Queene Alfred also would haue ridden to the place where he laie, mooued with repentance (as hath beene said) but the horsse wherevpon she rode would not come neere the graue, for anie thing that could be doone to him. Neither by changing the said horsse could the matter be holpen: for euen the same thing happened to the other horsses. Heerevpon the woman perceiued hir great offense towards God for murthering the innocent, and did so repent hir afterward for the same, that besides the chastising of hir bodie in fasting, and other [Sidenote: Building of abbeies in those daies was thought to be a full satisfaction for all manner of sinnes.] kind of penance, she imploied all hir substance and patrimonie on the poore, and in building and reparing of churches and monasteries. She founded two houses of nuns (as is said) the one at Warwell, the other at Ambresburie, and finallie professed hirselfe a nun in one of them, that is to say, at Warwell, which house she builded (as some affirme) in remembrance of hir first husband that was slaine there by king Edgar for hir sake (as before is mentioned.)
The bodie of this Edward the second, and surnamed the martyr, after that it had remained three yeeres at Warham where it was first buried, was remooued vnto Shaftesburie, and with great reuerence buried [Sidenote: Elferus.] there by the forenamed Alfer or Elfer, duke of Mercia, who also did sore repent himselfe, in that he had beene against the aduancement of the said king Edward (as ye haue heard.) But yet did not he escape woorthie punishment: for within one yeere after, he was eaten to [Sidenote: Polydor.] death with lice (if the historie be true.) King Edward came to his [Sidenote: Will. Malmes.] death after he had reigned three yeeres, or (as other write) three yeeres and eight moneths. ¶ Whatsoeuer hath beene reported by writers of the murther committed on the person of this king Edward, sure it is that if he were base begotten (as by writers of no meane credit it should appeere he was in deed) great occasion vndoubtedlie was giuen vnto queene Alfred to seeke reuenge for the wrongfull keeping backe of hir son Egelred from his rightfull succession to the crowne: