In the yeare next insuing, that is to saie 1004, which was about the 24 yeare [Sidenote:  Swein king of Denmarke.] of K. Egelreds reigne, Sweine or Swanus, king of Denmarke, with a mightie nauie of ships came on the coast of Northfolke, and there [Sidenote:  Norwich taken by the Danes.] landing with his people, made toward Norwich, and comming thither tooke that citie, and spoiled it.  Then went he vnto Thetford, and [Sidenote:  Thetford burnt.] when he had taken and rifled that towne, he burnt it, notwithstanding [Sidenote:  Vikillus or Wilfeketell gouernour of Norffolke.] a truce taken by Vikillus or Wilfketell gouernor of those parties with the same king Swaine after the taking of Norwich.  In reuenge therefore of such breach of truce, the same Vikillus, or Wilfeketell, with such power as he could raise, assaulted the host of Danes as they returned to their ships, and slue a great number of them, but was not able to mainteine the fight, for his enimies ouermatched him in number of men.  And so he was constrained in the end to giue backe:  and [Sidenote:  Hen.  Hunt.] the enimies kept on their waies to their ships.

[Sidenote:  1005.  Swaine returned into Denmarke. Simon Dun.] In the yeare following king Swaine returned into Denmarke with all his fleet, partlie constrained so to doo (as some write) by reason of the great famin & want of necessarie sustenance, which in that [Sidenote:  1006. Hen.  Hunt. Swaine returned into England.] yeare sore oppressed this land.  In the yeare of our Lord 1006, king Swaine returned againe into England with a mightie & huge nauie, arriuing at Sandwich, and spoiled all the countrie neere vnto the sea side.  King Egelred raised all his power against him, and all the haruest time laie abroad in the field to resist the Danes, which according to their woonted maner spared not to exercise their vnmercifull crueltie, in wasting and spoiling the land with fire and sword, pilfering and taking of preies in euerie part where they came.  Neither could king Egelred remedie the matter, because the enimies still conueied themselues with their ships into some contrarie quarter, from the place where they knew him to be, so that his trauell was in vaine.

[Sidenote:  The Danes winter in the Ile of Wight.  They inuade Hampshire, Barkeshire, &c.] About the beginning of winter they remained in the Ile of Wight, & in the time of Christmasse they landed in Hampshire, and passing through that countrie into Barkeshire, they came to Reading, and from thence to Wallingford, and so to Coleseie, and then approching to Essington, came to Achikelmeslawe, and in euerie place wheresoeuer they came, they made cleane worke.  For that which they could not carie with them, they consumed with fire, burning vp their innes and sleaing their hoasts.  In returning backe, the people of the west countrie gaue them battell, but preuailed not, so that they did but inrich their [Sidenote:  Winchester.] enimies with the spoile of their bodies.  They