The Danes inuading the west parts of this land make great hauocke by fire and sword, they arriue at Rochester, and conquer the Kentishmen in field, king Egelred ouercom∣meth [unspec 30] the Danes that inhabited Cumberland and wasteth the countrie, the Summersetshire men are foiled; the miserable state of the realme in those daies; the English bloud mixed with the Danes and Britaines, and what inconuenien∣ces grew thervpon, the disordered gouernement of king Egel∣red, sicknesses vexing the people, treason in the nobles, the tribute paid to the Danes vnmercifullie inhansed, the realme brought to beggerie; king Egelred by politike persuasion and counsell marrieth Emma the duke of Normandies daugh∣ter, vpon what occasion the Normans pretended a title to the crowne of England, they conquer the whole land, what order king Egelred tooke to kill all the Danes within his king∣dome, [unspec 40] and what rule they bare in this realme yer they were murdered, the thraldome of the Eng∣lish people vnder them, whereof the word Lordane sprang. The third Chapter.
IN the ninteenth yere of king Egelreds reigne, the Danes sailed about Corne∣wall, [unspec 50] and comming into the Seuerne sea, they robbed & tooke preies in the coasts of Deuonshire & Southwales, and landing at Wicheport, they burned vp the countrie, and came about vnto Penwithstréet on the south coast, and so arriuing in the mouth of Tamer water, came vnto Lidford, and there wasted all afore them with force of fire. They burned, amongst other places, the monasterie of [unspec 60] saint Ordulfe at Essingstocke. After this they came into Dorcetshire, and passed through the countrie with flame and fire, not finding anie that offered to resist them. The same yéere also they soiourned in the Ile of Wight, and liued vpon spoiles & preies which they tooke in Hampshire and Sussex. At length they came into the Thames, and so by the riuer of Med∣wey arriued at Rochester. The Kentishmen assem∣bled togither and fought with the Danes, but they were ouercome, and so left the field to the Danes. Af∣ter this, the same Danes sailed into Normandie, and king Egelred went into Cumberland, where the Danes inhabited in great numbers, whome he ouer∣came with sore warre, and wasted almost all Cum∣berland, taking great spoiles in the same. About the same time, or shortlie after, the Danes with their na∣uie, returning out of Normandie, came vnto Ex∣mouth, and there assaulted the castell, but they were repelled by them that kept it. After this they spread abroad ouer all the countrie, exercising their accusto∣med trade of destroieng all before them with fire and sword. The men of Summersetshire fought with them at Pentho, but the Danes got the vpper hand.
Thus the state of the realme in those daies was verie miserable, for there wanted worthie chiestains to rule the people, and to chastise them when they did amisse. There was no trust in the noble men, for e∣uerie one impugned others dooing, and yet would not deuise which way to deale with better likelihood. When they assembled in councell, and should haue occupied their heads in deuising remedies for the mischiefe of the common wealth, they turned their purpose vnto the altercation, about such strifes, conten∣tions and quarels as each one had against other, and suffered the generall case to lie still in the dust. And if at anie time there was anie good conclusion agre∣ed vpon, for the withstanding of the enimie, & re∣léefe of the common wealth, anon should the enimie be aduertised thereof by such as were of aliance or consanguinitie to them. For (as Caxton, Polychr. and others say) the English bloud was so mixed with that of the Danes and Britains, who were like eni∣mies to the Englishmen, that there was almost few of the nobilitie and commons, which had not on the one side a parent of some of them.
Whereby it came to passe, that neither the secret purposes of the king could be concealed till they might take due effect; neither their assemblies proue quiet without quarelling and taking of parts. Ma∣nie also being sent foorth with their powers one way (whilest the king went to make resistance another) did reuolt to his enimies, and turned their swords against him (as you haue heard of Elfrike and his complices, and shall read of manie others) so that it was no maruell that Egelred sped no better, and yet was he as valiant as anie of his predecessors, although the moonks fauour him not in their wri∣tings, because he demanded aid of them toward his warres, and was nothing fauorable to their lewd hypocrisie. But what is a king if his subiects be not loiall? What is a realme, if the common wealth be diuided? By peace & concord, of small beginnings great and famous kingdomes haue oft times procée∣ded; whereas by discord the greatest kingdoms haue oftner bene brought to ruine. And so it proued here, for whilest priuat quarels are pursued, the generall affaires are vtterlie neglected: and whilest ech na∣tion séeketh to preferre hir owne aliance, the Iland it selfe is like to become a desert.
But to proceed with our monasticall writers: certes they lay all the fault in the king, saieng that he was a man giuen to no good exercise, he deligh∣ted in fleshlie lustes and riotous bankettings, and still sought waies how to gather of his subiects what might be got, as wll by vnlawfull meanes as o∣therwise. For he would for feined or for verie small & light causes disherit his natiue subiects, and cause them to redéeme their owne possessions for great summes of monie. Besides these oppressions, di∣uers kinds of sicknesses vexed the people also, as the bloodie flix, and hot burning agues which then ra∣ged through the land, so that manie died thereof. By such manner of meanes therefore, what through the misgouernance of the king, the treason and dis∣loialtie of the nobilitie, the lacke of good order and due correction amongst the people, and by such other scourges and mishaps as afflicted the English na∣tion