That this King and Council in those times of Invasion and necessity were so far from 〈…〉 away the Lands and Tithes of the Church for 〈…〉 of the Realm or from imposing new unusual 〈…〉 and Contributions on the Clergy for thaâ— end thaâ— they granted them more Lands and Tithes than formerly and exempted them from all former ordinary Taxes and Contributions that they might more cheerfully and frequently pour forth prayers to God for them as the best means of defence and security against these forein inâ—ading enemies Mr. Selden recites another Charter of this King of the same year different from it in month and place out of the Chartularies of Abbington Abbey to the same effect made by Parliamentary consent of that time per consilium sâ—â—ubre cum Episcopis Comâ—â—bus ac cunctis Optimatibus mois which Charter is subscribed by this King and his two Sons with some Bishops and Abbots ratified with their signs of the Cross and this annexed curse Si quis vero minuere vel mutare nostram donationem praesumpserit noscat se ante tribunal Christi redditurum rationem nisi prius satisfactione omendaverit usual in such Charters After which this King going to Rome carried Alfred his youngest Son thither with him whom he most loved to be educated by Pope Leo where continuing a year he caused him to be crowned King by the Pope and returning into his Country married Judith the King of France his Daughter bringing Alfred and her with him into England In the Kings absence in forein parts Alstan Bishop of Sherburne Eandulfe Earl of Somerset and certain other Nobles making a Conspiracie with Ethelbald the Kings eldest Son concluded he should never be received into the Kingdom upon his return from Rome for two Causes One for that he had caused his youngest son Alfred to be crowned King as Rome excluding thereby as it were his eldest Son and others from the Right of the Kingdom Another for that contemning all the women of England he had married thâ— Daughter of the King of France an alien et contra morem et Statuta Regum West-Saxonum â—nd against the use and Statutes of the Kings of the West-Saxons called Judith the King of France his Daughter whom he lately â—spoused Queen and caused her to sit by his side at the Table as he easted For the West-Saxons permitted not the Kings Wife to sit by the King at the Table nor yet to be called Queen but the Kings Wife Which Infamy arose â—â—om Eadburga Daughter of King Offa Queen of the same Natâ—on who destroyed her Husband King Brithrâ—…c with poison and sitting by the King was wont to accuse all the Nobles of the Realm to him who thereupon deprived them of life or banished them the Realm whom she câ—uld not accuse she used to kill wâ—th poison Therefore for this mis-doing of the Queen they all conjured and swore that they would never permit a King to reign over them who should be guilty in the premises Wâ—…e eupon King Aethelulfe returning peaceably â—rom Rome his Son Aethelbald with his Complices attempted to bring their conceived wickedness to effect in excluding him from his own Realm and Crown But Almighty God would not permit it for lest peradventure a more than civil war should arise between the Father and the Son the Conspiracie of all the Bishops and Nobles ceased though the King Clemency who divided the Kingdom of the West-Saxons formerly undivided with his Son so that the East paâ—t of the Realm should go to his Son Ethelbald and the West-part remain to the Father And when tota Regni Nobiliras all the Nobility of the Realm and the whole Nation of the West-Saxers would have fought for the King thrust his Son Etheibald from the right of the Kingdom and 〈…〉 him and â—is Complices out of the Realm qui tantum facinus perpetrare ausi sunt Regem à regno â—…epeâ—â—erent which Wigorniensis Anno 855. â—il Facinus et inauditum omnibus saeculis ante infortunium if the Father would have permitted them to do it He out of the nobleness of his mind satisfied his Sons desire so that where the Father ought to have reigned by the just judgement of God there the obstinate and wicked Son reigned This King Aethelulfe before the death of Egbert his father was ordained Bishop of Winchester but his Father dying he was made King by the Prelates Nobles and People much against his will cum non esset alius de Regio genere qui regnare debuisset because there was none other of the Royal Race who ought to reign Haeredibus aliis deficientibus postmodum necessitate compulsus gubernacula Regm in se suscepit as Bromton and others expresse it At his death Anno 857. he did by his will lest his Sons should fall out between themselves after his decease give the kingdom of Kent with Sussex and Essex to Ethelbert his second son and left the kingdom of the West-Saxons to his eldest son Aethelbald then he devised certain sums of