WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. 309

established monarch. William, therefore , pre- chaptending that the primate had obtained his pall in iv.an irregular manner from pope Benedict IX. whowas himself an usurper, refused to be consecratedby him, and conferred this honour on Aldred,archbishop of York. Westminster abbey was theplace appointed for that magnificent ceremony;the most considerable of the nobility , bothEnglish and Norman, attended the duke on this De;occasion ; Aldred in a strort speech a Iked theformer , whether they agreed to accept ofWilliam as their king ; the bishop of Coutanccput the fame question to the latter; and bothbeing answered with acclamations ° , Aldredadministered to the duke the usual coronation-oath , by which he bound himself to protect thechurch , to administer justice , and to repressviolence: He then anointed him and put thecrown upon his head There appeared nothingbut joy in the countenance of the spectators:

But in that very moment, there burst forth thestrongest symptoms of the jealousy and animositywhich prevailed between the nations, and whichcontinually increased during the reign of thisprince. The Norman soldiers, who were placedwithout in order to guard the church, hearing

* Order. Vital. p. 503.

10 Nlalmesbury , p. 271 , fays, that he also promised togovern the Normans and English by equal laws ; and this ad-dition to die usual oath seems not improbable , consideringthe circumstances of the times.

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