[Sidenote: Robert archbishop of Canturburie.]
[Sidenote: Frenchmen or Normans first entered into England.]
Ye must vnderstand, that K. Edward brought diuerse Normans ouer with
him, which in time of his banishment had shewed him great friendship,
wherefore he now sought to recompense them. Amongst other, the
forenamed Robert of Canturburie was one, who before his comming ouer
was a moonke in the abbeie of Gemeticum in Normandie, and being by the
king first aduanced to gouerne the sée of London, was after made
archbishop of Canturburie, and bare great rule vnder the king, so that
he could not auoid the enuie of diuerse noble men, and speciallie of
earle Goodwine, as shall appéere. About the third yéere of king
Edwards reigne, Osgot Clappa was banished the realme. And in the yéere
[Sidenote: 1047.]
[Sidenote: A great death.]
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
following, that is to say, in the yeere 1047, there fell a maruellous
great snow, couering the ground from the beginning of Ianuarie vntill
the 17 day of March. Besides this, there hapned the same yéere such
tempest and lightnings, that the corne vpon the earth was burnt vp and
blasted: by reason whereof, there followed a great dearth in England,
and also death of men and cattell.
[Sidenote: Swain Goodwines sonne banished.]
[Sidenote: Edgiua abbesse of Leoffe.]
About this time Swaine the sonne of earle Goodwine was banished the
land, and fled into Flanders. This Swaine kept Edgiua, the abbesse of
the monasterie of Leoffe, and forsaking his wife, ment to haue married
the foresaid abbesse. Within a certeine time after his banishment, he
returned into England, in hope to purchase the kings peace by his
fathers meanes and other his friends. But vpon some malicious
[Sidenote: This Bearne was the sonne of Vlfusa Dane, vncle to this
Swaine by his mother, the sister of K. Swaine.]
[Sidenote: _H. Hunt._]
pretense, he slue his coosen earle Bearne, who was about to labour to
the king for his pardon, and so then fled againe into Flanders, till
at length Allered the archbishop of Yorke obteined his pardon, and
found meanes to reconcile him to the kings fauour.
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: The Danes spoile Sandwich.]
In the meane time, about the sixt yéere of king Edwards reigne,
certeine pirats of the Danes arriued in Sandwich hauen, and entring
the land, wasted and spoiled all about the coast. There be that write,
that the Danes had at that time to their leaders two capteins, the one
named Lother, and the other Irling. After they had béene at Sandwich,
and brought from thence great riches of gold and siluer, they coasted
about vnto the side of Essex, and there spoiling the countrie, went
backe to the sea, and sailing into Flanders, made sale of their
spoiles and booties there, and so returned to their countries. After
this, during the reigne of king Edward, there chanced no warres,
neither forren nor ciuill, but that the same was either with small
slaughter luckilie ended, or else without anie notable aduenture
[Sidenote: Rise & Griffin princes of Wales.]
changed into peace. The Welshmen in déed with their princes Rise and
Griffin wrought some trouble, but still they were subdued, and in the
end both the said Rise and Griffin were brought vnto confusion:
although in the meane time they did much hurt, and namelie Griffin,
who with aid of some Irishmen, with whome he was alied, about this
time entred into the Seuerne sea, and tooke preies about the riuer of
Wie: and after returned without anie battell to him offered.
[Sidenote: 1049.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
About the same time, to wit, in the yéere 1049, the emperor Henrie the
third made warres against Baldwine earle of Flanders, and for that he
wished to haue the sea stopped, that the said earle should not escape
by flight that waie foorth, he sent to king Edward, willing him to
kéepe the sea with some number of ships. King Edward furnishing a
[Sidenote: _Hermanus._]
[Sidenote: _Contractus._]
[Sidenote: _Ia. Meir._]
nauie, lay with the same at Sandwich, and so kept the seas on that
side, till the emperor had his will of the earle. At the same time,
Swaine, sonne of earle Goodwine came into the realme, and
traitorouslie slue his coosen Bearne (as before is said) the which
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
trauelled to agrée him with the king. Also Gosipat Clappa, who had
left his wife at Bruges in Flanders, comming amongst other of the
Danish pirats, which had robbed in the coasts of Kent & Essex, as
before ye haue heard, receiued his wife, and departed backe into
Denmarke with six ships, leauing the residue, being 23 behind him.
