established on either side, both by words and by pledge. In addition to this, the nobles unanimously made promise that they would no more admit a Danish king into England.

On these things being concluded, a deputation was sent by the English to Normandy, and the king was brought back in all haste during the season of Lent, and received with due honor by all. In the meantime it was arranged by Canute and the men of Lindesey," that, procuring horses for the army, they should make a descent for the purpose of plunder. But, before they were prepared, king Egelred came thither with a strong army, and, Canute with his fleet being put to flight, laid waste the whole of Lindesey, and ravaged it with fire, slaughtering all the inhabitants he could. But Canute, at once taking safety in flight, directed his course towards the south of England, and in a short time came to the port of Sandwich, where he put on shore the hostages that had been given to his father by the whole of England, and, having cut off their hands, ears, and nostrils, allowed them to depart, and then set sail for Denmark, to return in the ensuing year. In addition to all these evils, king Edward ordered to be paid to the fleet, which lay at Grenwic, a tribute which amounted to thirty thousand pounds.

On the third day before the calends of October, the sea overflowed its shores, and drowned a great number of towns in England and numberless multitudes of people.

In the year 1015, while a great council was being held in secret at Oxford, the perfidious duke Edric Streona, by stratagem enticed Sigeferth and Morcar, the sons of Earngrim, the very worthy and influential thanes of the Seven Boroughs, into his chamber, and there ordered them to be put to death. King Egelred thereupon took possession of their property, and ordered Aldgitha, the relict of Sigeferth, to be taken to the city of Maidulph. While she was being kept in confinement there, Edmund, the king's son, surnamed Ironside, came thither, and, against the will of his father," took her to wife, and, between the feasts of the Assumption and the Nativity of Saint Mary, set out for the Five Boroughs, and invading the territories of Sigeferth and Morcar, subjected their people to himself.

46

45 Roger of Wendover says that he had gained them over to his cause. 46 Malmesbury.

47 Roger of Wendover says, without his father's knowledge.

At the same time, Canute, king of the Danes, came with a great fleet to the port of Sandwich; and then, sailing round Kent, entered the mouth of the river Frome, and collected great booty in Dorsetshire, Somersetshire, and the province of Winchester.48 At this period, because king Egelred lay sick at Corsham, the Clito Edmund, his son, acted in his behalf, and, with the duke Edric Streona, who was full of guile and treachery, collected a large army: but, when they had met together, duke Edric in every possible way laid snares for the Clito Edmund, and tried by treachery to cut him off. On Edmund learning this, they soon separated from each other, and left the place to the enemy. Not long after this, the same duke enticed away forty ships of the royal fleet, manned with Danish soldiers, and, going over to Canute, made submission to him. The men of Wessex did the same, and gave hostages, and afterwards provided horses for his army.

In the year 1016, Canute, king of the Danes, and the perfidious duke Edric Streona, with a large retinue,49 crossed the river Thames at a place which is called Cricklade; and, on the approach of the Epiphany of our Lord, made a hostile irruption into Mercia, and laying waste many towns in the province of Warwick, burned them, and slew all the persons they could find. When the Clito Edmund, surnamed Ironside, heard of this, in all haste he collected an army; but, after it was brought together, the men of Mercia were unwilling to engage with the men of Wessex and the Danes, unless king Egelred and the citizens of London were with them. In consequence of this, the expedition was given up, and each one returned home.

After the festival was concluded, the Clito Edmund again formed a still greater army; after which, he sent messengers to London, to beg his father to meet him as soon as possible, with all the men he could find. But, after an army had been collected together, intimation was given to the king, that, if he did not take due precaution, some of his allies were about to betray him. The army was soon broken up in consequence, on which he returned to London; but the Clito proceeded to Northumbria. For which reason some thought that he still intended to form a greater army against Canute; but in the 48 It ought to be " Wiltonensi," Wiltshire. 49 V. r. "Equitatu," body of cavalry.

same way that Canute and Edric did on their part, so did he and Ucthred, the earl of Northumbria, lay waste some of the provinces. For first they ravaged Staffordshire, and next the provinces of Shrewsbury and Leicester, because they had refused to go out to fight against the army of the Danes.

In the meantime, Canute and Edric Streona laid waste, first the provinces of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Northamptonshire, Somersetshire, and Nottinghamshire, and, afterwards, Northumbria. On hearing this, the Clito Edmund Ironside, pausing in his ravages, hastened to London to his father; while, on the other hand, earl Ucthred returned home with all speed, and, compelled by necessity, betook himself, with all the Northumbrians, to Canute, and gave him hostages; yet, for all that, either by his command or with his sanction, he was slain by Turebrand, a noble Dane, together with Turketel, the son of Navena. After his death, Canute appointed Eiric earl in place of Ucthred; and after that, returning in all haste to the south,50 before the festival of Easter, with the whole of his army retreated to his ships.

