John Foxe's Book of Martyrs

1583

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135

THE THIRD BOOKE CONTEINING THE next 300. yeares, from the raigne of King Egbertus, to the tyme of William Conquerour.

NOW remayneth likewise as before I did in describing, the discent and diuersitie of the seuen kings altogether raigning and ruling in this land, so to prosecute in like order the lineal succession of them, which after Egbert king of Westsaxones, gouerned and ruled soly, vntill the conquest of William the Normand: first expressing their names, & afterward importing such acts as in their tyme happened in the Church worthy to be noted. Albeit, as touchyng the actes and doyngs of these kings, because they are sufficiently and at large described, and taken out of Latine writers into the English tong by sondry authors, and namely in the story or Chronicle of Fabian. I shall not spende much trauaile therupon, but rather referre the reader, to him or to some other: where the troublesome tumults betwene the Englishmen and the Danes at that tyme may be seene, who so listeth to read them. Onely the table of their names and raigne, in actes done vnder their raigne, I haue compendiously abridged, vsing such breuitie, as the matter would suffer.

[ ¶ A Table of the Saxon Kings, which ruled alone from King Egbert, vnto William Conquerour. ]

Here is to be noted, that before the raigne of Edward the confessor, the Danes obtayned the crowne vnder their captaine Canutus who raigned yeares 19.

Haraldus Harefoote, sonne of Canutus.	4
Hardeknoutus sonne of Canutus.	2
Edwar. the confessor, an englishmā, sonne of Etheldred.	24
Haraldus sonne of Erle Godwine an vsurper.	1
William Conqueror a Normand.

¶ King Egbertus.

Egbert king of the Westsaxons, afterward Monarke and king of the whole Realme.

IN the raigne of Brigthricus a little before mentioned, about the yere of grace 795. there was in his dominion a noble personage, of some called Egbert, of some Ethelbert, of some Athelbright, who being feared of the same Brigthricus, because he was of a kingly bloud, & nere vnto the crowne, was by the force & conspiracie of the forenamed Brigthricus, chased & pursued out of the land of Britain into Frāce, where he endured till the death of the sayd Brigthricus.

In this tyme came in the Danes, first into the North parts and were driuen out agayne.

After the hearing whereof, Egbert sped him eftsoones out of Fraunce, vnto his countrey of Westsaxe, where he in such wise behaued himselfe, that he obteined the regiment and gouernance of the abouesaid kingdom.

Egbert king of the Westsaxons, afterward Monarke and king of the whole Realme.

In this tyme came in the Danes, first into the North parts and were driuen out agayne.

Bernulphus king of Mercia aboue mentioned, with other kings, had this Egbert in such derisiō, that they made of him diuers scoffing gestes, and scorning rimes, al which he susteined for a time. But when he was more established in his kingdome,

Anno. 807.

& had proued the mindes of his subiects and especially God working withall: he afterward assembled his knights, and gaue to the saide Bernulphus, a battaile in a place called Elindē, in the prouince of hāton.

Example what it is to despise other. Example of patience.

And notwithstanding in that fight was great oddes of number, as 6. or 8. against one, yet Egbert (through the might of the Lord which giueth victory as pleaseth him) had the better and wan the field: Which done he seased that Lordship into his hand.

Anno. 826.

And that also done, he made war vpon the Kentish saxons, and at lenth in like wise, of them obtained the victory.

Of this victory went a prouerb, Riuus cruore rubuit ruina restitit, fœtere tabuit.

And as it is in Polychronicon testified, he also subdued Northumberland, and caused the kings of these three kingdomes to liue under him as tributaries or ioyned them to his kingdome. Ex Flor. Hist. This Egbert, also wan from the Britons or Welshmē, the town of Chester, which they had kept possession of, till that daye. After these & other victories, he peaceably enioying the land, called a Councell of his Lords at Winchester, where by their aduises he was crowned king & chief Lord ouer this land. which before that day was called Britaine:

This land first called Anglia.

but thē he sent out into all the coasts of the land his commaundements and cōmissions, charging straightly þ^t from that day forward the Saxons should be called Angles, and the land Anglia.

Anno. 807.

Example what it is to despise other. Example of patience.

Anno. 826.

Of this victory went a prouerb, Riuus cruore rubuit ruina restitit, fœtere tabuit.

This land first called Anglia.

About the 30. yeare of the raigne of Egbert,

Anno. 833.

the heathenish people of the Danes, which a little before had made horrible destruction in Northumberland, & especially in þ^e Ile of Lindefarne, where they spoyled the Churches, and murthered the ministers, with men, women, and children, after a cruell maner, entered now the second tyme with a great host into this land,

Danes now the second tyme entred in this land.

and spoyled the Ile of Shepy in Kent, or nere to Kent, where Egbert hearing therof, assembled his people and met with them at Carrum. But in that conflict sped not so well as he was woont in tymes before, but with his knights was compelled to forsake the field. Notwithstanding in the next battail, the sayd Egbert with a small power ouerthrew a great multitude of them, and so droue them backe. The next yeare followyng, the sayd Danes presuming vpon their victory before, made theyr

Anno. 833.

Danes now the second tyme entred in this land.

returne

M.ij.

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