330 EOGEK OF 'WENDOVER. [A.D.1066. As soon as he had landed, he restrained all his army from plundering, remarking that they ought to spare the property which would shortly be their own. He then kept himself quiet for fifteen successive days, as though his object was any thing rather than war On hearing of duke William's arrival, king Harold goes against him to battle. On his return from fighting with the Norwegians, Harold heard of William's arrival, and made towards Hastings with a very small force ; for except his hired soldiers he had very few of the country-people with him, insomuch that it would not have been much for an enemy to defeat him. Nevertheless Harold sent forward scouts to estimate the enemy's strength and numbers. These were seized in duke William's camp, who ordered them to be conducted round and shown his army, and after giving them a plentiful refreshment, sent them back safe to their master. On their return, Harold inquired what report they had to give of matters ; whereupon, after reporting the great confidence of the duke, they seriously death of William's daughter to whom he had betrothed himself before she was of a marriageable age. He heard, moreover, that William was engaged in wars with the neighbouring dukes, and hoped that his threats would not come to anything. He declared too, that the oath which he had been compelled to make, ought not to be kept, since he could not give away the kingdom whilst Edward was alive, nor grant it to any one without consulting that king ; but Harold thought one thing and William another. For that prince, as soon as he learnt that Harold was crowned, sent messengers and gently accused him of breaking their treaty, and threatened that he would exact what was due before a year was passed ; Harold, in reply, sent excuses to duke William by the messengers before mentioned. But the messengers returning without effecting anything addressed the Norman duke in these words, "Harold king of the English, tells you that he was in fact driven by necessity when he betrothed himself to your daughter in Normandy and swore to yield the English kingdom to you; but in answer to this he asserts that an oath exacted by violence ought not to be kept. For if a vow or an oath which a girl in her father's house has made concerning herself without consulting her parents, is not considered binding, so much more, he declares, ought an oath which he had made on compulsion, when he was under the authority of the king, and of which the king was ignorant, to be considered nugatory. He affirms moreover, that it was too presumptuous, without the general consent, to swear the hereditary right of another to you. He added moreover, that it was unjust to ask him to give up a kingdom which he had undertaken to rule, by the general consent of the nobles."