we here omit several other Pieces of less Bulk and Note published since that Volume last mentioned containing the Chronicles and Histories of divers Cathedrals and Abbeys such as are the Annals of the Abbey of Winchester c. which have been published from the Cottonian and other Libraries in Monasticon Anglicanum and the first Volume of Anglia Sacra lately published by the late Learned and Industrious Mr. Wharton TO these likewise may be added the Histories of the Monasteries of Ely and Ramsey as also of Glastenbury by William of Malmesbury from whom we have taken several Things not only relating to that Abbey but the General History of England nor can I omit the History of John of Wallingford whom Matthew Paris mentions in his Lives of the Abbots of St. Albans as the 21st Abbot of St. Albans he wrote the History of the Kings of England as far as the 42d of King Henry the Third the first Part of which down to the Norman Conquest hath been published in the aforesaid last Volume at Oxford by the Learned Dr. Gale From all which last mentioned tho mingled with abundance of Monkish Trash we have here and there excerpted several excellent Remarks WE have also sometimes made use of Ranulph Higden his Polychronicon who was a Monk of Chester the first Part of which is published also by the said Dr. Gale as far as the Conquest and Matthew a Monk of Westminster his Flores Historiarum these Authors being Cotemporaries and collecting to the Reign of Edward the Third from all the rest of the Antient Writers abovementioned I have seldom used but as subsidiary Helps when the Passages they relate are not to be found any where else several other Authors they borrowed from being now lost or very rare to be met with HAVING now done with our printed Authors I proceed to those that continue still in Manuscript in the Bodleian and Cottonian Libraries and also in those of Lambeth Gresham's College and the Heraulds Office such as are John of Tinmouth his Historia Aurea Johannes Castorius in English Beaver his History of the Kings of England and John Rouse of Warwick his Collections on the same Subject together with above forty or fifty nameless Authors which I have perused to see what I could find in any of them that had not been taken notice of by others but how little they have answered in my Expectations the small Additions I have made from them I hope will satisfy the unprejudiced Reader and for any that are otherwise if they please to take the same Pains that I have done I wish their Labours may be better requited BVT as for the Extracts of Ecclesiastical Canons and Laws which I have inserted at the end of divers King's Reigns I have faithfully transcribed them ou◠of Sir Henry Spelman's first Volume of British Councils and Mr. Lambard's Archaionomia under their respective Years and have also compared and corrected them in a great Part from the Manuscript Notes of the Learned Junius at the end of the Cambridg Edition of Bede which is in the Bodleian Library or else by another Latin Manuscript Version of the Industrious Mr. Somner's And I do not know of any other Saxon Laws unless there be some of King Cnute's which remain as yet in Manuscript untranslated in the Bodleian Library as also in the Hands of Dr. Gale as I am well informed I hope they may be one day added to a new Edition of Mr. Lambard's most useful Work THVS having gone through all the chiefest English Historians both in Print and Manuscript that I know of relating to the Times before the Conquest which I think are as many and of as good Credit as any Countrey in Europe can shew in the like space of Time it may be expected I should say something in their Vindication since I find they have been attacked in a post-humous Treatise long since written by a Learned Civilian Sir Thomas Craig in Latin in answer to what Mr. Hollingshead has published concerning the Homage that was due from the Kings of Scotland to those of England and is lately translated into English by the Ingenious Mr. Ridpath and as I shall here faithfully give you his Arguments against the Antiquity and Credit of our Writers so I hope I shall return such Answers to them as will satisfy all impartial Readers HIS first Objection is That from the Death of Bede whose Credit he says he will every where preserve entire the English have no certain History nor Writer to the Reign of King Henry the First except that Fragment of Ethelwerd's for says he I do not acknowledg that Fragment of Ingulphus who preceded Ethelwerd twenty Years as an History nor Asserius Menevensis who wrote only concerning the Transactions of his own King Alfred And lest he should be thought to affirm any thing rashly He brings William of Malmesbury to witness the Matter saying That all the Memorials of Transactions from the Death of Bede to his own Time which was in the Reign of Henry I. about 1142. were utterly lost nor was there any who followed that Study or indeavoured to pursue the thread of History till himself NOW to give an Answer to this Learned Advocate and take him Point by Point as he goes on in the first Place I am sorry to find a Person otherwise every ways Able and Skillful in his own Profession so ignorant in our English Historians since if he had not been so he could not have committed almost as many Mistakes as he hath wrote Lines for in the first Place he calls Ingulph and Ethelwerd two Fragments whereas if he had been pleased to have looked upon either of them he would have found them entire Pieces so far as they went and we call Polybius Diodorus Siculus Salust Livy Historians not Fragments altho each of them be imperfect only the Edition that was then published of Ingulph wanted the Laws of William the Conqueror and some few Sheets at the Conclusion which have been since added AND whereas he says that Ingulph preceded Ethelwerd twenty Years he is so far from being in the right of that that the direct contrary is true for Ingulph lived and wrote above one hundred Years after Ethelwerd had finished his History with King Edgar's Reign whose Eulogy he only gives us in barbarous Verse AND as for what the Advocate says concerning William of Malmesbury he much misrepresents the Sense of this Author who does not affirm that there were no Memorials from the Death of Bede to his Time but the contrary for he mentions the Saxon Annals in his Proem in these words Sunt sanè quaedam vetustatis Indicia patrio Sermone chronico more per annos Domini ordinata also in his Book de Antiquitate Glastoniae published by Dr. Gale as above he citeth them as good Authority Tradunt Annales bonae credulitatis c. Nay Sir Thomas Craig himself I suppose through Forgetfulness has allowed
King of the Mercians fought against Kenwulf King of the West-Saxons at the Siege of Bensington Castle But Kenwulf being worsted was forced to flee and so Offa took the Castle Now Janbryht the Archbishop deceased and Ethelheard the Abbot was elected Archbishop Also Osred King of the Northumbers was betray'd and driven out of his Kingdom and Ethelred the Son of Ethelwald Sirnamed Mull reigned after him or rather was again restored to the Kingdom having reigned there before as hath been already shewn But Simeon of Durham adds farther that this Osred the late King of this Kingdom having been also shaven a Monk against his Will escaped again out of the Monastery into the Isle of Man But the next Year As Simeon relates Oelf and Oelfwin Sons of Alfwold formerly King of Northumberland were drawn by fair Promises from the Principal Church of York and afterwards at the Command of King Ethelred cruelly put to Death at Wonwalderemâ—re a Village by the great Pool in Lancashire now called Winanderemere Also about this time according to the same Author one Eardulf an Earl being taken and brought to Ripun was there Sentenced by the said King to be put to Death without the Gate of the Monastery whose Body when the Monks had carried to the Church with solemn Dirges and placed under a Pavilion was about Midnight found alive But this Relation is very imperfect for it neither tells us how he escaped Death nor how he was conveyed away though we find him five Years after this made King of Northumberland This Year as Simeon of Durham and Mat. Westminster relate Charles King of France sent certain Synodal Decrees into England in which alas for with great Grief our Author speaks it were found many inconvenient things and altogether contrary to the true Faith For it had been decreed in a Council at Constantinople by more than Three Hundred Bishops that Images ought to be adored which the Church of God does say they wholly abominate Then Albinus that is our Alcuin wrote an Epistle wherein he proved it by the Authority of the Holy Scriptures to be utterly Unlawful and this he offered together with the Book it self to the King of France on the behalf of all our Bishops and Great Men and this Letter of Alcuinus is thought to have wrought such an effect on the Synod of Francfort assembled about two Years after that the Worship of Images was therein solemnly condemned From which it is evident that Image-Worship as now practised in the Greek and Roman Churches was not then received in England And this Year also according to the same Author Osred late King of Nortbumberland being deceived by the Oaths of some great Men returned privately from the Isle of Man when his Souldiers deserting him and being taken Prisoner by King Ethelred he was by his Command put to Death at a Place called Aynsburg but his Body was buried at the famous Monastery at the mouth of Tine and the same Year King Ethelred betrothed Elfrede the Daughter of King Offa. In whom also there was found as little Faith as Mercy for this Year according to our Annals Will. of Malmesbury and Mat. Westminster Ethelbert the Son of Ethelred King of the East-Angles notwithstanding the disswasions of his Mother going to the Court of King Offa in order to Wooe his Daughter was there slain by the wicked instigations of Queen Quendrith so that out of an Ambition to seize his Kingdom Offa was perswaded to make him away but by what means it is not agreed The Annals relate him to have been beheaded But the same Annals and Florence of Worcester agree That his Body was buried in the Monastery at Tinmouth But the Chronicle ascribed to Abbot Bromton as also Mat. Westminster have given us long and Legendary Accounts of the Death of this Prince and the latter of these as well as other Monks who were favourers of this King Offa would have this Murther to be committed without this King's knowledge and Mat. Westminster has a long Story about it but not all probable especially since the King was so well pleased with the Fact when it was done that he presently seized the Kingdom of this poor Murthered Prince and added it to his own Dominions This Year as Mat. Paris and his Namesake of Westminster relate King Offa was warned by an Angel to remove the Reliques of St. Alban into a more noble Shrine and so either for this cause or else which is more likely to expiate the several Murthers he had committed began to build a new Church and Monastery in honour of St. Alban and thither removing his Bones into a Silver shrine all gilt and adorned with precious Stones he placed them in the new Church that he had built without the Town where as the Monks pretended they wrought great Miracles This King having made a journey on purpose to Rome obtained of Pope Adrian to have him Canonized King Offa also conferred upon this Monastery very great Privileges and vast Possessions all which he confirmed by his Charter which you may find in the first Volume of Monast. Anglic. as that also Anno. Dom. 1154. One Nicholas having been first a Servant in this Abbey and afterwards was Bishop of Alba Elected Pope by the name of Adrian IV he by his Bull ordained that as St. Alban was the first Martyr of England so this Abbot should be the first in Dignity of all the Abbots in England and Pope Honorius did by a Bull in the Year 1118 not only ratifie all the Privileges made and confirmed by former Popes but also granted to the Abbot and his Successours Episcopal Rights together with the Habit and that he and his Monks should be exempt from all Jurisdiction to the Bishop of Lincoln with other Exemptions too long here to be set down Also this Year there appeared strange Prodigies in the Country of Northumberland which mightily terrified the People of that Province viz. immoderate Lightnings there were also seen Meteors like fiery Dragons flying in the Air after which signs followed a cruel Famine and a little after the same Year 6 o Idus Jan. certain Heathens i.e. Danes miserably destroyed the Church of God in Lindisfarne committing great Spoils and Murthers Simeon of Durham says These Danes not only pillaged that Monastery but killing divers of the Friers carried away the rest Captive sparing neither Priests nor Laymen This Year also Sicga died he who killed the good King Alfwold who now as Roger Hoveden relates slew himself And the same Year according to Florence of Worcester Ethelard was ordained Arch-Bishop of York and as Simeon of Durham relates the same Year died Alric Third Son to Withred King of Kent after a long Reign of Thirty Four Years in whom ended the Race of Hengist Thenceforth as Will. of Malmesbury observes whomsoever Wealth or Faction advanced took on him the Title of King of that Province This Year both Pope Adrian
Plunder and Spoil But of this we shall speak more in due time and shall now proceed in our History where we left off in our last Book Egbert the only surviving Prince of the Blood-Royal of the West Saxon Kings as great Nephew to Ina by his Brother Inegilds being arrived in England was now ordained King as Ethelwerd expressly terms his Election But since Asser in his Annals places this King 's coming to the Crown under Anno 802. as does Simeon of Durham and also Roger Howden from an Ancient piece of Saxon Chronologie inserted at the beginning of the first Book of his first part and this account being also proved by that great Master in Chronology the now Lord Bishop of Litchfield to be truer then that of the Saxon Annals or Ethelwerd by divers Proofs too long to be here Inserted I have made bold to put this King 's coming to the Crown two Years backwarder then it is in the last Book thô I confess the former Account in the Saxon Annals would have made a more exact Epocha Also about this time as appears from the ancient Register of St. Leonard's Abbey in York cited in Monast. Anglican viz. ' That Anno Dom. 800 Egbert King of all Britain in a Parliament at Winchester by the consent of his People changed the Name of this Kingdom and commanded it to be called England Now thô by the word Parliament here used it is certain that this Register was writ long after the Conquest yet it might be transcribed from some more ancient Monument since Will. of Malmesbury tells us of this King tho' without setting down the time that by the greatness of his Mind he reduced all the Varieties of the English Saxon Kingdoms to one uniform Empire or Dominion which he called England though others perhaps more truly refer it towards the latter end of his Reign as you will find when we come to it This Year Eardulf King of the Northumbers led his Army against Kenwulf King of Mercia for harbouring his Enemies who also gathering together a great Army they approached to each other when by the Advice of the Bishops and Noblemen of England as also by the Intercession of the chief King of the English by whom is meant King Egbert who then passed under that Title They agreed upon a lasting Peace which was also confirmed by Oath on both sides This we find in Simeon of Durham's History of that Church and in no other Authour About this time also St. Alburhe Sister to King Egbert founded a Benedictine Nunnery at Wilton which was long after rebuilt by King Alfred and augmented by King Edgar for Twenty Six Nuns and an Abbess The same Year the Moon was Eclipsed on the 13 Kal. Jan. and ' Beormod was Consecrated Bishop of Rochester About this time in Obedience to a Letter from Pope Leo III. who at the desire of Kenwulf King of the Mercians had Two Years since restored the See of Canterbury to its ancient Primacy was held the Third Synod at Cloveshoe by â—rch bishop Ethelward and 12 Bishops of his Province whereby the See of Canterbury was not only restored to all its ancient Rights and Priviledges but it was also forbid for all times to come upon Pain of Damnation if not repented of for any Man to violate the Rights of that ancient See and thereby to destroy the Unity of Christ's Holy Church then follow the Subscriptions of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and of 12 other Bishops of his Province together with those of many Abbots and Presbyters who never Subscribed before but without the Subcriptions of the King or any of the Lay Nobility Which plainly shews it to have been a meer Ecclesiastical Synod and no great Council of the Kingdom as you may see at large in Sir H. Spelman's 1 Vol of Councils the Decree of which Synod also shews that the Church of England did not then conceive the Authority of the People alone sufficient to disanul what had been solemnly Decreed in a great Council of the Kingdom as was the Removal of the Primacy from Canterbury to Litchfield The next Year According to our Annals Ethelheard Arch-bishop of Canterbury deceased and Wulfred was consecrated Arch-bishop in his stead and Forther the Abbot dyed The same Year also Deceased Higbald Bishop of Lindisfarne 8 o Kal Julii and Eegbert was Consecrated to that See 3 o Ides Junii ' This Year Wulfred the Arch bishop received his Pall. Cuthred King of Kent deceased as did also Ceolburh the Abbess and Heabyrnt the Ealdorman This Cuthred here mentioned was as Will. of Malmesbury informs us he whom Kenulph King of the Mercians hath made King of Kent instead of Ethelbert called Pren. This Year the Moon was Eclipsed on the Kal. of September and Eardwulf King of the Northumbers was driven from his Kingdom and Eanbryth Bishop of Hagulstad Deceased Also this Year 2 o Non Junii the sign of the Cross was seen in the Moon upon Wednesday in the Morning and the same Year on the Third Kal. Septemb. a wonderful Circle was seen round the Sun This Eardwulf above-mentioned is related by Simeon of Durham to have been the Son of Eardulf the first of that Name King of Northumberland and after Ten Years Reign to have been driven out by one Aelfwold who Reigned Two Years in his stead During these Confusions in the Northumbrian Kingdom Arch-Bishop Usher with great probability supposes in his Antiquitat Britan. Eccles. that the Picts and Scots Conquered the Countries of Galloway and Lothian as also those Countries called the Lowlands of Scotland as far as the Friths of Dunbritain and Edenburgh And that this City was also in the possession of the English Saxons about an Hundred Years after this I shall shew in due order of time and that our Kings did long after maintain their claim to Lothian shall be further shewn when I come to it But that all the Lowlands of Scotland as far as the English Saxon Tongue was spoken were anciently part of the Bernician Kingdom the English Language as well as the Names of places which are all English Saxon and neither Scotish nor Pictish do sufficiently make out The Sun was Eclipsed on the 7th Kal. of August about the Fifth Hour of the Day This Year as Sigebert in his Chronicle relates King Eardulph above-mentioned being expelled his Kingdom and coming for Refuge to the Emperour Charles the Great was by his Assistance restored thereunto but since neither the Saxon Annals nor Florence nor yet any of our English Historians do mention it I much doubt the Truth of this Relation thô it must be also acknowledged that it is inserted in the ancient French Annals of that time and recited that this King's Restitution was procured by the Intercession of the Pope's and Emperour's Legates who were sent into England for that purpose This Year according to Mat. Westminster Egbert King of the West
Edgar was certainly a very Great and Heroick Prince yet questionless that Charter which makes him to have subdued the greatest part of Ireland with the City of Dublin and to be Lord of all the Isles as far as Norway is fictitious and nothing but a piece of Monkish Forgery no Author of that Age making mention of any such thing and instead of a Great Warrior he is usually stiled Edgar the Peaceable for he never made any Foreign Wars that we can learn However such was his mighty Fame that if he did not go himself to Foreigners they came to him out of Saxony Flanders Denmark and other places Though William of Malmesbury observes their coming over did much detriment to the Natives who from the Saxons learned Rudeness from the Flemings Effeminacy and from the Danes Drunkenness the English being before free from those gross Vices and contented themselves to defend their own with a natural Simplicity and not given to admire the Customs and Fashions of other Nations Hereupon the Monk tells us he is deservedly blamed in Story for his too great Indulgence to Strangers This Noble Prince died when he had Reigned about Sixteen Years in the very flower of his Age being scarce Two and thirty years old and with him fell all the Glory of the English Nation scarce any thing henceforth being to be heard of among them but Misery and Disorder He had by Egelfleda sirnamed the Fair the Daughter of Earl Ordmer it 's uncertain whether his Wife or Concubine a Son named Edward who succeeded him By Wilfrida the Nun he had a Daughter named Editha who was also a Nun as hath been already related And by Elfreda the Daughter of Duke Ordgar a Son called Edmund who died five years before his Father and another called Ethelrede who reigned after him but was wholly unlike him in Prudence and Courage I have nothing else to add that is considerable under this year but the death of the Noble Turketule Abbot of Croyland whom from Chancellor to King Edred was at his own desire by him made Abbot He repaired and much enriched that Abby after its being ruined by the Danes and was the first that by adding to the Two Great Bells of that Monastery Six more made the first Tuneable Rings of Bells in England as Ingulph at the end of the account he gives of his Life informs us But before I dismiss this King's Reign it is fit I give you a short account of the chief Laws he made which since neither the time nor place of their enacting are any where mention'd I refer to this place The Preface of these Laws is thus This is the Decree or Law which King Edgar made with the counsel or consent of his Wites or Wisemen for the Honour of God the Confirmation of his Royal Dignity and for the Good of his People The Laws themselves begin with some Ecclesiastical Canons the first of which is concerning the Immunities of the Church and about paying Tythes out of the Lands of the Thanes as well as of those of Ceorles or Countrey-men The Second is concerning payment of Tythes and First fruits as well where a Thane had a Church with a Burying-place as also where he had not The Third appoints the times the Tythes should be paid at and what Remedy was to be had in case they were not paid at the time when they were due The Fourth ordains at what time of the year Peter-pence should be paid and the Penalty that should be incurred by those that should neglect to pay them in accordingly The last ordains every Sunday to be kept holy and to begin at Three a Clock in the Afternoon on Saturday and to end at break of day on Monday upon the penalty appointed by the Judiciary Book From which last Law you may observe how early keeping the Sunday like the Jewish Sabbath began in England Then follow the Secular or Temporal Laws The First of which enjoins that every man poor or rich enjoy the benefit of the Law and have equal Justice done him and for Punishments he would have them so moderated that being accommodated to the Divine Clemency they may be the more tolerable unto men The Second forbids Appeals to the King in Suits except Justice cannot otherwise be obtained And if a man be oppressed he may betake himself to the King for relief and in case a Pecuniary Mulct be inflicted for a fault it must not exceed the value of the man's head The Third imposes a Mulct of an Hundred and twenty Shillings to the King upon a Judge that passes an unjust Sentence against any man except such Judge will take his Oath that he did it not out of any malice but only from Unskilfulness and Mistake in Judgment and in such case he is to be removed from his Place except he can obtain favour of the King longer to retain it and then the Bishop of the Diocess is to send the Mulct imposed upon him to the King's Treasure The Fourth commands That whosoever maliciously shall defame another man whereby he receives any damage either in his Body or Estate so that the defam'd Party can clear himself of those Reports and prove them false then the Defamer's Tongue shall either be cut out or he shall redeem it with the value of his Head The Fifth is to the same effect as in another Law we have formerly cited commanding every one to be present at the Gemote or Assembly of the Hundred and further ordains That the Burghmotes or Assemblies of the great Towns or Cities be held thrice a year and the Shiregemotes or general Meeting of the whole County twice whereat were to be present the Bishop and the Ealdorman the one to teach the people God's Law and the other Man's From whence you may observe the Antiquity of our Charges at our Assizes and Sessions which no doubt do succeed those Discourses which the Ealdorman and Bishop then made to the people upon the subjects above-mentioned The Sixth requires that every man find Sureties for his Good Behaviour and in case any one commit a Crime and fly for it the Sureties should undergo what should be laid upon him If he stole any thing and be taken within a Twelvemonth he should be brought to Justice and then the Sureties should receive back what they had paid on his account Hence we may also take notice not only of the Antiquity of Frank-Pledges which had been long before instituted by King Alfred but also the continuation of this Law by King Edgar from whence it appears that it was no Norman invention introduced to keep under the English Commonalty as some men have without any just cause imagined The Seventh ordains That when any one of evil report is again accused of a Crime and absents himself from the Gemotes or publick Meetings some of the Court shall go where he dwells and take Sureties for his Appearance if they may be had but
