[Sidenote: HARDICNUTE, or HARDIKNOUGHT.]
After that Harold was dead, all the nobles of the realme, both Danes
and Englishmen agréed to send for Hardiknought, the sonne of Canute by
his wife quéene Emma, and to make him king. Héere is to be noted, that
by the death of king Canute, the state of things was much altered in
those countries of beyond the seas wherein he had the rule and
[Sidenote: Alteration in the state of things.]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._, & _Matt. West._ say, that he was at Bruges
in Flanders with his mother when he was thus sent for, having come
thither to visit hir.]
[Sidenote: 1041.]
dominion. For the Norwegians elected one Magnus, the sonne of Olauus
to be their king, and the Danes chose this Hardiknought, whome their
writers name Canute the third, to be their gouernor. This Hardiknought
or Canute being aduertised of the death of his halfe brother Harold,
and that the lords of England had chosen him to their king, with all
conuenient speed prepared a nauie, and imbarking a certeine number of
men of warre, tooke the sea, and had the wind so fauorable for his
purpose, that he arriued upon the coast of Kent the sixt day after he
set out of Denmarke, and so comming to London, was ioifullie receiued,
and proclaimed king, and crowned of Athelnotus archbishop of
Canturburie, in the yere of our Lord 1041, in the first yéere of the
emperour Henrie the third, in the 9 yeere of Henrie the first of that
name king of France, and in the first yéere of Magfinloch, aliàs
Machabeda king of Scotland. Incontinentlie after his establishment in
[Sidenote: Quéene Emma sent for.]
the rule of this realme, he sent into Flanders for his mother quéene
Emma, who during the time of hir banishment, had remained there. For
Normandie in that season was gouerned by the French king, by reason of
the minoritie of duke William, surnamed the bastard.
Moreouer, in reuenge of the wrong offered to quéene Emma by hir sonne
in law Harold, king Hardicnute did cause Alfrike archbishop of Yorke
and earle Goodwine, with other noble men to go to Westminster, and
[Sidenote: The bodie of king Harold taken vp, and throwen into
Thames.]
there to take vp the bodie of the same Harold, and withall appointed,
that the head thereof should be striken off, and the trunke of it cast
into the riuer of Thames. Which afterwards being found by fishers, was
[Sidenote: S. Clement Danes.]
taken vp and buried in the churchyard of S. Clement Danes without
Temple barre at London. He committed the order and gouernement of
things to the hands of his mother Emma, and of Goodwine that was erle
[Sidenote: A tribute raised.]
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
of Kent. He leuied a sore tribute of his subiects here in England to
pay the souldiers and mariners of his nauie, as first 21 thousand
pounds, & 99 pounds, and afterward vnto 32 ships there was a paiment
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: _Sim. Dun._]
made of a 11 thousand and 48 pounds. To euerie mariner of his nauie he
caused a paiment of 8 marks to be made, and to euerie master 12 marks.
About the paiment of this monie great grudge grew amongst the people,
insomuch that two of his seruants, which were appointed collectors in
the citie of Worcester, the one named Feader, and the other Turstane,
were there slaine. In reuenge of which contempt a great part of the
countrie with the citie was burnt, and the goods of the citizens put
to the spoile by such power of lords and men of warre as the king had
sent against them.
Shortlie after, Edward king Hardicnutes brother came foorth of
Normandie to visit him and his mother quéene Emma, of whome he was
[Sidenote: _Matt. West._]
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: _Marianus._]
most ioifullie and honorablie welcomed and interteined, and shortlie
after made returne backe againe. It should appeare by some writers,
that after his comming ouer out of Normandie he remained still in the
realme, so that he was not in Normandie when his halfe brother
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
Hardicnute died, but here in England: although other make other
report, as after shall bée shewed. Also (as before ye haue heard) some
writers seeme to meane, that the elder brother Alfred came ouer at the
same time. But suerlie they are therein deceiued: for it was knowne
well inough how tenderlie king Hardicnute loued his brethren by the
mothers side, so that there was not anie of the lords in his daies,
[Sidenote: The bishop of Worcester accused for making away of Alfred.]
that durst attempt anie such iniurie against them. True it is, that as
well earle Goodwine, as the bishop of Worcester (that was also put in
blame and suspected for the apprehending and making away of Alfred, as
before ye haue heard) were charged by Hardicnute as culpable in that
matter, insomuch that the said bishop was expelled out of his sée by
Hardicnute: and after twelue moneths space was restored, by meanes of
such summes of monie as he gaue by waie of amends.
[Sidenote: Earle Goodwin excuseth himselfe.]
