country or not.  William’s position, both in his own duchy and among neighbouring princes, would be greatly improved if he could be looked upon as a future king.  As heir to the crown of England, he may have more earnestly wooed the descendant of former wearers of the crown; and Matilda and her father may have looked more favourably on a suitor to whom the crown of England was promised.  On the other hand, the existence of such a foreign claimant made it more needful than ever for Englishmen to be ready with an English successor, in the royal house or out of it, the moment the reigning king should pass away.

It was only for a short time that William could have had any reasonable hope of a peaceful succession.  The time of Norman influence in England was short.  The revolution of September 1052 brought Godwine back, and placed the rule of England again in English hands.  Many Normans were banished, above all Archbishop Robert and Bishop Ulf.  The death of Godwine the next year placed the chief power in the hands of his son Harold.  This change undoubtedly made Edward more disposed to the national cause.  Of Godwine, the man to whom he owed his crown, he was clearly in awe; to Godwine’s sons he was personally attached.  We know not how Edward was led to look on his promise to William as void.  That he was so led is quite plain.  He sent for his nephew the AEtheling Edward from Hungary, clearly as his intended successor.  When the AEtheling died in 1057, leaving a son under age, men seem to have gradually come to look to Harold as the probable successor.  He clearly held a special position above that of an ordinary earl; but there is no need to suppose any formal act in his favour till the time of the King’s death, January 5, 1066.  On his deathbed Edward did all that he legally could do on behalf of Harold by recommending him to the Witan for election as the next king.  That he then either made a new or renewed an old nomination in favour of William is a fable which is set aside by the witness of the contemporary English writers.  William’s claim rested wholly on that earlier nomination which could hardly have been made at any other time than his visit to England.

We have now to follow William back to Normandy, for the remaining years of his purely ducal reign.  The expectant king had doubtless thoughts and hopes which he had not had before.  But we can guess at them only:  they are not recorded.

CHAPTER IV—­THE REIGN OF WILLIAM IN NORMANDY—­A.D. 1052-1063

If William came back from England looking forward to a future crown, the thought might even then flash across his mind that he was not likely to win that crown without fighting for it.  As yet his business was still to fight for the duchy of Normandy.  But he had now to fight, not to win his duchy, but only to keep it.  For five years he had to strive both against rebellious subjects and against invading