Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/402

 338 «'X THE LIFE AND DEATH OF EARL GODWIN E. Godwiiie. He had also a share in the capture of Worcester, aloiiii" with Siward, Leofric, and the other great earls, inchiihiig ^Elfric again. Tliis })rehite is said to have instigated the king to burn the city, because the people thereof preferred a separate bishop of their own. to one nyIio divided his ministrations between them and an archieijiscojial see. § 4. GODWIN]-: AND HIS CHILDREN IN THE EAllLY PART OF THE REIGN OF EADWARD. On the death of llarthacnut, in 1042, Godwine begins to appear in a more im})ortant and a more distinctly honourable character. There cannot be the least doubt that Eadward ■was peaceabl}' elected king on the death of his half-brother. This appears from both versions of the Chronicle, and from Florence, the latter of which authorities adds, that his election was chiefly brought about through the influence of Godwine and of Lyflng, Bishoj^ of Worcester, the prelate who had shared with him the imputation of iElfred's murder. I only mention this, because Thierry, on insuflicient authorit}', has given us a picture of Godwine and his sons acting as the leaders of a patriot army, and expelling the Danes by main force. This he rests upon certain confused and unintelligible statements of Bromton and Knighton, which it is exceedingly diflicult to reconcile even with the latter writer's own subsequent statements, much less with the history as transmitted by earlier and better authors. Bromton connects this expulsion of the Danes with the coming over of iElfred, which, as we have seen, he places after the death oi" llarthacnut. Knighton, first of all,' relates the death of llaithacnut ' in una bovaria," and his burial at Westminster. He then says that under him tlio opprcssio?i of the Danes was so j:;reat tiiat tlx.' MiiLrlish rose under a certain Howne, and expelled them, lie then relates the nnndcr of yElfred as happening under IJai-tliacnut, goes oft" to tx'rtain tales of emperors and popes, aiid fnially i"eturns to Kngland to kill Ilaitliacmit again in tlic ordinary way at llir marriage- Irasl, and to bni'y liim at "ni<-licstrr : adtling, that the Knglish immediately sent iiil<t .Xnimaiidy tor Kadward, who was certainly in KnLi;Iand al the tinio. in.stca*! of