The British nation a history / by George MWrong . e weknow little, but Harold Hardrada ruleddespotically, the resources of Xorwaywere his, and he could collect manyfollowers for such an enteri^rise. Itdoes not appear that he and Williamacted in concert; they were indeedrivals for the same booty, but Tostigwas the friend of both. While Will-iams boats were lying at Dive, Haroldsgreat force gathered near wind that held William prisonerreleased Harold, and early in Septem-ber the North Sea was dotted withthe boats of still another expeditionof the hardy Norsemen against theshores of En
The British nation a history / by George MWrong . e weknow little, but Harold Hardrada ruleddespotically, the resources of Xorwaywere his, and he could collect manyfollowers for such an enteri^rise. Itdoes not appear that he and Williamacted in concert; they were indeedrivals for the same booty, but Tostigwas the friend of both. While Will-iams boats were lying at Dive, Haroldsgreat force gathered near wind that held William prisonerreleased Harold, and early in Septem-ber the North Sea was dotted withthe boats of still another expeditionof the hardy Norsemen against theshores of England. The invadingfleet gathered in the Tyne and begana terrible ravaging of the they sailed up the Humber,landed .at Eiccall, and marched on York, the northerncapital. Harold of England was in the south. He had spentthe summer in the Isle of Wight organizing the coastdefences against William. Both an army and a fleet wereneeded, and Harold had neither. His own body-guard—the House Carls—was the fine nucleus of a regular army,. English Speakmen. 56 THE BRITISH NATION but it was small. Ho called out the militia known as the fyrd, and during the summer the coast, where it wasThe English thought William might land, was carefullypreparations to guarded. But William did not come. Themeet invasion, j^j^giigh force was inactive, and Harold foundgreat difficulty in keeping it together, for food was scarce,and the men were besides needed at home to gather theripening harvest. It should seem as if Harold, brave andefficient in actual conflict, lacked foresight: he did notwatch Williams movements closely; the unseen dangerwas apparently half forgotten, and on September 8 hedissolved the special levies. The peasants went to theirhomes, and the king himself to London, whither also hesummoned his ships, and the south and the east coastsof England were left unguarded.
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