7.9. Edmund Ironside succedeth his father in the kingdome, the spiritualtie fauouring Cnute would haue him to be king, the Londo|ners are his backe friends, they receiue Edmund their king honorablie and ioifullie, Cnute is proclai|med king at Southampton, manie of the states cleaue vnto him, he besiegeth London by water and land, the citizens giue him the foile, he incountreth with king Edmund and is discomfi|ted, two battels fought betweene the Danes and English with equall fortune and like successe, the traitorous stratagem of E|drike the Dane, king Edmund aduisedlie defeateth Edriks tre|cherie, 20000 of both armies slaine, Cnute marching towards London is pursued of Edmund, the Danes are repelled, in|countred, and vanquished; queene Emma prouideth for the safetie of hir sonnes; the Danes seeke a pacification with Edmund, thereby more easilie to betraie him; Cnute with his armie lieth neere Rochester, king Edmund pursueth them, both armies haue a long and a sore conflict, the Danes discom|fited, and manie of them slaine; Cnute with his power assem|ble at Essex and there make waste, king Edmund pursueth them, Edrike traitorouslie reuolteth from the English to suc|cour the Danes, king Edmund is forced to get him out of the field, the Englishmen put to their hard shifts and slaine by heapes; what noble personages were killed in this battell, of two dead bodies latelie found in the place where this hot and heauie skirmish was fought. The ninth Chapter.

Edmund Ironside succedeth his father in the kingdome, the spiritualtie fauouring Cnute would haue him to be king, the Londo|ners are his backe friends, they receiue Edmund their king honorablie and ioifullie, Cnute is proclai|med king at Southampton, manie of the states cleaue vnto him, he besiegeth London by water and land, the citizens giue him the foile, he incountreth with king Edmund and is discomfi|ted, two battels fought betweene the Danes and English with equall fortune and like successe, the traitorous stratagem of E|drike the Dane, king Edmund aduisedlie defeateth Edriks tre|cherie, 20000 of both armies slaine, Cnute marching towards London is pursued of Edmund, the Danes are repelled, in|countred, and vanquished; queene Emma prouideth for the safetie of hir sonnes; the Danes seeke a pacification with Edmund, thereby more easilie to betraie him; Cnute with his armie lieth neere Rochester, king Edmund pursueth them, both armies haue a long and a sore conflict, the Danes discom|fited, and manie of them slaine; Cnute with his power assem|ble at Essex and there make waste, king Edmund pursueth them, Edrike traitorouslie reuolteth from the English to suc|cour the Danes, king Edmund is forced to get him out of the field, the Englishmen put to their hard shifts and slaine by heapes; what noble personages were killed in this battell, of two dead bodies latelie found in the place where this hot and heauie skirmish was fought. The ninth Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _AFter that king Egelred was dead,Edmund Ironside. his eldest sonne Edmund surnamed Iron|side was proclaimed king by the Londoners and others, hauing the assistance of some lords of the realme, although the more part, and speciallie those of the spiritualtie fauoured Cnute,The kingdom goeth where the spiritual|tie fauoureth. bicause they had aforetime sworne fealtie to his father. Some write, that Cnute had planted his siege both by wa|ter and land verie stronglie about the citie of Lon|don, before Egelred departed this life, and immediat|lie vpon his deceasse was receiued into the citie; but the armie that was within the citie, not consenting vnto the surrender made by the citizens, departed the night before the day on the which Cnute by appoint|ment should enter, and in companie of Edmund I|ronside (whome they had chosen to be their king and gouernour) they prepared to increase their numbers with new supplies, meaning eftsoones to trie the for|tune of battell against the Danish power. Cnute perceiuing the most part of all the realme to be thus against him, and hauing no great confidence in the loialtie of the Londouers, tooke order to leauie mo|nie for the paiment of his men of warre and mari|ners that belonged to his nauie,The author of the booke inti|tuled Encomi|um Emmae saith that it was re|ported that Edmund offe|red the com|bate vnto Cnute at this his going from the citie, but Cnute re|fused it. left the citie, and im|barking himselfe, sailed to the Ile of Shepie, and there remained all the winter. In which meane while, Edmund Ironside came to London, where he was ioifullie receiued of the citizens, and continu|ing there till the spring of the yéere, made himselfe stong against the enimies.