rshire) had
sent vnto the king, requiring that the earle of Bullongne, with the
other Frenchmen and also the Normans which held the castell of Douer,
might be deliuered vnto him. The king, though at the first he stood in
great doubt what to doo, yet hearing now that an armie of his friends
was comming, made answere to the messingers which Goodwine had sent,
that he would not deliuer a man of those whome Goodwine required, and
heerewith the said messengers being departed, the kings armie entered
into Glocester, and such readie good wils appeered in them all to
fight with the aduersaries, that if the king would haue permitted,
they would foorthwith haue gone out and giuen battell to the enimies.

Thus the matter was at point to haue put the realme in hazard not
onelie of a field, but of vtter ruine that might thereof haue insued:
for what on the one part and the other, there were assembled the
chiefest lords and most able personages of the land. But by the
wisedome and good aduise of earle Leofrike and others, the matter
was pacified for a time, and order taken, that they should come to a
parlement or communication at London, vpon pledges giuen and receiued
as well on the one part as the other. The king with a mightie armie
of the Northumbers, and them of Mercia, came vnto London, and earle
Goodwine with his sonnes, and a great power of the Westsaxons, came
into Southwarke, but perceiuing that manie of his companie stale awaie
and slipt from him, he durst not abide anie longer to enter talke with
the king, as it was couenanted, but in the night next insuing fled
awaie with all speed possible.

[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ Swaine eldest sonne to Goodwine banished.]
Some write, how an order was prescribed that Swanus the eldest
sonne of Goodwine should depart the land as a banished man to qualifie
the kings wrath, and that Goodwine and one other of his sons, that
is to say, Harold should come to an other assemblie to be holden at
London, accompanied with 12 seruants onelie, & to resigne all his
force of knights, gentlemen and souldiers vnto the kings guiding and
gouernment. But when this last article pleased nothing earle Goodwine,
and that he perceiued how his force began to decline, so as he
[Sidenote: Earle Goodwine fled the realme.]
should not be able to match the kings power, he fled the realme,
and so likewise did his sonnes. He himselfe with his sonnes Swanus,
Tostie, and Girth, sailed into Flanders: and Harold with his