Coronation of Canute the Dane--His treaty with the Saxon nobles --He banishes the relations of Ethelred, and the children of Edmund--Fate of Edmund's children--Canute's marriage with Emma, the dowager-queen of the Saxons--Death of the traitor, Edric--Canute visits Denmark--Death of Ulfr, the patron of Godwin the cowherd--Canute invades Norway--Habits of the Norwegian pirates--Canute erects a monument to Ælfeg, the murdered archbishop of Canterbury--Carries off the dead body of the bishop from London--Night scene on the Thames--Kills one of his soldiers--His penance--Establishes the tax of Peter's-pence--Picturesque description of Canute rebuking his courtiers--His theatrical display, and vanity--His pilgrimage to Rome--Canute's letter--His death p. 264 CHAPTER XXXIII. REIGNS OF HAROLD HAREFOOT AND HARDICANUTE. Sketch of Canute's reputed sons--The succession disputed-- Rise of earl Godwin--Refusal of the archbishop to crown Harold Harefoot--Harold crowns himself, and bids defiance to the church--Conduct of Emma of Normandy--Her letter to her son Alfred--He lands in England, with a train of Norman followers--His reception by earl Godwin--Massacre of the Normans at Guildford--Death of Alfred, the son of Ethelred --Emma banished from England--Her residence at Bruges-- Hardicanute prepares to invade England--Death of Harold Harefoot--Accession of Hardicanute--Disinters the body of Harold--Summons earl Godwin to answer for the death of Alfred --Godwin's defence--Penalty paid by earl Godwin--Character of Hardicanute--His Huscarls--The inhabitants of Worcester refuse to pay the tax, called Dane-geld--They abandon the city--Reckless conduct of Hardicanute--He invites Edward, the son of Ethelred, to England--Hardicanute, the last of the sea-kings, dies drunk at a marriage-feast in Lambeth p. 272 CHAPTER XXXIV. ACCESSION OF EDWARD THE CONFESSOR.