to a man, and south-eastern England was left defenceless.


William, now truly the Conqueror in the vulgar sense, was still far
from having full possession of his conquest. He had military
possession of part of one shire only; he had to look for further
resistance, and he met with not a little. But his combined luck
and policy served him well. He could put on the form of full
possession before he had the reality; he could treat all further
resistance as rebellion against an established authority; he could
make resistance desultory and isolated. William had to subdue
England in detail; he had never again to fight what the English
Chroniclers call a folk-fight. His policy after his victory was
obvious. Still uncrowned, he was not, even in his own view, king,
but he alone had the right to become king. He had thus far been
driven to maintain his rights by force; he was not disposed to use
force any further, if peaceful possession was to be had. His
course was therefore to show himself stern to all who withstood
him, but to take all who submitted into his protection and favour.
He seems however to have looked for a speedier submission than
really happened. He waited a while in his camp for men to come in
and acknowledge him. As none came, he set forth to win by the
strong arm the land which he claimed of right.

Thus to look for an immediate submission was not unnatural; fully
believing in the justice of his own cause, William would believe in
it all the more after the issue of the battle. God, Harold had
said, should judge between himself and William, and God had judged
in William's favour. With all his clear-sightedness, he would
hardly understand how differently things looked in English eyes.