7.4. A fresh power of Danes inuade Eng|land to reuenge the slaughter of their coun|trimen that inhabited this Ile, the west parts betraied into their hands by the conspiracie of a Norman that was in gouernement, earle Edrike fei|ned himselfe sicke when king Egelred sent vnto him to leuie a power against the Danes, and betraieth his people to the enimies; Sweine king of Denmarke arriueth on the coast of Northfolke, and maketh pitifull spoile by fire and sword; the truce taken betweene him and Vikillus is violated, and what reuengement followeth; king Sweine forced by famine re|turneth into his owne countrie, he arriueth againe at Sand|wich, why king Egelred was vnable to preuaile against him, the Danes ouerrun all places where they come and make cruell waste, king Egelred paieth him great summes of monie for peace; the mischiefes that light vpon a land by placing a traitorous stranger in gouernement, how manie acres a hide of land conteineth, Egelreds order taken for ships and ar|mour, why his great fleet did him little pleasure; a fresh host of Danes vnder three capteines arriue at Sandwich, the citizens of Canturburie for monie purchase safetie, the faithlesse dealing of Edrike against king E|gelred for the enimies aduantage, what places the Danes ouerran and wasted. The fourth Chapter.

A fresh power of Danes inuade Eng|land to reuenge the slaughter of their coun|trimen that inhabited this Ile, the west parts betraied into their hands by the conspiracie of a Norman that was in gouernement, earle Edrike fei|ned himselfe sicke when king Egelred sent vnto him to leuie a power against the Danes, and betraieth his people to the enimies; Sweine king of Denmarke arriueth on the coast of Northfolke, and maketh pitifull spoile by fire and sword; the truce taken betweene him and Vikillus is violated, and what reuengement followeth; king Sweine forced by famine re|turneth into his owne countrie, he arriueth againe at Sand|wich, why king Egelred was vnable to preuaile against him, the Danes ouerrun all places where they come and make cruell waste, king Egelred paieth him great summes of monie for peace; the mischiefes that light vpon a land by placing a traitorous stranger in gouernement, how manie acres a hide of land conteineth, Egelreds order taken for ships and ar|mour, why his great fleet did him little pleasure; a fresh host of Danes vnder three capteines arriue at Sandwich, the citizens of Canturburie for monie purchase safetie, the faithlesse dealing of Edrike against king E|gelred for the enimies aduantage, what places the Danes ouerran and wasted. The fourth Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _VPon knowledge giuen in|to Denmarke of the cruell murder of the Danes here in England, truth it is, that the people of the countrie were greatlie kindled in malice, and set in such a furious rage against the Englishmen, Hen. Hunt. Simon Dun. The Danes returne to in|uade Eng|land. that with all spéed they made foorth a nauie full fraught with men of warre,Excester ta|ken. the which in the yeare following came swarming about the coasts of Eng|land, and landing in the west countrie, tooke the citie of Excester, and gat there a rich spoile. One Hugh a Norman borne, whome queene Emma had pla|ced in those parties as gouernour or shirife there,1002 conspired with the Danes,Hugh a Nor|man conspi|reth with the Danes. so that all the countrie was ouerrun and wasted.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 The king hearing that the Danes were thus lan|ded, and spoiled the west parts of the realme, he sent vnto Edricus to assemble a power to withstand the enimies. Herevpon the people of Hampshire and Wiltshire rose and got togither: but when the ar|mies should ioine,The counter|feit sicknesse of duke Ed|rike. earle Edricus surnamed de Stre|ona feigned himselfe sicke, and so betraied his peo|ple, of whome he had the conduct: for they percei|uing the want in their leader, were discouraged, and so fled.Wilton spoi|led. The Danes followed them vnto Wilton, which towne they rifled and ouercame. From thence they went to Salisburie, and so taking their plea|sure there, returned to their ships, because (as some write) they were aduertised that the king was com|ming towards them with an huge armie.Simon Dun. In the yeare next insuing, that is to saie 1004,1004 which was about the 24 yeare of K. Egelreds reigne,Swein king of Denmarke. Sweine or Swanus, king of Denmarke, with a mightie nauie of ships came on the coast of Northfolke, and there landing with his people,Norwich ta|ken by the Danes. made toward Nor|wich, and comming thither tooke that citie,Thetford burnt. and spoi|led it. Then went he vnto Thetford, and when he had taken and rified that towne, he burnt it, not|withstanding a truce taken by Uikillus or Wilf|ketell EEBO page image 169 gouernor of those parties with the same king Swaine after the taking of Norwich. In reuenge therefore of such breach of truce, the same Uikillus, or Wilfeketell,Uikillus or Wilfeketell gouernour of Norffolke. with such power as he could raise, assaulted the host of Danes as they returned to their ships, and slue a great number of them, but was not able to mainteine the fight, for his enimies ouermatched him in number of men. And so he was constrained in the end to giue backe:Hen. Hunt. and the eni|mies kept on their waies to their ships.