Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 After this, Gurmo the third of that name king of Denmarke, although an infidell himselfe, and a Gurmo the third of that name king of Denmarke. He marrieth Thira daugh|ter to Ethel|dred king of England. Canute and Harold. cruell persecutor of the christian religion, yet tooke to wife a christian ladie named Thira, daughter to E|theldred king of England, who had issue by him two sonnes Knaught, or Canute, and Harold, proouing men of high valiancie and notable prowesse, inso|much that after the atchiuing of diuerse worthie vic|tories against the enimies néere home, they made a voiage into England, not sparing to inuade the do|minions of their grandfather king Etheldred: who rather reioising, than séeming to be offended with those manlike enterprises of his cousins, proclamed them his heires to sucéed after him in all his lands and dominions, although of right the same were to descend first vnto their moother Thira. The yoong men being incouraged with their grandfather his They inuade Ireland. Canute is slaine. bountifull magnificence, attempted the inuasion of Ireland, where at the siege of Dublin, Canute or EEBO page image 58 Knaught the elder brother was shot into the bodie with an arrow, and died of the wound: howbeit his death was kept close by his owne commandement giuen before he died, till his people had got the citie into their possession. But the gaine was small in re|spect of the losse, which was thought to redound vnto the whole Danish nation by the death of that noble yoong gentleman Canute, who for his high prowesse and valiancie was most tenderlie beloued of all men; but namelie of his father king Gormo, inso|much that he sware to kill him with his owne hands, whosoeuer should first tell him newes of his death.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This Gormo was now a man far striken in age, and blind, hauing small ioie of anie worldlie plea|sures, otherwise than to heare of the welfare and pro|sperous proceedings of his sonnes. When therefore his wife quéene Thira had perfect aduertisement of hir sonnes death, and that neither she nor anie other durst breake the matter vnto hir husband, she deui|sed a shift how to signifie that vnto him by outward signes, which by word of mouth she was afraid to ex|presse, as thus. She caused moorning apparell to be made for hir husband, & putting off his roiall robes, The policie of Thira to sig|nifie to hir husband the death of their sonne Ca|nute. clad him therewith, and other things apperteining to moorners she also put about him, and prepared all such furniture and necessaries as were vsed for fune|rall exequies, witnessing the lamentable griefe con|ceiued for the losse of some friend, with that kind of moorning wéed and funerall ceremonies. Which when Gormo perceiued: Wo is me (saith he) you then signifie the death of my sonne Canute. Where|to she made answer, that he and not she did discouer the truth of that which was meant by those moorning garments; and with that spéech ministred cause of hir husbands death, whereby she became presentlie a widow, not openlie moorning for hir sonne, before she moorned likewise for hir husband: for he tooke such griefe for Canutes death, that immediatlie he died thorough sorow and dolor: so as Thira was thus driuen to lament, as well the death of hir sonne, as Gormo dieth of sorrow. of hir husband both at once. But now to the purpose of the Irish historie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Ye haue thus partlie heard what the Danish wri|ters doo record in their histories, touching the con|quests which their people made in Ireland; but whe|ther the same be meant of that which goeth before, or rather of that which followeth, touching the trade which the Norwegian merchants vsed thither; or whe|ther the Irish writers haue passed these iournies o|uer with silence, which the Danish writers in forme (as before is touched) doo make mention of, I cannot affirme. But like it is that as the Danes, or Nor|mans, whether you will call them, did inuade Ire|land as well as England, France, and Scotland, in those daies according to the report of their writers, and that by waie of open warre as well to conquer the countrie, as to take preies, prisoners, and booties, and not for trade of merchandize onelie: albeit that they might peraduenture so get entrie at the first, as by the Irish histories it should seeme they did shortlie after the slaughter of Turgesius. And afterwards when they saw themselues setled, and perceiued that they began to grow to be enuied of their Irish neighbours, who therevpon would not sticke to mo|lest them as occasions serued, they saw no better meane to assure themselues against their aduersa|ries, than to send vnto their countriemen, which in those daies roued abroad (as before I haue said) in euerie quarter of this our west ocean, waiting for oportunitie to aduance their conquests in each coun|trie where anie thing might be gotten. And so this maie agrée verie well with the Irish writers, whom as I doo not take vpon me to controll, but rather to report the storie as I find it by them written, I will procéed with the order which they follow. After the countrie was deliuered of the tyrannie wherewith it was oppressed by the same Turgesius & his people, Danes or Norwegians whether they were (for so Cambrensis estéemeth them) the Irish-deliuered of seruile bondage, fell to their old woonted vomit, in persecuting each other: and hauing latelie defaced their fortified townes and castels, as receptacles and couerts for the enimie, all sides laie more open to receiue harme.