for they soon sent him Aidan a Man of great Meekness Piety and Moderation only Bede finds â—ault with him That he had Zeal but not according to Knowledge in that he observed Easter day according to the custom of his own Nation and that of the Picts of which I have sufficiently spoken already But so soon as this Bishop came to him he gave him a place for his Episcopal See in the Isle of Lindisfarn where he himself desired it which place is Pena-Insula except when the Sea quite overflows that neck of Land which joyns it to England But this King took care by hearkening to the Instructions of this good Bishop to propagate Christ's Church in his Kingdom which during his Reign extended over both Deira and Bernicia being then both united into one and it was often observed as an unusual spectacle that whil'st the Bishop Preacht who being a Scot did not speak English so as to be well understood the King being present and with his Courtiers and Officers having learn't the Scotish Tongue during the time of his banishment would himself interpret the Bishops Sermon to them and many Scotish Priests coming into those Provinces of Britain where King Oswald Reigned began to Preach and Baptize those that believed so that now Churches were built in divers places to which the People assembling rejoyced to hear the Word of God there were also given by the King several Lands and Possessions to build Monasteries for they were chiefly Monks who now came hither to Preach for Bishop Aidan was himself a Monk sent from the Monastery of the Isle of Hye of which we have said enough in the last Book But of the Humility and Piety of this Bishop Aidan Bede gives us a very large account in several instances of it for he seems to have been an excellent pattern for succeeding Bishops and Clergy Men to follow For he tells us That all who travelled with him I suppose in his Visitation or Conversions were they professed Monks or only Lay Bretheren were obliged to bestow their time either in reading the Scriptures or else in learning the Psalms by heart but to let you see how much more Humility and Condescention are able to prevail than Pride and Austerity Bede tells us That the King of the Scots first sent another Bishop to King Oswald who being of a very rough Austere Temper could therefore do but little good among the English so that being forced to return home again he laid the fault upon their Rude Irreclameable Dispositions whereupon the Scotch Clergy being grieved at hiâ— return called a Synod to consider what was best to be done in this case when Aidan who was then present told this Bishop That he thought he had been too harsh and severe to his Ignorant Auditors and had not according to the Apostle's Rule first given them the Milk of milder Doctrine till by degrees they should be able to receive and digest the more perfect and harder precepts of God's Word which as soon as they heard they all turn'd their Eyes upon him and resolved he should be sent to Convert the Ignorant unbelieving English because he was endued with Prudence the Mother of all other Vertues thô he was not wanting in those also The same Authour also gives us as high a Character with many Examples of the great Humility Affability and Charity of King Oswald as that being once at Dinner it was told him There were a great multitude of Poor People at his Gate desiring Alms whereupon he immediately sent them a large Silver Dish full of Meat from his own Table and order'ed the Dish afterwards to be broken into small pieces and distributed among them upon this Bishop Aidan taking him by the Right Hand said thus Let this Hand never corrupt which saying gave occasion to the Miracle whether false or real I shall not now dispute concerning the incorruptibility of King Oswald's Right Arm which Bede hath given us so many strange Relations of and that it was preserved uncorrupt in the Church of Peterburgh in his time Of this King he also tells us That by his Industry the Provinces of Deira and Bernicia which had been almost in perpetual Discord were now as I may say united into one People so that he received all the Nations and Kingdoms of Britain under his Protection He was Nephew to King Edwin by his Sister Acca and it was fit that so great a Predecessour should have one of his own Blood to succeed him But we shall proceed now to the Conversion of the West-Saxons which the same Author thus relates At this time the Nation of the West-Saxons which were anciently called Gewisses received the Christian Faith in the Reign of Cynegils by the preaching of Byrinus an Italian who being ordained Bishop by Asterius Bishop of Genoua by the Order of Pope Honorius came into Britain and thô he had promised the Pope to preach the Gospel in the most inland parts of the Island where it never had been heard of before yet landing in the Country of the West-Saxons and finding them to be altogether Heathens he thought it better to preach the Gospel there than to seek further which when he had done for some time and that the King being sufficiently instructed was to be Baptized with his People it happened that Oswald the Victorious King of the Northumbers was there present and received him coming out of the Font as his Godfather intending also to make him his Son-in-Law and then both Kings joyned in conferring on the said Bishop a City which was called in Latin Dorinea now Dorchester in Oxfordshire there to fix his Episcopal See but divers Years after when many Churches had been built and much People converted to Christ by his means he at last deceased and was buried in that City for so Bede stiles it thô it be now but a poor Country Town Will. of Malmesbury adds to this Relation of Bede That King Cynegils was quickly perswaded to submit to the preaching of the Bishop but that Cwichelme his Brother and Partner in the Kingdom did for some time refuse it till being admonished by Sickness that he should not neglect the Salvation of his Soul he was at last baptized and the same Year died which is confirmed by the Saxon Chronicle under the Year following thô omitting the Baptism of Cynegils it only mentions that of Cwichâ—lme adding That the same Year he departed this Life and that Bishop Felix preached the Faith of Christ to the East-Angles This Felix was a Burgundian the first Bishop in Dunwich in Suffolk where he founded his Episcopal See His Conversion was thus Sigebert having succeeded his Brother Eorpwald in the Kingdom of the East-Angles and having whilst he was banished into France by his Brother's Jealousie there received Baptism did now by the Assistance of Bishop Felix erect a School like those he had seen in France where Youths might be taught Letters having
his Province and as Bede tells us surveyed all Things and ordained Bishops in fit Places and those Things which he found less perfect than they should be he by their Assistance corrected among which when he found fault with Bishop Ceadda as not having been rightly Consecrated he humbly and modestly replied If you believe that I have not rightly undertook the Episcopal Charge I willingly quit it since as I never thought my self worthy so I never consented to accept it but in obedience to the Commands of my Superiours But the Arch-Bishop seeing his Humility answered That he would not have him lay aside his Episcopacy and so he again renewed his Ordination according to the Catholick Rites From whence it appears that this Arch-Bishop then thought the Ordination of the English and Scotish Bishops who differed from the Church of Rome as to the time of keeping Easter to be Uncanonical and for this reason Bede here also tells us That Bishop Wilfrid was sent into France to be Ordained But as for this Bishop Ceadda Florence of Worcester informs us That he was now also deprived of his Bishoprick and Wilfrid restored to it as having been unduly Elected thereunto which thô Bede doth not tell us in express Words yet he confirms it in the very next Chapter where he tells us That Jaruman Bishop of the Mercians being now dead King Wulfher did not ask Arch-Bishop Theodorus to Ordain a new One but only desired of King Oswi that Bishop Ceadda the Brother of Cedda should be sent to him to take that Charge who lived privately at his Monastery of Lestinghen where he was then Abbot Wilfrid then not only Governing the Diocess of York and all the Northumbers but also Picts as far as King Oswi's Dominions extended But to return again to the Saxon Annals This Year King Ecgbert gave to Basse the Priest Reculf where he built a Monastery This was afterwards called Reculver in Kent Oswi King of Northumberland died xv Kal. Martij and was buried at Streanshale Monastery and Ecverth or Egfrid his Son reigned after him also Lothaire Nephew of Bishop Agelbert took upon him the Episcopal Charge over the West Saxons and held it 7 Years Arch-Bishop Theodorus Consecrated him He whom these Annals call Lothair was the same with Leutherius Bishop of Winchester Bede tells us further of King Oswi That being worn out with a long Infirmity he was so much in love with the Roman Rites that if he had recovered of the Sickness of which he died he had resolved to go to Rome and end his Days at the Holy Places having engaged Bishop Wilfrid to be the Guide and Companion of his Journey promising him no small Rewards for his Pains ' This Year was a great slaughter of Birds H. Huntington renders it a great Fight of Birds which seems to have been some remarkable Combat of Crows or Jackdaws in the Air of which we have several wonderful Relations in our Histories Mat. Westminster relates that the strange Birds seemed to flie before those of this Country but that many Thousands were killed This next Year Cenwalch King of the West Saxons died and Sexburga his Wife held the Kingdom after him for one Year Of whom William of Malmesbury gives this Account That this King dying left the Kingdom to Sexburga his Wife nor did she want Spirit or Courage to discharge all the Functions of a King for she straitways began to raise new Forces as also to keep the Old to their Duty to govern her Subjects with moderation and to keep her Enemies in awe and in short to do such great Things that there was no Difference but the Sex between Her and a King But as she aimed at more than Feminine Undertakings so she left this Life when she had scarce Reigned a Year about But Mat. Westminster says she was expelled the Kingdom by the Nobles who despised Female Government But what Authority he had for this I know not for I do not find it in any other Author whereas if what William of Malmesbury says of her be true it was not likely they should Rebel against so good a Governess who seems to have been the perfect Pattern of an Excellent Queen After the Death of King Cenwalch and as I suppose Queen Sexburga likewise Bede relates That the Great Men or Petty Princes of that Kingdom divided it among them and so held it for 10 Years in which time Eleutherius Bishop of the West Saxons i. e. of Winchester dying Heddi was Consecrated by Arch-Bishop Theodorus in his stead in whose time those Petty Princes being all subdued Ceadwalla took the Kingdom but this does not agree with the Saxon Annals About this time thô Bede does not set down the Year King Egfrid of Northumberland waging War with Wulfher King of Mercia won from him all the Country of Lindsey About this time also died Ceadda Bishop of Litchfield according to Ran. Higden's Polychron but Bede does not tell us the time of his Death thô he mentions it and there gives a large Account of the great Humility and Piety of that good Bishop and of the Pious End he made He is called by us at this day St. Chad. This Year Egber◠King of Kent deceased according to Bede's Epitome who as says Math. Westminster gave part of the Isle of Thanet to build a Monastery to explate the Murder of his Cousins whom he had caused to be slain as you have already heard The same Year was a Synod of all the Bishops and great Men of England held at Heartford now Hartford which Synod as Bede tells us was called by Arch-Bishop Theodorus where Wilfred Bishop of York with all the rest of the Bishops of England were either in Person or by their Deputies as Florence relates and in which divers Decrees were made for the Reformation of the Church the first and chiefest of which was That Easter should be kept on the first Lord's Day after the Fourteenth Moon of the First Month i. e. 〈◊〉 which thô it had been before appointed by the Synod at Streanshale above-mentioned yet that being not looked upon as a General Council of the whole Kingdom it was now again renewed the rest of them concerning the Jurisdictions of the Bishops and the Priviledges and Exemptions of Monasteries I pass over and refer you to Sir H. Spelman's First Volume of Councils for farther satisfaction But I cannot omit that it was here first Ordained That thô Synods ought to be held twice a Year yet since divers Causes might hinder it therefore it seem'd good to the whole Council that a Synod should be assembled once a Year at a place called Cloveshoe This Year also the Saxon Annals relate That Etheldrethe late Wife to Egfrid King of Northumberland founded the Monastery of Ely in which she her self became the first Abbess She as Bede tells us had been twice married but would never let either
great Easiness and Remissness in Discipline and thereupon by the Appointment and Assent of his Barons he caused him to retire to the Cure of his former Church of Dorchester By which it is evident that this Author living in the Reign of Henry the Third was very well satisfied that the Temporal as well as the Spiritual Barons were concerned in this Deprivation I was likewise from the Authority of the Saxon Annals as also of William of Malmesbury about to have here also added the Deprivation of one Siward who is reported by the Annals An. 1043. to have been privately Consecrated to the See of Canterbury with the King 's good liking by Arch-bishop Eadsige and who then laid down that Charge and of which Siward William of Malmesbury farther tells us that he was afterwards deprived for his Ingratitude to Arch-Bishop Eadsige in denying him necessary Maintenance but since there is no such Person as this Sâ—â—ard in the Catalogues of the Arch-bishops of Canterbury and that upon a more nice Examination I find in the Learned Mr. Wharton's Treatise De Successione Archiepis Cantuar. that this Siward who was also Abbot of Abingdon was never Consecrated Arch-Bishop but only Chorepiscopus or Substitute to Arch-bishop Eadsige who was then unable to perform his Function by reason of his Infirmities which upon a review of this Passage in William of Malmesbury I find also confirmed by him in calling him no more than Successor Designatus and who being put by for his Ingratitude was preferred no higher than to be Bishop of Rochester but this is denied by the abovecited Mr. Wharton who says expresly that this Siward Abbot of Abingdon and Substitute to the Arch-bishop was never Bishop of that See but died at Abingdon of a long Sickness before Arch-Bishop Eadsige So much I thought fit to let the Reader know because in this History under Anno 1043 being deceived by the express words of the Annals I have there made this Siward to have been Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and deprived for his Ingratitude to his Predecessor which I am upon better Consideration now convinced to have been a Mistake I shall conclude with our Saxon Annals which under the Year 1052. relate that Earl Godwin having in a Great Council held at London purged himself and his Sons of the Crimes laid to their Charge and being thereupon restored Arch-Bishop Robert the Norman his Enemy having just before fled away into his own Country was not only by a Decree of this Council banisâ—ed but also deprived of his Arch-bishoprick and Stigand then was advanced to that See in his stead which certainly was done by the same Authority as deprived the former and if so then I think none can deny but that Power might also have deprived any other inferior Bishop and yet we do no where find there was any Schism in England among the Clergy at that Time because these two Primates of the Church had been deprived without their own Consent by the Lay as well as Spiritual part of the Great Council HAVING now finished all I had to say concerning the Power of the King and the Witena-Gemote in Ecclesiastical Matters I would not be thought to assert that they have the like Authorities in Matters of meer Spiritual Cognizance since I am very well satisfied of the Primitive Institution of the Episcopal Order from the first Preaching of Christianity in the Time of the Romans to the Restoration of it in this Island upon the Conversion of the Saxons which is not liable to be abrogated by any Temporal Power and which has been continued among the Britains or Welsh without any Interruption from thence even to our own Times BUT as for the Ecclesiastical Power it was at first settled under the two Arch-bishops of Canterbury and York who had then no Jurisdiction or Preheminence the one over the other the former being Primate of the Southern as the latter was of the Northern parts of England only I cannot but observe that the Church of St. Martin's without the City of Canterbury was till after the Conquest the See of a Bishop called in Latin Core Episcopus who always remaining in the Countrey supplied the Absence of the Metropolitan that for the most part followed the Court and that as well in governing the Monks as in performing the Solemnities of the Church and in exercising the Authority of an Arch-Deacon AND no doubt had also the Episcopal Powers of Ordination and Confirmation or else he could have been no Bishop I observe this to let you see that the English were not then so strictly tied up as not to allow of more than one Bishop in one City BUT since I have chiefly designed to speak of Civil Affairs I shall not here meddle with the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Bishops or their Courts or the Officers belonging to them but will leave them to those to whose Province it does more peculiarly appertain HAVING thus dispatched what I had to say concerning the Synods and Great Councils of the Kingdom in the Saxon Times I shall in the next Place treat of the English Laws before the Conquest and they were of two kinds viz. either the particular Customs or Laws of the several divisions of the Kingdom in which those Customs were in use or else such Additions to or Emendations of them as were made from time to time by the Great Council of the whole Kingdom concerning the Punishment of Crimes the manner of holding Men to their good Behaviour or relating to the Alteration of Property either in Lands or Goods with divers other particulars for which I refer you to the Laws themselves as I have extracted them from Sir Henry Spelman and Mr. Lambard their Learned Collections and some concerning each of these particulars I have given you in the following Work BUT to shew you in the first place the Original of the Saxon Customary Laws they were certainly derived from each of the Great Nations that settled themselves in this Island before the Heptarchy was reduced into one Kingdom but indeed after the Danes had settled themselves here in England we find they were divided into these three sorts of Laws in the beginning of Edward the Confessor's Reign according to the several parts of the Kingdom wherein they prevailed as 1. MERCHEN-LAGE or the Mercian Law which took place in the Counties of Glocester Worcester Hereford Warwick Oxon Chester Salop and Stafford 2. WEST-Saxon-Lage or the Law of the West-Saxons which was in use in the Counties of Kent Sussex Surrey Berks Southampton Somerset Dorset Devon and Cornwal I mean that part of it which spoke English the rest being governed by their own i. e. the British Laws 3. DANE-Lage or the Laws which the Danes introduced here into those Counties where they chiefly fixed viz. in those of York Derby Nottingham Leicester Lincoln Northampton Bucks Hertford Essex Middlesex Suffolk and Cambridg BUT as for Cumberland Northumberland and
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
England and sojourned with the most Holy and Religious Monks in the City of Winchester Helmestan Abbot of the said Cathedral Church and the Venerable Swithune Praepositus i. e. Bishop of the same who had been before in Professione sacrae Theologiae in Studio Canterbriggiensi Cathedratus i. e. Professor of Divinity in the University of Cambridge had often relieved him during the many Hardships he suffered in his Banishment with special Favour he desired always should be acknowledged If we were assured that this Epistle was Genuine it would advance the Antiquity of this University far higher than the time we are now treating of and would make it Ancienter than the time of King Alfred in the latter end of whose Reign St. Swithune sate Bishop of Winchester But since we have not the Originals but only Citations from these ancient Pieces I shall not take upon me to determine of their Validity but leave that as also this Authors Credit to the Reader 's Judgment But to return to our Annals This Year Egbriht the innocent Abbot was slain on the 16th Kal. of July a little before the Summer Solstice and about three Days after Aethelfleda sent an Army against the Welsh which took Brecenanmere supposed to be either Brecknock Castle or else some place near it and there she took the King's Wife and about thirty four Prisoners The Danes marching now on Horseback after Easter from Hamtune i. e. Northampton and Lygraceaster now Leicester slew many Men at Hocneratune now Hoocnorton in Oxfordshire and the places adjoyning and as soon as they had returned home again they sent out another Company of Robbers which marched towards Ligtune most likely to be Leighton in Bedfordshire but the People of that Country being forewarned of their coming fought with them and not only put them to flight but also recovered whatsoever they had taken away so that they left a great many of their Horses and Arms behind them Now a great Fleet sailed from the Southern Parts of Armorica under the Command of two Earls Ohtor and Rhoald and sailing about toward the East entred the Mouth of the River Severne and there spoiled all the Coasts of North Wales toward the Sea as far as they could and they also took Cumeleac the Welsh Bishop in Yrcingafield now Archenfield in Herefordshire and carried him Prisoner to their Ships but King Edward within some time Ransomed him for Forty Pounds but after this the Danes quitting their Ships marched again towards Yrcingafeild where the Men of Hereford and Gleawcester and the neighbouring Towns fought them and put them to flight and there slew Rhoald and a Brother of Earl Ohtor's with a great part of their Army and drove them into a certain Wood where they besieged them till they made them give Hostages to depart out of King Edward's Kingdom But at last it seemed advisable for the King to place a good Guard from the South part of the Mouth of Severne and from the West of Wales toward the East as far as the River Avon that so the Danes might not Land any more on that side nevertheless leaving their Ships they stole away privately by Night in two Companies to plunder the one to Weced now Watchet in Somersetshire and the other to Portlocan now Portlochbay in the same County but they were routed in both places insomuch that few of them escaped alive unless it were those who swam off to their Ships Then they besieged an Island at Bradanrelic Florence calls it Reoric which is supposed to be a little Island now called Shepholm in the Mouth of Severne where they were in such great want of Victuals that many died with Hunger because they could get no Provisions there After this they went to Deomed supposed to be South Wales from whence they passed into Ireland All this happened in Autumn And the same Year a little before Martinmass King Edward marched with his Army to Buckingaham and there stayed a Month building two Forts on each side the River Ouse before he parted thence Thurkytel the Danish Earl owned him for his Lord as also all their chief Commanders and almost all their Noblemen who were at Bedanford now Bedford with many of them that belonged to Hamptune This Year also Ethelfleda Lady of the Mercians before Whitsontide took the Town of Deorby where within the Gates were killed four Thanes who were very dear to her Also we read in the Collections of that Learned Antiquary Mr. Lambert and by him given to the Cottonian Library that it is found in an Ancient Chronicle once belonging to the Monastry of Rochester and collected by one Edmund de Hadenham That this Year the Lady Elfleda by the Assistance of the King her Brother besieged the City of Canterbury and taking it slew a great many Danes that were therein King Edward marching with his Army to Bedanford about Martinmass had the Town surrendred to him and then all the Inhabitants who were his Subjects returned thither and there he stayed a Month and before he departed he commanded a Castle to be built there on the South-side of the River After this King Edward went to Maeldune now Maldon and rebuilt the Town and saw it fortified whilst he was there Also Earl Thurkytel passed over into France by K. Edward's Leave and Convoy with all those Danes that would follow him as likewise Aethelfleda brought under her Dominion the Town of Legracester now Leicester and a great many of the Danes belonging to that place became subject to her as also those who were at York nay some of them confirmed it both with an Oath and by giving of Hostages that they would continue so but as soon as this was done she departed this Life twelve days before Midsummer at Tammeworth it being the Eighth Year of her Government over the Mercians after her Husband's Death with great Moderation and Justice Her Body lies buried at Gleawcester in the East Isle of St. Peter's Church This Lady's Death is placed in our printed Annals under the Year 918 and that more rightly for the Cottonian Copy of these Annals is certainly mistaken in putting the Death of this Princess two Years later than this viz. 920. though they all agree in Substance viz. that she died at Tamworth about a Fortnight before Midsummer and that thereupon King Edward going thither the whole Nation of the Mercians submitted to him But whenever this Princess died she was certainly a Woman of great Virtue Prudence and Courage and truly resembled her worthy Father King Alfred as far as the Difference of Sex would permit But to return again to our Annals The same Year the Daughter and Heir of Ethered Lord of the Mercians called Aelfwinna whom her Mother had left her Heir was deprived by the King of that Dominion and she was about three weeks before Christmas brought into West-Seax John Bevour who calls himself Castoreus in his Manuscript History of the Kings
