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In England, at the same time, we should have been perfectly satisfied with a wooden "aula" as the dwelling place of a powerful thegn, but then we should have looked for it on something of a mound, like the home of Wiggod at Wallingford. Certainly, a frightfully stinking ditch of no great width, compassing a square field, is a poor find after the hopes with which we set out.
"How to the Earl's loss?" asked Vebba. "Why, simple thegn," answered Godrith, "why, suppose that Edward had refused to acknowledge the Atheling as his heir, suppose the Atheling had remained in the German court, and our good King died suddenly, who, thinkest thou, could succeed to the English throne?" "Marry, I have never thought of that at all," said the Kent man, scratching his head.
Edward released his hand, and laid it on her head as in benediction. Then motioning to the abbot of Westminster, he drew from his finger the ring which the palmer had brought to him , and murmured scarce audibly: "Be this kept in the House of St. Peter in memory of me!" "He is alive now to us speak " whispered more than one thegn, one abbot, to Alred and to Stigand.
I wish, therefore, to send to their outposts a nuncius, with these terms: 'Life and pardon to all who lay down arms and surrender." "What, after such havoc and gore?" cried one of the thegns. "They defend their own soil," replied the Earl simply: "had not we done the same?" "But the rebel Gryffyth?" asked the old thegn, "thou canst not accept him again as crowned sub-king of Edward?"
And many a thegn who had before half believed in the guilt of Godwin as the murderer of Alfred, whispered in gasps to his neighbour: "There is no weregeld for manslaying on the head of him who smiles so in death on his old comrades in life!"
The cruelties of the old heathen Danes seemed revived in the bloody and barbarous tale. "And now," said the thegn, in conclusion, "canst thou condemn us that we rose? no partial rising; rose all Northumbria! At first but two hundred thegns; strong in our course, we swelled into the might of a people.
In the same division of the hall were found the bulk and true popular part of the meeting popular indeed as representing not the people, but the things the people most prized-valour and wealth; the thegn landowners, called in the old deeds the "Ministers:" they sate with swords by their side, all of varying birth, fortune, and connection, whether with king, earl, or ceorl.
And now the music ceased; Harold prostrated himself before the altar, and the sacred melody burst forth with the great hymn, "Te Deum." As it ceased, prelate and thegn raised their chief from the floor, and in imitation of the old custom of Teuton and Northman when the lord of their armaments was borne on shoulder and shield Harold mounted a platform, and rose in full view of the crowd.
"Well, man, I think not the worse of you for loyal love to your thegn, but there are those who would do so, and I advise you, brotherlike, that ears and nose are in peril if thou talkest thus indiscreetly." "Steel to steel, and hand to hand," said the Saxon, bluntly, touching the long knife in his leathern belt, "and he who sets gripe on Sexwolf son of Elfhelm, shall pay his weregeld twice over."
At this time his brother Gurth, who had chiefly shared watch with Harold, for Tostig, foreseeing his father's death, was busy soliciting thegn and earl to support his own claims to the earldom about to be vacant; and Leofwine had gone to London on the previous day to summon Githa who was hourly expected Gurth, I say, entered the room on tiptoe, and seeing his brother's attitude, guessed that all was over.
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