7.3. The Danes inuading the west parts of this land make great hauocke by fire and sword, they arriue at Rochester, and conquer the Kentishmen in field, king Egelred ouercom|meth the Danes that inhabited Cumberland and wasteth the countrie, the Summersetshire men are foiled; the miserable state of the realme in those daies; the English bloud mixed with the Danes and Britaines, and what inconuenien|ces grew thervpon, the disordered gouernement of king Egel|red, sicknesses vexing the people, treason in the nobles, the tribute paid to the Danes vnmercifullie inhansed, the realme brought to beggerie; king Egelred by politike persuasion and counsell marrieth Emma the duke of Normandies daugh|ter, vpon what occasion the Normans pretended a title to the crowne of England, they conquer the whole land, what order king Egelred tooke to kill all the Danes within his king|dome, and what rule they bare in this realme yer they were murdered, the thraldome of the Eng|lish people vnder them, whereof the word Lordane sprang. The third Chapter.

The Danes inuading the west parts of this land make great hauocke by fire and sword, they arriue at Rochester, and conquer the Kentishmen in field, king Egelred ouercom|meth the Danes that inhabited Cumberland and wasteth the countrie, the Summersetshire men are foiled; the miserable state of the realme in those daies; the English bloud mixed with the Danes and Britaines, and what inconuenien|ces grew thervpon, the disordered gouernement of king Egel|red, sicknesses vexing the people, treason in the nobles, the tribute paid to the Danes vnmercifullie inhansed, the realme brought to beggerie; king Egelred by politike persuasion and counsell marrieth Emma the duke of Normandies daugh|ter, vpon what occasion the Normans pretended a title to the crowne of England, they conquer the whole land, what order king Egelred tooke to kill all the Danes within his king|dome, and what rule they bare in this realme yer they were murdered, the thraldome of the Eng|lish people vnder them, whereof the word Lordane sprang. The third Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 6 _IN the ninteenth yere of king Egelreds reigne, the Danes sailed about Corne|wall,997 and comming into the Seuerne sea,The Danes inuade the west parts of this land. they robbed & tooke preies in the coasts of Deuonshire & Southwales, and landing at Wicheport, they burned vp the countrie, and came about vnto Penwithstréet on the south coast, and so arriuing in the mouth of Tamer water, came vnto Lidford, and there wasted all afore them with force of fire. They burned, amongst other places, the monasterie of saint Ordulfe at Essingstocke.Tauestocke After this they came into Dorcetshire, and passed through the countrie with flame and fire, not finding anie that offered to resist them.998 The same yéere also they soiourned in the Ile of Wight, and liued vpon spoiles & preies which they tooke in Hampshire and Sussex. At length they came into the Thames, and so by the riuer of Med|wey arriued at Rochester.999 The Danes arriue in the Thames. The Kentishmen assem|bled togither and fought with the Danes, but they were ouercome, and so left the field to the Danes. Af|ter this,1000 the same Danes sailed into Normandie, and king Egelred went into Cumberland, where the Danes inhabited in great numbers, whome he ouer|came with sore warre, and wasted almost all Cum|berland, taking great spoiles in the same. About the same time, or shortlie after,1001 the Danes with their na|uie, returning out of Normandie,Exmouth. came vnto Ex|mouth, and there assaulted the castell, but they were repelled by them that kept it. After this they spread abroad ouer all the countrie, exercising their accusto|med trade of destroieng all before them with fire and sword. The men of Summersetshire fought with them at Pentho,Pentho. but the Danes got the vpper hand.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Thus the state of the realme in those daies was verie miserable, for there wanted worthie chiestains to rule the people, and to chastise them when they did amisse. There was no trust in the noble men, for e|uerie one impugned others dooing, and yet would not deuise which way to deale with better likelihood. When they assembled in councell, and should haue occupied their heads in deuising remedies for the mischiefe of the common wealth,Disagréement with councel|lors what [...] fruit it brin|geth. they turned their purpose vnto the altercation, about such strifes, conten|tions and quarels as each one had against other, and suffered the generall case to lie still in the dust. And if at anie time there was anie good conclusion agre|ed vpon, for the withstanding of the enimie, & re|léefe of the common wealth, anon should the enimie be aduertised thereof by such as were of aliance or consanguinitie to them. For (as Caxton, Polychr. and others say) the English bloud was so mixed with that of the Danes and Britains, who were like eni|mies to the Englishmen, that there was almost few of the nobilitie and commons, which had not on the one side a parent of some of them.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Whereby it came to passe, that neither the secret purposes of the king could be concealed till they might take due effect; neither their assemblies proue quiet without quarelling and taking of parts. Ma|nie also being sent foorth with their powers one way (whilest the king went to make resistance another) did reuolt to his enimies, and turned their swords against him (as you haue heard of Elfrike and his complices, and shall read of manie others) so that it was no maruell that Egelred sped no better, and yet was he as valiant as anie of his predecessors, although the moonks fauour him not in their wri|tings, because he demanded aid of them toward his warres, and was nothing fauorable to their lewd hypocrisie. But what is a king if his subiects be not loiall? What is a realme, if the common wealth be diuided? By peace & concord, of small beginnings great and famous kingdomes haue oft times procée|ded; whereas by discord the greatest kingdoms haue oftner bene brought to ruine. And so it proued here, for whilest priuat quarels are pursued, the generall affaires are vtterlie neglected: and whilest ech na|tion séeketh to preferre hir owne aliance, the Iland it selfe is like to become a desert.