tesman named Berike. Who therupon beyng cōuicted, was set into the same bote of Lothebroke alone, & without any takelyng: to dryue by seas, either to be saued by the wether or to be drowned in the deepe. And as it chaūced Lothebroke frō Dēnemarke to be dryuen to Northfolke, so it happened that from Northfolke he was cast into Dēnemarke. Where the bote of Lothebroke being well knowen, handes were layd vpon hym, and inquisition made of the partie. In fine, in hys tormētes, to saue him selfe, he vttered an vntreuth of kyng Edmund, saying: that the kyng had put hym to death in the countrey of Northfolke. Wherupon grudge first was conceiued, then an armey appoynted, & a great multitude sent into England, to reuenge that facte: where first they ariuing in Northumberland, destroyed (as is sayd) those parties first. Frō thence sayling into Northfolke they exercised the lyke tyrannie there, vpon the inhabitaunce therof: especially vpon the innocent prince, and blessed martyr of God, kyng Edmund. Concernyng the farther declaration wherof, hereafter shall folow (Christ our Lord, so permittyng) more to be spoken, as place and obseruatiō of tyme and yeares, shall requyre.

MarginaliaKyng Ethelulf deceaseth.In the meane season, kyng Ethelulphe in this chapiter here presently touched, when he had chased the foresayd Danes (as is aboue rehearsed) from place to place: causing thē to take þ^e sea, he in þ^e meane while departeth himself both frō lād & life: leauing behynde him 4. sons, which reygned euerye one in his order after the decease of their father. The names of whō, where Ethelbaldus, Ethelbrightus, Ethelredus, and Aluredus.

MarginaliaAn. 857
King Ethelbald.
King Ethelbrigh.KYng Ethelbald the eldest sonne of Ethelulf, succeding his father in the prouince of Westsaxe: and Ethelbright in the prouince of Kent: reigned both together the terme of. v. yeares, one with the other. Of the which two, Ethelbald the first left thys infamie behinde hym in stories, for marying and lying with his steapmother, wife to his owne father, named Iudith. After these. ij. succeded Ethelred the thyrd sonne, MarginaliaAn. 867
K. Etheldred.who in hys time was so encombred with the Danes, brusting in on euery side: especially about MarginaliaYorke burned by the Danes.Yorke (which citie they then spoyled and brent vp) that he in one yeare stoode in nyne battailes agaynst them, with þ^e helpe of Alured hys brother. In the beginning of this kinges reigne, the Danes landed in east Englād, or Norfolke and Suffolke. But (as Fabian writeth) they were cōpelled to forsake that countrey, and so toke againe shipping, and sayled northward, & landed in Northumberland: where they were met of the kinges then there reigning, called Osbright and Ella, which gaue to them a stronge fyght. But that notwithstanding, the Danes, with helpe of such as inhabited the countrey: wan the citie of Yorke, and held it a certaine season as is aboue foretouched.

In the reigne of thys Ethelred, the Northumberlanders rebelling agaynst the king, thought to recouer agayne the former state of theyr kingdome out of the Westsaxons hand: MarginaliaWhat discord doth in a common wealth.by reason of which discorde (as happeneth in all landes where dissention is) the strength of the english nation was therby not a litle weakened, and the Danes the more therby preuayled.

MarginaliaAn. 870About the latter tyme of þ^e reigne of this Etheldred, which was about the yeare of our Lord. 870: certaine of the foresayd Danes being thus possessed of the north countrey: after their cruell persecution and murther done there, (as partly is touched before) tooke shipping from thence entending to sayle toward the Eastangles: Who by the waye, vpon the sea mette with a flote of Danes, wherof the captaines or leaders were named Inguar, and Hubba. Who ioyning altogether in one counsaile, made all one course, and lastly landed in eastengland or Northfolke, and in processe of tyme came toThetforde. MarginaliaS. Edmund kyng of EastāglesTherof hearing Edmund, then vnder king of that prouince: assembled an hoste, that gaue to them battaile. But Edmund and hys companye was forced to forsake the field, and the king with a fewe persons fled vnto the castle of Framingham, whom the Danes pursued. But he in short while after, yelded hym self to the persecution of the Danes: aunswering in thys maner to the messinger, that told him in þ^e name of Inguar prince of þ^e Danes: which most victoriously (saith he) was come with innumerable legions, subduing both by sea and land many nations vnto him: MarginaliaThe message of the Danes to K. Edmūd.and so now arriued in those parties, requyreth him likewyse to submit himself, yelding to hym his hid treasures, & such other goods of his auncetors, and so to reigne vnder him. Which thing if he would not do, he shoulde (sayd he) be iudged vnworthy both of life and reigne. Edmunde hearing this proude message of the Pagane, consulted with certaine of his frendes: And amongst other, with one of his bishops, being then his secretarye, who seing the present daunger of the king, gaue him councell to yelde to the conditions. Vpon this the king pausing a litle with him selfe, at length rendred this answere: Bidding the messinger go tell his lord in these wordes: MarginaliaThe aunswer of K. EdmundThat Edmund a christiā king for the loue of temporall life, wil not submitte himself to a Pagane duke, vnles he before, would be a christian. Incontinent vpon the same, the wicked and craftie Dane approching in most hastie spede vpon the king, encountred with him in battaile (as some saye) at Thetford: where the king being put to the worse, and pitieng the terrible slaughter of his men: thinking with himselfe rather to submitte his own person to daunger, then his people should be slaine, did flye (as Fabiā saith) to the castle of Framingham: or (as my autor writeth) to Halesdon, now called S. Edmundes bury. MarginaliaThe persecution and death of S. Edmund king of Eastangleswhere this blessed man being on euery side compassed of hys cruell enemies, yelded himself to their persecution. And for that he would not renie or denie Christ & hys lawes, they therfore most cruellye bound hym vnto a tree, and caused hym to be shotte to death: and lastly caused hys head to be smitten frō the bodye, and cast into the thicke of the bushes. MarginaliaK. Edmūd martyr.Which head and bodye at the same tyme was by hys frendes taken vp, and solemnly buryed at the sayd Halesdon, otherwise now named S. Edmunds burye. Whose brother named Edwoldus, notwithstanding of ryght, the kingdome fell nexte vnto him: setting a parte the liking and pleasure of the worlde, became an hermit at the abbey of Cerum in the countrey of Dorset.

After the martyrdome of this blessed Edmund, whē the cruell Danes had sufficientlye robbed and spoyled that countrey: they toke agayne their shippes, & landed in Southrey, and continued their iourney till they came to the MarginaliaReding taken of the Danes.towne of Reding: and there wan the towne with the castle. Where (as Cambrensis sayth) within three dayes of their thither comming, MarginaliaInguar and Hubba slaine.the foresayd Inguar and Hubba captaines of þ^e Danes, as they went in purchasing of their prayes or booties: were slayne at a place called Englefelde. Which princes of the Danes thus slaine, the reast of thē kept whole together, in such wise that the Westsaxons might take of them none aduauntage. But yet within fewe dayes after, þ^e Danes were holden so shorte, that they were forced to issue out of the castle, and to defend them in playne battaile. In the which, by þ^e industrye of king Etheldred & of Alured his brother, the Danes were discomfited, and many of them slaine: which discomfort made them flye agayne into the castle, and there kept them for a certayne tyme. The king thē committing the charge of them to Ethelwolde duke of Baroke or Barkshyre, so departed. But when the Danes knewe of the kinges departure, they brake sodenlye out of their holde, MarginaliaDuke Ethelwold slain.and toke the duke vnprouided, and slewe him, and much of hys people. And