The history of England giving a true and impartial account of the most considerable transactions in church and state, in peace and war, during the reigns of all the kings and queens, from the coming of Julius Cæsar into Britain : with an account of all plots, conspiracies, insurrections, and rebellions ... : likewise, a relation of the wonderful prodigies ... to the year 1696 ... : together with a particular description of the rarities in the several counties of England and Wales, with exact maps of each county / by John Seller ...

The Reign of Edmund, who from his Valour and Hardiness was Sirnamed Ironside, Fifteenth Sole Monarch of England.

EDmund Ironside began his Reign in a very trouble∣some time, Anno Dom. 1016, when the Danes had possessed the greater part of the Kingdom; taking on him the Crown rather out of pity to his bleeding Coun∣try, than desire of Soveraignty; and indeed did more than could be reasonably expected from him, with such slender Forces and little Treasure; for immedi∣atly seting up his Standard to recover a great part of the Kingdom at a point to be lost, he gave Canute Battel at Penham near Gillingham, where he Overthrew him with much slaughter on both sides; then he Fought him again with the like success at Sherestane in Worce∣stershire; and likewise in a third Battel near that place, notwithstanding Ederick the Traiterous Duke, though seemingly siding with the King, gave out in the midest of the Battel that the King was Slain; upon which Defeat, the Danes fled to London, and were pursued by Edmund who drove them thence. He discomfited them at Oteford in Kent, and had clear'd the Kingdom of them but for Edrick's Treachery, who in a sixth Battel the King Fought at Assendune near Roachfor in Essex, commanding a part of the Kings Army, he purposely fled, upon which the Souldiers fell into Rout and Disorder, so that the King was compelled for his safety to Retreat towards Gloucester, whither his scattered Forces resorted to him; and after a little Refreshment he caused other Troops to be raised, and again dis∣played his Standard in the Field, often Skirmishing with the Danes, and slaying great numbers of them, sending likewise a Challenge to Canute their King, to

end the War by single Combate; who accepting it, the two Kings in the sight of both Armies prepared on the day appointed, viz. the 15th of July, in a little Island called Olway, made so by the winding of the Se∣vern; and about ten in the Morning the Combate be∣gan, both of them having strong and large Swords: They had not long continued it, and given to each o∣ther mighty Blows, but the Blood flowed plentifully from their Wounds, and Edmund being a Prince of exceeding strength, pressed so hard upon Canute, that driving him to the Brink of the River, he cryed out (tho almost Breathless and Faint, by effusion of Blood) What need is there for us, Noble King, thus to endanger our Lives? The Kingdom is large enough for us both: If you will then consent to divide it between us, our hands will be strengthened against our Enemies, and we shall Live together in Peace and Ʋnity, as Brothers.

King Edmund pausing hereupon a while, considered That if he slew Canute, the Danes might not stand to the Award of leaving the Land, as having experienced their breach of Truce, and that being mostly Pagans, they held it but a small matter to break their Word or Oaths with Christians, and that other Commanders might come over with fresh Forces to work new Troubles, the Country being already very much wast∣ed; he at last concluded (upon Canute's dropping his Sword, in token he Submitted) to shake Hands with him, and embrace the offer: Whereupon King Ed∣mund having the first Lot, chose the Southern, Eastern, and Western Counties, as far as the Borders of Yorkshire; and Canute then seemed to be contented with the Nor∣thern Counties, as far as the Borders of Scotland; Mu∣tually Swearing to assist each other against all Invaders; and for a time they lived Peaceably in Co-Partnership. But Ederick, the Traytorous Duke, perceiving the

Danes by reason of the swarms that came frequently from Denmark to be the stronger, laboured to ingrati∣ate himself with Canute, (tho' he held fair with Edmund, who would not be perswaded by his faithful Counsel∣lors to take him out of the way, tho' his Treasons were apparent:) And thinking he should merit much of the Dane by destroying King Edmund; at least, That he should have some part of the Kingdom assigned him; he one day, as the King was disburdening Nature at the lower end of his Garden, conveyed himself by a back way under the Vault, and with Impious Hands Thrust a short Spear in at his Fundament and up his Body till it peirced his Heart; so that giving an extraordinary Groan, he instantly Dyed.

