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5.97. Edwarde.

Edwarde.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Ed|ward. [figure appears here on page 235] AFter the de|ceaſe of king Edgar, ther was ſome ſtrife and cõtẽtion amõgſt the Lordes and peeres of ye realm about the ſucceſ|ſiõ of the crown:Some write that the father king Edgar appoynted Edward to ſuc|ceede him. Simon Dun. Iohn Capg. for Alfrida ye mo|ther of Egelre|dus, or Ethelredus, and diuerſe other of hir opini|on, would gladly haue aduanced the ſame Egel|redus to the rule: but the Archbiſhop Dunſtan ta|king in his handes the baner of the Crucifix, pre|ſented his elder brother Edward vnto the Lords as they were aſſembled togither, and there denoũ|ced him king, notwithſtãding that both Queene Alfred and hir friends, namely Alpher the Duke of Mercia were ſore agaynſt him, eſpecially for yt he was begot in vnlawful bed of Elfleda ye Nun, for which offẽce he did .vij. yeres penãce, & not for lying with Wilfride (as maiſter Fore thinketh.) But Dunſtan iudging as is to be thought that Edward was more fitte for their behoufe to con|tinue the world in ye former courſe as Edgar had left it, than his brother Egelred (whoſe mother & ſuch as tooke part with hir vnder hir ſonnes au|thoritie were likely ynough to turne all vpſide downe) vſed the matter ſo that with helpe of the Archbiſhop of Yorke Oſwalde,Alfer duke of Mercia and o|ther immedi|ately vpon Ed|gars death be|fore the crown was eſtabli|ſhed, remoued the Monkes and reſtored Canons. Simon Dun. and other By|ſhoppes, Abbottes, and certaine of the Nobilitie, as the Earle Eſſex and ſuch like, he preuayled in his purpoſe, ſo that (as before is ſayde) the ſayde Edwarde beeing the ſeconde of that name whiche gouerned thys lande before the conqueſt, was admitted king, and beganne his raigne ouer Englande in the yeare of oure Lorde. 975.975 in the thirde yeare of the Emperour Otho the ſecond, in the .xx. yeare of the raigne of Lothar king of Fraunce, and about the fourth yeare of Culene King of Scotlande. Hee was ſacred by the ſayde Archbiſhoppe Dunſtan at Kingſtone vpon Thames, to the greate griefe of his mother in law Alfred and hir friendes.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Aboute the beginning of his raigne a blaſing Starre was ſerue,VVil. Mal. ſignifying (as was thought) the miſerable haps that followed. And firſt there enſued barrenneſſe of ground, and thereby famine amongſt the people, and morraine of Cattaile.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Alſo Duke Alpher or Elpher of Mercia,Alfer or Elfer, duke of Mer|cia. and other Noble men deſtroyed the Abbayes which King Edgar and Biſhoppe Adelwold had buil|ded within the limittes of Mercia. The Prieſtes or Canons whiche had beene expulſed in Ed|gars tyme out of their Prebendes and Benefices, beganne to complaine of theyr wrongs that were done to them, in that they had beene put oute of poſſeſſion from theyr lyuings, alledging it to bee a great offence and miſerable caſe that a ſtraun|ger ſhould come and remoue an olde inhabitant, for ſuch maner of doing coulde not pleaſe God, nor yet hee allowed of anye good man, whiche ought of maſon to doubt leaſt the ſame ſhould hap to him whiche hee might ſee to haue beene an o|ther mans vndoing.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Aboute thys matter was harde holde, for many of the Temporall Lordes,Iohn Capg. VVil. Mal. Ran. Higd. Mat. VVeſt. Sim. Dunel. and namely the ſame Alpher, iudged that the Prieſtes hadde wrong. In ſo muche that they remoued Monkes oute of theyr places, and brought into the Monaſteries ſecular Prieſtes with theyr wyues. But Edelwyn Duke of the Eaſt An|gles, and Alfred his brother, with Brightnoth or Brighnode Earle of Eſſex, withſtoode thys doing, and gathering an armie, with great va|liancie mainteyned the Monkes in their houſes, within the Countrey of Eaſt Angles.Sim. Dunel. Here|vpon were Councels holden, as at Wincheſter, at Kyrthling in Eaſt Angle, and at Calne.