ecclesiastical state of England which displeased strict churchmen
beyond sea, much that William, when he had the power, deemed it his
duty to reform. The insular position of England naturally parted
it in many things from the usages and feelings of the mainland, and
it was not hard to get up a feeling against the nation as well as
against its king. All this could not really strengthen William's
claim; but it made men look more favourably on his enterprise.


The fact that the Witan were actually in session at Edward's death
had made it possible to carry out Harold's election and coronation
with extreme speed. The electors had made their choice before
William had any opportunity of formally laying his claim before
them. This was really an advantage to him; he could the better
represent the election and coronation as invalid. His first step
was of course to send an embassy to Harold to call on him even now
to fulfil his oath. The accounts of this embassy, of which we have
no English account, differ as much as the different accounts of the
oath. Each version of course makes William demand and Harold
refuse whatever it had made Harold swear. These demands and
refusals range from the resignation of the kingdom to a marriage
with William's daughter. And it is hard to separate this embassy
from later messages between the rivals. In all William demands,
Harold refuses; the arguments on each side are likely to be
genuine. Harold is called on to give up the crown to William, to
hold it of William, to hold part of the kingdom of William, to
submit the question to the judgement of the Pope, lastly, if he
will do nothing else, at least to marry William's daughter.
Different writers place these demands at different times,
immediately after Harold's election or immediately before the