6.23. Edwin succeedeth Edred in the king|dome of England, his beastlie and incestu|ous carnalitie with a kinswoman of his on the verie day of his coronation, he is reproued of Dun|stane and giueth ouer the gentlewomans companie, Dunstane is banished for rebuking king Edwin for his vnlaw|full lust and lewd life, the diuell reioised at his exile, what re|uenging mischiefs the king did for displeasure sake against the said Dunstane in exile, the middle part of England rebellethye haue heard. against king Edwin, and erecteth his brother Edgar in roiall roome ouer them, he taketh thought and dieth; Edgar succee|deth him, he is a fauourer of moonks, his prouision for defense of his realme, his policie and discretion in gouernment, what kings he bound by oth to be true vnto him, eight princes row his barge in signe of submission, the vicious inconueniences that grew among the Englishmen vpon his fauouring of the Danes, a restraint of excessiue quaffing; Dunstane is made bishop of Worcester and Ethelwold bishop of Win|chester; iustice in Edgars time seuerelie executed, theft punished with death, a tribute of woolfs skins paid him out of Wales, and the benefit of that tri|bute. The xxiij. Chapter.

Edwin succeedeth Edred in the king|dome of England, his beastlie and incestu|ous carnalitie with a kinswoman of his on the verie day of his coronation, he is reproued of Dun|stane and giueth ouer the gentlewomans companie, Dunstane is banished for rebuking king Edwin for his vnlaw|full lust and lewd life, the diuell reioised at his exile, what re|uenging mischiefs the king did for displeasure sake against the said Dunstane in exile, the middle part of England rebellethye haue heard. against king Edwin, and erecteth his brother Edgar in roiall roome ouer them, he taketh thought and dieth; Edgar succee|deth him, he is a fauourer of moonks, his prouision for defense of his realme, his policie and discretion in gouernment, what kings he bound by oth to be true vnto him, eight princes row his barge in signe of submission, the vicious inconueniences that grew among the Englishmen vpon his fauouring of the Danes, a restraint of excessiue quaffing; Dunstane is made bishop of Worcester and Ethelwold bishop of Win|chester; iustice in Edgars time seuerelie executed, theft punished with death, a tribute of woolfs skins paid him out of Wales, and the benefit of that tri|bute. The xxiij. Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _AFter the deceasse of Edred, his nephue EdwinEdwin. the eldest sonne of king Edmund was made king of England, and began his EEBO page image 159 reigne ouer the same in the yeere of our Lord 955,955 & in the 20 yeere of the emperor Otho the first, in theiustice in Edgars time seuerelie executed, 28 and last yéere of the reigne of Lewes king of France, and about the twelfe yeere of Malcolme the first of that name, king of Scotland. He was conse|crated at Kingston vpon Thames by Odo the arch|bishop of Canturburie. On the verie day of his co|ronation, as the lords were set in councell about weightie matters touching the gouernment of the realme, he rose from the place, gat him into a cham|ber with one of his néere kinswomen, and there had to doo with hir,Will. Malmes. Polydor. without anie respect or regard had to his roiall estate and princelie dignitie. Dunstane latelie before named abbat of Glastenburie, did not onlie without feare of displeasure reprooue the K. for such shamefull abusing of his bodie, but also caused the archbishop of Canturburie to constreine him to forsake that woman whom vnlawfullie he kept.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 There be that write,Iohn Cap. graue. that there were two women, both mother and daughter, whome king Edward kept as concubines: for the mother being of noble parentage, sought to satisfie the kings lust, in hopeto doo with hir,Will. Malmes. Polydor. without anie respect or regard had to that either he would take hir or hir daughter vnto wife. And therefore perceiuing that Dunstane was sore against such wanton pastime as the king vsed in their companie,Dunstane banished the realme. she so wrought, that Dunstane was through hir earnest trauell banished the land. This is also reported, that when he should depart the realme, the diuell was heard in the west end of the church, ta|king vp a great laughter after his roring maner, as though he should shew himselfe gled and ioifull at Dunstanes going into exile. But Dunstane percei|uingto doo with hir,Will. Malmes. Polydor. without anie respect or regard had to his behauiour,Dunstane séeth not the diuell. spake to him, and said: Well thou aduersarie, doo not so greatly reioise at the mat|ter for thou dooest not now so much reioise at my de|parture, but by Gods grace thou shalt be as sorrow|full for my returne.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Thus was Dunstane banished by king Edwine, so that he was compelled to passe ouer into Flan|ders,Dunstane de|parted into exile. where he remained for a time within a mona|sterie at Gant, finding much friendship at the hands of the gouernor of that countrie. Also the more to wreake his wrath, Wil. Malm. Edwine dis|placeth monks and putteth secu|lar priests in their roomes. the king spoiled manie religious houses of their goods,Rebellion raised against king Edwine Simon Dun. and droue out the moonks, pla|cing secular priests in their roomes, as namelie at Malmesburie, where yet the house was not empai|red, but rather inriched in lands and ornaments by the kings liberalitie, and the industrious meanes of the same priests, which tooke vp the bones of saint Al|delme, and put the same into a shrine. At length the inhabitants of the middle part of England, euen from Humber to Thames rebelled against him, andof the gouernor of that countrie. Also the more to elected his brother Edgar to haue the gouernement ouer them, wherwith king Edwine tooke such griefe, for that he saw no meane at hand how to remedie the matter,Edwin depar|teth this life. that shortlie after, when he had reigned somewhat more than foure yéeres, he died, and his bodie was buried at Winchester in the new abbeie. EDgarEdgar. the second sonne of Edmund late king of England, after the decease of his elder brother the foresaid Edwine, began his reigne ouer this realme of England in the yeere of our Lord God 959,959 in the 22 yéere of the emperour Otho the first, in the fourth yéere of the reigne of Lotharius king of France, 510 almost ended after the comming of the Saxons, 124 after the arriuall of the Danes, and in the last yéere of Malcolme king of Scotland. He was crowned &Polydor. consecrated at Bath, or (as some say) at Kingstone vpon Thames by Odo the archbi|shop of Tanturburie, being as then not past 16 yéeres of age, when he was thus admitted king. He was no lesse indued with commendable gifts ofrealme of England in the yeere of our Lord God mind,Edgar a fauo|rer of moonks. than with strength and force of bodie. He was a great fauorer of moonks, and speciallie had Dunstane in high estimation. Aboue all things in this world he regarded peace, and studied dailie how to preserue the same, to the commoditie & aduance|ment of his subiects.