It is said that, when his attendants were engaged in his funeral service, a man stepped forward and refused to allow them to go on, until he had been paid for the ground on which the cathedral stood; and which he asserted had been unjustly taken from his father by William. His sons were compelled to admit the justice of the claim, and to pay the money. But how many acts of oppression had he committed for which no restitution was ever made, and the remembrance of which must have made his death-bed terrible!

William married Matilda, daughter of the Earl of Flanders, a woman of sweet and gentle character, and well educated for the time she lived in. We owe to her a very curious record of the Conquest. In order to preserve the memory of her husband's warlike deeds, she caused a piece of tapestry to be made at Bayeux, in France, representing, in a series of designs, the whole of his proceedings on this occasion. It is two hundred and twelve feet long, and woven in coloured worsted. It is still in preservation, and forms a good historic picture of the period, showing the dresses, armour, shipping, &c.

William built a great many castles, which he gave to his Norman barons, to keep in subjection the

Anglo-Saxons. Some of them are still remaining ; among them, that of Norwich, a fine relic of his reign, now used as the county gaol. Others, as those of Hereford and Winchester, have been destroyed; the latter in the civil wars of Charles the first.

I should have told you what became of Edgar Atheling, the Saxon heir, whom William deprived of his inheritance. He fled into Scotland, where he was received and protected by Malcolm, king of that country, who married his sister Margaret, and made one or two vain attempts to recover the English crown for Edgar. It was at length settled that William should pay the prince a mark (13s. 4d.) a day, on condition of his giving up all further claim to the throne; and both parties were faithful to their engagement.

William left three sons and three daughters. His eldest son, Robert, inherited the dukedom of Normandy; William, the second, succeeded him in England, and to Henry he left his mother's fortune. One of his daughters became a nun, Constance married the duke of Brittany, and Adela became the wife of Stephen, count of Blois.

CHAPTER VI.

WILLIAM RUFUS-FROM 1087 TO 1100.

WILLIAM RUFUS succeeded his father, William the Conqueror. He was called Rufus, which is the Latin word for red, from the colour of his hair. It was very common at that time, and long after, to give people a nickname from their appearance, and this often became their surname, and their children were called by it after them. Little boys are still apt to do this at school, but it is often very teazing, and we should never do or say anything to hurt the feelings of others; and sometimes a nickname sticks to a boy for ever, as was the case with Rufus, the red-haired. His eldest brother, Robert, was not satisfied with the dukedom of Normandy, but thought he ought to have had the kingdom of England too. Thus, the quarrels between the two brothers, which had begun in their childhood, continued when they had grown up. Many of the nobles favoured Robert's pretensions, because they had estates in both countries, and thought there was risk of their losing some of them if Normandy

and England were governed by different rulers. But Robert was so dissipated and extravagant that he very soon put himself in the power of his more cautious and avaricious brother, from whom he was compelled to borrow money. Then he joined William in besieging their brother Henry, who, you will remember, inherited his mother's fortune, and with it had purchased the castle of Mount St. Michael. Henry made a spirited resistance, but was at length compelled to surrender from want of provisions. A story is told of the three brothers during this siege, which is a curious specimen of what is called chivalrous honour; a quality more esteemed at that time than true religion.* Henry's garrison being in want of water, he made known their situation to his eldest brother, alleging that it was unworthy of a soldier to conquer by such means. Robert immediately consented to allow the besieged to receive a supply, and sent his brother a cask of the best wine in the camp. This indulgence displeased William; but Robert replied, "Ought I to let our brother die of thirst? If we had lost him, how could we replace him ?" It is to be regretted that these fraternal feelings did not

* From a "History of England," published by the Religious Tract Society.

proceed from Christian principle; yet this act of a dissolute, careless character may well shame many a professed follower of Christ, who withholds relief from a distressed brother. Does it not seem strange that Robert should have felt the duty of thus aiding his brother, at the very time that he was trying by force of arms to wrest from him his lawful possessions? So inconsistent is the conduct of those who leave wisdom's "paths of pleasantness," to walk according to the devices of their own hearts.

The disputes between Robert and William continued until Robert's attention was taken off by the beginning of the Crusades, or holy wars, which I will try to explain to you. At that time it was thought to be very pleasing to God if people went to visit holy places, and to pray there. They did not understand that God dwells in the hearts of His people, and can be served best in the place and station to which He has called them. Many good men, therefore, bound themselves to walk to Jerusalem, to worship there at the Sepulchre of our Lord, and to see those places where He had preached, wrought miracles, and suffered death upon the cross. As they had not the education which we now have, we must not blame them, but be thankful that we live in better times. A