t was
with him, he went in the night away. In the morning the king
held a council, and proclaimed him an outlaw, with his whole
army; himself and his wife, and all his three sons--Sweyne and
Tosty and Grith. And he went south to Thorney, (67) with his
wife, and Sweyne his son, and Tosty and his wife, a cousin of
Baldwin of Bruges, and his son Grith. Earl Harold with Leofwine
went to Bristol in the ship that Earl Sweyne had before prepared
and provisioned for himself; and the king sent Bishop Aldred from
London with his retinue, with orders to overtake him ere he came
to ship. But they either could not or would not: and he then
went out from the mouth of the Avon; but he encountered such
adverse weather, that he got off with difficulty, and suffered
great loss. He then went forth to Ireland, as soon as the
weather permitted. In the meantime the Welshmen had wrought a
castle in Herefordshire, in the territory of Earl Sweyne, and
brought as much injury and disgrace on the king's men thereabout
as they could. Then came Earl Godwin, and Earl Sweyne, and Earl
Harold, together at Beverstone, and many men with them; to the
intent that they might go to their natural lord, and to all the
peers that were assembled with him; to have the king's counsel
and assistance, and that of all the peers, how they might avenge
the insult offered to the king, and to all the nation. But the
Welshmen were before with the king, and bewrayed the earls, so
that they were not permitted to come within the sight of his
eyes; for they declared that they intended to come thither to
betray the king. There was now assembled before the king (68)
Earl Siward, and Earl Leofric, and much people with them from the
north: and it was told Earl Godwin and his sons, that the king
and the men who were with him would take counsel against them;
but they prepared themselves firmly to resist, though they were
loth to proceed against their natural lord. Then advised the
peers on either side, that they should abstain from all
hostility: and the king gave God's peace and his full friendship
to each party. Then advised the king and his council, that there
should be a second time a general assembly of all the nobles in
London, at the autumnal equinox: and the king ordered out an army
both south and north of the Thames, the best that ever was. Then
was Earl Sweyne proclaimed an outlaw; and Earl Godwin and Earl
Harold were summoned to the council as early as they