might possiblie take, to put in practise and fullie to accomplish their long conceiued purpose. Now bicause the Danes in the former kings daies were reencountred (and that renowmedlie) so often as they did encounter, and sÈeking the totall regiment, were dispossessed of their partile principalitie, which by warlike violence they obteined; and for that the Saxons were interessed in the land, and these but violent incrochers, vnable to kÈepe that which they came to by constreint; we haue thought it conuenient to comprise the troubled estate of that time in the sixt booke; the rather for the necessarie consequence of matters then in motion: and hÈere dÈeme it not amisse, at so great and shamefull loosenesse (speciallie in a prince) ministring hart and courage to the enimie, to begin the seuenth booke. Wherin is expressed the chiefest time of their flourishing estate in this land; if in tumults, vprores, battels, and bloudshed, such a kind of estate may possiblie be found. For hÈere the Danes lord it, heere they take vpon them like souereignes, & hÈere (if at anie time they had absolute authoritie) they did what they might in the highest degrÈe: as shall be declared in the vnfortunate affaires of vngratious Egelred or Etheldred, the sonne of king Edgar, and of his last wife queene Alfred, who was ordeined king in place of his brother Edward, after the same Edward was dispatched out of the waie, and began his reigne ouer this [Sidenote: 979. _Simon Dun._] realme of England, in the yÈere of our Lord 979, which was in the seuenth yÈere of the emperor Otho the second, in the 24 of Lothaire K. of France, and about the second or third yeere of Kenneth the third [Sidenote: _Simon Dun._] of that name king of Scotland.