example of the Niniuites: they said againe, that it would not be, for
neither should the people repent, nor God take anie pitie vpon them.
And when is there hope to haue an end of these miseries said I? Then
said they; When a grene trée is cut in sunder in the middle, and
the part cut off is caried thrée acres bredth from the stocke, and
returning againe to the stoale, shall ioine therewith, and begin
to bud & beare fruit after the former maner, by reason of the sap
renewing the accustomed nourishment; then (I say) may there be hope
that such euils shall ceasse and diminish." ¶ With which words of
the king, though some other that stood by were brought in feare, yet
archbishop Stigand made but a ieast thereof, saieng, that the old
man raued now in his sickenesse, as men of great yéeres vse to doo.
Neuerthelesse the truth of this prophesie afterwards too plainlie
appeared, when England became the habitation of new strangers, in such
wise, that there was neither gouernor, bishop, nor abbat remaining
therein of the English nation. But now to make an end with king
Edward, he was of person comelie, & of an indifferent stature, of
white haire, both head and beard, of face ruddie, and in all parts of
his bodie faire skinned, with due state and proportion of lims as was
thereto conuenient. In the yéere before the death of king Edward, a
blasing starre appeared, the which when a moonke of Malmesburie
named Eilmer beheld, he vttered these words (as it were by way of
prophesieng:) Thou art come (saith he) thou art come, much to be
lamented of manie a mother: it is long agone sith I saw thée, but now
I doo behold thee the more terrible, threatening destruction to this
countrie by thy dreadfull appearance. In the person of king Edward
ceased by his death the noble progenie of the Westsaxon kings, which
had continued from the first yeare of the reigne of Cerdike or
Cerdicius, the space of 547 yeeres complet. And from Egbert 266
yéeres.