THE SAXON LINE RESTORED.

SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF

EDWARD, SURNAMED THE CONFESSOR.

Born, A. D. 1001. Crowned on Easter-day, 1042, at Winchester. Married Editha, daughter of Earl Godwin. Reigned about 13 years. Died, without issue, January 5th, 1065.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS.

Earl Godwin's banishment and remarkable death. The King's mother, on a false accusation, submitted to the ordeal trial by fire, by walking over nine red-hot plough-shares, which she passed unhurt. The Danes repulsed. Malcolm III. of Scotland, restored by Edward's assistance, to the throne which Macbeth had usurped. The tax called Danegelt abolished. The King supposed to have the power of curing the evil. Westminster Abbey, St. Margaret's, St. Mary Ottery, in Devonshire, and other churches founded.

EMINENT PERSONS.

Siward, Earl of Northumberland. Godwin, Earl of Kent, Edsine and Robert, Archbishops of Canterbury.

Of the East.-Constantine XI. 1042. Theodora. 1054.

Michael VI. 1056. Isaac Comnenus, 1057.

XII. 1059.

Constantine

Of the West-Henry III. 1039. Henry IV. 1056,

Kings.

Of France. Henry I. 1031. Philip I. 1060.

Of Scotland.-Macbeth, 1040.

Malcolm III. 1057.

EDWARD

EDWARD THE CONFESSOR.

"How he solicits Heaven

"Himself best knows, but strangely visited people,

"The mere despair of surgery, he cures,

"Hanging a golden stamp about their necks,

"Put on with holy pray'rs :-With this strange virtue,

"He hath a heavenly gift of prophecy;

"And sundry blessings hang about his throne

"That speak him full of grace."

SHAKESPEARE.

WHETHER King EDWARD Own'd the powers
Our Bard immortal speaks of, is not our's
To canvass.-'Tis our province to set down
Sans comment, what, it was SUPPOSED the Crown
Did, or had pow'r to do.-Of Danegelt eas'd,
The subjects with the sovereign were pleas'd;
And
gave him equally deserv'd applause,
For well digested and impartial laws.

What sad procession meets the eye?

Why trickles that reluctant tear From chiefs who pass in order by,

What sounds of woe salute the ear?

The

The solemn Pibrochs mournful tone

Which marks the step of yonder band Proclaim that Scotia's legal throne

Is stain'd by an usurper's hand.

And EDWARD lends his ready aid,
And SIWARD leads a valiant train;
Who, by the tyrant undismay'd,

Replace the son of DUNCAN slain.

The swan of Avon knew full well

To touch each chord that thrills the heart; Then let his magic numbers tell

Of murd'rous guile and fiend-like art.

The blasted heath, the wizard crew,

The "unsex'd" wife of GLAMIS' Thane,
Whose trait'rous hand his master slew,
And earn'd a transitory reign.

Whate'er his skill, who says or sings,
This moral he can only shew,
That crowns are but uncertain things,
And, (or in Subjects, or in Kings,)

Error must surely end in woe.

For

For proofs that mortal saints are sometimes weak,
With little trouble, in this reign, we seek;

His breast was coldly fraught with filial love,
Who cou'd, remorseless, cause his mother prove
The fire ordeal. Next, for having wed
A child of one he had good cause to dread;
The coward Prince revenged upon the dame
That hate he dared not for her sire proclaim.

GODWIN, ambition's child, the scourge we're told Of worthier men, 66 saucy and over bold"

In state affairs.—Revengeful, cruel, proud,

When least he deem'd-to fate's stern summons

bow'd.

'Tis said denial of Prince ALFRED's death

By his connivance, stopt the murd'rer's breath.*

'Twas EDWARD's wish, when dying, to resign The regal chair to NORMAN WILLIAM's line; But, while deliberation held the beam,

The king of terrors closed each worldly dream; HAROLD, Earl Godwin's son, assumed the sway, With what success a future page must say.

Legends report that Godwin was supernaturally suffocated, immediately subsequent to a solemn declaration of his innocence respecting the Prince's murder.

SUMMARY

SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF

HAROLD THE SECOND,

Began to reign, A. D. 1065. Married twice, by his first wife, whose name is not correctly known, he had issue, three sons, Goodwin, Edmund, Magnus: by his second, Algitha, sister of Morcar and Edwin, he had a son, named Wolf, knighted by William Rufus, and two daughters, Gunilda, who was blind and passed her days in a convent; and a second who married Uladimir, Grand Duke of Russia. Harold was killed at the battle of Hastings, 1066, after a reign of one year, nine months, and as many days.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS.

Disputes and negociations with William, Duke of Normandy, which terminated in Harold's death, and the conquest of the kingdom.

EMINENT PERSONS.

Leofwin and Gurth, brothers to the King. Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury. Tosti, Earl of Northumberland.

CoTemporary Sovereigns.

Pope.

Alexander II. 1061.

Emperors,

Of the East. Constantine XII. 1059.

Of the West.-Henry IV. 1056.

Kings.

Of France.-Philip I. 1060.

Of Scotland.-Malcolm III, 1057.

HAROLD