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 At Wincheſter when the matter was brought to that paſſe that the Prieſtes were lyke to haue had theyr purpoſe,Polidor. an Image of the Roode that ſtood there in the Refectory where they ſat in coũ|ſaile, vttered certaine wordes in this wiſe. God forbid it ſhoulde bee ſo: God forbid it ſhoulde EEBO page image 206 be ſo:A pretie ſhift of the Monkes to diſappoint the Prieſts. Polidor. ye iudged well once, but ye may not change well againe: as though (ſayth Polidore Virgill) the Monkes had more right, which had bereft o|ther men of their poſſeſſions, than the Prieſtes which required reſtitution of their owne. But (ſayth he) bycauſe the Image of Chriſt hanging on the croſſe was thought to ſpeake theſe words, ſuch credite was giuen thereto, as it had beene an Oracle, that the Prieſts had theyr ſuite daſhed, & all the trouble was ceaſſed. So the Monkes held thoſe poſſeſſions howſoeuer they came to them, by the helpe of God, or rather (as ſayeth the ſame Polidore) by the helpe of man. For there were e|uen then dyuerſe that thought this to be rather an Oracle of Phebus, than of God, that is to vn|derſtande, not publiſhed by Gods power, but by the fraude and craftie deceyte of men.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The matter therefore was not ſo quieted, but that vpon newe trouble an other Councell was had at a manour houſe belonging to the K. called [figure appears here on page 206] Calue,VVil. Malm. where they that were appoynted to haue the hearing of the matter, ſatte in an vpper loft. The king by reaſon of his yong yeares was ſpa|red, ſo that he came not there.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Here as they were buſied in arguing the mat|ter, eyther part laying for himſelfe what coulde be ſayde. Dunſton was ſore reuiled, and had ſun|drie reproches layde againſt him: but ſodainly euẽ in the verie heate of theyr communication, the ioyſtes of the loſt fayled, and downe came all the companie, ſo that many were ſlaine and hurt, but Dunſtan alone ſtanding vpon one of the ioyſtes that fell not, he eſcaped ſafe and ſounde. And ſo this myracle with the other made an ende of the controuerſie betweene the Prieſtes and Monkes,Dunſtan by working my|racles had his will, when ar|gumentes [...]ayled. all the Engliſh people following the minde of the Archbiſhop Dunſtan, who by meanes thereof had his will.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 In this meane while, king Edwarde ruling himſelf by good counſaile of ſuch as were thought diſcrete and ſage perſons, gaue great hope to the worlde that he woulde walke in his fathers ver|tuous ſteppes, as alreadie he well beganne, and bearing alway a reuerence to his mother in lawe, and a brotherly loue to hir ſonne Egeleed, vſed himſelfe as became him towardes them both. Af|terwarde by chaunce as hee was in hunting in a Forreſt neare to the Caſtell of Corfe,Polidor. VVil. Mal. where hys mother in lawe, and his brother the ſayde Egel|red then ſoiourned, when all his companie were ſpredde abrode in following the game, ſo that hee was left alone, hee tooke the way ſtreyght vnto his mother in lawes houſe, to viſite hir and hys brother.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 The Queene hearing that he was come, was right glad thereof,The wicked purpoſe of Queeen Al [...]l for that ſhee had occaſion offered to worke that which ſhe had of long time before ymagined, that was, to ſlea the king hir ſonne in lawe, that hir owne ſonne might enioy the garlande. She therefore requyred him to a|light, which he in no wiſe woulde yeeld vnto, but ſayde that he had ſtolne from his companie, and was onely come to ſee hir and his brother, and to drinke with them, and therefore woulde returne to the Forreſt againe to ſee ſome more ſport. The Queene perceyuing that hee woulde not alight, cauſed drinke to be fetched, and as he had the cup at his mouth, by hir appoynment one of hir ſer|uauntes ſtroke him into the bodie with a