¦sure. But the moder subtyll of wytte bethoughte her of a whyle / and sent a seruaunt of hers, whych was both comely and fayre to the kynges bed. In the mornynge whan the daye be¦gan to waxe clere / the woman began to styrre, and wolde haue departed from the kynge. But the kynge re∣frayned her and asked the cause of her so hasty departyng. For I muste be at my worke wyth my felowes sayde the woman, at myne houre to kepe my taske. And whan the kynge had questyoned wyth her further, he lerned that she was a bonde woman / and asked of the kynge fredome for y^• nyghtis seruyce. The kyng at this had good game / and cherysshed that damosell so after, that he made her lady of Lordes. For these insolent & wanton dedes / it is sayde that by the counsayle of the holy Dunstane, he buylded & repayred so many abbeys and houses of relygyon as aboue is rehersed.

Thus thys noble Edgare passyng his tyme in vertue medled with vyce lastly had wyttynge of the rebellyon of y^e Brytaynes or walshmen, wher∣fore he assembled hys knyghtes, and entred the lande, and dyd them grete harme and waste. And among other prayes, spoyled the countre of Gla∣morgan̄ / and also toke or spoyled the countre of Ono / and toke the bell of saynt Eltutus, which serued for hys chyrche, that was taken by vyolence wyth other stuffe, & hanged it about an horse necke. In puttynge it to tē∣porall seruyce to the dyspleasure of that saynte. But for the vyolent ta∣kynge therof, as Ranulf expresseth / in an vndertyde whan kyng Edgar was layde to take hys reste, the sayd Eltutus apered and smote the kyng vppon the breste wyth a spere. So y^t the kynge awoke wyth that stroke / and charged that the belle shulde be restored to the chyrche of Saynt Eltu¦tus, and all other thynges that were taken wyth the same. But the kynge dyed wythin .x. dayes after / whan he had reygned after moste wryters the full terme of .xvi. yeres. And was bu¦ryed at Glastenbury / leuynge after hym two sonnes, Edwarde the mar∣tyr & Egelred{us}, by .ii. sondry wyues.

Henricus the hystographer made of hym these verses folowynge.

Ayder of the poore, and punyssher of trespasse, The gyuer of worshyp, kyng Edgar is now gone

To the kyngdome of heuen / whyche lyke to prayse was As Salomon, that for wysdome a∣boue all shone A fader in peas, a lyone to his foone Founder of temples, of monkes stronge patrone, Oppresser of all wronge, and of iu∣styce guardone.

WIllelmus de regibus testifyeth, that in the yere of our lorde .M.lii, whiche was after the deth of this noble kynge Edgar .lxxvi. yeres / an abbot of Glastenbury named Ayle∣warde, dygged the graue of this no∣ble man vnreuerently. At whyche tyme the body was foūden hole and so full of flesshe, that the body wolde not entre into a newe cheste without pressynge. By reason wherof fresshe droppes of blode issued out of the same body. Than the abbot foresayd fyll sodeynly madde, and went out of the chyrch, and brake hys necke, and so dyed. Than the body was put in a shryne that he before tyme had gy∣uen to the place, & set vppon y^e auter / wyth the hed of saynt Apolinare and other relyques of saynt Uyncent, the whych y^e kyng Edgare before dayes had brought thyther and gyuen to y^e house. wherfore it maye well appere to all that rede thys story, that what lyuynge thys man was demed of, y^t he purged hym in suche wyse by pe∣naūce, that he made a seth and amen¦des to goddes pleasure.

THE .CXCV. CHAPITER.

IN y^e story of thys noble prynce Edgare, I fynde wryten a sto¦ry, the whyche is alleged by the au∣thour, y^t it shulde be done by a kyng of Syrye named Cambyses, in the tyme of the reygne of thys Edgare. But in that sayenge he varyeth frō other authours and wryters very farre / as Uincencius hystorialis, An¦toninus, Ranulphus and other. For all be it the sayde acte was done by y^e sayd Cambyse, as the forenamed au¦thoure affermeth / yet it was by the sayd Cambyses executed, longe be∣fore the incarnacyon of Cryste. For thys Cambyses was the sonne of Ci¦rus kyng of Parsys and of Medis, whyche reygned ouer those prouyn∣ces about the yere of the worlde .iiii. thousand .lxx, before the commynge of Cryste folowyng the accompte of thys worke .xi. hundred yeres & .xxix. But it myghte be, y^t the whyte mon∣ke that was authoure or wryter of this acte to the story of Edgare / was moued for the greate iustyce that he radde in the story of thys Edgare, thynkyng to enhaunce it by the rea∣son herof / where he sayth that in the tyme of thys Cābyses, a iudge was to hym accused and conuycte vppon the same accusacyon, that he hadde gyuen a wronge sentence by meane of takynge of mede. wherfore thys Cambyses to the terrour and fere of other / commaunded the sayde iudge to be flayne quycke, and the skynne to be spred ouer the place or stole of iudgement / and that done, made the sone of the foresayd iudge to sytte as iudge in the place, where hys fader before sat / wyth these verses wryten vppon the face of the sayde place of iudgement as foloweth.

Sede sedens ista, iudex inflexibilis sta, A manibus reuoces munus, ab aure preces Sit tibi sucerna, sex, sux, pessis{que} paterna Qua recedes natus, pro patre sponte datus.

whyche verses maye be englysshed in maner and fourme as foloweth.

Thou that syttest in thys iudycyall place,

Sytte vp ryght, & holde thyne han∣des from mede, Thyne erys from prayer, & fauoure from the chace / Let lawe be thy gyde, kepe iustyce in thy rede. Thy faders skynne, whych doth thy chayer sprede, Haue in thy mynde, fall not to lyke offence Leste for thy faute thou make lyke recompence.

AS I haue before shewed this acte was put in execucyon y^e xi.C. yere and odde before the com∣mynge of Cryste. And syns the sayd cōmynge or incarnacyon haue expy∣red .xv. hundred yeres & more / which all maketh ouer two thousande .vi. hundred yeres. In all whyche tyme I haue nat radde in any cronycle of thys lande nor other where, that any iudge hath ben put to lyke sentence. wherfore it is to presuppose, that in the lawes bothe spyrytuall & tempo¦rall / all iudges haue wel borne these verses in mynde, and exercysed them in mynystrynge of dewe iustyce, as perfytely as theyr cusshons had ben fresshely lyned wyth the foresayde skinne / & emprīted so narowly these verses in the boke of theyr cōscience, that they in all theyr iudgementes set asyde all parcyalyte and fauour / and holde theyr handes from all me∣des and rewardes / so that now it is thus wyth more, or ellys thus it shulde be.

THE .CXCVI. CHAPITER.

EDwarde the sonne of Edgare and of hys fyrste wyfe named Egelfleda / beganne hys reygn ouer thys realme of Englande, in the yere of our lorde .ix. hundred and .lxxvii / and the .xii. yere of Lothayre than kynge of Fraunce.

ye shall vnderstand that after the deth of Edgare / stryfe arose amonge the lordes for admyssyon of theyr kyng. For Elfryda or Estrylde with Alphrede duke of Mercia / made dy∣uers frendes to haue her sonne Egel¦redus promoted to that dygnite, a chylde of .vii. yeres of age, that she & he myghte haue the rule of the land. But holy Dunstane wyth ayde of other bysshoppes, and of the erle of eest Englande or Essex / wythstode so that doynge, that he crowned thys Edwarde kynge at y^e towne of Kyn∣gestowne / to the greuous dysplea∣sure of hys sayd moder Elfryda and other of her affynyte.

In the tyme of thys Edward ap¦pered stella cometa, a blasing sterre / wherafter ensued many inconueny∣ences as well to men as to bestes, as sykenesse, hunger, moreyne, & other lyke myseryes. But none of this fyll in the dayes of this Edwarde, but af¦ter hys deth. The forenamed Alphe∣rus duke of Mercia, whyche in all thynges fauoured mych the dedes of the quene / put out y^e monkes at wyn¦chester, that kyng Edgare as before is shewed had there set in / & brought in for theym wanton clerkes / or as Ranulphe sayth clerkes wyth con∣cubynes. But Dunstane and the erle of Essex wythsayde that doyng / and helde agayne the duke and suche as fauoured hys partye. For the whych arose greate stryfe bytwene the pre∣stes and the monkes of Englande. For y^e clerkes that were before tyme put out by Edgare / sayd that it were a wretched and cursed dede, that a newe comon company vnknowen shulde put out olde landysmen from theyr place / nor it shulde not be plea∣syng to god y^t had graunted y^e place to the olde wōner / nor no good man ought to alowe suche doynge, for the ensample that therof myght ensewe.

The monkes sayde y^etCryste alowed nother the olde dweller, nor yet the persone. But who so wolde take the crosse of penaunce vppon hym, and folow Cryste in vertuous lyuynge / he shulde be hys dyscyple. For thys was holden a generall counsayle of bysshoppes and all the clergy of the land at wynchester / where holy Dū∣stane helde wyth the vertuous. And whyle they were there in greate ar∣gument for thys mater, as dyuers wryters testyfyē / a rode there beyng or standynge in the wall spake myra¦culously, and sayd that Dunstanes wayes was good and trewe. But for all thys the stryfe seased not. In so mych that a new assemble of the cler¦gye and other was appoynted after at a place called the strete of Calue / where the counsayle was kept in an vpper lofte. In thys counsayle Dū∣stane was greuously despysed and rebuked of some vnskylfull mē. But yet he kept hys opynyon grounded vpon iustyce and vertue. And whyle they were there in thys greate dyuy∣syon and argument, whyche waye shulde be admytted and alowed / so∣deynly the ioystes of the lofte fayled, and the people fell downe, so y^t many were slayne & greuously hurte. But holy Dunstane escaped, wyth fewe other that toke hys partye vnhurte. This wonder with the other, caused sylence amonges them that entēded to maynteyne this foresayd quarell / so that Dunstane had all hys wyll.

Thus passynge the tyme of the reygne of Edwarde the kynge / he came vppon a season from huntyng in the forest or woode after some wry¦ters, nere to the castell of Corfe in y^e west countre. where he losynge hys company and seruauntes, resorted vnto the castell before sayd / where at that tyme hys moder with her sonne Egelred{us} kept her housholde. whan the quene was warned of hys com∣mynge / anone she called to a seruaūt of hers whych she mych trusted, and tolde to hym all her counsayle / shew∣ynge to hym forther how he shulde behaue hym in accomplysshynge of her wyll and mynde. And that done / she went towarde the kynge, and re∣ceyued hym wyth all outwarde glad¦nesse / and desyred hym to tary wyth her that nyght. But he in curteyse maner excused hym selfe / & for spede desyred to drynke vpon hys horse syt¦tyng, y^e whych was shortly brought.

And whyle the cuppe was at hys mouth / the seruaunt before of the quene enfourmed, strake hym to the herte wyth a sworde or a longe dag∣ger sharpe on both sydes. After whi∣che stroke by the kynge receyued / he toke the horse wyth the spores and ranne towarde the place that he was comen fro, or ellys suche waye as he supposed to mete of hys company. But he bled so sore that for fayntnes he fyll from hys horse, hys one fote beynge faste in the styrroppe. By rea¦son wherof he was drawen of y^e horse ouer wayes and feldes, tyll he came to a place named than Corysgate, where he was founden dede. And for y^e maner of hys deth was vnknowē▪ and also he for kynge not knowen / he was buryed vnworthely at the towne of warehm̄, and there rested by the terme of .iii. yeres after. In whyche tyme and season god shewed for hym dyuers myracles / as syghte to the blynde, helthe to the syke, and herynge to y^e defe, wyth dyuers other whyche I ouer passe.

wherof herynge hys stepmoder, began to take repentaunce, and en∣tended to vysyte hym by way of pyl∣grymage. But how or for what cau∣se she entended inwardly I can nat saye / but the horse or beest y^t she rode vpon, myght not nyghe y^e place / by a

certayne space, for betynge or any other thynge that to hym myght be done by man. But after this by her meanes he was translated from thēs to Septon̄, that now is called Shaf¦tesbury / & there buried with great ho¦nour. But syn that tyme parte of his bodye was translated to the abbaye of Leof besyde Hereforde in the edge of walys / and some parte therof to Abyndon̄. And yt is reported that at Shaftesbury remayne hys lunges / and ben shewed in the place that is called Edwardysstowe.

For the murder of this blessed man / yt is sayde as before is shewed in the story of Edgar, that his stepmother foūded two monasteryes of women / y^e one at Ambrisbury, and that other at warwell. In the whyche place of warwell in her latter dayes, she refu¦synge the pompe of the worlde, helde there a solytary and strayte lyfe / and ended her lyfe wyth great penaunce and repentaunce, and was there bu∣ryed when she dyed.

Thus as ye haue harde was this vertuous yonge kynge Edwarde martyred, whē he had reygned after most wryters .iiii. yeres, leuyng none yssue / wherfore the rule of the lande fyll to Egelredus his brother.

THE .CXCVII. CHAPITER.

EGelredus the sonne of Edgar and Alfrida or Estryld his last wyfe / beganne his reygne ouer En∣glande, in the yere of our lorde .ix hū¦dred & .lxxxi / and the .xxvi. yere of Lo¦thayre then kynge of Fraunce.

This is named of some wryters E∣theldredus, and in the englyshe cro∣nycle Eldrede. In whose begynnyng the grounde waxed bareyne / and all myseryes before bodyd by the appe∣rynge of the blasynge starre, in the dayes of Edwarde the martyr, nowe beganne to take place and encreace vppon the erth. This as the other of his {pro}genytours, was crowned kyng at Kyngestone, of the holy archbys∣shoppe Dunstane, and of Oswalde archebyshop of yorke. To whome as yt is redde in the lyfe of saynt Dun∣stane amonges his prophecyes / that in the day of his coronacyon, he sayd vnto the kynge: for thou comest to this kingdome by the deth of thy bro¦ther, in whose deth Englyshemen cō¦spyred with thy wykked moder / they shall not be wythout blood shedynge and sworde, tyll there come people of vnknowen tunge, and brynge them into thraldome. And thys trespace shall not be clensyd wythoute longe vengeaunce.

Of this Egelred{us} wryters agreen, that he was goodly of shappe and of vysage / but that was mynged wyth lechery and cruelty. It is also redde that when holy Dunstane shuld cry∣sten hym / as he helde hym ouer the fonte, he felyd the holy lyker wyth y^e fruyte of his wombe. wherfore holy Dunstane sware by god and by hys mother / this shalbe vnkynde to god and his chyrche. whych fayled not in his forth goynge / for he was vngra¦cyous in his begynnynge, wretched in y^e myddell of his lyfe, and hatefull to men in the ende therof.

In the seconde yere of his reygn / a cloude was sene in Englande, the whyche appered halfe lyke blood, & the other halfe lyke fyre / and chaun∣ged after into sundry colours, & dys∣aperyd at the laste. In the thyrd yere of his reygn, y^e Danys aryued in sun¦dry places of his lande / as in the yle of Thanet besyde Kente, in Corne∣wayll, and Sussex, and dyd in those costes myche harme. And after some of theym came to London / but there they were put of. How be yt they de∣stroyed a great part of Chestershyre.

And in the ende of the same yere, a great parte of the cytye of London was wasted with fyre. But how it be¦ganne myne authour myndeth not. But ye shall vnderstand, that at this daye the cytye of London had moste housynge and buyldynge from Lud¦gate towarde westmester / and lytell or none where y^e chefe or herte of the cytye is nowe / excepte in dyuers pla¦ces was housing, but they stode with oute order. So that many townes and cytyes, as Caunterbury, yorke, and other dyuers in Englande / pas∣sed London in buyldynge at those days, as I haue sene or knowē by an olde boke somtyme in the Guyldehal of London named Domys day. But after the cōquest yt encreaced & short¦ly after passed & excelled all y^e other.

About the .viii. yere of this kyn∣ges reygne / the kynge maryed erle Egbertus doughter named Ethelgi¦na or Elgina. Of the whyche in pro∣cesse of time he receyued a son named Edmunde, whyche after was surna¦med Ironsyde / and .ii. other sonnes named Edwyn and Ethylstane, and a doughter named Edgina.

In this pastyme dyed saynt Ethil∣walde byshop of wynchester. He was borne in wynchester, and noryshed vnder holy Dunstane at Glastenbu¦ry, and there shorne monke / and af∣ter was chosen abbot of Abyndon, in the tyme of the reygne of kynge Edredus. And in the tyme of Edgar he was sacryd byshoppe of wynche∣ster / where he made an abbay of nun∣nes, and translated saynt Swythy∣nes body out of the erth.

After whyche sayde Ethelwalde, ho¦ly Alphegus abbot then of Bathe was sacred byshoppe of wynchester / the whyche after was archebishoppe of Caunterbury, and martyred haste¦ly of the cruell Danys, as after shall be shewed.

About the .ix. yere of Egelredus / for stryfe y^t was betwene the byshop of Rochester and hym, he wyth his knyghtes beseged the sayde cytye. wherof holy Dūstane sent to y^e kyng, amonyssynge hym that he shulde re∣frayne hym of that cruelty, & suffre y^e byshop and his citye in peace, oneles that he offended saynte Andrewe pa∣trone of that citye. But this message mylded nothyng y^e kynges courage. Then thys blessed man sent to hym a hundred pounde in gold, wyllyng hym to refrayne of that outrage / the whyche he receyued and brake the syege. Then blessyd Dunstane sente this message to the kyng: For thou haste preferred golde before god, and syluer before the apostle, and coue∣tyse before me / right so euyll happes shall come vnto the, but not whyle I am in lyfe. But the kynge toke lytell regarde to those wordes, but conty∣nued in his insolent & cursed dedes.

About the .xi. yere of his reygne, dy∣ed that blessed archbyshoppe saynte Dunstane. Of whom Ranulff in the xiii. chapyter of his .vi. boke of Po∣licronycon, maketh rehersall of dy∣uers of his vertues and myracles / the whyche I passe ouer, and the ra∣ther bycause his legēde or lyfe is ma¦nyfest. Siricus was archbyshop af∣ter hym, & after hym wulricus. And after wulricus, blessed Elpheg{us} was archbyshop of that see.

