Not long after, in the yeare 1057, Aldred bishop of Worcester, was
sent ouer vnto the emperour Henrie the third, to fetch Edward the
sonne of Edmund Ironside into England, whome king Edward was desirous
to sée, meaning to ordeine him heire apparant to the crowne: but he
died the same yeare, after that he was returned into England. This
[Sidenote: Edward the outlaw departed this life.]
[Sidenote: 1057.]
Edward was surnamed the outlaw: his bodie was buried at Westminster,
or (as others say) in the church of S. Paule within London. The same
yeare, that is to say, in the seuentéenth yeare or in the sixtéenth
[Sidenote: Leofrike earle of Chester departed this life.]
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: _Mat. West._]
yeare of king Edwards reigne (as some write) Leofrike the noble earle
of Chester, or Mercia, that was sonne to duke Leofwine, departed this
life in his owne towne of Bromelie on the last day of August, and was
buried at Couentrie in the abbeie there which he had builded. This
earle Leofrike was a man of great honor, wise and discréet in all his
dooings. His high wisdome and policie stood the realme in great stéed
whilest he liued.
[Sidenote: Couentrie made frée of toll and custome.]
He had a noble ladie to his wife named Gudwina, at whose earnest sute
he made the citie of Couentrie frée of all manner of toll, except
horsses: and to haue that toll laid downe also, his foresaid wife rode
naked through the middest of the towne without other couerture, saue
onlie hir haire. Moreouer, partlie moued by his owne deuotion, and
partlie by the persuasion of his wife, he builded or beneficiallie
augmented and repared manie abbeies & churches, as the said abbeie or
priorie at Couentrie, the abbeies of Wenlocke, Worcester, Stone,
Euesham, and Leof besides Hereford. Also he builded two churches
[Sidenote: Churches in Chester built.]
within the citie of Chester, the one called S. Iohns, and the other
S. Werbrough. The value of the iewels & ornaments which he bestowed on
the abbeie church of Couentrie, was inestimable.
After Leofriks death, his sonne Algar was made earle, and intituled in
all his lands and seigniories. In the yeare following, to wit, 1058,
the same Algar was accused againe (through malice of some enuious
[Sidenote: _Henr. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: Algar earle of Chester exiled.]
[Sidenote: 1058.]
persons) of treason, so that he was exiled the land, wherevpon he
repaired againe vnto his old friend Griffin prince of Northwales, of
whome he was ioifullie receiued, & shortlie after by his aid, & also
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: 1063.]
by the power of a nauie of ships that by chance arriued in those parts
at that selfe same season vnlooked for out of Norwaie, the said Algar
recouered his earledome by force, as some haue written. King Edward
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: _Mat. West._]
about the twentith yeare of his reigne, as then remaining at
Glocester, appointed earle Harold to inuade the dominions of Griffin
king of Wales. Harold taking with him a power of horssemen, made
spéed, and came to Rutland, and there burned Griffins palace, and also
his ships, and then about Midlent returned againe into England.
After this, about the Rogation wéeke, Harold eftsoones by the kings
commandement went against the Welshmen, and taking the sea, sailed by
Bristow, round about the coast, compassing in maner all Wales. His
brother Tostie that was earle of Northumberland, met him by
[Sidenote: Wales destroied and harried by the Englishmen.]
appointment with an host of horssemen, and so joining togither, they
destroied the countrie of Wales in such sort, that the Welshmen were
[Sidenote: The Welshmen agrée to pay their accustomed tribute.]
[Sidenote: 1064.]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
compelled to submit themselues, to deliuer hostages, and conditioned
to paie the ancient tribute which before time they had paied. And
moreouer, they renounced their prince the forenamed Griffin, so that
he remained as a banished person: and finallie, about the fift day of
August, they slue him, and sent his head to earle Harold. Afterwards
king Edward granted the rule of Wales vnto Blengent or Blethgent, &
Riuall, Griffins two brethren, which did homage vnto him for the same,
and had serued vnder Harold against their brother the foresaid
Griffin. There be which write, that not onelie Griffin, but also
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
another of his brethren called Rice, was brought to his death by the
manfull meanes and politike order of earle Harold, & all the sauage
people of Wales reduced into the forme of good order vnder the
subiection of king Edward.
