without his souereignes consent, ought to be void and of no value.  He alledged moreouer, that as for him to take an oth to deliuer the inheritance of anie realme without the generall consent of the estates of the same, could not be other than a great peece of presumption, yea although he might haue iust title therevnto; so it was an vnreasonable request of the duke at this present to will him to renounce the kingdome, the gouernance whereof he had alreadie taken vpon him, with so great fauor and good liking of all men.

[Sidenote:  Duke William eftsoones sendeth to king Harold.] Duke William hauing receiued this answer, and nothing liking thereof, sent once againe to Harold, requiring him then at the least-wise, that he would take his daughter to wife, according to his former promise; in refusing whereof he could make no sound allegation, bicause it was a thing of his owne motion, and in his absolute power, both to grant and to performe.  But Harold being of a stout courage, with proud countenance frowned vpon the Norman ambassadors, and declared to them that his mind was nothing bent as then to yeeld therevnto in any maner of wise.  And so with other talke tending to the like effect he sent them away without anie further answer.  The daughter of duke William whome Harold should haue maried, was named Adeliza, as Gemeticensis saith, and with hir (as the same author [Sidenote:  Gemeticensis.] writeth) it was couenanted by duke William, that Harold should inioy [Sidenote:  Wil.  Malm.] halfe the realme in name of hir dower.  Howbeit some write that this daughter of duke William was departed this life before the comming of these ambassadors, and that Harold therevpon thought himselfe discharged of the oth and couenants made to duke William, and therefore sent them away with such an vntoward answer.

[Sidenote:  Polydor.] But howsoeuer it was, after the departure of these ambassadors, king Harold (doubting what would insue) caused his ships to be newlie rigged, his men of warre to be mustered, and speedilie put in a readinesse, to the end that if anie sudden inuasion should be made and attempted by his enimie, he might be able to resist them. ¶ About the same time also, and vpon the 24 of Aprill (whilest Harold was making prouision to withstand the Norman force) there appeared a blasing starre, which was seene not onelie here in England, but also in other parts of the world, and continued the space of seuen daies.  This [Sidenote:  Rog.  Houed. Simon Dun.] blasing starre might be a prediction of mischeefe imminent & hanging ouer Harolds head; for they neuer appeare but as prognosticats of afterclaps.  To be resolutelie instructed herein, doo but peruse a treatise intituled; A doctrine generall of comets or blasing starres published by a bishop of Mentz in Latine, and set foorth in English by Abraham Fleming vpon the apparition of a blasing starre seene in the southwest, on the 10 of Nouember 1577, and dedicated to the right worshipfull sir William Cordell knight, then maister of hir maiesties rolles, &c.