ted by the quene the mother and the nobles) MarginaliaThe coronatiō of K. EgelredDunstane þ^e arcchbishop of Cant. (who first refused so to do) with Oswald archbishop of Yorke: were enforced to crowne the king. And so they did at Kingston. In doyng wherof, the reporte of stories go: that the said Dunstane should say, thus prophecyeng vnto the kyng: MarginaliaThe prophecie of Dunstane.that for somuch as he came to the kyngdome, by the death of his brother and through the conspiracie of the wicked cōspiratours and other Englishmen: They should not be without bloudsheding & sword, til there came a people of an vnknown tongue, and should bring them into thraldome: Neither should þ^t trespas be clensed without long vengeance. &c. Not long after the coronatiō of this kyng, a cloude was sene throughout the land whiche appeared, thone halfe like bloud, and thother halfe lyke fier. And chaunged after, into sondry colours and vanyshed at the laste in the morning. Shortly after the apperaunce of this cloude, in the iij. yeare of his reigne, MarginaliaThe Danes recourse to England.the Danes aryuyng in sondry places of the land, first spoyled Southampton: either slayng the inhabitance, or leadyng them captiue away. From thence they went to the Isle of Thanet: then they inuaded Chester: from thēce they proceded to Cornwale and Deauenshyre, & so to Sussex: where, in those coastes they did much harme, and so retired to their shyppes agayne. MarginaliaHoueden. lib. continuationū.
London consumed with fyre.Roger Houeden writing herof, sayth: that London, the same tyme (or as Fabian sayth) a great part of Londō, was consumed w^t fire. About this time fell a variance betwene the foresayd Egelred, and the bishop of Rochester: MarginaliaThe king warred agaynst the bishop of Rochester.in somuch that he made warre agaynst hym, and besieged the citie. And notwithstandyng that Dunstane required the kyng sendyng hym admonishment to giue ouer, for the sake of S. Andrew: yet cōtinued he hys siege, till the bishop offered hym an hundreth poundes of gold, whiche he receaued, and so departed. The Danes seyng the discord that then was in the realme, and especially the hatred of the subiectes agaynst the kyng: Rose againe, & did great harme in diuers places of England, in somuch that the king was glad to graunt them great sommes of money for peace to be had. For the assurāce of which peace, Analaffe captaine of the Danes, became a christen man, and so returned hom to hys countrey, and dyd no more harme. Marginalia990.
The bloudy flixe & hoat feuers reigned in thys land.Besides these miseries before recited, a sore sickenes of the bloudy flyxe, & hote feuers fell emong the people: wherof many dyed, with a lyke moreine also emong the beastes. Moreouer for lacke of iustice: many theues, ryoters, and bribers, were in the land, with much miserie and mischief.

MarginaliaThe death of Dūstane.About the xi. yeare (some say, the ix. yeare) of this kings reigne, dyed Dunstane. MarginaliaEthelgar⁹.
Elfricus.
Siricius.
Elphegus.
Archbish. of Cant.After whō succeded Ethelgarus, or as Iornalensis, writeth Stilgarus. After hym Elfricus as affirmeth Guliel. lib. 1. de pontif. But as Polidorus sayth Siricius. After hym, Elfricus came: but Siritius after the mynde of William Lib. 1. But Polydor, sayth Aluritius, then Elphegus. &c.

About þ^e same time in þ^e yeare of our Lord. 995. Aldunus bishop, translated the body of S. Cutbert frō Chester (which first was in a northeren iland then at Rochester) to Durelme, or Dunolme. MarginaliaThe bishops see of Durham.Wherupon the bishops sea of Duresme first began.