Earle Goodwine was also put to his purgation, by taking an oth that he
was not guiltie. Which oth was the better allowed, by reason of such a
[Sidenote: The gift which earle Goodwin gaue to the king.]
present as he gaue to the king for the redéeming of his fauour and
good will, that is to say, a ship with a sterne of gold, conteining
therein 80 souldiers, wearing on each of their armes two bracelets of
gold of 16 ounces weight, a triple habergion guilt on their bodies,
with guilt burgenets on their heads, a swoord with guilt hilts girded
to their wastes, a battell-axe after the maner of the Danes on their
left shoulder, a target with bosses and mails guilt in their left
hand, a dart in their right hand: and thus to conclude, they were
furnished at all points with armor and weapon accordinglie. It hath
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
béene said, that earle Goodwine minded to marie his daughter to one of
these brethren, and perceiuing that the elder brother Alfred would
disdaine to haue hir, thought good to dispatch him, that the other
taking hir to wife, hée might be next heire to the crowne, and so at
length inioy it, as afterwards came to passe.
Also about that time, when the linage of the kings of England was in
maner extinct, the English people were much carefull (as hath béene
said) about the succession of those that should inioie the crowne.
Wherevpon as one Brightwold a moonke of Glastenburie, that was
afterward bishop of Wincester, or (as some haue written) of Worcester,
studied oftentimes thereon: it chanced that he dreamed one night as he
slept in his bed, that he saw saint Peter consecrate & annoint Edward
the sonne of Egelred (as then remaining in exile in Normandie) king of
England. And as he thought, he did demand of saint Peter, who should
succéed the said Edward? Wherevnto answer was made by the apostle;
Haue thou no care for such matters, for the kingdome of England is
Gods kingdome. Which suerlie in good earnest may appeare by manie
great arguments to be full true vnto such as shall well consider the
state of this realme from time to time, how there hath béene euer
gouernours raised vp to mainteine the maiestie of the kingdome, and to
reduce the same to the former dignitie, when by anie infortunate
mishap it hath beene brought in danger.
[Sidenote: The death of K. Hardicnute.]
[Sidenote: _Sim. Dunel._]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: 1042.]
But to returne now to king Hardicnute, after he had reigned two yéers
lacking 10 daies, as he sat at the table in a great feast holden at
Lambeth, he fell downe suddenlie with the pot in his hand, and so died
not without some suspicion of poison. This chanced on the 8 of Iune at
Lambeth aforesaid, where, on the same day a mariage was solemnized
betwéene the ladie Githa, the daughter of a noble man called Osgot
Clappa, and a Danish lord also called Canute Prudan. His bodie was
buried at Winchester besides his father. He was of nature verie
[Sidenote: K. Hardicnute his conditions and liberalitie in
housekeeping.]
[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]
curteous, gentle and liberall, speciallie in keeping good chéere in
his house, so that he would haue his table couered foure times a day,
& furnished with great plentie of meates and drinks, wishing that his
seruants and all strangers that came to his palace, might rather leaue
[Sidenote: Of whom the Englishmen learned excessiue féeding.]
than want. It hath béene commonlie told, that Englishmen learned of
him their excessiue gourmandizing & vnmeasurable filling of their
panches with meates and drinkes, whereby they forgat the vertuous vse
of sobrietie, so much necessarie to all estates and degrées, so
profitable for all common-wealthes, and so commendable both in the
sight of God, and all good men.
[Sidenote: The end of the Danish rulers.]
In this Hardicnute ceased the rule of the Danes within this land, with
the persecution which they had executed against the English nation,
for the space of 250 yeres & more, that is to say, euer since the
tenth yeere of Brithrike the king of Westsaxons, at what time they
first began to inuade the English coasts. Howbeit (after others) they
should séeme to haue ruled here but 207, reckoning from their bringing
in by the Welshmen in despite of the Saxons, at which time they first
began to inhabit here, which was 835 of Christ, 387 after the comming
of the Saxons, and 35 néere complet of the reigne of Egbert.
¶ But to let this péece of curiositie passe, this land felt that they
had a time of arriuall, a time of inuading, a time of ouerrunning, and
a time of ouerruling the inhabitants of this maine continent. Wherof
manifest proofes are at this day remaining in sundrie places, sundrie
ruines I meane and wastes committed by them; vpon the which whensoeuer
a man of a relenting spirit casteth his eie, he can not but enter into
a dolefull consideration of former miseries, and lamenting the
defacements of this Ile by the crueltie of the bloudthirstie enimie,
cannot but wish (if he haue but "Minimam misericordiæ guttam quæ maior
est spatioso oceano," as one saith) and earnestlie desire in his heart
that the like may neuer light vpon this land, but may be auerted and
turned away from all christian kingdomes, through his mercie, whose
wrath by sinne being set on fire, is like a consuming flame; and the
swoord of whose vengeance being sharpened with the whetstone of mens
wickednesse, shall hew them in péeces as wood for the fornace.
_Thus farre the tumultuous and tyrannicall regiment of the Danes,
inferring fulnesse of afflictions to the English people, wherewith
likewise the seuenth booke is shut vp._
* * * * *