The history of Great Britaine under the conquests of ye Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans Their originals, manners, warres, coines & seales: with ye successions, lives, acts & issues of the English monarchs from Iulius Cæsar, to our most gracious soueraigne King Iames. by Iohn Speed.

EDRED THE TVVENTIE SE∣VENTH * 1.1 * 1.2 KING OF THE VVEST-SAX∣ONS, AND TWENTIE EIGHTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN, HIS ACTS, RAIGNE, AND ISSVE. CHAPTER XL.

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EDred, the sixth sonne of King Edward, borne vnto him by Queene Edgiua * 1.3 his third and last wife, at the age of twenty three yeeres succeeded his bro∣ther King Edmund in the nonage of his children in al his dominions, and was the twenty seuenth King of the West-Saxons, and the twentie eight Monarch of the Englishmen. He began his raigne in the yeere of Mans saluation 946. and was annointed, and * 1.4 crowned at Kingston vpon Thames in the County of Surrey vpon Sūday the seuenteenth day of August by the hands of Otho Archbishop of Canterbury.

(2) His Coronation robes scarsly put off; news was brought him that the Northumbrians had re∣uolted and stirred a dangerous insurrection; notwith∣standing the Couenants that his brother Edmund had made with Malcolme King of the Scots to secure the same. Therfore lest delaies might proue dan∣gerous, with a great Army hee entred into the verge of Scotland, without sight of enemy, or any resistance. But peace being concluded betwixt E∣dred, Malcolme and the Northumbrians; yea and the * 1.5 same confirmed strongly by oath, yet was it little re∣garded of the last named lurers; for no sooner was Edred returned, but that they sent into Ireland for Anlafe, the sonne of Gurmo the Dane, who had been expelled the Country as we haue said.

(3) Anlafe gathering a fleete and forces accor∣dingly, came into Northumberland, where he was with great ioy receiued and made their King, which * 1.6 title hee maintained for foure yeeres continuance, banding against Edred, and still holding him play, till lastly the Northumbrians disloiall to both, took their feather out of Anlafe his plume, and sent him pack∣ing to the place, whence he came, electing one He∣ricus King in his stead. * 1.7

(4) Edred awaked with the wasts that they made, prepared a iourney into those parts, where with fire and sword hee bare downe all before him; and albeit he was a man religiously bent, yet spared he not the Abbey of Rippon from flames, but laid all vnto ashes as he went, the enemy not daring to shew the face. In his returne suspecting no perill, sud∣dainely an hoast brake out of Yorke, and fell vpon the Rere-ward of his Army, marching but carelesly, * 1.8 and broken out of their array, whereby many peri∣shed before any complete order of resistance could be made. The King seeing this bold attempt of these Rebels, stroke downe his standard, turning his face againe to the North, and threatened the reuenge, with the Countries spoile and their liues.

(5) In this plot of sedition Wolstan Archbishop of * 1.9 Yorke had sowne some seed of treason, both in the assistance of action, and counsell for the enterprise, very ill beseeming a man of his ranke: this Wolfe therfore hauing thus awaked the Lion from rest, was the onely man that fell in his pawes; for the Nor∣thumbrians expulsing their statelesse Hericus with sub∣missiue teares and golden showers, so pacified the King, that their offences were therewith cleane wa∣shed away: but hee good man (a Saint at the least) was mued vp in prison (against whom accusations daily came, and namely, that he had commaunded sundry of the Burgesses of Thetford to bee slaine) where heeabode till he was by Edred vpon a reue∣rent regard of his calling, released from thence: for as this King is commended for his lenity towards the vertuous; so is he no lesse for his iustice towards the vitious, and for the practise of his Religion, as * 1.10 forward as any, suffering not onely his manners to be reproued and corrected, (a quality truely roiall, and best beseeming Princes) but also (so much below the pitch of soueraigne Maiesty) his body to bee chastised at the will and direction of Dunstan Abbot

of Glasenbury; vnto whose custody, he also commit∣ted the greatest part of his treasure and richest iewels to be lockt in his chests, and vnder the keyes of this Monastery.

(6) The stately Abbey of Mich at Abington neere Oxford built by King Inas, but destroyed by the Danes, he newly repaired, indowing it with lands & * 1.11 faire reuenewes, and confirmed the Charters with seales of gold: hee also ordained Saint Germans in Cornwal to be a Bishops See, which there continued till by Canutus it was annexed to the Episcopall See of Kyrton in Deuon, both which Sees were after∣ward by King Edward the Confessor translated to the City of Excester: but sith the brightest day hath his night, and the highest tide his present ebbe, what maruaile is it, if then Edred in the middest of his strength were seazed vpon by sicknesse and death, which surprised him after hee had raigned in great honour nine yeeres and odde moneths, to the great griefe of his Subiects, who solemnly interred him in the old Minster within the City of Winchester, the yeere of Christ Iesus 955. whose bones with other Kings, to this day are preserued in a guilt Coffer, fixed vpon the wall in the south side of the Quier.

His Issue.

(7) Elfred, the sonne of King Edred, was borne before his Father was King; neither find I mention * 1.12 of his Mother, or any act by him done; onely in the sixt yeare of King Edred his raigne, which was the yeere of Grace, 952. he is mentioned for a witnesse to his Fathers graunt of lands in Wittenham, to Ethel∣wolfe a Duke of England in those daies, as appeareth by the Charter thereof, bearing date in the yeere a∣foresaid.

(8) Bertfrid an other, and as it seemeth an elder sonne of King Edred, was borne before his father * 1.13 was King, without any mention also of his Mother, who liuing in the second yeare of his fathers raigne, namely Anno, 948. was written for a witnesse in the same yeare, to his grant of lands in Bedlaking, to Cu∣thred one of his Barons, the Charter whereof is extant to bee seene vnto this day.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Edred.
• * 1.2

  Monarch 28
• * 1.3

  An. Do. 946.
• * 1.4

  Polier. lib. 6. cap. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.5

  Edred. Malcolme.
• * 1.6

  Anlafe commeth into Northumb.
• * 1.7

  Wil. Mal•…•….
• * 1.8

  R•…•…nd. Higd. S•…•… Dun.
• * 1.9

  Wolstan.
• * 1.10

  Wil. Malms.
• * 1.11

  〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.12

  Elfred.
• * 1.13

  Bertfrid.