this matter among themselves some were for giving Judgment for the King but others differed from them saying That Earl Godwin had never been obliged to the King by either Homage Service or Fealty and therefore could be no Traytor to him and besides that he had not kill'd the Prince with his own hands But others replied That no Earl Baron nor any other Subject of the King could by Law wage Battel against him in his Appeal but ought upon the whole matter to submit himself to the King's Mercy and offer him reasonable Amends Then Leofric Earl of Chester who was an upright and sincere man both with respect to God and the world spoke thus Earl Godwin who next to the King is indeed a Person of the best Quality in England cannot deny but that by his Counsel Alfred the King's Brother was killed and therefore my opinion is That both he himself and his Sons and Twelve of us Earls that are his Friends and Kinsmen should appear humbly before the King each of us carrying as much Gold and Silver as he can bold in his Arms and offering it to him most humbly supplicate for his Pardon and then the King should remit to the Earl all Rancor and Anger whatsoever against him and having received his Homage and Fealty peacebly restore him to all his Lands To this the Assembly agreed and those that were appointed loading themselves with Treasure after the manner aforesaid went unto the King shewing him the order and manner of their Judgment which he being unwilling to contradict complied with and so ratified whatever they had before decreed This tho written a long time after the Conquest as appears by the Words there used viz. Parliament Baron Homage and Fealty yet it might be true in the main as being transcribed out of some Ancient Records of the Great Councils of those times which are now lost and if so would be a Notable Precedent of the large Authority of the Witena Gemot or Great Council of the Nation not only in assenting to new Laws but also of their Judicial Authority in giving Judgment upon all Suits or Complaints brought before them as well in Appeals between Subject and Subject as also where the King himself was a Party and if Authentick would also shew not only that this Tenure of the King by Homage and Fealty was in use before the Conquest but also according to the Judgment of this Great Council that there was no Allegiance due by Birth nor until a man had actually performed his Homage or sworn Fealty to the King and lastly that a satisfaction made by Money was looked upon as sufficient for the Death even of the King 's own Brother Yet to deal ingenuously with the Reader notwithstanding this fair story Bromton himself seems to doubt the truth of it for after he hath there told us from some nameless Author that Earl Godwin out of fear of some of the English Nobility who had sworn to be revenged of him for the murther of Prince Alfred retired into Denmark during the Reign of King Hardecnute but returning in the beginning of King Edward's Reign he appeared at a Parliament at London where the King impeached him of the Death of his Brother in the manner as you have already heard and if so this could not fall out as Mr. Selden supposes in this Great Council after this last return of Earl Godwin which happen'd not in the beginning but the middle of this King's Reign With which Relation also agree two Ancient Chronicles in French written in the time of Edward the Third and are both in the Cottonian Library And Bromton himself acknowledges that according to most Authors Earl Godwin never went into Denmark at all nor left England during the Reign of King Hardecnute so that this Transaction if it ever happen'd at all seems most likely to have fell out in the Reign of King Hardecnute when that King charged Earl Godwin with his Brother's Death and made him redeem it with a great Present as we have above told you But to conclude this year From the Peterburgh Copy of these Annals it appears that about this time Arnwy Abbot of Burgh resigned his Dignity by reason of his bad Health and conferred it with the King's License and the Consent of the Monks upon Leofriâ— a Monk of that Abby But Abbot Arnwy lived eight years after During which time Abbot Leofric so adorned that Monastery with rich Guildings that it was called the Golden Burgh he also endowed it very much with Lands as well as other Treasures This year according to Florence of Worcester Griffyn Prince of Wales entring England spoiled great part of Hâ—refordshire against whom many Inhabitants of that County marched together with the Norman Garison of Hereford Castle but Prince Griffyn meeting with them killed a great many and putting the rest to flight carried away a great deal of Booty This year Earl Godwin deceased 17 th Kal. of May and was buried in the Old Monastery of Winchester Of the manner of whose Death though our Annals are silent yet I shall here set down what I find concerning it by almost all our Historians and it is thus That King Edward celebrating the Feast of Easter at Winchester or at Windsor as some will have it Earl Godwin as his Custom was sitting at Table with him was suddenly seized with so violent a Distemper that it struck him speechless and made him fall off from the Chair on which he sate and his Three Sons Harold Tosti and Gyrth being present they immediately removed him into the King's Chamber hoping it was but a sudden Fit and would be speedily over but he lay in that languishing condition four days and died on the fifth This is the account of his Death to which the Norman Monks and such as write in favour of them add other Circumstances which shew either his Guilt or their Malice since they relate That mention being made by somebody at the King's Table of Alfred his late Brother he thereupon looked very angrily at Earl Godwin when he to vindicate himself told King Edward He perceived that upon the least mentioning of that Prince he cast a frowning Countenance upon him But saith he let not God suffer me to swallow this Morsel if I am guilty of any thing done either toward the taking away his Life or against your Interest After which words being presently choaked with the Bit he had just before put into his Mouth he sunk immediately down and never recovered more But let the manner of his death be as it will he was a Man of an Active and Turbulent Spirit not over-nicely conscientious either in getting or keeping what he could not to be excused for his too much forcing his Sovereign to whatever he listed But had he not been so great a Lover of his Countrey and an Enemy to Strangers those that wrote in the Norman times and who durst not write any thing but
Devotion l. 4. p. 198. Didius Aulus a Roman Praetor sent Lieutenant into Britain in the room of Ostorius his Engagements and Success there l. 2. p. 45. Difilina Vid. Dublin Dinoth Abbot of Bangor instructed how to know whether Augustine's Preaching were of God by a Holy man that led the life of an Anchoret l. 4. p. 161 162. Diocesses five made out of two at a Great Council held by Edward the Elder l. 5. p. 313. Dioclesian chose Emperor by the Eastern Army makes Marc. Aurel. Maximinianus his Associate in the Empire nominates Galerius Caesar constrains them to divorce their Wives and to marry their Daughters l. 2. p. 83. His Persecution of his obedient and harmless Christian Subjects Id. p. 85. Dionotus Duke of Cornwall Geoffrey of Monmouth's story of him l. 2. p. 96. v. 102. Domitian succeeds Titus Vespasian his Brother l. 2. p. 57. Secretly designs the Ruin of Agricola through jealousy that the Glory of a private man should eclipse that of his Prince Id. p. 63. Causes it to be reported That the Province of Syria should be bestowed on Agricola Ibid. p. 64. Dorinea since Dorchester in Oxfordshire a City anciently though now but a poor Countrey Town l. 4. p. 179. Dover the Sedition there of the Townsmen against Eustatius Earl of Boloigne how it arose and how it ended l. 6. p. 76 77. Dower Where a Widow marries before her Twelve-month is expired she loses it and who is to have it and all that her Husband left her l. 6. p. 60. Draganus an Irish Bishop refuses to eat upon his coming over hither with Laurentius Archbishop of Canterbury and why l. 4. p. 166. Drinking Bonosus a Hard Drinker having hang'd himself for being vanquished by the Emperor Probus occasioned that sharp Saying Here hangs a Tankard l. 2. p. 82. Brass Pots set upon Posts at Fountains near the Highways for the use of Travellers to drink out of l. 4. p. 175. Edgar's Law to restrain excessive drinking of great Draughts Vid. Addenda p. 136. Druids their great Authority Doctrine and Gods l. 2. p. 23 24. Dublin in Ireland anciently called Difiline l. 5. p. 334. Dubritius Archbishop of Caer-Leon upon Usk in South-Wales Founder of the College of Philosophers there l. 3. p. 149. Resigned his Bishoprick and became an Anchoret in the Isle of Bardsey Ibid. Duduc Bishop of Somersetshire that is Wells his Decease and who is his Successor l. 6. p. 88. Dulcitius a famous Commander with Civilis sent for to Britain by Theodosius and an Account of their Expedition l. 2. p. 93. Dun consecrated Bishop of Rochester after the Death of Eardulph l. 4. p. 224. Dunbritton in Scotland anciently called Alcluid l. 2. p. 101. When it was destroyed by the Danes l. 5. p. 277. Dunmoc a Town in the Kingdom of the East-Angles but destroyed by the Danes l. 5 p. 274. Vid. Dunwich St. Dunstan an Account of his Birth l. 5. p. 329. Then Abbot of Glastenbury when King Edmund conferr'd divers large Privileges upon that Monastery Id. p. 345. King Edred commits the chief Treasures of his Kingdom to his care to be kept at his Abbey Id. p. 351. Is banished out of England by King Edwi and the occasion of it with his Retirement thereupon to a Monastery in Flanders Id. p. 353. Is chosen Bishop of Worcester by the General Consent of a Great Council and afterwards made Archbishop of Canterbury l. 6. p. 2. The Miracles that the Monks relate were done by him as his Harp hanging against the Wall and a whole Psalm being audibly plaid upon it without any hand touching it c. but above all his taking the Devil by the Nose with a Pair of Red Hot Tongs till he made him to roar again Id. p. 3. A great Propagator of Monkery many Monasteries either new built or new founded in his time Exercised Ecclesiastical Discipline without respect of persons witness the Penance he made King Edgar submit to Ibid. As soon as made Archbishop he went to Rome and there obtained his Pall Id. p. 6. Could never endure Ethelfreda Edgar's Queen and the reason why Id. p. 10. Narrowly escapes being killed when the Floor fell down at the Council at Calne in Wiltshire Id. p. 17. He and Oswald c. crown Ethelred the Brother of Edward the Martyr St. Dunstan's Prediction of this King Ethelred Id. p. 19. His Decease He restores the Monkish Discipline in England and makes a Collection of Ordinances for the Benedictine Order l. 6. p. 22. A Relation of his having erected in his life-time a small Monastery at Westminster for Twelve Monks which was vastly augmented by Edward the Confessor Id. p. 93. Dunwallo Molmutius reduces this Island from a Pentarchy in which it was before into a Monarchy l. 1. p. 12. Dunwich in Suffolk Foelix founded his Episcopal See here l. 4. p. 179. Anciently called Dunmoc l. 4. p. 193. And Domue Id. p. 242. Durham the City about what time built and a Church there dedicated to St. Cuthbert by whom erected l. 6. p. 26. Is besieged by Malcolme King of the Scots with a very great Army Id. p. 27. Durstus King of the Picts is slain in Battel and the particular Account of it l. 2. p. 102. Duty to Parents a pretty remarkable Instance of it in one of King Leir's Daughters named Cordiella if it were true l. 1. p. 11. E EAdbald Ethelbert's Son who succeeded him in the Kingdom of Kent His wicked Reign l. 4. p. 168. His Incestuous Marriage upon what account he renounced Id. p. 169. Gives Ethelburga his Niece in Marriage to King Edwin upon condition that she should enjoy the Christian Religion Id. p. 171. He and Archbishop Honorius receive her with great Honour Id. p. 176. Dies after he had reigned Five and twenty years leaving two Sons Id. p. 180. Eadbald the Bishop departs from the Northumbers l. 4. p. 240. Eadbert or Egbryht King of Northumberland marries Cuthburge Sister to King Ina but they are both made to leave each other's Bed l. 4. p. 218. He is forced to fly into Surrey to the South-Saxons and upon what occasion Ibid. Ceolwulf surrenders his Kingdom again to him and he reigned One and twenty years Id. p. 223. Leads Kynwulf Bishop of Lindisfarne Prisoner to the City of Beban who it seems had some way rebelled against him Id. p. 225. His War against the Picts subduing all the Countrey of Kyle c. and joining them to his own Dominions Ibid. And Unust King of the Picts bring an Army against the City Alkuith which was delivered by the Britains upon Conditions Id. p. 227. Is shorn a Monk and Oswulf or Usulf his Son succeeds him after he had reigned One and twenty Years with great Wisdom and Courage insomuch that Pepin King of France not only made a League with him but sent him great Presents Id. p. 228. Dies Ten Years after his taking the Monastical Habit and is buried at York Id. p. 229. Eadbert or
Doctor take his choice and either allow this King to have succeeded by Election or else if by Succession it was no Lineal one as the Doctor would maintain because these Historians tell us he succeeded his Brother as next Heir when at the same time they confess too that he left two Sons behind him and if the Nation 's lying then under great Difficulties will be a good Warrant to set by a Right Heir I desire he would be pleased to satisfy me why it may not always be a justifiable Reason to make a Breach upon the Succession in the like Cases AS for Edwy Nephew to this King indeed I do not find any thing mentioned in the Annals or other printed Authors of his Election yet the Antient Manuscript Life of Arch-bishop Odo now in the Cottonian Library and which seems to have been written by some Monk not long after that Time says expresly Edwigus Filius Aedmundi in Regem ELECTVS est Nor indeed could he succeed as Heir to his Uncle for his Lineal Right was before him nor does the Expression commonly used in the Saxon Annals viz. FENG to RICE which is rendered in the Latin by capessit Regnum signify any thing concerning the manner of this or any other King 's coming to the Crown These being as the Doctor himself acknowledges the usual Saxon and Latin words by which the Succession is expressed being variously rendered by Translators by Regnum capessit successit or Electus est and thus we likewise find the same words are used in the Annals to express King Aethelstan's and Eadred's nay Harold's Accession to the Throne tho it is evident none of them could claim by any Lineal Succession AND these are not the only words made use of in the Saxon Chronicle when an Election is signified for An. 1015 we find these words concerning the Election of K. Edmund Ironside that the Wites or Wise Men who were at London and the Citizens Gecuron Eadmund to Cynge i. e. chose Edmund King So likewise Anno 1036. concerning the Election of Harold Harefoot that all the Thanes North of Thames and the Seamen of London Gecuron Harold to rule over all England the same word we also find Anno 1066. where after the words FENG to RICE abovementioned these likewise follow and eac men Hine haer to Gecâ—ron i. e. all Men Elected him viz. Harold to the Crown AND that there may be no dispute about the meaning of this word Gecuron we find it often used in these Annals for the Election of the Pope as e. g. Anno 1054. upon the Death of Pope Leo Victor waes gecuron to Papan So likewise Anno 1057. upon the Death of Victor waes Stephanus Gecoren to Papan and I think the Doctor might with as much appearance of Truth have maintained that the Saxon word Gecaron here rendred by the Latin Electus in these Annals signified not the Election but Recognition of the Pope as to assert as he does with so much Confidence that Eligerunt in all Historians signifies no more than Recognoverunt when used concerning our English Saxon Kings i. e. the Subjects acknowledged owned or submitted to him as their King as he says concerning King Edgar and others BUT King Edwy being cast off by the Mercians and Northumbers our Annals inform us that Eadgar Aetheling FENG TO RICE i. e. succeeded to the Mercian Kingdom which yet was no otherwise than by Election for an Antient Manuscript Life of Arch-bishop Dunstan written before the Conquest and now in the Cottonian Library shews us plainly that both the Mercians and Northumbers Elected him for their King the words are these Hoc ità que Omnium Conspiratione relicto eligêre sibi Domino dictante Eadgarum ejusdem Germanum in Regem i. e. This King Edwy by the Consent of all Men being thus deserted they chose the Lord directing them Eadgar his Brother for their King AND hereupon the Kingdom becoming divided between him and the King his Brother that Division was also confirmed by a publick Act of the Estates as the same Author testifies Sicque Vniverso populo testante Publica Res Regum ex Definitione Sagacium segregata est ità ut famosum Flumen Thamensis Regnum disterminavit Amborum tunc Edgarus à praedicto populo sic sortitus ad Regnum c. i. e. So that all the People being Witnesses each of these King's shares were apportioned and set out by the Decree of the Wites or Wise Men and the Noble River of Thames was the Boundary of both their Kingdoms then Edgar was advanced to the Kingdom by the aforesaid People BUT Edwy dying not long after the same Author relates of this Edgar that Regnum illius velut aequus haeres ab utróque populo ELECTVS suscepit that is that upon his Death Edgar as Right Heir being Elected both by Clergy and Laity succeeded to his Kingdom FROM whence we may observe that the same Person who is here called the Right Heir yet needed an Election upon his Brother's Death to confirm his Title and gain him an Admission to the Throne of the whole Kingdom which is also confirmed by Florence of Worcester whose Citation the Doctor himself here makes use of thus Ab omni Anglorum populo Electus Regnum suscepit which shews that a new Election by all the People of England was necessary tho he was King of part of it before AFTER the Death of King Edgar our Historians tell us there was a Contest between Prince Edward and his Brother Ethelred concerning their Succession to the Crown which says William of Malmesbury was set on foot by Elfrida the Wife of King Edgar and Mother-in-Law to Edward which divers of our Authors tell us was because those of her Faction pretended that Egelfrida the Mother of Prince Edward was never married to King Edgar for otherwise there could have been no Colour why the elder Son should not be preferred before the Younger especially since he was also recommended by his Father's Will and indeed it is left very much in the dark whether the Lady last mentioned were ever Edgar's lawful Wife or not For the Annals and more Antient Historians are wholly silent in it nor does any Writer make mention of that Lady as King Edgar's Wife till John of Wallingford who lived in the Reign of King Henry the Third BUT be it as it will whether Prince Edward was Legitimate or not his Father however had left him as Florence of Worcester says Heir of his Kingdom as well as of his Vertues yet we also learn from Simeon of Durham that Quidam Regis filium Edwardum Quidam illius fratrem eligerunt Ethelredum quam ob causam Archipraesules Dunstanus Oswaldus cum Co-episcopis Abbatibus Ducibusque quamplurimis in unum convenerunt Edwardum ut pater ejus praeceperat eligerunt electum consecrarunt in Regem unxerunt Some Elected Edward the King's Son Edmund some his Brother Ethelred wherefore the Arch-Bishops
SAXONUM paritèr ELIGIMVS Benedictionum tuarum Dona multiplica as also what follows in the same Chapter in the Blessing after the Coronation in giving him the Scepter Benedic Domine hunc PRE-ELECTVM Principem qui Regna omnium Regum à saeculo moderaris Amen NOW from both these Places above quoted we may safely conclude that an Election did most commonly precede the Coronation of our English Saxon Kings which I think is made so evident by these Authorities that it needs no farther Enlargement nor should I trouble my self about it were it not to expose the Obstinacy of some Men as well as to continue the Series of this Succession which perhaps would seem lame to others without it down to the Conquest TO go on therefore where we left off after the Death of King Ethelred the Saxon Annals tell us that Omnes Proceres qui in Londonia erant Cives eligerunt Eadmundum in Regem i. e. All the Chief Men or Witan as it is in the Saxon i. e. Wise Men that were at London and the Citizens chose Edmund for their King and yet he was his Father's eldest Son tho whether Legitimate or not is uncertain for we do not find any antient Author till after the Conquest that mentions Ethelred's being married to the Mother of this Prince and if he was not this Son of his could have no other Title but Election This is also confirmed by Ingulph who says Cui Ethelredo successit in Regnum Londonensium West-Saxonum Electione Filius ejus primogenitus Edmundus c. i. e. Edmund his eldest Son succeeded his Father Ethelred by the Election of the Londoners and West-Saxons in the Kingdom BUT tho our Saxon Annals are silent of it yet an Antient Manuscript Chronicle wrote about the Time of the Conquest now in the Cottonian Library relates that about the same Time that King Edmund was thus Elected Episcopi Abbates quique Nobiliores Angliae Canutum in Regem eligere the Bishops Abbots and several of the Chief Men of England chose Cnute for their King which is also confirmed by Florence of Worcester in these words under this very Year Post cujus mortem maxima pars Regni tà m Clericorum quà m Laicorum in unum congregati pari consensu Cnutonem in Regem eligerunt ad eum Suthamptoniam veniens pacem cum eo pepigerunt fidelitatem jurabant i. e. after whose Death viz. of King Ethelred the greatest part of the Kingdom as well of the Clergy as Laity being met together chose Cnute for their King and coming to Southampton made Peace with him and swore Fidelity but he there says nothing of his Coronation THESE Testimonies concerning Ethelred and Edmund being thus plain I confess Dr. Brady has been so just as to cite them and fairly to translate that Passage in Ingulph by the word Election whereas it should have been Recognition if it had suited with his Hypothesis as he does also that of Florence of Worcester rendring the word Eligerunt by chose him King if therefore it were a true Election in one case then surely it must be so in the other for the same Reason BUT the nameless Author of the Great Point of Succession discuss'd tho he does wilfully conceal all the printed Authorities above mentioned yet being hard press'd with this Passage of King Cnute has no other way to evade it but by saying That Canutus by the Terror of his Arms having the greatest part of the Island at his Devotion forced them to acknowledg and receive him for their King which they being under an apparent Force could not refuse to do THE falseness of which Assertion I will not go about to prove in this Place but refer the Reader to the ensuing History where he will find that the Persons abovemention'd were not so forced by the Terror of his Arms as to acknowledg him for their King since London then as still the Capital City of the Nation with many others of the Nobility had before Chosen King Edmund who by their Assistance was strong enough immediately after his Election to fight the Danes at the great Battel at Assendune and therefore if voluntarily yet it was treacherously done of them to quit the Prince who ought to have been Elected and to choose a Stranger and an Invader over his Head and whether the Gentleman this Author writes against had ridiculously called King Cnute's Accession to the Throne an Election as he would have it I shall leave to the impartial Reader 's Judgment AFTER the Death of King Cnute our Annals relate that at a Witena-Gemot or Great Council being held at Oxford Leofricus Comes omnes propè Thani à Boreali parte Thamisis Nautae de Lundonia eligerunt Haroldum in Regem totius Angliae dum ejus Frater Hardcnutus esset in Denmearcia i.e. Leofric the Earl and almost all the Thanes North of the Thames and the Sea-men of London chose Harold King of all England whilst his Brother Hardecnute was in Denmark which is also confirmed by Ingulph and William of Malmesbury who farther report That the English had a Mind to chuse Edward the Son of Ethelred or at least Hardecnute the Son of Cnute by Emme his Wife the Widow of King Ethelred who was then in Denmark BUT Henry of Huntington says expresly Haroldus filius Cnuti in Regem Electus est But Radulphus de Diceto is yet more express as to this Election of Harold as appears by this Passage under An. 1038. Haroldus Rex Merciorum Northymbrorum ut per totam regnaret Angliam à Principibus omni Populo Eligitur i. e. Harold King of the Mercians and Northumbers that he might reign over all England is Chosen by the chief Men and all the People whence you may observe that tho he were then King of the Mercians and Northumbers yet that still needed a new Election to make him King of all England NOW if this were so as the Doctor himself has ingenuously cited it in his said Treatise I desire he would let us know where was then the Right of Lineal Succession when the People of England would fain have chosen Edward who could not be Right Heir of the Crown so long as the Children of his Elder Brother were alive tho then in Exile nor could Hardecnute have any Right so long as Harold his Elder Brother was alive whom also as our Historians relate his Father had appointed Successor at his Death tho whether that be true or no is much to be doubted BUT the Author of the aforementioned Great Point of Succession c. to evade this Proof of Harold's Election will have all this Point in Controversy to have been who had the most Right and best Title to the Crown of those two Harold or Hardecnute and that Earl Godwin objected Harold's Illegitimacy and the Will of the deceased King of all which there is not one word mentioned in any of our most
