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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. I. B.C. 4004 to A.D. 1066.

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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. I. B.C. 4004 to A.D. 1066.
page 539



terbtiry. And as soon as he was established in his kingdom, he showed that he was not unmindful of the injuries which had been inflicted on himself and his mother by his predecessor, king Harold ; but sent JElfric, archbishop of York, earl Godwin, Eadric, his steward, and Trond, the executioner, to London to dig up the body of the king; and then he ordered them to cut off the head, and throw the carcass into the river Thames. And when it had been thrown into the river, it was, a short time afterwards, found by a fisherman, and buried by the Danish people in London, in the cemetery of the Danes. After these events, he ordered money to be collected throughout all England, and eight marks to be paid to every rower of his fleet, and ten marks to every pilot ; by which measure he earned the hatred of all those who had previously wished for his arrival. Moreover, he was inflamed with violent anger against the traitor, earl Godwin, and Living, bishop of Worcester, on account of the death of his brother Alfred, of which, JElfric, archbishop of York, and many other persons, were continually accusing them. And on this account he degraded Living, and gave his bishopric to jElfric. But Godwin, to atone for the death of his brother Alfred, and to secure his friendship, gave him a ship wrought in gold, with a golden beak, and equipped with every part of its furniture and armament of gold, and decorated with beautiful arms, and with eighty soldiers all made of gold ; and every one of these soldiers had on his arms two golden armlets, weighing sixteen ounces, a breastplate of triple threads of gold, a golden helmet on his head, a sword with golden hilt, girt about his loins, a Danish battleaxe, made of gold, hanging to his left shoulder, a shield in his left hand with golden bosses and nails, a golden spear in his right hand, which in the English language is called flategar. And, besides all this, he swore, and he was corroborated by nearly all the nobles of the whole kingdom, and by all the men of the greatest reputation, that it had not been by any advice or with any consent of his that his brother had been blinded, but that king Harold had given orders for what had been done. A.D. 1041. Hardicanute, king of England, sent his servants throughout all the districts of his kingdom to collect the tribute which he had commanded' to be levied without sparing any one ; and from this tribute to supply his pirates with everything that was needful for them. And the people of the pro


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