t the abbot to London, and occupied the bishopric which the
king before had granted him, with his full leave, all the summer
and the harvest. And then came Eustace [Earl of Boulogne] from
beyond sea soon after the bishop, and went to the king, and spoke
with him that which he then would, and went then homeward. When
he came to Canterbury, east, then took he refreshment there, and
his men, and went to Dover. When he was some mile or more, on
this side of Dover, then he put on his breast-plate, and so did
all his companions, and went to Dover. When they came thither,
then would they lodge themselves where they chose. Then came one
of his men, and would abide in the house of a householder against
his will, and wounded the householder; and the householder slew
the other. Then Eustace got upon his horse, and his companions
upon theirs; and they went to the householder, and slew him
within his own dwelling; and they went up towards the town, and
slew, as well within as without, more than twenty men. And the
townsmen slew nineteen men on the other side, and wounded they
knew not how many. And Eustace escaped with a few men, and went
again to the king, and made known to him, in part, how they had
fared. And the king became very wroth with the townsmen. And
the king sent off Godwin the earl, and bade him go into Kent in a
hostile manner to Dover: for Eustace had made it appear to the
king, that it had been more the fault of the townsmen than his:
but it was not so. And the earl would not consent to the inroad,
because he was loth to injure his own people. Then the king sent
after all his council, and bade them come to Gloucester, nigh the
aftermass of St. Mary. Then had the Welshmen erected a castle in
Herefordshire among the people of Sweyn the earl, and wrought
every kind of harm and disgrace to the king's men there about
which they could. Then came Godwin the earl, and Sweyn the earl,
and Harold the earl, together at Beverstone, and many men with
them, in order that they might go to their royal lord, and to all
the peers who were assembled with him, in order that they might
have the advice of the king and his aid, and of all this council,
how they might avenge the king's disgrace, and the whole
nation's. Then were the Welshmen with the king beforehand, and
accused the earls, so that they might not come within his eyes'
sight; because they said that they were coming thither in order
to betray the king. Thither