paid her, and that her charms, far from being anywise extraordinary, would have been overlooked in a woman of inferior station. When he had, by this deceit, diverted the king from his purpose, he took an opportunity, after some interval, of turning again the conversation on Elfrida. He remarked, that though the parentage and fortune of the lady had not produced on him, as on others, any illusion with regard to her beauty, he could not forbear reflecting that she would, on the whole, be an advantageous match for him, and might, by her birth and riches, make him sufficient compensation for the homeliness of her person. If the king, therefore, gave his approbation, he was determined to make proposals in his own behalf to the Earl of Devonshire, and doubted not to obtain his as well as the young lady's consent to the marriage. Edgar, pleased with an expedient for establishing his favourite's fortune, not only exhorted him to execute his purpose, but forwarded his success by his recommendations to the parents of Elfrida, and Athelwold was soon made happy in the possession of his mistress. Dreading, however, the detection of the artifice, he employed every pretence for detaining Elfrida in the country, and for keeping her at a distance from Edgar. The violent passion of Athelwold had rendered him blind to the necessary consequences which must attend his conduct, and the advantages which the numerous enemies that always pursue a royal favourite, would, by its means, be able to make against him. Edgar was soon informed of the truth; but before he would execute vengeance on Athelwold's treachery, he resolved to satisfy himself with his own eyes of the certainty and full extent of his guilt. He told him that he intended to pay him a visit in his castle, and be introduced to the acquaintance of his newmarried wife; and Athelwold, as he could not refuse the honour, only craved leave to go before him a few hours, that he might better prepare everything for his reception. He then discovered the whole matter to Elfrida; and begged her, if she had any regard either to her own honour or his life, to conceal from Edgar, by every circumstance of dress and behaviour, that fatal beauty which had seduced him from fidelity to his friend, and had betrayed him into so many falsehoods. Elfrida promised compliance, though nothing was farther from her intentions. She deemed herself little beholden to Athelwold for a passion which had deprived her of a crown; and knowing the force of her own charms, she did not despair even yet of reaching that dignity, of which her husband's artifice had bereaved her. She appeared before the king with all the advantages which the richest attire and the most engaging airs could bestow upon her, and she excited at once in his bosom the highest love towards herself, and the most furious desire of revenge against her husband. He knew, however, how to dissemble these passions; and, seducing Athelwold into a wood, cn pretence of hunting, he stabbed him with his own hand, and soon after publicly espoused Elfrida. Hume, page 123. LADY GODIVA. Leofric, Earl of Mercia (in the time of Edward the Confessor), wedded Godiva, a most beautiful and devout lady, sister to one Thorold, Sheriff of Lincolnshire in those days, and founder of Spalding Abbey; as also of the stock and lineage of Thorold, Sheriff of that county, in the time of Kenulph, King of Mercia; which Countess Godiva, bearing an extraordinary affection to this place (Coventre), often earnestly besought her husband that, for the love of God and the Blessed Virgin, he would free it from that grievous servitude whereunto it was subject. But he, rebuking her for importuning him on a matter so inconsistent with his profit, commanded that she should thenceforth forbear to move therein; yet she, out of her womanish pertinacity, continued to solicit him, insomuch that he told her "if she would ride on horseback, naked, from one end of the town to the other, in the sight of all the people, he would grant her request.' Whereupon she returned:"But will you give me leave to do so?" And he replying "Yes,' the noble lady, upon an appointed day, got on horseback, naked, with her hair loose, so that it covered all her body, and thus performing the journey, returned with joy to her husband, who thereupon granted to the inhabitants a charter of freedom, which immunity I rather conceive to have been a kind of manumission from some such servile tenure whereby they then held what they had under this great earl, than only a freedom from all manner of toll, except horses, as Knighton affirms; in memory whereof the pictures of him and his said lady were set up in a south window of Trinity Church, in this city, about King Richard the Second's time, and his right hand holding a charter, with these words written thereon: "I, Lariche, for the love of thee, Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwickshire, p. 91. HAROLD'S OATH ON THE RELICS. In