8.6. Edward the sonne of Edmund Iron|side is sent for to be made heire apparant to crowne, his death, the deceasse of Leofrike earle of Chester, the vertues and good deeds of him and his wife Gudwina, Couentrie free from cu|stome and toll, churches and religious places builded and re|pared, Algar succeedeth his father Leofrike in the earledome, he is accused of treason and banished, he recouereth his earle|dome by force of armes; Harold is sent with a power against Griffin king of Wales; the countrie wasted, and the people forced to yeeld, they renounce Griffin their king, kill him, and send his head to Harold, Griffins brethren rule Wales af|ter him by grant of king Edward; Harolds infortunate going ouer into Normandie, the earle of Ponthieu taketh him pri|soner, and releaseth him at the request of William duke of Normandie, for whose vse Harold sweareth to keepe possession of the realme of England, the duke promiseth him his daughter in mariage. The sixt Chapter.

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Edward the sonne of Edmund Iron|side is sent for to be made heire apparant to crowne, his death, the deceasse of Leofrike earle of Chester, the vertues and good deeds of him and his wife Gudwina, Couentrie free from cu|stome and toll, churches and religious places builded and re|pared, Algar succeedeth his father Leofrike in the earledome, he is accused of treason and banished, he recouereth his earle|dome by force of armes; Harold is sent with a power against Griffin king of Wales; the countrie wasted, and the people forced to yeeld, they renounce Griffin their king, kill him, and send his head to Harold, Griffins brethren rule Wales af|ter him by grant of king Edward; Harolds infortunate going ouer into Normandie, the earle of Ponthieu taketh him pri|soner, and releaseth him at the request of William duke of Normandie, for whose vse Harold sweareth to keepe possession of the realme of England, the duke promiseth him his daughter in mariage. The sixt Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _NOt long after, in the yeare 1057, Aldred bishop of Wor|cester, was sent ouer vnto the emperour Henrie the third, to fetch Edward the sonne of Edmund Ironside into England, whome king Edward was desirous to sée, meaning to ordeine him heire apparant to the crowne: but he died the same yeare, after that he was returned into England. This Edward was surnamed the outlaw: his bodie was buried at Westminster,Edward the outlaw depar|ted this life. or (as others say) in the church of S. Paule within London. The same yeare, that is to say, in the seuentéenth yeare or in the sixtéenth yeare of king Edwards reigne (as some write)1057 Leofrike earle of Chester de|parted this life. Ran. Higd. Mat. West. Leofrike the noble earle of Chester, or Mer|cia, that was sonne to duke Leofwine, departed this life in his owne towne of Bromelie on the last day of August, and was buried at Couentrie in the abbeie there which he had builded. This earle Leo|frike was a man of great honor, wise and discréet in all his dooings. His high wisdome and policie stood the realme in great stéed whilest he liued.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 He had a noble ladie to his wife named Gudwi|na,Couentrie made frée of toll and cu|stome. at whose earnest sute he made the citie of Couen|trie frée of all manner of toll, except horsses: and to haue that toll laid downe also, his foresaid wife rode naked through the middest of the towne with|out other couerture, saue onlie hir haire. Moreouer, partlie moued by his owne deuotion, and partlie by the persuasion of his wife, he builded or beneficiallie augmented and repared manie abbeies & churches, as the said abbeie or priorie at Couentrie, the ab|beies of Wenlocke, Worcester, Stone, Eue|sham, and Leof besides Hereford.Churches in Chester built. Also he builded two churches within the citie of Chester, the one cal|led S. Iohns, and the other S. Werbrough. The value of the iewels & ornaments which he bestowed on the abbeie church of Couentrie, was inestimable.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 After Leofriks death, his sonne Algar was made earle, Hent. Hunt. Algar earle of Chester exi|led. 1058 and intituled in all his lands and seigniories. In the yeare following, to wit, 1058 the same Al|gar was accused againe (through malice of some en|uious persons) of treason, so that he was exiled the land, wherevpon he repaired againe vnto his old friend Griffin prince of Northwales, of whome he was ioifullie receiued,Simon Dun. & shortlie after by his aid, & also by the power of a nauie of ships that by chance arriued in those parts at that selfe same season vn|looked for out of Norwaie,1063 Simon Dun. Mat. West. the said Algar recouered his earledome by force, as some haue written. King Edward about the twentith yeare of his reigne, as then remaining at Glocester, appointed earle Ha|rold to inuade the dominions of Griffin king of Wales. Harold taking with him a power of horsse|men, made spéed, and came to Rutland, and there burned Griffins palace, and also his ships, and then about Midlent returned againe into England.