At this period, in the fourth year of the indiction, on the ninth day before the calends of May, being the second day of the week, Egelred, king of the English, departed this life at London, after having in his life experienced great troubles and many tribulations, which Saint Dunstan had prophesied to him should come upon him for the death of his brother Edward, as I have mentioned under the first year of his reign. His body was becomingly buried in the church of Saint Paul.

After his death, the bishops, abbats, and most noble men of England met together and with one consent elected Canute their lord and king, and coming to him at Southampton, repudiated and rejected in his presence all the family of king Egelred, and made peace with him, and took the oaths of fealty to him; on which he swore to them that before God and men he would be a faithful master to them.

But the citizens of London, and a part of the nobles who were at that time staying there, with unanimous consent elected the Clito Edmund king, who, being thus elevated to the royal throne, fearlessly entered Wessex, and being received by all the people with great congratulations, reduced it very 50 A various reading has here, "Edmund Ironside returning in all haste to the south by another road."

VOL. I.

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speedily to subjection; on hearing which, many of the people of England with alacrity voluntarily submitted to him. But Cannte, in the meanwhile, about the time of the Rogation days, came up with all his fleet to London; and on arriving there, the Danes dug a great ditch on the southern side of the Thames, and towed their ships along to the western side, after which, surrounding the city with a wide and deep trench, in strict siege they shut out all from either ingress or egress. They also made frequent attempts to take it by storm; but, the citizens making a stout resistance against them, they were repulsed from the walls; in consequence whereof, the siege being put off for a time, and a part of the army left to guard the ships, they hastened with all speed to Wessex, and gave king Edmund Ironside no time for collecting a large army. However, with the army which in such a short period he had collected, relying on the aid of God, he boldly met them in Dorsetshire, and attacking them at a place which is called Penn, near Gillingham, fought with them, and conquered, and put them to flight. After this, midsummer being past, he again collected a still larger army than before, and resolved to engage boldly with Canute; this took place in Worcestershire, at a place which is called Eearstam, 53 where he drew up his army as the situation and his own strength would allow him, and placing all his best men in the front rank, the rest of the army he set in reserve; and then appealed to them, calling each by name, and exhorting and entreating them that they would bear in mind that they were fighting for their country, their children, their wives, and their homes; and, in the most encouraging language having kindled the spirits of the soldiers, he then ordered the trumpets to sound, and his troops to advance at a gentle pace. The army of the enemy did the same. When they had come to the spot where the battle was able to be commenced, with immense clamour they rushed on with hostile standards, and the combat was waged with lances

52

51 This is supposed to have been commenced on the eastern side of London Bridge, at either Deptford or Rotherhithe, and running through the present St. George's Fields, to have entered the river at Vauxhall. 52 It is wrongly called in the text "Peomum."

53 Properly Sherston. According to Hardy, this is supposed to have been a stone which divided the four counties of Oxford, Gloucester, Worcester, and Warwick.

and swords, and the engagement carried on with the greatest vigour. In the meantime, king Edmund Ironside fought bravely in the front rank, hand to hand, while giving all requisite orders. He himself fought most valiantly, and struck down many an enemy, at the same moment performing the duties of a valiant soldier and of a good general; but, inasmuch as his brother-in-law Edric Streona, that most perfidious duke, and Almar the beloved, and Algar, the son of Mehu, who ought to have been aiding him, together with the men of the provinces of Southampton and Wiltshire, and an innumerable multitude of people, were on the side of the Danes, his army had to struggle hard for victory.

However, on the first day of the week, Monday to wit, so severe and so bloody a battle was fought, that either army, from exhaustion being no longer able to fight, at sunset ceased of its own accord. Still, on the following day, king Edmund would have crushed all the Danes, if it had not been for the treachery of the perfidious duke Edric Streona. For, when the battle was at its height, and he saw that the English were prevailing, having cut off the head of a man, Osmer by name, who very strongly resembled king Edward in features and hair, raising it aloft, he exclaimed: "Englishmen! it is in vain you fight!" adding, "You men of Dorset, Devon, and Wiltshire, your chieftain is slain,-take to flight with all speed.54 Behold the head of Edmund, your king! I hold it in my hand; give way, then, instantly!"

When the English heard this, they were more shocked at the atrocity of the deed than alarmed through belief in him who announced it. Hence it came to pass that the more unsteady ones were nearly taking to flight, but instantly, on it being found that the king was alive, they recovered their courage, and boldly rushing upon the Danes, slaughtered many of them, fighting with all their might until twilight, on the approach of which, as on the preceding day, they separated of their own accord. But when the greater part of the night had passed, Canute commanded his men to decamp in silence, and taking the road towards London, returned to the ships, and shortly after again laid siege to it.

On the next day, when king Edmund Ironside found that the Danes had fled, he returned into Wessex to collect a

54 66 Præcipites" seems a better reading here than "principes."