Scandinavian-Britain

170 SCANDINAVIAN BRITAINthem south ;at Northampton they were joined byEadwine, son of ^Ifgar and earl of north-west Mercia,and they plundered the country, carrying awaycaptives, until they reached Oxford. In spite ofHarold's mediation and King Eadward's support,Tosti was forced to leave the country (November i,On January 5, 1066, Eadward the Confessor died,and next day Harold was crowned king. He wasacknowledged by the Northumbrians only afterhis personal appearance among them and on theappeal of bishop Wulfstan of Worcester, Eadwine andMorkari remaining in their earldoms. Tosti meanwhilewas planning armed re-entry. In May he camefrom Normandy (so Freeman, Norman Conquest, iii.,pp. 720-725) to plunder the Isle of Wight, the southcoast and Lindsey. Driven away from the Danelawby Eadwine and M6rkari, he took refuge with KingMalcolm in Scotland. Then he applied to Svein ofDenmark for help to invade England ; Svein, hiscousin, could do no more than offer him an earldomin Denmark. He went to the Vik, where, accordingtothe saga, he found Harald Hardradi, and thoughthe Norwegians are said to have feared the Englishhiiskarls, Tosti persuaded the king of Norway tojoin him in attempting the conquest of England.The haste with which the Norwegian fleet was fittedout suggests that the preparations made by Williamof Normandy were no secret;it was a race for theEnglish crown. Half the fighting force of Norwaywas called together ;and the fleet, Heimskringla says,