The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-21
HISTORIC CHRISTMASES
IN ENGLAND.
Erom Me London ontrer.


on which he stabed his crown, and his people
had found out in the interim what it was to have
= Norman conqueror for their master. They
were yet 10 learn, as learn they did by many
bitter lesson how powerless they were to throw
off the yoke that conqueror had placed upon
them. They were stunned by the shock of
Harolds overthrow; they could not re alize their
loss; and when they were called upon to attend
the coronation of the new king they obeyed it as
it were mechanically, not recognizing the tuli
significance of the act. The day was Christ
mas Day. The scene of the coronation
was Westminster Abbey, aud there was
gathered a splendid baud of those hardy.
men before whom the princes OF theContinent
had bowed down, and who now presented.
themselyesin England because they found them
selves cramped in their duchy of Normandy,
and because the rich island Of Britain offered
attractions perfectly irresistible to men who
were conquerors by nature. William, aware
of the importance of the rite of coronation i'm
the eyes of a supers itious people, who believed
that Divine authority was conveyed by the
anointipg oil, ,hasteued to be crowned before the
English should have recovered from the stun
ming effects of the battle OF Hastings. To guard
against any violent expression OF national i'll
will which might burst forth on so signal an
Der of chosen men in the neghborhood of the
abbey the building itself being also thronged
with hls friends and supporters. Some English.
men were present, but not in force, and these
were rather sIghtseers, idlers, men who
might have been anywhere to see any.
thing,s than representatives of the nation.
One representative man there was, IN.
deed, Alfred, Archbishop of York, who,
in the absence OF igand, the suspended
primate, was TO crown the new king: but he was
there rather because he must than because ne
would, and was little more than tool in the
hands of the sovereign. The generality of the
English remained at home, sad and heavy, and
the Couquelor, doubling what precisely their
temper might be, was the least bit anxious,
though he Ieliedb upon his soldiers to TepTess
any hostile demonstration, Tue ceremony pro-
ceeded, and the Bis9op OF Constance asked the
Normans, the Archbishop OF York the English,
whether they would have William for their
king The people answered with an acclaim so
loud that the sound of it was heard outside the
abbey, and the soldiers, suppOsing, or rather
feignine 10 beheye, that the tumult vas caused
by an attack on the Normans within the church,
forthwith set upon the unodending people Of
Westminster, slew many OF them, and burned
ard pluDdeIed many a house before they could
be stopped. The sadness whlch already pre-.
vailed in, England that Christmas Day was height
ened into sorrow when the people saw, by wOful
experience, the wanIon kind OF spirit tnat had
found its way into the scat OF government.
Another Christmas, two years afterwards, was
to be still more dOletul to the Britous. Tue
people OF the northern counties taking adYan-
tage OF the dsaHecton OF some powerful Nor
man barons, rose III arms, with the intention of
throwing OF the Norman yoke. They surprised
several garrisons, and put them to The sword,
and in a few days the whole OF the open country
was III their hands as lar south as the Hum Der.
William marched in person against them, and
having driven III the British troops upon their
supports north OF York, kept his Christmas
in that city, 10 the great disgust of the people,
who confidently hoped that the severity OF The
winter would compel him to leturn 10 the south
ward. The thought that William matured at
York at this season OF "peaCe on earth and good
will towards men," was how he might best eX.
terminate the refractory northmen. As soon as
the Christmas festivities were over, he parceled
out his army into what would now be called
flying Columns, and gave orders that
the whole country on the western side OF Eng.
land, between the cities OF York and Durham,
should be laid waste, and tnat neither man.
woman, nor Child should be spared. He grin,ly
calculated that those who might escape the
swords of the soldiers would fall prey 10 the
inclemelcy OF the season; and, that the punish
ment OF the insurgents might be the more
ehectua extending beyond the present into the
future, be directed that beast as well as man
should be destroyed, together with all nipple.
ments OF husbandry; that not house should be
left standing, and that blank desOlation should
reign supreme. These orders were carried out
with an eAactitude that might have pleased a
tend; the face OF nature was changed between
the Ouse aud the Scottish border: a hundred
by sword, famine, disease, or climate, and q
mark was set that Christmas on the counties OF
the noIIh which it took more than hundred
years wholly TO etlace. Well might the people
be excused for saying, as they did say after
wards that "Christ and His saints sleptI
1t was on Christmas Day, ia the wear ll7O
that Thomas Beckett, the first Englshman who
had been promoted 10 any great office since tue
conquest, ascended the pulpit OF his cathedral
church at Canterbury and preached what may
be described as his own funeral sermon, Ht
alluded, III terms OF leproaCh and indignation,
10 the unworthy treatment to which he haC
been subjected, and pIOpbef ed that the thirst
OF his enemies for his blood would soon be
slakcC. Ile people were sad: for they loved
him, and looked upon him a. the upLolder o
the English cause against the NUTmaHs. Ptoba
bly, nelher he nor they siued that the emo
was TO be so soon; Though even "a be spoke LhC
shadow OF death was adding rs Chill 70 the cold
OF Christmas. On the 29th December the tom
knights, whose deed OF blood has procured tuI
them u niche IN the gallery o. historical crlmi-
mails, came 10 Canterbury, and threatened tht
prlmate II he refused to ab,OlYo the Eugtisf
pIel8tes whom he had eNCOumuncateJ Ia,
rest is well known. in rhe name IF iohr's
and tor the defense OF HIS Church am ready L
die.p SO spoke, for lne last time, Thomas a
Beckei; and hen, on the luOr Of the church 1
which a few days before he had taken hi pa"
in the Christian festival OF the Nativity, gaze IN
the ehosl.
Let US turn to a more agreeable picture: ono
in which the bright ulooJ-rcd does not so pre-
dominate. The season is Christmas; aud there
are knights, prelates, and prmule. They arc
engaged IN Winning blooalcs5 victory. tDC
greatest the nation had won since Jhe Norman
conquest. hIug Johu IS the enemy over whom
the victory IS TO be gained; and the object o
stephen LaDg'on, the pruate, and of tns COu.