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: 1051.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: The earle of Flanders commeth into England.]
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
About the tenth yéere of king Edwards reigne, Eustace earle of
Bullongne, that was father vnto the valiant Godfrey of Bullongne, &
Baldwin, both afterward kings of Hierusalem, came ouer into England in
the moneth of September, to visit his brother in law king Edward,
[Sidenote: Goda sister to K. Edward.]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: Douer saith _Matth. West._]
whose sister named Goda, he had maried, she then being the widow of
Gualter de Maunt. He found the king at Glocester, and being there
ioifullie receiued, after he had once dispatched such matters for the
which he chieflie came, he tooke leaue, and returned homeward. But at
Canturburie one of his herbingers, dealing roughlie with one of the
citizens about a lodging, which he sought to haue rather by force than
by intreatance, occasioned his owne death. Whereof when the erle was
aduertised, he hasted thither to reuenge the slaughter of his seruant,
and slue both that citizen which had killed his man, and eightéene
others.
[Sidenote: A fraie in Canturburie betwixt the earle Bullongne and the
townsmen.]
[Sidenote: The earle complaineth to the king.]
The citizens héerewith in a great furie, got them to armor, and set
vpon the earle and his retinue, of whom they slue twentie persons out
of hand, & wounded a great number of the residue, so that the earle
scarce might escape with one or two of his men from the fraie, & with
all spéed returned backe to the king, presenting gréeuous information
against them of Canturburie, for their cruell vsing of him, not onlie
in sleaing of his seruants, but also in putting him in danger of his
life. The king crediting the earle, was higlie offended against the
citizens, and with all speed sending for earle Goodwine, declared vnto
him in greeuous wise, the rebellious act of them of Canturburie, which
were vnder his iurisdiction.
The earle who was a man of a bold courage and quicke wit, did perceiue
that the matter was made a great deale woorse at the first in the
beginning, than of likelihood it would prooue in the end, thought it
reason therefore that first the answere of the Kentishmen should be
heard, before anie sentence were giuen against them. Héerevpon,
although the king commanded him foorthwith to go with an armie into
Kent, and to punish them of Canturburie in most rigorous maner, yet he
would not be too hastie, but refused to execute the kings
commandement, both for that he bare a péece of grudge in his mind,
[Sidenote: Earle Goodwine offended with the king for fauouring
strangers.]
that the king should fauour strangers so highlie as he did; and
againe, bicause héereby he should séeme to doo pleasure to his
countriemen, in taking vpon him to defend their cause against the
rough accusations of such as had accused them. Wherefore he declared
to the king that it should be conuenient to haue the supposed
offenders first called afore him, and if they were able to excuse
themselues, then to be suffered to depart without further vexation:
and if they were found faultie, then to be put to their fine, both as
well in satisfieng the king, whose peace they had broken, as also the
earle, whom they had indamaged.
Earle Goodwine departed thus from the king, leauing him in a great
furie: howbeit he passed litle thereof, supposing it would not long
continue. But the king called a great assemblie of his lords togither
[Sidenote: A councel called at Glocester.]
[Sidenote: Siward earle of Northumberland, Leofrike earle of Chester,
Rafe earle of Hereford.]
[Sidenote: _Will. Malmes._]
at Glocester, that the matter might be more déepelie considered.
Siward earle of Northumberland, and Leofrike earle of Chester, with
Rafe earle of Hereford, the kings nephue by his sister Goda, and all
other the noble men of the realme, onlie earle Goodwine and his sonnes
ment not to come there, except they might bring with them a great
power of armed men, and so remained at Beuerstane, with such bands as
they had leauied, vnder a colour to resist the Welshmen, whome they
bruted abroad to be readie to inuade the marches about Hereford. But
the Welshmen preuenting that slander, signified to the king that no
such matter was ment on their parties, but that earle Goodwine and his
sonnes with their complices went about to mooue a commotion against
him. Héerevpon a rumor was raised in the court, that the kings power
should shortlie march foorth to assaile earle Goodwine in that place
where he was lodged. Wherevpon the same earle prepared himselfe, and
sent to his friends, willing to sticke to this quarrell, and if the
king should go about to force them, then to withstand him, rather than
to yéeld and suffer themselues to be troden vnder foot by strangers.
