VI.

THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE.

A.D. 1066.

EDWARD the Confessor, King of England, had no children, and when he died, Harold, the bravest and wisest of the English earls, became king. Harold had a brother called Tostig, who was a very brave and a very fierce man. Edward the Confessor had loved Tostig dearly, and made him Earl of Northumberland. But Tostig was harsh to the Northumbrians, and they rose against him and said that they would not have him to rule over them. The chief men in England listened to the complaints of the Northumbrians, and they said that Tostig must no longer be

earl.

They bade him leave England and never come back again. Tostig was forced to go, but he went away full of fierce anger; and he hated his brother Harold, for he thought that it was Harold's fault that he had lost his earldom.

When Harold became King of England, Tostig tried to find some one who would come with him to fight against Harold, so that he might get back his earldom. At last he persuaded Harold Hardrada, King of Norway, to get together a great fleet and sail over the seas to conquer England, and a strange old story is told about his coming.

Harold Hardrada was a mighty warrior; he was stronger and bigger than almost any man living, and as wise as he was strong. Harold Hardrada and Tostig landed in the north of England,

and they beat the first English who came to fight against them. When Harold King of England heard this, he marched against them as quickly as he could. He and his army rested not day or night, so eager was he to destroy the enemy who were plundering and burning his lands. But the day before he reached York, the chief city of the north, it was won by Harold Hardrada and Tostig. The conquerors went for the night to their ships, but in the morning they rode gaily back to York, with no thought that danger was near. The day was very hot; those soldiers who were with Harold Hardrada and Tostig had not got on their coats of mail, and many of the Northmen had stayed behind at the ships. As Harold Hardrada was riding along he suddenly saw a cloud of dust in the distance, and presently under the dust he saw shields and arms shining like ice. It was the army of Harold King of England. When Tostig saw what a very great host was coming against them he said, "Let us go back to our ships and get our coats of mail on and the rest of our men and then let us fight, or rather let us go on board our ships and fight from thence; for then the horsemen of the English cannot harm us." But King Harold Hardrada thought shame of turning back as if he were afraid of his enemies, and he said: "Nay, let us rather stay here, and send three men on swift horses to the ships to bid the rest of our men come to us. The English shall see some hard hand play before I yield to them." When Tostig heard his words he answered: "Be it as seems good to you, O king; certainly I do not wish to flee before my brother and his host."

Then King Harold Hardrada put his men in order for the

battle. In the midst of them he bade his banner-bearer set up his banner, and he placed the men round the banner with their shields set firmly together, so as to make a shield-wall; and he told them to hold their spears well against the English horsemen. Then he mounted his black horse and rode round his host to see that all was right. As he rode, his horse stumbled and the king fell on the ground. But not wishing his men to think this was a bad sign, he jumped up quickly and cried out merrily, "Truly a fall is lucky for a traveller." Now Harold the King of the English had seen him fall, and he asked of those who stood by him, "Do you know who is that goodly man with the blue kirtle and the splendid helm, who has just fallen?" And they told him that it was Harold Hardrada the King of the Northmen. And Harold the King of the English answered: "He is indeed a tall man, and he has a fair face, but his luck has left him." Then Harold the King of the English took twenty of his best men and rode with them up to the Northmen's army; and they and their horses were covered all over with armour; and Harold Hardrada did not know who it was.

Harold the King of the English cried out when he drew near, "Is Tostig, Godwin's son, here?" And when Tostig heard that he was called he came forth and said, "It cannot be said that he is not here."

And Harold answered, "King Harold of England greets Earl Tostig, his brother, and says that he shall have all Northumberland, nay, even a third of his kingdom, rather than that brother should fight against brother."

And Tostig said, "Truly last winter my brother had nothing but words of hatred and scorn for me, and now he speaks fair words. But if I hearken to his words and make peace with him, what will he give to Harold of Norway for his journey hither?" And Harold said, "Seven feet of English ground, or a foot over, for he is taller than most men."

Then Tostig answered, "Go thy ways, and tell Harold of England to get ready for the battle, for never shall men say in Norway that Earl Tostig left the King of the Northmen to go over to his foes. We will either die here like men or we will win England for our own."

When Harold of England had ridden away, King Harold Hardrada asked who it was that spoke so well, and Tostig told him, "It was my brother Harold." And Harold Hardrada answered, "Truly, if I had known this, he should not have gone back; you did wrong to hide it from me." But Tostig said, "It was, indeed, not wise of him so to risk his life; but I could not have betrayed him, for then should I have been the murderer of my brother, and I would rather I should die than he, if one of us must die." And Harold Hardrada said to the men who stood round him, "Lo, that was a little man, but he sat well in his stirrups."

Then Harold the King of the Northmen got ready for the battle, and he put on his coat of mail, which was so strong that no man could pierce it; and he took his sword in both hands and stood in front of his banner. And he made a song and sang it, but it did not please him; so he made another which pleased him better, and he sang that.

C

At last the battle began; and the English horsemen rode against the Northmen, but the Northmen drove them back with their spears. This happened several times, till at last the Northmen, thinking that the English were growing faint-hearted and no longer rode up so fiercely, broke the shield-wall in their eagerness and attacked the English. Then the English turned and rode fiercely upon the Northmen and shot at them with arrows, and hurled darts at them. And the English drove the Northmen back to the river Derwent; and they got back across the river as well as they could. One Northman kept the bridge against the English till most of his fellows were across, and he slew many Englishmen. But at last one got under the bridge and thrust up a spear through the plank, and it struck the Northman under the belt, and he fell. So the English were able to get over the bridge. But the Northmen now stood firm again; and Harold Hardrada stood in front of his host by his banner, and he fought so fiercely, smiting with the great sword which he held with both hands, that he slew many men. last an arrow hit him in the throat, just above his coat of mail, so that he died. Then Tostig took his place by the banner, and Harold the King of the English offered Tostig peace. But Tostig and the Northmen cried out, "We will take no peace from the English, but rather fall one man over the other where we stand."

At

By this time the rest of the Northmen from the ships had come up to help their fellows, and the fight grew very fierce. The Northmen became so excited and eager at last-for they thought they were gaining the day--that they threw away their