Gold. St. Germans he ordained a Bishop's See, which there continued, 'till by Canutus it was annexed to the Bishoprick of Kyrton in Devon, both which Sees were by Edward the Confeffor tranflated to Excefter. He died in the year of Grace, 955, and was interred in the old Minster or Monaftery of Winchefter. His Iffue were Elfrid and Bertfrid. Edwy, 955. E Day the eldest Son of King Edmond was Crowned at Kingdon, E A. D. 955. and on the Day of his Coronation, as fome Monks fay, he, in fight of his Nobles as they fat in Council, abufed the Body of a great Lady his near Kinfwoman, and not long after flew her Hufband, that he might the more freely enjoy his inceftuous Pleasure, A great Enemy he was to the Monks Order, expelling them from fome of their Monafteries, and placing married Priests in their vacancies. Dunhan the Saint he expelled the Realm, either for his bold Reprehenfions of him, or for detaining the Treasure his Uncle had committed to his keeping, or both; but the People having the Monks fingle Life in high Veneration, and conceiting Dunstan to be very holy Man, they turned their Affections from him, and sware their Fealty to Edgar; for very grief whereof he pined away and died, 4. D. 959, and was buried in the Church of the New Abby at Winchester. Edgar, A. D. 959. Dear firnamed the Peaceable, was Crowned at King fton by Otho, then then were very plenty, instead of the Tribute impofed on the Prince of Wales by King Athelstan, he appointed Luduall Prince of Wales, to pay yearly 300 Wolves. His Navy Royal confifting of 3600 Ships, he employed in fecuring the Coals from Pirates and Foreign Enemies, wherein himlelf would fail every Summer. And in the Winter he would Circuit the Country, taking an Account of the Adminiftration of his Laws, and Demeanour of his Great Men, efpecially his Judges, whom he would punish feverely, if he found them to have been guilty of Bribery or partiality, infomuch that there was never lefs Robbery, Deceit or Oppreffion than in the Reign of this King. His State was fo flourishing in Peace and Profperity, that it caufed divers Kings to bind themselves in League with him. Wars he had none in all his Reign, fave a little towards the latter end thereof by the Welp, whom he quickly curbed; but that which darkued his Glory, was his Lafcivioufnels. For he defloured a certain Nun called Wolfchild, on whom he begat St. Edyth; after her another named Ethelfede, on whom he begat his Son Edward. And after this happening to hear a Western Duke's Daughter extolled for her Beauty, he came to her Father's Houfe, commanding her to his Bed. But her Mother, tender of her Honour, instead of her Virgin Daughter, brought her Servant-Maid in the Dark to the King; who well enough pleas'd him that Night; though in the Morning when he underflood the Deceit, he checked the Lady, yet entertain'd this Servant for his Concubine, keeping to her Bed alone, til he Married his lawful Wife Elfreda, Earl Ordgarus's Daughter: The Fame of whofe excelling Beauty coming to his Ear, he employed Earl Ethelwold, his Favourite, to go to vifit her, and if he found her Beauty fuiting, then to Court and fecure her for the King. But Ethelwold liked her fo well when he faw her, that he courted her for himself, and at his return to Court, pretending to the King, that her Beauty was far fhort of what it was Famed to be; therefore befought the King, in respect fhe was a great Heirefs, that he would follicit her Father to bellow her upon him to Wife; which the credulous King did: But the Duke had not been long Married with fair Elfreda, e'er Elfius and a fresh Commendation of her Beauty founded in the King's Ears: Dunftan Whereupon he refolved to make his own Eyes the Witneffes, which Archbishop accordingly he did; And upon fight of her Beauty, became fo En- of Cant. amour'd of her, that taking Ethelwold at the Advantage, as they were Hunting together, he ran Aim through with his Javelin, then took Elfreda to be his Wife, who was very willing to embrace the Honour, Edgar, at the infligation of Dunstan, now Archbishop of Canterbury, difplaced the Married Priefts, and poffeffed their vacancies with Monks of fingle Life. To reprefs Drunkennefs, which