The British nation a history / by George MWrong . only the French tongue. They mastered rapidlythe best elements of the civilization of the time. It wasin architecture that the age expressed its highest ideas,and the Normans became great builders, and honouredtheir new faith with noble structures, unequalled beforein number, extent, and massiveness. Edward was related through his mother, Emma, to theNorman ducal house. He was reared at that court, andthe Xorman tongue, Norman manners, Nor-man fashions, were those with which he wasfamiliar. England seemed to him a rude andbarbarous country, and
The British nation a history / by George MWrong . only the French tongue. They mastered rapidlythe best elements of the civilization of the time. It wasin architecture that the age expressed its highest ideas,and the Normans became great builders, and honouredtheir new faith with noble structures, unequalled beforein number, extent, and massiveness. Edward was related through his mother, Emma, to theNorman ducal house. He was reared at that court, andthe Xorman tongue, Norman manners, Nor-man fashions, were those with which he wasfamiliar. England seemed to him a rude andbarbarous country, and it is little wonderthat, when king, he encouraged Norman influences at hiscourt. The French tongue was introduced, and Englishcourtiers had to make clumsy efforts toutter its unfamiliar sounds. Foreign prel-ates were appointed to Canterbury, Lon-don, and other sees. Norman abbots ruledin English monasteries, and Norman land-owners lived upon English lands. Ed-wards weak mind surrendered unreserved- The Normanpredilections ofEdward theConfessor,. W .,>DKN CiuRCH AT Greenstead, Essex, bdilt IN Elevextii Centi-ry. ly to the prevailing fashion, and already in his reign itseemed as if England was conquered by her neighbours. 48 THE BRITISH NATION Edwards keenest ambition was concerned with tlie preva-lent fashion of churcli-bnilding, and he eniharked upon agreat project. It is said that he had planned a pilgrimageto Rome, but that the insular prejudices of his peoplekept him from leaving their shores, and, since he miglitnot visit the tomb of the martyr St. Peter, he determinedto rear in England a stately shrine in his honour. Forthe purpose he set aside one-tenth of the royal revenues,and during more than half of his reign his darling objectof interest was the building of the Collegiate Church ofSt. Peter, better known as Westminster Abbey. It wasa vast structure in the Norman style, far surpassing any-thing in England, which still had many wooden first Westminster
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