170 $\it of 



stood. The human mind naturally recoils from scenes 

 of horror, and few were bold enough to visit even the 

 outskirts of the forest, at nightfall, and alone. A son of 

 Duke Robert was killed while hunting in the forest by a 

 random arrow, and now again the blood of the Con- 

 queror was poured on the site of an Anglo-Saxon 

 church, which the father of him who lay extended on the 

 earth had pulled down. * Rufus had left the bed-side of his 

 dying parent while life still lingered, intent only on ob- 

 taining the English crown ; he even left the care of his 

 interment to the hands of strangers, for it does not seem 

 that he at all concerned himself about the matter. Now 

 then was he also left alone, in the depth of the still forest. 

 Walter Tyrrel, intent only on effecting his escape, or 

 else bewildered by the suddenness of the calamity, did 

 not seek for any one to assist in burying him; his 

 companions in the chase were eagerly following their 

 amusement, and chanced not to pass where he was lying. 

 At length the royal corpse was discovered by a poor 

 charcoal-burner, who put it, still bleeding, into his cart, 

 and drove off to Winchester. The intelligence soon 

 spread, and Henry hastened to seize the treasures that 

 belonged to the crown, while the knights, who had reas- 

 sembled at Malwood-Keep, thought only how the accident 

 might affect themselves ; no one caring to show respect to the 

 remains of the unhappy monarch, with whom they had 

 banquetted the evening before. It was afterwards observed 



Mentioned by Walter Hennyngforde, and quoted in Grafton's 

 Chronicle. 



