e trouble of governing, and who left his brother-in-law to rule the country while

Englishman, wise and honourable. The people of England loved and trusted Harold; and as Edward had n

England from France, there lived at this time a very

King of France to give him part of his dominions for himself and his followers to settle in. Ever since then,

his great grandson William of

ame from Normandy to spend some weeks at the Court of England. In after years William declared that

what he had no power to fulfil, for the English people had the right of choosi

king; and he was a man who never let an

e English Channel, when a storm arose

now where they were. All remained on deck, keeping an anxio

; and the men had just time to scramble out be

ittle rocky islet which would scarcely afford them foothold;

f lay their little vessel, half in, half out of the water, with a large hole in her side. There was nothing tha

nd going; looking towards the rock and then running to fetch other men. After a w

taways to get into the boat and be rowed as

azing fire the door was suddenly burst open, and a man in a shining coat of mail

it is a great man whom the wind and waves have done me the honour to waft to my shores.-I am Guy, Count of Pont

avely inclined his head in answer to the

aid Guy in mock courtesy. 'I must trouble you, Sir, to come to my poor dwelling, where I

ison in the hope of getting a ransom for him from King Edward. With these sturdy m

before he consents to give me up? It grieves me to think of the good English gold which will go to the

w with triumph as he led his prisoner wher

ard of the grim frowning castle of Ponthie

to England and tell King Edward that

smiled his m

weeks,' he said. 'His majesty of England will be the more pleased to we

he king and his own family in ignorance of his fate in order that they m

, haughty face; muttering to himself and reading a letter which had been brought to the castle by a mounted messenger. His mailed boots

illiam of Normandy to say that if I do not instantly release Earl Harold, he will send an army against me and raze my castle to the ground. What right has the duke to interfere, I should like to k

nd rage and defiance swelled in his heart. Then he recollected the great power of W

what faltering step was venturing to cross the courtyard;

count as he paced the flagstones; 'ay, and

enemies were never tired of reproaching him with this circumsta

d with a very bad grace, Guy told him that he was a free

n to his own country until he had thanked the Duke for his generous help. Some of his men were sent to Engla

sh face and steadfast blue eyes; William almost a giant in height, stern and proud,

nds of old; and they like

nt to Normandy as a hostage many years before. Each day was made a festival; the duke held tournaments in honour of his guest, and went h

feel more than ever what a pity it was t

everal of the knights became caught in a quicksand and would have been lost had not Harold rush

one best fitted to become a king. Yet all the time that he was outwardly showing the greatest friendship for

ew that King Edward had promised that

old quietly; 'I d

band upon the Eng

d for many years I have looked upon

on my side. If you will give me your word of honour that you will help me to the crown, I promise that you shall be the greatest man in the kingdom nex

; and you will never with my consent become King of England, because the English people have the right of choosing their own king; and we will never w

yes blazed with anger, as they alw

ient mastery over himself to be able to speak; '

to see what an imprudent action he had committed when

, whom he had rescued, ca

rmined will. You are alone, it is useless to resist; and he w

rother, Wulfnoth

round cells where a man can scarcely stand upright, where he may spend years without ever seeing the light of day.-O Harold, the duke has sworn to imprison both you

the night in g

a promise which he knew

ears to come Englishmen might walk over the very turf under which they lay, and not know that beneath their feet the lost e

him to bring such a f

would become of England whi

help the weak, gentle k

the English resisted him, as they were sure to do,

om England needed at that time. Al

g to make a promise which

arold with his

s guest to meet him in the

nce. Beneath the great stained-glass window was the duke in his state robes, seated upon a throne, with a bishop on ei

is most grave and sto

crown to me,' he said. 'I ask you now, in presence of the baron

rk and angry face. William was taki

s friend, in his ear. 'If you do no

hispered Wulfnoth;

etely in the pow

nd upon the Bible and repeated th

taking

the cloth of gold, showing that the che

upon the bones of saints was held to be the mos

ith a fierce hatred towards the duke, whose ambition

to his country; while, if he broke it, he f

braved the consequences; but he was never again the happy, fearless man that

rd felt his end approachin

dim with age and sickness. His wife, Harold's sister, was sitting on a low seat

me king after him. He said that long ago he had repented of the promise made to William of Norman

ithfully if the people of England should choose him for the

d him that he had so

t be a united country. The two earls in the north, Edwin and Morcar, are ene

was s

sacrifice yourself for England. We have both weakened our dear country, you and I; I by unduly favouring the Norm

t was unable to make up h

as a lily: Edith of the Swan's Neck, as people called her. Her f

; that our country may be free! I will never, never

her entreaty, and promised the old

daughter of his enemy and Edith to enter a convent

ould come upon England. He had been a good, kind old man, and his people grieved for him very much; but throu

their king, and on the following day the old king was buried and the n

just leaving his castle with a hunting-party when a messenger

ned there until nightfall. No one dared to enter that room or speak to the duke. When he left it,

