houses. The havoc and plunder that followed disturbed the
solemnities of the day and were a bad omen for the new reign. It
was no personal fault of William's; in putting himself in the hands
of subjects of such new and doubtful loyalty, he needed men near at
hand whom he could trust. But then it was his doing that England
had to receive a king who needed foreign soldiers to guard him.


William was now lawful King of the English, so far as outward
ceremonies could make him so. But he knew well how far he was from
having won real kingly authority over the whole kingdom. Hardly a
third part of the land was in his obedience. He had still, as he
doubtless knew, to win his realm with the edge of the sword. But
he could now go forth to further conquests, not as a foreign
invader, but as the king of the land, putting down rebellion among
his own subjects. If the men of Northumberland should refuse to
receive him, he could tell them that he was their lawful king,
anointed by their own archbishop. It was sound policy to act as
king of the whole land, to exercise a semblance of authority where
he had none in fact. And in truth he was king of the whole land,
so far as there was no other king. The unconquered parts of the
land were in no mood to submit; but they could not agree on any
common plan of resistance under any common leader. Some were still
for Edgar, some for Harold's sons, some for Swegen of Denmark.
Edwin and Morkere doubtless were for themselves. If one common
leader could have been found even now, the throne of the foreign
king would have been in no small danger. But no such leader came:
men stood still, or resisted piecemeal, so the land was conquered
piecemeal, and that under cover of being brought under the
obedience of its lawful king.