it is told. Certeine yeares after the death of Editha, saith William of Malmesbery, which yeares, Capgraue in his new Legend reckeneth to be thrittene, MarginaliaAn other dreame of Dunstane.the sayd Editha and also S. Denys holding her by the hand, appeared to Dunstane in a vision, willyng and requiring him that the body of Editha in the Church of Wilton should be taken vp & shryned, to the entent it might be honored here in earth of her seruauntes, accordyng as it is worshipped of her spouse in heauen. Dunstane vppon thys commyng from Salisbury to Wilton, where Editha was interred, commaunded her body to be taken vp with much honor and solemnitie. Who there in openyng her tumbe (as both Malmesbery, and Capgraue with shame enough recordeth) found all the whole body of this Editha consumed to earth, saue onely her thumbe, her bely, and the part vnder the bely. Wherof the sayd Editha expoundyng the meanyng, declared that her thumbe remained sound, for þ^t much crossyng she vsed with þ^e same. The other partes were incorrupted, for a testimony of her abstinēce, & integritie &c. Ex Malmesb. et Capgrauo. MarginaliaEx W. Malmesbeniensi & Capgrauo in legend. noua.What Sathan hath so enuied the true sinceritie of Christian faith and doctrine, so to contaminate the same with such impudent tales, such filthy vanities, and idolatrous phantasies as this? Such Mōkes, with their detestable houses where Christes people were to abominably abused & seduced to worthshyp dead carcases of men and wemen, whether they deserued not to be rased & pluckt downe to the ground, let all chast readers iudge. But of these matters enough and to much.

MarginaliaThe death of king Edgar.¶ Here foloweth the Epitaph, written by Henricus Archdeacon of Huntyngton, vppon the prayse and commendation of kyng Edgar.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

An Epitaph on King Edgar by Henry Archdeacon of Huntingdon

Foxe text Latin

Autor opum ... perpetuumque breui.

Translation

John Wade, University of Sheffield

Creator of wealth, avenger of crimes, dispenser of honours, sceptre-bearing Edgar makes for kingdoms on high. He was another Solomon, father of laws, the way of peace; he was the more famous because he did not have wars. He gave churches to God, monks to churches and land to monks; downfall to wickedness and a place for justice. For he knew how to seek out a true kingdom through a false one, a great through a small, an everlasting through a short-lived.

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MarginaliaAn Epitaph commendatorie of king Edgar, written by H. Huntington.Autor opum, vindex scelerum, largitor honorum,
Sepiter Edgarus egna superna petit.
Hic alter Salomon, legum pater, orbita pacis,
Quod caruit bellis, claruit inde magis.
Templa Deo, templis monachos, monachis dedit agros:
Nequitiæ lapsum, iustitiaæq̀ locum.
Nouit enim regno verum perquirere falso,
Immensum modico, perpetuumq̀ breui.

MarginaliaSonday first to be halowed from saterday at ix. of the clocke, to Monday morning.Among his other lawes, this kyng ordayned that the Sonday should be solemnised from Saterday at ix. of the clocke, till Monday mornyng.

¶ King Edward, called the Martyr.  

Commentary     Close

Foxe's account of the controversy over the royal succession following King Edgar's death is taken, Foxe's marginal note tells us, 'Ex Simeon Durham'. This source is not cited by any of Foxe's regular chronicle sources at this point, and it is therefore a matter of note that Foxe has chosen to highlight the source here. Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, owned several copies of Simon of Durham's Historia Regum (T. Arnold, ed. Simeon of Durham. Symeonis Monarchi Opera Omnia 2 vols [London: The Rolls Series, 1882-1885], 2, pp. 94-5 and that is perhaps how Foxe acquired the material. Foxe's summary of the near contemporaries who wrote about Dunstan followed Bale's Catalogus, pp. 139-141 although it seems to have been additionally researched as well, using the resources of Matthew Parker's collection. 'Ioan Paris', for example, may well have been the manuscript now in Corpus College, Cambridge MS 60.

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Marginalia975.
The story of King Edward.
Ex Simone Durham.AFter the death of Edgar no smal trouble arose amōgest the Lordes and Byshops for succession of þ^e crowne: þ^e principall cause wherof rose vppon this occasion, as by þ^e story of Simon of Durhā, & Rog. Houeden, is declared. Immediatly after the decease of the kyng, Alferus Duke of Mercia, and many other nobles, which held with Egelred or Æthelred the onely right heyre and lawfull sonne of Edgar, MarginaliaContention amōgs the Lordes about the putting in of monkes.mislykyng the placyng & intrudyng of Monkes into Churches, & the thrustyng out of the secular Priestes with theyr wyues and children out of their aunciēt possessions, expelled the Abbats and Monkes, and brought in agayn the foresayd Priestes with their wyues. Agaynst whō, certeine other there were on the contrary part, that made resistance, as Æthelwyn Duke of Eastangles, Ælfwoldus his brother, and the Earle Brithnothus, saying in a coūsell together assembled, that they would neuer suffer the religious Monkes to be expulsed and driuen out of the Realme, which held vp all Religion in the lād, and therupon eftsoones leuyed an army, wherby to defend by force the Monasteries, such as were within the precincte of Eastanglia.