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In the yeare following king Swaine returned into Denmarke with all his fléet,1005 partlie constrai|ned so to doo (as some write) by reason of the great famin & want of necessarie sustenance,Swaine re|turned into Denmarke. Simon. Dun. which in that yeare sore oppressed this land. In the yeare of our Lord 1006,1006 king Swaine returned againe into England with a mightie & huge nauie, Hen. Hunt. Swaine re|turned into England. arriuing at Sandwich, and spoiled all the countrie néere vnto the sea side. King Egelred raised all his power a|gainst him, and all the haruest time laie abroad in the field to resist the Danes, which according to their woonted maner spared not to exercise their vnmer|cifull crueltie, in wasting and spoiling the land with fire and sword, pilfering and taking of preies in eue|rie part where they came. Neither could king E|gelred remedie the matter, because the enimies still conueied themselues with their ships into some con|trarie quarter, from the place where they knew him to be, so that his trauell was in vaine.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 About the beginning of winter they remained in the Ile of Wight,The Danes winter in the Ile of Wight. They inuade Hampshire, Barkeshire, &c. & in the time of Christmasse they landed in Hampshire, and passing through that coun|trie into Barkeshire, they came to Reading, and from thence to Wallingford, and so to Coleseie, and then approching to Essington, came to Achikelmes|lawe, and in euerie place wheresoeuer they came, they made cleane worke. For that which they could not carie with them, they consumed with fire, bur|ning vp their innes and sleaing their hoasts. In returning backe, the people of the west countrie gaue them battell, but preuailed not, so that they did but inrich their enimies with the spoile of their bodies.Winchester. They came by the gates of Winchester as it were in maner of triumph, with vittels and spoiles which they had fetched fiftie miles from the sea side. In the meane time king Egelred lay about Shrews|burie sore troubled with the newes hereof,1007 and in the yeare next insuing,36000 pound saith Si. Dun. by the aduise of his coun|cell he gaue to king Swaine for the redeeming of peace 30000 pounds.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In the same yeare K. Egelred created the traitor Edrike earle of Mercia,Edrike de Streona made duke or earle of Mer|cia. who although he had ma|ried Edgiua the kings daughter, was yet noted to be one of those which disclosed the secrets of the realme, and the determinations of the councell vnto the enimies. But he was such a craftie dissembler, so greatlie prouided of sleight to dissemble and cloake his falshood, that the king being too much abused by him, had him in singular fauour, whereas he vpon a malicious purpose studied dailie how to bring the realme into vtter destruction, aduertising the eni|mies from time to time how the state of things stood, whereby they came to knowledge when they should giue place, and when they might safelie come for|ward.Wil. Malm. Moreouer, being sent vnto them oftentimes as a commissioner to treat to peace, he persua|ded them to warre. But such was the pleasure of God, to haue him and such other of like sort aduan|ced to honor in this season, when by his diuine proui|dence he meant to punish the people of this realme for their wickednesse and sinnes, whereby they had iustlie prouoked his wrath and high displeasure.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 In the 30 yeare of king Egelreds reigne,Henr. Hunt. Simon Dun. which fell in the yeare of our Lord 1008, he tooke order that of euerie thrée hundred and ten hides of land within this realme,An hundred acres is an hide of land. there should one ship be builded, and of euerie eight hides a complet armor furni|shed.1008 In the yeare following,Prouision for ships and ar|mour. the kings whole fléet was brought togither at Sandwich, and such souldi|ers came thither as were appointed to go to sea in the same fléet. There had not béene seene the like number of ships so trimlie rigged and furnished in all points, in anie kings daies before. But no great profitable péece of seruice was wrought by them:Matt. West. for the king had about that time banished a noble yoong man of Sussex called Wilnot, who getting togither twentie sailes, laie vpon the coasts taking prices where he could get them. Brithrike the bro|ther of earle Edrike, being desirous to win honor, tooke forth foure score of the said ships, and promised to bring in the enimie dead or aliue. But as he was sailing forward on the seas, a sore tempest with an outragious wind rose with such violence, that his ships were cast vpon the shore: and Wilnot com|ming vpon them, set them on fire, and so burned them euerie one. The residue of the ships, when newes came to them of this mishap, returned backe to London; and then was the armie dispersed, and so all the cost and trauell of the Englishmen proued in vaine.