earth which had not obeyed his commandement and to that purpose called unto him Olophernes his chiefe Captaine and gave him a strickt Commission to execute the will of the great King and Lord of the whole earth for so he stiled himselfe Then went forth Olophernes from the presence of his Lord and called together all the Governours Captaines and Officers of the army of Ashur and selected an hoast of an hundred and twenty thousand foote with twelve thousand Archers on Horse backe besides Camels and Asses for burdens and Sheepe Goates and Oxen without number and victuall for every man in the army besides great store of treasure out of the Kings house with multitudes of strangers like swarmes of Grasse-hoppers which attended on the Army and to pertake with the Assyrians in the spoyle Who from the upper Cilicia even to Damascus overrunne many Nations robbed their Cities laid waste their Countries and put all their young men to the edge of the sword so that feare and trembling fell upon all the inhabitants of the Sea coasts who sent Ambassadors unto him and laid themselves prostrate to his mercy and after received him with Crownes Timbrels and Dances into their borders and Cities notwithstanding which he cut downe their woods set Garrisons in their chiefe Cities and tooke out of them their chosen men of warre destroyed all their gods commanding them to worship Nabuchodonosor onely and that all tongues and Tribes should call upon him as their God Now when the children of Israel who dwelt in Iudea had hard what was done unto the Nations they were greatly troubled for Ierusalem and the Temple for they were but newly returned from the Captivity therefore they sent into all the Coasts of Samaria and the bordering Cities And tooke all the toppes of the high mountaines and walled in their Villages and put in vittailes for the provision of warre And â—oachim the High Priest sent to them of Bethulia and the adjacent Cities exhorting them to keepe the passages of the mountaines for by them was an entry into Iudea but so narrow was the passage that two men could but elbow there at the most Then cryed they unto the Lord even every man of Israel their wives and their children all with one consent and fell downe before the Temple in sacke-cloath and ashes on their heads praying that hee would not give their children for a prey nor their wives for a spoyle nor the Cities of their Inheritance to destruction nor the sanctuary to pollution and reproach and a derision to the Heathen the High Priest also and the Levites stood before the Alter their loynes giâ—t with sacke-cloath and ashes upon their Miters and called upon the Lord who heard their prayer In this interim it was declared to the great Captaine of the Assyrian army that the Israelites had prepared for warre and shut the passage of the mountaines and laid impediments in the champion Country where with being exceedingly mooved he assembled all the Princes of Moab and the Captaines of Ammon and all the Governours of the Sea coast and demanded of them who that people were what their Cities and what the multitude of their army and why they alone have not come downe to submit themselves more then all the inhabitants of the West To whom Achior Captaine of the Ammonites replyed Let my Lord heare the words of his servant and I will declare unto thee the truth concerning this people and gave him a free relation of their estate from the beginning rehearsing punctually all those great wonders that God had done for them in delivering them from the Aegyptians slavery In dividing the red Sea and overwhelming Pharaoh and his hoast and destroying the nations before them c. Adding moreover that when they sinned not before their God they prospered but when they departed from his way they were destroyed in many battles and led Captives into strange Countries but now saith hee they are turned unto their God and are come up from the scattering wherein they were scattered and possesse Ierusalem where their Temple stands and dwell in the mountaines which were desolate therefore if they have now againe sinned they shall be easily overcome But if there be none iniquity found in this people let my Lord passe by them least the Lord whom they serve defend them and we become a reproch before all the world Whose words were no sooner ended but all the Captaines of the Hoast began greatly to murmur And would in their fury have slaine him but when the tumult was appeased Olofernes said unto Achior because thou hast prophesied amongst us this day that the people of Ierusalem is able to fight against us because their God is able to defend them and who is God but Nabuchodonosor therefore will I destroy them from the face of the earth and their God shall not deliver them but we will destroy them all as one man