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This Edmund for his noble courage, strength of bodie, and notable patience to indure and suffer all such hardnesse and paines as is requisite in a man of warre, was surnamed Ironside, & began his reigne in the yéere of our Lord 1016,1016 in the sixtéenth yéere of the emperor Henrie the second surnamed Clau|dius, in the twentieth yéere of the reigne of Robert king of France, & about the sixt yéere of Malcolme the second king of the Scots. After that king Ed|mund had receiued the crowne in the citie of Lon|don by the hands of the archbishop of Yorke, he as|sembled togither such a power as he could make, and with the same marched foorth towards the west parts, and made the countrie subiect to him. In the meane time was Cnute proclaimed and ordeined EEBO page image 176 king at Southampton by the bishops and abbats,Ran. Higd. and diuerse lords also of the temporaltie there togi|ther assembled, vnto whome he sware to be their good and faithfull souereigne, and that he would sée iustice trulie and vprightlie ministred.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 After he had ended his businesse at Southamp|ton,Hen. Hunt. Simon Dun. he drew with his people towards London, and comming thither, besieged the citie both by water and land, causing a great trench to be cast about it, so that no man might either get in or come foorth. Ma|nie great assalts he caused to be giuen vnto the citie,London besie|ged. but the Londoners and others within so valiantlie defended the wals and gates, that the enimies got small aduantage, and at length were constreined to depart with losse. Cnute then perceiuing that he might not haue his purpose there, withdrew west|ward,Cnute at Ga|lingham in Dorsetshire put to flight. and besides Gillingham in Dorsetshire, in|countred with K. Edmund in the Rogation weeke, and after sore & sharpe battell was put to the woorse, and constreined to forsake the field by the high pro|wesse & manhood of the said Edmund. King Cnute the same night, after the armies were seuered, de|parted towards Winchester,Polydor. so to get himselfe out of danger. Shortlie after, king Edmund hearing that an other armie of the Danes had besieged Salisbu|rie,Salisburie besieged. marched thither to succour them within, and immediatlie Cnute followed him, so that at a place in Worcestershire called Scorastan,Simon Dun. Matt. West. Wit. Malm. I battell with equall fortune. on the foure and twentith of Iune, they incountred togither, and fought a verie cruell battell, which at length the night parted with equall fortune. And likewise on the next day they buckled togither againe, and fought with like successe as they had doone the day before,An other bat|tell with like successe. for to|wards euening they gaue ouer well wearied, and not knowing to whome the victorie ought to be as|cribed.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Writers haue reported,Edrike de Streona his treason. Simon Dun. that this second day, when duke Edrike perceiued the Englishmen to be at point to haue got the vpper hand, he withdrew aside, and hauing by chance slaine a common souldier cal|led Osmear, which in visage much resembled king Edmund, whose head he cut off, held it vp, & shaking his swoord bloudie with the slaughter, cried to the Englishmen;

Flee ye wretches, flee and get awaie, for your king is dead, behold heere his head which I hold in my hands.

Héerewith had the Englishmen fled immediatlie, if king Edmund aduised of this stratagem, had not quicklie got him to an high ground where his men might sée him aliue and lu|stie. Héerewith also the traitor Edrike escaped hard|lie the danger of death, the Englishmen shot so e|gerlie at him. At length, as is said, the night parting them in sunder, they withdrew the one armie from the other, as it had béene by consent. The third day they remained in armor, but yet absteining from battell, sate still, in taking meate and drinke to re|lieue their wearied bodies, and after gathered in heapes the dead car cases that had béene slaine in the former fight,Twentie thou|sand dead bo|dies. the number of which on either partie reckoned, rose to the point of twentie thousand and a|boue.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In the night following,The armies dislodged. Cnuse remooued his campe in secret wise, and marched towards Lon|don, which citie in a maner remained besieged by the nauie of the Danes. King Edmund in the morning when the light had discouered the departure of his e|nimies, followed them by the tract, and comming to London with small adoo remooued the siege, The Danes ouercome at Brentford. Wil. Malm. Hen. Hunt. Fabian. Caxton. Polydor. and en|tered the citie like a conqueror. Shortlie after he fought with the Danes at Brentford and gaue them a great ouerthrow. In this meane while queene Em|ma the widow of king Egelred, doubting the for|tune of the warre, sent hir two sonnes Alfred and Edward ouer into Normandie vnto hir brother duke Richard, or rather fled thither hirselfe with them (as some write.)

