lost in contradictory accounts.  But it is certain that in May 1066 he made an ineffectual attack on England.  And this attack was most likely made with the connivance of William.  It suited William to use Tostig as an instrument, and to encourage so restless a spirit in annoying the common enemy.  It is also certain that Tostig was with the Norwegian fleet in September, and that he died at Stamfordbridge.  We know also that he was in Scotland between May and September.  It is therefore hard to believe that Tostig had so great a hand in stirring up Harold Hardrada to his expedition as the Norwegian story makes out.  Most likely Tostig simply joined the expedition which Harold Hardrada independently planned.  One thing is certain, that, when Harold of England was attacked by two enemies at once, it was not by two enemies acting in concert.  The interests of William and of Harold of Norway were as much opposed to one another as either of them was to the interests of Harold of England.

One great difficulty beset Harold and William alike.  Either in Normandy or in England it was easy to get together an army ready to fight a battle; it was not easy to keep a large body of men under arms for any long time without fighting.  It was still harder to keep them at once without fighting and without plundering.  What William had done in this way in two invasions of Normandy, he was now called on to do on a greater scale.  His great and motley army was kept during a great part of August and September, first at the Dive, then at Saint Valery, waiting for the wind that was to take it to England.  And it was kept without doing any serious damage to the lands where they were encamped.  In a holy war, this time was of course largely spent in appeals to the religious feelings of the army.  Then came the wonderful luck of William, which enabled him to cross at the particular moment when he did cross.  A little earlier or later, he would have found his landing stoutly disputed; as it was, he landed without resistance.  Harold of England, not being able, in his own words, to be everywhere at once, had done what he could.  He and his brothers Gyrth and Leofwine undertook the defence of southern England against the Norman; the earls of the North, his brothers-in-law Edwin and Morkere, were to defend their own land against the Norwegians.  His own preparations were looked on with wonder.  To guard the long line of coast against the invader, he got together such a force both by sea and land as no king had ever got together before, and he kept it together for a longer time than William did, through four months of inaction, save perhaps some small encounters by sea.  At last, early in September, provisions failed; men were no doubt clamouring to go back for the harvest, and the great host had to be disbanded.  Could William have sailed as soon as his fleet was ready, he would have found southern England thoroughly prepared to meet him.  Meanwhile the northern earls had clearly