5.92. Adelſtane.
Adelſtane.
[figure appears here on page 223]
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1 ADelſtane,Adel|ſtane. the eldeſt ſonne of king Edward began his
reigne ouer the more parte of all EEBO page image 224 Englande,Mat. VVest. VVil. Mal. 924.
the yeare of our Lorde .924. whiche was in the .vj. yeare of the
Emperor Henry the firſt, in the .31. yeare of the reigne of Charles,
ſur|named Simplex, king of France .3. moneths after the burning of
Pauie, & about the .22. or .23. yeare of Conſtantine the third king
of Scotlande.
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1 This Adelſtan was crowned
and ſacred king at Kingſton vpon Thames of Adelme the Archbi|ſhop of
Canterbury, which ſucceded Pleymond. He was the .xxiiij. king in number from
Cerdi|cius or Cerdik the firſt king of the
Weſtſaxons.
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1 There were in the
beginning ſome yt ſet them ſelues againſt him,Alfred
ſtriueth in vayn to kepe Athelſtan from the gouernmẽt. as one
Alfred a noble mã whi+che practiſed by treaſon, to haue kept him frõ the
gouernmẽt: but he was apprehended ere he could bring his purpoſe to paſſe,
& ſente to Rome there to trie himſelf giltie or not guiltie.VVil. Malm. And as he toke his othe for his purgation
before ye aultar of ſaint Peter,See more here|of in the
booke of Actes and Monumentes ſet foorth by M. Foxe vol. 1. leafe
.195. he ſodenly fel down to the earth, ſo that his ſeruants toke him vp & bare him vnto the
engliſh ſchoole or hoſpitall, where the thirde night after he died.
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1 Pope Iohn the .x. ſent
vnto king Adelſtane to know if he wold that his bodie ſhould be layde in
chriſtian burial or not. The king at the contem|plation of Alfreds frends
& kinſfolks, ſignified to the Pope that he was contented that his
bodye ſhuld be enterred amongſt other chriſtians. His lands being forfaited
were giuen by ye king vnto God &
S. Peter. The cauſe yt moued Alfred and other his cõplices againſt the
king, was (as ſome haue aledged) his baſtardie. But whether that al|legation
wer true, or but a ſlander, this is certain that except that ſtain of his
honor there was no|thing in this Adelſtan worthy of blame: So that he
darkned all the glorious fame of his predeceſ|ſors both in vertuous
conditions & victorious tri|umphs. Such difference is there to haue
that in himſelfe wherein to excell, rather than to ſtande vpon the
worthineſſe of his aunceſters, ſith that
can not rightly be called his.
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1
2 After that K. Adelſtane
was eſtabliſhed in the eſtate, he endeuored himſelf to anſwer the
expec|tation of his people, which hoped for great welth to enſue by his
noble & prudent gouernãce:
Anno. 925. Si. Dunelm. Polyd. Fyrſt therfore meaning to
prouide for the ſuretie of his countrey, he cõcluded a peace with Sithricus
K. of the Northũbers, vnto whõ as ye haue hearde, he gaue one of his
ſiſters named Editha in mari|age. Sithrike liued not paſt one yere after he
had ſo maried hir.VV.
Mal. And thẽ Adelſtan brought the pro|uince of the Northũbers
vnto his ſubiection, ex|pelling one Aldulph out of the ſame yt rebelled
a|gainſt him. Ther be ye write, that Godfrey & Au|lafe the ſonnes
of Sithrike ſucceding their father in the gouernment of Northũberland, by
practi|ſing to moue war againſt king Adelſtane, occa|ſioned him to inuade
their coũtrey, and to chaſe them out of the ſame, ſo that Aulaf fled into
Ir [...]|land & Godfrey into Scotlãd: but other write,H. H [...]t. ye Godfrey was the father of Reignold, which was Yorke,
after that Sithrike had ſlaine his brother Nigellus, as before is
mencioned.
