The chronicle of Iohn Hardyng. Containing an account of public transactions from the earliest period of English history to the beginning of the reign of King Edward the Fourth. Together with the continuation by Richard Grafton, to the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth. The former part collated with two manuscripts of the author's own time; the last, with Grafton's duplicate edition. To which are added a biographical and literary preface, and an index, by Henry Ellis.

The. C.xx. Chapiter.

¶ Howe Sywarde, duke of Northumberlande, slewe in battayle Malcom [Malclome. edit. alt.] , kyng of Scotlande, and crowned Malclome kyng at Scome, accordyng to saynt Edwarde the Confessoures commaundement, whiche Malclome did homage to saynt Edwarde, as apeareth by his letters patent.

DVke Siwarde then was of Northūberlād In batayle slewe kyng [Maclom so] [Malcolyne.] in dede, Of Scotlande then y^t false was of [to. edit. alt.] his bād, Whiche to the kyng he made, who taketh hede; Wherfore the kyng, in Marian as I reade, By his letters charged duke Siward take [to take.] on hād, To croune Malcolin [y^t was] [erle than.] of Comberland.

¶ The whyche he dyd full myghtely anon At Skone abbey, wher kynges were all crouned, Vpon his hed he set the crowne anone [allone.] , [Fol. C.xxv.] [Homage of y^e Scottes.] And toke homage of hym vpon the grounde In Edwardes name, as he of right was bounde

For that ylke realme, and as his elders dyd, Suche fortune then to Englande was betid.

¶ The kyng Gryffyn [Griffith.] of Wales then was slayn, That Herford shire [Herefordshire than.] spoyled had and brent, His hed set vp at Gloucester full playne, For his vntruthe and falshed that he ment, And sone therafter his brothers hed was sent Vnto the kyng for his rebellion, So wer they both foriuged for treason.

¶ And as kyng Edward in his palayce [of pride,] [so wide.] Duke Goodwyne then sittyng at his table, Sawe the butler on his one fote slyde And lyke to fall that other fote full stable, [As he was seruyng the kyng at his table,] Then held hym vp that he fell not to grounde, Kyng Edward sayd to [Gudwyn in] [Godewyne thus.] that stounde,

¶ "As his one fote ye se [helpe that] [hath holpe.] other, Full well and trewe I I fynde it dayly nowe [newe.] , Had ye ne bene, thus had helpe me my brother;" Therle then to the kyng on side gan bowe, And sayd, "if I wer cause, I praye God nowe This breade passe not my throte, but dead I bee, And straungled here anone that ye maye see."

¶ At his prayer anone with that he died, For with that breade straungled was he y^t stound, It might not passe his throte, as men espied, Wherfore the kyng then bad drawe out y^t hounde Vnder the boorde, as he that false was founde, On whome God shewed an hasty iudgement [sore vengeaunce.] , Approued well by [good experiment.] [gode and trewe experiaunce.]

¶ Wher Herolde had therle Algare exiled Fro Leycestre, where erle he was so then, The kyng Edward agayn hym reconsiled, And perdoned hym and toke hym for his man; Of Couentre, as Flores tell it can,

The lord he was, and there thabbey founde, And buried there [is] with his wyfe that [this.] stound.

¶ This Algare was the sonne of [erle] Leofryke, Whiche Leofrike was the duke Lofwynes [Leofwyne.] sonne, That erle[s] had been there, none afore theim [hym.] like; But duke Siwarde, [as he] [at Yorke than.] did wonne, Syckenesse hym tooke and sore vpon hym ronne, [In whiche he dyd hym arme] [The whiche so dide hym harme.] in all degree, [And had] [He toke.] his axe in hand, full lyke to dye.

¶ He sayd vnto the lordes then hym about, "Thus semeth well in armes a knight to dye, And not in bed to [lye, loure,] [lie lowe.] and loute, Tyll death hym kyll with paynes cruelly, [As would God] [That wolde goode Gode.] here were my moste enemye, That I myght dye vpon hym nowe in right, In armes thus arayed like a knight."

