[Sidenote: HAROLD.]
[Sidenote: K. Edward departed this life.]
[Sidenote: An. Christi. 1065, after the account of the church of
England.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: Edeling, that is, a noble man, and such one as is come of
the kings blood.]
King Edward being thus departed this life, the péeres of the land were
in great doubt & perplexitie to whome they might best commit the
roiall gouernement of the realme. For there was not anie among them
that had iust title thereto, or able and apt to take the charge vpon
him. For although Edgar surnamed Edeling, the sonne of Edward the
outlaw, that was sonne of Edmund Ironside, was at the same time
latelie come into England, with his mother and sisters out of Hungarie
where he was borne: yet for that he was but a child, & not of
sufficient age to beare rule, they durst not as then commit the
gouernement of the realme vnto him, least (as some haue thought) his
tendernesse of age might first bréed a contempt of his person, and
therewith minister occasion to ciuill discord, wherby a shipwracke of
the estate might ensue, to the great annoie and present ouerthrow of
such as then liued in the same. But what consideration soeuer they had
in this behalfe, they ought not to haue defrauded the yoong gentleman
of his lawfull right to the crowne. For as we haue heard and séene,
God, whose prouidence and mightie power is shewed by ouerthrowing of
high and mightie things now and then, by the weake and féeble hath
gouerned states and kingdomes oftentimes in as good quiet and
princelie policie by a child, as by men of age and great discretion.
But to the purpose, beside the doubt which rested among the lords, how
to bestow the crowne, the manifold and strange woonders, which, were
séene and heard in those daies, betokening (as men thought) some
change to be at hand in the state of the realme, made the lords
afraid, and namelie bicause they stood in great doubt of William duke
of Normandie, who pretended a right to the crowne, as lawfull heire
appointed by king Edward, for that he was kin to him in the second and
[Sidenote: Dukes of Normandie.]
third degree. For Richard the first of that name duke of Normandie,
begot Richard the second, and Emma; which Emma bare Edward by hir
husband Ethelred. Richard the second had also issue Richard the third,
and Robert, which Robert by a concubine had issue William, surnamed
the bastard, that was now duke of Normandie, and after the death of
his coosine king Edward, made claime (as is said) to the crowne of
England.
Whilest the lords were thus studieng and consulting what should be
[Sidenote: Harold proclaimed king of England.]
best for them to doo in these doubts, Harold, the son of Goodwine
earle of Kent, proclaimed himselfe king of England: the people being
not much offended therewith, bicause of the great confidence and
opinion which they had latelie conceiued of his valiancie. Some write
[Sidenote: Edmerus.]
(among whome Edmerus is one) how king Edward ordeined before his
death, that Harold should succéed him as heire to the crowne, and that
therevpon the lords immediatlie after the said Edwards deceasse,
crowned Harold for their king, and so he was consecrated by Aldred
archbishop of Yorke, according to the custom and maner of the former
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
kings, or (as other affirme) he set the crowne on his owne head
without anie the accustomed ceremonies, in the yéere after the birth
of our sauiour 1066, or in the yéere of Christ 1065, after the account
of the church of England (as before is noted.)
But how and whensoeuer he came to the seat roiall of this kingdome,
certeine it is, that this Harold in the begining of his reigne,
considering with himselfe how and in what sort he had taken vpon him
the rule of the kingdome, rather by intrusion than by anie lawfull
[Sidenote: Harold séeketh to win the peoples hearts.]
[Sidenote: _Sim. Dunel._]
right, studied by all meanes which way to win the peoples fauour, and
omitted no occasion whereby he might shew anie token of bountious
liberalitie, gentlenesse and courteous behauiour towards them. The
gréeuous customes also and taxes which his predecessors had raised, he
either abolished or diminished: the ordinarie wages of his seruants
and men of warre he increased, and further shewed himselfe verie well
bent to all vertue and goodnesse, whereby he purchased no small fauor
among such as were his subiects.
[Sidenote: An ambassage from Normandie.]
Whilest Harold went about thus to steale the peoples good willes,
there came ouer vnlooked for sundrie ambassadours from William the
bastard duke of Normandie, with commission to require him to remember
his oth sometime made to the said William in the time of his
extremitie, which was, that he the said Harold should aid him in the
obteining of the crowne of England, if king Edward should happen to
die without issue. This couenant he made (as it is supposed) in king
Edwards daies, when (by licence of the same Edward, or rather (as
Edmerus writeth) against his will) he went ouer into Normandie to
visit his brethren, which laie there as pledges.