And thou Achior because thou hast spoken these words in the day of thine iniquity thou shalt see my face no more till I take vengeance of that people which is come from Aegypt and then shall the Iron of mine army and the multitude that serve mee passe through thy sides and thou shalt fall amongst their slaine nor shalt thou perish till thou beest destroyed with them Then commanded hee his servants concerning Achior that they should bring him before Bethulia bound and deliver him into the hands of the Israelites which was accordingly done then came the men of the City and loosed him and brought him into Bethulia and presented him unto the governours of the place which were Ozias the sonne of Micha of the Tribe of Simeon and Chabris the sonne of Gothoniel and Charmis the sonne of Melchiel who demaunded of him of all that was done of which he gave them ample satisfaction declaring unto them the purpose of Olofernes and the words he had spoken in the midst of the Princes of Ashur For which having first praysed God they comforted Achior and commended him greatly and Ozias tooke him into his house and made a feast to the Elders calling upon the God of Israel The next day Olophernes removed his whole army neere unto Bethulia and cut off all their Springs of water thinking without the hazard of his people to make them perish by thirst for so he was counselled and besieged the City for the space of foure and thirty dayes in which time all their places of water failed and their Cisternes were empty insomuch that they had not supply for one day so that their children swouned and their wives and young men failed and fel downe in the streetes so that they murmured against the Elders desiring them to deliver up the City to the enemy for it is better for us said they to be a spoyle unto them then to dye of thirst since the Lord hath delivered us into their hands which they prest upon them so urgently
out of diverse parts of England that their losse was not perceived In which interim one Iohn Dinham was sent with certaine ships to set upon the Kings Navy at Portsmouth who sped him so well that he tooke the Lord Rivers in his bed with the Lord Skales his son with other rich preys taking of the Kings Navy what shippes them best liked which some conjecture was not without the consent of the Mariners who bore a singular affection to the Earle of Warwicke With part of these ships the Earle of Warwicke sayled into Ireland to conferre with the Duke of Yorke about their re-entry into the Land and returned into Callis with safety in which time a Parliment was held at Coventry by Authority whereof the Duke of Yorke with the other Lords were attainted and their Lands and goods ceased to the Kings use then provision was made to defend the Havens and Ports and at Sandwich was ordained a new strength under the command of one Sir Simon Mountford that none should passe unto the aide of the Lords of which they having intelligence sent out another Navy unâ—o Sandwich and after long fight with the said Mountford tooke him and at a place called Ris-banke smote off his head after which the confederate Lords seeing what power they had with them and knowing that many hearts in England adhered to their faction after they had set Callis in order they prepared for England and landed at Dover and marching through Kent came to London the second day of Iuly where having well refreshed their people they sped them towards the King who was then at Coventry and awaited there with a sufficient army Who marching as farre as Northampton the ninth day of Iuly both hosts incountred where betwixt them was a blooddy battle fought but in the end the victory fell to the Earles of Warwicke and Salisbury and the Kings host were utterly defeated and many of his Noblemen slaine amongst which were the Duke of Buckingham the Earle of Shrewsbury the Vicount Bewmount Lord Egremond and others and the King taken in the field after which victory by the Lords obtained they brought the King still keeping his estate up to London and lodged him in the Bishops pallace and sent newes of their happy successe to the Duke of Yorke who was at that time in Ireland A Parliament was then cald in the name of the King and holden at Westminster during which the Duke of Yorke upon the tenth day of October came to the City of Westminster and lodged him in the Kings pallace upon which a rumour rose that Henry should be deposed and the Duke of Yorke made King Whilst these things were thus in agitation the Duke came one day unto the Parliament Chamber and in the presence of the Lords sate him downe in the Kings Chaire and boldly made claime to the Crowne as his rightfull inheritance At which the Lords began to murmure as well his friends as others and after the matter was long disputed the Duke