It was not longe after the deth of holy Dunstane, but that the Danys perced England in many and sondry places of the lande / in suche wyse that the kynge was to seke, to which coste he shuld go fyrst to wythstande his enymyes. And in conclusyon in auoydynge of more harme / he was compellyd to appeace theym wyth great summes of money. But when y^e money was spent / they fyll to new robbynge of the people. Then the

kynge graunted more money. But for all that the Danys robbed and spoyled y^e coūtrey of Northūberlād, and besyeged London at the laste. And for augmentacyon of the kyn∣ges sorowe / Elfricus that then was mayster or admyrall of the kynges nauy, fled as a false traytour. And after that recōcyled & fled the second tyme to the Danys. wherfore y^e kyng in wreche of the father / commaūded the eyen of his sonne Algarus, to be plucked or done out of his hedde.

But whyle this persecucion thus contynued / by meanes of the holy byshoppe of wynchester Elphegus, a peace was concluded for a tyme be¦twene the kyng and the Danys. And the prynce or chefe captayne of them named Aulaff, was so exorted by the said holy byshop / y^t he became a cristē man, to whome the kynge was god∣father / so that after the sayde Aulaff retorned to his owne, without doyng of more harme / so that for a whyle the warre of Danys seased.

But whyle that rested / the blody flyx wyth a brennynge feuer vexed the people thorough the lande, that myche folke therof dyed.

Contynuynge whyche mysery / the Danys agayne assayled the lande, & dyd in dyuers places great harme / so that for lacke of a good hed or go¦uernour, many thynges in the land peryshed. For the lordes were at such dyssencyon that one with that other / that when they were assembled to speke or treate of peace betwene that one lorde and that other, and yf any good thynge were dyuysed for the hurte of theyr enymyes / anone the Danys were warned therof by some of the same counsayll. wherof were suspected Elfricus and Edricus. And to this sorowe was ioyned hun¦ger and penury amonges the com∣mons, that eueryche of theym was constrayned to plucke and stele from other / so that what by the pyllage of the Danys, and inwarde theuys and brybours, this lande was broughte in great mysery and myschefe.

THE .CXCVIII. CHAPITER.

EGelredus then wrapped in mi¦sery / lefte not to gader of hys subiectes what he myght, as well by vnlaufull meanes as otherwyse. For as sayth Ranulfe myne authour / he wold for fayned or small causes, dys∣heryte mē of theyr possessyōs / & after cause men to redeme theyr owne for great summes of money. And ouer that he walowed in lechery, gyuyng hym to all vycyous and incontynent lyfe of his body. By whych vngracy¦ous meanes, he brought this land in such ruyne, that what he myght not helpe by strēgth, he warred wyth mo¦ney. So y^t from the fyrst entre of the Danys as testyfyeth Policronica in the .xviii. chapyter of his .vi. boke, & also Guydo wyth other authours / that from the fyrst trybute of .x. thou sande pounde, he broughte yt at the laste in processe of .v. or .vi. yeres to xl. thousande pounde. The whyche yerely durynge his lyfe and after, to the commynge of saynte Edwarde, was leuyed of his subiectes / and na∣med for the contynuance therof Da∣ne gelt. whyche is or was to meane money payde to the Danys, or short¦ly, Dane money.

In this tyme as yt were about the xv. yere of his reygne, dyed saynt Os¦walde the archbyshoppe of Caunter¦bury. And soone after dyed Ethelgi∣na the quene. And the body of saynte Cuthbert was translated from holy ylande to Durham / in the whyche yle he helde anankers lyfe, as yt is before shewyd in the storye of Cad∣walader.

Thus contynuynge this lande vn¦der the greuous tribute of the Da∣nys, and also by susteynynge of ma∣ny villanyes and iniuryes by the En¦glyshe men of the sayde Danys, as after somdele shall appere / this Egel¦redus by counsayll of his famylyers about the .xxi. yere of hys reygn / ma∣ryed Emma y^e doughter of Rychard duke of Normandy, before mynded in the storye of Lewys the .v. and Lothayre hys sonne kynges of Fraūce. The whyche Rycharde was the thyrde duke of Normandy, and the fyrste that name / and also was sur¦named Rycharde wythoute fere or the hardy / as more of hym shall be shewyd in the storye of the .vi. Lewis kynge of Fraunce.

By reason of maryenge of this Em¦ma, whych in y^e Frenche cronycle is named the flowre of Normandye / thys Egelredus was greatly enhaū¦ced in hys owne mynde. By presum¦pcyon wherof he sent into all good burghes, cytyes, and townes of his lande, secrete and strayte commys∣syons / chargynge the rulers that vppon a certayne day, that is to say vppon the daye of saynte Bryce at an houre assygned in euery place of hys lande, the Danys shulde be so∣deynly slayne. And so yt was done.

And as the cōmon fame telleth, y^t this murder beganne at a lytell towne in Hertefordeshyre, wythin xxiiii. myles of London called wele∣wyn̄ or welwyn̄. For the whyche dedeyt toke fyrst that name / as who wolde wene, that the wele of the coū∣trey was there fyrste wonne. But who that well cōsydereth the sequell of thys storye / shall fynde lytell wyn¦nynge or weale ensuyenge of thys dede.

But or I procede further / here I wyll touche somewhat of the pryde and abusyō of y^e Danis, that they ex∣ercysed in Englande, in some parte therof, as I haue sene in an olde cro¦nycle, wherof the authoure ys vn∣knowen. There it is shewyd, that the Danys by strength caused husbande men to ere and sowe the lande, and do all other vyle laboure that belon∣ged to husbandrye / and the Dane helde hys wyfe at hys pleasure, with doughter and seruaunt. And when the husbandeman came home / he shulde scantly haue of hys owne as seruaūtes had, so that the Dane had all hys commaundement, and ete and dranke hys fyll of the beste / whē the owner hadde scantely hys fyll of the worste. And ouer that the comon people were so of theym oppressyd / that for fere and drede, they called theym in euery suche house as they hadde rule of, Lorde Dane.

But in processe of tyme, after the Danys were voyded the lande / thys worde Lord Dane, was in de∣rysyon and despyte of the Danys, turned by the Englyshemen into a name of opprobrye and called Lur∣dayne / whyche to our dayes ys not forgotten. But when one Englyshe∣mā woll rebuke an other / he woll for the more rebuke call hym Lurdayn.

Then to retourne to our fyrste mater. Treuthe yt is that when the Danys were thus murdred thorugh Englande / tydynges therof sprange into Denmarke. whyche kyndeled in theym suche a fury / that the kyng therof named Swanus, assembled shortely a great hoste and nauye of Danys, and in shorte processe after landed in Cornewayll. And by trea∣son of a Norman named Hugh, why∣che by fauoure of the quene Emma was made erle of Deuenshyre / the sayd Swanus toke Exetour, and af¦ter bette downe the wallys.

Then he entred further into the lande. In whyche season the kynge

sent vnto Edric{us} / chargyng hym to assemble the weste Saxons, and to wythstande the further entre of the Danys. The whyche accordynge to his commyssyon assembled the weste Saxōs / and made good contenaūce to wythstand the sayd enymyes. But when the hostes shulde ioyne / were it for fere or for treason, he fayned hym syke and fled from hys people. The whych for lacke of an hed were fayn to gyue backe / to theyr hurte, and to theyr enimyes great auauntage and comforte.

wherfore the Danys resorted then to wylton̄ and Shyrborn̄ / and anon spoyled both those townes, and there refresshed theym. But for Swanus had wittynge that the kynge was cō¦myng towarde hym wyth the power of his lande / he therfore departed thens and retourned wyth great pyl¦lage to his shyppes / & sayled aboute the lande, and lastely landed in Nor∣folke. where he wastynge and spoy∣lynge the countrey / came in processe vnto the cytye of Norwyche and rob¦bed and spoyled yt / and after yode to Thetforde, and dyd lykewise to that towne, and fyred yt and destroyed y^e countrey nere there about.

But soone after a noble man of that countrey called duke Uskatell mette wyth the hoste of Danys, and gaue vnto them an hard and sharpe batayll / and slewe many of the eny∣myes and put them backe. For this, and for hūger that then assailed this lande / Swanus returned ofte vnto his shyppes, & departed agayne into Denmarke, & taryed there all y^e wyn¦ter folowynge. In whyche season he made great prouysyon to reenter the lande of Englande.

THE .CXCIX. CHAPITER.

ABout the .xxvi. yere of the rey¦gne of Egelredus the forena¦med Swanus with a stronge army, landed at Sandwyche / and spoyled all the coūtrey nere vnto the see syde, and rested hym there tyll he harde of an armye cōmynge agayn hym. And when he was ware therof, he retour∣ned to his shyppes agayne / and he∣rynge the kyng was farre westward, he landed in Sussex, and spoyled yt wonder sore. And when he there was warned of the cōmynge of a batayll of Englyshemen, anon he toke shyp¦pynge agayne. So that when the en¦glyshemen wende to haue met wyth them in one coste / then wolde they so¦daynly lande in a nother. And when y^e kyng prouyded to mete wyth thē vppon the see / other they wold fayne to flee, or ellys they shulde wyth gyf¦tes blynde the admyrall of the kyn∣ges nauy.

By whyche subtylytye and crafty meanes, they weryed and tyred the hoste of Englyshmē. And where euer they went / they slew, brent, and rob∣bed wythout compassyon and pytye. The kynge then beyng at Shrewes¦bury, & herynge of the great sleyght and cruelty of the Danys / called his counsayll to rede what were beste to be done for y^e defence of his enmyes. where it was concluded, that y^e kyng to haue peace with the Danys, shuld pay vnto them .xxx. thousande poūd. But whyle this was in doynge, the Danys destroyed a grete part of Ba¦roke or Barkshyre.

when this peace was thus made / Swanus wyth his company retour¦ned into Denmarke. And y^e yere fo∣lowynge / the kynge made Edricus forenamed duke of Mercia. Thys Edricus was of lowe byrth, ryche, of tunge false, and subtyll of wyt, softe and eloquēt of speche, vntrusty and false of thoughte and promyse / as of hym somdeale before is shewyd, and after more shall appere.

In the .xxvii. yere of Egelredus / a prynce of Danys named Turkyllus landed in Kent. The whyche so gre∣uously warred in that coūtrey / that the Kentyshemen were fayn to make theyr peace, and so departed.

And yet the persecucyon of Danys seased not. For in one countre of En¦glande or other / they euer in whylys robbed & pilled the Englishmen. So y^t all the coūtrey a longe the coste, frō the Northe parte of Englande vnto the yle of wyghte / was by theym de∣stroyed or hugely sette a backe. And when the kynge entended to make prouysyon for to wythstande theym / euer Edricus wolde counsayll hym to the contrarye / shewynge hym that he shulde spende hys treasour & tra∣uayle his people in vayne. By mean wherof the Danys entred .l. myles wythin the lande / and brent and rob¦bed by dyuers tymes many vylages & townes. So that they encreased & waxed passynge ryche / and the En∣lyshemen nedy, bare, & poore. Thus contynuynge this mysery / Swanus or after the englyshe Swayne then beyng in Denmarke, and heryng of the encreace of his people within En¦glande / repented hym of his former couenauntes, and thought y^t the hole domynyon of Englād shulde belong to hym of ryght. For the whyche he prepared his armye & nauy in moste defensyble wyse / and sped hym into England, & to the ryuer of Humber, and landed in Northumberlande.

where the erle or ruler of that coun¦trey wyth all the rulers of the same, sware feaute vnto the sayde Swa∣nus, and promysed to kepe that coun¦trey vnto hys vse. And when he had done hys wyll in that coste / he en∣tred agayne the water, and by the ry¦uer of Trent he passed to Gaynys∣burghe, and so by North watlyng∣strete / and subdued the inhabytaun∣tes of that coūtrey, and forced theym to gyue vnto hym pledges. whyche pledges, wyth also his nauy / he be∣toke vnto Canutus his sonne, whyle, he wente farther into the lande. And that done, he wyth his▪ people kepte on his iourney tyl he▪ came into Mer¦cia, kyllynge and slayeng the men of that prouynce / And reserued the women to vnclene lyuynge, as well the relygyous as other / and toke by strength wynchester and Oxenford, and dyd in them what he lyked.

And after he hadde thus passed the lande / he drewe the nexte waye to∣warde London. But in passynge the ryuer of Thames he loste some parte of hys people / other for lacke of a brydge or for ieopardynge theyr pas¦sage vnauysely. And so in processe he came vnto London / where at that tyme kynge Egelredus was. wher∣fore Swanus lefte the cytye, and drewe into Kente, and so towarde Caunterbury wythoute lette, wel∣dynge the countrey at hys wyll / and lastely beseged that cytye. The why∣che manfully defended theyr eny∣myes by the space of .xx. dayes. whyche syege beganne vpon the day of saynte Mathewe in the moneth of September, and endured as is a∣boue sayde / and then taken by the treason of a deken named Almari∣cus / the whyche beforetyme blessed Elphegus then archebyshop of that see, hadde preserued from deth.

Then the Danys fyred the cytye when they before had spoyled it / and toke the archebyshop and put him in strayte pryson. And the monkes of saynt Augustynes abbey they tythed that is to meane they slew .ix. by cruel torment, and the tenth they kepte a lyue / the whych after was solde and sette to all seruyle laboure. And as wytnessyth Antoninus or Uyncent hystoryall / they slewe and broughte

in seruage ouer the summe of .ix. hun¦dred persones of relygyon / they slew of men, women, & chyldren, beyonde the nōber of .viii. thousand. As with myche more cruelty yt is shewyd, in the .vii. chapyter of the .xvi. tytle of the worke of the sayde Antoninus. And fynally for this blessed man El∣phegus wolde not condescende to gyue vnto them as sayth Policroni∣ca .iii. thousande pounde / after they had kept hym in harde pryson by the space of .vii. monethes, vppon an Ester euē they after many vylanyes to hym done at Grenewyche wythin thre myles of London, they stoned hym to deth. where he lay in the feld vnburyed a certayne of tyme / and af¦ter caryed to London, and buryed re¦uerētly in the chyrch of saynt Paule. But afterward in tyme of Canutus, he was taken vp agayne and caryed to his owne chyrche. Of this blyssed Elphegus Antoninus and also Poli¦cronicon shewen many vertues and myracles / the whyche I passe ouer for lengthynge of the tyme.

THE .CC. CHAPITER.

IN this pastyme, kynge Egelre¦dus ferynge the ende of thys persecucyon / sent Emma the quene wyth her two sonnes Alphrede and Edwarde, vnto Rycharde the second of y^e name, then fourth duke of Nor∣mandy, whych was brother vnto the sayde Emma / wyth whome also he sent the byshoppe of London.

About the .xxxiiii. yere of the reygne of Egelredus / the Danis when they hadde wonne a great part of the coū¦trey of westsaxon, retorned agayn to¦warde London. wherof herynge the Londoners sent vnto theym certayn gyftes and pledges.

In all thys season myne authoure maketh no mynde, that euer the king gaue vnto the Denys any notable batayll / but kepte hym in holdes or places, for his owne sauegarde, and lytell fruyte or profyte to his lande. At the laste he was chaced vnto the yle of wyghte / where wyth a secrete companye, he helde a great parte of the wynter / and fynally wythout ca∣tall or comforte, sayled ouer to hys wyfe into Normādy / and there held hym a certayne of tyme.

whan Swanus was ascertayned of the departynge of Egelredus out of the lande, he was enflamed wyth excedynge pryde / so that he arrered excedynge imposycyons of the peo∣ple, and greued them wonderfully. And amonges other of his tyrānyes he asked a great summe of money of saynt Edmundes landes. whych the rulers denayed / for so myche as they claymed to be free of all kynges try∣bute. For thys he entred the terytory of saynte Edmunde, and wasted and spoyled the countrey / and ouer that despysed that holy martyr, wyth ma¦nassyng of the place of his sepulture. wherfore the men of that countrey fe¦rynge this tyraunt, gaue them to fa∣stynge and prayer / so that shortly af∣ter he was stycked in an euenynge a∣monges his knyghtes, with y^e sword of saynte Edmunde in the towne of Shetforde as sayth Guydo / but af∣ter Policronicon & other in the town of Gaynesborugh. where he dyed wyth yellynge and cryenge the thyrd daye after.

In fere wherof, Canutus hys son after that he was kynge, closed in y^e land of that holy martyr with a depe dyche / and graunted to the inhaby∣tauntes therof great fredam, & quyt them of all kyngly taske or trybute. And after buylded a chyrch ouer the place of his sepulture / and ordeyned there an house of munkes, & endued them wyth fayre possessyons. And af¦ter

yt was vsed that kynges of En∣gland when they were crowned, sent for an offerynge theyr crownes vnto saynte Edmundes shryne / and rede∣med them aftewardes wyth a condy¦gne pryce.

when Egelredus hadde wrytynge of the deth of Swanus / by procure∣ment of his frendes / he made mea∣nes to retourne to hys owne. By whose meanes he was sent for, wyth condycyon that he shulde refourme his olde condycyons. Ad for perfour¦maūce of the same, he sent his son Ed¦warde into Englande before hym. And in the lent folowynge the kyng came hym selfe, and wyth his people sped hym towarde Lyndesey. where Canutus was at that tyme resseaūt, not prouyded of the kynges so hasty commynge.

wherfore he beynge not purueyed to wythstande the kynge, fledde into Sandewyche in Kente. And for he there proued suche persones as be∣fore tyme his fader and he hadde ta¦ken pledges of, & fande them not per¦seueraunt in theyr {pro}misses / he made to be cutte of all the noses and hādes of the sayd Englyshe people, and say¦led into Denmarke when he had do / and retourned the nexte yere wyth a great nauy, and sayled about y^e land, and toke prayes in the South coun¦trey. wherof the kynges eldest sonne named Edmunde, made prouysyon wyth y^e ayde of Edricus to go agayn hym. But when he shulde haue met with Edric{us} at a place assigned & his host, he was of hym dysceyued / wher¦fore he was compelled to gyue place to his enymyes. And as yt was after knowen, the sayde Edricus had pro∣mysed his fauour and ayde vnto the sayde Canutus.

By reason wherof Canutus entred the countre of west Saxon / and for∣sed them to swere to him feauty, and to gyue vnto him pledges / and other countreys adioynyng dyd the same.

