Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 5

commanded him foorthwith to go with an armie into
Kent, and to punish them of Canturburie in most rigorous maner, yet he
would not be too hastie, but refused to execute the kings [Sidenote:
Earle Goodwine offended with the king for fauouring strangers.]
commandement, both for that he bare a péece of grudge in his mind,
that the king should fauour strangers so highlie as he did; and againe,
bicause héereby he should séeme to doo pleasure to his countriemen, in

taking vpon him to defend their cause against the rough accusations of
such as had accused them. Wherefore he declared to the king that it
should be conuenient to haue the supposed offenders first called afore
him, and if they were able to excuse themselues, then to be suffered to
depart without further vexation: and if they were found faultie, then to
be put to their fine, both as well in satisfieng the king, whose peace
they had broken, as also the earle, whom they had indamaged.
Earle Goodwine departed thus from the king, leauing him in a great
[Sidenote: A councel called at Glocester. Siward earle of
Northumberland, Leofrike earle of Chester, Rafe earle of Hereford.
_Will. Malmes._] furie: howbeit he passed litle thereof, supposing it
would not long continue. But the king called a great assemblie of his
lords togither at Glocester, that the matter might be more déepelie
considered. Siward earle of Northumberland, and Leofrike earle of
Chester, with Rafe earle of Hereford, the kings nephue by his sister
Goda, and all other the noble men of the realme, onlie earle Goodwine
and his sonnes ment not to come there, except they might bring with
them a great power of armed men, and so remained at Beuerstane, with
such bands as they had leauied, vnder a colour to resist the Welshmen,
whome they bruted abroad to be readie to inuade the marches about
Hereford. But the Welshmen preuenting that slander, signified to the
king that no such matter was ment on their parties, but that earle
Goodwine and his sonnes with their complices went about to mooue a
commotion against him. Héerevpon a rumor was raised in the court,
that the kings power should shortlie march foorth to assaile earle
Goodwine in that place where he was lodged. Wherevpon the same
earle prepared himselfe, and sent to his friends, willing to sticke to this
quarrell, and if the king should go about to force them, then to
withstand him, rather than to yéeld and suffer themselues to be troden
vnder foot [Sidenote: Earle Goodwine meaneth to defend himself
against the king.] by strangers. Goodwine in this meane time had got
togither a great [Sidenote: Swaine. _Ran. Higd._ _Matth. West._
_Simon Dun._] power of his countries of Kent, Southerie, and other of
the west parts. Swaine likewise had assembled much people out of his
countries of Barkeshire, Oxfordshire, Summersetshire, Herefordshire,
[Sidenote: Harold. _Simon Dun._] and Glocestershire. And Harold was

also come to them with a great multitude, which he had leuied in Essex,
Norffolke, Suffold, Cambridgeshire, & Huntingtonshire.
On the other part, the earles that were with the king, Leofrike, Siward,
and Rafe, raised all the power which they might make, and the same
approching to Glocester, the king thought himselfe in more suertie than
before, in so much that whereas earle Goodwine (who lay with his
armie at Langton there not farre off in Glocestershire) had sent vnto the
king, requiring that the earle of Bullongne, with the other Frenchmen
and also the Normans which held the castell of Douer, might be
deliuered vnto him. The king, though at the first he stood in great doubt
what to doo, yet hearing now that an armie of his friends was comming,
made answere to the messingers which Goodwine had sent, that he
would not deliuer a man of those whome Goodwine required, and
héerewith the said messengers being departed, the kings armie entered
into Glocester, and such readie good wils appéered in them all to fight
with the aduersaries, that if the king would haue permitted, they would
foorthwith haue gone out and giuen battell to the enimies.
Thus the matter was at point to haue put the realme in hazard not onelie
of a field, but of vtter ruine that might thereof haue insued: for what on
the one part and the other, there were assembled the chiefest lords and
most able personages of the land. But by the wisedome and good
aduise of earle Leofrike and others, the matter was pacified for a time,
and order taken, that they should come to a parlement or
communication at London, vpon pledges giuen and receiued as well on
the one part as the other. The king with a mightie armie of the
Northumbers, and them of Mercia, came vnto