[Sidenote:  Ran.  Higd.] ¶ How Alfred should claime the crowne to himselfe I see not:  for verelie I can not be persuaded that he was the elder brother, though diuers authors haue so written, sith Gemeticensis, & the author of the booke called “Encomium Emmae,” plainlie affirme, that Edward was the elder:  but it might be, that Alfred being a man of a stouter stomach [Sidenote:  See maister Fox acts and monuments, pag. 112. Simon Dun.] than his brother Edward, made this attempt, either for himselfe, or in the behalfe of his brother Edward, being as then absent, and gone into Hungarie, as some write:  but other say, that as well Edward as Alfred came ouer at this time with a number of Norman knights, and men of warre imbarked in a few ships, onelie to speake with their mother, who as then lay at Winchester, whether to take aduise with hir how to recouer their right heere in this land, or to aduance their brother Hardicnute, or for some other purpose, our authors doo not declare.

But the lords of the realme that bare their good wils vnto Harold, and (though contrarie to right) ment to mainteine him in the estate, seemed to be much offended with the comming of these two brethren in such order:  for earle Goodwine persuaded them, that it was great danger to suffer so manie strangers to enter the realme, as they had brought with them.  Wherevpon earle Goodwine with the assent of the other lords, or rather by commandement of Harold, went foorth, and at Gilford met with Alfred that was comming towards king Harold to speake with him, accordinglie as he was of Harold required to doo.  But now being taken, and his companie miserablie murthered (as before ye haue heard) to the number of six hundred Normans, Alfred himselfe was sent into the Ile of Elie, there to remaine in the abbeie in custodie of the moonks, hauing his eies put out as soone as he entered first into the same Ile.  William Malmesburie saith, that Alfred came ouer, and was thus handeled betwixt the time of Harolds death, & the comming in of Hardicnute.  Others write, that this chanced in his brother Hardicnuts daies, which seemeth not to be true:  for Hardicnute was knowne to loue his brethren by his mothers side too dearelie to haue suffered anie such iniurie to be wrought against either of them in his time.

¶ Thus ye see how writers dissent in this matter, but for the better clearing of the truth touching the time, I haue thought good to shew also what the author of the said booke intituled “Encomium Emmae” writeth hereof, which is as followeth.  When Harold was once established king, he sought meanes how to rid queene Emma out of the way, and that secretlie, for that openlie as yet he durst not attempt anie thing against hir.  She in silence kept hir selfe quiet, looking for the end of these things.  But Harold remembring himselfe, of a malicious purpose, by wicked aduise tooke counsell how he might get into his hands and make away the sons of queene Emma, & so to be out of danger of all annoiance that by them might be procured against him.  Wherefore he caused a letter to be written in the name of their [Sidenote:  A counterfet letter.] mother Emma, which he sent by certeine messengers suborned for the same purpose into Normandie, where Edward and Alfred as then remained.  The tenour of which letter here insueth.