In this seasan Egelredus beyng at London, was taken wyth a gre∣uous sykenes & dyed / and was there buryed in the chyrch of saynt Paule, where at this day in y^e North yle be∣hynde the quere, apperyth in the wal a token of hys sepulture / whyche rey¦gned, or as say Policronicon & other, beseged Englande, by the terme of xxxvi. yeres full / leuynge after hym a sonne named Edmunde Iron syde ouer Alphrede and Edwarde sonnes of Emma.

Francia. THE .CCI. CHAPITER.

LEwys the .vi. of that name & son of Lothayre / be∣gan hys reygne ouer Fraunce, in the yere of our lor¦des incarnacyon ix. hundred and lxxxvi / and the .v. yere of Egelredus than kyng of England. Of y^• whiche other for hys youth or for the short∣nesse of hys reygne, lytell of hys de∣des is laft in memory / excepte that y^e Frenche boke wytnessyth, that for he hadde none issue, and Hugh Capet before in the story of Lothayre myn∣ded, was hys famylyer and chyefe coūsayler / he shuld therfore ordeyne and admytte the sayd Hugh for hys heyre. But more verely as before is touched in the aboue named story, & in the ende therof, thys Hugh was stronge and myghty, and in the later dayes of Lothayre coueted the rule of the lande. wherfore after the deth of this Lewys, for so mych as he laft no chyld after hym / he than hauyng y^e chyefe rule of Fraunce, by strength and power made hym selfe kynge.

But for I promysed in the story of Egelredus, somwhat to shewe of Rycharde the fyrst of that name and thyrde duke of Normandye / I shall somdele length thys story wyth the story of the sayd Rycharde. Thys Rycharde as afferme all wryters, was named Rychard wythout fere. And for thys cause that foloweth, as testyfyeth the Frenche boke. He vsed mych to byd hys bedys for all crystē soules. And vpon a nyght whan he had longe watched / he entred a chyr¦che, where stode a corps vnburyed & no man watchynge it. And whyle he sayd hys orysons for that soule and other / he layed hys gloues vppon a deske by hym. And whan he had en∣ded hys deuocyons, he went out of y^e chyrche for gettynge hys gloues be∣hynde. But shortly after he remem∣bred hym of them / and retorned to∣warde the chyrche for to fetche hys sayd glouys. whan he came at the chyrch dore / he founde y^e corps there standynge, wyth hys armes spradde abrode, and makynge greate noyse and crye. wherfore the duke made y^e sygne of y^e crosse in hys forehed, and coniured the corps that he shulde re∣ste, but all was in vayne. wherof the duke drewe hys sword and stroke at the corps, and to hys thynkyng par∣ted hym in two peces. And that done entred the chyrche, fet hys glouys, & so departed. And for this chaunce he ordeyned after thorough hys realme that a corps shulde be watched the fyrste nyght or lenger, as men hadde deuocyon. which gyse was somtyme vsed in Englande, and begon of the Normans as men may coniecture, after they had fyrste conquered thys lande.

Polycronycon sheweth in the .vii. chapyter of hys .vi. boke, that thys duke Rycharde dremed on a nyght that a monke of the house of saynte Audoenus in Roan, as he went to∣warde hys lemman by nyght / fyll be¦syde a brydge and was drowned. whose soule after was in stryfe by∣twene an angell and a fende. The whyche after a longe stryfe / condes∣cended to put the iudgement in duke Rycharde. Than the duke gaue sen∣tence, that the soule shuld be restored agayne to the body / and then y^e body to be set vppon y^e brydge that before he was fallen fro. And yf he than went to hys lemman he shuld be the fendes / and yf nat, he shulde than be saued. And whan thys sentence was put in execucyon, the monke fledde vnto the chyrche therby. Uppon the morne whan the duke awoke, & cal∣led thys vysyon to hys memory / to knowe the certaynte therof, he went vnto the sayd chyrche, and fande the monke there hys clothes yet wete / & after went to the abbot of that place, and tolde to hym all thys dede, ad∣uertysynge hym to take better ouer∣syght of hys flocke.

To these narracyons the herers may gyue credence as them lyketh. For they be nother in the pystle nor yet in the gospell. All be it Antonin{us} archbysshop of Florence, whan he re¦herseth any lyke narracyons, whych he thynketh somwhat doutefull / he ioyneth these wordes and sayth, piū¦est credere. The thyrde narracyon is tolde of thys duke / whych by all pre∣sumpcyon was regestred of some wo¦men scrybe. Thys duke wyth Gun∣nore hys wyfe, lyued longe whyle a dyshonest lyfe, and contrary to the lawes of the chyrch. wherof his peo∣ple murmured sore / so that at length by the holsome doctryne of some of hys clerkes or spyrytuall men, he ma¦ryed her to hys lawfull wyfe. The fyrste nyght after y^e weddynge / were it in game or otherwyse, the duchesse torned her buttocke in y^e dukes lappe as

she before tyme hadde neuer done. whan the duke frayned the cause of her so doyng / for now (sayd she) may I do what me lyketh / where before I myghte do but what you lyked. Upon thys Gunnore he gate besyde other chylder, Emma that was the wyfe of Egelred{us} as before ye haue harde / and dyed whan he had ruled Normandy by the terme of .lii. yeres.

Than to retourne to the .vi. Le∣wys kyng of Fraunce, from whome we haue made a longe dygressyon / as wytnesseth mayster Gagwyne he dyed in the yere of our lorde .ix. hun∣dred .lxxxix, whē he had reygned. iii. yeres / and was buryed at Cōpayne.

ye shall vnderstande that this Le¦wys was the last kynge of the blode of Pepyn. And for I promysed be∣fore to shewe the dyscent of the sayde Pepyn, to the ende that ye maye the better know thys story / and also to knowe the kynges of Fraunce from the kynges of Germany, which both discended of thys Pepyn: hereafter I shall more clerely set it out in braū¦ches. But fyrste I woll expresse the kynges of Fraunce as they reygned lynially / and ioyne to eyther of them the terme that he reygned, that there by it maye appere howe longe thys blode continued in y^e house of Fraunce, or it were empeched by Hugh Ca∣pet, as after appe∣reth.

The yeres.

Pepyn.

xviii.

Charlys.

xlvii.

Lewys the fyrste.

xxvi.

Charlys the Ballyd.

xxxvii.

Lewys balbus.

ii.

Lewys and Charlys.

v.

Lewys the fourth.

viii.

Eudo.

ix.

Charlys the symple.

xvii.

Radulphus.

xii.

Lewys vnus.

xxi.

Lotharius.

xxx.

Lewys the syxte.

iii.

OF the whyche kynges .ii. were not of that blode, as Eudo and Radulphus / but admytted of the ba¦rony of Fraunce to rule the lande, tyll two of that progeny / that is to meane Charlys the symple, and Le∣wys the .v, were comen to theyr law∣full age. So that from the fyrst yere of Pepyn, whyche began his reygne in the yere of grace .vii. hundred & .l. to the fyrst yere of Hugh Capet that began hys reygne in the yere of our lorde god .ix. hun∣dred and lxxxix / expyred or passed .ii. hun∣dred & .xxxix. yeres.

• Pypyn the fader of Charlys the greate.
  • Charlys the great emperour.
    • Lowys the fyrste, emperour
      The kynges of Germany.
      • Lothayre emperour / and the sonne of Le∣wys the fyrst.
        • Lowys emperour the sonne of Lothayre.
          • Lothayre the seconde the son of Lothayre.
            • Charlys the .iii. and sonne of Lothayre.
      • Lewys kyng of Ger¦many and broder vn∣to the sayd Lo∣thayre.
        • Lewys the sonne of Lewys / whyche was broder vnto Charlys grossu•• emperour.
          • Lewys the son of Le¦wys / which of some ys compted em∣perour.
            • Arnusphus the sonne of Lewys emperour.
              • Lewys the sonne of Arnulph, last empe¦rour of Fraunce.
      The kynges of Fraunce.
      • Charlys the ballyd the sonne of Lewys the fyrst of hys .ii. wyfe emperour
        • Lewys Balbus the son of Charlys the Ballyd
          • Lewys & Charlys sonnes of Lewys Balbus.
            • Lewys the .iiii. and son of the foresayd Charlys.
              • Charlys the symple the sonne of Lewys the forth.
                • Lewys the .v. and the sonne of Char∣lys the symple.
                  • Lothayre the sonne of the foresayde Lewys.
                    • Lewys the sonne of Lothayr / and the last kyng of that flock.

THE .CCII. CHAPITER.

HUgh the sonne of Robert the tyraunt, descended of Hugh le¦graunde / beganne to take the rule, or to vsurpe the crowne of Fraunce, in the yere of our lorde .ix. hundred and .lxxxix / and the .viii. yere of Egel¦redus than kynge of Englande.

Thys as wytnessyth the Frenche Cronycle was erle of Parys, and marshall of Fraunce. And as sayth Antoninus, he maryed one of the doughters of Edwarde the elder. Thys also was named Capet, for so myche as in hys youth / he vsed in game to laye asyde hys felowes ho∣des. In whose begynnyng / Charlys that was the brother to Lothayre, and vncle vnto Lewys the .vi. laste kynge, herynge of the deth of hys neuewe Lewys wythout issue / as nexte heyre, wyth ayde of some lor∣des of Fraunce, and also of Loreyn, the whyche than he was lorde of, gadered an army and entred Fraun∣ce / and than came to the cytye of La∣one. wythin whyche cytye / he wyth hys wyfe and people, by the treason of the bysshoppe of the same cytye, was taken and delyuered wyth hys wyfe and chylder into the handes of hys enemyes / the whyche sent them to Orleaunce there sauely to be kept.

Than thys Hugh was crowned in the cytye of Rayns / and welded the lande wyth more suerty. How be it the erle of Flaunders named Ar∣nulphus or Arnolde before spoken of, wolde not be vnder hys obedy∣ence. wherfore thys Hugh assembled hys kynghtes / and by hys strength toke from hym the coutre of Artoys, wyth many stronge holdes and ca∣stels / and lastly forced the sayd Ar∣nolde to fle into Normandy, to aske ayde of Richarde the fyrste of that name, before spoken of in the story of the .vi. Lewys. By whose mea∣nes after some wryters / wyllyam Longa Spata fader to y^e sayd duke Richarde was slayne. But that not wythstandynge, by frendshyp of the sayde duke Richarde, thys Arnolde was reconcyled vnto the kynge, and contynued after as hys subiecte.

In the cytye of Rayns was arch bysshoppe at thys daye a noble pre∣late named Arnolde, sonne of baste of Lothayre, and neuewe to Char∣lys than prysoner, as before is tou∣ched. The whyche for malyce that the kynge bare vnto hym, for cause of the forenamed Charlys / called a counsayle of the clergy of hys lande, and layde agayne hym suche obiec∣cyons, that he by theyr assent was putte from that benefyce, and sente hym to Orlyaunce there also to be kepte in pryson. And set in hys place one Gylberte, or after the Frenche boke Gerbres, a connynge man in phylosophy / whiche had before tyme ben tutor or mayster to Robert sonne of the sayde Hugh. But after .iii. ye∣res / pope Iohn̄ the .xvi. of that name sent downe hys maundement vnto Guyan archebysshop of Sens / char¦gynge hym that he sholde remoue y^e sayde Gerbers, and restore the sayde Arnolde to hys proper see. whyche was done shortely after / and y^e sayde Gerbers was after this preferred by one of the Othons emperour vnto y^e chyrche of Rauenne, and contynued there tyll the deth of the .xvii. Iohn̄. After whose deth he was electe pope of Rome / and was named the secōde Siluester, & lyued as pope .iiii. yeres

Than it followeth in the story / whan thys Hugh had reygned full viii. yeares and more, he dyed in the yere of our lorde .ix. hundred .xciii. and was buryed at saynte Denys leuynge after hym a sonne named Robert.

THE .CCIII. CHAPITER.

RObert the sonne of Hugh Ca∣pet, beganne his reygn, in the yere of our lord .ix. hundred & .xcviii / and the .xvii. yere of Egelredus then kynge of Englande.

This was cōnynge in many scyen∣ces, and a man of good maner & ver¦tue. He made dyuers hymnes, sequen¦ces, & respondes / as O Iuda et Hie∣rusulem, O cōstantia martyrum, As sit nobis scti spūs gratia, or more cō∣gruely, Sancti spiritus assit nobis gratia, wyth dyuers other.

In y^e beginnyng of his reygn / while Bowcharde erle of Meleon̄ was at the kynges court, Galtyer or walter a knyghte and seruaunt of the sayde Bowcharde, to whom the sayd Bow¦charde hadde delyuered his castell of Meleon̄ to kepe in his absence / for great gyftes the sayde walter hadde delyuered the sayde castell unto Eu∣do erle of Carnotens. wherfore the kyng at the request of the sayd Bow¦charde, sente streyghte commaunde∣ment vnto the sayd Eudo / chargyng hym in all goodly wyse to restore the sayde castell vnto Bowcharde. The whyche commaundement he vtterly refused to obey. For y^e whych ȳe kyng beyng so amoued / sent for Rycharde the seconde of that name, then .iiii. duke of Normandy / and wyth theyr both armyes besyeged the castell vp∣pon euery parte, and at length wan yt and toke the sayd walter wythin the same / whom the kinge for his vn¦trouthe commaunded soone after to be hanged vppon a gybet, and the ca¦stell to be restored vnto y^e forenamed Bowcharde / and after returned eue¦ry man to his owne.

In the tyme of the reygne of thys Robert / dyd Henry then duke of Burgoyne. The whyche for lacke of yssue of his body, bequethed his dukedome vnto kynge Robert. But the Burgonyons wythstode that le∣gacy / and drewe to theym for an hed & captayne Lawdry erle of Neuers / and wyth hym helde by strength or for a strength the cytye of Anxerre. wherof herynge kyng Robert / sente for the foresayde duke of Norman∣dye, and so spedde theym towarde Burgoyne and besyeged the forsayd cytye. But at length y^e cytye was yol¦den / and Lawdry put at the kynges grace. And that done, the kyng with his hoste besyeged a nother stronge cytye called Aualon̄ / and not wyth∣out great daunger wanne yt also at length / and after receyued the coun∣trey wyth dew obeysaunce, and orde¦red yt at hys own pleasure, and so re¦tourned into Fraunce.

Arnolde erle of Sens vsed great ty¦ranny amonges the byshoppes & my¦nysters of the chyrche. wherfore Leo¦phricus byshop of that see, thorough the ayde and counsayll of Regnalde byshop of Parys / put oute the sayde Arnolde, and delyuered the cytye vn¦to kynge Robert. But the brother of the sayde Arnolde with a certayne of his knyghtes, fled to the castell and yt helde wyth strength. wherfore the kynge layde syege to the sayd castel, and at length wan yt / and toke the brother of Arnolde named Fromōde and sent him to Orleaūce there to be prisoned, where he dyed shortly after

This Robert as saith the frenche boke buylded fyrst y^e castell of Moūt fort. He founded also dyuers mona∣steryes and tēples / and at Orleaūce the tēple of saint Anyan̄ / at Stamps a chyrche of our lady / & dyuers other in dyuers places of hys realme. And he endowed the chyrche of saynte De¦nys wyth many great lyberties / and hadde especyall deuocyon to saynte ypolyte ouer all other sayntes.

It is radde of this kynge Robert,

that vppon a season when he hadde longe whyLe lyen at the syege of a ca¦stell nere vnto Orleaunce, and sawe yt was defuse to wynne be strength / he vpon y^e daye of saynt Anyan yode vnto Orleaunce, & there in the quere bare a cope, and dyd helpe to synge the dyuyne seruyce. And after when he was in his deuocyōs in the masse whyle / when the preste was at the cō¦secracion and sayd thryse Agn{us} dei, the walles of the castell fyll wythout stroke of gunne or other engyne, and hys enemyes submytted them to hys grace. Many vertues myght I shew more of this vertuous price / y^• which I passe ouer for length of the tyme / and conclude thus, that when he had reygned after moste accorde of wry∣ters, and ruled hys lande nobly .xxx. yeres, he dyed, and was buryed in the house of saynte Denys / leuynge after him of his fyrst wife Constaūce a sonne named Henry, and one other named Robert / and of hys seconde wyfe .ii. sonnes named Symonde and Almaryche. But yt shulde seme by the sequele of the next storye, that Constaunce shuld be laste wyfe, & the other the fyrste / and deuorced from hym for some cause, so that her chyl∣dern shulde not be legyttymat / all be yt the authoure of this maketh no mencyon.

Anglia. THE .CCIIII. CHAPITER.

EDmunde Iron∣syde the sonne of Egelredus, and also Canutus y^e sonne of Swa∣nus kyng of Dē¦marke / beganne to rule the En∣glyshemen, in the yere of our lorde a thousande & .xvi / and the .xix. yere of Robert then kynge of Fraunce. For y^e Londoners wyth assystēce of some of y^e lordes of England fauoured Ed¦mūde. But the more party of the lor¦des fauoured Canut{us} / & specylly the spiritualtye, y^e before tyme had swor∣ne feauty to hys father. And he then beynge at Southampton̄ / swore to them to be vnto them a good & trewe iustice, and to entreate the people so∣berly and ryghte wysely. Then Ed∣munde beynge of the archbyshop of yorke crowned at Lōdon, and the so∣lemnyte fynyshed and ended / he sped hym into westsaxon, and subdued y^t countrey. In whych tyme Canutus, whych in y^e englyshe storye is called Knough / drewe wyth hys people to Lōdon, and wold there haue entred. But that was hym forboden of the Londoners. For the whiche he layde hys ordynaunce aboute the cytye, en tendynge to haue entred perforce. But it was not long or he was fayne to breke his syege & to depart thens.

when Canutus was put of from London / he drewe westwarde, and mette in processe wyth Edmunde in Dorsetshyre besyde Gyllyngham / where betwene theym was foughten a stronge and cruell batayll. But in the ende Canutus was ouercomen & compelled to forsake the felde. After thys they mette agayne in worceter shyre / where they fought a more strō¦ger batayll. For this was so strong∣ly bydden by, y^e men coude not iudge whych parte had the better, or which the worse. But as wytnessyth Poli∣cronica eyther of theym departed frō other, eyther for werynesse of fyghte or for lak of the daye.

