family and ther guests flept together, without even a curtain betwixt them. Their feet lay always next to the fire, which, being kept burning all night, fupplied the want of bed-cloaths; for they had no covering but the cloaths they wore in the day.

It was customary among them to receive in a morning large companies of young men, who, following no occupation but arms, whenever they were not in action,ftrolled over the country, and entered into any houfe that they found in their way; where they were entertained, till the evening, with the mufic of the harp, and free converfation with the young women of the family. Upon which Giraldus Cambrenfis makes this remark, that of all the nations in the univerfe none were more jealous of their women than the Irish, or lefs than the Welsh. In other refpects their manners fo nearly agreed, when that author wrote, as to difcover the marks of a Celtic origin common to both.

One is furprifed in obferving how abfolutely the Britons, after their retreat into Wales, loft all the culture they had received from the Romans, and, inftead of refining the ancient inhabitants of that part of the island, relapfed themfelves into their rude and barbarous manners. This is the more wonderful, because the Latin tongue and no contemptible fhare of its learning were long preferved in their public fchools, and continued, though indeed in a declin. ing ftate, even down to the times of which I write. They had alfo retained the profeffion of the chri

ftian religion, but debafed with grofs fuperftitions: Giraldus Cambrenfis informs us, that they paid, in his days, a more devout reverence to churches and churchmen, to the relics of faints, to croffes, and to bells, than any other nation. Whenever any of them happened to meet a monk, or other ecclefiaftic, they inftantly threw down their arms, and, bowing their heads, implored his bleffing. When they undertook a journey into any foreign country, or when they married, or were enjoined by their confeffors any public penance, they paid a full tenth of all their goods, which they called the great tythe," in the proportion of two parts to the church wherein they had been baptized, and one to their bishop. How far they carried their respect to afylums and fanctuaries has already been mentioned. The excefs of their fuperftition with relation to this point is cenfured by Giraldus Cambrenfis himself, as great a bigot as he was; and it certainly must have been one principal caufe, why fo many murders and other crimes were committed among them. Their hermits were celebrated for feverer aufterities than any others in Europe, the vehemence of their temper carrying their virtues, as well as vices, into extremes. Pilgrimages to Rome were their favourite mode of devotion, though they had many faints of their own nation, whofe shrines they adored with the blindeft fuperftition. In fhort, their religion, for the most part, was fo different from genuine chriftianity, that either it was prejudicial to civil fociety, or did it no good.

Cha.

Character of the English and Nor

TH

mans.

From the fame.

HERE is a remarkable paffage in William of Malmf bury upon the different characters of the English and Normans. He fays, that, before the latter had obtained poffeffion of England, learning and religion were brought to fo low a ftate in that kingdom, that most of the clergy could hardly read divine fervice; and if, happily, any one of them underftood grammar, he was admired and wondered at by the reft as a prodigy. The English nobility were very deficient in the external duties of piety; it being cuftomary among them, even for thofe who were married, to hear matins and mafs faid to them in their bed-chambers, before they were up, and as faft as the priest could poffibly hurry them over; instead of attending divine fervice, with proper folemnity, in churches or chapels. Many of them were guilty of the unnatural inhumanity of felling their female flaves, whom they kept as their concubines, when they were big with child by them, either to public proftitution, or to perpetual flavery in foreign lands. They were alfo univerfally addicted to drunkennefs, and continued over their cups whole days and nights, keep. ing open houfe and fpending all the income of their eftates in riotous feats, where they eat and drank to excefs, without any elegant or magnificient luxury. Their houfes were generally fmall and mean, their garments plain, and fuccinct they cut their hair fhort, and fhaved their faces, except the upper lip; wearing no ornament,

