10. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR (R. 1042-1066).

1. King Edward lived in the royal palace, and wore the crown and was called king; but he would have liked better to be a monk, and spend his days reading and singing and praying in a monastery. So he let Earl Godwin manage the business of the kingdom, and he gave all his time to books and religious works; and his life became so like that of a monk that people called him the "Confessor," which was a name sometimes given to monks.

2. Edward the Confessor felt lonely at his English court amongst the rough English nobles, many of whom could not read or write, and cared for nothing but feasts, and fighting, and power. He wanted to have his Norman friends about him; but the English did not like to see Norman knights and bishops about the court, and to hear the king talking with them in a language they could not understand; and Godwin became very popular because he was the enemy of the Normans.

3. But the king grew greatly displeased with Godwin, and commanded him to leave the country altogether. So Godwin departed for a time to a foreign land.

4. Now while Earl Godwin was beyond the seas, King Edward's cousin, William, Duke of Normandy, came to see him. William persuaded Edward to make him King of England when he should die. He had no right to be King of England. The English wanted no more foreign kings, and the rightful heir was Edgar,

the grandson of that brave Edmund Ironside who had fought so steadfastly against the Danes. But William thought that, as other Northmen had reigned in England, he might do so too; and when he had set his mind on a thing he always managed to do it. Edward promised all he wished, but secretly, and William went back to Normandy determined to be the next King of England.

5. But before many months were past, Earl Godwin sailed over to England with all his ships. The English were rejoiced that he had come back to resist the Normans, and the Wise Men of England, being called together, told Edward that he must forgive him; so he returned to all his old power. This was very bad news for William; for Godwin and his son Harold were the men amongst all the English whom he feared most. William suspected that Godwin meant to take the kingdom for himself, or for his son Harold, and, in any case, he knew that they would fight to the last against a Norman king.

6. But William waited and watched for Edward's death for fifteen years, and everything turned out as he wished. One evening it happened that Godwin was sitting at a great banquet with King Edward. As he ate and drank he fell down in a fit and died, and William had no more to fear from him.

7. Harold, who was as brave and powerful as Godwin, and much more beloved, was still left to protect the English, and for many years Harold ruled the country well, and the English were happy under him and loved him greatly.

8. But one day Harold was sailing in the Channel, when a storm arose and drove his ship upon the coast of Normandy, where he was in William's land and in his power. William welcomed him with

great friendliness; but when Harold had had his ship mended, and wanted to depart, William told him that King Edward had promised to leave England to him, and he would not let Harold go till he also had promised to help him to get the kingdom when Edward, who was now an old man, should die. Harold at first refused, but finding that unless he promised he would remain a prisoner in Normandy, he at last consented, and William allowed him to go home.

9. The very next year King Edward died. So the Wise Men of England met in council to settle who should be king. They rejected William, and passed over the young Edgar, who was not strong enough for those dangerous times, and chose Harold to be king. Then, in spite of the oath which William had forced him to swear, Harold assented, and was crowned King of the English.

11. THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS (A.D. 1066).

1. William, Duke of Normandy, was hunting, when a messenger came to him with the news that Edward the Confessor was dead, and that Harold was king. William became white with rage. For fifteen years he had been waiting since Edward promised him

the kingdom, and he swore to himself that he would. make himself master of the kingdom of England by force.

2. William had been used to fighting all his life. He was strong in battle and wise in council. He called together all his vassals, and told them to arm all their men with the utmost speed, and be ready to go with him across the sea and take revenge upon Harold; and he promised to reward them for their service with all the best lands of England. So, after many months of preparation, William sailed across the sea with a great army, and landed near the town of Hastings.

3. Harold had been king a year when William landed. He had been ruling well all the time, but the people of Norway had invaded England, and he had to fight hard to deliver the land from them, and to quell the turbulence of the great earls. At last he won a great victory at Stamford Bridge, in Yorkshire, where he killed the King of Norway; and then, only three days after, this new army under William landed in England. So Harold marched to Hastings as fast as he could.

4. The next morning the famous Battle of Hastings began, and both English and Normans fought like lions. But at last an arrow pierced the eye of Harold, and he fell dead upon the field; and four Norman knights surrounded him and through and through with their swords. remnant of the English gave up hope and fled; and all the Normans rejoiced because they had killed Harold and conquered the English. They marched on to

cut him

Then the