7.1. Egelred succeedeth Edward the martyr in the kingdome of Eng|land, the decaie of the realme in his reigne, Dunstane refusing to consecrate him is therevnto inforced, Dunstans prophe|sies of the English people and Egelred their king, his slouth and idlenes accompanied with other vi|ces, the Danes arriue on the coasts of Kent and make spoile of manie places; warre betwixt the king and the bishop of Ro|chester, archbishop Dunstans bitter denunciation against the king because he would not be pacified with the bishop of Ro|chester without moncie; Dunstans parentage, his strange trance, and what a woonderfull thing he did during the time it lasted, his education and bringing vp, with what good quali|ties he was indued, an incredible tale of his harpe, how he was reuoked from louing and lusting after women whereto he was addicted, his terrible dreame of a rough beare, what preferments he obteined by his skill in the expounding of dreames. The first Chapter.

Egelred succeedeth Edward the martyr in the kingdome of Eng|land, the decaie of the realme in his reigne, Dunstane refusing to consecrate him is therevnto inforced, Dunstans prophe|sies of the English people and Egelred their king, his slouth and idlenes accompanied with other vi|ces, the Danes arriue on the coasts of Kent and make spoile of manie places; warre betwixt the king and the bishop of Ro|chester, archbishop Dunstans bitter denunciation against the king because he would not be pacified with the bishop of Ro|chester without moncie; Dunstans parentage, his strange trance, and what a woonderfull thing he did during the time it lasted, his education and bringing vp, with what good quali|ties he was indued, an incredible tale of his harpe, how he was reuoked from louing and lusting after women whereto he was addicted, his terrible dreame of a rough beare, what preferments he obteined by his skill in the expounding of dreames. The first Chapter.

_IN the former booke was dis|coursed the trou|bled state of this land by the ma|nisold and muti|nous inuasions of the Danes;Egelred. who though they sought to in|grosse the rule of euerie part and parcell therof in to their hands; yet being resisted by the valiantnesse of the gouer|nors supported with the aid of their people, they were disappointed of their expectation, and receiued manie a dishonorable or rather reprochfull repulse at their aduersaries hands. Much mischiefe doubtlesse they did, and more had doone, if they had not béene met withall in like measure of extremitie as they offred, to the offense and ouerthrow of great multitudes. Their first entrance into this land is controuersed a|mong writers, some saieng that it was in the daies of king Britricus, other some affirming that it was in the time of king Egbert, &c: about which point (sith it is a matter of no great moment) we count it labour lost to vse manie woords: onelie this by the waie is notewoorthie, that the Danes had an vnper|fect or rather a lame and limping rule in this land, so long as the gouernors were watchfull, diligent, poli|tike at home, and warlike abroad. But when these kind of kings discontinued, and that the raines of the regiment fell into the hands of a pezzant not a puissant prince, a man euill qualified, dissolute, slacke and licentious, not regarding the dignitie of his owne person, nor fauoring the good estate of the peo|ple; the Danes who before were coursed from coast to coast, and pursued from place to place, as more willing to leaue the land, than desirous to tarrie in the same; tooke occasion of stomach and courage to reenter this Ile, & waxing more bold and confident, more desperate and venturous, spared no force, o|mitted no opportunitie, let slip no aduantage that they might possiblie take, to put in practise and fullie to accomplish their long conceiued purpose.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Now bicause the Danes in the former kings daies were reencountred (and that renowmedlie) so often as they did encounter, and séeking the totall re|giment, where dispossessed of their partile principali|lie, which by warlike violence they obteined; and for that the Saxons were interessed in the land, and these but violent incrochers, vnable to keepe that which they came to by constreint; we haue thought it conuenient to comprise the troubled estate of that time in the sixt booke; the rather for the necessarie consequence of matters then in motion: and héere déeme it not amisse, at so great and shamefull loose|nesse (speciallie in a prince) ministring hart and cou|rage to the enimie, to begin the seuenth booke. Wher|in is expressed the chiefest time of their flourishing e|state in this land; if in tumults, vprores, battels, and bloudshed, such a kind of estate may possiblie be found. For héere the Danes lord it, héere they take vpon them like souereignes, & héere (if at anie time they had absolute authoritie) they did what they might in the highest degrée: as shall be declared in the vnfortunate affaires of vngratious Egelred or Etheldred, the sonne of king Edgar, and of his last wife quéene Alfred, who was ordeined king in place of his brother Edward, after the same Edward was dispatched out of the waie, and began his reigne o|uer this realme of England, in the yéere of our Lord 979,979 which was in the seuenth yéere of the emperor Otho the second,Simon Dun. in the 24 of Lothaine K. of France, and about the second or third yéere of Kenneth the third of that name king of Scotland.