**ETHELSTAN THE TVVENTIE FIFT KING OF THE VVEST SAXONS, AND THE TWENTIE SIXT MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN, HIS RAIGNE, ACTS, AND SVPPOSED ISSVE.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

EThelstan, the eldest sonne of King Edward (as hath *beene said) for the great hopes conceiued of him, was crowned with a grea∣ter solemnity then any of his ancestors euer before him. The place was King∣ston*vpon Thamesis in the County of Surrey, the yeer of Christ Iesus 924▪ where, in the midst of the town a high Scaffold was built, and thereon the coronati∣on performed to the open view of all, by Athelmus Archbishop of Canterbury, with shouts of ioy as that of Salomon.

(2) His beginnings were with troubles, and that rather by reason of friends then force of foes: for it is *recorded, that Elfred a nobleman, either in fauour of King Edwards other sonnes, holding Ethelstan a Ba∣stard, or else vpon an ambitious hope blinded of him∣selfe, intended at Winchester to haue pluckt out the eyes of his Soueraine: but his treason being knowne, before the seed could shew blade, he was apprehen∣ded & sent to Rome to purge himselfe by oth: where, before the Altar of S. Peter and Pope Iohn the tenth, he there abiured the act, and thereupon fell sodain∣ly *down to the earth, so that his seruants tooke and bare him into the English Schoole, where, within three dayes after he died: the Pope denying him chri∣stian buriall vntill he knew King Ethelstans pleasure.

(3) These stormes ouerpast, as great a cloud see∣med to arise vnto Ethelstans sight, whose eye of iea∣lousie euer followed the ascent, and his eare euer ope∣ned vnto the instillations of Parasites, amongst whom his Cup-bearer was a chiefe; who brought *daily more and more suspition into the Kings head, that lastly (as wee haue shewed) hee consented to *young Edwins death, though with too late a sor∣row hee repented the same: for besides his seauen yeares penance voluntarily vndergone, to pacifie Page  364* the ghost of his betraied brother, hee built the two Monasteries of Midleton and Michelnesse, as for the most part such seed-plots were euer sowne in the furrowes of bloud, which hapned vpon this occa∣sion: It chanced his Cup-bearer in his seruice vpon a festiuall to stumble with the one foote, and reco∣uering himselfe with the other, pleasantly to say, you see how one brother helpeth another; vpon which speech the King with griefe and touch of heart, called to mind the death of his innocent brother, and forth∣with *commanded execution to be done on him the procurer, to repay his fact with deserued death: & himselfe was euer after more tender and carefull to∣wards his other brethren, with a more respectiue re∣gard, and bestowed his sisters most honorably in ma∣riage, as hath beene said.

(4) At his entrance of gouernment, to discharge the expectations of his subiects, hee endeauoured both by warres and allianuces to make them strong and rich. First, therefore entring friendshippe with *Sithricke the Danish King of Northumberland, vpon whom with condition that hee should receiue Bap∣tisme, he bestowed his sister Editha in marriage, hee bent himselfe to ordaine Lawes for the weale-pub∣like, *& those to bind aswel the Clergie as the Layety, out of which first sprang the attachment of Fellons, to take hold of such as stole aboue twelue pence, & were aboue twelue yeares of age.

(5) But Sithricke the Northumbrian dying the *first yeare of his mariage, and his Queene returning to a religious life, his sonnes Godfrey and Anlafe, of∣fended that their Pagan-Gods were neglected, and onely by the meanes of this their fathers last wife, stirred the Northumbrians to disquiet the English, which occasioned Ethelstan to inuade their country, and forced Anlafe into Ireland, and Godfrey into Scot∣land, which last so wrought with Constantine their King, that he vndertooke to side in his quarrell, with whom ioined *Howel King of Wales. These in a fierce battle hee ouercame and constrained them to sub∣mit themselues to his will, who knowing the chance *of warre to bee variable, and pittying the case of these down-cast Princes, restored them presently to *their former estates, adding withall this princely saying, that it was more honour to make a King then to be a King.

* (6) This notwithstanding, the case of Godfrey so moued the spirit of King Constantine, that hee againe assisted him in his inrodes into the English part, which drew againe King Ethelstan into the North: & cōming to Yorkshire (as he was a man much deuo∣ted to God-ward) turned aside to visite the tombe *of S. Iohn of Beuerley, where carnestly praying for his prosperous successe, for want of richer Iewels, there offered his knife, vowing that if hee returned with conquest, hee would redeeme it with a worthy price, and thus armed with hope, proceeded forward pitching downe his tents at Brimesburie, his nauie waffing along those seas.

* (7) To the aide of Constantine came Anlafe, called by writers King of the Irish, and of the Iles, who had married his daughter, a man no doubt both hardy *and desperate, as appeared by the Action he vnder∣went; for it is recorded, that as Elfred the English had attempted to know the State of the Danes: so this Dane at this place did to vnderstand the English: for, disguising himselfe like a Harper, hee went from *Tent to Tent, and had accesse euen into King Ethel∣stans presence, vntill hee had learned what he most desired, and then returned againe to his Campe, which part of his was no bolder, or more wisely performed, then was kept secret, and after reuealed by a most faithfull souldier: for Anlafe departed & free from pursuit, this Souldier made the act known to King Ethelstan: who being sore displeased with his enemies escape, imputed the fault vnto him the *reuealer: but he replying, made him this answere: I once serued Anlafe (said he) vnder his pay for a souldi∣er, and gaue him the same faith that I doe now vnto you; if then I should haue betraied his designes, what trust could your Grace repose in my truth: let him there∣fore die, but not through my treachery, and by his es∣cape secure your royall selfe from danger; remoue your Tent from the place where it stands, lest at vnawares hee happily assaile you.

