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A68197 The first and second volumes of Chronicles. [vol. 1] comprising 1 The description and historie of England, 2 The description and historie of Ireland, 3 The description and historie of Scotland: first collected and published by Raphaell Holinshed, William Harrison, and others: now newlie augmented and continued (with manifold matters of singular note and worthie memorie) to the yeare 1586. by Iohn Hooker aliàs Vowell Gent and others. With conuenient tables at the end of these volumes.; Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande. vol. 1 Holinshed, Raphael, d. 1580?; Stanyhurst, Richard, 1547-1618.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.; Stow, John, 1525?-1605.; Thynne, Francis, 1545?-1608.; Hooker, John, 1526?-1601.; Harrison, William, 1534-1593.; Boece, Hector, 1465?-1536.; Giraldus, Cambrensis, 1146?-1223? 1587 (1587) STC 13569_pt1; ESTC S122178 1,179,579 468

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entrance into this countrie dearth by tempests earle Goodwines sonne banished out of this land he returneth in hope of the kings fauour killeth his coosen earle Bearne for his good will and forwardnes to set him in credit againe his flight into Flanders his returne into England the king is pacified with him certeine Danish rouers arriue at Sandwich spoile the coast inrich themselues with the spoiles make sale of their gettings and returne to their countrie the Welshmen with their princes rebelling are subdued king Edward keepeth the seas on Sandwich side in aid of Baldwine earle of Flanders a bloudie fraie in Canturburie betwixt the earle of Bullongne and the townesmen earle Goodwine fauoureth the Kentishmen against the Bullongners why he refuseth to punish the Canturburie men at the kings commandement for breaking the kings peace he setteth the king in a furie his suborned excuse to shift off his comming to the assemblie of lords conuented about the foresaid broile earle Goodwine bandeth himselfe against the king he would haue the strangers deliuered into his hands his request is denied a battell readie to haue bene fought betweene him and the king the tumult is pacified and put to a parlement earle Goodwines retinue forsake him he his sonnes and their wiues take their flight beyond the seas The second Chapter YE must vnderstand that K. Edward brought diuerse Normans ouer with him which in time of his banishment had shewed him great friendship wherefore he now sought to recompense them Amongst other the forenamed Robert of Canturburie was one who before his comming ouer was a moonke in the abbeie of Gemeticum in Normandie and being by the king first aduanced to gouerne the sée of London was after made archbishop of Canturburie and bare great rule vnder the king so that he could not auoid the enuie of diuerse noble man and 〈◊〉 of earle Goodw●●e as shall appeare About the third yeere of king Edwards wigne Osgot Clappa was banished the realme And in the yéere following that is to say in the yeere 1047 there fell a marvellous great snow couering the ground from the beginning of Ianuar●e vntill the 17 day of March. Besides this there hapned the same yeere such tempest and lightnings that the corne vpon the earth was burnt vp and blasted by reason whereof there followed a great dearth in England and also death of men cettell About this time Swame the sonne of earle Goodwine was banished the land and fled into Flanders This Swaine kept Edgiua the abbesse of the monasterue of Leoffe and forsaking his wife ment to haue married the foresaid abbesse Within a certeine time after his banishment he returned into England in hope to purchase the kings peace by his fathers meanes and other his friends But vpon some malicious pretense he slue his coosen earle Bearne who was about to labour to the king for his pardon and so then fled againe into Flanders till at length Allered the archbishop of Yorke obteined his pardon and found meanes to reconcile him to the kings fauour In the meane time about the sixt yéere of king Edwards reigne certeine pirats of the Danes arriued in Sandwich hauen and entring the land wasted and spoiled all about the coast There be that write that the Danes had at that time to their leaders two capteins the one named Lother and the other Irling After they had béene at Sandwich and brought from thence great riches of gold and siluer they coasted about vnto the side of Essex and there spoiling the countrie went backe to the sea and sailing into Flanders made sale of their spoiles and booties there and so returned to their countries After this during the reigne of king Edward there chanced no warres neither forren nor ciuill but that the same was either with small slaughter luckilie ended or else without anie notable aduenture changed into peace The Welshmen in déed with their princes Rise and Griffin wrought some trouble but still they were subdued and in the end both the said Rise and Griffin were brought vnto confusion although in the meane time they did much hurt and namelie Griffin who with aid of some Irishmen with whome he was alied about this time