CANUTE.

i97

dispatched in England, sent them abroad to his c h a. p»ally, the king of Sweden, whom he desired, as in.soon as they arrived at his court, to free him,by their death, from all farther anxiety. TheSwedilh monarch was too generous to complywith the request; but being afraid of drawing onhimself a quarrel with Canute, by protecting theyoung princes, he sent them to Solomon , kingof Hungary, to be educated in his court. Theelder, Edwin, was afterwards married to tire sisterof the king of Hungary; but the English princedying without issue, Solomon gave his sister-in-law, Agatha, daughter of the emperor Henry ILin marriage to Edward, the younger brother;and site bore him Edgar Atheling, Margaret,afterwards queen of Scotland , and Christina, whoretired into a convent.

Canute, though he had reached the greatpoint of his ambition , in obtaining possession ofthe English crown , was obliged at first to makegreat sacrifices to it; and to gratify the chief ofthe nobility, by bestowing on them the mostextensive governments and jurisdictions. Hecreated Thurkill earl or duke of East-Anglia,

( for these titles were then nearly of the same import)

Yric of Northumberland, and Edric of Mercia;reserving only to himself the administration ofWessex. But seizing afterwards a favourableopportunity, he expelled Thurkill and Yric fromtheir governments,and banished them the kingdom :

He put to death many of the English nobility, enwhose fidelity he could not rely, and whom he

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