[Sidenote:  The king sendeth to the Danes. Simon Dun.] The king and the peeres of the realme, vnderstanding of the Danes dealing in such merciles maner (as is aboue mentioned) but not knowing how to redresse the matter, sent ambassadors vnto the Danes, offering them great summes of moneie to leaue off such cruell wasting and spoiling of the land.  The Danes were contented to reteine the moneie, but yet could not absteine from their cruell dooings, neither was their greedie thirst of bloud and spoile satisfied with the wasting and destroieng of so manie countries and places as they had passed [Sidenote:  1011.] through.  Wherevpon, in the yeere of our Lord 1011, about the feast of S. Matthew in September, they laid siege to the citie of Canturburie, which of the citizens was valiantlie defended by the space of twentie daies.  In the end of which terme it was taken by the enimies, [Sidenote:  Canturburie wonne by Danes.] through the treason of a deacon named Almaricus, whome the archbishop Elphegus had before that time preserued from death.  The Danes exercised passing great crueltie in the winning of that citie (as by sundrie authors it dooth and maie appeere.) For they slue of men, [Sidenote:  Fabian ex Antonino.] women, and children, aboue the number of eight thousand.  They tooke [Sidenote:  The archbishop Elphegus taken. Hen.  Hunt.] the archbishop Elphegus with an other bishop named Godwine; also abbat Lefwin and Alseword the kings bailife there.  They spared no degree, in somuch that they slue and tooke 900 priests, and other men of religion.  And when they had taken their pleasure of the citie, they [Sidenote:  Antoninus.  Vincentius. Wil.  Lamb. ex Asserio Meneuensi, & alijs.] set it on fire, and so returned to their ships.  There be some which write that they tithed the people after an inuerted order, slaieng all by nines through the whole multitude, and reserued the tenth:  so that of all the moonks there were but foure saued, and of the laie people 4800, whereby it followeth that there died 43200 persons.  Whereby is gathered that the citie of Canturburie, and the countrie thereabouts (the people whereof belike fled thither for succor) was at that time verie well inhabited, so as there haue not wanted (saith maister Lambert) which affirme that it had then more people than London it selfe.

[Sidenote:  1112. Henr.  Hunt.] But now to our purpose.  In the yeere next insuing, vpon the Saturday in Easter weeke, after that the bishop Elphegus had beene kept prisoner with them the space of six or seuen moneths, they cruellie in a rage led him foorth into the fields, and dashed out his [Sidenote:  The archbishop Elphegus murthered.] braines with stones, bicause he would not redeeme his libertie with three thousand pounds, which they demanded to haue beene leuied of his farmers and tenants.  This cruell murther was commited at Greenewich foure miles distant from London, the 19 of Aprill, where