The Traytor not satisfied with this, but desirous to carry some Testimonial of the Regicide with him, crept up at the hole, and with his Sword cut off the Kings Head, and so privately made his Escape to Canute; and at his approaching him, cryed out, Hail, Sole Mo∣narch of England! Behold the Head of thy Go-Partner: Canute inwardly detesting so base a Treachery, yet outwardly dessembling his Resentment, received it as a Grateful Present, promising the Bringer to Advance him above all the Nobles of the English Nation; and in∣deed in one sence he did it, as he deserved; for whilst he was expecting high Promotion, he caused him to be Arrested, and his Head being stricken off, was placed on the highest part of the Tower; for by this time he was advanced with an Army to London, and the English (upon the consternation they were in at the surprizing News of the Kings Death) not opposing him, in a short time the whole Kingdom submitted to him; so that being Crowned Sole Monarch, he put a Period to the Saxon Reign, about 566 Years from the Establishment of the Heptarchy.

[illustration] map of Hartfordshire

HARTFORD SHIRE By John Seller

This Edmund was the Fifteenth Sole Monarch of England: He began his Reign Anno Dom. 1016, and continued it about one Year. He was a Prince aboun∣ding with Courage, Courtesie, and Strength; a lover of Humanity, and very Merciful to those that Submitted to him; and so Good-natured, That he hardly could be induced to believe any Treachery against him.

Remarks on Hartfordshire, &c.

HArtfordshire is a very pleasant Inland County pro∣ducing large crops of Corn, especially Barly, of which the best Malt is held to be made: It abounds with pleastant Orchards and Gardens, has in it divers Parks stored with Deer; It produces large and small Cattle in great abun∣dance, and is sprinkled with Woods, and adorned with plea∣sant Hills, Meadows, and Inclosiures; and is particularly noted for the great quantities of Black Cherries, that are at the proper season sent from thence to London; many of the Trees that produce them growing in the Hedg-rows, in Fields, and along the Roads, casting a pleasant shade in Summer time, to refresh the weary Traveller.

It is Bounded with Cambridgshire, Essex, Middlesex, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire; and divided into Eight Hundreds, viz. Odsey, Edwinstree, Hitching, Broadwater, Broughing, Hartford, Dacor, and Caisho Hundreds; and these again into 120 Parishes: It has 18 Market Towns and one River of note, viz. Ware River; though it is Watered with many small Streams.

It sends Members to Parliament Six, viz. St Albans two, Hartford, the Shire Town, two; and two Knights of the Shire. In this County are divers Places worthy of note, as

St. Albans, raised out of the Ruins of old Verulam, an Antient Roman station: It is Memorable for the Death of St▪ Alban, the British Proto Martyr, who suffered there

in the Tenth Persecution, raised by Dioclesian the Roman Emperour, who being Buryed here, and a stately Monu∣ment raised on his Grave by Offa the great King of the Mercians, seems to have given it its Name. This Place is also famous for two Battels fought here; The first between Richard Duke of York and King Henry the sixth, the 23d of May Anno Don. 1455. In which the King was defeated with the slaughter of the Duke of Summerset, Earl of Northumberland, Lord Clifford, and 5000 of lesser note: The second on the 17th of February Anno Dom. 1460, where King Henry the sixth and his Queen Mar∣garet gained the Victory over the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, and the Earls of Arundel and Warwick.

Barnet is famed for its Market and Medicinal Waters, and for the great Victory gained by Edw. the 4th on the 14th of April Anno Dom. 1471 against the Earls of Warwick and Oxford, in whose Field that great Earl was slain, since called The Battel of Barnet-Field. Here was Born John Barnet Bishop of Worcester, then of Bath and Wells, lastly of Ely, Lord Treasurer in the Reign of Edward the Third.

Ware, Hatfield, and Hodsdon, are all three seated on the River Lea; and near unto Ware is Amwel-Spring, famous for being the Head of the New-River, which so plentifully furnishes the City of London with Water.

Langly, commonly called Kings Langly, gave Birth to Edmond of Langly, fifth Son to Edward the Third, and the first Burial-place of Richard the Second, afterward re∣moved to Westminster. Abbots Langly was the Birth∣place of Nicholas Break-spear, advanced to Pope of Rome, by the Name of Pope Adrian the Fourth; who made the Emperour Frederick of Germany hold his Stirrop.

Oister supposed by Cambden to have been the Camp of the Roman Lieutenant Ostorius, the next of note are Wea∣thamsted, Baldock, Redburn, Helmsteadsbury, Gates∣den,

Hemsted, Cottered, Grohambury, which produced many famous Men. The Seats of the Nobility curiously adorn it, and are these: More Park, once the delightful seat of the Late Ʋnfortunate Duke of Monmouth; Caisho∣bury and Hadam-Hall, the seats of the Earl of Essex; Totteridg, the seat of the Earl of Angleseys; Hatfield, Hartford-Castle, Bigrave, Chesunt, and Quickwood, seats of the Earl of Salisburys: With divers seats of the Gentry rendering a pleasant Prospect in all Parts.