16a HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap. reconcile himself to the church , he was obliged,ii- not to separate from his mistress, but to abstainfrom wearing his crown during seven years, andto deprive himself so long of that vain ornamentA punishment very unequal to that which had beeninflicted on the unfortunate Edwy , who , for amarriage, which, in the strictest sense , couldonly deserve the name of irregular, was expelledhis kingdom , saw his queen treated with singularbarbarity , was loaded with calumnies , and hasbeen represented to us under the most odiouscolours. Such is the ascendant which may beattained, by hypocrisy and cabal, over mankind!

There was another mistress of Edgar’s, withwhom he first formed a connexion by a kind ofaccident. Passing one day by Andover , he lodgedin the house of a nobleman, whose daughter ,being endowed with all the graces of person andbehaviour , enflamed him at first sight with thehighest desire ; and he resolved by any expedienftto gratify it. As he had not leisure to employcourtship or address for attaining his purpose, hewent directly to her mother , declared the violenceof his passion, and desired that the young ladymight be allowed to pass that very night withhim. The mother was a woman of virtue , anddetermined not to dishonour her daughter and herfamily by compliance ; but being well acquaintedwith the impetuosity of the king’s temper, fliethought it would be easier, as well as safer, to

Osberne , p. 111.