Moreouer she boldlie assalted hir enimies which went about to trouble the state of the countrie, as the Welshmen and Danes. She sent an armie into Wales, and tooke the towne of Brecknocke with the queene [Sidenote: Quéene of the Welshmen taken. Brecenamere. _Ran. Higd._ _Hen. Hunt._ 918. Darbie won from the Danes.] of the Welshmen at Bricenamere. Also she wan from the Danes the towne of Darbie, and the countrie adioining. In this enterprise she put hir owne person in great aduenture: for a great multitude of Danes that were withdrawen into Darbie, valiantlie defended the gates and entries, in so much that they slue foure of hir chiefe men of warre, which were named wardens of hir person, euen fast by hir at the verie entrie of the gates. But this notwithstanding, with valiant fight hir people entered, and so the towne was woon: she got diuerse other places out of their hands, & constreined them of Yorkeshire to agree with hir, so that some of them promised to become hir subiects: some vowed to aid hir, and some sware to be at hir commandement. [Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt. Anno Christie_ 919.] Finallie, this martiall ladie and manlie Elfleda, the supporter of hir countriemen, and terrour of the enimies, departed this life at Tamwoorth about the 12 of Iune, in the 18 or rather 19 yéere of [Sidenote: _Matt. West._ _Simon Dun._] hir brother king Edwards reigne, as by Matth. West it should appeere. But Simon Dunelm. writeth, that she deceassed in the yeere of Christ 915, which should be about the 14 yéere of king Edwards reigne. Hir bodie was conueied to Glocester, and there buried within the monasterie of S. Peter, which hir husband and she in their life time had builded, and translated thither the bones of saint Oswill from Bardona. The same monasterie was after destroied by Danes. But [Sidenote: _Ranul._] Aldredus the archbishop of Yorke, who was also bishop of Worcester, repared an other in the same citie, that was after the chiefe abbeie there. Finallie, in memorie of the said Elfleds magnanimitie and valorous mind, this epitaph was fixed on hir toome. _O Elfleda potens, ô terror virgo virorum, O Elfleda potens, nomine digna viri. Te quóque splendidior fecit natura puellam, Te probitas fecit nomen habere viri. Te mutare decet sed solum nomina sexus, Tu regina potens rexque trophea parans. Iam nec Cæsareos tantum mirere triumphos, Cæsare splendidior virgo virago, vale._ [Sidenote: Translated by _Abraham Fleming_.] O puissant Elfled, ô thou maid of men the dread and feare, O puissant Elfled woorthie maid the name of man to beare. A noble nature hath thee made a maiden mild to bee, Thy vertue also hath procurde a manlie name to thee. It dooth but onelie thee become, of sex to change the name, A puissant queene, a king art thou preparing trophes of fame. Now maruell not so much at Cæsars triumphs [trim to vieu;] O manlike maiden more renowmd than Cæsar was, adieu.