56 THE MYSTERY OF CORFE. 



and if it be assumed that the Saxon chronicler altered this 

 statement to the extent of inserting the name of one of her 

 properties, the location of which he knew, then it is clear that 

 she had property at Corfe Geate, or Coryates, and that some 

 scribe after the year 1016 inserted Corfe Geate in the chronicle. 

 But in later copies than this, there is no mention of any 

 specific site. 



In the other early chronicles little is to be gleaned. Indeed 

 in an early life of St. Dunstan no mention is made of Edward 

 the Martyr. In a life of that Saint by Adelard, written prior 

 to 1011, it is simply noted that Dunstan crowned Edgar, and 

 his son St. Edward the Martyr, together with Ethelred. In 

 the life written by Osbern, precentor of Christchurch, Canter- 

 bury, a few more details are given, but there is nothing bearing 

 upon the questions under consideration. 



Eadmer adds but little to our knowledge. The Vita Sancti 

 Oswaldi, however, which seems to have been compiled between 

 A.D. 995 and 1005, is valuable evidence, as probably the events 

 concerning Edward were related by Oswald himself to his 

 biographer, and Oswald assisted Dunstan to crown the Martyr. 

 The facts then, according to the author of the life of Oswald, 

 were as follows : 



Certain of the nobles of this reign wished to elect as king the elder 

 son, whose name was Edward, while some of the principal men wished 

 for the younger son, Ethelred, since he appeared to be gentler both in 

 speech and action. The elder son inspired all not merely with fear, 

 but even with terror, for he would display his anger not only with 

 words, but even with dreadful blows, and especially in the case of 

 members of his own household. Meanwhile the ninth month had 

 passed and the tenth day of the following month (or the tenth moon) 

 was shining on the world, since Edward's election, when the partisans 

 of his brother rose against him while he was on his way to hold an 

 interview with the brother he loved. Treacherously and maliciously 

 they sought the life of the innocent, whom Christ had predestined to 

 become a sharer in the honour of martyrdom. One day towards 

 evening the illustrious and elected king came, as we have said, to the 

 house in which his beloved brother lived with the queen, wishing to 

 receive the comfort of his brother's love. The nobles and chief men, 

 who dwelt with the queen his mother, came out to meet him as was 



