SABBATARIANISM. 
359 
with me, than those whom God hated.” The same 
hard measure which he meted to others he applied to 
his own actions: witness that curiously characteristic 
scene, when, sitting in his high seat, at table, lost in 
thought, he begins unconsciously to cut splinters from 
a piece of fir-wood which he held in his hand. The 
table servant, seeing what the King was about, says to 
him (mark the respectful periphrasis !) 11 It is Monday , 
Sire , to-morrowl The King looks at him, and it came 
into his mind what he was doing on a Sunday. He 
sweeps up the shavings he had made, sets fire to them, 
and lets them burn on his naked hand; “showing thereby 
that he would hold fast by God’s law, and not trespass 
without punishment.” 
But whatever human weaknesses may have mingled 
with the pure ore of this noble character, whatever bar¬ 
barities may have stained his career, they are forgotten 
in the pathetic close of his martial story. 
His subjects,—alienated by the sternness with which 
he administers his own severely religious laws,—or cor¬ 
rupted by the bribes of Canute, King of Denmark 
and England,—are fallen from their allegiance. The 
brave, single-hearted Monarch is marching against 
