1 8 THE HISTORY OF NEWMARKET. [Book I. 



her thence. The abbess, however, had by some means or 

 other got intelligence of the king's design in coming, and took 

 care to inform the queen of it, and withal suggested to her 

 that the only means left to prevent the ill consequences that 

 might ensue, would be to leave the place without delay, and 

 retire as well as she could to Exning. To this course she 

 consented, and immediately set out on her way, and was but 

 just started when the king arrived. 



Finding the queen was gone, the king resolved to pursue 

 her ; and in his way came up to the side of a rock where she 

 and her companions were, but was prevented from coming 

 near them by a sudden and unusual inundation of water from 

 the sea, which surrounded the rock where the queen and her 

 two attendants reposed ; and it having continued in that state 

 several days, without returning into its former channel, the 

 king interpreted it as the interposition of heaven in her 

 favour, and concluded that it was not the will of God that 

 he should have her again ; he abandoned the chase, returned to 

 York, and left his queen quietly to pursue her journey. 



After the king returned to York, the queen and her two 

 companions left their temporary place of refuge, and travelled 

 as far as the river H umber, over which they were safely con- 

 veyed, and arrived at Wintringham ; thence, turning into a 

 village called Alftham, they were courteously entertained, 

 and stayed a few days, and " there she built a church." From 

 Alftham they continued their journey on foot, in the habit of 

 pilgrims, not by the direct road, but through by-ways and 

 lanes, to avoid the danger of pursuers. It happened that 

 one day, being tired with the length of the journey and heat 

 of the weather, and coming to a commodious spot of ground, 

 the queen found herself disposed to rest, and laid herself 

 down to sleep, whilst two faithful attendants watched by her. 

 On awaking she observed that the pilgrim's staff, which she 

 had fixed in the ground by her, had all the appearance of 

 vegetable life in it, and found that it had taken root in the 

 earth, and put forth leaves and shoots. Her staff, thus 

 miraculously planted, it is said, afterwards became one of the 

 tallest and most flourishing trees in the country, and the 



