Harold, Complete

il 75 on his brow, his sceptre in his right hand. His royal robe, tight to the throat, with a broad band of gold, flowed to his feet; and at the fold gathered round the left kn

war, composed at least one third part of Normans-c

brow. His spirit seemed to have risen from the weight it took from the sluggish blood of his father, Ethelred the Unready, and to have remounted to th

poke t

f England under grace of the Most High. The rebels are in our river; open yonder lattice, and you will see the piled shields glittering from their barks, and hear the hum of their hosts. Not a bow has yet been drawn, not a sword left its sheath; yet on the opposite side of the river are our fleets of forty sail-along the strand, between our palac

m the leopard head carved on his throne, an

the stranger-knights of the audience; but haughty and arrogant as those strangers

p of Winchester, the worthies

ll would it sound throughout England were it said that the King's council gave, perchance, his city of London to sword and fire, and rent his land in twain, when a word in

the Norman prelate of Canterbury started up,-a ma

ls the rebel hosts, strengthens their cause; of each moment they avail themselves to allure to their side the misguided citizens. Delay but proves our own weakn

bury, speak I," said William, B

a form at whose rising

mightier age towered over all, Siward, the

the Strong Arm, the grandson of the Berserker, ever turned from a foe? The foe, son of Ethelred, sits in these halls; I fight thy battles when I say Nay to the Norman! Brothers-in-arms of the kindred race and common tongue, Dane and Saxon long intermingled, proud alike of Canute the glorious and Alfred the wise, ye will hear the man whom Godwin, our cou

ath and scorn of the Normans. They spoke loud and many at a time; the greatest disorder prevailed. But the majority being English, there could be no doubt as to the decision; and Edward, to whom the emer

ns; for well they knew that the consequences, if not condition, of negotiations, would be their own downfall

e garb originally national with the Saxon, though then little in vogue; his beard thick and fair, his eyes grey and calm-a chief of Kent, wh

throne and door, he fell on his knees without thought of shame, for the King to whom he knelt was the descendant of W

e prays the King to hear him in kindness, and judge of him with mercy. Not against the King comes he hither with ships and arms; but against those on

ceptre trembled in this hand,

, more than all, to replace them where they have sought by loving service not unworthily to stand, in the grace of their born lord and in the van of those who would uphold the laws and liberties of Eng

said?" quot

ave

nd await o

station did not admit them into the council, but still of no mean interest in the discussion, from the lands and possessions they had alr

e had not disdained, since William's departure, to study the tongue of the country in which he ho

eyes of silent scorn, from the homely nuncius, Mallet a

of thy message from the reb-t

rn it," said V

thee throu

ough

e Franks. "Friendly and peace-making Sir, dare I so far venture to intrude on the secrets of thy mission as to ask if Godwin demands, among other rea

y asking vengeance, he would have chosen another spokesman. The Earl asks

ve man and an honest. And if we fall to blows, as I suspect we shall, I should deem it a favour

tone and air of the young knight pleased his rough

long table that skirted the room, and with a debonnair gesture inv

ir Envoy, that I yet intrude on the

out,

with Hardicanute and Harold, the Danes-a letter, nathless, is written as from Emma, the mother to the young Saxon princes, Edward and Alfred, inviting them over to England, and promising aid; the saints protect Edward, who continues to say aves in Normandy-Alfred comes over, Earl Godwin meets him, and, unless belied, does him homage, and swears to him faith. Nay, listen yet. This Godwin, whom ye love so, then leads Alfred and his train into the ville of Guildford, I think ye call it,-fair quarters

, with a disturbed visage; "and Godwin cleared himse

fter the death of King Harold resolved to avenge the black butchery; a present, I say, of a gilt

h a sigh. "Bloody were those ti

streets liken him to the thorn and the bramble, at which the sheep leaves his wool. He is haughty and overbearing. Tell me, O Saxon, frank Saxon, why you love Godwin the Earl? Fain would I know; for, please

d; but after stroking his beard

er him doubtless love a chief liberal to give and strong to protect. The old age of a great leader gathers reverence, as an oak gathers moss. Bu

the knight, "ye have phrases that might puzzle Kin

nished unjustly. We love our laws; Godwin was dishonoured by maintaining them. We love England, and

of rough compassion, he laid his large han

advice-

Is it to fly, think you, that I have

; but let the King be so misguided as to count on arms, and strive against yon multitude, and verily before nightfall not one

had been profaned, and his mother's son had been warned, the nuncius was again summoned into the presence-chamber. Nor did he return into the ante-room, but conducted forthwith

he fleet of the Earl's, after a brief halt, veered majestically round, and coming close to the palace of Westminster, inclined northward, as if to hem the King's ships. Meanwhile the land forces drew up close to the Strand,

was that of the ancient sea-kings, to one of whom it had belonged. Its curved and mighty prow, richly gilded, stood out f

nuncius ascended lightly and stood on deck. At the farther end grouped the s

ther, indeed, did legend or fame ascribe to that eminent personage those romantic achievements, those feats of purely animal prowess, which distinguished his rival, Siward. Brave he was, but brave as a leader; those faculties in which he appears to have excelled all his contemporaries, were more analogous to the requisites of success in civilised times, than those which won renown of old. And perhaps England was the only country then in Europe which could

