The chronicles of England from Brute vnto this present yeare of Christ. 1580. Collected by Iohn Stow citizen of London.

AElfrede borne in Barkshire, at a village called Wantinge,* 1.1 the fourth sonne of Athelwolfe, receyued the gouerne∣ment of the whole realme, and within one month after, with a very small number fought a sharpe battayle againste the whole armie of the Pagans, in a place called Wilion (whiche lyeth on the Southside of the Riuer Wily, of whiche riuer the whole shyre taketh hys name) and after they had foughte a greate parte of the daye, the Pagans fled, but séeing the fewnesse of them that pursued, they sette themselues in bat∣tayle againe, and got the fielde.

The Weast Saxons made league with the Pagans, vppon condition they shoulde departe out of theyr Countrey.

The next yeare they wintred at London, and made league with the Mercies.

The nexte yeare they wintered at Lindesey, which was in the Kingdome of Northumberlande.

The next yere, at Ripindune: they constrayned Burgoredus king of Mercies, to flée beyond the Seas, who went to Rome, where he dyed, and was buryed in the Schole of the Sax∣ons.* 1.2

The Pagans subduing y^e whole kingdome of the Mercies, whiche they committed to Ceonulfus: The next yeare one part of the Pagans wintered in Northumberlande neare to the riuer Tyne, subdued the whole Countrey: the other parte went with Guthram, Oskecellus, and Amandus, thrée kings of the Pagans, to Grantbridge, and wintered there.

The yeare following, the Pagans going from Cambridge in the night, entred the Castel of Warham, where there was a Monasterie of Nunnes, scituate betwéene two riuers, Fraw and Trent, in the Country called in the Saxon Thornse∣ta, a most sure seat, except in the West only, where it ioyneth to the lande: with whome king Aelfrede made a league that they shoulde departe his kingdome, but contrarie to theyr othe, they rode into Deuonshire, to Exancester, and there win∣tered.* 1.3

The next yeare. 120. of the Pagans shippes were drowned

at S••anauing: And kyng Aelfrede pursuing an armie that went by lande to Excester, toke of them pledges, and also an othe to depart with all spéede.

In the yeare following the Danes ••ame to Chipingham, a manner of the kings, scituate on the left side of Wiltshire and there wintred, compelling many of the Weast Saxons to leaue their Countrey and to goe beyonde the seas: the rest that re∣mayned they subdued▪ King Aelfrede himselfe was oft∣times brought into such miserie, y^t none of his people knew where he was become. On a time, being forced to hide hym∣with* 1.4 a Cowhearde in Somersetshire, as he satte by the fire, preparing his bowes and shaftes, the Cowherdes wife ba∣king breade on the coales, threw the kings bowes & shaftes aside, and said, thou fellow why dost thou not turn the bread which thou séest burne, thou art glad to eate it ere it be halfe baked. This woman thought not that it had bin K. Aelfred, who had made so many battels against the Danes, and gottē so manye victories. For God did not onely vouchsafe to giue him victorie ouer his enemies, but also to be wearied of thē in the sight of his owne people, to the ende he should knowe there is one God of all, to whom all knées shall bow, and in whose hands the hearts of kings consisteth. The brother* 1.5 of Hinguar and of Healfden, who had wintered in Mercia, & had made great slaughter of the Christians, sayled with▪ 23. shippes into Deuonshire, where doing great mischief, he & the* 1.6 most part of his people were slain, the rest escaped by fléeing to theyr shippes. In this battayle among many rich spoyles was taken a banner or ensigne called Reafan, which among the Danes was had in greate estimation, for that it was im∣brodered by the thrée sisters of Hinguar, and Hubba, y^e daugh∣ters of Lodbroke. King Aelfrede made a Castel in Aethelin∣gei,* 1.7 from thence he went to Petram Egebrichti, which is on the Eastside of the chace called Sal nudum, in Latine Silua magna, y^• great wood: there met with him al the inhabitants of Hāp∣shire, whiche when they sawe the king, reioyced as though he had bene risen from death to life.

The king with his army wente to Ethandune and fought against the Pagans where he made great slaughter, and pur∣sued the reste to their Castell, who after. xiiij. dayes desired peace, gaue pledges and toke othe to depart his realme: and Gythram their King receiued baptisme harde by Ethelingsey, in a place called Alre, whome Aelfrede receyued to bée hys* 1.8 God-sonne.

In the yeare. 879. the Pagans went from Chipnan to Ciren∣ceaster, and there remayned one yeare after. The same yeare a great armye of Pagans came from beyonde the Sea, and* 1.9 wintered at Fullanham, harde by the riuer of Thamis.

