the third, he marched to London with a chosen band of troops, and, driving the besieging army to their ships, raised the siege and entered the city with the triumph he had won. The fourth battle was fought against the same army two days afterwards on their retreat to Brentford. Here many of his soldiers, in their too great haste to cross the river, were drowned, but notwithstanding he obtained the victory. Upon this, King Canute became alarmed, and drew together a number of troops to increase his force. Canute also and Edric laid their plans for obtaining by treachery the success which they could not gain by arms; and Edric undertook to betray King Edmund. In consequence, by his advice, the king went into Wessex to lead a very powerful army against Canute, who, meanwhile, had laid siege to London, which he furiously assaulted both by land and water, but the citizens defended it manfully. The fifth time, King Edmund again fording the river Thames at Brentford, went into Kent to give battle to the Danes, but at the first encounter of the standard-bearers in the van of the armies, a terrible panic seized the Danes, and they took to flight. Edmund followed them with great slaughter as far as Aylesford, and if he had continued the pursuit, the Danish war would have been ended that day. But the traitorous counsel of the ealdorman Edric induced him to halt. Never had more fatal counsel been given in England. The sixth battle was fought between Edmund, at the head of a powerful army, and Canute, who had assembled the whole force of the Danes at Esesdune2. The engagement was obstinate and decisive, for both armies stood their ground undaunted and despising death. Then the young King Edmund distinguished himself for his valour. For perceiving that the Danes were fighting with more than ordinary vigour, he quitted his royal station which, as was wont, he had taken between the dragon and the ensign called the Standard, and rushed impetuously on the foreinteresting description of the engagement, with many minute particulars.— Antiq. Celto-Scand., p. 130." The Saxon Chronicle does not reckon the first fight at Brentford, which appears to have been only a skirmish, in the number of Edmund's battles, so that it makes this engagement at Brentford the fourth, while Henry of Huntingdon calls it the fifth. Saxon Chronicle, "Assan-dun;" Assingdon, in Essex. most rank. He fell on it like lightning, wielding a chosen sword fit for the hand of the royal youth, and hewing a passage through the centre, exposed himself and those who followed him to be cut off by the enemy. But he charged right on to King Canute's body-guard, when a fearful outcry and horrible shrieks were heard, and the ealdorman Edric, seeing that the rout of the Danes was imminent, shouted to the English: "Flet Engle, flet Engle, ded is Edmund," which means "Flee English, flee English, Edmund is dead." Thus shouting, he fled with his own troops, followed by the whole English army. A dreadful slaughter of the English was made in this battle; there fell in it the ealdormen Ednod, Elfric, and Godwin [of Lindsey], and Ulfcitel of East-Anglia, and Ailward, son of Ethelsy1, the ealdorman, and the flower of the English nobility. King Canute after this victory took London, and obtained possession of the regalia of England. The seventh time, the two armies met in Gloucestershire2, but the great men of the realm, fearing on one side the power of King Edmund, and on the other that of King Canute, said among themselves, "Why are we such fools as to be so often putting our lives in peril? Let those who wish to reign singly decide the quarrel by single combat." The proposal was approved by the kings, for Canute was not wanting in courage. Lists were erected in Olney, and the duel of the kings began. Their spears on both sides were shattered against the highly-wrought armour they wore, and the affair came to be decided by the sword. Both nations heard and saw with groans and shouts the fearful clang and the 1 Some MSS. of the Saxon Chronicle call him Elfwine and Etheline. 2 Near Deerhurst, on the Severn. There is nothing in the Saxon Chronicle about this decision of the quarrel by single combat of the kings; the statement there being, that the nobles interfered to procure peace by an amicable division of the kingdom. Roger of Wendover copies and amplifies Henry of Huntingdon's details of the single combat. The silence of the Saxon Chronicle is important, yet still, considering how much the duel was in vogue among Canute's countrymen, and the character of Edmund Ironside, there is nothing improbable in the two kings having adopted this mode of deciding the contest. An examination of the Icelandic Sagas would probably throw some light on this subject. An adventure of so romantic a character could hardly have escaped the notice of the Scalds and writers of that class, whose compositions were current in the courts of the Norman king. gleaming flash of their arms. But at length the incomparable strength of Edmund [Ironside] dealt thunder on his rival, and Canute, though he defended himself stoutly, beginning to quail, cried out, "Bravest of youths, why should either of us risk his life for the sake of a crown? Let us be brothers by adoption, and divide the kingdom, so governing that I may rule your affairs, and you mine. Even the government of Denmark I submit to your disposal." The generous mind of the young king was moved to gentleness by these words, and the kiss of peace was mutually given. The people assenting with tears of joy, the kingdom of Wessex was allotted to Edmund, and the kingdom of Mercia to Canute, who then returned to London. 