ild shall prooue to be a slouthfull person." It
hath beene written also, that when he was but ten yeeres of age, and
heard that his brother Edward was slaine, he so offended his mother
with weeping, bicause she could not still him, that hauing no rod at
hand, she tooke tapers or sizes that stood before hir, and beat him so
sore with them, that she had almost killed him, whereby he could neuer
after abide to haue anie such candels lighted before him.

[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
This Egelred (as writers say) was nothing giuen to warlike
enterprises, but was slouthfull, a louer of idlenesse, and delighting
in riotous lusts, which being knowne to all men, caused him to be
euill spoken of amongst his owne people, and nothing feared amongst
strangers. Heerevpon the Danes that exercised rouing on the seas,
began to conceiue a boldnesse of courage to disquiet and molest the
sea-coasts of the realme, in so much that in the second yeere of
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._ 980.]
this Egelreds reigne, they came with seuen ships on the English coasts
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
of Kent, and spoiled the Ile of Tenet, the towne of Southampton,
and in the yeere following they destroied S. Petroks abbeie in
Cornwall, Porthland in Deuonshire, and diuerse other places by the
sea side, speciallie in Deuonshire & Cornwall. Also a great part of
Cheshire was destroied by pirats of Norway.

[Sidenote: 982.]
The same yeere by casualtie of fire, a great part of the citie
[Sidenote: 983. Alfer or Elfer duke of Mercia departed this life.]
of London was burnt. In the yeere of our Lord 983, Alfer duke of
Mercia departed this life, who was coosen to king Edgar, & his
[Sidenote: Alfrike or Elfrike duke of Mercia. _Fabian_. _Wil. Malm._
_Matt. West._]
sonne Alfrike tooke vpon him the rule of that dukedome, and within
three yeeres after was banished the land. About the eight yeere of
his reigne, Egelred maried one Elgina or Ethelgina, daughter of earle
Egbert. In the ninth yeere of his reigne, vpon occasion of strife
betweene him and the bishop of Rochester, he made warre against
the same bishop, wasted his lordships, and besieged the citie of
Rochester, till Dunstan procured the bishops peace with paiment of an
hundred pounds in gold. And bicause the K. would not agree with the
bishop without moneie at the onelie request of Dunstane, the said
Dunstane did send him woord, that sithens he made more account of gold
than of God, more of monie than of S. Andrew, patro