was perswaded to renounce that claime during the life of King Henry In all which time the Queene whom all these terrours could not daunt kept her selfe with the Lords of her party in the North and using the Kings name gathered a strong power which as she protested in the front of her Campe was to be revenged on the Kings Rebells and Enemies There is one thing worthy observation that during this Competitorship betwixt the King and the Duke though they lodged both within one pallace yet would he for no intercession or intreaty once visit the King which could be little lesse interpreted then an haughty and ambitious insolence To proceede it was after concluded by the Authority of the whole Parliament that King Henry should continue King all his naturall life but after his death Prince Edward his sonne to be made incapable of that Royall dignity but the Duke and his Heires to be Kings and he in the meane time to be made Protector and Regent of the Land and if at any time the King of his owne free will were disposed to resigne it should be to the Duke if he then lived or else to his Heires after him which on the Saturday next being the ninth day of November was proclaimed through the City And further because Queene Margaret with the Prince her Sonne the Dukes of Summerset and Exeter with divers other Lords kept her still in the North and came not up at the Kings sending it was concluded by the Lords there present that the Duke of Yorke with the Earle of Salisbury and others should raise an Army to fetch in the said Queene and Lords who hearing of their comming met with him neere unto Wakefield where was fought betwixt them a sharpe and bloody battle in which the Duke of Yorke was slaine with his young Sonne the Earle of Rutland with Sir Thomas Nevell sonne to the Earle of Salisbury and the Earle himselfe was taken alive and soone after beheaded It is said that the Duke of Yorke being sore wounded was brought before the Queene who in great derision and scorne placed him on a molehill instead of a Throne and put a Crowne of paper on his head for a Diadem and after she had sufficiently taunted his ambition caused him to be slaine this done with her victorious host shee made what speede shee could towards London and at Saint Albones was met by the Earle of Warwicke and the Duke of Northfolke who brought the King with them to the field where after a strong fight upon a Shrove-tuesday in the morning the Duke and Earles Army were routed and the King againe taken and brought unto the Queene The same day she caused her sonne Edward to be made Knight with other Gentlemen to the number of thirty persons The Queene being now in her former supreame command and thinking to sway all things as before at her owne pleasure newes were brought that Edward Earle of March eldest Sonne to the Duke of Yorke and the Earle of Warwicke were met with a great strength of March-men and others and were speeding towards London which tidings compelled the King and Queene to retire them with their Army Northward the other taking this advantage entred the City the first weeke in Lent to whom resorted great numbers of Gentlemen from the South and East then was a great Counsell called of the Lords spirituall and temporall who after many argumenâ—s debated gave up this sentence that forasmuch as King Henry contrary to his honour and promise at the last parliament made and also that he was reputed unable and insufficient to governe the Realme by their generall assents he was thought worthy to be deposed and discharged of all royall dignity Then incontinently by the Authority of the said Counsell and consent of the Commons there present Edward the eldest son to the Duke of Yorke with an unanimous suffrage was
on a Chalcidonian Damsell lost all his honour giving way to the enemy for an easie victory of these and the like we thus read Ovid Elegiar lib. 2. nisirapta fuisset Tyndaris Europa pax Asiaeque foret Femina silvestres Lapit has populumque biformem c. But for the rape made of the Spartian Queene Europe and Asia still in peace had beene Woman and Wine that blooddy banquet made In which the two shap't Centaurs did invade The Lapithes who doubly text with lust And the grapes juyce lay tumbling in the dust In Latin's kingdome for his Iustice praisd Woman a second Trojan tumult raisd Two buls I have seene for a faire heifer fight With lustfull fire inraged at her sight c. But contrary to these diverse of the same sex though not in that great number have beene very eminent in advancing both the profit and honour of their Nations as Dominica the wife of the Emperour Valence with her great eloquence and hazard of her person withall pacified the barbarous Goths from sacking and utterly subverting Constantinople the Metropolis of the Grecian Empire Iuguldis