Whitsunday, Maud the wife of king William was crowned Queene by
Aeldred archbishop of Yorke. The same yeare also was Henrie his sonn
borne here in England: for his other two sonns, Robert and William,
were borne in Normandie before he had conquered this land. [Sidenote:
Edmond the Great.] About the same time alsoe Goodwine and Edmund
surnamed the great, the sonns of K. Harold, came from Ireland and
landing in Somersetshire, fought with Adnothus that had beene maister
of their fathers horsses whom they slue with a great number of others,
and soe haueing got this victorie, returned into Ireland, from whence
they came with a great bootie which they tooke in their returne out of
Cornewall, Deuonshire, and other places thereabouts. [Sidenote: _Wil.
Malm._ _Simon Dunelm._] In like manner, Excester did as then rebell,
and likewise the countrie of Northumberland, wherevpon the king
appointed one of his capteines named Robert Cumin, a right noble
personage (but more valiant than circumspect) to go against the
northerne people with a part of his armie, whilest he himselfe and the
other part went to subdue them of Excester: where, at his comming before
the citie, the citizens prepared themselues to defend their gates and
wals: but after he began to make his approch to assaile them, part of
the citizens repenting their foolish attempts, opened the gates, and
suffered him to enter. Thus having subdued them of Excester, he
greeuouslie punished the chéefe offendors. But the countesse Gita, the
sister of Sweine K. of Denmarke, and sometime wife to earle Goodwine,
and mother to the last K. Harold, with diuers other that were got into
that citie, found meanes to flie, and so escaped ouer into Flanders.
King William hauing passed his businesse in such wise in Deuonshire,
hasted backe towards Yorke, being aduertised in the waie, that the
Northumbers hauing knowledge by their spials, that Robert generall of
the Normans being come to Durham, did not so diligentlie cause watch
and ward to be kept about the towne in the night season as was