[Sidenote: HAROLD. K. Edward departed this life. An. Christi.]
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.
[Sidenote: 1065, after the account of the church of England.
_Matth. West._ _Polydor_. Edeling, that is, a noble man,
and such one as is come of the kings blood.]
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
[Sidenote: Dukes of Normandie.]
second and 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. _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
demand, so that he would not aske the realme, which alreadie he
[Sidenote: _Eadmerus_.]
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
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
William, 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 whome Harold should haue maried, was named
Adeliza, as Gemeticensis saith, and with hir (as the same author
[Sidenote: _Gemeticensis_.]
writeth) it was couenanted by duke William, that Harold should inioy
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._]
halfe the realme in name of hir 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._ _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._