Now when Harold should returne into England, duke William deliuered
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
him his nephue Hacune, but kept his brother Wilnote with him still as
a pledge. Then went earle Harold into England, and declared vnto king
Edward what he had doone, who said vnto him; "Did not I tell thee that
thou wouldest doo the thing whereof thou shouldest repent thee, and
procure a mischiefe to follow vnto thy countrie? But God of his mercie
turne that euill hap from this realme, or at the least, if it be his
pleasure, that it must needs come to passe, yet to staie it till after
my daies!" Some by Harolds purposed going ouer into Normandie, doo
gather, that king Edward foresaw the comming of the Normans; and that
[Sidenote: When the promise was made by king Edward to make duke
William his heire.]
he meant nothing lesse, than to performe the promise made vnto duke
William, as to adopt him his heire, which promise should séeme to be
made in time or his banishment, when he stood in néed of friendship;
as the maner of men in such cases is, to promise much, how so euer
they intend to fulfill. But rather it maie be thought, that king
Edward had made no such promise at all, but perceiued the ambitious
desire of duke William, and therefore would not that anie occasion
should be ministred unto him to take hold of. Wherefore, he was loth
that Harold should go ouer vnto him, least that might happen, which
happened in déed.
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: Falling out between brethren.]
[Sidenote: The cruell dealing of earle Tostie.]
In the foure and twentieth and last yéere of king Edward his reigne,
or therabout, there fell variance betwixt the two brethren, earle
Harold and earle Tostie at Windsor, where the court then lay, in so
much that earle Harold caught Tostie by the haire of the head in the
kings presence, and stroke him. Heervpon, Tostie departing from the
court in great anger, came to Hereford in the marches of Wales, where
Harolds seruants were preparing for the kings comming to their
maisters house, which seruants he tooke and slue, chopping them in
péeces, and threw into this hogshead of wine a leg, into that barrell
of sider an arme, into this vessell of ale an head: and so into the
lomes of meth and tubs of brine and other liquor he bestowed the parts
of the dead carcasses of his brothers seruants, sending the king woord
that he had prouided at his brothers manor, against his coming, good
plentie of sowse & powdred meat, whatsoeuer he should find beside.
The rumor of this cruell deed sprang ouer all the realme, wherevpon
the Northumbers, whome he had gouerned for the space of ten yéeres
[Sidenote: The Northumbers rebell against Tostie their earle.]
verie cruellie, tooke occasion to rebell against him, and slue his
seruants both Englishmen and Danes, spoiled his houses, and tooke
awaie his horsses, his armour, and all other his goods and houshold
stuffe. The chiefest cause (as is remembred by some writers) that
mooued the Northumbers thus to rise and rebell against Tostie, was for
the detestable murther of certeine gentlemen of their countrie,
seruants unto Gospatrike, whom the queene in behalfe of hir brother
had caused to be slaine in the court by treason, in the fourth night
of Christmas last past, and also in reuenge of other noble men, which
in the last yéere Tostie himselfe had commanded to be murthered in his
owne chamber at Yorke, whither he had allured them to come vnder
colour of concluding a peace with them. Also the gréeuous paiments,
wherewith he charged the people of that countrie, set them in a great
rage against him.
But the king aduertised héereof, liked not their dooings, for that
they had doone it without commandement or commission, and therefore
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
sent earle Harold with an armie to chastise them, but they were strong
inough to withstand him, as those which were assembled in armour
togither with the people of Lincolnshire, Notinghamshire, and
Darbishire, and hauing with them Marcharus or Malcharus, the sonne of
earle Algar, were come as farre as Northhampton, doing much hurt in
the parts therabouts. Howbeit to haue the kings peace, they offered to
returne home, so that they might haue an other earle appointed them,
for that they plainlie protested, that they being freemen, borne and
bred out of bondage, might not suffer anie cruell gouernor to rule
ouer them, being taught by their ancestors, either to liue in
libertie, or to die in defense thereof. If therefore it might please
the king to assigne Marcharus the son of earle Algar to be their
ruler, he should see how obedient subiects they would prooue & shew
themselues to be, when they should be vsed after a reasonable and
courteous manner. All things considered, their request seemed
[Sidenote: Marcharus made earle of Northumberland.]
reasonable, or at least it was thought necessarie that it should be
granted. And so was Marcharus or Malcherus made earle of
Northumberland. Tostie in great displeasure with his wife and children
sailed ouer into Flanders, and there remained till after the deceasse
of king Edward.