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
Gratian the Emperor who is killed by him l. 2. p. 95. His Image is sent to Alexandria and set up in the Market-place to be Reverenced l. 2. p. 96. His great concern for the Catholick Religion and Execution of Persons for meer matters of Faith His Death Id. Ib. Meanwari supposed to be People of that part of Hampshire lying over against the Isle of Wight l. 4. p. 188. Medcant now called Turne-Island l. 3. p. 146. Medeshamhamsted a Monastery built in Honour of Christ and St. Peter it had its Name from a Well there called Medeswell l. 4. p. 186. The manner of erecting this Foundation Id. p. 186 187. Pope Agatho's Bull of Priviledges to it supposed to be Forged long after and by whom l. 4. p. 200. l. 6. p. 4 5. Is burnt and destroyed by the Danes who killed all the Abbots and Monks they found there with a Noble Library and all its Charters and they carried away all the rich spoil of that place l. 5. p. 270 271 272. Afterwards the Bodies of above Fourscore Monks with their Abbot there slain were Buried in one Grave in the Church-yard and putting a Pyramidal Stone over them the Images of the Abbot and Monks about him were Carved on it Id. p. 172. Is rebuilt by Athelwald Bishop of Winchester who is said to have found the Charter which Abbot Headda had formerly wrote l. 6. p. 4 5. A new Charter of Confirmation with many other Endowments granted by King Edgar the Lands granted by him to this Monastery to be a distinct Shire having Sac Soc c. Is more enriched in Lands by Abbot Adulf who is succeeded by Kenulf that changed its name into Burgh It has been the Episcopal See of the Bishops of Peterburgh almost ever since the Dissolution of this Abbey in H. VIII's time Id. p. 5. Melgas King of the Picts the Story of the Virgins that were Killed or made Slaves by him a notorious Invention l. 2. p. 96. Mellitus is sent to Preach the Word in Britain and Letters of Instruction sent afterwards by the Pope to him concerning the Idol-Temples l. 4. p. 157 158. Ordained by Augustine Bishop of the East-Saxons he was to fix his Episcopal See at London l. 4. p. 159 165 166. Sent to Rome to confer with Pope Boniface about the necessary Affairs of the English Church Id. p. 166. His departure into France and for what reason Id. p. 169. Succeeâ—s Lawrence in the Archbishoprick of Canterbury stops a great Fire there by his Prayers Id. p. 171. Members loss of any for Crimes of the Party survived it Four Nights he with the Bishops leave might be helped which before was unlawful l. 5. p. 285. Menai a River near to which Bangor was built and by whom l. 3. p. 143. Iâ— parts Caernarvonshire from the Isle of Wight l. 4. p. 165. Menaevia now is called St. David's in Pembrokeshire l. 3. p. 149. Mercevenlage from whence the Laws were so called l. 1. p. 13. Mercia when this Kingdom began it was one of the largest of the English-Saxon Kingdoms and one of the last conquered by the West-Saxons l. 3. p. 147. The People received the Christian Faith under Peadda their Ealdorman l. 4. p. 183 186. The Province of the Mercians is divided into Five Diocesses Id. p. 199 200. The Mercians or Southumbers Kill Ostrythe the Wife of Ethelred their late King Id. p. 210 212. A great part of it destroyed with Fire and Sword by the South-Welshmen Id. p. 231. Anciently was called Merscwarum l. 5. p. 259. Is forced to come to a Peace with the Danes Id. p. 269. Mercy King Cnute's Law to have it used and that none should die for small Offences l. 6. p. 58 59. Meredyth Conquers the whole Countrey of North-Wales for himself l. 6. p. 22. Others laying waste his Countrey of South-Wales Id. p. 23. Cast off by the Inhabitants of the Isle of Anglesey for not well Protecting them but afterwards resolving if he could to recover so considerable a part of his Dominions he Fights with Edwal ap Meyric who had Usurped upon him but is worsted by him in a set Battel Id. p. 24. Meredyth and Howel the Sons of Edwin or Owen how they got the Government of South-Wales but were afterwards slain by the Sons of Conan ap Sitsylt Brother to Prince Lewelin l. 6. p. 56. Merehwit Bishop of Somersetshire that is Wells Deceases and is Buried at Glastenbury l. 6. p. 56. Meresige now Mercey in Essex an Island near the Sea l. 5. p. 301. Merton in Surrey anciently called Merinton l. 4. p. 232. Merwina an Abbess of the Nunnery of Rumsey in Hampshire l. 6. p. 6. Midletune in Kent where the Danes built a Fort to infest the English l. 5. p. 298 300. Militia King Athelstan's Law that for every Plow a man shall keep Two well-furnished Horsemen is one of the Ancientest of this kind in England being laid according to the rate of Estates l. 5. p. 341. Milred Bishop of the Wiccij that is of the Diocess of Worcester his Character and death l. 4. p. 230. Milton his History of England commended by the Author l. 2. p. 20. Mints places appointed for them by King Athelstan's Law l. 5. p. 341. One granted to the Abbot of Stamford by King Edgar l. 6. p. 5. The first Law whereby the private Mints to the Archbishops and Abbots were forbid Id. p. 14. Miracles Germanus and Lupus two French Bishops recover a Magistrate's Daughter Aged Ten Years of Blindness which the Pelagians refused to attempt l. 2. p. 107 108. A great Fire in Canterbury suddenly stopp'd by the Prayers of Mellitus the Archbishop which caused the Wind to blow directly contrary to what it had done before l. 4. p. 171. Of Oswald King of Northumberland after his Death Id. p. 180. Of one Eardulf who after he was commanded to be put to death was found alive Id. p. 236. On Pope Leo who received his Sight and Hands after the one was put out and the other cut off Id. p. 241. About Kenelm King of the Mercians whom Quedride his Sister made away out of an Ambition of Reigning her self l. 5. p. 251. A Pillar of Light reaching up to Heaven stood over Wiglaff's Tomb in Repton-Monastery where Wulstan was Buried for Thirty days which procured him the Title of a Saint l. 5. p. 261. Of the Earth's Opening and swallowing up a whole Army of Scots who came to fight with King Cuthred l. 5. p. 286. Of Athelstan's striking a Rock with his Sword near the Castle of Dunbar which made a Gap in it an Ell deep Id. p. 337. Of St. Dunstan's Horse falling down dead under him at the Hearing of a Voice from Heaven which the Horse it seems perfectly understood Id. p. 351. Of his Harp Playing a whole Psalm as it hung against the Wall without any hands to touch it and his taking the Devil by the Nose with red hot Tongs l. 6. p. 3. Of the speaking of a
THE General History OF ENGLAND AS WELL Ecclesiastical as Civil From the Earliest Accounts of Time To the Reign of his Present Majesty King WILLIAM Taken from the most ANTIENT RECORDS MANUSCRIPTS and HISTORIANS Containing the LIVES of the KINGS and MEMORIALS of the most EMINENT PERSONS both in CHURCH and STATE With the Foundations of the NOTED MONASTERIES and both the UNIVERSITIES VOL. I. By JAMES TYRRELL Esq LONDON Printed for Henry Rhodes in Fleetstreet Iohn Dunton in 〈◊〉 Iohn Salusbury in Cornhil and Iohn Harris in 〈…〉 MDCXCVI Collegium Emmanuelis Cantabrigiae To the Right Honourable THOMAS Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery Baron Herbert of Caerdiff Lord Rosse Par Marmion St. Quintin and Shurland Lord Privy-Seal Lord Lieutenant of the County of Wilts and South-Wales and One of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council MY LORD IT having been usual to dedicate Works of publick Use and Benefit to great Persons eminent for Vertue Learning and Nobility I think my self happy under the Obligation of that Custom since it somewhat excuses as well as encourages my Presumption to lay this Performance at your Lordship's Feet I am sure it could not be honoured with a more agreeable Name A Name so universally known that all Men acknowledg your Lordship to be signally endued with those excellent Qualities which render you not only a great Master in the most useful Parts of Learning but likewise incline you to a generous Encouragement of all those who have any pretence to them Which Favour your Lordship having been pleased to confer on me among several others of greater Merit gives me the more Confidence to address this first Volume of our English History to your Lordship's Patronage for as no Person hath been more conversant in things of this Nature than your self so I know none more able to make a right Judgment of them And tho I will not affirm this to be an Exact History according to the strict Rules of Art yet if I were conscious to my self that it was wholly unworthy your Acceptance I should derogate very much from that Respect which is so justly due to your Lordship's Character But if the not Writing any thing which I did not believe to be true nor the concealing any thing useful to the World that is so might qualify me for an Historian perhaps then I may have some pretence to that Title However your Lordship will here meet with a faithful Account of all the chief Actions and Revolutions that have happened in this Kingdom down to the Norman William As first the Conquest the Romans made of that part of Britain we now call England then their quitting it after a long Possession in order to secure their Empire at Home from the Insults of so many barbarous Nations after which followed the calling in of the Saxons to assist the Britains And lastly from the formers quarrelling with the latter ensued their total Expulsion out of the best and most fertile parts of this Island As for the Invasions by the Danes under King Cnute and by the Normans under King William commonly called the Conqueror though it must be granted that these Princes were victorious by their Arms yet was not this Nation subdued by either of them so entirely as that its Submissions could properly be stiled Conquests but rather Acquisitions gained by those Princes upon certain Compacts between them and the People of England both Parties standing obliged in solemn Oaths mutually to perform their parts of the Agreement as will be clearly seen in the Sequel of this History Yet I doubt not but in these great Revolutions your Lordship will take notice that the People of this Kingdom were never overcome by Strangers till their Luxury softning their warlike Tempers and producing a careless Administration of their Affairs had made them an easy Prey to their Invaders This I observe not to reproach but to warn our Nation lest by the like Miscarriages they should incur the like Punishments I have now no more but to beg your Lordship's Acceptance of this Dedication as a Tribute justly yours by reason of those great Obligations for your so freely communicating to me some part of your uncommon Knowledg whenever I have had the Happiness of your excellent Conversation An Honour which engages me to own my self with the utmost Respect My LORD Your Lordship 's most humble and most obedient Servant James Tyrrell THE PREFACE TO THE READER THO it hath been a general Complaint of the most Learned and Judicious Men of this Nation that we have extreamly wanted an exact Body of English History in our own Language for the Instruction and Benefit of our Nobility and Gentry together with others who would be glad to understand by it the Original Constitutions and Laws of their own Country yet since perhaps some ordinary Readers may be inclined to think this Work unnecessary because it hath been already performed by so many different Hands I shall therefore in the first Place say somewhat to obviate and remove this seeming Objection THOSE that are any thing conversant in our Historians do know that the Writers in English especially of this Period now publish'd are not many As for Caxton Fabian and others of less Note who are very short and now read but by few I shall pass them by and only mention Grafton and Hollingshead the former of whom lived in the Reign of Henry VIII and the latter in that of Queen Elizabeth And of these I need not say much for tho they contain a great deal of Matter very curious and fit to be known especially relating to the Times wherein they lived yet not only their dry and uncouth way of Writing and dwelling so long on the exploded Fables of Geoffrey of Monmouth but the stuffing of their Histories with divers mean and trivial Relations unworthy the Dignity of their Subject have rendred their Labours tedious and in a great measure unuseful to their Readers BVT as for Stow and Speed who wrote in the time of King James the First 't is true the former of them is not so long and tiresom in Geoffrey's Stories as those abovementioned and it must be confessed that Mr. Speed was the first English Writer who slighting Geoffrey's Tales immediately fell upon more solid Matter giving us a large Account of the History of this Island during the Time of the Roman Emperors and English Saxon Kings and had he not by making his Reader follow those Emperors in all their Foreign Wars and Expeditions wherein Britain was no way concerned he had rendred his Work less Irksome and more Profitable than now it is BVT notwithstanding both these Writers had many choice Collections of Noble Manuscripts relating to our English History and might have had the View of several others if they would have been at the Pains of seeking after them yet it must be owned they did not make that Improvement of those Opportunities as might have been expected from such great Assistances there being not
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
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
said by Will of Malmesbury to have told his Son Ethelwulf whom he left his Successour That he might be happy if he did not permit the Kingdom which he had now laid together with great Industry to be spoiled by sloathfulness to which this Nation had been too much addicted There is little mention of this King's Children except Ethelwulf only it is said by John of Tinmouth that he had also a Daughter called Edgithe who being first bred up under an Irish Abbess called Modwina was made Abbess of the Nunnery at Polesworth but this since we have no better Authority than modern hands for it I cannot be certain of but as for the Wife of King Egbert who was according to the late West-Saxon Law never called Queen her Name was Redburge and she is mentioned by John Beaver to have procured that Law from her Husband that no Welshman should without leave pass over Offa's Ditch upon pain of Death But the same Year that King Egbert dyed was held a Common Council of the whole Kingdom at Kingston upon Thames where were present Egbert King of the West-Saxons and Ethelwulf his Son with Ceolnoth Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and other Bishops and Chief Men of England where among other things the manner of Mallings in Sussex having been bestowed by Baldred King of Kent on Christ Church Cant. and being afterwards taken away from it because the great Men of that Kingdom would not ratifie the Donation it was now by the consent of the King and all his Chief and Wise Men again confirmed King ETHELWULF with his Son King ATHELSTAN No sooner was King Egbert's Body buried at Winchester but King Ethelwulf succeeded to the Throne and though none of our Historians mention any former Election or Coronation of this King yet it is certain he came to the Crown by Vertue of his Father's Testament Henry Huntington and Roger Hoveden telling us expresly That he left his Two Sons Ethelwulf and Athelstan his Heirs which though it be in part a mistake since this Athelstan was not Son but Brother to King Ethelwulf yet that concerning the King's bequeathing the Crown is very probable it being according to the Custom of that time but that this alone would not have been sufficient shall be shewn in another place This Prince as Thomas Rudborn in his History of the Church of Winchester relates had been during the Life of his Elder Brother whose Name we know not educated in the Monastery of Winchester under the Tuition of Helmestan Bishop and Swithune Praepositus or Dean of that Church and had there taken the Order of a Subdeacon with an intent as is supposed to have professed himself a Monk not that he was ever made Bishop of that Church thô it is so related by H. Huntington and other Writers But King Egbert having no other Son living he was dispenced with to Marry and returning very early to a Secular Life helped his Father in his Wars after whose Death he was advanced to the Throne yet he always retained a great deal of the Monk loved his ease and had very little Ambition and therefore not caring to trouble himself with the Governing of many Provinces he rested contented with his Paternal Kingdom of West Saxony and made over the Kingdoms of Kent and of the South and East Saxons being his Father's Conquests to Athelstan his Son as the Saxon Annals and Will of Malmesbury expresly call him and which is more Ethelwerd in his Chronicle gives us the Names of Five Sons of King Ethelwuâ—f of which says he Athelstan who Reigned together with his Father was the Eldest that Alfred the Fifth Son Reigned after them all yet most of the other Historians going directly contrary to those Authorities will needs have him to be his Brother I suppose to save this Pious Prince's Reputation but Mat. Westminster says That he was his base Son which is most probable since he had not any Legitimate Son then old enough to Govern a Kingdom as this Athelstan at that time was and whom we shall often find mentioned in this History thô when or how he dyed all our Writers are silent This Year according to the Saxon Annals Wulfheard the Ealdorman fought at Hamtun i. e. Southampton with a Fleet of Thirty Three Danish Pyrates and there making a great slaughter of them obtained the Victory The same Year this Wulfheard deceased Also Aethelm another Ealdorman fought with the Danish Army at Port now called Portland where he being assisted by the Dorset-shire Men soon put them to flight but how this can consist with what follows I know not viz. That the Danes notwithstanding kept the Field where the Battle was Fought and slew the Chief Commander being an Ealdorman unless it relate to the Year following when Hâ—rebryht the Ealdorman was killed by the Danes and many others with him in Merscwarum that is Mercia also the same Year in Lindisse as also among the East Angles and in Kent many were Slain by their Forces for there according to Mat. Westminster the above said Earl or Ealdormen was slain the Danes obtaining the Victory destroying all places with Fire and Sword And the same Year according to Florence of Worcester Wiglaf King of Mercia dying Bertulf succeeded him There was this Year a great slaughter made by the Danes about London Cantwic i. e. Canterbury and Hrofcester that is Rochester So that now it seems the Danes had entred farther into the Land making havock of all where ever they came This Year King Ethelwulf fought at Carrum i. e. Charmouth against 35 Danish Ships who kept the Field where the Battle was fought So that according to H. Huntington they here obtained the Victory for though the number of their Ships were but small yet they were very large and full of Men. ' This Year also the Emperour Lewis the Pious dyed Nor can I here omit what the Scotish Historians place under the former Year but ours under this viz. The total Conquest of the Picts by Kened the first King of Scotland after many fierce Battles in the last of which Drusken King of the Picts being Slain that Kingdom was totally destroyed and as H. Huntington long since observed not only their Laws but also their very Language except what remains in the Names of places is now totally lost and that Nation being long since incorporated with that of the Antient Scots and Saxons shews us that even whole Kingdoms and Nations have both their Originals and fatal periods as well as particular Persons But thô the Scotish Historians do justly date the Empire of their Kings over all Scotland from this Total Conquest of the Picts by King Kened according to that old Verse Primus in Albania fertur regnasse Kenedus Yet when those Historians will by this Conquest extend the limits of this King and his Successour's Dominions so far beyond Edenburgh Southward making him to have Reigned from the River Tyne and so would
