mortals, aspires after that honour which comes from God only.

ESSAY VII.

The Anglo-Saxon Monarchy restored under EDWARD (the Confessor) and HAROLD II.

A. D. 1041-1066.

THE Danish yoke had become so oppressive during the administration of the two last sovereigns, that the sudden death of Hardicanute was hailed as a public blessing, and the opportunity it afforded of restoring the ancient line of Saxon kings was eagerly embraced. The prince of that line, whose claim stood first, was Edward, son of Edmund Ironside, who was surnamed "the exile," on account of his having lived in Hungary from his childhood, under the protection of the sovereign of that kingdom. So many years had elapsed since his departure from England, and so little had been heard of him during that long period, that when an assembly was convened, after the death of Hardicanute, to determine on the succession to the English crown, he seems to have been passed over without notice; while the inferior pretensions of Edward, son of Ethelred, by Emma of Normandy, were readily admitted. This prince and his mother were living in England in comparative obscurity, when he was most unexpectedly called to assume the reins of government. To this issue, Earl Godwin had chiefly contributed; who, though suspected of the murder of Alfred, Edward's brother, now manifested the utmost solicitude to restore the Saxon dynasty by the elevation of the surviving prince to the throne. The ambitious motive which prompted him to espouse the cause of Edward, sufficiently appeared in the stipulation he made that the young king should reward his zeal by marrying

his daughter Edgitha. This lady is represented by the ancient historians as exquisitely beautiful, highly accomplished, and a prodigy of learning. Yet Edward would never consent to the consummation of the marriage, prompted, as some suppose, by hatred to her father, or influenced, as the monks tell us, by a vow of perpetual chastity made in his youth, and inflexibly maintainedthrough life; on which account he was surnamed "the Confessor." Whatever may have been the cause, it proved a perpetual source of disquietude to himself, of dissensions with Godwin and his family, and of calamity to his subjects in general.

The reign of Edward commenced with an act of severity towards queen Emma, his mother, for which it is not easy to account. He took possession of all her treasures, and is even said to have shut her up in a nunnery for life. It is manifest from the whole of this prince's conduct, that his antipathies and resentments were exceedingly strong, and perhaps he may never have forgiven her marriage to Canute, and her consent to a treaty which excluded her sons by a former marriage from the throne of their ancestors. Or this unnatural conduct may have proceeded from timidity, lest Emma's political intrigues should involve him in difficulties. In addition to the wealth thus unjustly obtained, he resolved on a revocation of all those grants which had been made by the late sovereigns, and which having been chiefly conferred on foreigners, had rendered them too powerful. Nothing could be more grateful to his English subjects, than to see the wealthy Danes despoiled of their possessions, especially as by this means Edward was enabled to abolish a most odious tax, called Danegelt, which had been exacted with great rigour.

But the popularity which Edward acquired by the humiliation of the Danish nobles, was lost by his injudicious partiality to the Normans who resided at his court. As these had been his earliest and firmest friends, it was natural that they should share in his prosperity, who had sympathized with him in his adversity. But in conferring upon them the marks of his royal favour

he did not sufficiently regard the jealousy with which his subjects would view the introduction of foreigners into places of dignity and trust. Within a few years from his accession, a great proportion of the most important offices, both civil and ecclesiastical, were held by Normans. One of his friends from that dukedom was even raised to the see of Canterbury, in direct opposition to the counsel and entreaty of Earl Godwin and his sons, who seem, in this instance at least, to have acted a patriotic part. This conduct, added to the indignity with which he had treated his lovely queen, produced an open rupture between Edward and the family of Earl Godwin, which it was utterly impossible to heal. To detail the contentions which were carried on for many years between this misguided sovereign and these his rebellious subjects, would be extremely tedious. It is sufficient to state that, after having appealed to arms, without any signal advantage on either side, a reconciliation was effected, on condition that Edward should dismiss several of his foreign favourites, and that Godwin should give hostages for his future. loyalty and allegiance. Amidst all these domestic feuds, Edgitha carried her faculties so meekly, and endured with such exemplary patience the wrongs inflicted upon her, as to claim the admiration and esteem of all parties.

