Page:The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Giles).djvu/103

A.D. 976–979. A. 976. This year was the great famine among the English nation.

A. 977. This year, after Easter, was the great council at Kirtlington; and there died bishop Sideman, by a sudden death, on the 2d before the Kalends of May. He was bishop in Devonshire, and he desired that the resting-place of his body should be at Crediton, at his episcopal seat. Then commanded king Edward and archbishop Dunstan that he should be borne to St. Mary's minster, which is at Abingdon: and so too was it done: and he is moreover honourably buried on the north side, in St. Paul's chapel.

A. 978. In this year all the chief 'witan' of the English nation fell at Calne from an upper chamber, except the holy archbishop Dunstan, who alone supported himself upon a beam; and there some were grievously maimed, and some did not escape with life. In this year was King Edward martyred; and Ethelred the etheling, his brother, succeeded to the kingdom, and he was in the same year consecrated king. In that year died Alfwold; he was bishop of Dorset, and his body lies in the minster at Sherborne.

A. 979. In this year was Ethelred consecrated king at Kingston, on the Sunday, fourteen days after Easter; and there were at his consecration two archbishops, and ten suffragan-bishops. That same year was seen a bloody cloud, oftentimes, in the likeness of fire; and it was mostly apparent at midnight, and so in various beams was coloured: when it began to dawn, then it glided away.

A. 979. This year was king Edward slain at even-tide, at Corfe-gate, on the 15th before the Kalends of April, and then was he buried at Wareham, without any kind of kingly honours.

There has not been 'mid Angles a worse deed done than this was, since they first Britain-land sought. Men him murdered, but God him glorified. He was in life an earthly king; he is now after death a heavenly saint. Him would not his earthly kinsmen avenge but him hath his heavenly Father greatly avenged. The earthly murderers would his memory on earth blot out, but the lofty Avenger hath his memory in the heavens and on earth wide-spread. They who would not ere while to his living body bow down, they now humbly on knees bend to his dead bones.