2io HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap. king of Norway, the eldest son of Canute, wasin, absent; and as the two last kings had died withoutissue, none of that race presented himself, norany whom the Danes could support as successorto the throne. Prince Edward was fortunatelyat court on his brother’s demise; and though thedescendants of Edmond Ironside were the trueheirs of the Saxon family, yet their absence inforemote a country as Hungary, appeared a suffi-cient reason for their exclusion, to a people likethe Englisii , so little accustomed to observea regular order in the succession of their monarchs.All delays might be dangerous ; and the presentoccasion must hastily be embraced ; while theDanes, without concert , without a leader,astonished at the present incident, and anxiousonly for their personal safety, durst not opposethe united voice of the nation. .

But this concurrence of circumstances in favourof Edward, might have failed of its effect, hadhis succession been opposed by Godwin , whosepower, alliances , and abilities gave him a greatinfluence at all times, especially amidst thosesudden opportunities, which always attend arevolution of government , and which , eitherseized or neglected, commonly prove decisive.There were opposite reasons, which dividedmen’s hopes and fears with regard to Godwin’sconduct. On the one hand , the credit of thatnobleman lay chiefly in Wessex , which wasalmost entirely inhabited by Englilh : It wastherefore presumed , that he would second the