knife,The ſhamefull murther of K. Edwarde. wherevppon feeling himſelfe wounded, hee ſette ſpurres to the horſe thinking to gallop away, and ſo to get to his companie. But being hurt to the death, he fell from his horſe, ſo as one of his feete was faſtened in the ſtyrrop, by reaſon whereof his horſe drew him forth through woods and launds, and the bloud whiche guſhed out of the wounde ſhewed tokẽ of his death to ſuch as followed him, and the way to the place where the horſe had left EEBO page image 237 him.Mat. VVeſt. Fabian. Simon Dun. VVil. Malm. That place hight Corphes gate, or Corues gate. His bodie being founde was buried without any ſolemne funeralles at Warham. For they that enuyed that hee ſhoulde enioy the Crowne, enuied alſo the buriall of his bodie within the Church: but the memorie of his fame coulde not ſo ſecretely bee buried vp with the bodie, as they imagined. For ſundrie myracles ſhewed at the place where his bodie was enterred, made the ſame famous (as diuerſe haue reported) for there was ſight reſtored to the blind, health to the ſicke,Myracles. and hearing to the deafe, which are eaſilyer to be tolde than beleeued.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Queene Alfride alſo woulde haue ridden to the place where he lay, mooued with repentaunce (as hath beene ſayde) but the horſe wherevpon ſhe rode woulde not come neare the graue, for anye thing that could be done to him. Neither by chan|ging the ſayde horſe coulde the matter be holpen. For euen the ſame thing happened to the other horſes. Herevpon the woman perceyued hir great offence towardes God for murthering the inno|cent, and did ſo repent hir afterward for the ſame, yt beſides ye chaſtiſing of hir body in faſting, and o|ther kinde of penance, ſhee employed all hir ſub|ſtance and patrimonie on the poore, and in buyl|ding and reparing of Churches and Mona|ſteries.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Buylding of Abbayes in thoſe dayes was thought to be a full ſa|tisfaction for all maner of ſinnes.Two houſes of Nunnes ſhee founded (as is ſayde) the one at Warwell, the other at Ambreſ|burie, and finally profeſſed hirſelfe a Nunne in one of them, that is to ſay, at Warwell, whiche houſe ſhee buylded (as ſome affyrme) in remem|brance of hir firſt huſbande that was ſlaine there by K Edgar for hir ſake (as before is mẽtioned.)

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The bodie of this Edwarde the ſeconde, and ſurnamed the Martyr, after that it had remayned three yeares at Warham where it was firſt bu|ryed, was remooued vnto Shafteſburie, and with great reuerence buried there by the forenamed Al|fer, or Elfere Duke of Mercia, who alſo did ſore repent himſelfe in that hee had beene agaynſt the aduauncement of the ſayde king Edward (as yet haue hearde.Elferus.) But yet did not he eſcape worthie puniſhment: for within one yeare after, he was eaten to death with Lite (if the Hiſtorie he true.)

Compare 1587 edition: 1 King Edward came to his death after he had raigned three yeres (or as other write) three yeres and .viij.Polidor. VVil. Mal. Monethes.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Whatſoeuer hath beene reported by writers of the murther committed in the perſon of this king Edwarde, ſure it is that if he were haſt be|gotten (as by wryters of no meane credit it ſhould appeare he was in deede) great occaſion undoub|tedly was giuen vnto Queene Alfred to ſeeke re|uenge for the wrongful keeping backe of hir ſonne Egelred frõ his rightful ſucceſſion to the crowne: but whether that Edwarde was legitimate or not, ſhe might yet haue deuiſed ſome other law|ful meane to haue come by hir purpoſe, & not ſo to haue procured the murther of the yong Prince in ſuch vnlawfull maner. For hir doing therein can neither be worthily allowed, nor throughly excu|ſed, although thoſe that occaſioned the miſchiefe by aduauncing hir ſtepſonne to an other mans right, deſerued moſt blame in this matter.

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