entred into the Seuerne sea and tooke preies about the riuer of Wie and after returned without anie battell to him offered About the same time to wit in the yéere 1049 the emperor Henrie the third made warres against Baldwine earle of Flanders and for that he wished to haue the sea stopped that the said earle should not escape by flight that waie foorth he sent to king Edward willing him to kéepe the sea with some number of ships King Edward furnishing a nauie lay with the same at Sandwich and so kept the seas on that side till the emperor had his will of the earle At the same time Swaine sonne of earle Goodwine came into the realme and traitorouslie slue his coosen Bearne as before is said the which trauelled to agrée him with the king Also Gosipat Clappa who had left his wife at Bruges in Flanders comming amongst other of the Danish pirats which had robbed in the coasts of Kent Essex as before ye haue heard receiued his wife and departed backe into Denmarke wi●h six ships leauing the residue being 23 behind him About the tenth yéere of king Edwards reigne Eustace earle of Bullongne that was father vnto the valiant Godfrey of Bullongne Baldwin both afterward kings of Hierusalem 〈…〉 England in the moneth of September to 〈◊〉 his brother in law king Edward whose sister named God● he had maried she then being the 〈◊〉 of Gua●ter de Ma●●●t He found the king at Glocester and being there 〈◊〉 receiued after he had once dispatched such matters for the which he therefore came he tooke leaue and returned homeward But at Canturburie one of his he●●ngers 〈◊〉 roughlie with one of the citizens about a lodging which he sought to haue rather by force than by in treatance occasioned his owne death Whereof when the erle was aduertised he hasted thither to revenge the slaughter of his seruant and fiue both the citizen which had killed his man and eighteene others The citizens héerewith in a great furie got them to armor and set vpon the earle and his returne of whom they slue twentie persons out of hand wounded a great number of the residue so that the earle scarse might escape with one or two of his men from the fraie with all spéed returned backe to the king presenting gréeuous information against them of Canturburie for their cruell vsing of him not onlie in fleaing of his seruants but also in putting him in danger of his life The king crediting the earle was highlie offended against the citizens and with all spéed sending for earle Goodwine declared vnto him in greeuous wise the rebellious act of them of Canturburie which were
the king of England permitted them franklie to depart with 20 ships hauing first caused them to deliuer such hostages as they had receiued of the citizens of Yorke Harold reioising in that he had atteined so glorious a victorie and being now surprised with pride and couetousnesse togither he diuided the spoile of the field nothing equallie but to such as he fauored he distributed liberallie and to other though they had much better deserued he gaue nothing at all reteining still the best part of all to himselfe by reason whereof he lost the fauor of manie of his men who for this his discourtesie did not a little alienate their good willes from him This doone he repaired to Yorke and there staied for a time to reforme the disordered state of the countrie which by reason of those warres was greatlie out of frame ¶ But Harold being more presumptuous and foole-hardie than prouident and wise in his enterprise bending all his force to redresse enormities in those quarters of Yorkeshire much like vnto him whom the Comediographer marketh for a foole Ea tantùm quae ad pedes iacent contemplans non autem ventura praeuidens neglected the kinglie care which he should haue had of other parts of his realme from the which he had withdrawen himselfe and as it is likelie had not left sufficientlie prouided of a conuenient vicegerent to gouerne the same by his warranted authoritie and such fortifications as might expell and withstand the enimie Which want of foresight gaue occasion to the enimie to attempt an inuasion of the English coasts as in the next chapt shall be shewed William duke of Normandie prepareth to inuade England and to conquere it the earle of Flanders and the French king assist him the number of his ships his arriuall at Peuensey in Sussex vpon what occasions he entred this realme the pope liked well duke Williams attempt why king Harold was hated of the whole court of Rome why duke William would not suffer his souldiers to wast the countries where they came Harold goeth towards his enimies why his vnskilfull espials tooke the Normans being old beaten souldiers for priests Girth dissuadeth his brother Harold from present incountering with the duke where note the conscience that is to be had of an oth and that periurie can not scape vnpunished The tenth Chapter WIlliam duke of Normandie hauing knowledge after what maner K. Harold was busied in the north parts of his realme and vnderstanding that the south parts thereof remained destitute of due prouision for necessarie defense hasted with all diligence to make his purueiance of men and ships that