ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 25; 



barbarities. A body of forces marched to oppofe them under 

 the Generals Edwin and Morchar. Thefe they routed. At Stanford* 

 bridge, near York, they were checked in their career by King 

 Harold himfelf. The two armies were about equal, each reckon- 

 ed 60,000, and two fuch great ones had never been feen to en- 

 gage in England before. With fuch aftonifhing ardour did the 

 enemy contend for victory, that a fingle foldier for a confiderable 

 while, defended the pafs at the bridge againft the whole EngUJJj 

 army. Thus animated by his valour, his countrymen fought 

 moft defperately, from feven in the morning till three in the 

 afternoon, but their King and Tojlon falling, and the flo\vcr of 

 their troops (lain, King Harold obtained a complcat, but bloody 

 victory. Of the whole army that entered the Tjne, under the 

 facred walls of this monauery, in 500 mips, 20 vcfTcls fcrvcd to 

 carry home the furvivors to Norway, with their young Prince 

 Olaus, by leave from King Harold. On the credit oJt Adam Bre- 

 meiif^i it is (aid, that the fpoil of the enemy confined of as much 

 gold, as twelve young men could with difficulty carry on tLeir 

 flioulders. 



From the time of its firfl foundation by King Ofwatd, this re- 

 ligious houfe prcfervedits independency, till the time of Tofton's 

 brother-in-law, King William the Norman. He was then degraded 

 to a ceil. It was firft made fubject to Benedift Bifcop's, foundation 

 at Girivy ; next to Bifliop Carilepho's at Durham; and laftly to St. 

 AM'S in HertfordJJjire (n). This was done by three governors or 

 Earls of Northumberland) Waltcof, Alberic, and Robert Mowbray (o), 



(n} Vid. Matthew Paris, vitas abbatum S. Albani, p. 51. 55. ur, 118, 119, 120, 198, 



199. 



Steven's, Supplem. Vol. i. 234. 

 Tanner's Notitia Monaft. fo. p. 180. 



(o) Dtigd. Monaft. Angl. Vol. i. p. 45. 

 VOL. II. L 1 Waltcof 



