eated on a little river called Corfe,
wherein his mother-in-law, Elfrida, with her sonne Ethelred, then lived:
the King, ever beareing a kinde affection to them, beeing soe neare, would
needs make knowne soe much by his personall visitation; which haveing
resolved, and beeing either of purpose or by chance, singled from his
followers, hee rode to the Castell gate. The Queene, who long had looked
for an opportunitie, that, by makeing him awaye, shee might make waye for
her own sonne to the Crowne, was glad the occasion nowe offered itselfe;
and therefore, with a modest and humble behaviour, she bade him welcome,
desireing to enjoye his presence that night. But hee, haveing performed
what hee purposed, and doubting his companie might find him misseing,
tolde her, that he now intended on horseback to drink to her and his
brother in a cuppe of wine, and soe leave her; which beeing presented unto
him, the cuppe was no sooner at his mouth, but a knife was at his back,
which a servant, appointed by this treacherous woman, stroke into him. The
Kinge, finding himselfe hurt, sett spurs to his horse, thinking to recover
his companie; but the wounde beeing deepe, and fainting through the losse
of much blood, he felle from his horse, which dragged him by one foot
hanging in the stirrop, untill he was left dead at Corfe gate, Anno Dom.
979."

Thus far Malmesbury: Hutchins, in his History of Dorset, relates the
circumstances of this event in the following words:--

"The first mention of this Castle in our histories, is A.D. 978, as the
Saxon Annals (though some of our historians say 979 and 981), upon
occasion of the barbarous murder of Edward, King of the West Saxons, son
of King Edgar, committed here by his mother-in-law, Elfrith, or Elfrida;
15 cal. April, in the middle of lent: The foulest deed, says the Saxon
annalist, ever committed by the Saxons since they landed in Britain."

In the reign of King Stephen, the Castle was seized by Baldwin de Rivers,
Earl of Devon; and though the King afterwards endeavoured to dispossess
him, his efforts were ineffectual. King John appears to have made it for
some time his place of residence, as several writs, issued by him in the
fifteenth and sixteenth of his reign, are dated at Corfe. On the
coronation of Henry the Third, Peter de Mauley, the governor of the
Castle, was summoned to attend the ceremony, and to bring with him the
regalia, "then in his custody in this Castle wherewith he had be