The nexte yeare, the Pagans wente from Circestre to the* 1.10 East English, deuiding that Countrey among them, & there inhabited. The Pagans that wintered at Fullanham, went into East Fraunce.

In the yeare. 885. an armie of Pagans came into Kent, and besieged the Cittie of Rhofeceaster, which lyeth on the Easte* 1.11 side of the riuer Medowege and before the gate of the same Ci∣tie they made a strong Castell, but Aelfrede with a greate* 1.12 Armie chased them to their ships.

The next yeare▪ Aelfrede restored, and honorably repay∣red* 1.13 the Cittie of London (after it had bene amongst other Ci∣ties destroyed with fire, and the people killed vp,) he made it habitable againe, and committed it vnto the custodie of his sonne in lawe Adhered Earle of the Mercies. Kentishe∣men, South and West Saxons, (whiche before were in Cap∣tiuitie* 1.14 vnder the Pagans) willingly came and submitted thē∣selues.

In the yeare. 890. Gythram the king of the Pagans (whose name in his Baptisme was changed to Athelstane)* 1.15 dyed, he was buried in the kings towne called Headleaga a∣mong the East English.

In the yeare. 892. the great armie of the Pagans, came frō the East kingdome of Fraunce vnto Adbon, and from thence with 250. shippes▪ into Kent, arriuing in the mouth of the Riuer Limene, whiche riuer runneth from the great woodde,

whiche is called Andreads Weald, from whose mouth foure* 1.16 myles into the same woodde they drewe theyr ships, where they destroyed a Castel, and fortified another more strong, in a place called Apultrens, now Apulder. This wood was from the Easte to the Weaste. 120. myles in length and more, in bréedth. 30. myles.

The same yere, Hastings came with. 80. shippes into the* 1.17 mouth of Thamis, and made a strong town, Middleton in the* 1.18 South side of y^e Thamis, and another on the Northside, called Beaufleete.

The yeare following, the Citie of Yorke was taken by the Normans, but Seber the Bishoppe, by Gods prouision esca∣ped.

The same yeare also Aelfred fought against the Normans at Fernham, where he slewe them, wounded their King, and* 1.19 chased the remnant through the Thamis into Eastsex, wherby many of them were drowned.

Aelfrede hearing that a great number of the Pagans were arriued at Exanceastre, he toke with him a greate army, and by battayle ouercame, and chased them away.

In the meane season Adhered Earle of the Mercies, and* 1.20 the Citizens of London with other came to Beaufleete, and besieged the Castell of the Pagans, and brake into it, where they tooke excéeding riche spoyles of golde, siluer, horsses, and garmentes, among whiche was taken the wife of Hastings and hys two sonnes, whiche were broughte to London, and presented to the King, who commaunded them to be resto∣red againe. But Hastings came againe into Beaufleete, and repayred to the Castell, whiche they hadde broken downe. From thence he wente to Sceabridge, and there builded a* 1.21 strong Castell: there was ioyned vnto hym the armye that remayned at Apuldrane, and other that came from the East Englishe, and from the Northumbers, who altogyther spoyled* 1.22 and robbed, tyl they came to the bancke of Seuerne, and there at Bultingatume, they made a strong towne, but by Adhered Earle of the Mercies and other, they were besieged, & short∣ly

through famine forced to come out, where many on bothe* 1.23 sides were slaine, but the Christians had the victorie.

In the yeare, 895. the Pagans wintered in a little Ile cal∣led* 1.24 Mer••ig in the East part of Essex, scituate in the sea, and the same yeare they sayled by the riuer of Thamis, after by the ri∣uer of Ligea, and twentie myles from London began to build a Fortresse. In the Sommer following, the Londoners and other néere adioyning, did séeke to destroy the fortresse of the Danes, but they being put to flight, king Aelfrede pitched •• fielde not farre from the Citie, least the Pagans should take away the Haruest of the Countrey, and viewing the riuer one daye, perceyued that the Chanel mighte be in one place dammed vp, that the Danes should not get out their shippes, he forthwith commaunded on both sides the riuer a damme to be cast, and deuided that riuer into thrée streames, so that where shippes before had sayled, now a small boate coulde scantly rowe, which when the Pagans perceyued, they lea∣uing theyr wiues and ships, flée a foote to Quatbridge, & there* 1.25 building a Fortresse, lodged there the Winter following, whose shippes the Londoners bring, some to London, the o∣ther they brake downe and destroyed.