[Sidenote: K. Harolds answer.]
Howbeit at this present, Harolds answer to the said ambassadors was,
that he would be readie to gratifie the duke in all that he could
[Sidenote: _Eadmerus._]
demand, so that he would not aske the realme, which alreadie he had in
his full possession. And further he declared vnto them (as some write)
that as for the oth which he had made in times past vnto duke William,
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
the same was but a constreined & no voluntarie oth, which in law is
nothing; since thereby he tooke vpon him to grant that which was not
in his power to giue, he being but a subiect whilest king Edward was
liuing. For if a promised vow or oth which a maid maketh concerning
the bestowing of hir bodie in hir fathers house, without his consent,
is made void; much more an oth by him made that was a subiect, and
vnder the rule of a king, without his souereignes consent, ought to be
void and of no value. He alledged moreouer, that as for him to take an
oth to deliuer the inheritance of anie realme without the generall
consent of the estates of the same, could not be other than a great
péece of presumption, yea although he might haue iust title therevnto;
so it was an vnreasonable request of the duke at this present to will
him to renounce the kingdome, the gouernance whereof he had alreadie
taken vpon him, with so great fauor and good liking of all men.
[Sidenote: Duke William eftsoones sendeth to king Harold.]
Duke William hauing receiued this answer, and nothing liking thereof,
sent once againe to Harold, requiring him then at the least-wise, that
he would take his daughter to wife, according to his former promise;
in refusing whereof he could make no sound allegation, bicause it was
a thing of his owne motion, and in his absolute power, both to grant
and to performe. But Harold being of a stout courage, with proud
countenance frowned vpon the Norman ambassadors, and declared to them
that his mind was nothing bent as then to yéeld therevnto in any maner
of wise. And so with other talke tending to the like effect he sent
them away without anie further answer. The daughter of duke William
[Sidenote: _Gemeticensis._]
whome Harold should haue maried, was named Adeliza, as Gemeticensis
saith, and with hir (as the same author writeth) it was couenanted by
duke William, that Harold should inioy halfe the realme in name of hir
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
dower. Howbeit some write that this daughter of duke William was
departed this life before the comming of these ambassadors, and that
Harold therevpon thought himselfe discharged of the oth and couenants
made to duke William, and therefore sent them away with such an
vntoward answer.
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
But howsoeuer it was, after the departure of these ambassadors, king
Harold (doubting what would insue) caused his ships to be newlie
rigged, his men of warre to be mustered, and spéedilie put in a
readinesse, to the end that if anie sudden inuasion should be made and
attempted by his enimie, he might be able to resist them. ¶ About the
same time also, and vpon the 24 of Aprill (whilest Harold was making
prouision to withstand the Norman force) there appeared a blasing
starre, which was séene not onelie here in England, but also in other
parts of the world, and continued the space of seuen daies. This
[Sidenote: _Rog. Houed._]
[Sidenote: _Simon Dun._]
blasing starre might be a prediction of mischéefe imminent & hanging
ouer Harolds head; for they neuer appeare but as prognosticats of
afterclaps. To be resolutelie instructed herein, doo but peruse a
treatise intituled; A doctrine generall of comets or blasing starres
published by a bishop of Mentz in Latine, and set foorth in English by
Abraham Fleming vpon the apparition of a blasing starre séene in the
southwest, on the 10 of Nouember 1577, and dedicated to the right
worshipfull sir William Cordell knight, then maister of hir maiesties
rolles, &c.
* * * * *
_Earle Tostie afflicteth his brother Harold on sea and land, he taketh
the repulse, and persuadeth Harfager king of Norweie to attempt the
conquest of England against Harold, Harfager & Tostie with their
powers arriue at Humber, they fight with the Northumbers vnder the
conduct of Edwine and Marchar, and discomfit them; Harold leuieth an
armie against them, the rare valiantnes of a Norwegian souldior;
Harfager and Tostie slaine in battell; the Norwegians are foiled and
flie; Harolds vnequall and parciall dividing of the spoile, he goeth
to Yorke to reforms things amisse._