Observations of all the Kings of England, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
EDWARD the elder.
THe twenty fourth King of the West-Saxons, Dictus senior, eo quod post illum plures ejusdem nominis regnaverunt, quorum omnium ipse primus erat. Literarum scientia multum inferior patre, sed regni potestate incomparabiliter gloriosior. Malmesb. de gestis Reg. Ang. l. 2 c. 5.and twenty fifth Monarch of the English men.
Fuit Edwardus forma eximia, ac per omnes aetatis gradus decentissima. Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 6.
Before the conquest of the Normans, there were in England three Edwards, 1. This Edward the elder; 2. Edward the Martyr; 3. Edward the Confessor.
We have had more Kings of England of this name, than of any other; nine in all,Idem ferè habet Ingulphus. Edwardus, Cognomento senior, literarum cultu patre inferior, sed dignitate, potentia pariter & gloria superior. three before the conquest, and six after it. Verstegans Etymology of our Saxon proper names.
Henry, the name of seven Emperours of Germany; eight Kings of England, four Kings of France, four Kings of Castile. Phillips his new world of English words.
He was heir apparent to his Father Alfreds valour and vertues,Nam multo latius, quam pater fines regni, sui dilatavi…. Rog. de Hoveden. Annal. part. 1. p. 421-… as well as to his Crown.
Some say he was the great Iustinian of our Nation.
Our Laws being suppressed by the Danish Kings, were revived and reinforced in the time of Edward the Confessor; whence they had the name of Edward the Confessors Laws.
He raigned in great Warres and honour the space of twenty four years.23. saith Malmesb. So Henricus Huntingdoniensis saith,24. Polyd Virg. Paternum regnum tenuit 24. annis.34. saith Roger de Hoveden.
Ethelstan or Adelstan.
The twenty fifth King of the West Saxons, and the twenty sixth Monarch of the English men.
He was crowned at that Kingly Town Kingston. In Regia villa, in Regem levatur. Rog. de Hoveden.
He began his Kingdome with War, and ended in peace and tranquillity.
He was the worthiest Prince (saith Lhoyd) of Saxon bloud, that ever raigned.
Being seduced by the bad Counsell, and false suggestions of one of his favourites, he banished his Brother Edwin unjustly,Malmesb. de gestis Regum Ang. l. 1. c. 6. A young English Gentleman in a sally forth at Ostend had one of his arms shot off with a Canon, which taking up he brought back with him into the Town unto the Chyrurgion, and coming into his lodging, shewed it, saying, Behold the arm which but at dinner did help its fellow. This he did, and endured without the least fainting, or so much as reposing upon … bed. Dr. Dillingham Veres Commentaries in the contin…ation of the siege of Ostend. commanding him to be sent to Sea, with only one servant, and in a Boat without Oar or Sail, wherein he perished.
His Cup-bearer after in his service upon festivall, stumbled with the one foot, and recovering himself with the other, pleasantly said, You see how one Brother helpeth another; upon which speech, the King with grief and touch of heart, called to mind the death of his innocent Brother, occasioned by his wicked Counsell, and forthwith commanded execution to be done on him the procurer; and himself was ever after more tender and carefull toward his other Brethren.
Leyland in his new years gift to King Henry the eighth, reckons him amongst other learned men of the Kings Progenitors.
The chiefest of his works for the service of God, and good of his Subjects, was the translation of the Bible into the Saxon tongue, (which was then the mothertongue of the Land) out of the Hebrew.
Of this work Leyland also speaks in the work before-mentioned.
His Laws are mentioned by Lambard in his Saxon Laws.
He raigned in great honour the space of fifteen years,16. years saith Malmesbury. and odd moneths.
Edmund.
The twenty sixth King of the West Saxons, and twenty seventh Monarch of the English men.
The good Laws he made are extant in Saxon and Latine, by the industry of Mr William Lambard.
He had by his Queen Elgina two sons, Edwin and Edgarus, sirnamed Pacificus, which both raigned after him.
