said, he was too cunning, and knew
more than was expedient: wherevpon he was accused of necromancie, and
so banished out of the court. After this he began to haue a liking to
women, and when Elfeagus then bishop of Winchester and his coosen,
persuaded him to become a moonke, he refused it, for he rather wished
to haue maried a yoong damesell, whose pleasant companie he dailie
inioied. But being soone after striken with such a swelling disease in
his bellie, that all his bodie was brought into such state, as though
he had beene infected with a foule leprosie, he bethought him selfe,
and vpon his recouerie sent to the bishop, who immediatlie shore him a
moonke, in which life he liued in so great opinion of holinesse, as he
in time became abbat of Glastenburie: where on a time as he was in his
praiers before the altar of S. George, he fell asleepe: and imagining
in his dreame, that an vglie rough beare came towards him with open
mouth, and set his forefeet vpon his shoulders readie to deuoure him,
he suddenlie wakening for feare, caught his walking staffe which he
commonlie went with, and laid about him, that all the church rang
[Sidenote: _Polychron._]
thereof, to the great woonder of such as stood by. The common tale
of his plucking the diuell by the nose with a paire of pinsors, for
tempting him with women, while he was making a chalice: the great loue
that the ladie Elfleda neere kinswoman to king Adelstane bare him to
hir dieng day, with a great manie of other such like matters, I leaue
as friuolous, and wholie impertinent to our purpose: onelie this I
read, that through declaring of his dreames and visions, he obteined
in the time of king Edgar, first the bishoprike of Worcester, after of
London, & last of all the archbishoprike of Canturburie. But leauing
Dunstane and the fond deuises depending vpon the commemoration of his
life, we will now returne to the dooings of Egelred, and speake of
such things in the next chapter as chanced in his time.

* * * * *

_The Danes inuade England on each side, they are vanquished by the
English, Goda earle of Deuonshire slaine; the Danes in a battell
fought at Maldon kill Brightnod earle of Essex and the most of his
armie, ten thousand pounds paid to them by composition that they
should not trouble the English subjects, they cease their crueltie
for a time, but within a while after fall to their bloudie bias, the
English people despaire to re