Compare 1577 edition: 1 After this, Polydor. he tooke order how to keepe the realme in good and quiet gouernment, fortifieng the necessa|rie places, and furnishing them with garisons. He al|so appointed officers and councellers, such as he thought to be wise and discréet men, and appointed ships to be in the hauens by the coast for the defense of the land, as he thought most expedient. After his coro|nation, Iohn Stow. or rather before (as by some authours it should seeme) euen presentlie vpon obteining of the citie of London, Tho. Spo [...]. he tooke his iourney towards the castell of Douer, to subdue that and the rest of Kent also: which when the archbishop Stigand and Egelsin the abbat of S. Augustines (being as it were the chiefest lords and gouernours of all Kent) did perceiue, and consi|dered that the whole realme was in an euill state; & that whereas in this realme of England, before the comming in of the forsaid duke William, there were no bondmen: now all,Seruitude & bondage of the Nobilitie and Commonaltie to the Nor|mans. as well the Nobilitie as the Commonaltie were without respect made subiect to the intollerable bondage of the Normans, taking an occasion by the perill and danger that their neigh|bours were in, to prouide for the safegard of them|selues EEBO page image 2 and their countrie. They caused all the people of the countie of Kent to assemble at Canturburie, and declared to them the perils and dangers immi|nent, the miserie that their neighbours were come in|to, the pride and insolencie of the Normans, and the hardnesse and griefe of bondage and seru [...]le estate. Whereupon all the people rather choosing to end their vnfortunate life, than to submit themselues to an vn|accustomed yoke of seruitude and bondage, with a common consent determined to meet duke William, and to fight with him [...]or the lawes of their count [...]ie. Also, the foresaid Stigand the archbishop, and the [...]b|bat Egelsin, choosing rather to die in ba [...]tell, than to see their nation in so euill an estate, being encouraged by the examples of the holie Machabees, became cap|teins of the armie. And at a daie appointed, all the people met at Swanescombe, and being hidden in the woods, laie priuilie in wait for the comming of the foresaid duke William.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 Now, bicause it cannot hurt to take great héed, and to be verie warie in such cases, they agréed before hand, that when the duke was come, and the passages on euerie side stopped, to the end he should no waie be able to escape, euerie one of them, as well horssemen as footmen should beare boughes in their hands. The next daie after, when the duke was come into the fields and territories néere vnto Swanescombe, and saw all the countrie set and placed about him, as it had beene a stirring and moouing wood, and that with a meane pace they approched and drew neare vnto him, with great discomfort of mind he woondered at that sight. And assoone as the capteins of the Kentish|men sawe that duke William was inclosed in the middest of their armie, they caused their trumpets to be sounded, their banners to be displaied, and threw downe their boughes, & with their bowes bent, their swords drawne, and their speares and other kind of weapons stretched foorth, they shewed themselues rea|die to fight. Duke William and they that were with him stood (as no maruell it was) sore astonied, and a|mazed: so that he which thought he had alreadie all England fast in his fist, did now despaire of his owne life. Therefore on the behalfe of the Kentishmen, were sent vnto duke William the archbishop Stigand, and Egelsin abbat of S. Augustines, who told him their message in this sort.

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My lord duke, behold the people of Kent come forth to méet you, and to receiue you as their liege lord, re|quiring at your hands the things which perteine to peace, and that vnder this condition; that all the peo|ple of Kent enioy for euer their ancient liberties, and may for euermore vse the lawes and customes of the countrie othe [...]wise they are readie presentlie to bid battell to you, and them that be with you and are min|ded rather to die here altogither, than to depart from [...]he law [...]s and customes of their countrie, and to sub|mit themsel [...]s to bondage, [...]hereof as yet they ne|uer had experie [...]ce.