power of his countries of Kent, Southerie, and other of the west
parts. Swaine likewise had assembled much people out of his countries
of Barkeshire, Oxfordshire, Summersetshire, Herefordshire,
[Sidenote: Harold. _Simon Dun._]
and Glocestershire. And Harold was also come to them with a great
multitude, which he had leuied in Essex, Norffolke, Suffold,
Cambridgeshire, & Huntingtonshire.

On the other part, the earles that were with the king, Leofrike,
Siward, and Rafe, raised all the power which they might make, and
the same approching to Glocester, the king thought himselfe in more
suertie than before, in so much that whereas earle Goodwine (who lay
with his armie at Langton there not farre off in Glocestershire) had
sent vnto the king, requiring that the earle of Bullongne, with the
other Frenchmen and also the Normans which held the castell of Douer,
might be deliuered vnto him. The king, though at the first he stood in
great doubt what to doo, yet hearing now that an armie of his friends
was comming, made answere to the messingers which Goodwine had sent,
that he would not deliuer a man of those whome Goodwine required, and
héerewith the said messengers being departed, the kings armie entered
into Glocester, and such readie good wils appéered in them all to
fight with the aduersaries, that if the king would haue permitted,
they would foorthwith haue gone out and giuen battell to the enimies.

Thus the matter was at point to haue put the realme in hazard not
onelie of a field, but of vtter ruine that might thereof haue insued:
for what on the one part and the other, there were assembled the
chiefest lords and most able personages of the land. But by the
wisedome and good aduise of earle Leofrike and others, the matter
was pacified for a time, and order taken, that they should come to a