the sister of Childebert King of France by her Arguments and earnest sollicitations brought her Husband Hermogillus the Sonne of Lemigildus King of the Goths quite to abjure all paganisme and sincerely to professe the true Christian Religion Clotildis Queene of France after the like manner brought her Husband Clodoveus the son of Chilpericke to the profession of the faith In the yeare of grace three hundred and twelve Autaulphus King of the Goths laid his seige against Rome to assault it at least if not to spoyle it and to change the name thereof and for Roma to call it Gothia But Placida the wife of Honorius with her sweete perswasive language so insinuated into the ferocity of his barbarous diposition that she caused him to relent and quite altering his bloody purpose to raise the siege and leave the City in safety Pompeia Paulina wrought the like upon the tyrannous disposition of the Emperour Iulianus her husband causing him to take of those taxes and heavy impositions which he had with great rigour laid upon his people To which number may be added Helena the Mother of Constantine and Monica the Mother of Saint Augustine and some others and not the least meriting this Lady Elpheda the subject of our present treatise Whose Father Aluredus whom some of our Chronologers call Alphredus the fourth Sonne to Adolphus and Brother to Etheldredus late King began his raigne over the West Saxons and divers other Provinces of England in the yeare of Grace eight hundred threescore and twelve and in the thirtyeth yeare of Charles surnamed the Bald King of France It is written of him that he was twelve yeares of age before he was taught to know any Letter but after by his great industry he not onely excelled in learning his brothers but many others who were before him in time Hee was the first raised a Schoole in Oxford and gave that Towne great freedomes and Immunities He caused also many Lawes to be translated out of the Brittish tongue into the Saxons Especially the Mercean Lawes which Mercia was an absolute Kingdome called also middle England he was further a very skillfull Architector as having great knowledge in building and for hunting and hawking hee was able to instruct any but needed direction from none hee was of a comely stature and faire both of countenance and condition and of all his other children the best beloved of his Father He when he came to maturity espoused a noble Lady whose name was Etheluida by whom he had two sons Edward surnamed the elder and a second called Egelward Elpheda whom he after marryed to Etheldredus whom hee made Duke or Prince of Mercia the second was called Ethelgota he made a Nunrie or Votaresse and the third had to name Elphrida all his children as well daughters as sonnes he caused to be diligently instructed in the art of grammer so much he affected learning and was in many battles victorious over the Danes who often and in sundry places invaded the Land and tyrannized therein and amongst many other his Heroyicke acts one passage I cannot omit being so remarkeable Being in one battle much overset by reason of the multitude of his enemies he was forced with a small traine to hide himselfe in the wooddy Country about Summerset shire and had no other food save such as hee could provide by hunting and fishing yet at length being better comforted he began to shew himselfe more publicke and at large so that dayly there resorted unto him men out of Wiltshire Summerset shire Hampeshire and other places of the Kingdome so that in Processe of time he was strongly accompanied and much better accommodated then the Danes any way dreamed of upon a time the King in person tooke upon him the habit of a Bard or Musician and with his Harpe or some such instrument he entered the Tents and Pavilions of the Danes and sung unto them many pleasant Ballads and Ditties which greatly delighted them in which interim he espyed their sloth and idlenesse tooke full view of their hoast their strength and how it was ordered and withall discovered much of their Counsell and purposes and after returned unto his owne company who with some chosen men fell upon them in the night and utterly defeated and routed them having ever after the upper hand of his enemies It is further remembred of him that hee divided the night and day into three parts if he were not otherwise hindered and molested by his enemies whereof eight houres he spent in study and other eight in Almes deeds and prayer and the remainder in his dyet exercise and affaires of the Realme he raigned three and twenty yeares and dyed a notable and most memorable president to all that should hereafter sit on the throne of Majesty whom succeeded his son Edward Brother to this our Elpheda who though he was lower degreed then his Father in Arts and Literature