he might vpon such a conuenient occasion set forward to inuade his enimie And amongest other of his friends vnto whome he laboured for aid his father in law Baldwine earle of Flanders was one of the chiefest who vpon promise of great summes of monie and other large offers made did aid him with men munition ships and victuals verie freelie The French king also did as much for his part as laie in him to helpe forwards this so high an enterprise Wherefore when all things were now in a readinesse he came to the towne of S. Ualerie where he had assembled tigither an huge nauie of ships to the number as some authors affirme of three hundred saile and when he had taried there a long time for a conuenient wind at length it came about euen as he himselfe desired Then shipping his armie which consisted of Normans Flemings Frenchmen and Britains with all expedition he tooke the sea and directing his course towards England he finallie landed at a place in Sussex ancientlie called Peuensey on the 28 day of September where he did set his men on land prouided all things necessarie to incourage and refresh them At his going out of his ship vnto the shore one of his féet slipped as he stepped forward but the other stacke fast in the sand the which so soone as one of his knights had espied and séeing his hand wherevpon he staied full of earth when he rose he spake alowd and said Now sir duke thou hast the soile of England fast in thy hand shalt of a duke yer long become king The duke hearing this tale laughed merilie thereat and comming on land by and by he made his proclamation declaring vpon what occasions he had thus entered the realme The first and principall cause which he alleged was for the chalenge his right meaning the dominion of the land that to him was giuen and assigned as he said by his nephue king Edward late ruler of the same land The second was to reuenge the death of his nephue Alured or Alfred the brother of the same king Edward whome Goodwine earle of Kent and his adherents had most cruellie murthered The third was to be reuenged of the wrong doone vnto Robert archbishop of Canturburie who as he was informed was exiled by the meanes and labor of Harold in the daies of king Edward Wherein we haue to note that whether it were for displeasure that the pope had sometime conceiued for the wrong doone to the archbishop or at the onlie sute of duke William certeine it is that the pope as then named Alexander the second fauored this enterprise of the duke and in token thereof sent him a white banner which he willed him to set vp in the decke of the ship wherein he himselfe should saile In déed as writers report the pope with his cardinals and all the whole court of Rome had king Harold euer in great hatred and disdaine because he had taken vpon him the crowne without their consent or anie ecclesiasticall solemnitie or agréement of the bishops And although the pope and his brethren the said cardinals dissembled the matter for the time yet now beholding to what end his bold presumption was like to come with frowning fortune they shewed themselues open aduersaries inclining streightwaies to the stronger part after the manner of couetous persons or rather of the réed shaken with a sudden puffe of wind Duke William at his first landing at Peuensey or Pemsey whether you will fortified a péece of ground with strong trenches and leauing therein a competent number of a men of warre to kéepe the same he sped him toward Hastings and comming thither he built an other fortresse there with all spéed possible without suffering his souldiers to rob or harrie the countrie adioining saieng that it should be great follie for him to spoile that people which yer manie daies to come were like to be his subiects K. Harold being as yet in the north parts and hearing the duke William was thus landed in England sped him southward and gathering his people togither out of the countries as he went forwards at length came néere his enimies and sending espials into their campe to vnderstand of what strength they were the vnskilfull messengers regarding smallie
made their letters patents sealed with their seales and then the king of England made William Warreine earle of Surrie and Southsax lord Warden of Scotland Hugh of Cressingham treasuror and William Ormesbie iustice of Scotland and foorthwith sent king Iohn to the Tower of London and Iohn Comin and the earle Badenauth the earle of Bohan and other lords into England to diuerse places on this side of the Trent And after that in the yeare of our Lord 1297 at the feast of Christmas the king called before him the said Iohn king of Scots although he had committed him to ward and said that he would burne or destroie their castels townes and lands if he were not recompensed for his costs and damages susteined in the warres but king Iohn and the other that were in ward answered that they had nothing sith their liues their deaths and goods were in his hands The king vpon that answer mooued with pitie granted them their liues so that they would doo their homage and make their oth solemnelie at the high altar in the church of the abbeie of