the Ruines which the Mercian Arms and Tyranny had brought upon the Churches of the East Angles reduced by War to extream Poverty and consequently to a Neglect of Piety and Ecclesiastical Discipline And thus he Reigned 14 Years in Peace with the Affection of all his Subjects till GOD was pleased by sending the Pagan Danes as a Scourge to his Country to render this Prince a high Example of Christian Fortitude and Constancy King ETHELBALD and King ETHELRED After the Death of Ethelwulf King of the West Saxons his two eldest Sons divided their Father's Kingdom according to his Will Ethelbald his eldest Son succeeded him in West Saxony whilst his younger Brother Ethelred Reigned in Kent as also over the East and South Saxons And now according to our Annals the Pope hearing of the Death of King Ethelwulf anointed Alfred to be King and also delivered him to a Bishop to be Confirmed If this was so the King his Father must have left him behind at Rome for Asser says expresly That he went thither with him but over what Kingdom the Pope should Anoint him I know not unless foretold by way of Prophecy he would be King after his Brothers But as for King Ethelbald above-mentioned both Ingulph and Will of Malmesbury give him a very bad Character That he married Judeth his Father's Widow and was also besides both Lazy and Perfidious but Thomas Redborne in his larger History of Winchester says That by the Admonition of Swithin Bishop of that Church he repented of his Incest and put away Judeth his Mother-in-Law and observed all Things that the Bishop enjoyned him This Author farther relates from one Gerard of Cornwal's History of the West Saxon Kings not now extant that I know of That he died in a few Years after without doing or suffering any thing that deserves to be mentioned for we do not find that the Danes troubled this Kingdom all his Reign concerning the Length of which there is very different Relations amongst our Historians the Saxon Annals and William of Malmesbury making him to have reigned 5 Years whereas Asser and Ingulph allow him but Two and an half which seems to be the truer Account for if King Ethelwulf returned from Rome in the Year 855 and lived above Two Years after it is plain King Ethelbald could not Reign above Two Years and an half for the Saxon Annals tell us that in the next Year but one viz. King Ethelbald deceased and that his Body was buried at Scireborne King ETHELBERT alone Theâ— Aethelbryght his Brother took the Kingdom and held it in great Concord and Quiet I suppose our Author means from Domestick Commotions for he immediately tells us That in this King's time there came an Army of Danes from the Sea and took Winchester with whom in their return to their Ships Osric and Aethelwulf the Ealdormen with the Hampshire and Berkshire-men fought and put the Danes to flight and kept the Field of Battle but the Annals do not tell us in what Year of his Reign this Invasion happened ' This Year deceased St. Swithune Bishop of Winchester Now concerning this holy Bishop as also Alstan Bishop of Shirbone William of Malmesbury gives us this Character which omitting all the Bedroll of Miracles that follow I shall here set down King Aethelwulf bearing a great Reverence to St. Swithune whom he calls his Teacher and Master desisted not till he had honoured him with the Government of the said Bishoprick so that he was Consecrated with the Unanimous Consent and Joy of all the whole Clergy of that Diocess by Cealâ—oth Arch Bishop of Canterbury hereby Bishop Swithune's Authority encreasing his Councels for the Good of the Kingdom proved of greater weight so that by his Admonitions both the Church and State received great Benefit And indeed he was a rich Treasure of all Virtues but those in which he took most Delight were Humility and Clemency and in the discharge of his Episcopal Function he omitted nothing belonging to a True Pastor By his Assistance principally together with that of the Prudent and Couragious Prelate Alstan Bishop of Shirborne King Aethelwulf was enabled to support the Calamities his Kingdom suffered by the frequent Irruptions of the Danes for these two were his principal Councellours in all Affairs Bishop Swithune who contemned Worldly Things informed his Lord in all Matters which concerned his Soul whilst Alstan judging that Temporal Advantages were not to be neglected encouraged him to oppose the Danes and provided Money for his Exchequer and also ordered his Armies so that thô this King was of a slow unactive Nature yet by the Admonitions of these two worthy Councellours he Governed his Kingdom prudently and happily Many noble Designs for the good of the Church and State being well begun were prosperously executed in his Reign This Year the Danish Army landed in Thanet and wintering there made a League with the Kentish-men who promised them Money provided they would keep the Peace under pretence of which and of the Money promised the Danes stole out of their Camp and wasted all the East part of Kent For as Asser well observes they knew they could get more by Plunder than by Peace Now according to the same Annals King Aethelbryht died to the great Grief of his Subjects having governed the Kingdom 5 Years with a general Satisfaction and was buried at Scyreburne near to his Brother This Prince is supposed to have had a Son call'd Ethelwald whom you will find in this History to have raised a Rebellion against King Edward the elder many Years after King ETHELRED Then according to the Annals Aethelred Brother to the late King began his Reign and the same Year a great Army of Danes landed in England and took up their Winter Quarters among the East Angles and there turned Horsemen and that Nation was forced to make Peace with them Then the Pagan Army sailed from the East Angles and went up the River Humber to the City of York where was at that time great Discord between the People of that Nation I shall here give you Asser's Account of this Transaction being to the same effect thô more particular than that in the Annals themselves For says he the Northumbers had now expelled Osbright their lawful King and had set up a Tyrant or Usurper one Aella who was not descended of the Royal Line but now when the Pagans invaded them by the Intercession of the great Men and for the Common Safety the two Kings joyned their Forces and so marched to York at whose coming the Danes presently fled and endeavoured to defend themselves within the City which the Christians perceiving resolved to follow them to the very Walls and breaking in and entering the Town with them for it seems that City had not in those Times such strong Walls as they had when Asser wrote his History therefore when the Christians had made a Breach in the Wall as
England and took up their Winter Quarters at Theodford the same Winter King Eadmund fought with them but the Danes gained the Victory and slew that holy King and destroying all the Monasteries that lay in their way they wholly conquered that Kingdom The Names of the Princes who slew him were Higwais and Uâ—ba whom other Writers call Hinguar and Hubba At the same time also they came to Medeshamstead which Monastery they burnt and destroyed killing the Abbots and Monks with all the Men they found there carrying away all the rich Spoil of that place But since the Saxon Annals are very short in this Relation I shall give you from Ingulph a more particular Account of what they did this Year in their march into East England who further adds That Winter being ended the Danes took Shipping and went into Lindisse in Lincolnshire and landing at Humberstan spoiled all that Country at which time that famous and ancient Monastery of Bardney was destroyed the Monks and all others being slain in the Church without Mercy and when they had there stayed wasting the Country for the whole Summer About Michaelmas they did the like to the Country of Kesteven in the same Province where they committed the same Murders and Desolations The same Year in the Month of September Count Algar drew together all the Youth of Hoyland now called Holland in Lincolnshire with two Knights his Senescals Wibert and Leofric who marched in the Head of them together with a brave Body of 200 Men belonging to Croyland Abbey who being all stout Fellows were led by one Toly then a Monk but formerly a famous Souldier among the Mercians these taking with them about 300 stout and warlike Men more from Deping Lanioft and Boston to whom also joyned Morchar Lord of Branne with his strong and numerous Family and being met by the Sheriff of Lincoln a valiant and ancient Souldier with the Lincolnshire Forces all which mustering together in Kesteven on St. Maurice's Day they joyned Battle with the Pagans where GOD gave them the Victory three Kings being slain with a very great multitude of Souldiers the Christians pursued the Pagans to their very Camp where finding a stout Resistance Night at last parted them and the Earl drew back his Army But it seems there returned that Night to the Danish Camp all the rest of the Princes of that Nation who dividing the Country among them had marched out to plunder their names are Barbarous and too long to be repeated but their chief Kings were Godrum and Basseg and their Earls or Leaders Hingar and Hubba with others who then returned with great Forces and a multitude of Captives and a great deal of Spoil and their coming being known the greatest part of the Christians struck with terrour fled away whil'st those that were left early in the Morning after hearing Divine Service and receiving the Sacrament being resolved to dye for Christ and in Defence of their Country marched into the Field against their Enemies but the Earl perceiving his Forces to be too much weaken'd appointed Fryer Toly with his Five Hundred Men to Fight in the Right Wing because they were the strongest and Earl Morchar with those who followed him as also the Sheriff of Lincoln making other Five Hundred in the Left Wing whilest he with his Senescals kept the main Body as ready to help either Wing if there were occasion but the Danes being now enraged at the slaughter of their Men having buried their Three Kings at a place which is thence called Trekingham afterwards 2 Kings and 8 Counts marched out whilst the rest guarded the Camp and Captives but the Christians because of their smaller Number drawing themselves up in one Body made with their Shields a strong Testudo against the force of their Enemies Arrows and kept off the Horse with their Pikes and thus being well ordered by their Commanders they kept their Ground the whole day But thô they remained unbroken till night and had still withstood the force of their Enemies Arrows but their Horses being then tired began to flag the Pagans feigning a Flight on purpose seemed to quit the Field which the Christians perceiving althô their Commanders forbad and opposed it yet nevertheless breaking their Ranks were all dispersed through the Plain without any Order or Command but the Pagans returning like Lions upon a Flock of Sheep made a great Slaughter amongst them whilst the stout Count Algar and Frier Toly with some Souldiers getting upon a rising Ground and being drawn up into a round Body did for a long time endure the Pagans Insults and when the said Earl and other Captains saw the stoutest Men of their small Army slain they got upon the thickest heaps of the Christian dead Bodies and there being resolved to sell their Lives as dear as they could they fell down dead having received many Wounds only a few young Men of Sutton and Gedeney flinging away their Arms fled into a Neighbouring Wood and so escaping came the Night following to the Monastery of Croyland and there related the slaughter of the Christians and the loss of their whole Company which when they had told at the Church door with great lamentations the Abbot and Monks being extreamly confounded at this ill news resolved to keep only with them the Elder Monks and some few Children to provoke compassion and so sent away all the Younger Men together with the Reliques Jewels and Charters of their Monasteries by Boat to the Wood of Ancarig adjoining to their Island where they staid with one Foret an Anchorite Four days being Thirty in number whereof Ten were Priests But the Abbot having hid the rest of the Plate with the rich Table of the Altar and put on his Sacred Vestments and had with his Brethren said Mass and communicated they had scarce finished all this when the Pagans breaking into the Church slew Abbot Theodore at the Altar who perished by the hands of their King Oketule all the rest as well Old Men as Children being also slain except one handsome Boy of about Ten Years Old who being intended for a Monk was saved by Count Sidroc the Younger and stripping him of his Habit put on him a Danish Coat ordering him to follow him where ever he went and so the Boy sticking close to him his Life was saved and he alone escaping gave a relation of what he had seen but the Danes when they had broke open the Tombs of St. Guthleak and the Princes there buried and finding no more Plunder set the Church on Fire and burnt the dead bodies that were in it together So likewise of the destruction of the Monastery of Medeshamstead this Author hath given us a larger account than what we find in this Copy of the Annals viz. That four days after the destruction of Croyland the Danes march'd towards that Monastery where finding the Gates lock'd they began to make an assault upon it but receiving a Repulse at the
both Armies of the Danes viz. as well those which had been before routed at Bemfleet as those which were at the Isle of Brecklesey met at Sceobyrig now South-Shoebury in Essex and there built a Castle and then marching along the Thames a great many of the Danes of East England and Northumberland joined them and so they marched from the Thames as far as the River Severne then Aethered Aethelm and Aethelnoth the Ealdormen and the King's Thanes who were left at home in the Garisons drew all the Men together they could from every Town on the East-side of Pedridan now Parret in Somersetshire and on the West of Selwood Forest as also from both sides of the Thames even as far as North Wales who when they were all assembled followed the Pagans to Butdigingtune on the side of Severne now called Budington in Shropshire and there besieged them on all sides in a certain Fort they had cast up but when they had staid there for divers Weeks Encamp'd on both sides the River the King being then in Devonshire with his Fleet the Pagans pressed with Hunger Eat their Horses and many of them perished with Famine yet at last they broke out upon those who lay on the East side of the River where as Aethelwerd tells us was a very sharp Dispute thô the Christians got the Victory and kept the Field but there Ordhelm the King's Thane was kill'd as also many others of the same Rank but that part of the Danish Army which remained alive escaped by flight And when they were got into their Garisons and Ships in East Saxe just before Winter they Muster'd a great Army from among the East Angles and Northumbers and committing their Wives Ships and Goods to the keeping of the East Angles marched Day and Night till they took up their Quarters at a certain City in Werheal called Legacester now Chester but the Kings Forces could not overtake them before they had got into the Castle which nevertheless they besieged for about Two Days and took away all the Cattle that were in those Parts and kill'd all the Men they could find without the place and partly burnt the Corn and partly devoured it with their Horses This was done about a Twelve Month after the Danes arrival here Not long after this the Pagans went from Werheal into North Wales but they could not stay there long because the Cattle and Corn were all drove away and destroyed so they were forced to march thorough the Country of the Northumbers and East Angles with such speed that the King's Forces could not overtake them till they came into the East part of East Seaxe to a certain Island seated near the Sea called Meresige now Mercey in Essex Also the same Year the Danes who were encamp'd in Meresige drew their Ships up the Thames and thence up the River Ligan now called Lee which divides Middlesex from Essex and there according to Florence they began to raise a Fort this happen'd in the second Year after their arrival The Pagans having raised the Fortification near Ligan above-mentioned about 20 Miles from London this Summer a great part of the Citizens and others marched thither and endeavoured to take and destroy it but they were there forc'd to fly for it and Four of the King's Thanes were kill'd on the spot This Autumn when the King had pitched his Camp in those Parts about Harvest time to hinder the Danes from carrying away their Corn it happen'd one day as the King rode by the River side that he found a place where the River might be so diverted that the Danes should not be able to carry back their Ships and thô they had built two Castles one of each side the River to defend them yet so soon as the Danes saw that the stream being now diverted into several Channels they could not carry back their Ships they quitted them and marched away on Foot till they came to Quatbrige now supposed to be Cambridge not far from the River Severne where they cast up a Fort but the King's Forces pursued them toward the West on Horse-back whilest the Citizens of London seized and broke their Ships and carried all that was worth any thing to the City but the Danes had left their Wives with the East Angles before they departed from that place so that that Winter they staid at Quatbridge being the Third Year since their last arrival But the next Year according to our Annals The Danes marched part of them into East England and part into Northumberland because wanting Money they could only there procure Ships which having got they sailed from thence Southward to the River Seine Thus by God's Mercy this vast Army of Pagans did not wholly ruine the English Nation althô it was very much weaken'd during these Three Years as well by the Murrain of Cattle as also by a great Plague upon Men by which many of the King 's noblest Thanes that were in the Kingdom dyed of which number were Swithulf Bishop of Rochester Beorthalf Ealdorman of the East Saxons Wulfred Ealdorman of Hamptshire and Ethelheard Bishop of Dorchester with many others But I have only noted the most remarkable The same Year those Robbers residing in East-England and Northumberland very much infested West Saxony especially the Southern Coasts by their stolen Booties chiefly with their Ships which they had got ready long before for that purpose then King Alfred being it seems at last sensible how much damage the want of a Fleet had done his Country Commanded divers Galleys to be made which were almost twice as long as others some whereof had sixty Rowers they were also swifter higher and less apt to rowle than others formerly built for they were made neither according to the model of the Frisian Vessels nor the Danish but after such a manner as was thought might prove most useful And some time after in this Year there arrived six Danish Ships at the Isle of Wight and Sailing along committed great spoil in Devonshire and all up and down that Coast. Then the King commanded that they should set Sail with the Nine Gallyes newly built and shut up the Enemies Ships from going out of the Harbour where they were upon which the Pyrats sailed out with Three Ships against them the other three being left in the entrance of the Harbour upon the dry ground and the Sea-men gone out of them But the King's Fleet took two of the Danish Ships that came out of the Harbour and slew the Men but the Third escaped though all except Five were kill'd There came also other Ships thither which were somewhat more conveniently posted Three of them being placed in that part of the Sea where the Danish Ships had before taken up their station but all the rest in another part so that they could not assist each other for the Tide had gone back many Furlongs from the King's Ships And so the Danes going out
Old Minster or Cathedral The nearness of these two Monasteries afterwards occasioned great differences between them until the Monks of this new Abbey who were placed here in the room of the Secular Chanons by Bishop Ethelwald Anno Dom. 963. were removed without the Walls to a place called Hyde as you shall hear in due time and here also the Bones of King Alfred were new Buried by King Edward his Son as Will. of Malmsbury relates because of some foolish Stories made by those of the Old Monastery concerning the dead King's Ghost walking in some Houses adjacent to the Church This Year also according to our Annals the Moon was Eclipsed The next Year Prince Ethelwald incited the Danish Forces in east-East-England to Arms so that they over-ran and spoiled all the Country of Mercia as far as Crekelade now Crekelade in Wiltshire and there passing the Thames they took in Braedene now Braedon Forest in Wiltshire whatsoever they could find and then return'd home In the mean time King Edward so soon as he could get his Army together followed them and destroyed all the Country which lies between the Ditch and the River Ouse as far as the Northern Fens By the Ditch above-mention'd Florence of Worcester understands that bound or limit drawn between the Territories of the late King Edmund and the River Ouse which at this day is known by the name of the Devil's Ditch that formerly divided the Mercian Kingdom from that of the East-Angles And Bromton's Chronicle under this Year further adds That Ethelwold having thus passed the Thames at Crekelade took Brithenden and marched as far as Brandenstoke now Bradenstoke in Wiltshire so that as Mr. Camden well observes in his Britannia our Modern Historians have been much mistaken in supposing that place to be Basing-Stoke in Hampshire But to return to our History As soon as the King resolved to quit those parts he order'd it to be proclaimed throughout the whole Army that they should all march off but the Kentishmen staying behind contrary to his command he sent Messengers to them to come away yet it seems before they could do it the Danes had so hemmed them in that they were forced to fight and there Eadwald the King's Thane and Cenwulf the Abbot with many more of the English Nobility were slain and on the Danes part were kill'd Eoric their King and Prince Ethelwald who had stirred them to this Rebellion and Byrtsig the Son of Prince Beornoth and Ysopa General of the King's Army and abundance of others which it would be too tedious to enumerate But it was plain that there was a great slaughter made on both sides yet nevertheless the Danes kept the Field of Battel Also this Year Queen Ealswithe the Mother of King Edward deceased in which also a Comet appeared Who this Eoric King of the Danes was is uncertain I suppose him to have been the Danish King of the East-Angles whose death according to Will of Malmesbury's Account falls about this time for he says thus That this King was killed by the English whom he treated tyrannically but for all this yet they could not recover their Liberty certain Danish Earls still oppressing or else inciting them against the West-Saxon Kings till the Eighteenth Year of this King's Reign when they were all by him overcome and the Country brought under obedience To this time we may also refer that great Council which was held by King Edward the Elder where Plegmond Archbishop of Canterbury presided though the place where is not specified yet the occasion of it as we find from Will of Malmesbury as well as the Register of the Priory of Christ-Church in Canterbury cited by Sir H. Spelman was thus Pope Formosus had sent Letters into England threatning Excommunication and his Curse to King Edward and all his Subjects because the Province of the West-Saxons had been now for Seven Years without any Bishops whereupon the King summoned a great Council or Synod of Wise men of the English Nation wherein the Archbishop read the Pope's Letters then the King and the Bishops with all his Lay-Subjects upon mature deliberation found out a safe course to avoid it by appointing Bishops over each of the Western Counties dividing what Two Bishops had formerly held into Five Diocesses The Council being ended the Archbishop went to Rome and reciting the King's Decree with the Advice and Approbation of the Chief Men of his Kingdom He thereby and with rich Presents so pacified the Pope that Plegmond obtain'd his confirmation thereof and then returning into his own Country he ordained five Bishops in one day to wit Fridestan to the Church of Winchester Aldestan to Cornwall Werstan to Shireborne Athelm to Wells and Eadwulf to Crediton in Devonshire But Archbishop Parker in his Antiq Britannicae under this very Year thus recites this Transaction out of a very Ancient Manuscript Author whom he does not particularly name viz. That Plegmund Archbishop of Canterbury together with King Edward called a great Council of the Bishops Abbots Chief men Subjects and People in the Province of the Gewisses where these two Bishopricks were divided into five So that you see here was no less than five new Diocesses erected at once by the Authority of both the King and the Great Council of the Nation though it seems the Pope took upon him the confirmation of this Decree The same Authors likewise tell us That Archbishop Plegmond ordained two more Bishops over the Ancient Provinces to wit one Bernod for the South Saxons and Cenwulf for the Mercians whose See was at Dorchester in Oxfordshire Cardinal Baronius in his Annals having given us a Copy of these Letters of Pope Formosus hath found a notable Error in the Date of them for being written Anno Dom. 904 or 905. they could not be sent by that Pope who was dead about 9 or 10 years before and therefore the Cardinal would put the time of this Council back to Anno Dom. 894. but then as Sir H. Spelman in his Notes upon it well observes the fault will be as great this way as the other for King Edward under whom this Council was held was not King till above 10 years after therefore some would place this Council in the latter end of King Alfred's Reign after the Kingdom came to be setled upon the expulsion of the Danes but Sir H. Spelman affirms That these things being written long after the time when they were transacted the name of Formosus might be put into the Copies of these Letters instead of Pope Leo the Fifth and then all things will fall right enough But as to Frithestan Bishop of Winchester this Account of Will of Malmesbury will not hold for our Annals tell us That he was not made Bishop till Anno Dom. 910. upon the death of Bishop Denulph and therefore that See could not be so long void as this Relation would have it The like mistake is in making Werstan to be then
