prevailed. The country prospered under the Scandinavians; and, from
the great abundance of corn, William of Poitiers calls England "the
store-house of Ceres."





IV. THE NORMANS.


The invasion of William of Normandy led to results which have been
represented by some writers as having been the most momentous in
English history. I do not wish in any way to depreciate their
views, but it seems to me not to have been so disastrous to
existing institutions, as the Scandinavian invasion, which
completely submerged all former usages. No trace of Roman
occupation survived the advent of the ANGLO-SAXONs; the population
was reduced to and remained in the position of serfs, whereas the
Norman invasion preserved the existing institutions of the nation,
and subsequent changes were an outgrowth thereof.

When Edward the Confessor, the last descendant of Cedric, was on
his deathbed, he declared Harold to be his successor, but William
of Normandy claimed the throne under a previous will of the same
monarch. He asked for the assistance of his own nobles and people
in the enterprise, but they refused at first, on the ground that
their feudal compact only required them to join in the defence of
their country, and did not coerce them into affording him aid in a
completely new enterprise; and it was only by promising to