MarginaliaContention amōgs the Lords for chusing the King.In this hurly burly amongest the Lordes, about the placing of Monkes & puttyng out of Priestes, rose alsoþ^e contētion about þ^e crown, who should be their kyng: the Bishops and such Lordes as fauored the Monkes, seekyng to aduaunce such a kyng as they knew would incline to their side: so that the Lordes thus diuided, some of them would haue Edward, & some consented vpon Egelred the lawfull sonne. Then Dunstane Archb. of Cant. and Oswold Archb. of Yorke, with other their felowbyshops, Abbats, and diuers other Lordes & Dukes assembled in a counsell together. MarginaliaEdward the Bastard made King and the right heyre put backe.In the which counsel Dunstane cōmyng in with his crosse in his hand, and brynging Edward before the Lordes, so persuaded them, that in the end Edward by Dunstanes meanes was elected, consecrated, and annoynted for their kyng.

And thus hast thou (good reader) the very truth of this story, accordyng to the writyng of authors of most antiquitie which lyued nerest to that age, as Osberne and others: MarginaliaEx osberno.
Nic. Trinet.
Ioan Paris.
Vincentio.
Antonino.which Osberne lyuyng in the dayes of William Conquerer, wrote this story of Dunstan thorough the motion of Lancfrancus, and allegeth or rather translateth the same out of suche Saxon storyes as were written before his tyme. Besides whiche Osberne, we haue also for wytnes hereof Nic. Trinet in his English story writen in French, and also Ioannes Paris in hys French story written in the Latin toung, where he playnly called Edward, non legitimū filium, that is, no lawful sonne. Wherunto adde moreouer the testimonie of Vincētius & Antoninus, who in playne termes likewise reporte the same.

MarginaliaEditha proued not to be the child for whom King Edgar was enioyned penaunce.Now hauyng layd the foundation for the truth and groūd of this matter, let vs come to examine how truly our later writers do say,  

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Foxe's critical treatment of the succession of King Edgar is taken from Bale's English Votaryes, pp. 60-65, supplemented with some signs of his independent confirmation of what Bale had said. So, although Bale cited William of Malmesbury's Gesta Pontificium, Foxe seems to have preferred his Gesta Regum for some of the details in this passage. For the small (but telling) detail that Edith refused to steal the crown, making her more wise than her brother Edward, Foxe must have referred directly back to John Capgrave's Nova Legenda Angliae, either in its printed edition or in the manuscript that belonged to Matthew Parker.

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For first, touching Editha that is confessed by þ^e said writers them selues, that she was of good yeares at what tyme Edgar her father was enioyned hys penanunce. After the which vij. yeares of his penaunce expired, he liued at the most but iij. yeares and a halfe. Which vij. yeares, and three yeares & a halfe make in all but x. yeares & a halfe. But now the sayd authors them selues do graunt that she was made Abbase by her father, he beyng then alyue. And how can this then stand with her Legend, whiche sayth, that she was not lesse thē xv. yeares of age? By which accoūt it must nedes fall out, that she could not be so litle as v. yeares olde before the byrth of that child for whom the kyng dyd penaunce.

MarginaliaThe yeares of Editha and Edward caste by the supputation of legendes and stories.And thus much touching Editha. Now in lykewise to consider the tyme of Edward: first this by all writers is graunted, that he was slayne in the xv. yeares of his age. Which yeares do well agree to that childe which kyng Edgar begat in bastardy, and for the which he did his penaunce. For the more euidence wherof let vs come to the supputation of yeares, in this sort.

First, the penaunce of the kyng, after the byrth of this child, lasted vij. yeares. Then the king after þ^e same lyued iij. yeares, & a halfe. After whose death, Edward reigned other iij. yeares & a halfe. Which in all make the ful summe of xiiij. yeares. About the count of which age, the sayd Edward goyng on his xv. yeares, by theyr owne rekenyng was slayne.

And thus haue ye by manifest demonstration proued by the right casting of the yeares, after theyr owne graunt and reckenyng, that Editha daughter of Wlfride in no case can be the child which was borne after Edward, & for whom þ^e king was enioyned penaūce: MarginaliaK. Edward called Martir proued to be a bastard.but that Edward rather was borne after Editha and was the child for whom the penaunce was enioyned, contrary to the opinion commonly receaued in the Church, which for ignoraunce of the story hath hetherto holdē Edward to be an holy Martyr, and right heyre vnto the crowne. Which errour and opinion, how it