a woolfe to be found,
and so that tribute ceased in the fourth yeere after it began to be paid. * * * * * _The death of Alfred king Edgars wife (or concubine) causeth him to fall into
a fowle offense, an example teaching men to take heed how they put others in trust to woo for them; earle Ethelwold
cooseneth the king of his wife, the danger of beholding a womans beautie with lustfull eies; king Edgar killeth earle Ethelwold to marrie faire Alfred his wife; the bloudie and unnaturall
speach of Ethelwolds base sonne: examples of king Edgars great incontinencie and lewd life; Dunstane putteth the king to penance for his vnchastitie, the Welshmen
rebell against him and are corrected, king Edgars vision before his death, of what religious buildings he was founder, his example a spur to others to doo the like, moonks esteemed and secular priests little regarded, king Edgars deformed reformation, his vices, stature, and bodilie qualities, he offereth to fight hand to hand with Kinadius king of Scots vpon occasion of words
euill taken, Kinadius submitteth himselfe and is pardoned; his wiues and children, the
good state of the realme in king Edgars time, the amplenesse of his dominions._
THE XXIIIJ. CHAPTER. [Sidenote: _Osborne_ and _Capgraue_ hold that she was not his wife
but a nun.] In this meane time, Alfred the wife of king Edgar (as some say) or rather (as others write) his concubine died, of whome he had begot a sonne named Edward. The death of this woman caused the king to commit an heinous
offense. For albeit at the same time the fame went, [Sidenote: _Wil.
Malm._ Horger.] that Horgerius duke of Cornewall, or rather Deuonshire, had a daughter named Alfred,
a damosell of excellent beautie, whome Edgar minding to haue in mariage, appointed one of his noble men called earle Ethelwold, to go with all speed into Cornewall or Deuonshire, to see if the yoong ladies beautie answered the report that went of hir, and so to break e the matter to hir father in his behalfe: yet Ethelwold being a yong iollie gentleman, tooke his iournie into Cornewall, and co