וד CHA P. IV. WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. Confequences of the battle of Haftings Normandy lish- Settlement of the government rections infurrections Submiffion of the Eng King's return to Their infur New Intro Rigors of the Norman government ·duction of the feudal law Innovation in ecclefiaftical govern- about investitures day-book Revolt of prince Robert Difpute The New foreft War with France CHAP.. 1066. ces of the THING could exceed the confternation which feized the English, when they received intelligence of the unfortunate battle of Haftings, the death of their King, the slaughter of their principal nobility, and of their bravest warriors, and the rout and difperfion of the remainder. But tho' Haftings.. the lofs, which they had fuftained in that fatal action, was confiderable, it might easily have been repaired. by a great nation; where the people were generally armed, and where there refided so many powerful noblemen in every province, who could have affembled their retainers, and have obliged the duke of Normandy to divide his army, and probably to waste it in a multitude of actions and rencounters. It was thus, that the kingdom had formerly refifted, for many years, its invaders, and had been gradually fubdued, by the continued efforts of the Romans, Saxons, and Danes; and equal difficulties might have CHAP. been apprehended by William in this bold and hazardous enterprize. But there were feveral vices in the Anglo-Saxon conflitution which rendered it difficult for the English to defend their liberties in fo critical an emergency. The people had in a great measure loft all national pride and spirit, by their recent and long subjection to the Danes; and as Canute had, in the course of his administration, much abated the rigors of conquest, and had governed them equitably by their own laws, they regarded with the lefs terror the ignominy of a foreign yoke, and deemed the inconveniences of fubmiffion less formidable than thofe of bloodfhed, war, and refiftance. Their attachment alfo to the antient royal family had been much weakened by their habitude of submission to the Danish princes, and by their late election of Harold, or their acquiefcence in his ufurpation. And as they had long been accustomed to regard Edgar Atheling, the only heir of the Saxon line, as unfit to govern them even in times of order and tranquillity ; they could entertain small hopes of his being able to repair fuch great loffes as they had sustained, or to withstand the victorious arms of the duke of Normandy. THAT they might not, however, be altogether wanting to themselves in this extreme neceffity, the English took fome steps towards adjusting their disjointed government, and uniting themselves against the common enemy. The two potent earls, Edwin and Morcar, who had fled to London with the remains of the broken army, took the lead on this occafion; and in concert with Stigand, archbishop of Canterbury, a man poffeffed of great authority, and of ample revenues, proclaimed Edgar King, and endeavoured to put the people in a posture of defence, and encourage them to refift the Normans. But the Gul. Pictav. p. 20;. Order. Vitalis, p. 502. Hoveden, p. 449. Knyghton, p. 2343• terror WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. terror of the late defeat, and the near neighbourhood of the с WILLIAM, that his enemies might not have leifure to recover their confternation or unite their councils, immediately put himself in motion after his victory, and refolved to profecute an enterprize, which nothing but celerity and vigor could render finally fuccefsful. His first attempt was against Romney, whose inhabitants he severely punished on account of their cruel treatment of fome Norman feamen and foldiers, who had been carried thither by stress of weather or by a mistake in their course And foreseeing that his conqueft of England: might fill be attended with many difficulties and with much: oppofition, he thought it neceffary, before he should advance. farther into the country, to make himself. master of Dover,. which would both fecure him a retreat in cafe of adverfe for-tune, and afford him a fafe landing place for such supplies as might be requifite for affifting him to push his advantages. The terror, diffused by his victory at Haftings, was so great,, that the garrison of Dover, though numerous and well provided of every thing, immediately capitulated; and as the Normans,, rushing in to take poffeffion of the town, haftily fet fire to some: of the houses, William, who was defirous to conciliate the minds of the English by an appearance of lenity and justice,, made reparation to the inhabitants for their loffes'.. 255 CHAP. IV. CHAP. HISTORY OF ENGLAND. THE Norman army, being much diftreffed with a dysentery, was obliged to remain here eight days; and the duke, on their · recovery, advanced with quick marches towards London, and by his approach encreased the confufions, which were already fo prevalent in the English councils. The ecclefiaftics in particular, whose influence was great over the people, began to declare in his favour; and as most of the bishops and dignified clergymen were even then Frenchmen or Normans, the pope's bull, by which his enterprize was avowed and confecrated, was now openly infifted on as a reason for general fubmiffion. The fuperior learning of those prelates, which, during the Confeffor's reign, had raised them above the ignorant Saxons, made their opinions be received with implicit faith; and a young prince, like Edgar, whofe capacity was deemed fo mean, was but ill qualified to refift the impreffion, which they made on the minds of the people. A repulse, which a body of Londoners received from five hundred Norman horse, renewed in the city the terror of the great defeat at Haftings; the easy fubmiffion of all the inhabitants of Kent was an additional difcouragement to them"; the burning of Southwark before their eyes made them dread a like fate to their own city; and no man any longer entertained thoughts but of immediate safety and of self-preservation. Even the earls, Edwin and Morcar, in despair of making effectual resistance, retired with their troops to their own provinces '; and the people thenceforth disposed themselves unanimously to yield to the victor. As foon as William paffed the Thames at Wallingford, and reached Berkof the Eng- hamftead, Stigand, the primate, made fubmiffion to him; Submiffion lish. Gul. Pictav. p. 205. h Gul. Pictav. p. 205. Order. Vital. p. 503. and It is pretended, that the Kentifhmen capitulated for the prefervation of their privileges. See Thom. Spot, apud Wilkins Glofs..in verbo Bocland. i Hoveden, p. 449. before IV. before the prince came within fight of the city, all the chief CHA P. THOUGH this was the great object, to which the duke's enterprize tended, he seemed to deliberate on the offer; and being defirous, at firft, of preferving the appearance of a legal administration, he wished to obtain a more express and formal confent both of his own army and of the English nation": But Aimar of Aquitain, a man equally refpected for his valour in the field, and for his prudence in council, remonftrating with him on the danger of delay in fo critical a conjuncture, he laid afide all farther fcruples, and accepted of the crown which was proffered him. Orders were immediately iffued to prepare every thing for the ceremony of his coronation; but as he was yet afraid to place entire confidence in the Londoners, who were numerous and warlike, he meanwhile commanded fortreffes to be erected in order to curb the inhabitants, and to fecure his person and government ". STIGAND was not much in the duke's favour, both becaufe he had intruded into the fee on the expulfion of Robert, the Norman, and because he poffeffed fuch influence and authority |