A.D. 1041.] "WORCESTERSHIRE DEVASTATED. had done to himself and his mother, he sent soldiers and executioners to the city of London, to dig up the body of king Harold, and after cutting off the head, to throw it into the Thames. This being done, the body was found shortly after by a fisherman, and buried by the Danes in their burying-ground in London. Heavy retribution for Alfred's death. After these things, the king ordered the English nation to pay eight marks to each rower, and ten marks to each pilot of his fleet ; by which he made himself odious to all who before had wished to have him for their king. Added to this, the king was highly exasperated against the traitor Godwin earl of Kent, and Living bishop of Worcester, who were charged before him by Alfric archbishop of York, and many others, with the murder of his brother Alfred ; insomuch that the king degraded Living from his bishopric and conferred the see on Alfric. But the traitor Godwin, to make bis peace with the king for the murder of his brother, presented him with a golden vessel, with its prow and all its equipments of gold, and eight hundred soldiers with golden arms. Each of these soldiers had on his arms two golden bracelets of the weight of fifteen ounces, a coat of mail of golden tissue, a golden helmet on the head, a sword girt to the loins with golden clasps, a weighty Danish axe of gold on the left shoulder, in the left hand a shield with bosses and studs of gold, and in the right a golden lance, called " hategar" by the English. In addition to all this, he took an oath before the king and almost all the nobles of the realm, that neither by his device or concurrence had his brother been murdered and deprived of his eyes. The king devastates Worcestershire. A.D. 1041. Hardecnute king of England sent his officers through the whole kingdom, without excusing any, to collect the tax which he had appointed, to supply his pirates with necessaries. Two of these officers were slain by the citizens of Worcester and the people of those parts, in a monastery to which they had fled for refuge ; whereat the king, highly enraged, to revenge so great an enormity, sent an armed force, with orders to slay the inhabitants, sack and burn the