fire and sword, they arriue at Rochester, and conquer the Kentishmen
in field, king Egelred ouercommeth the Danes that inhabited Cumberland
and wasteth the countrie, the Summersetshire men are foiled; the
miserable state of the realme in those daies; the English bloud mixed
with the Danes and Britaines, and what inconueniencies grew thervpon,
the disordered gouernement of king Egelred, sicknesses vexing
the people, treason in the nobles, the tribute paid to the Danes
vnmercifillie inhansed, the realme brought to beggerie; king Egelred
by politike persuasion and counsell marrieth Emma the duke of
Normandies daughter, vpon what occasion the Normans pretended a title
to the crowne of England, they conquer the whole land, what order king
Egelred tooke to kill all the Danes within his kingdoms, and what rule
they bare in this realme yer they were murdered, the thraldome of the
English people under them, whereof the word Lordane sprang_.

THE THIRD CHAPTER.


In the ninteenth yere of king Egelreds reigne, the Danes sailed about
[Sidenote: 997. The Danes inuade the west parts of this land.]
Cornewall, and comming into the Seuerne sea, they robbed & tooke
preies in the coasts of Deuonshire & Southwales, and landing
at Wicheport, they burned vp the countrie, and came about vnto
Penwithstréet on the south coast, and so arriuing in the mouth of
Tamer water, came vnto Lidford, and there wasted all afore them with
force of fire. They burned, amongst other places, the monasterie of
[Sidenote: Tauestocke.]
saint Ordulfe at Essingstocke. After this they came into Dorcetshire,
and passed through the countrie with flame and fire, not finding anie
that offered to resist them. The same yéere also they soiourned in the