H. Boeti [...]. The [...] vvrite [...]
[...] from our En|gliſh author Beatrice [...]. The Scottiſh chronicles vary in report of theſe matters
from ye engliſh writers: whoſe chronicles affirm, yt in the life time of
K. Edwarde his daughter Beatrice, was giuen in mariage to Sithrike, the
gouernor of the Danes in Northumberland, with condi|tion, that if any iſſue
male were procreate of that mariage, the ſame ſhuld inherite the dominions
of K. Edward after his deceaſe. Kyng Edward had a brother (as they ſay)
named Edwyn,Edvvyn [...] not brother of K. Edvv. but to him. a ioy|ly Gentleman, and
of great eſtimation amongſt the Engliſhmen. He by Sithrikes procurement was
ſent into Flaunders in a ſhip that leaked, & ſo was drowned, to the
greate reioycing of all the Danes, leaſt if he had ſuruiued his brother, hee
woulde haue made ſome buſineſſe for the crowne.
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1 About the ſame time
Adelſtã a baſe ſon of K. Edw. fled ye realme for doubt to be made away by
ſome like trayterous practiſe of the Danes.Athelſtã [...] the realme. Shortly after K. Edward vnderſtanding ye
Si|thrik went about ſome miſchef toward him, per|ſuaded his daughter to
poyſon hir huſbande the ſayd Sithrike. Then Aulaffe or Aualaſſus, and
Godfrey the ſonnes of Sithrike, finding out by diligent examination, yt
Beatrice was of coun|ſell in poyſoning hir huſband, they cauſed hir to be
apprehended and put to death on this wyſe:
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1 She was ſette naked vpon
a Smythes colde Anuylde or ſtythie,Beatrice [...] death by his ſtepſonnes. and therewith harde roſted egges
being taken foorth of the hot ymbers were putte vnder hir arme pittes, and
hir armes faſte bounde to hir bodie with a corde, and ſo in that ſtate ſhe
remayned till hir life paſſed from hir.
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1
2 K. Edward in reuenge of
his daughters death moued war againſt the two brethren, Aulaf and Godfrey,
& in battail finally vãquiſhed them, but was ſlain in the ſame
battail himſelf. Thus haue the Scotiſh chronicles recorded of theſe matters
as an induction to the warres which folowed be|twixt the Scots and Danes as
confederates a|gainſt K. Adelſtan: but for the truth thereof we leaue to the
readers own iudgement. For in oure engliſhe writers we finde no ſuche
matter, but that a daughter of King Edward named Ead|githa or Editha, after
hir fathers deceaſſe was by hir brother King Athelſtane, about the firſte
yeare of his reigne giuen in mariage (as before ye haue hearde) vnto the
foreſayde Sithrike king of Northumberland, that was deſcended of the Daniſhe
bloud, who for the loue of the young Ladie, renounced his Heatheniſhe
religion, and became a chriſtian, but ſhortely after, forſakyng bothe hys
wyfe, and the chriſtian faythe hee EEBO page image 225 ſet vppe againe
the worſhipping of Idols, and within a while after, as an Apoſtata,
miſerably ended his life. Wherevpon, the yong Lady, hir virginitie being
preſerued,Editha a Virgin. and hir body
vndefy|led (as they write) paſſed the reſidue of hir dayes at Polleſworth in
Warwikeſhire, ſpendyng hir time as the ſame writers affirme, in faſting,
wat|ching, praying, and doing of almes deedes, and ſo at length departed out
of this world.
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1
2
3 Thus our writers differ
from the Scottiſh hi|ſtory, both in name
& maner of end as concerning that daughter of K. Edwarde, that was
coupled in marriage with Sithrike. But now to returne where we left. After
that Kyng Adelſtane hadde ſubdued them of Northumberland, hee was
ad|uertiſed, that not onely Conſtantine Kyng of Scottes, but alſo Hudvale or
Howell Kyng of Wales, wente about a priuie conſpiracy agaynſt him.VVil. Malm. Heerevppon with all conuenient ſpeede
aſ|ſembling his power, he wente againſt them, and with like good fortune ſubdued them bothe, and alſo Vimer
or Wulferth K. of North wales, ſo that they were conſtreyned to ſubmit
themſelues vnto him, who ſhortly after moued with pitie in conſidering their
ſuddayne fall, reſtored them all three to their former eſtates,
Mat. VVeſt. 926 The noble ſaying of king Athelſtane. VV.