Westminster vpon the eucharist that they and euerie of them should hold and keepe true faith obedience and allegiance to the said king Edward and his heires kings of England for euer And where the said king of Scots saw the kings banner of England displaied he and all his power should draw therevnto And that neither he or anie of his from thencefoorth should beare armes against the king of England or anie of his bloud Finallie the king rewarding with great gifts the said king Iohn and his lords suffered them to depart But they went into Scotland alwaie imagining notwithstanding this their submission how they might oppresse king Edward and disturbe his realme The Scots sent also to the king of France for succour and helpe who sent them ships to Berwike furnished with men of armes the king of England then being in Flanders In the yeare of our Lord 1298 the king went into Scotland with a great host and the Scots also assembled in great number but the king fought with them at Fawkirke on S. Marie Magdalens daie where were slaine thréescore thousand Scots Willain Walleis that was their capteine fled who being taken afterward was hanged drawen quartered at London for his trespasses After this the Scots rebelled againe and all the lords of Scotland chose Robert Bruse to be king except onelie Iohn Commin earle of Carrike who would not consent thereto bicause of his oth made to the king of England Wherefore Robert Bruse slue him at Dumfrise and then was crowned at Schone abbeie Herevpon the king of England assembled a great hoast and rode through all Scotland discomfited Robert Bruse slue eight thousand Scots tooke the most part of all the lords of Scotland putting the temporall lords to deth bicause they were forsworne Edward borne at Carnaruan sonne of this Edward was next king of England who from the beginning of his reigne enioied Scotland peaceablie dooing in all things as is aboue said of king Edward his father vntill toward the later end of his reigne about which time this Robert Bruse conspired against him and with the helpe of a few forsworne Scots forswore himselfe king of Scots Herevpon this Edward with Thomas earle of Lancaster and manie other lords made warre vpon him about the feast of Marie Magdalene the said Bruse and his partakers being alreadie accurssed by the pope for breaking the truce that he had established betwixt them But being infortunate in his first warres against him he suffered Edward the sonne of Balioll to proclame himselfe king of Scots and neuerthelesse held foorth his warres against Bruse before the ending of which he died as I read Edward borne at Windsore sonne of Edward the second was next king of England at the age of fifteene yeares in whose minoritie the Scots practised with Isabell mother to this Edward and with Roger Mortimer earle of the March to haue their homages released whose good will therein they obteined so that for the same release they should paie to this king Edward thirtie thousand pounds starling in three yeares next following that is to saie ten thousand pounds starling yeerelie But bicause the nobilitie and commons of this realme would not by parlement consent vnto it their king being within age the same release procéeded not albeit the Scots ceased not their practises with this quéene and earle But before those thrée yeares in which their menie if the bargaine had taken place should haue béene paied were expired our king Edward inuaded Scotland and ceassed not the warre vntill Dauid the sonne of Robert le Bruse then by their election king of Scotland absolutelie submitted himselfe vntohim But for that the said Dauid Bruse had before by practise of the quéene and the earle of March married Iane the sister of this king Edward he mooued by naturall zeale to his sister was contented to giue the realme of Scotland to this Dauid Bruse and to the heires that should be be gotten of the bodie of the said Iane sauing the reuersion and meane homages to this king Edward and to his owne children wherewith the same Dauid Bruse was right well contented and therevpon immediatlie made his homage for all the realme of Scotland to him Howbeit shortlie after causelesse conceiuing cause of displeasure this Dauid procured to dissolue this same estate tailée and therevpon not onelie rebelled in Scotland but also inuaded England whilest king Edward was occupied about his wars in France But this Dauid was not onelie expelled England in the end but also thinking no place a sufficient defense to his vntruth of his owne accord fled out of Scotland whereby the countries of Annandale Gallowaie Mars Teuidale Twedale and Ethrike were seized into the king of Englands hands and new marches set betwéene England and Scotland at Cockbu●nes path Sowtrie hedge Which when this Dauid went about to recouer againe his power was discomfited and himselfe by a few Englishmen taken brought into England where he remained prisoner eleuen yeares after his said apprehension During this time king Edward enioied Scotland peaceablie and then at the contemplation and wearie suit of his sorowfull sister wife of this Dauid he was contented once againe to restore him to the kingdome of Scotland Wherevpon it was concluded that for this rebellion Dauid should paie to king Edward the summe of one hundred thousand markes starling and there to destroie all his holdes and fortresses standing against the English borders and further assure the crowne of Scotland to the children of this king Edward for lacke of heire of his owne bodie all which things he did accordinglie And for the better assurance of his obeisance also he afterward deliuered into the hands of king Edward sundrie noble men of Scotland in this behalfe as his pledges This is the effect of the historie of Dauid touching his delings Now let vs sée what was doone