Money to his Daughter Kindred Nobles and a constant annuity for ever for meat drink and cloths to one poor man or pilgrim out of every 10 Hides of his Land 300 marks of mony to be sent yearly to Rome to be spent there in Oyl for Lamps Almes which sums I never find paid by his Successors as he prescribed by his Will and Charter too because not confirmed by his great Parliamentary Councils of Prelates and Nobles as his forcited Charter and Peter-pence likewise granted by him were upon this occasion âs some record that he being in Rome and seeing there out lawed men doing penance in bonds of Iron purchased of the Pope that Englishmen after that time should never onâ— of their Country do penance in Bonds About the year of our Lord 867. Osbrith King of Northumberland as Bromton records residing at York as he returned from hunting went into the house of one of his Nobles called Bruern Bocard to eat who was then gone to the Sea-coasts to defend it the Ports against Theeves and Pirates as he was accustomed His Lady being extraordinarily beautifull entertained him very honorably at dinner The K. enamored with her beauty after dinner taking her by the hand leads her into her Chamber saying he would speak with her in private and there violently ravished her against her will which done he presently returned to York but the Lady abode at her house weeping and lamenting the deeds of the King whereby she lost her former colour and beauty Her Husband returning and finding her in this sad condition inquired the cause thereof where with she fully acquainting him he thereupon cheered her up with comsortable words saying that he would not love her the lesse for it since her weakness was unable to resist the Kings power and vowed by Gods assistance speedily to avenge himself her of the King for this indignity
carry between his arms offering that to him for his trespasse and submissively deprecating that he would pardon all his rancour and ill-will to the Earle and receiving his homage and fealâ—y he would restore and redeliver his lands intirely to him Vnto which award THEY ALL ACCORDING they all laded themselves with treasure in the manner aforesaid and going to the King declared unto him the order and manner of their JUDGEMENT or AVVARD QUORUM CONSIDERATIONI REX CONTRADICERE NOLENS QUICQUID JUDICAVERANT PER OMNIA RATIFICAVIT The King not willing to contradict them in any thing they had judged ratified the same in all things An agreement therefore being made between them in this manner the Earl presently regained all his lands The generality of our Historians as Bromton confesseth deny that Godwin ever fled into Denmark or left England for the murder of Alfred they generally affirming that he purged himself thereof though falsly CORAM PROCERIBUS before the Nobles in the reign of Harde-Cnute swearing with his compurgators that he never consented to his death NISI REGIA VI COACTUS but through compulsion by royall violence Recording likewise that after the death of King Harde-Cnute Prince Edward was called out of Normandy and elected King principally by the help and counsel of Earle Godwin himself who as Malmesbury and others write perswaded him to accept the Crown and precontracted with him before he came into England Paciscatur ergo sibi amicitiam solidam filiis honores integros filiae matrimonium brevi futurum ut se Regem videat qui nunc vitae naufragus exul spei alterius opem implorat Utrinque fide data quicquid petebatur sacramento firmavit If there were then any such Parliament as this then held at London and such proceedings in it concerning Godwin it was most probably in the year 1043. as I here place it And from these memorable proceedings in it we may observe 1. That there is mention onely of the King Earls and Barons present in this Parliament as members of it not of any Knights of shires Citizens or Burgesses elected by the people of which there is not one syllable 2. That the Earls and Barons in Parliament were the onely Judges in that age in Parliament between the King and his Nobles subjects both in criminal and other causes there decided 3. That Peers in that age were onely tryed and judged by their Peers for treason and capitall offences 4. That appeals of Treason were then tryed in Parliament and the Earls and Barons the sole Judges of them and of what offences were Treason and what not 5. That the Bishops and Clergy in that age bad no votes in matters of Treason and capitall offences 6. That the Judgement of Parliament then rested properly in the Earls and Barons not the King and that their judgement was not repealable by but obligatory to the King himself 7. That no Subject could then by law wage battel against the King in an Appeal 8. That the murther of Prince Alfred then heir to the Crown in the time of Harold an