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 After this, in the haruest time a new armie of Danes, vnder the conduct of thrée capteines, Tur|kill,Danes land at Sandwich. Henning, and Aulafe landed at Sandwich, and from thence passed forth to Canturburie,1009 and had taken the citie but that the citizens gaue them a 1000 pounds to depart from thence,3000 pound saith Si. Dun. and to leaue the countrie in peace. Then went the Danes to the Ile of Wight,Sussex and Hampshire spoiled. and afterwards landed and spoiled the countrie of Sussex and Hampshire. King Egel|red assembled the whole power of all his subiects, and comming to giue them battell, had made and end of their cruell harieng the countrie with the slaugh|ter of them all, if earle Edrike with forged tales (de|uised onelie to put him in feare) had not dissuaded him from giuing battell.The Danes returne into Kent. The Danes by that meanes returning in safetie, immediatlie after the feast of saint Martine, returned into Kent, and ladged with their nauie in the winter following in the Thames, and oftentimes assaulting the citie of London, were still beaten backe to their losse.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 After the feast of Christmasse they passed through the countrie and woods of Chilterne vnto Oxford,1010 which towne they burned,Oxford burnt. and then returning backe they fell to wasting of the countrie on both sides the Thames. But hearing that an armie was assem|bled at London to giue them battell; that part of their host which kept on the northside of the riuer, passed the same riuer at Stanes,Stanes. and so ioining with their fellowes marched foorth through Southerie, and comming backe to their ships in Kent, fell in hand to repare & amend their ships that were in anie wise decaied. Then after Easter, the Danes sailing a|bout the coast,Gipswich in Suffolke. Simon Dun. arriued at Gipswich in Suffolke, on the Ascension day of our Lord: and inuading the countrie, gaue battell at a place called Wig|mere or Rigmere, vnto Uikill or Wilfeketell lea|der of the English host in those parties, on the fift of Maie. The men of Northfolke and Suffolke fled at the first onset giuen: but the Cambridgeshire men sticked to it valiantlie, winning thereby perpetuall fa [...]e and commendation. There was no mindful|nesse amongest them of running awaie, so that a great number of the nobilitie and other were bea|ten downe and slaine,Caput formicae. till at length one Turketell Mireneheued, that had a Dane to his father, first bagan to take his flight, and deserued thereby an e|uerlasting reproch.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Danes obteining the vpper hand, for the EEBO page image 170 space of thrée moneths togither went vp and downe the countries, & wasted those parties of the realme, that is to say, Northfolke, and Suffolke, with the borders of Lincolnshire, Huntingtonshire, and Cambridgeshire where the fens are, gaining excée|ding riches by the spoile of the great and wealthie ab|bies and churches which had their situation within the compasse of the same fens.Thetford. Cambridge. Hen. Hunt. They also destroied Thetford, and burnt Cambridge, and from thence passed through the pleasant mountaine-countrie of Belsham, cruellie murdering the people without respect of age, degrée or sex. After this also they en|tred into Essex, and so came backe to their ships, which were then arriued in the Thames.She Danes arriue in the Thames. 1011 But they rested not anie long time in quiet, as people that minded nothing but the destruction of this realme. So as soone after, when they had somwhat refreshed them, they set forward againe into the countrie, passing through Buckinghamshire, & so into Bed|fordshire. And about saint Andrewes tide they tur|ned towards Northampton,Northamp|ton burnt by Danes. & comming thither set fire on that towne. Then turning through the west countrie, with fire & sword they wasted and destroied a great part thereof, & namelie Wiltshire, with o|ther parties. And finallie about the feast of Christ|mas they came againe to their ships. Thus had the Danes wasted the most part of 16 or 17 shires within this realme,How manie shires the Danes wa|sted. as Northfolke, Suffolke, Cam|bridgeshire, Essex, Middlesex, Hartfordshire, Ox|fordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire, with a part of Huntingtonshire, and also a great portion of Northamptonshire. This was doone in the countries that lie on the northside of the riuer of Thames. On the southside of the same riuer, they spoiled and wasted Kent, Southerie, Sussex, Barke|shire, Hampshire, and (as is before said) a great part of Wiltshire.