the Englishmen, that they got a great part of the land, and held it in
their owne possession. In the tenth yéere of king Brightrikes reigne,
there were séene in the aire firie dragons flieng, which betokened
(as was thought) two grieuous plagues that followed. First a great
[Sidenote: Famin & war signified.]
dearth and famine: and secondlie a cruell war of the Danes, which
shortlie followed, as ye shall heare.

Finallie, after that Brightrike had reigned the space of 16 yéeres, he
[Sidenote: _Ran. Cest. lib. 5. cap. 25_. Brightrike departed this life.]
departed this life, and was buried at Warham. Some write that he
was poisoned by his wife Ethelburga daughter vnto Offa king of Mercia
(as before ye haue heard) and he maried hir in the fourth yere of
his reigne. She is noted by writers to haue bin a verie euill woman,
proud, and high-minded as Lucifer, and therewith disdainful. She bare
[Sidenote: Ethelburga hir conditions and wicked nature.]
hir the more statelie, by reason of hir fathers great fame and
magnificence: whome she hated she would accuse to hir husband, and so
put them in danger of their liues. And if she might not so wreake hir
rancour, she would not sticke to poison them.

It happened one day, as she meant to haue poisoned a yoong gentleman,
against whome she had a quarell, the king chanced to tast of that cup,
and died thereof (as before ye haue heard.) Hir purpose indeed was not
to haue poisoned the king, but onelie the yoong gentleman, the which
drinking after the king, died also, the poison was so strong and
[Sidenote: A decrée of the kings of the Westsaxons against their
wiues.]
vehement. For hir heinous crime it is said that the kings of the
Westsaxons would not suffer their wiues to be called quéenes, nor