Abridgment of the History of France he freely owns That during the Kings of the first Race they were still chosen out of the Royal Family but that there were three Conditions required to it 1. Birth thô whether they were legitimate or no it matter'd not 2. The last Will of the Father 3. The Consent of the Great Men or Estates of the Kingdom and the last of these says he almost ever followed the two former Moreover that in all those Kingdoms where this way of Election was in use their Kings were so far from being absolute Monarchs that they were accountable for their Tyranny or Male-Administration to the Estates of the Kingdom and were by them liable to be deposed for the same Of which were it to my present purpose I could give you frequent Examples not only in Denmark and Sweden in both which Kingdoms that Law was in force till within this last Century when they became successive in a Lineal Descent by an Act of all the Estates but also in Castile and Arragon and even in that of France it self as much as she takes upon her to be Absolute at this day and for the Proof of this I shall refer you to any French History Those famous Examples of the last Childerick's being Deposed by the great Council or Assembly of the Estates of France who elected Pepin King in his room and also their setting aside Charles Duke of Lorrain tho the undoubted Heir of the Crown by Blood only for his supposed Enmity to the French Nation and their choosing Hugh Capet for their King from whom all the Kings of France from that time have been so far as we know lineally descended renders this a Truth too notorious to be denied THIS I have here mentioned that so you may not wonder if in the ensuing History you meet with divers Examples of the English Saxons deposing their Kings since the same Custom did in those Ages prevail in all those Kingdoms as a part of their Original Constitution AND for farther Proof of this tho I could bring several Instances from the Mercians and Northumbers yet because the latter were look'd upon as of a Rebellious Disposition against their Princes and for the former it may be said that those they expelled were Usurpers and not lawful Kings I shall therefore content my self with mentioning but two Examples concerning our West-Saxon Kings which you will find hereafter more at large The first is that of Sigebert who as the Saxon Annals inform us Anno 752. for his unryhtum Daedum i.e. illegal Practices or as Hen. Huntington paraphrases it for his Oppression and wresting the Laws to his own Advantage was by all the Wites or Wise and Great Men of West-Saxony deprived of his Kingdom and Cenwolf his Kinsman was by them elected in his room The next is that of King Edwy who for his loose and irregular Life tho chiefly for persecuting the Monks being cast off or deposed by the Mercians and Northumbers his Brother Edgar was chosen to succeed him but yet the Kingdom was divided and Edwy had only West-Saxony for his share And both this Deposition and Division were confirmed by an Act of the Estates of the whole Kingdom as I have already shewn BUT whether this was lawfully and rightfully done for any real Breach of their Original Contract it is none of my Business here to decide it is sufficient to shew that the Estates of those Countries then judged so not that I maintain the Law is or ought to be so at this day but that it was so before the Conquest pray consider this Law which tho found among those that go under the Title of Edward the Confessor yet was certainly much more Antient as containing not only the Office of an English King but what he was to suffer in case he omitted that Duty I shall give it you from the Latin Original in Hoveden and Lambard in these words Rex qui est vicarius summi Regis ad haec est constitutus ut Regnum terrenum Populum Domini super omnia sanctam veneretur ejus Ecclesiam regat ab injuriosis defendat maleficos ab ea evellat destruat penitùs disperdat Quod nisi fecerit nec Regis Nomen in eo constabit i.e. not so much as the Name of a King shall remain to him Here you see not only the Substance of this Original Contract but also the Penalty annex'd to it if it were broken AND that there was such a thing as an Original Compact or Contract between the People of England and the Ancestors of those Kings according to which they were to govern and upon the non-performance of which they were liable to forfeit or lose their Crowns I think may farther be proved tho what the particular Heads of it were we cannot now exactly tell unless they were those mentioned in the Oath recited in the Mirror at the Election of the first Saxon Sovereign whether he were Egbert or any other which indeed amounts to a Contract but there was also a Compact of the like Nature in the Kingdom of the West-Saxons before King Egbert's Time as well as after for how else could the Great Council of the Kingdom proceed against King Sigebert or Edwy if there had not been then some known Laws or Constitutions upon the Violation of which they were judged uncapable to govern any longer And tho the chief Heads of that Contract may have been comprized in King Ethelred's Coronation-Oath which I have already given you the first Article of which is to preserve the Holy Church and all Christian People in true Peace at all Times the second To restrain all Violence and Injustice in all sorts of People which comprehends any raising of Taxes by the King's Officers contrary to Law and the third To observe Equity and Mercy in all his Judgments by which the King is withheld from taking away any of his Subjects Lives arbitrarily as also from pardoning notorious Offenders against the State at his meer Pleasure so that the Religion Estates and Lives of his People were by this Oath well secured I say tho these are the chief Heads of this Contract yet that this was much more Antient than the Ceremony of a Coronation may appear from hence THAT Kingly Government is this Island was never Absolute nor Despotical but always limited by Laws and if limited then those Laws must have been the Bounds or Conditions of that Limitation and if there was from the beginning or first Institution of the Government a constant certain great Council ordained whose Business it was to observe that the King did not transgress the due Bounds of his Power that Council so long as the Kingdom continued Elective had likewise Authority to call him to Account for his Male-Administration BUT since the Preaching of Christianity did no ways alter the Original Constitution of Government in all those seven Kingdoms above-mentioned it follows
his Son-in-Law whom he denotes by this Title Ethelredo Principi meae Militiae THE other viz. the Great Civil Officer was that of Chancellour so called from the barbarous Latin word Cancellare from his cancelling or striking out what he pleased in Men's Grants and Petitions And as for his Power we find it thus expressed in Ingulf upon K. Edward the Elder 's having made his Cousin Turketule Chancellor Quaecúnque negotia temporalia vel spiritualia Regis Judicium expectabant illius consilio tam sanctae fidei tam profundi ingenii tenebatur omnia tractarentur tractata irrefragabilem sententiam sortirentur from whence we may observe that the King did not only in that Age determine Civil but Spiritual Causes too in his own Person and had his Chancellor for his Assistant in his Judgments which being so given irrefragabilem sententiam sortirentur i.e. they obtained an uncontroulable Sentence beyond which there then lay no Appeal and this I suppose was done in that great Court we now call the King's Bench for as for the Court of Chancery in Causes relating to Equity Sir Edward Coke tells us in his 4 th Institutes that there are no Precedents of it before the Reign of King Henry VI. BUT that it was the business of the Chancellor to draw up the King's Charters and also to sign them before the Conquest you will find at the end of the last Charter of King Edward the Confessor to the Abbey of Westminster in the first Volume of Sir H. Spelman's Councils where Aelfgeat a Notary signs it vice Reynbaldi Regis Edwardi Cancellarii THE next Degree was that of Ealdorman which was not only Titular as to the Person but an Office and signified as you will find all along in our Annals those great Magistrates under the King who being called in Latin Subreguli Principes Consules in some of our Antient Charters and sometimes in Saxon Cynings i.e. petty Kings had the subordinate Government of Cities Counties and often too of whole Provinces in all Affairs both Civil and Military and were of much greater Power before King Alfred's Reign than afterwards for whereas before his Time they had the chief Authority in all Places belonging to their Jurisdiction they seem after the word Eorle came in use with the Danes to have lost much of their Power tho they still retained the Title And it is observed by Sir Henry Spelman in his Glossary that he who was called the Ealdorman of the County signified in the Laws of King Athelstane something between the Earl and the Sheriff and therefore seems to have been him who under the Earl governed the County or Province and was his Deputy or Judg in the County Court in his Absence For in those Laws the Value of an Arch-bishop and Earl's Head is set at fifteen thousand Thrimsaes whereas the Bishop's and Ealdorman's was but at eight thousand YET notwithstanding this Title did not cease to be esteemed very honourable many Years after that Time for we find in Camden's Britannia that the Tomb of Ailwin founder of the Abby of Ramsey was inscribed with the Title of Ealdorman of all England which as Mr. Selden says could only mean that he was somewhat like the Antient Chief Justiciary of England or Chief Director of the Affairs of the whole Kingdom or Viceroy Regiae dignitatis consors nominis or half Cyning as the Book of Ramsey has it NOT but that this word was also of a much more inferior Signification seeing we find frequent mention in the Laws of Edward the Confessor as well as in those Kings immediately after the Conquest of Aldermannus Hundredi seu Wapentachii as also of Aldermannus Civitatis vel Burgi whence the Title of our present Aldermen of Cities and great Towns are derived tho of a far different Signification as well as a much later Institution and this I suppose happened by reason of the Paucity of words in the Saxon Tongue which called Grave Men distinguished by any Office or Dignity by the Title of Ealdormen because they were at first bestowed on Men of elder Years tho afterwards as the Auctuary to King Edward's Laws informs us they were not so stiled propter senectutem cum quidam Adolescentes essent sed propter sapientiam Therefore I cannot forbear taking notice that whereas Bede speaking of K. Oswald's sending ad Majores natu Scotorum to the Elders of the Scots for Bishops King Alfred in his Translation of Bede calls them the Ealdormen of the Scots that is the Great or Chief Men of that Nation I must here beg the Reader 's Pardon for a Mistake I have committed in the rendring of that Passage into English in the ensuing History for not having the Saxon Version by me but only a Latin Copy when I wrote it nor having then consulted Mr. Selden to whom I confess my self much beholden for this Criticism I have there translated the words Majores Natu Scotish Bishops because I thought it most proper for them to be sent to about an Affair concerning Religion I have no more to say on this Head only that I have left this word Ealdorman so often used in our Annals untranslated for tho I grant he is frequently stiled Dux or Comes in Latin yet it would not bear being rendred Duke or Earl in English because that those Titles are not only very different but were unknown in our Saxon Tongue till many Years after that Government was setled in England I come now to the Title Earl or Eorle which being altogether Danish was not commonly used here till the Reign of King Cnute tho we now and then find it mentioned in our Annals before his Time but as for its Power and Authority it being much what the same with that of Ealdorman abovementioned I think I need say no more of it only that neither of them were then Hereditary nor descended to Sons or Brothers tho they often continued in the same Family when the King was pleased so to confer it And both the Title and the Office were liable to be forfeited upon any great Male-Administration as you will find in divers Instances in this Book THE next Title and Office I shall mention is that of Heretoch which was wholly Military and as Sir Henry Spelman in his Glossary supposes was the same with that of the Holde or Commander in War mentioned in the Laws of King Athelstan because his Wiregild is made equal to that of a High-Gerife viz. four thousand Thrymsa's THIS Heretoch seems to have been somewhat like our Lord-Lieutenant of a County at this Day and was chosen for some extraordinary Occasion as upon a sudden Invasion or Expedition against the Scots or Welshmen Which being over their Commission also ceased but they themselves were still had in high Esteem and Honour if they had prudently and couragiously discharged that great Trust. And as the
dicitur convocati i. e. Besides many other very Eminent Persons and Chief Men of the Kingdom of divers Orders being omitted who with most pious Affection were Witnesses and Approvers to this Confirmation and these were summoned at that Time by the Royal Authority from divers Provinces and Cities to the General Synod held at the Famous Abby of Westminster for the hearing and determining of the Causes of each Christian Church THIS is an Authority which seemed so convincing that Sir William Dugdale hath made use of it in his Origines Juridiciales to prove the Antiquity of the Commons of England in Parliament yet Dr. Brady in the Conclusion of his Answer to Mr. Cook 's Argumentum Antinormanicum accuses that Gentleman of being both Ignorant and Mistaken in the meaning of Cities and Provinces and the Persons that came from them whom he indeed would have to be not any Representatives of Counties and Cities but only Deans Arch-Deacons and other dignified Persons and Church-Officers as well of the Laity as Clergy who were summoned by the King to this Synod from Provinces and Cities to advise and inform the King of the Conveniency of the Places whither the Bishops Sees then about to be removed from Villages to Cities were to be transferred BUT since there is not one word in this Charter said of any such Thing and that Sir Henry Spelman in his Glossary renders the word Provincia for a County and not a Bishop's See I my self not now having leisure to pursue such Niceties shall refer the Curious for their farther Satisfaction to the eighth Dialogue of Bibliotheca Politica where they may read whatsoever he has said against it sufficiently answered THESE are the only Authorities I shall make use of at this Time to prove that the Cities and Boroughs had then their Delegates or Representatives in the Saxon Witena-Gemotes I will now conclude this Point with the Judgment of that Learned Antiquary Mr. Lambard who certainly understood the Constitution of this Antient Government as well at least if not better than Dr. Brady and he tells us THAT whereas in the beginning of each Law viz. those made by the Saxon Kings he there mentions all the Acts are said to pass from the King and his Wise Men both of the Clergy and Laity in the Body of the Laws each Statute being thus And it is the Advice of our Lord and his Wise-Men So as it appears that it was then a received Form of Speech to signify both the Spirituality and the Laity that is to say the greater Nobility and the less or Commons by this one word Witan i. e. Wise-men NOW as those written Authorities do undoubtedly confirm our Assertion of the Continuance of this manner of Parliament so is there also unwritten Law or Prescription that doth no less infallibly uphold the same For it is well known that in every Quarter of the Realm a great many Boroughs do yet send Burgesses to the Parliament which are nevertheless so antient and so long since decayed and gone to nought that it cannot be shewed that they have been of any Reputation at any time since the Conquest and much less that they have obtained this Privilege by the Grant of any King succeeding the same So that the Interest which they have in Parliament groweth by an antient Usage before the Conquest whereof they cannot shew any beginning which thing is also confirmed by a contrary Usage in the self-same thing for it is likewise known that they of Antient Demesne do prescribe in not sending to the Parliament for which reason also they are neither Contributors to the Wages of the Knights of Shires neither are they bound by sundry Acts of Parliament tho the same be generally penn'd and do make no Exceptions of them But there is no antient Demesne saving that only which is described in the Book of Doomsday under the Title of Terra Regis which of necessity must be such as either was in the Hands of the Conqueror himself who made the Book or of Edward the Confessor that was before him And so again if they of antient Demesnes have ever since the Conquest prescribed not to elect Burgesses to Parliament then no doubt there was a Parliament before the Conquest to the which they of other Places did send their Burgesses I shall here crave leave to add one Record tho after the Conquest in Confirmation of what Mr. Lambard hath here learnedly asserted for that several Boroughs claimed to send Members to Parliament by Prescription in the beginning of the Reign of Edward the Third appears by a Petition put in to that King An. 17 Edw. 3. wherein the Burgesses of the Town of Barnstaple in Devonshire set forth that it being a free Borough had by Charter from King Athelstan among other Privileges a right of sending two Burgesses to all Parliaments for the said Borough upon which the King and his Council ordered a Writ of Inquiry which certainly would never have been done if Dr. Brady's Notion were true that the Cities and Boroughs never sent any Representatives to Parliament but once in the 49 th of Hen. 3. and then no more till the 18 th of Edward the First which was but a little above 50 Years to the time of this Petition which being within the Memory of so many then living the King and his Council would never have ordered a Writ of Inquiry about such a vain and idle Pretence FROM all which I think it may safely be concluded that this Learned Antiquary above-mentioned I mean Mr. Lambard did not without good Authority believe that not only the Great Lords or Peers but also the Inferiour Nobility and Representatives of Cities and Towns were included under the word Witan and likewise that those Places claimed that Privilege by Prescription I shall therefore desire the Doctor that when he writes next upon this Subject he will please to crave in Aid some Gentlemen of the Long Robe of his Opinion to help him to answer this Argument of Mr. Lambard from general Prescription as also what hath been already said concerning this matter in the same Dialogue of Bibliotheca Politica above-mentioned beginning at pag. 483 and ending at pag. 593 inclusively and if he can then with his Assistances prove all our antient Lawyers to have been mistaken in this memorable Point I shall own my self to have been so too But I desire this may be taken notice of that no Prescription whatsoever in Law can be laid of later Date than the first Year of King Richard the First which began almost fourscore Years before the 49 th of Hen. 3. when he fancies the Commons were first summoned to Parliament BUT that I may be as brief as I can I shall reduce what I have further to say upon this Head to a few Queries As FIRST Whether in all the Kingdoms of Europe of the Gothic Model beginning with Sweden and Denmark and ending with Scotland there can
Westmoreland I suppose they are omitted in this Catalogue because in the Times not long before the Conquest the first was under the Power of the Scots and consequently under their Laws as the two latter were under that of their own Earls who ruled those Counties as Feudatary Princes under the Kings of England tho thus much is certain that the Danish Laws took Place there as well as in Yorkshire BUT after King Edward the Confessor came to the Crown he reduced the whole Kingdom under one General for thus says Ranulph Higden as he is cited by Sir Henry Spelman in his Glossary Tit. Lex Ex tribus his Legibus Sanctus Edwardus unam Legem Communem edidit quas Leges Sancti Edwardi usque hodie vocant Brompton says the like Iste Supradictus Rex Sanct. Ed. Conf. dictus est Edwardus Tertius qui Leges Communes Anglorum Genti tempore suo ordinavit quia proantè Leges nimìs partiales editae fuerant But Roger Hoveden carries them up higher in his History of Henry the Second for he says Quod istae Leges primùm inventae institutae erant tempore Edgari Avi sui sed postquam Edwardus venit ad Regnum Consilio Baronum Angliae Legem per 48. Annos sopitâ—m excitavit excitatam reparavit reparatam decoravit decoratam confirmavit confirmata verò vocata est Lex Edwardi Regis non quià ipse invenisset eam prius sed cum praetermissa fuerat Oblivioni penitùs data è Diebus Avi sui Edgari qui primus Inventor ejus fuisse dicitur usque ad sua tempora quià justa honesta erant è profundo Abysso extraxit eam revocavit ut suam observandam tradidit But the true Reason why it is called the Common Law is because it is the Common or Municipal Law of this Kingdom so that Lex Communis or Jus Patriae is all one with Lex Patriae or Jus Patrium and it is also called the Common Law in other Countries as Lex Communis Norica Burgundica Lombardica c. And from this latter they were so called by William the First in his Confirmation of them HAVING now given you the Original of our Laws in General we will next proceed to shew you what they were in particular as far as they concern those two great Branches of all Municipal Laws viz. the Civil or the Criminal The former oâ— which concerns Lands and Goods and the latter the Nature and Punishments of Criminal Offences TO begin with the former as far as it concerns Lands I shall satisfy my self with what Dr. Brady hath with great Industry and Exactness extracted in the first part of his Compleat History of England out of those Learned Authors you will find there cited in the Margin which is as follows Mr. Somner says there were but two sorts of Tenures here in the Saxon times before the Conquest Bocland and Folkland to which two all other sorts of Land might be reduced Bocland as Lambard says was Free and Hereditary and was a Possession by Writing the other without That by Writing was possessed by the Free or Nobler sort that without called Folkland was holden by paying Annual Rent or performance of Services and was possessed by the Rural People Rusticks Colons or Clowns in those Times these Writings were called in Latin Libelli Terrarum Landboc's and Telligraphia and Livery and Seizin was then made and given by delivery of a Turf taken from the Land with the Writings This was called Terra Testamentalis hereditaria Land Inheritable and devisable by Will unless the first Purchaser or Acquirer by Writing or Witness had prohibited it and then it could not be sold or disposed of from the nearest Kindred This Bocland was of the same Nature with Allodium in Doomsday holden without any Paiments nor chargeable with Services to any Lord or Seignory and though the Name was almost quite lost yet the thing remained under the Name of Allodium and the Lands possessed by the Allodiarii frequently mentioned in Doomsday I have been the more exact in putting down this Passage because it plainly proves from the learned Doctor 's own shewing that if the greatest part of the Lands before the Conquest held by Men of any Quality were Bocland and that this Bocland was the same as he grants with Lands held in Allodio and I have already proved that such Lands were held without any Paiments or Services other than such publick Taxes as were imposed by the Great Council of the Kingdom that is Danegelt with such other Duties as all Lands whatsoever were liable to then is it also as evident that these Lands which were far the greatest part of the Lands in the Kingdom were not held by Knight's Service and consequently their Owners could not be Tenants in Capite as this Author is pleased in other Places to suppose and therefore these Tenants in Allodio could never be so represented by such Military Persons as that they alone could either make Laws for them or lay Taxes on their Estates without their Consents either by themselves or Representatives in the Great Councils or Parliaments of those Times and therefore such free Tenants must have either appeared for themselves in Person or have chosen others to represent them AND if any Man doubt whether these Lands held in Allodio were before the Conquest the greatest part of the Lands of the Kingdom I must refer them for their Satisfaction to Mr. Somners and Mr. Taylor 's Treatises upon Gavelkind as also to Mr. Lambard's Discourse of the Customs of Kent at the end of his Perambulation of that County who there fully prove that the Antient Bocland descending to all the Male Issue alike was not meer Socage Tenure but Allodial 2 dly That this was the general Tenure of all Lands not held by Knights Service before the Conquest as well Gavelkind as others and that not only at the Common Law but confirmed by divers Saxon Kings as by that Law of King Edmund Si quis intestatus obierit Liberi ejus haereditatem aequalitèr dividant So likewise by the 68 th and 75 th Laws of King Cnute as also by those of Edward the Confessor confirmed by William the Conqueror Cap. 36. And therefore Mr. Somner in his said Treatise of Gavelkind farther proves that this was a Liberty left to the Kentish Men by William the Conqueror when all the rest of England changed its Antient Tenure and Mr. Taylor in his History of Gavelkind Chap. 6 7 8. hath proved this to have been a general Custom not only in Kent but in Wales and several parts of England I shall not any further pursue what the Doctor has said of Lands holden by Military Service before the Conquest or of the Herriots or Reliefs that were due upon them which were payable out of the Feudal Lands of the Ealdormen middle and less Thanes but shall refer