where in maner to be had as is the flint and chalke the shalder and the peble Howbeit for all this wée must fetch them still from farre as did the Hull men their stones out of Iseland wherewith they paued their towne for want of the like in England or as sir Thomas Gresham did when he bought the stones in Flanders wherwith he paued the Burse But as he will answer peraduenture that he bargained for the whole mould and substance of his workemanship in Flanders so the Hullanders or Hull men will saie how that stockefish is light loding and therfore they did balasse their vessels with these Iseland stones to keepe them from turning ouer in their so tedious a voiage And thus much brieflie of our quarries of stone for building wherein oftentimes the workemen haue found strange things inclosed I meane liuelie creatures shut up in the hard stones and liuing there without respiration or breathing as frogs todes c whereof you shall read more in the chronologie following also in Caius Langius William of Newburie Agricola Cornelius of Amsterdam Bellogius de a quatilibus Albert the great lib. 19 cap. 9. De rebus metallicis and Goropius in Niloscopio pag. 237 c. Sometime also they find pretious stones though seldome and some of them perfectlie squared by nature and much like vnto the diamond found of late in a quarrie of marble at Naples which was so perfectlie pointed as if all the workemen in the world had cōsulted about the performance of that workemanship I know that these reports vnto some will séeme incredible and therefore I stand the longer vpon them neuerthelesse omitting to speake particularlie of such things as happen amongst vs and rather séeking to confirme the same by the like in other countries I will deliuer a few more examples whereby the truth hereof shall so much the better appeare For in the middest of a stone not long since found at Chius vpon the breaking vp thereof there was seene Caput panisci inclosed therin very perfectlie formed as the beholders doo remember How come the grains of gold to be so fast inclosed in the stones that are haue béene found in the Spanish Baetis But this is most maruellous that a most delectable and sweet oile comparable to the finest balme or oile of spike in smell was found naturallie included in a stone which could not otherwise be broken but with a smiths hammer Goropius dooth tell of a pearch perfectlie formed to be found in Britaine but as then committed into hard stone vpon the top of a crag Aristotle and Theophrast speake of fishes digged out of the earth farre from the sea in Greece which Seneca also confirmeth but with addition that they are perillous to be eaten In pope Martins time a serpent was found fast inclosed in a rocke as the kernell is within the nut so that no aire could come to it and in my time another in a coffin of stone at Auignion wherein a man had beene buried which so filled the roome and laie so close from aire that all men woondered how it was possible for the same to liue and continue so long time there Finallie I my selfe haue séene stones opened and within them the substances of corrupted wormes like vnto adders but far shorter whose crests and wrinkles of bodie appeared also therein as if they had bene ingraued in the stones by art and industrie of man Wherefore to affirme● that as well liuing creatures 〈…〉 stones gold c are now and then found in our quarries shall not hereafter be a thing so incredible as manie talking philosophers void of all experience doo affirme and wilfullie mainteine against such as hold the contrarie Of sundrie minerals Chap. 10. WIth how great benefits this Iland of ours hath béene indued from the beginning I hope there is no godlie man but will readilie confesse and yéeld vnto the Lord God his due honour for the same For we are blessed euerie waie there is no temporall commoditie necessarie to be had or craued by anie nation at Gods hand that he hath not in most aboundant maner bestowed vpon vs Englishmen if we could sée to vse it be thankefull for the same But alas as I said in the chapter precedent we loue to inrich them that care not for vs but for our great commodities and one trifling toie not woorth the cariage cōming as the prouerbe saith in thrée ships from beyond the sea is more woorth with vs than a right good iewell easie to be had at home They haue also the cast to teach vs to neglect our owne things for if they see that we begin to make anie account of our commodities if it be so that they