the English deemed him; and this not the less that in his youth he had sided with Canute, and owed his fortunes to that king; for so intermixed were Danes and Saxons in England, that the agreement which had given to Canute one half the kingdom had been received with general applause; and the earlier severities of that great prince had been so redeemed in his later years by wisdom and mildness-so, even in the worst period of his reign, relieved by extraordinary personal affability, and so lost now in men's memories by pride in his power and fame,-that Canute had left behi

his favour. His ample brows were calm with benignity and thought; his large dark blue eyes were serene and mild, though their expression, when examined, was close and inscrutable. His mien was singularly noble, but wholly without formality or affected st

h pride a father's eye. Each strikingly distinguished from the oth

neglect, fell half over eyes hollow in their sockets, but bright, though with troubled fire. Over his shoulder he bore his mighty axe. His form, spare, but of immense power, was sheathed in

his arms folded on his breast stood Tostig; his face was beautiful as a Greek's, in all save the forehead, which was low and lowering. Sl

, had not yet come to its full height and strength; and, as if the weight of mail were unusual to him, he leant with both hands upon the wood of his long spear. Leofwine, who stood next to Wo

t watching the nuncius while he spoke, watched only the effect his words produced on the face of Harold. For Gurth loved Harold as Jonathan loved David. And Harold was

the King?" ask

till thou hast disbanded thine army, dismissed thy ships, and c

er; Leofwine placed his right hand on his ateghar; Wolnoth rose e

id Godwin, thoughtfully, "and doubtless the Norman

Northumbria

load were off his heart; "there will be no need of axe or armour to-day. Har

her?" said Tostig, impe

and dear friend," he said to Vebba, "find out Siward the Earl; tell him that I, Godwin, his foe

and regained his bo

not won, as it behoves us to win it, if one drop of English blood dye the sword of one English man. Wherefore, with your leave, I will take boat, and land. And unless I have lost in my absence all right he

other?" said Tostig, gn

and ask what Englishmen are there who will aim shaft

rold's head, and the tears c

I have learned by art. Go, an

u art the elder," said Tostig

Esau lose his birthright, and Cain retain it?" So saying, he withdrew, and, recl

passed to his side with a quick step, pressed his h

serious looks to Harold as he thus spoke; and when Harold turned away, h

him as thy father, Haco," answered Sweyn, t

to himself, "When thou art no more! No more? Has

nd Gurth, looking appealingly to his father, and seeing no sign of dissent, sprang down afte

o credit Hilda the saga, when she prophesied, ere we left our shores, that Har

d strife in our house have they wrought already; and if the feuds between Harold and me have sown grey in thy locks, thank thyself when, flushed with vai

ake their own future, and seize their own fates. Prudence, patience,

odwin's cause, came alongside the Runic aesca to hear the result of the message sent to the King. Tostig sprang to the v

raws the first native blood in sight of the altars and hearths of London! Hear me, thou with the vulture's blood-lust, and the peacock's vain joy in the gaudy plume! Hear me, Tostig, and tremble. If but b

his head, and retreated sullenly. Godwin sprang on the deck of the nearest vessel

oly Crosse!" And Godwin, turning his eye to the King's ranks, saw them agitated, swayed, and moving; till suddenly, from th

opric on the charge of too great an attachment to the Norman queen-mother Emma 83. Never in his whole life had Edward been so stubborn as on this occasion. For here, more than his realm was concerned, he was threatened in the peace of his household, and the comfort of his tepid friendships. With the recall of his

e should disband his men, and submit to the judgment of the Witan. The Earl hath sent to me to say, that he will put honour and l

u answered?"

d to abide in the days of Canute; that he and his sons shall m

will condemn him now, as it would have

the Earl emphatically, "will

while, th

; and if reason fail, the

red along the passage; the door was flung open, and several captains (Norman

wn their arms at the very name of Harold!" exclai

Saxon thegn, "are all on his side, a

shall say, this hour to-morrow, if Edward

the less for the unwonted firmness which Edward displayed

to save the blood of his subjects is never a king's

n home, why did I leave thee?" He took the cross from his breast, contemplated

e exhaustion that follows passion, "go, Siward, g

the King, the Normans whispering each other, in great doubt and trouble, and darting looks of the bitterest scorn at their feeble benefactor. Then, as with one accord, these last rushed alo

Norman, who was already half monk, half soldier (Crusader and Templar before Crusades were yet preached, or the Templars yet dreamed of),-even in that hour of selfish panic rallied round them the prowest chivalry of their countrymen, viz., the Bishop of London and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Both these dignitaries, armed cap-a-pie, and spear in hand, headed the flight; and good service that day, both as guide and champion, did Mallet de Graville. He led them in a circuit behind both armies, but being intercepted by a new body, coming from the pastures of Hertfordshire to the help of Godwin, he was compelled to take the bold and desperate resort of entering the city gates. These we

g the last; they gained, in safety, Ness, in Essex, threw themselves into an open, crazy, fishing-boat, committed themselves to the waves, and, half drowned and half famished, drifted over the Channel to the French shores. Of the rest of the courtly foreigners, some took refuge in