against other, and suffered the generall case to lie still in the
dust. And if at anie time there was anie good conclusion agreed vpon,
for the withstanding of the enimie, & reléefe of the common wealth,
anon should the enimie be aduertised thereof by such as were of
aliance or consanguinitie to them. For (as Caxton, Polychr. and
others say) the English bloud was so mixed with that of the Danes and
Britains, who were like enimies to the Englishmen, that there was
almost few of the nobilitie and commons, which had not on the one side
a parent of some of them.

Whereby it came to passe, that neither the secret purposes of the king
could be concealed till they might take due effect; neither their
assemblies proue quiet without quarelling and taking of parts. Manie
also being sent foorth with their powers one way (whilest the king
went to make resistance another) did reuolt to his enimies, and
turned their swords against him (as you haue heard of Elfrike and his
complices, and shall read of manie others) so that it was no maruell
that Egelred sped no better, and yet was he as valiant as anie of his
predecessors, although the moonks fauour him not in their writings,
because he demanded aid of them toward his warres, and was nothing
fauorable to their lewd hypocrisie. But what is a king if his subiects
be not loiall? What is a realme, if the common wealth be diuided? By
peace & concord, of small beginnings great and famous kingdomes haue
oft times procéeded; whereas by discord the greatest kingdoms haue
oftner bene brought to ruine. And so it proued here, for whilest
priuat quarels are pursued, the generall affaires are vtterlie
neglected: and whilest ech nation séeketh to preferre hir owne
aliance, the Iland it selfe is like to become a desert.

But to procéed with our monasticall writers: certes they lay all the