haue also the like in their owne countries they will suddenlie abase the same to so low a price that our gaine not being woorthie our trauell and the same commoditie with lesse cost readie to be had at home from other countries though but for a while it causeth vs to giue ouer our indeuours and as it were by and by to forget the matter whereabout we went before to obteine them at their hands And this is the onelie cause wherefore our commodities are oft so little estéemed of Some of them can saie without anie teacher that they will buie the case of a fox of an Englishman for a groat and make him afterward giue twelue pence for the taile Would to God we might once wax wiser and each one indeuor that the common-wealth of England may flourish againe in hir old rate and that our commodities may be fullie wrought at home as cloth if you will for an example and not caried out to be shorne and dressed abroad while our clothworkers here doo starue and beg their bread and for lacke of dailie practise vtterlie neglect to be skilfull in this science But to my purpose We haue in England great plentie of quicke siluer antimonie sulphur blacke lead and orpiment red and yellow We haue also the finest alume wherein the diligence of one of the greatest fauourers of the common-wealth of England of a subiect hath béene of late egregiouslie abused and euen almost with barbarous inciuilitie of no lesse force against fire if it were vsed in our parietings than that of Lipara which onlie was in vse somtime amongst the Asians Romans wherof Sylla had such triall that when he meant to haue burned a tower of wood erected by Archelaus the lieutenant of Mithridates he could by no meanes set it on fire in a long time bicause it was washed ouer with alume as were also so the gates of the temple of Ierusalem with like effect and perceiued when Titus commanded fire to be put vnto the same Beside this we haue also the naturall cinnabarum or vermilion the sulphurous glebe called bitumen in old time for morter and yet 〈…〉 the chrysocolla coperis and minerall stone whereof petriolum is made and that which is most strange the minerall
of his reigne king Alured went to Eglerighston on the east part of Selwood where there came to him the people of Summersetshire Wiltshire Hamshire reioising greatlie to sée him abroad From thence he went to Edanton there fought against the armie of the Danes and chased them vnto their strength where he remained afore them the space of fouretéene daies Then the armie of the Danes deliuered him hostages and couenants to depart out of his dominions and that their king should be baptised which was accomplished for Gurthrun whome some name Gurmond a prince or king amongst these Danes came to Alured and was baptised king Alured receiuing him at the fontstone named him Adelstan and gaue to him the countrie of Eastangle which he gouerned or rather spoiled by the space of twelue yéeres Diuerse other of the Danish nobilitie to the number of thirtie as Simon Dunelmensis saith came at the same time in companie of their king Gurthrun and were likewise baptised on whome king Alured bestowed manie rich gifts At the same time as is to be thought was the league concluded betwixt king Alured and the said Gurthrun or Gurmond in which the bounds of king Alureds kingdome are set foorth thus First therefore let the bounds or marshes of our dominion stretch vnto the riuer of Thames and from thence to the water of Lée euen vnto the head of the same water and so foorth streight vnto Bedford and finallie going alongst by the riuer of Ouse let them end at Watlingstréet This league being made with the aduise of the sage personages as well English as those that inhabited within east England is set foorth in maister Lamberts booke of the old English lawes in the end of those lawes or ordinances which were established by the same king Alured as in the same booke ye may sée more at large Th'English called diuers people Danes whom the French named Normans whervpon that generall name was giuen them Gurmo Anglicus K. of Denmark whose father Frotto was baptised in England the Danes besiege Rochester Alfred putteth them to flight recouereth London out of their hands and committeth it to the custodie of duke Eldred his sonne in law he assaulteth Hasting a capteine of the Danes causeth him to take an oth his two sonnes are baptised he goeth foorth to spoile Alfreds countrie his wife children and goods c are taken and fauourablie giuen him againe the Danes besiege Excester they flie to their ships gaine with great losse they are vanquished by the Londoners the death of Alfred his issue male and female The xv Chapter HEre is to be noted that writers name diuerse of the Danish capteins kings of which no mention is made in the Danish chronicles to reigne in those parties But true it is that in those daies not onelie the Danish people but also other of those northeast countries or regions as Swedeners Norwegians the Wondens and such other which the English people called by one generall name Danes and the Frenchmen Normans vsed to roaue on the seas and to inuade forren regions as England France Flanders