The king hauing perfect knowledge, that earle Goodwine had refused to
come to the court in such order as he had prescribed him, and that he
[Sidenote: Goodwine and his sonnes proclaimed outlawes.]
was departed the realme with his sonnes: he proclaimed them outlawes,
and gaue the lands of Harold vnto Algar, the sonne of earle Leofrike,
who guided the same verie woorthilie, and resigned them againe without
grudging vnto the same Harold when he was returned out of exile. Also
vnto earle Oddo were giuen the counties of Deuonshire and
Summersetshire.
[Sidenote: The king put awaie his wife Editha.]
Moreouer, about the same time the king put his wife queene Editha from
him, and appointed hir to streict keeping in the abbeie of Warwell.
This Editha was a noble gentlewoman, well learned, and expert in all
sciences, yet hir good name was stained somewhat, as though she had
not liued so continentlie as was to be wished, both in hir husbands
life time, and after his deceasse. But yet at the houre of hir death
(which chanced in the daies of William Conqueror) she cleared hir
selfe, in taking it vpon the charge of hir soule, that she had euer
liued in perfect chastitie: for king Edward (as before is mentioned)
neuer touched hir in anie actuall maner. By this streict dealing with
the quéene that was daughter to earle Goodwine, now in time of hir
fathers exile, it hath séemed to manie, that king Edward forbare to
deale with hir in carnall wise, more for hatred of hir kin, than for
anie other respect. But to proceed.
[Sidenote: 1052.]
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
In the second yéere of Goodwines banishment, both he and his sonnes
hauing prouided themselues of ships and men of warre conuenient for
the purpose, came vpon the coasts of England, and after the maner of
rouers, tooke preies where as they espied aduantage, namelie on the
[Sidenote: Griffin king of Wales destroieth Herefordshire.]
coasts of Kent and Sussex. In the meane time also Griffin the K. of
Wales destroid a great part of Herefordshire, against whom the power
of that countrie, & also manie Normans that lay in garrison within the
castell of Hereford, comming to giue battell, were ouerthrowne on the
same day, in the which about two and twentie yéeres before, or (as
some copies haue) thirtéene yéeres, the Welshmen had slaine Edwine,
[Sidenote: Harold inuadeth the shires of Dorset and Summerset.]
the brother of earle Leofrike. Shortlie after, earle Harold and his
brother Leofwine returning out of Ireland, entered into the Seuerne
sea, landing on the coasts of Summersetshire and Dorsetshire, where
falling to spoile, they were incountred by a power assembled out of
the counties of Deuonshire and Summersetshire: but Harold put his
aduersaries to flight, and slue thirtie gentlemen of honor, or thanes
(as they called them) with a great number of others. Then Harold and
his brethren, returning with their preie and bootie to their ships,
and coasting about the point of Cornwall, came and ioined with their
father & their other brethren, then soiorning in the Ile of Wight.
King Edward to withstand their malice, had rigged and furnished foorth
sixtie ships of warre, with the which he himselfe went to the water,
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
not sticking to lie aboord at that season, although he had appointed
for capteines and admerals two earles that were his coosins, Odo and
Rafe, who had charge of the whole armie. Rafe was his nephue, as sonne
to his sister Goda by hir first husband Gualter de Maunt. But although
they were knowne to be sufficient men for the ordering of such
businesse, yet he thought the necessitie to be such, as his person
could not be presentlie spared. Therefore he was diligent in
foreséeing of things by good aduise, although age would not giue him
leaue to execute the same by his owne hand and force of bodie. But as
the nauies on both parts were readie to haue ioined, they were seuered
by reason of a thicke mist that then rose, wherby their furious rage
was restreined for that time: and immediatlie therevpon, Goodwine and
his complices were forced by a contrarie wind, to returne to the
places from whence they came. Shortlie after by mediation of friends,
a peace was made, and earle Goodwine restored home, and obteined
againe both the kings fauour, and all his former liuings: for he was
such an eloquent & wise man, that he clered and purged himselfe of all
such crimes and accusations, as in anie sort had béene laid against
him. Thus haue some written concerning this agréement betwixt king
Edward and erle Goodwine, where other make somewhat larger report
thereof, as thus.