Bishop of Shireborne This Year Elfred who was Gerefe of Bathe died and about the same time there was a Peace made between King Edward and those of east-East-England and Northumberland That is as Florence interprets it with the Danish Army inhabiting those Provinces at Ityngaford but where the place was is now unknown to us unless it be Ilford near christ-Christ-Church in Hampshire which is seated in the new Forest called Itene in English-Saxon This Year also Ligceaster now Leicester was repaired And Florence of Worcester likewise relates it to have been done in the Year 908. by the care of Ethelred Duke of Mercia and the Lady Elfleda his Wife and this Author does also inform us That this Year the King subdued Eastseax East-England and Northumberland with many other Provinces which the Danes had a long time been possessed of but East-England was not reduced till some Years after also that he conquered the borders of the Scots Cumbrians and Galloway Men with the Western Britains and forced their Kings to yield themselves to him and then he returned home with great Glory and Honour This Year also Cadelh Prince of South Wales died he was second Son to Roderic the Great and Father to Howel Dha i. e. the Good who succeeded him in that Dominion Some of the South Wales Antiquaries have endeavoured to prove this Cadelh to have been the eldest Son of Roderic the Great but Mr. Vaughan hath so Learnedly confuted this Mistake in a small Treatise which he published on that Subject at Oxford 1663 that I think no Man can have any Reason to be dissatisfied with it This Year according to Florence of Worcester the ancient City of Caerlegion that is in the English Legeceaster and now Westchester was by the Command of Earl Ethered and Ethelflede his Wife repaired Which thô Mr. Camden in his Britannia will needs have to be Leicester yet that it was not so may appear from the British Name of Caerlegion which was never given to Leicester but only to Westchester by the ancient British Inhabitants ' This Year deceased Denulph who was Bishop of Winchester This is he of whom our Historians tell us That the King lighting on him as he lay concealed at Athelney being then but a Swineheard and finding him a Man of excellent Natural Parts set him to School to learn and he became so good a Proficient in Letters that he was made first a Doctor and afterwards a Bishop This Year also the Body of St. Oswald was translated from Bardenigge that is Bardeney in Lincolnshire into Mercia Frithâ—stan now took the Bishoprick of Winchester and Bishop Asser also deceased soon after who was Bishop of Shireburne Also the same Year King Edward sent an Army of the West Saxons together with the Mercians who very much wasted Northumberland and staying there five Weeks destroyed many of the Danes Florence of Worcester and Simeon of Durham give us a very good Reason for this Action viz. That the Danes had now broken the League they had entred into with King Edward so that he never lest them till he had forced their Kings and Commanders again to renew the Peace which however it seems they kept not long For the next Year our Annals tell us That the Danish Army in Northumberland not regarding the Peace which King Edward and his Son had made with them again wasted the Province of the Mercians but the King being then in Kent had got together about 100 Ships which sailed toward the South-East to meet them and then the Danes supposing that the greatest part of the King's Forces were in his Fleet thought they might march safely whither they would without fighting but so soon as the King understood they were gone out to plunder he sent an Army consisting of West Saxons and Mercians who following the Danes in the Rear as they returned home met with them in a place called Wodnesfield and fought with them routing and killing many Thousands of them with Eowils and Healfden their Kings with several Earls and Chief Commanders of their Army whose Names I forbear to give because I would tire my Reader as little as I could But to these Kings as the Annals of Winchelcombâ— inform us one Reginald succeeded Also the same Year as Florence hath it there was a remarkable Battle between the English and the Danes in Staffordshire but the former obtained the Victory This Year Aethered the Ealdorman of the Mercians deceased and the King then took the Cities of London and Oxenford into his own hands with all the Territories belonging to them But it seems the Lady Elflede now a Widow kept all the rest of Mercia for this Year the Annals say That she being Lady of the Mercians came on the Vigil of the Feast of Holyrood to a place called Sceargeat which is now unknown and there built a Castle and the same Year did the like at Bricge which Mr. Camden supposes to be Bridgenorth in Shropshire that Town being called Brigge by the common People at this day And Florence also adds That about this time she built the Town of Bremesbyrig Now about the Feast of St. Martin King Edward Commanded the Town of Heortford to be new built lying between the Rivers Memar Benefican and Lygean the first and second of which Rivers is now hard to name right only it is certain they were two Rivulets that discharged themselves into the River Lee then called Lygean between Hartford and Ware After this the Summer following between Lent and Midsummer the King marched with part of his Forces into East-Seax as far as Maeldune now Maldon and there encamped whilst a Town could be built and fortified at Witham near adjoyning and then a great part of the People who had before been under the Danish Dominion became subject to him In the mean time whilst part of his Forces built the Town of Heortford on the South side of Lee the Lady Aethelfleda marched with all the Mercians to Tamaweorthige now Tamworth in Staffordshire and there built a Castle and before the Feast of All-Saints did the like at Staeford and the Year following she built another at Eadesbyrig supposed by Mr. Camden to be Edesbury in Cheshire and also the same Year about the end of Autumn she built another at Weringwic now Warwick and the Year following that another at Cyricbyrig now Cherbury in Shropshire and another at Wearbyrig supposed by Mr. Camden to be Wedesbury in Staffordshire and before Christmas another at Run-Cafan that is Runckhorne in Cheshire But Florence places these Actions more rightly three Years after All which Castles being built in the space of the two following Years must be supposed to have been done not casually but as the exigence of Affairs required to secure the Mercian Frontiers against the Danish as well as the Welsh Incursions But it is now time to cast our Eyes a little on the Affairs of that part of
and also brave Horses richly equipped he sent the King a certain Vessel made of an Onyx curiously engraven with Vines and the Figures of Men he likewise presented him with the Sword of Constantine the Great in the Hilt of which being all overlaid with Plates of Gold was set one of the Nails of Christ's Cross also with the Lance of Charles the Great and the Banner of the Martyr St. Maurice both which the said King had made use of in a Battel against the Saracens and a Gold Crown or Diadem set with Precious Stones But that which was more Valuable than all the rest was a little Piece of Christ's Cross and a Bit of his Crown of Thorns both set in Chrystal and which the King afterwards bestowed upon the Abby of Malmesbury with very large Endowments as appears by his Charters above-cited and in whose Church he had ordered the Bodies of his Cousins Aelwin and Aethelwin the Sons of his Uncle Aethelward to be interr'd whom he lost in the Battel against King Anlaf And though this King died at Gloucester yet was his Body carried to Malmesbury and there interr'd with great Pomp. There is yet to be seen in the said Church of which only the Nave is now left an Image made for him in Stone though of no Antiquity as any one may easily discover that observes it But since this King also made many good Laws some of them which are the most remarkable I shall here set down from Mr. Lambard's Saxon Copy These Laws were made at Graetanleage in a Great Council there held by King Athelstan but the Year not being express'd it is supposed to be about Anno 928. After a Religious Preface The first Law is against Thieves requiring that if a Thief be taken in the Fact no man shall spare him if he be above twenty years old and had stole any thing above the value of eight pence If any one do contrarily thereunto he shall pay the value of the Thief 's Head or make amends for the fault and yet the Thief himself shall not be spared who if he contumaciously make Resistance or fly for it shall find no favour A Thief cast into Prison shall there stay forty days and then after the payment of an 120 shillings be discharged but his Kindred must give Security for his future good behaviour after which if he steal again they must either pay the value of his Head or bring him back to Prison and in case any one resist he shall pay to the King or to any other whom it concerns the value of his own Head and if any stand by him i. e. defend him he shall pay to the King an 120 shillings The sixth Law is against Witchcrafts Enchantments and such like deeds that procure Death that if any one by them be made away and the thing cannot be denied such Practisers shall be put to death but if they endeavour to purge themselves and be cast by the threefold Ordeal they shall lye in Prison an hundred and twenty days which ended then their Kindred may redeem them by the Payment of an 120 shillings to the King and farther pay to the Kindred of the slain the full valuation of the Party's Head and then the Criminals shall also procure Sureties for their good behaviour for the time to come The same Punishment shall be inflicted on Incendiaries and such as rescue Thieves nay such as endeavour to rescue them though no man be wounded in the attempt shall pay an 120 shillings to the King As for Enchantments mentioned in this Law the Saxon word is Liblacum which signifies the Art of Conjuration or Witchcraft yet not all in general but that sort of it properly called Fascination or Enchantment used by certain Ligatures Fasciae or Bands The seventh ordains concerning simple Ordeal That if one accused several times of Theft be cast by it and have no body to be Surety for him he shall be sent to Prison and thence freed by his Kindred as was before said The tenth forbids any Commutation of Goods unless in the presence of the King 's Reeve the Priest of the Town or the Lord of the Soil or some other credible person under the penalty of thirty shillings and the forfeiture of the thing changed to the Lord of the Soil and if any shall bear false witness he shall be infamous and no credit given to him ever after and also shall forfeit 30 shillings The twelfth confirms the first part of the Law of King Edward the Elder decreeing no man's buying any thing out of a Town which exceeds the value of twenty-pence and within the Town unless in the presence of the Portreeve or some other credible person or else in the presence of the King's Sheriff or Justice in Folcmote The fourteenth appoints through all the King's Dominions that one and the same Money be currant and that it shall not be coined out of some Town and if any Minter or Coiner shall embase the Coin he shall lose his hand which being cut off shall be affixed to the Workhouse If any be accused of adulterating Money and will purge himself he shall by the Ordeal of hot Iron cleanse his hands of such wickedness but if by Ordeal he be cast then he shall be punished as now was said Then follow the places appointed for Publick Mints viz. at Canterbury there shall be seven Minters or Coiners whereof four for the King two for the Bishop and one for the Abbot At Rochester there shall be three whereof two for the King and the third for the Bishop At London eight At Winchester six At Lewes two At Hastings one At Chichester one At Hampton two At Werham two At Excester two At Salisbury as many and in every other great Town one That which follows commands That for every Plow a man shall keep two well-furnished Horsemen Which shews that this Law for the Militia's being laid according to the Rate of Estates is one of the ancientest of this kind in England as also the most general Tax being laid upon Corn then the most staple Commodity of the Kingdom The eighteenth forbids Horses to be transported except such as are sent abroad as Free Gifts or Presents The twentieth Law enacts That if any one absent himself from Folcmote thrice he shall be punished as contumacious against the King if so be that the holding of the Assembly was declared a seven-night before in such case if he refuse to do Right and pays not his Mulct to the King the ancient men of the Countrey are to go and seize upon all that he hath and take Security for his appearance The twenty second in confirmation of a former Law requires that no person receive another man's Man as this Law words it into his Family without leave first obtained of his Master he that doth otherwise shall restore the man and pay the Mulct of Contumacy against the King and no man is to put away his
in Council unless it were St. Dunstan the Archbishop who fixed his foot upon a certain Beam but some were sadly bruised and hurt whilst others were killed outright But since William of Malmesbury hath given us a larger account of this Council and what was done in it I shall give it you in his words But mens minds being not yet settled another Council was summoned at Calne in Wiltshire but the King was absent by reason of his Youth where the same Affair was again debated with great Heat and Contention But when many Reproaches were cast upon Archbishop Dunstan that Bulwark of the Church who could by no means be shaken upon a sudden the Floor of the Chamber fell down all there present being very much bruised except Dunstan who escaped upon a Beam all the rest being either hurt or killed This Miracle says he obtained quiet for the Archbishop and all the Monks of England who were for ever after of his opinion This Accident is also related by Mat. Westminster and copied by Cardinal Baronius into his Annals and is likewise mentioned by other Authors But it is very probable that this Misfortune did not happen without the fore-knowledge if not the Contrivance of Archbishop Dunstan since he had now persuaded the King not to be there though he was present at the last Council But H. Huntington would have it be a sign from Heaven that they should fall from God's love and be oppress'd by Foreign Nations as followed not long after And according to Florence of Worcester there was a Third Synod at Ambresbury but what was done there he does not tell us But to return to our Annals The same year King Edward was killed at Corfesgeate now Corfe-Castle in the Isle of Purbeck on the 15 th of the Kalends of April and was buried at Werham without any Royal Pomp. There was not since the time that the English Nation came into Britain any thing done more wickedly than this But though men murthered him yet God exalted him and he that was an Earthly King is now a Saint in Heaven and though his Relations would not revenge his Death yet God perform'd it severely The rest to the same effect in these Annals I omit because I would not be tedious But I shall give you a more particular account of the manner of this Prince's Death from William of Malmesbury and the Chronicle called Bromton's the former of which relates it thus That as for King Edward he was of so extraordinary Religious and Mild a Nature that for quietness sake he let his Mother-in-Law order all things as she pleased giving her all Respects as to his own Mother and regarding his Younger Brother with all the tenderness imaginable She on the contrary from his Kindness and Love conceives greater and more implacable Malice against him and with the Sovereignty she already enjoyed was so ill satisfied that she must needs take from him the very Title also This Design she covered with notable dissimulation till a convenient opportunity presented it self for the execution of it At length the poor Innocent Prince being one day wearied with hunting and being very thirsty while his Companions followed the Game and minded not what became of him knowing that the Queen's House was not far off rode thither all alone fearing nothing because of his own Innocence and supposing every one meant as honestly as himself Whereupon the Queen receives him with all the seeming kindness imaginable and fain would have had him to light from his Horse but he refusing that and only asking to see his Brother she caused some Drink to be presently brought him but whilest the Cup was at his mouth one of her Servants privately before instructed stabbed him with a Dagger in the Back He exceedingly astonished at this unexpected ill treatment clapp'd Spurs to his Horse and fled away as fast as he could towards his Company but the Wound being Mortal and he spent with loss of blood fell to the ground and having one foot in the Stirrup was dragged through By-ways but being trac'd by his Blood by those she sent after him they brought back the Dead Corps which they buried privately at Werham where they imagin'd they had also buried his Memory as well as his Body but the place of his Sepulture as it 's said soon grew famous for Miracles Queen Elfreda was upon this so convinced of her Wickedness that from her Courtly and Delicate Way of Living she betook her self to very severe Penances as wearing Hair-cloath sleeping on the ground without a Pillow with such other Austerities as were used in that Age and herein she continued all her life So fell this good King Edward after he had only born the Name of King Three years and an half who for his Innocence and the Miracles supposod to be wrought after his Death obtained the Sirname of Martyr Which opinion of his Sanctity was the more confirmed by other great Miseries which shortly after befel the Land which the people did verily believe were inflicted on them for his Murther This year according to Florence a strange Cloud appeared about Midnight all over England being first seen of the Colour of Blood then of Fire and then like a Rainbow of divers Colours King ETHELRED IMmediately after the unfortunate Murther of King Edward there being no other Male Issue of King Edgar left alive Ethelred his Brother was without any difficulty Elected as the Ancient Annals of Thorney Abby preserved in the Cottonian Library relate and was also Crowned King by the Archbishop Dunstan and Oswald and ten other Bishops at Kingston the 8 th Kal. May he being as R. Hoveden describes him a Youth of a most Comely Aspect but not being above Twelve Years of Age William of Malmesbury gives us this short Character of Him and his Reign That he rather distressed than governed the Kingdom for Seven and thirty years that the course of his Life was cruel at the beginning miserable in the middle and dishonourable in the conclusion To Cruelty he attributes the Death of his Brother which he seemed to approve of because he did not punish he was remarkable for his Cowardice and Laziness and miserable in respect of his Death His Sluggishness was predicted by Archbishop Dunstan when at his Christening he superadded his own Water to that of the Font and thereupon Mat. Westminster makes him to swear By God and St. Mary this Boy will prove a Lazy Fellow But all this looks like a Monkish Story invented by those who did not love his Memory since the same thing though of somewhat a grosser nature is likewise related of the Emperor Constantine from thence named Copronymus Yet sure it was no sign of ill nature if what William of Malmesbury and Bromton's Chronicle relate be true That when he wept at the News of his Brother's Death it put his Mother into such a violent Passion that having not a Rod by her she beat