yet excelled him in state and Majesty This high spirited Virago quite abandoning all softnesse and effeminacy betooke herselfe wholly to the practice of Armes by which she grew famously glorious assisting her Brother in all those great conflicts against the Danes but ere I come to give you a particular character of the sister let it be held no unnecessary digression to speake somewhat of the King her Brother who by his first wife named Edwina had a Sonne called Ethelstane who after succeeded him in the Throne By his second wife two Sonnes Edredus and Edwinus and seven daughters of which the eldest named Alnuda or Almida he marryed to the Emperour Otto the first of that name and Algina the second to Charles King of France surnamed the simple and the youngest of his daughters to Lewis King of Guien By his third wife Ethelswida
he received two sonnes Edmond and Eldred and two daughters Edburga and Edgina thus was he blest with a numerous Issue setting all his sonnes to Schoole to teach them knowledge in the Liberall Arts but the Ladies his daughters to spinne and card wooll taking his president from Charles of France surnamed the Conquerour from which even our greatest Ladyes nay even Princesses themselves if they be either cited in Court or arraigned upon any Capitoll offence they are indited by the name of such an one Spinster to this day About the first yeare of his raigne one Clito Ethelwaldus a neere kinsman to the King rebelled against him and strengthned himselfe at a place called Win-burne neere unto Bathe and tooke thence perforce a beautifull Nunne and with her fled unto the Danes who then had peaceably seated themselves in Northumberland animating them by very pregnant and perswasive reasons to take armes in his behalfe against the King his Nephew who notwithstanding so hotly pursued him that hee was compelled to forsake that Country quite leaving the Nun behind him and for his safety flye into France so that the King with drew his forces and left off his pursuite restoring the Nunne unto the same cloyster from whence she was violently taken In all which expeditions this brave Heroina with Etheldredus her Husband Duke of Mercia assisted the King her Brother as also in that which followeth being highly extolled above many other prime Commanders for her forward and excellent service The next yeare following this Clito before spoken off with a crew of Frenchmen landed in the East part of England and gathered unto him all the Danes of that Country robbing and pillaging all the Townes and Villages as they marched onwards especially those about Crekingsford and Crickland and after passed the River of Thames and spoyled all the Lands neere unto Bradenstuake and so from thence retyred themselves into Hast Anglia which were the two Counties of Northfolke and Suffolke But the King with his sister made after them with all possible speed making havocke of all those Lands which they then held of him by composition from the River of Owse as farre as the borders of Saint Edmonds bury and soone after the two hosts encountered where a bloody battle was fought to the great losse of both sides in which conflict Elpheda fought hand to hand with Clito and though sundred by the multitude yet came off with the best the event was that Clito with many of the Danes were slaine and left dead in the field and the King and his Sister shared in the honour of the day Those that survived were forced to seeke and sue for peace upon condition that they should keepe themselves within the bounds to them limitted and moreover pay an annuall tribute for all those grounds they held of the King In the twelfth yeare of this Edwards raigne the Danes repenting of those Covenants before made as thinking it an impairing to their honour assembled a mighty hoast with which the King and his sister met in Stafordshire at a place called Toten-hall and soone after at Wodnesfield at which two places they slew two Kings two Earles and divers Commanders of note besides many thousands of the Danes of which the Chronocles afford us no exact number most of which came out of the Country of Northumberland where they had beene peaceably seated This excellent Lady was as Religious as Valiant who amongst other of her pious acts prevailed so farre with her Husband that they betwixt them at their proper charge translated the bones of King Oswal who had beene Cannonized for a Saint from Bradony to Glocester and there erected a faire and beautifull Monastery dedicated to the honour of Saint Peter soone after which for it presently ensued the last battle before spoken of dyed Etheldredus Duke of Mercia or middle England after whose expiration the King having had so long proofe of his Sisters love valour and wisdome conferred on her the sole and entire rule and governement