rday, the 14th of October,

d--had gone down in blood, and England's sun had set fo

ave been well; it but lingered to behold the foe in possession of the hill where the last gal

ead; dark night gathered over the gloomy slopes, conquered at such lavish waste of human l

eared, just where Harold's standard had stood, and where the ruined altar of Battle Abbey stands now. They had clear

h those gorgeous hangings, and mocked th

mn voice. "To gratify one man's ambition, this scene di

s his chaplain, selected because he could speak the English tongue--that warrior prelate, who in conjunction

e penitent, and ministering to the parched lips of many a sufferer. His own lo

their way through the English entrenchments, after the sham retreat had drawn awa

boy of some fourteen years, sobbing as if his young heart would

me; thou canst not be dead. Oh my fa

er dead, and refuses to cover her slain; but we will comfort his sou

t when all was lost Guthlac ran away, and I came hither to die with

r is this?" said a deep voice, "s

Blois. The poor chi

the body of the perjured usurper. The face was so mangled, that no man might know him, but she recognised him by a mark on

body home to my poor

grant thy petition, poor mourn

it; he is all-powerful just now," said Eustace of Blois. "The poor boy shall plead himself. C

scendune--repressed his sobs, strove to wipe away his tears, as if he felt them unm

, and some few others of his mightiest nobles, was taking the evening meal, served by a few young pages, themselves the sons of noble

chaplain was allowed to enter, and

ly prelate. "Thou say'st the poor boy has a boon to crave--the bo

on?" said Geoff

the Thane of Aesc

been in t

as over, or I had

to die in a cause accursed by the Church. Nay, my son

tears, might have softened a harder heart than beat beneath the

, he led the boy into the pre

ng? an English lad,

away the body of his sire. Bend thy kn

on will but put the seal on acc

e had his father's spirit in hi

s body is yet cold. I but ask thee as a kind enemy, who wars not with the dead, to give me leave to remove him f

was touched by the boyish spirit of

ot fear me t

eld for his country's sake

ny like thee, England might yet be hard to win.

ing to hi

. They loved Canute, although he conquered them. Am I less a

an act of clemency, my ro

n he needs, and the assistance of our p

d once more into

sake, and for my living mother, and will pray the

er whose bones the ill-fated Harold had taken his famous oath; but William had respect for courage and outspoken t

t again, my son, thou mayst

camp followers, and the body was reverently removed from the heap of slain, and placed upon a litter. Wilfre

he was able to transfer the precious burden from Norman to English hands, and that he arrived home in

and alive again, lost and found; and the poor widow felt s

ew weeks in the central parts of Mercia, and nought interfered

al of the deceased thane, in the priory church which his father had b

for churches, dedicated to St. Wilfred. The lofty roof, the long choir beyond the transept, gave magnificence

ment. There lay Ella of Aescendune, murdered by a Dane named Ragnar; his two sons, Elfric, who died young, and Alfred, who succeeded to the inheritance. There, as in a shrine, the martyr Ber

is retainers after the return from Stamford Bridge. Six large tape

carcely ever left the hallowed remains until the hour came when, amidst the lamentations of the whole population, the body of the gallant Edmund was borne to the

, whose solemn "Domine refugium nostrum" fell with awful yet consoling effect upon the ears of the multitude. The

side, with lighted tapers. Then the coffin was sprinkled with hallowed water, perfumed with sweet incense, and borne t

xit Dominus--I am the Resurrecti