Eldorman
Godwine's
Trick:
Cnut is foiled again...
an excerpt from the Vita Haroldi
Translated by
Walter Birch
of the British Museum
London
1885
For when the above mentioned King of Denmark
had usurped the diadem of England, and he saw that
Godwine, a man endued with incredible cunning, and
no less audacity, was gradually rising to a high
position, he himself, a foreigner, began to fear the
bold spirit of this young native, armed as it was with
power and craft. And although he had found his
industry useful to him on many occasions, yet
conceiving in his mind something of the spirit of
Saul, he determined to ruin by trickery this most
strenuous despoiler and champion, since it was not
easy to crush him openly except by spiteful malice.
Having thought out, therefore, a plan, he sends
Godwine into Denmark, as if on important business
concerning both kingdoms, having in his heart some
such thought as this: ’Let not my hand be upon him,
but the hand of the Danes.’
Now as he was sailing along in mid-ocean, in a
vessel fitted with the most lavish appointments, a
suspicion began to agitate the mind of the youth. For
he was bearer of letters sealed with the King’s signet,
one for each of the chief men of that country, the
contents of which he was quite ignorant. Breaking,
therefore, carefully one of the seals, he learnt from
the brief enclosure that he would be shortly given
over to the punishment of death, when he arrived in
port, if he were to discharge any further his duty as
letter-carrier. For the tenour of the writing was that
whoever should first learn the contents of the letter,
was immediately to strike off the head of its bearer,
Godwine by name.
This new Uriah grew pale when he found that his
destruction was being compassed by the King, and
prepares (to make a long story short) to escape the
trick by another trick. This is what he did: he broke
open and took out each letter from its seal, and
substituted a fresh letter written by the clever hand of
a clerk, the substance of which was that Godwine
was to be received with great and universal
rejoicings; to receive in marriage the King’s sister,
and that they all were to yield him obedience in what
concerned the King’s business, as they would the
King himself if he were present.
Thus the King’s command was changed to the
King’s advantage. Thus the soldier changes his
soldier’s pay; Thus an undeserved punishment is
unaccomplished, and a glory that is deserved accrues
to him who earned it; thus at length the King receives
as a brother him whom had had hitherto found but a
useful soldier, and making his soon after a state
officer, found in him for the future an ever-watchful
and prudent minister.
Well, however his elevation was first accomplished, Earl
Godwine of Wessex grew comfortably secure in his high estate
during the long years of Cnut’s reign.
[ Back ]
an excerpt from the Vita Haroldi
Translated by
Walter Birch
of the British Museum
London
1885
For when the above mentioned King of Denmark
had usurped the diadem of England, and he saw that
Godwine, a man endued with incredible cunning, and
no less audacity, was gradually rising to a high
position, he himself, a foreigner, began to fear the
bold spirit of this young native, armed as it was with
power and craft. And although he had found his
industry useful to him on many occasions, yet
conceiving in his mind something of the spirit of
Saul, he determined to ruin by trickery this most
strenuous despoiler and champion, since it was not
easy to crush him openly except by spiteful malice.
Having thought out, therefore, a plan, he sends
Godwine into Denmark, as if on important business
concerning both kingdoms, having in his heart some
such thought as this: ’Let not my hand be upon him,
but the hand of the Danes.’
Now as he was sailing along in mid-ocean, in a
vessel fitted with the most lavish appointments, a
suspicion began to agitate the mind of the youth. For
he was bearer of letters sealed with the King’s signet,
one for each of the chief men of that country, the
contents of which he was quite ignorant. Breaking,
therefore, carefully one of the seals, he learnt from
the brief enclosure that he would be shortly given
over to the punishment of death, when he arrived in
port, if he were to discharge any further his duty as
letter-carrier. For the tenour of the writing was that
whoever should first learn the contents of the letter,
was immediately to strike off the head of its bearer,
Godwine by name.
This new Uriah grew pale when he found that his
destruction was being compassed by the King, and
prepares (to make a long story short) to escape the
trick by another trick. This is what he did: he broke
open and took out each letter from its seal, and
substituted a fresh letter written by the clever hand of
a clerk, the substance of which was that Godwine
was to be received with great and universal
rejoicings; to receive in marriage the King’s sister,
and that they all were to yield him obedience in what
concerned the King’s business, as they would the
King himself if he were present.
Thus the King’s command was changed to the
King’s advantage. Thus the soldier changes his
soldier’s pay; Thus an undeserved punishment is
unaccomplished, and a glory that is deserved accrues
to him who earned it; thus at length the King receives
as a brother him whom had had hitherto found but a
useful soldier, and making his soon after a state
officer, found in him for the future an ever-watchful
and prudent minister.
Translated by
Walter Birch
of the British Museum
London
1885
For when the above mentioned King of Denmark
had usurped the diadem of England, and he saw that
Godwine, a man endued with incredible cunning, and
no less audacity, was gradually rising to a high
position, he himself, a foreigner, began to fear the
bold spirit of this young native, armed as it was with
power and craft. And although he had found his
industry useful to him on many occasions, yet
conceiving in his mind something of the spirit of
Saul, he determined to ruin by trickery this most
strenuous despoiler and champion, since it was not
easy to crush him openly except by spiteful malice.
Having thought out, therefore, a plan, he sends
Godwine into Denmark, as if on important business
concerning both kingdoms, having in his heart some
such thought as this: ’Let not my hand be upon him,
but the hand of the Danes.’
Now as he was sailing along in mid-ocean, in a
vessel fitted with the most lavish appointments, a
suspicion began to agitate the mind of the youth. For
he was bearer of letters sealed with the King’s signet,
one for each of the chief men of that country, the
contents of which he was quite ignorant. Breaking,
therefore, carefully one of the seals, he learnt from
the brief enclosure that he would be shortly given
over to the punishment of death, when he arrived in
port, if he were to discharge any further his duty as
letter-carrier. For the tenour of the writing was that
whoever should first learn the contents of the letter,
was immediately to strike off the head of its bearer,
Godwine by name.
This new Uriah grew pale when he found that his
destruction was being compassed by the King, and
prepares (to make a long story short) to escape the
trick by another trick. This is what he did: he broke
open and took out each letter from its seal, and
substituted a fresh letter written by the clever hand of
a clerk, the substance of which was that Godwine
was to be received with great and universal
rejoicings; to receive in marriage the King’s sister,
and that they all were to yield him obedience in what
concerned the King’s business, as they would the
King himself if he were present.
Thus the King’s command was changed to the
King’s advantage. Thus the soldier changes his
soldier’s pay; Thus an undeserved punishment is
unaccomplished, and a glory that is deserved accrues
to him who earned it; thus at length the King receives
as a brother him whom had had hitherto found but a
useful soldier, and making his soon after a state
officer, found in him for the future an ever-watchful
and prudent minister.
Well, however his elevation was first accomplished, Earl
Godwine of Wessex grew comfortably secure in his high estate
during the long years of Cnut’s reign.
[ Back ]