7.7. Swaine king of Denmarke is reputed king of this land, he oppresseth the English people cruellie, and spoileth religious houses, the strange and miraculous slaughter of Swaine vaunting of his victories; the Danish chronicles write parciallie of him and his end, Cnute succeedeth his father Swaine in regiment, the Englishmen send king Egelred woord of Swaines death, Edward king Egelreds eldest sonne com|meth ouer into England to know the state of the countrie and people of certeintie; Egelred with his power returneth into England; what meanes Cnute made to establish himselfe king of this land, and to be well thought of among the English peo|ple, Egelred burneth vp Gainesbrough, and killeth the inha|bitants therof for their disloialtie; Cnutes flight to Sandwich, his cruel decree against the English pledges, he returneth in|to Denmarke, why Turkillus the Danish capteine with his power compounded with the Englishmen to tarrie in this land, his faithlesse seruice to Egelred, his drift to make the whole realme subiect to the Danish thraldome. The seuenth Chapter.

Swaine king of Denmarke is reputed king of this land, he oppresseth the English people cruellie, and spoileth religious houses, the strange and miraculous slaughter of Swaine vaunting of his victories; the Danish chronicles write parciallie of him and his end, Cnute succeedeth his father Swaine in regiment, the Englishmen send king Egelred woord of Swaines death, Edward king Egelreds eldest sonne com|meth ouer into England to know the state of the countrie and people of certeintie; Egelred with his power returneth into England; what meanes Cnute made to establish himselfe king of this land, and to be well thought of among the English peo|ple, Egelred burneth vp Gainesbrough, and killeth the inha|bitants therof for their disloialtie; Cnutes flight to Sandwich, his cruel decree against the English pledges, he returneth in|to Denmarke, why Turkillus the Danish capteine with his power compounded with the Englishmen to tarrie in this land, his faithlesse seruice to Egelred, his drift to make the whole realme subiect to the Danish thraldome. The seuenth Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _SWaine hauing now got the whole rule of the land, was reputed full king, and so commanded that his armie should be prouided of wages and vittels to be taken vp & leuied through the realme. In like maner Turkill com|manded that to his armie lodged at Gréenewich,Swaine handleth the Englishmen hardlie. wages and vittels sufficient should be deliuered, for the finding, releeuing, succouring, and susteining thereof. Swaine vsed the victorie verie cruellie against the Englishmen, oppressing them on each hand; to the intent that them being brought low he might gouerne in more suertie. The yéere in which he obteined the rule thus of thus realme, and that king Egelred was constreined to flie into Normandie, was in the 35 yeere of the same Egelred his reigne, and after the birth of our Lord 1014. Swaine being once established in the gouernment, did not onelie vse much crueltie in oppressing the laitie, but also stretched foorth his hand to the church, and to the mi|nisters EEBO page image 173 in the same, fléecing them and spoiling both churches and ministers, without anie remorse of conscience, insomuch that hauing a quarell against the inhabitants within the precinct of S. Edmunds land in Suffolke, he did not onelie harrie the coun|trie, but also rifled and spoiled the abbeie of Burie, where the bodie of saint Edmund rested.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Wherevpon shortlie after, as he was at Gaines|brough or Thetford (as some say) and there in his iol|litie talked with his Nobles of his good successe in conquering of this land, Fabian. S. Edmund fighteth for the wealth, but not for the slaughter of his people. Simon. Dun. he was suddenlie striken with a knife,1115 as it is reported, miraculouslie, for no man wist how or by whome: and within three daies after, to wit, on the third of Februarie, he ended his life with grieuous paine and torment in yelling and roring, by reason of his extreame anguish beyond all measure. There hath sproong a pleasant tale among the posteritie of that age, how he should be wounded with the same knife which king Edmund in his life time vsed to weare. Thus haue some of our writers reported, but the Danish chronicles report a farre more happie end which should chance to this Swaine,Albertus Crantz. Saxo Grana|maticus. than is before mentioned out of our writers: for the said chronicles report, that after he had subdued Eng|land, he tooke order with king Egelred, whome they name amisse Adelstane, that he should not ordeine any other successor, but onlie the said Swaine. Then after this, he returned into Denmarke, where vsing himselfe like a right godlie prince, at length he there ended his life, being a verie old man.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Notwithstanding all this, when or howsoeuer he died, immediatlie after his deceasse the Danes elec|ted his sonne Cnute or Knought to succeed in his Wil. Malm. H. Hunt. Canute or Cnute. dominions. But the Englishmen of nothing more desirous than to shake off the yoke of Danish thral|dome besides their necks & shoulders, streightwaies vpon knowledge had of Swaines death, with all spéed aduertised king Egelred thereof, and that they were readie to receiue and assist him if he would make hast to come ouer to deliuer his countrie outEgelred sent for home. of the hands of strangers. These newes were right ioifull vnto Egelred, who burning in desire to be re|uenged on them that had expelled him out of his kingdome, made no longer tariance to set that en|terprise forward. But yet doubting the inconstancie of the people, he sent his elder son (named Edmund) to trie the minds of them,Edmund K. Egelreds eldest sonne. and to vnderstand whether they were constant or wauering in that which they had promised.