but heavy bracelets of gold on their arms, and painted figures, that were burnt into the skin, on fome parts of their bodies. The Normans, on the contrary (as the fame author informs us) affected great finery and pomp in their cloaths; and were delicate in their food, but without any excefs. They fpent little in houfe-keeping, but were very expenfive and mag. nificient in their buildings, making that their chief pride, and introducing a new and better mode of architecture into this ifland. Nor did they only difplay this magnificience in their own private houfes; but embellished all the kingdom with churches and convents more fplendid and elegant than thofe of the English. They are alfo commended, by the abovementioned hiftorian, for establishing here a more decent and more regular form of religion; but yet it is certain, that, by admitting new doctrines of popery, to which the Anglo-Saxon church had never affented, they further corrupted the purity of the Chriftian faith in this ifland. He adds, that they were faithful to their liege lords, if they were not ill ufed; but that, on occafion of the lighteft offence given to them, they broke their allegiance, that being accustomed to a military life, and hardly knowing how to live without war, they made it with ardour; but, if they could not facceed by open force, they understood equally well how to employ both fraud and bribery: whereas the English had only a rafh and impetuous valour. He likewife tells us, that the Normans were apt to fell justice; that they were full of emulation, ambition, and envy; that they frequently

B 3

them.

themfelves oppreffed their vaffals, but bravely defended them against all others; willingly intermixed with the people they had conquered, and of all nations in the world were the kindest to foreigners, put. ting them upon an equal foot with themselves, if they came to fettle among them.

Such is the picture drawn by William of Malmbury of the English and Normans compared and contrafted together and no writer of thofe times was better qualified than he to form a true judgment of their good and i qualities, or more impartial between them; for he had very good fenfe, with much knowledge of the world, and was equally related in blood to both nations. Nevertheless the diverfity, which he has obferved in their manners, did not remain till the times in which he wrote. He tells us himfelf, that the English foon accom. modated themselves to thofe of the Normans, after they had been forced to fubmit to their govern. ment, except in one article, namely, their temperance in eating and drinking; but, instead of learn ing that, they communicated to them their own habits of drunk ennefs and immoderate feafling, which continued for many ages the national vices of their common pofterity.

In weighing the merits of each people, as here defcribed, it will be found that the Normans were greatly fuperior to the English in politenefs and knowledge; and it may therefore be thought, that, by a mixture with them, the latter received fuch improvements, as were a fufficient compenfation for the many evils brought upon them

in other refpects. It must alfo be confeffed, that, fo long as the Anglo Saxons were mafters of England, that kingdom was of no account in the fyftem of Europe; but grew to have weight and au, thority on the continent under the government of the Normans, both from the dominions which the, princes of that race poffeffed in France, and from their active am. bition, which, feconded by the enterprifing and warlike difpofition of all their nobility, rendered the English name respected and illuftrious abroad. But whether this honour was not purchafed too dear, by the lofs of that peace, which the fituation of England, efpecially if united with Scotland and Wales, might have fecured to it under the government and iflandpolicy of the Saxons, may well be difputed. Befides the conftant expence of blood and treafere, one great mifchief, occafioned by it, was the taking off the attention of many of our kings from the important objects of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce. Yet, on the other hand, it is certain that foreign wars, by exercifing the valour, increafe the strength of a nation, which, remaining long unemployed, is very apt to decay, and fink into an infirm and effeminate foftnefs; particularly where the people are much addicted to commerce; the mercantile fpirit prevailing over the military more than is confiftent with the fafety or virtue of a state. To keep up the energy of both thefe fpirits in a proper degree, and without prejudice to each other, is a very important and very difficult part of political wif dom, which has been performed in

few

few governments, either ancient or mod ern.

Character of Harold. From the fame.

and by many grievous oppreffions had fo irritated the people, that, rifing in arms, they drove him out. Harold, having been fent with a commiffion from the king to fupprefs this revolt, was told by the Northumbrians," that they

the kingdom, that he made the reign of a very weak prince moft happy to the English; victory attended his arms on the borders; liberty and peace were maintained by him at home. There was much dignity, gracefulnefs, and ftrength in his perfon; he had a courage and refolution which nothing could daunt, an eafy flow of natural eloquence, animated by a lively agreeable wit, and eleva. tion of fentiments with popular manners. Befides all the luftre he drew from his political and military talents, in which he had no equal among his own countrymen, his character was embellished, and rendered more amiable, by a generous fpirit, and a heart in which humanity tempered ambition. It does not appear that his virtues were difgraced by the mixture of any vice or weaknefs, which could dishonour him in the eyes of the public. Upon the whole, he was worthy of the crown he afpired to; which is confeft even by writers no way dif. pofed to judge of him too favourably, and ftill better proved by all his behaviour after he was on the throne.

