THE CONQUEROR'S STANDPOINT 3 



homage, as such oaths were taken on the slightest pretext 

 especially when one man had conferred a benefit on another 

 and might be nothing more than a mere compliment 

 Whatever it was, the Duke chose to regard it as an oath to 

 support his claim to the English crown. No true Englishman 

 would regard the late King's promise of nomination as con- 

 ferring on the Duke any right of inheritance ; but it was other- 

 wise on the Continent, where men were beginning to consider 

 a kingdom as a species of property which was heritable as 

 other landed estates. So William had no difficulty in per- 

 suading himself that he had been badly treated by Harold 

 and by the English people. 



Domesday Book throughout reflects the position which King 

 William assumed, that he was the rightful heir of the Con- 

 fessor, and that Harold was a usurper. Mr. Freeman l shows 

 that an intelligent foreigner, who knew nothing of the history 

 of England in the eleventh century, would learn nothing from 

 Domesday Book of the Norman Conquest and the change of 

 dynasty. The state of affairs in 1086 is compared with the 

 state of affairs on " the day on which King Edward was quick 

 and dead," as though that day was the day on which King 

 William began to reign. Whenever Harold is referred to, he 

 is called Earl Harold, and it is really amusing to notice how 

 " Comes," Earl, is carefully interlined over Harold's name in 

 several places, e.g. on those pages which relate to the large 

 manor of Hitchin and its appurtenances. 2 The Hampshire 

 scribes, however, speak of two estates, Hayling and South 

 Berton, which Harold took away from Leman, when "he 

 invaded the kingdom," or " when he was reigning ; " 3 and the 

 Norfolk scribe similarly speaks of " the time of Harold ; " 4 but, 

 except on these pages, any event which took place between 

 the death of the Confessor and the arrival of William is 

 referred to as taking place " after the death of King Edward." 



1 Norman Conquest, v. 10. 2 D. B., I. 132 b. 



3 D. B., I. 38 a 2. Id., II. 236. 



