Chronicles : The Historie of England

Chronicles : The Historie of
England

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Title: Chronicles (1 of 6): The Historie of England (7 of 8) The Seventh
Boke of the Historie of England
Author: Raphael Holinshed
Release Date: August 29, 2005 [EBook #16617]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE SEVENTH BOKE

OF THE
HISTORIE OF ENGLAND.
* * * * *

_Egelred succeedeth Edward the martyr in the kingdoms of England,
the decaie of the realme in his reigne, Dunstane refusing to consecrate
him is therevnto inforced, Dunstans prophesies of the English people
and Egelred their king, his slouth and idlenes accompanied with other
vices, the Danes arriue on the coasts of Kent and make spoile of manie
places; warre betwixt the king and the bishop of Rochester, archbishop
Dunstans bitter denunciation against the king because he would not be
pacified with the bishop of Rochester without moneie; Dunstans
parentage, his strange trance, and what a woonderfull thing he did
during the time it lasted, his education and bringing vp, with what good
qualities he was indued, an incredible tale of his harpe, how he was
reuoked from louing and lusting after women whereto he was addicted,
his terrible dreame of a rough beare, what preferments he obteined by
his skill in the expounding of dreames_.
THE FIRST CHAPTER.
[Sidenote: EGELRED.] In the former booke was discoursed the
troubled state of this land by the manifold and mutinous inuasions of
the Danes; who though they sought to ingrosse the rule of euerie part
and parcell therof into their hands; yet being resisted by the
valiantnesse of the gouernors supported with the aid of their people,
they were disappointed of their expectation, and receiued manie a
dishonorable or rather reprochfull repulse at their aduersaries hands.
Much mischiefe doubtlesse they did, and more had doone, if they had
not béene met withall in like measure of extremitie as they offred, to
the offense and ouerthrow of great multitudes. Their first entrance into
this land is controuersed among writers, some saieng that it was in the
daies of king Britricus, other some affirming that it was in the time of
king Egbert, &c: about which point (sith it is a matter of no great

moment) we count it labour lost to vse manie woords: onelie this by the
waie is notewoorthie, that the Danes had an vnperfect or rather a lame
and limping rule in this land, so long as the gouernors were watchfull,
diligent, politike at home, and warlike abroad. But when these kind of
kings discontinued, and that the raines of the regiment fell into the
hands of a pezzant not a puissant prince, a man euill qualified, dissolute,
slacke and licentious, not regarding the dignitie of his owne person, nor
fauoring the good estate of the people; the Danes who before were
coursed from coast to coast, and pursued from place to place, as more
willing to leaue the land, than desirous to tarrie in the same; tooke
occasion of stomach and courage to reenter this Ile, & waxing more
bold and confident, more desperate and venturous, spared no force,
omitted no opportunitie, let slip no aduantage that they might possiblie
take, to put in practise and fullie to accomplish their long conceiued
purpose.
Now bicause the Danes in the former kings daies were reencountred
(and that renowmedlie) so often as they did encounter, and séeking the
totall regiment, were dispossessed of their partile principalitie, which
by warlike violence they obteined; and for that the Saxons were
interessed in the land, and these but violent incrochers, vnable to kéepe
that which they came to by constreint; we haue thought it conuenient to
comprise the troubled estate of that time in the sixt booke; the rather for
the necessarie consequence of matters then in motion: and héere déeme
it not amisse, at so great and shamefull loosenesse (speciallie in a
prince) ministring hart and courage to the enimie, to begin the seuenth
booke. Wherin is expressed the chiefest time of their flourishing estate
in this land; if in tumults, vprores, battels, and bloudshed, such a kind
of estate may possiblie be found. For héere the Danes lord it, heere they
take vpon them like souereignes, & héere (if at anie time they had
absolute authoritie) they did