i6 4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

0 h a p. excited by the frequent panegyrics which h<?

II, heard of Elfrida ; and reflecting on her noble birth ,he resolved, if he found her charms answerable totheir fame , to obtain possellion of her on honour-able terms. He communicated his intention toearl Athelwold, his favourite; but used the pre-caution , before he made any advances to herparents, to order that nobleman, on some pretence,to pay them a visit, and to bring him a certainaccount of the beauty of their daughter. Athelwold,when introduced to the young lady, found generalreport to have fallen short of the truth; andbeing actuated by the most vehement love, hedetermined to sacrifice to this new passion hisfidelity to his master, and the trust reposed inhim. He returned to Edgar , and told him , thatthe riches alone, and high quality of Elfrida,had been the ground of the admiration paid her,and that her charms, far from being any wifeextraordinary, would have been overlooked in awoman of inferior station. When he had, by thisdeceit, diverted the king from his purpose , hetook an opportunity, after some interval, of turningagain the conversation on Elfrida : He remarked,that, though the parentage and fortune of thelady had not produced on him , as on others ,any illusion with regard to her beauty, he couldnot forbear reflecting, that she would on thewhole be an advantageous match for him , andmight , by her birth and riches, make himsufficient compensation for the homeliness of herperson. If the king, therefore, gave his appro.