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384 from the Londoners, but died suddenly in February 1014, before he could be crowned King of England. His death threw the whole Scandinavian world into confusion. The fleet at Gainsborough chose the youthful Knut, though only eighteen, to be king; but he was not Svein's eldest son, and Denmark passed to his brother Harold, while the Norwegians favoured the claims of Olaf the Stout, a cousin of Olaf Tryggvason's, who had been fighting in England with Thorkil, to rule those parts of Norway which had acknowledged Svein's supremacy. In these circumstances it is not surprising to hear that Aethelred was called back to England, and that the jarls who stood round Knut advised a return of the fleet to Scandinavia to enable each man to look after his home interests. Knut therefore sailed away from the Humber, and for a year was occupied in Denmark making terms with his brother.

Meantime a new force arose in England in Edmund, Aethelred's eldest son by his first marriage. Aethelred on his return gave his confidence again to Eadric, and on his advice took steps to punish the men of the Five Boroughs for offering their allegiance to Svein. In pursuit of this object he put to death Sigeferth and Morkere, two of the leading magnates north of the Welland, and added their estates to Eadric's territories. This was just one of those outrages which gained Aethelred the title of the "Redeless" or the "Badly counselled." All additions to the Grasper's power were bitterly resented, and by none more than by Edmund, the heir to the throne. To check Eadric became the fixed purpose of the young prince. He accordingly seized and married Sigeferth's widow, and then marched to the Five Boroughs as the avenger of the lady's wrongs and made himself master of all the lands which Eadric had coveted. This stroke was so popular in the Danelaw, that Edmund at once became a power in the land, but only at the cost of earning the undying hatred of Eadric. What this would entail was seen a few months later when Knut once more appeared in the Channel with a large fleet partly furnished by his brother. This picked force, "which contained neither thrall nor freedman," landed at Wareham without opposition from Aethelred, who was lying ill near Portsmouth, and ravaged at will through Dorset and Somerset. To meet it Edmund and Eadric both gathered forces; but when they came face to face with the enemy in Wiltshire, Eadric promptly went over to Knut. Edmund therefore had to retire over the Thames without fighting, and the whole of Wessex submitted. In the spring of 1016 much the same happened in Mercia. Knut and Eadric came leagued together into Warwickshire, and Edmund in despair was forced to abandon the defence of Middle Anglia. The most he could do was to appeal for assistance to Uhtred, who had his own grievances against Eadric. This caused a momentary diversion; for Uhtred marched through Cheshire to attack Eadric in Staffordshire and Shropshire. But Knut meantime overran the valley of the Ouse, then went unchecked all up the east side of England to the Humber, and eventually appeared before York. When