actuall King by usurpation without any good title by his command was reputed a treasonable offence in Earl Godwin for which he forfeited his lands and was forced to purchase his pardon and lands restitution with a great fine and summe to the King 9. That though the Author of the Chronicle of Bromton Caxton out of him stile this Assembly PARLIAMENTUM a Parliament not a COUNCIL yet it is onely according to the style of the age wherein he writ being in the reign of King Edward the third as Mr. Selden proves not according to the dialect of the age wherein it was held to which the term Parliamentum was a meer stranger and CONCILIUM MAGNUM c. the usual name expressing such Assemblies King Edward Anno 1643. immediately after his Coronation came suddenly from Glocâ—ster to Winchester attended with Earl Godwin Siward and Leofric and by their advice forcibly took from his Mother Queen Emma all her gold silver jewels and precious stones and whatever rich things else she possessed commanding onely necessaries to be administred to her there The cause of which unjust act some affirm to be Godwins malice towards her others affirm it to be her unnaturalnesse to King Ethelred her first husband and her own sons by him Alfred and Edward In loving and marrying Cnute their enemy and supplanter when living and applauding him when dead more then Ethelred In advancing Harde-Cnute her son by him to the Crown and endeavouring to deprive Alfred Edward thereof In refusing to give any thing toward Prince Edw his maintenance whiles in exile and distresse although he oft requested her to supply his necessities In having some hand in the murther of Prince Alfred and endeavouring to poyson King Edward himself as the Chronicle of Bromton relates After which by the instigation of Robert Archbishop of Canterbury a Norman born he againe spoiled her of all she had and shut her up prisoner in the Abbâ—y of Werwel upon suspition of incontinency with Alwin Bishop of Winchester from which false imputation she purged her self and the Bishop by passing barefoot over nine red hot ploughshares without any harm Whereupon the King craved mercy and pardon from her for the infamy and injury done unto her for which he was disciplined and whipped by his Mother and all the Bishops there present Anno 1044. There was GENERALE CONCILIUM CELEBRATUN a General Council held at London wherein Wolmar was elected Abbot of Evesham And this year King Edward DE COMMUNI CONCILIO PROCERUM SUORUM as Bromton and others write most likely when assembled in the Council at London married Edith daughter of Earl Godwin in patrocinium regni sui he being the most potent man in all the Realm there being in her breast a magazine of all liberall vertues And this same year most probable by this same Councils Edict Gunilda a noble Matron King Crute's sâ—sters daughter with her two sons Hemming and Thurkell were banished out of England into Flanders from whence after a little stay they departed into Denmark King Edward in the year 1045. assembled together to the port of Sandwich a very numerous and strong Navy against Magnus King of Norway purposing to invade Engl. But Swane King of Denmark then warring upon him hindered his voyage for England The next year 1046. Osgodus Clapa was banished out of England Swane King of Denmark Anno 1047. sent Ambassadours to King Edward desiring him to send a Navy to him against Magnus King of Norway Hereupon Earl Godwin counselled the King to send him at least fifty ships furnished with souldiers Sed quia Leofrico comiti ET OMNI POPULO id non videbatur consilium CAETERI PROCERES DISSUASERUNT nullum ei mittere voluit But because that Council seemed not good to Earl Leofric and all the people and the rest of the Nobles
of Thanet into Flanders to Earle Baldwin with much treasure but his other two sonnes Harold and Leofric sailed by Bristol into Ireland Moreover the King put away his Queen Editha for her Father Godwins sake thrust her into the Abbie of Warwel or Redwel without worship with one maid only to attend her committing her to the custody of the Abbess his own sister taking away all her substance without leaving her so much as one penny ne scilicet omnibus suis parentibus patriam suspirantibus sola sterteret in pluma Harolds Earldom and County wâ—a bestowed on Algarus who ruled it nobly and he with good will resigned it up to Harold upon his returne These things being done William Duke of Normandy came to visit the King with a great multitude of Normans and Souldiers whom King Edward honorably received and magnificently entertained for a season carrying him about to all his royal Castles and Cities and at last sent back into Normandy with many and great presents bestowed on him and his followers De successione autem Regni spes adhuc aut mentio nulla facta inter