By him were expelled the Danes, Scots, Normans, and all forraign enemies out of the Land.
He raigned six years and a half.
At his Mannor of Puclekerkes in the County of Glocester, Tenuit regnum anuis 6. & semis. Malmesb. l. 2. c 6.whilest he interposed himself between his Sewer and one Leof, to part a fray,See Milles his Catalogue of honour, and Mr. Prynne his seasonable, legall, and hystoricall vindication of the fundamentall Liberties, Rights, and Laws of England. p. 106. he was with a thrust through the body wounded to death, when he had prosperously raigned the space of five years and seven moneths. Rogerus de Hoveden annal part 1. Malmesbury l. 2. c. 7. and others, say this Leof was a thief, which the King espying at a festivall, he pulled him by the hair, and cast him to the ground; but he drawing out his weapon, stabbed the King. Vide Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 6.
Edred.
The twenty seventh King of the West Saxons, and twenty eighth Monarch of the English men.
He suffered his body to be chastised at the will and direction of Dunstan Abbot of Glassenbury; unto whose custody he also committed the greatest part of his treasure and richest Jewels, to be lockt in his chests, and under the keys of this Monastery, where it remained, till the King fell sick of his last sickness; at which time it was demanded, but never restored; for Dunstan being on his journey with the same to the King, a voice from heaven spake unto him, and said, Behold King Edred is now departed in peace; at the hearing of which words,Anno Dominicae incar…ationis 946. Edredus tertius ex filiis Edwardi regnum suscipiens, rexit annis 9, & dimidio. Malmesb. l. 2. c. 7. his horse immediately fell down and died▪ Whereupon he returned again to his Monastery; and though he lost his horse, yet was he recompenced thereby with the gain of the Kings treasure and Jewels.
He raigned in great honour nine years and odd moneths.
Edwin or Edwy.
The twenty eighth King of the West Saxons, Anno Dominic…e incar…ationis 955. Ed…inus regno potitus tenuit annis quatuor, petulans adoles…ens, & qui speciositate corporis i… libidinibus abuteretur. Malmesb. de gestis Reg. Ang. l 2. c. 7. Ea tempestate facies Monachorum saeda & miserabi…is …rat. Caeterum longè horret nostra memoria, quam immanis fu…rit in reliqua caenobia. & propter aetatis lubricum, & propter pellicis consilium, qua… tenerum jugiter obside…at animum Malmesb. de gestis Reg. Ang. l. 2. Vide plura ibid. & Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 6.and twenty ninth Monarch of the English men.
He was but thirteen years old when he began to raign.
He was Nephew to Edred.
He favoured not the Monkes, which made them write so scandalously of him. He thrust them out of Malmesbury and Glassenbury, placing married Priests in their room; and banished Dunstan their great Champion into Flanders.
The true causes of his banishing him, ejecting the Monkes, and seizing their lands and treasures, was, that Dunstan had so bewitched Edmund, Edward, Aethelstan, and Aedred his predecessours, with the love of Monkery, as they not only took violently from married Priests their livings, to erect Monasteries, but also lavishly wasted much of their own royall treasures, lands, and revenues upon them, which they should rather have imployed in resisting the common enemies of God and their Countrey, the Danes.
Ioscelin the Author of Antiq. Brit. Bishop Godwin, Speed, and others conceive, that the true cause why the Mercians and Northumbrians, (and those only, not the rest of his Subjects and Kingdome) rejected him, and set up his Brother Edgar, (whose vices were more exorbitant in some degrees than Edwins) was the malice of Dunstan and Odo (the pillars and Oracles of the Monkish Clergy) who stirred up the Mercians, and seditious rebellious Northumbrians against him, to set up Edgar in his stead, who was totally devoted to them and Dunstan, by whose counsels he was afterwards wholly guided, and built no less than forty seven new Monasteries for the Monks; besides all those he repaired, intending to build three more had he lived, to make them fifty compleat.
He raigned but four years.