EDWARD THE CONFESSOR.

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persons were killed on each side; and Eustace, chapbeing overpowered by numbers, was obliged to m.save his life by flight from the fury of thepopulace. He hurried immediately to court andcomplained of the usage he had met with : Theking entered zealously into the quarrel, and washighly displeased that a stranger of such distinc-tion, whom he had invited over to his court,should, without any just cause, as he believed,have felt so sensibly the insolence and animosityof his people. He gave orders to Godwin, inwhose government Dover lay, to repair immedi-ately to the place , and to punish the inhabitants forthe crime: But Godwin, who desired rather toencourage, than repress, the popular discontentsagainst foreigners, refused obedience, and endea-voured to throw the whole blame of the riot on thecount of Bologne,and his retinue". Edward,touchedin so sensible a point, saw the necessity of exertingthe royal authority ; and he threatened Godwin ,if he persisted in his disobedience, to make himfeel the utmost effects of his resentment.

The earl, perceiving a rupture to be unavoid-able , and pleased to embark in a cause, where,it was likely, he should be supported by hiscountrymen , made preparations for his owndefence , or rather for an attack on Edward.

Under pretence of repressing some disorders onthe Welsh frontier, he secretly assembled a great

" Chron. Sax. p. 163. W. Malm. p. 81. Higdcn,p. 279.