When the glory of leaders and emperor of all Albion [Edgar] was snatched away from the storm of this changing world and rescued from the salt shipwreck of the fluctuating sea, there arose everywhere, after the times of gladness which peacefully endured in his reign, dissension and tribulation which neither the bishops nor leaders of church and state could pacify.... For some of the leaders of this country wished to elect Edward, the elder son, as king, others of the chief men desired the younger, Ethelred, since he seemed to all in word and deed more gentle. For the elder filled all with fear and terror, for he scourged them with words, nay, more, with terrible stripes, especially those about his person. Meanwhile the ninth ... month had passed, and the tenth light was shining upon mortals after the election of Edward, against whom some thegns, zealous in his brother’s cause, formed a conspiracy, when he should come to talk with his beloved brother.... One day at evening, as we have said, the noble and elected king came to the house where dwelt his dearly-loved brother with the queen, desiring the consolation of a brother’s love. There came out to meet him, as was fitting, the chiefs and leaders who were staying with the queen his mother. They formed a wicked plot among themselves, who had such evil minds and so dark and devilish a gloom that they did not fear to lay hands on the Lord’s Anointed. He was surrounded on all sides by armed men, amongst them the butler ready to serve in his lowly office. Now the revered king had with him very few thegns, because he feared no man, trusting in the Lord and in the might of His goodness. He had been instructed in the divine law by bishop Sideman, and was strong and hardy in body. So when the conspirators surrounded him ... he remained fearlessly sitting on his horse. Madness was in them, and with it insanity. Then the worst wickedness and the bold madness of Beelzebub the enemy burst out in the minds of the treacherous thegns.... The thegns therefore held him, and one drew him to the right to himself, as though he wished to kiss him, while another roughly seized his left hand and wounded him. The king called out as loudly as he could, “What are you doing, breaking my right hand?” and suddenly fell from his horse, which also died. God’s martyr was taken away by the thegns to the house of a poor man. No Gregorian chant was heard, no dirge: but the famous king of all the land lay covered with a common garment, awaiting the light of day.... When twice six months of days of the solar and the lunar year were past, there came the glorious Duke Ælfhere with a multitude of people, who ordered his body to be raised from the ground. When this had been done, and the body exposed, they found and saw it free from all spot and decay, as it had been in life. When they saw this, all were astonished, with dances rejoicing in the Lord, who alone worketh marvels. Then the thegns washed