City from whence was first brought to us the joyful Tidings of the Gospel But they detain'd the Archbishop Prisoner near Seven Months till such time as they martyr'd him Osbern in his Life of St. Elfeage relates That this Archbishop sent to the Danes when they came before the Town desiring them to spare so many innocent Christians lives but they despising his request fell to battering the Walls and so throwing Firebrands into the City set it on fire so that whilst the Citizens ran to save their Houses Aelmeric the Archdeacon let the Danes into the City Florence here adds That the Monks and Laity were decimated after a strange manner so that out of every Ten Persons only the Tenth was to be kept alive and that only Four Monks and about Eight hundred Laymen remain'd after this Decimation And that not long after above Two thousand Danes perished by divers inward Torments and the rest were admonish'd to make satisfaction to the Bishop but yet they obstinately refused it Florence of Worcester and R. Hoveden also relate That the Danes destroyed many of the Prisoners they had taken with cruel Torments and various Deaths This year Eadric the Ealdorman sirnamed Streon and all the Wise and Chief Men both Clerks and Laicks of the English Nation came to London before Easter which fell out then the day before the Ides of April and there stayed until such time as the above-mentioned Tribute could be paid which was not done till after Easter and was then Eight thousand Pounds In the mean time being about Six Months after upon a Saturday the Danish Army being highly incensed against Archbishop Aelfeage because he would neither promise them Money himself nor yet would suffer any body else to give them any thing for his Ransom for which as Osbern in his Life relates they demanded no less than Three thousand Pounds in Silver a vast Sum in those days which being denied them and many of them being got drunk they laid hold on the Archbishop and led him to their Council on the Saturday after Easter and there knocked him on the head as the Annals relate with Stones and Cows Horns till at last one of them striking him with an Axe on the Head he fell down dead with the Blow Florence says that this was done by one Thrum a Dane whom he had the day before confirmed being thereunto moved by an Impious Piety But John of Tinmouth in his Manuscript History of Saints called Historia Aurea now in the Library at Lambeth relates that when Archbishop Elfeage was thus killed the Danes threw his Body into the River which was soon taken out again by those whom he had converted But our Annals here farther That the Bishops Eadnoth and Aelfhune the former of Lincoln and the latter of London took away his sacred Body early the next morning and buried it in St. Paul's Minster where God now shews the power of this Holy Martyr But as soon as the Tribute was paid and the Peace confirmed by Oath the Danish Army was loosely dispersed abroad being before closely compacted together then Five and forty of their Ships submitted to the King and promised him to defend the Kingdom provided he would allow them Victuals and Apparel The year after Archbishop Aelfeage was thus martyr'd the King made one Lifing Archbishop of Canterbury Also the same year before the Month of August King Sweyn came with his Fleet to Sandwich and soon after sailing about East-England arrived in the Mouth of Humber and from thence up the River Trent till they came to Gegnesburgh now Gainsborough in Lincolnshire Which mischief according to William of Malmesbury proceeded from Turkil a Dane who was the great Inciter of the Death of the Archbishop and who had then the East-English subjected to his will This man sent Messengers into his own Countrey to King Sweyn letting him know that he should come again into England for the King was given so much to Wine and Women that he minded nothing else wherefore he was hated by his Subjects and contemned by Strangers that his Commanders were Cowards the Natives weak and who would run away at the first sound of his Trumpets Though this seems not very probable for Earl Turkil was then of King Ethelred's side as you will see by and by King Sweyn being prone enough to slaughter needed no great Intreaties to bring him over he had been here eight years before and why he stayed away so long I wish our Authors would have told us But William of Malmesbury further adds That one chief end of his coming over was to revenge the death of his Sister Gunhildis who being a Beautiful Young Lady had come over into England with Palling her Husband a powerful Danish Earl and receiving the Christian Religion became her self a Hostage of the Peace that had been formerly concluded But tho the unhappy Fury of Edric had commanded her to be beheaded together with some other of her Countreymen yet she bore her Death with an undaunted Spirit having seen her Husband and a Son a Youth of great and promising hopes slain before her face But to come again to our Annals So soon as King Sweyn arrived in the North Earl Vhtred and all the Countrey of the Northumbers with all the people in Lindesige and the people of the five Burghs or Towns but what these were we now know not lying on the other side Waetlingastreet submitted themselves to him There were also Hostages given him out of every Shire but when he found that all the people were now become subject to him he commanded them to provide his Forces both with Horses and Provisions whilst he in the mean time marched toward the South with great expedition committing the Ships and Hostages to Knute his Son And after he had passed Waetlingastreet they did as much mischief as any Army could do Then they turn'd to Oxnaford whose Citizens presently submitted themselves to him from thence he went to Wincester where the Inhabitants did the same and from thence they marched Eastward towards London near which many of his men were drown'd in the Thames because they would not stay to find a Bridge but when they came thither the Citizens would not submit but sallying out had a sharp Engagement with them because King Ethelred was there and Earl Turkil with him Wherefore King Sweyn departed thence to Wealingaford and then over Thames Westward to Bathe and there sate down with his whole Army whither came to him Aethelmar the Ealdorman of Devonshire with all the Western Thanes who all submitted themselves to him and gave him Hostages When he had subdued all these places he marched Northwards to his Ships and then almost the whole Nation received and acknowledged him for their real King And after this the Citizens of London became subject to him and gave him Hostages because otherwise they fear'd they should be utterly destroy'd for Sweyn demanded that they should give full
Pay and Victuals to his Army and that Winter Thurkil demanded the same for King Ethelred's Forces which lay at Grenawic i. e. Greenwich But both the Armies refrain'd not a jot the less from plundering where they pleased so that the Nation both as well in the North as in the South was no longer able bear it After this the King stayed some time with his Fleet which lay then in the Thames whilst the Queen retired beyond Sea to her Brother Earl Richard in Normandy and Elsige Abbot of Burgh went along with her the King also sent thither the Princes Eadward and Aelfred with Bishop Aelfune to be their Governor Then the King went with his Fleet about Christmass into Wihtland and there kept the Festival and afterwards passed over to Earl Richard and there stayed with him till Sweyn died There is in the Peterburgh Copy of these Annals this following Relation That whilst the Queen thus remained beyond Sea Elsige Abbot of Burgh who was then with her went to the Monastery called Boneval where the Body of Saint Florentine lay buried This place he found almost wholly deserted and the poor Abbot and Monks in a miserable condition having been robbed of all they had then he bought of the Abbot and Monks the whole Body except the Head for Five thousand Pounds and at his return into England dedicated it to Christ and St. Peter that is he placed it in the Church of Peterburgh of which he was then Abbot This was a vast Sum of Money in those days to be given for the Bones of one dead Carkass and not entire neither but such was the Superstition of that Age. This year King Sweyn ended his Life about Candlemas Then all the Danish Fleet and Army chose Cnute his Son to be their King But all the Wise or Chief Men of the English Nation as well of the Clergy as Laity sent to King Aethelred to let him know that there was no Prince dearer to them than their own Natural Lord provided he would govern them better than he had hitherto done Upon this the King sent Prince Edward his Son and several others Attendants into this Kingdom with Orders to recommend him to the whole Nation in his Name promising them to be a faithful and kind Lord to them and that he would redress whatever Grievances they had suffer'd and would also pardon whatsoever had been done against him either by Words or Deeds provided they would all sincerely return to their Allegiance Then a full and firm Amity being concluded on both by Words and Deeds and Hostages being given on both sides they decreed the Danish King for ever banished England After which King Ethelred return'd about Lent into his own Countrey and was chearfully received by all men The Bodleian Copy of Florence here adds That Queen Elfgiva or Emma with the Two Young Princes her Sons remained still in Normandy until she was after the Death of her Husband sent for over by King Cnute and the Common-Council of the Kingdom and being married to him was solemnly crowned at Westminster in the presence of all the Bishops and Great Men of England After Sweyn was dead Cnute his Son staid with his Army at Gegnesburgh until Easter and there agreed with the people of Lindesige that they should provide his Army with Horses and then that all of them should march out together to plunder but King Ethelred came thither with a strong Army before they were ready to execute their Design and spoiled and burnt all places killing all the men they could meet with therefore King Cnute departed thence with his Fleet leaving the poor miserable people to shift for themselves and sail'd Southward till he came to Sandwic and there put the Hostages on shore which had been given to his Father having first cut off their Hands and Noses But for an addition to all these Calamities the King commanded Twenty one thousand Pounds to be paid to the Army that then lay at Grenawic Also this year on the Vigil of St. Michael happen'd a great Inundation of the Sea all along this Coast insomuch that it spread further than ever it had yet done so that it drowned many Towns and an innumerable company of men We have nothing further to add under this year more than to observe the various Relations of our Monkish Writers concerning the sudden death of King Sweyn which they will needs have to be a Judgment upon him for wasting the Lands belonging to the Monastery of Badricesworth and for giving opprobrious language against the Memory of St. Edmund who was then enshrin'd But because their Relation of this matter is very remarkable I shall give you both Florence of Worcester and Simeon of Durham their Account of it which is thus That King Sweyn lying then at Gainsborough there held a General Assembly of his Great Officers and when it grew toward evening being encircled with his Armed Men he cast out Threats that he would send and spoil that Monastery whereupon he presently thought he saw St. Edmund coming all Armed toward him which made him cry out vehemently Help help Fellow-soldiers look here King Edmund comes to kill me and as he uttered these words he received a Mortal Blow by the Saint's hands and so fell from his Horse and lying till the dusk of the evening in great torment he expired on the second of February and was carried to York and there buried So these Writers report from the Legend of St. Edmund Yet John of Tinmouth makes St. Edmund's Ghost to have stabbed him with his Dagger as he sate in his Chair But William of Malmesbury tells us That St. Edmund appeared to him in his sleep and smote him whilst he was in bed because he answered him rudely But they all agree that he died of the Blow which St. Edmund had given him But I do believe that there may be so much Truth in this story that King Sweyn being mortally wounded by some unknown hand who had the good fortune to make his escape gave occasion to the Monks of St. Edmundsbury to invent this Legend for the Honour of their Saint and also to deter others from daring to violate that place which was then accounted sacred But is seems King Ethelred was not much better'd by Affliction nor did he long observe his Promise of governing according to Law for the next year A Mycel Gemot or Great Council being now held at Oxnaford Earl Eadrâ—c there betray'd Sigeferth and Morcar two Danish Thanes of the Seafenburghs that is the Seven Towns but where they lay we know not and inviting them all into his Chamber they were there treacherously slain Then the King seized upon all their Goods and commanded the Widow of Sigeferth to be secured and carried to Meadelnesbyrig i. e. Malmesbury But some short time after Edmund Aetheling coming thither married this Woman against his Father's will For the Prince going as William of Malmesbury relates to see
mean-spirited Prince succeeding a Magnanimous Father so Prince Edmund his Son and Successor equall'd his Grandfather King Edgar in Courage tho not in good Fortune But though King Ethelred was no Great or Worthy Prince in his own Person yet with the Assistance of his Wites or Wise Men of his Great Council he made divers excellent Laws and Constitutions There are in Bromton's Chronicle four several Bodies of these Laws made at as many several times and in divers places whereof there are only two extant among the Saxon Laws published by Mr. Lambard The Laws comprized in the first Division are Six there said to have been made at Woodstock in Mercia for the restoration of Peace according to the Law of England The first is That every Freeman shall find Sureties to be bound for him that he shall do right in case he be accused The second I shall omit since it hath been already mentioned in the Laws of King Edgar only the latter end of it is very remarkable to wit The Lord shall answer for his whole Family and be Surety for the appearance of every Person in it And if any of his Servants after they are accused run away the Lord or Master shall pay his man's Were to the King And if the Master be accused as the Adviser to or Promoter of his Escape he shall purge himself by five Thanes and if he do it not he shall pay to the King his Were and his man shall be an Outlaw The Third ordains That a Bondman being cast by the Ordeal shall be marked with a Hot Iron for the first Offence and being cast in the same manner the second time shall be put to Death Which Law bears some resemblance to our present Law or Custom whereby Clergy is allowed for the first Crime committed By the fifth the King 's Reeve or Officer is obliged to require Sureties for the good behaviour of such as are of ill fame amongst all men which if such a one obstinately refuses to give he is to be put to death and to be buried in an unhallowed place with Malefactors And if any use force in his behalf to further his Escape he is to undergo the same Punishment As for the next Set of Laws they are said to have been made at Veneting or Wanating now Wantage in Berkshire and for the increase of common Peace and Happiness by King Ethelred and his Wise Men. The first of them is concerning the keeping of the King's Peace as it was in the days of his Predecessors and for the punishment of the breach of it in case of Manslaughter If it were in a Gemot or Assembly of five Boroughs with the forfeiture of five Pounds weight in Silver If in an Assembly of a Borough or Town by a Mulct of Seven hundred Shillings But how much this was is not known for we have not now any true account of the Standard of Money at that time If in a Wapentake by One hundred and if in an Ale-house a man be killed with six half Marks if he be not killed with twelve Oares for the Value of which Vid. Sir Hen. Spelman's Gloss. From hence but especially from the Laws of King Ina we may observe how Ancient the Liquor of Ale and Ale-houses have been in England as also what commonly follows it quarrelling and breaking of the Peace in such places The fourth commands That Publick Meetings be observed in every Hundred or Wapentake and that Twelve Thanes says Bromton or Twelve Men of free condition as Lambard reads it being Elderly Men together with their Praepositus or Chief shall swear upon the Gospels or Holy Reliques That they will neither condemn an Innocent Person nor acquit a Guilty One From whence we may observe the Antiquity of Trials by a Grand Inquest of more than Twelve Men even in the English Saxon times and was not introduced by William the Conqueror as Polydore Virgil an Italian not much skill'd in the Antiquities of this Island hath delivered in his History And to confirm what we have here said the Third Chapter of the League betwixt King Alfred and Guthrun the Dane very much maketh out which orders That if the King's Thane or Servant be accused of Homicide he shall purge himself if he dare by twelve other Thanes Which you may see at large in those Laws themselves and besides these the Reader throughout the whole Collection of Saxon Laws may observe there is frequent mention made of clearing and purging by so many men summoned for that purpose as sometimes by twelve sometimes by fewer and sometimes by more As for the Trial by Ordeal it grew more in request in the Reign of King Cnute and his Successors being indeed originally a Danish Custom The rest of the Laws of King Ethelred made at Wantage having many of them relation to this way of Trial by Ordeal and containing many obscure terms I omit But since several of them may very well be referred to other former Laws I shall only select from amongst them such as are most worthy to be taken notice of here The twenty third appoints what Custom should be paid by Ships and Vessels of all sorts that unladed at Billinggesgate from whence it appears that this was the Ancient Port of London Wines and all other Commodities being here unladed The twenty sixth imposes the same Punishment upon such as wittingly receive as well as on those that make Bad Money Whereby we may observe That though the Coining of Bad Money was not as yet made Treason yet it was punishable at the King's discretion either by Fine or Death as you will see in the following Law The twenty eighth puts it into the King's power whether to fine or put to death such Merchants as import Counterfeit Money And further imposeth upon all Port-reeves that shall be accessary the same Punishment as upon those that coin false Money except the King think fit to pardon them There are also other Laws which we cannot certainly affirm to have been made in his time though the general Conjecture is that they were These are comprised in an Agreement or Act which the Wise Men of England and the Counsellors of Wales made concerning the Inhabitants of the Mountains of that Countrey But as for the particular Laws made in this Common-Council of both Nations since they only concern Cattel or other Goods taken away on either side or else the manner of giving Testimony both by Welsh and English Witnesses in such cases I refer the Reader to the Laws themselves and shall only desire him to take notice That Justice was to be equally administred by Twelve Judges Six Welsh and Six English men much after the same manner as the Commission for the Borders of England and Scotland is now executed But that we may see how great a distance there was then between these two Nations which God be thanked are now united into one the sixth Article of these Laws expresly forbids
one of Edric's Sons who at the command of his Father stabbed him in the Hinder Parts with a long sharp Knife and left the Weapon sticking in his Body But H. Huntington and Alred Abbot of Rievalle say that Edric was the first who saluted Cnute Sole King of all England to whom when he had told all the matter the King answer'd Well for so great a Good Turn I will advance thy Head above all the Lords in England and thereupon commanding him to be beheaded order'd his Head to be set upon the Tower of London But this being related by no other Author besides Mat. Westminster is not probable for all others make him to have been alive some time after this But Simeon of Durham and R. Hoveden do with greater certainty relate That as soon as he received the News of Edmund's Death he order'd all the Bishops Ealdormen and Chief Men throughout England to be summoned to London and when they appeared before him he cunningly asked them If they were Witnesses of the Agreement which had been made between him and King Edmund concerning the Division of the Kingdom and whether there was any Condition inserted That either his Sons or his Brethren should succeed him in the Kingdom of the West-Saxons Then they all began with one accord to say They did not know that King Edmund had left any part of the Kingdom to his Brethren either living or dying but as for his Sons they knew very well that Edmund would have left him to be the Protector of his Children till they should come of fitting age to reign But they likewise add that they bore false witness and lied grosly because they hop'd to make King Cnute the more favourable to them and should thereby receive the greater Rewards for their pains But some of them had a just Recompence for their Perjury by being not long after put to death Hereupon King Cnute after he had thus taken their Testimonies received the Oaths of Fidelity from the said Great Men and Bishops who all swore that they would chuse him for their King and willingly raise Taxes to pay his Army and at the same time also they renounced the Sons of King Edmund Edward and Edmund from ever being Kings of this Nation But King Cnute growing jealous of these Young Princes sent them to the King of Sweden that they might by him be made away which he out of compassion not only refused but generously sent them to Solomon King of Hungary to be educated and being there kindly received for some time Edmund the elder of them died but Edward the younger marrying Agatha the Queen's Sister had by her Edgar sirnamed Aetheling Christina a Nun and Margaret afterwards married to Malcolme King of Scotland of whom we shall have occasion to speak further before we come to the end of this Book King CNUTE THis year according to our Annals Cnute King of Denmark began to reign over all England which he divided into four Parts or Governments reserving West Saxony to himself committing East-England to Earl Thurkyl Mercia to Eadric and the Northumbers to Yric but not long after the said Eadric the Ealdorman was killed The manner of which Bromton's Chronicle thus relates That at Christmass the King being at London in a certain upper room on the other side of the Thames it happened that the Traytor Eadric upbraided the King with his services How that for his sake he had betrayed King Ethelred and also made away Edmund his own King and yet he had received no very extraordinary advantage or benefit thereby according to his Merits to be sure as he himself thought at which Cnute being highly enraged answered Out of thy own mouth shalt thou be judged who plainly confessest thy self a Traytor against both thy former Kings therefore thou shalt certainly dye So he immediately commanded him to be tied hand and foot and flung out of the Window into the River though some other Authors relate that he was first strangled But we cannot find for certain which way it was done for William of Malmesbury and R. Hoveden only say this That the King commanded Eadric sirnamed Streon to be slain in the Palace because he was afraid of being circumvented by his Treacheries and ordered likewise his Body to be flung over the Wall of the City and there to lye unburied The Annals do here further add That Northman Son to Earl Leofwin and Aethelward Son to Aethelmaer the Great and Brihtric Son to Aelfger Earl of Defenanscire were also put to death but their Crimes are not set down Therefore R. Hoveden supposes them to have been only the King's Jealousy of their too great Power being all English Noblemen though I suspect they were guilty of somewhat more than what we find related The same year also the King banished Eadwig Aetheling called Ceorles Cyng i.e. King of the Clowns Brother to King Eadmund But the Annals seem to make this Eadwig two persons though for what reason I know not but however he was not immediately banished after Cnute came to the Crown as some Writers suppose neither yet was he put to death as Simeon of Durham and Bromton relate for the latter tells us this Story of him That Cnute not thinking himself safe so long as Edwig was alive consulted with Earl Eadric how to have him dispatched out of the way by whose advice the King sent for one Ethelward and tempted him privately with large Rewards but he abhorring in his heart so foul a deed however promised to do it as soon as he found a fitting opportunity and by this means still deferred it But then the same Author adds That having by the said Eadric's Counsel banished Prince Edwin the year following under a feign'd Reconciliation he was by King Cnute's Order made away which is contrary to what William of Malmesbury relates for he says that this Prince having been long tossed about both by Sea and Land and being broken as well in Body as in Mind secretly return'd into England and lay conceal'd till he died and then was buried at Tavistock But the Annals further say That before the Kal. of August the King commanded Queen Emma Widow of the late King his Predecessor to be brought over to him and some time after took her for his Consort This he did to gain the Friendship of the Duke of Normandy her Father but she is highly censured for marrying the sworn Enemy of her Husband and her Children Though this only let us see that it is no new thing for Princes to prefer the wearing of a Crown even before their own Honour Now again according to our Annals was paid that Tax or Tribute called Danegelt throughout all the English Nation to wit Seventy two thousand Pounds besides that which the Citizens of London paid viz. Eleven thousand Pounds more Which Tax being raised when there seemed to be no more fear of the Danes it looks as if King Cnute 〈◊〉 took upon
