Kings. Canute (the Great), Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror.

Pope Sylvester II., Gregory VII. (Hildebrand), Abelard, Roscelin, Anselm, Bérenger (of Tours), Lanfranc, the Cid (Campeador).

ILLUSTRATIONS.

E

THE NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND.

The woman-hearted Confessor prepares

The evanescence of the Saxon line.

WORDSWORTH.

ARLY in the tenth century Norsemen (Northmen) from Scandinavia had settled in that province of France which from them became known as Normandy, and its inhabitants as Normans. They there became Christianized. In the eleventh century William (since known as the Conqueror), Duke of the Normans, coveting the throne of England, crossed the Channel and subdued that country in 1066 (battle of Hastings). The Normans became the ruling class in England.

1066. Then was, over all England, such a token seen in the heavens, as no man ever before saw. Some men said that it was cometa the star, which some men called the haired star. . . . And king Harold gathered so great a ship-force, and also a land-force, as no king here in the land had before done; because it was made known to him that William the bastard would come hither and win this land: all as it afterwards happened. — Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Then came William earl of Normandy into Pevensey, on the eve of St. Michael's-mass and soon after they were on their way, they constructed a castle at Hastings-port. This then was made known to king Harold, and he then gathered a great force, and came to meet him at the estuary of Appledore; and William came against him unawares, before his people were set in order. But the king never

theless strenuously fought against him with those men who would follow him; and there was great slaughter made on either hand. There was slain king Harold . . . and many good men; and the Frenchmen had possession of the place of carnage, all as God granted them for the people's sins. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Yet shall a Third both these and thine subdew :
There shall a Lion from the sea-bord wood

Of Neustria come roring, with a crew

Of hungry whelpes, his battailous bold brood,
Whose clawes were newly dipt in cruddy blood.
That from the Daniske Tyrants head shall rend
Th' usurped crowne, as if that he were wood,
And the spoile of the countrey conquered
Emongst his young ones shall divide with bounty hed.

SPENSER.

It took many generations to trim, and comb, and perfume the first boatload of Norse pirates into royal highnesses and most noble Knights of the Garter; but every sparkle of ornament dates back to the Norse boat. - EMERSON.

The Norman Conquest is the great turning-point in the history of the English nation. Since the first settlement of the English in Britain, the introduction of Christianity is the only event which can compare with it in importance. And there is this wide difference between the two. The introduction of Christianity was an event which could hardly fail to happen sooner or later; in accepting the Gospel the English only followed the same law which, sooner or later, affected all the Teutonic nations. But the Norman Conquest is something which stands without a parallel in any other Teutonic land.-FREEMAN.

The whole importance of the Norman Conquest consists in the effect which it had on an existing nation, humbled indeed, but neither wiped out nor utterly enslaved, — in the changes which it wrought on an existing constitution, which was by degrees greatly modified, but which was never either wholly abolished or wholly trampled under foot. - FREEMAN.

L'expédition normande apparaît comme un effet sans cause, un coup de flibustier, tenté en pleine paix, contre une nation qui avait en elle tous les éléments de grandeur et toutes les vertus nationales, germe

d'un bel avenir; Guillaume, comme un aventurier de courage qui s'abat sur une belle proie et la dépèce; le pape comme un ambitieux qui ne considère que les avantages temporels que l'Eglise et son chef peuvent tirer de la conquête. THIERRY.

Not a few years before the Normans came, the clergy, though in Edward the Confessor's days, had lost all good literature and religion, scarce able to read and understand their Latin service; he was a miracle to others, who knew his grammar. The monks went clad in fine stuffs, and made no difference what they eat; which, though in itself no fault, yet to their consciences was irreligious. The great men, given to gluttony and dissolute life, made a prey of the common people, abusing their daughters whom they had in service, then turning them off to the stews; the meaner sort, tippling together night and day, spent all they had in drunkenness, attended with other vices which effeminate men's minds. Whence it came to pass, that, carried on with fury and rashness more than any true fortitude or skill of war, they gave to William their conqueror so easy a conquest. Not but that some few of all sorts were much better among them; but such was the generality.—MILTON.

When as the duke of Normandy
With glistening spear and shield,
Had entered into fair England,
And foil'd his foes in field:

On Christmas-day in solemn sort

Then was he crowned here,

By Albert archbishop of York,

With many a noble peer.

Which being done, he changed quite

The customs of this land,

And punisht such as daily sought

His statutes to withstand.

Old Ballad.

The haughty Norman seized at once an isle,
For which, through many a century, in vain
The Roman, Saxon, Dane, had toiled and bled.

Of Gothic nations this the final burst;
And, mixed the genius of these people all,
Their virtues mixed in one exalted stream,
Here the rich tide of English blood grew full.

THOMSON.

THE temporal power of the popes began in the middle of the eighth century, and, in the long time of disorder from the death of Charlemagne until the middle of the tenth century, the power of the popes increased, and their authority in political and other temporal affairs was great. In 962 a revival of the Western Empire came about under the name of the "Holy Roman Empire," the emperors of Germany being also rulers of the West. The popes and the emperors then became involved in protracted contests, which led to a great increase in the power of the Church.

Suffice it to say, that in the middle of the eleventh century Europe once more looked to Rome as the pillar and the ground of the truth; while Rome herself looked forth on a long chain of stately monasteries, rising like distant bulwarks of her power in every land which owned her spiritual rule. —SIR JAMES STEPHEN.

The emperors asserted that the election of a pope must be ratified by them, and for a time they exercised a controlling influence over the papal appointments. At this