eos fuit writes Iugulphus King Edward In Parliamento Pleno having in Plain or sull Parliament as Radulphus Cestrensis Knighton de eventibus Angliae l. 1. c. 10. Trevisa and others relate thus banished and outlawed Godwin and his sons in which in condition as some write they continued two ful years Thereupon in the year 1052. Harold and Leofric by way of reveng coming out of Ireland with such ships and forces as they could there raise pillaged the western parts of England infesting the shores with continual robberies carrying away rich booties and slaying such as resisted them Then marching from Severn into the confines of Somsetshire and Dorsetshire they plundered many Towns and Villages in those parts against whom a great multitude assembled out of these two Counties making head were incountred and routed by Harold many of their chief Officers and others being slain After which they returning to their ships with great booties sailed round about by the shore to Plimonth Upon this King Edward speedily sent forth forty ships well victualed and furnished with choice Souldiers commanding them to watch for and resist the coming and landing of Earle Godwin who without their privity coming with a few ships undescerned out of Flanders practised pyracy and pillaged the sea-coasts of Kent and Sussex and at last came to the Isle of Weight where his two sonnes Harold and Leofric joyning their ships and Forces with his they studiously plotted how they might aveng themselves upon King Edward by sea Griffin King of VVales in the mean time by their instigation de populating Herefordshire by land slaying many of the Countrey people who resisted him On the Kings part there were about sixty ships assembled together to oppose Harold riding at anchor the Admirals of which Navy were the Earls Odo and Ralph the Kings kinsmen neither was the King himself sloathfull in this necessity lying all night on shipboard and diligently observing the excursions of these Pyrates executing that by sage counsel which by reason of age he could not act with his hand When both Navies were drawn near together and ready to grapple with and encounter each other a thick fogge and cloud sodainly arising blinded the eyes of these furiou persons and restrained the wretched audacity of these mortals so that they could not encounter each other Godwin with his companions being forced by the winds to returne from whence they came After which Godwin and his sonnes by secret messengers drew unto their party an innumerable company of the inhabitants of Kent Essex Sussex and Surry and all the Mariners of Hastings with many Souldiers and having drawn together a very great Army out of those parts who all promised with one voice To live and dye with Godwin forbearing all plunder and depopulation after they met together taking only victuals for their Army when occasion and necessity required and alluring all they could to their party they marched with their forces first to Sandwich Which the King hearing of being then at London speedily sent messengers to all who had not revolted from him to come with all speed to his assistance who delaying overlong came not at the time appointed In the mean while Godwin comes up the Thames with his Navy and Army toward London and pitched his Tents in Southwark near the City King Edward who was then at London had assembled a great company of armed men together and no small Navy to pursue Godwin and his sonnes both by Sea and Land But because very few with the King or Godwin had courage to fight with each other and the English whose sonnes Nephews Kinsmen and Friends were with Godwin and Harold refused to fight against their own parents kinred of the Kings party thereupon some wise men on both parts diligently endeavored to make a firme peace and reconciliation between the King and Godwin and commanded the Armies and Navies to forbear fighting Godwin being aged and potent both with his favour and tongue to bow the mindes of his auditors very well purged himself from all the things objected against him The next morning Rex habens cum Primartbus suis Concilio the King taking Counsel with his Nobles restored Godwin and all his sonnes except Swane who went on Pilgrimage barefoot to Jerusalem to expiate the murder of Beorne together with the Queen his daughter to their former honours Godwin giving his Sonne VVolnoth and Hake the Son of Swane his hostages to the King for his keeping of the peace and future loyaltie to him whom the King immediatly sent into Normandy to be kept there A concord and peace being thus made and ratified the King and Nobles omni populo bonas Leges rectam justitiam promiserunt promised good Laws and right Justiceto all the people then they banished Robert arch-bishop oâ— Canterbury William Bishop of London Vlfe Bishop of