woman of low birth ; howbeit he redeemed this defect of his mother by the nobleness of his mind and the vigour of his body. Return of Cnute to lay waste England. A t this time Cnute king of Denmark, having settled his affairs there and made friends of the neighbouring princes, came into England, determined to subdue it or die. Landing at Sandwich from a powerful fleet, and marching thence into Wessex, he wasted and pillaged everything. As king Ethelred was at that time sick at Corsham, Eadmund Ironside his son essayed to meet the enemy ; but when the hostile armies were on the point of engaging, earl Eadric the traitor laid snares for Eadmund to put him to death ; on discovering which, the latter withdrew from the field with a small force, and yielded for a time to the enemy. Shortly after, earl Eadric tha traitor came to Cnute and made subjection to him ; and all Wessex, following his example, gave hosta?(s, and furnished the Danish army with horses and arms. The Mercians made a show of resistance, but through the king's supineness the war slumbered. Ravages of king Cnute and duke Eadric in England. A.D. 1016.* Cnute king of Denmark and the wicked earl Eadric, on the approach of the Epiphany of our Lord, invaded Mercia with a large body of horse, and burned a number of towns, carrying off the spoil, and slaying all the people they met. After this, Cnute proceeded to the city of London and laid siege to it ; on hearing of which Eadmund the atheling hastened thither ; whereupon, Cnute, finding that he could not take the city, abandoned the siege, and returned to ravage Mercia ; after which he wasted Northumberland, and slew earls Uthred and Turkhill, and made Egric earl in the place of Uthred. After this, Cnute turned southwards, and returned with his spoils to his ships. Death of king Ethelred and succession of Cnute. At this time, Ethelred king of England, after a life of troubles and distresses, ended his days on the 23rd of April, and was buried in St. Paul's church in the city of London. After his death the greater part of the kingdom, as well the * The events of this year seem to be a mere abridgment of Florence's account of them.