222 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

c h A p. manner, to the increase of his authority. Theiii. Ling, who had not sufficient vigour directly tooppose his progress , knew of no other expedientthan that hazardous one, of raising him a rivalin the family of Leofnc, duke of Mercia, whoseson, Algar, was invested with the governmentof East-Anglia, which, before the banishment otHarold , had belonged to the latter nobleman.But this policy, of balancing opposite parties,required a more steady hand to manage it thanthat of Edward, and naturally produced faction,and even civil broils , among nobles of suchmighty and independent authority. Algar wassoon after expelled his government by the intriguesand power of Harold; but being protected byGriffith, prince of Wales, who had married hisdaughter, as well as by the power of his father,Leofric, he obliged Harold to submit to an accom-modation, and was reinstated in the governmentof East-Anglia. This peace was not of longduration: Harold, taking advantage of Leofric’sdeath, which happened soon after, expelled Algaranew , and banished him the kingdom : Andthough that nobleman made a fresh irruption intoEast-Anglia with an army of Norwegians, andover-ran the country, his death soon freed Haroldfrom the pretensions of so dangerous a rival.'Edward, the eldest son of Algar, was indeedadvanced to the-government of IVlercia ; but thebalance, which the king desired to establish be-tween those potent families was wholly lost , andthe influence of Harold greatly preponderated.