Not long after the death of Dunstane, the Danes agayne entred England, in many and sondry places of þ^e land: in such sorte, that the kyng was to seeke, to which coast he should go first to withstand his enemies. And in conclusion, for the auoydyng of more harme: he was cōpelled to appease thē with great sommes of money. But whē that money was spent, they fell to new robbyng of the people, and assaylyng the land, in diuers places: not onely about the countrey of Northumberland, MarginaliaLondō besieged of the Danes.but also besieged the citie of London at the last. But beyng from thence repulsed by the manhode of the Londiners, they strayde to other countreys adioyning, as to Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Hampshyre: burnyng and kyllyng wher so-MarginaliaThe Danes spoyled the land.euer they went. So that for lacke of a good heade or gouernour many things in the land perished. For the king gaue hym selfe to the vice of lechery, and polyng of hys subiectes, and disinherited men of their possessions: & caused them to redeme the same againe with great sommes of money: MarginaliaGreat tribute leuyed of the Englishmene.
Dane gelt.for he payd great tribute to the Danes yearely, whiche was called Danegelt. Whiche tribute so increased, that from the first tribute of x. M. pound, it was brought at last in proces of v. or vi. yeare, to xl. M. poūd. The which, yearely (duryng to the comming of S. Edward, and after) was leuied of the subiectes of this land.

MarginaliaThe sorowfull affliction of the Englishe nation.To this sorrow moreouer, was ioyned hunger and penury among the commons: in so much that euery one of them was constrayned to plucke and steale frō the other. So that, what for the pillage of the Danes, and what by inward theues and bribers: this land was brought into great affliction. Albeit the greatest cause of this afflictiō (as to me appeareth) is not so much to be imputed to the kyng, as to the dissention among the lordes themselues: who then did not agree one with an other. MarginaliaWhat dissentiō and discorde doth among the nobles in a realme.But when they assembled in consultation together, eyther they did drawe diuers wayes: or if any thing were agreed vpon any matter of peace betwene the parties, soone it was borken agayn: or els if any good thing were deuised for þ^e preiudice of the enemy, anon the Danes were warned therof by some of the same counsayle. Of whom þ^e chief doers, were Edrike duke of Mercia, and Alfricke the admirall, or captaine of the ships: who betrayed the kings nauy to the Danes. Wherfore the kyng apprehendyng Alfagarus sonne of the said Alfrike, put out his eies: and so did he after to the ij. sonnes of Duke Edrike in lyke manner.

MarginaliaThe pride and wretchednes of the Danes toward the englishmen.The Danes thus preualyng more and more ouer the English men, grew in such pride, and presumption: that when they, by strength caused the husband men to eare and sowe the land, and to do all other vile labour belongyng to the house: they would sitte at home, holdyng the wyfe at their pleasure, with daughter and seruant. And when the husband mā came home, he should scantly haue of hys owne, as hys seruauntes had: so that the Dane had all at his wil and fyll, faryng of the best, whē the owner scantly had his fil of the worst. Thus the common people beyng of them oppressed, were in such feare and dread, that not onely they were constrayned to suffer them in their doyngs: but also glad to please them, MarginaliaLord Dane.& called euery one of thē in the house where they had rule, Lord Dane. Which worde after (in proces of time, whē the Danes were voyded) was for despite of the Danes, turned of the englishe men to a name of opprobrye: MarginaliaLurdane.that when one English man would rebuke an other, he wold for the more part call him Lurdayne.

Marginalia1000.
Henric. Archidiac. lib. 6.And thus hitherto (through the assistence of Christ) we haue brought this history to the yeare of our Lorde. 1000. Duryng now and continuing these greate miseries vpon this English nation: the land beyng brought into great ruine by the greuous tribute of the Danes, and also by susteinyng the manifold vilanies & iniuries as wel by them as by other oppressions w^tin the realme. This yeare which was the yeare of our sauiour. 1000. This Egelred, through the counsel of certayn his familiars about him: in the. xxi. yere of his raigne, beganne a matter, which was occasiō eyther geuē by thone, or taken by the other of a new plage to insue vpon the Saxons: who had driuē out the Britains before. MarginaliaThe fyrst ioyning betwene the Norm. and English men. King Egelred marieth Emma the Dukes daughter of Normandye Richard Duke of Normandie.That was in ioyning with the Normans in mariage. For the king this yere aboue said, for the more strēgth (as he thought) both of hym & of the realme, maried Emma the daughter of Richard Duke of Normandy. Which Richarde was þ^e third duke of þ^e Normains, & the fyrst of þ^t name. By reason of which mariage: king Egelred was not a little inhaunsed in his own mynd: And by presumptiō thereof: sent secrete and straite commissions to the ru-