the Danes had brought in, he ordained a fize, by certain Pins in the Pot, with a Penalty to any that prefumed to drink deeper than the Mark. He died d. D. 975, and was buried in the Abby of Claftenbury. His Iflue were Edward, Edmond and Ethelred, Ordolph, the Son or Ordgare, Earl of Devonshire, in A. D. 961, built a famous Abby at Tavitoke in Devon, Ethelwald, Bishop of Winchester, about A. D. 953, and in the Reign of King Edgar, in a great Fantine, Edw. II. 975. Famine, fold away all the facred Veffels of his Church for to relieve the Poor, faying, That there was no reason that the fenfelefs Temples of God fhould abound in Riches, and lively Temples of the Holy Ghost to want them. Dward, Sir-named the Martyr, was much oppofed by his Motherin-law, Queen Elfreda, and many of the Nobles, as being Illegitimate; but by the procurement of Dunstan, and the Clergy, he was admitted to be King, and was Crowned at Kingstone in A. D. 975, The beginning of whofe Reign was attended with a miserable barrennefs of the Ground, and Murrain amongst Cattel. A dreadful Comet allo appeared. Thefe, many Men thought to be Signs and Judgments fent from Heaven, for the Sins committed against the Married Clergy, who were expulfed from their ancient Poffeffions. In favour of whom the Duke of Mercia deftroyed the Monafteries in Ethelgar his Province, caft out the Monks, refloring to the Priests and their and Eltrick Wives their ancient Revenues. On the contrary, Duke Edelwin, in Archbishops Cant. Eaft-Saxia, grievously oppreffed the Married Priefts. To put an end therefore to thefe Troubles, and to prevent the Dangers that might enfue, the cafe was referred to be heard in Council at Winchefter; where the Business was Debated fo long, till the Monks were in hazard of lofing the Day. Whereupon it was perfwaded to be referred to the Rood, placed where the Council fate; which Oracle (after Devout Prayers made unto it) thus fpake, God forbid it should be fo, God forbid it should be fo: you judged well once; and to change that again is not good. Upon which words, the Married Priefts went down the Wind. But they difclofing to the People that this was but a Trick of the Monks, in placing a Man behind the Wall, who through a Trunk uttered thefe Words in the Mouth of the Rood; it was therefore instantly defired, that the cafe might be once more fcanned, which was granted; and at Cleves in Wiltshire, the Prelates, Peers, and Commons affembled, where, being fet in Confultation, the Chamber Floor, being over-preffed with the weight of People, broke, and fell down, hurting many, and killing others; only St. Dundan, by a Miracle, remained without any hurt, the poft, whereon his Chair flood, flanding still firm. This is the Story. And now the fecular Married Prietts were left to take care without any Cure. But King Edward, as he hunted near Corf-Catle, where Elfreda and her Son Ethelred refided, either on purpofe, or by chance, parted from his Company, and came to the Cafle to vifit his Brother-inlaw; where, as he fate on Horfeback at the Gate, difcourfing with Elfreda and Ethelred, and whilft he was drinking a Cup of Wine, a Knife was ftruck into his Back, by a Servant whom Elfreda had appointed thereunto. Whereupon the King fetting Spurs to his Horie, rode away; but fainting, through the lofs of much Blood, he fell from his Horfe, and with one Foot in the Stirrup, was dragged up and down the Woods and Grounds, till in the end his Body was left dead at Corf's Gate; and was first buried at Warbam, afterwards removed to the Mintter of Shaftesbury. Elfreda, his Mother-in-law, fore repenting the fact, to expiate her guilt, and pacifte his crying blood i blood (as the thought) Founded the Monafteries of Almsbury and Siricius and Worwell, in the last whereof fhe died and was buried. Elphegus of Cant. Thelved, for his flowness, Sir-named The Unready, was Crowned at Kingstone. Upon his Coronation a Cloud was feen through Ethelred, England, one half like Blood, the other half like Fire: And in the A. D. 977. third Year of his Reign the Danes arrived in fundry places of the Land, and did much spoil. And about the fame time a great part of London was confumed by Fire. He