of that Country in as ample possession as her Lord had before injoyed it the City of London only excepted which he reserved to be under his owne patronage Of this masculine Spirited Lady to reckon up all her vertues would aske long circumstance but I will particularize unto you some few of those brave deedes she hath left memorable to all posterity as building and repairing many Townes Cities and Castles as Tamworth besides Lychfield Stafford Warwicke Shrowsbury Watersbury and Eldesbury in the Forrest besides Chester shee erected also a Castle in the North end of Mercia upon the River cald Merce in the Saxon tongue Ramcofan and since Runcora shee also built a bridge over the River Severne called Brimsbury Bridge she more over both by her purse and wisdome greatly assisted the King her Brother as well in the mannaging the affaires of the Realme as in erecting sundry Forts and Cittadels as the strong Castle of Hereford in the edge of Wales and in repairing the wals and City of Chester by the Danes much defaced which he much inlarged so that the Castle which was before without the Walles is from his time even to this day contained within them It is further reported of her that after she had once prooved the paine of travaile in Child birth shee for ever after abandoned the bed and embraces of the Duke her Husband saying it was neither convenient nor seemely for a Kings Daughter and Sister to a King to expose her selfe to any such lust full action which might beget those pangs and throws which women were inforced to indure in travell a rare continence and not found in many and that was one prime occasion why after the birth of her sole and onely Daughter Elswina she left all other effeminacies and applying her selfe unto the condition of those turbulent and combustious times became a stout and warlike Virago whose example could not chuse but put courage into the most dastardly cowards beholding a woman so valiant Of her rare continence and vowed chastity too much cannot be spoke in her praise for Chastity as Solon defineth it is the beauty of the soule the grace of the body and peace of the minde it is a vertue alwayes companion with fortitude and as it is both in Virginity and the Widdowed much approoved so even in Wedlocke it cannot be but commendable and as idlenesse is the greatest enemy unto it so by being in continuall action is to oppose it abstinence from fleshly lusts are best tryed in extremity and in the end crowned with eternity for let the body be never so faire without that it cannot be truely cald beautifull Beauty may be compared to the flowers of the Spring which soone fade but Chastity to the starres of Heaven which last ever for with the reines of reason it curbeth the rage of lust The greatest honour conferd upon women without that is
but like a Mandrakes Apple faire in shew and poyson in taste it is the seale of Grace the staffe of Devotion the glory of life the comfort in death which when it is joyned with Humility and Charity they may be called the three vertues of the soule I come now to the thirteenth of this King Edwards raigne and the first or second at the most of her Widdow-hood at which time a great Navy of Danes which in the time of King Alured were beaten from the coast and forced to flye into France now returned and sayled about the West Country and landing in diverse places tooke sundry preies at their best advantage and then retyred themselves into their shippes againe and amongst other of their direptions they spoyled a towne called Irchinfield from which place they tooke a Bishop and carryed him aboord their ships whom they soone after ransomed for forty pounds sterling but as soone as the King and his Noble Sister had intelligens of these out-rages he assembled his Forces and they sped them West-ward by Land and sent out a Navy by Sea of which the Danes hearing they cowardly quit the Land and fled into Ireland And therefore to prevent the like inconveniences to which the Realme in those dayes was much subject the King by the advise of his fellow Championesse built a Castle at the mouth of the River Avon and another at Buckingham and a third neare unto it and after returned into Northamptonshire and gave battle to the Danes who had there planted themselves under a great Duke cald Turbetillus whom they utterly defeated and had of them an honourable victory It is further Recorded of this Martiall Virago that she without the ayde of her Brother gathered her Knights together and where the Welsh-men made invation into the Land about Brecknocke shee valiantly opposed them in all violent Hostility and amongst other prisoners and preyes surprised the Queene of their Country who came in person to the field and thinking to aspire unto her fame came farre short of her Forture The