152

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

C h a t. even endowed, according to authentic accounts,n. with the most promising virtues He would,have been the favourite of his people, had henot unhappily, at the commencement of hisreign, been engaged in a controversy with themonks, whose rage neither the graces of thebody nor virtues of the mind could mitigate,and who have pursued his memory with thefame unrelenting vengeance, which they exercisedagainst his person and dignity during his shortand unfortunate reign. There was a beautifulprincess of the royal blood, called Elgiva, whohad made impression on the tender heart of Edwy;and as he was of an age, when the force of thepassions first begins to be felt, he had ventured,contrary to the advice of his gravest counsellors,and the remonstrances of the more dignifiedecclesiastics 1:7 , to espouse her; though sitewas within the degrees of affinity prohi-bited by the canon-law As the austerity,affected by the monks, made them particularlyviolent on this occasion , Edwy entertained astrong prepossession against them; and seemedon that account determined not to secondtheir project, of expelling the seculars from allthe convents, and of possessing themselves ofthose rich establishments. War was thereforedeclared between the king and the monks; and

I ‘‘ H. Hunting, lib. 5. p. 356.

127 W. Malmes. lib. 2. cap. 7.

*** Ibid.