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Lytton's splendid romance of 〃Harold。〃 And when you go to England； go；
as some of you may have gone already； to Battle； and there from off the
Abbey grounds； or from Mountjoye behind； look down off what was then
〃The Heathy Field；〃 over the long slopes of green pasture and the rich
hop… gardens； where were no hop…gardens then； and the flat tide…marshes
winding between the wooded heights； towards the southern sea； and
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imagine for yourselves the feelings of an Englishman as he contemplates
that broad green sloping lawn； on which was decided the destiny of his
native land。 Here； right beneath； rode Taillefer up the slope before them
all； singing the song of Roland； tossing his lance in air and catching it as it
fell； with all the Norse berserker spirit of his ancestors flashing out in him；
at the thought of one fair fight； and then purgatory； or Valhalla Taillefer
perhaps preferred the latter。 Yonder on the left； in that copse where the
red…ochre gully runs； is Sanguelac； the drain of blood； into which （as the
Bayeux tapestry； woven by Matilda's maids； still shows） the Norman
knights fell； horse and man； till the gully was bridged with writhing bodies
for those who rode after。 Here； where you standthe crest of the hill
marks where it must have beenwas the stockade on which depended the
fate of England。 Yonder； perhaps； stalked out one English squire or house…
carle after another： tall men with long…handled battle…axesone
specially terrible； with a wooden helmet which no sword could pierce
who hewed and hewed down knight on knight； till they themselves were
borne to earth at last。 And here； among the trees and ruins of the garden；
kept trim by those who know the treasure which they own； stood Harold's
two standards of the fighting…man and the dragon of Wessex。 And here；
close by （for here； for many a century； stood the high altar of Battle Abbey；
where monks sang masses for Harold's soul）； upon this very spot the
Swan…neck found her hero…lover's corpse。 〃Ah；〃 says many an
Englishmanand who will blame him for it〃how grand to have died
beneath that standard on that day！〃 Yes； and how right。 And yet how
right； likewise； that the Norman's cry of DEXAIE！〃God Help！〃and not
the English hurrah； should have won that day； till William rode up
Mountjoye in the afternoon to see the English army； terrible even in defeat；
struggling through copse and marsh away toward Brede； and； like
retreating lions driven into their native woods； slaying more in the pursuit
than they slew even in the fight。
But so it was to be； for so it ought to have been。 You； my American
friends； delight； as I have said already； in seeing the old places of the old
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country。 Go； I beg you； and look at that old place； and if you be wise；
you will carry back from it one lesson： That God's thoughts are not as
our thoughts； nor His ways as our ways。
It was a fearful time which followed。 I cannot but believe that our
forefathers had been； in some way or other； great sinners； or two such
conquests as Canute's and William's would not have fallen on them within
the short space of sixty years。 They did not want for courage； as
Stamford Brigg and Hastings showed full well。 English swine； their
Norman conquerors called them often enough； but never English cowards。
Their ruinous vice； if we are to trust the records of the time； was what the
old monks called accidia＇Greek text＇ and ranked it as one of the seven
deadly sins： a general careless； sleepy； fortable habit of mind；
which lets all go its way for good or evila habit of mind too often
acpanied； as in the case of the Angle…Danes； with self…indulgence；
often coarse enough。 Huge eaters and huger drinkers； fuddled with ale；
were the men who went down at Hastingsthough they went down like
heroesbefore the staid and sober Norman out of France。
But those were fearful times。 As long as William lived； ruthless as he
was to all rebels； he kept order and did justice with a strong and steady
hand； for he brought with him from Normandy the instincts of a truly great
statesman。 And in his sons' time matters grew worse and worse。 After
that； in the troubles of Stephen's reign； anarchy let loose tyranny in its
most fearful form； and things were done which recall the cruelties of the
old Spanish CONQUISTADORES in America。 Scott's charming
romance of 〃Ivanhoe〃 must be taken； I fear； as a too true picture of English
society in the time of Richard I。
And what came of it all？ What was the result of all this misery and
wrong？
This； paradoxical as it may seem： That the Norman conquest was
the making of the English people； of the Free mons of England。
Paradoxical； but true。 First； you must dismiss from your minds the
too mon notion that there is now； in England； a governing Norman
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aristocracy； or that there has been one； at least since the year 1215； when
Magna Charta was won from the Norman John by Normans and by
English alike。 For the first victors at Hastings； like the first
conquistadores in America； perished； as the monk chronicles point out；
rapidly by their own crimes； and very few of our nobility can trace their
names back to the authentic Battle Abbey roll。 The great majority of the
peers have sprung from； and all have intermarried with； the mons；
and the peerage has been from the first； and has bee more and more as
centuries have rolled on； the prize of success in life。
The cause is plain。 The conquest of England by the Normans was not
one of those conquests of a savage by a civilised race； or of a cowardly
race by a brave race； which results in the slavery of the conquered； and
leaves the gulf of caste between two racesmaster and slave。 That was
the case in France； and resulted； after centuries of oppression； in the great
and dreadful revolution of 1793； which convulsed not only France but the
whole civilised world。 But caste； thank God； has never existed in England；
since at least the first generation after the Norman conquest。
The vast majority； all but the whole population of England； have been
always free； and free； as they are not where caste exists to change their
occupations。 They could intermarry； if they were able men； into the
ranks above them； as they could sink； if they were unable men； into the
ranks below them。 Any man acquainted with the origin of our English
surnames may verify this fact for himself； by looking at the names of a
single parish or a single street of shops。 There； jumbled together； he will
find names mark