see his shrine and monastery of St. Edmundsbury plundered by the
Tyrant's tax-collectors, as they were on the point of being. In all
ways impossible, however,--Edmund's own death did not occur till two
years after Svein's. Svein's death, by whatever cause, befell 1014;
his fleet, then lying in the Humber; and only Knut,[10] his eldest son
(hardly yet eighteen, count some), in charge of it; who, on short
counsel, and arrangement about this questionable kingdom of his,
lifted anchor; made for Sandwich, a safer station at the moment; "cut
off the feet and noses" (one shudders, and hopes not, there being some
discrepancy about it!) of his numerous hostages that had been
delivered to King Svein; set them ashore;--and made for Denmark, his
natural storehouse and stronghold, as the hopefulest first thing he
could do.

Knut soon returned from Denmark, with increase of force sufficient for
the English problem; which latter he now ended in a victorious, and
essentially, for himself and chaotic England, beneficent manner.
Became widely known by and by, there and elsewhere, as Knut the Great;
and is thought by judges of our day to have really merited that title.
A most nimble, sharp-striking, clear-thinking, prudent and effective
man, who regulated this dismembered and distracted England in its
Church matters, in its State matters, like a real King. Had a
Standing Army (_House Carles_), who were well paid, well drilled and
disciplined, capable of instantly quenching insurrection or breakage
of the peace; and piously endeavored (with a signal earnestness, and
even devoutness, if we look well) to do justice to all men, and to
make all men rest satisfied with justice. In a word, he successfully
strapped up, by every true method and regulation, this miserable,
dislocated, and dissevered mass of bleeding Anarchy into something
worthy to be called an England again;--only that he died too soon, and