Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/288

 ox THE LIFE AND DEATH OF EARL GODWINS. sij^ning with no very certain order, and no very- certain titles,^ but so far as we can infer anything, the order seems to be Swegen, Ilarokl, Tostig, Gyrth, Leofwine. This is ^Fahnesbnry's order, corrected by the statement of Florence that Swegen was the eklest, and ilahnesbury may liave put Harokl first as the future king. Wulfnoth, who jierliaps never signs, is placed by ikalmesbury between Tostig and Gyrth, but I conceive him to have been the youngest of all, on the strength of a passage of Florence to be hereafter examined. EDWARD A. FREEMAN. 3 In a charter of 104 t all five brothers si^n as "Dux," but geiiemlly that title is contined to 6we<;en uuil Harold duriii;; the early part of Eadward's reign. Swej;en so lonn as he signs at ail, is always " Dux." Harold is generally " Dux," in two of lU4o "minister," in two later ones " Comes." Tostig signs as " Dux " in one (jther charter of ] 1)11-7, otherwise he does not usually a.>-.suine that title till his jiro- niotion in 10.55. Before that lie is "minister" or"nobilis; " several times we have pointedly " Harold Dux, Tostig Minister." From 10.5") onwards lie is generally " Dux,'' twice " Comes." After tiie charter of 101), Leofwine does not sign till 10 l.')-.")ii, when lie apjiears as '•minister" or "nobilis;" from lOd'l lie is" J)ux "or " Comes." After 1011 Uyrth d-jes not sign till 10.5.5, when he ap|)ears as " Comes," and in lOGl as " Dux." In the charti-r of 1044 (iv. liO) the order is i lai-old, l^eofwine, Swegen, Tostig, (lyrtli; .Swegen signs two otiiers with Harold, and before him ; in several others he sit^ns alone. JIarijUl (ilirnyx niijnit Injure Tusii'i, Tostig always (with the one exception) before <jyrth and Leofwine ; (lyrth gene- rally before Leofwine. In one bearing date December 2J1, 100.5, the order is Leofwine, Gyrth, Harold ; in ten days the hitter's title of " Dux " was to be exchanged for a higher one. If we could get rid of the single charter of 1044, the order of their appearance and their jirecedence in signing would be tolerably clear. It is worth notice that, with that exception, Swegen always signs before Harold, Harold before Tostig, and Tostig before (Jyrth and Leofwine, while Harold, Gyrth and Leofwine do not ol)serve so strict an order. Now Swegen had a (juarrel with Harold, while Harold, (iyrth, and Leofwine lived and dieil firm friends. Did not jealousy in the oni- case lead to a strict observance of ceremony, eoiifiilence, in the other, lead to its being dispensed with Wulfnoth I imagine never signs, if lie were either, according to one statement, a hostage in Normandy from his father's return till Ihirold's death, or a i>risiier of William's from his ehildhiiod, as l'"lorence tells us, there were good ri-asons why he should not. I'nibably he was not born in 10 14, when all the other brothers sign close together. A Wulfnoth does sign several charters about th.-it time, but lie was probalily a dillVrent person from tlu' son of Uodwine. {To be Coiiliiiucd.)