Interest Education or Course of Life and I cannot but observe that there are a sort of Men whose Heads seem framed for such a set of Notions rather than others which make them that they cannot easily digest any thing that clashes with them BUT I do not pretend to be infallible or to propose my sense as a Rule and Standard to all others Homo sum nihil humanum à me alienum puto as the Comick Poet hath long since well observed ONE thing indeed I think I may pretend to in this Undertaking and that is Integrity for I look upon it a much viler thing either to falsify or conceal part of an Authority that makes against one and use only so much as shall serve a present Turn that it is to pick a Pocket and as it is of far more dangerous Consequence to the Publick if not found out I must say it is likewise more easily to be discovered since every Man may if he please consult the Authors that such Writers make use of and so detect the Fraud BUT for those who think they may differ from me in some things with good Reason and Authority and will please by their learned Labours to give the World any better Information and Account of these Matters than I have done I shall be so far from being displeased at them that I shall upon full Satisfaction readily own my self very much in their Debt for making the World and me so much the Wiser only I must desire to be treated as one who if I chance to be under any Error am not so wilfully nor as I think without great appearance of Reason and Authority on my side since I call God to witness that neither from a vain Ambition of Glory nor prospect of any Temporal Advantage nor design of gratifying any Party or Faction have I wrote any thing that may disgust Men of different Principles and Notions AND I thank God for this great Blessing to us that we live in a Time when we may not only think or speak but also safely write what we believe to be the Truth to which all Mankind do owe Allegiance and therefore I hope I never shall abuse that invaluable Liberty to the Prejudice of the Government or that excellent constituted Church of which I own my self a Member being fully satisfied that the main End of all our Writings ought to be for the Honour of God and the Common Good of Mankind THE TABLE to the Preface and Introduction A. ACtions on the Case how antient page 126 Adultery its Punishment 125 Aetheling the Title what it was 72 St. Albans his Sufferings most probably a Legend 24 25 26 King Alfred his Preface to Pope Gregory's Pastoral 11. His Testament with Observations upon it 51 52 Allodium Lands hâ—ld in Allodio 118 119 Annals Saxon a brief Account of them and their Translation 10 11 Antient Demesne Tenants therein 121 Antiquity of the Ordeal 124. Of the Distinction between Manslaughter and Murder 126 Arch-bishops of Canterbury and York antiently of equal Dignity and Power 116 Asser Menevensis an Account of him and his Writings 12 13 B. BAro its antient Signification 93 94. When it came first in common use 102 Barones Comitatûs what they were 96 Bede the first English Historian 10 Bishopricks and Abbeys often bestowed by the Election of the great Council of the Kingdom in the Saxon-Times 113 114 Bishops sometimes deprived by the same Councils 115 116 Blasphemy vid. Swearing and Cursing Bocland what it was 118. The same with Lands in Allodio 119 Dr. Brady his Errors concerning the English-Saxon Succession 50 51 c. Britain how divided under the Romans pag. 31 32 Bromton John an Account of the Chronicle that passes under his Name 16 Burglary how punishable 126 Burhwitan or Burhwara who they were 80 C. CAradoc of Lancarvon his Welsh Chronicle 15 Ceorl or Ceorl's Man i. e. Country-man his Privileges 77 Chancellor whence derived and the Antiquity of that Office 73 Clipping and Coining of Money its Punishment 126 Coining of Money a Prerogative of the Crown 67 Colonus its Signification 121 Combat single or Duel 125 Comes Littoris Saxonici who he was 33 Commons present in the great Councils of the Kingdom 88-101 To have been also present there in the Reign of K. William I. 97. Prov'd also to have a Right by Prescription before his time 98 Compurgators who 125 Conquests of the Danes and Normans which were no more than Invasions never altered this Government or Laws in any of its substantial parts 127 Contract or Compact Original between the first English Saxon Kings and their Subjects proved 69 70. and that more antient than the Coronation-Oath 71 72 Coronation of our Kings whence derived 16 Coronation-Oath its Form before the pretended Conquest 58 Costs recovering of Costs and Damages how antient pag. 126 Great Council of the Wites for what ends they were established 41 Great Council or Parliament its Original 86-88 The Persons of whom it consisted 87-102 These Councils often met in the open Air 104. It s Power in making Laws 105-08 Counties their Division more antient than the Reign of K. Alfred 84 The County-Court what 84 Courts of Justice in England how many they were under the Saxon Kings 80 85 Court-Barons their Original 82 Craig Sir Thomas his Objections against the Truth and Antiquity of our English Historians considered 18-23 Crown of England not bequeathable by the Testament of the English-Saxon Kings 51 52 Curia Domini Regis its Signification 85 D. DAnegelt first imposed by Authority of the King and his Wites 120 The Decennary or Tything-Court what 81 Defamation how punishable 126 Degrees of Men that constituted the Common-weal 72-80 Demesnes of the Crown could not be granted away even to pious Vses by the English-Saxon Kings without the Consent of the Great Council 68 Deprivation of English Saxon Kings 68. Of Bishops by the Great Council 115 116 Deputies of Cities and great Towns how antient 95 Disposition of Goods and Personal Estates either by Deed or last Will 121 Doom or Judgment-Book 127 Durham Simeon who he was 15 Dux Britanniae what he was 33 E. EAdmerus his History pag. 14 Ealdorman the Title 73 East-Angles the Succession of their Kings 45 East-Saxon Kings their Succession 43 Ecclesiastical Laws by whom made 108-113 Ecclesiastical Power settled at first under the two Arch-bishops of Canâ—erbury and York 116 Eddi Stephen Author of the Life of Bishop Wilfred with a brief account of him 10 Edward the Confessor the manner of his Election 61 Electus eligerunt their true Signification 55 56 Encomium Emmae 14 English-Saxons vid. Saxons Eorl 74 Ethelwerd sirnamed Quaestor an account of him and his Work 14 F. FEng to Rice the meaning of that Saxon Phrase 55 Feudal Lands what 122 Fideles who they were in the Saxon Government 107 Fidelium multitudo in the Charter of King Ethelwulf what it signified 104 105 Fines and Mulcts their difference set down in a
all Ireland for so it was then commonly called for near Four Hundred Years after this and he therein complains of Draganus an Irish Bishop who coming over hither would not so much as Eat in the same House with him at which time also Laurentius wrote Letters not only to his fellow Bishops in Ireland but also to the British Clergy in Wales to the same purpose as the former but how well he succeeded therein the present time says Bede declares about which Year also Mellitus Bishop of London was sent to Rome to confer with Pope Boniface concerning the necessary Affairs of the English Church when the Pope held a Synod at Rome with the Bishops of Italy concerning the Life and Conversation of the Monks where he sate with them This Synod was held in the Eighth Year of Emperour Phocas and the Bishop at his return brought back the Decrees of that Council together with the Pope's Letters to Arch-Bishop Laurence and all the Clergy as also to King Ethelbert and the whole English Nation This Year also Sebert King of the East-Saxons Founded the Church and Abbey of Westminster and Mellitus the Bishop Dedicated it to St. Peter thô for what Order of Monks is uncertain since they were driven out after the Death of Sebert by his Successours who continued Pagans for many Years after This Year according to Florence Ceolwulf dying Cynegils began to Reign over the West Saxons for Thirty One Years being the Son of Ceolric who was the Son of Cutha who as we have heard was slain fighting against the Britains some Years before Cynegils and Cwichelme fought against the Britains at Beamdune now Bindon in Dorsetshire and there slew Two Thousand and Forty Six Men which Battel H. Huntington thus describes The Saxon and British Troops being drawn up in Battel Array the Fight immediately began when the Britains fearing the weight of the Saxon Battel Axes and long Launces turn'd their backs and fled so that the Saxons obtain'd the Victory without any great loss on their side and he also agrees pretty near in the number of the slain with our Saxon Annals This Cwichelme here mentioned is by Will of Malmesbury said to be Brother of Cynegils and to be by him taken as his Partner in the Royal Power But Florence of Worcester and Mat. Westminster do make Cwichelme to have been the Son of Cinegils thô the former Opinion be the more likely but let it be either of them it is certain that they were both of them Stout and good natured Persons who governed with that mutual Love and Concord as it was a wonder to the Age in which they liv'd so ought it to be an example to all future times Thô the Cathedral of Christ Church in Canterbury had been already built about Twenty Years yet it seems the Monastery adjoyning to it was not founded till this Year as appears not only from the Manuscript above mentioned once belonging to the Monastery of St. Augustine but also from Will of Malmesbury that in the time of Arch-Bishop Laurence and about this very Year that it was first replenished with Monks as appears by a Letter of Pope Boniface to King Ethelbert whereby he approves of and confirms the Foundation of the said Abby by the said Arch-Bishop which Letter though Will. of Malmesbury had promised to recite yet being by him forgot or else ommitted in our Printed Copies is to be found at large in the said Manuscript concerning which Monastery the afore-cited Author farther adds That though some had said that Arch-Bishop Aelfric had thrust out the Clerks i. e. secular Chanons out of that Church and had placed Monks in their rooms yet was it not at all probable since it appeared by the said Epistle of Pope Boniface that there had been Monks in the Church of St. Saviour from the first foundation of that Monastery in the time of Arch-Bishop Laurence who succeeded St. Augustine But it hath been denyed by Cardinal Baronius in his Annals as also by some later Antiquaries of what Order these Monks were whom Augustine and Laurentius placed in these two Monasteries above mention'd and that a late ingenious Authour in his Preface to a Treatise called Notitia Monastica hath questioned whether they were of the Benedictine Order since he rather supposes That the Benedictine Rule was scarce heard of in England till some Hundreds of Years after and never perfectly observed till after the Conquest but he should have done well to have told us what other Order they were of since the general Tradition in most of the Ancient English Monasteries of the Benedâ—ctine Order was That they had observed that Rule from their first foundation And the Saxon Annals under the Year 509 do expresly affirm That St. Benedict the Father of all the Monks dyed that Year And he had long before his Death founded his Order in Italy and of which Augustine himself is supposed to have been and though I also acknowledge that all the ancient Monasteries of England were not at first of that Order since those that were founded in the Kingdom of Northumberland by the Bishops Aidan and Coleman followed the same Rule with the Monks of Ireland and Scotland viz. That of St. Basil which all the Eastern Monks did then and do to this day observe yet even these did about an Hundred Years after quit that Rule and follow the more Modern one of St. Benedict and therefore Stephen Heddie in his Life of St. Wilfred Bishop of York lately published by the learned Dr. Gale hath expresly told us That the said Bishop returning home into his own Country i. e. the Kingdom of Northumberland and carrying along with him the Rule of St. Benedict very much improved the Constitutions of God's Churches by which he meant the Monasteries of those Parts And therefore the Chronology once belonging to the Abby of St. Augustine's in Canterbury printed in the Decem scriptores after Will. Thornes Chronicle under Anno 666 upon very good grounds thus observes That this Year Bishop Wilfred caused the Rule of St. Benedict to be observed in England That is in the North Parts into which he then went for if that Rule had not been observed in the Southern Parts before How could it be said that he carried it out from thence along with him but to conclude there having been a dispute among the Roman Catholicks beyond the Seas about Seventy Years ago concerning this matter some of them affirming that all the ancient English Monks before the Conquest were of the Order of St. Equitus or else of some other Order whereupon those of the Benedictine Order wrote over to our Antiquaries in England viz. Sir Robert Cotton Sir H. Spelman Mr. Camden and Mr. Selden appealing to their Judgment herein From whom they received a Letter under all their Hands wherein they expresly certified that there was never any such Order as that of St. Equitus and further
Abbess deceased at Streanshale now Whitby in York-shire which she her self had Founded she was Grand Niece to King Edwin and having been converted by Paulinus had been almost ever since her Conversion a professed Nun first in the Monastery of Cale in France and was afterwards Abbess of divers Nunneries in England being esteemed a Lady of great Sanctity and Knowledge At this Monastery of Strean-shale which was then for Men as well as Women lived Caedmon the English Saxon Poet who is supposed by Bede to have been once Divinely inspired in his sleep to make Verses in his own Tongue upon the Creation of the World and ever after kept that faculty upon other Divine Subjects there are divers of his Paraphrases in Saxon Verse still extant upon several Stories in Genesis and Exodus but very hard to be understood by reason of the Obsoleteness of the Saxon Dialect They have been Printed at Oxford by the Learned Junius About this time also according to Florence the Kingdom of the Mercians became divided into five Diocesses and Tulfride a learned Monk of the Abbess Hilda's Monastery was elected first Bishop of Worcester but dyed before his Ordination But the ancient Chronicle of the Church of Worcester now in the Cottonian Library relates the Church of Worcester to have been first founded by Atheâ—red King of the Mercians and Theodore Bishop of Canterbury one Bosel being made the first Bishop of that See and sate therein Eleven Years There was then also founded a Colledge of secular Canons which so continued as the Chapter of this Church till Anno Dom. 991 when Bishop Oswald turned them out and put in Benedictine Monks in their Rooms About the same time also one Oswald Nephew to King Ethelred founded a College for Secular Canons at Pershore in Worcestershire which continued till King Edgar and Bishop Oswald Anno 984. brought in Benedictine Monks in their Places I may also add under this Year that pretended Bull of Pope Agatho's Privileges together with the Charter of this K. Ethelred which is reciâ—â—d in the Peterbâ—rgh Copy of the Saxon Annals under Anno. 675 and is there related to have been about the same time confirmed in the Council at Heathfield above-mentioned whereby were grâ—nted to the Monastery of Mâ—deshaâ—isâ—e ad divers greâ—t Immâ—nities which Bull does not only confirm aâ—d those Privileges formerly granted by Pope Vitalian but there is also further added this that the Abbot should be the Pope's Legat over the whole Isle of Britain and that whatsoever Abbot was elected by the Monks should be immediately consecrated by the Archbishop of Câ—nterbury with divers other Things too tedious here to relate Which 〈◊〉 being recited in the Council above-mentioned was by thâ—m estâ—blished and confirmed which being done the King is said to have made a Speech reciting all the Lands he had given to the said Monastery and then having subscribed the Charter the Queen Adrian the Pope's Legat and all the Bishops and Abbots whose Names are there mentioned did so likewise under drâ—â—dful Curses upon those that should violate the Privileges above-mentioned But notwithstanding the so exact Recital and supposed Confirmation of this Charter in the Council above-mentioned we have very great Reason to suspect this Bull as also the Charter it self to have been forged long after by the Monks of Peterburgh for in the first place the Privileges granted to this Abbey do not only exceed any that had been granted by the Pope to any Monastery in England but also were such as we do not find it ever enjoy'd as particularly that of their Abbot's being the Pope's ordinary Legate all over this Island which had been such a Diminution of the Rights of the Archbishop of Canterbury as he would nover have so easily paâ—s'd over And besides all which the Names of the Bishops who are put to this Charter do not at all agree with the Circumstances of Time for first it is certain that Wilfred is here styled Archbishop of York which Title he never took upon him being then no more but a Bishop under the Jurisdiction of Archbishop Theodore and by whom he at this Time stood deprived and was not present at this Council nor did return this Year from Rome as this Copy of the Annals makes him to have done but was indeed returned from thence near three Years before being at this Time converting the South-Saxons â—s hath been already related Neither was Putta Bishop of Rochester or Waldhere Bishop of London at the time when this Council was held though their Names are also put to this Charter for the former had been dead eleven Years before and one Quiehelme was then Bishop of that See as appears by the Catalogue of the Bishops in Sir H. Spelman's Fasâ—â— at the end of the Volume of English Writers after Bede nor was the latter then Bishop of London but Erkenwald who was elected to that See above fifteen Years before and continued in it 'till after the Reign of King Ina who began not to reign 'till Anno 688 so that upon the whole matter I take this Charter to be a notorious piece of Forgery This Year Trumbrith was consecrated Bishop of Hagulstad and Trumwin Bishop of the Picts This was the Bishoprick of Wyterne called in Latin Candida Casa which at that time as Bede testifies belonged to the Kingdom of Northumberland and also Centwin King of the West-Saxons put the Britains to flight as far as the Sea H. Huntington says That he also wasted all their Country with Fire and Sword but the Welsh Chronicle of Caradoc translated by H. Lloyd relates That this Year Kentwin King of the West-Saxons gathered a great Company of his Nation together and came against the Britains who seem'd ready to receive the Battle but yet when both Armies appeared in sight of each other they were not all desirous to fight for they fell to a friendly composition and agreement viz. That Ivor should take Ethelburga to Wife who was Cousin to Kâ—ntwin and quietly enjoy all that he had got during the Reign of Ivor but of this our English Histories are silent This Year the Nunnery of St. Peter in Glocester was founded by Osriâ— then a petty Prince or Governour under Ethelred King of the Mercians but was afterwards King of the Northumbers This Monastery thô it had the honour of having Three Queens successively Abbesses of it was destroyed by the Danes but afterwards was re-edified for Benedictine Monks by Aldred Bishop of Worcester Anno 1058. This Year also according to Bede Egfrid King of Northumberland sent a great Army into Ireland under one Bert or Bryt his General who miserably wasted that innocent Nation which had been always friendly to the English which Character perhaps might have been due to them in Bede's time and did not so much as spare the Churches or Monasteries but the Islanders as far as they were able repel'd Force with Force and invoked the Divine
he had founded at Oundale in Northamptonshire being there seized with the same Sickness which had often attacked him before thô what it was this Author does not tell us he there died having before made his Will and given a great deal both in ready Money and Jewels to the Monasteries he had founded His Body was carried with great Pomp and Attendance of many Abbots and Monks to his Abbey of Rypon and there buried This Year Acca the principal Chaplain of Bishop Wilfred succeeded him in his Bishoprick of Hagulstad To this Bishop Florence of Worcester gives the Character of a skilful Singer and Learned in the Scriptures Also this Year Beorthfrith the Ealderman fought against the Picts between Haefe and Caere supposed to be Carehouse and Hatfeild in Northumberland and also King Ina and Nun his Kinsman fought with Gerent King of the Britains and the same Year Hygbald was slain Mat. Westminster places this Action in Anno 708 and makes this Hygbald to have been killed in the beginning of the Fight by the Welsh King above mentioned and He being there put to flight left great spoils behind him to the English who as Florence adds obtained the Victory This British Prince here mentioned is supposed to have been King of Cornwall for we can find no such name in the Catalogue of the Princes of North or South-Wales About this time according to Bede Naitan King of the Picts being convinced by the frequent reading of divers Ecclesiastical Writers renounced his Error concerning the Celebration of Easter and that he might likewise reclaim his Subjects with greater Authority he desired the assistance of the English Nation and therefore sent Messengers to Ceolfrid Abbot of the Monastery of Wyremouth desiring some Exhortatory Letters from him whereby he might confute those who presumed not to keep Easter at the due time as also concerning the true manner of shaving of Priest's Crowns he likewise desired some Architects that might build a Church for him after the Roman fashion which he promised to Dedicate in honour of St. Peter To which Pious requests Ceolfrid assenting did not only send him the Architect he desired but also writ him a long Epistle upon those two Questions in which he desired to be satisfied which you may see at large in Bede where besides many notable Arguments for keeping Easter on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon that follows the Vernal Equinox and besides some others there is this doughty Reason against the Scotch way of shaving Crowns that it was the Tonsure of Simon Magus and then what good Christian could not but abhor it as much as Magick it self This Year Guthlac dyed as also Pipin King of France this Guthlac here mentioned was at first a Monk at Repandun Abbey but afterwards professing himself an Anchorite he retired into the Fens and built himself a Cell at Croyland of him the Monkish Writers of those times relate incredible Miracles of his Temptations Sufferings by and Victories over Evil Spirits which then haunted that place at which some Years after the Abbey of Croyland was founded The same Year also Egwin Bishop of Worcester founded the Abbey of Evesham upon this occasion the Virgin Mary as the Monks relate had appeared about this place to one Eoves a Shepheard and not long after to the Bishop himself having a Book in her hand bringing two Female Attendants with her though who they were it seems she did not declare whereupon the Bishop there founded this Monastery testifying this Vision in the Charter of the Foundation which you may see at large in Monast. Anglic. as also in Sir H. Spelman's first Volume of Councils but as for the Story related by the Magdeburg Centuriators that the Virgin Mary did then Command her Image to be set up and worshiped in that Church there being no colour for it in the pretended Charter of the Bishop himself that must be certainly forged for as Sir H. Spelman has very well observed Arch-Bishop Brightwald is said to have writ this Charter by the command of the Pope whereas this Arch-Bishop was never at Rome nor was the Council in which it is said to have been confirmed held till after Bishop Egwin's Return home into England and as for the Kings Kenred and Offa who are made to witness and confirm it they had both of them resigned their Crowns and gone to Rome Five Years before the date of this Charter which is Anno Dom. 714 therefore I shall pass it by as a mere Fable since it is certain that the worship of Images was not then not long after introduced into the English-Saxon Church But before I dismiss this Subject concerning the foundation of the Abby of Evesham I cannot forbear taking notice of another Charter pretended to be made Anno Dom. 709 by King Kenred and King Offa above mentioned wherein they grant those Lands in which the Virgin Mary was supposed to appear to Bishop Egwin for the building of a Monastery according to the Rule of St. Benedict in which Charter thô the Lands are particularly named and set out yet it is as justly suspicious as the other to have been forged by the Monks of that Abby in after times as Sir H. Spelman very well observes who hath Printed both these Charters in his first Volume of Councils the former of which is dated at Rome Five Years before the other of Bishop Egwin's and is supposed to be subscribed by the Pope this Bishop himself and the two Kings who there stile themselves the former by the Title of King of Mercia and the latter by that of King of the East-Angles whereas it is apparent both from our Annals and Historians that they had both then resigned their Kingdoms to their Successours before they went to Rome and which is worse Offa was not King of the East-Angles but of the East-Saxons as Bede expresly relates nor can the fault be laid upon the Transcribers since the Error is in the Original Charter it self neither do we read of any King of the East-Angles all that time till King Offa upon the Murther of King Ethelbert seized that Kingdom but enough if not too much of these Monkish Forgeries we shall now return to our Annals King Ina and Ceolred fought at Wodensburh in Wiltshire a great and bloody Battle and now also Dagobert King of the French deceased This Year was founded at Theoewkesbury in Glocester-shire a noble Monastery for Bendictine Monks by Odo and Dodo Ealdermen of Mercia The same Year Osred King of Northumberland was killed near the Southern borders Mat. Westminster relates it was in a Fight near the Sea but names not the Enemy with whom he fought This Osred held the Kingdom Eleven Years then Cenred took it and held it Two Years and after him Osric who held it Eleven Years The same Year also Ceolred King of the Mercians Dyed and lyeth Buried in Licetfield now Lichfield Then Ethelbald succeeded
