was formerly called Oleneige, to which the kings were conveyed, clad in splendid armour, and where they began their single combat in the sight of the people of each nation. But when, by the might of the kings striking at one another, and by the shock of their strong shields, their spears had been broken, they drew their swords, and fought hand to hand, continuing the encounter vigorously and long, his valour defending Edmund, and fortune preserving Canute, their swords rung upon their helmeted heads, and sparks flashed from the heavy blows. At length, the mighty breast of Edmund kindled with fury as the combat proceeded, and, becoming stronger as his blood warmed within him, he raised his right hand, brandished his sword, and redoubled his blows on the head of his enemy with such vehemence, that he appeared to thunder rather than to strike. Canute, therefore, feeling his strength fail, and himself unequal any longer to withstand these terrible attacks, bethought himself of coming to terms of peace with the young king. But, as he was a cunning man, he feared that if his weakness were perceived by the young king he would not listen to his proposals of peace, he collected all his courage, and rushed upon Edmund with marvellous valour. And presently, retiring a little, he begged the young king to pause for a moment, and to give him a hearing. But he, being of a sweet disposition, dropped his shield on the ground, and listened to the words of Canute. "Hitherto," said Canute, "O bravest of men, I have been desirous of your kingdom; but now, considering you of more value not only of the kingdom of England but also than the whole world, I am more desirous of your love than of the kingdom. Denmark is obedient to me, Norway is subject to me, the king of the Suevi has yielded to me. Wherefore, although fortune has promised me that I shall be victorious everywhere, still your wonderful prowess has inspired me with so much love, that I desire above all things to have you for my friend and my partner in the kingdom. Would that you may be as well inclined to me, so that I may reign with you in England, and you with me in Denmark."

To make the story short, the most gracious king Edmund consented, and he who could not be subdued by arms, yielded to words. Therefore they both of them laid aside their splendid armour, and kissed one another, to the great delight of both armies. Then they exchanged garments and arms in

A.D. 1017.

DEATH OF KING EDMUND.

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token of peace, and Edmund became Canute, and Canute Edmund. And so the kingdom was divided between the two, but the crown remained with Edmund, with Essex and East-Anglia, and the city of London, and all the country to the south of the river Thames; Canute having the northern part of the kingdom. But peace continued between them on the firmest footing till the death of the noble king Edmund. King Edmund had two sons, Edward and Edwin, by his wife Aldgiva, a woman of noble family; and they will be spoken of hereafter in their proper place.

Therefore, while Edmund, king of England, surnamed Ironside, was merciful and kind to the just persons in his kingdom, and terrible to the unjust, there was still a traitor envious of his prosperity; and Eadric, the wicked duke of Mercia, was incessantly thinking how he might destroy the king. At last, when the king was passing the night at Oxford, when he retired to a more secret part of the house for the necessities of nature, the son of the said Eadric, prompted by his father, lay in ambush in a secret cupboard, and, on the night of the festival of the Apostle Saint Andrew, stabbed the king twice, in a fatal part with a sharp knife; and, having mortally wounded him, fled, and left the weapon in his bowels. And he was buried at Glastonbury, near his grandfather king Edgar, and all England mourned for him exceedingly, because they hoped that with him for their leader they would have a respite from the oppression of the Danes.

CH. XX.-FROM A.D. 1017 TO A.D. 1042.

Canute becomes sole king of England-Banishes the nobles— Marries Emma, sister of Richard, duke of Normandy—A conference at Oxford establishes the laws of Edward-Character of Canute; his liberality-Subdues Norway-Birth of William of Normandy-He succeeds to his father's dukedom-Death of Canute-Coronation of Harold-Hardicanute is set up in opposition to him by Godwin, and is erowned king-Dies, and is succeeded by Edward the Confessor.

A.D. 1017. Edmund, king of England, being dead, Canute seized upon the whole kingdom of England, and reigned twenty years. And, in the earliest days of his reign, he divided England into four portions, retaining Wessex for him

self, and entrusting Mercia to Eadric, East-Anglia to Turketil, and Northumberland to Iric. But when the wicked duke Eadric heard that he had been deprived of the duchy of Mercia, which he had possessed for many years, he attacked the king on account of this with exceeding asperity, reproaching him with all the benefits which he had conferred on him; among which he urged two, which especially excited him to anger, saying, "First of all, I deserted Edmund for your sake, and after that I murdered him, because of my fidelity to you." But, when he said this, Canute's countenance changed, and he showed his anger by reddening, and immediately expressed his opinion, and said, "And deservedly shall you yourself die, since you are guilty of lése majesté, both against God and against me, inasmuch as you slew your own master, and my brother, who was bound to me by treaty. His blood be upon your head, because you laid your hands upon the Lord's anointed." And, presently, he had him strangled on the spot, to prevent any tumult being excited among the people, and he was thrown out of a window into the river Thames, and so he received the just reward of his treason. Now, of the death of this traitor Eadric different writers have given different accounts; some stating that, after Edmund had been slain by his treachery, he came himself to Canute, and saluted him, saying, Hail, sole king." And then, in reply to the question of the king as to why he saluted him in this manner, he related what had taken place repecting the death of Edmund, Canute answered him, and said, " For these great deserts, and for this obedience of yours, I will this day raise you above all the nobles of the kingdom;" and then he ordered him to be beheaded, and his head to be fixed on a stake, and set on the tower of London, as a prey to the birds. But whether the traitor Eadric ended his life in this, or in some other way, does not make much difference; because it is certainly known that he, who had circumvented many, was at last circumvented himself, by the righteous judgment of God.