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But to proceed with our monasticall writers: certes they lay all the fault in the king, saieng that he was a man giuen to no good exercise, he deligh|ted in fleshlie lustes and riotous bankettings, and still sought waies how to gather of his subiects what might be got, as wll by vnlawfull meanes as o|therwise.The misgo|uernement of the king. For he would for feined or for verie small & light causes disherit his natiue subiects, and cause them to redéeme their owne possessions for great summes of monie. Besides these oppressions, di|uers kinds of sicknesses vexed the people also, as the bloodie flix, and hot burning agues which then ra|ged through the land,Sicknesse vexing the people. so that manie died thereof. By such manner of meanes therefore, what through the misgouernance of the king, the treason and dis|loialtie of the nobilitie, the lacke of good order and due correction amongst the people,Treason in the nobilitie. and by such other scourges and mishaps as afflicted the English na|tion EEBO page image 168 in that season, the land was brought into great ruine, so that, where by strength the enimie could not be kept off, there was now no helpe but to appease them with monie. By reason hereof from time of the first agréement with the Danes for 10 thousand pounds tribute, it was inhanced to 16000 pounds, (as you haue heard) & after that at 20000 pounds, then to 24000 pounds, & so to 30000 pounds, & lastlie to 40000 pounds,The inhan|cing of the tribute paid to the Danes. till at length the relme was emp|tied in maner of all that monie and coine that could be found in it. In this meane time died Elgina or Ethelgina the quéene.The death of quéene El|gina. Shortlie after it was deuised that the king should be a suter vnto Richard duke of Normandie, for his sister Emma,Emma. a ladie of such excellent beautie,Hen. Hunt. that she was named the floure of Normandie. This sute was begun and tooke such good successe, that the king obteined his purpose. And so in the yeare of our Lord 1002,1002 which was a|bout the 24 yeare of king Egelreds reigne, he maried the said Emma with great solemnitie.Emma daughter of R. duke of Nor|mandie maried to K. Edgar.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This mariage was thought to be right necessarie, honorable, and profitable for the realme of England, because of the great puissance of the Norman prin|ces in those daies: but as things afterward came to passe, it turned to the subuersion of the whole En|glish state: for by such affinitie and dealing as hap|ned hereby betwixt the Normans and Englishmen, occasion in the end was ministred to the same Nor|mans to pretend a title to the crowne of England, in prosecuting of which title, they obteined and made the whole conquest of the land, as after shall appeare. Egelred being greatlie aduanced (as he thought) by reason of his mariage, deuised vpon presumption thereof, to cause all the Danes within the land to be murthered in one day. Herevpon he sent priuie commissioners to all cities, burrowes and townes within his dominions, commanding the rulers and officers in the same, to kill all such Danes as re|mained within their liberties, at a certeine day pre|fixed,1012 being saint Brices day,The 13 of Nouember. The murder of the Danes. in the yeare 1012, and in the 34 yeare of king Egelreds reigne. Here|vpon (as sundrie writers agree) in one day & houre this murther began, and was according to the com|mission and iniunction executed. But where it first began,Hownhill, or Houndhill, a place within Merchington parish beside the forest of Néedwood, somewhat more than two miles from Utoxce|ster. the same is vncerteine: some say at Wello|win in Herefordshire, some at a place in Stafford|shire called Hownhill, & others in other places, but whersoeuer it began, the dooers repented it after.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But now yer we procéed anie further, we will shew what rule the Danes kept here in this realme before they were thus murthered, as in some bookes we find recorded. Whereas it is shewed that the Danes compelled the husbandmen to til the ground & doo all maner of labour and toile to be doone about husbandrie: the Danes liued vpon the fruit and gaines that came thereof,The misera|ble state of this realme vnder the thraldome of the Danes. and kept the husband|mens wiues, their daughters, maids and seruants, vsing and abusing them at their pleasures. And when the husbandmen came home, then could they scarse haue such sustenance of meats and drinkes as fell for seruants to haue: so that the Danes had all at their commandements, eating and drinking of the best, where the sillie man that was the owner, could hard|lie come to his fill of the worst. Besids this, the com|mon people were so oppressed by the Danes, that for feare and dread they called them in euerie such house where anie of them soiourned, Lord Dane. And if an Englishman and a Dane chanced to méet at a|nie bridge or streight passage,Hector Boet. the Englishman must staie till the Lord Dane were passed. But in pro|cesse of time, after the Danes were voided the land, this word Lord Dane was in derision and despight of the Danes turned by Englishmen into a name of reproch,Lordane whereof the word came. as Lordane, which till these our daies is not forgotten. For when the people in manie parts of this realme will note and signifie anie great idle lubber that will not labour nor take paine for his li|uing, they will call him Lordane. Thus did the Danes vse the Englishmen in most vile manner, and kept them in such seruile thraldome as cannot be sufficientlie vttered.