them. But the Danes seyng his strength durst not attēpt with him, but sought delayes, while more ayde might come. In the meane season they were constrayned to entreate for truce: leauing also sufficient pledges in the Kings hand, promising moreouer vpon their othe, to voyde the countrey of the Westsaxons. The Kyng vpon this surety let them go. But they falsly breakyng their league, priuely in the night brake out, takyng their iourney toward Exceter. In which iourney they lost vi. score of their small shyps, by a tempest at Sandwich (as Henry Hūtyngton in his story recordeth.) Then Kyng Alfrede followed after the horsemen of the Danes, but could not ouertake them, before they came to Exceter: where he tooke of them pledges and fayre promises of peace, and so returned. Notwithstandyng, the nūber of the Paganes dyd dayly more & more increase: in so much (as one of my authors sayth) that if in one day. 30. thousād of them were slayne, shortly after they increased double as many agayne. After this truce taken with Kyng Alfrede, the Danes then voyded to the land of Mercia, wherof part of that kyngdome they kept themselues, part they committed to one Ceolulphus: vpon condition that he should be vassall to them, and at their commaundement, with his people at all tymes.

Marginalia879.The next yeare insuyng, which was the vij. yeare of the raigne of Alfred, the Danes, who now hauyng all the rule of the Northpart of England, from the riuer of Tames, with Mercia, London, and Essex: disdayned that Alfrede should beare any dominiō on the other side of Tames southward. Whereupon the foresayd three Kynges with all the force and strength they could make, marched toward Chippenham in Westsexe, MarginaliaKyng Alfrede flyeth into a desert woode.with such a multitude, that the Kyng with his people was not able to resist thē. In somuch that the people whiche inhabited there, some fled ouer the Sea, some remayned with the Kyng, diuers submitted themselues to þ^e Danes. Thus Kyng Alfrede beyng ouerset with multitude of enemyes, and forsaken of his people, hauyng neither land to hold, nor hope to recouer that whiche he had lost:MarginaliaEthelyng which is to say the Ile of nobles.withdrew himselfe with a few of his nobles about him, into a certaine wood countrey in Somersetshyre, called Ethelyng: where he had right scant to liue with, but such as he & his people might purchase by hūtyng and fishyng. This Edelyng or Ethelyng or Ethelyngsey, standeth in a great Maresse or Moore, so that there is no accesse vnto it, without shyp or bote: and hath in it a great wood called Selewood, and in the midle a litle playne, about of two acres of ground. In which Ile is veneson, and other wyld beastes, with foule, and fishes, great plenty. In this wood, Kyng Alured at his first commyng, espyed a certaine desert cotage of a poore Swynard, keepyng swyne in the wood, named Dunwolphus: of whom the King then vnknowen was entertayned and cherished with such poore fare as he and hys wyfe could make hym. For the which, Kyng Alfrede afterward, MarginaliaA Swineheard made Byshop of Winchester.set the poore Swynhard to learnyng, and made hym Byshop of Winchester.

In the meane season, while King Alfrede accompanied with a few, was thus in the desert wood, wayting the euēt of these miseries: certaine storyes recorde of a poore beggar, which there came and asked his almes of the Kyng. And the night folowyng he appeared to the Kyng in hys sleepe: saying hys name was Cutbert, promising (as sent frō God, vnto him for his good charitie) great victories agaynst the Danes. But to let these dreamyng fables passe, although they be testified by diuers authors, both Wilielmus Lib. de Reg. Polychronicon Rog. Houeden, Iornalensis, and other moe. Notwithstandyng the Kyng in proces of tyme, was strengthened and comforted more, though the prouidence of God: MarginaliaHenr. Huntingt. lib. 5. de Histor. Angl.respecting the miserable ruine of the Englishm?. First the brother of Kyng Haldene the Dane before mentioned, commyng in with. xxiij. shyps, landed about Deuonshyre: where by chaunce being resisted by a bushment of King Alfredes men (who for their safegard there lay in garyson) were slayne to the number of. 1300. men, and their ensigne called the Rauen was taken. Houedenus in his booke of Continuations writeth, that in the same cōflict MarginaliaInguar and Hubba slayne.both Inguar and Hubba were slayne amōg the other Danes. After this, Kyng Alfrede beyng better cheared, shewed hym selfe more at large: so that dayly resorted to him, men of Wiltshyre, Somersetshyre, and Hamshyre, till that he was strongly accompanyed.