Dorchester and all the other Normans who incensed and gave the King evill counsel against Earle Godwin and the English and had invented unjust laws and pronounced unjust judgements against them permitting only some few Normans nominated in our Historians whom the King loved more than the rest and who had been faithfull to him and all the people to remain in England Not long after VVilliam Bishop of London was for his goodnesse recalled and restored to his Bishoprick but Stigand was made Archbishop of Canterbury in the place of Robert and Osburne and Hugh two Normans by birth leaving their Castles here went to the King of Scots who entertained them and so the land was freed from these forreign incendiaries Normannos omnes ignominâ notatos prolata Sententia in Robertum Archiepis ejusque complices quod statum regni conturbarant animum Kegis in provinciales agitantes Upon this sentence denounced Robert and others of them presently fled the Realme of their own accord
Life He was no respecter of persons in judgement but judged every man according to the quantity of his Offence and quality of his person He united all the Nations under him which were divers by the Covenan and Obâ—… of one Law Governing them all with such Justice Equity Integrity and Peace that he was sâ—iâ—eâ— Rex 〈◊〉 Edgarus Pacificus the peaceable King Edgar In his days not Torments not Gibbeâ—s not Exile not banishment were so much feared as the offending of so good and gracious a King He built and endowed no lesse than 48 Monasteries and restored many more endowing them with large possessions privileges out of Piety and Devotion as these times reputed it was a great honourer lover promoter of the vertuous and learned Clergy and suppressor of the vicious and scandalous There was scarce one year throughout all his reign wherein he did not some great and memorable necessary thing for the good of his Country and people the honour of God and advancement of Religion All which made him so honoured and beloved by his Subjects at home so far dreaded by his Enemies abroad that Nullas Domesticorum insidias nullum exterminium alienorum sensit He never felt any homebred treachery or forein invasion but reigned peaceably all his days without war or bloodshed which none of his Predecessors ever did He was so far from tollerating any violence or rapine in men towards each other that he commanded all the Wolves and ravenous Beasts greedy of blood to be destroyed throughout his Dominions And such an Enemy was he to Drunkenness the Mother of Vices Murders Quarrels Thefts wherewith the Danes had much infected the English that to prevent and redress it he caused Pins to be set in every Cup prohibiting by severe Laws and Penalties that none should force others to drink nor yet dâ—ink below those Pins in that moderate proportion which he prescribed them Among other his Politick deeds for the peace and safeguard of his Realm against pillaging Pirates and Forein Invaders he had always in readiness 3600 as most or 4800 strong ships of War as others record to secure the Seas in the Summer season which he divided into three Squadrons or Fleets whereof he placed 1200 in the East Seas to guard them 1200 in the South Seas 1200 in the West Seas and 1200 in the North Seas as some write to prevent Piracies and repulse the invasion of Forein Enemies These Ships immediatly after Easter met together every year at their several places of Rendezvous wherewith the King sailed round about the Island and Sea-coasts with a great force to the terror of Foremers and exercising of his own subjects sayling with the Eastern Navy to the Western parts of the Iland and then sending them back with the Western Fleet to the Northern Coasts and then sayling with the Northern Fleet to the South pius sâ—iâ—icet explorator ne quid Piratae turbarent After his return from the Sea in the Winter and Spring he used to ride in Progress through all the Counties of the Realm diligently to search and inquire how his Laws Statutes Ordinances were kept and observed by his Princes Great Men and Of ficers lest the Poorer sort of people should suffer prejudice or be oppressed by the Greater Richer And whether his Judges or Justices judged uprightly according to the Laws or injured any through Bribery Malice or Partiality Violati Juris severus Ultor being a severe Revenger of his violated Laws sparing neither Rich nor Poor but judging him justly according to the quality of his transgression In hoc Justitiae in ilâ—o fortitudinis in utrâ—que Reipublicae Regni utilitatibus consulens as Wiliam of Malmesbury and Flor. of Worcester report of him Et ideo tempore suo latrones nulli fuerunt nec aliquis qui Guerram vel turbationem in Regno movere audebat Merito ergo non infirma inter Anglos fama est nullum nec ejus nec superioris