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
at Byferstane i. e. Beverston in Gloucestershire together with a great many in their Retinue to attend on the King their Natural Lord and all the Chief and Wise Men that waited on him whereby they might have the King's Consent and Assistance as also that of his Great Council to revenge the Affront and Dishonour which had been lately done to the King and the whole Nation But the Welshmen getting first to the King highly accused the Earls insomuch that they durst not appear in his presence for they said they only came thither to betray him But then there came to the King the Earls Syward and Leofric with many others from the North parts being as William of Malmesbury relates almost all the Nobility of England who had been summoned by the King to come thither But whilst according to our Annals it was told Earl Godwin and his Sons that the King and those that were with him were taking Counsel against them they on the other side stood resolutely on their own defence though it seem'd an hard thing for them to act any thing against their Natural Lord. But William of Malmesbury adds farther That Earl Godwin commanded those of his Party not to fight against the King yet if they were set upon that they should defend themselves so that there had then like to have happen'd a Cruel Civil War if calmer Counsels had not prevailed By this you may see the great Power of Earl Godwin and his Sons who could thus withstand the King and all the Nobility that were with him But to proceed with our Annals Then it was agreed by the chief men on both sides that they should desist from any further violence and thereupon the King gave them God's Peace and his own Word After this the King and his Great Men about him resolved a second time to summon a Witena Gemot or Great Council at London at the beginning of September He also commanded an Army to be raised as great as ever had been seen in England both from the North and South side of Thames When this Council met Earl Sweyn was declared outlaw'd and Earl Godwin and Earl Harold were cited to appear at the Council with all speed As soon as they were come there they desired Peace i. e. Security and also Pledges to be given them whereby they might have safe ingress and regress to and from the Council But the King required all the Earl's Servants to deliver them up into his hands after which the King sent to them commanding them to come with Twelve men to the Great Council but the Earl again demanded Securities and Pledges to be given him and then he promised to clear himself from all Crimes laid to his charge But the Pledges were still denied him and there was only granted him a five days Peace or Truce in which he might depart the Land Then Earl Godwin and Earl Sweyn his Son went to Bosenham in Sussex and their Ships being brought out of the Harbour they sail'd beyond the Seas and sought the Protection of Earl Baldwin staying with him all that Winter but Earl Harold sailed Eastward into Ireland and there took up his Residence under that King's Protection Soon after this the King sent away his Wife who had been crown'd Queen and suffer'd all her Money Lands and Goods to be taken from her and then committed her to the Custody of his Sister at the Nunnery of Werwell But note that Florence of Worcester places this Quarrel with Earl Godwin and his Sons three years later viz. under Anno 1051 and farther adds That the reason why Earl Godwin fled thus privately away was that his Army had forsook him so that he durst not plead the matter with the King but fled away the night following with his five Sons carrying away all their Treasure with them into Flanders This is the Relation which Florence and the Printed Copy of these Annals give us of this great difference between the King and Earl Godwin and his two Sons in the carriage of which both Parties are to be blamed the King in yielding so easy an ear to the false Accusations brought against them and they in refusing to stand to the Determination of the Great Council of the Kingdom without Pledges first given them by the King which is more than any Subject ought to require from his Prince But certainly the King shewed himself a very Weak Man in being persuaded to deal thus severely with his Innocent Queen for the Faults of her Father and Brothers which it was not in her power to help But to conclude the Affairs of this unhappy year our Annals proceed to tell us That About the same time the Abbot Sparhafoc was deposed from the Bishoprick of London and William the King's Chaplain ordained to that See Also Earl Odda was appointed Governor of Defenascire Somersetscire and Dorsetscire and of all the Welsh and the Earldom which Earl Harold lately held was given to Aelfgar the Son of Earl Leofric About this time the Bishoprick of Credington in Cornwal was as we find in the Monasticon at the Request of Pope Leo removed from thence to Exeter where the Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul was made a Bishop's See the Monks being removed from thence to Westminster and Secular Chanons placed in their stead Which shews that the humour of Monkery did not so much prevail now as in the days of King Edgar And this year Leofric Bishop of that Diocess was enthron'd at Exeter after a solemn Procession where the Bishop walked to Church between King Edward and Queen Editha his Wife This year according to Florence of Worcester the King released the Nation from that cruel Burthen of Danegelt under which it had for so many years groaned but I will not pass my word for the truth of the occasion why he did it though related by Ingulph viz. That King Edward going into his Treasury where this Tax had been laid up saw the Devil capering and dancing upon the Money-bags which it seems no body else could see but himself at which he was so concerned that he ordered all the Money to be restored to the right Owners and forbad its being gathered any more Not long after according to the same Author William Duke of Normandy the King's Cousin coming over into England was honourably received here and had Noble Presents made him and as some relate too that King Edward promised to make him his Successor in the Kingdom This year also according to Florence of Worcester Alfric Archbishop of York deceased and Kinsing the King's Chaplain succeeded him This year deceased Aelgiva alias Ymma the Mother of King Eadward and King Hardecnute She hath a various Character given her by our Historians William of Malmesbury represents her to be very Covetous and Unkind to her first Husbands Children which seems to have been true enough But then she was very Devout and had a great Respect for
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
Victory being thus easily obtained the Prince and the Earl entred Hereford and having killed seven of the Chanons that defended the doors of the Church they burnt it together with the Monastery above-mention'd with all the Reliques of St. Aethelbert and the Rich Ornaments that were in it and so having slain divers of the Citizens and carried away great Numbers of them Prisoners they returned home laden with Booty But as soon as the King was acquainted with it he presently commanded an Army to be raised through all England which being mustered at Gloucester He appointed the Valiant Earl Harold to be Commander in chief who obeying the King's Orders immediately pursued Prince Griffyn and Earl Aelfgar and entring the Borders of Wales pitched his Camp beyond Straetdale as far as Snowdon but they who knew him to be a Brave and Warlike Commander not daring to engage him fled into South-Wales which Harold perceiving left there the greater part of his men with Orders to fight the Enemy if they could come at them and with the rest he returned to Hereford which he fortified by drawing a new Trench about it But whilst he was thus employed the two Captains on the contrary side thinking it best for them to make Peace sent Messengers to him and at last procuring a Meeting at a place called Byligeseage a firm Peace and Friendship was there concluded in pursuance whereof Earl Aelfgar sent his Ships to Chester till they could be paid off and he himself went up to the King from whom he received his former Earldom Henry Emperor of the Germans now died and Henry his Son succeeded him This is only mentioned in the Latin Copy of these Annals But the same year according to Simeon of Durham and R. Hoveden Leofgar who was lately ordained Bishop of Hereford in the room of Bishop Athelstan deceased being together with his Clerks and the Sheriff Agelnoth set upon by Griffyn Prince of Wales at a place called Glastbyrig and was there slain with all his followers after which Aldred Bishop of Worcester to whom the King had committed the Bishoprick of Hereford as also the Earls Leofric and Harold mediated a Peace between King Edward and the said Griffyn This year Edward Aetheling Son to King Edmund returned into this Kingdom together with his Children and shortly after deceased whose Body lies buried in St. Paul's Church at London Also Pope Victor now dying Stephanus Abbot of Mountcassin was consecrated in his stead But the Cottonian Copy of these Annals as also Florence of Worcester place the death of this Pope under the year preceding Earl Leofric also deceased and Aelfgar his Son received the Earldom which his Father enjoyed This is that Leofric Earl of Mercia who together with his Wife Godiva built the rich and stately Monastery of Coventry as hath been already related in which Church he was buried He died this year in a good Old Age whose Wisdom and Counsel was often profitable to England This year Pope Stephanus deceased and Benedict was consecrated in his stead This Pope sent the Pall to Archbishop Stigand Upon whom William of Malmesbury is here very sharp saying That Stigand was so intolerably Covetous that he held both the Bishoprick of Winchester and that of Canterbury at the same time but could never obtain the Pall from the Apostolick See until this Benedict an Intruder as he calls him sent it to him either as first being brib'd by Money or else because as is observed evil men love to favour one another The same year also according to the Annals deceased Heacca Bishop of the South-Saxons i. e. of Chichester and Archbishop Stigand consecrated Aegelric a Monk of Christ-Church Bishop of that See as also Syward the Abbot Bishop of Rochester Also this year according to Simeon of Durham and Florence of Worcester Earl Aelfgar was the second time banished by King Edward but by the help of Griffyn Prince of Wales and of a Norwegian Fleet which came to his assistance he was soon restored to his Earldom again though it was by force In so deplorable a condition was this poor King Edward that those of his Nobility who were strong enough to make any Resistance were sure to be pardoned The same year also according to the above-mentioned Authors Aldred Bishop of Worcester having newly rebuilt the Church of St. Peter in Gloucester went on Pilgrimage through Hungary to Jerusalem as says Simeon of Durham which no English Archbishop or Bishop was ever known to have done before This year Nicholaus Bishop of Florence was made Pope and Benedict was expell'd who was Pope before him Kynsige Archbishop of York deceased the xi Kal. Jan. and Bishop Ealdred succeeded in that See This was that Aldred Bishop of Worcester who had been lately at Rome Also Walter was now made Bishop of Hereford And in the Latin Copy of the Annals it is related That Henry King of France now dying Philip his Son succeeded him This year also deceased Duduc Bishop of Somersetshire i. e. Wells and Gisa was his Successor The same year also deceased Bishop Godwin at St. Martins vii Id. Martii Also Wulfrick Abbot of St. Augustine's in Canterbury deceased in the Easter Week xiv Kal. Maii. Which News being brought to the King he appointed Aethelsige a Monk of the old Church at Winchester to be Abbot who was consecrated by Archbishop Stigand at Windlesore i. e. Windsor at the Feast of St. Augustine And this year according to Simeon of Durham Aldred Archbishop of York went with Earl Tostige to Rome and there received his Pall from Pope Nicholaus But in the mean time Malcolm King of Scots entred Northumberland and depopulated the Earldom of Tostige formerly his sworn Brother This year according to the Latin Copy of our Annals the City of Man was taken by William Duke of Normandy Also about this time Earl Harold afterwards King of England founded the Abby of the Holy Cross at Waltham in Essex so called from a certain Crucifix said to be found by a Vision to a Carpenter at a place called Montacute which Crucifix being brought to Waltham and many Miraculous Stories told there of it one Tovi the Stallere or Chief Standard-Bearer to King Cnute built here a Church for two Priests to keep it which place coming into the hands of Earl Harold he built this Church anew together with a Noble Monastery for a Dean and Twelve Secular Chanons which in the time of Henry the Second were turned to Chanons Regular This Abby being richly endow'd the Foundation was confirmed by King Edward as may be seen by his Charter bearing date Anno 1062. All which appears from an Ancient Manuscript History of the Foundation of this Abby now in the Cottonian Library This year according to our Annals Earl Harold and Earl Tostige his Brother marched with a great Army both by Land and Sea into Brytland i. e. Wales and subdued that Countrey
the Abbot of Rievalle in his Life of King Edward informs us had been begun some years before in performance of a Vow the King had formerly made to go to Rome but being dissuaded from it by the Chief Men of his Kingdom he sent thither Aldred Archbishop of York and Herman Bishop of Winchester to obtain Pope Leo's Dispensation from that Journey who by the said Bishops returned it him upon these terms That he should bestow the Money he would have spent in that Voyage in building a Stately Church and Monastery in Honour of St. Peter Whereupon the King chose out a place near his own Palace where had anciently stood a Church and Monastery built by Sebert King of the West-Saxons and Mellitus Bishop of London but it being destroyed by the Danes had ever since lain in Ruins But an Ancient Epitome of English Chronicles written by a Monk of Westminster and now in the Cottonian Library relates That Archbishop Dunstan had here before erected a small Monastery for Twelve Monks which was vastly augmented by King Edward Though whether this were so or no is as uncertain as it is incredible what these Monkish Writers tell us of its being anciently consecrated by St. Peter himself which not being mentioned by Bede looks like a Fable invented only to gain a greater Veneration for that Place Here also in the Author above-mentioned follows the King's Letter to Pope Nicholaus That he would please not only to confirm what his Predecessor had done but also grant him new Privileges for the said Monastery and then comes the Pope's Bull or Privilege for that purpose in which is recited this Legend of that Church's having been anciently consecrated by St. Peter But though Simeon of Durham places the Consecration of this Church on the day above-mentioned yet he refers it to the end of the year 1065 and perhaps with more Exactness since the English-Saxon year began then not at Lady-day as it does now but New-years-tide And after this Author farther adds That upon Christmass-day preceding the King held his Curia or Great Council at Westminster where were present King Edward and his Queen Edgitha and Stigand the Archbishop of Canterbury and Aldred Archbishop of York with the other Bishops and Abbots of England together with the King's Chaplains Earls Thanes and Knights Which Council as Sir H. Spelman informs us was summoned to confirm the King's Charter of Endowment of the said Monastery but though it be there imperfect yet you may find it at large in Monast. Anglican wherein after the Recital of the Bull of Pope Leo follows this Clause viz. That the King for the Expiation of his own Vow and also for the Souls of the Kings his Predecessors as well as Successors had granted to that place viz. Westminster all manner of Liberty as far as Earthly Power could reach and that for the Love of God by whose Mercy he was placed in the Royal Throne and now by the Counsel and Decree of the Archbishops Bishops Earls and other of his Great Men and for the Benefit and Advantage of the said Church and all those that should belong to it he had granted these Privileges following not only in present but for future times Then follows an Exemption from all Episcopal Jurisdiction as also another Clause whereby he grants it the Privilege of Sanctuary so that any one of whatsoever condition he be for whatsoever cause that shall fly unto that Holy Place or the Precincts thereof shall be free and obtain full Liberty And at last concludes thus I have commanded this Charter to be written and seal'd and have also signed it with my hand with the Sign of the Cross and have ordered fit Witnesses to subscribe it for its greater Corroboration Then immediately follows the King's Subscription in these words Ego Edwardus Deo largiente Anglorum Rex signum venerandae Crucis impressi Then follows the Subscription of Queen Editha with those of the two Archbishops seven of the Bishops and as many Abbots and so comes on the Subscriptions of the Laity viz. of Raynbald the Chancellor and of the Earls Harold and Edwin who write themselves Duces and six Thanes besides other of inferior Order This Charter bears date on St. Innocents day Anno Dom. 1066. which how it could be so dated four days before New-years-day when the year then began I do not understand Here also follows a Third Charter which is much the same with the former only it contains the King's Letter to Pope Nicholaus and his Bull reciting the Privileges granted to the said Church all which are there at large inserted Then follows the Subscriptions of the King Queen Archbishops Bishops Earls c. almost in the same order as the former only Osbald and another of the King's Chaplains do here subscribe before any of the Lay-Nobility and besides the Thanes there are several who subscribed with the Title of Milites added to their Names I have been the larger upon this Foundation not only because it was the Greatest and Noblest of any in England but also for that it still continues though under another Title to be a Collegiate Church for a Dean and Eight Prebends with an excellent School belonging to it which hath hitherto furnished both the Church and State with as great a number of Learned and Considerable Persons as any in the whole Nation But to return again to our History as it is related by the aforesaid Abbot of Rievâ—lle King Edward having at this Great Assembly of the Estates of his Kingdom appeared solemnly with his Crown on his Head according to custom was a day or two before Christmass in the night-time taken with a Feaver which very much damped the Jollity of that Festival yet he concealed it as much as he could for two or three days still sitting down at Meals with his Bishops and Noblemen till the third day perceiving the time of his Dissolution drew near he commanded all things to be got ready for the Consecration of his New Church which he resolved should be solemnized the next day being the Feast of the Holy Innocents whereat all the Bishops and Great Men of the Kingdom assisted and the King as far as his Health would permit but presently after the King growing worse and worse he was forced to take his Bed the Queen Bishops and the Nobility standing weeping about him and whilst he lay speechless and almost without life for two days and the third awakening as if it were from a Trance both William of Malmesbury and the Abbot above-mentioned relate That after a devout Prayer he told them That in a Vision he had lately seen two holy Monks whom he had in his youth known in Normandy to be men of meek and pious Conversation and whom he therefore had very much loved and now appeared to him as sent from God to tell him what should happen to England after his decease shewing him That the Iniquity of
