Now when K. William had taken the oth of fealtie and loialtie of all his lords, Edgar Etheling, who was reconciled vnto his fauour (as you haue heard) obteining licence of him to depart the realme for a season, sailed into Puglia with two hundred souldiers: of whose acts there and returne into England I spare to speake, bicause I find little or nothing of moment recorded. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 21.] And now king William, who hauing brought the Englishmen so lowe and bare, that little more was to be got out of their hands, went once againe ouer into Normandie with an huge masse of mony, where soone after he fell sicke, so that he was constrained to keepe his bed longer than he had beene accustomed to doo, whereat Philip the French king in iesting manner said, that king William his cousine laie now in childbed (alluding belike to his big bellie, for he was verie corpulent) and withall added; [Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ _Matth. Paris._] "Oh what a number of candels must I prouide to offer vp at his going to church! certeinelie I thinke that 100000. will not suffice," &c. [Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ _Ran. Higd._] This frumping spéech so moued the king, that he made this answere: "Well, I trust when I shall be churched, that our cousine shall be at no such cost, but I will helpe to find him a thousand candels myselfe, and light them too, to some of their paines, if God grant me life." Which promise he bound with an oth, and in déed performed. [Sidenote: He inuadeth France. _Gemeticensis_. The citie of Maunt burnt by K. William. _Matth. West._ _Matth. Paris._] For in Julie next insuing, when their corne, fruit, and grapes were most florishing, and readie for the sickle, he entered France with a great armie, set fire on manie of their cities and townes in the west side of that countrie, and came at last to the citie of Maunt, which he burnt with the church of our ladie, and an ankresse inclosed in the wall thereof as an holie closet, for the force of the fire was such as all went to wrecke. In this heat king William tooke such a sicknesse (which was likewise aggrauated by the fall of an horsse as he rode to and fro, bicause he was not able to trauell on foot about his palace by reason of his disease) that cost him his life; [Sidenote: King William departed this life. _Simon Dun._ _Matth. West._ The lix. of his age hath _Wil. Malm._] so that when he had ordeined his last will, and taken order for the staie of things after his decease, he departed this life on the 9. day of September, in the yeare after the birth of our Saviour 1087. and 74. (as Polydor saith) of his age, hauing gouerned Normandie about 51. yeres, and reigned ouer England 20. yeares, ten moneths, and 28. daies (as all writers doo report.)