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between the two sons of Canute did not remain long in force. Hardicanute still remained in Denmark, and the nobles of Wessex, vexed at his refusal to return, deposed him, and Harold Harefoot (a name given him on account of his speed of foot) became king over the whole realm (1037). Queen Emma was banished, but Godwin succeeded in gaining the new king's favour, and kept his place and power. Little is told us of Harold's other doings during his short reign. We hear of the Welsh under Griffith making a successful inroad into England, and fighting a battle in which Edwin, brother of the Mercian earl, was killed along with other English nobles. Duncan of Scotland also invaded the country and got as far as Durham. Durham, which we have heard of as uninhabited long after the time of St. Cuthbert, had now become a populous and well-fortified city, crowned by a splendid minster. The Scottish king was defeated with great loss before its walls, and was glad to make his escape to his own dominions.

In 1039 Hardicanute left Denmark, which, now that he had concluded a peace with Magnus of Sweden, he felt to be safe. He spent the winter with his mother, who had found shelter with Baldwin of Flanders, and made preparations for an invasion of England in the following spring. The invasion, however, was never made, for the crown came to him in the course of nature. On March 17th, Harold Harefoot died at Oxford after a long illness. He could not have been more than twenty-six years of age. Of his character we know little, and that little is not in his favour. The Chronicles speak of his irreligion,

THE ENGLISH TAXED.

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and of his selling Church preferments for money. We have seen that the worst part of the guilt of Alfred's cruel death probably rests upon his shoulders.

Hardicanute was chosen king by an assembly which met shortly after Harold's death. At midsummer he came over to England, landing at Sandwich, and shortly afterwards was crowned at Canterbury. He began his reign by a disgraceful act of vengeance. The body of Harold was taken out of its tomb at Westminster, beheaded, and thrown into the Thames. It was recovered from the river by a fisherman, delivered by him to the Danish colony in London, and buried again in their cemetery outside the walls.1 This must have been an unpopular act, for Harold had been the choice of nearly the whole English people, and probably had not reigned long enough to excite any great discontent. Still more hateful to the people must have been the imposition of a heavy tax for the payment of the fleet which Hardicanute had brought with him. A sum of £22,000 was levied in one year, and another of £11,000 in the next. is interesting to be told that each rower received eight marks, and each steersman twelve.2 The city of Worcester refused, we are told, to make this payment, and an expedition led by Leofric of Mercia, Siward

It

I The reader must conceive of London as not reaching further westward at this time than the western end of Fleet Street, the spot so long marked by Temple Bar. Outside lay the open space which is now called the Strand, or river bank; and here, in the place where the Church of St. Clement Danes still preserves a memory of the fact, was the burial place of the colony.

2

Eight marks

=

£5 6s. 8d. (about $27). The Chronicler says that there were sixty-two ships. This, after deducting £496 for the steersmen, would allow rather more than sixty rowers for each ship.

of Northumbria, and other nobles, were made to reduce the city to submission. For four days the country was ravaged, and on the fifth the city itself was burnt. The inhabitants, however, are said to have escaped, some by flight, others by defending themselves on an island of the Severn. The army which Leofric and his companions led against Worcester was largely composed of the House Carles, and we hear many stories of the rapacity and violence of this force. Besides their military duties, they seem to have been employed as collectors of the Danegelt. Tax-gatherers are never welcome visitors, and it may easily be believed that soldiers employed in this capacity may have made themselves specially odious.

The only other memorable act of Hardicanute is his effort to destroy his powerful subject, Earl Godwin. The earl was accused, as has been said, of having brought about the death of the Atheling Alfred. He was tried by the nobles and Churchmen of England. Depositions of his accusers were taken, and he affirmed his innocence upon oath, and his judges also took their oaths that they believed his affirmation. The favour of the King himself, who indeed owed him much, he seems to have regained by a handsome present. This was a splendid ship, which is thus described by Florence of Worcester. It had a gilded beak, and was equipped in a most perfect manner. Eighty warriors manned it, and every one of them bore a golden bracelet on each arm of sixteen ounces weight, was armed with a strongly woven habergeon, and a helmet partly gilt. Each also was girded with a gilded sword; from his left shoulder

END OF CANUTE'S DYNASTY.

319

hung a Danish axe, bound with gold and silver; in his left hand was a shield, the boss and the nails of which were gilded, and in his right a lance, the English name of which was aetgar."

Hardicanute appears not to have been married. At least we hear nothing of wife or child. It was probably with the thought of providing for the succession that he invited the Atheling Edward to come over from Normandy. Not long after his reign came to a sudden end. "This year died Hardicanute," we read in one of the Chronicles, "as he stood at his drink." He had honoured with his presence the marriage of his standard - bearer, a great Danish noble, Tofig, surnamed the Proud. The wedding feast was held at Lambeth, where Clapa, the father of the bride, had his house. "As the king stood in good health and joyous, drinking with the aforesaid bride and certain men," he fell down in a fit. As he is described as having struggled fearfully, the fit was probably epileptic. Whatever was its nature, it was fatal in the course of a day or two. With Hardicanute the shortlived dynasty of Canute came to an end. He was probably in his twenty-third or twentyfourth year.