Page:Oliver Mathews – Towne of Sallop (1877).djvu/63

 who, as before is declared, came first into Brutaine in the tyme of King Vortiger, and served him as his Servants and Souldiers, to aide him then against Pictes and Scotts in his Warrs, this said Offa did bereave the Brutaines of all theire good and fruitfull Lands, Citties and Townes, Villages, Castles and Holdes, which the Brutaines had above Seaverne or Haferne toward Walshe or Idwall’s Countrey in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire, and after he had driven the Brutaines out of theire Lands and Hereditaments, which they had possessed since Brutus first Entraunce into this Land, the said Saxon Offa made a greate Ditche betwene him and the Brutaines, and called yt Claweth or Offa Ditche, and made and ordeyned Statutes and cruell Lawes, that, yf anie Brutaine should come over the same Ditche, except yt were to Marketts, or should come with anie weapons abouts them, or should come under the same Ditche above twoe at once, then they were to be fined and ymprisoned. In the later yeres and reigne of which said cruell and covetuous Kinge Offa, Kinge of Mercia, abouts anno Christi 800. the most cruell and mightie Pagan Danes entered into Newe England, the Saxons beinge latelie become Christians, who with sword and fier vexed the land of the newe and late Christen Saxons, without sparinge of man, woman and childe, overthrowinge Churches, burninge Townes, defacinge Castles and strong Holdes; and althoughe the Saxons did, at theire first Enteraunce, expulse them, and drive them out of this Realme, yet did the said Danes still contynue to invade the Realme divers times, and in divers places, till, at lengthe, the Pagan Danes compelled the Saxons to paie the Kinge of Denmark 4000li. a yere for Tribute, called the Danes Gilde; which payment contynued untill Kinge Edward the Sainct’s tyme anno Domini 1043. and further, the Pagan Danes putt in every Saxon’s House, to be Master over the Housholder, one Dane, which Dane should have Goverment, not onlie of the Housholder, but also of his Wieffe, Sonnes, Daughters and Servaunts, who most holde him as theire Lorde, and so was he called Lord Dane. And further, the said Pagan Danes dispossessed the Saxons of the Lands, which the cruell Kinge Offa had latelie gotton of the Brutaines, the Saxons