fleet he ordered to return home, retaining only a few ships with him. When word was brought to the king that Osgod Clapa lay at Ulps with twenty-nine ships, he recalled as many as he could of the ships that he had sent away; on which, Osgod, having fetched away his wife, whom he had sent to Bruges, returned to Denmark with six ships; but the others, going to Essex, returned, carrying off no little booty from the neighbourhood of Eadulph's Promontory. But in returning, they were overtaken by a violent storm, which sank them all, except two, that were taken in the parts beyond sea, when all were slain who were found on board of them. While these things were going on, earl Sweyn came to Pevensey, and with deceitful intent, requested his cousin, earl Beorn, to go with him to the harbour of Sandwich, and, as he had promised, reconcile the king to him.

92

Beorn, trusting in his relationship, and taking with him but three companions, set out with him; on which, Sweyn took him to Bosanham, where his ships were, and putting him on board, instantly ordered him to be strongly fettered, and kept him there with him until he came to Dartmouth, where having slain him, and thrown him into a deep ditch, and covered him with earth, the six ships left him; two of which were shortly afterwards taken by the men of Hastings, who, having slain those on board of them, carried the ships to Sandwich, and there presented them to the king. Sweyn, however, flying to Flanders, with two ships, remained there until Aldred, the bishop of Worcester, brought him back, and reconciled the king to him.

In the same year, at the request of the abbat Herimar, a man of exemplary piety, Saint Leo the pope came to France, having in his retinue the governor and all the dignitaries of the city of Rome, and dedicated the monastery of Saint Remigius, the apostle of the Franks, which had been built at Rheims, with the greatest pomp; and afterwards held a great synod of archbishops, bishops, and abbats, in that city, which lasted six days; to which synod was sent, by Edward, king of the English, Aldwin, a monk of Ramsey, and abbat of the monastery of Saint Augustine.

In the year 1050, Machetad, the king of Scotland, sent money 91 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says thirty-nine.

92 Bosham, in Sussex.

93

to Rome, for the purpose of distribution. Edsy, archbishop of Canterbury, departed this life, and was succeeded by Robert, bishop of London, a Norman by birth. Herman, bishop of Wiltshire, and Aldred, bishop of Worcester, set out for Rome. In the year 1051, Alfric, who was also called Putta, archbishop of York, died at Southwell, and was buried at Medeshamburgstede, being succeeded by Kinsy, the king's chaplain. In this year, king Edward freed the English from the heavy tax, in the thirty-eighth year after his father, king Egelred, had first ordered it to be paid for the Danish soldiers.

95

94

After these things, in the month of September, Eustace the Elder, earl of Boulogne, who had married the sister of king Edward, Goda by name, arrived at Canterbury with a few ships. Here his soldiers, while stupidly and awkwardly in quest of lodgings for themselves, killed one of the citizens; on which, a fellow-citizen of his, being witness of this, avenged him, by slaying one of the soldiers. On this, the earl and his men, being greatly enraged, slaughtered a great number of men and women with their arms, and trod down children and infants under their horses' hoofs. But when they saw the citizens running together to resist them, disgracefully taking to flight, they escaped with difficulty, after seven of their companions had been slain, and fled to king Edward, who was then at Glavorne.96

Earl Godwin being indignant at such things taking place in his earldom, and greatly inflamed with anger, in his own earldom, that is to say, in Kent, Sussex, and Wessex, and his eldest son Sweyn in his, namely Oxford, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Somersetshire, and Berkshire, and his other son Harold in his, namely, the provinces of Essex, East Anglia, Huntingdon, and Grantebrigge," collected an innumerable army; which however did not escape king Edward. Consequently, sending messengers in all haste to Leofric, earl of the Mercians, and Siward, earl of Northumbria, he begged them to make haste and come to him with all they could assemble, as he was placed in great jeopardy.

93 Of Ramesbury.

94 Peterborough.

95 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Matthew of Westminster represent this as taking place at Dover, after the return of Eustace from Canterbury, where he had stopped to refresh himself. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle places the event in 1048. 96 Gloucester. 97 Cambridge.

However, they came at first with a few only; but when they knew how the matter stood, they sent through their earldoms swift messengers on horseback, and collected a large army. In like manner, earl Rodulph, son of Goda, sister of king Edward, collected as many as he could in his earldom. In the meantime, Godwin and his sons, after the nativity of Saint Mary, coming with their forces into the province of Gloucester, pitched their camp at a place which is called Langeto, and sending ambassadors to the king at Gloucester, under the threat of making war, demanded the surrender of earl Eustace, and his allies as well, both Normans and men of Boulogne, who had taken possession of the castle on the hill of Dover.

