登陆注册
5152500000027

第27章 WILLIAM'S INVASION OF ENGLAND--AUGUST-DECEMBER 106

The statesmanship of William had triumphed.The people of England had chosen their king, and a large part of the world had been won over by the arts of a foreign prince to believe that it was a righteous and holy work to set him on the throne to which the English people had chosen the foremost man among themselves.No diplomatic success was ever more thorough.Unluckily we know nothing of the state of feeling in England while William was plotting and pleading beyond the sea.Nor do we know how much men in England knew of what was going on in other lands, or what they thought when they heard of it.We know only that, after Harold had won over Northumberland, he came back and held the Easter Gemot at Westminster.Then in the words of the Chronicler, "it was known to him that William Bastard, King Edward's kinsman, would come hither and win this land." This is all that our own writers tell us about William Bastard, between his peaceful visit to England in 1052 and his warlike visit in 1066.But we know that King Harold did all that man could do to defeat his purposes, and that he was therein loyally supported by the great mass of the English nation, we may safely say by all, save his two brothers-in-law and so many as they could influence.

William's doings we know more fully.The military events of this wonderful year there is no need to tell in detail.But we see that William's generalship was equal to his statesmanship, and that it was met by equal generalship on the side of Harold.Moreover, the luck of William is as clear as either his statesmanship or his generalship.When Harold was crowned on the day of the Epiphany, he must have felt sure that he would have to withstand an invasion of England before the year was out.But it could not have come into the mind of Harold, William, or Lanfranc, or any other man, that he would have to withstand two invasions of England at the same moment.

It was the invasion of Harold of Norway, at the same time as the invasion of William, which decided the fate of England.The issue of the struggle might have gone against England, had she had to strive against one enemy only; as it was, it was the attack made by two enemies at once which divided her strength, and enabled the Normans to land without resistance.The two invasions came as nearly as possible at the same moment.Harold Hardrada can hardly have reached the Yorkshire coast before September; the battle of Fulford was fought on September 20th and that of Stamfordbridge on September 25th.William landed on September 28th, and the battle of Senlac was fought on October 14th.Moreover William's fleet was ready by August 12th; his delay in crossing was owing to his waiting for a favourable wind.When William landed, the event of the struggle in the North could not have been known in Sussex.He might have had to strive, not with Harold of England, but with Harold of Norway as his conqueror.

At what time of the year Harold Hardrada first planned his invasion of England is quite uncertain.We can say nothing of his doings till he is actually afloat.And with the three mighty forms of William and the two Harolds on the scene, there is something at once grotesque and perplexing in the way in which an English traitor flits about among them.The banished Tostig, deprived of his earldom in the autumn of 1065, had then taken refuge in Flanders.

He now plays a busy part, the details of which are lost in contradictory accounts.But it is certain that in May 1066 he made an ineffectual attack on England.And this attack was most likely made with the connivance of William.It suited William to use Tostig as an instrument, and to encourage so restless a spirit in annoying the common enemy.It is also certain that Tostig was with the Norwegian fleet in September, and that he died at Stamfordbridge.We know also that he was in Scotland between May and September.It is therefore hard to believe that Tostig had so great a hand in stirring up Harold Hardrada to his expedition as the Norwegian story makes out.Most likely Tostig simply joined the expedition which Harold Hardrada independently planned.One thing is certain, that, when Harold of England was attacked by two enemies at once, it was not by two enemies acting in concert.The interests of William and of Harold of Norway were as much opposed to one another as either of them was to the interests of Harold of England.

同类推荐
  • hell

    hell

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 江西舆地图说

    江西舆地图说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 本朝茶法

    本朝茶法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 寒山子诗集

    寒山子诗集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 在家出家

    在家出家

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 青鸾计之野女为妃

    青鸾计之野女为妃

    【言情+权谋】金销玉冷,她本是生于新朝的前朝遗孤,偏偏卷入宫廷权欲的疯狂漩涡;红烛帐暖,万千蛾眉心上计,却敌不过他的柔情、他的纵容、他的缠绵百转……猎场策马绝尘,宫闱药香鸩毒,七年苦心经营,竟换得一朝真相大白、萧墙兵戈,天下骂她蛇蝎野女,她笑天下皆是愚民。她输了?……不,她没输。……“妾身若布衣荆钗,不筹大事,只与君共;妾身若锦衣华服,大事既成,与君永隔。”
  • BILLY BUDD

