defended himself so bravely, and with such consummate valour, that the enemy could hardly get the better of him. But, alas ! after very great numbers had faBen on both sides, at twilight he himself feB ; the earls Girth and Leofwine, his brothers, also feB, and most of the nobles of England ; on which duke "William with his men returned with all speed to Hastings. The length of Harold's reign was nine months and as many days. But in order that the origin may be known of the grounds on which "William invaded England, the circumstances which had transpired a short time before this period shall be briefly related. "When the disagreement arose between king Edward and earl Godwin, as previously mentioned, the earl was driven into exile with his family from England. Afterwards, on his endeavouring to effect a reconciliation with the king, in order that he might be aUowed to return to his own country, the king would by no means consent thereto, unless he first received hostages as a guarantee of his own security. In consequence of this, "Wulnoth, son of Godwin himself, and Hacun, son of his son Sweyn, were given as hostages, and sent to Normandy in charge of duke William the Bastard, the son of Robert, son of Bichard, his17 mother's brother. Sometime after this, when earl Godwin was dead, his son, Harold, asked leave of the king to go to Normandy, and obtain the Uberty of his brother and nephew, who were kept there as hostages, and to bring them back with him to their own country ; on which the king made answer: "By me this shaU not be done ; but that I may not appear to wish to prevent you, I permit you to go wherever you like, and to try what you can effect : still I have a presentiment that your efforts wUl end in nothing but injury to the whole kingdom of England and disgrace to yourself ; for I know that the duke is not so devoid of inteUigence as to be wilBng on any account to entrust them to you, if he does not foresee some great profit to accrue therefrom to himself." However, Harold embarked on board of a ship, which, with all on board of it, being driven by a violent tempest into a river of Ponthieu, which is called the Maia, according to the custom of the place he was claimed as a captive by the lord " King Edward the Confessor. 136 ANNALS OF BOGF.R DE HOVEDEN. A.D. 1066.