lers of euery towne in England, MarginaliaThe Danes by secret cōissiō slaine in euery towne of England.that vppon S. Brices day: at a certaine hower appointed, the Danes shoulde be sodenly slayne. And so it was performed: which turned after to more trouble.

After that tydings came into Denmarke of þ^e murder of those Danes: MarginaliaSuanus king of Denmarke ariueth in England.Anone after, Suanus king of Denmarke with a great hoste and nauy, lāded in Cornwal: Where, by treasō of a Normande named Hugh, which by fauour of queene Emma was made Earle of Deuonshyre: MarginaliaExetour bette downe.the saide Swanus tooke Exetour and after bette downe the walles. From thence proceding further into the land, they came to Wylton, and Shireborne: where they cruelly spoyled the countrey, and slewe the people. But anone, Suanus hearyng that the king was commyng to hym with the power of hys land: tooke hys shippes, and fette about to Norfolke. Where, after much wasting of that countrey, MarginaliaNorwyche spoyled & wasted by the Danes.& spoyling the citye of Noryge, and burning the towne of Thetford, & destroying the countrey therabout: at length duke Vskatel met him, & bet hym, & slew many of the Danes. Wherfore, Suanus for that yere returned to Denmark, and there made great prouision, to reenter the land againe þ^e next yere followyng. Marginalia1004.And so dyd: landyng at Sandwiche about the. xxv. yeare of þ^e reigne of kyng Egelred, & there spoyled that countrey. And as soone as he heard of anye host of Englishmen commyng toward him: thē he tooke shippyng againe. So that when the kyngs army sought to mete hym in one coast, than would he sodenly land in an other. And when the king prouided to meete with thē vpon the sea, eyther they would feyne to flee, or els they would with giftes blynd the admirall of the kinges nauy. And thus weried they the englishmen: and in conclusion brought them in extreme and vnspeakable misery. MarginaliaA tribute payd to the Danes of. xxx.M. pound to haue peace.In so much that the king was fayne to take peace with them, and gaue to kyng Swanus 30000. pound. After which peace thus made, Swanus returned agayne to Denmarke.

But this peace continued not long. For the yeare next folowing, king Egelred made Edricus aboue mētioned, duke of Mercia: which was subtile of wytte, glosing & eloquent of speach, vntrusty and false to the kyng and þ^e realme. MarginaliaThe persecutiō of Turkillus a Dane.And soone after, one Turkillus (a prince of the Danes) landed in Kent wyth much people: & there dyd such harme, that þ^e Kentishmen were fayne to make peace with great giftes, & so thence departed. But thys persecution of the Danes (in one countrey or other in in England) neuer ceased: nor the kyng did euer geue to them any notable battail. MarginaliaEuill counsell about a king what hurt it doth.For when he was disposed to geue them battaile, this Edricus would euermore councell him to the contrary: so that the Danes euer spoyled and robbed, and waxed riche: and the english men euer poore and bare.

MarginaliaThe second returne of Suanus into England.After this, Swanus beyng in Denmarke, and hearyng of the increase of hys people in england, brake hys couenauntes before made: and with a great armye and nauie in most defensable wise appointed, landed in Northumberlande proclaiming himselfe to be king of thys land. Where, after much vexation, when he had subdued the people, and caused the Earle with the rulers of þ^e coūtrey to sweare to him feaultie: MarginaliaThe persecutiō of Suanus king of Danes.he passed by the riuer of Trēte, to Ganysburgh, & to Northwatlyng streate: & subduing the people there, forced thē to geue hym pledges: whiche pledges he committed wyth his nauie vnto Canutus his soone to kepe, while he wente further into the land. And so wyth a great hoste came to Mercia, killing and sleyng. Then he toke by strength Winchester, and Oxford, and dyd there what him lyked. That done, he came towarde London, and hearyng the kyng was there, passed by the ryuer Thamis, and came into Kent, MarginaliaCaunterbury besieged
Treason of a false deacon.and there besieged Canterbury: where, he was resisted the space of xx. dayes. At length, by treason of a Deacon called Almaricus (whom the bishop had preserued fromMarginaliaCanterbury taken and brent.
The tithing of the mōkes of Caunt.death before) wanne it: and tooke the goodes of the people and fyred the citie, and tythed the monkes of S. Austens abbay (that is to meane: they slew ix. by cruell torment, and the tenth they kept alyue) as for their slaues. So they slewe there of religious men, to the number of ix. hundred persons: of other men, women, and children they slue aboue viij. thousand. And finally whē they had kept the bishop Elphegus in straite prison the space of seuen monethes: and because he would not condescende to geue vnto them. iij. thousand pounde: MarginaliaA cruell murther of the Danes.
Elphegus the archbi. of Caunt. stoned to death.after many vilanies vnto hym done, they brought hym to Grenewich and there stoned hym to death.