Anno. 897. the Pagans came from Quatbridge, parte into East England part into Northumberland: some got them ships and sayled into Fraunce. After al these verations, by the cruel Danes committed, folowed farre greater, the space of thrée yeres, by death of cattaile, and mortalitie of men. XX. Danish ships were taken being Pirates, and the Pyrates slaine or hauged on the gallowes.

This victorious Prince, the studious prouider for* 1.26 wid••wes, orphanes and poore people, moste perfect in Sa〈…〉〈…〉 Poetrie, moste liberall, indued with Wisdome,* 1.27 fortitude, iustice, and temperaunce, the most patient bearer of sicknesse, wherewith he was dayly vexed, a moste discrete searcher of trueth in executing iudgement, a moste vigilant and deuout Prince in the seruice of God, Alfrede, the. xxix. yeare and sixth month of his raigne, departed this life, the

xxviij. daye of October, and is buried at Winchester, in the new Monasterie, of his foundation. He founded a Monaste∣rie of Monkes at Ethelingsey, and another for Nunnes at Shaftsburie. He ordayned the hundreds, and tenthes, whiche* 1.28 men call Centuaries and Cupings: he sent for Gr••••balde, to come into England that by his aduice, he might erect y^• stu∣die of good learning, cleane decayed. By the counsell of Neo∣tus he ordayned common scholes of diuerse sciences in Oxē∣forde, and tourned the Saxon lawes into Englishe, with di∣uerse other bookes.

He established good laws, by the which he brought so gret* 1.29 a quietnesse to the Countrey, that men might haue hanged golden bracelets and Jewels where the wayes parted, and no man durst touch them for feare of the law. He caried euer y^• Psalter in his bosome, y^• whē he had any leysure he might read it ouer with diligence.

He deuided the xxiiij. houres of the daye and nighte into* 1.30 thrée parts▪ he spent. viij. h••ures in writing, reading, & pray∣ing: eight in prouision of his body: &. viij. in hearing and dis∣patching* 1.31 the matters of his subiects. He deuided his yerely reuenues into two partes, and the first he deuided into thrée: one part he gaue to his seruāts, the second part to his work∣men which were occupyed in building, the third part to strā∣gers. The second part of y^• whole, he deuided into iiij. parts, the first part wherof he gaue in almes to the poore, the second to Monasteries by him founded, the third to scholes which he had erected, and gathered of many both noble mens & other mens sons of his nation, the fourth part he distributed to the next Monasteries in all the English Saxon. Alhfwido wife to king Alfrede founded the monasterie of Nuns in Winche∣ster.

Notes

• * 1.1

  872 Marians. Scotus. Florentij Cro∣niea cronicarum. Asser. Alfridus▪ Beuerlacens••••. Speculum Hist. VVilshire, vvhy so named. Ricardus Cire∣cestrensi••. Hap of vvarre doubtful.
• * 1.2

  Burgoredus death.
• * 1.3

  Exceste••.
• * 1.4

  Asser. Spe. Histo. Ri. Ciren.
• * 1.5

  Hinguar slayne in Deuonshire.
• * 1.6

  The Ensigne of the Danes vvas a Rauen. Alredus Riual.
• * 1.7

  Ethelyngey, the noble Ilande. Egbrights store▪
• * 1.8

  Gythram king of Danes chri∣stened. Chichester.
• * 1.9

  Fulham.
• * 1.10

  Marianus Scotus.
• * 1.11

  Rochester be∣sieged.
• * 1.12

  Midvvay.
• * 1.13

  Asserius. Floriacens. London builded & made inha∣bitable.
• * 1.14

  Marianus Scotus.
• * 1.15

  Hadley.
• * 1.16

  Andreads vveald in Sus∣sex and Hamp∣shire.
• * 1.17

  Milton.
• * 1.18

  Beaufleet.
• * 1.19

  Fernham.
• * 1.20

  Beaufleet taken from the Pagās.
• * 1.21

  Sudbury.
• * 1.22

  Apuldo••.
• * 1.23

  Floren•••• Cro∣nica cronicaruin. Marianus Scotus.
• * 1.24

  Ile of Mersey. Ley, a riuer that then bare ships vnto VVare. Asserius.
• * 1.25

  Novv called Catvvarebrig, or Catvva••d bridge.
• * 1.26

  Alfred deceased
• * 1.27

  Prayse of King Alfrede.
• * 1.28

  Wil. Malm••. Floriac••ns. Reg. Hig. Sea. Cro. Regist. Hyde. T. Rudburn••. Vniuersitie in Oxforde. Marianus Scotus.
• * 1.29

  Regist. Hid••.
• * 1.30

  Asserius.
• * 1.31

  Marianus Scotus.