thither to succour them within, and immediatlie Cnute followed him, so that at [Sidenote:  Simon Dun. Matth.  West. Wil.  Malm. A battel with equall fortune.] a place in Worcestershire called Scorastan, on the foure and twentith of June, they incountred togither, and fought a verie cruell battell, which at length the night parted with equall fortune.  And [Sidenote:  An other batttel with like successes.] likewise on the next day they buckled togither againe, and fought with like successe as they had doone the day before, for towards euening they gaue ouer well wearied, and not knowing to whome the victorie ought to be ascribed.

[Sidenote:  Edrike de Streona his treason. Simon Dun.] Writers haue reported, that this second day, when duke Edrike perceiued the Englishmen to be at point to haue got the vpper hand, he withdrew aside, and hauing by chance slaine a common souldier called Osmear, which in visage much resembled king Edmund, whose head he cut off, held it vp, & shaking his swoord bloudie with the slaughter, cried to the Englishmen; “Flee ye wretches, flee and get awaie, for your king is dead, behold heere his head which I hold in my hands.”  Heerewith had the Englishmen fled immediatlie, if king Edmund aduised of this stratagem, had not quicklie got him to an high ground where his men might see him aliue and lustie.  Heerewith also the traitor Edrike escaped hardlie the danger of death, the Englishmen shot so egerlie at him.  At length, as is said, the night parting them in sunder, they withdrew the one armie from the other, as it had beene by consent.  The third day they remained in armor, but yet absteining from battell, sate still, in taking meate and drinke to relieue their wearied bodies, and after gathered in heapes the dead carcases [Sidenote:  Twentie thousand dead bodies.] that had beene slaine in the former fight, the number of which on either partie reckoned, rose to the point of twentie thousand and aboue.

[Sidenote:  The armies dislodged.] In the night following, Cnute remooued his campe in secret wise, and marched towards London, which citie in a maner remained besieged by the nauie of the Danes.  King Edmund in the morning when the light had discouered the departure of his enimies, followed them by the tract, and comming to London with small adoo remooued the siege, and [Sidenote:  The Danes ouercome at Brentford. Wil.  Malm. Hen.  Hunt. Fabian. Caxton. Polydor.] entered the citie like a conqueror.  Shortlie after he fought with the Danes at Brentford, and gaue them a great ouerthrow.  In this meane while queene Emma the widow of king Egelred, doubting the fortune of the warre, sent hir two sonnes Alfred and Edward ouer into Normandie vnto hir brother duke Richard, or rather fled thither hirselfe with them (as some write.)