Chapter XXX: Ethelred the Unready

Elfrida still opposed by Dunstan--Ethelred crowned by the
archbishop of Canterbury--His malediction at the coronation
--Dislike of the Saxons to Ethelred--Dunstan's power on the
wane--Insurrection of the Danes--The Danish pirates again
ravage England--Courageous reply of the Saxon governor of Essex
--Single combat between the Saxon governor, and one of the
sea-kings--Cowardly conduct of Ethelred--He pays tribute,
and makes peace with the Danes--Alfric the Mercian governor,
turns traitor, and joins the Danes with his Saxon ships--The
Saxon army again commanded by the Danes, and defeated--Olaf,
the Norwegian, and Swein, king of Denmark, invade and take formal
possession of England--Ethelred again exhausts his exchequer,
to purchase peace--Swein's second invasion of England--Cruel
massacre of the Danes by the Saxons--Murder of Gunhilda, the
sister of Swein, king of Denmark--Swein prepares to revenge
the death of his countrymen--Description of his soldiers
--Splendour of his ships--His magical banner described--
His landing in England--Alfric again betrays the Saxons--
Destruction of Norwich--Ethelred once more purchases peace of
the Danes---Ælfeg, archbishop of Canterbury, made prisoner by the
sea-kings--He refuses to pay a ransom--Is summoned to appear
before the sea-kings while they are feasting, and beaten to death
by the bones of the oxen the pirates had feasted upon--Ethelred
lays an oppressive tax upon the land--He raises a large fleet
--Is again betrayed by his commanders--Sixteen counties are
given up to the Danes--Ethelred deserted by his subjects--
Escapes to the Isle of Wight, and from thence to Normandy--
Swein, king of Denmark, becomes the monarch of England--Death
of Swein--His son Canute claims the crown--Is opposed by
Edmund Ironside--Canute's cruelty to the Saxon hostages--
Miserable state of England at this period, as described by a
Saxon bishop p. 249

CHAPTER XXXI.

EDMUND, SURNAMED IRONSIDE.

Courageous character of Edmund Ironside--His gallant defence of
London--His prowess at the battle of Scearston--Obstinacy of
the combat which is only terminated by the approach of night--
Renewal of the battle in the morning--Narrow escape of Canute,
the Dane, from the two-handed sword of Edmund Ironside--
Conduct of the traitor Edric--Retreat of the Danes--Battles
fought by Edmund the Saxon--Ulfr, a Danish chief, lost in a
wood--Meets with Godwin the cowherd, and is conducted to the
Danish camp--Treaty between Canute the Dane and Edmund Ironside
--The kingdom divided between the Danes and Saxons--Suspicious
circumstances attending the death of Edmund--Despondency of the
Saxons p. 254

CHAPTER XXXII.

CANUTE THE DANE.

Coronation of Canute the Dane--His treaty with the Saxon nobles
--He banishes the relations of Ethelred, and the children of
Edmund--Fate of Edmund's children--Canute's marriage with
Emma, the dowager-queen of the Saxons--Death of the traitor,
Edric--Canute visits Denmark--Death of Ulfr, the patron of
Godwin the cowherd--Canute invades Norway--Habits of the
Norwegian pirates--Canute erects a monument to Ælfeg, the
murdered archbishop of Canterbury--Carries off the dead body
of the bishop from London--Night scene on the Thames--Kills
one of his soldiers--His penance--Establishes the tax of
Peter's-pence--Picturesque description of Canute rebuking his
courtiers--His theatrical display, and vanity--His pilgrimage
to Rome--Canute's letter--His death p. 264