But vppon the morne folowynge both hostes ioyned agayne, & fought egerly. Contynuynge whych fyght Edricus espyenge Edmunde to be at auauntage of wynnynge of the feld, sodaynly pyght a dede mannys hed

vppon a spere hed, and cryed to the hoste of Englyssmen, fle fle ye En∣glyshemen & saue your selfe / loo here is the hedde of Edmūde your kyng. But Edmunde therof beynge war∣ned / spedde hym towarde that parte of the felde, and behaued hym so com¦fortably amonges hys men, that by hys knyghtely courage hys people recoueryd that they before had loste / and cōtynued the batayll tyll nyght, in suche wyse that he hadde rather the better then the worse / and cau∣sed Canutus to refuse that countrey, and to retourne towarde London a∣gayne. Then Edmunde beyng ad¦uertysed that Canutus was retour∣ned towarde London / he folowed hym and passed the ryuer of Tha∣mys, and delyueryd the cytye from daunger of the Danys / and after∣warde encountred the Danys at a place called Brentforde, where with them he had a cruell fyght / and scom fyted theym at length.

In thys passe tyme Emma y^e wyfe of Egelredus, ferynge the fortune of the warre / sent her two sonnes Al¦phrede and Edwarde, vnto her bro∣ther Richarde the seconde of that na∣me and fourth duke of Normandy.

But Edricus then, whyche as be¦fore is sayd, was euer subtyle of wyt, consyderynge the good fortune of Edmunde and hys knyghtely cou∣rage / thought that at length he shuld ouercome the Danys. wherfore to saue hys lande, and also to brynge aboute hys malycyouse treason / he sought the wayes and meanes howe he myght stande in hys grace and fa¦uour. And at length obteyned his en¦tente / and swore to hym to be hys trewe subiecte.

when kynge Edmunde had a sea∣son soiorned at Lōdon / he then made towarde the Danys that then were in Kent, and met wyth thē at a place called Okefforde or Otforde, & there scomfyted them, and chasyd Canut{us} to the yle of Shepey. And there Ca∣nutus toke shypyng / & sayled about the land, & entred lastely in y^e coūtrey of Mercia & spoyled a parte therof.

Then the two hostes met soone af¦ter at a place called Asshedown, whe∣re after longe fyghte Edricus wyth his retynew fledde to the comforte of the Danys. By meane wherof kyng Edmunde was put to the worse / for many noble men were slayne vppon his party. Amonges the whyche the byshop of Lyncoln̄ & the abbot of Ra¦mysey were two / that thyther were come to treate a peace betwene bothe prynces. But whē this was layde to y^e charge of Edric{us} / he by his vntrew meanes so excused hym, that no man myght charge hym with any defaut.

Thus contynuynge thys mortall warre betwyxte these two marcyall prynces, to the grete desolacyō & mor¦talyte of the people / one of the knygh¦tes of the partye of Edmunde gatte hym to an hyghe place, where he myght be somwhat harde of y^e hoste / and spake in thys wyse: Dayly we dye, and no man hath the vyctorye. For Edmunde may not be ouercome for his great strength / and Canutus may not be ouercome for fauoure of Fortune. what shall then be y^e fruyte of thys cōtynuall stryfe? None other but when the knyghtes ben all slayn on eyther partyes / then the dukes compelled by nede shall accorde, or ellys they shall fyght alone wythout knyghtes. Then syn this shall be the ende / why do they not one of these two? If they accorde / why is not this kyngedome suffycynt for twayne, y^t somtyme suffysed for .vii. If theyr couetyse of lordshyppes be so great, y^• eyther hath indygnacyon to take and haue parte wyth other, or ellys that one to be vnder that other / then

lette them fyghte alone, that woll be the lordes alone left. If all mē fyght, all men be slayne / by meane wherof no men shall be left to be vnder theyr lordshyp or ledyng of dukes, nor yet to defende the kynge agayne stronge enymyes or nacyons.

These wordes thus spoken / were ryght wele alowed of both hostes. For as affermeth myne author / at this time a trewce was made betwen both prynces far a certayne tyme. Af¦ter whych peace ended / were yt by oc¦casyon of these wordes or otherwise, the sayde two dukes Edmunde and Canutus agreed to trye theyr qua∣relles betwene them two onely. And for thys was assygned by theyr both agrementes, a lytell yle called then Olney nere vnto Glouceter, or after some wryters named Olenege, by∣cleped wyth the water of Seuerne. In whyche place at the daye appoyn¦ted, the two chāpyons met wythoute company or assistence wythin y^e sayd yle / the hostes of bothe partyes stan¦dynge wythoute the yle, and there a∣bydynge the fortune of thys batayll. There eyther proued other fyrste wyth sharpe speres, and after wyth kene and cuttynge swordes. what shall I of thys make lenger proces / when eyther hadde other well pro∣ued and assayed, by receyuynge of harde and sore strokes / by the fyrste mocyon of Canutus, as moste wry∣ters testyfyen, they lastely accorded and kyssed to gyther as louers, to the great comforte of bothe hostes. And shortely after by the aduyce of bothe theyr counsaylles, condescen∣ded vppon partycyon of the lande / whyche immedyately was done to bothe theyr agrementes, and loued after as two bretherne duryng theyr naturall lyues. But the serpent Idre of enuy and false conspyracye, which euer burnyd in the harte of Edricus was kyndeled so sore, that of pure force yt must breke out vpon a lyght flambe / so what he myghte not ac∣complyshe by his owne persone, he fulfylled by his sonne, as testyfyen dyuerse authours. For as affermeth Guydo / this sonne of Edricus away tynge his tyme, espyed when y^e kyng was at the wyddraught to purge na¦ture / and wyth a spere strake hym in¦to the foundement and so into the bo¦dye, wherof kynge Edmunde dyed shortly after at Oxen. The king thus beynge slayne / anon Edricus thyn∣kynge therby to be greatly exalted, spedde hym in all haste vnto Canu∣tus, and saluted hym as kynge / and shewed hym of thys treason onely for hys loue done. when Canutus hadde well vnderstandyng of y^e con∣fessyon of Edricus, he lyke a dyscrete and ryghtous prynce sayd vnto hym in thys wyse. For thou haste Edri∣cus for the loue thou berest vnto me, slayne thyne naturall lorde, whyche I moste loued / I shall exalte thyne hed aboue al the lordes of England. And forthwyth commaunded hym to be taken, and hys hedde to be stry¦ken of, and pyght on a spere hedde, and after sette vppon the higest gate of London. But Marianus the Scot telleth, that Edmunde dyed at London by naturall sekenesse, a∣bout the feste of saynt Andrewe. And the englyshe cronycle affermeth the forenamed treason / but by a nother maner of doynge. But howe so euer this noble prynce dyed / trouth yt is after agrement of moste wryters, y^t he ended hys lyfe, when he hadde reygned one yere & more, as myche as from the moneth of Iune vnto the ende of Nouember / and was bu∣ryed at Glastenbury by hys graund∣father Edgare. Policronica shew∣eth in the .xviii. chapyter of hys .vi. boke, that Canutus after the deth

of Edmunde gave vnto Edricus the lordeshyppe of Mercia / and by hys counsayll exyled the brother of Ed∣munde called the kynge of chorles / and thorough his con̄sayle executed many cruell dedes. Of this Edmūde remayned two sonnes, that is to wyt Edmunde and Edwarde.

THE .CCV. CHAPITER.

CAnutus or Knougth after the Englyshe cronycle, sonne of Swanus as before is touched, and yonger brother as appereth by y^e sto∣ry folowynge / began his domynyon alone ouer Englande, in the yere of our lorde a thousande & .xix / and the xxi. yere of Robert then kyng of Fraū¦ce. The whyche anon after the deth of Edmunde assembled a counsayll at London / where among other thyn¦ges in that coūsayll debated, a ques∣tyon was put, whether in the compo¦sicyon made betwene Edmunde and Canutus, any speciall remembraūce was made for the chyldren or bre∣thern of Edmunde, for any partycy∣on of any parte of the lande.

wherunto yt was answered of the lordes naye. Affermyng farthermore wyth othe for the kynges pleasure, that they to the vttermoste of theyr powers wolde put of that blood of Edmunde in all that they myght By reason of whyche answere & pro∣myse / they thought many of them to haue standen in the great grace and fauoure of the kynge / but yt turned all otherwyse.

For many of them, or the more par¦tye, such as Canutus apperceyued & knewe, that they beforetyme were sworne to Edmunde and his heyres, & also were natyue Englishe men / he mystrusted & disdaned euer after. In so myche that some he exyled, & some were slayn, and some by goddes pu∣nyshement dyed sodaynly.

But amonge all Edricus wyth his sugred wordes contynued in the kyn¦ges fauoure as sayth Marianus be¦fore mynded. By whose counsayll & other / he shortely after outlawed the foresayde brother of Edmunde sur∣named kynge Charlis, as before is touched. But he afterwarde was re¦concyled to the kynges fauour, and lastely slayne of his owne seruaūtes.

Canutus also by the sayde coun∣sayll, sent the .ii. sonnes of Edmūde, named as before is sayde Edmunde & Edwarde, vnto his brother Swa∣nus then kynge of Denmarke, to be slayne after the oppynyon of some wryters. But he abhorrynge that dede / sente theym to Salomon then kynge of Hungarye as wytnessyth Guydo and other. where in processe of tyme Edmunde dyed / and his bro¦ther Edwarde in tracte of tyme ma∣ryed Agatha the doughter of the .iiii. Henry then emperour of Almayne. Of the whyche Edwarde and Aga∣tha procedyd Margarete that after was quene of Scotlande / and Cry∣styane that was a menchon, and a sonne named Edgar and surnamed Ethelynge.

Thys Edwarde of the cronycles of England is named Edwarde the outlawe / for so myche as he neuer re¦turned into Englande as sayth the sayde englyshe cronycle, after hys fyrste exyle.

Then to returne vnto Canus / the whyche after some thynges orderyd in his lande, deuyded his sayd lande in foure partes. That is to meane the fyrst princypall which at those dayes was westsaxon, he helde vnder hys owne gydyng. Eestenglande, whych cōteyned Norff. & Suff. he betoke to the rule of y^e erle, Turkyll{us} a Dane / of whome somwhat is in the .iii. cha∣pyter of y^e story of Egelred{us}. Mercia

he betoke to the subtell erle Edricus. And the .iiii. Northumberlande, vn∣to a Dane named Hircius. But lyke as the man of Inde at no tyme chaū¦ged his colour / so this Edricus chaū¦ged neuer his fals maners. But not wythstandynge the great benefytes that he dayly receyued of his pryn∣ces / there as he to other hadde ben false and dysceyuable in dayes past, euen so nowe he demeaned hym a∣gayne Canutus.

wherfore he beynge accused & pro¦ued wyth defaute / was commaūded of the kyng to haue iudgement. The whyche was done immediatly / & his hedde for dyuerse causes smyten of / and yt wyth the bodye for spyte caste into a fowle and fylthy place. But Ranulf sayth that he was slayne by the kynges agrement wythin his pa¦leys at London / and his body wyth the hed throwne after into the towne dyche. Thus wyth shame he ended, that in falshode & dyssymulacyō had contynued myche of his lyfe.

Aboute the .ix. yere of his reygne, Canut{us} called a parliament at Oxen¦ford / where amonges other thynges yt was enacted, that Englyshmen & Danys shuld holde the lawes of Ed∣gar lately kynge.

In this pastyme dyed Swanus brother to Canutus kynge of Den∣marke wythout issue / wherfore that lande fyll to Canutus. For the which cause he wyth a stronge army sayled thyther to take the possessyon, and to set the countrey in an order / or after some wryters to apeas & wythstande the wandelys, y^t then had perced that lande and done therin myche harme. where Goodwyn̄ the erle, whose dou¦ghter Edwarde the confessour after maryed / wyth a certayne nomber of Englyshmen fyll vpon y^e wandalys by nyght, & dystressed theym in suche wyse, that Canutus had of them his pleasure. For this dede the kyng had erle Goodwyn̄ euer after in good fa∣uoure, and loued Englyshmen more specyally. And when he was retur∣ned into Englande / he shortely after or before, maryed Emma the wyfe la¦tely of Egelredus. Of the whych he receyued in processe of tyme a son & named hym Hardicunitus, or after some Hardykynitus / & after the En¦glyshe boke Hardyknough.

And aboute this tyme fyll voyde y^• see of Lyndesser or Durham, to the whyche by dyuyne inspyracyon and knowlege receyued by a voyce from the tumbe of saynt Cuthbert / blessed Edmūde after thre yere of vacacyon was electe to that see. But ye shal vn¦derstande that thys was not saynte Edmunde of Ponteney. For he was archbyshoppe of Caunterbury in the dayes of Henry the thyrde.

THE .CXCVI. CHAPITER.

CAnutus about the .vii. yere of his reygne / by exhortacyon of Egelnothus then archbishop of Caūterbury, translated the body of saynt Elphegus late archbyshoppe of the sayd see, martyred by the Danys, as before is shewed in the seconde chapi¦ter of the storye of Egelredus / and shryued hym in hys owne chyrche of Caunterbury foresayde.

In the tyme also of thys Canu∣tus / aboute the .xvi. yere of hys rey∣gne, the Scottes rebelled agayne hym. wherfore he with a great army entred Scotlande / & at length ouer∣came the kynge of that lande named then Malcolyne, and brought them agayne to hys subieccyon, as is re∣corded in the bokes of Marianus the Scot. By reason of whych vycto¦ry Canutus was then kynge of .iiii. kyngdoms / of England, of Scotlād of Denmarke, and Norwaye. Then

as wytnessyth dyuerse authours af∣ter he had betaken this lande of En∣glande to the gydynge of Leofricus Egelnothus, and other / he then re∣turned into Denmarke. And from thēs he yode to Rome in the .xv. yere of his reygn, & made there great offe¦rynges to saynte Peter and Poule / & redemed the scole of Saxons fre of all former trybute graunted, as be∣fore in the storyes of Iue and Offa and other kynges of Saxons is som deale more touched. whyche redemp¦cyon of tribute as sayth Guydo, was called Rome Scot. But it shall seme in that sayenge some douteth / for so myche as at thys daye in dyuers pla¦ces of Englād, as in Northampton∣shyre and other, the peter pens are yet gaderyd. Canutus also after he had in Rome accomplyshed his pur∣pose / he in hys returne towarde En¦glande executed wonderfull dedes of almes, in releuynge of the poore and other goftly workes / & payde great good for raunsom of crysten pryso∣ners / amonges other of his dedes, It is wytnessyd that he shulde agree with the pope that was called Benet the .viii. of that name, & pay to hym certayne summes of money, that his archbyshoppes after y^t daye myghte haue the pall wythoute payenge of money therfore.

And whē he was comen in the citye of Papia in Italy, in hys way home warde, he there brought the arme of saynte Augustyne the doctour for a hundred pounde of syluer and a ta∣lent of golde. And here is to be noted that there be thre maners of talētes. The fyrst and grettest is of y^• weyght of .vi. score pounde weyghte / the se∣conde of the weyght of .lxxii pounde / and the thyrde and leest of .l. pounde weyght. Then yf we reken this ta∣lent with the leest / in a poūde of gold after troye weyght, is .xii. vuces, and in .l. pounde is .vi. hūdred vnces, and euery vnce of fyne golde is worth xl.s. By whyche reason this talent shulde be in value to the summe of xii. hundred pounde. This precyous relyque y^e kyng gaue vnto his trusty frende Leofricus / y^e whych he myche loued and trusted / and remayned at Couentre many yeres after.

whyle Canutus was occupyed in thys iourney / cōplaynt was brought vnto hym of some mysse demeanurs and rule, that were occupyed and exercysed in his absence wythin this realme. wherfore he wrote home let∣ters to the lordes / chargynge theym straytely, that all such defautes were redressed agayne hys cōmyng home.

Thys kynge as wythnesseth Guy¦do was of great magnyfycence / and vsed suche iustyce and temperaunce, that in his dayes in the weste partes of the worlde, was no prynce of re∣nowne as was Canutus. And ouer that he was gretly beloued & dradde of hys subiectes.

In the tyme of this Canutus, as tessyfyeth Guillelmus de pontifici∣bus / a munke of Glastēbury named Bryghtwolde, whyche was after bys¦shop of wylton, beynge in hys con∣templacyon and prayer, bethoughte hym on the lynage of Englyshe kyn¦ges. And in that thought fyll into a slumber / in whyche tyme of his slepe he sawe saynte Peter the apostle stan¦dynge by hym, and holdynge in hys hande Edwarde the sonne of Egelre¦dus which then was in Normandy / the whyche to his thynkynge, he saw saynte Peter saker y^e sayde Edward as kynge of Englande. And shewed to hym farther how holy this Ed∣warde shulde be in hys lyuynge, and how he shuld reygne as kynge .xxiii. yeres. Then thys monke frayned saynt Peter of the ofsprynge of thys Edwarde, and who shulde be kynge

after hym. To the whyche questyon was answered by Peter, the kynge∣dome of Englyshemen is the kynge∣dome of god / wherfore the kynges therof shall stande at goddes puruy∣aunce. And also a nother doctour cal¦led Henry of Huntyngdon / shewyd that an holy man warned Englyshe men, y^• a lorde whyche they thought nothynge vppon, shulde come out of Fraunce & brynge them ryght lowe.

In the tyme also of thys Canut{us} by agrement of many wryters fyll one thynge worthy mynde and me∣mory. In a town of Saxony named Calbis, in y^e dyocesys of Magburgh and parysshe of saynt Magii / xviii. men and .xv. women vppon the euen of the Natyuyte of our lorde began a daunce about the chyrche yarde of saynt Magu afore sayd / the person or other prestes beyng than at masse wythin y^e same chyrche. which beyng troubled wyth the noyse of the myn∣strellys, & also the dynne of the sayde men and women / sent vnto them in monysshynge them to seace of that doynge. But all was in vayne / for they wolde not seace of theyr dysport for any commaūdement y^t to thē was gyuen. wherwyth the preste beynge dyscontented, that they none other wyse reuerenced y^e sacrament, noryed that solempne season / besought god and saynte Magii that they shulde contynue theyr daunce by the space of an hole yere. The whyche prayer was harde / in suche wyse that they contynued the same songe & daunce tyll that daye twelue monethes, and neuer eate nor dranke nor rested thē in all y^e season. And moreouer dewe nor rayne fyll vppon them in all that yere / nor garment nor no thyng that was about them was impayred shoo nor other. At the yeres ende / Horo∣bertus archbysshop of that dyocesys came vnto y^e sayde place and lowsed them of that bonde whych the preste had bounde them in / and before the awlter of the chyrche them reconsy∣led. Of the whyche a prestes dough∣ter and two other dyed forth wyth / and the remenaunt yode to reste and slepte by the space of .iii. dayes and iii. nyghtes folowynge. where after some of them dyed / and suche as ly∣ued fell lame of theyr lymmes. And one of the same .xviii. men beyng na∣med Ubertus or Hupertus, wrote thys wonder wyth hys owne hande for a more recorde of the trowth.

