A[nno] dccccolxxo Sanctus Ethelwaldus episcopus Sancti Swithuni reliquias de
tumulo leuauit, & in ecclesia
apostolorum Petri & P’ clementissime
recondidit.
A[nno] dccccolxxoio clito Edmundus regis Edgari filius obiit,
Ordgarus dux Dompnanie socer
regis quorum primus in monasterio Rumesie, secundus
Exacestre honorifice est sepultus.
A[nno] dccccolxxoiio Oshitellus1 Eborac’ archiepiscopus obiit, cui successit
Oswaldus suus propinqus2
Wigorn’ episcopus, qui a Stephano papa pallium suscepit.
A[nno] dccccolxxoiiio rex Anglorum pacificus Edgarus, anno etatis sue xxxo die pentecostes
a beatis presulibus Dunstano & Oswaldo, & a
ceteris tocius Anglie episcopis in ciuitate Accaman
ni cum maximo honore &
gloria, in regem totius insule tunc primum consecratur. Interiecto deinde tempore
illi cum ingenti classe septentrionali Britannia circumnauigata ad ciuitatem Cestram
appulit,
cui subreg\u/ali viiito Kineth scilicet rex
Scotorum, Malc’ rex Cumborum Maccus plurimarum rex insu
larum & alii v Dufnal,
Sifert, Huwal, Ia⊗cob, Vlkil ut eis mandarat occurre
runt, &
quod sibi fideles & terra & mari asi⊗stere sibi uellent
iurauerunt cum quibus
die quadam scafam ascendens illisque ad re⊗mos locatis, ipse clauum gubernaculi
arripiens eam per cursum fluminis De
perite gu⊗bernauit omnique turba ducum & procerum
simili nauigio comitante, a
palacio ad monasterium Sancti Iohannis baptiste nauigauit, vbi
facta oratione
eadem pompa ad palatium remeauit quod dum intraret optimatibus fertur dixisse
tunc
demum quemque suorum successorum se gloriari posse regem Anglorum fore cum tot regibus
sibi ob
sequentibus potiretur pompa talium honorum.
A[nno] dccccolxxoiiiio terremotus per totam Angliam factus est maximus.
A[nno] dccccolxxovo Anglici orbis basileus, flos & decus antecessorum regum
pacificus rex Edgarus, non minus memorabilis Anglis quam Romulus Romanis, Cirus Persis,
Alexander Macedonibus,
Karolus magnus Francis, Arcturus Britanniis,
postquam cuncta regaliter consummauit, anno eta
tis sue xxxoiio, viiio idus Iulii
ex hac uita transiuit, filiumque Edwardum postea martirem, & reg
ni, &
morum reliquit heredem. Corpus uero illius Glastoniam delatum regio more est tumulatum.
Is
dum uiueret iiimdc robustas sibi congregauerat
naues, ex quibus paschali emensa solemp
nitate, omni anno mcc in orientali, totidem
in occidentali, totidem in septentrionali, insule pla
ga coadunare, & ad
occidentalem cum orientali classe, & illa remissa ad borealem cum
occidentali,
ipsaque remissa cum boreali ad orientalem classem remigare eoque modo totam in
sulam
omni estate circumnauigare consueuerat, uiriliter hoc agens ad defensionem, contra
ceteros3
regni sui, & suum, suorumque ad bellicos usus excercitium. Hieme uero &
uere infra regnum
usquequaque per omnes prouincias Anglorum transire, &
quomodo legum iura, & suorum statuta
decretorum a principibus obseruarentur,
ne pauperes a potentatibus preiudicium passi obpri
merentur, diligenter solebat
inuestigare. In uno fortitudini, in altero iusticie studens,
in utroque rei
publice, & regni utilitatibus consulens. Hinc hostibus circumquaque timor,
& omnium sibi subditorum, erga eum excreuerat amor, cuius decessu totius regni
pertur
batus est status, & post tempus leticie quod illius tempore uigebat
pacifice tribulacio cepit undique
aduenire. Orta namque sedicione magna, monachis
de monasteriis eiciendis, &
rege eligendo tandem a gentibus sanctis
archiepiscopis Dunstano & Oswaldo & ceteris catho
licis uiris qui aduerse
parti resistebant, monachi suas sedes constanter tenuerunt.