yeare following which was the foureteenth of the Kings raigne hee caused to be erected or at the least reedified the Townes of Torsetor and Wigmore Vtterly demolishing a strong and famous Castle which the Danes for their security and defence had built at Temesford The same yeare also this Noble Lady won the Towne of Derby from the power of the Danes in which assault they put her to that hard adventure that foure Knights which were called the guardians of her Corps were slaine close by her yet shee notwithstanding by her great valour escaped and after so many perils hazards battles and conflicts in all which both for magnanimity and action shee out did the most and equalled the best death which durst not looke upon her in her Armour as being frighted at the terrour of her angry countenance stole upon her unawares when her plumed helmet victorious sword and impenetrable Curace was laid by arrested her by the hand of his minister sickenesse and then taking the advantage of her infirmity and weakenesse strucke her dead about the Summer Solstice which is the middle of Iune Who was much lamented by the King and the Commons and her body with great solemnity interred in the Monastery of Saint Peters which the Duke her Lord and shee had before erected in Glocester which was after in the troublesome combustions of the Danes quite raced and demolished but in the processe of time againe reedified by Aldredus Bishop both of Yorke and Worcester who was loath that the memory of so magnanimous a Lady should be drowned in Lethe and not her monument remaine to all posterity This excellent Lady being dead her young daughter Elswina was possessed of all her seigniory for a season having a like principality with her mother who preceaded her and was stiled Princesse of Mercia or middle England but the King her Vnckle taking the affaire into his more mature consideration by the advice of his Nobles thought it to be too great a burden for her to support especially her indisposition comming so farre short of the wisedome and valour of her Mother and therefore discharged and dispossessed her thereof annexing it to the Crowne and making it a prime limbe of the body of his Kingdome which though it was done with some contention and difficulty yet the King prevailed in his purpose allotting unto her the Townes of Notingham Tom-woorth and Derby expecting shee would have defended them in as brave and warlike a manner as her Mother before her had done but finding the contrary he tooke them also from her and reduced them into his owne subjection Henry Arch-bishop of Huntington an Histriographer and Poet such as those times afforded wrote much of the Chronicles of England and composed many Elegies and Ditties of this noble Lady Elpheda of which these ensuing are a part Caesars triumphs were not so much to praise As was of Elpheda that shields so oft did raise Against her enemies this noble vanqueresse Virago whose vertues can I not expresse These amongst others are remembred by Fabiam one of our English Chronologers whom in this briefe tractate for the contractednesse used in his Annals I have strived to imitate King Edward in the death of his Royall sister Elpheda having lost his chiefe supportresse yet notwithstanding builded a new Towne directly over against old Nothingham and made a faire Bridge to make a passage betwixt them of whom Marianus the Scot William of Malmsbury and Henry of Huntington further report that he subdued the two Kings of Scotland and Wales who about the twentieth yeare of his raigne elected and acknowledged him for their Lord and Patron Hee also in the North part of Mercia by the River Merce built a City or Towne called Thylwall and after repaired the City of Mouchester which had beene much defaced by the Danes after which and many other his structures and noble atchievements which would appeare too tedious here to relate He finally expired having raigned in great honour and trouble at Tarringdon in the twenty fourth yeare of his raigne and from thence his body was conveighed to Winchester and interred in the Monastery of Saint Swithine leaving behinde him divers Sonners of which Ethelstane was the eldest and succeeded in the Throne Imperiall who began his raigne over the greatest part of England in the yeare of grace nine hundred and twenty five and in the third yeare of Rodolphus King of France this Ethelstane much beautified the tombe of his Aunt Elpheda and is said to be the first annointed King of this Land c. QVEENE MARGARET QVeene Margarets Father as all pens agree King of Ierusalem and Sicilee Had neither Crowne nor Country th' Annals say And what 's command where none are to obey Yet those meere timpanous Titles Suffolke drew Twixt her and the sixt Henry to pursue A speedy match mauger the prae-contract Tweene