Then let vs retorne to Canutus / of whom it is redde that after hys cōmyng from Rome, he beganne som∣dele to presume in pryde, & set more by hym selfe than good wysdome wolde. In tyme of whyche exaltacyō of hys mynde / he went vnto the Ta∣mys syde, and behelde howe the wa∣ter swelled or flowed. And so stan∣dynge nere the water / the water tou∣ched hys fete. Than he charged the water that he shuld flowe no hygher and that in no wyse he shulde to wche hys lordes clothes. But the water kepte his course and wette at length the kynges thyes. wherewyth y^e kyng abasshed sterte backe and sayde, all erthly kynges may know that theyr powers be vayne / and that none is worthy to haue the name of a kynge but he that hath all thynges subiecte to hys hestes, as here is shewed by worchynge of hys treature by thys water. And for thys as wytnesseth Polycronycon and other / he offered hys crowne to y^e rode of wynchester, and neuer bare it vpon his hed after.

It is also wytnessed of the sayde authour / that Canutus maryed hys doughter hadde by hys laste wyfe, vnto Henry sonne of Conradus the emperour, the seconde of that name / as also it is testyfyed of the authour of Cronica cronicarum.

And he repayred many monaste∣ryes / and specyally suche as before tyme were hurte or throwne downe in the tyme of hys fathers persecu∣cyon. And began and ended the mo∣nastery of saynt Edmundes Bury / & endowed it wyth ryche possessyons as before is towched. And dyed fy∣nally at Shaftesbury, and was bu∣ryed at wynchester, whan he hadde reygned .xix. yeres / leuyng after hym two sonnes of hys wyues / the eldest was named Harolde and the yonger Hardykynytus / the whyche lyuyng hys fader was made kynge of Den∣marke.

Francia. THE .CCVII. CHAPITER.

HEnry the sonne of Robert / begā hys domynyon ouer the French men, in the yere of our lord. M.xxix / and the .x. yere of Canutus than kynge of Englande. To the whyche Henry / Cōstantyne the mo∣der was so vnkynde, that she by her meanes wolde haue preferred her yonger sonne Roberte duke of Bur∣goyne, to the rule of the lande before thys Henry / so that by her meanes, bothe cytyes and castels were wyth holden from hym, and was by her & suche other as toke her parte so ouer lad, that he was forced to resorte to Robert than duke of Normandy, for to aske helpe of hym to wythstande hys enemyes.

ye shall vnderstande that this Ro∣bert was the .vi. duke of Normandy, and sonne of Richarde the seconde / and also father vnto wyllyā bastard that conquered Englande.

Thys Roberte was lyberall and noble of condycyon / but defamed of y^e deth of hys elder brother Rychard the thyrde. For the whyche murder as wytnessyth dyuers authours / the vii. yere of hys dowchery he went to Iherusalem, and dyd in that pylgre mage many honourable and liberall actes / the whyche in good order ben remembred in the .xix. chapyter of the vi. boke of Polycronicon.

This Robert receyued kyng Hen¦ry wyth all honour, and gaue vnto hym greate and ryche gyftes, & sent for hys frendes and knyghtes / so y^e the kynge had by hys ayde a greate & myghty hoste. And retorned agayn into Fraunce / and in short whyle af∣ter recouered from hys sayde moder bothe cytyes, townes, and castelles, that she and her fautours from hym wythhelde. And fynally agreed so wyth her / that he and she contynued frendes theyr lyfe tymes enduryng. After whyche accorde / about the .v. yere of hys reygne he made warre vppon Eudo erle of Champayne, & vppon Baldewine erle of Flaūders / and in processe of tyme wan frō them certayne cytyes and castelles, the whyche Constance his moder hadde before tymes gyuen to them in tyme of dyscencyon.

In thys warre was slayne Eudo erle of Champayne. wherfore hys .ii. sonnes Stephen & Thybaud mayn∣teyned the warre agayne the kynge / but to theyr bothe harmes in y^e ende. For Stephen loste therby the cytyes of Chartres and towers, and Thy∣baude y^e cytyes of Troyes & Maulx wyth other.

whan Henry hadde ended thys warre & set hys lande in some quyet∣nesse / he thā buylded a monastery of saynt Martyne called Des Chāps besyde Parys, and set therin seculer prestes.

In thys passetyme Robert duke

of Normandy moued in conscyence to vysyte the holy sepulture of oure lorde, called before hym hys lordes of hys lande / wyllynge and cōmaun¦dynge them to owe theyr trewe alle∣gaunce vnto hys yonger sonne wyl∣lyam, and to take hym for theyr lord and duke yf he retorne not agayne. And to thys / he caused to swere Ro∣bert than archbysshop of Roan, with the other of hys lordes / and after de∣parted vppon the sayd iourney, and dyed in the cytye of Bethenia as he was cōmynge homewarde. wherof y^e lordes of Normandy beynge asser∣tayned, accepted the foresayde wylly¦am to theyr lorde and souerayne.

Of thys wyllyams procreacyon / yt is wytnessed of Uyncent hystory all and other, that his father passynge by the cytye or towne of Faloys in Normandy, he sawe a company of maydens daunsynge by the strete. Amonges the whych was one of pas¦synge beautye called Arlet, and dou∣ghter to a skynner. To y^e which duke Robert caste vnlefull loue / in suche wyse y^t he caused her to be broughte to his bed the nyght folowyng, and helde her to his concubyne a certayn of tyme after / & begat on her this wyl¦lyam. whē his moder was wyth him cōceyued / she dremed that her bowel lys were sprad ouer all Normandye and Englande. And when he was borne of his moders wombe / he fyll to the groūde, and closed his handes wyth powder of the flore or paue∣ment. Therfore the mydwyfe made and exclamacyon, and sayd this chyld shall be a kynge.

Then yt foloweth / when thys wyl¦lyam was thus admitted duke, some of his lordes by the meane of y^e kyng of Fraūce, began to wythdraw them from hym. In so myche y^e erle Gyl∣bert to whome duke Robert had be∣taken hys ponge sonne to gyde was slayne, and other that were especyall frendes to the chylde. There was fyghtyng and manslaughter and the countrey fowle faren with, by reason of the opynyons that were amonges them selfe / wherof Guy a Burgoyn was one of the chefe causers. For he with his adherentes sayde alwayes; that they wolde haue no bastarde to be ruler of them.

This Guy as saith the frēche boke was nere kynnesman vnto y^e yonge duke, descendyd of the doughter of the seconde Rycharde / and entended to haue ben duke hym selfe. For the which he ensensed y^e kyng of Fraūce agayn hym in all that he myght / but at length duke wyllyam toke hym and put hym to deth.

Thus the Frenche kynge forget∣tynge y^e kyndnesse shewyd to hym by duke Robert hys father, toke partye agayne hym to the vttermoste / and ordeyned hym .ii. hostes. wherof one he delyueryd to his brother Alma∣ryk / and warned hym to eutre y^e coun¦trey of Caus / and he hym selfe ladde that other, and entred with it the coū¦trey of Eurour.

But wyllyam not ferynge the kyn¦ges great power / beynge growen wele towarde mannes stature, lyke a luste yonge knyght made towarde the kynges brother / & gaue to hym batayll, & hym ouercame, and chased the Frenchemen to theyr great byla∣ny. wherof heryng the Frenche kyng wyth his people spedde hym toward wyllyam to reuenge the shame done to his men. But in cōclusyon he wan there no honoure. Then peace was made betwene the kyng and y^e duke / and the Frenche prysoners were de∣lyueryd.

But this peace enduryed not long / for the Frēch kyng callynge to remē¦braūce the losse of hys men at Mort mere or dede see, wyth other dysa∣uauntages

by hym sustayned of the sayde duke wyllyam / called to hys ayde Geoffrey erle of Aungiers. And whan hys hoste was assembled / they entred y^e prouynce of Normādy, & cō¦tynued theyr iourney tyll they came to an arme of the see, where the hoste shulde passe ouer.

Of thys new warre duke wyllyā beynge warned / in all haste assem∣bled hys Normans and sped hym y^e next waye to mete the Frenchemen. In thys meane whyle the Frenche kynge had passed the water wyth cer¦tayne of hys hoste, trustyng that the remenauaūt shulde haue folowed. But soone after the water flowed so faste that hys people myghte not passe. And in thys whyle came the duke and set vpon the kynges hoste, and bet theym downe cruelly / so that at length the kynge was compelled to flee, and loste a great nomber of his knyghtes, to consyder them y^e were slayne wyth the other that were ta∣ken prysoners.

whan kynge Henry had well dys∣gested in hys mynde, the wrongfull trouble that he by enuyous persons hadde put the duke vnto, and remē∣bred the yll expedycyon that he had in that warre / he recōsyled hym selfe, and made meanes that the duke and he myghte be agreed and accorded. The whyche by dyscrete solycytours was shortely after brought to good effecte / so that they contynued as frē¦des durynge theyr lyues after.

Than Henry abstayned hym from all warre / & vsed the reste of hys lyfe in peas and quyetnesse. Thys Hen∣ry had two wyues / and of the laste whyche was doughter to the kynge of Russy, he had .iii. sonnes / that is to say Phylyp, y^• whych he made kyng of Fraunce by hys lyfe, Robert that was after duke of Burgoyne, and Hughe that was after named Hugh le graunde, and was fader to Raufe erle of Uermendoyse.

And in thys kynges dayes / Bur∣goyne that had ben vnder y^e Frenche kynges obeysaunce ouer a hundred and .xxx. yeres, refused the Frenche kynge, aparte of them, & torned vnto Conradus the seconde of that name than emperour. So that that parte whyche stretched to Champayne be∣longed to Fraunce / and that other parte whyche stretched toward Ba∣saynz belonged to the Almayns.

And that yere that the kynge had admytted hys sonne Phylyp to the gydynge of the realme / he dyed, and was buryed at saynt Denys / leuyng after hym the issue forenamed, whan he hadde reygned after moste wry∣ters .xxxi. yeres.

Anglia. THE .CCVIII. CHAPITER.

HArold the sonne of Canutus, & of Elgma y^e er∣lys doughter of Hampton / begā his reygne ouer Englande, in y^e yere of our lor∣des incarnacyon. M. xxxix / and the x. yere of Henry thā kyng of Fraūce. Thys for his delyuernesse & swyfte∣nesse, was surnamed Harefote. In whose begynnynge stryfe was a∣monge the lordes, for so myche as of hys byrthe shulde be doughte, why∣ther he were the kynges son or not / and specyally erle Goodwyne, that dyd the vttermoste of hys power to sette hym by, and put Hardykynitus his brother to that honour. But Leo frycus that Canutus so mych loued and trusted, wyth the ayde of the Da¦nes / wythstode so myghtely Good∣wyne and hys sonnes, that they fay∣led

of theyr purpose.

Anone as thys Harold was crow∣ned kynge / he banysshed hys stepmo¦der Emma, and toke from her suche goodes and iewelles as she had. The whych Emma sayled than into Flaū¦ders, and there of Bawdewyne the erle was reuerently receyued, & there abode durynge the lyfe of thys Ha∣rolde. The whyche contynued hys lyfe to lytell fruyte or profyte of the land, nor yet of the subiectes / so that of hym, other for y^e vyce that clerkes lyste nat to put in memory, other for the rudenesse, whyche is worthy no memory, nothynge of hym is put in remembraunce / but that he dyed at London, or after some at Oxenford, & was buryed at westmynster, when he had reygned as moste wryters a∣green .iii. yeres and odde monethes / leuynge after hym none heyre. wher∣fore hys brother kyng of Denmarke was next kynge after hym.

THE .CCIX. CHAPITER.

HArdikynytus the sonne of Ca∣nutus & of Emma / was made kyng of England, in the yere of our lordes incarnacyon. M.xli / and the xii. yere of Henry than kyng of Fraū¦ce. Thys of some wryters is named Hardykynytus and Hardyknough / and was anone after the deth of hys brother sent for into Denmarke, and receyued ioyously, and crowned at Londō of Ethelnotus than archybys∣shop of Caunterbury. But this was of suche cruelty, that he sent Alfry∣cus archbysshoppe of yorke and erle Goodwyne vnto westmynster / com∣maundynge them for the iniury by hys brother Harolde before done vn¦to his moder Emma, that they shuld drawe the corps out of y^e place where it was buryed, and to be throwen in¦to the ryuer of Thamys / which was done accordynge to hys wyll. whych corps after as testyfyeth Guydo and other, was founden by a fyssher / and buryed vnreuerently within the chyr¦cheyarde of saynt Clement standyng wythout the Temple barre of Lon∣don. And as Polycronycon sayth / for a more curelty he caused fyrst the hed of hys sayd brother to be smyten from the body, and than throwen in to the sayd ryuer. Lette the herers to thys gyue credence as them lyke / for to me it semeth though the kyng had ben of suche cruelty, that the bysshop forenamed wolde not haue ben the executour of so fowle a dede.

Thys kyng also leuyed the fore∣named trybute named Dane gelt, & spent it to the lytell comforte of the realme / but gaue vnto shypmen and maryners, and other lewde persons, greate and vnsyttynge fees and wa∣ges / and was of suche prodegalyte, that his bourdes and tabelles of his courte were spred .iiii. tymes in the daye / and the people serued of great excesse both of mete & also of drynke.

wyth leuyeng of the foresayd try bute the comons greatly grudged / so that in worceter two of hys ser∣uauntes, whyche were assygned to gader that money were there slayne. For the whyche dede the kynge was so sore dyspleased, y^t he brent a great parte of that towne.

Thys Hardykynutus after some authours, maryed hys syster named Gunylda vnto the thyrde Henry em∣perour. The whych was of passyng beaute / and was the doughter also of Emma laste wyfe of Canutus. But in processe of tyme thys Gunyl∣da was falsely accused of spowse∣brech / for tryall wherof she was put to her champyon. wherfore she beynge in greate agony / lastely tru∣styng to god, and knowyng her selfe without gylte of that offence, putte a

chyld that she wyth her had brought out of Englande in stede of the cham¦pyon. The whyche fought wyth a man of geauntes stature / and fynal∣ly hym slew, and broughte vnto con¦fusyon.

when Gunylda by dyuyne power hadde thus clered her selfe / she vtter¦ly refused the emperours company, and ended her lyfe in the seruyce of hym the onely god, that so hadde de¦fended her ryght.

But yt shulde appere by Polycro∣nycon, and also by Antoninus / that thys mayden was maryed to y^e sayde Henry by the lyfe of her father Canu¦tus, and also durynge the lyfe of the sayde Henryes father named Conra¦dus the second, as before is touched in the storye of the sayde Canutus / and not by thys Hardykinytus her brother.

It is rad that the kynge betoke all the rule of the lande vnto hys moder and erle Goodwyn / the whyche had maryed as wytnessyth the englyshe cronycle, the doughter of Canutus gotten vppon hys fyrste wyfe Elgi∣na. By whome many thynges were mysse orderyd / and specyally by the subtylyte of this erle Goodwyn. This erle had many sonnes, as wyt∣nesseth Polycrony con in the .xxv. cha¦pyter of hys .vi. boke. By his fyrste wyfe that was kynge Canutus sys∣ter, & not hys doughter as is aboue sayde / he hadde one sonne. The why¦che by vndyscrete strykynge of an horse, was throwen into the Tha∣mys and drowned. And the mother was lastely smyttē wyth lyghtenyng and so dyed. Of whome yt is there remembred, that she was so vngra∣cyous and of so vyle condycyon / that she set yonge womē to horedome, for to gader by that vnlefull meane ry∣ches. After the whyche wyfe so dyed, he maryed the seconde / of whome he receyued .vi. sonnes. That is to wyt Swanus, Harolde, Tostius, wyl∣notus, Sirthe or Surthe, and Leof¦fricus / and a doughter named Godi¦tha, whych after was maryed to Ed¦warde the confessour.

The two sonnes of Egelredus Al∣phredus and Edwarde, whych as ye before haue hard were sent into Nor¦mādy by Emma theyr mother / came in y^e tyme of the reygne of thys kyng into Englande, for to vysyte and se theyr mother / & brought wyth them a great nomber of Normans. Then thys Goodwyne ymagyned in hys mynde howe he myght preferre hys doughter Godyth to one of these bre¦therne / and thoughte in his mynde y^t the eldest wold dysdayne that mary∣age. And for he thought to ioyne her vnto the yonger, and to make hym kynge and her quene / he compassed the deth of y^e elder. And by this mean Goodwyn warned the lordes of En∣glande / and sayde yt was a great ieo¦perdye for the lande, to suffer so ma∣ny straungers to entre the land with¦out lycence / wherfore yt were neces∣sary that they were punyshed to the example of other. By whych meanes he gat authoryte to order that mater as to hym semed beste or of his owne power, because he was of moste myght nexte the kynge. wherfore he yode and mette wyth the sayde Nor∣mans / and slewe of theym the moste nomber. For vppon Guylde downe he slewe alway .ix. & saued the .x. And yet for he thoughte to many by that meane lefte a lyue / he eft agayne ty∣thed agayne the sayd tythe, and slew euery tenth knyght of them and that by cruell deth / as wyndynge theyr guttes out of theyr bodyes, as sayth Polycronycon / and amonge other put out the eyen of the elder brother Alphredus, & sent hym to Ely, where he dyed in short tyme after / all be it y^e

englyshe boke sayth y^t he was slayne by the forenamed tormente. And Ed¦warde was conueyed and by some other waye broughte to hys mother. But she ferynge the treason of Good wyne, sente hym soone ouer the see agayne. Howe be yt the ynglyshe cro¦nycle telleth all otherwyse. when Goodwyne was after accused for thys cruell dede / he sware depely y^t he was forced of the kynge so for to do. But in one cronicle, I fynde that thys dede was executed by Good∣wyne in the tyme of Harolde Hare∣fote beynge kynge.