¶ With that he died for paynes that he felt, Vpon his fete standynge in that araye, And shoke [his] axe, [while y^t] [unto.] his hert gan swelt, And to the ground he fell in that afraye, Who buried was at saynt Marie abbeye, At Yorke citee, with worshyp and honoure, [Fol. C.xxvi.] As likely [Like so.] was for suche a gouernoure.

¶ The kyng Edward, the duke [the duchie.] of Northūberlād To Tosty [Tostyue.] gaue, the sonne of duke Goodwyn, Vnder the name of erle, as Flores [doth] vnderstād: After whiche tyme all haue [hath.] been erles syne, [With landes and rentes both fayre and fyne;] [Unto this day discendynge doun be lyne.] Whiche estate suffice for princes ben both two, In euery lande accompte[d] where they go.

¶ He disherite[d] erle Waldyue his [owne] sonne, Who erle was then create of Huntyngdon, Of Northampton also [als.] , as chronicles [tell can,] [conne.] A worthy prince of all this region,

That rule a realme coulde [couth.] well then by reason; Another prince [was Loafrike] [erle Leoffrike.] that daye, Erle of Leycestre and Couentry no naye:

¶ Whiche Loefrike had a wyfe y^t Godiue hight, That naked [naked rode.] throughout all Couentree, The tolles sore and seruage agayn right To redeme [remedie.] hole [of her] [ayenste.] femynitee, She in her heare hangyng beneth [unto.] her knee, Vpon a daye, rode so through all the towne, To bye it free by her redempcion:

¶ For otherwise therle would not it free, But yf that she rode naked through [all] the towne, Vpon the daye that all men might her see, Trustyng she would not for no waryson Haue doen it so, by suche redempcion; But thus by witte she kept her selfe vnshamed, And freed the towne, worthy was he blamed [be blamed.] .

¶ Kyng Edwarde sente then into Hungary For his cousyn, the sonne of Emond Ironesyde. Themperoure sent hym Edwarde gladly, His brother sonne, and folke with hym to ryde, His sonne Edwarde [Edgare.] Athelyng by his syde, Margarete and eke Christine his doughter [doughters.] dere, Whiche kyng Edward receyued with good chere.

¶ He maried Margarete, [mighty w^t] [with mighty.] great riches, To [kyng] Malcolyne of Scotland was [kyng.] that daye, That [Which.] on her gatte fiue sonnes of great noblinesse [noblesse.] , Edwarde, Dunkan, Edgare, Alixander the gaye, And Dauid also [als.] , that kynges were all no naye Eche after other, of [of all.] Scotlande throughout, Whose mother is now S. Margrete w^tout doute.

¶ At Dumfermlyn shryned and canonized, On whom Malcolyne a doughter gate also, Kyng Henryes wife, the first full wel auised, Quene Mawd y^t hight y^t well loued Englāde tho;

These [The.] crosses fayre and roiall as menne goo, Through all Englande she made at hir expense, [And dyuerse good orders throwe his prouidence.] [And to theym gote pardoune and indulgence.]

¶ Another sustre this same saint Margarete had, That [Which.] Christine hight, kyng Edwarde thē professed In religion to lyue, she was full glad To holy lyfe disposed and adressed, [An holy woman of lyfe and of God blessed;] [All holynes in hir soule wase impressed.] Who at hir death hir soule then vncouered [vncoffred.] , [And to] [vnto.] our lorde full mekely so it offred.

¶ In his forest, as he pursued a dere, [Fol. C.xxvii.] In Essex, a palmer with hym met, Askyng hym good, whome gladly he dyd here, He claue his ryng and in sonder it bette, The halfe of whiche he gaue without [withoutyn.] lette To the palmer that went awaye anone, That other good to geue [hym] there had [he] none.

