At the death of Harold, Harthacnut was invited to accept the crown by an embassy from England, of which the Bishop of London was a member. He accepted the offer and crossed over from the continent with a fleet of sixty ships, manned by Danish soldiers, and his first act was to demand eight marks for each rower; an imposition that was borne with difficulty. Anglo-Sax. Chron. ii, 132.
Anglo-Sax Chron., ii, 132.
Freeman, Norman Conquest, 2nd ed., ii. 5. But according to Kemble (Saxons in England, ii, 259 note), Edward's election took place at a hastily convened meeting at Gillingham.
"London, que caput est regni et legum. semper curia domini regis."—Laws of Edward Confessor, Thorpe, p. 197 note.
For a list of gemóts held in London from A.D. 790, see Kemble's Saxons in England, ii, 241-261.
Malmesbury, i, 242-244. Freeman, ii, 148-332.
Freeman, ii, 324.
Sed omnis civitas duci obviam et auxilio processit et præsidio acclamantque illi omnes una voce prospere in adventu suo. "Life of Edward Conf." (Rolls Series No. 3.), p. 406.
"Interim quosdam per internuntios, quosdam per se cives Lundonienses, quos variis pollicitationibus prius illexerat, convenit, et ut omnes fere quæ volebat omnino vellent, effecit."—Flor. Wigorn., i., 209.
Anglo-Sax. Chron., ii, 165-167.