MarginaliaA bold aduēture or attēpt of kyng Alfrede, ventryng him selfe into the tentes of the Danes.Then the kyng put himselfe in a bold and daungerous venture (as writeth Wilelmus Lib. de Reg. Polychron. and Fabian which followeth them both) for he apparellyng him in the habite of a Minstrell (as he was very skilfull in all Saxon Poemes) with his instrument of Musike, entred in the tentes of the Danes, lyng then at Eddendune: and in shewyng there his interlude and songes espyed all theirMarginaliaEx Fabiano.slouth and idlenes, and heard much of their counsell. And after returnyng to his company, declared vnto them the whole maner of the Danes. Shortly vpon the same, the Kyng sodainly in the night fell vpon the foresayd Danes, & distressed and slew of them a great multitude, & chased them from that coast. In so much that through his strong & valiaunt assaultes vpon his enemies out of his tower of Edelyng newly fortified: he so encōbered them, that he clearely voyded the countrey of them, betwene that and Selwoodes. His subiectes eftsones, hearyng of these his valiaunt victories, and manfull deedes, drew to him dayly out of all coastes. Who through the helpe of God, and their assistence, held the Danes so short, that he wanne from them Winchester, and diuers other good townes. Briefly, at l?gth he forced them to seeke for peace: the which was concluded vpon certaine couenauntes. Whereof one and the principall was, that the forenamed Gutrum their Kyng should be Christened. MarginaliaGutrum the Prince of the Danes was Christened.The other was, that such as would not be Christened, should depart and voide the country.

Vpon these couenaūtes, first the sayd Gutrum the Danish Prince cōmyng to Winchester, there was Christened with. xx. of his greatest Dukes or Nobles. To the whiche Gutrum Kyng Alured beyng his Godfather at hys Baptisme, MarginaliaKyng Gutrum named Athelstane.named him Athelstane. Who after a certaine season that he had feasted the sayd Danes: he according to his promise before made, gaue vnto their Kyng the countrey of Eastanglia, conteining Northfolke and Suffolke, and part of Cambridshyre. Moreouer (as sayth Polychron.) he graūted to the Danes that were Christened, the countrey of Northumberland. So the residue that would not be Christened, departed the land, and sayled into Fraunce: where, what vexation and harme they wrought, the Chronicles of Fraunce do partly comprehend.

MarginaliaNorfolke and Suffolke geuen to kyng Gutr?Kyng Athelstane thus hauyng the possession of these countreys, had all Eastangles vnder his obedience. And albeit that he held the sayd prouince as in fee of the kyng, and promised to dwell there as his liege man: yet that northwithstandyng, he continued more like a tyraunt, by the terme of. xi. yeare: and dyed in the. xij. yeare. Duryng the which space, Kyng Alfrede hauyng some more rest and peace, repaired certaine townes and strong holdes afore by the Danes empayred. MarginaliaThe Nunrie of Shaftesbury builded.Also builded diuers houses of Religiō, as the house of Nunnes at Shaftesbury. MarginaliaThe Monastery of Ethelynge.An other Religious house at Ethelynge he founded. MarginaliaThe new minster at Winchester builded.Item an other in Winchester, named the new Monastery. Item, he endewed richly the Churche of S. Cutbert in Dyrham. He sent also to India, to pay and performe his vowes to S. Thomas of Inde, which he made duryng the tyme of his distresse agaynst the Danes.

MarginaliaRochester besieged of the Danes.About the. xv. yeare of the reigne of Alfred, the Danes returnyng from Fraunce to England, landed in Kent, and so came to Rochester, and besieged that Citie: and there lay so long, that they builded a Tower of tymber agaynst the gates of the Citie. But by strengh of the Citizens, that tower was destroyed, and the Citie defended till Kyng Alfrede came and rescued them. Whereby the Danes were so distressed, and so neare trapped: that for feare, they left their horses behynd them, and fled to their shypps by night. But the Kyng, when he was therof ware: sent after them and tooke. xvj. of their shyppes, & slew many of the sayd Danes. This done, the Kyng returned to London, & repayred the same honorably (as sayth Houedenus) & made it habitable, which before was sore decayed and febled by the Danes.

MarginaliaAn. 891.The third yeare after this, which was the. xix. yeare of the reigne of kyng Alfred: the foresayd Athelstane the Danish Kyng in Northfolke (which by Alfred was Christened before) deceased. Not long after this, about the xxi. yeare of this Kynges reigne, the Danes agayne landed in foure places of this land: whiche was, in Eastengland: in the North: and in the Weast, in two places. Before the landyng of these Danes, it chaunced Kyng Alfred, hearyng of the death of Kyng Athelstane, and of other complaintes of the Danes, was then in Eastengland, when these tidyngs came to him.

When Kyng Alfrede was hereof ascertained: for somuch as some of the Danes were landed in that coast, thinkyng with themselues the further they went in those parties the lesse resistence to haue, & the more speede, as they were wont to haue before:MarginaliaThe Danes driuen from Norfolke. Alfrede therfore sendyng messengers in all hast to Etheldred Duke of Mercia, to assemble to hym an host, to withstand the Danes whiche landed in the West: made forth toward hys enemyes there where he was in Eastanglia, whom he pursued so sharpely, that he droue them out from those parties. They then landed in Kent, whether the Kyng with hys people sped hym, and in lyke maner draue the Danes from thence, without any great fight, so farre as in our authors we can see. After this, a-