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This Egelred or Etheldred was the 30 in num|ber from Cerdicus he first king of the Westsax|ons: through his negligent gouernment, the state of the commonwealth fell into such decaie (as writers doo report) that vnder him it may be said, how the kingdome was [...] to the vttermost point or peri|od of old [...] age, which is the next degrée to the gra [...]e. For wheras, whilest the realme was diuided at the first by the Saxons into sundrie dominions, it grew at length (as it were increasing from youthfull yeeres) to one absolute monarchie, which passed vn|der EEBO page image 165 the late remembred princes, Egbert, Adelstane, Edgar, and others, so that in their daies it might be said, how it was growne to mans state, but now vn|der this Egelred, through famine, pestilence, and warres, the state thereof was so shaken, turned vp|side downe, and weakened on ech part, that rightlie might the season be likened vnto the old broken yéeres of mans life, which through féeblenesse is not able to helpe it slefe. Dunstane archbishop of Can|turburie was thought to haue foreséene this thing, and therfore refused to annoint Egelred king, which by the murther of his brother should atteine to the gouernment: but at length he was compelled vnto it, and so he consecrated him at Kingston vpon Tha|mes, as the maner then was, on the 24 day of Aprill, assisted by Oswald archbishop of Yorke, and ten o|ther bishops.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But (as hath béene reported)Will. Malmes. Dunstane then said that the English people should suffer condigne pu|nishment generallie, with losse of ancient liberties, which before that time they had inioied. Dunstane al|so long before prophesied of the slouthfulnesse that should remaine in this Egelred. For at what time he ministred the sacrament of baptisme to him, short|lie after he came into this world, he defiled the font with the ordure of his wombe (as hath beene said:) whervpon Dunstane being troubled in mind;

By the Lord (saith he) and his blessed mother, this child shall prooue to be a slouthfull person.

It hath beene written also, that when he was but ten yeeres of age, and heard that his brother Edward was slaine, he so offended his mother with wéeping, bicause she could not still him, that hauing no rod at hand, she tooke ta|pers or sizes that stood before hir, and beat him so sore with them, that she had almost killed him, whereby he could neuer after abide to haue anie such candels lighted before him.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This EgelredPolydor. (as writers say) was nothing gi|uen to warlike enterprises, but was slouthfull, a lo|uer of idlenesse, and delighting in riotous lusts, which being knowne to all men, caused him to be euill spo|ken of amongst his owne people, and nothing feared amongst strangers. Heerevpon the Danes that ex|ercised rouing on the seas, began to conceiue a boldnesse of courage to disquiet and molest the sea-coasts of the realme, in so much that in the second yéere of this Egelreds reigne, they came with seuen ships on the English coasts of Kent,Ran. Higd. and spoiled the Ile of Tenet,980 the towne of Southampton, and in the yeere following they destroied S. Petroks ab|beie in Cornwall, Porthland in Deuonshire, and di|uerse other places by the sea side,Sim. Dun. speciallie in De|uonshire & Cornwall.Ran. Higd. Also a great part of Cheshire was destroied by pirats of Norway.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 The same yéere by casualtie of fire,982 a great part of the citie of London was burnt. In the yeere of our Lord 983,983 Alfer duke of Mercia departed this life, who was coosen to king Edgar,Alfer or Elfer duke of Mer|cia departed this life. Alfrike or El|frike duke of Mercia. & his sonne Alfrike tooke vpon him the rule of that dukedome,Fabian. and with|in thrée yéeres after was banished the land. About the eight yéere of his reigne, Egelred maried one Elgi|na or Ethelgina, daughter of earle Egbert. In the ninth yeere of his reigne, vpon occasion of strife be|twéene him and the bishop of Rochester, he made warre against the same bishop, wasted his lordships, and besieged the citie of Rochester, till