Thames, towards their ships. Then were they warned that there were forces gathered at London against them: then went they over at Staines. And thus they went the whole winter; and during Lent they were in Kent, and repaired their ships.

A. 1010. This year, after Easter, came the fore-mentioned army into East-Anglia, and landed at Ipswich, and went forthwith where they understood Ulfkytel was with his forces. This was on the day, called the first of the ascension of our Lord. The East Angles soon fled. Then stood Cambridge-shire firmly against them. There was slain Athelstan the king's son-in-law, and Oswy and his son, and Wulfric, Leofwin's son, and Eadwy, Efy's brother, and many other good thanes, and numberless of the people: the flight first began at Thurkytel Myrehead. And the Danes had possession of the place of carnage: and there were they horsed; and afterwards had dominion over East-Anglia, and the land three months ravaged and burned; and they even went into the wild fens, and they destroyed men and cattle, and burned throughout the fens and Thetford they burned, and Cambridge. And after that they went southward again to the Thames, and the men who were horsed rode towards the ships; and after that, very speedily, they went westward into Oxfordshire, and thence into Buckinghamshire, and so along the Ouse until they came to Bedford, and so onwards to Temsford; and ever burning as they went. Then went they again to their ships with their booty. And when they went to their ships, then ought the forces again to have gone out against them, until they should land; but then the forces went home and when they were eastwards, then were the forces kept westwards; and when they were southwards, then were our forces northwards. Then were all the witan summoned to the king, and they were then to counsel how this land might be defended. But although something might be then counselled, it did not stand even one month: at last there was no chief who would assemble forces, but each fled as he best might; nor, at the last, would even one shire assist another. Then before St. Andrew's mass-day, came the enemy to Northampton, and they soon burned the town and took there-about as much as they themselves would; and thence they went over Thames into Wessex, and so by

DD

Cannings-marsh, burning all the way. When they had gone so far as they then would, then came they at mid-winter to their ships.

A. 1011. In this year sent the king and his witan to the army, and desired peace, and promised them tribute and food, on condition that they would cease from their plundering. They had then over-run, 1st, East-Anglia, and 2d, Essex, and 3d, Middlesex, and 4th, Oxfordshire, and 5th, Cambridgeshire, and 6th, Hertfordshire, and 7th, Buckinghamshire, and 8th, Bedfordshire, and 9th, half of Huntingdonshire, and 10th, much of Northamptonshire; and south of Thames, all Kent, and Sussex, and Hastings, and Surry, and Berkshire, and Hampshire, and much of Wiltshire. All these misfortunes befel us through unwise counsel, that they were not in time offered tribute, or fought against; but when they had done the most evil, then peace and truce were made with them. And nevertheless, for all the truce and tribute, they went everywhere in bands, and plundered our miserable people, and robbed and slew them. And then in this year, between the Nativity of St. Mary and St. Michael's-mass, they besieged Canterbury, and got into it through treachery, because Elfmar betrayed it, whose life the archbishop Elphege had before saved. And there they took the archbishop Elphege, and Elfward the king's steward, and the abbess Leofruna,* and bishop Godwin. And abbat Elfmar‡ they let go away. And they took there within all the men in orders, and men and women: it is not to be told to any man how many there were. And they remained within the city afterwards as long as they would. And when they had thoroughly searched the city, then went they to their ships, and led the archbishop with them.

Was then captive
he who erewhile was
head of the English race
and Christendom.

There might then be seen
misery, where men oft

erewhile saw bliss,
in that hapless city,

whence to us came first
Christendom and bliss,

'fore God, and 'fore the world.

And they kept the archbishop with them so long as until the time that they martyred him.

A. 1012. In this year came Edric the ealdorman, and all

Of S. Mildred's. + Godwin III. of Rochester. Of St. Augustine's.

the chief witan, clergy and laity, of the English people to London, before Easter; Easter-day was then on the Ides of April; and they were there then so long as until all the tribute was paid, after Easter; that was eight and forty thousand pounds. Then on the Saturday was the army greatly excited against the bishop, because he would not promise them any money: but he forbade that any thing should be given for him. They had also drunk deeply, for wine had been brought there from the south. Then took they the bishop, led him to their hustings on the eve of Sunday, the octaves of Easter, which was on the 13th before the Kalends of May; and there they then shamefully slaughtered him: they cast upon him bones and the horns of oxen, and then one of them struck him with an axe-iron on the head, so that with the blow he sank down; and his holy blood fell on the earth, and his holy soul he sent forth to God's kingdom. And on the morrow the body was carried to London, and the bishops Ednoth* and Elfhun,† and the townsmen, received it with all reverence, and buried it in St. Paul's minster; and there God now manifesteth the miraculous powers of the holy martyr. When the tribute was paid, and oaths of peace were sworn, then the army separated widely, in like manner as before it had been gathered together. Then became subject to the king five and forty ships of the army, and covenanted with him that they would defend this country, and that he should feed and clothe them.