Kyng Egelred in the meane tyme, fearyng the ende of this persecution: sent hys wyfe Emma with hys two sonnes Alphred and Edward, to the duke of Normādy: with whome also he sente the bishop of London. The Danes proceded still in their fury and rage: and when they had wonne a great part of Westsaxonie, they returned agayne toward London. Wherof hearyng the Londiners, sent vnto them certayne great gyftes and pledges. Marginalia1013.
K. Egelred driuen to the Ile of Wight, frō thence to NormādieAt laste the kyng about the. xxxv. yeare of hys raigne was chased vnto the Isle of Wight, and wyth a a secret company he spent there a great part of the winter: and finally, without cattell or comforte sayled into Normādy to his wyfe. Suanus beyng acertained therof, (inflamed wyth pride) reyred excedyng impositions of the people. And among other, he requyred a greate summe of money of S. Edmundes landes: which the people there, clemyng to be free from kynges tributes, denyed to pay. For this, Suanus entred the territory of S. Edmund, and wasted and spoyled the countrey, despising the holy martyr, and manasing also the place of his sepulture. Wherfore the men of that countrey fearyng his tyrannie, fell to prayer and fastyng: MarginaliaThe vertue of christen mēs praier.so þ^t shortly after, Suanus died sondenlye, crying & yelling among his Knightes. MarginaliaThe death and end of Suanus.Some say that he was striken wyth the sword of S. Edmund, wherof he dyed the third day after. In feare whereof, Canutus hys sonne, which ruled as kyng after hys father: graunted them the freedome of all their libertie, and moreouer dyched the land of the sayd martyr with a depe diche: and graunted to the inhabitauntes therof great fredoms, quyting them from all taske or tribute. MarginaliaThe abbey of S. Edmundsburie buildedAnd after builded a church ouer þ^e place of his sepulture, and ordeined there an house of monkes, and endued them with riche possessions. And after that tyme it was vsed, that kynges of England, when they were crowned: sent their crownes for an offeryng to S. Edmundes shryne, and redemed the same agayne after wardes, with a condigne price.

MarginaliaK. Egelred returneth into Englād.When kyng Egelred hard of the death of Suanus: he made prouision, & returned into England. Of whose sodeine commyng Canutus, beyng vnprouided fled to Sandwiche. MarginaliaCanutus cutteth of the noses ā hands of his pledges.And there cuttyng of the noses and handes of the pledges, which his father left with him, sayled into Denmark: who the next yeare againe returned with a great nauey, and landed in the South countrey. Wherfore the eldest sonne of kyng Egelred called Edmond Yronside: made prouision, with the ayde of Edrike duke of Mercia to mete hym. But Edryke feyning hym selfe sicke came not, but deceaued hym. For as it was after proued, Edrike had promised his allegeāce to Canutus. MarginaliaCanutus taketh Westsaxon.By reason wherof, Canutus entred þ^e coūtrey of Westsaxon, and forced the people to be sworne vnto hym, and to geue him pledges. In this season: king Egelred being at London, was taken with great sicknes, & there dyed: and was buryed in the Northside of Paules churche behynd þ^e quiere, after that he had reigned vnprosperously xxxvi. yeares: leauing after him his said eldest sonne Edmund Yronside, and Alphred, and Edward, which wer in Normādie: sent thether before as is aboue rehearsed. Thys Egelred although he was miserably impugned & vexed of his enemies: yet he with his coūsail gaue forth