on our nation? Grant Heaven that those misfortunes come
not during my life!" The king's wish was not granted. He fell ill; and
on the 5th of January, 1066, he lay on his couch almost at the point of
death. Harold and his kindred entered the chamber, and prayed the king
to name a successor by whom the kingdom might be governed securely. "Ye
know," said Edward, "that I have left my kingdom to the Duke of Normandy;
and are there not here, among ye, those who have sworn to assure his
succession?" Harold advanced, and once more asked the king on whom the
crown should devolve. "Take it, if it is thy wish, Harold," said Edward;
"but the gift will be thy ruin; against the duke and his barons thy power
will not suffice."--Harold declared that he feared neither the Norman nor
any other foe. The king, vexed at this importunity, turned round in his
bed, saying, "Let the English make king of whom they will, Harold or
another; I consent;" and shortly after expired. The very day after the
celebration of his obsequies, Harold was proclaimed king by his
partisans, amidst no small public disquietude, and Aldred, archbishop
of York, lost no time in anointing him.

William was in his park of Rouvray, near Rouen, trying a bow and arrows
for the chase, when a faithful servant arrived from England, to tell him
that Edward was dead and Harold proclaimed king. William gave his bow to
one of his people, and went back to his palace at Rouen, where he paced
about in silence, sitting down, rising up, leaning upon a bench, without
opening his lips and without any one of his people's daring to address a
word to him. There entered his seneschal William de Bretenil, of whom
"What ails the duke?" asked they who were present. "Ye will soon know,"
answered he. Then going up to the duke, he said, "Wherefore conceal your
tidings, my lord? All the city knows that King Edward is dead; and that
Harold has broken his oath to you, and had himself crowned king." "Ay,"
said William, "it is that which doth weigh me down." "My lord," said
William Fitz-Osbern, a gallant knight and confidential friend of the
duke, "none should be wroth over what can be mended: it depends but on
you to stop the mischief Harold is doing you; you shall destroy him, if
it please you. You have right; you have good men and true to serve you;
you need but have courage: set on boldly." William gathered together his
most important and most trusted counsellors; and they were una