The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-16
THE CONQUEST OF ENGLAND

Armed spears, a hundred thousand steel-ciao and armored warriors met just elgn' andy half centuries ago-oct- !4' 1O66-in conflict which ranks among the greatest and most declsive !,
 of the worlds battles. what roya' William of today aspires to oo' "h- liam the Conqueror, Duke or Norman- dv successfully accomplished-he 1n- 7, vaded England and defeated the Sax ons on their own soil. ''The subjuga- .tion of a nation by a nation," says Mecaulay. 'has seldom. even in Asia. been more complete" than that of Will liam and his Normans over the sax ons of England.
 It is said that William the Conquer or is one of the favorite heroes of Elm neror william of Germany, and well he may be, for the Norman William with his crude ships and 60,OOO DOW men and horesmen, was successful where the present William. with his dreadnoughts, submarines. great guns Zenpelins and millions of men have % failed. and he inherited all the in- stincts of a buccaneer. When Edward the Confessor died in 1066 he decided to add England to his domfnions. Har- old. son of the powerful Earl God win leader of the Saxons, was pro- claimed king. Harold had previously visited the Duke of Normandy, and William. having the Prince in his pow CT had forced him to swear over the bones of the-saints that he would ala the Duke to secure the English crown on Edwards death.
 Harold repudiated his oath wrung from him by force, and. upon ascend ing the throne, expelled from his court the Norman favorites who had flour ished during the reign of the Confess sor. These gentry hurried to Norman dy to. tell their troubles to William. The latter immediately dispatched this message to Harold:
 William, Duke of the Normans. warns thee of the oath thou hast sworn him with thy mouth and with thy hand on good and holy relics"
 King Harold's reply to this mote" was defiant:
 "It is true that I made an oath to William,' but made it under the in- f1uence of force. I promised what !, did not belong to me, and engaged to do what I never could do; for my royalty does not belong to m, nor can I dispose of it without the consent of my country. In the like manner I can not, without the consent of my coun- try espouse foreign wife. As for my sister, whom the Duke claims in order that he may marry her to one of his chiefs, she has been dead for some time. Will he that I send him her lcorpse ?"
 Duke William immediately began preparations for war, although he con- tinued diplomatic relations fora time. The Duke had much trouble in per- suading his barons and knights to con- sent to an English invasion, but he at length secured the support of the nobles. The Pope gave his approval to the enterprise. complaining that England had been negligent in the matter of Peters Pence, and sent to William a consecrated banner and a ring containing what was said to be one of the hairs of St. Peter.
 While the seaports of Normandy were ringing with the clamor of pre- paration. King Harold was compelled to meet domestic foe. His brother Tostig raised an army against him, and gained the aid of the Norwegian monarch. Harold marched against King Hardrada of Norway. who had CAAcSeCA o iohuiHS ana eSIdDl1SneQ his army at York, and gained a complete and overwhelming victory.
 A few days later the squadron of Duke William anchored off the Sus- sex shore, and men and horses were landed without any resistance being offered. William was the last to step ashore, and. as he did so. he fell sprawling on the sand. His compan- ions were mortified, feeling that this was an i'll omen for their venture Sut the Duke arose with his hands full of oand, and cried:
 , Here. I have taken seisin of this ' land with my hands and by the splen- dor of God. as far as it extends, it is mine-it is yours!'
 { William sent a final warning to Harold, offering, if he would keep his old bargain. to leave all the coun- try beyond the river Humber" but, eff he obstinateiy refuse what I offer him thou wilt tell him before all his peo- pie that he is perjured and a liar; that he and all those who's hall SUD- port him are communicated by the Pope, and that I carry a bull to that effect"
 On the eve of the battle that was to decide England's fate-it was a [ Friday the thirteenth-the two arm