of the great assembly of the nation, though the choice of the
nation was usually limited to the descendants of former kings, and
though the full-grown son of the late king was seldom opposed.
Christianity had strengthened the election principle. The king
lost his old sanctity as the son of Woden; he gained a new sanctity
as the Lord's anointed. But kingship thereby became more
distinctly an office, a great post, like a bishopric, to which its
holder had to be lawfully chosen and admitted by solemn rites. But
of that office he could be lawfully deprived, nor could he hand it
on to a successor either according to his own will or according to
any strict law of succession. The wishes of the late king, like
the wishes of the late bishop, went for something with the
electors. But that was all. All that Edward could really do for
his kinsmen was to promise to make, when the time came, a
recommendation to the Witan in his favour. The Witan might then
deal as they thought good with a recommendation so unusual as to
choose to the kingship of England a man who was neither a native
nor a conqueror of England nor the descendant of any English king.

When the time came, Edward did make a recommendation to the Witan,
but it was not in favour of William. The English influences under
which he was brought during his last fourteen years taught him
better what the law of England was and what was the duty of an
English king. But at the time of William's visit Edward may well
have believed that he could by his own act settle his crown on his
Norman kinsman as his undoubted successor in case he died without a
son. And it may be that Edward was bound by a vow not to leave a
son. And if Edward so thought, William naturally thought so yet
more; he would sincerely believe himself to be the lawful heir of
the crown of England, the sole lawful successor, except in one