A.D. 953. MALCOLM B.ECEIVES COSPATKlC. 69 earl Tosti, a man of wisdom and prudence. He, having made a vow to Saint Cuthbert, gave to his servants in his church, namely, that of Durham, these lands :—In Merscum, ten car-rucates and a half of land, and the church of Saint Germanus in the same town ; in Thortuna, two carrucates ; and in Thes • trota, ten bovates of land ; in Keadeclive half a carrucate, and in Gisburgh one carrucate of land. On being deprived of the earldom by Copsi, Osulph, after hiding himself in hunger and destitution in the woods and mountains, at length collected a band of his companions, whom the same necessity had brought together, and surrounded Copsi at Niwebrin ;47 who, escaping among the confusion that ensued, concealed himself in the church. Being however betrayed, the enemy set fire to the church : whereon he was compelled to make his way to the door, where he was slain by the hand of Osulph, in the fifth week after he had received the earldom, on the fourth day before the ides of March. In the ensuing autumn, Osulph himself, rushing headlong upon a spear which a robber presented at him, was pierced thereby, and died on the spot. After his death, Cospatric, the son of Maldred, the son of Crinan, went to king William, and, for a large sum of money, made purchase of the earldom of Northumbria ; for, through his mother's side, the honor of that earldom belonged to him; his mother being Algitha, the daughter of earl Ucthred, whom Elgiva, daughter of king Ethelred, bore to him. This Algitha her father gave in marriage to Maldred, the son of Crinan. After this, Cospatric held the earldom until the king deprived him of it ; making it a charge against him that he had with his counsel and assistance aided those who had slain the earl Robert Cumin with his foUowers, at Durham, although he really was not present there ; and also alleging that he had sided with the- enemy when the Normans were slain at York. Flying, therefore, to king Malcolm, he shortly afterwards set sail for Flanders ; and, after some time, on his return to Scotland, the above-named king gave him Dunbar, in Lothian,6* with the adjacent lands, that with these he might maintain himself and his people until more fortunate 57 Probably Newburgh, in Yorkshire,. 58 In the original it is " Londoneio ;" most probably an error for " Lau-donia."