well as on the Holidays themselves as also in Parishes when the Feast of the Saint to whom the Church is dedicated is kept so that if any one come devoutly to the Celebration thereof he was to have security in going staying and returning home and besides in many other cases too long here to set down From whence we may observe the Antiquity of those Parish Feasts called in several parts of England Wakes The fourth appoints That where ever the King's Justice or any other Person shall hold Civil Pleas if the King's Deputy or Attorney comes thither to open any Cause concerning Holy Church that shall be first determined for it is just God be served before all others The fifth ordains That whosoever holds any thing of the Church or hath his Mansion on the Church's Land he or they shall not be compell'd to plead out of the Ecclesiastical Courts for Contumacy or otherwise nay though he forfeit unless Justice be wanting in those Courts which says the Law God forbid By which all the Tenants of the Church were exempted from pleading or appearing at the King's Courts which though a strange and unreasonable Privilege yet it seems it continued in the time of William the First The sixth confirms the Laws of Sanctuaries ordaining That no man shall be taken out of any Church to which he hath fled for any offence unless it be by the Bishop or his Officers The like Privilege is also allowed to the Priest's House provided it stand upon the Ground of the Church but if a Thief went out of the Sanctuary to rob he was to forfeit that Privilege The seventh leaves those to the Justice of the Bishop who violate the Peace of Holy Church and if any Offender shall despise his Sentence either by flying or contemning it and Complaint thereof be made to the King after forty days he shall give Pledges to reconcile himself to God the King and the Church and if he cannot be found he shall be outlaw'd and if then he be found and can be laid hold on he shall be delivered up to the King if he defends himself he shall be slain For from the day of his Outlawry he is said in English to have Wulfsheofod i.e. a Wolfs-head or as we now commonly say in Latin gerere Caput Lupinum This is the common Law of all Outlaws The eighth and ninth appoint what things small Tythes should be paid out of and recites that they had been granted long before a Rege Baronibus Popâ—lo that is by the King the Barons and the People And though the word Barons was not commonly used till the time of King William the First when these Laws were drawn up in the form we now have them upon an Inquisition granted to the Ancient and Wise Men of all the Counties in England as Rog. Hoveden informs us yet is this but a Recital of the Ancient Law of Tythes in the Dialect of those times when the word Baron came to be used instead of Thane The tenth appoints after what manner the Ordeal or Judgment by Fire or Water should be executed by the Bishop's Officer and the King's Justice upon those that deserved it From which you may observe that this Law of Ordeal was in force some time after the coming in of the Normans This Law also ordains in what Cases and over what Persons the Courts Baron should have Jurisdiction but it being somewhat large I refer you to it The Eleventh again reinforces the payment of Romescot or Peter-pence which iâ— denied the King's Justice shall compel the payment because it is the King 's Alms. From whence we may observe how much those Romish Writers are mistaken who will needs make these Peter-pence to have been a Tribute from the Kings of England to the Pope The twelfth shews what Danegelt was and on what occasion it was first imposed That the payment of Danegelt was first ordained because of the frequent Invasions of the Danish Pyrates to repress which there was Twelvepence imposed upon every Hide of Land throughout England to be paid yearly Which also shews us about what time these Laws were collected into the form we now have them by this Clause viz. That the Church was excused from this payment until the time of William Rufus who as is here recited asking an Aid of his Barons for the obtaining Normandy from his Brother then going to Jerusalem there was granted to him not by any standing Law but only for the present necessity Four Shillings upon every Hide of Land the Church not excepted The thirteenth sets forth That the Peace of the King is manifold as sometimes it is given by his own hand which the English call Cyninges honde sealde gryth This Protection was granted not only to Persons but Places also by way of Privilege as likewise to Churches or Churhmen within their own Walls as appears by the League betwixt King Edward and Guthrum in which it is termed Cyninges honde gryth Another sort of Peace was on the Coronation-day which lasted eight days that at Christmass which held also eight days and so on the Feast of Easter and Whitsuntide Another sort was given by his Brief or Letters and another there was belonging to the Four great Highways viz. Watlingstreet Foss Hickenildstreet and Ermingstreet whereof two are extended to the Length and two to the Breadth of the Kingdom Another still there was belonging to the Rivers of Note which conveyed Provisions to Towns and Cities From whence it appears that this Peace of the King was a Priâ—ilege or Exemption granted to Persons not to be sued or answer at Law in any Action â—rought against them during certain solemn and stated Times and in certain of the most famous and frequented Highways of the Kingdom The fourteenth declares That all Treasure prove should be the King 's unless it were found in a Church or Church-yard in which case if it were Gold it was all the King 's but if Silver one half was to go to him and another to the Church The fifteenth treateth of Murther and declares if any one was murthered the Murtherer should be enquired after in the Village or Town where the Body was found and if he was discovered to be delivered up to the King's Justice within eight days after the Fact committed and in case he could not be found a month and a day was allowed for search after him within which term if he could not be seiz'd on forty six Marks were to be collected out of that Town and if it was not able to pay so much then the Hundred was liable to make it good And forasmuch as this Payment could not be made in the Towns and great inconveniences arose the Barons i.e. the Freeholders of the County took care that six and forty Marks should be paid out of the Hundred which being seal'd up with the Seal of some one Baron of the County they were to be sent to the Treasurer and by
Makes War upon his Brother Cadelh Prince of South-Wales and destroys his Countries Id. p. 299. Submits himself and all his Subjects to King Alfred's Dominion Id. p. 306 307. His Decease and Issue Id. p. 316. Pitying the distressed condition of the Northern Britains gave them great part of Cheshire to dwell in if they could beat out the Saxons thence Id. p. 317. After a bloody Fight with the Saxons obtains a compleat Victory over them Ibid. Andate the Goddess of Victory among the Britains l. 2. p. 48. Andover a Town not far from Winchester in Hampshire l. 6. p. 10. Anciently called Andefer Id. p. 25. Andragatius Maximus his General kills the Emperor Gratian near the Bridge of Singidunum and establishes his Master in his usurped Empire l. 2. p. 95. And hearing of the ill news of Maximus casts himsâ—lf headlong out of a Ship being then at Sea and so drowns himself Id. p. 96. Andredswood in Kent and Sussex is in length from East to West at least One hundred and twenty Miles and in breadth Thirty containing all that which is called the Wilde of Kent l. 5. p. 299. St. Andrew's Church at Rochester built by Ethelbert King of Kent l. 4. p. 160. Angild the Forfeiture of the whole value of a man's Head and that Hand which stole was to be cut off unless redeemed l. 5. p. 297. Angles supposed to be derived from the Ancient Cimbri l. 3. p. 123. Anglesey anciently called Mona l. 2. p. 46. and Manige l. 6. p. 28. The whole Isle subdued by Godfred the Son of Harold the Dane Id. p. 7 20. Destroyed by the Danes Id. p. 23. And by King Ethelred's Fleet Id. p. 28. They cast off Meredyth and receive Edwal ap Meyric for their Prince Id. p. 24. Anglia Sacra publish'd by the Learned Mr. Wharton l. 4. p. 166. Anlaff Son of Syhtric King of Northumberland flies into Ireland l. 5. p. 332. Supposed the Son of Syhtric His getting into Athelstan's Camp in the disguise of a Musician and the Observations he made there Id. p. 335. His ravaging and wasting the Countries where-ever he came the Battel he had with King Edmund and the Agreement between them both at last His marrying Alditha the Daughter of Earl Orme Id. p. 343. Called Olaf a Dane and Norwegian by Extract who had been expelled in the time of King Athelstan the Kingdom of Northumberland but being some time after recalled by those Rebels he was again expelled by King Edmund who added that Countrey to his own Dominions Id. p. 343 344. Returns again in King Edred's time and with joy is restored to his Kingdom by the People three years after they expel him a third time and set up Eric for their King Id. p. 350. Another of this Name Son to the King of Dublin comes with a great Fleet into Yorkshire or Lincolnshire and lands but he is miserably beaten by King Athelstan Id. p. 334 335. Anlaff or Unlaff King of Norway the Ravages he commits and where l. 6. p. 24 25. Is brought with great honour to King Ethelred After Baptism he returned into his own Countrey Id. p. 25. Anna King of the East-Angles enriches Cnobsbury Monastery with Noble Buildings and Revenues l. 4. p. 180. Is slain in fight by King Penda together with his whole Army Id. p. 185. His youngest Son Erkenwald wâ—s made Bishop of London Id. p. 196. Annals Saxon first collected and written in divers Monasteries of England l. 4. p. 151. The Cottonian Copy of them in the Form we now have them was wrote after the Conquest l. 6. p. 56. Antenor with his Trojans joining Brute their Expedition and the Accidents that befel them l. 1. p. 9. Anwulf Son of Baldwin Earl of Flanders sent Ambassador from Hugh King of the French to King Athelstan to demand his Sister in Marriage l. 5. p. 339. Aper kills Numerianus and is killed by Dioclesian l. 2. p. 83. Appeals none to the King in Suits unless Justice can't otherwise be had l. 6. p. 13. Appledore anciently called Apuldre or Apultre in Kent l. 5. p. 299 300. Arbogastes General to Eugenius sets him up in the Empire of the West against Valentinian the Second but his Master being overcome by Theodosius and put to death he soon after made himself away l. 2. p. 97. Arcadius Emperor of the East Eldest Son to Theodosius Id. ib. Archbishop its Title not known here in the time of Lucius l. 2. p. 69. His ancient Power as Governor of the Church of England l. 2. p. 210. None but Monks made Archbishops of Canterbury l. 5. p. 333. Brythelme resigns at the Command of the King and whole Nation l. 6. p. 2. When the Churches of Wales first owned the Archbishop of Canterbury's Superiority l. 6. p. 21. Archenfield in Herefordshire anciently called Yrcingafield l. 5. p. 319. Archigallo for his Tyranny is deposed by his Nobles but restored to it by the kind Artifice of his Brother l. 1. p. 14. Arch-pyrate anciently did not signify a Robber but one skill'd in Sea-Affairs or a Seaman derived from Pyra which in the Attick Tongue was as much as Craft or Art l. 6. p. 9. Arderydd a Battel fought there on the Borders of Scotland l. 3. p. 146. Areans removed by Theodosius from their stations but who these were is unknown l. 2. p. 93. Ariminum the Council called there by Constantius l. 2. p. 89. Our Bishops sent to it and what was done there Id. p. 90. Arles in Gallia the Council there when held and what British Bishops were sent to it l. 2. p. 88. Is made the Imperial Seat of Constantine and called Constantia it was besieged by Gerontius but he was hinder'd from taking it l. 2. p. 103. Armorica now Britain in France l. 1. p. 13. l. 5. p. 287. A Fleet prepared for the Armorican War l. 2. p. 25. The people there refuse to accept Charles King of the Almans for their King l. 5. p. 287. Armour whence arose the Custom of hanging up the Armour of Great Men in Churches as Offerings made to God for the Honour they had gained to themselves or Benefit to their Countrey through his Assistance and Blessing l. 6. p. 57. Army a Lawful one raised by the King for the Defence of the Nation called anciently by the name of Fyrd l. 6. p. 60. Arnulf the Emperor with the Assistance of the French Saxon and Bavarian Horse put the Danish Foot to flight l. 5. p. 298. Arnwy Abbot of Burgh resigns his Dignity by reason of his ill state of health and with the King's License and the Consent of the Monks confers it upon another Monk of that Abbey l. 6. p. 84. Arrian Heresy when it first infested Britain l. 2. p. 106. Arthur what he was King of who was his Father and the many considerable Victories he gained over the Saxons and when he carried the Picture of Christ's Cross and of the Virgin Mary on his back l. 3. p. 134 135. He besieges
224 226. In the Twelfth Year of his Reign fighâ—s against Ethelune the Ealdorman and prevails Id. p. 225. He and Ethelune reconciled and both fight against Ethelbald who fled His Decease and Sigebert his Cousin succeeds to him Id. p. 226. Cuthred King of Kent made King â—hereof by Kenwulf instead of Ethelbert called Praen His Death l. 5. p. 248 251. Cuthwulf or Cutha Brother to Ceawlin fights against the Britains at Bedicanford and takes Four Towns l. 3. p. 145. They both fight against the Britains at a place called Frethanleag where Cutha is slain Id. p. 147. l. 4. p. 159. Cwichelme Brother to Ceawlin his Death l. 3. p. 149. Cwichelme and Cynegils fight with the Britains at Beamdune and there slay Two thousand and forty six men l. 4. p. 166. His Character and how related to Cynegils Id. p. 167. Matthew Westminster's mistake concerning his Death Id. p. 172. Fights with Penda King of Mercia at Cirencester and at last a League is made betwâ—en them Id. p. 174. Is converted and baptized into the Christian Faith and soon after dies Id. p. 179. Cycle of Eighty four years an account of it the uâ—e of which the Romans having left off took up another of nineteen years l 4. p. 160. Cynebald the Bishop resigns his See at Lindisfarne l. 4. p. 232. Cynebryht Bishop of the West-Saxons goes to Rome to take the Habit of a Monk l. 4. p. 242. Cynegils when he began to reign over the West-Saxons and whose Son he was l. 4. p. 166. Vid. Cwichelme His Character Id. p. 167. Fights with Penda at Cirencester and the Success thereof Id. p. 174. The West-Saxons receive the Christian Faith in his Reign and himself too Id. p. 179. Cyneheard succeeds Hunferth in the Bishoprick of Winchester l. 4. p. 226. Cyneheard Aetheling Brother to Sigebert kills Cynwulf l. 4. p. 226 232. Is slain by the Thanes of King Cynewulf and lies buried at Axminster Id. p. 233. Cynoth King of the Picts to whom Alhred King of the Northumbers fled after he was deposed l. 4. p. 230. Cynric fights against the Britains at Searebyrig i. e. Old Sarum and puts them to flight l. 3. p. 142. And at Banbury anciently called Berinbyrig Id. p. 24â— His Death and Ceawlin his Son reigns after him Ibid. Cynric Aetheling a Prince of the Blood-Royal of the West-Saxons is slain Son of Cuthred a great Warrior for his time and how he fell l. 4. p. 225. Cynwulf with the Great Council deposes Sigebert King of the West-Saxons and by thâ—m is unanimously elected King in his room He often overcomes the Britains in fight but at last is slain l. 4. p. 226 227. And Offa King of the Mercians fight at Bensington in Oxfordshire Id. p. 230. Is slain by Cyneheard but he fâ—ll likewise with him Id. p. 232. Buried at Wintencester he was descended from Cerdic Id. p. 233. Vid. Kenwulf D DAgobert King of the French his Death l. 4. p. 217. Dalliance with other men's Wiveâ— the Fine imposed for it by Alfred's Law l. 5. p. 293. Danegelt viz. Seventy two thousand Pounds paid as a Tribute throughout England besides Eleven thousand Pounds more which the Citizens of London paid l. 6. p. 51. Vid. Tribute and Tax It was now by constant Usage become a Prerogative Id. p. 66. This cruel Burthen taken off the Nation by Edward the Confessor and how it came to pass Id. p. 78. What it was and upon what occasion it was first imposed The Church always excused from this Payment till Will Rufus's time Id. p. 100. Danes upon their first arrival in England were forced to fly to their Ships again These and the Normans then looked upon to be but one and the same People l. 4. p. 235. Miserably destroying the Churches of God in Lindisfarne and committing great Ravages Id. p. 238. Destroy Northumberland and rob the Monastery built there by Egbert Id. p. 240. Their Invasion and Conquest of several Principalities till expelled by King Alfred and his Son Edward the Elder when these Kingdoms became united under the general name of England An account of their Invasion both as to its Causes and Instruments by which effected being the fiercest and most cruel that this Island ever felt Id. p. 246. Their Nation in the Saxon Annals called sometimes Northmanna and sometimes Deanscan l. 5. p. 256. They keep the Fiâ—ld at the Battel of Carrum now Charmouth in Dorsetshire from Egbert Id. p. 256. Consultation in a General Council of the whole Kingdom how to prevent their Invasion A great Fleet of them land among the Western-Welsh that is Cornish-Men and fight Egbert Id. p. 257. Danish Pyrates beaten at Southampton by Wulfheard the Ealdorman they fight again and their various Successes Id. p. 258 259. Fight with the Somersetshire and Dorsetshire Men but are miserably worsted Id p. 260. Their several Battels and Successes Id. p. 261 262. They take Winchester from King Ethelbert Id. p. 266. Make a League with the Kentish-men but for all that they waste all the East part of it as knowing they could get more by Plunder than peace A great Army of them land here and take up their Winter-quarters among the East-Angles who are forced to make Peace with them then they march to York Kill the Two Kings there and put to flight the whole Army as well within as without the Town Id. p. 267. Make one Egbert King over the Northumbers though under the Danish Dominion Id. p. 268. Force the Mercians to make Peace with them Id. p. 269. Return to York where they stay Twelve Months and commit horrible Cruelties there and in the Kingdom of the East-Angles which they wholly conquer Id. p. 269 270. Landing in Lincolnshire they spoil all that Country committing Murthers and Desolations without mercy though not without great losses to themselves Id. p. 271 272. The reason of their Invading the Kingdom of the East-Angles Id. p. 272 273. Going into the West-Saxon Kingdom to Reading in Berkshire are routed Id. 274 275. In other places meet with various Successes of good and evil fortune Id. p. 276. Enter into a Peace with the English Saxons to depart the Kingdom which they did not long observe for the next year they land again and take up their Winter-Quarters in London and the Mercians forced to make Pâ—ace with thâ—m They destroy Alcluid in Scotland oblige Burhred King of Mercia to desert his Kingdom and go to Rome and bring the whole Kingdom under their Dominion and Vassalage Id. p. 277. Destroy the whole Countrey of Northumberland and ravag up to Galloway ruin Warham in Dorsetshire a strong Castle of the West-Saxons give Hostages to King Alfred but upon breach of their Oath are all put to death From whence they date their Reign over the King of Northumbers A Hundred and twenty of their Ships cast away in a storm near Swanwick in Hampshire Id. p. 278. Fix their Quarters in West-Saxony and make Aelfred very uneasy Id.
whereby he converted many of the Britains then Subject to the West-Saxons Id. p. 213. Naitan King of the Picts concerns himself about the Celebration of Easter and it is appointed to be kept on the First Sunday after the First Full Moon that follows the Vernal Equinox l. 4. p. 216. Decreed to be kept after the Custom of Rome in a General Synod of the British Nation Id. p. 229. Ordinances touching the Keeping of Easter made at the Second Council of Pinchinhale Id. p. 242 East-Saxons the beginning of this Kingdom 〈◊〉 Erchenwin the Son of Offa according to H. Huntington l. 3. p. 13â— It had London the Chief City of England under its Dominion Ibid. This Kingdom was divided from that of Kent by the River Thames c. l. 4. p. 159. Upon the Death of Sebert his Three Sons whom he left Heirs to the Kingdom all relapse to Paganism and great part of the Nation with them Id. p. 168. But between Thirty and Forty years after at the Instance of King Oswy they again receive the Christian Faith Id. p. 184. Eatta Bishop of the Province of Bernicia had his Episcopal See at Hagulstad l. 4. p. 197. Reckoned to be a very Holy Man Id. p. 215. Ebba a Queen is Converted and Baptized in the Province of the Wectij but what Queen Bede says not l. 4. p. 197. Ebba Abbess of Coldingham-Nunnery in Yorkshire an Heroine Example of Chastity in her and all her Sisters l. 5. p. 269. Eborius Bishop of the City of Eboracum is sent with others to the Council of Arles in Gallia as one of the Deputies for the rest of the Bishops of Britain l. 2. p. 88. Eclipses of the Sun one from early in the Morning till Nine a Clock another where the Stars shewed themselves for near half an hour after Nine in the Morning l. 3. p. 138. Of the Sun which was so great that it 's whole Orb seemed as it were covered with a black Shield Another of the Moon appearing first as stained with Blood which lasted a whole hour and then a Blackness following it returned to its own Colour l. 4. p. 222. One of the Moon From the Cock Crowing till the morning Id. p. 240. One of the Moon In the Second hour of the night 17. Kal. Feb. Id. p. 242. One of the Moon On the 13th Kal. of January l. 5. p. 248. One of the Moon And on the Kal. of September l. 5. p. 248. Of the Sun on the 7th Kal. of August about the fifth hour of the day Id. p. 249. Of the Moon on Christmas-day at night Id. p. 254. Of the Sun About the sixth hour of the day on the Kal. of October Id. p. 260. Of the Sun For one whole hour Id. p. 283. One of the Moon appeared Id. p. 313. Eddobeccus is dispatched away by Constans to the Germans with an Account of Gerontius his Revolt l. 2. p. 103. Edelwalch King of the West-Saxons when he was baptized l. 4. p. 195. Gives Wilfrid Commission to convert and baptize in his Province Id. p. 197. Edgar Son of Edmund and Elgiva afterwards King his Birth l. 5. p. 344. Is elected by the Mercians and Northumbrians their King and confirmed so by the Common Council of the Kingdom Id. p. 354. On the death of his Brother Edwi is elected by the Clergy and Laity King of the West-Saxons and though he was not the first yet he was the best that deserved the Title of First Monarch of all England l. 6. p. 1. And so he stiles himself in his Charter to the Abbey of Glastenbury Id. p. 9. His great Charity and the Nation 's happiness under him Id. p. 2 11. Seven years Penance is imposed upon him by Archbishop Dunstan part of which was That he should not wear his Crown all that time and that for taking a Nun out of a Cloyster and then debauching her Id. p. 3. Harasses North-Wales with War till he forces a Peace upon this Condition That the Tribute in Money should be turned into that of so many Wolves-Heads yearly Id. p. 3 4 11. Grants a New Charter of Confirmation with divers additional Endowments of Lands and Privileges to the Monastery of Medeshamsted Id. p. 5. Marries Ethelfreda or Elfreda Daughter of Ordgar Earl of Devonshire and his Issue by her Id. p. 5 6. Hath an Elder Son by Elfleda sirnamed The â—air Daughter of Earl Eodmar who is called afterwards Edward the Martyr but doubtful whether he was married to her or not Id. p. 6. Places Nuns in the Monastery of Rumsey in Hampshire commands all the Countrey of Thanet to be laid waste and for what reason Ibid. Causes the Chanons to be driven out of all the greatâ—r Monasteries in Mercia and Monks to be put in their places Id. p. 7. Is crowned King in the ancient City of Ackmanceaster called Bathan by the Inhabitants with Remarks about his Coronation then for he was crowned before And founds a new Church at Bangor dedicating it to the Virgin Mary Id. p. 7 8. Six Kings make League with him promising upon Oath their Assistance both by Sea and Land An Account who they were and of his Fleet at West-Chester where they all met him He is the first that was truly Lord of our Seas Id. p. 8. His Death and Burial at Glastenbury and Character The great Kindnesses he shewed to Ethelfreda's first Husband's Son Id. p. 9 10 11. A mighty Lover of the Fair Sex Id. p. 3 5 6 9 10 11. A Famous Instance of his great Courage and Strength though but little of Stature Id. p. 11. His Charter about having subdued all Ireland c. much suspected to be fictitious With this King fell all the Glory of the English Nation Id. p. 12. The Laws he made with the Council by the Consent of his Wise-Men Id. p. 12 13 14. Great Dissention amongst the Nobility after his Death about the Election of a New King Id. p. 15. Edgar sirnamed Aetheling the Son of Prince Edward by Agatha Id. p. 49. Edgar Aetheling how he was put by from the Throne though the only surviving Male of the Ancient Royal Family l. 6. p. 105 106. Is proposed to be made King upon Harold's Death but his Party were not prevalent enough to carry it Id. p. 115 116. Edgitha Daughter of King Egbert is first bred up under an Irish Abbess and then made Abbess her self of the Nunnery of Polesworth l. 5. p. 257. Another of this Name King Athelstan's Sister her Marriage with Sihtric the Danish King of Northumberland and being afterwards a Widow she became a Nun at Polesworth Her Character and the False Story of the Scots upon her Id. p. 330. Edgitha or Editha Daughter of Earl Godwin married to Edward the Confessor a Lady not only Beautiful and Pious but Learned above her Sex in that Age l. 6. p. 72 73 96. An improbable Story of her causing Gospatrick to be murthered upon the Account of her Brother Tostige l. 6. p. 90.
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.
