The British nation a history / by George MWrong . revelling. WhenWilliam learned whereHarolds standard stood,he vowed if successful to build on the spot a great minster. For six long hours theNormans attacked in vain. But when the English droveback and unwisely pursued the Norman left wing, Williamat last saw his chance. The left wing recovered itself,but hex)rdered it again to fly, and whenthe English right pursued, the Normancentre rushed to occupy their assailants were now on the height,and as night fell they closed in uponHarold. No quarter was asked or given,and the English k
The British nation a history / by George MWrong . revelling. WhenWilliam learned whereHarolds standard stood,he vowed if successful to build on the spot a great minster. For six long hours theNormans attacked in vain. But when the English droveback and unwisely pursued the Norman left wing, Williamat last saw his chance. The left wing recovered itself,but hex)rdered it again to fly, and whenthe English right pursued, the Normancentre rushed to occupy their assailants were now on the height,and as night fell they closed in uponHarold. No quarter was asked or given,and the English king, his two brothersGyrth and Leofwine, and almost thewhole of the English nobility, fellfighting round the English night, amid the corpses and thewounded and dying, William feasted,and he slept on the spot where after-ward rose the high altar of BattleAbbey. Norman Knight, 1066. jj^^.^j^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ English were without a leader. To this is probal)ly due the com-plete paralysis of English military action after the battle. 60 THE BRITISH NATION of Hastings. Dover, Cunterbury, and Winchester surren-dered. AVilliam marched toward London, burned South- „.„. , wark on the right bank of the Thames, William the . ^ Conqueror crosscd the river farther up at Wallingford, becomes King ^^d occupied a strong position at Berkhamp- stead. The south was his, and now he could cut off London from the north. The English Witan meanwhile chose Edgar Atheling, grandson of Edmund Ironside, to succeed Harold, but he was a mere boy and was, apparently, never crowned. The losers at Hastings began to remember that they had been happy under one foreign king from the north, Canute, and two months after the great battle a deputation from London, which included even Edgar Atheling himself, offered the crown to William. He accepted it, and on Christmas day, lOGG,
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