In 1068 a great revolt against William the Conqueror broke out in Yorkshire, supported by the Danes, and William absolutely devastated the whole country. Another English rising gave William much trouble in 1070 — which led to further confiscation of English lands and building of many Norman castles.

In 1084 another Danish invasion was threatened, and in order to find out the financial and military strength of the country William ordered to prepare a great book called Domesday Book, in which is a description of all the great houses and estates in the kingdom. This book is still in great use.

Comprehension questions

1.What did the Conqueror do when he became the King?

2.What was the fate of English common people, knights, the clergy?

3.What is a feudal manor?

4.What is Domesday Book? Why was it written?

14. SIR RICHARD'S SONG (A.D. 1066)

(A poem by Rudyard Kipling)

From Kipling’s story «Young Men at the Manor»

I followed my Duke ere I was a lover,

To take from England fief and fee;

But now this game is the other way over —

But now England hath taken me!

I had my horse, my shield and banner,

And a boy's heart, so whole and free;

But now I sing in another manner —

For now England hath taken me!

As for my father in his tower,

Asking news of my ship at sea,

He will remember his own hour —

Tell him England hath taken me!

As for my Mother in her bower,

That rules my Father so cunningly,

She will remember a maiden's power —

Tell her England hath taken me!

As for my brother in Rouen City,

A nimble and naughty page is he,

But he will come to suffer and pity —

Tell him England hath taken me!

As for my little sister waiting

In the pleasant orchards of Normandie,

Tell her youth is the time for mating —

Tell her England hath taken me!

As for my comrades in camp and highway,

That lift their eyebrows scornfully,

Tell them their way is not my way

Tell them England hath taken me!

Kings and Princes and barons famed,

Knights and Captains in your degree;

Hear me a little before I am blamed —

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Seeing England hath taken me!

How so great man's strength be reckoned,

There are two things he cannot flee,

Love is the first, and Death is the second,

And Love in England hath taken me!

15. THE NORMAN TIMES

When Taillefer, the minstrel, led the Normans to victory of Hastings, tossing and catching his long sword as he rode forwards on his gay, prancing horse, the words of his bold song were in French. What a roar of deep bass voices as the whole army behind him took up the air!

When the voice of the archbishop rang out in Westminster Abbey two months later, on Christmas Day, asking if it were the will of the people that William should be the crowned king, he spoke first of all in French.

But, you will say, all this happened more than 800 years ago; how do you know what they said, and in what language?

Look again into that case in the British Museum, where we received the actual message from the past, in the story of Bede and in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. You will remember that the opened pages tell of the "Angel" boys at Rome, and a great victory over the Danes.

Next to the Chronicle comes a history of the Norman Conquest, in French, because the king and his court, and nearly all the richest people in England, spoke French. There is an old poem written for the children of those times, in French, with English meanings below, just as in the French lessons. The writer of long ago says that he has so arranged it in order that the children may understand what they are reading.

Even the accounts of what was done in the law courts, and at the meetings of the Wise Men, who helped the King to govern the country, were all in French. But the use of the language spoken by Bede and Alfred did not die out, as some thought it would, any more than did the English nation, oppressed as it was. By slow degrees the English and their language rose again. Normans married English wives (as you can read in Rudyard Kipling's poem above), and naturally their children and grandchildren spoke both French and English.

By slow degree the use of French as a separate language passed away, but the English, which we speak now, contains many words brought over by the Normans.

Dover Castle

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Another work of William the Conqueror, which lasts to this day, was the making of New Forest in Hampshire. William made it to hunt in, and sorely distressed the poor folk who were turned out of their homes for his pleasure.

Some of the great castles William built to keep the English in order are still standing. The strong square towers, or "keeps", are seen nowadays not only by the banks of the Thames, but at Norwich and Rochester, and many other places. Most of them look strong enough now to stand a siege, and take us back to the age when the nobles shut themselves up in them, and sallied out to make prisoners and to steal and plunder.

Chief among those ancient buildings is the old part of the Tower of London, in which is a most perfect Norman Chapel. It is said that from the gallery of this chapel William the Conqueror and his family looked down on the service going on below.

William spent a good deal of his time in Normandy, and at last died there. His sons behaved very badly to him, and he was alone in his death as he was at his coronation, when all but a few priests rushed out to join in the tumult going on outside the Abbey.

Comprehension questions

1.What was the life of the English under the Norman rule? In which cases was the French language and in which the English was used?

2.Which buildings were constructed under the Conqueror?

3.Why was William’s end pitiable?

16. NORMAN AND SAXON (A. D. 1100)

(А роет by Rudyard Kipling)

"My son", said the Norman Baron, "I am dying, and you will be heir" To all the broad acres in England that William gave me for my share When we conquered the Saxon

at Hastings, and a nice little handful it is.

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But before you go over to rule it, I want you to understand this; — "The Saxon is not like us Normans. His manners are not so polite,

But he never means anything serious till he talks about justice and right. When he stands like an ox in the furrow with his sullen set eyes on your own, And grumbles, "This isn't fair dealing", my son, leave the Saxon alone. "

You can horsewhip your Gascony archers, or torture your Picardy spears;

But don't try that game on the Saxon;

you'll have the whole brood round your ears. From the richest old Thane in the country to the poorest chained serf in the field, They'll be at you and on you like hornets, and, if you are wise, you will yield.

But first you must master their language, their dialect, proverbs and songs.

Don't trust any clerk to interpret

when they come with the tale of their wrongs.

Let them know that you know what they're saying; let them feel that you know what to say.

Yes, even when you want to go hunting, hear'em out if it takes you all day. They'll drink every hour of the daylight and poach every hour in the dark.

It's the sport not the rabbits they're after (we've plenty of game in the park). Don't hang them or cut off their fingers. That's wasteful as well as unkind,

For a hard-bitten, South-country poacher makes the best man-at-arms you can find, Appear with your wife and the children at their weddings and funerals and feasts. Be polite but not friendly to Bishops;

be good to all poor parish priests.

Say "we", "us" and "ours" when you're talking, instead of "you fellows" and "I".

Don't ride over seeds; keep your temper; and never you tell 'em a lie!'

Comprehension questions

1.What does the poem tell of the life and relations between the Norman barons and their Saxon subjects?

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