reigne ouer the same in the yeere of our Lord 955,
& in the 20 yeere of the emperor Otho the first, in theiustice in Edgars time seuerelie executed,
28 and last yéere of the reigne of Lewes king of
France, and about the twelfe yeere of Malcolme the
first of that name, king of Scotland. He was conse∣crated
at Kingston vpon Thames by Odo the arch∣bishop
of Canturburie. On the verie day of his co∣ronation,
as the lords were set in councell about
weightie matters touching the gouernment of the
realme, he rose from the place, gat him into a cham∣ber [unspec 10]
with one of his néere kinswomen, and there had
to doo with hir, without anie respect or regard had to
his roiall estate and princelie dignitie. Dunstane
latelie before named abbat of Glastenburie, did not
onlie without feare of displeasure reprooue the K. for
such shamefull abusing of his bodie, but also caused
the archbishop of Canturburie to constreine him to
forsake that woman whom vnlawfullie he kept.
There be that write, that there were two women,
both mother and daughter, whome king Edward [unspec 20]
kept as concubines: for the mother being of noble
parentage, sought to satisfie the kings lust, in hopeto doo with hir, without anie respect or regard had to
that either he would take hir or hir daughter vnto
wife. And therefore perceiuing that Dunstane was
sore against such wanton pastime as the king vsed in
their companie, she so wrought, that Dunstane was
through hir earnest trauell banished the land. This is
also reported, that when he should depart the realme,
the diuell was heard in the west end of the church, ta∣king
vp a great laughter after his roring maner, as [unspec 30]
though he should shew himselfe gled and ioifull at
Dunstanes going into exile. But Dunstane percei∣uingto doo with hir, without anie respect or regard had to
his behauiour, spake to him, and said: Well
thou aduersarie, doo not so greatly reioise at the mat∣ter
for thou dooest not now so much reioise at my de∣parture,
but by Gods grace thou shalt be as sorrow∣full
for my returne.
Thus was Dunstane banished by king Edwine,
so that he was compelled to passe ouer into Flan∣ders,
where he remained for a time within a mona∣sterie [unspec 40]
at Gant, finding much friendship at the hands
of the gouernor of that countrie. Also the more to
wreake his wrath, the king spoiled manie religious
houses of their goods, and droue out the moonks, pla∣cing
secular priests in their roomes, as namelie at
Malmesburie, where yet the house was not empai∣red,
but rather inriched in lands and ornaments by
the kings liberalitie, and the industrious meanes of
the same priests, which tooke vp the bones of saint Al∣delme,
and put the same into a shrine. At length the [unspec 50]
inhabitants of the middle part of England, euen
from Humber to Thames rebelled against him, andof the gouernor of that countrie. Also the more to
elected his brother Edgar to haue the gouernement
ouer them, wherwith king Edwine tooke such griefe,
for that he saw no meane at hand how to remedie
the matter, that shortlie after, when he had reigned
somewhat more than foure yéeres, he died, and his
bodie was buried at Winchester in the new abbeie.
EDgar the second sonne of Edmund late king of
England, after the decease of his elder brother [unspec 60]
the foresaid Edwine, began his reigne ouer this
realme of England in the yeere of our Lord God
959, in the 22 yéere of the emperour Otho the first,
in the fourth yéere of the reigne of Lotharius king
of France, 510 almost ended after the comming of
the Saxons, 124 after the arriuall of the Danes,
and in the last yéere of Malcolme king of Scotland.
He was crowned & consecrated at Bath, or (as some
say) at Kingstone vpon Thames by Odo the archbi∣shop
of Tanturburie, being as then not past 16
yéeres of age, when he was thus admitted king. He
was no lesse indued with commendable gifts ofrealme of England in the yeere of our Lord God
mind, than with strength and force of bodie. He
was a great fauorer of moonks, and speciallie had
Dunstane in high estimation. Aboue all things in
this world he regarded peace, and studied dailie how
to preserue the same, to the commoditie & aduance∣ment
of his subiects.
When he had established things in good quiet, and
set an order in matters as séemed to him best for the
peaceable gouernement of his people, he prepared
a great nauie of ships, and diuiding them in thrée
parts, he appointed euerie part to a quarter of the
realme, to wast about the coast, that no forren eni∣mie
should approch the land, but that they might be
incountered and put backe, before they could take
land. And euerie yeere after Easter, he vsed to giue
order, that his ships should assemble togither in their
due places: and then would he with the east nauie
saile to the west parts of his realme, and sending
those ships backe, he would with the west nauie saile
into the north parts; and with the north nauie come
backe againe into the east. This custome he vsed, that
he might fcowre the seas of all pirats & theeues. In
the winter season and spring time, he would ride
through the prouinces of his realme, searching out
how the iudges and great lords demeaned them∣selues
in the administration of iustice, sharpelie pu∣nishing
those that were found guiltie of extortion, or
had done otherwise in anie point than dutie requi∣red.
In all things he vsed such politike discretion, that
neither was he put in danger by treason of his sub∣iects,into the north parts; and with the north nauie come
nor molested by forren enimies.
He caused diuerse kings to bind themselues by
oth to be true and faithfull vnto him, as Kinadius or
rather Induf king of Scotland, Malcolme king of
Cumberland, Mascutius an archpirat, or (as we may
call him) a maister rouer, and also all the kings of the
Welshmen, as Duffnall, Girffith, Huvall, Iacob,
and Iudithill, all which came to his court, and by their
solemne othes receiued, sware to be at his comman∣dement.
And for the more manifest testimonie ther∣of,
he hauing them with him at Chester, caused them
to enter into a barge vpon the water of Dée, and pla∣cing
himselfe in the forepart of the barge, at the
helme, he caused those eight high princes to row the
barge vp and downe the water, shewing thereby his
princelie prerogatiue and roiall magnificence, in
that he might vse the seruice of so manie kings that
were his subiects. And there vpon he said (as hath him
reported) that then might his successours account
themselues kings of England, when they inioiedAnd for the more manifest testimonie ther∣of,
such prerogatiue of high and supreme honor.
The fame of this noble prince was spred ouer all,
as well on this side the sea as beyond, insomuch that
great resort of strangers chanced in his daies, which
came euer into this land to serue him, and to sée the
state of his court, as Saxons and other, yea and also
Danes, which became verie familiar with him. He
fauored in déed the Danes (as hath béene said) more
than stood with the commoditie of his subiects, for
scarse was anie stréet in England, but Danes had
their dwelling in the same among the Englishmen,
whereby came great harme: for whereas the Danes
by nature were great drinkers, the Englishmen by
continuall conuersation with them learned the same
vice. King Edgar to reforme in part such excessiue
quaffing as then began to grow in vse, caused by the
procurement of Dunstane, nailes to be set incups
of a certeine measure, marked for the purpose, that
none should drinke more than was assigned by such
measured cups. Englishmen also learned of the Sax∣ons,scarse was anie stréet in England, but Danes had
Flemings, and other strangers, their peculiar
kind of vices, as of the Saxons a discordered fierce∣nesse
of mind, of the Flemings a féeble tendernesse
of bodie: where before they reioised in their owne
simplicitie, and estéemed not the lewd and vnprofi∣table
manners of strangers.