[Sidenote: EDWARD. _Hen. Hunt._]
Immediatlie vpon the deth of Hardiknought, and before his corps was
committed to buriall, his halfe brother Edward, sonne of king Egelred
[Sidenote: _Polydor_]
begotten of quéene Emma, was chosen to be K. of England, by
the generall consent of all the nobles and commons of the realme.
Therevpon were ambassadours sent with all spéed into Normandie, to
signifie vnto him his election, and to bring him from thence into
England in deliuering pledges for more assurance, that no fraud nor
deceit was ment of the Englishmen, but that vpon his comming thither,
he should receiue the crowne without all contradiction. Edward then
aided by his coosine William duke of Normandie, tooke the sea, &
with a small companie of Normans came into England, where he was
[Sidenote: _Henr. Hunt._ _Wil. Malm._ The third of Aprill. 1043.]
receiued with great ioy as king of the realme, & immediatlie after was
crowned at Winchester by Edsinus then archbishop of Canturburie, on
Easter day in the yeare of our Lord 1043, which fell also about the
fourth yeare of the emperour Henrie the third, surnamed Niger, in the
12 yeare of Henrie the first of that name king of France, and about
the third yeare of Macbeth king of Scotland.
This Edward the third of that name before the conquest, was of nature
more méeke and simple than apt for the gouernement of the realme, &
therefore did earle Goodwine not onelie séeke the destruction of his
elder brother Alfred, but holpe all that he might to aduance this
Edward to the crowne, in hope to beare great rule in the realme vnder
him, whome he knew to be soft, gentle, and easie to be persuaded. But
whatsoeuer writers doo report hereof, sure it is, that Edward was the
elder brother, and not Alfred: so that if earle Goodwine did shew his
furtherance by his pretended cloake of offering his friendship vnto
Alfred to betraie him, he did it by king Harolds commandement, and yet
it may be that he meant to haue vsurped the crowne to him selfe, if
each point had answered his expectation in the sequele of things, as
he hoped they would; and therfore had not passed if both the brethren
had béene in heauen. But yet when the world framed contrarie
(peraduenture) to his purpose, he did his best to aduance Edward,
trusting to beare no small rule vnder him, being knowen to be a man
more appliable to be gouerned by other than to trust to his owne wit:
and so chieflie by the assistance of earle Goodwine (whose authoritie,
as appeareth, was not small within the realme of England in those
daies) Edward came to atteine the crowne: wherevnto the earle of
Chester Leofrike also shewed all the furtherance that in him laie.
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd. ex Mariano_. _Alb. Crantz_.]
Some write (which seemeth also to be confirmed by the Danish
chronicles) that king Hardiknought in his life time had receiued this
Edward into his court, and reteined him still in the same in most
honorable wise. But for that it may appeare in the abstract of the
Danish chronicles, what their writers had of this matter recorded,
we doo here passe ouer, referring those that be desirous to know the
diuersitie of our writers and theirs, vnto the same chronicles, where
they may find it more at large expressed. This in no wise is to be
[Sidenote: _Polydor_. Danes expelled.]
left vnremembred, that immediatlie after the death of Hardiknought,
it was not onelie decreed & agreed vpon by the great lords & nobles of
the realme, that no Dane from thenceforth should reigne ouer them, but
also all men of warre and souldiers of the Danes, which laie within
anie citie or castell in garrison within the realme of England, were
then expelled and put out or rather slaine (as the Danish writers
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
doo rehearse.) Amongst other that were banished, the ladie Gonild
[Sidenote: Gonill néece to K. Swaine.]
néece to king Swaine by his sister, was one, being as then a widow,
and with hir two of hir sonnes, which she had then liuing; Heming
and Turkill were also caused to auoid. Some write that Alfred the
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
brother of king Edward, came not into the realme till after the death
of Hardiknought, and that he did helpe to expell the Danes, which
being doon, he was slaine by earle Goodwine and other of his
complices. But how this may stand, considering the circumstances of
the time, with such things as are written by diuers authors hereof, it
may well be doubted. Neuerthelesse, whether earle Goodwine was guiltie
to the death of Alfred, either at this time, or before, certeine it
is, that he so cleared himselfe of that crime vnto king Edward the
brother of Alfred, that there was none so highlie in fauour with him
as earle Goodwine was, insomuch that king Edward maried the ladie
[Sidenote: K. Edward marieth the daughter of earle Goodwine.]