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 When he had established things in good quiet, and set an order in matters as séemed to him best for the peaceable gouernement of his people, he prepared a great nauie of ships,The diligent prouision of K. Edgar for defense of the realme. and diuiding them in thrée parts, he appointed euerie part to a quarter of the realme, to wast about the coast, that no forren eni|mie should approch the land, but that they might be incountered and put backe, before they could take land. And euerie yeere after Easter, he vsed to giue order, that his ships should assemble togither in their due places: and then would he with the east nauie saile to the west parts of his realme, and sending those ships backe, he would with the west nauie saile into the north parts; and with the north nauie come backe againe into the east. This custome he vsed, that he might fcowre the seas of all pirats & theeues. In the winter season and spring time, he would ride through the prouinces of his realme, searching out how the iudges and great lords demeaned them|selues in the administration of iustice, sharpelie pu|nishing those that were found guiltie of extortion, or had done otherwise in anie point than dutie requi|red. In all things he vsed such politike discretion,Wil. Malm. that neither was he put in danger by treason of his sub|iects,into the north parts; and with the north nauie come nor molested by forren enimies.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 He caused diuerse kings to bind themselues by oth to be true and faithfull vnto him, as Kinadius or rather Induf king of Scotland,Mascutius. Malcolme king of Cumberland, Mascutius an archpirat, or (as we may call him) a maister rouer,Kings of Welshmen. and also all the kings of the Welshmen, as Duffnall, Girffith, Huvall, Iacob, and Iudithill, all which came to his court, and by their solemne othes receiued, sware to be at his comman|dement. And for the more manifest testimonie ther|of, he hauing them with him at Chester, caused them to enter into a barge vpon the water of Dée,King Edgar roweth on the water of Dée. and pla|cing himselfe in the forepart of the barge, at the helme, he caused those eight high princes to row the barge vp and downe the water, shewing thereby his princelie prerogatiue and roiall magnificence, in that he might vse the seruice of so manie kings that were his subiects. And there vpon he said (as hath him reported) that then might his successours account themselues kings of England, when they inioiedAnd for the more manifest testimonie ther|of, such prerogatiue of high and supreme honor.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The fame of this noble prince was spred ouer all, as well on this side the sea as beyond, insomuch that great resort of strangers chanced in his daies, which came euer into this land to serue him, and to sée the state of his court, as Saxons and other, yea and also Danes, Ran. Higd. King Edgar fauoureth Danes. which became verie familiar with him. He fauored in déed the Danes (as hath béene said) more than stood with the commoditie of his subiects, for scarse was anie stréet in England, but Danes had their dwelling in the same among the Englishmen, whereby came great harme:English lear|ned to quaffe of the Danes. for whereas the Danes by nature were great drinkers, the Englishmen by continuall conuersation with them learned the same vice.Wil. Malm. King Edgar to reforme in part such excessiue quaffing as then began to grow in vse, caused by the procurement of Dunstane, nailes to be set incups of a certeine measure, marked for the purpose, that none should drinke more than was assigned by such measured cups.Englishmen learne other vices of strangers. Englishmen also learned of the Sax|ons,scarse was anie stréet in England, but Danes had Flemings, and other strangers, their peculiar kind of vices, as of the Saxons a discordered fierce|nesse of mind, of the Flemings a féeble tendernesse of bodie: where before they reioised in their owne simplicitie, and estéemed not the lewd and vnprofi|table manners of strangers.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 EEBO page image 160 Dunstance was made bishop of Worcester, and had also the administration of the see of London committed vnto him. He was in such fauor with thescarse was anie stréet in England, but Danes had king,Ethelwold made bishop of Winchester. that he ruled most things at his pleasure. E|thelwold, which being first a moonke of Glastenburie, and after abbat of Abington, was likewise made bi|shop of Winchester, and might doo verie much with the king.Oswald. Floriacum. Also Oswald, which had béene a moonke in the abbeie of Florie in France, and after was made bishop of Worcester, and from thence remooued to the sée of Yorke,Moonks must néeds write much in praise of Edgar who had men of their cote in such estimatiõ was highlie in fauor with this king, so that by these thrée prelates he was most counsel|led. Iustice in his daies was strictlie obserued, for although he were courteous and gentle towards his friends, yet was he sharpe and hard to offendors, so that no person of what estate or degree soeuer he was escaped worthie punishment, if he did transgresse the lawes and ordinances of the realme. There was no priuie theefe nor common robber that durst lay hands vpon other mens goods, but he might looke to make amends with losse of his life, if he were knowne to be giltie. For how might men that did offend, thinke to escape his hands, which deuised waies how to ridIustice in his daies was strictlie obserued, for the countrie of all wild rauening beasts, that liued vpon sucking the bloud of others?A tribute instituted of woolskins. For as it is said, he appointed Iudweall or Ludweall king of Wales to present him with thrée hundred woolues yéerelie in name of a tribute, but after thrée yéeres space, there was not a woolfe to be found, and so that tribute cea|sed in the fourth yéere after it began to be paid.