ENGLAND. 



599 



History, upon the defensive, and avoid if possible all action 

 *- T- ' with the cavalry, in which he was very inferior. The 

 Norman cross-bows at first dreadfully galled the Eng- 

 lish ; but as they came into closer action, the English 

 bills mowed down their ranks, and checked the fury of 

 their onset. The combat was long and desperate, and 

 disputed with equal bravery on both sides. The Nor- 

 mans at length began to give way ; William saw the 

 imminence of his clanger, and hastened with fresh forces 

 to the support of his retreating bands. His presence 

 revived the courage of his followers, and the Eng- 

 lish were in their turn compelled to retire. Aided, 

 however, by the advantage of the ground, and animat- 

 ed by the voice and example of their king, who had 

 toiled all day in the front of the battle, they renew- 

 ed the fight, and the Normans were falling in great 

 numbers. William, finding that he could make no im- 

 pression on the enemy's position, ordered his troops to 

 make a sudden retreat, and deceive them by the ap- 

 pearance of a flight. The artifice succeeded. The 

 English followed them to the plain, when the Normans 

 suddenly facing about, and attacking them in both 

 flanks with their cavalry, drove them back with great 

 slaughter. They were again rallied by the bravery of 

 their prince ; and though William repeated the same 

 stratagem with equal success, yet the English were en- 

 abled still to maintain themselves in firm array, and 

 seemed determined to dispute the victory to the last, 

 and death But the death of Harold, who was slain by an arrow 

 of Harold. w hil e fighting in the foremost ranks, decided the battle 

 in favour of the Normans. The English were dispi- 

 rited by the loss of their brave but unfortunate leader, 

 and gave way on all sides. The victorious invaders 

 followed up their success with dreadful slaughter : but 

 darkness soon put an end to their bloodshed. In this 

 memorable action, the Normans lost 15,000 warriors, 

 and the duke had three horses killed tinder him. The 

 loss of the English was still more considerable; IK-MI U-s 

 the death of their king and his two brothers. The bo- 

 dy of Harold could scarcely be distinguished among the 

 heaps of slain. It was brought to William, who re- 

 stored it without ransom to his mother. The \ormans 

 gave thanks to heaven for their victory on the field of 

 battle ; and immediately prepared to improve, to the 

 utmost, the advantage which they had gained. 



The English, considering their great resources, might 

 have done much to retrieve their affairs ; and had they 

 been unanimous, might have worn out their invaders 

 by a protracted warfare. But they vere divided and 

 dismayed. The intelligence of the battle of Hastings 

 spread terror and consternation throughout the king- 

 dom, and no one appeared to whom the nation could 

 entrust its fortunes. Edgar Atheling was proclaimed 

 king, atul Morcar and Edwin, Harold's brothers-in-law, 

 endeavoured to make a stand in his defence. But their 

 plans were disconcerted by the rapid advance of the 

 conqueror to the capital. The clergy were the first to 

 Ixjw before his consecrated standard, and even insisted 

 that the pope's bull called for general submission to the 

 authority of William. On his approach, Edgar, the 

 new elected king, with Stigand, Archbishop of Can- 

 terbury, and the chief nobility, entered his camp, and 

 made him a formal offer of the crown of England, upon 

 condition that he would govern according to the cus 

 Traiiun toms of the country. Though by right of conquest he 

 accepts the could have demanded the crown, yet he chose rather to 

 wn. accept it as a voluntary gift; and he was consecrated in 

 W.- stininitiT Abbey, by Aldred, Archbishop of York. 

 Edwin and Morcar, who liad retired with their troops 



A. D. 1067. 

 Returns to 

 Normandy. 



General dis- 

 affection 

 among the 

 English. 



to their own provinces, and others of the principal no- Hiatorj. 

 bilitv, who were not present at the coronation, soon "^"V 

 after came and swore fealty to the new sovereign. 



The beginning of William's reign was marked with 

 mildness and humanity. Though all real power was 

 placed in the hands of the Normans, he took care that 

 they should use it with moderation. Every disorder 

 or oppression met with severe punishment. He built 

 citadels in London, and other towns best situated for 

 commanding the kingdom, where he quartered his ar- 

 my, among whom he had distributed considerable sums 

 as the reward of their valour ; but he governed them 

 with rigorous discipline, and restrained every appear- 

 ance of insolence towards the natives. He received, 

 with affability, all who approached his person, and seem- 

 ed desirous that the two nations should live in the clo- 

 sest amity. 



Peace and tranquillity seemed now to be firmly esta- 

 blished ; and William, nowise apprehensive of any dis- 

 turbances by his new subjects, went over to Normandy 

 to receive the congratulations of his countrymen. His 

 brother Odo, Bishop of Baieux, and William Fitz-Os- 

 berne, were entrusted with the administration of the 

 kingdom dimng his absence ; and the better to secure 

 their authority from any fear of resistance, he carried 

 with him the chief of the English nobility. These not 

 only served to grace his court by the magnificence and 

 costliness of their equipages, but might be considered 

 as hostages for the fidelity of the nation. His depar- 

 ture, however, was soon followed by conspiracies and 

 insurrections. The Norman captains, no longer under 

 the eye of their sovereign, grudged the restraints which 

 had been imposed upon their rapine, and treated with 

 contempt a people who had surrendered their liberties 

 so easily. Their insulu and depredations produced a 

 general disaffection among the English, which in some 

 places broke out into open rebellion. A secret conspi- 

 racy was even formed for a general massacre of the 

 Norman soldiery, which was to tnke place on Ash Wed- 

 nesday, during the time of divine service, when the 

 Normans would be unarmed ; and Earl Coxo was 

 murdered by his vassals, because he refused to join in 

 this entcrprize. The presence of William, however, 

 disconcerted all their schemes. Many of the conspira- 

 tors fled, whose estates were forfeited, and bestowed 

 upon his Norman followers ; and, as a farther mean of 

 gratifying their rapacity, he renewed the tax of Dane- 

 gelt, which had been so odious to the nation. This 

 only produced new insurrections. In Exeter, Cornwall, 

 and Devonshire, the inhabitants took up arms, but were 

 soon suppressed. But in the north they assumed a 

 more fonnidable appearance. Edwin and Morcar, im- 

 pelled by private injuries, as well as public wrongs, and 

 encouraged by the promise of assistance from Wales, 

 Scotland, and Denmark, resolved to attempt the de- 

 liverance of their oppressed countrymen ; but they were 

 surprised by the king before any ot the foreign succours 

 had arrived, and were obliged to submit to his cle- 

 mency. They were pardoned and restored to their 

 possessions; but their followers were treated with great- 

 er rigour, and their lands were divided among his fo- 

 reign adventurers. Many fled from oppression into fo- 

 reign countries ; and Edgar Atheling, distrusting the 

 insidious caresses of William, sought refuge with his 

 two sisters, Margaret and Christina, in the court of 

 Malcolm King of Scotland, who soon after married 

 Margaret, and treated with kindness all the English 

 exiles who sought his protection. William now began 

 to view the English as unworthy of his clemency, and 



Rigours of 

 the Norman 

 govern- 

 ment- 



