Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 4

certeine pirats of the Danes arriued in Sandwich
hauen, and entring the land, wasted and spoiled all about the coast.
There be that write, that the Danes had at that time to their leaders two
capteins, [Sidenote: The Danes spoile Sandwich.] the one named
Lother, and the other Irling. After they had béene at Sandwich, and
brought from thence great riches of gold and siluer, they coasted about

vnto the side of Essex, and there spoiling the countrie, went backe to
the sea, and sailing into Flanders, made sale of their spoiles and booties
there, and so returned to their countries. After this, during the reigne of
king Edward, there chanced no warres, neither forren nor ciuill, but that
the same was either with small slaughter luckilie ended, or else without
anie notable [Sidenote: Rise & Griffin princes of Wales.] aduenture
changed into peace. The Welshmen in déed with their princes Rise and
Griffin wrought some trouble, but still they were subdued, and in the
end both the said Rise and Griffin were brought vnto confusion:
although in the meane time they did much hurt, and namelie Griffin,
who with aid of some Irishmen, with whome he was alied, about this
time entred into the Seuerne sea, and tooke preies about the riuer of
Wie: and after returned without anie battell to him offered.
[Sidenote: 1049. Simon Dun.] About the same time, to wit, in the yéere
1049, the emperor Henrie the third made warres against Baldwine earle
of Flanders, and for that he wished to haue the sea stopped, that the said
earle should not escape by flight that waie foorth, he sent to king
Edward, willing him to kéepe the sea with some number of ships. King
Edward furnishing a [Sidenote: Hermanus. Contractus. _Ia. Meir._]
nauie, lay with the same at Sandwich, and so kept the seas on that side,
till the emperor had his will of the earle. At the same time, Swaine,
sonne of earle Goodwine came into the realme, and traitorouslie slue
his coosen Bearne (as before is said) the which [Sidenote: _Simon
Dun._] trauelled to agrée him with the king. Also Gosipat Clappa, who
had left his wife at Bruges in Flanders, comming amongst other of the
Danish pirats, which had robbed in the coasts of Kent & Essex, as
before ye haue heard, receiued his wife, and departed backe into
Denmarke with six ships, leauing the residue, being 23 behind him.
[Sidenote: Fabian. 1051.] About the tenth yéere of king Edwards
reigne, Eustace earle of Bullongne, that was father vnto the valiant
Godfrey of Bullongne, & Baldwin, both afterward kings of Hierusalem,
came ouer into [Sidenote: _Matth. West._ The earle of Flanders
commeth into England. _Ran. Higd._ _Wil. Malm._] England in the
moneth of September, to visit his brother in law king [Sidenote: Goda
sister to K. Edward. _Wil. Malm._] Edward, whose sister named Goda,

he had maried, she then being the widow of Gualter de Maunt. He
found the king at Glocester, and being there ioifullie receiued, after he
had once dispatched such matters for the which he chieflie came, he
tooke leaue, and returned [Sidenote: Douer saith _Matth. West._]
homeward. But at Canturburie one of his herbingers, dealing roughlie
with one of the citizens about a lodging, which he sought to haue rather
by force than by intreatance, occasioned his owne death. Whereof when
the erle was aduertised, he hasted thither to reuenge the slaughter of his
seruant, and slue both that citizen which had killed his man, and
eightéene others.
[Sidenote: A fraie in Canturburie betwixt the earle Bullongne and the
townsmen.] The citizens héerewith in a great furie, got them to armor,
and set vpon the earle and his retinue, of whom they slue twentie
persons out of hand, & wounded a great number of the residue, so that
the earle scarce might escape with one or two of his men from the fraie,
[Sidenote: The earle complaineth to the king.] & with all spéed
returned backe to the king, presenting gréeuous information against
them of Canturburie, for their cruell vsing of him, not onlie in sleaing
of his seruants, but also in putting him in danger of his life. The king
crediting the earle, was higlie offended against the citizens, and with all
speed sending for earle Goodwine, declared vnto him in greeuous wise,
the rebellious act of them of Canturburie, which were vnder his
iurisdiction.
The earle who was a man of a bold courage and quicke wit, did
perceiue that the matter was made a great deale woorse at the first in
the beginning, than of likelihood it would prooue in the end, thought it
reason therefore that first the answere of the Kentishmen should be
heard, before anie sentence were giuen against them. Héerevpon,
although the king