Editha, the daughter of earle Goodwine, begotten of his wife Thira
that was sister to king Hardiknought, and not of his second wife, as
some haue written. Howbeit, king Edward neuer had to doo with hir in
fleshlie wise. But whether he absteined because he had happilie
[Sidenote: _Polydor_.]
vowed chastitie, either of impotencie of nature, or for a priuie hate
[Sidenote: K. Edward absteineth from the companie of his wife.]
that he bare to hir kin, men doubted. For it was thought, that he
estéemed not earle Goodwine so greatlie in his heart, as he outwardlie
made shew to doo, but rather for feare of his puissance dissembled
with him, least he should otherwise put him selfe in danger both of
losse of life and kingdome.
Howsoeuer it was, he vsed his counsell in ordering of things
[Sidenote: K. Edward dealeth strictlie with his mother quéene Emma.]
concerning the state of the common wealth, and namelie in the hard
handling of his mother queene Emma, against whome diuers accusations
were brought and alledged: as first, for that she consented to marie
with K. Cnute, the publike enimie of the realme: againe, for that she
did nothing aid or succour hir sons while they liued in exile, but
that woorse was, contriued to make them away; for which cause she
[Sidenote: Quéene Emma despoiled of hir goods.]
was despoiled of all hir goods. And because she was defamed to be
[Sidenote: She is accused of dissolute liuing.]
naught of hir bodie with Alwine or Adwine bishop of Winchester, both
she and the same bishop were committed to prison within the citie of
Winchester (as some write.) Howbeit others affirme, that she was
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._ She purgeth hir selfe by the law Ordalium.]
strictlie kept in the abbie of Warwell, till by way of purging hir
selfe, after a maruellous manner, in passing barefooted ouer certeine
hot shares or plough-irons, according to the law _Ordalium,_ she
cleared hir selfe (as the world tooke it) and was restored to hir
first estate and dignitie.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
Hir excessiue couetousnesse, without regard had to the poore,
caused hir also to be euill reported of. Againe, for that she euer
shewed hir selfe to be more naturall to the issue which she had by hir
second husband Cnute, than to hir children which she had by hir first
husband king Egelred (as it were declaring how she was affected toward
the fathers, by the loue borne to the children) she lost a great péece
of good will at the hands of hir sonnes Alfred and Edward: so that now
the said Edward inioieng the realme, was easilie induced to thinke
euill of hir, and therevpon vsed hir the more vncurteouslie. But hir
great liberalitie imploied on the church of Winchester, which she
furnished with maruellous rich iewels and ornaments, wan hir great
commendation in the world, and excused hir partlie in the sight of
manie, of the infamie imputed to hir for the immoderate filling of hir
coffers by all waies and meanes she could deuise. Now when she had
purged hir selfe, as before is mentioned, hir sonne king Edward
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
had hir euer after in great honor and reuerence. And whereas Robert
archbishop of Canturburie had béene sore against hir, he was so much
abashed now at the matter, that he fled into Normandie, where he was
borne. But it should séeme by that which after shal be said in the
next chapter, that he fled not the realme for this matter, but bicause
he counselled the king to banish earle Goodwine, and also to vse the
Englishmen more strictlie than reason was he should.
* * * * *
_Why Robert archbishop of Canturburie (queene Emmas heauie friend)
fled out of England, the Normans first entrance into this countrie,
dearth by tempests, earle Goodwines sonne banished out of this land,
he returneth in hope of the kings fauour, killeth his coosen earle
Bearne for his good will and forwardnes to set him in credit againe,
his flight into Flanders, his returne into England, the king is
pacified with him; certeine Danish rouers arriue at Sandwich, spoile
the coast, inrich themselues with the spoiles, make sale of their
gettings, and returne to their countrie; the Welshmen with their
princes rebelling are subdued, king Edward keepeth the seas on
Sandwich side in aid of Baldwine earle of Flanders, a bloudie fraie in
Canturburie betwixt the earle of Bullongne and the townesmen, earle
Goodwine fauoureth the Kentishmen against the Bullongners, why he
refuseth to punish the Canturburie men at the kings commandement for
breaking the kings peace; he setteth the king in a furie, his suborned
excuse to shift off his comming to the assemblie of lords conuented
about the foresaid broile, earle Goodwine bandeth himselfe against
the king, he would haue the strangers deliuered into his hands, his
request is denied; a battell readie to haue bene fought betweene him
and the king, the tumult is pacified and put to a parlement, earle
Goodwines retinue forsake him; he, his sonnes, and their wiues take
their flight beyond the seas._