At the same time that the two sonnes of erle Goodwine Harold and
Leofwine came foorth of Ireland, and inuaded the west countrie, king
Edward rigged foorth fortie ships, the which throughlie furnished with
men, munition, and vittels, he sent vnto Sandwich, commanding the
capteines there to wait for the comming of erle Goodwine, whom he
vnderstood to be in a readinesse to returne into England: but
notwithstanding, there wanted no diligence in them to looke to their
charge, erle Goodwine secretlie with a few ships which he had got
togither, ariued in Kent; and sending foorth his letters and
messengers abroad to the citizens of Canturburie, to them of Sussex,
Southerie, & others, required aid of them, who with one consent
promised to liue and die with him.
The capteines of the nauie at Sandwich aduertised hereof, made towards
the place where they thought to haue found earle Goodwine: but he
being warned of their comming, escaped by flight, and got him out of
their danger, wherevpon they withdrew to Sandwich, and after returned
to London. Earle Goodwine aduertised thereof, sailed to the Ile of
Wight, and wafted vp and downe those seas, till his sonnes Harold and
Leofwine came and ioined their nauie with his, and ceassing from
spoile, onlie sought to recouer vittels to serue their turne. And
incresing their power by such aid as they might any where procure, at
length they came to Sandwich, wherof king Edward hauing knowledge,
[Sidenote: It séemeth that earle Goodwine was well friended.]
being then at London, he sent abroad to raise all the power he might
make. But they that were appointed to come vnto him, lingred time, in
which meane while earle Goodwine comming into the Thames, & so vp the
riuer, arriued in Southwarke, on the day of the exaltation of the
crosse in September, being monday, and their staieng for the tide,
solicited the Londoners, so that he obteined of them what he could
desire.
Afterwards, without disturbance, he passed vp the riuer with the tide
through the south arch of the bridge, & at the same instant, a mightie
armie which he had by land, mustered in the fields on that south side
the same riuer, and herewith his nauie made towards the north side of
the riuer, as if they ment to inclose the kings nauie, for the king
had also a nauie & an armie by land: but yet sith there were few
either on the one part or the other, that were able to doo anie great
feat except Englishmen, they were loth to fight one against another,
wherevpon the wiser sort on both sides sought meanes to make an
atonement: and so at length by their diligent trauell, the matter was
taken vp, and the armies being dismissed on both parts, earle Goodwine
was restored to his former dignitie. Herevpon were pledges deliuered
on his behalfe, that is to say, Wilnotus one of his sonnes, and Hacun
the sonne of Swanus the eldest sonne of Goodwine. These two pledges
were sent vnto William duke of Normandie, to be kept with him for more
assurance of Goodwines loialtie.
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
Some write that Swanus the eldest sonne of Goodwine was not reconciled
to the kings fauour at this time; but whether he was or not, this is
reported of him for a truth, that after he had attempted sundrie
rebellions against king Edward, he lastlie also rebelled against his
father Goodwine, and his brother Harold, and became a pirate,
dishonouring with such manifold robberies as he made on the seas, the
noble progenie whereof he was descended. Finallie vpon remorse of
conscience (as hath béene thought) for murthering of his coosine (or
as some say his brother) erle Bearne, he went on pilgrimage to
Hierusalem, and died by the way of cold which he caught in returning
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: _Will. Malms._]
homeward (as some write) in Licia: but others affirme, that he fell
into the hands of Saracens that were robbers by the high waies, and so
was murthered of them.
* * * * *
_At what time William duke of Normandie came ouer into England, king
Edward promiseth to make him his heire to the kingdom and crowne, the
death of queene Emma, earle Goodwine being growne in fauor againe
seeketh new reuenges of old grudges, causing archbishop Robert and
certeine noble Normans his aduersaries to be banished; Stigand
intrudeth himselfe into archbishop Roberts see, his simonie and lacke
of learning; what maner of men were thought meet to be made bishops in
those daies, king Edward beginneth to prouide for the good and
prosperous state of his kingdome, his consideration of lawes made in
his predecessours times and abused; the lawes of S. Edward vsuallie
called the common lawes, how, whereof, and wherevpon instituted; the
death of earle Goodwine being sudden (as some say) or naturall (as
others report) his vertues and vices, his behauiour and his sonnes
vpon presumption and will in the time of their authorities; his two
wiues and children; the sudden and dreadfull death of his mother; hir
selling of the beautifull youth male and female of this land to the
Danish people._