Page:The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Giles).djvu/154

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136
THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE.
A.D. 1065.

in his earldom, and also many Britons came with him. There came Harold, the earl, to meet them; and they laid an errand upon him to king Edward, and also sent messengers with him, and begged that they might have Morkar for their earl. And the king granted it, and sent Harold again to them at Northampton, on the eve of St. Simon's and St. Jude's mass; and he made known the same to them, and delivered a pledge thereof unto them: and he there renewed Canute's law. But the northern men did much harm about Northampton whilst he went on their errand, inasmuch as they slew men and burned houses and corn; and took all the cattle which they might come at, that was many thousand: and many hundred men they took and led north with them; so that that shire, and the other shires which there are nigh, were for many years the worse. And Tosty the earl, and his wife, and all those who would what he would, went south over sea with him to Baldwin, the earl, and he received them all; and they were all the winter there. And king Edward came to Westminster at midwinter, and there caused to be consecrated the minster which himself had built to the glory of God and of St. Peter, and of all God's saints; and the church-hallowing was on Childermass-day. And he died on Twelfth-day eve, and him they buried on Twelfth-day eve, in the same minster, as it hereafter sayeth.

Here Edward king,
of Angles lord,
sent his stedfast
soul to Christ,
in God's protection,
spirit holy.
He in the world here
dwelt awhile
in royal majesty
mighty in council.
Four-and-twenty,
lordly ruler!
of winters numbered,
he wealth dispensed;
and he a prosperous tide;
ruler of heroes,
distinguished governed,
Welsh and Scots,
and Britons also,
son of Ethelred,
Angles and Saxons,
chieftains bold.
Where'er embrace
cold ocean-waves,
there all to Edward,
noble king!
obeyed faithfully,
the warrior-men.
Aye was blithe-mind
the harmless king,
though he long erst
of land bereaved.