122 ANNALS OF BOGEK BE HOVEDEN. A.D. 11)55. York, and was buried at the monastery of.Galmanho,5 which he had founded, and his earldom was given to Tosti, the brother of duke Harold. A short time after this, a council was held in London, and king Edward outlawed earl Algar, the son of earl Leofric, without any blame on his part ; who immediately went to Ireland, and, having procured eighteen piratical ships, returned, and going, to Griffin, king of the Welsh,6 begged that he would aid him against king Edward ; on which he, immediately collecting from the whole of his kingdom a numerous army, requested Algar, with his forces, to meet him and his army at a place named. Having met, they entered the province of Hereford, for the purpose of laying waste the territories of the English ; whereupon the timid duke Bodulph, nephew of king Edward, collecting an army, met them two miles from the city of Hereford, on the ninth day before the calends of November. He ordered the English, contrary to their usage, to fight on horseback ; but, just when they were about to engage, the duke, with his Franks and Normans, wTas the first to take to flight, which the English seeing, followed their leader's example. Nearly the whole of the enemy pursued them, and slew of them four or five hundred men, and wounded a great number ; after which, having gained the victory, king Griffin and earl Algar entered Hereford, and, having slain seven canons who had defended the doors of the principal church, and having burnt the monastery (which bishop Athelstan, the true worshipper of Christ, had built), with all its ornaments, and the relics of Saint Egelbert, the king and martyr, and of other Saints, and having slain some of the citizens and taken many prisoners, and spoiled and burnt the city, they enriched themselves with a vast amount of plunder. After this, the king commanded an army to be levied in England, and, assembling it at Gloucester, gave the command of it to the valiant duke Harold, who followed them, and, boldly entering the territories of the Welch, pitched his camp beyond Straddele. But they, being aware that he was a brave man and a warlike commander, did not dare to join battle with him, but fled into South Wales ; on discovering which, he dispatched 5 An abbey, afterwards incorporated with St. Mary's, at York. 6 North Wales.