Poor England had passed through
difficult days. For two hundred years it had been a Roman
colony. After the Romans left, it had been conquered by the
Angles and the Saxons, two German tribes from Schleswig.
Next the Danes had taken the greater part of the country
and had established the kingdom of Cnut. The Danes had
been driven away and now (it was early in the eleventh century)
another Saxon king, Edward the Confessor, was on the
throne. But Edward was not expected to live long and he
had no children. The circumstances favoured the ambitious
dukes of Normandy.
In 1066 Edward died. Immediately William of Normandy
crossed the channel, defeated and killed Harold of
Wessex (who had taken the crown) at the battle of Hastings,
and proclaimed himself king of England.
In another chapter I have told you how in the year 800 a
German chieftain had become a Roman Emperor. Now in
the year 1066 the grandson of a Norse pirate was recognised
as King of England.
Why should we ever read fairy stories, when the truth
of history is so much more interesting and entertaining?
FEUDALISM
HOW CENTRAL EUROPE, ATTACKED FROM
THREE SIDES, BECAME AN ARMED CAMP
AND WHY EUROPE WOULD HAVE PERISHED
WITHOUT THOSE PROFESSIONAL
SOLDIERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO
WERE PART OF THE FEUDAL SYSTEM
THE following, then, is the state of Europe in the year one
thousand, when most people were so unhappy that they welcomed
the prophecy foretelling the approaching end of the
world and rushed to the monasteries, that the Day of Judgement
might find them engaged upon devout duties.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166