fire. This method consisted of laying red-hot
irons upon the stone floor of a church, at certain distances from each
other, and requiring the accused to walk over them with naked feet. If
the accused was innocent, Providence, as they supposed, would so guide
his footsteps that he should not touch the irons. Thus, if he was
innocent, he would go over safely; if guilty, he would be burned. Emma,
according to the story of the times, was subjected to this test, in the
Cathedral of Winchester, to determine whether she was cognizant of the
murder of her son. Whether this is true or not, there is no doubt that
Edward confined her a prisoner in the monastery at Winchester, where she
ended her days at last in neglect and wretchedness.

When Edward himself drew near to the close of his life, his mind was
greatly perplexed in respect to the succession. There was one descendant
of his brother Edmund--whose children, it will be remembered, Canute had
sent away to Denmark, in order to remove them out of the way--who was
still living in Hungary. The name of this descendant was Edward. He was,
in fact, the lawful heir to the crown. But he had spent his life in
foreign countries, and was now far away; and, in the mean time, the Earl
Godwin, who has been already mentioned as the great Saxon nobleman who
rose from a very humble rank to the position of the most powerful
subject in the realm, obtained such an influence, and wielded so great a
power, that he seemed at one time stronger than the king himself. Godwin
at length died, but his son Harold, who was as energetic and active as
his father, inherited his power, and seemed, as Edward thought, to be
aspiring to the future possession of the throne. Edward had hated Godwin
and all his family, and was now extremely anxious to prevent the
possibility of Harold's accession. He accordingly sent to Hungary to
bring Edward, his nephew, home. Edward came, bringing his family with
him. He had a young son named Edgar. It was King Edward's plan to make
arrangements for bringing this Prince Edward to the throne after his
death, that Harold might be excluded.

The plan was a very judicious one, but it was unfortunately frustrated
by Prince Edward's death, which event took place soon after he arrived
in England. The young Edgar, then a child, was, of course, his heir. The
king was convinced that no government which could be organized in the
name of Edgar would be able to resist the mighty power of Haro