Page images
PDF
EPUB

and then afterwards he blithely went home to his country. And abbat Leofwine, who had been unjustly driven out from Ely, was his companion; and he cleared himself of everything that was said against him, as the pope instructed him, in the presence of the archbishop, and of all the fellowship which was with him.

A. 1022. And afterwards with the pall he there performed mass as the pope instructed him: and he feasted after that with the pope; and afterwards went home with a full blessing.

A. 1023. This year king Canute came again to England, and Thurkyl and he were reconciled; and he committed Denmark and his son to the keeping of Thurkyl; and the king took Thurkyl's son with him to England. This year died archbishop Wulfstan :* and Elfric succeeded him; and archbishop Ethelnoth blessed him at Canterbury. This year king Canute, within London, in St. Paul's minster, gave full leave to archbishop Ethelnoth and Bishop Brithwine,† and to all the servants of God who were with them, that they might take up from the tomb the archbishop St. Elphege. And they then did so, on the sixth before the Ides of June. And the illustrious king, and the archbishop and suffragan bishops, and earls, and very many clergy, and also laity, carried, in a ship, his holy body over the Thames to Southwark, and there delivered the holy martyr to the archbishop and his companions; and they then, with a worshipful band and sprightly joy, bore him to Rochester. Then, on the third day, came Emma the lady, with her royal child HardaCanute: and then they all, with much state and bliss, and songs of praise, bore the holy archbishop into Canterbury; and then worshipfully brought him into Christ's Church, on the third before the Ides of June. Again, after that, on the eighth day, the seventeenth before the Kalends of July, archbishop Ethelnoth, and bishop Elfsy, and bishop Brithwine, and all those who were with them, deposited St. Elphege's holy body on the north side of Christ's altar, to the glory of God, and the honour of the holy archbishop, and the eternal health of all who there daily seek to his holy body with a devout heart and with all humility. God Almighty have mercy on all Christian men, through St. Elphege's holy merits.

* Of York.

+Of Sherborne.

Of Winchester.

A. 1023. And he caused St. Elphege's remains to be borne from London to Canterbury.

A. 1023. And the same year archbishop Ethelnoth bore St. Elphege's, the archbishop's, remains to Canterbury, from London.

A. 1024.

A. 1025. This year king Canute went to Denmark, with his ships, to the holm by the holy river. And there came against him Ulf and Eglaf, and a very great army, as well a land-army as a fleet from Sweden. And there very many men were destroyed on king Canute's side, as well of Danish-men as of English: and the Swedes had possession of the place of carnage.

A. 1026. This year bishop Elfric* went to Rome, and received his pall of Pope John, on the 2d before the Ides of November.

A. 1027

A. 1028. This year king Canute went from England, with fifty ships of English thanes, to Norway, and drove king Olave out of the land, and possessed himself of all that land.

A. 1029. This year king Canute came home again to England. And so soon as he came to England, he gave to ChristChurch at Canterbury the haven at Sandwich, and all the dues that arise thereof, on either side of the haven: so that, lo! when the flood is all at the highest, and all at the fullest, if a ship be floating so nigh the land as it nighest may, and there be a man standing in the ship, and he have a taper ax ́in his . . . .

A. 1030. This year was king Olave slain in Norway by his own people; and afterwards was sainted. And in this year, before that, died Hacon, the doughty earl, at sea.

A. 1030. This year came king Olave again into Norway, and the people gathered against him, and fought against him; and he was there slain.

A. 1031. This year king Canute went to Rome. And so soon as he came home then went he into Scotland: and the king of the Scots, Malcolm [II.], submitted to him, and became his man, but that he held only a little while, and two other kings, Macbeth and Jehmar. And Robert, earl of Normandy, went to Jerusalem, and there died; and William, who was afterwards king in England, succeeded to Normandy, though he was a child.

* Of York.

A. 1032. In this year appeared the wild fire, such as no man before remembered; and moreover on all sides it did harm, in many places. And in the same year died Elfsy,* bishop at Winchester; and Alwyn, the king's priest, succeeded thereto.

A. 1033. This year died bishop Leofsy, and his body rests at Worcester: and Brihtege was raised to his see.† In this year died Merewith bishop of Somerset ; and he is buried at Glastonbury.

A. 1034. This year died bishop Etheric,§ and he lies at Ramsey. This same year died Malcolm [II.], king in Scotland.

A. 1035. This year died king Canute; and Harold, his son, succeeded to the kingdom. He departed at Shaftesbury, on the 2d before the Ides of November; and they bore him thence to Winchester, and there they buried him. And Elfgive, Emma, the lady, then sat there within and Harold, who said that he was son of Canute and of the other Elfgive, though it was not true; he sent thither, and caused to be taken from her all the best treasures, which she could not withhold, that king Canute had possessed; and nevertheless she still sat there within, as long as she could.

A. 1036. This year Alfred the innocent etheling, son of king Ethelred, came in hither, and would go to his mother, who sat at Winchester; but that neither Godwin the earl, nor the other men who had much power, would allow him because the cry was then greatly in favour of Harold, though. that was unjust.

