596 



ENGLAND. 



i .. M 



lUnlica. 



Municre 

 -Wred. 



In the treaty witli the Duke of Normandy, Canute 

 had stipulated, that ho would h-.i\i Li- kingdom '" the 

 rhildnii of ( Jueen Emma ; but, H.inlu. unite ln-ing yet 

 .- minor, anil untit to ruK- -uch m t \tcn-i\e anil newly 

 conquered kingdom, ho left the .-noccs-inn to 1 hirold. 

 Hardicanutc. IIOWPMT. was supported by Karl Godwin, 

 the most powerful noliloinnn in England ; anil a i ml 

 war would have I 'i en the <. had tiioy nut 



agreed to diviilo the kingdom between tin-in. I lamld 

 had London, with all the provinces north ot'the Thiuiie, 

 : :ui tiie Miuthorn parts were assigned to Hanlioaiuito. 

 (Jueen Lnuna . !y lixod lior residence at Win- 



cbeUT, anil governed in the nanio of her -.on. 



The ambition of I larold, who was remarkable for no 

 virtue, and whose only accomplishment was ability in 

 running, by which ho acquired the suriiiunc of / 

 foot, was not sati-liod with a divided authority ; and his 

 Yean were awakened by the recollection, that he hud 

 other competitors in Alfred and Edward, the two sons 

 of Elhelred. These princes had arrived from Norman- 

 dy, on a visit to their mother at Winchester ; and Ha- 

 rold, having gained over Karl Godwin by promising to 

 marry his daughter, resolved to get rid of his fear.- by 

 their dentil. Alfred was accordingly invited to London 

 under the ma-k of friendship, and was waylaid by the 

 vassals of Earl Godwin, who, having murdered 600 of 

 his attendants, seized him us a prisoner, put out his 

 eyes, and threw him into the monastery of Ely, where 

 he soon after died. Emma mid Kdward were no soon- 

 er apprised of Alfred's fate than they left the kingdom, 

 when Harold took possession of his brother's dominions. 

 A. D. 1039. His triumph, however, was but short. He died after a 

 reign of four years, neither regretted nor esteemed by 

 his subjects. 



liardicanute succeeded without opposition; but soon 

 lost the affections of his people, by his cruelty, avarice, 

 :did intem|>cranee. His hatred to his brother Harold 

 was such, that he ordered his body to be dug up, and 

 thrown into the Thames. He also revived the odious 

 tax of Uanegelt, which had been originally imposed to 

 rc-i-t the invasions of the Dalies, or to pay their exac- 

 tions, but which had been long discontinued. This 

 imposition spread discontent throughout the king- 

 dom, and the inhabitants of Worcester resisted the 

 payment of it, and put two of the collectors to death. 

 This drew upon them the vengeance of the tyrant, who 

 . , set fire to their city, and delivered it up to be plunder- 

 ed by his soldiers. He died soon after of a debauch, 

 A. D. 1041. *n d was tl' e I** 1 f t-" 6 Danish race of kings. 

 _. . . ]-',d ward, surnamed the Confessor, the son of Ethel- 

 Confestor. ' ret '' wa8 ea " e d to the throne by the universal consent 

 of the nation. The English were overjoyed at the re- 

 storation of their native prince, and congratulated them- 

 selves with the hope of their never again being subject 

 to a foreign dominion. The only fear of opposition on 

 this occasion was from Earl Godwin, between whom 

 .mil I.iKvard there .-ub^t.-d an open animn.-it\, on ac- 

 count of the murder of Prince Alfred. Edward, how- 

 ever, was obliged to smother his resentment for the pre- 

 .-ent. He .submitted to a reconciliation, and, as a pledge 

 of his sincerity, he promised to marry Editha, the 

 daughter of Godwin. New causes of dissension soon 

 aro-e. Edward, who had been educated in Norniamly, 

 had contracted a partiality for the manners and usages 

 Baton all of that country. Whatever was Norman was sure to 

 p-wtr upon n lw .t w ith hi* favour. His court was, consequently, in 

 >or " a short time crowded with fun LIMT-, who soon intro- 

 ! their customs and language nmong the natives. 

