Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 1.djvu/78

64 present danger. His array was now so considerable, that he ventured to take the field; and, marching to London, he summoned a general council of the nation, to judge the rebellion of Godwin and his sons.

These nobles affected at first a willingness to stand their trial, but demanded hostages for their safety, which were indignantly refused. Soon afterwards, finding themselves deserted by the majority of their adherents, they disbanded their remaining forces, and fled the country.

Baldwin, Count of Flanders, gave shelter and protection to the earl and three of his sons, Gurth, Sweyn, and Tostig, the last being his son-in-Law.

Harold and Leofwin, two younger brothers, took refuge in Ireland.

Godwin himself had fixed his influence too strongly in England, and had too many allies, not to make some efforts to retrieve his misfortunes. The Earl of Flanders permitted him, in 1052, to fit out an expedition in his harbours, which he directed towards Sandwich; but was compelled to retreat before the numerous fleet which Edward equipped against him.

The exile appears to have been far more politic and clear-sighted than the king, who, satisfied with his success, and deeming his enemy completely crushed, disbanded his men and neglected his ships, whilst Godwin kept his in readiness. Deeming the time at last had come, he put to sea once more, and sailed for the Isle of Wight, where he was joined by his son Harold, with considerable succours, collected in Ireland.

Being now master of the sea, he plundered all the harbours of the southern coast, burning the ships of Edward, and called upon his followers in those counties which owned his authority to take arms in his cause. The appeal was not made in vain: such numbers flocked to his standard that he entered the Thames, and caused great terror to the citizens of London.

The king alone showed the resolution to oppose the rebels and defend the city to the last extremity. The nobles, however, fearing a civil war, and many of them conceiving Godwin to have reason, induced Edward to listen to terms of accommodation, which the affected humility of the earl, who declared that he only demanded a fair and impartial trial, materially assisted. It was stipulated that he should give hostages for his future loyalty and peaceable conduct; and that the primate, and all foreigners, should be sent out of the realm. Godwin died shortly afterwards, whilst sitting at table with the king. He was succeeded in the government of Sussex, Kent, and Essex, as well as in the office of Steward of the Household, by his son Harold, who, equally ambitious as his father, possessed more prudence and address. By a modest, sensible line of conduct, he succeeded in obtaining; the favour of the king, and daily increased the number of his partisans, till his authority equalled that of the monarch himself.

Edward, who saw that his subject was becoming his equal, attempted to raise a rival to him in the person of Algar, son of Leofric, Duke of Mercia, whom he invested with the government of East Anglia; but Algar was speedily expelled from his government by the intrigues of Harold, who bitterly resented his nomination, the government of that province having been formerly in his own family.

This check, however, was not of long continuance. The young noble having married the daughter of Griffith, Prince of Wales, the influence of his father-in-law, backed by the authority of Edward, quickly reinstated him.

This peace was not of long duration; Harold, taking advantage of Leofric's death, which happened soon after, expelled Algar anew, and banished him the kingdom; and though that nobleman made a fresh irruption into East Anglia with an army of Norwegians, and overran the country, his death soon freed Harold from the pretensions of so dangerous a rival. Edward, the eldest son of Algar, was indeed advanced to the government of Mercia; but the balance which the king desired to establish between those potent families was wholly lost, and the influence of Harold greatly preponderated.

The death of Siward, Duke of Northumberland, in 1055, made the way still more open to the ambition of that nobleman. Siward, besides his other merits, had acquired honour to England by his successful conduct in the only foreign enterprise undertaken during the reign of Edward. Duncan, King of Scotland, was a prince of a gentle disposition, but possessed not the genius requisite for governing a country so turbulent, and so much infested by the intrigues and animosities of the great. Macbeth, a powerful nobleman, and nearly allied to the crown, not content with curbing the king's authority, carried still further his pestilent ambition: he put his sovereign to death; chased Malcolm Kenmure, his son and heir, into England; and usurped the crown. Siward, whose daughter was married to Duncan, embraced, by Edward's orders, the protection of this distressed family: he marched an army into Scotland; and having defeated and killed Macbeth in battle, he restored Malcolm to the throne of his ancestors. This service, added to his former connections with the royal family of Scotland, brought a great accession to the authority of Siward in the north; but as he had lost his eldest son, Osberne, in the action with Macbeth, it proved in the issue fatal to his family. His second son, Waltheof, appeared, on his father's death, too young to be entrusted with the government of Northumberland; and Harold's influence obtained that dukedom for his own brother, Tostig.

There are two circumstances related of Siward which discover his high sense of honour and his martial disposition. When intelligence was brought to him of his son Osborne's death, he was inconsolable, till he heard that the wound was received in the breast, and that he had behaved with great gallantry in the action. When he found his own death approaching, he ordered his servants to clothe him in a complete suit of armour; and sitting erect on the couch, with a spear in his hand, declared that in that posture, the only one worthy of a warrior, he would patiently await the fatal moment.

The king, now worn out with cares and infirmities, felt himself far advanced in the decline of life; and having no issue himself, began to think of appointing a successor to the kingdom. He sent a deputation to Hungary, to invite over his nephew Edward, son of his elder brother, and the only remaining heir of the Saxon line. That prince, whose succession to the crown would have been easy and undisputed, came to England with his children, Edgar, surnamed Atheling, Margaret, and Christina; but his death, which happened a few days after his arrival, threw the king into new difficulties. Ho saw that the great power and ambition of Harold had tempted him to think of obtaining possession