The design of Godwin to secure the succession to one of his sons now became apparent, and the resolution of Edward to frustrate that design was no less manifest, though he was too indolent and vacillating to adopt any effectual measures for that purpose. Now he seemed to turn to William Duke of Normandy, whom he received at his court with great distinction, so as to inspire that ambitious prince with the expectation that he would appoint him as his heir; and now, he proposed to bring home Edward, his exiled nephew, and present him to the court as his adopted son and successor. At length he determined on this latter measure, as that which would be most acceptable to the English nation; but scarcely had that prince arrived in his native country, ere he was attacked by a disease that proved mortal, leaving behind him an only son, named Edgar Atheling. This event again left the succession undecided, and encouraged

the hopes of those who were aiming to secure it to themselves.

Harold increased in popularity daily after his father's death; to which several of his public acts greatly contributed, in which the dictates of natural affection were subjected to the claims of equity and justice. Possessed of talents equal, if not superior, to those with which his father had been endowed, and a disposition far more amiable and fascinating, it was not difficult to withdraw the affections of the people from an indolent and feebleminded sovereign, ill qualified to administer the affairs of an empire. Before the death of Edward, which took place A. D. 1066, the greater part of the nobility were alienated from him, and either secretly or openly attached themselves to Harold. Though Edward had ascended the throne under peculiarly favourable circumstances, and had filled it more than twenty-five years, his reign is one of the most uninteresting and tedious in the whole series of English history. Yet he has not sunk into an unhonoured grave; nor has his memory been neglected; for the records of that age abound with eulogies on the piety and wisdom of this prince; numerous miracles are said to have been wrought at his tomb; and after his bones had mouldered in the grave more than two hundred years, he was canonized by Pope Alexander III., under the title of " St. Edward the Confessor."

HAROLD, son of earl Godwin, was crowned at St. Paul's, by the archbishop of York, on the same day in which his predecessor was interred in his newly-built cathedral at Westminster. The prompt allegiance of the nobles, and the loud acclamations of the public, seeined clearly to indicate that he was the sovereign of their choice. Conscious of the deficiency of his title, he endeavoured to render his administration popular by redressing public grievances, and the impartial execution of the laws. As he was not ignorant of the design of William of Normandy to assert his claim to the throne of England, (if on no other ground, yet by force of arms,) Harold determined to prepare for a vigorous defence, and raised a large army for that purpose. But, instead of employing his troops in opposing the anticipated invasion of the

Normans, he was under the painful necessity of marching them against his own brother Tosti, a youth of a most implacable temper, whom he had formerly offended, and who now sought revenge by stirring up an insurrection against him. Tosti having obtained the assistance of the king of Norway, and being strengthened by the Northumbrian Danes, found himself at the head of a considerable army, with which he ravaged the northern counties, and laid siege to York. But here his career was stopped; for he was utterly defeated, and slain in a battle fought at Stamford-bridge, on the 25th of September, 1066.

Flushed with this victory, Harold and his army spent several days at York in public rejoicings; and, having at length proceeded towards his capital in triumph, intelligence was received that the duke of Normandy had landed in Sussex. The tidings surprised him, as, on account of the advanced period of the year, he had not anticipated this invasion till the following spring; but he was not dismayed. Though many of his soldiers were disbanded, and the rest exhausted by the fatigues they had recently undergone, he resolved to press forward, and give battle to his rival without delay. His most prudent advisers, and, amongst the rest, his own brother Girth, earnestly entreated him to halt for a few days, or at least not to risk his personal safety by taking the command; but he was deaf to every remonstrance, and rushed onward to the fatal combat. The army of the duke of Normandy consisted of not less than sixty thousand chosen warriors, many of whom had been long accustomed to fight under his banners, and were extremely attached to their leader. William had also obtained the sanction of Pope Alexander II. to his enterprise, who sent him, as a special mark of his favour, a consecrated standard, which the soldiers considered as a certain pledge of success. The two armies came in sight of each other on the 13th of October, and on the following day the memorable battle was fought, which terminated the Saxon government in England, and introduced a new dynasty. After a tremendous conflict, which lasted the whole day, and during which the utmost bravery was displayed on either side, the Normans obtained a complete