[Sidenote: Harold goeth ouer into Normandie.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: _Edmerus._]
Shortlie after, earle Harold chanced to passe ouer into Normandie,
whither of hap or of purpose it is hard to define, writers doo varie
so much in report thereof. Some write that he made earnest sute to
king Edward, to haue licence to go ouer to sée his brother Wilnot, and
his nephue Hacune, which (as ye haue heard) were deliuered as pledges
to king Edward, & sent into Normandie to remaine there with duke
William, and at length with much adoo, got leaue: but yet he was told
[Sidenote: _Mat. West._]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
aforehand of the king, that he would repent his iournie, and doo the
thing that should be preiudiciall to the realme. Other write that
Harold lieng at his manor of Bosham, went aboord one day into his
fishers boat or craier, and caused the same to lanch forth to the sea
for his pleasure: but by misfortune at the same time, a contrarie wind
suddenlie came about, and droue the vessell on land into France vpon
the coast of Ponthieu, where he was taken by the countrie people, &
presented to the earle of Ponthieu named Guie or Guido, who kept him
as prisoner, meaning to put him to a grieuous ransome. But Harold
remembring himselfe of a wile, dispatched a messenger forth with all
spéed vnto William, duke of Normandie, signifieng vnto him, that he
being sent from king Edward to confirme such articles, as other meane
men that had béene sent vnto him afore had talked of, by chance he was
fallen into the hands of the earle of Ponthieu, and kept as prisoner
against all order of law, reason, or humanitie. Duke William thus
informed by the messenger, sent to the earle of Ponthieu, requiring
him to set earle Harold at libertie, that he might repaire to him
according to his commission. The earle of Ponthieu at the dukes
request, did not onelie restore Harold to his libertie, but also
[Sidenote: Harold is presented to William duke of Normandie.]
brought him into Normandie, and presented him there to the duke, of
whome he was most ioifullie receiued.
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
There be that agrée partlie with this report, and partlie varie: for
they write, that earle Harold tooke the sea vpon purpose to haue
sailed into Flanders, and that by force of wind he was driuen to the
coast of Ponthieu, and so after came into Normandie in maner as before
is mentioned. But by what means or occasion soeuer he came thither,
[Sidenote: Harold was highly welcomed of Duke William.]
certeine it is, that he was ioifullie receiued, and had great chéere
made him by the said duke William, who at that time was readie to make
a iournie against the Britains, and tooke earle Harold with him to
haue his companie in armes in that iournie, that he might haue the
better triall of his valiancie. Earle Harold behaued himselfe so, that
he shewed good proofe both of his wisedome and policie, and also of
his forwardnesse to execute that with hand, which by wit he had
deuised, so that duke William had him in high fauour, and (as it hath
béene said) earle Harold (to procure him more friendship at the dukes
hands) declared vnto him, that king Edward had ordeined him his heire
if he died without issue, and that he would not faile to kéepe the
realme of England to the dukes vse, according to that ordinance, if K.
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: Duke William promised to Harold his daughter in mariage.]
Edward died without issue. And to performe this promise, he receiued a
corporall oth, whether willinglie to win the more credit, or forced
thereto by duke William, writers report it diuerslie. At the same
time, duke William promised vnto him his daughter in marriage, whom
Harold couenanted in like maner to take to wife.
* * * * *
_Harold at his returne into England reporteth to K. Edward what he had
doone beyond the seas, and what the king said vnto him in that
behalfe, who foresaw the comming of the Normans into this land to
conquer it; when and why king Edward promised to make duke William his
heire, (wherein note his subtiltie) dissention betwixt Harold and
Tostie two brethren the sonnes of earle Goodwine, their vnnaturall and
cruell dealing one with another, speciallie of the abhominable and
merciles murthers committed by Tostie, against whome the Northumbers
rebell vpon diuerse occasions, and reward him with answerable
reuengement; Harold is sent against them, but preuaileth not; they
offer to returne home if they might haue a new gouernor; they renounce
Tostie and require Marchar in his roome, Tostie displeased getteth him
into Flanders; king Edward dieth, his manners and disposition
note-woorthie, his charitie and deuotion, the vertue of curing the
maladie called the kings euill deriued from him to the succéeding
kings of this land, he was warned of his death by a ring, he is
canonized for a saint, the last woords that he spake on his death-bed,
wherein he vttered to the standers by a vision, prophesieng that
England should be inhabited with strangers, a description of the kings
person, of a blasing starre fore-telling his death, the progenie of
the Westsaxon kings, how long they continued, the names of their
predecessors and successors; whence the first kings of seuen kingdoms
of Germanie had their pedegree, &c._