Then yt foloweth in the story / this kynge Hardykynytus beynge at a feste at Lambehyth besyde London, mery and iocande / whyle he stode drynkynge he fyll downe sodaynly, and dyed / or waxed dumbe, and lay tyll the .viii. daye after, the whyche was the .viii. daye of the moneth of Iune / and then dyed, when he hadde reygned after moste wryters two ye¦res / leuynge after hym none yssue of his bodye lawfull, and was bury∣ed by his father at wynchester.

Thus here endeth the lyne or of∣sprynge of Swanus and all other Danys / so that after thys kynge, the blood of Danys was clerely extyncte and putte oute from all kyngly dygnyte wyth∣in thys realme of En∣glande. And also the persecution of thē seased clerely af¦ter thys kyn∣ges deth. The whyche had contynued, to rekē from theyr fyrst lan¦dynge in tyme of Brightricus kyng of west Saxon, & the .ix. yere of his reygne, as in y^e storye before is rehersed / by y^e terme of .CC.lv. yeres.

THE .CCX. CHAPITER.

EDward the son of Egelredus & of Emma hys last wyfe / began his reygne ouer England, in the yere of our lord M .xliii / and the xiiii. yere of Henry then kynge of Fraunce. The whyche after the deth of Hardykinitus was sente for into Normandye / and pledges layde for hym, that he wythout fraude shulde be made kynge. And then he came wyth a few straunges. But as sayth Marianus / some of the lordes had sent for Edwarde the outlaw son of Edmunde Ironsyde, for to be theyr kynge. But after the affyrmaunce of the said authour / when he knew that Edwarde hys neuewe was in posses¦syon of the lande, he wolde medle hym no farther.

Then thys Edwarde by the great aduyse of Goodwyn̄ erle of west Sa¦xon, and of Leofric{us} erle of Chester / was crowned kyng at westmynster, of Edsius then archbyshop of Caun¦terbury / & wedded in processe of time after, Goditha the doughter of erle Goodwyne, whych of Guydo is cal∣led Editha. The whych he entreatyd in suche wyse / y^t he put her not from his bed, nor yet delte wyth her fleshe∣ly. whyther yt were for hate of her kynne, or forloue of chastite, y^e trouth is not shewed. But all wryters a∣green that he cōtynued his lyfe with outen offence wyth women.

This kyng discharged Engleshmen of y^e great tribute called Dane gelt, y^t whych before is sundry tyme spoken of / so y^t after y^e daye yt was no more gaderyd. And also he subdued y^e Bry¦tons or walshmen that made warre

wythin the bondes of y^e land. But af¦ter y^t theyr duke or leder called Gryf¦fyn or Gryffyth, with ayde of y^e Irysh men entred the ryuer of Seuerne, & toke many prayes, and departed a∣gayne wythout fyght.

In the tyme of the reygne of thys Edwarde / Emma his moder was accused to be familyer with y^e byshop of winchester. Upō which accusaciō, by coūsayll of erle Goodwyn̄ he toke from her many of her iewellys, & cau¦sed her to be keptsomdele more strait¦ly in the abbay of warwell / and the byshop he cōmytted to the examyna∣cyon and correccyon of the clergye. But his moder more sorowynge the defame of Alwyn̄ the byshoppe then her awne estate / wrote vnto dyuers byshoppes, and besought them of iu¦styce / affermynge y^t she was redy to abyde all leful & most sharpest triall.

Then dyuers of y^e byshoppes made laboure to the kynge for her and for the byshop. But Robert then arche∣byshop of Caunterbury / beyng wyth theyr laboure dyscontended, sayde to them in this maner. My brethern bis¦shoppes sayd he, how dare ye defende her that is a wyld beste and not a wo¦man? she hath defamed her own son the kynge, and nempned her leche∣rours lemman goddes owne preste. But be yt so that the woman wolde purge the preste / who shall then pur∣ge the woman, that is accused to be consentynge to the deth of her sonne Alphred, and procured venym to the poysonyng of her son Edwarde. But how so yt be that she be gylty or gylt¦lesse / yf she woll go barefoted for her selfe .iiii. steppes & for the byshop .v, contynually vpon .ix. plough sharys brennynge and fyre hote / then yf she escape harmelesse, he shall be as∣soyled of this chalenge and she also.

Thys was of her graunted, and the daye of purgacyon assygned. At which day y^e kyng & grete part of his lordes were present / but this Robert fayled, were yt for pyte or otherwyse. Thys Robert was a monke of an house in Normandy, and came ouer by the sonde of the kynge / and was fyrste made bysshoppe of London, and after archbysshopppe of Caun∣terbury. Then the nyght before Em¦ma shulde make her purgacyon / she went vnto the shryne of saynt Swy¦thune at wynchester / and there kne∣led all that night in prayer and recey¦ued dyuyne cōforte. Upon the morne she was blyndefelde / and ladde vnto the place betwene .ii. men, where the iron laye glowynge hote / and passed the .ix. sharys vnhurte. Then at last she sayde. Good lorde when shall I come to the place of my purgacyon. when they opened her eyen, and she sawe that she was paste the payne / she kneled downe and thanked God and saynte Swythune. Then the kynge repented hym / and restored to her that he before hadde taken from her, and asked of her forgyuenesse. But the archebyshoppe of Caunter∣burye fledde into Normandye. And thys Emma gaue then vnto the mo∣nastery of that holy confessour saynt Swythune .ix. maners / and the bys∣shoppe other .ix. as affermeth Poly∣cronica and other.

It was not long after, that kyng Edwarde gaderyd a stronge nauye at Southampton̄, or more verely in the hauen of Sandwyche / for so myche as he was warned that Swa¦nus kynge of Denmarke entended to make warre vppon hym. But Polycronycon sayth that he gade∣deryd thys nauy to wythstande Ha¦rolde Harfagar then kyng of North ganys, that entended to haue en∣tred Englande. But he was letted by y^e forenamed Swan{us}, y^t shortely after made warre vpō y^e sayd Harold

An other cronycle shewyth, that the Danys and Norgayns, whyche is to meane men of Norway / were a∣greed to come ioyntly into England. And whyle the kynge was shyppyng of his mne / one brought forth a bole full of mede or meth to drynke vpon bon vyage. And after that came bole after bole / so that after drynke came dronkenes, & after iangelyng / & ian∣gelynge tourned into stryfe, & stryfe tourned into fyghtynge / where tho∣rough many were slayne / & the other turned to theyr owne, so that that iourney was lefte of. But the legēde of hys lyfe in the chyrche telleth / that he beynge at masse in the chyrche of westmynster vppon a whytsondaye, in the tyme of the leuacyon of the sa∣crament he laught. wherof the lor∣des beynge aboute hym meruayled greatly / and after frayned of hym the cause. wherūto he answered and sayde, that the Danys wyth the Nor¦wayes of one assente were purposed to haue comen into thys lande, and here haue taken prayes. But as the kynge of Danys shuld haue entred hys shyp, he fyll into the see and was drowned / so that I truste in my days they shall not, nor none other straun¦gers make any warre in this lande.

THE .CCXI. CHAPITER.

IN the tyme of thys Edwarde fyll passynge great snowe, the whyche began in the begynnynge of Ianuary, and so contynued tyll the xvii. daye of Marche or saynte Pa¦trykes daye / wherof the great quan¦tyte fyll in the weste countreys of Englande. And after that ensued great deth of men, and moreyne of beftes / and by lyghtnynge the corne vpon the ground that yere was won¦derfull brent and wasted.

Aboute the .x. yere of Edwarde as moueth Policronyca, and in the mo¦neth of September / Eustace erle of Bolongn̄ came a lande at Douer / whyche erle hadde wedded after the sayenge of the sayde authour, kynge Edwardes syster. Thys was parted frome hys companye in so secrete wyse, that hys knyghtes were fayne to serche for hym / wenynge to them that he hadde ben slayne by some of the dwellers of the towne. In the whyche serche they demeaned theym so vndyscretely, that they slewe a cy∣tezyne of Douer. By meane wher∣of the people arose / and in the ques∣tyonynge of thys mannes deth, ran at length vppon the erles company, and slewe .xx. of hys men, and woun¦ded many mo. Hastely the erle appe∣ryd and toke his mennys parte. But in conclusyon he was fayne to wyth∣drawe hym selfe with a few persons, and rode vnto the kynge then beyng at Glouceter / and made vnto hym a greuous complaynte of the men of Douer.

Then erle Goodwyne, for so moch as to hym was commytted the rule of Kente / was charged to ryde thy∣ther, and to take wreche of the inha∣bytaūtes of that towne. But he with sayde that commaundement / and counsayled the kyng to sende for the wardeyns of the castell of Douer and rulers of the towne, for to an∣swere to suche maters as were layde agayne them, and yf they were gylty to punyshe them, and ellys not.

This answere of Goodwyn̄ plea¦sed nothynge the kynge, nor suche as were aboute hym / wherfore ma∣ny mo lordes were sent for. Amonge the which Leofricus erle of Chester, and Sewarde erle of Northumber∣land of myne authour ben named. After whych assemble of y^e lord{is} erle Goodwyne had suche monycyon of some of y^e counsayll, y^t he wythdrewe

hym from the courte, and gadered to hym strength of knyghtes out of dy¦uers shyres, as west Saxon & Kent / and houed at Beuerston̄ tyl his son∣nes came vnto him with more peple Soone after came vnto hym his el∣dest son named Swanus, & brought wyth hym a fayre companye that he hadde arreyred in Oxenfordeshyre & Gloucetershyre / and Harolde hys other sonne, wyth a feleshyppe that he had assembled in eest Englande, and Huntyngdon̄shyre / so that of these people was made a great hoste.

Then Goodwyn̄ to the kyng was accused, for gaderynge of so great an hoste. But he excused hym, and sayde, yt was done to wythstand the walyshmen. The whyche contrary proued / he was cōmaunded to sende awaye the people, and to come wyth a certayne nomber vnto the courte. But that he refused. Then the kyng wyth hys counsayll beynge at Lon∣don / Goodwyn and Harold was eft sent for, and charged to come to the courte wyth .xii. persones wythoute mo / and to render into the kynges handes all knightes fees that he and Harolde his sonne hadde wythin En¦glande. To thys by theym was an∣swered, that they myghte not come to the counsayll of treachours and gylefull men / and that also wyth so fewe men in nomber, they mygthe not wythoute parell or shame passe by the countrey.

In thys whyle a parte of Good∣wyns knyghtes wythdrewe theym, and hys power beganne to mynyshe and the kynge in thys whyle hadde gaderyd a stronge hoste. Then pro∣clamacyons were made, that Good∣wyne shuld come to the courte as be¦fore is sayd / or auoyde the land with in fyue dayes. wherfore Goodwyne consyderyng the ieopardy y^t he was in / toke wyth hym .iii. of his sonnes, that is to meane Swanus, Tosty, & Gurthe / and sayled into Flaundres▪ where he was receyued of the erle Baldwyn after some wryters / whose doughter Swanus his sonne hadde before spoused & was named Iudeth And Harolde and Leofricus two of his other sonnes with a few shyppes sayled out frō Brystow into Irland.

when the kynge was ascertayned that erle Goodwyne wyth hys fyue sonnes was in thys maner departed oute of his lande / he shortly after cal∣led a parlyament / and by authoryte of the same, outlowed Goodwyne & hys .iii. sonnes that were gone wyth hym. And that done he put his owne wyfe and doughter of Goodwyn̄ in∣to the abbaye of warwell wyth one mayden, as sayth Marianus. And so Goodwyn̄ and hys sayde sonnes contynued two yeres outlawed. In the whyche season he or hys retynue toke dyuers tymes prayes in y^e mar∣ches of Englande / and in the ende drewe to hym suche strength, that he was purposed to haue entred the lande wyth force, and to haue war∣red vppon the kynge. But by medya¦tours that fauoured erle Goodwyn, a peace was made betwene y^e kynge and hym / so that in processe he was receyued to grace wyth hys sonnes / & hys doughter restored to her fyrste and former honoure. And for thys peace to be contynued / for Good∣wyns parte was delyueryd for pled∣kes a sonne of hys called wylnotus, and a sonne of Swanus named Ha∣cum or Hacun. The whyche .ii. pled¦ges kynge Edwarde sent vnto wyl∣lyam duke of Normandy to be kept. And Algarus the sonne of Leofric{us} erle of Chester, to whbme the kynge had gyuen the erledome of Harold, & ruled yt dyscretely in tyme of his ab∣sence / at hys returne delyuered yt to him again, gladly & without grudge

THE .CCXII. CHAPITER.

DUrynge the tyme of this out lauwry of Goodwyne / wyl∣lyam bastarde duke of Normandye came with a goodly cōpany into this land, and was honorably receyued / to whom the kyng made great chere. And after he hadde taryed here a cer¦tayne of tyme to his agrement and pleasure / he retourned to hys owne wyth great gyftes & pleasures. And Emma the kinges moder dyed short¦ly after, and was buryed a wynche∣ster. And Swanus the eldest sonne of Goodwyne went to Hierusalem, and from thens towarde Lycia / and dyed by the waye of colde, that he had taken of goynge barefote. Then the Normans that had gyuen to the kynge euyll counsaylles agayne En¦glyshemen / were by Goodwyne and his frendes exyled. Among the why∣che Robert archebyshop af Caunter¦bury that hadde spoken sore agayne theym was one / whych after went to Rome to complayn to the pope then Leon̄ the .ix. or Uyctour the seconde. And whē he had receyued letters of y^e pope directed to y^e kyng / he returned to his abbay of Gemeticum in Nor∣mandye, where he somtyme had ben munke and abbot / and there dyed. After hym Stigandus was made his successoure / the whyche as sayth Policronicon, had before tyme lefte the byshopryche of Shyrborne, and toke the see of wynchester by strēgth. He also vsed fayres of holy chyrche thynges / and was a lewde or vnlet∣tred man, as the more part of the bys¦shoppes of Englande at those dayes were. And ouer that he passed other in ryches and dyssymulacyon. But yet he neuer had y^e palle from Rome, though there be great sale that ma∣keth many maystryes.

Then was openly spoken that he was not worthy a byshopryche, that coude vse y^e bragge or pompe of the worlde, the vse of voluptuosyte, of glotony and Lechery, the shynynge araye of clothynge, the countenaun¦ce of knyghtes, and the gaderynge of horsemen, and thynketh full ly∣tell on the profyte of soules. And yf men sayde to theym that a byshoppe shulde be chosen for holynesse of ly∣uyng, and for hys good clergye, and not for couetyse of money / they wold answere as foloweth, Nunc aliud tempus, alii pro tēpore mores. The whyche verse maye be englyshed in thys maner.

As tyme requyreth, so men done theym vse. In wynter warme clothes, in somer lyght and lesse. In tyme of sadnesse men done ga∣mys refuse. And in myrthe tyme, men myrthes theym dresse. So in tyme passed, was vsed great sadnesse In the chyrche. But nowe men lyghte be. wherfore the maners muste wyth men agree.

SO that by such light answere they planed or excused y^e shar∣penesse of theyr mysse lyuynge.

About this tyme, whyche shuld by Ranulff be about the .xii. yeare of y^e rey¦gne of Edward / Marian{us} the Scot that before I haue often named, that wrote myche of y^e dedes of y^e kynges of England / at the age of .xxv. yeres forsoke the world, & went on pylgry∣mage / & was after shorne munke at Coleyne in Almayne in the abbay of Scottes. whyche Marianus after some wryters was in great fauoure with Malcolyne kyng of Scottes.

In the .xiii. yere of kynge Edward the Scottes rebelled agayn y^e kyng. wherfore Sewarde erle of Northum¦berlande,

by the kynges commaun∣dement gadered a great hoste and en¦tred that lande / and behaued hym so manfully, that in processe he sub∣dued the Scottes, & chased y^e kynge out of his coūtrey / so that after kyng Edwarde gaue that kyngedome vn¦to Malcolyn̄ sonne of the kynge of Cumbrys, to beholden of hym & hys heyres kynges, as chefe lordes of Scotlande.

Uppon Ester mondaye aboute the sayde yere Goodwyn̄ syttynge at the kynges bourde wyth other lordes in y^e castell of wyndsore / yt happed one of the kynges cuppe berers to stum∣ble and to recouer agayne, so that he shedde none of the drynke. wherat Goodwyn̄ lough, and sayde, nowe that one brother hath susteyned that other. wherby he ment that the one fote or legge hathe sustayned y^e other from fallynge. wyth whyche wordes the kyng marked him & sayd, Ryght so my brother Alfrede shuld haue hol¦den me, ne had Goodwyn ben. The erle then conceyued that the kynge suspected hym of hys brothers deth / and sayde vnto the kynge in defen∣dynge hys vntrouth: syr as I per∣ceyue well it is told to the, y^t I shuld be y^e cause of thy brothers deth. So mought I sauely swalowe this mor fel of brede y^t I here hold in my hāde, as I am giltlesse of the dede. But as soone as he had receyued the brede / forthwyth he was choked. Then the kynge commaūded hym to be drawē from the table / and so was conueyed to wynchester, and there buryed. Marianus sayth that as erle Good∣wyn̄ sat at the kynges table at wyn∣chester / he was sodaynly taken with a palsye or some other sykenes vpon the Ester mondaye, and dyed y^e thyrd day after. And his lordshyppes were gyuen vnto Harold his eldest sonne then lyuynge / & Haroldes erledome was gyuen to Algarus the sonne of Leofricus, whych was the erledome of Oxenford after some wryters. It was not longe after y^e kynge Ed∣warde sent vnto the .iiii. Henry than emperour of Almayne, Aldredus bys¦shop of worceter, wyth other noble men / prayenge hym that he wolde sende vnto England hys cosyn Ed∣warde sonne of Edmūde Ironsyde / for so myche as he entended to make hym hys heyre. The whyche request was fulfylled, so that he came into Englande soone after / the whych as ye haue harde before, was named Edwarde the outlawe.

But as witnessyth Guydo and other the yere after that he came into En∣glande, he dyed at London, and was buryed at westmynster.