In consequence of this, the king was for the moment greatly alarmed, and, being afflicted with great anguish, was utterly at a loss to know what to do; but when he understood that the army earls Siward, Leofric, and Rodulph were approaching, he determinedly made answer that he would on no account give up Eustace and the others who were demanded; on hearing which, the messengers returned empty-handed. After their departure the army entered Gloucester, being prepared for battle with such hostile and resolute spirit, that they wished to engage immediately with earl Godwin's army, if the king would permit them. But, inasmuch as the best men in all England were assembled together on his side and theirs, it seemed to earl Leofric and some others, to be the more prudent part not to begin a battle with their fellow-countrymen; but they proposed that, exchanging hostages, the king and Godwin should, on a day named, meet at London for a conference.

This counsel being approved of, and messages interchanged, and hostages given and received, the earl returned into Wessex; but the king assembled a more numerous army from the whole of Mercia and Northumbria, and led it with him to London. On the other hand, Godwin and his sons came to Southweorc, ,98 with a great multitude of the men of Wessex; but, as his army had gradually diminished, he did not dare to come to the conference with the king, but on the approach of night, took to flight. Wherefore, next morning, the king in council, and by the unanimous consent of his army, pronounced sentence of banishment against him and his five sons; on which he, with his wife Githa, and Tosti, 98 Southwark.

with his wife Juthitha, daughter of Baldwin, earl of Flanders, and two other of his sons, Sweyn and Girth, repaired to Tornege, where his ships were in readiness. Hastily placing on board as much gold and silver and other precious things as they were able to carry, and embarking with all speed, they directed their course to Baldwin, earl of Flanders. Moreover, Harold and Leofwin, his sons, going to Bristol, embarked on board a ship which their brother Sweyn had provided for himself, and crossed over to Ireland. The king, on account of the anger which he entertained against her father Godwin, repudiated queen Edgitha, and sent her ignominiously with a single attendant to Werewell, where he gave her into the custody of the abbess.

After these things had thus happened, William, duke of the Normans, with a multitude of his subjects, came to England, and, with his attendants, was honorably entertained by king Edward, who afterwards dismissed him, on his return to Normandy, with great and numerous presents.

In the year 1052, Elfgiva, or Emma, the former queen, and wife of kings Egelred and Canute, departed this life at Winchester, on the second day before the nones of March, and was buried there. In the same year, Griffin, king of Wales, ravaged a great part of the province of Hereford; the people of the province, and a considerable number of Normans, went out from the castle against him, but, after slaying many of them, he gained the victory, and carried off with him considerable spoil. This battle was fought on the same day that, thirteen years before, the Welch had slain Edwin, the brother of earl Leofric.

Shortly after this, earl Harold and his brother Leofwin returned from Ireland, and entering the mouth of the Severn with a great number of ships, landed at the confines of Somerset and Devon, and laid waste many towns and fields in those parts. Against them a great number of the people of Somerset and Devon went out, but Harold defeated them, slaying more than thirty noble thanes of their number, together with many others; after which he returned to his ships with the spoil, and then sailed round Penwithsteort.99 Upon this, king Edward, with all expedition, sent forty ships, supplied with provisions and picked soldiers, to the port of Sandwich, and ordered them to

99 Land's End.

await the approach of earl Godwin, and be on the look-out; but, in spite of this, unknown to them all, returning with a few ships, he landed in Kent, and secretly sending messengers, enticed to his assistance the people of Kent, and afterwards the people of Sussex, Essex, Surrey, and all the mariners of Hastings and of all the parts near the sea-shore, besides some others; all these with one voice declared that they were ready to live or die for him.

When this became known to the king's fleet that lay at the port of Sandwich, it set out in pursuit of him, on which he took to flight, and escaped, concealing himself in whatever place he could. But the king's forces returned to the port of Sandwich, and from there repaired to London. On learning this, earl Godwin returned to the Isle of Wight, and sailed near the shore until his sons Harold and Leofwin came with their fleet; and when they had met they desisted from plunder and, rapine, only, when necessity demanded it, taking provisions for their troops. Enticing to their assistance all the people they could in the vicinity of the sea-shore and in other places, and picking up all the mariners they met with, they steered their course towards the port of Sandwich, their arrival at which place was reported to king Edward, who was at this period staying at London. Despatching messengers with all speed, he sent word to all who had not revolted from him, that they must come to his assistance with the greatest haste; but being very slow in their movements, they did not come in time.

In the meantime, earl Godwin coming up the Thames with his fleet against the tide, on the day of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, being the second day of the week, came to Southweorc, and waited there until flood-tide. Meanwhile, by

1

means of messengers, he convened certain of the citizens of London whom he had previously brought over by various promises, and caused nearly all of them to wish entirely as he would have them. After this, all things being arranged and set in order, on the flood-tide coming, with all speed they heaved their anchors, and no one on the bridge opposing them, sailed up the river close to the south shore. land forces also came, and putting themselves in battle array on the bank of the river, presented a dense and terrible

2 Southwark.

The