badly wounded. He fought on till he was again wounded. Weak with loss of blood, he could no longer stand, but he bade his followers to keep up the struggle.

Then looking up to heaven he cried, "I thank Thee, Lord of nations, for all the joys which I have known on earth; now, mild Creator, have I most need that Thou shouldst grant good to my soul, so my spirit may make its way in peace unto Thy kingdom."

When Brihtnoth had thus spoken, some of the Danes slashed at him with their swords, and he died. Certain of his followers then fled, but his own friends and companions still fought on, determined either to avenge him or to die themselves. The Northmen were far more than they, and slew them all where they stood.

The plan of paying the invaders for going away was very foolish; after a while Ethelred did something which was very wicked as well as very foolish on a certain day he had a large number of the Danes who were living peaceably under his rule murdered. It is said that the sister of Swegen was among those slain.

After this things grew much worse. Again and again the Danes came, and went marching up and down the country, burning and killing. In 1011 they destroyed Canterbury and took 7 Elfeah the archbishop prisoner. He would pay no ransom, because the money needed could only be got by taxing the poor people, who had already been

8

heavily taxed and plundered as well. Danes got angry and put him to death.

So the

In 1013 Swegen (who had invaded England thrice before) came again, resolved to conquer the country this time. Many of the people dwelling in the east and north having sprung from the Danes who settled there in the days of Alfred were perhaps more willing to have Swegen for king than Ethelred; at any rate they gave in at once.

9

Leaving his son Cnut in charge of them, Swegen passed on into Wessex. Ethelred, after holding out a little while, fled to Normandy, whither he had already sent his wife and children. Thus Swegen became king of the whole land.

Thereupon the Danes stead, but the English

Early next year he died. chose Cnut to reign in his sent for Ethelred and he came back. After two years of fighting he died, and then many of the English, thinking it hopeless to struggle any longer, gave in to Cnut. The men of London, however, chose for king Ethelred's son Edmund, who, because of his 10 courage and might, was called Ironside.

Edmund Ironside did not wage war in the feeble way his father had done. In less than seven months he fought five battles with the Danes, winning three and not fairly losing one. To avoid further bloodshed, he and Cnut agreed to divide the country between them; but, soon after, Edmund died, and then Cnut became king of the whole land. At first he seemed harsh; but as soon as he saw there was no likelihood of a rising on the part of

the English, he sent back to Denmark his ships and fighting men. 11 Thenceforward he governed justly and kindly, so that men came to love him and to forget that he was a foreign conqueror.

He was a very mighty king, England, Denmark, Norway, and part of Sweden being under his rule. Scotland too owned him as over-lord. After a reign of twenty years he died and was buried at Winchester. His two sons reigned after him in England.

1 Ethelred, or Ethelred. 2 counsel, advice, wisdom. 3 Swegen, often called Sweyn. 4 tribute, money paid for peace. 5 molest, to meddle with. 6 undaunted, without fear. 7 Elfeah, or Elfheah, now generally spoken of as St. Alphege. 8 ransom, money paid for setting a prisoner free. 9 Cnut. He is often Canute because when a later Danish king of the same name was to be made a saint, the Pope could not say "Cnut," and so called him "Canutus," which in English would be "Canute." 10 courage, bravery, boldness. 11 thenceforward, from that time on.

con-fess'-or

NORMANS AND ENGLISH.

neigh'-bours

chast-ise'

tri'-umphed IN the ninth century, while the Danes were troubling Britain, other Northmen were, much in the same way, troubling Gaul. Like the Danes, they began by plundering and ended by settling. In 912 a band of them under Rolf settled in that part of Gaul which is called after them Normandy, the land of the Nor-mans or North-men.

Rolf forsook his heathen faith and owned himself the man of Charles, king of the West Franks. His followers rapidly learnt from the people around them, so in the course of years they gave up their

BOOK II.

D

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old religion and language, becoming a Christian and French-speaking folk.

Ethelred the Unready married a Norman, Emma, daughter of Duke Richard the Fearless, and greatgrand-daughter of Rolf. This was why he fled with his family to Normandy when Swegen conquered Wessex.

On the death of her first husband Emma married Cnut, but when she returned to England she did not bring her children with her. She left them in

her brother's court, where they were brought up and where they lived for many years.

3

In 1042 the second of Cnut's sons died and the English chose for their king the eldest living son of Ethelred, Edward, commonly called the Confessor. He was a very religious man, but neither strong nor wise as a ruler. Having from childhood dwelt in Normandy he was English in little else than name. In thought and feeling he was a Norman, and he soon had a large number of Normans around him. To some of them he made rich presents, to others he gave good posts, to all he showed great favour.

Among other foreigners who came to visit Edward was his brother-in-law, Eustace, Count of Boulogne. In passing through Dover on their way home Eustace and his followers tried to quarter in a certain house against the owner's will, and when the latter withstood them they killed him. His neighbours quickly armed themselves and there was a general fight. Several were slain on each side, but in the end the

foreigners were driven out of the town. Then Eustace returned to Edward to complain.

Cnut had divided the country into four parts, placing each under the government of an earl. At this time the most powerful earl was Godwine of Wessex. Dover was in the district under his charge, so the king ordered him, when Eustace had told his tale, to "chastise the townsmen. Godwine flatly refused, and said that no one in his earldom should be punished without first having a fair trial. This led to a quarrel and seemed at first as though it would lead to fighting, but the king proved for a time stronger than the earl, and Godwine and his family were banished.

The foremost Englishman being thus out of the way, Edward had another foreign visitor, one who perhaps had not been allowed to come before. This was William, Duke of Normandy. He was only a child when his father died, and many of the Normans were unwilling to have him for lord over them. For twelve years they strove against him, and several times came nigh to killing him; but in the end he 7triumphed over all his enemies, governed wisely and became very powerful.

His father was the Confessor's cousin; and it is likely that, seeing Edward was childless, William had thought of becoming himself king of England. He gave out that during his visit a promise was made to him by Edward that he should reign after him. When William had gone back Godwine returned. Many of the English were ready to fight on his side,