Harold, the Last of the Saxon Kings Book III: The House of Godwin

Harold, the Last of the Saxon Kings Book III: Th

King Edward's court grows ever more Norman as the King weakens, until Harold the Earl, returning from exile, sails to the Severn and routs the mixed Celtic levies of Somerset and Devon opposing him. Meanwhile Godwin and his sons Sweyn, Tostig, and Gurth, exiled in Flanders, sail for England; King Edward sends forty ships under Rolf, Earl of Hereford, to intercept Godwin at Sandwich, but the old Earl evades them, lands, and is welcomed at Hastings. All Kent rises for him, boatmen and mariners flock to his banner, and the royal fleet retreats to London. Godwin's armament sails up the Thames and meets Harold's ships at Southwark, awaiting the flood tide. King Edward holds a council of war at Westminster filled with Norman counts, knights, and prelates alongside English thegns. Robert of Canterbury and William of London urge immediate battle; Alred, Bishop of Winchester, urges hearing Godwin's message; Siward of Northumbria denounces Norman interference and demands the English decide as countrymen. Edward admits Godwin's nuncius, Vebba of Kent, who kneels and asks that the outlawry be reversed and lands restored, promising the fleet will disperse once justice is done. Sent to an ante-room, Vebba is questioned by the young Norman knight Mallet de Graville about why the English so love Godwin despite his shifting allegiances and the suspected betrayal of Prince Alfred; Vebba answers that they love not Godwin the man but "Godwin the thing" — justice, law, and England — and warns Mallet to flee. Edward refuses Godwin's demand and rejects Siward's counsel to negotiate, until his troops desert to Harold's name and Siward and Bishop Stigand press him to yield. The Normans panic and flee the city; the Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury, guided by Mallet de Graville, fight their way out through London's gates and escape overseas in a fishing boat. The Witanagemot assembles at Westminster in full state, with earls, prelates, thegns, ceorls, and sub-kings present. Godwin defends himself, recounting the Dover affray involving Eustace of Boulogne's retainers, the citizens' justified resistance, and his own refusal to punish Dover without trial, which led to his unjust outlawry. He and his sons are largely vindicated, but when Sweyn steps forward, Alred the Bishop charges him with abducting Abbess Algive from the Church, and Siward charges him with the treacherous murder of his cousin Beorn. Sweyn confesses his guilt, refuses acquittal, renounces his rank, and departs alone as a penitent pilgrim to the Holy Sepulchre, appointing Harold to take his place. The Witan restores Godwin and his other sons to their lands and honors, banishes the remaining Norman favorites, and requires hostages — Wolnoth, Godwin's son, and Haco, Sweyn's son — who are sent to the Norman Duke's court. Some days later, Hilda the prophetess meets Sweyn the pilgrim and Harold at the altar-stone of Thor. She tells Sweyn his fate is sealed and kisses his brow in blessing; Sweyn commends his son Haco to Harold's care and departs alone. Hilda then tells Harold that Edith, her grandchild, is his "earthly Fylgia," their fates bound together. Harold, skeptical of prophecy, goes to Hilda's hall, where he finds Edith grown into womanhood, and privately agonizes over the Church's forbidden degrees of kinship that stand between them. That night in a guest chamber under a charm Hilda has woven over his pillow, Harold glimpses a spectral armed figure of sorrowful aspect by the Druid altar before sleeping; his sleep grows troubled toward dawn.

By Edward Bulwer-lytton · First published 1848 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Drama, Adventure · 5 chapters · 17,280 words

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And all went to the desire of Duke William the Norman. With one hand he curbed his proud vassals, and drove back his fierce foes. With the other, he led to the altar Matilda, the maid of Flanders; and all happened as Lanfranc had foretold. William's most formidable enemy, the King of France, ceased to conspire against his new kinsman; and the neighbouring princes said, "The Bastard hath become one of us since he placed by his side the descendant of Charlemagne. " And Mauger, Archbishop of Rouen, excommunicated the Duke and his bride, and the ban fell idle; for Lanfranc sent from Rome the Pope's dispensation and blessing [69], conditionally only that bride and bridegroom founded each a church. And Mauger was summoned before the synod, and accused of unclerical crimes; and they deposed him from his state, and took from him abbacies and sees.

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historical fiction · Saxon history · medieval · England · kings · political intrigue · House of Godwin · war · loyalty · betrayal · dynasty · nobility

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