 The attention and confidence of the king was chiefly 



Ilanlica- 

 nutc. 



confined to then* stranger*. Ho bestowed upon them Hinr. 



. -i i-tie.il preferment ; and the noes of x "" ~~\ ~~* 

 Canterbury. London, and Do-, -M-re filled by 



i>d the jealousy of the Engli-h. 

 ]iarticuUrly of Earl Godwin, who had also l 

 tod by the treatment which hi d.iughti-r had inet with 

 from Kdward. The reconciliation of the king vith 

 that nobleman was forced uj>on him by pnlitic.d consi- 

 derations ; but he could net forget the injuries which he 

 had suffered. His hatred to the father was transferred 

 to the daughter; nnd the beautiful Kditlm. though pos- 

 sessed of many amiable accontplbhraeots, could never 

 acquire the love of her husband. It is t that, 



during the whole course of her life, this frigid monarch 

 abstained from all matrimonial intercourse with her: 

 and it is asserted by the monks, that he married this 

 princess purely to exercise his virtues by withstanding 

 a continual temptation ; audit wns for this absurd con- 

 tinence, w hethor pretended or real, that he obtained the 

 title of Saint, or Confessor. As ( Godwin, however, could 

 not openly a.s-ign this as a ground for disaffection, he 

 seized upon the more popular pretence, the great 

 power and influence of the Normans in the government ; 

 nnd an occasion was soon offered him for declaring his 

 animosity, nnd bringing it into action. 



The Count of Boulogne, on his return from a visit to Q, larrf ], 

 the court of England, had been -t opt at Dover by a tu- .;,), 

 mult of the populace, which had been excited by the Godwin. 

 insolence of one of his attendants', and from which he 

 with difficulty escaped. He hastened back to Kdward, 

 and complained of the ill treatment which he had met 

 with. The king immediately ordered Godwin, under 

 whose jurisdiction Dover was, to punish the inhabi- 

 tants. Godwin, instead of complying, threw the whole 

 blame of the disturbance upon the Count and his fol- 

 lowers ; and, under pretence of preparing for an expe- 

 dition against the Welsh, he assembled a large army, 

 and marched directly to (iloucester, whore Edward 

 then resided. The king, totally unprepared for such a 

 proceeding, endeavoured to gain time by negotiation. 

 In the meanwhile, he was joined by Siward, Duke of 

 Northumberland, and Leofric, Duke of Morcia, and 

 soon assembled an army sufficient to set his opponent 

 at defiance. He immediately proceeded to London, 

 and summoned a council to judge of Godwin's rel>el- 

 lion. That nobleman, finding himself unable to make Godwin flic*' 

 head against the power of his sovereign, fled into Flan- to Klaoden*. 

 ders with his three sons Gurth, Sweyn, and Tosti ; 

 while Harold and Leofwin, two others of his sons, took 

 shelter in Ireland. Then estates were immediately 

 confiscated : and Queen Editha was confined in a mo- 

 nastery at Warewel. 



Godwin, however, was not discouraged by this un- 

 promising aspect of affairs ; nnd he was too strongly 

 supported by powerful alliances both foreign and do- 

 mestic, to remain quiet under his misfortunes. 1! 

 sembled an armament in Flanders ; and, when a fa- 

 vourable opportunity presented itself, he set sail for 

 the Isle of Wight, where he was joined by his son Ha- 

 rold with a squadron from Ireland. Theytra\, 

 all the southern coast, entering the harlwurs, and car- 

 rying off the ships. Edward had no fleet capable of 

 opposing them ; and, as they declared that they came 

 only to procure justice for themselves, and to relieve 

 their country from the tyranny of foreign influence, lmt returns 

 they were soon reinforced by great numbers. They with an 

 then entered the Thames, and'nppeared before London, my, 

 The king was compelled, by necessity, to come to an 

 accommodation. It was agreed, that Robert, archbU 



