RESTORATION OF THE ENGLISH LINE, 
Heavy taxes were imposed, for the benefit, not of England, but of his 
Danish dominions. His death caused all England to give forth a sigh 
of relief, 
CHAPTER VILL 
RESTORATION OF THE ENGLISH LINE. THE NORMAN 
CONOUEST.-—1042 to 1066 A.D. 
1. The nation, by this time tired of Danish rule, gladly recalled the 
English line in the person of Edward, second son of 
Edward the Ethelred the Unrendy, by Emma, afterwards the wife 
* and then the widow of Canute. Strictly, the right of 
succession belonged to the children of Kdmund Lronside; but the 
influence of Godwin secured the ecrown for Edward, who was ac- 
knowledged by the Witan and erowned at Winchester, Kdward at once 
married Godwin’s daughter Edith, and proceeded to deal sternly with 
all who had favored the Danes, confisenting the treasures of his 
mother Emma, and placing herself in a state of mild confinement for life, 
He abolished the Danegeld ; and having revised the uld Knglish laws, 
he published them in a collected form, so that afterwards, in times of 
oppression, the people sighed for “the good old law« of Kdward the 
Confessor.” "The title * Confessor,” by which Edward is known in 
history, evinces his piety and the stricetness with which his religious 
duties were performed, 
2, Brought up as an exite in Normandy, Edward the Confessor was 
in tastes and language a Frenchman. Hence it was 
hand natural that hie Court should gradually become filled 
with Norman knights, and that his favors, both political 
„and ecclesiastical, should be somewhat liberally showered upon French- 
men. his state of things led to serious differences between the King 
and his father-in-law, Godwin, who stoutly espoused the cause of his 
JWN countrymen, 
3, At length Godwin flew into open rebellion when ordered hy the 
King to punish the, people of one of his towns for some 
Banishment alleged insults to the train of a Norman baren, Other 
5f Godwin. Kunzlist Ile An eeenel. ah 8 vn 
Snglish nobles interposed : and the matter having been 
referred to the Witan, that body banished Godwin and his sous, and 
zonfisented their estates, The next year, however, saw Godwin aniling 
np the Thames with a large flect, and merting with such a welcome 
rom the English nobility that the King was forced to accept terıns of 
reconciliation. Godwin’s estaten were restorecd, and the Kupglish 
ascendency was re-established, ınany of the Norman barons and prel- 
ates leaving the kingdom. Gedwin died in 1053, and was succeeded 
in his vast possessions by his son Harold.