greatness was indicated to his mother in a dream, in which her bowels seemed to be spread over all Normandy and England ; and at the very moment of his birth, as soon as he had come into life and had touched the floor, he immediately grasped with both hands the rushes which were spread on it. As soon, therefore, as the midwives had heard the mother's dream, they all with glad applause declared that he would be king. Duke Robert therefore, when about to set out for Jerusalem, called a council of nobles at Feschamp, where he declared his son William his heir, and made all of them swear fealty to the boy. Earl Gilbert was made the boy's tutor, and the guardianship of the tutor was given to Henry king of the French, with the understanding that, if his father should not return at the time appointed, the dukedom of Normandy should by free disposition be conceded to William. At the same time died Haco, the earl before mentioned. Caute sets out for Rome. A.D. 1031. Cnute, the most potent king of England and Denmark, set out in great state for Rome, bearing with him ample presents to the apostle Peter, gold and silver, silken garments and precious stones. He obtained from pope John that the English school should be exempt from tribute, and procured, by payment of a sum of money, the destruction of certain border forts on the journey, where toll was extorted from strangers. Before the altar of the blessed Peter, in which his body reposes, he made a vow to God to amend his life and morals. In a letter addressed to Agelnoth and Alfric, archbishops of Canterbury and York, and to all the bishops and nobles of the realm, he wrote, among other matters, that he was at Rome at the great festival of Easter, before pope John and the emperor Conrad, in the presence of all the kings and princes of the nations from mount Garganus to the nearest sea, all of whom received him with marks of honour and made him ample presents. The emperor also gave him many gifts, vessels of gold and silver, silken garments, gems, and precious vestments. Moreover, the magnificent king Cnute complained before our lord the pope, that when the archbishops of his realms sent to Rome to obtain the pall, an immense sum of money was extorted