[Sidenote: K. Edward departed this life.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
Finallie, after that this courteous prince king Edward had reigned
thrée and twentie yéeres, seuen moneths, and od daies, he departed
this life at London the fourth of Ianuarie, and was buried in the
church of Westminster, which he had in his life time roiallie repared,
after such a statelie sort as few churches in those daies were like
[Sidenote: K. Edvard his maners and disposition of mind described.]
therevnto within this realme, so that afterwards the same was a
paterne for other to be built after the same forme. This Edward was a
prince of such a vertuous disposition of mind, that his fame of
holinesse sprang ouer all. He abhorred warres and shedding of bloud,
in so much that when he liued as a banished man in Normandie, he had
this saieng oftentimes in his mouth, that he had rather liue a priuate
life for euer, than to obteine the kingdome by the slaughter and death
of anie man. He could not abide to haue the people oppressed with
tributes or exactions, in so much that he caused the paiement called
Danegilt (which had continued for the space almost of fortie yéeres)
to ceasse. It hath beene said, that when the collectors of this monies
or some other subsidie, had got an huge quantitie of treasure
[Sidenote: A diuell fetching gambols.]
togither, they brought it vnto him, and laid it altogither vpon an
heape, so to delight his eies: but he declaring that he saw a diuell
plaieng and fetching gambols about that heape of monie, commanded that
it should be had awaie, and restored againe to them of whome it was
leauied.
In diet and apparell he was spare and nothing sumptuous: and although
on high feasts he ware rich apparell, as became the maiestie of his
roiall personage; yet he shewed no proud nor loftie countenance,
rather praising God for his bountifull goodnesse towards him extended,
than estéeming heerein the vaine pompe of the world. The pleasure that
he tooke chieflie in this world for the refreshing of his wits,
consisted onelie in hawking and hunting, which exercises he dailie
vsed, after he had first beene in the church at diuine seruice. In
other things he seemed wholie giuen to a deuout trade of life,
charitable to the poore, and verie liberall, namelie to hospitals and
houses of religion in the parties of beyond the sea, wishing euer that
the moonks and religious persons of his realme would haue followed the
vertue and holinesse of life vsed amongst them of forren parties. As
hath béene thought he was inspired with the gift of prophesie, and
also to haue had the gift of healing infirmities and diseases. He vsed
to helpe those that were vexed with the disease, commonlie called the
kings euill, and left that vertue as it were a portion of inheritance
vnto his successors the kings of this realme.
[Sidenote: A tale of a ring.]
He was warned (as hath béene reported) of his death certeine daies
before he died, by a ring that was brought him by certeine pilgrims
comming from Hierusalem, which ring he had secretlie giuen to a poore
man that asked his charitie in the name of God and saint Iohn the
[Sidenote: King Edward canonized for a saint.]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malms._]
[Sidenote: _Matt. Westm._]
the Euangelist. But to conclude, such was the opinion conceiued of his
holinesse of life, that shortlie after his decease, he was canonized
amongst the number of saints, and named Edward the Confessor. Whilest
he lay sicke of that sicknesse, whereof at length he died, after he
had remained for two daies speechlesse, the third day after when he
had laine for a time in a slumber or soft sléepe, at the time of his
waking, he fetched a déepe sigh, and thus said; "Oh Lord God
almightie, if this be not a vaine fantasticall illusion, but a true
vision which I haue séene, grant me space to vtter the same vnto these
that stand héere present, or else not." And herewith hauing his speech
perfect, he declared how he had séene two moonks stand by him as he
thought, whome in his youth he knew in Normandie to haue liued godlie,
and died christianlie. "These moonks (said he) protesting to me that
they were the messengers of God, spake these words; Bicause the chéefe
gouernors of England, the bishops and abbats, are not the ministers of
God, but the diuels, the almightie God hath deliuered this kingdome
for one yéere and a day into the hands of the enimie, and wicked
spirits shall walke abroad through the whole land. And when I made
answer that I would declare these things to the people, and promised
on their behalfe, that they should doo penance in following the
example of the Niniuites: they said againe, that it would not be, for
neither should the people repent, nor God take anie pitie vpon them.
And when is there hope to haue an end of these miseries said I? Then
said they; When a grene trée is cut in sunder in the middle, and the
part cut off is caried thrée acres bredth from the stocke, and
returning againe to the stoale, shall ioine therewith, and begin to
bud & beare fruit after the former maner, by reason of the sap
renewing the accustomed nourishment; then (I say) may there be hope
that such euils shall ceasse and diminish." ¶ With which words of the
king, though some other that stood by were brought in feare, yet
archbishop Stigand made but a ieast thereof, saieng, that the old man
raued now in his sickenesse, as men of great yéeres vse to doo.
