Chapter I: The Roman Rule in Britain. Page

Earliest Notices of the British Isles--The Celts--Their
Settlement in Britain--Their Character and Customs--Druidism--Its
Organisation and Authority--Its Tenets--Stonehenge and other
Remains--Cæsar's Preparations--The First Invasion--Peril of
the Romans and their Retirement--The Second Invasion--Cæsar's
Battles with Cassivelaunus--Claudius in Britain--The
Resistance of Caractacus--His Defeat and Capture--His Speech
before Claudius--The Conquest of Anglesea--Boadicea's
Rebellion--The Capture of Camulodunum and London--Her Defeat and
Death--Agricola in Britain--His Campaigns and Administration--His
Campaign against the Caledonians--His Recall--The Walls of
Hadrian and Severus--Rivals to the Emperor--Constantine's
Accession--Christianity in Britain--Invasions of the Picts and
Scots--Dismemberment of the Roman Empire and Departure of the
Romans--Divisions and Administration of Britain under the Romans 2

CHAPTER II.

ROMAN REMAINS IN BRITAIN.

Two Varieties of Masonry--Dover Castle--Richborough
Castle--Newport Gate, Lincoln--Hadrian's Wall--Its Direction and
Construction--Outworks--Ornamental Detail--Roman Roads and Camps 19

CHAPTER III.

THE FOUNDATION OF THE ENGLISH KINGDOMS AND THEIR CONVERSION TO
CHRISTIANITY.

The Jutes, Angles, and Saxons--Their Village Communities--Larger
Combinations, Gradations of Rank--Morality and Religion--Hengist
and Horsa found the Kingdom of Kent--The Kingdoms of Sussex,
Wessex, and Essex--The Anglian Kingdoms--Mercia--The
Welsh--Gregory and St. Augustine--Augustine and Kent--Conversion
of Northumbria--England becomes Christian--The Greatness of
Mercia--King Offa 25

CHAPTER IV.

RISE OF WESSEX AND OF THE SOCIAL SYSTEM OF ENGLAND.

Ceawlin and his Successors--Cedwalla--Ina--Subjection to
Mercia--Accession of Egbert--He subdues his Rivals--His Wars with
the Welsh and Danes--Land-owning System--Local Assemblies--The
Hundred Moot--The Shire Moot and its Business--Methods of Trial
and Punishments--The Wergild--The Witena-gemot--Its Powers--The
King--Class Distinctions--The Church 31

CHAPTER V.

THE DANISH INVASIONS AND THE REIGN OF ALFRED.

Character of the Invaders--Reign of Ethelwulf--Reigns of
Ethelbald and Ethelbert--The Conquest of East Anglia--Battles
near Reading--The Accession of Alfred--The Extinction of the
Kingdom of Mercia--The Invasion of Wessex--The Year 878--Alfred
at Athelney--Death of Hubba--Victory of Alfred and the Treaty
of Wedmore--Renewal of the War--Alfred's fleet--Expeditions of
Hastings--Remainder of the Reign--Character of Alfred--His Rules
of Life--His Legislation--Encouragement of Learning 38

CHAPTER VI.

EDWARD THE ELDER AND DUNSTAN.

Settlement of the Danes--Edward the Elder and his
Cousin--Reconquest of the Danelagh--Edward becomes King of
all England--Conspiracy of Alfred against Athelstan--Wars in
Northumbria--The Death of Edwin--The Battle of Brunanburgh--The
Power of Athelstan--Edmund's Wars with the Danes--Their
Submission to Edmund--Rebellion and Reconquest--The Conquest of
Cumberland--Death of Edmund--Final Conquest of Northumberland--The
Rise of Dunstan--His Banishment--Edgar's Rebellion--His Accession
to the Throne--Wars with the Welsh--Dunstan Archbishop of
Canterbury--His Ecclesiastical Policy--The Reign of Edward the
Martyr--Dunstan's Struggles with the Opposition--Death of the King
46

CHAPTER VII.

ETHELRED THE UNREADY.

The Retirement of Dunstan--Character of Ethelred--Sweyn in
Denmark--Character of the Invasions and the Resistance--The
Danegeld--The Arrival of Sweyn--Ethelred's Expedition--The
Massacre of St. Brice's Day--Return of Sweyn--Defeats of the
English--Edric Streona--Failure of the English Fleet--Treacheries
of Edric--Death of St. Alphege--Sweyn's Conquest of
England and his Death--Return of Ethelred and Departure of
Canute--Misgovernment of the King--Canute's Return and the Death
of Ethelred 57

CHAPTER VIII.

