Ethstrithson four

They took so much gold and silver, so many treasures in money, cloth and books that no man could reckon it to another; and they said they did it in loyalty to the monastery. After, they went to their ships, fared to Ely, and there gave over all the treasure; the Danes believed that they would overcome the Frenchmen. They then drove out all the monks, leaving no one there but one monk; he was called Leofwine the Tall, and he lay sick in the infirmary. Then came abbot Tarold, and eight times twenty French-men with him, all fully armed. When he came there he found it burnt inside and out, all but the church alone; by then the outlaws were afloat, as they knew he would come there. This was done on June 2nd. The two kings, William and SWAN were reconciled, the Danish men fared out of Ely with all the aforesaid treasure and took it away with them. When they reached mid-sea, a great storm came and drove apart all the ships the treasures were in. Some went to Norway, some to Ireland; and some to Denmark — all that came there were the altar-frontal, some shrines, some roods, and many of the other treasures. They brought it to a king's town and put it all into the church there; then later to their heedlessness and their drunkenness they burnt the church and all that was in it in one night. Thus was the minster of Peterborough burnt down and plundered — almighty God have mercy on it in his great gentleness of heart. And thus the abbots Turold, came to Peterborough, and the monks came again and did Christ's service to the church, that had stood fully seven nights without any kind of service. When bishop Aethelric heard tell of this he excommunicated all the men who had done that evil deed. There was much famine that year. That summer the fleet came from the north in the Humber into the Thames, lay there for two nights and headed for Denmark. Eorl Baldwin passed away and his son Arnulf received the kingdom. Eorl William should have been his protector, and the French king also; eorl Robert came and killed his kinsman Arnulf and the eorl put the king to flight and killed many thousands of his men.

1076. King SWAN passed away in Denmark, and his son Harold received his kingdom. King William gave the abbacy at Westminster to abbot Vitalis, who had been a monk at Bernay. Eorl Waltheof was beheaded In Winchester on St. Petronella's Day, and his body was taken to Crowland; he is buried there. King William went over the sea, led troops into Brittany, and besieged the castle at Dol; but the Bretons held it until the king of France came. King William went from there, and lost men, horses and countless treasures.