Mal.
but ſo as they ſhould acknowledge themſelues to gouerne vnder hym,
pronouncing with all this notable ſaying, that more honorable it was to make
a King, than to be a King. Ye muſt vnderſtand, that as it appea|reth
by the Scottiſh Chronicles, the
Scottiſhmẽ in time of the warres that the Danes made to ye Engliſh nation,
gote a parte of Cumberland and other the North countreys into their
poſſeſſion, and ſo by reaſon of their neere adioyning to the confines of the
Engliſhe Kings, there chaunced occaſions of warre betwixte them, as well in
the days of Kyng Edward, as of this Adelſtane hys ſonne, although indeede
the Danes held the more part of the North countreys, till that this
Adel|ſtane conquered the ſame out of their
hands, and ioyned it vnto other of his dominions, conſtrey|ning as well the
Danes (of whom the more part of the inhabitãts then conſiſted) as alſo the
Eng|liſhmen, to obey him as their King and gouer|nour.
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1
Polidor.Godfrey as is ſaide, being fled to the
Scots, did ſo much there by earneſt ſute made to Kyng Conſtantine, that hee
gote a power of men, and entring with the ſame into Northumberlande,
beſieged the Citie of Dureſme,
ſoliciting the Ci|tizens to receyue him, whiche they woulde gladly haue
done, if they had not perceyued how he was not of power able to reſiſt the
puiſſance of Kyng Adelſtane: and therefore doubting to be puniſhed for their
offences if they reuolted, they kept the e|nimies out.
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1
2
3
4
934King Adelſtane beeyng ſore moued agaynſte the
King of Scottes, that thus ayded his eni|mies, rayſed an army, and wente
Northwarde, purpoſing to reuenge that iniurie. At his com|ming into
Yorkſhire, hee turned out of the way,Ran. Higd. to
viſit the place where Saint Iohn of Beuerley was buryed, and ther offered
his knife, promiſing that if he returned with victory, he would redeme the
ſame with a worthy price: and ſo proceeded foorth on his iourney, &
entring Scotland,Sim. Dun. waſted the countrey by
land vnto Dunfoader, and Wer|termore, and his Nauie by Sea deſtroyed the
coaſtes alongſt the ſhore, euen to Catneſſe, and ſo he brought the King of
Scottes and other hys enimies vnto ſubiection at his pleaſure,The Scottes ſubdued. conſtrey|ning the ſame King of
Scottes to deliuer vnto him his ſonne in hoſtage. It is ſayde, that beyng in
his iourney neere vnto the Towne of Dun|barre, he prayed vnto God, that at
the inſtance of Saint Iohn of Beuerley, it would pleaſe him to graunt, yt
he might ſhew ſome open token, wher|by it ſhould appeare to all them that
then lyued, & ſhould hereafter ſucceede, that the Scottes ought to
be ſubiect vnto ye kings of Englãd.A token ſhe|wed
miracu|louſly that Scottes ought to be ſubiect to the Kings of
England. And there|with the King with his ſword ſmote vpõ a great
ſtone ſtanding neere to the Caſtel of Dunbarre, & with the ſtroke,
there appeared a clift in the ſame ſtone to the length of an elme, whiche
remayned to be ſhewed as a witneſſe of ye thing many yeres after. At his
comming backe to Beuerley, hee re|deemed his knife with a large price, as
before hee had promiſed. After this,VVil. Mal. Mat.
VVeſt. 934
was Edwin the Kings brother accuſed of ſome conſpiracie by him
be|gun againſt the K. whervpõ he was baniſhed the land, and ſent out in an
old rotten veſſell without rower or Marriner, onely accompanied with one
Eſquire, ſo that beeing launched foorth from the ſhore, through very
diſpaire Edwin lept into the Sea, and drowned himſelfe, but the Eſquire that
was with him recouered his body, and broughte it to land at Withſand beſides
Canterbury. But Iames Maier in the annales of Flanders ſayth, that hee was
drowned by fortune of the Seas, beeyng in a ſmall veſſell, and caſt vp into
a creeke on the coaſt of Picardie, was founde by Adolph Earle of Bulleigne
that was his couſin ger|mayne, and honorably buryed by the ſame A|dolph in
the Churche of Bertine: for the whyche deede of pietie and dutie of mindfull
conſanguini|tie, the Kyng of Englande both hartily thanked Earle Adolph, and
beſtowed greate giftes vppon the Church where his brother was thus buryed.