Dunstan pro|cured the bishops peace with paiment of an hundred pounds in gold.Wil. Malm. Matt. West. And bicause the K. would not agrée with the bishop without moneie at the onelie request of Dunstane, the said Dunstane did send him woord, that sithens he made more account of gold than of God, more of monie than of S. Andrew, patrone of the church of Rochester, and more of couetousnesse than of him being the archbishop, the mischiefs which the Lord had threatned would shortl [...]e fall and come to passe, but the same should not chance whilest he was aliue, who died in the yéere following, on the 25 of Maie, being saturdaie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Of this Dunstane manie things are recorded by writers,Vita Dunstani. that he should be of such holinesse and ver|tue, that God wrought manie miracles by him, both whilest he liued heere on earth, and also after his de|ceasse. He was borne in Westsaxon,Iohn Capgr. Osborne. Ran. Higd. his father was named Heorstan, and his mother Cinifride, who in his youth set him to schoole, where he so profited, that he excelled all his equals in age. Afterward he fell sicke of an ague, which vexed him so sore that it draue him into a frensie: and therefore his parents appoin|ted him to the cure the charge of a certeine woman, where his disease grew so on him, that he fell in a trance, as though he had béene dead, and after that he suddenlie arose, & by chance caught a staffe in his hand, and ran vp and downe through hils and dales, and laid about him as though he had béene afraid of mad dogs. The next night (as it is said) he gat him to the top of the church (by the helpe of certeine lad|ders that stood there for woorkemen to mend the roofe) and there ran vp and downe verie dangerouslie, but in the end came safelie downe, and laid him to sléepe betwéene two men that watched the church that night, & when he awaked, he maruelled how he came there. Finallie, recouering his disease, his parents made him a priest, and placed him in the abbeie of Glastenburie, where he gaue himselfe to the reading of scriptures and knowledge of vertue. But as well his kinsmen as certeine other did raise a report of him, that he gaue not himselfe so much to the reading of scriptures, as to charming, coniuring and sorce|rie, which he vtterlie denied: howbeit learned he was in déed, & could doo manie pretie things both in han|die woorke and other deuises: he had good skill in mu|sicke and delighted much therein. At length he grew in such fauour, that he was aduanced into the seruice of king Adelstane.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Upon a time, as he came to a gentlewomans house with his harpe, and hoong the same on the wall, while he shaped a priests stole, the harpe suddenlie began to plaie a psalme, which draue the whole hou|shold in such feare, that they ran out and said, he was too cunning, and knew more than was expedient: wherevpon he was accused of necromancie, and so banished out of the court. After this he began to haue a liking to women, and when Elfeagus then bishop of Winchester and his coosen, persuaded him to be|come a moonke, he refused it, for he rather wished to haue maried a yoong damosell, whose pleasant com|panie he dailie inioied. But being soone after striken with such a swelling disease in his bellie, that all his bodie was brought into such state, as though he had béene infected with a foule leprosie, he bethought him selfe, and vpon his recouerie sent to the bishop, who immediatlie shore him a moonke, in which life he li|ued in so great opinion of holinesse, as he in time be|came abbat of Glastenburie: where on a time as he was in his praiers before the altar of S. George, he fell asléepe: and imagining in his dreame, that an vglie rough beare came towards him with open mouth, and set his forefeet vpon his shoulders readie to deuoure him, he suddenlie wakening for feare, caught his walking staffe which he commonlie went with, and laid about him, that all the church rang thereof,Polychron. to the great woonder of such as stood by. The common tale of his plucking the diuell by the nose with a paire of pinsors, for tempting him with wo|men, while he was making a chalice: the great loue that the ladie Elfleda néere kinswoman to king A|delstane bare him to hir dieng day, with a great manie of other such like matters, I leaue as friuo|lous, EEBO page image 166 and wholie impertinent to our purpose: onelie this I read, that through declaring of his dreames and visions, he obteined in the time of king Edgar, first the bishoprike of Worcester, after the London, & last of all the archbishoprike of Canturburie. But leauing Dunstane and the fond deuises depending vpon the commemoration of his life, we will now returne to the dooings of Egelred, and speake of such things in the next chapter as chanced in his time.