* See Conquest of Irdand, p. 27. C. 42

Edgiva, the mother of Adelstan by Edward King of Mercia, was predisposed to surrender herself to the king, by dreaming that a moon ascended from her, which, by its splendour; enlightened all England †. She seems to have been inclined to rival some of the ladies of antiquity who had the same royal presages, and though of base parentage was, it see,ms, brought up in the expectation of some great fortune.

* Holinshed, Chron. i.

† Holinshed, vol. ii. B. 6. p. 153.

The same historian tells us that William Rufus not long before his being killed in the New Forest, dreamed that the veins of his arm were broken, and that the blood issued out in great abundance.

Holmisbed also informs us that Henry I. when in Nermandy, was "troubled with cer-taine strange dreams, or visions, in his sleepe, for as he thought he saw a multitude of plough-men with such tooles as belong to their trade and occupation, and after whom came a sort of souldiers with warlike weapons, and last of all bishops approaching towards him with their crosier staves ready to fail upon him as if they meant to kill him." These were the perturbations of a mind apprehensive of the effect of measures which had probably alienated the affection of his subjects; they are reported by the historian to have affected him, and under the admonition of his friends, to have operated to his amendment *; and the historian comparing his conduct with that of William Rufus, con-aiders metaphysical dreams as having " a special influence from above nature's reach," and as designed to operate as warnings.

The same author also relates that after the death of the esteemed Earl of Arundel who was executed by order of Richard the Second, the king, as the fame went, was sore vexed in his sleepe with horrible dreames.imagining that he saw this earle appeare unto him threat-ening him and putting him in horrible fear, as if he had said with the poet to Richard;

" I come the ghost of him thy crimes who knew, And with my death-lite form thy steps pursue †."

With which visions being sore troubled he "cursed the daie that he ever knew the earle ‡."

* Holinshed's Chron. vol. i. p. 44.

† So Ovid: Nunc quoque factorum, etc.

‡ Holinshed's Chron. vol. ii. p. 492.

The historian informs us that his half-brother, Walter Barrie, being about to undertake a military expedition, was warned, as he sup-posed, by his mother-in-law then dead, to forbear the journey, but persisting he was killed on the day that he set off *.

Holinshed relates, that the design of an Irishman to murder Hugh de Lacy was defeated by the measures taken in consequence of a dream imparted to one Griffith, and that the traitor was slain †.

The same author reports that a fame had spread that Richard the Third, the night preceding the battle of Bosworth Field, which terminated his reign and his life, "had a dread full and terrible dreame, for it seemed to him being asleepe that he did see diverse images like terrible devils which pulled and haled him, not suffering him to take any quiet or rest; the which strange vision not only so suddenly struck bis heart with fear, but it stuffed his head, and troubled his mind: with many busy and dreadful imaginations, for imeontiament after, his heart being almost damped, be prognosticated before the doubtful chance of the battle to comer not: using the alacritie and mirth of mind and countenance as he was accustomed to do, before be came toward the battle; and least that it might be suspected that he was abashed for-feare of his enemies, and for that cause looked, so piteously, he recited and declared to his; familiar friends, in the morning, his wonderful vision and fearful dreame; upon which the historian well observes, but I think this was no dream, but a punction and pricke of his sinful conscience, for the conscience is so much more charged and aggrieved as the offence is greater, and more heinous in degree, (so that King Richard by this reckoning must needs have a wonderful troubled mind, because the deeds that he had done, as they were heinous and unnatural, so did they excite and stirre up extraordinarie notions of trouble and vexations in bis conscience;) which sting of conscience, although it strike not alwaie, yet at the last day of extreme life, it is wont to show and represent to as our faults and of -fences, and the pains and punishments which hang over our heads for the committing of the same, to the intent that at that instant "we for our deserts being penitent and repentant may be compelled, lamenting, and bewailing our tins like forsakers of this world, jocimd to depart out of this mischeefe life *."

* Holiushed, C. 42. † Id. vol. ii. C. 40. 44.

The night before the arrest and execution of Lord Hastings, who was beheaded by the protector, afterwards Richard the Third, Lord Stanlye sent a trustie messenger unto him at midnight in all the haste, requiring him to rise and ride away with him, for he was disposed utterly no longer to hide, he had so fearful a dreeme, in which him thought that a boare with his tushes so rased them by the heads, that the blood ran about both their shoulders; and forasmuch as the Protector gave the boare for his cognisance, this dreame made so fearful an impression on his heart that he was tho-roughly determined no longer to tarie, but had his horse readie if the Lord Hastings would go with him to ride yet so farre the same night, that they should be out of danger per daie. "Ha! good Lord," quoth the Lord Hastings to this messenger, "leaneth my lord thy master so much to such trifles, and hath such faith in dreames which either his own feare fantasietb, or do rise in the nights rest by reason of his daies thoughts. Tell him it is plaine witchcraft to believe in such dreames, which if they were token of things to come, why thinketh he not that we might be as likelie to make them true by our going, if we were caught and brought backe as friends faile fliers, for then had' the boare a cause likelie to rase us with his tusks as folke that fled for some falsehood, wherefore either is there perile, or none there is indeed, or if anie be, it is rather in going than biding; and in case, we should needs fall in perill one.