moment of his accession, "he showed himself pious, humble, and affable
[227], and omitted no occasions to show any token of bounteous
liberality, gentleness, and courteous behaviour."--"The grievous
customs, also, and taxes which his predecessors had raised, he either
abolished or diminished; the ordinary wages of his servants and men-
of-war he increased, and further showed himself very well bent to all
virtue and goodness." [228]

Extracting the pith from these eulogies, it is clear that, as wise
statesman no less than as good king, Harold sought to strengthen
himself in the three great elements of regal power;--Conciliation of
the Church, which had been opposed to his father; The popular
affection, on which his sole claim to the crown reposed; And the
military force of the land, which had been neglected in the reign of
his peaceful predecessor.

To the young Atheling he accorded a respect not before paid to him;
and, while investing the descendant of the ancient line with princely
state, and endowing him with large domains, his soul, too great for
jealousy, sought to give more substantial power to his own most
legitimate rival, by tender care and noble counsels,--by efforts to
raise a character feeble by nature, and denationalised by foreign
rearing. In the same broad and generous policy, Harold encouraged all
the merchants from other countries who had settled in England, nor
were even such Normans as had escaped the general sentence of
banishment on Godwin's return, disturbed in their possessions. "In
brief," saith the Anglo-Norman chronicler [229], "no man was more
prudent in the land, more valiant in arms, in the law more sagacious,
in all probity more accomplished:" and "Ever active," says more
mournfully the Saxon writer, "for the good of his country, he spared