(8) The King seeing the faith of his souldier, was therewith pacified, and forthwith commanded his Tent to bee remoued, where presently a Bishoppe new come to his Campe pitched vp his owne, and the night following both himselfe and retinue were slaine by the same Anlafe that sought the Kings life *in assaulting the place; and pressing forward came to his tent, who awaked with the suddain Allarum, *boldly rushed vpon his enemies, & encouraging his men, put them backe with the death of fiue petty Kings, twelue Dukes, and well neere of the whole Army, which Anlafe had brought.

(9) The memory of this man is made the more la∣sting by a peece of ancient Saxon coine of siluer, in∣scribed with his name, ANLAF CYNYNE, which for the antiquity of the thing, and honour of the man, we haue here imprinted, & placed though in the texture of our English Saxon Kings.

(10) To leaue a memoriall of King Ethelstans great victory, giue me leaue to write what I find; name∣ly, *that neere vnto the Castle Dunbar in Scotland, he praying that his right vnto those parts might bee confirmed vnto posterities by a signe, at one blow with his sword stroke an elle deepe into a stone, which stood so clouen a long time after, and vndoub∣tedly was the whetstone to the first Authors knife▪ but this is most certaine, that hee ioined Northum∣berland*to the rest of his Monarchy, and returning to Beuerley redeemed his owne knife. *

(11) From hence he turned his warres into Wales, whose Rulers and Princes hee brought to bee his Tributaries, who at Hereford entered couenant to pay him yeerely twenty pound weight of gold, three hundred of siluer, and twenty fiue hundred head of cattle, with hawkes and hounds to a certaine num∣ber, towards which paiment by the statutes of How∣ell*Dha, the King of Aberfraw was charged at sixty six pounds; the Prince Dineuwre, and the Prince of Powys were to pay the like summes.

* (12) The Britaines, which to his time with all e∣quall right inhabited the City of Excester with the Saxons, hee expelled into the further promontary of Cornwal, and made Tamar the confines of his own Empire; so that his dominion was the largest that *any Saxon before him had enioied, and his fame the greatest with all forraine Princes, who sought his friendship both with loue and alliance, by matching with his sisters, and presenting him with rich and rare presents; for Hugh King of France besides o∣ther vnestimable Iewels; sent him the sword of Constantine the Great, in the hilt whereof (all couered with gold) was one of the nailes that fastned Christ *to his Crosse: he sent likewise the speare of Charles the Great, reputed to be the same that pierced Christs side, as also part of the Crosse whereon hee suffered his passion, and a peece of the thorny Crowne wher∣with his blessed Temples were begoared, and with these came the Banner of S. Maurice so often spread by Charles the Great in his Christian warres against the Saracens: And from Otho the Emperour, who had married his sister, was sent a vessell of pretious stones artificially made, wherein were seene Lanskips with vines, corne, and men, all of them seeming so Page  365 naturally to moue, as if they had growne and re∣tained life: And the King of Norway sent him a *goodly shippe with a guilt sterne, purple sailes, and the decke garnished all with gold.

(13) Of these accounted holy reliques King E∣thelstan gaue part vnto the Abbey of S. Swithen in *Winchester, and the rest to the Monastery of Malmes∣bury, whereof Adelme was the founder, and his Tutelar Saint, in honour of whom he bestowed great immunities vpon the towne, and large endowments *vpon the Abbey; hee new built the monasteries▪ of Wilton, Michelnesse, and Midleton, founded Saint Germans in Cornwal, Saint Petrocus at Bodman, the Pri∣ory of Pilton, new walled and beutified the City of Exceter, and enriched euery famous Abbey in the land, either with new buildings, •ewels, Books, or Reuenewes.

* (14) As also hee did certaine Cities with the Mintage of his money, whereof in London were eight houses, at Winchester sixe, at Lewis two, at Hastings two, in Hampton two, in Warham two, in Chichester one, in Rochester three, two for the King, and one for the Bishop; at Canterbury seuen; foure for him∣selfe, two for the Archbishop, and one for the Ab∣bat, although it appeareth the Archbishop had his *before the raigne of this King. For among these an∣cient Saxon-Coines, we find one of Ceolnothus, who sate there Archbishop in the yeare 831. which both for the antiquity & authority of truth wee haue here inserted.

* (15) This Prince King Ethelstan was of an indiffe∣rent stature, not much exceeding the common sort of men, chearefull in countenance, his haire verie yellow, and somewhat stooped forward as he went, for valour inuincible, in resolution constant, and for *his curte sie beloued of all, he raigned in great honour the space of fifteene yeares and odde monethes, and deceased in the City of Gloucester, vpon wednesday the seuenteenth of October, and was buried at Mal∣mesbury the yeere of Christs Natiuity: 940. hauing neuer had wife mentioned in our histories.