and others as in conuenient places ye may find as well in our histories as also in the writers of the French histories and likewise in the chronicles of those north regions The writers verelie of the Danish chronicles make mention of one Gurmo whome they name Anglicus bicause he was borne here in England which succeeded his father Frotto in gouernement of the kingdome of Denmarke which Frotto receiued baptisme in England as their stories tell In the eight yéere of king Alfred his reigne the armie of the Danes wintered at Cirencester and the same yéere an other armie of strangers called Wincigi laie at Fulham and in the yéere following departed foorth of England and went into France and the armie of king Godrun or Gurmo departed from Cirencester and came into Eastangle and there diuiding the countrie amongst them began to inhabit the same In the 14 yéere of king Alfred his reigne part of the Danish armie which was gone ouer into France returned into England and besieged Rochester But when Alfred approched to the reskue the enimies fled to their ships and passed ouer the sea againe King Alfred sent a nauie of his ships well furnished with men of warre into Eastangle the which at the mouth of the riuer called Sture incountering with 16 ships of the Danes set vpon them and ouercame them in fight but as they returned with their prises they incountered with another mightie armie of the enimies and fighting with them were ouercome and vanquished In the yeere following king Alfred besieged the citie of London the Danes that were within it fled from thence and the Englishmen that were inhabitants thereof gladlie receiued him reioising that there was such a prince bred of their nation that was of power able to reduce them into libertie This citie being at that season the chiefe of all Mercia he deliuered into the kéeping of duke Eldred which had maried his daughter Ethelfleds held a great portion of Mercia which Colwolphus before time possesed by the grant of the Danes after they had subdued K. Burthred as before is said About the 21 yere of K. Alfred an armie of those Danes Normans which had béene in France returned into England and arriued in the hauen or riuer of Limene in the east part of Kent néere to the great wood called Andredesley which did conteine in times past 120 miles in length and thirtie in breadth These Danes landing with their people builded a castle at Appledore In the meane time came Hasting with 80 ships into the Thames and builded a castle at Middleton but he was constreined by siege which king Alfred planted about him to receiue an oth that he should not in any wise annoie the dominion of king Alfred who vpon his promise to depart gaue great gifts as well to him as to his wife and children One of his sonnes also king Alfred held at the fontstone and to the other duke Aldred was god father For as it were to win credit and to auoid present danger Hasting sent vnto Alfred these his two sonnes signifieng that if it stood with his pleasure he could be content that they should be baptised But neuerthelesse this Hasting was euer most vntrue of word and déed he builded a castle at Beamfield And as he was going foorth to spoile and wast the kings countries Alfred tooke that castle with his wife children ships and goods which he got togither of such spoiles as he had abroad but he restored vnto Hasting his wife and children bicause he was their godfather Shortlie after newes came that a great number of other ships of Danes were come out of Northumberland and had besieged Excester Whilest king Alfred went then against them the other armie which lay at Appledore inuaded Essex and built
which fell also about the fourth yeare of the emperour Henrie the third surnamed Niger in the 12 yeare of Henrie the first of that name king of France and about the third yeare of Macbeth king of Scotland This Edward the third of that name before the conquest was of nature more méeke and simple than apt for the gouernement of the realme therefore did earle Goodwine not onelie séeke the destruction of his elder brother Alfred but holpe all that he might to aduance this Edward to the crowne in hope to beare great rule in the realme vnder him whome he knew to be soft gentle and easie to be persuaded But whatsoeuer writers doo report hereof sure it is that Edward was the elder brother and not Alfred so that if earle Goodwine did shew his furtherance by his pretended cloake of offering his friendship vnto Alfred to betraie him he did it by king Harolds commandement and yet it may be that he meant to haue vsurped the crowne to him selfe if each point had answered his expectation in the sequele of things as he hoped they would and therfore had not passed if both the brethren had béene in heauen But yet when the world framed contrarie peraduenture to his purpose he did his best to aduance Edward trusting to beare no small rule vnder him being knowen to be a man more appliable to be gouerned by other than to trust to this owne wit and so chieflie by the assistance of earle Goodwine whose authoritie as appeareth was not small within the realme of England in those daies Edward came