hich
he wore, of exceeding great value, to the church of Roschild, in
Zealand, his capital city, and the place of his residence, where the
kings of Denmark are yet buried. He chastised his body with fasting,
discipline, and hair-cloths. Prayer was his assiduous exercise. When
William the Conqueror had made himself master of England, Canutus sent
forces to assist the vanquished; but these troops finding no one willing
to {180} join them, were easily defeated in the year 1069. Some time
after, being invited by the conquered English, he raised an army to
invade this island, and expel the Normans; but through the treacherous
practices of his brother Olas, or Olaus, was obliged to wait so long on
the coast, that his troops deserted him. The pious king, having always
in view the service of God, and judging this a proper occasion to induce
his people to pay tithes to their pastors, he proposed to them either to
pay a heavy fine, by way of punishment for their desertion, or submit to
the law of tithes for the pastors of the church. Their aversion to the
latter made them choose the tax, to the great mortification of the king,
who, hoping they would change their resolution, ordered it to be levied
with rigor. But they, being incensed at the severity of the collectors,
rebelled. St. Canutus retired for safety into the isle of Fionia, and
was hindered from joining his loyal troops by the treachery of Blanco,
an officer, who, to deceive him, assured his majesty that the rebels
were returned to their duty. The king went to the church of St. Alban,
the martyr, to perform his devotions, and return God thanks for that
happy event. This the rebels being informed of by Blanco, they
surrounded the church with him at their head. In the mean time the holy
king, perceiving the danger that threatened his life, confessed his sins
at the foot of the altar, with great tranquillity and resignation, and
received the holy communion. His guards defended the church doors, and
Blanco was slain by them. The rebels threw in bricks and stones, through
the windows, by which they beat down the shrines of certain relics of
St. Alban and St. Oswald, which St. Canutus had brought over from
England. The saint, stretching out his arms before the altar, fervently
recommended his soul into the hands of his Creator: in which posture he
was wounded with a javelin, darted through the window, and fell a victim
to Christ. His brother Benedict, and seventeen others, were