66 [A.D. 1016.] King Edmund was treasonably slain a few days afterwards. Thus it happened: one night, this great and powerful king having occasion to retire to the house for relieving the calls of nature, the son of the ealdorman Edric, by his father's contrivance, concealed himself in the pit, and stabbed the king twice from beneath with a sharp dagger, and, leaving the weapon fixed in his bowels, made his escape. Edric then presented himself to Canute, and saluted him, saying, Hail! thou who art sole king of England!" Having explained what had taken place, Canute replied, "For this deed I will exalt you, as it merits, higher than all the nobles of England." He then commanded that Edric should be decapitated and his head placed upon a pole on the highest battlement of the tower of London. Thus perished King Edmund Ironside, after a short reign of one year, and he was buried at Glastonbury, near his grandfather Edgar. [A.D. 1017.] Canute, now king of England, married Emma, the daughter of the Duke of Normandy, who was before the wife of King Ethelred. He quickly paid to the English nobles the just reward of their treason; for whereas he assumed the government of Wessex, while Eric held that of Northumbria, Thurkill of East-Anglia, and Edric of Mercia, Edric was put to death, Thurkill banished, and Eric compelled to flee. Moreover, his displeasure fell on some other nobles of the highest rank: he put to death The Saxon Chronicle says nothing of the mode of Edmund's death. Norman the ealaorman; Edwy the Etheling was driven into exile; Ethelwold was beheaded; Edwy, king of the Churls', was banished; and Britric was slain. He also levied an enormous tax throughout the whole of England, to the amount of 73,000l., besides 11,000l. paid by the Londoners. So severe a task-master did the justice of God inflict on the English. In the third year of his reign Canute, with an army composed both of English and Danes, went over to Denmark to war with the Vandals. He had come up with the enemy and was prepared to give battle the day following, when Earl Godwin, who commanded the English troops, made a night attack on the enemy's camp, without the king's knowledge. Taking them by surprise, he made great slaughter and entirely routed them. At daybreak the king, finding that the English were gone, supposed that they had either taken flight or deserted to the enemy. However, he marshalled his own force for the attack, but when he reached the camp, he found there only the corpses of the slain, blood, and booty. Whereupon he ever afterwards held the English in the highest honour, considering them not inferior to the Danes. After this he returned to England. About this time, on the death of Archbishop Lyfwing, Ethelnoth, his successor, went to Rome; he was accompanied by Leofwine, abbot of Ely, who had been unjustly deprived of his abbey, but was now restored by command of Pope Benedict. On his return from Rome, the archbishop caused the body of St. Elphege2 to be translated from London to Canterbury. [A.D. 1024.] In the eighth year of Canute's reign, Richard the Second, duke of Normandy, father of Emma, queen of England, departed this life. Richard, his son, who succeeded him, lived about a year, and then his brother Robert, 1 "Ceorla cyneg," Saxon Chronicle. any comment on this singular title. times? None of the translators have offered Was Edwy the Robin Hood of those 2 The Archbishop of Canterbury, martyred by the Danes A.D. 1012. The Saxon Chronicle gives an account of the pomp with which his remains were translated from St. Paul's Cathedral to Canterbury. St. Elphege's name is retained in our calendars on the 19th of April, the day of his martyrdom. eight years. King Canute, in the twelfth year of his reign, sailed from England with 50 ships for Norway, and, having defeated Olave', the Norwegian king, reduced that country to subjection. On his return to England, Olave endeavouring to reinstate himself was slain by the people, and Canute retained the kingdom till his death. About this time Robert, king of the Franks, was succeeded by his son Henry. [A.D. 1031.] In the fifteenth year of Canute's reign, Robert, duke of Normandy, died during his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and was succeeded by his son William the bastard, of tender age: Canute also went to Rome2 with great pomp, and granted in perpetuity the alms called "Romscot," which his predecessors had given to the Roman Church. No king of the western parts displayed so much magnificence in his pilgrimage to Rome. Who can reckon the alms, and the offerings, and the costly banquets which the great king gave during his pilgrimage? The year he returned he went into Scotland, and Malcolm, king of the Scots, paid him allegiance, as did also two other kings, Melbeathe and Jermarc. [A.D. 1035.] King Canute died at Shaftesbury, after a reign of 20 years, and was buried at Winchester in the old minster. A few particulars of his grandeur must be collected, for before him there was never so great a king of England. He was lord of the whole of Denmark, England, and Norway; as also of Scotland. Besides the various wars in which he gained so much glory, his nobleness and St. Olave, who first introduced Christianity in Norway, and fell in fighting with his heathen subjects at the battle of Stikkelstad, near Drontheim. He was afterwards canonized, and esteemed the patron saint of Norway; and many churches in England were dedicated to him. 2 "Canute's journey to Rome is placed by Wippo, a contemporaneous writer, in the year 1027. Pistorius, iii. 472.”—Petrie. The date given for Canute's death is that of the Saxon Chronicle. 1 |