For verily King Adelſtane after his diſpleaſure was aſſuaged,Repentance too late. and hearing of this miſerable
ende of his brother, ſore repented hymſelfe of his ri|gour ſo extended
towardes him, in ſo muche that he coulde neuer abide the man that had giuen
the information againſt him, which was his cupbea|rer, ſo that one time as
the ſaide cupbearer ſerued EEBO page image 226 him at the Table, and
came towardes him with a cuppe of wine, one of his feete chaunced to ſlide,
but hee recouered himſelfe with the help of the o|ther foote, ſaying, one
brother yet hathe holpe and ſuccoured the other: whiche wordes coſt him hys
life: for the King remembring that by his accu|ſation he had loſt his
brother that might haue bin an ayd to him, cauſeth his ſaid cupbearer
ſtraight wayes to be put to death.
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1
2
[...]Vil. Malm.In this meane while, Aulafe the ſonne of
Si|thericke, late King of Northumberland
(who is alſo named by Writers to be King of the Iriſh|men, and of many
Ilands) aſſembled a great po|wer of Danes, Iriſhmẽ, Scottes, and other
peo|ple of the out Iles, and embarqued them in .615. Shippes, and Crayers,
with the whiche he arri|ued in the mouthe of Humber, and there com|ming on
lande, beganne to inuade the countrey. Thys Aulafe had married the daughter
of Con|ſtantine Kyng of Scottes,
937
[...]mon Dun. by whoſe procuremẽt notwithſtanding his late ſubmiſſion, Aulafe tooke in hand
this iourney. King Adelſtane aduertiſed of his enimies arriuall, gathered
his people, and with all conuenient ſpeede haſted towards them, and
approching neere vnto them, pight downe his fielde at a place called by ſome
Brimeſbury, by other Brimeſ [...]ord,
[...]. Hunt. [...]Vil. Malm. [...]at. VVeſt. [...]ec. Boetius. [...]n. Higd.
[...]lafe diſgui| [...]d, commeth [...] view t [...]e [...]gliſh camp. and alſo Brimaubright, and by the Scottiſh
Writers Browmingfielde. When knowledge hereof was had in the enimies camp,
Aulafe enterpriſed a maruellous exployte,
for taking with him an harpe, hee campe into the Engliſhe campe, offering
himſelfe, diſguiſed as a minſtrell, to ſhewe ſome parte of his cunning in
muſicke vpon his inſtrument: and ſo being ſuffe|red to paſſe from Tente to
Tente, and admitted alſo to play afore the Kyng, ſurueyghed ye whole ſtate
and order of the army. This done, he retur|ned, meaning by a cammiſado to
ſet vpõ ye kings Tente. But one that had ſerued as a Souldiour ſometime
vnder Aulafe, chanced by markyng his
demeanor, to knowe him, and after he was gone, vttered to the King what he
knewe. The Kyng ſemed to be diſpleaſed, in that he had not told him ſo
mu [...]h before Aulafes departure: but in excuſing himſelfe, the Souldiour
ſayde, yee muſt remem|ber if it like your grace, that the ſame fayth which I
haue giuen vnto you, I ſometime ought vnto Aulafe therefore if I ſhoulde
haue betrayed hym now you might wel ſtand in doubt leaſt I ſhuld heereafter
do the like to you: but if you wil follow
myne aduice, remooue your Tente, leaſt happily he aſſayle you vnwares. The
Kyng did ſo, and as it chaunced in the nyght following, commeth Aulafe to
aſſayle the Engliſh Camp, and by for|tune comming to the place where the
Kings Tent before ſtoode,Aulafe aſſay| [...]
[...] the Eng| [...]h camp [...]. he found a Biſhoppe lodged, which with his company was
come the ſame day to the army, and hadde pight vp his Tent in that place
from whence the King was remoued: and ſo was the ſame Biſhoppe, and moſt
parte of his men there ſlaine. Which ſlaughter executed, Au|lafe paſſed
forward, and came to the Kings Tẽt, who in this mean time, by reaſon of the
Alarme raiſed, was gote vp, and taking to him his ſword in that ſuddayne
fright, by chance it fell out of the ſcabbard, ſo that he could not finde
it, but calling to God and S. Aldelme, as ſaith Polichron.Ran. Higd. his ſword was reſtored to the ſcabbard againe. The
King comforted with that miracle, boldly preaſ|ſed foorth vpon his enimies,
and ſo valiauntly re|ſiſted them, that in the ende he put them to flight,
and chaſed them all that morning and day follo|wing, ſo that hee ſlewe of
them an huge number. Some haue written, that Conſtantine Kyng of Scottes was
ſlayne at this ouerthrowe,
VVil. Malm. The enimies diſcomfited. and fine other ſmall
Kyngs or Rulers, with .12. Dukes, and welneere all the army of thoſe
ſtraunge na|tions whiche Aulafe had gathered togither. But the Scottiſh
Chronicles affirme, that Conſtan|tine was not there himſelf, but ſent his
ſon Mal|colme, which yet eſcaped ſore hurt and wounded from this battell, as
in the ſame Chronicles yee may ſee more at large.