as his own ever since the time that King Offa took it but now the Mercians tried to recover it by Force The same Year was also held another Synodal Council at Cloveshoe for the Kingdom of Mercia under K. Beornwulf and Wilfred Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with all the Bishops and Chief Men of that Kingdom wherein some disputes about Lands between Heabert Bishop of Worcester and a certain Monastery called Westburgh were determined This Year Ludican King of the Mercians and five of his Ealdermen were slain and Wiglaf began to Reign in his stead Ingulf and Will of Malmesbury tell us That this Ludican was Kinsman to the last mentioned King Beornwulf and leading an Army against the East-Angles to revenge his Death was there overcome and Slain and that both these Tyrants were justly removed who had not only made Kings without any Right but had also by their imprudence been the occasion of the destruction of the Military Forces of that Kingdom which had till then proved Victorious and that thereupon one Withlaf being before Ealderman of Mâ—rcia was by the consent of all the People created King whose Son Wimond had Married Alfleda the Daughter of Ceolwulf the late King This King Withlaf Reigned thirteen Years as Tributary to King Egbert as shall be further related anon The Moon was Eclipsed on Christmass day at Night and the same Year King Egbryht subdued the Kingdom of Mercia and all the Country that lay South of Humber He was the Eighth King who Ruled over all Britain but the First who had so great a Command was Aella King of the South Saxons the Second was Ceaâ—lin King of the West-Saxons the Third was Aethelbryght King of Kent the Fourth was Redwald King of the East Angles the Fifth was Edwin King of Northumberland the Sixth was Oswald who succeeded him the Seventh was Oswi the Brother of Oswald and the Eight was Egbryght King of the West-Saxons who not long after led an Army against the Northumbers as far as Dore which place is supposed to have been in York-shire beyond the River Hâ—mber but the Northumâ—ers offering him Peace and due Subjection they parted Friends From which passage in the Saxon Annals it is apparent that this Supream Dominion of one English King over all the rest was no new thing Bede having taken notice of it long before yet did they not therefore take upon them the Title of Monarchs any more than Egbert who now succeeded them in that Power thô most of our Historians who have written the Saxon History in English have but without any just reason given them that Title which could not properly belong to Kings who had divers others under them with the like Regal Jurisdiction within their own Territories not but that King Egbert was in a more peculiar manner the Supream King of England because by his Absolute Conquest of the Kingdoms of Kent and of the South and East Saxons he was the greatest King who had hitherto Reigned in England all the rest of the Kings that remained Reigning by his permission and paying him Tribute a power which never had been exercised by any other King before him But to return to our History it seems that King Egbert was so highly displeased with the Mercians for setting up a King without his consent that Ingulf and Florence of Worcester tell us That as soon as ever Withlaf was made King before he could raise an Army he was expell'd his Kingdom which Egbert added to his own but Withlaf being search'd for by Egbert's Commanders through all Mercia he was by the industry of Seward Abbot of Croyland concealed in the Cell of the Holy Virgin Etheldrith Daughter of King Offa and once the Spouse of Ethelbert King of the East Angles where King Withlaf found a safe retreat for the space of Four Months until such time as by the Mediation of said Abbot Seward he was reconciled to King Egbert and upon promise of the payment of an Yearly Tribute permitted to return to his Kingdom in Peace which is by him acknowledged in that Charter of his that Ingulf hath given us of his Confirmation of the Lands and priviledges of the Abbey of Croyland It was made in the Great Council of the whole Kingdom in the presence of his Lords Egbert King of West-Saxony and his Son Ethelwulf and before the Bishops and great Men of all England Assembled at the City of London to take Counsel against the Daniâ—h Pyrats then infesting the English Coasts And in the Year 833 as you shall see when we come to that Year This Restoration of King Withlaf to his Kingdom is also mentioned in the Saxon Annals of the next Year where it is said That Withlaf again obtained the Kingdom of the Mercians and Bishop Ethelwald deceased also the same Year King Egbryht led an Army against the Northern Britains and reduced them absolutely to his Obedience For it seems they had again rebelled Now likewise as Mat. Westminster relates King Egbert vanquished Swithred King of the East-Saxons and drove him out of his Kingdom upon whose expulsion the West Saxon Kings ever after possest that Kingdom Now according to the same Authour King Egbert having subdued all the South Parts of England led a great Army into the Kingdom of Northumberland and having grievously wasted that Province made King Eandred his Tributary which is also confirmed by Will of Malmesbury who relates that the Northumbers who stood out the last fearing least this King's anger might break out upon them now giving Hostages submitted themselves to his Dominion but they continued still under Kings of their own as you will further find To this Year I think we may also refer that great Transaction which the Annals of the Cathedral Church of Winchester printed in Monast. Angl. from an ancient Manuscript in the Cottonian Library place under the Year following viz. That King Egbert having thus subdued all the Kingdoms above-mentioned and forced them to submit to his Dominions called a great Council at Winchester whereto were summoned all the Great Men of the whole Kingdom and there by the General Consent of the Clerus Populus i. e. the Clergy and Laity King Egbert was crowned King of Britain And at the same time he Enacted That it should be for ever after called England and that those who before were called Jutes or Saxons should now be called English â—en And this I could not omit because thô William of Malmesbury and other Historians agree of the Matter of Fact yet I think this the truest and most particular Account of the Time and manner when it was performed Also this Year Wilfred the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury deceased and Feologild the Abbot was Elected Arch-Bishop 7 Kal. Maij. and was Consecrated 5. Id. Junij being Sunday and dyed the 3. Kal. Sept. after But here is certainly a mistake in this Copy of the Annals for it was not Feologild but Ceolnoth who was then chosen
Records that are now lost may be credited this King condemn'd no less than Fourty four inferior Judges in Hundred and County Courts to be hanged in one Year for their false Judgments either in condemning or acquitting Men without the Verdict of the Jury but the particular Cases being many and long I refer you to the Authour himself wherein you will see the Difference between the manner of Judicial Proceedings in those Times from what they were presently after the Norman Conquest But some of our Historians as particularly Harding in his Chronicle made this King to have collected a Body of Laws not only out of the Old and New Testament but also from the Greek Roman British and Danish Laws which if it were ever done is not now extant Having thus finished the Life of King Alfred I cannot but take Notice of his last Will and Testament the only one we have left of all the English-Saxon Kings wherein at the very beginning he styles himself By the Divine Grace King of the West-Saxons with the Means and Assistance of Athelred the Archbishop as also with the Assent and Consent of the Nobility of all West-Saxony whom he there summons as Witnesses of this his last Will and to be Trustees and Overseers of his Goods and Estate for the good of his Soul as well of the Inheritance which GOD and the chief Men together with the Ealdormen of the People had affectionately and bountifully bestowed upon him as also of the Inheritance which his Father Aethelwulf had bequeathed to him and his three Brothers viz. Aethelbald Aethered and himself so as that the Survivor of them should enjoy the entire Dominion of the whole Kingdom And then proceeds to shew the particular force of that Entail according to his said Father's Will in these Words as he gives it us speaking in the first Person That if it should happen That Aethelbald the eldest Son of our Father should first decease then Aethered together with the Nobility of all West-Saxony should be Witnesses for us of our Share in the said Kingdom on the Day of his Coronation whom we should with all our Might endeavour to advance to the Throne after the Death of Aethelbald our eldest Brother according to the Agreement he made with us viz. That the said King Aethered should permit us to enjoy our Distributions as we had them before our said Brother's Coronation And also the Engagement he stood in to us concerning the said Hereditary Distribution was confirmed in like manner to wit that the Lands and Territories which K. Aethered by our Assistance and the Power of our Men should acquire to himself as also the Dominions which should fall to him by Hereditary Right he should in Brotherly Love proportionably divide with us But yet if it should so happen that Aethered should succeed to the Kingdom he himself was to promise the same thing But he refusing as this Testament particularly takes notice to observe this Agreement only promised That as for the Lands and Territories which he by Alfred's and his People's Assistance should acquire to his Dominions as also the Inheritance to which he was born he would after his decease confer upon none else but my self And being thus pacified I thereupon remitted all further Complaints against my Brother Then he proceeds farther That in case it should happen that we all should fall by the hands of our Danish Enemies then it was especially provided that every one of us should so dispose of our Estates to our Sons that each of them should successively enjoy our Inheritance and our Lands and Possessions in like manner as the Inheritance it self with the Dominions Lands and Possessions which had been before conferred upon us And then he goes on to recite what had been formerly done in a General Council of the West Saxon Nobility at Swinbourne wherein he had adjured them all to bear witness of the manner and intent of the former Entail the sum of which was That since K. Aethered his Elder Brother was deceased there was then none left but himself who had any writing or Testimony concerning this Inheritance nor any other Heir besides himself and that if any one should offer to claim the said Inheritance he should lose his Right unless he forthwith produced witnesses of it but then he heard that all his Kinsmen were dead and so the whole Inheritance of King Aethelwulf his Father was devolved upon him by a Charter made thereof at his General Council at Langdene which Charter he had then likewise wife commanded to be read before the Witnesses of all West Saxony and after it was read he ordered all there present to declare whether they had heard or knew of any Man who could justly claim any Right to his Inheritance which had never come to his Knowledge before because it was his intent to disinherit none of his Kinsmen of any thing and then all the Princes and Ealdormen of his People did firmly and positively declare that they never heard of any who had a juster Title to it than himself and then they gave him full power to make his Will and bequeath his Estate to his Kinsmen and Friends in such manner as best pleased him Next King Alfred proceeds in the presence of the said Witnesses to make his last Will and to confer upon his Eldest Son Edward divers Lands and Territories there particularly mentioned lying in divers Countries in England but without any mention of the Crown he also leaves other Lands there recited to his Younger Son the like he does for each of his Daughters to whom he gives divers Lands there particularly set down and then bequeaths to Athelm and Aethelwald his Brother's Sons divers Towns there also particularly recited then follow his Legacies in Money to his Sons Daughters and Servants and to his Kinsmen above mentioned as also to Ethelred General of his Militia and to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Asser Bishop of Shireburne and several other Bishops all which would be too tedious here to be set down And to let you see that Entails were then in force He farther Wills That those to whom he had given his Free-Hold-Lands should not alienate them beyond their own Lives and if they had no Children they should go to the next of Kin especially to the Eldest Son as long as any one of them remain'd alive for so his Father had bequeathed his Inheritance but if it should any ways happen that his said Lands should come into the hands of Women then he Wills That after their Decease those Lands should revert to his next Male Kindred descending from their bodies c. And then concludes with an earnest Exhortation and desire that none of his Relations should any ways disquiet each other concerning those things which he had already given and bequeathed to them since the whole Nobility of the West Saxon Nation had already agreed with him that it was but Just and Right that
Huntington agrees tho he places it a year sooner relating That then the Northumbers being weary of the Government of this Eric did as easily cast him off as they had before lightly received him and calling in Edred they again placed him on the Throne though this does not accord with William of Malmesbury his Account that King Edred expell'd Eric by force and wasted all that Kingdom with fire and sword After which the Northumbrians being wholly subdued were no more governed by Kings but Earls a Catalogue of which Roger Hoveden hath there given us as far as the Conquest King Edred having been as Malmesbury informs us long tormented with frequent Convulsions in several parts of his Body being admonished by Archbishop Dunstan of his approaching death did not only bear that affliction with Patience but spending his time in acts of Devotion made his Palace a School of all Vertues and being at length consumed by a tedious long sickness he according to the Annals departed this life at the Feast of St. Clement in the very flower of his Age to the great grief of all his Subjects after having Reigned Nine Years and an half But the Manuscript life of St. Dunstan already cited is much more particular as to the Disease he died of viz. that not being able to swallow his Meat he could only eat Broth so that being wasted away he died This Relation of King Edred's not being able to swallow his Meat gave occasion to John of Wallingford absurdly to tell us in his Chronicle not long since Printed that King Edred having his Teeth fallen out by reason of Old Age could not Chew his Meat and the Broths they made for him were not sufficient to keep him alive and so he died of Hunger But this is altogether as true as the story that follows not only in this Author but in most other Monkish Writers of the History of those times from the Relation of the above-cited Author of St. Dunstan's Life that St. Dunstan hearing how dangerously Ill the King was and making haste to Visit him before he died as he rode on the way thither there came a Voice from Heaven which cried aloud to him King Edred is now dead at which all present being astonished the poor Horse upon which St. Dunstan was then Mounted immediately fell down dead But William of Malmesbury though he mentions this story of the Voice yet is so wise as to pass by the death of the Horse being sensible it was a Pill too large to be easily swallowed As for the Character of this King the Monkish Writers of those times give him that of a most Vertuous and Pious Prince and as to his Valour William of Malmesbury saith he was not inferior in Magnanimity to either of his Brothers he was also the first King of England who as I can find stiled himself Rex Magnae Britanniae King of Great Britain in a Charter to the Abbey of Croyland recited by Ingulphus as also in another Charter to the Abbey of Reculver in Monast. Anglic. he stiles himself Totius Albionis Monarchus i. e. Monarch of all England In which Stile he was also followed by his Nephew King Edgar from whence we may observe That King James was not the first who took upon him the Title of King of Great Britain though as being also King of Scotland he did much better deserve it than the former But as for King Edred he could not fail of the good will of the Monks since the same Manuscript Author of St. Dunstan's Life relates That he put such great confidence in that Holy Abbot that he committed the chief Muniments and Treasures of his Kingdom to his Care to be kept at his Abby of Glastenbury and that as the King lay on his Death-bed St. Dunstan was then carrying them back to him to be disposed of as he should think fit but he just before received the News of his death as you have already heard Nor did this King die without Issue as many believe for Mr. Speed proves the contrary from certain ancient Charters Cited by him at the end of this King's Life wherein you will find that his Two Sons Elfrid and Bertfrid were Witnesses to them tho they did not Succeed their Father but Edwi Son to his Elder Brother Edmund King EDWI IMmediately after King Edmund's decease our Annals tell us Edwig Son to the late King Edmund and Elgiva began his Reign and he banisht St. Dunstan out of England This King as all our Historians agree was crowned at Kingston by Odo Archbishop of Canterbury but William of Malmesbury gives us the cause of this Disgrace of St. Dunstan to this effect That this King being a Youth of great Beauty and amorous above his years was mightily in love with a young Lady his near Kinswoman whom he fain would have married but the Bishops and Nobles of his Kingdom were utterly averse to it not only because of the nearness of their Relation but because she had none of the best Reputation as to her Chastity But though William of Malmesbury gives us all the rest of this Story yet I shall rather chuse to take it from the Manusâ—ript Life of St. Dunstan who lived about the same time and out of which that Author borrowed it and it is thus That on the very day that by the common Election of all the chief Men of England Edwig was anointed King after the Coronation-Dinner was over he and the chief Bishops and Nobility being retired into a private Room there treating of the Great Affairs of the Kingdom the King perhaps at that Critical Juncture being weary of their company stole into the Apartment of this Beautiful Lady to enjoy some pleasurable moments with her which the Nobility hearing of they highly resented it but none would adventure to bring him back only Abbot Dunstan and a Bishop whose Name was Cynesius the King's Cousin went boldly into the Chamber where they found him with his Crown off his head lying between the Mother of this Lady and her Daughter upon which they not only reproved him but putting on his Crown again and taking him by the hand they pulled him away from them and carried him back by force into the Room where his Nobles were but Athelgiva for it seems so was this Lady sometimes called being highly provoked at this Affront did not fail to exasperate the King against Dunstan so that in revenge he banished him the Kingdom who thereupon as R. Hoveden relates retired to a Monastery in Flanders Nor did the King's Resentments stop here but out of hatred to Dunstan he not only turned the Monks out of Glastenbury but out of divers of the greatest Monasteries in England where also as William of Malmesbury words it his own Abbey was turned into a Stable for Clerks that is Secular Chanons were put in their places not only there but in all other Abbeys where the Monks were expelled
him to govern as a Conqueror From which also you may observe the flourishing Trade and Wealth of that City in those days since it could even at that time pay above a Seventh of this excessive Taxation Then also a great part of the Danish Army return'd into Denmark and only forty Ships remain'd with King Cnute the Danes and English were likewise now reconciled and united at Oxnaford Bromton says it was done at a Great Council or Parliament at Oxford where King Cnute ordained the Laws of King Edgar i. e. of England to be observed The same year also Aethelsige Abbot of Abbandune deceased and Aethelwin succeeded him This year King Cnute returned into Denmark and there stayed all the Winter Bromton's Chronicle says he went over to subdue the Vandals who then made War against him and carried along with him an Army both of English and Danes the former being commanded by Earl Godwin set upon the Enemies by surprize and put them to flight after which the King had the English in as much as esteem as his own Danish Subjects But the year following He returned into England and then held a Mycel Gemot or Great Council at Cyrencester where Ethelward the Earldorman was outlaw'd The same year also King Cnute went to Assandune the place where he had before fought the great Battel with King Edmund and there caused a Church to be built of Lime and Stone for the souls of those men that had been slain there Which being as R. Hoveden relates consecrated in the King's presence by Wulstan Archbishop of York and divers other Bishops was committed to the care of his Chaplain whose Name was Stigand Also Archbishop Living deceased and Ethelnoth a Monk and Dean of Canterbury was consecrated Bishop by Wulstan Archbishop of York But before we proceed farther I will give you some account of the Affairs of Wales in these times Where after the death of Kynan or Conan the Usurping Prince of South-Wales above-mentioned Lewelyn Prince of North-Wales had according to Caradoc's Chronicle possessed himself of South-Wales and had for some years governed both those Countries with great Peace and Prosperity so that from the North to the South Sea there was not a Beggar in the whole Countrey but every man had sufficient to live of his own insomuch that the Countrey grew daily more and more populous But this year produced a notable Impostor for a certain Scot of mean Birth came now into South-Wales and called him self Run or Reyn as the Manuscript Copies have it the Son of Meredyth ap Owen late Prince of Wales as you have already heard Upon which the Nobility of that Countrey who loved not Lewelyn set up this Run or Reyn to be their Prince But Lewelyn hearing of it assembled all the Forces of North-Wales and marched against this Run who had now also got all the strength of South-Wales together and going as far as Abergwily i. e. the mouth of the River Gwily there waited the coming of Lewelyn but when he arrived and both Armies were ready to join Battel Run full of outward confidence encouraged his men to fight yet no sooner was the Battel begun but this Impostor soon discovered what he was by withdrawing himself pâ—â—â—ly out of the fight whereas on the contrary Lewelyn like a Couragious Prince standing in the Head of his Army called out aloud for this base Scot Run who durst so belye the Blood of the British Princes Both Armies then meeting fought for a while with great Courage and Malice to each other but it seems the South-Wales men being not so resolute in the Quarrel of this Impostor as those of North-Wales were to defend the Right of their Lawful Prince the latter being also encouraged by the Speeches and Prowess of their Prince put the former to the Rout and pursued this Run so closely that he had much ado to escape Prince Lewelyn having got thus a great deal of Spoil return'd home and for a short time govern'd these Countries in Peace But to return to our Annals This year about Martinmass King Cnute outlaw'd i. e. banished Earl Thurkyl But they tell us not the Crime Yet William of Malmesbury makes it a Judgment for being the principal Promoter of the Murther of Archbishop Aelfeage and that as soon as he return'd into Denmark he was killed by some Noblemen of that Nation This year also according to an Old Manuscript belonging to St. Edmundsbury and cited by the Lord Chief Justice Coke in the Preface to the 9 th Book of his Reports King Cnute held a Parliament at Winchester wherein were present the two Archbishops and all the other Bishops as also many Ealdormen and Earls with divers Abbots together with a great many Knights and a vast multitude of People and there in pursuance of the King's desires it was decreed That the Monastery of St. Edmund the King should be free and for ever exempt from all Jurisdiction of the Bishops and Earls of that Country But Sir H. Spelman here very well observes that this Manuscript could be no Ancienter than the Reign of Henry the Third because the word Parliament was not in use before that time Though thus much is certain That King Cnute the year before founded this Monastery afterwards called St. Edmundsbury but then known to the Saxons by the name of Beadrichesworth where there had been a Church built before and King Edward the Elder in the year 942 had also given several Lands to it and upon which Foundation King Cnute had lately built and endowed the said Abby which was one of the Largest and Richest in all England Lewelyn ap Sitsylt Prince of Wales but a short time enjoyed the fruits of his late Victory for this year the Welsh Chronicles tell us he was slain by Howel and Meredyth the Sons of Prince Edwin or Owen above-mentioned who yet did not succeed in the Principality for Jâ—go Son to Edwal late Prince of Wales was now advanced to the Throne as Lawful Heir having been long debarr'd of his Right But it seems he could not do the like in South-Wales which one Rytheric ap Justin seiz'd upon and held by force This year King Cnute sail'd with his Fleet to the Isle of Wight but upon what account our Annals do not shew us Also Archbishop Aethelnoth went to Rome and was there received by Pope Benedict with great Honour who put on his Pall with his own hands and being so habited celebrated Mass as the Pope commanded him and then after he had dined with him return'd home with his Benediction Also Leofwin the Abbot who had been unjustly expell'd from the Monastery of Elig was his Companion and there cleared himself of those Crimes of which he had been accused before the Pope the Archbishop and all the Company that were there present testifying on his behalf Wulstan Archbishop of York deceased and Aelfric succeeded Edelnoth the Archbishop consecrating him at Canterbury Also this