payed Tribute 40000l. yearly (called Dane-gilt) to the Danes. His Reign was much molefted with Danif Invafions in divers Parts of the Land. And fo low were the Eglifo at that time, by the intruding Danes, that they were forced to Till and Sow the Ground, while the Danes fate idle in their Houses, and eat that which they toiled for. Alfo abufing their Daughters and Wives, and having all at their Command, the English, for very fear, calling them Lord Danes. Hence we call a lazy Lubber a Lur dane. In this the English diftreffed Eftate, the King, at laft, fent forth a fecret Commifhion into every City within his Dominions, That upon the thirteenth Day of November they fhould Maffacre alĺ the Danes which were amongst them. This Command of the Kings, the People put in execution with extreme Rigor, in A. D. 1002. But to revenge this great deftruction of the Danes, Swein, King of Denmark, prepared a very great Navy, and arrived in the Weit of Eng land, and fhortly after Canutus brought 200 fail of Ships, well furnihed, to his affiitance. And in A. D. 1e16, King Ethelred died, and was buried at St. Paul's. His Iffue were Ethelstan, Egbert, Edmond, Edred, Edwy, Edgar, Ed-Livingus, ward, Elfred, and four Daughters. A. B. In the Year of our Lord 991, was Infwich in Suffolk facked by the Can Danes. And in A. D. 1004, Thetford in Norfolk, anciently called Sitomagus, was fack'd by the Danes; for the recovery whereof Bishop Arfar removed his Epifcopal See from Elmham thither. Norwich was fired by the Danes; its Caftle was afterward re-edified by Hugh Bigod, Earl of Norfolk. ing at his Death, was Crowned at Kingtone by Livingus, Arch- Ironfide, bishop of Canterbury, A. D. 1016. At which time the Danes were fo A.D.1976. powerful in England, that Canute was accepted King at Southampton by many of the Clergy and Laity, who fware fealty to him. But the City of London ftood moft firm for Edmond, and bravely withstood Canute befieging it, till fuch time that King Edmond came and relievea them. At Penham, near Gillingham, King Edmond engaged with the Danes, where he put many of them to the Sword, and the rest to flight. And not long after, his and the Danish Hoft met nigh to Sheretton in Worcestershire, where the Battel was, for the first day, fought with equal Succefs; but on the next Day, when the English were in forwardness and probability of the Victory, the Traytor Edrick on purpose difanimated them, by cutting off the Head of a dead Soldici, putting it on his Sword point, then crying to the English Hoit, Fly Fly ye wretches, fly, and get you away, for your King is flain; behold, here is his head; feek therefore now to fave your own Lives. By which means the fight ended on even Hands. And the next night following Canute ftole away toward London, whom Ironfide followed, firit ra fing the Siege that Canutus had laid against London, and then marching after him to Brentwood, where he gave the Danes a great overthrow Then near unto Oteford in Kent, the two Armies met again, and fought in furious manner, till at last the day fell to the English, who flew four Thousand five hundred Men, with the lofs but of Six Hundred, and put the reft to flight, whom the King had purfued to their utter Confufion, had not his Brother-in-law Edrick played the Traytor again, diffuading him from the chafe of them, under the pretence of Danger of Ambufhments, and the English Soldiers over weariedness. Whereupon, Canute had the opportunity of paffing over into Effex, where his fcattered Forces rallied, and fresh Supplies came in to them. After whom Edmond advanced, and at Abdou by SaffronWalden, the Armies joined Battel, when a bloody laughter enfued, with the hopes of Victory on the English fide; which the ever-trayterous Ddrick perceiving, he withdrew his Strength to the Danes, the Enemy thereby regaining the Day. Of King Edmond's Nobles were flain, Duke Alfred, Duke Goodwin, Duke Ethelward, Duke Ethel win, Earl Urchel, with Cadnoth, Bishop of Lincoln, and Wolfey, Abbot of Ramfey, and others of the Clergy that were come thither to pray for good Succefs to the English. The Memorial of this Battel is Hill retained by certain fmall Hills there remaining where the Dead were |