Anglo-Saxon Chronicle / D recension (Giles)

And the while came Tosty the earl into Humber with sixty ships ; and Edwin the earl came with a land-force and drove him out.  And the boatmen forsook him ; and he jobs went to Scotland with twelve vessels. And there met him Harold king of Norway with three hundred ships ; and Tosty submitted to him and became his man. And they then went both into Humber, until they came to York ; and there fought against them Edwin the earl, and Morkar the earl, his brother : but the Northmen had the victory. Then was it made known to Harold king of the Angles that this had thus happened : and this battle was on the vigil of St. Matthew. Then came Harold our king unawares on the Northmen, and met with them beyond York, at Stanford-bridge, with a great army of Enghsh people ; and there during the day was a very severe fight on both sides. There was slain Harold the Fairhaired, and Tosty the earl ; and the Northmen who were there remaining were put to flight ; and the English from behind hotly smote them, until they came, some, to their ships, some were drowned, and some also burned ; and thus in divers ways they perished, so that there were few left : and the English had possession of the place of carnage. The king then gave his protection to Olave, son of the king of the Norwegians, and to their bishop, and to the earl of Orkney, and to all those who were left in the ships : and they then went up to our king, and swore oaths that they ever would observe peace and friendship towards this land ; and the king let them go home with twenty-four ships. These two general battles were fought within five days. Then came William earl of Normandy into Pevensey, on the eve of St. Michael'smass : and soon after they were on their way, they constructed a castle at Hasting's-port. This was then made knowa to king Harold, and he then gathered a great force, and came to maet him at the estuary of Appledore ; and William came against him unawares, before his people were set in order. But the king nevertheless strenuously fought against William with those men who would follow him ; and there was great slaughter made on either hand. There was slain king Harold, and Leofwin the earl, his brother, and Girth the earl, his brother, and many good men ; and the Frenchmen had possession of the place of carnage, all as God granted them for the people's sins. Archbishop Aldred and the townsmen of London would then have child Edgar for king, all as was his true natural right : and Edwin and Morcar vowed to him that they would fight together with him. But in that degree that it ought ever to have been forwarder, so was it from day to day later and worse ; so that at the end all passed away. This fight was done on the day of Calixlus the pope. And William the earl went afterwards again to Hastings, and there awaited to see whether the people would submit to him. But when he understood that they would not come to him, he went upwards with all his army which was left to him, and that which afterwards had come from over sea to him ; and he plundered all that part which he over-ran, until he came to Berkhampstead. And there came to meet him archbishop Aldred, and child Edgar, and Edwin the earl, and Morcar the earl, and all the chief men of London ; and then submitted, for need, when the most harm had been done : and it was very unwise that they had not done so before ; since God would not better it, for our sins : and they delivered hostages, and swore oaths to him ; and he vowed to them that he would be a loving lord to them : and nevertheless, during this, they plundered all that they over-ran. Then, on mid-winter's day, archbishop Aldred consecrated him king at Westminster ; and he gave him a pledge upon Christ's book, and also swore, before he would set the crown upon his head, that he would govern this nation as well as any king before him had at the best done, if they would be faithful to him. Nevertheless, he laid a tribute on the people, very heavy ; and then went, during Lent, over sea to Normandy, and took with him archbishop Stigand, and Aylnoth, abbat of Glastonbury, and child Edgar, and Edwin the earl, and Morkar the earl, 4nd Waltheof the earl, and many other good men of England. And bishop Odo and William the earl remained here behind, and they built castles wide throughout the nation, and poor people distressed ; and ever after it greatly grew in evil. May the end be good when God will !