year the same Archbishop translated the Reliques of St. Aelfeage his Predecessor from London to Canterbury The King himself as William of Malmesbury tells us removed them with his own hands paying them all due Veneration and further adds that his Body remain'd as uncorrupt as if he had been but lately kill'd Richard the Second Duke of Normandy died and Richard his Son ruled after him one year and then Rodbert his Brother succeeded him and ruled eight years This year King Cnute sail'd with his Fleet into Denmark to a Plain near the Holy River but where that was I know not and there came against him Wulf and Eglaf with a very powerful Army out of Sweden both by Land and Sea and many on King Cnute's side were there killed both Danes and English the Swedes keeping the field of Battel After which Cnute returning into England I find no mention made of any Action here in any Author for the two succeeding years But then King Cnute sail'd with fifty Ships of English Thanes into Norway and drove King Olaf out of that Countrey and conquer'd it for himself Bromton's Chronicle relates That this Olaf being a Soft and Easy Prince was already in a manner driven out by his own Subjects and so Cnute only went as it were to receive the Kingdom from the Nobility and People who submitted themselves presently to him ' King Cnute came back into England And as R. Hoveden adds upon his Return banished Hacun a Danish Earl that had married his Niece Gunhilda who was his Sister's Daughter sending him away under pretence of an Embassy for the King was afraid lest otherwise he might deprive him both of his Kingdom and Life King Olaf return'd again into Norway to regain his Right but the People rising up against him he was there slain This is he who was afterwards canoniz'd under the Title of King Olaf the Martyr About this time as Guil. Gemeticensis and John of Walingford do both relate Robert Duke of Normandy pitying the long Exile of his Nephews Edward and Alfred sent Ambassadors to King Cnute requiring him to restore them to their Right but he not at all valuing his threatning sent the Ambassadors back with a Repulse whereat the Duke conceiving great indignation assembled his Nobles and by their Advice caus'd a great Navy to be prepar'd which in a short time came to Anchor at Fescam then the Duke with his Army put to Sea but by Tempest was driven into the Isle of Guernsey and so shatter'd that he was forced to return home where they were detain'd a long time by contrary Winds which was an extreme mortification to him But not long after Ambassadors came over to him from King Cnute signifying That he was contented to resign to the Young Princes half the Kingdom which they should peaceably enjoy during his life and that was not like to be long for he then laboured under a languishing Distemper Wherefore the Duke thought good for some time to defer his Expedition till he should be come back from Jerusalem whither he had vowed to undertake a Pilgrimage And when he had recommended to Robert Archbishop of Rouen and other Nobles his Son William then a Child of Seven Years old and received from them Assurances of their Fidelity to him he began the said Voyage and having perform'd it as he was returning homewards the next year he fell sick and died about the Alpes But of this William his Son by Harlotte his Concubine 〈◊〉 not only succeeded his Father but was also afterwards King of England as you shall hear when we come to his Reign This year as soon as King Cnute return'd into England he gave the Port of Sandwic to Christ's Church in Canterbury with all the Issues and Profits arising from thence on both sides the Haven according to an Extract from his Charter preserved among the Evidences of that Church and that as far as when the Tide of Flood was highest and a Ship lying near the Shore a man could from thence cast a little Axe on land so far the Christ-Church Officers should receive all Rights and Dues This year also according to Monast. Angl. King Cnute founded another Monastery for Benedictines in Norfolk which from its being seated in a Woody Place was called by St. Bennet's in Holme the Lands and Scite of which Abby being by King Henry the VIII th after the Dissolution of the Monasteries exchanged with the Bishop of Norwich for other Lands he is the only Bishop of England who has still the Title of an Abbot Also under this year I find a Charter in the Manuscript Copy of Florence of Worcester in the Bodleian Library made to the Monastery of St. Edmundsbury granting and confirming all its Lands and Privileges the beginning of which Charter being somewhat remarkable I shall here recite Cnute Rex Totius Albionis Insulae aliarumque Nationum adjacentium in Cathedra Regali promotus cum Consilio Decreto Archiepiscoporum Episcoporum Abbatum Comitum omniumque meorum Fidelium elegi sanciendum perpetuo stabilimento ab omnibus confirmandum quod Monasterium quod Badriceswerde nuncupatur c. which is also printed from the Original at the end of Mr. Petyts Treatise of the Rights of the Commons c. King Cnute having performed these great Deeds of Charity and Devotion not long after in the same year as our Annals inform us ' began his Journey to Rome But since our Annals do not tell us what he did there I shall give it you in short from his own Letter as I find it in William of Malmesbury which upon his return from Rome he wrote and sent into England by Living Abbot of Tavistock and begins thus Cnute King of Denmark Norway and all Swedeland to Ailnoth or Egelnoth the Metropolitan and to Alfric of York with all the Bishops and Primates and to the whole English Nation as well Noblemen as Plebeians Health Wherein he gives an account of his Journey as also the reason of his undertaking it then how honourably he was received at Rome and what he had there negotiated for the benefit of his Subjects Then he gives Directions and Commands to his Officers to do all Justice and Right to the People in his Absence a thing to which he resolved on as he says long before but never could till now accomplish what he had designed for the Pardon of his Sins and the Safety of all his Subjects he further signifies that he was received by all the Princes who at that time were with Pope John solemnizing the Feast of Easter with extraordinary Respect and Honour but especially by Conrade the German Emperor that he had dealt with them all about the concernments of his people both English and Danes that their Passage to Rome might be more free and open and had obtained that as well Merchants as others should with all safety pass and repass without any Toll
since this Story transacted not many years before the Conquest is told so many several ways This year according to our Annals Aelgiva the Widow of King Cnute and Mother of King Hardecnute and King Edward was banished but going over to Baldwin Earl of Flanders he assign'd her Bricge i. e. Bruges for her Retirement where he protected her and provided for her as long as she staid there But the Reader is to take notice that this Queen who is here called Aelgiva in the English-Saxon is the same with Emma in the Norman-French Dialect and who was now banished England by King Harold as all Writers agree But the reason why this Queen did not retire into Normandy her own Countrey was that her Father and Brother were both dead and though William her Nephew then succeeded in the Dukedom yet he was but an Infant under the Tutelage of the King of France This year also produced a great Revolution in Wales for Griffyth ap Lewelyn ap Sitsylt sometimes Prince of Wales raised a great Army against Prince Jago who now enjoyed the Principality of North-Wales as you have already heard and Jago also provided for himself as well as he could but the greater part and the better Soldiers were of Griffyth's side for the love they bore to his Father as plainly appeared when it came to a trial for after the Battel was joined Jago his Soldiers deserting him was soon overthrown and slain and then Griffyth reigned in his stead From whence we may observe the strange fickleness of the Welsh Nation in those times who notwithstanding their seeming Affection to this Prince the Right Heir yet left him as soon as ever they met with one of the same Race whom they liked better From which evil custom these Countries were never long without Civil Wars till the total Conquest of them by the English But Griffyth ap Lewelyn after he had thus slain Prince Jago governed North-Wales very well following his Father's steps and in the very first year of his Government he fought with the Englishmen and Danes at Crosford upon Severne and from thence he led his Army to Lhanpadarn vawr in Caerdiganshire and destroyed that place and thence passing into South-Wales totally subdued it Howel ap Edwin at that time Prince thereof being forced to fly his Countrey and when he had thus reduced South-Wales he returned home again with Honour But the next year Howel Prince of South-Wales as the English as well as Welsh Chronicles relate having now procured Edwin the Brother of Leofric Earl of Mercia to assist him marched with a great Army of English and Danes against Prince Griffyth who meeting them in the field overcame them and slew Edwin at Pencadair and pursued Howel so closely that though he escaped himself yet his Wife was taken Prisoner whom Griffyth like so well that he kept her for his Mistress But though Howel after this made several Attempts to regain his Countrey yet he could never succeed for that Prince Griffyth held it all his time But the Cottonian Chronicle relates that fighting afterwards with Griffyth at a place called Paldiwach he obtained the Victory and again made himself Prince of South-Wales But this I leave to the Reader 's Judgment To return again to our Annals Ethelnoth Archbishop of Canterbury deceased and a little after Ethelric Bishop of the South-Saxons and also a little before Christmas Bryteh Bishop of Worcester and a little after Aelfric Bishop of the East Angles Then Aeadsige was made Archbishop and Grymkytel Bishop of the South-Saxons and Living succeeded in the Bishopricks of Worcester and Gloucester This year King Harold deceased at Oxnaford 16. Kal. April and was buried at Westminster He governed England Four Years and Sixteen Weeks But there is certainly an Error in this Copy of the Annals for either he deceased not till the next year as the Cambridge Copy and Mat. Westminster place it or else he could reign but Three Years and perhaps so many odd Weeks as these Annals mention In his time was again paid a great Tax for the setting out Sixteen Sail to wit Eight Marks to every Rower which shews it consisted of only Gallies and not Ships and as Florence also adds Twelve Marks more to every Master which he order'd to be rais'd through all England as was before done in the Reign of King Cnute But it seems every Port was bound to pay such a proportion to set out these Sixteen Sail as H. Huntington relates whereby nevertheless he so much incensed the minds of the English against him that the Welsh perceiving it or else for some other reason began to be very unruly insomuch that some Insurrections happened thereupon wherein many of the English Nobility were slain as Edwin Brother to Earl Leofric Turketil and Algeat the Sons of Effi both of them Great Persons and several others And to this time I suppose we may refer what Caradoc in his Welsh Chronicle relates That Griffyth ap Lewelyn Prince of North-Wales in the first year of his Reign fought with the English and Danes at Crossford upon Severne and put them to flight and from thence he led his Army to Lhanpadan vawr in Caerdiganshire and destroyed the place utterly and from thence passed all over South-Wales receiving the people into his subjection for Howel ap Edwin their King fled before him and forsook the Land As for the Character of this King Harold and the reason why he was called Harefoot they are very uncertain H. Knighton in his Chronicle writes very oddly That he had a Body like a Hare sure he means hairy like that Creature and from thence was called Harefoot which is very improbable But others with more appearance of truth derive it from his Swiftness of Foot Bromton gives him this Character That in all respects he degenerated from the Worth of his Father King Cnute insomuch that divers suspected him not to have been his Son for he was altogether careless both as to matters of War and Peace only he would pursue his own Will and Pleasure and what was very unbecoming his Royal Estate chusing rather to go on foot than ride whence for the lightness and swiftness of his Feet he seems to have been called Harefoot As for his Laws we have only this one mentioned by Mr. Selden in his Janus Anglorum which was That whatever Welshman coming into England without leave was taken on this side Offa's Ditch should have his Right Hand cut off by the King's Officers King HARDECNUTE KING Harold dying thus suddenly the Chief Men of England with whom also the Londoners now joined sent Messengers to Hardecnute who was then at Bruges with his Mother intreating him to come and receive the Crown whereupon he hasted into Denmark there to settle his Affairs which when he had done with Forty or as some say Sixty Ships well mann'd with Danish Soldiers according to our Annals he arrived at Sandwich seven days before
the Meat should be taken away untouched from such as were invited than that those who were not invited should complain for want of Victuals whereas saith he the custom of our time is either out of Covetousness or as they pretend because their people cannot eat for Great Men to allow their Followers but one Meal a day which shews that the custom of Set Suppers hath had divers Vicissitudeâ— being not commonly used in England in Great Mens Families at the time when H. Huntington wrote and therefore is an English Custom prevailing since that time the Norman Fashions being then most used John Rouse also in his Manuscript Treatise de Regibus Ang. already cited relates That the day of King Hardâ—cnute's Death was in his time kept by the English as an Holiday being called Hock-Wednesday on which they danced and drew Cords cross the way as they do in several Parishes in England even at this day to stop people till they will pay them some Money King Edward called the Confessor BEfore King Hardecnute was buried all the People chose Edward Aethâ—ling King at London who reigned as long as God permitted him But William of Malmesbury with greater probability says That this King did not come to the Crown without some difficulty for when he had received the News of his Brother Hardecnute's Death he was in great perplexity what was most advisable for him to do at last after mature deliberation he thought it the safest course to trust his Fortune to Earl Godwin's Advice who being sent for to a friendly Conference for some time he was considering whether he should come to him or not but at length he agreed to speak with him and upon the Enterview Edward was about to lay himself at his Feet but that he would by no means suffer Then the Prince earnestly desired he would assist him in his safe return to Normandy when immediately Godwin gave him this unexpected answer That he had better live gloriously King of England than dye ignominiously in Exile That the Crown did of Right belong to him as Son of Ethelred and Grandchild of Edgar That he was one of mature Age inur'd to Labour and who had learnt by experience how to order Publick Affairs with Justice and had been taught by his own late Afflictions how to remove and prevent the Miseries of the People That to bring this about there would be no great Obstacle for if he would but trust himself to him he should find that his Interest was very powerful in the Nation and that Fortune would be favourable to his just Pretensions and if he would accept of the Royal Dignity he was confident there would be none to oppose it but on condition that he would establish a firm Friendship with him and his Family by promising to prefer his Sons and marry his Daughter that then he should soon find himself a King Edward's case at this time was such as not to reject so fair Proposals but rather agree to any Conditions and comply with the present state of Affairs whatsoever therefore Godwin required he promised and swore to perform Now the Earl was a Man fitted by Nature for managing such an Intrigue having a very smooth and plausible Tongue so Eloquent that he could move and charm the Affections of the People insinuate into them whatsoever he pleased and bring them entirely over to his Interest and Service Upon this he procures a Great Council to be summoned at Gillingham some Copies have it at London and there he influenced some by his own Authority gain'd over others by his Promises and those who were inclined before to Prince Edward's Cause he fully settled and confirmed to his Party the rest that made opposition being over-power'd were first of all turn'd out of their Places and then banished the Land The Annals of the Abby of Winchester printed in the Monast. Ang. from the Manuscript in the Cottonian Library not only agree with William of Malmesbury in this Relation but are also much more particular viz. That Prince Edward coming to Godwin one morning in disguise to London fell at his Feet begging him to preserve his Life but the Earl taking him up promised to use him like his Son and also gave him farther Encouragements and Assurance so that Edward returning again to Winchester to his Mother Godwin shortly after summoned all the Great Men of the Kingdom to meet there to consult about making a New King Then these Annals proceed to relate the manner of this Election Viz. That Earl Godwin raising the Prince from the place where he sate at his feet being then incognito having his Hood over his Face said thus Behold your King This is Prince Edward the Son of King Ethelred and Queen Emma This is He whom I Elect c. and so first did him Homage Then after some Debates among themselves they all at last consented to his Election so that if it displeased any there they durst not shew their Discontent since Earl Godwin would have it so and Edward being thus Elected was not long after crown'd at Westminster Which is also confirmed by an Ancient Chronicle in the Cottonian Library already cited ending with this Prince which saith That Hardecnute being dead Eadward was advanced to the Crown by the endeavours chiefly of Earl Godwin and Living Bishop of Worcester Bromton's Chronicle farther adds That at this Grand Council all the Great Men of England agreed and swore with one consent That no Danes should reign over them any more because of the great Affronts and Contempts they had received from that Nation For they held the English in such servile subjection That if an Englishman had met a Dane upon a Bridge he was obliged to stand still till the other had passed by and if he had not bowed to the Dane he was sure to be well basted for his neglect so that as soon as King Hardecnute was dead the English drove all the Danes out of the Kingdom But notwithstanding the great happiness the English now received by having a King of their own Nation yet it seems This year was unfortunate for the Intemperance of the Season which as our Annals relate destroyed the Fruits of the Earth so that a great number of Cattel died Also about this time Aelf Abbot of Burgh deceased and Arnwi a Monk was chosen Abbot being a mild and good man About the same time also according to the Welsh Chronicle Prince Conan the Son of Jago who had fled into Ireland to save his life and coming now over from thence being assisted with the Forces of Alfred the Danish King of Dublin entred North-Wales by surprize took Prince Griffyth Prisoner and was carrying him away to his Ships But the people of the Countrey hearing of it they immediately rose and pursued the Irishmen and at last overtaking them rescued their Prince and made a great flaughter among them the rest with much difficulty got to their Ships and returned with
wont to meet him as he came from School and took delight to pose him in Verses and would also passing from Grammar argue with him in Logick in which she was well skill'd and when she had done would order her Waiting-Woman to give him some Money But as King Edward had till now deferr'd the performance of his Promise in marrying this Lady ever since he came to the Crown so it had been no great matter whether he had married her or not because he never enjoyed her But notwithstanding the temptation of so fair a Lady he not only kept his own Virginity inviolable but also persuaded her to do the like and this as the Abbot of Rieval in his Life relates he did not do out of any hatred to her Father as is commonly reported by several of our other Historians but because the English Nobility being desirous that one from his Loins should succeed him had importun'd him to marry which he could not well refuse for then the secret Resolution of his dying a Virgin would have been disclosed therefore he wedded her both to secure himself against her Father as also to make the Virtue of his Continence appear more conspicuous which as this Author tells us was no Secret being then divulged and believed all over England and divers Censures passed concerning the motives why he did so The same year Brightwulf Bishop of Scirebone deceased who had held that Bishoprick Thirty eight years and Hereman the King's Chaplain succeeded to that Bishoprick Also Wulfric was consecrated Abbot of St. Austin's at Christmas with the King 's good Consent because of the great Bodily Infirmity of Aelfstan the former Abbot This year deceased Living Bishop of Devonshire i.e. of Exeter and Leofric the King's Chaplain succeeded thereunto The same year Aelfstan Abbot of St. Augustin's in Canterbury deceased and also Osgot Glappa the Danish Earl was expelled England The same year likewise according to Simeon of Durham and William of Malmesbury Alwold Bishop of London who had been before Abbot of Evesham being by reason of his great weakness unable to perform his Episcopal Function would have retired to his old Monastery but the Monks not permitting it he resented it so ill at their hands that taking away all the Books and other Ornaments which he had conferred upon them and retiring to the Abby of Ramsey he bestowed them all upon them and there within a short time after ended his days and then King Edward made one Robert a Norman Monk Bishop of London Also the same year the Noble Matron Gunhilda Niece to King Cnute was banished England together with her two Sons This year likewise in a great Council held at London as Florence relates Wulmar a Religious Monk of Evesham was chosen Abbot of that Monastery and was ordained the 4 th of the Ides of August following About this time according to the Welsh Chronicles Prince Griffâ—th having ruled in Peace ever since the last great Battel above-mentioned till now the Gentlemen of Ystrad Towy did by Treachery kill a Hundred and forty of his best Soldiers so that to revenge their deaths the Prince destroyed all those Countries Grymkitel Bishop of the South-Saxons i. e. Selsey deceased as did also the same year Aelfwin Bishop of Winchester and Stigand who was before Bishop in the North-East parts i. e. of Helmham succeeded in that See And Earl Sweyn the Son of Godwin went over to Baldwin Earl of Flanders to Brycge and staid there all Winter and at Summer departed being it seems at that time in disgrace at Court for deflow'ring an Abbess whom he loved This year Aethelstan Abbot of Abbandune deceased to whom succeeded Sparhafock a Monk of St. Edmundsbury Whence you may observe that the Abbots were at that time seldom chosen out of Monks of the same Abby Also this year Bishop Syward deceased and then Archbishop Eadsige retook that Bishoprick Which is contrary to what William of Malmesbury hath already related The same year likewise Lothen and Yrling Danes came to Sandwic with Twenty five Ships and there landing committed great havock and carried away abundance of Booty as well of Gold as Silver so that no man can tell how great it was From whence they sailed about Thanet and attempting there to commit the like Outrages the people of that Countrey vigorously resisted them and hindred their landing and so made them to direct their course towards Essex where they committed the like Barbarities carrying away all the men they could lay hold on and then passing over into the Territories of Earl Baldwin and there selling all their Plunder they sail'd towards the East from whence they came Also the same year according to Simeon of Durham Harold sirnamed Hairfax Brother to the late King Olaf having put Sweyn King of Denmark to flight subdued that Kingdom King Sweyn being thus driven out of his Countrey sent Ambassadors to King Edward desiring his Assistance with his Fleet against the King of Norway which Earl Godwin much approved of but the rest of the Great Men dissuading him from it nothing was done but the King of Norway dying soon after Sweyn recovered his Kingdom But Florence of Worcester places this Transaction two years later but which of them is in the right I will not dispute Also this year according to our Annals as well as other Authors was the great Battel of Vallesdune in Normandy between Henry King of France and the Nobility of that Dukedom because they refused to receive William the Bastard for their Duke But when he afterwards got them into his power he beheaded some of them and others he banished I have mentioned this to let you see with how great difficulty this young Duke who was afterwards King of England was settled in that Dutchy which he could never have obtained without the Protection and Assistance of the King of France About this time also the Welsh Chronicles tell us South-Wales was so infested by the Danish Pyrates that the Sea-Coasts were almost quite deserted The same year or else in 1048 as it is in the Cottonian Copy of the Annals was held the great Synod or Council at St. Remy where were present Pope Leo and the Archbishop of Burgundy i. e. of Besanson tho they are here mentioned as two several Archbishopricks as also the Archbishop of Treves and Remes with many other Wise Men both of the Clergy and Laity and thither King Edward sent Bishop Dudoce and Wulfric Abbot of St. Augustine's with Abbot Aelfwin that they might acquaint the King what was there decreed concerning the Christian Faith This year King Edward sail'd to Sandwic with a great Fleet and there met Earl Sweyn who came with seven Ships at Bosenham i.e. Bosham in Sussex where he made a League with the King and received a Promise from him to be restored to all his possessions but Earl Harold his Brother and Beorne very much opposed him saying He was utterly unworthy
