The people of Lindsey make a compact with Canute, "that they should find him horses, and that afterwards they should all go out together and plunder."

King Ethelred attacks them with his full force, and Canute retires to his ships.

Canute comes 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."

A great sea-flood, which washed away many vills and a countless number of people, Sept. 28.

The Northmen defeated at Clontarf (near Dublin), by Brien Boru, who is himself slain.

A.D. 1015. Siferth and Morcar, the chief thanes in the Seven Burghs', treacherously slain by Edric.

Edmund the atheling takes Siferth's widow from the convent of Malmesbury, marries her, and obtains possession of the burghs.

Canute ravages Wessex, and subdues it; he is joined by Edric with 40 ships.

A.D. 1016. Canute and Edric pass into Mercia; and they ravaged, and burned, and slew all that they could come at."

A force is gathered against them, and headed by King Ethelred, but, being apprehensive of treachery, he retires to London, and the troops disperse.

Canute passes into Northumbria, where, by the advice of Edric, he kills Uhtred the caldorman, son-in-law of Ethelred, and appoints Eric in his stead.

Probably the Five Burghs already named (p. 109), with the addition of Chester and York.

Canute returns to Wessex, and prepares for an expedition against London.

Edmund the atheling retires to London.

"Then befel it that king Ethelred died, before the ships arrived. He ended his days on St. George's massday (April 23), and he held his kingdom with great loss and under great difficulties, the while that his life lasted."

EDMUND IRONSIDEa.

EDMUND, the eldest son of Ethelred, succeeded him, but after many fierce contests with Canute, he found himself obliged to agree to a partition of his kingdom, and he died shortly after, most probably by assassination. By his wife Algitha, the relict of Siferth, he left two sons, Edward and Edmund, who were exiled by Canute. Edwy the Churl king (the king of the people, or popular favourite), banished by Canute, is by some writers said to have been a son of Edmund, but the point is not satisfactorily established.

A.D. 1016. "All the witan who were in London, and the townsmen, chose Edmund to be king; and he strenuously defended his kingdom the while that his time lasted."

Edmund leaves London, and overruns Wessex.

"Then came the ships to Greenwich at Rogation days (May 7). And within a little space they went to London, and they dug a great ditch on the south side, and dragged their ships to the west side of the bridge; and

This popular name is first met with in Florence of Worcester.

afterwards they ditched the town around, so that no one could go either in or out; and they repeatedly fought against the town, but the townsmen strenuously withstood them."

Edmund fights with the Danes at Pen, by Gillingham, in Dorsetshire, and at Sceorstan, (Shirestone, near Burford,) then relieves London, and two days after defeats the Danes at Brentford.

Edmund retires into Wessex, when the Danes again besiege London; "and they beset the town around, and strongly fought against it, as well by water as by land. But the Almighty God delivered it.”

The Danes retire from London, proceed up the Orwell, and ravage Mercia. "Then King Edmund assembled, for the fourth time, all his forces, and went over the Thames at Brentford, and went into Kent, and the army fled before him, with their horses, into Sheppy; and the king slew as many of them as he could come up with." Edric comes over to the king at Aylesford, and dissuades him from following up his victory.

The Danes again pass through Essex into Mercia.

Edmund pursues them, but, being betrayed by Edric, is defeated at Assandun, (Ashdown, near Saffron Walden), “and all the nobility of the English race was there destroyed."

Canute pursues Edmund into Gloucestershire. "Then counselled Edric the ealdorman and the witan who were there, that the kings should be mutually reconciled. And they delivered hostages mutually; and the kings came together at Olanege, near Deerhurst", and they

The isle of Olney, near Gloucester.

confirmed their friendship as well by pledge as by oath, and settled the tribute for the army. And then they separated with this reconcilement; and Edmund obtained Wessex, and Canute Mercia. And the army then went to their ships, with the things that they had taken. And the men of London made a truce with the army, and bought themselves peace; and the army brought their ships to London, and took up their winter quarters therein.

"Then at St. Andrew's mass (Nov. 30) died King Edmund, and his body lies at Glastonbury, with his grandfather Edgar."

CANUTE.

CANUTE, the son of Sweyn, already in possession of the greater part of England, succeeded to the whole on the death of Edmund, and secured his throne by a marriage with Emma, the widow of Ethelred. He undertook several foreign expeditions, in the course of which he conquered Norway, and also made a pilgrimage to Rome, and did much to repair the ravages of war in England; restoring minsters and churches, and promulgating equitable laws. Canute died in 1035, leaving three sons, Sweyn, Harold and Harthacnut, and a daughter, Gunhilda, who married the emperor Henry III.

A.D. 1017. "This year Canute was chosen king; . . . "he obtained the whole realm of the English race, and

divided it into four parts; Wessex to himself, and East Anglia to Thurkill, and Mercia to Edric, and Northumbria to Eric," as his viceroys.

Edric, boasting of his treasons, is shortly after slain in London, by order of Canute, "very justly."

Canute puts to death Edwy, the brother of king Edmund, and several of the chief English nobles, and banishes Edwy, king of the churls.

Canute marries the widow of Ethelred, “called Ælfgive in English, and Ymma in French."

A.D. 1018. The tribute paid to the army, amounting to 82,500 pounds.

Canute takes forty ships of the army into his pay, and the rest retire to Denmark.

Edgar's law received both by Danes and Anglese.

A.D. 1019. Canute goes to Denmark, and remains the whole winter.

66

A.D. 1020. Canute returns to England. He builds at Assandun a minster of stone and lime, for the souls of the men who there were slain, and gave it to one of his priests, whose name was Stigands."

A.D. 1021. Thurkill, the earl of East Anglia, is outlawed.

A.D. 1022. 'This year King Canute went out with his ships to Wight."

A.D. 1023. Canute returns to England. Thurkill is restored to favour, and appointed governor of Denmark. The remains of Alphage removed, "with much state and bliss, and songs of praise," from London to Can* See p. 156.