large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_37
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
Duke William's necessities and instincts combined led him into a very different course of action, which determined the future destiny of the country. DUKE WILLIAM'S NECESSITIES AND INSTINCTS COMBINED LED HIM INTO A VERY DIFFERENT COURSE OF ACTION WHICH DETERMINED THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THE COUNTRY
 of Hastings accepted Duke William for their king, no doubt they thought of him as occupying much the same position as that of the newly slain Harold; or at any rate they looked on him as being such a king of England as Knut the Dane, who had also conquered the country; and probably William himself thought no otherwise; but the event was quite different; for on the one hand, not only was he a man of strong character, able, masterful, and a great soldier in the modern sense of the word, but he had at his back his wealthy dukedom of Normandy, which he had himself reduced to obedience and organized; and, on the other hand, England lay before him, unorganized, yet stubbornly rebellious to him; its very disorganization and want of a centre making it more difficult to deal with by merely overrunning it with an army levied for that purpose, and backed by a body of house-carles or guards, which would have been the method of a Scandinavian or native king in dealing with his rebellious subjects. NERS AFTER THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS ACCEPTED DUKE WILLIAM FOR THEIR KING NO DOUBT THEY THOUGHT OF HIM AS OCCUPYING MUCH THE SAME POSITION AS THAT OF THE NEWLY SLAIN HAROLD OR AT ANY RATE THEY LOOKED ON HIM AS BEING SUCH A KING OF ENGLAND AS KNUTE THE DANE WHO HAD ALSO CONQUERED THE COUNTRY AND PROBABLY WILLIAM HIMSELF THOUGHT NO OTHERWISE BUT THE EVENT WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FOR ON THE ONE HAND NOT ONLY WAS HE A MAN OF STRONG CHARACTER ABLE MASTERFUL AND A GREAT SOLDIER IN THE MODERN SENSE OF THE WORD BUT HE HAD AT HIS BACK HIS WEALTHY DUKEDOM OF NORMANDY WHICH HE HAD HIMSELF REDUCED TO OBEDIENCE AND ORGANIZED AND ON THE OTHER HAND ENGLAND LAY BEFORE HIM UNORGANIZED YET STUBBORNLY REBELLIOUS TO HIM HIS VERY DISORGANIZATION AND WANT OF ASSENTRE MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH BY MERELY OVERRUNNING IT WITH AN ARMY LEVIED FOR THAT PURPOSE AND BACKED BY A BODY OF HOUSE CARLS OR GUARDS WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE METHOD OF A SCANDINAVIAN OR NATIVE KING IN DEALING WITH HIS REBELLIOUS SUBJECTS
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
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