the town of Avranches, or in that of Bayeux-for the testimonials vary with regard to the place-Duke William convoked a great council of the lords and barons of Normandy. The day before that fixed for the assembly, William caused to be brought, from all places around, bones and relics of saints, suffi * Connected with Lady Godiva, is a very popular legend, which relates how a certain tailor, surnamed " Peeping Tom," disobeyed the proclamation of the great earl, which commanded all persons to close their doors and shut in their windows, and keep within their houses during the charitable pilgrimage of the countess, and venturing to peep from his garret, was struck blind for his presumption. A wooden effigy of this worthy is still to be seen, let into the wall of a house, on the site of the building which witnessed his delinquency. There is also a very curious old picture in St. Mary's Hall, showing the countess on horseback, enveloped in her luxuriant tresses. cient to fill a great chest, or cask, which was placed in the hall of council, and covered with cloth of gold. When the duke had taken his seat in the chair of state, holding a drawn sword in his hand, crowned with a circlet of gems, and surrounded by the crowd of Norman chiefs, amongst whom was the Saxon, two little caskets for relics were brought and laid upon the cask of relics.. William then said "Harold, I require thee, before the noble assembly, to confirm by oath the promises thou hast made me, viz., to assist me in obtaining the kingdom of England after King Edward's death, to marry my daughter, Adela, and to send me thy sister, that I may give her to one of my followers!" The Englishman, once more taken by surprise, and not daring to deny his own words, approached the two reliquaries, with a troubled air, laid his hand upon them, and swore to execute, to the utmost of his power, his agreement with the duke, if he lived, and with God's help. The whole assembly repeated—“ May God be thy help!" William immediately made a sign, on which the cloth of gold was removed, and discovered the bones and skeletons, which filled the cask to the brim, and which the son of Godwin had sworn upon without knowing it. The Norman historians say that he shuddered, and his countenance changed at the sight of this enormous heap. Harold soon after departed, taking with him his nephew, but was compelled to leave his younger brother behind him in the power of the Duke of Normandy. William accompanied him to the sea-side, and made him fresh presents, rejoicing that he had, by fraud and surprise, obtained from the man in all England most capable of frustrating his projects, a public and solemn oath to serve and assist him. Thierry's History, page 57. TREACHERY OF HAROLD. At the moment when the duke received the important intelligence he was in his park, near Rouen, with a new bow and arrows in his hand, which he was trying. On a sudden he appeared thoughtful; he gave his bow to one of his men, and, passing the Seine, repaired to his hotel at Rouen. He stopped in the great hall, and walked backwards and forwards, sitting down and rising up again, changing his seat and his posture, and unable to remain still in any place. None of his people dared to approach him; all stood apart, looking at one another in silence. At length an officer came in, who was admitted more intimately into William's familiarity. All the attendants pressed around him to learn the cause of the great agitation which they remarked in the duke. "I know nothing certain about it," answered the officer, "but we shall soon be confirmed of it." Then advancing alone towards William--"Sire," said he, "why should you conceal from us your news? What will you gain by it? It is commonly reported in the city that the King of England is dead, and that Harold, breaking his faith with you, has seized the kingdom." "They say true," answered the duke, "my chagrin is caused by Edward's death, and the wrong done me by Harold "Well, sire," replied the courtier, "do not be angry about a thing which can be mended; for Edward's death there is no remedy, but for Harold's wrong there is. Yours is the good right, and you have valiant knights; und take, then, boldly-that which is boldly undertaken is half accomplished. Thierry's History, p. 59. PREPARATIONS FOR THE INVASION. The pope (formerly Anselm, Bishop of Lucca, who had assumed the name of Alexander) having duly examined the pretensions of William and Harold, delivered a standard to William as an auspicious presage of the kingdom; on receiving which he summoned an assembly of his nobles, at Lillebourne,* for the purpose of ascertaining their sentiments on this attempt. And when he had confirmed, by splendid promises, all who approved his design, he appointed them to prepare shipping, in proportion to the extent of their possessions. Thus they departed at that time; and in the month of August re-assembled in a body at St.Vallery. Collecting, therefore, ships from every quarter, they awaited the propitious gale which was to carry them to their destination.