with Archbishop Athelnoth to Rome and there clears himself before the Pope of what he had been accused l. 6. p. 53. Leotheta in French Judith Daughter of Charles the Bald King of the Franks Married to Ethelwulf King of the West-Saxons l. 5. p. 263. Places her by him on his Royal Throne but the Nation would not permit her to be called Queen for there was formerly a Law made against it upon account of a certain wicked Queen called Eadburga Wife to King Brythtric Id. p. 264. Lethard Bishop to Bertha Wife of Ethelbert King of Kent whom she brings over with her from France to assist and strengthen her in the Christian Faith l. 4. p. 153. Levatriae now Bows upon Standmore in Richmondshire l. 2. p. 74. Vid. Stanmore Leutherius or Lothair Bishop of Winchester l. 4. p. 192. Vid. Eleutherius A Grant of Lands from him to build the Abbey of Malmesbury Id. p. 195. Llewelin Prince of North-Wales surely mistastaken and put instead of Howel King of South-Wales l. 5. p. 328. Llewelin ap Sitsylt in Right of his Wife Prince of South-Wales l. 6. p. 27. Raises great Forces against Aedan ap Blegored the Usurper of his Countrey and in a bloody Battel Kills him with his Four Sons His Descent Id. p. 40. After Conan's Death he possesses himself of South-Wales and Governs both the Countries with great Peace and Prosperity Id. p. 51 52. Slain by Howel and Meredith the Sons of Prince Edwin or Owen Id. p. 53. Liblacum signifies the Art of Conjuration or Witchcraft that sort of it particularly called Fascination l. 5. p. 340. Licinius Priscus Propraetor or Lieutenant in this Island in Hadrian's time l. 2. p. 67. Lideford anciently called Hildaford l. 6. p. 26. Lising made Archbishop of Canterbury l. 6. p. 37. Deceases and who succeeds in his room Id. p. 51. Lightning such fell as the Age had never seen before it appeared as if the stars shot from Heaven l. 4. p. 224. l. 5. p. 261. Vid. Miracles and Prodigies Strange kind of Wild-Fire appeared such as none ever remembred and did a great deal of mischief l. 6. p. 56. Limene a River lying from the Eastern part of Kent as far as the East-end of that great Wood called Andred l. 5. p. 299. Lindisfarne an Isle and Episcopal See till that Church was destroyed by the Danes and then the See was removed to Durham l. 3. p. 144. Desired by Aidan of Oswald for his Episcopal See it is a Peninsula except when the Sea quite overflows that Neck of Land which joins it to England l. 4. p. 178 183. Ceolwulf professes himself a Monk in this Monastery who brought great Treasures and Revenues in Land to it Id. p. 223. Eadbert King of Northumberland causes the Cathedral Church to be besieged Id. p. 225. Lindisse the Danes landing at Humberstan spoil all that Countrey l. 4. p. 170. Lindissi now Lincoln l. 4. p. 175. Litchfield anciently called Licetfield l. 4. p. 217. Two Bishops ordained in this Diocess on the Death of Alwin Id. p. 223. Becomes an Archbishoprick the Bishops of the Provinces of the Kingdom of Mercia and the East-Angles subject to it obtained of the Pope by Offa Id. p. 229 233. The Archbishoprick confirm'd by a General Synod of the Kingdom Id. p. 233. Becomes again an ordinary Bishoprick subject to the See of Canterbury Id. p. 235. Living Abbot of Tavistock brings the Letter that Cnute wrote upon his Return from Rome and sent into England the Purport of which is there set down l. 6. p. 55. Succeeded in the Bishopricks of Worcester and Gloucester Id. p. 65. Is accused to King Hardecnute and deprived of his Bishoprick Id. p. 67. Living Bishop of Devonshire that is Exeter deceases and who succeeds him Id. p. 73. London said though without any ground of truth to be called by Brute Troja Nova which in time was changed to Trinobantum or Troynovant l. 1. p. 9. Mellitus made Bishop of London l. 4. p. 159 166. When it had been part of the East-Saxon Kingdom for above One hundred years Id. p. 177. When it suffered great mischief by Fire Id. p. 229. With a great Multitude of its Inhabitants consumed by a sudden Fire Id. p. 242. Taken by the Danes Three hundred of their Ships coming into the Mouth of Thames l. 5. p. 261. Tribute due from the King of Aberfraw to the King of London l. 5. p. 229. l. 6. p. 3. Taken from the Danes by King Alfred who repairs it l. 5. p. 288. The City miserably destroyed by Fire l. 6. p. 21. Besieged by the Danes but they were forced to draw off Id. p. 25. Always gave the Danes an ill Reception Id. p. 34. Becomes subject and gives Hostages to Sweyn the Dane Id. p. 38. Besieged by the Danish Forces both by Land and Sea but God delivers it from their fury Id. p. 46. Submits to the Danes as part of the Mercian Kingdom who take up their Winter-Quarters there Id. p. 48. The flourishing Trade and Wealth of it that in Cnute's time could pay above a seventh part of that excessive Tax of Danegelt which was laid on the whole Nation Id. p. 51. Lords to have none of the Intestate's Goods but what is due to them as a Heriot l. 6. p. 59. Lord's-Day if any Servant do then any work by his Master's order he shall be free and his Master fined Thirty Shillings but if he does it of his own accord he shall be beaten c. The Punishment of a Freeman or Priest that worketh on that day l. 4. p. 208 211. l. 5. p. 285. Strictly observed in the Saxon times l. 4. p. 209. No Market to be held on this day under Penalty of the Wares and a Mulct of Thirty Shillings besides by King Athelstan's twenty fourth Law l. 5. p. 341. Edgar's Law for keeping this day like the Jewish Sabbath l. 6. p. 13. Lord's-Prayer Vid. Creed Lothaire King of Kent his Death l. 4. p. 202. Lothair Nephew of Bishop Agelbert takes on him the Episcopal Charge over the West-Saxons l. 4. p. 192. Lothebroc descended from the Royal Family in Denmark the story of his coming hither into Norfolk and being killed by King Edmund's Huntsman the Body found out by his own Greyhound l. 5. p. 272 273. Lots none to be cast for deciding of Civil Controversies l. 4. p. 234. Lucius succeeds his Father Coil the Tributary King of the Britains is called Lees sirnamed by the Britains Lever-Maur that is the Great Light l. 2. p. 68. In the beginning of Commodus his Reign he sends to Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome desiring by his means to be made a Christian Id. p. 68 69. But the story seems to be of very suspicious credit Id. p. 69. His Conversion when it happened Ibid. Had Regal Authority under the Romans in some part of this Island Id. Ib. Lucullus Salustius Legate of Britain in the days of Domitian l. 2. p. 65. Ludgate received its name from King Lud
in Britain and from a Heathen Temple was turned into a Christian Church l. 4. p. 157. It had been before the Old ruinous Church of St. Martin without the City of Canterbury Id. p. 163. Papinian the Great Lawyer helping Geta to Govern the South part of this Island l. 2. p. 75. Bassianus would have had him wrote a Defence of his Murthering his Brother Geta but his sharp reply to him cost him his Life Id. p. 79. Pardon Vid. Prerogative Paris the University there when first Erected by whom and by what means l. 4. p. 244. The Danes passing up the River Seine take up their Winter-Quarters there l. 5. p. 287. Parish-Feasts in several parts of England to this day Their Antiquity l. 6. p. 99. Parker the Archbishop Author of the Latin History de Antiquitate Ecclesiae Anglicanae l. 4. p. 165. Parliament King Ethelbert confirms there all the Charters of Endowment on christ-Christ-Church and that of St. Pancrace in Canterbury l. 4. p. 163. Parliament Men to have no Injury done them but the Party shall be Fined for it Ibid. Egbert changed the Name of this Kingdom into that of England by the Consent of his Parliament held at Winchester l. 5. p. 247. Where the Great Men of the Kingdom were wont of course to attend at the King's Court to Consult and Ordain what was good and necessary for the Common-Weal Id. p. 261. Paschalis the Pope succeeds Stephanus and is Consecrated l. 5. p. 251. Pasham in Northamptonshire anciently called Passenham l. 5. p. 322. Patern a Preacher at Llan Patern in Cardiganshire l. 3. p. 149. Paulinus a Roman Consecrated by Justus to be Bishop of the Northumbers l. 4. p. 171. Is sent as a Spiritual Guide and Guardian with Ethelburga to the Court of King Edwin where he is Instructed in the Principles of the Christian Faith Id. p. 172. Converts his Chief Idol-Priest and several of the Nobles Is the first Bishop of York Edwin settling the Episcopal See there Spent a Month at Adefrin in doing scarce any thing else but Catechising and Baptizing Id. p. 173 174. Converts Blecca the Governor of Lincoln with all his Family to the Faith Has an Archiepiscopal Pall sent him by Pope Honorius and be Ordains one of that Name Archbishop of Canterbury Id. p. 175. Takes on him the care of the Church of Rochester Id. p. 176. His Death at Rochester and who succeeded him Id. p. 181. St. Paul's Church at London is caused to be Built by King Sebert l. 4. p. 159. Burnt in the Reign of King Edgar and soon after Rebuilt l. 6. p. 4. Paulus a Notary sent into Britain a Malicious Inquisitor and his great Oppressions there l. 2. p. 89. He is Burnt alive by the Command of Julian the Emperor Ibid. Peace of the King Alfred's Law concerning the keeping it and the Punishment in breaking it l. 5. p. 292 295. All People bound to keep the Peace l. 6. p. 58. Stated times and days appointed for the more strict observance of it l. 6. p. 99. Or Protection granted to Persons and Places and at certain times and it is manifold as the particulars there shew Id. p. 100. What this was to free Persons from Id. p. 101. Those who have it not to injure others under a double Penalty the particular Mulcts or Penalties of those who violate it Id. p. 103. Vid. Pledge Protection Suretyship Peace or League agreed on and confirmed by Oath between Eardulf King of the Northumbers and Kenwulf King of Mercia by the Intercession of King Egbert l. 5. p. 248. Concluded on Hostages and Oaths being mutually exchanged between Edmund Ironside and King Cnute with the particularities of it l. 6. p. 47. made between Edward the Confessor and Earl Godwin Id. p. 81 82 83. Vid. League Peadda Son of Penda desiring Alfreda the Daughter of Oswy to his Wife and not being able to obtain her unless he turned to the Christian Faith he voluntarily accepted it l. 4. p. 183 184. Held the Province of South-Mercia divided from the Northern by the River of Trent to be held as Tributary to the Northumbrian Kingdom At last is slain by the Treachery of his Wife Id. p. 186. Pecuniary Fines Vid. Punishments Pedidan or Pendrid's Mouth the River Parret in Somersetshire where a great Battel was fought between these and the Dorsetshire-men and the Danes l. 5. p. 260 301. Pelagius a British Monk when he first broached his Heresy l. 2. p. 107. The Britains being averse to receive it send for Bishops out of France and a publick Disputation was agreed on between them and the Hereticks and the success the Bishops had Ibid. Vid. Heresy Pen in Somersetshire by the Saxons called Peanhoe and Peonnan l. 6. p. 28 45. Penda King of the Mercians is overcome by Cadwallo l. 4. p. 176. Fights a great Battel with Oswald who is therein slain Id. p. 180. Hates and despises those professing the Christian Faith whom he found not to live answerably to it Id. p. 184. His Death with the manner how Id. p. 185. Had been the Death of Four or Five Christian Kings in Battel Ibid. Pentarchy when the Kingdom was rent into it l. 1. p. 12. Pentecost-Castle where is not known l. 6. p. 81. Took it's Name from one Osbern Sirnamed Pentecost Id. p. 82. Penvahel in the Pict's Tongue in English Penvellum where l. 2. p. 100. Pepin King of the Franks makes a League with Eadbert King of Northumberland and sends him great Presents l. 4. p. 228. His Death Id. p. 229. Perennis in highest Power with Commodus the Emperor sets only men of the Equestrial Order to Command the British Army their Complaint and his Punishment l. 2. p. 70. Perjury if any in Holy Orders Perjure themselves what the Punishment l. 5. p. 284. No Credit to be given to any one that is Perjured c. Id. p. 325. Some justly punished for it by being put to Death l. 6. p. 49. Pertinax Helvius made Lieutenant of Britain by Commodus but not long enjoys it l. 2. p. 70 71. Created Emperor but within Three Months is slain by the Praetorian Bands l. 2. p. 72. Pestilence Vid. Plague Peter a Monk and Lawrence sent by Augustine to the Pope and about what Message l. 4. p. 155. Vid. Lawrence A Presbyter first Abbot of the Monastery towards the East not far from the City of Canterbury Id. p. 157. Is drowned going on a Message into France Id. Ib. Peterburgh Abbey an Account of its Foundation with the form and manner of erecting it as also its Consecration l. 4. p. 186 187. Peter-pence viz. a Penny to be paid to the Bishop of Rome from every House in the Kingdom first given by King Ina but the truth of it suspected unless granted by the Mycel-Synod or Great Council of the Kingdom l. 4. p. 219. A perpetual Tribute granted by King Offa to the Pope out of Every house in his Kingdom but however the Kingdom was not made Tributary to him
and to whom l. 5. p. 293. Trumbrith or Trumbert when consecrated Bishop of Hagulstade l. 4. p. 201. Trumwin consecrated Bishop of the Picts this was the Bishoprick of Wyterne called in Latin Candida Casa l. 4. p. 201. Trutulensis a Port supposed by Mr. Somner to be Richborough near Sandwich l. 2. p. 63. Tryals the Antiquity of them by a Grand Inquest of more than Twelve men l. 6. p. 43. Tuda Bishop of Lindisfarne dies of the Plague and where buried l. 4. p. 189 190. Tudric King of Glamorgan said to have exchanged his Crown for a Hermitage but afterwards going out of it against the Saxons in the defence of his Son Mouric he received a mortal Wound l. 3. p. 148 149. Tudwall Gloff or the Lame why he was so called l. 5. p. 317. Turkytel a Danish Earl owns King Edward the Elder for his Lord l. 5. p. 319. Goes into France with King Edward's leave and Convoy with what Danes would follow him Id. p. 320. The Chancellor his great Valour and Slaughter of Constantine and Anlaff's Army and his narrow Escape from being killed by them Id. p. 335 336. Afterwards he was Abbot of the Abbey of Croyland Id. p. 336 349. Sent Ambassador by King Edred to the Northumbers to reduce them to their Duty Id. p. 349. Carries Archbishop Oskytel his Kinsman's Body to Bedford to be buried l. 6. p. 7. His Death Id. p. 12. Turne-Island formerly called the Isle of Medcant l. 3. p. 146. Turpilianus Petronius sent in Paulinus Suetonius his room as being more exorable to the Britains l. 2. p. 51. Twelfhind-man one that is worth Twelve hundred Shillings of Estate l. 5. p. 346. Twihind-man one worth Two hundred Shillings of Estate they both to join together to apprehend a Thief if known where he is Id. Ib. Tyrants said to be justly removed for being the Occasion of the Destruction of the Military Forces of their Kingdom l. 5. p. 253. Tythes to be paid according to the Scriptures The first Decree of any Council in England concerning the Payment of them and that declares them to be of Divine Right l. 4. p. 234. Aethelwulfe's famous and solemn Grant of them which was the first General Law that ever was made in a Mycel Synod of the whole Kingdom for their Payment Id. p. 263. Edgar's Law concerning them and First-Fruits l. 6. p. 13. Edward the Confessor's Laws concerning what things small Tythes shall be paid out of Id. p. 100. Tythings when Counties were first thus divided by King Alfred l. 5. p. 291. Every man of free Condition obliged to enter himself into some Tything l. 6. p. 58 104. V VAcancy of the Throne in Edwi's time for above a year and what Enormities were committed during that time l. 5. p. 354. Valentia who ordered the Northern Province of Britain to be for the future called Valentia and why l. 2. p. 93. In France defended by Constantine against Honorius Id. p. 102. Valentinian chosen Emperor by the Army at Nice in Bythinia and not long after declares Valens his Brother Partner in the Empire l. 2. p. 91. Is again restored to the Empire of the West by Theodosius but held it not long for he was strangled by Arbogastes at Vienne in Gallia Id. p. 97. Valentinus plotting with some Soldiers against Theodosius they were seized and delivered to Dulcitius to be put to death l. 2. p. 93. Valerianus Pub. Licinius Emperor is made the Footstool of the Tyrant Sapores King of Persia for seven years then flead alive and so died l. 2. p. 81. Valuation The Valuation of mens Heads fâ—om the King 's down to the Countreyman's l. 5. p. 341 342. Vectius Bolanus succeeds Trebellius Maximus in the Government of Britain l. 2. p. 53. Could not attempt any thing on the Britains because of the Factions of the Army Id. p. 54. Venedoti and Daemetae the Inhabitants of Wales l. 2. p. 85. l. 3. p. 139. Venutius a Prince of the Jugantes l. 2. p. 45. Is highly provoked by the Injuries of Queen Cartismandua his Wife he takes up Arms against the Romans she dâ—spises him and embraces an Adulterer Id. Ib. This War is supposed to have begun in Nero's time Id. p. 46. But is carried on against the Romans evâ—n till and in the time of tbe Emperor Vitellius Id. p. 54. Veranius wastes the Silures by many small Iâ—cursions a man of great Vanity and Ambition as appears by his Last Will l. 2. p. 46. Verulam that is St. Albans the Great Council which was held there l. 4. p. 239. Vespasian Flavius afterwards Emperor partly under Claudius partly under Plautius fights thirty Battels with the Britains l. 2. p. 39 41. Brings two powerful Nations and above twenty Towns with the Isle of Wight under his subjection Id. p. 41. Titus his Son serving under him as a Tribune is much renowned for his Valour Id. Ib. Succeeds Vitellius who was deposed about the Tenth Month of his Reign Id. p. 54. His Death when Id. p. 56. Vespatian Titus succeeds and rather exceeds than equals his Father in Valour and Worth l. 2. p. 56. For the great Atchievements of Agricola he was fifteen times saluted Imperator or General is stiled The Delight of Mankind but yet dies as suspected by Poyson Id. p. 57. A Cohort of his having slain a Centurion and other Soldiers deserted and went to Sea turning Pyrates where ever they landed but at last the Suevians and Frisians took and sold them as Pyrates Id. p. 59. Uffa the Eighth King from Woden and First of the East-Angles l. 3. p. 149. Gets himself made sole King and governs with that Glory that it is said the Kings descending from him were called Uffings How long he reigned uncertain Id. Ib. Vice-Domini that is the Governors of Provinces divided by King Alfred into two Offices viz. Judges and Sheriffs l. 5. p. 291. Victor elected Pope in the room of Leo that holy Bishop of Rome l. 6. p. 85. His Decease and who succeeded him Id. p. 87. Victorinus a Roman Governor in Britain l. 2. p. 104. Vienne a City in Dauphine where Constans was slain l. 2. p. 103. Villain if he wrought on Holidays he was to satisfy it with his skin that is by whipping or pay his Head-gild c. l. 5. p. 285. Villains great and prosperous ones often meet with the Punishment they deserveâ— as well the Actors as Contrivers l. 2. p. 96. Virgilius the Scoâ—ish Abbot his Decease l. 5. p. 312. Virgins Geoffrey of Monmouth's Story of Ursula's being sent over to Britain and Eleven thousand Noble Virgins to attend her besides sixty thousand of meaner condition she to be bestowed on Conan and the rest on the other Britains and their End l. 2. p. 96 97. Vitalian the Pope confirms by his Bull King Wulfher's Charter to the Abbey of Medeshamsted l. 4. p. 187. This Bull is confirmed by Pope Agatho Id. p. 200. Ulfkytel the Ealdorman his sharp Engagement with the Danes and the
England called Wales where we find in the Chronicle of Caradoc That this Year Anarawd chief King of Wales died leaving behind him two Sons Edwal Ugel i. e. the Bald who Reigned after him and Elise and as some say a third Son named Meyric This Edwal is he whom our Historians stile Idwal Rex omnium Wallensium i. e. Supreme King of all Wales And I shall here likewise subjoyn what Mr. Vaughan in his Notes upon this Chronicle hath also added concerning the Welsh Affairs during the Reign of this Prince thô happening somewhat before this time viz. That after the Death of Roderic the Great the Northern Britains of Straetclwyd and Cumberland were as Hector Boetius and Buchanan relate much infested and weakened with the daily Incursions of the Danes Saxons and Scots which made many of them that is all that would not submit their Necks to that Yoke to quit their Country and seek out more quiet Habitations so that under the Conduct of one Hobert they came to Gwyneth i. e. North Wales in the beginning of Anarawd's Reign who commiserating their distressed Condition gave them the Country from Chester to the River Conwey to inhabit if they could beat out the Saxons who had lately possessed themselves thereof These Britains having returned Thanks to Prince Anarawd as was meet fell upon the Saxons and Necessiry giving edge to their Valour they soon drove them out thence being yet scarce warm in their Seats and Edred or Ethered Earl of Mercia made great Preparations for the regaining of the said Country But the Northern Britains who had settled themselves there having Intelligence thereof for the better securing of their Cattle and Goods removed them over the River Conwey In the mean time Anarawd was not idle but gathering together all the Strength he could make his Army encamped near the Town of Conwey at a place called Cymryt where his Men making a gallant Resistance against the Assaults of the Saxon Forces at length after a bloody Fight obtained a compleat Victory over them This Battle was called Gwaeth Cymryt Conwey because it was fought in the Township of Cymryt hard by Conwey but Anarawd called it Dial Rodri because he had there revenged the Death of his Father Rodri. In this Battle Tudwal the Son of Rodri Mawr received a Hurt in the Knee which made him be called Tudwall Gloff or The Lame ever after His Brethren to reward his Valour and Service gave him the Lands of Unchellogoed Gwynned and then the Britains pursuing their Victory chased the Saxons quite out of Wales into Mercia where having burnt and destroyed the Borders they returned home laden with rich Spoils And Anarawd to express his Thankfulness to GOD for this great Victory gave Lands and Possessions to the Church of Bangor as the Records of that See do testifie and likewise to the Collegiate Church of Clynnoc in Arvon as we read in the Extent of North Wales After this the Northern Britains came back from beyond the River Conwey and possessed again the Lands assigned to them between Conwey and Chester which for a long time after they peaceably enjoyed Some English Writers as Mat. Westminster c. not considering that the Britains had Lands in Loegria and Albania after King Cadwalader's time mistake those of Cumberland and Straetclwyd for the Britains of Wales but Asser Menev. who lived about the year 875 saith That Halden the Dane marched into Northumberland which he subdued having before conquered the Picts and Britains of Straetclwyd in Northumberland I have given you this Relation at length because it is not found in any of our Historians and it â—ets us see that the English as well as the Wâ—lsh have been very sparing to record their own Defeats But to return again to our History About this time according to the Copy of a Charter of King Edward extant in an old Manuscript belonging to Clare Hall in Cambridge He by the Command of Pope John and Arch-Bishop Plegmund and by the Advice of all the Bishops and Chief Men of his Kingdom confirmed to the Doctors and Scholars of Cambridge as also to their Servants all Priviledges which had been granted by himself or his Predecessours for ever to endure by a perpetual Right This Charter bears Date at Grantecester i. e. Cambridge in the Year 915 and is directed to Frithestan then Chancellor and Doctor But if Sir John Spelman thought he had Reason to suspect the Truth of that Passage we have cited out of Asser's History of the Life of King Alfred concerning the Studium or School at Oxford before King Alfred's time our Antiquaries may have as much if not more Reason to question the Truth of this Charter since the Original of it is not to be found but only this Transcript in the Book above cited for they say it looks very improbable that Cambridge should have continued an University during all the time of the Danish Wars and under the Possession of those three Danish Kings the last of whom enjoyned it till the latter end of this King's Reign as appears by our present History And besides all this the barbarous and pedantic Latine at the Conclusion of this Charter where the King is made to confirm it in these Words Stabili jure grata rata decerno durare quamdiu vertigo Poli circa terras atque Aequora Aethera Syderum justo moderamine volvet Which seems to betray the ignorant Monk's Pen that counterfeited it but John Rouse in his Manuscript History De Regibus Angliae cited by Bale relates from an ancient Table and Chronicle of the Abbey of Hyde near Winchester which himself by the Favour of the Abbot had perused the Restoration of the University of Cambridge by King Edward as follows Therefore for the Augmenration of Clerk-like Learning as his Father had done to Oxford so he again raised up Cambridge to her first Glory which for a long time with other general Schools had lain desolate and destroyed as also like a most loving Nourisher of Scholars he commanded that Halls for Students Chairs and Seats of Doctors and Masters should there be erected and built at his own proper Charges for he sent from Oxford University which his Noble Father the King had founded Masters of those Arts which we call Liberal together with Doctors in Divinity and invited them there formally to Read and Teach But since the Author here cited is but of modern Times in comparison to this famous University and also that Passage he hath cited out of the Annals of Hyde is not now to be found in the Copies we have of them I shall give the Reader a much more ancient Testimony out of Tho. Rudborn's larger History of the Church of Winchester where he cites an Epistle of one Bonagratia de Villa Dei to the Black Monks of England wherein there is this Passage which I shall here Translate viz. That whilst he was banished from his Country into