Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 6

London, and earle
Goodwine with his sonnes, and a great power of the Westsaxons, came
into Southwarke, but perceiuing that manie of his companie stale awaie
and slipt from him, he durst not abide anie longer to enter talke with the
king, as it was couenanted, but in the night next insuing fled awaie with
all spéed possible.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ Swaine eldest sonne to Goodwine banished.]
Some write, how an order was prescribed that Swanus the eldest sonne
of Goodwine should depart the land as a banished man to qualifie the

kings wrath, and that Goodwine and one other of his sons, that is to say,
Harold should come to an other assemblie to be holden at London,
accompanied with 12 seruants onelie, & to resigne all his force of
knights, gentlemen and souldiers vnto the kings guiding and
gouernment. But when this last article pleased nothing earle Goodwine,
and that he perceiued how his force began to decline, so as he [Sidenote:
Earle Goodwine fled the realme.] should not be able to match the kings
power, he fled the realme, and so likewise did his sonnes. He himselfe
with his sonnes Swanus, Tostie, and Girth, sailed into Flanders: and
Harold with his brother Leofwine gat ships at Bristow, and passed into
Ireland. Githa the wife of Goodwine, and Judith the wife of Tostie, the
daughter of Baldwine earle of Flanders went ouer also with their
husbands.
* * * * *

_Goodwine and his sonnes are proclaimed outlawes, their lands are
giuen from them, king Edward putteth awaie the queene his wife who
was earle Goodwines daughter, she cleareth hir selfe at the houre of hir
death from suspicion of incontinencie and lewdnesse of life, why king
Edward forbare to haue fleshlie pleasure with hir; earle Goodwine and
his sonnes take preies on the coasts of Kent and Sussex; Griffin king of
Wales destroieth a great part of Herefordshire, and giueth his
incounterers the ouerthrow; Harold and Leofwine two brethren inuade
Dorset and Summersetshires, they are resisted, but yet preuaile, they
coast about the point of Cornwall and ioine with their father Goodwine,
king Edward maketh out threescore armed ships against them, a thicke
mist separateth both sides being readie to graple and fight, a
pacification betweene the king and earle Goodwine, he is restored to
his lands and libertie, he was well friended, counterpledges of
agreement interchangablie deliuered; Swanus the eldest sonne of
Goodwine a notable rebell and pirat, his troubled conscience, his
wicked life and wretched death._
THE THIRD CHAPTER.

The king hauing perfect knowledge, that earle Goodwine had refused to
come to the court in such order as he had prescribed him, and that
[Sidenote: Goodwine and his sonnes proclaimed outlawes.] he was
departed the realme with his sonnes: he proclaimed them outlawes, and
gaue the lands of Harold vnto Algar, the sonne of earle Leofrike, who
guided the same verie woorthilie, and resigned them againe without
grudging vnto the same Harold when he was returned out of exile. Also
vnto earle Oddo were giuen the counties of Deuonshire and
Summersetshire.
[Sidenote: The king put awaie his wife Editha.] Moreouer, about the
same time the king put his wife queene Editha from him, and appointed
hir to streict keeping in the abbeie of Warwell. This Editha was a noble
gentlewoman, well learned, and expert in all sciences, yet hir good
name was stained somewhat, as though she had not liued so
continentlie as was to be wished, both in hir husbands life time, and
after his deceasse. But yet at the houre of hir death (which chanced in
the daies of William Conqueror) she cleared hir selfe, in taking it vpon
the charge of hir soule, that she had euer liued in perfect chastitie: for
king Edward (as before is mentioned) neuer touched hir in anie actuall
maner. By this streict dealing with the quéene that was daughter to
earle Goodwine, now in time of hir fathers exile, it hath séemed to
manie, that king Edward forbare to deale with hir in carnall wise, more
for hatred of hir kin, than for anie other respect. But to proceed.
[Sidenote: 1052. _Hen. Hunt._] In the second yéere of Goodwines
banishment, both he and his sonnes hauing prouided themselues of
ships and men of warre conuenient for the purpose, came vpon the
coasts of England, and after the maner of rouers, tooke preies where as
they espied aduantage, namelie on the [Sidenote: Griffin king of Wales
destroieth Herefordshire.] coasts of Kent and Sussex. In the meane time
also Griffin the K. of Wales destroid a great part of Herefordshire,
against whom the power of that countrie, & also manie Normans that
lay in garrison within the castell of Hereford, comming to giue battell,
were ouerthrowne on the same