A. 1013. In the year after that in which the archbishop Elphege was martyred, the king appointed bishop Living to be archbishop of Canterbury. And in this same year, before the month of August, came king Sweyn with his fleet to Sandwich, and went then, very soon, about EastAnglia into the mouth of the Humber, and so upward along Trent, until he came to Gainsborough. And then, soon, Utred the earl and all the North-humbrians submitted to him, and all the people in Lindsey, and afterwards the people in the Five Boroughs, and soon after, all the army north of Watling-street; and hostages were delivered to him from every shire. After he had learned that all the people were

* Of Dorchester.

+ Of London.

Namely, Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham, Stamford, and Derby. See

A. 942, 1015.

DD 2 J

obedient to him, then bade he that his army should be victualled and horsed; and he then afterwards went southward with all the forces, and committed the ships and the hostages to his son Canute. And after he came over Watlingstreet, they wrought the most evil that any army could do. Then went he to Oxford, and the townsmen soon submitted, and delivered hostages; and thence to Winchester, and they did the like. Then went he thence eastward to London, and much of his people was drowned in the Thames, because they kept not to any bridge. When he came to the city, then would not the townsmen submit, but held out against him with all their might, because king Ethelred was therein, and Thurkill with him. Then went king Sweyn thence to Wallingford, and so over the Thames westward to Bath, and sat down there with his forces. And Ethelmar the ealdorman came thither, and the western thanes with him, and they all submitted to Sweyn, and delivered hostages for themselves. And when he had thus succeeded, then went he northward to his ships; and then all the people held him for full king. And after that the townsmen of London submitted, and delivered hostages, because they dreaded lest he should utterly undo them. Then Sweyn ordered a full-tribute and provisions for his army during the winter; and Thurkill ordered the like for the army which lay at Greenwich and for all that, they plundered as oft as they would. Then was this people nothing benefited either from the south or from the north. Then was king Ethelred some while with the fleet which lay in the Thames; and the lady* then departed over sea to her brother Richard,† and Elfsy, abbat of Peterborough, with her. And the king sent bishop Elfhun with the ethelings, Edward and Alfred, over sea, that he might have charge of them. Then departed the king from the fleet at mid-winter into the Isle of Wight, and was there during that tide; and after that tide he went over the sea to Richard, and was there with him until such time as Sweyn was dead. And the while that the lady was with her brother beyond sea, Elfsy, abbat of Peterborough, who was there with her, went to the minster which is called Boneval, where St. Florentine's body lay. There found he a poor place, a poor abbat, and poor monks; for they had been plundered. Then + Duke of Normandy.

* Emma.

bought he there of the abbat and of the monks St. Florentine's body, all except the head, for five hundred pounds; and then when he came home again, then made he an offering of it to Christ and St. Peter.

A. 1014. In this year king Sweyn ended his days, at Candlemas, on the third before the Nones of February. And that same year Alwy was consecrated bishop of London, at York, on St. Juliana's mass-day. And all the fleet then chose Canute for king. Then counselled all the witan who were in England, clergy and laity, that they should send after king Ethelred; and they declared that no lord were dearer to them than their natural lord, if he would rule them better than he had before done. Then sent the king his son Edward hither with his messengers, and ordered them to greet all his people; and said that he would be to them a loving lord, and amend all those things which they all abhorred, and each of those things should be forgiven which had been done or said to him, on condition that they all, with one consent, would be obedient to him, without deceit. And they then established full friendship, by word and by pledge, on either half, and declared every Danish king an outlaw from England for ever. Then, during Lent, king Ethelred came home to his own people; and he was gladly received by them all. Then, after Sweyn was dead, Canute sat with his army at Gainsborough until Easter; and it was agreed between him and the people of Lindsey that they should find him horses, and that afterwards they should all go out together, and plunder. Then came king Ethelred thither, to Lindsey, with his full force, before they were ready and then they plundered, and burned, and slew all the people whom they could reach. And Canute went away out with his fleet, and thus the poor people were deceived through him, and then he went southward until he came to Sandwich and there he caused the hostages to be put on shore who had been delivered to his father, and cut off their hands, and ears, and noses. And besides all these evils, the king ordered the army which lay at Greenwich to be paid twentyone thousand pounds. And in this year, on the eve of St. Michael's mass, came the great sea-flood wide throughout this land, and ran so far up as it never before had done, and washed away many towns, and a countless number of people.

;