Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 4

as friuolous, and wholie impertinent to our purpose:
onelie this I read, that through declaring of his dreames and visions, he
obteined in the time of king Edgar, first the bishoprike of Worcester,
after of London, & last of all the archbishoprike of Canturburie. But
leauing Dunstane and the fond deuises depending vpon the
commemoration of his life, we will now returne to the dooings of
Egelred, and speake of such things in the next chapter as chanced in his
time.
* * * * *

_The Danes inuade England on each side, they are vanquished by the
English, Goda earle of Deuonshire slaine; the Danes in a battell fought
at Maldon kill Brightnod earle of Essex and the most of his armie, ten
thousand pounds paid to them by composition that they should not
trouble the English subjects, they cease their crueltie for a time, but

within a while after fall to their bloudie bias, the English people
despaire to resist them, Egelred addresseth a nauie against the Danes
vnder the erles Alfrike and Turold, Alfrike traitorouslie taketh part with
the Danes, his ship and souldiers are taken, his sonne Algar is punished
for his fathers offense, the Danes make great wast in many parts of this
Iland, they besiege London and are repelled with dishonor, they driue
king Egelred to buy peace of them for _16000 _pounds; Aulafe king of
Norwey is honorablie interteined of Egelred, to whome he promiseth at
his baptisme neuer to make warre against England, the great zeale of
people in setting forward the building of Durham towne and the
minster_.
THE SECOND CHAPTER.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ _Matt. Westm._ The Danes inuade this land.]
Shortlie after the decease of Dunstane, the Danes inuaded this realme
on each side, wasting and spoiling the countrie in most miserable wise.
They arriued in so manie places at once, that the Englishmen could not
well deuise whither to go to encounter first with [Sidenote: Alias
Wecederport. _H. Hunt._ _Simon Dun._] them. Some of them spoiled a
place or towne called Wichport, and from thence passing further into
the countrie, were met with by the Englishmen, who giuing them battell,
lost their capteine Goda: but yet they got the victorie, and beat the
Danes out of the field, and so [Sidenote: Danes vanquished. _Simon
Dun._] that part of the Danish armie was brought to confusion. Simon
Dunel. saith, that the Englishmen in déed wan the field here, but not
without [Sidenote: Goda earle of Deuonshire slain. _Matt. West._]
great losse. For besides Goda (who by report of the same author was
Earle of Deuonshire) there died an other valiant man of warre named
Strenwold. In the yeere 991, Brightnod earle of Essex, at Maldon gaue
battell to an armie of Danes (which vnder their leaders Iustine and
Guthmond had spoiled Gipswich) and was there ouercome and slaine
with the most part of his people, and so the Danes obteined in that
place the victorie.
[Sidenote: _991_.] In the same yéere, and in the 13 yeere of, king
Egelreds reigne, when the land was on each side sore afflicted, wasted

and haried by the Danes, which couered the same as they had béene
grashoppers: by the aduise of the archbishop of Canturburie Siricius
(which was the second of that sée after Dunstane) a composition was
taken with the [Sidenote: Ten thousand pounds paid to the Danes.
Danegilt.] Danes, so that for the sum of ten thousand pounds to be
paied to them by the king, they should couenant not to trouble his
subjects anie further. This monie was called Danegilt or Dane monie,
and was leuied of the people. Although other take that to be Danegilt,
which was giuen vnto such Danes as king Egelred afterwards reteined
in his seruice, to defend the land from other Danes and enimies that
sought to inuade his dominions. But by what name so euer this monie
(which the Danes now receiued) was called, true it is that herevpon
they [Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ 992.] ceassed from their most cruell
inuasions for a time. But shortlie after they had refreshed themselues,
and recouered new strength, they began to play their old parts againe,
dooing the like mischéefe by their semblable inuasions, as they had
vsed before. By reason hereof such feare came vpon the English people,
that they despaired to be able to resist the enimies.
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._ A nauie set forth.] The king yet caused a nauie
to be set foorth at London, whereof he appointed earle Alfrike (whome
before he had banished) to be high admerall, ioining with him earle
Turold. This nauie did set forward from London toward the enimies,
who hauing warning giuen them from Alfrike, escaped away without
hurt. Shortly after a greater nauie of the Danes came, and incountered