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Moreouer, earle Edrike, perceiuing the great manhood of king Edmund, began to feare, least in the end he should subdue and vanquish the Danes, wherefore he sought meanes to conclude a peace, and take such order with him as might stand with both their contentations, which yer long he brought a|bout. This was doone (as you shall heare) by the con|sent of Cnute (as some write)Hent. Hunt. to the intent that E|drike being put in trust with king Edmund, might the more easilie deuise waies how to betraie him. But Cnute disappointed of his purpose at London, and fetching a great bootie and preie out of the coun|tries next adioining, repared to his ships, to sée what order was amongst them, which a little before were withdrawen into the riuer that passeth by Rochester called Medwaie.The riuer of Medwaie. Héere Cnute remained certeine daies, both to assemble a greater power, and also to hearken and learne what his enimies ment to doo, the which he easilie vnderstood.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 King Edmund,King Ed|munds dili|gence. who hated nothing woorse than to linger his businesse, assembled his people, and mar|ching forward toward his enimies, approched néere vnto them, & pitcht downe his tents not farre from his enimies campe, exhorting his people to remem|ber their passed victories, and to doo their good willes, at length by one battell so to ouerthrow them, that they might make an end of the warre, and dispatch them cleerelie out of the realme. With these and the like woords he did so incourage his souldiers, that they disdaining thus to haue the enimies dailie prouoke them, and to put them to trouble, with e|ger minds and fierce courages offered battell to the Danes, which Cnute had prepared to receiue when|soeuer the Englishmen approched: and heerewith bringing his men into araie, he came foorth to méet his enimies. Then was the battell begun with great earnestnesse on both sides,The battell is begun. & continued foure houres, till at length the Danes began somewhat to shrinke, which when Cnute perceiued, he commanded his horssemen to come forward into the forepart of his dawnted host.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But whilest one part of the Danes gaue backe with feare,The Danes put to flight. and the other came slowlie forward, the arraie of the whole armie was broken, & then with|out respect of shame they fled amaine, so that there died that day of Cnutes side foure thousand and fiue hundred men; The number of Danes slaine. Polydor. Fabian. Ran. Higd. Matt. West. and of king Edmunds side, not past six hundred, and those were footmen. This battell was fought as should appéere by diuerse writers, at Oke|fort or Oteford. It was thought, that if king Ed|mund had pursued the victorie and followed in chase of his enimies in such wise as he safelie might haue doone,Hen. Hunt. Will. Malmes. Edriks coun|sell. he had made that day an end of the warres: but he was counselled by Edrike (as some write) in no condition to follow them, but to staie and giue time to his people to refresh their wearie bodies. Then Cnute with his armie passed ouer the Thames into Essex, and there assembled all his power togi|ther, and began to spoile and waste the countrie on each hand. King Edmund aduertised thereof, hasted foorth to succour his people, and at Ashdone in Essex three miles from Saffron Walden, gaue battell to Cnute, where after sore and cruell fight continued with great slaughter on both sides a long time, duke Edrike fled to the comfort of the Danes, and to the discomfort of the Englishmen.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Héerevpon king Edmund was constreined in the end to depart out of the field, hauing first doone all that could be wished in a woorthie chiestaine, both by woords to incourage his men, & by deeds to shew them good example; so that at one time the Danes were at point to haue giuen backe, but that Cnute EEBO page image 177 aduised thereof, rushed into the left wing where most danger was, and so relieued his people there, that fi|nallie the Englishmen, both wearied with long fight, and also discouraged with the running awaie of some of their companie, were constreined to giue|ouer, and by flight to séeke their safegard, so that king Edmund might not by anie meanes bring them a|gaine into order. Héere vpon all the waies and passa|ges being forelaid and stopped by the enimies, the Englishmen wanting both carriage to make longer resistance, and perceiuing no hope to rest in fléeing, were beaten downe and slaine in heapes, so that few escaped from that dreadfull and bloudie battell.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 There died on king Edmunds side,Noble men slaine at the battell of Ash|done. Simon Dun. Wil. Malm. duke Edmund, duke Alfrike, and duke Goodwine, with earle Ulfe|kettell or Urchell of Eastangle, and duke Aileward, that was sonne to Ardelwine late duke of Eastan|gle; and to be briefe, all the floure of the English no|bilitie. There were also slaine at this battell manie renowmed persons of the spiritualtie, as the bishop of Lincolne, and the abbat of Ramsey, with others: king Edmund escaping awaie,King Ed|mund with|draweth unto Glocestershire got him into Gloce|stershire, and there began to raise a new armie. In the place where this field was fought, are yet seuen or eight hils, wherein the carcases of them that were slaine at the same field were buried: and one being digged downe of late, there were found two bodies in a coffin of stone, of which the one laie with his head towards the others féet, and manie chaines of iron, (like to the water-chains of the bits of horsses) were found in the same hill. But now to the matter.