† When this delayed blowing for several days, the common soldiers, as is generally the case, began to mutter in their tents, "that the man must be mad who wished to subjugate a foreign country; that God opposed him who withheld the wind; that his father purposed a similar attempt, and was in like manner frustrated; that it was the fate of that family to aspire to things beyond their reach, and find God for their adversary." In consequence of these things, which were enough to enervate the force of the brave, being pub. licly noised abroad, the duke held a council with his chiefs, and ordered the body of St. Vallery to be brought forth, and to be exposed to the open air, for the purpose of imploring a wind. Nc delay now interposed, but the wished-for gale filled their sails. A joyful clamour then arising, summoned every one to their ships. The duke himself first launching from the continent into the deep, awaited the rest at anchor, nearly in mid-channel. All then assembled round the crimson sail of the admiral's ship, and proceeded to the opposite shore. William of Malmsbury's Chronicle (Bohn's Edition), p. 274. * The remains of this castle, in which all Englishmen must feel an interest, are still to be seen on the bank of the Seine, nearly opposite Quillebœuf. He called to his aid not only his subjects of Normandy, but men from Maine and Anjou, from Foictou and Brittany, from the country of the French king and from Flanders, from Aquitaine and from Burgundy, from Piedmont, beyond the Alps, and from the German countries beyond the Rhine. The idle adventurers of one half of Europe flocked to his standard. Some of these men demanded regular pay in money; others, nothing but a passage across the channel, and all the booty they might take; some of the chiefs demanded territory in England, while others simply bargained to have a rich English wife allotted to them. William sold, beforehand, a bishopric in England for a ship and twenty men-at-arms. C C. MacFarlane. THE INVASION. At day-break, on the 27th of September, 1066, the sun, which until that morning had been obscured by clouds, arose in full splendour. The camp was immediately broken up; every preparation for immediate embarkation was made with zeal, and with no less alacrity, and a few hours before sun-set the entire fleet weighed anchor. Four hundred ships with large masts and sails, and more than a thousand transport boats, manoeuvred to gain the open sea, amidst the noise of clarions and the wild shout proceeding from sixty thousand warriors. William's vessel (presented to him for the occasion by his wife, Matilda, daughter of Baldwin, Earl of Flanders) led the van, bearing at the mast-head the banner sent by the pope, and a cross upon its flag. Its sails were of different colours; and the three lions, the Norman ensign, were painted on them in several places. At the prow was carved the figure of a boy, with his bow bent, and an arrow ready to speed. The ship's lanterns were affixed to the mast, a precaution essential for the passage by night, to serve as a beacon, and as a rallying point for the fleet. This vessel, being a better sailer than the rest, preceded them during the whole day, and at night left them far behind. In the morning the duke sent a sailor to the top of the mainmast, to see if the other vessels were approaching. "I see nothing but sea and sky," said the man, and anchor was immediately cast. William affected to be gay; and lest anxiety and fear should seize upon the crew, ordered a sumptuous repast to be served up, with wines strongly spiced. The sailor went up again, and said, this time, he descried four vessels; and the third time he ascended, he cried out, "I see a forest of masts and sails." In a few hours after this the united fleet anchored off Pevensey, on the Sussex coast. Thierry's History, p. 64. THE LANDING. he The soldiers leaped joyfully upon English ground at intervals along the shore. It happened as the duke left his ship that he fell upon his face, making his nose somewhat bloody upon the beach, and grasping the earth with his outstretched hands. Many of the bystanders feared the consequences of so unlucky a presage, and stood whispering together; but the duke's sewer, William Fitz Osbert, a man of great merit and much ready wit, being at hand, boldly rallied the failing courage of the waverers with a word"Cease men." he said, "to interpret this as a misfortune, for, by my troth, it is a token of prosperity; for, lo! he hath embraced England with both his hands, and sealed it to his posterity with his own blood, and thus, by the foreshowing of Divine Providence, is he destined effectually to win it."* Chronicle of Battel Abbey. * Hume, and many other historians, have given this speech to William; but there is such an air of truth throughout the chronicle that it is worthy consideration. |