of peace than of warre, and therefore he stood in doubt of the noble valiancie of one Egbert, which after succeeded him in the kingdome.  The linage of Cerdicus was in that season so confounded and mingled, that euerie one as he grew in greatest power, stroue to be king and supreame gouernour.  But speciallie Egbertus was knowne to be one that coueted that place, as he that was of the bloud roiall, and a man of great [Sidenote:  Egbert banished.] power and lustie courage.  King Brightrike therefore to liue in more safetie, banished him the land, and appointed him to go into France.  Egbert vnderstanding certeinlie that this his departure into a forreine countrie should aduance him in time, obeied the kings pleasure.

[Sidenote:  A strange woonder.] About the third yeere of Brightrikes reigne, there fell vpon mens garments, as they walked abroad, crosses of bloudie colour, and bloud fell from heauen as drops of raine.  Some tooke this woonder for [Sidenote:  Matt.  West. Wil.  Malm. Hen.  Hunt. Danes.] a signification of the persecution that followed by the Danes:  for shortlie after, in the yeere insuing, there arriued three Danish ships vpon the English coasts, against whome the lieutenant of the parties adjoining made foorth, to apprehend those that were come on land, howbeit aduenturing himselfe ouer rashlie amongst them, he was slaine:  but afterwards when the Danes perceiued that the people of the countries about began to assemble, and were comming against them, they fled to their ships, and left their prey and spoile behind them for that time.  These were the first Danes that arriued here in this land, being onelie sent (as was perceiued after) to view the countrie and coasts of the same, to vnderstand how with a greater power they might be able to inuade it, as shortlie after they did, and warred so with the Englishmen, that they got a great part of the land, and held it in their owne possession.  In the tenth yeere of king Brightrikes reigne, there were seene in the aire firie dragons flieng, which betokened (as was thought) two grieuous plagues that followed.  First a great [Sidenote:  Famin & war signified.] dearth and famine:  and secondlie a cruell war of the Danes, which shortlie followed, as ye shall heare.

Finallie, after that Brightrike had reigned the space of 16 yeeres, he [Sidenote:  Ran.  Cest. lib. 5. cap. 25.  Brightrike departed this life.] departed this life, and was buried at Warham.  Some write that he was poisoned by his wife Ethelburga daughter vnto Offa king of Mercia (as before ye haue heard) and he maried hir in the fourth yere of his reigne.  She is noted by writers to haue bin a verie euill woman, proud, and high-minded as Lucifer, and therewith disdainful.  She bare [Sidenote:  Ethelburga hir conditions and wicked nature.] hir the more statelie, by reason of hir fathers great fame and magnificence:  whome she hated she would accuse to hir husband, and so put them in danger of their liues.  And if she might not so wreake hir rancour, she would not sticke to poison them.