foreign retinue that Alfred had brought with him, as if to owe his
throne to Norman swords, rather than to English hearts. Hardicanute,
who succeeded Harold, whose memory he abhorred, whose corpse he
disinterred and flung into a fen [103], had been chosen by the
unanimous council both of English and Danish thegns; and despite
Hardicanute's first vehement accusations of Godwin, the Earl still
remained throughout that reign as powerful as in the two preceding it.
When Hardicanute dropped down dead at a marriage banquet, it was
Godwin who placed Edward upon the throne; and that great Earl must
either have been conscious of his innocence of the murder of Edward's
brother, or assured of his own irresponsible power, when he said to
the prince who knelt at his feet, and, fearful of the difficulties in
his way, implored the Earl to aid his abdication of the throne and
return to Normandy.

"You are the son of Ethelred, grandson of Edgar. Reign, it is your
duty; better to live in glory than die in exile. You are of mature
years, and having known sorrow and need, can better feel for your
people. Rely on me, and there will be none of the difficulties you
dread; whom I favour, England favours."

And shortly afterwards, in the national assembly, Godwin won Edward
his throne. "Powerful in speech, powerful in bringing over people to
what he desired, some yielded to his words, some to bribes." [104]
Verily, Godwin was a man to have risen as high, had he lived later!

So Edward reigned, and agreeably, it is said, with previous
stipulations, married the daughter of his king-maker. Beautiful as
Edith the Queen was in mind and in person, Edward apparently loved her
not. She dwelt in his palace, his wife only in name.