Beverley chronicler, confirm these
authorities as to Edward's choice of Harold as his successor. William of
Malmesbury, who is not partial to Harold, writing in the reign of Henry
the First, has doubts himself as to Edward's bequest, (though grounded on
a very bad argument, viz. "the improbability that Edward would leave his
crown to a man of whose power he had always been jealous;" there is no
proof that Edward had been jealous of Harold's power--he had been of
Godwin's;) but Malmesbury gives a more valuable authority than his own,
in the concurrent opinion of his time, for he deposes that "the English
say," the diadem was granted him (Harold) by the King.

These evidences are, to say the least, infinitely more worthy of
historical credence than the one or two English chroniclers, of little
comparative estimation, (such as Wike,) and the prejudiced and ignorant
Norman chroniclers [295], who depose on behalf of William. I assume,
therefore, that Edward left the crown to Harold; of Harold's better claim
in the election of the Witan, there is no doubt. But Sir F. Palgrave
starts the notion that, "admitting that the prelates, earls, aldermen,
and thanes of Wessex and East-Anglia had sanctioned the accession of
Harold, their decision could not have been obligatory on the other
kingdoms (provinces); and the very short time elapsing between the death
of Edward and the recognition of Harold, utterly precludes the
supposition that their consent was even asked." This great writer must
permit me, with all reverence, to suggest that he has, I think, forgotten
the fact that, just prior to Edward's death, an assembly, fully as
numerous as ever met in any national Witan, had been convened to attend
the consecration of the new abbey and church of Westminster, which Edward
considered the great work of his life; that assembly would certainly not
have dispersed during a period so short and anxious as the mortal illness
of the King, which appears to have prevented his attending the ceremony
in person, and which ended in his death a very few days after the
consecration. So that during the interval, which appears to have been at
most about a week, between Edward's death and Harold's coronation [296],
the unusually large concourse of prelates and nobles from all parts of
the kingdom assembled in London and Westminster would have furnished the
numbers requisite to give weight and sanction to the Witan. And had it
not been so, the Saxon ch