Thys yere folowynge kynge Ed∣warde thorough yll counsayll exiled wythout gylte Algarus the sonne of Leofricus. The whych assocyat hym wyth Gryffyne kynge or duke of wa∣lys / and destroyed y^e countre of Har∣forde, & dyd mych harme to y^e towne, and set the mynster on fyre, and slew vii. chanons therof. Then the kyng sent Harolde agayn hym / the whiche chased the walshmen into theyr own boundes, and recoueryd the sayde towne by appoyntement holden by the sayde Algarus, and amended all hurtes before done by the walshmē / and lastely recouncyled the sayde Algarus and his companye vnto the kynges grace.

THE .CCXIII. CHAPITER.

ABoute the .xv. yere of kynge Edwarde / dyed y^e noble duke Sewarde ruler of Northumberland of the flux, of whome Guydo reher∣seth dyuers notable actes whyche I passe ouer. Of whom yt is radde that when he sawe well he shulde dye, he

caused hys armour to be put vppon hym / and so armed and syttynge in a cheyre, hauynge all the ryghtes of the chyrch sayde, that so yt became a knyght and man of honour to dye, & not lyenge as an other mene man / and so dyed, & was buryed at yorke. And hys erledome was after gyuen to Tosty or Costy son of Goodwyn̄.

In the yere folowynge or .xvi. yere of kynge Edwarde, dyed also y^e good erle Leofricus erle of Mercia and of Chester / and was buryed in the ab∣bay of Couentre, the whyche before he hadde buylded. This man pur∣chased many great pryuyleges for y^e towne of Couentre / and made it free of all maner of toll, excepte onely of horse. For the whyche to haue al∣so free / the comen fame telleth, that after longe requeste made vnto hym by his wyfe named Godina, he graū¦ted her to haue yt therof freed / wyth that that she wolde ryde naked tho∣rough the towne / by meane wherof yt was freed. Then Algarus hys son was erle after hym.

Harolde then the eldeste sonne of Goodwyn̄ / was in great authoryte, & ruled myche of the kynges armye.

The yere folowyng Algarus was accused by malyce / & exylded the land. wherfore he fled agayne to Gryffyne duke of walis as he before had done, of whom he was ioyously receyuyd and maynteyned. The kynge therof beyng infourmed, sent Harolde into walys to make warre vppon Gryf∣fyne. The whyche quytte hym in so knyghtely wyse / that he chased the walshmen, brent the sayde Gryffyns paleys at a place callyd Rutlan̄, and his nauy, and then returned into En¦glande about mydlent. But aboute rogacyon dayes nexte folowyng, the sayde Harolde with his brother Tos¦ty was sente thyther agayne, wyth a stronge army. At whyche season they destroyed a great parte of walys, & in conclusion brought the walshmen vnto dew subieccyon, and forced thē to gyue pledges for the contynuance of the same. And that done pursued so sore vppon the sayde Gryffyne, that in the ende his owne people for purchase of theyr owne lyues, slewe the sayde Gryffyne, and sent his hed vnto Harolde in the moneth of Au∣guste / so that after the deth of thys Griffyne by the commaundement of the kynge, the coūtrey of walys was commytted to the gydynge of the .ii. bretherne of Gryffyne / the whyche had fauoured more the kynges par∣ty in tyme of the foresayd warre then theyr brother. And this warre in wa¦lys thus brought to ende / Harold by his polycy recouncyled agayne Alga¦rus erle of Mercia to y^e kyng{is} grace, so that he contynued in hys fauoure durynge hys lyfe after.

About thys tyme a woman of Bak¦ley in Barkshyre vsed yll craftes of sorcery. The whyche as she was syt∣tynge vpon a daye at a feste or great dyner / a crowe that she had lykyng∣ly fedde and brought vp, kreked lou¦der then he was accustomed to do▪ when the woman harde that noyse her knyfe fyll out of her hande, & she waxed sodaynly pale. And with y^t she beganne to syghe and sorow / & sayd alas, this daye is my soule comen to the laste sorow. And so after that she had spoken those wordes / a messan∣ger came to her, and sayde that her son and all her mayny was dede so∣daynly. Then she was conueyed to her owne and was full syke. wher∣fore in haste she sent for an other son of hers that was a monke, & a dough¦ter y^t was a nunne / at whose cōmyng she sayd to them in thys wyse. I am the woman that haue vsed yll crafte and enyll lyuynge / and in vayne I hoped to haue ben saued by your be∣des

and prayers. But now I praye you that ye woll releue my tourmen¦tes and paynes / for of my soule the iudgement is gyuen. wherfore in ca∣se that ye maye kepe my body from tourment, sewe it in an hartes skyn, and laye it in a troughe of stone and hyll it wyth lede close and iuste / and after do bynde it wyth barres of iron in moste strongest and sure wise, and cause ye .xl. {per}sons to synge psalmes by nyght, and vppon the morne as many masses. And yf I lye so stylle iii. nyghtes, than burye my body on the .iiii. daye. But all thys was for noughte. For the fyrste nyght whyle the psalmes were in sayeng / y^e strōge bandes were sodaynly to brokē / and one wyth a gresely loke was sene vp¦pon an horse backe all blacke, & cast thys woman behynde hym, & so rode forth wyth so greate crye and noyse, that it was harde as sayth Polycro¦nycon .iiii. myles thens.

Thys wolde I not haue shewed, but that I fynde it wryten and recor¦ded of diuers authours.

Than to retourne to our fourmer story / as wytnessyth myne authoure Ranulfe, about y^e .xx. yere of y^e reygne of kynge Edwarde / Harolde sayled towarde Normandye to vysyte hys brother wylnotus and Hacun hys neuewe / the which as ye before haue harde were layde there for pledges for the peas to beholden vppon erle Goodwyns syde agayne the kynge. But he in his course of saylyng was weder dryuen by tempeste into the countre or prouynce of Pontyfe, or more verely into the puynce of Poūtyth / where he was taken as a pry∣soner, and sent vnto duke wyllyam of Normandy. The whyche forced hym to swere, that he in tyme folow∣ynge shulde marye hys doughter / & that after the deth of kynge Edward he shulde kepe the lande of England to hys behofe, accordyng to the wyll and mynde of Edwarde after some wryters. And after the opynyon of a nother cronycle wryten in latyn / the sayd Harolde for to be in the more fa¦uour of duke wyllyā, shewed to hym that kynge Edwarde in presence of hys barony, had admytted the sayde wyllyam for his heyre / and couenaū¦ted wyth hym, that yf he ouerlyued the kyng, he wold in saue wyse kepe the lande to hys vse. For the whyche tydynges & promyse wyllyam graū∣ted to hym hys doughter to wyfe, y^t than was wythin lawfull yeres of maryage wyth greate dower. And for to cause Harolde to be the more stabler in hys promyse kepynge / he delyuered to hym Hacun hys neuew and sonne of hys brother Swanus, whyche he myche desyred, and kepte styll wylnotus the brother of y^e sayd Harolde. After whiche couenauntes suffycyentely stablysshed and enac∣ted / Harold departed from duke wyl¦lyam wyth greate and ryche gyftes, and in processe of tyme landed in En¦glande. And at hys comynge to the kynges presence / he shewed to hym all that he had done in the foresayde maters / where wyth the kynge was well cōtented, as affermeth the sayd latyne cronycle.

THE .CCXIIII. CHAPITER.

IN the .xxii. yere of kynge Ed∣warde as testyfyeth Ranulfe / Tostius the brother of Harolde was for cause not shewed disconted in the kynges courte, and went vnto Har∣forde in the marche of walys / where at that tyme the seruauntes of Ha∣rold by cōmaūdement of theyr may∣ster were besyed to make prouysyon for to receyue the kynge. But whan thys Tostius was thyder comen / he cruelly slewe the sayde seruaūtes of

hys brother, & hacked them in small pecys, and caste them after in mere∣sowce or salte. And that done sent worde vnto the kynge, y^t yf he wolde come vnto hys feest, he shulde lacke no powdered mete, what so euer he hadde besyde.

Thys cruell dede sprange wyde, so that for it he was hated of all mē / in so mych that hys owne tenauntes the men of Northūberland, of which prouynce he than was lorde of, arose agayne hym and toke frō hym that he hadde / and lastely chaced hym in∣to Flaunders wyth a fewe persons than a waytynge vppon hym. But y^e vertuouse kyng Edward not beyng contented wyth the comons doynge, consyderynge it to be done wythout hys aduyce and cōmaūdement / sent thyder Harolde to do correccyon vp∣pon the heddes or capytayns of the Northumbers. wherof they beynge acerteyned cōtynued theyr strength and mette wyth Harolde & hys peo∣ple / and sent hym to vnderstāde that they were frely borne, and frely nou∣rysshed, & that they myght nat suffer no cruelnesse of dukes. Also they had lerned of theyr elders & soueraynes to meyntayn fredom or to suffer deth and to lyue in quyetnesse vnder an easy duke. whan Harolde had recey∣ued thys message, and aduertysed y^e strength of the Northūbers / he per∣ceyued well that wythout greate ef∣fusyon of blode he myghte not cor∣recte the mysse doers. wherfore it se∣med to hym better to fauour the coū∣tree, than to take hede of the syngu∣ler profyte of hys brother / so that he retorned to the kynge wyth thys an∣swere, and purchased theyr pardon of hym / and also procured so y^e kyng, y^e he assygned to them an other duke or erle that was named Malcarus. And Tostius hys brother wyth hys wyfe & chyldern remayned in Flaun¦ders, durynge the kynges lyfe.

Kynge Edwarde in the .xxii. yere of hys reygne, syttyng at mete vpon Eester day in his paleys of westmyn¦ster, sodaynly lowghe, whan other dyd talke and eate. whan thys bles∣syd man had dyned, and was entred into his chamber / his famylyers as∣ked of hym y^e cause of hys lawghyng To whom he answered / for y^e same selfe tyme sayd he .vii. slepers, that in the mount Seleon besydes Ephe¦sym in Asya the lasse, had slepte two hundred yeres or there about vpon the ryght syde / the selfe same tyme they tourned them, and shall slepe agayne vpon that other syde .lxxiiii. yeres. Though thys be tolde of Ra∣nulphe & other / syth in thys sayenge appereth some dyscordaunce wyth other wryters / & also wyth the for∣mer sayenge of the sayde Ranulphe in the .xxii. chapyter of hys .iiii. boke of Polycronycō, where he sayth that the sayd .vii. slepers were closed in y^e caue / the fyrst yere of Decius, and so sleped contynuyngly to the laste ty∣me or yeres of Theodocius the you∣ger than emperour / by whyche rea∣son they shulde slepe about y^e season or space of .ii. hundred yere as aboue is sayd / and than arose and shewed them to that sayd Theodocius empe¦rour and many other / & dyed soone after, as wytnessyth Uincencius hy∣storialis, Antoninus, Iacobus Phi∣lippus, and other: wherfore it can not stande wyth reasō, y^t they shulde slepe vpon y^e other syde after y^e tour∣nyng .lxxiiii. yeres, as is aboue sayd / nor that they shulde sterue in y^e tyme of thys holy kynge and confessoure. For hys tyme of reygne was after y^e tyme of Theodoci{us} aforesayd, more than .vi. hundred yeres. But yf it be ment by some other. For there are vii. other slepers spoken of in y^e .xxvi. chapyter of the fyrste boke of Poly∣cronycon,

that hath slepte in a no∣ther caue many yeres. wherfore I remytte thys vnto other, and folowe the order of the story. wherein it is founde, that whan this blessed kyng Edwarde had receyued by dyuyne monycyon, that he shulde chaunge thys transitory and bryckell lyfe for the lyfe euerlastynge / he sykened in the Crystmasse weke. In tyme of whych sykenesse was shewed to hym a vysyon, that he after shewed vnto suche as were about hym / and sayde two men of relygion came to me that I somtyme was famylyer wyth in Normandye / and shewed that they were sent from god vnto me, to gyue vnto me warynynge of such thynges as foloweth. And fyrste they sayde that for the dukes, bysshoppes, and abbotes of Englande, be not goddes seruauntes, but the deuyllys / god hath taken thys kyngdome into the handes of enemyes for a tyme / and fendes shall walke and destroble the people. Than I besought god that the people myghte haue warnynge, and do penaunce and be delyuered, as the people were of the cytye of Ni¦nyue. Nay sayde they / for these men be so indurate of harte, y^e they shulde do no worthy penaunce, nor to them god shall shewe hys mercy nor forgy¦uenesse. Than I asked of them / whā myghte be hope of mercy and pardō. They answered / whan a grene tree is hewen downe, and a parte therof cut from the stocke, and layde .iii. fourlonge from the stocke / and wyth¦out mannes helpe or hande shall re∣tourne to his stocke or rote, and take agayne hys shappe, and than flou∣ryshe and brynge forth fruyte. whan thys is done / than maye be hope of comforte and of remedy.

In the tyme that this blessyd man shewed thus thys vysyon / was pre∣sent there wyth other, Stygandus archebysshoppe of Caunterbury. The whyche sayde vnto the other, that the kynge raued or ellys doted for age and sykenesse, as olde men done / and accompted these wordes for foly and vanyte. But not longe after Englande felte and conceyued thys prophecye / whan it was in sub∣ieccyon of straungers and alyauntes as after shall be shewed.

Than who that is desyrous to knowe the exposycion of the prophe∣cye of the grene tree / lette hym rede in the ende of the lyfe of thys glory∣ous kynge and confessoure, transla∣ted by wyllyam Caxton, in the boke called the Legende of sayntes / and there he shall fynde it. All be it that in other places I haue sene it other∣wyse interpreted / the whyche I re∣mytte to them that haue experyence in suche facultye. And to conclude thys storye / trouth it is that this bles¦syd kynge dyed the .iiii. daye of Ia∣nuary, whan he hadde reygned .xxiii. yeres, vii. monethes, and odde days / and was buryed in the monastery of westmynster, y^• whych he before had gretly augmēted & repayred / but nat in that maner and fourme that it is nowe in. For the chyrche that nowe there standeth, was so reedyfyed and buylded newe of Henry the thyrde and sonne of kynge Iohn̄. The whi∣che also after some wryters / transla∣ted thys blessyd kynge Edwarde from the lower parte of y^e chyr∣che, and shryned hym there he now lyeth. And this kynge Edwarde laft after hym no chylde / for he was accompted for a vyrgyn whan he dyed.

Francia. THE .CCXV. CHAPITER.

PHylyp the fyrst of that name & son of Henry / began his dominiō ouer the Frenchemen, in the yere of our lorde .M.lviii / & the .xvi. yere of Ed¦warde the confessour than kynge of Englande. And of thys Phylyp it is radde, that he maryed a wyfe named Berta the doughter of Baldewyne erle of Holland and of Fryce. Of the whyche Berta this Philyp receyued a sonne and named hym Lewis / and a doughter y^e was called Cunstaūce. But in processe of tyme he haunted so myche the company of a woman named Bertande, that he hated hys laufull wyfe / and at length helde her in pryson, and kept that other in her stede / and gatte vppon the sayd Ber¦trande two sonnes named Phylyp & Florys, and a doughter which myne authour nameth not. For thys ad∣uoutry, he was often monysshed of y^e pope, that he shulde leue the compa∣nye of that yll woman, and take to hym hys lawfull wyfe y^t he so longe had holden in pryson within hys ca∣stell of Monsfruell. And for he wolde not be obedyent vnto the popes coū¦sayll / he was fynally accused of pope Urbane the seconde of that name. By meane wherof he was reconcy∣led and restored agayne to his wyfe, and refused hys concubyne.

And in the tyme of thys Phylyp / Godfrey de Bolliō with many other crysten prynces, at the exortacyon of Peter the heremyte, sayled into the holy lande / and wanne the cytye of Hierusalē out of the Sarasyns han¦des. whyche prynces lastly crowned the sayd Godfrey kynge of the sayde cytye. And after it so contynued in possessyon of crysten men, by y^e terme of foure score and tenne yeres, vnder ix. crysten kinges / and lenger myght haue endured, hadde not discencyon fallen amonges them selfe. And so by Antoninus, Peter Disrey, and other it is manyfestely shewed. Thys vya∣ge after moste accorde of wryters, begā in the yere of grace .M.lxxxvi. and the .xxvii. yere of thys Phylyp. And the sayd Godfrey was crowned kynge of the sayde cytye of Hierusa∣lem after the affyrmaunce of y^e sayde wryters, in the yere of grace a thou∣sande and foure score and .xix.

Of thys Phylyp lytell worthy me∣mory is lefte in wrytynge. For lyke as hys fader Henry made hym kyng by his lyfe, and suffered hym to haue the rule of the lande / ryght so thys Phylyp after a certayne of tyme, cō∣mytted the rule of the lande vnto Le¦wys his sonne. And he sette hys mynde to huntynge and other dys∣portes / and so ladde hys lyfe in all slowthe and idelnesse.

Than Lewys takynge vppon hym the charge of the realme / sub∣dued the erle of Mounte Merusy & other / that laboured to take from the chyrche of saynt Denys certayn pre∣uyleges / and also constrayned them to restore and satysfye all hurtes and harmes to the sayde chyrche by them done.

Thys Lewys as affermeth the Frenche cronycle, maryed the dough¦ter of Guy erle of Cotcheforde / the whyche after for nerenesse of kynne was deforced from the sayde Le∣wys, to the greate dyspleasour of the sayde erle Guy. wherfore he moued warre agayne the sayd Lewys, and toke from hym certayne holdes and castelles / of the whyche the castell of Gurney was one. But at length Le∣wys had y^e better of that warre, and

recoueryd diuers of the sayd holdes. And amonges other prysoners by hym and his knyghtes takē / he toke a myghty and stronge captayn of the sayde erle Guy named Hombolde, the whyche he sente to the castell of Stampes, there sauely to be kepte. Durynge whyche warre, Philyppe the kynge sykened / and dyed the yere of grace .M. a hundred & .vi, when he hadde rygned full .xlviii. yere / and was buried at saint Benet sur Loyt.

THE .CCXVI. CHAPITER.

