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Archbishop Robert, above all, was ever plotting against Godwine, Earl of the West- Saxons, the head of the national party. At last, in the autumn of 1051, the national indignation burst forth. The immediate occasion was a visit paid to the King by Count Eustace of Boulogne, who had just married the widowed Countess Godgifu.
Thither came Count Eustace, and, after his satisfactory interview with the king, he turned his face homewards. When a few miles from Dover he felt himself, in a region specially devoted to Godwine, to be still more thoroughly in an enemy's country than in other parts of England, and he and all his company took the precaution of putting on their coats of mail.
One might know what hatred of him would come from that, and my heart sank at hearing this folly. Two days after Godwine came, we saw the sails of a great fleet going westward, and we thought that Cnut had been beaten off from London.
Godwine went with them to a place on the downs called Chancton, where was a great house of the earl. We parted unwillingly; but we might sail at any time if the wind shifted, and the earl would have him go. "When you have done with fighting for Ethelred the Unredy," said the boy to me, "bring Olaf back here, and you and I, friend Redwald, will go a-viking with him.
But I thought she was like Sexberga, and so I called her Sister Sexberga to myself, giving her a name in my thoughts. Then in the boat it slipped out unawares when I had to speak to her, and she asked to be told why I called her so." "As much like Sexberga as you are like Godwine, which is not at all," said Relf laughing. "Was she pleased?" "Why, I think not," I answered.
So by and by we sat in the morning sunlight in the courtyard, and I told them all that had happened from beginning to end. They knew no more than that Ethelred was dead, and that Cnut was besieging London. "We tried to chase those Danes because they had got our man's ship," said Godwine.
There were several chiefs round him also, and one was Ulf. But I saw not Godwine, for he would not fight on that day against his own kin. There, too, was another chief he was Eirik the jarl, though I knew it not then; and he looked ever to our right, as if waiting for somewhat. And when I saw that I looked also, but there was nought that I could see.
"When we got near enough, for they came down wind and passed us before long, we found that Bertric was contented enough, running up his own flag, and the Danes did not stay to fight. So we came home, only losing our tide by the delay." "What would you have done had you known that the queen was on board, and a prisoner?" I asked. "Why, nothing more than we have done," Godwine said.
Now when we came back to the great house, there was Relf sitting on the bench where we had sat yesterday, and he looked as if he had had good news. "Now, thane," said Godwine, "here is a new messenger to your sorrowful damsel." Relf stared at me and laughed, and when I got off my horse Godwine would have us go at once.
Panic reigned among the favourites of King Eadward. The foreigners took to flight, among the fugitives being Archbishop Robert and Bishop Ulf. The gemot met and decreed the restoration of the earl and the outlawry of many Normans. The king yielded, and accorded to Godwine the kiss of peace, and a revolution was accomplished of which England may well be proud.
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