¶ But after that full longe and many [a] daye, Two pylgrames came vnto that [this.] noble kynge, And sayde, saint Iohn thappostell in pore araye [Ignoraūce and supersticyon.] Vs prayed, and bad straytly aboue all thyng, To you present and take this halfe golde rynge, Whiche ye gaue hym of almesse and charyte, And bade vs say that ryght sone ye should [shull.] him se:

¶ Whiche ryng he set together there anone, And that ylke place he called ay after Hauerynge, And that same place where they it braste [broke.] alone He called ay after that tyme Claueryng, In Essex be bothe [both two.] fayre standynge, Where that [than.] he made two churches [chapels.] of saint Iohn Theuangelyst, and [whiche.] halowed were anon.

¶ Sone after that he dyed and went to blysse; But fyrste he made duke Herold protectoure Of his cousyne, to gouerne and to wysse, Edgar Athelyng, full yonge a gouernoure,

Whome he ordeyned to be his successoure, As very heyre to Edmonde Ironesyde; But thus [this.] Herolde then set all that asyde.

When he had be kyng. xxiiii. yere, He dyed the yere a thousande syxtye and fyue, [Herolde, kynge of Englande, duke Goodwins sōne.] At Westminster canonyzed [is] full clere; All newe he made the churche there in his lyue, All were he not ryght heyre as men in [doo.] stryue: A confessoure he is full hye in heuen, With God to dwell euermore and beleuen [

Here the Harleian MS. adds,

A blisfull kynge he wase and fortunate, The tribute whiche his fader hade paied, The Danyshyelde called, he quyte and exonerate, That Englonde wase no more for it affraied, Nor neuer after to Denmarke ought obeied: But full of welth and all prosperite, He lefte Englonde the tyme whan he dide dee.

] .

Herolde by strength then crowned [was] for kynge, Forsworne that was vpon the euangelystes For to crowne Edgar Athelynge, And hym protecte and defende in all wyse Vnto his age, that none the realme suppryse. This was his othe of whiche he was forswore, All yf he made Edgar an earle therfore.

¶ The earle Tosty [Tostyue.] then of Northumberlande, That brother was vnto the [this.] kyng Herolde, By kyng [kyng Edwarde.] exyled out of the lande, To Englande came with kyng Herold full bold Of Norwaye then, in chronycle as is tolde; But kyng Herolde of Englande with them met, At Staūford brydge to death they both wer bet.

¶ Besyde Yorke was this batayl ful sore smyten, Where kyng Herolde of Englande had the felde, And slewe Herolde Harngrey, as was wryten [wetyn.] , Kyng of Norwaye, and earle Tosty [Tostyue.] vnder shelde, That neuer after myght armes [none armes.] welde, And thousandes fell [many.] of Danes and Norwayes, He kylled there that daye, as Flores sayes.

[A yere he reygned, whom] [Nyne moneths he reigned whan.] Willyam Conquerour, That [Whiche.] duke was then of all fayre Normandye, [Fol. C.xxviii.] Hym slewe in batayle for his ymagyned [vntrewe.] erroure Agayne hym that he dyd [so] cruelly, And not [nought.] wolde mende [ne yet] [nor yit him.] satisfye; The duke Willyam so the felde then conquered With strokes sore, for whiche the lande was ferd.

This kyng Herolde at Waltam, whiche he found Of foure score chanons, full fayer was buryed At [the] hye aulter, & as a kyng was crownde, All yf he were intrusor notifyed, And in batayl slayne and victoryed, Of gentylnesse the Conquerour bad so, All yf he were afore his mortall fo [Here the Harl. MS. adds, Nota hic quod linea regum Saxonum extincta est, et Normanni regnare incipiunt. Tamen remansit per muliebrem sexum, scilicet per Margaretam Scottorum reginam, uxorem Malcolini regis Seocie, et filiam Edwardi filii Edmundi Irenside regis Anglie, et Agathe filie Henrici Imperatoris, et sic de linea ejus moderni reges, ut de Saxonibus, linialiter discendunt.] .

¶ Willyam Conquerour, kyng of Englande and duke of Normandye, beganne to reygne the yere of Chryste a thousande. lxvi., and reygned. xxiiii. yere, and dyed the yere a thousande. lxxxx., and the sayde Conqueroure founded the abbaye of Batayle, for the soules of the people slaine there the fouretene daye of October, in the yere of Chryste a thousande thre score and syxe.