to atteine the crowne wherevnto the earle of Chester Leofrike also shewed all the furtherance that in him laie Some write which seemeth also to be confimed by the Danish chronicles that king Hardiknought in his life time had receiued this Edward into his court and reteined him still in the same in most honorable wise But for that it may appeare in the abstract of the Danish chronicles what their writers had of this matter recorded we doo here passe ouer referring those that be desirous to know the diuersitie of our writers and theirs vnto the same chronicles where they may find it more at large expressed This in no wise is to be left vnremembred that immediatlie after the death of Hardiknought it was not onelie decreed agreed vpon by the great lords nobles of the realme that no Dane from thenceforth should reigne ouer them but also all men of warre and souldiers of the Danes which laie within anie citie or castell in garrison within the realme of England were then expelled and put out or rather slaine as the Danish writers doo rehearse Amongst other that were banished the ladie Gonild neece to king Swaine by his sister was one being as then a widow and with hir two of hir sonnes which she had then liuing Heming and Turkill were also caused to auoid Some write that Alfred the brother of king Edward came not into the realme till after the death of Hardiknought and that he did helpe to expell the Danes which being doon he was slaine by earle Goodwine and other of his complices But how this may stand considering the circumstances of the time with such things as are written by diuers authors hereof it may well be doubted Neuerthelesse whether earle Goodwine was guiltie to the death of Alfred either at this time or before certeine it is that he so cleared himselfe of that crime vnto king Edward the brother of Alfred that there was none so highlie in fauour with him as earle Goodwine was insomuch that king Edward maried the ladie Editha the daughter of earle Goodwine begotten of his wife Thira that was sister to king Hardiknought and not of his second wife as some haue written Howbeit king Edward neuer had to doo with hir in fleshlie wise But whether he absteined because he had happilie vowed chastitie either of impotencie of nature or for a priuie hate that he bare to hir kin men doubted For it was thought that he estéemed not earle Goodwine so greatlie in his heart as he outwardlie made shew to doo but rather for feare of his puissance dissembled with him least he should otherwise put him selfe in danger both of losse of life and kingdome Howsoeuer it was he vsed his counsell in ordering of things concerning the state of the common wealth and namelie in the hard handling of his mother queene Emma against whome diuers accusations were brought and alledged as first for that she consented to marie with K. Cnute the publike enimie of the realme againe for that she did nothing aid or succour hir sons while they liued in exile but that woorse was contriued to make them away for which cause she was despoiled of all hir goods And because she was defamed to be naught of hir bodie with Alwine or Adwine bishop of Winchester both she and the same bishop were committed to prison within the citie of Winchester as some write Howbeit others affirme that she was strictlie kept in the abbie of Warwell till by way of purging hir selfe after a maruellous manner in passing barefooted ouer certeine hot shares or plough-irons according to the law Ordalium she cleared hir selfe as the world tooke it and was restored to hir first estate and dignitie Hir excessiue couetousnesse without regard had to the poore caused hir also to be euill reported of Againe for that she euer shewed hir selfe to be more naturall to the issue which she had by hir second husband Cnute than to hir children which she had by hir first husband king Egelred as it were declaring how she was affected toward the fathers by the loue borne to the children she lost a great péece of good will at the hands of hir sonnes Alfred and Edward so that now the said Edward inioieng the realme was easilie iuduced to thinke euill of hir and therevpon vsed hir the more vncurteouslie But hir great liberalitie imploied on the church of Winchester which she furnished with maruellous rich iewels and ornaments wan hir great commendation in the world and excused hir partlie in the sight of manie of the infamie imputed to hir for the immoderate filling of hir coffers by all waies and meanes she could deuise Now when she had purged hir selfe as before is mentioned hir sonne king Edward had hir euer after in great honor and reuerence And whereas Robert archbishop of Canturburie had béene sore against hir he was so much abashed now at the matter that he fled into Normandie where he was borne But it should séeme by that which after shal be said in the next chapter that he fled not the realme for this matter but bicause he counselled the king to banish earle Goodwine and also to vse the Englishmen more strictlie than reason was he should Why Robert archbishop of Canturburie queene Emmas heauie friend fled out of England the Normans first