I LI II. I LD BECOMKS KIXG. 503 



host, and was the defender of the land and ruler over all tin- 

 other jarls, when Edward began to grow old. His brother 

 Harald was always in the hird, and was nearest attendant 

 on the king, and had charge of all his money. It is said that 

 when the king was about to die Harald and a few others wi-n- 

 with him; he bent down over him, and said: ' I call you all 

 to witness that the king just now gave me the kingship, and 

 the rule over all England.' Then the dead king was carried 

 away from his bed. The same day there was a meeting of the 

 chiefs, who decided whom they would take to be king. Then 

 Harald called forth his witnesses to prove that King Edward 



five him the realm on his dying day. The meeting ended by 

 arald being taken as king, and consecrated the thirteenth day 

 (of Yule = 6th of January, 106(3) in St. Paul's Church, and 

 the chiefs and the people made homage to him. When his 

 brother Tosti heard this he was displeased, and thought he had 

 as much right to be king. ' I want,' said he, ' the chiefs of the 

 land to choose the man whom they think most fit to be king.' 

 Harald heard these words, and said he would not give up the 

 kingship, for he had been placed on the king's high-seat in 

 Edward's place, and had been anointed and consecrated. The 

 greatest part of the people favoured him, and he had all the 

 treasures of the king " (Harald Hardradi's Saga, c. 80). 



When Harald, son of Godwin, had got the kingship in 

 England his brother Tosti did not like being his underman : 



" So he went away with his men southwards across the sea 

 to Flanders. There he stayed for a little while, and went to 

 Frisland, and thence to Denmark to see his kinsman King 

 Svein. Ulf jarl, Svein's father, and Gyda, Tosti jarl's mother, 

 were brother and sister. Tosti asked Svein for help and sup- 

 port, but Svein asked him to stay there, and said that he should 

 have a jarlship in Denmark, over which he might rule as an 

 honoured chief. Tosti answered : 'I long to go back to Eng- 

 land, to my homestead ; but if I get no support from you, 1 

 will rather give you all the help I can give in England, if you 

 will go there with the Danish host to win the land, as your uncle 

 Knut the Great did.' The king answered : ' I am much 

 weaker than my kinsman Knut, so that I can scarcely defend 

 Danaveldi against the Northmen (Norwegians) and Harald 

 (Hardradi). Knut the Old got Denmark by inheritance, and 

 England by warfare and battle, though it was not unlikely for 

 a while that he would lose his life; he obtained Xoruay with- 

 out fight. Now I had rather act moderately according to inv 

 strength, than follow the deeds of my kinsman Knut.' Tosti 

 said : ' My errand has been less successful than I thought you 