His own brother Tofti, a man given up to the worft paffions, and capable of gratifying them by the worst means, was the firft enemy who disturbed the peace of his realm. This lord, in the reign of Edward the Confeffor, had been earl of Northumberland,

could not endure a tyrannical governor, but had learnt from their ancestors to fecure to themfelves either liberty or death." Such a language, by a man of a defpotic temper, would certainly have been deemed an unpardonable aggravation of their offence; but Harold refpected it, admitted their plea, and even rendered himself their advocate with the king, (to whom his entreaties were commands) that they might have for their governor the perfon they defired, Morcar, the younger brother of Edwin earl of Mercia, whofe father and grandfather had been dangerous ene, mies to his father and himself: a most laudable act, and which fhews that he was worthy to rule a free kingdom! It may indeed be thought, that policy joined with generosity and with juice, in dictating to him this extror jaary conduct; for, beides the hearts of the people, he gain! by it a connexion with two powerful no bles, who never forgot the obligation, and whofe warm adherence to him must have greatly. contributed to raife him to the throne.

having been dazzled fo much by the more fhining parts of it, that they have hardly feen his faults; while others, out of a strong de. teftation of tyranny, have been unwilling to allow him the praife he deferves.

He may with juftice be ranked among the greatest generals any age has produced. There was united in him activity, vigilance, intrepidity, caution, great force, of judgment, and never-failing prefence of mind. He was very ftrict in his difcipline, and kept his foldiers in perfect obedience; yet preferved their affection. Having been, from his very childhood, continually in war, and at the head of armies, he joined to all the capacity that genius could give, all the knowledge and skill that experience could teach, and was a perfect mafter of the mili. tary art, as it was practifed in the times when he lived. His conftitution enabled him to endure any hardships; and very few were equal to him in perfonal strength: which was an excellence of more importance than it is now, from the manner of fighting then in ufe. It is faid of him, that none but himself could bend his bow. His courage was heroic, and he poffeffed it, not only in the field, but (which is more uncommon) in the cabinet; attempting great things with means that to other men appeared unequal to fuch undertakings, and fteadily profecuting what he had boldly refolved; being never difturbed or difheartened with difficulties, in the purfuit of his enterprizes; but having that noble vigour of mind, which, inftead of bending to op. pofition, rifes against it, and feems

to have a power of controlling and governing fortune itself.

Nor was he lefs fuperior to pleafure than to fear. No luxury foftened him, no riot difordered, no floth relaxed. It helped not a little to maintain the high refpe&t his fubjects had for him, that the majefty of his character was never let down by any incontinence or indecent excefs. His temperance and his chastity were conftant guards, that fecured his mind. from all weaknefs, fupported its dignity, and kept it always, as it were, on the throne. Through his whole life he had no partner of his bed but his queen: a moft extraordinary virtue in one who had lived, even from his earliest youth, amidst all the licence of camps, the allurements of a court, and the feductions of fovereign power! Had he kept his oaths to his people as well as he did his marriage vow, he would have been the beft of kings; but he indulged other paffions of a worfe nature, and infinitely more detrimental to the public, than thofe he reftrained. A luft of power, which no regard to justice could limit, the most unrelenting cruelty, and the most infatiable avarice, poffeffed his foul. It is true indeed, that among many acts of extreme inhumanity fome fhining inftances of great clemency may be produced, that were either effects of his policy, which taught him this method of acquiring friends, or of his magnanimity, which made him flight a weak and fubdued enemy; fuch as was Edgar Atheling, in whom he found neither spirit nor talents able to contend with him for the crown. But where he had no ad

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