ormandy, who had already given
shelter to the King's wife, once the Flower of that country, and to her
children.

Still, the English people, in spite of their sad sufferings, could not
quite forget the great King Alfred and the Saxon race. When Sweyn died
suddenly, in little more than a month after he had been proclaimed King
of England, they generously sent to Ethelred, to say that they would have
him for their King again, 'if he would only govern them better than he
had governed them before.' The Unready, instead of coming himself, sent
Edward, one of his sons, to make promises for him. At last, he followed,
and the English declared him King. The Danes declared CANUTE, the son of
Sweyn, King. Thus, direful war began again, and lasted for three years,
when the Unready died. And I know of nothing better that he did, in all
his reign of eight and thirty years.

Was Canute to be King now? Not over the Saxons, they said; they must
have EDMUND, one of the sons of the Unready, who was surnamed IRONSIDE,
because of his strength and stature. Edmund and Canute thereupon fell
to, and fought five battles--O unhappy England, what a fighting-ground it
was!--and then Ironside, who was a big man, proposed to Canute, who was a
little man, that they two should fight it out in single combat. If
Canute had been the big man, he would probably have said yes, but, being
the little man, he decidedly said no. However, he declared that he was
willing to divide the kingdom--to take all that lay north of Watling
Street, as the old Roman military road from Dover to Chester was called,
and to give Ironside all that lay south of it. Most men being weary of
so much bloodshed, this was done. But Canute soon became sole King of
England; for Ironside died suddenly within two months. Some think that
he was killed, and killed by Canute's orders. No one knows.

CHAPTER V--ENGLAND UNDER CANUTE THE DANE

Canute reigned eighteen years. He was a merciless King at first. After
he had clasped the hands of the Saxon chiefs, in token of the sincerity
with which he swore to be just and good to them in return for their
acknowledging him, he denounced and slew many of them, as well as many
relations of the late King. 'He who brings me the head of one of my
enemies,' he used to say, 'shall be dearer to me than a brother.' And he
was so severe in hunting down his enemies, that he must have got together
a pretty large family of these dear b