But Godwin him then let, and him in bonds set;

[ed;

and his companions he dispers-
and some divers ways slew;
some they for money sold,
some cruelly slaughtered,
some did they bind,
some did they blind,
some did they mutilate,

some did they scalp :
nor was a bloodier deed

done in this land

since the Danes came,
and here accepted peace.
Now is our trust in
the beloved God,
that they are in bliss,
blithely with Christ,
The etheling still lived,
who were without guilt
so miserably slain.

every ill they him vowed,
until it was decreed

that he should be led

• Godwin and Dugdale make Elfsy or Elsinus. to be translated to Canterbury, 1038. + Worcester. + Wells. § Of Dorchester.

to Ely-bury, thus bound.

Soon as he came to land,
in the ship he was blinded;
and him thus blind

they brought to the monks :
and he there abode

the while that he lived.

After that him they buried,
as well was his due
full worthily,
as he worthy was,
at the west end,
the steeple well-nigh,
in the south aisle.

His soul is with Christ.

A. 1036. This year died king Canute at Shaftesbury, and he is buried at Winchester in the Old-minster: and he was king over all England very nigh twenty years. And soon after his decease there was a meeting of all the witan at Oxford; and Leofric the earl, and almost all the thanes north of the Thames, and the lithsmen' at London, chose Harold for chief of all England, him and his brother Hardecanute who was in Denmark. And Godwin the earl and all the chief men of Wessex withstood it as long as they could; but they were unable to effect any thing in opposition to it. And then it was decreed that Elfgive, Hardecanute's mother, should dwell at Winchester with the king's, her son's, household, and hold all Wessex in his power; and Godwin the earl was their man. Some men said of Harold that he was son of king Canute and of Elfgive daughter of Elfelm the ealdorman, but it seemed quite incredible to many men; and he was nevertheless full king over all England.

A. 1037. This year was Harold chosen king over all, and Hardecanute forsaken, because he stayed too long in Denmark; and then they drove out his mother Elfgive, the queen, without any kind of mercy, against the stormy winter: and she came then to Bruges beyond sea; and Baldwin the earl* there well received her, and there kept her the while she had need. And before, in this year, died Eafy the noble dean at Evesham.

A. 1037. This year was driven out Elfgive, king Canute's relict; she was king Hardecanute's mother; and she then sought the protection of Baldwin south of the sea, and he gave her a dwelling in Bruges, and protected and kept her, the while that she there was.

A. 1038. This year died Ethelnoth the good archbishop,† and bishop Ethelric in Sussex, ‡ who desired of God that he would not let him live, any while, after his beloved father Ethelnoth; and accordingly, within seven days after, he departed, and bishop Elfric in East-Anglia, § and bishop Briteagus in Worcestershire on the 13th before the Kalends of January. And then bishop Eadsine succeeded to the archSelsey. § Elmham.

Of Flanders.

+ Of Canterbury,

bishopric, and Grinketel to the bishopric in Sussex, and bishop Living to Worcestershire and to Gloucestershire.

A. 1038. This year died Ethelnoth, the good archbishop, on the Kalends of November, and a little after, Ethelric bishop in Sussex, and then before Christmas, Briteagus bishop in Worcestershire, and soon after, Elfric bishop in East-Anglia.

A. 1039. This year was the great wind and bishop Brithmar died at Lichfield. And the Welsh slew Edwin brother of Leofric the earl, and Thurkil, and Elfget, and very many good men with them. And this year also came Hardecanute to Bruges, where his mother was.

A. 1039. This year king Harold died at Oxford, on the 16th before the Kalends of April, and he was buried at Westminster. And he ruled England four years and sixteen weeks; and in his days sixteen ships were retained in pay, at the rate of eight marks for each rower, in like manner as had been before done in the days of king Canute. And in this same year came king Hardecanute to Sandwich, seven days before midsummer. And he was soon acknowledged as well by English as by Danes; though his advisers afterwards grievously requited it, when they decreed that seventy-two ships should be retained in pay, at the rate of eight marks for each rower. And in this same year the sester of wheat went up to fifty-five pence, and even further.

A. 1040. This year died king Harold. Then sent they after Hardecanute to Bruges; thinking that they did well. And he then came hither with sixty ships before midsummer, and then imposed a very heavy tribute, so that it could hardly be levied; that was eight marks for each rower, and all were then averse to him who before had desired him; and moreover he did nothing royal during his whole reign. He caused the dead Harold to be taken up, and had him cast into a fen. This year archbishop Eadsine went to Rome.

A. 1040. This year was the tribute paid; that was twenty-one thousand pounds and ninety-nine pounds. And after that they paid to thirty-two ships, eleven thousand and forty-eight pounds. And, in this same year, came Edward, son of king Ethelred, hither to land, from Weal-land; he was brother of king Hardecanute: they were both sons of Elfgive; Emma, who was daughter of earl Richard.

A. 1041. This year Hardecanute caused all Worcestershire to be ravaged, on account of his two household servants, who demanded the heavy impost; when the people slew them in the town within the minster. This year, soon after, came from beyond sea Edward, his brother on the mother's side, king

« PreviousContinue »