    BILLY BUDD

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 小猪弗莱迪:空中大历险

    小猪弗莱迪:空中大历险

    《小猪弗莱迪》系列童话故事书每册都是一个精彩独立的故事。或是迷案重重、悬疑跌宕的侦探故事,或是意外横生、步步惊心的冒险故事;或是斗智斗勇、充满惊险的间谍之战;或是想像奇特、笑料十足的太空旅行……
  • 天命小狂妃

    天命小狂妃

    壮志未酬的医学天才,魂归异世,倾城之姿,倾世风华。身怀上古神器,收神兽,契神鼎。逆天修炼天赋,炼丹,制毒,开启强者之路。 遇上他,是命运的使然,是宿世的牵绊,是源自他心中的那份执念。前尘往事,烟消云散。恍然,已是隔世。她已不是她,他亦不是他。哪怕经历了无数的月升日暮,哪怕沧海桑田早已不复往昔,哪怕变换了姓名和身份,唯有,初心未改,情深不负。他说:错过,一次便足矣。她说:我们,一直,从未错过啊……
  • 青楼王妃

    青楼王妃

    她清雅若芙蓉,却因一颗眉间红砂,沦落风尘青楼,她淡泊如止水,却逃脱不掉一个无稽预言,成为“神女”,卷入乱世权谋。人道红颜祸水,她即使躲避这祸水之咒,奈何倾世容颜终难掩,偏偏惹得众生妒。一切是造化弄人,还是有人居心叵测?多事之秋,他既然一心天下大业,为何偏与她一小女子过不去。世事沉浮,辗转几何,几番沉沦后,她只问他:“你既然唱了这出戏,为何不将戏唱到底?”他淡漠地答她:“我怎会料到这世上会有一人让我假戏真做,如今,我已然分不清哪一出是戏,哪一出是真,还如何唱下去?”可惜,戏再真,依然是一出戏,入戏太深,谁将万劫不复?她将头轻伏在他肩上,莞尔一笑:“不论它真真假假,妾身愿与你夫唱妇随。”
  • 保卫国师大人

    保卫国师大人

    【2019年2月份已完结】 如果他们也有朋友圈——大魔王:樯橹灰飞烟灭,这天下终究如我所愿。[千里江山图.jpg]冯妙君:日常任务“阻挠冤家称霸天下“完成(1/1),今天又愉快地活下来了呢^0^明天也要继续加油保住冤家的小命,维他命就是保我命。[封面图为本书原创,版权所有,盗用必究]
  • 梦回梨花落

    梦回梨花落

    落魄逃难太子撞上镖局彪悍大小姐,本是一段欢喜冤家的俏皮故事,却因各自私欲演变成悲剧。她再不是那个无忧无虑的小姑娘,他也再不是当初任她搓圆捏扁的小子。她未想过,自己全心全意信任的人,不仅骗自己最狠,也伤自己最深。而等他们都放下成见,却又永远地错过了……舍下山河,卸下荣华,哪怕遥遥无期,他也愿意守在梨花树下,只可惜,再也守不回心底之人。听,是谁唱着:花开就一次成熟,我却错过……
  • 暗恋999次:男神宠上瘾

    暗恋999次:男神宠上瘾

    古人云:男追女,隔座山,女追男,隔层纱。这句话是哪个古人说的,请你出来,我想和你谈谈人生。白诺追许薄言那隔的哪是什么纱呀!那他么的是铁丝网,还是带电的那种!白诺追了许大神七年,再怎么贞洁烈女也该痒了。白诺:“男神,我要放弃你,别再互相伤害了!”许大神:“祸害我一个就够了,别去祸害别人了。“白诺:“…….“白诺:“许先生,我觉得我们有必要好好谈谈!“许大神:“除了谈恋爱,我们没什么好谈的。”白诺:“……“本文1v1,宠文,豪门,青梅竹马!请入坑!
  • 那些年那些事江铭离

    那些年那些事江铭离

    这本小说是去年我在收拾书房的时候,看到我初中时代写的虚构小说,然后就码上网上,给初中时代的自己一个交代吧
  • 棺材放到镇长的炕上

    棺材放到镇长的炕上

    村哄乡,乡哄县,一直哄到省委办。——黄花县民谣。这个镇子是他的 镇长张福海从县里回来,到秦寡妇那里玩耍了一阵,回家后睡没多会又给敲门声弄醒了。张镇长有些不高兴。从酣沉的睡梦里。硬拽用来,这种滋味挺难受。张镇长去省里参加的是文明乡镇表彰会。文明乡镇名额金,贵,一县里一个。昨儿下午散会,张镇长顺脚到县政府走走,崔县长说他这次又拣了个大便宜,不意思意思咱难以服众。张镇长就把崔县长一干人领进了他们经常光顾的舒泰酒家,吆三喝四地干起来。