cause that can
be assigned; and is accordingly mentioned by Eadmer, Hoveden, Brompton,
and Simeon of Durham. For a further account of this piece of tapestry,
see Histoire de l'Academie de Litterature, tom. ix. p. 535.]

[Footnote 7: NOTE G, p. 155. It appears from the ancient translations of
the Saxon annals and laws, and from King Alfred's translation of
Bede, as well as from all the ancient historians, that comes in Latin,
alderman in Saxon, and earl in Dano-Saxon, were quite synonymous. There
is only a clause in a law of King Athetetan's, (see Spel. Concil. p.
406,) which has stumbled some antiquaries, and has made them imagine
that an earl was superior to an alderman. The weregild, or the price of
an earl's blood, is there fixed at fifteen thousand thrimsas, equal to
that of an archbishop; whereas that of a bishop and alderman is only
eight thousand thrimsas. To solve this difficulty, we must have recourse
to Selden's conjecture, (see his Titles of Honor, chap. v. p. 603, 604,)
that the term of earl was in the age of Athelstan just beginning to be
in use in England, and stood at that time for the atheling or prince of
the blood, heir to the crown. This he confirms by a law of Canute, sect.
55, where an atheling and an archbishop are put upon the same footing.
In another law of the same Athelstan, the weregild of the prince or
atheling, is said to be fifteen thousand thrimsas. See Wilkins, p. 71 He
is therefore the same who is called earl in the former law.]

[Footnote 8: NOTE H, p. 194. There is a paper or record of the family
of Slarneborne, which pretends that that family, which was Saxon, was
restored upon proving their innocence, as well as other Saxon families
which were in the same situation. Though this paper was able to impose
on such great antiquaries as Spelman (see Gloss, in verbo Drenges) and
Dugdale, (see Baron, vol. i. p. 118,) it is proved by Dr. Brady (see
Answer to Petyt, p. 11, 12) to have been a forgery; and is allowed as
such by Tyrrel, though a pertinacious defender of his party notions:
(see his history, vol. ii. introd. p. 51, 73.) Ingulf (p. 70) tells us,
that very early Hereward, though absent during the time of the conquest,
was turned out of all his estate, and could not obtain redress, William
even plundered the monasteries. Flor. Wigorn. p. 636 Chron. Abb. St.
Petri de Burgo, p. 48. M. Paris, p. 5. Sim. Dun p. 200. Diceto, p. 482.
Brompton, p. 967. Knyghton, p. 2344. Alured. Beverl.