The tenour of a letter forged and sent in queene Emmas name to hir two sonnes.

“Emma tantum nomine regina filijs Edwardo & Alfredo materna impertit salutamina.  D[=u] domini nostri regis obitum separatim plangimus (filij charissimi) dumq; dietim magis magisque regno haereditatis vestrae priuamini, miror quid captetis consilij, dum sciatis intermissionis vestrae dilatione inuasoris vestri imperij fieri quotidie soliditat[=e].  Is enim incessanter vicos & vrbes circuit, & sibi amicos principes muneribus, minis, & precibus facit:  sed vnum e vobis super se mallent regnare quam istius (qui nunc ijs imperat) teneri ditione.  Vnde rogo vnus vestrum ad me velociter & priuate veniat, vt salubre a me consilium accipiat, & sciat quo pacto hoc negotium quod volo fieri debeat, per praesentem quoque internuncium quid super his facturi estis remandate.  Valete cordis mei viscera.”

The same in English.

“Emma in name onelie queene to hir sons Edward and Alfred sendeth motherlie greeting.  Whilest we separatelie bewaile the death of our souereigne lord the king (most deare sonnes) and whilest you are euerie day more and more depriued from the kingdome of your inheritance, I maruell what you doo determine, sith you know by the delay of your ceassing to make some enterprise, the grounded force of the vsurper of your kingdom is dailie made the stronger.  For incessantlie he goeth from towne to towne, from citie to citie, and maketh the lords his friends by rewards, threats, and praiers, but they had rather haue one of you to reigne ouer them, than to be kept vnder the rule of this man that now gouerneth them.  Wherefore my request is, that one of you doo come with speed, and that priuilie ouer to me, that he may vnderstand my wholesome aduise, and know in what sort this matter ought to be handled, which I would haue to go forward, and see that ye send mee word by this present messenger what you meane to doo herein.  Fare ye well euen the bowels of my heart.”

These letters were deliuered vnto such as were made priuie to the purposed treason, who being fullie instructed how to deale, went ouer into Normandie, and presenting the letters vnto the yoong gentlemen, vsed the matter so, that they thought verelie that this message had beene sent from their mother, and wrote againe by them that brought the letters, that one of them would not faile but come ouer vnto hir according to that she had requested, and withall appointed the day and time.  The messengers returning to king Harold, informed him how they had sped.  The yoonger brother Alfred, with his brothers consent, tooke with him a certeine number of gentlemen and men of warre, and first came into Flanders, where after he had remained a while with earle Baldwine, he increased his retinue with a few Bullogners, and passed ouer into England, but approching to the shore, he was streightwaies descried by his enimies, who hasted foorth to set vpon him; but perceiuing their drift, he bad the ships cast about, and make againe to the sea; then landing at an other place, he ment to go the next way to his mother.