7.5. King Egelred offereth the Danes great summes of moneie to desist from destroieng his countrie, their vnspeakable crueltie, bloud|thir stinesse, and insatiable spoiling of Canturbu|rie betraied by a churchman; their merciles murthe|ring of Elphegus archbishop of Canturburie, Turkillus the Dane chiefe lord of Norfolke and Suffolke, a peace concluded betweene the Danes and the English vpon hard conditi|ons; Gunthildis a beautifull Danish ladie and hir husband slaine, hir courage to the death. The fift Chapter.

King Egelred offereth the Danes great summes of moneie to desist from destroieng his countrie, their vnspeakable crueltie, bloud|thir stinesse, and insatiable spoiling of Canturbu|rie betraied by a churchman; their merciles murthe|ring of Elphegus archbishop of Canturburie, Turkillus the Dane chiefe lord of Norfolke and Suffolke, a peace concluded betweene the Danes and the English vpon hard conditi|ons; Gunthildis a beautifull Danish ladie and hir husband slaine, hir courage to the death. The fift Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 _THe king and the peeres of the realme, vnderstanding of the Danes dealing in such merciles maner (as is aboue mentioned) but not knowing how to redresse the matter, sent ambassadors vnto the Danes,The king sen|beth to the Danes. Simon Dun. offering them great summes of moneie to leaue off such cruell wasting and spoiling of the land. The Danes were contented to reteine the moneie, but yet could not absteine from their cruell dooings, neither was their greedie thirst of bloud and spoile satisfied with the wasting and destroieng of so manie countries and places as they had passed through. Wherevpon, in the yeere of our Lord 1011,1011 about the feast of S. Matthew in September, they laid siege to the citie of Canturbu|rie, which of the citizens was valiantlie defended by the space of twentie daies. In the end of which terme it was taken by the enimies, through the treason of a deacon named Almaricus,Canturburie woone by Danes whome the archbishop Elphegus had before that time preserued from death. The Danes exercised passing great crueltie in theFabian ex. An [...]o|nino. winning of that citie (as by sundrie authors it dooth and maie appéere.) For they slue of men, women, and children, aboue the number of eight thousand.The archbi|shop Elphe|gus taken. Hen. Hunt. They tooke the archbishop Elphegus with an other bishop named Godwine; also abbat Lefwin and Alseword the kings bailife there. They spared no degrée, in so|much that they slue and tooke 900 priests, and other men of religion. And when they had taken their plea|sure of the citie,Antoninus. Vincentius. they set it on fire, and so returned to their ships. There be some which write that they tithed the people after an inuerted order, Wil. Lamb. ex Asserio Me|neuensi, & alijs. slaieng all by nines through the whole multitude, and reserued the tenth: so that of all the moonks there were but foure saued, and of the laie people 4800, whereby it follow|eth that there died 43200 persons. Whereby is ga|thered that the citie of Canturburie, and the coun|trie thereabouts (the people whereof belike fled thi|ther for succor) was at that time verie well inhabi|ted, so as there haue no wanted (saith maister Lam|bert) which affirme that it had then more people than London it selfe.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But now to our purpose.1112 Henr. Hunt. In the yéere next insu|ing, vpon the saturday in Easter wéeke, after that the bishop Elphegus had béene kept prisoner with them the space of six or seuen moneths, they cruellie in a rage led him foorth into the fields,The archbi|shop Elphe|gus murthe|red. and dashed out his braines with stones, bicause he would not re|déeme his libertie with thrée thousand pounds, which they demanded to haue beene leuied of his farmers and tenants. This cruell murther was committed at Gréenewich foure miles distant from London, the 19 of Aprill, where he lay a certeine time vnburied, but at length through miracles shewed (as they say,Miracles. for miracles are all wrought now by dead men, and not by the liuing) the Danes permitted that his bo|die might be caried to London,Elphegus bu|ried in Lon|don. and there was it bu|ried in the church of S. Paule, where it rested for the space of ten yeeres, till king Cnute or Knought had the gouernment of this land, by whose appointment it was remooued to Canturburie.Translated to Canturburie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Turkillus the leader of those Danes by whome the archbishop Elphegus was thus murthered, held Northfolke and Suffolke vnder his subiection, Wil. Malms. Turkillus held Norffolk and Suffolke. & so continued in those parties as chiefe lord and gouer|nor. But the residue of the Danes at length, com|pounding with the Englishmen for a tribute to be paid to them of eight thousand pounds,48 thousand pound as saith Sim. Dun. and M. West. Henr. Hunt. spred abroad in the countrie, soiorning in cities, townes and villa|ges, where they might find most conuenient har|bour. Moreouer, fortie of their ships, or rather (as some write) 45 were reteined to serue the king, pro|mising to defend the realme; with condition, that the souldiers and mariners should haue prouision of meate and drinke, with apparell found them at the kings charges. As one autor hath gathered Swaine king of Denmarke was in England at the conclu|ding of this peace, which being confirmed with so|lemne othes and sufficient hostages, he departed in|to Denmarke.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The same author bringeth the generall slaughter of Danes vpon S. Brices day,Matth. West. to haue chanced in the yéere after the conclusion of this agréement, that is to say, in the yéere 1012, at what time Gunthildis the sister of king Swaine was slaine,Gunthildis the sister of K. Swaine mur|thered. with hir hus|band & hir sonne, by the commandement of the false traitor Edrike. But bicause all other authors agrée that the same murther of Danes was executed a|bout ten yéeres before this supposed time: we haue made rehearsall thereof in that place. Howbeit, for the death of Gunthildis, it maie be, that she became hostage either in the yéere 1007, at what time king Egelred paied thirtie thousand pounds vnto king Swaine to haue peace (as before you haue heard) or EEBO page image 171 else might she be deliuered in hostage, in the yéere 1011, when the last agréement was made with the Danes (as aboue is mentioned.) But when or at what time soeuer she became hostage, this we find of hir,Wil. Malm. that she came hither into England with hir hus|band Palingus, a mightie earle, and receiued bap|tisme héere. Wherevpon she earnestlie trauelled in treatie of a peace betwixt hir brother and king E|gelred: which being brought to passe chieflie by hir sute, she was contented to become an hostage for performance thereof (as before is recited.) And af|ter by the commandement of earle Edrike she was put to death, pronouncing that the shedding of hir bloud would cause all England one day sore to rue. She was a verie beautifull ladie, and tooke hir death without all feare, not once changing countenance, though she saw hir husband and hir onelie sonne (a yoong gentleman of much towardnesse) first mur|thered before hir face.