but was useful as a puppet. It was arranged that he, with three Saxon earls of influence, at the head of the Northumbrians, should join the Danes on their arrival; and although it is not now clear what advantage the Saxon royal family hoped to derive from the venture, it is plain that the combination promised to be exceedingly advantageous to the Danes. The latter entered the Humber without opposition about August, pushed up the Ouse, landed, were joined by the northern insurgents, and, after a brief and bloody campaign, stormed York, and massacred the Norman garrison.[1]
In the meantime, William, with a considerable army, was advancing from the south, and the Danes, always more anxious about booty than territory, and always desirous of being within touch of the sea, left York to the care of the Northumbrians, and withdrew with their plunder and their prisoners to the head of the Humber, where they encamped for the winter in sight of their ships. William seems to have temporised with Osbern, while devoting all his energy to the punishment of the rebels, whom he completely scattered.
In the spring Sweyn in person arrived in the Humber, raided the valleys of the Nen and Great Ouse, and established himself at Ely, whence he attacked and plundered Peterborough. William, still without a fleet of sufficient force, appears to have distrusted his ability to deal with the maurauders and to have at length bribed them to depart with their spoils. They sailed; but their return voyage was not a fortunate one, for they were overtaken by a storm, and lost many of their ships and much of their treasure. A few Danish vessels, probably separated by the storm from the main body, made their appearance, towards the end of the year, in the Thames, but remained only a very short time, and retired without accomplishing anything of importance.[2]
William had by that time made some progress in the direction of supplying himself with a fleet. In 1071 he was able to send ships, as well as land forces, against Earl Morkere, who had rebelled, and who was crushed; and in 1079, he penetrated into Scotland, as far as Fife, with the co-operation of a squadron, and at Abernethy obliged Malcolm III. to swear fealty to him,[3] and to surrender Duncan, subsequently Duncan II., as a hostage. In 1073, again, William utilised his fleet for the recovery of Maine,[4] which had