aetatis Regem in Anglia recto aequabili judicio Edgaro comparandum He being Flos et Decus antecessorum Regum non minus memorabils Anglis quam Romulus Romanis Cyrus Persis Alex. Macedoniis Arsaces Parthis Carolus Magnus Francis as Malmesbury Abbot Ethelred Florentius VVigorniensis Simcon Dunelmensis Henry Huntindon Matthew VVestminster and others record of him who are much more copious in his prayses Mr. Fox closeth up his Encomiums of him with this Speech As I see many things in this worthy Prince to be commended so this one thing in him I cannot but lament to see him like a Phoenix to fly alone that of all his Posterity so few there be that seek to keep him company Towards the end of his Reign the Welchmen moving some rebellion he thereupon assembled a mighty Army to suppress and prevent it wherewith he entring into the Country of Glamorgan sharply punished the Ringleaders thereof But his Souldiers doing great harm in plundering the Country lading themselves with spoyls the King out of his bounty commanded them to restore to the People all the spoyls they had gotten and more especially St. Ellutus Bell that was hanged about an Horses neck whereby he purchased singular love and honor from the Inhabitants At length after he had reigned thus 16 years and two months in great tranquillity and honor totum regnum sanctis legibus stâ—enuâ— gubernantem as Eadmerus relaâ—es of him he died happily oâ— â—uesday the 8 of July Anno 975. Nec potuit malè mori qui benè vixerat qui tot Ecclesias Deo fundaverat qui tot bona perennia brevi tempore statuerat as Henry Arch-Deacon of Huntingdon observes who bestowed this honourable Epitaph on him remembred also by others Auctor opum vindex scelerum largitor honorum Sceptifer Edgarus Regna superna petit Hic alter Solomon legum Pater Orbita Pacis Quod caruit bellis claruit inde magis Temâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dedit agros Nequitiae lapsum justiciaeque locum Novâ—â— enim Regno verum per quâ—rere falso Immensum modico perpetuumque brevi Immediately after his death Res et spes Anglorum retro sublapsae sunt totius Regni status est perturbatus et post tempus laetitiae quod illius tempore vigebat pacificè caepiâ— tribulatio undique advenire as Malmesbury Wigorniensis Hoveden Simeon Dunelmensis and Bromton observe such an incomparable loâ—s was the death of so just pious and prudent a King to the whole Nation qui juventutis vitia posteà magnis virtutibâ—s delevit when most others do quite contrary King Edgar at the time of his decease leaving behind him two Sons by two venters Edward his eldest Son by Queen Ethelfleda his first Wife then but 12. years old and Ethelred his second Son by his second Queen Elfreda then not much above 7. years of age Tâ—… arose a great contention amongst the Nobles of the Realm about choosing of a new King For Queen Elfreda with
the Court charged him with his Host to avenge the wrong done to Eustace and to punish the insolency of the men of Dover which the King exceedingly aggravated But Godwin a man of sharp wit and wel understanding that sentence ought not to be pronounced upon the hearing of the allegations of one part only without hearing the other refused to march with his Army against the Burgesses of Dover although the King commanded him both because he envied that all Aliens should find such extraordinary favour with the King and because he would shew friendship to his own Countreymen Whereupon he answered It were reasonable and just that before any execution done the the Wardeins of Dover Castle should be summoned into that Kings Court in a fair manner to answer this tumult and if they could excuse themselves that then they should be dismissed without harms or if not that then they should satisfy the King whose peace they had broken and the Earl whom they had offended with money or the forfeiture of their bodies and goods Iniquum videri ut quos tutari debeas eos ipse potissimum inauditos adjudices And so Godwin departed at that time little regarding the Kings fury as being but momentany Quocirca Totius regni Proceres jussi Glocestriam convenire ut iâ—i magno conventu res ventilaretur Therefore all the Lords of the land were commanded to assemble together at Glocester that this matter might be there debated in a great Parliamentary assembly Thither came the most famous Earle Syward of Northumberland and Leofric Earle of Mercia Omnibus Anglorum Nobiles and all the English Nobility at that time only Godwin and his Sonnes who knew themselves suspected thought it not safe for them to come thither without an armed Guard whereupon they encamped at Breverstone with a great host and there stayed giving out a report among the people that they had therefore gathered an Army together out of Kent Surry Yorkshire Oxfordshire Glocestershire