13. Then Edgar kept the Danes away by having as many as three hundred and sixty vessels always ready for service; but, when he and Dunstan were dead the navy was neglected; and the country was again overrun with those terrible enemies, who fought with the English every where, robbed them of their property, took their houses for themselves, and acted just as if they were the conquerors and lords of the land.
14. At last, the Danish king, Sweyn, landed with a great army, and began a dreadful war with Ethelred, who was then king of England, that lasted about four years, in the course of which he and Ethelred both died; but the war was continued by Canute, the son of Sweyn, and with such success, that, in the end, he was crowned king of England.
15. It was lucky for the English that Canute happened to be a wise and good prince; for he said to himself, “As I am now king of these people, I will behave kindly to them, that they may love me, and then we shall go on comfortably together.” So he began to repair the mischief that had been done in the late wars, by setting people to work to rebuild the towns that had been destroyed; which was soon done in those days, when the houses were so roughly built, and only of wood.
16. He also made a law that the Danes should not rob and insult the English, as they had been in the habit of doing; and ordered that they should obey the other laws of the country; which he did not alter in the least; neither did he interfere with the estates of the nobles, nor with their rights over their vassals; and he consulted with the Witanagemote, or Parliament, in all affairs of importance.
17. This Parliament was composed of the great nobles and the bishops, so that it was like our House of Lords; and, when the king made a new law, the people were not obliged to obey it, until it had been approved by the Witanagemote.
18. As long as Canute reigned, which was nineteen years, there were peace and plenty, and the poor people were much happier than they had been for a long time, for they could stay at home and mind their farms, or work at their trades, without being called away continually to fight the Danes.
19. The king, it is true, kept a large army of Danish soldiers, and the people had to pay heavy taxes to support them; but this was better than seeing them come as enemies into the towns and villages to destroy or take every thing.
20. After the death of Canute, his two sons reigned in succession, but they were neither very good nor very clever, and both died within six years.
21. All this while there was a Saxon prince, named Edward, son of king Ethelred, living at the court of the Duke of Normandy, who was his uncle, and had afforded him shelter and protection whilst his enemies were ruling in England.
22. He was now restored to the throne, and the English people thought themselves happy in having again a king of their own nation; but they little foresaw the terrible consequences of placing over them one who had formed so close a connection with the Normans.