The pleasure
that he tooke chieflie in this world for the refreshing of his wits,
consisted onelie in hawking and hunting, which exercises he dailie
vsed, after he had first beene in the church at diuine seruice.
In other things he seemed wholie giuen to a deuout trade of life,
charitable to the poore, and verie liberall, namelie to hospitals and
houses of religion in the parties of beyond the sea, wishing euer that
the moonks and religious persons of his realme would haue followed the
vertue and holinesse of life vsed amongst them of forren parties. As
hath beene thought he was inspired with the gift of prophesie, and
also to haue had the gift of healing infirmities and diseases. He vsed
to helpe those that were vexed with the disease, commonlie called the
kings euill, and left that vertue as it were a portion of inheritance
vnto his successors the kings of this realme.
[Sidenote: A tale of a ring.]
He was warned (as hath beene reported) of his death certeine daies
before he died, by a ring that was brought him by certeine pilgrims
comming from Hierusalem, which ring he had secretlie giuen to a poore
man that asked his charitie in the name of God and saint Iohn the
[Sidenote: King Edward canonized for a saint.
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