Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 2

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,