The Brut, or The chronicles of England. Edited from Ms. Raw. B171, Bodleian Library, &c., by Friedrich W. D. Brie, with introduction, notes, and glossary ...

How þe Erl Godwyn come aȝeyn into Engeland, & hade aȝeyne al his land, & afterward Seynt Edward wedede his douȝter. Capitulo ¶ Centesimo xxv[i]j^to.

WHen þe Erl Godwyn, þat was in Denmarc duellyng, hade michel herd of þe godenesse of Edward, & þat he was ful of mercy & of pitee, & þouȝt þat he wolde gon aȝeyn into Engeland forto seche and to haue grace of him, & þat he myght haue þe lande aȝeyn in pees, & arraiede him as miche as he might, & put him toward þe see, & come into Engeland, to London, þere þat þe Kyng was þat tyme, & al þe lordes of Engeland, & helde parlement. ¶ Godewyn sent to ham þat were his frendes, & were þe moste gretteste lordes of þe londe, & praiede ham to biseche þe Kynges grace for him, and þat he wolde his pees & his londes graunt him. his frendes Lade him bifore þe Kyng forto biseche grace. ¶ And anone as þe Kyng him saw, he appelede him of tresoun, & of þe deþ of Alurede his broþer, and þise wordes vnto him saide: ¶ "Traitour Godwyn!" quod [MS Rawlinson B 171 71b] þe Kyng, "I þe appele, þat þow haste bitraede & slayne my broþer Alurede." ¶ "Certes, sire," quod Godwyn, "saf ȝour grace, ȝour pees & ȝoure lorde-shippe, y neuer him bitraede ne sloughe; and þerof y put me [in] rewarde of ȝour cou[r]t." ¶ "Now, faire lordes, ȝe þat beþ my lieges, erles & barons of þe lande, þat here bene alle

assemblede,—wel ȝe hauen herde myn appele, and þe ansure of Godwyn; & þerfore y wil þat ȝe award and do ryght." ¶ þe erles and barons þo drowen ham al to-geder, forto done þis award by ham-self. and so þai spoken diuerseliche amonges ham; for somme sayde þat þere was neuer allyaunce by homage, serment, seruise, ne by lordeship, bituene Godwyn & Alurede, for which þing þai might him draw. ¶ And at þe laste þai demede þat he shulde put him into þe Kynges mercy altogeders. ¶ þo spake þe Erl Leueryche of Couentre, a gode man to God & to alle þe worlde, & tolde his resoun in þis maner, & saide: "þe Erl Godwyne is þe best frendede man of Engeland after þe kyng; and wel myȝt it nouȝt bene gaynsaide þat, wiþout consel of Godwyn, Alurede was neuer put vnto deþ; Wherefore y awarde, as tochyng my part, þat him-self and his sone, and eueryche of vs xij Erles þat beþ his frendes, wende bifore þe Kyng chargede wiþ alse miche golde and siluer as we mowe bere bytuene oure hondes, & prayng þe Kyng forȝeue his euel wille to þe Erle Godwyn, and resceyue his homage, & his landes ȝelde aȝeyn." & alle þai accordede vnto þat awarde, and comen in þis maner as is aboue-saide, eueryche of ham wiþ golde & siluer, [MS Rawlinson B 171 72a] as miche as þai myght bere bituenes here hondes, bifore þe Kyngg; and þai saiden þe fou[r]me and þe maner of her accord and of her awarde. ¶ The Kyng wolde nouȝt ham gayne-saie; but alse miche as þai wolde ordeyne, he grauntede & confermede; And so was þe Erl Godwyn accordede wiþ þe Kyng, & hade aȝeyne al his lande; and aftirward he bar him so wel & so wiseliche þat þe Kyng louede him wonder myche, & with him was ful priue. And wiþin a litel tyme þe Kyng louede him so miche þat he spousede Godwynus doughter, and made her Quene; and neuerþeles, for al þat, þouȝ þe Kyng hade a wif, he leuede euermore in chastite & in clennes of body, wiþouten eny flesshely dede doyng with his wif; & þe Quene also, in her Halfe, lade holy lif ij ȝere, and deide; & afterward þe

Kyng leuede al his lif wiþouten eny wif. ¶ The Kyng ȝaf þe Erldome of Oxenford to Harolde, þat was Godwynes sone, & made him Erle; and so wel þai were bilouede, boþe þe fader and þe sone, & so pryue wiþ þe Kyng, þat þai myght do what þing þai wolde by righte, for aȝeynes ryght he wolde nouȝt done for no maner man, so gode and trew he was of consciens; and þerfore our Lorde Ihesu Crist, grete special loue to him shewed.