C H AII.

17s HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

P. The youth and innocence of this prince ]with his tragical death , begat such compassionamong the people , that they believed miraclesto be wrought at his tomb; and they gave himthe appellation of martyr , though his murderbad no connexion yrith any religious principleor opinion. Elfrida built monasteries, and per-formed many penances, in order to atone for herguilt ; but could never, by all her hypocrisy orremorses, recover the good opinion of the public,though so easily deluded in those ignorant agey.