Friends nor Interest sufficient to oppose so great a Party as Harold had amongst the Lay-Nobility and especially among the Bishops who were all to a man for him And that which made more against Prince Edgar was That he wanted the Nomination of King Edward to recommend him to the Election of the Wittena Gemot or Great Council of the Kingdom which either Duke William or Harold certainly had and perhaps both of them though at different times according as they had the opportunity of making their Interest with that Easy King who certainly was very much to blame not to have better ascertained that great Point of the Succession to the Crown in his own life-time for had he declared either Duke William or Edgar his Heir and procured the Estates of the Kingdom to confirm it in his life-time he might have prevented that Calamity which afterwards fell upon the English Nation from Duke William when he came to be King But to return to our History Harold being thus advanced to the Throne took that course which all Wise Princes who can claim no Right by Blood but only by Election of the People have always taken and that was The abolishing of all unjust Laws and the making good ones in their stead the seizing upon and punishing all Thieves Robbers and Disturbers of the Publick Peace and indeed wholly made it his business to defend the Kingdom from Foreign Invaders both by Sea and Land and that he might become truly popular he was a great Patron of the Churches and Monasteries yielding much Reverence to the Bishops and Abbots shewing himself humble and affable to all that were virtuous and good as he was severe to all others of a contrary Character On the 24 th day of April after his Coronation as Simeon of Durham tells us appeared a Dreadful Comet which was visible in all these parts of the world not long after which followed the Invasion of Tostige who having been banish'd chiefly by his Brother's procurement and now no longer able to digest the Preferment of his Younger Brother to the Royal Dignity in exclusion to him was moved with so much Envy and Indignation as to endeavour all ways possible to dethrone him for which purpose he sailed to Duke William and thence out of Flanders with some Ships to the Isle of Wight where after he had forced Money from the Inhabitants he departed and played the Pyrate upon the Coasts till he came to Sandwich King Harold being then at London upon notice thereof got in readiness both a strong Fleet and a good Party of Horse with which he resolved in Person to go to Sandwich and fight him But Tostige having intelligence of it took along with him all the Seamen he could find and went to the Coast of Lindisse where he burnt several Villages and killed a world of men But Edwin Earl of Mercia and his Brother Morcar Earl of Northumberland hastening to those parts with an Army soon forced him to quit that Countrey And as Florence relates not being able to return into Normandy by reason of contrary Winds he sail'd into Norway and there join'd his Fleet with that which King Harold Harfager was now preparing for the Invasion of England In the mean time King Harold lay at Sandwich expecting his Fleet which when it was got together he sail'd to the Isle of Wight and because William Duke of Normandy was now expected to invade England with an Army he waited his coming over all that Summer and the Autumn following lining all the Sea-Coasts with Land-Forces in order the better to receive him This seems indeed more probable than what William of Malmesbury relates That King Harold did not believe Duke William would undertake so hazardous an Expedition being at that time engaged in Wars with his Neighbouring Princes and had now wholly given himself up to his Ease and Pleasure so that had it not been for his hearing that the King of Norway likewise threaten'd an Invasion he would never have raised any Army at all which seems a very improbable story since he was as you have already heard from Simeon of Durham forced to get out his Fleet and raise an Army to prevent the Incursions of his Brother Tostige But it is fit we now give you some account of the Reasons of these great Preparations made by Duke William to invade England for Ingulph and the Author last mentioned both assure us That so soon as he had heard of King Harold's taking upon him the Crown of England contrary to the Oath he had given him and that he was actually crowned he sent over Ambassadors to put him in mind of the breach of his word threatning to force him to perform it if he would not do it by fair means and that before the year came about Harold's Answer to these Ambassadors as William of Malmesbury relates it was very plausible being to this effect That what he had promised concerning marrying the Duke's Daughter she being dead it could not now be performed but that if he had promised him any thing concerning the Kingdom it was very rashly done of him to have given away that which was not his own without the General Consent and Decree of the Great Council of that Kingdom therefore that a rash Oath was to be broken for if the Oath or Vow of a Virgin made without the consent of her Parents was by the Law of God declared void how much more ought that Oath to be accounted so which he being then under the Authority of his King but compell'd necessity had made concerning the Kingdom who was at that time wholly ignorant of what had been transacted And that the Duke was very unjust in requiring him to resign that Crown which he had so lately received by the General Favour and Consent of the People Bromton's Chronicle further adds That Duke William sent another Message to King Harold whereby he acquainted him That although he had not observed his Faith in other things yet if he would marry his Daughter he would pass by all the rest or otherwise would vindicate his Succession by force of Arms. All which is very improbable since most Historians relate the young Lady to be then dead and it is very unlikely that a Man of King William's Ambition would quit his Pretentions to the Kingdom for so slight a satisfaction as the Marriage of his Daughter But this Author does with more probability reduce the Duke's Quarrel against Harold to these Three Heads First To revenge the death of Prince Alfred his Cousin who had been long since murthered by Earl Godwin the Father of Harold Secondly To restore Archbishop Robert Earl Odo and the rest of the Normans who had been unjustly banished in the late King's life-time Thirdly Because Harold had contrary to his Oath possessed himself of the Kingdom which as well by the Right of Consanguinity as by that of a Double Promise ought to be his But the Ambassadors of
Etheling Margaret married to Malcolm King of Scots from whom all the Kings of England since King Henry I. are descended Christina a Nun at Wilton 1 Edward the Martyr R. XXIX 1 Edwie R. XXVII 3 Edwin 2 Athelstan Illegitimate R. XXIV Kings of the Danish Race who reigned between King Edmund Ironside and Edward the Confessor Cnute King of England Denmark and Norway 1 Harold sirnamed Harefoot esteemed Supposititious 2 Hardecnute succeeded his Brother Harold He was Son to Queen Emma 1 Aethelward or Aelfweard 3 Aethelred R. XXI 1 Aelfred 2 Oswald 2 Aethelbert R. XX. 2 Athelm 1 Aethelwald 1 Aethelbald R. XIX 1 Cutha Cada Cenbyrht 2 Mulla or Moll 1 Ceadwalla R. X. 4 Ceolwulf Cuthgils Cenferth Cenfus Aescwine R. IX 5 Cwichelm INDEX Note The Numbers signify so many of the same Name A ABbey Abbey-Lands Abbot Aberfraw Abingdon Abjuring Acca Achaius Adda Adelphius Adian Admurum Adrian Adulf Adultery Aeadsige Aealmond Aealhstan Aedan Vradog Aedan ap Blegored Aedric Aegelbyerth Aegelric Aelfeage Aelfer Aelfgar Aelfleda Aelfred or Alfred Aelfric 3. Aelfweard Aelfwinna Aelfwold Aelgiva 3. Aella 3. Aelmer Aemilianus Aeneon Aescasdune Aescwin 2. Aesk Aestel Aethelbald 2. Aethelbryht Aethelburga Aethelfleda Aethelgiva Aethelheard Aethelred Aethelswithe Aethelwald 2. Aethelwulf Aetius Agatha Agatho Agelbert Agricola Agrippina Aidan Ailesbury Ailmer Ailnoth Ailwin Akmanceaster Alan 2. Alaric St. Alban Albania Albert Albinus Chlodius Alburge Alchluid Alchmuid Alchmund Alcuin Aldhelm Aldred Aldune Alehouses Alemond Alfleda Alfred 5. Alfweard Alfwin Alfwold Algithe Algiva Alhred 2. Alienation Alkuith Allectus Allegiance Alms Alrich 2. Alstan Alton Alwin Alwold Alypius Ambresburg Ambrosius Amiens Ammianus Marcellinus Anarawd Andate Andover Andragatius Andredswood Angild Angles Anglesey Anglia Sacra Anlaff 2. Anna Annals Saxon Antenor Anwulf Aper Appeals Vid. Pope Appledore Arbogastes Arcadius Archbishop Archenfield Archigallo Arch-pyrate Arderydd Areans Ariminum Arles Armorica Armour Army Arnulf Arnwy Arrian Heresy Arthur Arviragus Arwald Arwan Asaph Asclepiodotus Ashdown Assault Asser Assize-Charges Asterius Ataulphus Athelgiâ—â— Athelm Athelney Athelric Athelstan 3. Athelwald Athelward Athelwold Attacotti Atticus Augusta Augustine Augustine's-Ake Augustus Caesar Avon Aurelian Aurelius Ambrosius Atticus Conan Marcus Aust Axanminster B BAchseg Badon-Hill Bakewell Balbinus Clodius Baldred Baldwin Bamborough-Castle Banbury Bangor Banner Banuwelle Baptism Bardeney Bardsey-Island Barnwood Barons St. Bartholomew St. Basile Basse Bassianus Bassus Bastardy Bathan Bathe Beadricesworth Beamdune Beamfleet-Castle Becancelde Bedanhealfde Bede Bedicanford Belinus Bells Benedict Benedictines St. Bennet 's in Holme Bennington Beonna Beormond Beorne 4. Beornred Beornwulf Berferth Berkshire Bernicia Bertha Bertulf Beverlie Bevorstone Billingsgate Birds Birth Supposititious Birthwald Bishops Blecca Blood Boadicia Bocland Bodotria Boetius Hector Bolanus Bonagratia de Villa Dei Bondland Bondman Bonosus Bosa Bosenham Boston Bottulf Bounds Bracelets Bradanford Brandanrelie Breach of the Peace Brecklesey-Island Brecknock-Castle Bregowin Brennus Bridgenorth Brigantes Brige Brightnoth Brihtric 2. Britain Great Britain Britains Britains of Armorica British Church Brixstan Brockmaile Bromrige Bruerne Brocard Brun-Albin Brute Bryâ—htwald Bryghtwulf Brythelme Buchanan Budington Buloigne Buoy in the Nore Burford Burgh Burghmotes Burhred Byrinus Byrnstan C CAdelh Cadocus Cadwallader Cadwallo 3. Cadwan Caedmon Caerialis Petilius Caer-Leon Caesar Calais Calcuithe Caledonians Caligula Camalodunum Cambden Cambria Cambridge Camelford Candida Casa Candidus Canterbury Caractacus Caradoc Carausius Carehouse Careticus Carlisle Carron Carrum Cartismandua Carus Cassibelan Cassiterides Castinus Castor Castra Exploratorum Cataract Cattle Ceadda Ceadwalla Ceawlin 3. Cedda Cendrythe Cenered Cenwall Cenwulf 2. Ceolfus Ceolnoth Ceolred 2. Ceolric Ceolwulf 5. Cerdic Cerdicsford Cerne Chacea St. Chad Chanons Secular Charges at Assizes Charles 5. Charters Chastity Cherbury Chertsey Chester Chichester Chiltern Chipnam Choisy Christianity Christ Church Cant. Chrysanthius Church Cimbric Chersonese Cimerii Cippenham Cirencester Civilis Civil War Claudia Rufina Claudian Claudius 2. Clergy Clodius Balbinus Chlorus Constantius Cloveshoe Cnobsbury Cnute Coelestine Cogidunus Coifi Coil Coinage Colchester Coldingham Coleman Coludesburgh Columba Comets Commodus Commons of England Compurgators Conan 5. Congal Constans Constantine 5. Constantius 2. Corfesgeate Cornwal Coronation Corrodies Coventry Councils Counties Countreymen County-Court Coway-stakes Crayford Creed Creeklade Creoda or Crida Crimes Criminal Crown Croyland Chrysanthius Cuckamsley-hill Cumbran Cuneglasus Curescot Cutha Cuthbert Cuthbryht Cuthred 3. Cuthwulf Cwichelme 2. Cycle Cynebald Cynebryht Cynegils Cyneheard 2. Cynoth Cynric 2. Cynwulf D DAgobert Dalliance Danegelt Danes Daniel 2. Darwent David St. Davids Deadly Feuds Death Decennary Decianus Decimation Decius Defamation Degradation Degsa-stan Deira Demetae Denulph Deomed Deorham Deposition Deprivation Derawnde Desertion Devils-Ditch Devise of Lands Deusdedit 2. Dicul Didius Difilina Dinoth Diocesses Dioclesian Dionotus Domitian Dorinea Dover Dower Draganus Drinking Druids Dublin Dubritius Duduc Dulcitius Dun Dunbritton Dunmoc St. Dunstan Dunwallo Molmutius Dunwich Durham Duty to Parents E EAdbald 2. Eadbert 2. Eadbryht Eadburga Eadesbyrig Eadfrid Eadhed Eadmund Aetheling Eadred Eadsige Eadulf Eadwig Aetheling Eadwin Eagle Ealcher Ealchstan Ealerd Ealfert Ealfric Ealswithe Eanbald Eanbryht Eanfrid Earcombert Earcongath Eardulf Eardwulf Earnred Earnwulf East-Angles Easter East-Saxons Eatta Ebba 2. Eborius Eclipses Eddobeccus Edelwalch Edgar Edgar Aetheling 2. Edgitha 2. Edingburgh Editha Edmund the Martyr Edmund Son to Edward the Elder Edmund Son of King Alfred Edmund Aetheling St. Edmundsbury Edred 2. Edric Edwal ap Meyric Edwal Ugel Edwal Ywrch Edward the Elder Edward Aetheling Edward the Martyr Edward the Confessor Edwi Edwin 3. Edwin Aetheling Edwold Egbert 7. Egelfleda Egelnoth Egfrid Eglesburgh Egonesham Egric Egwin Egwinna Eighth Elbodius Election of King V. Kings Sparsim Eleutherius Elfeage 2. Elfer Elfgar Elfin Elfleda Elfric Elfwald Elfwinna Elgiva V. Aelgiva Elidurus Ellendune Ellwye Elutherius Ely-Monastery Emma Emperor Eneon England Englisherie English-men English-Saxons Entail Eoppa Eoric Eorpenwald Eorpwald Eowils Ercenbryht Eric Erkenwald Ermenred Esylht Ethelard Ethelbald 2. Ethelbert 4. Ethelbryht Ethelburgh Etheldrethe Etheldrith Etheler Ethelfleda Ethelfred Ethelfreda Ethelfrid Ethelgar Ethelheard 2. Ethelnoth Ethelred 8. Ethelwald 2. Ethelward Ethelwerd Ethelwin Ethelwold 2. Ethelwulf Evesham Eugenius 2. Evil Councils Europe Eustatius Eutherius Excommuication Exeter Exmouth F FAith False News Famine Farrington Fealty Fee or Feuds Fee-tayl Estate Feologild Fergus Fernham Festidus Fidelity Fighting Finan Fines Finkley Fire First Fruits Five Burghs Flanders Flattery Fleet Foelix Folcmote Folcstone Foreign Tongue Forests Forfeitures Formosus Fornication Framarius France Frank-pledges Franks Freemen Freodguald Freothwulf Frethanleage Friburg Friesland Frisians Frithestan Frithogithe Frithwald Fugitives Fullenham Furseus G GAcon Gaini Gainsborough Galgacus Galienus Gallio Game Gavelkind Gaule Gemote General Gentlemen Geoffrey of Monmouth Gerent Germanus Gerontius Gessoriacum Geta Gethic Gewisses Gildas Girwy Gisa Glan-morgan Glappa 2. Glass Glastenbury Gleni Glewancester Glotta and Bodotria God Goda Godfathers Godfred Godiva Godmundingham Godwin Gogmagog Gordianus Gormond Gospatrick Gospel Government Graetanleage Grand Inquest Vid. Inquest Gratian Gratianus Gregory Griffyn Griffyth ap Llewelin ap Sitsylt Griffyth ap Madoc St. Grimbald Grime Grisons Grymkytel Guarinus Gueld Guendelew Gueniver Guiderac Guild Guintelin
forced to retire beyond 〈…〉 her Brother of Normandy for safety Id. p. 38. Aelgiva a Hampshire Lady Daughter of Aelfhelm the Ealdorman one of Cnute's Wives bore him Harold whom before his death his Father appointed to be King of England after him l. 6. â— 56. But the Story seems a littlâ— improbable for it is said she was barren and therefore â—â—etenâ—ing a Big-Belly imposed on the credulous King a Supposititious Birth viz. the Son of a Shoemaker then newly born Id. p. 61. In the English-Saxon is the same with Emma in the Norman-French Dialect the Widow of King Cnute who was banished England by King Harold Id. p. 64. Aella with his three Sons slew a great many of the Britains and possessed themselves of all the Sea-Coast of Sussex l. 3. p. 132. He and Ciffa receiving fresh Supplies besieged Anâ—redesceaster and â—ook it by force and put all the Britains to the Sword Ibid. His Death Id. p. 136. Is said to be the first that ruled all over Britain l. 5. p. 254. Aella King of Deira l. 3. p. 147. A general Name given to the Kings of Deira l. 4. p. 152. His Death l. 3. p. 148. Aella a Tyrant and Usurper made King of that Countrey by the Northumbers who had expelled Osbryht newly before who was their lawful King l. 5. p. 267. Aelmer an Archdeacon betrays Canterbury to the Danes l. 6. p. 35 36. Aemilianus Emperor of Rome but three Months l. 2. p. 81. Aeneon Vid. Eneon Aescasdune now called Aston near Wallingford l. 4. p. 182 188. l. 5. p. 275. Aescwin reigns over the West-Saxons is supposed to be the next of the Royal Line l. 4. p. 194. Son of Cenwulf the Battel he fought and with whom His Death Id. 195 198. Aescwin Bishop of the East-Saxons his Death and who succeeded him l. 4. p. 196. Aesk also called Oisk and Osric Hengest's Son began his Reign when and how long he continued it l. 3. p. 132. His Death Id. p. 136. Aestel the signification of it uncertain l. 5. p. 304. Aethelbald King of the Mercians held it forty years l. 4. p. 217. His Pedigree Ibid. Took Somerton and was that great and powerful King as not to be ashamed of committing Uncleanness even with Consecrated Nuns Id. p. 221 222. Made all the rest of the Provinces of England and their Kings subject to him as far as the Humber l. 4. p. 222. Wasted the Countrey of Northumberland and carried away with him great Spoil Id. p. 223. His War with Cuthred King of the West-Saxons and the various success of it Id. p. 224 226. Slain at Seccandune in Warwickshire and buried in Ripendune Abbey which he himself had founded Id. p. 227. Aethelbald Son of Ethelwulf King of the West-Saxons and his Father made a greater slaughter of the Danes than ever was done before l. 5. p. 261. Forms a most wicked Conspiracy in the West of England against his Father upon the account of his new Wife and so gets the Kingdom divided betwixt his Father and him which before was united l. 5. p. 263 264. Vid. Ethelbald Aethelbryght Vid. Ethelbert Aethelburga returns by Sea into Kent with Paulinus the Archbishop and is received with great Honour by King Eadbald and Archbishop Honorius l. 4. p. 176. Destroys the Castle of Taunton-Dean in Somersetshire and for what reason Id. p. 218. Aethelfleda King Alfred's Eldest Daughter married to Eadred or Ethelred King of the Mercians l. 5. p. 311. Vid. Ethelfleda Aethelgiva Vid. Algiva Aethelheard the Bishop dies at York l. 4. p. 232. Vid. Ethelheard Aethelred Vid. Ethelred Aethelswithe Queen Sister to King Alfred and Widow of Burhred King of Mercia dies in her Journey to Rome l. 5. p. 298. Aethelwald Edward the Elder 's Cousin-German rebels against him and going over to the Danish Army they joyfully received him for their King He takes a Nun out of the Monastery of Winburn and marries her but going over to France to raise new Recruits King Edward seizes her and brings her back again l. 5. p. 312. Returns from France and with a mighty Army coming into Kent gets much Plunder there and then ravages over other Countries but at last is killed in fight Id. p. 313. Aethelwald Abbot received the Bishoprick of Winchester and is consecrated His many good Works and what Monasteries he repaired and built l. 6. p. 4 21. Was Father of the Monks His Decease Id. p. 21. Aethelwulf Vid. Ethelwulf Aetius somewhat recovered the Credit of the Roman Empire in Gaul l. 2. p. 106. Received doleful Latters from the Britains imploring Assistance l. 3. p. 115. Expecting a War with Attila King of the Huns Ibid. Agatha the Queen of Hungary's Sister is married to Prince Edward Son to Edmund Ironside l. 6. p. 49. Agatho the Pope his Bull to the Abbey of Medeshamstead supposed to be forgâ—d long after by the Monks of Peterburgh l. 4. p. 200. Agelbert Bishop of Kent but turned out and wherefore l. 4. p. 181 182. Left King Cenwalch and took the Bishoprick of Paris l. 4. p. 182 188. Vid. Aegelbyerth Agricola sent into Britain in Vespasian the Emperor's time as his Lieutenant Almost cut 's off the whole Nation of the Ordovices Going with his men to subdue Mona the Island sues for Peace and delivers â—t self up to him Increases his Fame by his Successes and Moderation l. 2. p. 55. His wise Conduct both in his own Family and in Britain Id. p. 56. Brought here in fashion the Roman Language Garb and Gown No Castle of his ever taken by force Rewarded with Triumphal Ornaments His farther Conquests Places Garisons in that part of Britain that lay over-against Ireland Id. p. 57. Carries on the War both by Sea and Land and overcomes the Caledonians Id. p. 58 59. Which is confessed to be more owing to his own Conduct than the Courage of the Roman Soldiers Id. p. 59. His Speech to his Soldiers and after what manner he ordered the Battel against Galgacus Id. p. 61. Overthrows and puts the Britains to flight His Ruin secretly designed by his Prince Id. p. 62 63. How at his Return he is received at Rome Accused to Domitian but acquitted Oftâ—n near his Ruin as well by his own Virtues as by the Vices of others The Proconsulship of Africa seemingly offered to him void by the Death of Civica Id. p. 64. His Death whether by Poyson or otherwise uncertain He carried the Roman Eagles to the utmost Bounds of Britain Id. p. 65. He was the Son of Severian a Pelagian Bishop Id. p. 107. Agrippina presiding over the Roman Ensigns l. 2. p. 44. Aidan a Scotch Bishop desires Edwin to remember his Vision and Promise and become a Christian l. 4. p. 173. Is sent to Oswald to ground his Subjects in the Christian Faith from the Monâ—stery of the Isle of Hye Id. 177 178. His Character being an excellent Pattern for succeeding Bishops and Clâ—rgymen to follow Id. p. 178. His Death Id. p. 182 183.
Ailesbury in Buckinghamshire anciently called Eglesbyrig l. 5. p. 321. Ailmer Earl of Cornwal Founder of the Abbey of Cerne in Dorsetshirâ— l. 6. p. 22. Ailnoth Vid. Ethelnoth Ailwin the Ealdorman Founder of the Abbey of Ramsey l. 6. p. 6 7. Akmanceaster an Ancient City called Bathan by the Inhabitants l. 6. p. 7. Alan King of Armorica receives Cadwallader l. 4. p. 190. Alan Earl of Britain so great an Assistant to William Duke of Normandy that after his Conquest he made him Earl of Richmond and had great part of the Countrey thereabouts given him l. 6. p. 109. Alaric King of the Goths takes Rome l. 2 p. 104. St. Alban an Account of his Martyrdom l. 2. p. 85 86. The Miracles thereat Ibid. p. 107 108. Is privately buried that Age being ignorant of the virtue of keeping Saints Relicks Id. p. 86. Offa is warned by an Angel to remove his Relicks to a more Noble Shrine He builds a new Church and Monastery in honour of him who was after canonized l. 4. p. 237. As he was the first Martyr of England so the Abbot thereof ought to be the first in Dignity of all the Abbots in England Ib. p. 238. Pope Honorius ratified the Privileges formerly granted and gave to this Abbot and his Successors Episcopal Rights together with the Habit c. Jd. Ib. St. Albans anciently called Verulam where a Great Council was held by King Offa Id. p. 239. Albania now Scotland Northwest of the Mountains of Braid-Albain and its extent l. 2. p. 83 98. Albert ordained Archbishop of York l. 4. p. 229. Receives his Pall for the Archbishoprick from Pope Adrian Id. p. 230. Albinus Chlodius made Lieutenant of Britain by Commodus the Emperor who would have created him Caesar and permitted him in his presence to wear the Purple Robe but he refused them then yet afterwards assumed the Titles and Honour and died in asserting his Right to the Imperial Purple l. 2. p. 71 73. Is dismissed from the Government of Britain but retained it under both Pertinax and Didius Julianus Takes upon him the Title of Caesar under Severus had Statues erected and Money coin'd with his Image Forced the Messengers sent by the Emperor to dispatch him by Torture to confess the Design Id. p. 72. But is obliged at last to run himself through with his own Sword Id. p. 73. Alburge Sister to King Egbert Foundress of a Benedictine Nunnery at Wilton l. 5. p. 248. Alcluid now called Dunbritton in Scotland l. 2. p. 101. Is destroyed by the Danes l. 5. p. 277. Alchmuid Son to Ethelred King of Northumberland being taken by the Guards of King Eardulf is slain by his Command l. 4. p. 243. Alchmund Bishop of Hagulstade his Decease l. 4. p. 232. Alcuin or Albinus writes an Epistle wherein he proves Image-Worship utterly unlawful l. 4. p. 237. At his Intercession the Northumbrian Kingdom is spared from Ruin Id. p. 240. Goes into France and is much in favour with Charles the Great whom he taught the Liberal Arts and by his means the University of Paris is erected His Death and Character Id. p. 244. Aldhelm made Bishop of Shireburn and by whom l. 4. p. 213. A Catalogue of his Works given us by Bede Id. p. 213 214. His Death and Character Id. p. 214. Aldred Bishop of Worcester by his Intercession makes Sweyn's Peace with Edward the Confessor and goes with Bishop Hereman to the great Synod assembled at Rome l. 6. p. 75. Is sent Ambassador to the Emperor with Noble Presents to prevail with him to send Ambassadors into Hungary to bring back Prince Edward the King's Cousin Son of King Edmund Ironside into England Id. p. 86. His rebuilding the Church of St. Peter in Gloucester and going on Pilgrimage through Hungary to Jerusalem Id. p. 88. Is made Archbishop of York and goes with Earl Tostige to Rome where he receives his Pall Ibid. Crowns Harold King of England Id. p. 105. Aldune Bishop of Lindisfarne removes the Body of St. Cuthbert from Chester after a hundred years lying there to Durham and there builds a small Church dedicating it to him l. 6. p. 26. Alehouses how anciently these have been here with the Consequences thereof viz. quarrelling and breaking of the Peace l. 6. p. 43. Alemond Father to Edmund the King and Martyr whom he had by his Wife Cywara in old Saxony l. 5. p. 265. Alfleda Daughter to Ceolwulf King of the Mercians is married to Wimond Son of Withlaff an Ealdorman there who is afterwards made King by the Consent of the People l. 5. p. 253. Alfred King of Northumberland would not alter the Judgment against Bishop Wilfrid for any Letter from the Pope l. 4. p. 207. Deceases at Driffield and on his Death-bed repents of what he had done towards the Bishop Id. p. 212 213. Alfred King of the West-Saxons was the fifth Son of King Aethelwulf Id. p. 258. When born of Osberge his Mother at Wantige in Berkshire l. 5. p. 261. Is anointed King by the Pope as a Prophetical Presage of his future Royal Dignity Id. p. 262 265. Married to Alswitha the Daughter of Aethelred the Ealdorman of the Gaini l. 5. p. 269. He with his Brother Ethelred made a great slaughter of the Danes Id. p. 275. By the general Consent of the whole Kingdom is advanced to the Throne Id. p. 276. Fights with the Danes and the various success of his Fortune Ibid. Fights at Sea against seven of their Ships and takes one the rest escaping Id. p. 277. Is forced to make Peace with them and what Hostages they give him to depart the Kingdom but upon breach of Oath he puts them all to death The Danes make another Peace with him but did not long observed it Id. p. 278. Leads an uneasy Life upon their account beiâ—g forced to hide and lurk among the Woody parts of Somersetshire Id. p. 280. His excessive Charity to a poor man in the midst of his own Extremity Id. p. 280 281. Goes into the Danish Army in the habit of a Countrey Fidler discovers their weakness and by that means obtain a signal Victory over them Id. p. 282. Delivers the Kingdom of the East-Angles up to Guthrune and the League made between them setting out the Extent of each other's Territories Id. p. 283 284. The Subjection or Dependance the Danes shew'd to this King by their consenting to the Laws made in a Common-Council of the Kingdom Id. p. 285. Fights against four Danish Pyrate-ships takes two the other two surrender Id. p. 285 286. Pope Martinus sends some of the Wood of our Lord's Cross to him and in return he sends to Rome the Alms he had vowed Id. p. 286. Setting upon the Danish Pyrates with his Fleet takes them all with great Spoils and kills most of their men but returning home and meeting with another Fleet of them they prove too hard for him Id. p. 286 287. Takes the City of London from the Danes who had kept it
