Edward the Confessor. 1052. BOOK in the king's favour; and Godwin proceeded, with VI. successful enterprise, to the Thames, and reached Southwark. He demanded the restoration of his family. His numbers and secret connections were formidable; and to save the shedding of civil blood, Stigand, the archbishop, and the wise men, urged an accommodation. Their recommendation prevailed. The Normans beheld their fate sealed in the pacification, and fled in consternation. 1053. Godwin's death. A GREAT Council was then convened out of London, and all the earls, and the best men that were in the land, attended it. Godwin there purged himself before the king, his lord, and all the assembly, that he was guiltless of the crime of which he had been suspected. The king received him in full friendship, and granted to him and to his family a complete restoration of their honours. The Normans were all legally outlawed. Svein was the only one of the exiled family who received no benefit from the revolution of its fortunes. He had foully murdered his cousin Beorn, with every aggravated circumstance of abused confidence, and treacherous falsehood. There is a sting in murder which goads the consciousness long after the world has forgiven it, and which no increase of prosperity can destroy. Svein, though six years had passed away since his crime, found it still his torment; and to sooth his sensations, he set off with naked feet on a walking pilgrimage from Flanders to Jerusalem. He died, on his return, in Lycia. 26 THE remark of the Hebrew poet, that man disquiets himself for a vain shadow, is often verified in human history. A life is sacrificed to suffering, that a favourite object may be gained. We reach the 26 Sax. Chron. 167, 168. Flor. Wig. 414. XIV. Edward the Confessor. 1053. seat of the felicity we have sighed for, and while our CHA P. arms are extended to grasp it, we are received into the grave. Godwin experienced this mutability in human affairs. He had scarcely, by great toil and hazard, achieved his restoration, and recovered his prosperity, when he was deprived of it soon afterwards by death. In 1053, at the Easter festival, the eventful changes of his life were closed. As he sat with the king at table, it is said, that the conversation turned on Alfred's murder, and that Godwin, with many sacred appeals to Divine Providence, denied that he was concerned in it." But whatever was the preceding discourse, the attack of fate was as irresistible as unexpected. He suddenly lost his speech, and fell from his seat. Harold and two other sons raised him, and carried him to the king's chamber, hoping a recovery. He lingered in helpless and miserable agony, from Monday to Thursday, and then expired. 28 29 Ir is recorded with pleasure, by the annalists, that Edward took off the heavy tax called Dane gelt. Ingulf ascribes the remission to the extreme dearth which raged in 1051, and in which so many thousand people perished. Touched with compassion for their sufferings, the king abolished the tax. It is added, that the royal mind, according 27 Ingulf, 66. Malmsb. 81. Hunt. 366. 28 Flor. Wig. 415. The MS. Tib. B. 4., like the printed chronicle, merely states his death; but the MS. Tib. B. 1. describes it like Florence, thus: "Sæt he mid tham cynincze æt gepeopde tha pæɲinga sah he nither pith thæs forsetles spræce benumen ealpe hir mihte hine man tha bɲæd into thæs kinger burethohtan tha hit ofenzan sceolde ac hit næs na pa ac thuph punode spа unƑpecende mihteleaf fopth oth thone thunper dæg tha his lif alet." 29 Flor. Wig. 410. Hoveden, 441. VI. the Confessor. 1053. BOOK to some rumours, was impressed the more deeply Edward upon the subject, because one day, when the collected tax was deposited in the treasury, the king was brought to see the vast amount: the mass so affected his imagination, that he fancied he saw a little devil jumping exultingly about it. 30 His mind was certainly weak enough to believe such a fancy; and many about him were interested to frame some device that should give it a foundation. He ordered the money to be restored to its former owners, and no more to be raised on such an assessment. THE Welsh had often molested the English provinces in their vicinity. In 1049, thirty-six ships of Irish pirates entered the Severn, and, with the help of Griffith, king of South Wales, obtained considerable successes. 31 In 1052, Griffith ravaged great part of Herefordshire, defeated the provincials, and obtained great plunder. 32 THE death of Godwin rather exalted than abased his family. His character was tainted. He was approaching the feebleness of age, without having secured its reverence. He had no influence but from his power; and greatness, which is only secured by terror, or extorted by force, is the creature of casualty, which the first tempest may destroy. But Harold had all the brilliancy of youth and active courage: his character was full of promise, because, being born to dignity, he had sullied himself by no arts to attain it. There was a generous ardour in his 30 Ingulf, 65. Hoveden tells a similar story, and makes the queen and her brother Harold the persons who took the king to the treasury. 32 Ibid. 412. 31 Flor Wig. 409. When Ed- CHAP. actions which compelled admiration. WHEN Harold received the honours of Godwin, his own dignities in Essex and East Anglia were given to Algar, the son of the deserving and patriotic Leofric. But Algar's rise to power was no pleasing omen to the family of Godwin, Within less than three years afterwards he was made a victim by being banished without a fault. 34 BUT Algar was too injured to be inactive: he fled to Ireland, collected eighteen piratical vessels, and interested Griffith, the king of Wales, in his favour. With this aid, he suddenly appeared in Hereford with great success; and though Harold went to oppose him, yet such was the state of Edward's court and councils, that Algar, though rather by violent than legal measures, regained his patrimony and power. His allies went to Leicester, and were renumerated by his father. In 1058, he was exiled again, and by the same means restored. 35 The great were now dividing into new factions. THE Welsh made several efforts against the Anglo-Saxons in this reign. If any other feeling than personal ambition had actuated the British leaders, they must have discerned, that however feeble the Saxon king's government from the new 33 The great wealth of the family may be seen in Domesdaybook, where Godwin's possessions are often mentioned. 34 Flor. 416. MS. Tib. 1. Butan ælcan gylte, and MS. Tib. B. 4. Foɲ neh butan gýlte. The printed Chronicle says, that he was charged with treason, p. 169. Ingulf gives to Algar the aid of a Norwegian fleet, p. 66. 35 Flor. 417-420. Edward XIV. the Confessor. 1053. 1055. 366 VI. the BOOK political parties may have been, yet, from the Edward comparative state of the two nations, transient Confessor, depredations were the utmost that the valour of Wales could achieve. Such bounded triumphs 1053. were, however, certain of being followed at last by a powerful revenge. Griffith, for some years, molested, with good fortune, the counties near Wales, and for some years his aggressions escaped unchastised. In the year after he first reinstated Algar, his new insults, which occasioned the death of Harold's priest, just raised to a bishopric ", were again connived at by a peace; and in 1058 he again restored Algar; but in 1063 Harold resolved to repress him, and there was nothing to restrain the full exercise of his ability. He marched into Wales with adequate force; Griffith fled; Harold burnt his palace and ships, and returned. In the beginning of summer he circumnavigated Wales with a marauding fleet, while his brother Tostig marched over it by land. The Welsh submitted with hostages and tribute, and banished the obnoxious Griffith, who soon after perished. 37 THE means by which Harold obtained such immediate and decisive success are stated to have been a change of the armour of his soldiers. In heavy armour, the Saxons were unable to pursue the Welsh to their recesses. Harold observed 36 Flor. 418. The MS. Tib. B. 1. says of this bishop, that he would forego his spiritual arms, and take to his sword and spear, and go against Griffith: "Se poplet his cirman his hɲode, hir gartlıcan pæpna feng to his spere to his speorde, æfter his biscuphade, Jгpa foɲ to fyɲde onzean Griffin," &c. 37 Flor. 424. Ingulf, 68. MS. Lamb. Sax. Chron. 170. The head of Griffith was brought to Harold. |