d ship-builders. Then he sent all over Normandy, and all ov

ed for them, horses found, and ships built to carry them over to England. William wrote to the Pope and told him the story of

of Normandy William's ships were only waiting for a fair win

is subjects by his cruelty and injustice that they had rebelled against him and driven him from the country. Tostig sent to ask Harold to restore him

aid him. At last he found his way to King Harold Hardrada of Norway; and this warlik

orthumbria, and began to ravage the coun

the fighting-men were away in the fields, gathering in the harvest, but

d he led his men northward by a road which had b

rudged steadily onwards the men talked of the enemy whom they were soon to meet; the w

ht black heathen folk in an outlandish p

d parson preaches of in the church; th

Hardrada was in that land he met

hat?' asked

of teeth it had; and it came out of the river on its hind legs, and clawed at the king with iron gloves. They fought till sundown

and the harvest moon was lighting up the long lines of men, with the king and his nobles on their tired horses at the

time, 'that the next enemy we shall hav

hearers drew themselves up

said. 'We will have n

sacred banner, and calls it a holy war because our good king has broken a

g,' repeated the men. 'Neither Pope nor

me nothing was heard save the steady tramp o

he weary army lay down to snatch a

break; and at length they came

cle, with the sunbeams glinting upon helmets and spear-points. High overhead floated the

he army was a knight in a bright

asked Harold of o

of Norway,' repl

ed at the r

tely king,' he said;

array; and he thought of his brother, somewhere among their ran

f-way between the two forces; and then he

d and said, 'Behol

one-third of the kingdom of England that he may rule over it

h disdain; but now I am glad that he speaks both kindly and fairly. But what will my bro

d Harold; 'or perhaps a foot over, see

friends and go over to his foes. He and his friends will die

my, Tostig was met by

spake with thee?' ask

rother Harold, the son of God

said Hardrada; 'but he s

e battl

r; and the Northmen might have been forced into the river and drowned but for the bravery of one of their number, who kept the bridge with uplifted sword while the oth

rdrada and Tostig were both slain; and the remn

k, where the king gave a great

d Harold was thinking sorrowfully of the brother who had fallen, a trait

inquired the s

weary, white-faced man appeared,

e?' asked Harold, while the others all

sey-the Normans have landed-Duke William-sixty thousand

ast are at their harvest; scattered over the country; and there is no

o count of time. I have galloped all the way-ridd

ed your country. We must set off without delay,' he said, turning to his

hurrying to fetch their follower

Edwin and Morcar, whose sister Harold had married, remained in the north

by hundreds of men who had fled from the invaders, and

sts to their master, 'rush onward through th

nd come soon!' wa

foes. The Normans lay encamped upon the plain, while Harold posted his army on a

e another's camp-fires, where they could hear the clinking of the ar

n quietly to sleep, and awoke in the mo

and war-songs. Over all brooded the thought of the broken oath, and of the curse which had been pronounced agai

e up before the battle; but Edwin and Morcar were traitors. They had said to themselves, 'If Harold falls, we shall divide England with Duke William, and be kings

English numbered only twenty thousand men, while William had brought against

l clad in coats of mail, and carried battle-axes, and javelins for throwing. On the sides of the hill were posted the other soldiers and the country people, many of whom were armed only with darts, knives, and pitchforks, for

anks, men! Stand shoulder to shoulder, and we shall win the day. But if you

his brothers rode back to the royal standard and dismounted, for they were re

f archers in front. In the centre were posted the Norman knights with William at t

st army began to move across the plain. At the head rode a minstrel-knight, singing an

le began in

upon the English host, then the N

love their way through armour and shirts of mail. Again and again the Normans charged against the barricade, the duke himself at their head, hi

ir, and battle-axes crashed through steel armour; while the cries of the wounded mingled with the

e-axe would cut down horse and rider at a blow. Among

earing off his helmet, 'and by

f the king stepped before him, and was hewn down by a blow from William before the duke himself was unhorsed and fell to the ground

icade and gave chase to their flying foes. Instantly William saw his advantage. The Norman

he turning po

pressed along the crest of the hill, strewing the height wi

his bodyguard held their ground, dealing blows around them with their great battle

o his archers, 'that your arrows

s and shoulders of the English, killi

rning; and just as the sun went down

-axe, and fell forward with

ath of

e standard, and dealt Harold a mortal blow as h

last, and then scattered over the country to carry far and wide the il

banner of the Normans raised in its stead. The ground having been hastily cleared, William's tent was pitch

eld of battle, with pale faces and eyes red with weeping, to beg leave to look for their husbands and brothers and s

a long time the noble English lady wandered over

fe; but she too, was unable to

n's Neck, whom Harold had loved;

upon a heap of dead, disfigured with so ma

Harold,'

gs should be buried upon the cliffs that guard the s

he shore manfully while he lived; let hi