WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR.

openly insisted on as a reason for general submiffiori. c h a i>The superior learning of those prelates, which, jy.during the Confessor’s reign , had raised themabove the ignorant Saxons, made their opinionsbe received with implicit faith ; and a youngprince, like Edgar, whose capacity was deemedso mean , was but ill qualified to resist the im-pression , which they made on the minds of thepeople. A repulse, which a body of Londonersreceived from five hundred Norman horse, renewedin the city the terror of the great defeat atHastings; the easy submission of all the inhabit-ants of Kent was an additional discouragement tothem ; the burning of Southwark before theireyes made them dread a like fate to their owncity; and no man any longer entertained thoughtsbut of immediate safety and of self - preservation^

Even the earls, Edwin and Morcar , in despairof making effectual resistance, retired with theirtroops to their own provinces ; and the peoplethenceforth disposed themselves unanimously toyield to the victor. As soon as he passed the submiffiohThames at Wallingford, and reached Berkham- tllestead, Stigand, the primate, made submissions tohim: Before he came within sight of the city,all the chief nobility, and Edgar Atheling himself ,the new elected king, came into his camp, anddeclared their intention of yielding to his au-thority *. They requested him to mount theirthrone, which they now considered as vacant:

Hoveden, p. 450. Fior, Wieorn. p. 634,

X *

*