19* HISTORY OF ENGLA-ND

chat. time to establish himself in his new-acquirediii. dominions. The English prelates and nobility ,taking advantage of this event , sent over itdeputation to Normandy; nlviting Ethelred toreturn to them , expressing a desire of beingagain governed by their native prince, and inti-mating their hopes, that, being now tutored byexperience , he would avoid al! these errors, winchhad been attended with such misfortunes to himselfand to his people. But the misconduct of Ethel-red was incurable ; and on his resuming thegovernment, he discovered the same incapacity,indolence, cowardice, and credulity, which hadso often exposed him to the insults of his enemies.His son-in-law, Edric, notwithstanding his repeatedtreasons, retained such influence at court, as toinstil into the king jealousies ofSigefert and Morcar,two of the chief nobles of Mcrcia : Edric alluredthem into his house, where he murdered them;while Ethelred participated in the infamy os theaction, by confiscating their estates, and thrustinginto a convent the widow of Sigefcrt. She wasa woman of singular beauty and merit; and in avisit which was paid her, during her confinement;by prince Edmond, the king’s eldest son, sheinspired him with so violent an affection, that hereleased her from the convent, and soon aftermarried her, without the consent of his father.

Mean while the English found in Canute, theson and successor of Sweyn; an enemy.no lessterrible than the prince, from whom death hadso lately delivered them. He ravaged the eastern

coast