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1 When Kyng Adelſtane had
thus vanquiſhed his enimies in the North parties of England,Ran. Higd. he went againſt them of Northwales, whoſe
Ru|lers and Princes he cauſed to come before him at Hereford, and there
handled them in ſuche ſorte, that they couenaunted with him to pay yeerely
in name of a Tribute twentie pounde of golde,Tribute. three hundred pounde of ſiluer, and fiue and twẽ|tie
hundred head of Neate, with Hawkes and Houndes to a certayne number.
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1 After this, hee ſubdued
alſo the Corniſhmen: and whereas till thoſe dayes they inhabited the Citie
of Exeter,The Corniſh+men ſubdued. mingled amongſt
the Engliſh|men, ſo that the one nation was as ſtrong with|in that Citie, as
the other, he ridde them quite out of the ſame, and repaired the
walles,Exeter repaired and fortified them with
ditches and turrets as the maner then was, and ſo remoued the Corniſhmen
further into the Weſt partes of the countrey, that hee made Tamer water to
be the confines betweene the Engliſhmen and them.
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1
2 Finally,940 Simon Dun. The deceſſe of K. Athelſtane.
this noble Prince King Adelſtane departed out of this world, the ſixe and
twẽty day of October, after he hadde raigned the tearme of ſixteene yeres.
His body was buried at Malmeſ|bury. He was of ſtature ſuch,The deſcrip|tion of Kyng Athelſtane. as exceeded not
the common ſort of mẽ, and ſtowped ſomewhat, yel|low heared, for his
valiancie ioyned with curte|ſey beloued of al men, yet ſharp againſt Rebels,
& of inuincible conſtancie: his greate deuotion to|ward ye Church
appeared in ye building, adorning and endewing of Monaſteries and Abbeyes.
He builte one at Wilton within the dioceſſe of EEBO page image 227
Saliſbury, and an other at Michelney in Som|merſetſhire. But beſides theſe
foundations, there were few famous Monaſteries within this land, but that
hee adorned the ſame eyther with ſome new peece of buylding, Iewels, bookes,
or portion of lands.Wolſtan Archbiſhop of Yorke.
He had in exceeding fauour Wolſtane Archbiſhop of Yorke that liued in his
dayes, for whoſe ſake he greatly enriched that Biſhopricke. His fame ſpred
ouer all the parties of Europa,His eſtimation in foraine
Realmes. ſo that ſundry Princes thought themſelues happy
if they might haue his friendſhip,
eyther by affi|nitie or otherwiſe: by meanes whereof, he beſto|wed his
ſiſters ſo highly in marriage as before ye haue heard. Hee receyued many
noble and riche preſents from diuers Princes, as from Hugh K. of Fraunce
Horſes, and ſundry riche Iewels, with certaine reliques: as Conſtantines
ſworde, in the hilte whereof was ſet one of the nayles wherewith Chriſt was
faſtned to ye Croſſe. The Speare of Charles the great, which was thought
to be the ſame with whiche the ſide of
our Saui|our was pearced. The banner of Saint Maurice, with a part of the
holy Croſſe, and likewiſe a part of the thorned Crowne: yet Mandeuile ſawe
the one halfe of this Crowne in Fraunce, and the o|ther at Conſtantinople,
almoſt .400. yeares after this time, as he writeth.
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1 Of theſe Iewels, K.
Adelſtane gaue parte to the Abbey of S. Swithune at Wincheſter, and part to
the Abbey of Malmeſbury. Moreouer, the
King of Norway ſent vnto him a goodly ſhip of fine workmanſhippe, with
ſterne gilt and purple ſayles, furniſhed rounde about the decke
within|furth, with a rowe of gilte pauiſes.
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1 In the dayes of this
Adelſtane, raigned that worthy Guy Earle of Warwike, who as ſome writers
haue recorded,Harding. fought with a mighty
Gi|aunt of the Danes in a ſingular combate, and vanquiſhed him.