WILLIAM THE FIRST; CALLED THE

CONQUEROR.

1066-1087.

As soon as William of Normandy learned that he had gained a great victory, and that Harold was killed, he made a vow to erect a splendid abbey upon the spot. therefore built Battle Abbey, which still marks the place where the battle was fought.

Leaving the field of battle, William

He

now called THE CONQUEROR-slowly advanced towards London, burning and destroying many towns and villages on his way. Before he reached London, some of the nobles and bishops came out to meet him, and told him that they were willing to submit, and to obey him as their King. William was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christmas day in the year 1066. During

the coronation a very sad mistake happened. A great crowd had gathered round the Abbey; and when they were asked whether they would have William as their King, they answered by giving a loud shout. The Norman soldiers, fancying that this shout was a signal for an attack, drew their swords, rushed in among the people, and killed a great number.

The Saxon nobles, finding that they had gained nothing by so quietly yielding to William, tried to drive the Normans out of the country. But it was too late. Their estates were taken from them, and given by William to his own soldiers, who used the people very cruelly, and always called them "Saxon hogs." Many of the large towns were destroyed, and a great part of Yorkshire was laid waste. It is said that in William's reign, above one hundred thousand persons died by the sword, disease, or starvation.

The Normans made many laws which oppressed the Saxons very much. One obliged every man to put out his fire and candle at eight o'clock at night, when a bell, called the Curfew, was rung. They also tried to root out the old Saxon language, and to introduce the French, which they themselves spoke. By degrees the Saxons learned some French, and the Normans some Saxon; so in course of time the English language, as we now write and speak it, was formed.

The laws which the Normans made
The poor

about hunting were very severe.
Saxons had up to this time been allowed
to hunt wherever they pleased; but now
if any one killed a wild animal he was
punished with great cruelty.

William himself was very fond of hunting; he turned a large portion of Hampshire, sixty miles in extent, into a huntingground. The people that used to live in

that part were driven from their homes, their villages were destroyed, and even the churches were pulled down. This part of the country is still called "The New Forest." William's eldest son, Robert, gave him

much trouble. One day Robert's younger brothers, William and Henry, played him some boyish trick, and his father taking their part, Robert was so offended that he flew into a terrible passion, and rode off to the King of France. This King gave him some soldiers, and, sad to say, he made war against his own father. In those days soldiers used to be covered with armour from head to foot, so that you could not țell one person from another. In the course of the battle it happened that the King and Robert fought with each other, and that the King was slightly wounded. He called for aid; Robert at once knew his father's voice, and was so shocked at