Neuerthelesse the truth of this prophesie afterwards too plainlie
appeared, when England became the habitation of new strangers, in such
wise, that there was neither gouernor, bishop, nor abbat remaining
therein of the English nation. But now to make an end with king
Edward, he was of person comelie, & of an indifferent stature, of
white haire, both head and beard, of face ruddie, and in all parts of
his bodie faire skinned, with due state and proportion of lims as was
thereto conuenient. In the yéere before the death of king Edward, a
blasing starre appeared, the which when a moonke of Malmesburie named
Eilmer beheld, he vttered these words (as it were by way of
prophesieng:) Thou art come (saith he) thou art come, much to be
lamented of manie a mother: it is long agone sith I saw thée, but now
I doo behold thee the more terrible, threatening destruction to this
countrie by thy dreadfull appearance. In the person of king Edward
ceased by his death the noble progenie of the Westsaxon kings, which
had continued from the first yeare of the reigne of Cerdike or
Cerdicius, the space of 547 yeeres complet. And from Egbert 266
yéeres.
Moreouer, sith the progenie of the Saxon kings seemeth wholie to take
end with this Edward surnamed the Confessor, or the third of that name
before the conquest, we haue thought good for the better helpe of
memorie to referre the reader to a catalog of the names as well of
those that reigned among the Westsaxons (who at length, as ye haue
heard, obteined the whole monarchie) as also of them which ruled in
the other seuen kingdomes before the same were vnited vnto the said
kingdome of the Westsaxons, which catalog you shall find in the
description of Britaine, pag. 31, 32, 33.
Here is to be remembred, that as partlie before is expressed, we find
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
in some old writers, how the first kings of seuen kingdomes of the
Germane nation that bare rule in this Ile, fetcht their pedegrées from
one Woden, who begat of Frea his wife seuen sonnes, that is to say, 1
Vecta, of whome came the kings of Kent, 2 Fethelgeta, or Frethegeath,
from whome the kings of Mercia descended, 3 Balday, of whose race the
kings of the Westsaxons had their originall, 4 Beldagius, ancestor to
the kings of Bernicia, and the Northumbers, 5 Wegodach or Wegdagus,
from whome came the kings of Deira, 6 Caser, from whome procéeded the
kings of the Eastangles, 7 Nascad alias Saxuad, of whome the kings of
the Eastsaxons had their beginning. And here you must note, that
although the kings of the eight kingdome, that is, of the Southsaxons
or Sussex, were descended of the same people, yet were they not of the
same line. By other it should séeme, that Woden had but fiue sonnes:
as Vecta, great grandfather to Hengist; Wepedeg, ancestor to the kings
of the Eastangles; Viclac, from whome procéeded the kings of Mercia;
Saxuad, from whom the kings of Essex came; and Beldag, of whose
generation proceeded the kings of the Southsaxons, Westsaxons, and the
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: _Io. Textor_.]
Northumbers. Moreouer, there be that bring the genealogie from Noe to
Noah, the sonne of Lamech, which Noe was the 9 in descent from Adam,
and Woden the 15 from Noe, as you shall find in the historie of
England, lib. 6. pag. 663. Noe was the father to Sem the father of
Bedwi, the father of Wala, the father of Hatria or Hathra, the father
of Itermod, the father of Heremod, the father of Sheaf or Seaf, the
father of Seldoa or Sceldua, the father of Beatu or Beau, the father
of Teathwij aliàs Tadwa or Teathwy, the father of Geta, reputed for a
god among the gentiles, the father of Fingodulph otherwise Godulph,
the father of Fritwolfe otherwise Friuin, the father of Freolaf aliàs
Freolater, the father of Frethwold or Friderwald, the father of the
aforenamed Woden or Othen.
* * * * *
_The peeres are in doubt to whome the rule of the land should be
committed, why they durst not that Edgar Edeling should vndertake it
though he was interested to the same, how William duke of Normandie
pretended a right to the crowne, Harold the sonne of earle Goodwine
crowned, proclaimed, and consecrated king; his subtill and adulatorie
meanes to win the peoples fauour; duke William sendeth ambassadors to
Harold to put him in mind of a promise passed to the said duke for his
furtherance to obteine the crowne; Harolds negatiue answer to the said
ambassage, as also to the marieng of the dukes daughter which was
Harolds owne voluntarie motion; he prouideth against the inuasions of
the enimie as one doubting afterclaps, a blasing starre of seuen daies
continuance._