EDMUND IRONSIDE AND CANUTE.

A Double Election--Battles of Pen Selwood and
Sherstone--Treacheries of Edric--Division of the Kingdom--Death
of Edmund--Election of Canute--His Treatment of his Rivals--The
four Earldoms--Canute's Marriage with Emma--His Popular
Government--His Expeditions to Northern Europe--Submission of the
King of Scots--Canute at Rome--The Story of his Rebuke to his
Courtiers--His Death 63

CHAPTER IX.

EARL GODWIN AND HAROLD.

Harold and Harthacanute--The Murder of Alfred--Accession of
Harthacanute--His Reconciliation with Godwin--The Punishment
of Worcester--Edward the Confessor--His Election--Influx of
Normans--The Family of Godwin--Conduct of Sweyn--The Outbreak at
Dover--Godwin's Rebellion and Outlawry--William of Normandy's
Visit to England--Godwin's Attempt to Return--His Appearance
in the Thames--His Restoration to Power--Death of Godwin--His
Place taken by Harold--Siward's Invasion of Scotland and his
Death--Death of Leofric and Punishment of Ælfgar--Church Building
of Harold and Edward--Harold's Conquest of Wales--Turbulence of
Tostig--Death of the Atheling Edward--Candidature of Harold 66

CHAPTER X.

THE NORMAN INVASION.

The Normans--Their Settlement in France--Their Gradual
Civilization--Richard the Good--Robert the Devil--William's
earlier years--His Consolidation of Power--Harold's Adventures
in Normandy and the Story of his Oath to William--Death and
Character of Edward--Election of Harold--William's Claims--He
Obtains the Sanction of the Church--His Preparations--Proceedings
of Tostig--Harold's Forces dwindle--Invasion of Tostig and Harold
Hardrada--Battle of Stamford Bridge--Landing of William--Harold in
London--Desertion of Edwin and Morcar--Negotiations--Harold at
Senlac--Account of the Battle--Death of Harold and Discomfiture of
the English--His Burial--Legend of his Escape 75

CHAPTER XI.

ENGLISH AND NORMAN ARCHITECTURE AND CUSTOMS.

Saxon Architecture; Theories about it--Documentary
Evidence--Ancient Churches--Characters of the Saxon
Style--Illustrations from an Anglo-Saxon Calendar--Old
Manuscripts--English Scholarship--Music and the Minstrels--Musical
Instruments--Games and Sports--Costume--The Table--Household
Furniture--Material Condition of the People--Norman
Costumes--Condition of Learning and the Arts--Refinement of the
Normans--The Bayeux Tapestry 83

CHAPTER XII.

THE REIGN OF WILLIAM I.

After Hastings--Election of Edgar Atheling--Submission of London
and Accession of William--Tumult during his Coronation--Character
of his Government--Return to Normandy--Affairs during his
Absence--Suppression of the First English Rebellion--Rebellion in
the North--The Last National Effort--The Reform of the Church--The
Erection of Castles--Plan of a Norman Castle--End of Edwin and
Morcar--"The Last of the Saxons"--Affairs in Maine--Conspiracy of
the Norman Nobles--The Execution of Waltheof--Punishment of Ralph
the Wader--The Story of Walcher of Durham--Expeditions to Scotland
and Wales--Quarrels between William and his Sons--Domesday
Book--The Creation of the New Forest--Punishment of Odo of
Bayeux--The Death of William--Incidents at his Burial--Character
of William 107

CHAPTER XIII.

REIGN OF WILLIAM II.

William's Surname--How he obtained the Throne--Rising in favour
of his Brother Robert--Bishop Odo's Ill-fortune--Surrender of
Rochester Castle--Flight of Odo--Failure of the Conspiracy--Death
of Lanfranc--William's Misrule--Randolf the Firebrand--Appointment
of Anselm to Canterbury--Rufus Invades Normandy--Treaty between
the Brothers--Siege of Mount St. Michael--Malcolm Canmore's
Inroad into England--Building of Castle at Carlisle--Death of
Malcolm--Illness of William--His Treachery towards Robert--Welsh
Marauders--Earl Mowbray's Hard Fortune--The King's Exactions--He
obtains possession of Normandy--The Hunt in the New Forest--Death
of the Red King 123