Evening star., 1940-05-27
Conquest Of England
Is Difficult Task
Trickery Contributed to
Duke Of Normondy's
Victory in 1866
Bv Blair B0Ifes.

Almost 1000 years ago fleet Of ], 400
vessels carrying a motley army of war
riors gathered from every quarter Of
France and led by the Duke Of Nor
| mandy sailed across the English Channel
and landed on the shores Of England.
The date Of their debarkation was
September %, 1906. Over the rough
waves Of that same channel Hitler's
soldiers can look today, toward the island
which has been safe from invasion since
Duke William conquered 1t. Will Hitler
chance invasion? England fears it. The
German Fuehrer could scarcely be .
sterner, more determined conqueror than
the Norman Duke, who was q great
statesman but rough foe.
The English today regard william as
the man who started the island kingdom
on its road to greatness among the ma
tions. To the English now, 1906 is a
great, a memorable date. So do long
time and fats accomplis justify UNDER
takings which in their own settings seem
scarcely legal or Just.
The Norman undertook his invasion
to satisfy dubious claim to the English
crown. He was the cousin OF Edward
the Confessor, next to last Saxon king
OF England, and Edward made q vague
promise to his Norman relative that the
throne should be his when Edward died,
although the throne was elective and its
succession in the hands not. Of the mon
arch but the wise men among the people.
William fortified his chance of succession
later by extracting from Harold (the
Saxon whose leadership made him Ed
wards logical successor) an oath made
over q cask Of saints bones that he
would assist William in obtaining the
English kingdom.
When Edward was dying in January,
1865, he urged the appointment OF Harold
as his successor. The Saxons proceeded
to elect Harold their king when Edward
was dead. The news aroused the Duke
IN his capital of Rouen across the chan
mel. and Norman messenger was hur-
ried to Harold with a reminder of his
holy vow.
1T Is true that took an oath to Will
liam, but I took it under constraint" {"
Harold told the messenger. He took it in
the Norman city Of Bayeux while a crowd
of armed and hostile Normans sur
rounded him and while his two younger
brothers were in protective captivity" Of
the Normans. II promised what did not
belong to me, what could not in any
way hold; my royalty is not my own; I
could not lay it down against the will
Of my country"
William, enraged, promised to seize
England within the year He enlisted the
aid Of the Pope. Alexander II, and from
every part Of France he gathered SOL
diers-archers, crossboWmen, spearmen.
horsemen-offering good pay and the
plunder Of England to all supporters.
In early August the men met at the
mouth Of the River Dives, emptying into
the English Channel along the Norman
coast between the mouth Of the Seine
and the Pointe de Barfleur Uar south
OF where the Germans are today, and
there they boarded the boats which had
been abuilding since the spring. All was
ready except the weather. England was
only 80 miles away, yet the channel pas
sage was grave problem. For a month
contrary winds kept the ships in their
harbor. Then south breeze carried
them up the French coast almost to
Dieppe, where storm sent many to the
bottom
Finally, in September, the expedition
ary force set of across the channel be-
fore favorable wind. Duke Williams
vessel was first. with the papal banner
at its masthead and the three lions of
Normandy on its sails. The run was IS
miles, taking "a hours. The force landed
at Pevensey, near Hastings, in the south
Of England.
Sixteen days later the decisive battle
OF Hastings, or Senlac, was fought be-
tween Duke William and King Harold.
The issue would have been Joined sooner.
but Harold was the victim Of double in
vasion. A few days before William set
out from France, Harold's jealous broth.
er, Tostig, and his ally, 7-foot King
Harold Of Norway, landed in the north
OF England with Norwegian armies to
seize the English throne. King Harold
OF England beat these invaders ut tho
battle of Stamford Bridge on September
Is. He was taking his ease in York. re-
covering from his wounds, when word
came that the Normans had arrived. It
was news Harold had long expected.
Harold gathered his army and began
the march southwark with 100000 men.
He hoped to surprise the Normans. but
members Of the NTH column" of the
day-Normans who had moved to Ene-
land in King Edward the Confessor,s
day-got the word to William. The Nor
mans were encamped at Hastings. and
Harold drew up his army on hilly ground
at Senlac, Z miles away. Before a clash
OF arms, the Duke twice in vain tried to
negotiate peace with Harold. On Octo-
ber Is William decided that the next day
would be the day Of battle. Early in the
morning Of october IA the invader told
his army:
Remember to fight well and to nut all
to death: for If we conquer, we shall all
be rich; what I gain, you will gain; II I
conquer, you will conquer; II take the
land, you will have it. Know, however.
that am not come here only to obtain
my right; but also to avenge our whole
race for the felonies, perjuries and
treacheries Of these English"