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The yoong gentleman hasting ouer into Eng|land, and with diligent inquirie perceiuing how they were bent, returned with like spéed as he came into Normandie againe, declaring to his father, that all things were in safetie if he would make hast. King Egelred then conceiued an assured hope to recouer his kingdom,King Egel|red returneth into England aided with his brother in laws power, and trusting vpon the assistance of the Englishmen, returned into England in the time of Lent. His re|turne was ioifull and most acceptable to the Eng|lish people, as to those that abhorred the rule of the Danes,Cnutes ende|uor to esta|blish himselfe in the king|dome. which was most sharpe and bitter to them, although Cnute did what he could by bountifulnesse and courteous dealings to haue reteined them vn|der his obeisance.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 And of an intent to procure Gods fauour in the well ordering of things for the administration in the common wealth, he sought first to appease his wrath, and also to make amends to saint Edmund for his fathers offense committed (as was thought) against him: insomuch that after he had obteined the king|dome, he caused a great ditch to be cast round about the land of saint Edmund,S. Edmunds ditch. and granted manie frée|doms to the inhabitants, acquiting them of certeine taskes and paiments, vnto the which other of their neighbours were contributarie. He also builded a church on the place where saint Edmund was bu|ried, and ordeined an house of moonks there, or ra|ther remooued the canons or secular priests that were there afore, and put moonks in their roomes. He offe|red vp also his crowne vnto the same S. Edmund,Polydor. Fabian. and redéemed it againe with a great summe of mo|nie, which maner of dooing grew into an vse vnto o|ther kings that followed him. He adorned the church there with manie rich iewels, and indowed the mo|nasterie with great possessions.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But these things were not done now at the first, but after that he was established in the kingdome. For in the meane time, after that king Egelred was returned out of Normandie, Cnute as then so|iourning at Gainesbrough, remained there till the feast of Easter, and made agréement with them of Lindsey, so that finding him horsses, they should al|togither go foorth to spoile their neighbors. King E|gelred aduertised thereof, sped him thither with a mightie host, and with great crueltie burned vp the countrie, and slue the more part of the inhabitants, bicause they had taken part with his enimies. Cnute as then was not of power able to resist Egelred,Cnute driuen to forsake the land. He was dri|uen thither by force of con|trarie winds as should appeare by Matth. West. The cruell decrée of Cnute against the English pledges. Will. Malmes. and therefore taking his ships which lay in Humber, fled from thence, & sailed about the coast, till he came, to Sandwich, and there sore gréeued in his mind to remember what mischéefe was fallen and chanced to his friends and subiects of Lindsey, onelie for his cause; he commanded that such pledges as had béene deliuered to his father by certeine noble men of this realme, for assurance of their fidelities, should haue their noses slit, and their eares stuffed, or (as some write) their hands and noses cut off.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 When this cruell act according to his comman|dement was doone, taking the sea, he sailed into Denmarke: but yet tooke not all the Danes with him which his father brought thither. For earle Tur|kill perceiuing the wealthinesse of the land,This Tur|kill was re|teined in ser|uice with Egelred, as I thinke. com|pounded with the Englishmen, and chose rather to remaine in a region replenished with all riches, than to returne home into his owne countrie that wan|ted such commodities as were here to be had. And yet (as some thought) he did not forsake his soue|reigne lord Cnute for anie euill meaning towards him, but rather to aid him (when time serued) to reco|uer the possession of England againe, as it after|wards well appeared. For notwithstanding that he was now reteined by K. Egelred with fortie ships, and the flower of all the Danes that were men of warre, so that Cnute returned but with 60 ships in|to his countrie: yet shortlie after, erle Turkill with 9 of those ships sailed into Denmarke, submitted him|selfe vnto Cnute, counselled him to returne into England, and promised him the assistance of the re|sidue of those Danish ships which yet remained in England,Encomium. Emmae. being to the number of thirtie, with all the souldiers and mariners that to them belonged. To conclude, he did so much by his earnest persuasions, that Cnute (through aid of his brother Harrold king of Denmarke) got togither a nauie of two hundred ships, so roially decked, furnished, and appointed, both for braue shew and necessarie furniture of all ma|ner of weapons, armor & munition, as it is strange to consider that which is written by them that liued in those daies, and tooke in hand to register the doo|ings of that time. Howbeit to let this pompe of Cnutes fléete passe, which (no doubt) was right roiall, consider a little and looke backe to Turkill, though a sworne seruant to king Egelred, how he did direct all his drift to the aduancement of Cnute, and his owne commoditie, cloking his purposed treacherie with pretended amitie, as shall appeare hereafter by his deadlie hostilitie.