In the 970th year the holy
Æthelwold the bishop raised the relics of St Swithhun from the tomb, and reinterred them
most gently in the church of the apostles Peter and P[aul].
In the 971st year Eadmund the ætheling, son of Eadgar, died, and
Ordgar, ealdorman of Devon, the king’s father-in-law, of whom the first was buried in
the monastery of Romsey, the second honourably in Exeter.
In the 972nd year Osketel, archbishop of York, died; Oswald, his
kinsman, bishop of Worcester, succeeded him, who received the pall from Pope
Stephen.
In the 973rd year Eadgar, the peace-making
king of the English, in the thirtieth year of his age, at Pentecost, is consecrated king
of the whole island—accordingly the first—by the blessed prelates Dunstan and Oswald,
and by all the other bishops of England, in the city of Bath, with the greatest honour
and glory. Then, after an intervention of time, once northern Britain had been
circumnavigated by him with a huge fleet, he landed at Chester where 8 subkings—that is,
Cináed king of the Scots, Máel Coluim king of the Cumbrians, Magnús king of many
islands, and 5 others: Dyfnwal, Siferth, Hywel, Ia⊗go, and Ulfkil—came to meet him, as he had commanded them;
and they swore that, as his faithful men, they would resolve to stand ⊗
by him both on land and by sea. Boarding a skiff with them on a certain day, having set
them to the oa⊗rs, he himself, taking hold of the steering helm, steered
it expertly through the course of the River Dee, and with every band of ealdormen and
nobles joining in a similar craft, he sailed from the palace to the monastery of St John
the Baptist where, after a prayer had been completed, he set off back to the palace with
the same display. It is said that, while he was entering, he declared to his nobles on
that occasion at length that each of his successors would be able to congratulate
himself that, as king of the English, with so many kings obedient to him, he would take
possession of the display of such dignities.
In the 974th year the greatest earthquake occurred throughout the whole of
England.
In the 975th year the prince of the
English world, the flower and honour of antecedent kings, the peace-making king, Eadgar,
no less worthy of memory to the English than Romulus to the Romans, Cyrus to the
Persians, Alexander to the Macedonians, Charles the Great to the Franks, Arthur to the
Britains, after he had royally fulfilled all, passed away from this life, in the 32nd year of his age, on 8 July. He left a son, Eadweard,
afterwards a martyr, as heir of both his kingdom and practices. His body, moreover,
borne to Glastonbury, was entombed in royal fashion. While he lived he gathered together
for himself every year, once the Easter celebration had passed over, 3,600 strong ships,
out of which 1,200 assembled in the eastern region of the island, just as many in the
western, and just as many in the northern; and he rowed with the eastern fleet to the
western; and, after it had been sent back, row to the north with the western fleet; and,
after that had been sent back, rowed with the northern to the eastern fleet. In this way
he was accustomed to circumnavigate the whole island every summer, carrying this out
boldly for the defence of his kingdom against others,1 and for his own and his armies’ training in war. In winter and
spring, moreover, he used to investigate diligently everywhere within the kingdom, going
quickly through all the provinces of England, to what extent the rule of law and the
provisions of his commands were being observed by rulers, in case the poor, through the
suffering of injustices, were being oppressed by the powerful. Applying himself with
strength in one, and with justice in the other, in both he took care of the public good
and the welfare of the kingdom. Hence the fear in enemies on every side and the love of
all subject to him increased towards him. The public order of the entire kingdom was
thrown into confusion by his death, and trouble began to arrive everywhere after the
period of joyfulness that flourished in his time by peace-making. For indeed, after
great discord arose by throwing monks out from monasteries and electing a king, at
length, by the deeds of the holy archbishops, Dunstan and Oswald, and all catholic men
who were withstanding the opposite party, the monks held their positions firmly.