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After these events, Canute came to the wonderful determination in his own mind of either destroying or banishing, by perpetual exile, the whole of the English nation. Accordingly, beginning with Edwin, the brother of king Edmund on the mother's side, he gave him to an officer named Ethelward. But Ethelward, loving the youth, concealed him in a certain abbey, and delivered him for a time from the danger of death.

A.D. 1020.

CANUTE RETURNS TO ENGLAND.

519

He likewise sent the sons of king Edmund, Edwin and Edward, to the king of the Suevi, to be put to death. But that king, although he was a confederate of Canute's, refused to comply with his entreaties. For he sent the boys to Solomon, king of Hungary, to be brought up and preserved alive. And after they had lived there some time in great honour, Edward received the sister of the queen for his wife, whose name was Emma, and by whom in process of time he had two sons, Edmund and Edgar. He also had two daughters by her, whose names were Margaret and Christina, of whom we shall speak hereafter in the proper place.

The sons of king Ethelred also, whom he had had by Emma, by name Alfred and Edward, hearing of the cruelty of king Canute, escaped, and found a safe place of concealment in Normandy, so as at least to avoid all danger of death. But every one else whom he heard spoken of as related to the royal family, Canute sent into banishment, labouring to preserve the kingdom of England for his own sons, by hereditary right. For by his queen Algiva, the daughter of count Elfelm, he had two sons, namely, Sweyn and Harold, although scandal reports that Canute was not their real father.

The same year, Wolstan, bishop of Worcester, died, and Leoft, abbot of Thorney, succeeded him in the bishopric.

A.D. 1018. Algiva, the queen of king Canute, died, and he presently sent into Normandy to duke Richard, to ask his sister Emma in marriage, who was the widow of king Ethelred. And she came to England in the month of July, and was formally married to Canute; and he, taking her advice, sent back the Danish fleet and all his mercenary soldiers to their native land, giving them eighty-two thousand pounds of silver, which he collected out of every part of England.

A.D. 1019. Canute, king of England and Denmark, passed over into Denmark, and wintered there.

The same year, Ealmar, bishop of Selsey, died, and was succeeded by Ethelric.

A.D. 1020. Canute, king of England and Denmark, having settled all his necessary affairs in Denmark, returned into England at the time of the festival of Easter, and having assembled a council at Orencester, passed a sentence of outlawry against duke Ethelward. The same year, Living, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and was succeeded by Ethelnoth. The same year, after the see of Durham had been vacant, and de

prived of all pastoral consolation, for three years, ever since the death of bishop Aldhun; having convened an assembly of bishops, in order to discuss the election of a bishop, a certain priest of one of the religious orders, by name Edmund, came among them, and said jestingly, "Why do you not elect me bishop?" And those who were present did not take his words as a joke, but unanimously elected him, and proclaimed a fast for three days, to take the will of Saint Cuthbert, the old bishop, on the matter. Accordingly, when the priest was celebrating mass at the head of the Saint's tomb, in the middle of the canon, a voice was heard as if from the tomb of the father himself, which thrice named Edmund as bishop.

The same year, Canute, king of England and Denmark, having built a royal monastery, with suitable offices, in the place which is called Bedericeswirthe, where the most blessed king and martyr, Edmund, awaits the day of the blessed resurrection, with an uncorrupt body, by the advice of Emma, his queen, and also of the bishops and barons of England, placed monks in it, and appointed an abbot to govern it, whose name was Wido, a humble, modest, gentle, and pious man. And all the priests who had lived there in an irregular manner, he either, if he allowed them to remain there, advanced to a much higher degree of religion, or else gave them other means of providing for themselves with food and raiment to a more plentiful extent than they were accustomed to, and made them remove to other places. He also enriched the monastery of the blessed king and martyr Edmund with such numbers of estates and other revenues, that, as to its temporal affairs, it is deservedly set at the head of all the other convents. This year also, he adorned with churches all the places in which he had fought battles, and especially Assendune, placing ministers in them who were to celebrate divine offices for the salvation of those who had been slain there.

A.D. 1021. King Canute took occasion against Turkill and Iric, two Danish nobles, to banish them from England and outlaw them. And they went to Denmark, their native country; but the moment that they reached the shore, Turkill, who had been the prompter of the death of the blessed Ælpheg, was slain by the dukes of the country. The same year, Algar, bishop of Helmham, died, and was succeeded by Ealwin. A.D. 1022. The English and Danes held a conference at Oxford, and agreed on the subject of keeping the laws of