[Sidenote:  The king put awaie his wife Editha.] Moreouer, about the same time the king put his wife queene Editha from him, and appointed hir to streict keeping in the abbeie of Warwell.  This Editha was a noble gentlewoman, well learned, and expert in all sciences, yet hir good name was stained somewhat, as though she had not liued so continentlie as was to be wished, both in hir husbands life time, and after his deceasse.  But yet at the houre of hir death (which chanced in the daies of William Conqueror) she cleared hir selfe, in taking it vpon the charge of hir soule, that she had euer liued in perfect chastitie:  for king Edward (as before is mentioned) neuer touched hir in anie actuall maner.  By this streict dealing with the queene that was daughter to earle Goodwine, now in time of hir fathers exile, it hath seemed to manie, that king Edward forbare to deale with hir in carnall wise, more for hatred of hir kin, than for anie other respect.  But to proceed.

[Sidenote:  1052. Hen.  Hunt.] In the second yeere of Goodwines banishment, both he and his sonnes hauing prouided themselues of ships and men of warre conuenient for the purpose, came vpon the coasts of England, and after the maner of rouers, tooke preies where as they espied aduantage, namelie on the [Sidenote:  Griffin king of Wales destroieth Herefordshire.] coasts of Kent and Sussex.  In the meane time also Griffin the K. of Wales destroid a great part of Herefordshire, against whom the power of that countrie, & also manie Normans that lay in garrison within the castell of Hereford, comming to giue battell, were ouerthrowne on the same day, in the which about two and twentie yeeres before, or (as some copies haue) thirteene yeeres, the Welshmen had slaine Edwine, [Sidenote:  Harold inuadeth the shires of Dorset and Summerset.] the brother of earle Leofrike.  Shortlie after, earle Harold and his brother Leofwine returning out of Ireland, entered into the Seuerne sea, landing on the coasts of Summersetshire and Dorsetshire, where falling to spoile, they were incountred by a power assembled out of the counties of Deuonshire and Summersetshire:  but Harold put his aduersaries to flight, and slue thirtie gentlemen of honor, or thanes (as they called them) with a great number of others.  Then Harold and his brethren, returning with their preie and bootie to their ships, and coasting about the point of Cornwall, came and ioined with their father & their other brethren, then soiorning in the Ile of Wight.

King Edward to withstand their malice, had rigged and furnished foorth [Sidenote:  Simon Dun.] sixtie ships of warre, with the which he himselfe went to the water, not sticking to lie aboord at that season, although he had appointed for capteines and admerals two earles that were his coosins, Odo and Rafe, who had charge of the whole armie.  Rafe was his nephue, as sonne to his sister Goda by hir first husband Gualter de Maunt.  But although they were knowne to be