Chronicles : The Historie of England | Page 9

time,
[Sidenote: Normans banished the realme.] both spirituall men and
temporall, as William bishop of London, and Vlfe bishop of Lincolne.
Osberne named Pentecost, and his companion Hugh, were constreined
to surrender their castels, and by licence of earle Leofrike withdrew
thorough his countrie into Scotland, where, of king Mackbeth they
were honorablie receiued. These were Normans: for (as partlie ye haue
heard) king Edward brought with him no small number of that nation,
when he came from thence to receiue the crowne, and by them he was
altogither ruled, to the great offending of his owne naturall subiects the
Englishmen, namelie earle Goodwine and his sonnes, who in those
daies for their great possessions and large reuenues, were had in no
small reputation with the English people.
After that Robert the archbishop of Canturburie, was departed the
[Sidenote: Stigand archbishop of Canturburie.] realme, as before ye
haue heard, Stigand was made archbishop of Canturburie, or rather
thrust himselfe into that dignitie, not being lawfullie called, in like
manner as he had doone at Winchester: for whereas he was first bishop
of Shireborne, he left that church, and tooke vpon him the bishoprike of
Winchester by force, and now atteining to be archbishop of Canturburie,
he kept both Winchester [Sidenote: _Ranul. Hig._ Fabian. Stigand
infamed of simonie.] and Canturburie in his hand at one instant. This
Stigand was greatlie infamed for his couetous practises in sale of
possessions apperteining to the church. He was nothing learned: but
that want was a common fault amongest the bishops of that age, for it
was openlie spoken [Sidenote: What maner of men méet to be bishops
in those daies.] in those daies, that he was méet onelie to be a bishop,
which could vse the pompe of the world, voluptuous pleasures, rich
raiment, and set himselfe foorth with a iollie retinue of gentlemen and
seruants on horsse-backe, for therein stood the countenance of a bishop,
as the world then went; and not in studie how to haue the people fed
with the word of life, to the sauing of their soules.
King Edward now in the twelfth yeare of his reigne, hauing brought

[Sidenote: Polydor.] the state of the realme quite from troubles of warre
both by sea and land, began to foresée as well for the welth of his
subiects, as for himselfe, being naturallie inclined to wish well to all
men. He therefore considered, how by the manifold lawes which had
beene made by Britaines, Englishmen and Danes within this land,
occasion was ministred to manie, which measured all things by respect
of their owne priuate gaine and profit, to peruert iustice, and to vse
wrongfull dealing in stead of right, clouding the same vnder some
branch of the lawe naughtilie misconstrued. Wherevpon to auoid that
mischiefe, he picked out a summe of that huge and vnmesurable masse
and heape of lawes, such as were thought most indifferent and
necessarie, & therewith ordeined a few, & those most wholesome, to be
from thenceforth vsed; according to whose prescript, men might liue in
due forme and rightfull order of [Sidenote: The lawes of S. Edward
instituted.] a ciuill life. These lawes were afterwards called the
common lawes, and also saint Edward his lawes; so much esteemed of
the Englishmen, that after the conquest, when the Normans oftentimes
went about to abrogate the same, there chanced no small mutinies and
rebellions for retaining of those lawes. But heére is to be noted, that
although they were called saint Edwards lawes, they were for the more
part made by king Edgar; but now by king Edward restored, after they
had bin abrogated for a time by the Danes.
[Sidenote: 1053 or 1054. _Hector Boet._ Polydor. _Will. Malmes._
_Matth. West._ _Ran. Higd._ ex Mariano. _Simon Dun._] About this
time, earle Goodwine died suddenlie (as some haue recorded) as he sat
at table with the king: and vpon talke ministred of the death of Alfred
the kings brother, to excuse himselfe, he tooke a peece of bread, and
did eate it, saieng; God let me neuer swallow this bread downe into my
chest, but that I may presentlie be choked therewith, if euer I was
weetting or consenting vnto Alfreds death! and immediatlie therewith
he fell downe starke dead. Other say, [Sidenote: This is the likeliest
tale.] that he ended his life at Winchester, where being suddenlie
surprised with sicknesse, as he sat at the table with the king vpon an
Easter monday; yet he liued till the Thursday following, and then died.
His earledome was giuen vnto his sonne Harold; and Harolds
earledome, which was Oxford, was giuen vnto Algar the sonne of

Leofrike.
This Goodwine, as he was a man of great power, wise, hardie, and
politike; so was he ambitious, desirous to beare rule, and