Somersetshire Herfordshire Essex Notinghamshire and other parts that they might curbe the Welshmen who meditating Tyranny and Rebellion against the King had fortified a Town in Herefordshire where Swane one of the Earl Godwins Sonnes then pretended to keep watch and ward against them The King hearing that Godwin and his Sonnes had raised a great Army of men out of all these Counties upon this false pretext presently sent Messengers to Syward Earle of Northumberland and Leofric Earle of Mercia to hasten to him being in great danger with all the forces they could raise Who repairing to him at the first with small forces so soon as they knew how the matter went sending their Officers through their Countries together with Earle Ralph in his Countrey speedily assembled a great Army to assist the King ready to encounter these enemies if there were a necessity In the mean time Godwin marching with his Army into Glocestershire sent messengers to the King as Matthew VVestminster and some others story commanding him to deliver up Earle Eustace with his companions the Normans Bonomans who then held the Castls of Dover to him else he should denounce war against him To whom the King being sufficiently furnished with military forces sent this answer That he would not deliver up Earl Eustace to him commanding moreover Vt qui erercitum contra ipsum collegerat sine ejus licentia pacem regni perturbaverat veniret ad eum die statuta super hac injuria sibi responsurus juri pariturus Godwin and his Sonnes being accused of A CONSPIRACY against the King and made odious to the whole Court by the VVelshmen and Normans so that a rumor was spread abroad that the Kings Army would assault them in the same place where they quartered and were unanimously resolved and ready to fight with Godwins Army being much incensed against him if the King would have permitted them Quo accepto Godwinus ad Conjuratos classicum cecinit Vt ultro Domino regi â—on resisterent sed si conuenti fuissent quin se ulciscerentur loco non cederent profecto facinus miserabile plus quam civile bellum fuisset nisi maturiora consilia interessent writes Malmsbury But because the best and greatest men of all England were engaged on the one side and other it seemed a great unadvisednesse to Earl Leofric and others that they should fight a battle and wage war with their own Countrymen and thereupon they advised That hostages being given on both sides the King and Godwin should meet at London on a certain day to plead together which Counsel being approved of and meslengers running to and fro between them hostages being given and received and some small agreement made between them at the present thereupon the Earle returned into VVest-Sax and the King increasing his Army both out of Mercia and Northumberland returned with them to London by agreement between both parties Iterumque praeceptum ut Londini Concilium coageretur and it was again commanded by the King that A COVNCEL or PARLIAMENT as Trevisa Speed and others render it should be assembled at London Swane the Son of Godwin was commánded to mitigate the Kings anger by his flight Godwin and Harold were ordered to come to this Councel with twelve men only in their company and that they should resigne up to the King the services of all the Knights and Souldiers which they had thoroughout England But Godwin and his Sonnes as they durst not wage war against the King so ad Curiam ejus venire Juri parituri negabant They would not come to his Court to put themselves upon a legal tryall alleadging That they would not goe to a Conventicle offactious persons without pledges and host ages that they would obey their Lord in the surrender of all their Knights services and in all things else without the perill of their honour and safety That if they came thither unarmed they might fear the losse of life if with a few followers it would be a reproach to their honour But the King being so resolute in his minde that he would not recede from what he had resolved by their intreaties upon their refusal to come unto his Court to justify themselves Rex in suo Concilio communi Curiae suae judicio by the common judgement of his Court in this Parliamentary Councel Et omnis exercitus unanimi consensu and by the unanimous consent of his whole Army as Flo-rence of VVorcester and his followers subjoyne banished Godwin himself and his five Sons out of England whereupon prolatum Edictum est A Decree Proclamation was then published that within five dayes they should depart out of England Godwin perceving that his souldiers deserted him some some for fear of the Kings Army and displeasure thereupon he and his wife Giva and his three sonnes Swane Gurth and Tosti with his wife Iudith daughter to the Earle of Flanders departed presently out of England by the Isle