~ 
450 
‘was expected from Denmark. This laf 
named prince had a powerful] partizan in 
the famous Earl Godwin, whole attach- 
ment to him arofe in fome degree from 
the favours which Knud and Emma had 
heaped on bim, but fti!l more from his 
unbounded ambition; beceufe he con- 
ecived, that if the two crowns fhould be 
united under one head, the king mult ne- 
ceflarily be abfent on fome occafions in 
Denmark, which would not be the cafe 
if each kingdom was governed by its own 
monarch. The earl’s wife befides was a 
Dane. Hardeknud had alfo an additional 
fource of power in his mother’s treafures ; 
for immediately on the death of the king, 
Emma removed toa nunnery at Winchel- 
ter, and carried with her all the money 
that Knud had left her, which fhe pro- 
mifed to give to her favourite the moment 
he landed in England. Hardeknud’s 
pee in order to weaken the intereft of 
arald, {pread a report that he was not 
the fon of Kaud, but that his mother art- 
fully feigned that fhe was pregnant, and 
that on her pretended lying-in, the fon of 
a fhoe-maker was privately conveyed to 
her chamber, which fhe paffed off as the 
fon of the king. But as Knud had a fe- 
cond fon, Svend, by the fame queen, they 
they alfo gave out that he was the fon of 
a prieft, and that the king never fufpected 
the deceit. Thus every bafe attempt 
was made, through the wicked medium 
of party views, to blacken the memory of 
the innocent mother, in order to impair 
the intereft of her fons. But what will 
not ambition do, when the object isa 
crown ! 
«© The banifhed Englifh Princes, Al- 
fred and Edward, (the fons of Ethelred by 
Emma,) were fcarce ever thoupht of, 
though they lived in a neighbouring flate ; 
hamely, Normandy. They could expeét 
no affiftance to regain their right from the 
Duke of Normandy, who was then only 
eight years old: and it is well known, 
that their own mother bore them little af- 
fe&tion, as fhe never liked their father; 
but was fond of Knud; and-ail ber ma- 
ternal affections were centered in Harde- 
knud ; fo that the exiled princes had but 
a fmal] party in England, which was then 
divided between Hardeknud and Harald. 
Matters had now come to fuch a crifis, 
that every thing bore the appearance of a 
civil war; in che dread of that event, men, 
women, and children, fied for refuge to 
the monafieries. ‘The thinking part of 
the natives, anxious to avert fuch an aw-~ 
fui nritation of Providence, propofed that 
a meeting fhould be Held at Oxford, in 
of SA 
Account of Subm’s Hiftory of Denmark. 
{June 1, 
order that the fenfe of the heads of the 
nation might be taken on the fituation of 
public affairs. Both parties accordingly 
met, the powerful Earl Leofric of Lei- 
cefter, was called to the chair; and after 
a very ftormy debate, it was at length re- 
folved, that Harald fhould be invefted 
with the regal power, fo long as his bro-= 
ther Hardeknud remained in Denmark. 
Earl Godwin, and all the nobility in 
Weffex, oppofed this refolution; but on 
finding that it was likely to be carried 
by a large majority, they yielded to it at 
laf. The artful Earl Godwin though he 
yielded, did it with a view of gaining time, 
in hopes that, in the interval, Hardeknud 
would come over from Denmark. And 
as he {aw that Harald entertained fome 
fears from the party of the exiled princes, 
which was gathering ftrength in England, 
he began to contrive how he might im- 
prove that circumftance in favour of Har- 
deknud ; and at the fame time, Ke withed 
to get rid of thofe unhappy exiles, who 
might one day prove a thorn in the fide 
of his favourite. Harald and the earl 
laid a plot together, with different views 
undoubtedly, to take away their lives. 
To accomplifh this abominable end, Ha- 
rald caufed the following letter to be 
written to Alfred and Edward, in thename 
of Emma :—‘“ Deareft fons, at the fame 
time that we lament the death of our lord 
and king, and that your lawful kingdom 
is daily rent in pieces from you, it fills 
me with furprize to think that you can re- 
main quiet under fuch afili€ting circum- 
ftances. The ufurper, who has feized on 
your rights, gathers daily firength. He 
flies from place to place, and through pro- 
mifes, gifts, entreaties, and threats, adds 
to the number of his partizans 5 yet, with- 
al, they would much rather that one of 
you fhould rule over them, than one who 
has impofed an intolerable yoke on them. 
I earneftly requeft that one of you will 
come haftily and privately over to me, 
that we may confult what is belt to be 
done on an oceafion that will not admit of 
the leaft delay. Let me know by the 
bearer what you intend todo. Live and 
be happy, vitals of my heart.” Alfred, 
the youngeit, with his brother’s ¢onfent, 
on the receipt of this letter, prepared to 
fet out for England. In his way he cal- 
led ob Baldwin Earl of Flanders, who 
kindly received him, and advifed him in 
vain to take a party of his own foldiers 
with him; but Alfred thought himfelf 
fufficiently fecure with a party of men 
that he found in Boulogne ready to ac- 
company him. Having landed at Sand- 
5 wid, 