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 After this, about the Rogation wéeke, Harold eft|soones by the kings commandement went against the Welshmen, and taking the sea, sailed by Bri|stow, round about the coast, compassing in maner all Wales. His brother Tostie that was earle of Northumberland,Wales destroi|ed and harried by the Eng|lishmen. The welsh|men agrée to pay their ac|customed tri|bute. met him by appointment with an host of horssemen, and so ioining togither, they de|stroied the countrie of Wales in such sort, that the Welshmen were compelled to submit themselues, to deliuer hostages, and conditioned to paie the an|cient tribute which before time they had paied. And moreouer, they renounced their prince the forena|med Griffin, so that he remained as a banished per|son: and finallie,1064 Wil. Malm. Simon. Dun. about the fift day of August, they slue him, and sent his head to earle Harold. After|wards king Edward granted the rule of Wales vnto Blengent or Blethgent, & Riuall, Griffins two brethren, which did homage vnto him for the same, and had serued vnder Harold against their brother the foresaid Griffin. There be which write, that not onelie Griffin, but also another of his brethren cal|led Rice,Wil. Malm. was brought to his death by the man|full meanes and politike order of earle Harold, & all the sauage people of Wales reduced into the forme of good order vnder the subiection of king Edward.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Shortlie after,Harold goeth ouer into Normandie. Polydor. earle Harold chanced to passe ouer into Normandie, whither of hap or of purpose it is hard to define, writers doo varie so much in report thereof. Some write that he made earnest sute to king Edward, to haue licence to go ouer to sée his brother Wilnot,Edmerus. and his nephue Hacune, which (as ye haue heard) were deliuered as pledges to king Edward, & sent into Normandie to remaine there with duke William, and at length with much adoo, got leaue: but yet he was told aforehand of the king, that he would repent his iournie, and doo the thing that should be preiudiciall to the realme. Other write that Harold lieng at his manor of Bosham,Mat. West. Wil. Malm. went aboord one day into his fishers boat or craier, and caused the same to lanch forth to the sea for his pleasure: but by misfortune at the same time, a con|trarie wind suddenlie came about, and droue the ves|sell on land into France vpon the coast of Ponthieu, where he was taken by the countrie people, & presen|ted to the earle of Ponthieu named Guie or Guido, who kept him as prisoner, meaning to put him to a grieuous ransome. But Harold remembring him|selfe of a wile, dispatched a messenger forth with all spéed vnto William duke of Normandie, signi|fieng vnto him, that he being sent from king Ed|ward to confirme such articles, as other meane men that had béene sent vnto him afore had talked of, by chance he was fallen into the hands of the earle of Ponthieu, and kept as prisoner against all order of law, reason, or humanitie. Duke William thus informed by the messenger, sent to the earle of Pon|thieu, requiring him to set earle Harold at libertie, that he might repaire to him according to his com|mission. The earle of Ponthieu at the dukes request,Harold is pre|sented to wil|liam duke of Normandie. Hen. Hunt. did not onelie restore Harold to his libertie, but also brought him into Normandie, and presented him there to the duke, of whome he was most ioifullie receiued.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 There be that agrée partlie with this report, and partlie varie: for they write, that earle Harold tooke the sea vpon purpose to haue sailed into Flanders, and that by force of w [...]d he was driuen to the coast of Pouthieu, and so after came into Normandie in EEBO page image 194 maner as before is mentioned. But by what means or occasion soeuer he came thither, certeine it is, that he was ioifullie receiued,Harold was highlie wel|comed of duke William. and had great chéere made him by the said duke William, who at that time was readie to make a iournie against the Britains, and tooke earle Harold with him to haue his compa|nie in armes in that iournei, that he might haue the better triall of his valiancie. Earle Harold behaued himselfe so, that he shewed good proofe both of his wisedome and policie, and also of his forwardnesse to execute that with hand, which by wit he had deuised, so that duke William had him in high fauour, and (as it hath béene said) earle Harold (to procure him more friendship at the dukes hands) declared vnto him, that king Edward had ordeined him his heire if he died without issue, and that he would not faile to kéepe the realme of England to the dukes vse, ac|cording to that ordinance, if K. Edward died with|out issue. Matth. West. Duke Willi|am promised to Harold his daughter in marriage. And to performe this promise, he receiued a corporall oth, whether willinglie to win the more credit, or forced thereto by duke William, writers report it diuerslie. At the same time, duke William promised vnto him his daughter in marriage, whom Harold couenanted in like maner to take to wife.