Glastenbury and for what reason Id. Ib. Commands in Person at the great Battel of Badon Hill which is said to be the twelfth Battel he had fought with them Id. p. 136. He began his Reign over the Britains in the tenth year of King Cerdic Id. p. 137. Objections against his ever being a King in Britain answered His Death but the manner uncertain his Burial at Glastenbury His Tomb found about the end of the Reign of Henry the Second and the many Fables the Britains invented of him Id. p. 136 137 138. Arviragus doubtful whether any such person but if there was he lived in the Reign of Domitian l. 2. p. 56. Under his Conduct the Britains receive fresh Strength and Courage Id. p. 65. Is supposed to have deceased towards the end of Domitian's Reign Id. p. 66. Arwald King of the Isle of Wight his two Sons executed by the Order of Ceadwalla but were first made Christians by Baptism by Abbot Reodford l. 4. p. 203. Arwan a River where uncertain but several Conjectures about it l. 6. p. 46. Asaph Scholar to Kentigern and his Successor in the See of Ellwye in North-Wales now from him called St. Asaph l. 3. p. 149. Asclepiodotus Praefect to Constantius his Slaughter of the Franks and Victory over London l. 2. p. 84 85. Ashdown in Essex called in the Saxon times Assandum l. 6. p. 46 47. Cnute builds a Church here to pray for the Souls that were slain in the Battel he had fought there with Edmund Ironside he consecrates and bestows it Id. p. 51. Assault upon any one the Punishment of it by King Alfred's Law l. 5. p. 292 295. Asser Bishop of Shireburne his Decease l. 5. p. 286 315. Assize-charges the Antiquity of them l. 6. p. 13. Asterius Bishop of Genova ordains Byrinus an Italian l. 4. p. 179. Ataulphus takes Tholouse sometime after the Death of Alaric l. 2. p. 104. Athelgiva Mistress or Wife to King Edwi for it is variously reported the story of her l. 5. p. 353. The Revenge that was taken on her by Odo Archbishop of Canterbury Her being sent into Ireland from the King with her Return and Death Id. p. 354. Athelm Archbishop of Canterbury performed the Office of Athelstan's Coronation His Death l. 5. p. 329. Athelney in Somersetshire anciently called Aetheling-gaige l. 5. p. 282 298. That is the Isle of Nobles where Alfred had lain concealed Id. p. 298. A Monastery built there by King Alfred for Monks of divers Nations Id. p. 298 307. Athelric King of all Northumberland reigned two years over Bernicia married Acca Daughter to Aella King of Deira l. 3. p. 148. Athelstan slain in fight by Hungus King of the Picts with the assistance of Ten thousand Scots sent him by Achaius King of that Countrey all an idle story l. 5. p. 250. Who this Athelstan was 't is supposed none knows Ibid. Athelstan supposed to be Natural Son to King Ethelwulf often mentioned in this History but our Writers are silent as to his Death l. 5. p. 258. Fought with the Danes at Sea and routed them taking nine Ships and patting the rest to flight Id. p. 261. Athelstan Son to Edward the Elder commanding one Division of his Father's Army against Leofred a Dane and Griffyth ap Madoc the Success thereof l. 5. p. 321. The Name signifies The most Noble Appointed by his Father's Testament to succeed him in the Kingdom not born of the Queen but of one Egwinna l. 5. p. 326 327. His Election by the Mercians and the manner of his Coronation Id. p. 329. Marries his Sister Edgitha to Sihtric a Danish King of Northumberland with an account of him and his Death Id. p. 330. Adds the Kingdom of Northumberland to his own Id. Ib. 331. His seven years Penance on the account of his Brother Edwin's being drowned Id. p. 331 332. The great Victory he obtained over the Scots and what was the occassion of his warring with them He demolishes the Castle the Danes had fortified at York and taking great Booty there distributes it among his Soldiers Drove the Welsh cut of Exeter and built new walls about it Id. p. 332 333. The great Victory he gain'd over the Scotch Irish and Danes Id. p. 334 335 336. Took Cumberland and Westmorland from the Scots and recovered Northumberland from the Danes Pawn'd his Knife at the Altar as he went to make War against the Scots promising to redeem it at his return with Victory Founded the Abbey of Middleton in Dorsetshire and upon what account Reign'd fourteen years and tâ—n months and then died at Gloucester Id. p. 337. Is said to be the first that reduced all England into one Monarchy Imposeth a Yearly Tribute upon Constantine King of the Scots and Howell King of the Britains of 20 l. in Gold and 300 l. in Silver and 25000 Head of Cattel Id. p. 337 338. The Rich Presents were sent to him from divers Kings Id. p. 339. Made many good Laws and some of the most remarkable may be seen in p. 339 340 341. Buried in the Abbey of Malmesbury bred up under his Uncle Ethelred Earl of Mercia His Character Id. p. 329 338 339. Athelwald King of the South-Saxons had the Isle of Wight given him by Wulfher l. 4. p. 188. Is slain by Ceadwalla who seized on his Province Id. p. 203. Athelward Vid. Ethelward Athelwold Vid. Ethelwald Attacotti who these were that Ammianus joins with the Scoti has very much perplexed the Modern Criticks l. 2. p. 91 92. Atticus Vid. Aurelius Augusta that ancient City now called London l. 2. p. 92. Augustine sent into Britain with many Monks to preach the Gospel l. 3. p. 148. His Arrival in Britain in the year 597. Id. p. 149. l. 4. p. 153. How he came to be sent and the Accidents that happen'd to him by the way with his Landing in the Isle of Thanet on the East part of Kent l. 4. p. 152 153. Residence appointed by King Ethelbert's Order for him and his Monks at Canterbury which was the Metropolis of his Kingdom How his preaching to him and his Nobles there was received Id. p. 154. Ordained Archbishop of the British Nation and by whom as also his sending to the Pope to desire his Opinion about certain Questions Wherein is seen the state of Religion in the Western Church at his coming over Id. p. 155. Rebuilt an old Church first erected by the Christian Romans appointing it a See for himself and his Successors Id. 154 157. Had an Archiepiscopal Pall sent him with power to ordain twelve Bishops l. 4. p. 157 158. His Legantine Authority over all the Bishops of Britain Id. p. 160. Summons a Synod at Augustine's Ake or Oak in Worcestershire Ib. p. 161. His miraculous Cure of a Blind Man upon which the Britains believed his Doctrine to be true Id. Ib. His Death and place of his Burial Id. p. 162 165. His Prediction on the Britains fulfilled Id. p. 164. Supposed to be of
their former Privileges to endure for ever by a perpetual Right Id. p. 317 318. Builds Two Forts on both sides the River Ouse in Buckinghamshire to oppose the Danes who at last almost all submit to him Id. p. 319 320. Has the Town of Bedford surrendred to him where he built a Castle Rebuilds and Fortifies the Town of Maldon and makes the whole Nation of the Mercians submit to him Id. p. 320. Overcomes Leofred the Dane and Griffyth ap Madac Brother-in-Law to the Prince of West-Wales Id. p. 321. The several Towns he ordered to be rebuilt l. 5. p. 321 322 323 324. Is accepted for Lord and Protector by several Countries under the Danish Dominions and adds the Kingdom of the East-Angles to his own Id. p. 322 323. Several other Kings make their Submission to him Id. p. 324. His Decease at Fearndune in the Province of the Mercians Id. p. 324. Aelfleda the Daughter of the Earl Aethelem was his Queen and Wife Id. p. 327. The Laws both Civil and Ecclesiastical made in his Reign Id. p. 325 326. His Children how bred up and bestowed in Marriage c. Id. p. 327. His Character of being Mild and Humble as well as Couragious Id. p. 328. No Martyr as Buchanan in his History fancies him and why Id. p. 332. Edward Aetheling Son of King Edmund sirnamed Ironside Marries Agatha the Queen of Hungary's Sister his Issue by her l. 6. p. 49. Is sought by Ambassy to return into England which he did about Three years after together with his Children and soon after Dies his Body being Buried in St. Paul's Church Id. p. 86 87. Edward Sirnamed the Martyr is Elected in a great Council and presently Anointed King according to his Father Edgar's Appointment l. 6. p. 15. Not present at the Council of Calne in Wiltshire upon the persuasion of Archbishop Dunstan as supposed Id. p. 16 17. Is Killed by whom and by what at Corfesgeate now Corfe-Castle in the Isle of Purbeck and buried at Werham without any Royal Pomp having Reigned Three years and a half Id. p. 17 18. His Character Ibid. His Body taken up and carried and Buried at Shaftsbury with great Solemnity Id. p. 20. Edward the Confessor Son of King Ethelred comes into England from Normandy and returns no more back but tarried till his Brother Hardecnute died l. 6. p. 66 67. His Advancement to the Crown by Election in the Great Council and how it is effected Id. p. 69 70. His undutifulness to his Mother by taking from her all the Gold and Silver she had with other things because of her severity to him formerly shews him not to be altogether so great a Saint as the Monks represent him Id. p. 71 97. Marries Edgitha or Editha the Daughter of Earl Godwin who was not only Beautiful and Pious but Learned above the Women of her Age but he never carnally knew her l. 6. p. 72 73 97. Sends Bishops to the Great Council at St. Remy to know what was there decreed concerning the Christian Faith Id. p. 74. The Difference between the King and Earl Godwin and his Sons and what the ground of it Id. p. 75 77 78 81. Sends away his Wife who had been Crowned Queen committing her to the Custody of his Sister at the Nunnery of Werwel and takes away almost all she had Id. p. 78. Begs his Mother's Pardon for having suffered her to undergo the Ordeal and upon what Account Id. p. 79. Hearing Earl Godwin was come with his Ships for England he orders his Fleet to pursue him whereupon he returns to Bruges but soon after comes again and commits many Insults upon the Sea-coasts Id. p. 80 81. Restores to the Queen his Wife upon his Peace with Earl Godwin whatsoever she had been before possessed of Id. p. 81. In a great Council is Reconciled to Earl Godwin whom he restores to his former Honours and Estate Id. p. 82 83. Commands Rees the Brother of Griffyn King of South-Wales his Head to be cut off and sent him to Gloucester for his Insolencies against the English Id. p. 85. His Forces under Siward the Valiant Earl of Northumberland are said to Conquer Scotland Id. p. 86. Aelfgar's Rebellion against him twice and yet he was forced to Pardon him Ibid. p. 87.88 Confirms by his Charter the Foundation of the Abbey of the Holy-Cross at Waltham in Essex Id. p. 89. Wales Subdued and becomes subject to him the Inhabitants giving Hostages Ibid. After which he makes Two Brothers Joint-Princes of North-Wales l. 6. p. 90. Confirms and renews the Laws of King Cnute at the Request of the Northumbers Ibid. Builds Westminster Church and Abbey its Consecration Calls his Curia or Great Council to confirm his Charter of Endowment of this Monastery His Sickness and Speech to those about him concerning the Vision he had seen of Two Holy Monks that told him of the Misery which would befall this Nation after his Death Id. p. 93 94 95. The Application of it with what befell the Kingdom in succeeding Reigns Id. p. 96. Recommends upon his Death-bed the Queen to her Brother c. and highly extols her Chastity and Obedience Id. p. 96. His last Words Death and Burial in St. Peter's Church at Westminster Ibid. p. 97. The various reports of his Bequeathing the Crown to his Cousin William Duke of Normandy Id. p. 96 97. His Character and the story of the Boy that Robbed his Chest he being then in the Room Id. p. 97 98 104. His Miracles of Curing the Blind and those Sores we now call the King 's Evil and of his being Elected King by his Father's Command in a Great Council whilst he was in his Mother's Belly Id. p. 98. His Laws or those which bear his Name because he renewed the Observance of them shew what Liberty English Subjects enjoyed before the Conquest Id. p. 99 100 101 102 103 104. By the Laws of St. Edward are meant the English-Saxon Laws Id. p. 104. Edwi When he Began his Reign and where and by whom Crowned he turns the Monks out of Glastenbury and out of the greatest Monasteries in England placing Secular Channons therein l. 3. p. 353. The Mercians and Northumbrians Deposing him Elect Edgar his Brother for their King which is confirmed by the Common Council of the Kingdom Edwi having no more left him than that of the West-Saxons for his share Id. p. 354. His Death and Character and Burial at Winchester Id. p. 355. Edwin of the Blood-Royal of Northumberland being the Son of Aella is forced to fly from Ethelfrid as a Banished Man with the cause of his future Conversion l. 4. p. 169. The wonderful Vision he had and the Success of it He succeds Ethelfrid and Banishes his Sons Id. p. 170. Being Converted to the Christian Faith he receives Baptism with all his Noblemen and a great many of the common people Id. p. 171 172 173 174. At last is killed by the Pagans and his whole Army routed Id.
Sister sent over to the Emperor Henry to whom she had been before Betrothed and was kindly received by him for some time till she was accused of Adultery and how her Honour was vindicated at last be her little Page Id. p. 66 67. But it made her forsake her Husband and retire into a Monastery for all her life afeer Id. p. 67. The Noble Matron was Banished England with her Two Sons Id. p. 73. Gunhildis a Beautiful Young Lady Sweyn's Sister Beheaded and bore her death with great bravery having seen her Husband and her Son slain before her face l. 6. p. 37. Gurgi a British Prince Son of Gliver Gosgard Vawr a Prince of Cumberland l. 3. p. 147. Gurguint in his Reign the Danes refused to pay him the Tribute which had been imposed by Belinus l. 1. p. 13. Guthfrith or Godfred Son to Syhtric a Danish King of Northumberland succeeds his Father there but was soon expelled by Athelstan who added those Dominions to his own l. 5. p. 330. Flie into Scotland and raises a Rebellion against Athelstan but he makes him submit to him The Civil Treatment Athelstan gives him and his Revolt from him afterwards Id. p. 331 332 333. Guthlac first a Monk then a professed Anchoriâ—e builds a Cell at Croyland the incredible Miracles told of him l. 4. p. 216. A Monastery founded in honour of him by Ethelbald King of the Mercians who was then lately deceased Id. p. 218. The Danes break open his Tomb and those of the Princes there buried and finding no plunder set the Church on fire and burn their dead bodies l. 5. p. 271. Guthrun Gythram or Gorman their Leader or King was promised by the Danes to become a Christian and accordingly King Alfred was his Godfather at his Baptism l. 5. p. 283 284 298. The Kingdom of the East-Angles delivered up to him Id. p. 283. The League between King Alfred and him as also the Secular and Ecclesiastical Laws that were made then by them Id. p. 283 284 285. His Christian Name Ethelstan called King of the Normans his Decease l. 5. p. 298. He died Ten years before King Alfred therefore no Ecclesiastical Laws could be made between him and Edward the Elder who was Alfred's Son and Successor Id. p. 326. Guy Earl of Warwick returning from the Holy Land in a Pilgrim's Habit Fights one Colebrand a Monstrous Danish Giant near Winchester and kills him and retiring to a Hermitage near Warwick there ends his days l. 5. p. 337 338. Gwgan King or Prince of Cardigan his death some say he was drowned by misfortune l. 5. p. 277. Gwido Earl of Ponthieu detains Earl Harold Prisoner but soon sets him at Liberty by the Command of William Duke of Normandy l. 6. p. 92. Gwyn or Gwyr a Countrey in North-Wales subdued by Eneon Son of Owen Prince of South-Wales l. 6. p. 6. Is destroyed a second time by the same Person Id. p. 16. Gwyneth that is North-Wales l. 3. p. 147. l. 5. p. 317. Gyrth King Harold's Youngest Brother his excellent Advice to him not to fight in Person against Duke William rejected which cost Harold his Life l. 6. p. 111. H HAcun a Danish Earl Banished England under pretence of an Ambassy by King Cnute who was afraid of him and why l. 6. p. 53. Hadrian Aelius a Spaniard succeeds his Uncle Trajan in the Empire his Politicks l. 2. p. 67. Comes over into Britain and reduces the Inhabitants he builds a wall of Eighty Miles in lâ—ngth cross the Island Id. p. 67 76. Haefe supposed to be Hatfield in Northumberland l. 4. p. 215. Halfdene Marches with one half of the Danish Army into the Kingdom of Northumberland and there soon conquers the whole Countrey spoiling as far as Galloway l. 5. p. 277 315. Divides that Kingdom amongst his People from whence they date their Reign there Id. p. 278. Is slain by King Alfred Id. p. 286. Hamtun that is now Southampton where Wulfheard the Ealdorman fights with a Fleet of Three and thirty Danish Pyrates and obtains a signal Victory over them l. 5. p. 258. Hardecnute Son to King Cnute by Queen Emma is appointed by his Father to be King of Denmark l. 6. p. 56. But is Decreed in the Great Council at Oxnaford upon the fierce disputes of the contending Parties That this Kingdom should be divided between Harold and him and Hardecnute to enjoy all the Southern Provinces but he never did all the time of his Brother Harold Id. p. 62. He being at Harold's Death in Bruges with his Mother is invited by the Chief Men of England to come over and receive the Crown which he accordingly did with all possible convenience and so is Elected King The several Taxes he raises His Consecration His revenging the Injury Harold did to his Mother and sending his Sister Gunhilda to the Emperor Henry to whom she had been before Betroth'd and the Feast he first kept for her Nuptials Id. p. 66. Is incensed against Bishop Lifing and Earl Godwin for the Death of his Half-Brother Alfred and how the business was made up and he reconciled to them Id. p. 67. Plunders and Burns the City and wastes the County of Worcester and upon what account Deceases at Lambeth and is Buried in the New Monastery of Winchester His Character A Holyday kept to his remembrance Id. p. 68. Harold King of Norway his Present to King Athelstan of a Ship whose Stern was Gilded and it's Sails Purple l. 5. p. 339. Harold Son to King Cnute by Aelgiva he appoints to be King of England after him l. 6. p. 56. Is Chosen King by the Great Council held at Oxnaford though opposed by the Great Men of the West-Saxons upon the pretence of a Supposititious Birth and the Disputes rise so high about the Election that many fearing it would issue in a Civil War left their Habitations upon it Id. p. 61 62. Sends a Guard to Winchester and Tyrannically seizes on his Father's Treasures there which he had bequeathed to the Queen his Mother-in-law Id. p. 62. Dies at Oxnaford and is Buried at Westminster how long he Governed England Id. p. 65. The Tax he raised for setting out Sixteen Sail of Ships whereof every Port was to bear their proportion incenses the minds of the English against him His Character and the reason of his being called Harefoot l. 6. p. 65. His Body is dug up by Hardecnute's Order his Head cut off and flung into the Thames buâ— afterwards taken up by Fishermen and Buried in St. Clement's Curch-yard Id. p. 66. Harold sirnamed Hairfax King of Norway and Brother to King Olaf putting Sweyn King of Denmark to flight subdues that Kingdom but dying soon after Sweyn recovers it again l. 6. p. 74. Harold Son of Earl Godwin the Quarrel that arose between Edward the Confessor and his Father his Brother Sweyn and him and how he is forced to fly into Ireland for Protection l. 6. p. 75 77 78. Returns from Ireland and kills and
the King's Game under a penalty l. 6. p. 60. Huntington anciently called Huntandune l. 5. p. 321. Is repaired and rebuilt in those places that had been destroyed by the Command of King Edward the Elder Id. p. 322. Hussa Succeeds Freodguald in the Kingdom of Bernicia l. 3. p. 146. Hyde and Abbey called by this Name near Winchester l. 5. p. 318. Hye an Island that had always a Bishop residing in it l. 3. p. 143 144. The Monks of Hye Converted by Egbert to the Right Faith in making them to observe Easter Orthodoxly as also the Ecclesiastical Tonsure l. 4. p. 217. I JAgo and Jevaf Princes of North-Wales raise great and long Wars to get the Supreme Government of all Wales as being of the Elder House to the Sons of Howel l. 5. p. 349 350. Civil Wars between them Jago keeping his Brother Prisoner by force for near six years l. 6. p. 6. Jevaf restored to his Liberty by his Son Howel and Jago driven out of the Countrey but by Edgar's mediation with Howel his Uncle was restored to what he held in Jevaf's time Id. p. 7. Great Commotions in Wales upon these Princes and their Sons accounts and the issue thereof Id. p. 16 20 21 22 23. Jago Son to Edwal a Prince of Wales is advanced to the Throne as lawful Heir but could not be admitted to South-Wales Id. p. 53. His Soldiers deserting him he is slain in Battel by Griffyth ap Lewelin Id. p. 64. Janbryht also called Lambert Consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury received the Pall l. 4. p. 228 229. Lost part of his Province to the See of Litchfield Id. p. 233. His Death and who succeeded him Id. p. 236. Japhet very probable that Europe was Peopled by his Posterity l. 1. p. 4. From him originally descended the Saxons that first came into Britain l. 3. p. 121. Iberi were the Spaniards by whom the Southern part of Britain was Peopled l. 1. p. 4. Icanho supposed to be Boston in Lincolnshire where one Bottulf began to build a Monastery l. 4. p. 185. Iceni those who inhabited Suffolk Norfolk Camebridge and Huntingtonshire l. 2. p. 42. Their being overcome by Ostorius Scapula Id. Ib. Are turned out of their ancient Estates and treated like Slaves Id. p. 47. With the Trinobantes rise up in Arms against the Romans to deliver themselves from their hated servitude Id. p. 47 48. Ida the first that took upon him the Title of King of the Northumbrian Kingdom who had Twelve Sons partly by Wives partly by Concubines with his Sons he came into Britain and landed at Flensburgh with Forty Ships and built Bamborough Castle in Northumberland l. 3. p. 142. He hath the Character of being a very Gallant Man but dies within a few years Id. p. 143. Idel a River on the Mercian Border now in Nottinghamshire l. 4. p. 170 171. Idols Their Temples Pope Gregory would not have pulled down but a-new Consecrated l. 4. p. 158. Coisi Burns and utterly destroys the Idol Temples l. 4. p. 173 174. Are destroyed at Earcombert's Command throughout his Kingdom of Kent Id. p. 180. Jerne that is according to the Scottish Writers the Province of Strathern l. 2. p. 98. Jerusalem the Temple there laboured though in vain to be rebuilt by Alypius a Heathen l. 2. p. 90. Jews all that were in the Kingdom to be under the Protection of the King l. 6. p. 102. Iffi the Son of Prince Osfrid received Baptism l. 4. p. 174 176. Dies in France under King Dagobert's Tuition in his Infancy Id. p. 176. Igmond the Dane with a great Number of Soldiers Lands in the Isle of Anglesey where they obtain a Victory over the Welsh-men who gave them Battel l. 5. p. 303. Ilford near Christ-Church in Hampshire seated in the New Forest called Itene in English-Saxon perhaps it anciently went by the Name of Ityngaford l. 5. p. 314. Iltutus a Pious and Learned Britain of Glamorganshire l. 3. p. 149. Images not introduced into the English-Saxon Church at the foundation of the Abbey of Evesham by Edwin Bishop of Worcester as is pretended by some l. 4. p. 216 217. Image-Worship the Church of God wholly abominated as practised in the Greek and Roman Churches and was not then receiv'd in England l. 4. p. 236 237. Impostor a notable Scotch one who called himself Run sets up for Prince of South-Wales but he and his Army soon put to the Rout l. 6. p. 52. Ina King of the West-Saxons builds a Monastery at Glastenbury endows it with divers Lands and exempts it from all Episcopal Jurisdiction Reigns Seven and thirty years goes to Rome and there Dies l. 4. p. 204 218 219 220. The Son of Kenred the Son of Ceolwald when he took the Kingdom but without any Right of Successive Descent Id. p. 205. Summons the first Authentick Great Council whose Laws are come to us entire Id. p. 208 209. The Kentish-men enter into a League with him and give him Thirty thousand Pounds for his Friendship and why Id. p. 209. And Nun his Kinsman fight with Gerent King of the Britains Id. p. 215. And Ceolred fight a bloody Battel at Wodensburgh in Wiltshire Id. p. 217. Fights with the South-Saxons and slays Eadbert Aetheling whom before he had banished Id. p. 218. Romescot is conferred on the Bishop of Rome first by him but if so it must be with the Consent of the Great Council of the Kingdom Id. p. 219. A Great Example of his Magnanimity and Justice Piety and Devotion Id. p. 219 220. His being King of Wales as well as England and his marrying Guala the Daughter of Cadwallader King of the Britains a groundless and fabulous story Id. p. 220. Indian Apostles St. Thomas and St. Bartholomew were so called because they were there martyr'd l. 5. p. 286. Indians their deadly Feud against all the Kindred of one that murthers any of them l. 5. p. 347. Ingerlingum the place where King Oswin was treacherously murthered and where afterwards a Monastery was built l. 4. p. 182 183. Ingild the Brother of King Ina his Death l. 4. p. 218. Ingwar a Danish Captain who held London is slain by King Alfred l. 5. p. 286. Inquest Grand the Antiquity of Trials by them of more than twelve men l. 6. p. 43. Intestates how the Goods of those who dye so are to be distributed l. 6. p. 59. Inundation a mighty one about Greenwich that drowned both many People and Towns l. 6. p. 39. Invasion Of the Romans upon the Britains an Account thereof as also of that of the Picts and Scots and then of the English-Saxons after that of the Danes and lastly of the Normans Ep. Dedic l. 5. p. 246. John of Beverlie first he was Bishop of Hagulstad then of York l. 4. p. 202 213 215. He was Bishop Three and thirty Years and Eight Months then dies and is buried at Beverlie and afterwards canonized by the name of St. John of Beverlie Id. p. 218. John