newes) from a
despairing feare, showing the chance of warre to be mutable, their
number many and captaines sufficient to try another field. Alfred,
Archbishop of Yorke, there present, and president of the assembly,
stoutly and prudently gave his counsell forthwith to consecrate and
crowne young Edgar Atheling (the true heire) for their king, to
whom consented likewise both the sea-captaines and the Londoners.
But the Earles of Yorkeshire and Cheshire, Edwin and Morcar (whom
this fearefull state of their country could not disswade from
disloyaltie and ambition), plotting secretly to get the crown
themselves, hindred that wise and noble designe. In which, while
the sorrowfull Queene, their sister, was conueyed to Westchester,
where, without state or title of a Queene, she led a solitary and
quiet life.

"The mother of the slaine King did not so well moderate her womanly
passions as to receive either comfort or counsell of her friends:
the dead body of her sonne shee greatly desired, and to that end
sent to the Conquerour two sage brethren of his Abbey at Waltham,
who had accompanied him in his unfortunate expedition. Their names
(as I finde them recorded in an olde manuscript) were Osegod and
Ailric, whose message to the Conquerour, not without abundance of
teares and feare, is there set downe in the tenour as followeth:

"'Noble Duke, and ere long to be a most great and mightie King, we
thy most humble servants, destitute of all comfort (as we would we
were also of life) are come to thee as sent from our brethren, whom
this dead King hath placed in the monastery of Waltham, to attend
the issue of this late dreadfull battaile (wherein God favouring
thy quarrell, he is now taken away and dead, which was our greatest
comforter, and by whose onely bountifull goodenesse we were
relieved and maintained, whom hee had placed to serve God in that
church). Wherefore wee most humbly request thee (now our dread
lord) by that gracious favour which the Lord of lords hath showed
unto thee, and for the reliefe of their soules, who in this
quarrell have ended their dayes, that it may be lawfull for us by
thy good leave safely to take and carry away with us the dead body
of the King, the founder and builder of our church and monasterie;
as also the bodies of su