The campaign in which that great service was achieved divides
itself into two parts, the first of which comes to an end with the
decisive action at Hastings which gave Duke William the crown; the
second consists of three great fighting marches, the result of which
was the conquest of England. I am only here concerned with the first
part of that campaign, and more especially with the great engagement
which was fought out upon the hill-top which the ruins of Battle Abbey
still mark. Let us consider this.
Harold, the second son of Earl Godwin, was crowned King of England at
Westminster upon the feast of the Epiphany in the year 1066. When Duke
William heard of it he was both angry and amazed, and at once began to
call up his feudatories to lend him aid to enforce his claim to the
Crown of England against King Harold. This was not an easy thing to
do, nor could it be done at all quickly. It was necessary to gather a
great host.
Those lords who owed him allegiance had as often as not to be
persuaded or bribed to fulfil their obligation; and they with their
followers and dependents were not enough; it was necessary to engage
as many as possible of those chiefs who did not own him as lord; these
had to be bought by promises of gain and honour.
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