[Sidenote: Earle Goodwine meaneth to defend himself against the king.]
[Sidenote: Swaine.]
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: Harold.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
Goodwine in this meane time had got togither a great power of his
countries of Kent, Southerie, and other of the west parts. Swaine
likewise had assembled much people out of his countries of Barkeshire,
Oxfordshire, Summersetshire, Herefordshire, and Glocestershire. And
Harold was also come to them with a great multitude, which he had
leuied in Essex, Norffolke, Suffold, Cambridgeshire, &
Huntingtonshire.
On the other part, the earles that were with the king, Leofrike,
Siward, and Rafe, raised all the power which they might make, and the
same approching to Glocester, the king thought himselfe in more
suertie than before, in so much that whereas earle Goodwine (who lay
with his armie at Langton there not farre off in Glocestershire) had
sent vnto the king, requiring that the earle of Bullongne, with the
other Frenchmen and also the Normans which held the castell of Douer,
might be deliuered vnto him. The king, though at the first he stood in
great doubt what to doo, yet hearing now that an armie of his friends
was comming, made answere to the messingers which Goodwine had sent,
that he would not deliuer a man of those whome Goodwine required, and
héerewith the said messengers being departed, the kings armie entered
into Glocester, and such readie good wils appéered in them all to
fight with the aduersaries, that if the king would haue permitted,
they would foorthwith haue gone out and giuen battell to the enimies.
Thus the matter was at point to haue put the realme in hazard not
onelie of a field, but of vtter ruine that might thereof haue insued:
for what on the one part and the other, there were assembled the
chiefest lords and most able personages of the land. But by the
wisedome and good aduise of earle Leofrike and others, the matter was
pacified for a time, and order taken, that they should come to a
parlement or communication at London, vpon pledges giuen and receiued
as well on the one part as the other. The king with a mightie armie of
the Northumbers, and them of Mercia, came vnto London, and earle
Goodwine with his sonnes, and a great power of the Westsaxons, came
into Southwarke, but perceiuing that manie of his companie stale awaie
and slipt from him, he durst not abide anie longer to enter talke with
the king, as it was couenanted, but in the night next insuing fled
awaie with all spéed possible.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: Swaine eldest sonne to Goodwine banished.]
Some write, how an order was prescribed that Swanus the eldest sonne
of Goodwine should depart the land as a banished man to qualifie the
kings wrath, and that Goodwine and one other of his sons, that is to
say, Harold should come to an other assemblie to be holden at London,
accompanied with 12 seruants onelie, & to resigne all his force of
knights, gentlemen and souldiers vnto the kings guiding and
gouernment. But when this last article pleased nothing earle Goodwine,
and that he perceiued how his force began to decline, so as he should
[Sidenote: Earle Goodwine fled the realme.]
not be able to match the kings power, he fled the realme, and so
likewise did his sonnes. He himselfe with his sonnes Swanus, Tostie,
and Girth, sailed into Flanders: and Harold with his brother Leofwine
gat ships at Bristow, and passed into Ireland. Githa the wife of
Goodwine, and Judith the wife of Tostie, the daughter of Baldwine
earle of Flanders went ouer also with their husbands.
* * * * *
_Goodwine and his sonnes are proclaimed outlawes, their lands are
giuen from them, king Edward putteth awaie the queene his wife who was
earle Goodwines daughter, she cleareth hir selfe at the houre of hir
death from suspicion of incontinencie and lewdnesse of life, why king
Edward forbare to haue fleshlie pleasure with hir; earle Goodwine and
his sonnes take preies on the coasts of Kent and Sussex; Griffin king
of Wales destroieth a great part of Herefordshire, and giueth his
incounterers the ouerthrow; Harold and Leofwine two brethren inuade
Dorset and Summersetshires, they are resisted, but yet preuaile, they
coast about the point of Cornwall and ioine with their father
Goodwine, king Edward maketh out threescore armed ships against them,
a thicke mist separateth both sides being readie to graple and fight,
a pacification betweene the king and earle Goodwine, he is restored to
his lands and libertie, he was well friended, counterpledges of
agreement interchangablie deliuered; Swanus the eldest sonne of
Goodwine a notable rebell and pirat, his troubled conscience, his
wicked life and wretched death._