now called on to do on a greater scale. His great and motley army
was kept during a great part of August and September, first at the
Dive, then at Saint Valery, waiting for the wind that was to take
it to England. And it was kept without doing any serious damage to
the lands where they were encamped. In a holy war, this time was
of course largely spent in appeals to the religious feelings of the
army. Then came the wonderful luck of William, which enabled him
to cross at the particular moment when he did cross. A little
earlier or later, he would have found his landing stoutly disputed;
as it was, he landed without resistance. Harold of England, not
being able, in his own words, to be everywhere at once, had done
what he could. He and his brothers Gyrth and Leofwine undertook
the defence of southern England against the Norman; the earls of
the North, his brothers-in-law Edwin and Morkere, were to defend
their own land against the Norwegians. His own preparations were
looked on with wonder. To guard the long line of coast against the
invader, he got together such a force both by sea and land as no
king had ever got together before, and he kept it together for a
longer time than William did, through four months of inaction, save
perhaps some small encounters by sea. At last, early in September,
provisions failed; men were no doubt clamouring to go back for the
harvest, and the great host had to be disbanded. Could William
have sailed as soon as his fleet was ready, he would have found
southern England thoroughly prepared to meet him. Meanwhile the
northern earls had clearly not kept so good watch as the king.
Harold Hardrada harried the Yorkshire coast; he sailed up the Ouse,
and landed without resistance. At last the earls met him in arms
and were defeated by the Northmen at Fulford near York. Four days
later York capitulated, and agreed to receive Harold Hardrada as
king. Meanwhile the news reached Harold of England; he got