[Sidenote:  Wherefore Edgar is praised of some writers.] This Edgar is highlie renowmed of writers for such princelie qualities as appeared in him, but chieflie for that he was so beneficiall to the church, namelie to moonks, the aduancement of whome he greatlie sought, both in building abbeies new from the ground, in reparing those that were decaied:  also by inriching them with great reuenues, and in conuerting collegiat churches into monasteries, remoouing secular priests, and bringing in moonks in their places.  There passed no one yeere of his reigne, wherin he founded not one abbeie or other.  The abbeie of Glastenburie which his father had begun he finished.  The abbeie of Abington also he accomplished and set in good order.  The abbeies of Peterborough & Thornie he established.  The nunrie of Wilton he founded and richlie endowed, where his daughter Editha was professed, and at length became abbesse there.  To be briefe, he builded (as the chronicles record) to the number of 40 [Sidenote:  Fabian. Ran.  Higd. Hen.  Hunt.] abbeies and monasteries, in some of which he placed moonks, and in some nuns.  By his example in those daies, other nobles, as also prelates, & some of the laitie, did begin the foundation of sundrie abbeies and monasteries:  as Adelwold bishop of Winchester builded [Sidenote:  Wil.  Malm.] the abbeie of Elie, and (as some say) Peterborough & Thornie, though they were established by the king (as before is mentioned.) Also earle [Sidenote:  Hen.  Hunt.] Ailewin, at the exhortation of the same bishop Adelwold, builded the abbeie of Ramsey, though some attribute the dooing thereof vnto Oswald the archbishop of Yorke, and some to king Edward the elder.

[Sidenote:  Matt.  West. Moonks esteemed & secular priests little regarded.] To conclude, the religious orders of moonks and nuns in these daies florished, and the state of secular priests was smallie regarded, insomuch that they were constreined to auoid out of diuerse colleges, and to leaue the same vnto moonks, as at Worcester and Winchester, wherein the new monasterie, bicause the kings liued not in such sort as was then thought requisite, the prebends were taken [Sidenote:  Ran.  Higd. lib. 6 cap. 9] from them and giuen to vicars.  But when the vicars were thought to vse themselues no better, but rather worse than the other before them, they were likewise put out, and moonks placed in their roomes by authoritie of pope John the 13.  This reformation, or rather deformation was vsed by king Edgar in many other places of the realme.

[Sidenote:  Wil.  Malm. Ran.  Higd. Tho.  Eliot.] He was (as appeareth by diuers writers) namelie in his beginning, cruell against his owne people, and wanton in lusting after yoong women (as you haue heard before.) Of stature & proportion of bodie [Sidenote:  Edgar small of stature but strong and hardie.] he was but small and low, but yet nature had inclosed within so little