HArolde y^e second son of erle Good¦wyne, and laste kynge of Sa∣xons / began to rule the realme of Englande y^e v. daye of Ia∣nuary, and the yere of our lorde .M. and .lxvi / and the .viii. yere of Phy∣lyp the fyrst then kynge of Fraunce. This as moste myghty, for so myche as the blessyd kynge Edwarde dyed wythout yssue, not myndyng the pro¦mysse of hym before made vnto wyl∣lyam duke of Normādy as before I haue shewed / toke vpō him as kyng, and was crowned of Aldredus then byshoppe of yorke. All be yt as affer∣meth Guydo and other, some of the lordes entended to haue made Ed∣gare Adelynge kynge / whyche Ed∣gare as affermeth y^e sayde authours, was sonne to Edwarde that was the sonne of Edmund Ironsyde, and na¦med of some Edwarde the outlawe. But for this Edgare was yong, and specyally for Harolde was strong of knightes and rychesse / he wanne the reygne. Howe be yt Marianus sayth that kyng Edwarde ordeyned before his deth, that Harolde shuld be kyng after hym. By reason wherof, the lor¦des crowned hym therupppon at westmynster.

Anon as he was crowned / he be∣ganne to fordoo euyll lawes and cu∣stomes before vsed, and stablysshed the good lawes, and specyally suche as were for the defence of holy chirch and punyshed the euyll doers, to the fere and example of other.

In shorte tyme after that Harolde was thus made kynges / Tosty or Costy hys brother, whyche as before is sayde, was of the Northumbers chased into Flaundres, made hym a nauy of .lx. small sayles, and sayled about the ile of wyght, & toke prayes wythin the sayd yle and other places of Kent. And from thens he sayled in to Lynsey, & dyd there myche harme both with fyre and sworde. But soon after he was chased thens by Edwyn̄ and Malcharus erles of Mercia & of Northumberlande. And then he sayled into Scotland, & taryed there tyll the somer after.

when Tostius was thus wyth hys robbers chased / then Harolde Harfa¦gar kynge of Northganys or Nor∣ways, wyth a great nauy of .iii. hun∣dred shyppes or mo, entred y^e mouth of the ryuer of Tyne. Thys Harolde Harfagar as sayth Guyde, was the sonne of Canutus, and kyng of Den¦marke and of Norway. The whych heryng of the deth of holy Edward / purueyed y^e sayd great armye to wyn Englande, as his ryghtfull enhery∣taunce. when Harolde was warned of thys great flote of Danys / he sent vnto the forenamed erles or dukes of Mercia and of Northumberland / commaundyng them to wythstande theyr landrynge, whyle he gadered hys strength. Then the foresayde du¦kes spedde theym towarde the Da∣nys, and gaue vnto them a sharpe & stronge fyght. But in conclusyon the

Englyshemen were put to the worse, and were fayne to gyue backe / so y^t the enymyes entred farther into the lande. The kyng herynge of the scō∣fyture of hys people, made the more haste towarde hys enymyes / so that the .vi. day after he came to Stemys¦forde brydge. In thys whyle was Tostius before named come oute of Scotlande, and gone to the partye of the Danys agayne hys owne bro¦ther. In thys foresayde place bothe hostes ioyned / and faught then there a sharpe cruell batayll. wherin fyll many a sturdy knyght vppon the en¦glyshe partye, but mo vppon the Da¦nys syde / so that in the ende Harolde theyr kynge was slayne, and that of the hande of Harolde kynge of En∣lande as sayth Guydo / and Tostius was also slayne in the same fyghte. Olanus broter to the sayth Harolde Harfagar, with Paulus duke of the yles of Orkeys / were there taken pri¦soners. The whyche the kynge cau∣sed to hym to be sworne, to kepe such promises as they to hym there made, and toke good pledges for perfor∣maunce of the same, and after suffred theym to retourne from thens they were comen.

It ys also specyally remembred of the sayd authour / that one knyght stode vppon the foresayde brydge, and wyth his axe defended the pas∣sage maugre the hole hoste of y^e En∣glyshemen, and slew .xl. Englyshmen or mo wyth hys axe / and myght not be ouercomen, tyll an Englysheman went vnder the brydge and stycked hym vpwarde wyth hys spere tho∣rough an hole of the brydge.

For thys vyctory Harolde was sup¦pressed wyth pryde, and also wyth co¦uetouse / so that he dyuyded not the prayes of hys enymyes amonge hys knyghtes, but kepte theym to hym selfe / or gaue parte vnto suche ••ny∣ghtes as he fauoured, and spared to them that had well deserued / by rea∣son wherof he loste the fauour of ma¦ny of hys knyghtes.

In thys passetyme / the doughter of duke wyllyam, the whych Harold shuld haue maried, dyed within age. wherfore Harold thought hī y^e more discharged of his {pro}mise before made to her fader. But duke willyam war¦ned Harolde of couenauntes broken, and medled menasses wyth prayers by sondry tymes. wherunto Harolde answered, that a nyce folyshe coue∣naunte ought not to be holden / & na¦mely y^e behest of other mennys ryght and kyngdome, wythout the hole as¦sent of the senatours of y^e same land. And farthermore a lewde othe might and ought to be broken / and specyal¦ly when yt is compelled to be sworne for nede or for drede.

Uppon these answers receyued by duke wyllyam from Harolde / in the whyle that messangers went & came, duke wyllyam gadered hys knygh∣tes, and prepared his nauy and all other thinges necessary to the warre, & had assent of the lordes of his land to ayde and assyste hym in his iour∣ney. And ouer that he in such wise en¦formed the pope, then beynge named Alexander the second / y^t he cōformed hym in takynge of that vyage / and sent vnto hym a banner, the whyche he willed hym to bere in the shyp that he hym self shuld sayle in. And so be∣ynge purueyed of all thynges concer¦nyng his iourney, he sped hym to the see syde, & toke shyppynge in the ha¦uen of faynt Ualery / where he taryed a longe tyme or he myght haue a co∣uenable wynde. For y^e whych his sol¦dyours murmured & grudged / and sayd it was a woodnesse & great dys∣pleasynge to god, to desyre an other mann••s kyngdome by strength / & na¦mely when god wythsayde yt by the

workynge of his element.

At the laste when duke wyllyam had longe bydden and houed for the wynde / he commaunded to brynge forth y^e body of saynt Ualery, and to be sette vppon the see stronde. The whyche done / the wynde shortely af∣ter came about and fylled the sayles. Then wyllyam thanked god & saynt Ualery / and toke shortely after shyp¦pynge, and helde his course to warde Englande / vppon thys grounde & tytle folowynge.

The fyrste and pryncypall was to chalenge his ryghte / and to haue the domynyon of the lande that to hym was gyuen (as he affermed) of kyng Edwarde the confessoure and hys neuewe.

The seconde was, to take wreche of his deth & cruell murdour of hys neuew Alfrede, and brother of y^e bles¦syd kynge Edwarde / that was slayn of erle Goodwyne and his adheren∣tes, as before ye haue harde in the storye of Hardykinitus / the whyche dede he ascrybed chefely vnto Ha∣rolde And the thyrde was, for to auenge the wronge done vnto Ro∣bert archebyshop of Caunterburye / whych as he was enformed / was exi¦led by the meanes and labour of Ha¦rolde, in the tyme of Edwarde the cō¦fessour, as before is shewed.

THE .CCXVII. CHAPITER.

DUke wyllyam kepynpe hys course / landed in processe of tyme at Hastynge in Sussex, in a place called Peuenessey. And in hys goynge oute of his shyp, and takyng the land / hys one fote slode, and that other stacke faste in the sande. The whych espyenge one of his knyghtes y^t was nere vnto hym / cryed alowde and sayd, now syr duke thou holdest Englande, and thou shalte soone be tourned from a duke to a kynge. The duke of this made game, and en¦tred further into the lande / and made his proclamacyons and cryes, that no man shuld take any prayes, or do any force to the people. For he sayde that yt was reasonable that he shuld spare that thynge that shulde be hys owne.

Harolde in thys whyle was in the North partes of Englande, and had wittynge of the landynge of the Nor¦mayns / and sped hym towarde them in all that he myghte, and gatheryd his strength by the countreys as he came. But the duke made so good spede, that he came to Lōdon before the kynge. where he was holden out, tyll he had made good suertye, that he and hys people shulde passe tho∣rough the cytye wythout taryenge. The whyche was obseruyd. And so he passyng the cytye / passed the brid∣ge, and went ouer into Sussex.

Kynge Harolde entendynge to know the strēgth of his enmyes, sent espyes into the dukes hoste / the why¦che made reporte vnto the kynge, that all duke wyllyams soldyours were prestes. For they had theyr ouer lyppes and chekes shauen / and the Englyshmen at these dayes vsed the here of theyr ouer lyppes shadde and not shauen. But Harold to that answered and sayde, they be no pre∣stes, but are stalworth and sturdye knyghtes.

Then Gurth or Surth one of the yongeste bretherne of Harolde / coun¦sayled hym that he shulde stande a parte, and suffer hym wyth other of hys lordes to fyght with y^e Normās, for so myche as he was sworne to the duke and they were not / aled∣gynge furthermore, that yf they were ouerthrowen, y^t yet he myght defende hys quarell and fyghte for the countrey.

In this meane tyme wyllyam sent a monke vnto Harold, and proferred to hym thre maner of wayes / and to chose one of the thre.

The fyrste, that accordynge to his othe he shulde render the lande, or de¦lyuer yt vnto the possessyons of wyl∣lyam. And y^e done / to take yt agayne of hym, and hold yt of hym as in fee / & so to reygne vnder hym for terme of hys lyfe / and after his deth to re∣tourne yt to the sayd wyllyam, or to suche one of his sonnes as he wolde assigne it vnto. Or secondly, leue the kyngedome without more stryfe. Or thyrdely in exchewynge of shedynge of the more plenty of Crysten mēnes blood / that he wold defende his qua∣rell in hys owne persone agayne the duke / and they two onely to trye the mater by dynte of sworde. But Ha∣rolde refused these offers / and sayde he wolde trye his quarell by dynt of swordis, and not by one sworde / and that he and hys knyghtes wolde de∣fende theyr coūtrey agayn all straūge nacyons, prayenge to god to deme the ryghte betwene them twayne.

when duke wyllyam hadde recey∣ued this answere from Harolde, and same well that there was no meane but fortune in batayll: he charged his people y^t myght watche, to occu∣pye theym in prayer / and specylly the prestes and the religious people, where the Englyshemen gaue them all to drynke and songe.

Then vppon the morowe beynge saterdaye, and the .xiiii. daye of Oc∣ctober, and the daye of saynte Ca∣lyxte the pope / bothe hostes assay∣led other, in that place where as nowe standeth the abbay of Batayll in Sussex. In the begynnyge of thys batayll / a banner or a banneret called Thylfer a Norman splayed before the hoste of Normans / and slewe an Englysheman or knyghte that came agayne hym / and after that one other, and so the thyrde, and was slayne at the laste.

Then the seltrons smote to gy∣ther wyth a great noyse and crye, and faughte sore a longe season. And the Englyshmen defended them manfully / and the better for that that they kepte theym hole to gy∣ther wythoute scaterynge or spryn∣gynge a brode. The whyche when wyllyam apperceyued / he gaue a sygne vnto hys knyghtes, that they shulde gyue backe, and make coun∣tenaunce as they dyd flee. Then the Normans imbatelled the fote men, and sette horse men for wynges on euery syde. By the whyche wyle the Englyshemen were descueryd, and soone oute of araye / and the Nor∣mans tourned agayne vpon y^e En∣glyshemen, and slewe theym downe on euery syde.

Thys batayll was sore foughten of the Englyshemen / that duke wyllyam was thryse felled that day by reason that thre horse were that daye slayne vnder hym. Lastely Ha∣rolde was wounded in the eye wyth an arowe, and fyll to the grounde and was slayne, and hys people sca∣tered / so that well was hym that myghte saue hym selfe by fleynge Then duke wyllyam buryed hys men that there were slayne / and fuf∣fred hys enymyes to do the same.

Of the deth of thys Harolde ys dyuersly wryten. For Geraldus Crambrens. in hys boke called Iti∣nerarius sayth, y^t after Harolde had receyued many woundes, and loste hys lefte eye / he fledde from that felde to the countrey of Chester, and lyued longe after an holy lyfe as an ancre, in the selle of saynte Iamys faste by saynt Iohn̄s chyrch, & made there an holy ende.

when y^e deth of Harold was knowen

to the erles of Mercia and of Nor∣thumberlande / the whyche for streyt¦nesse of waye myght not bryng theyr people to that felde / or ellys for that that they wylfully wythdrew theym selfe from Harolde, bycause he none otherwise departed y^e prayes amon∣ges them and theyr knyghtes at the former feld of Norgaynes: then they drewe the next waye to London, and take Agatha Harold{is} wyfe and sent her to Chester. And they and Aldre∣dus byshoppe of yorke with the Lon¦doners / agreed and promysed eyther vnto other, that they wold make Ed¦gare Athelynge kynge, and defende hys ryghte to the vttermoste of theyr powers.

But that promyse not wythstan∣dynge, when they harde of the great strength that dayly fell to duke wyl∣lyam and of hys prouysyons / they were fayne to breke that appoynte∣ment. And the sayd erles submytted them, and gaue vnto hym pledges, and became to hym his lyege men by homage and feautye.

And thus when Harolde hadde ru¦led the lande from the .v. daye of Ia¦nuary to the .xiiii. daye of October / he was slayne, when he had reygned ix. monethes and odde dayes / and was buryed at the monasterye of the holy crosse of waltham, whyche he before hadde founded, and set therin chanons, and gaue vnto theym fayre possessyons.

And here endeth for a time y^• blood of Saxons / the whych contynued to reken from Hengestus fyrste reygne, by the space or tyme of .v. hundred and .lxxxxi. yeres. And yf yt be reke∣ned from the begynnyng of the west Saxōs / then yt endureth by y^e terme of .v. hundred .lxv. yeres. whych cōty¦nued as rulers & kinges of this land all the sayd tyme / onely except y^• that passed betwene the fyrst yeres Canu¦tus, and the laste yere of Hardekyni∣tus. In the whyche season passed or flowed vpon .xxiiii. yeres. All be yt y^t the persecucyon of the Danys lasted mych lenger, as to fore I have shew¦ed in y^e story of y^e forenamed Kynit{us}.

THE .CCXVIII. CHAPITER.

THen for as myche that god of his vnknowen iudgementes to man, and by his hygh & hyd coun¦sayll, wolde suffer this duke to con∣quere so noble a lande, and to be lord and souerayne ouer so many noble enherytours, as were & now be with in the same: I thynke yt cōuenyent to shew here the dyscent of the sayde duke / and how nere of blood he was vnto the blessed kynge Edwarde the confessour.

wherfore as before to you I haue shewed in the storye of Charlys the Symple somtyme kynge of Fraūce / a myscreaunt or a pagan named Rol¦lo {per}secuted sore the realm of Fraūce- & lastely wan by strength the citye of Roan the hed or chefe cytye of Nor∣mandy. And in conclusyon for a fy∣nall peace betwene the sayde kynge and Rollo to be had / the sayde Rollo was crystened & named Robert, and maryed Silla the doughter of y^e said Charlys. To whom y^e kyng gaue in waye of Dower, y^e hole duchy of Nor¦mandy. The whych Robert after he was crystened / ruled that dukedome as a good crysten man, by the terme of .xiiii. yeres / and receyued of y^e sayd Silla a son, and named hym wylly∣am / the whyche after was surnamed Longa spata, as who wold saye wyl¦lyam wyth a longe sworde.

This wyllyam was duke after his fader .xxv. yeres / and lefte after hym a sonne named Rycharde, whych as before is shewed in the storye of Lew es y^e .vi. was named Richard y^e hardy.

Then Rycharde the hardy was the thyrde duke, and reygned .lii. ye¦res / & had by hys wyfe a son named Rycharde the good, and Emma that was wyfe to Egelredus and mother to saynte Edwarde the confessoure. After hym the Good Rycharde was duke, and reygned .xxviii. yeres / and lefte after hym two sonnes, that is to say Rycharde and Robert. The fyrste after two yeres was slayne by treason of hys brother Robert / so that Robert was then duke and rey∣gned .ix. yeres. The whyche Ro∣bert, as yt is before shewed in the sto¦rye of Henry kyng of Fraunce / was father vnto this duke wyllyam. And thys wyllyam was the .vii. duke of Normandye / and ruled yt or he con∣quered Englande after moste wry∣ters .xxx. yeres.

whereby yt appereth, that Emma was aunte to duke Robert, father of wyllyam Conquerour. And saynte Edwarde and this duke wyllyam were by y^e fathers syde cosyn ••armay nes remoued as sheweth by thys draught folowynge.

Th fyrste duke

Rollo or Robert the fyrste duke.

The seconde duke.

Wyllyam longa ••pata sonne of Ro¦bert and the second duke.

The thyrde duke.

Rycharde the hardy the son of Wyllyam and .iii. duke

• Rycharde the ••ood and sonne of Rychard the fyrst
• Emma moder of Edward confes sour & doughter of the sayd Richard

The .iiii. duke

Rycharde the .ii surnamed y^e good a son of Rychard the fyrst & .iiii. duke.

The fyft duke

Rychard y^e thyrd son of Richard .ii. and .v. duke Brethern.

The syxte duke

Robertus the son of Rycharde ii. and Brother of Rycharde .iii. & vi. duke. Brethern.

• Wyllyam the sonne of Robert / & the .vii. duke and noble conque¦rour.

ANd thus here an ende of the .vi. part of thys worke / for so myche as the lande was here conquered, and put vnder the rule of an other nacyon.

wherfore as before I haue vsed and done, to gyue than∣kes vnto that moste blessyd vyrgyn our lady saynt Mary, as furtherer and conductryce of thys worke / so here agayn I salute and hayle her wyth the .vi. ioye of the fornamed vii. ioyes, thus begynnynge,

Gaude virgo mater Christi, tu quae sola &c. All hayle and be gladde moste noble and moder dere Of Iesu Chryste, vyrgyne moste pure and clene. Deseruynge onely by grace and lyuynge moste clere, To be of that dygnyte, thou celestyall quene, To perce the heuens that beeth so serene. And nexte to the trone of the hygh Trynyte, Thou arte admytted for to holde thy see.

THys .vi. parte to be accompted from the fyrste ye∣re of Iue, vnto the laste daye of the reygne of Ha∣rolde, or begynnynge of wyllyam Conqueroure / includeth of yeres .iii. hundred and .lxxx. yeres and one.

ANd so thys lande was conquered after the fyrst com¦mynge of Brute, to folowe thaccōpte of thys worke / by the force of thys duke wyllyam & hys Normans, ii. thou¦sande .ii. hundred and two yeres.

¶Thus endeth the syxt parte.