soon opened for his great continental conquest.  But what effect had these events on William’s views on England?  About the time of the second French invasion of Normandy Earl Harold became beyond doubt the first man in England, and for the first time a chance of the royal succession was opened to him.  In 1057, the year before Varaville, the AEtheling Edward, the King’s selected successor, died soon after his coming to England; in the same year died the King’s nephew Earl Ralph and Leofric Earl of the Mercians, the only Englishmen whose influence could at all compare with that of Harold.  Harold’s succession now became possible; it became even likely, if Edward should die while Edgar the son of the AEtheling was still under age.  William had no shadow of excuse for interfering, but he doubtless was watching the internal affairs of England.  Harold was certainly watching the affairs of Gaul.  About this time, most likely in the year 1058, he made a pilgrimage to Rome, and on his way back he looked diligently into the state of things among the various vassals of the French crown.  His exact purpose is veiled in ambiguous language; but we can hardly doubt that his object was to contract alliances with the continental enemies of Normandy.  Such views looked to the distant future, as William had as yet been guilty of no unfriendly act towards England.  But it was well to come to an understanding with King Henry, Count Geoffrey, and Duke William of Aquitaine, in case a time should come when their interests and those of England would be the same.  But the deaths of all those princes must have put an end to all hopes of common action between England and any Gaulish power.  The Emperor Henry also, the firm ally of England, was dead.  It was now clear that, if England should ever have to withstand a Norman attack, she would have to withstand it wholly by her own strength, or with such help as she might find among the kindred powers of the North.

William’s great continental conquest is drawing nigh; but between the campaign of Varaville and the campaign of Le Mans came the tardy papal confirmation of William’s marriage.  The Duke and Duchess, now at last man and wife in the eye of the Church, began to carry out the works of penance which were allotted to them.  The abbeys of Caen, William’s Saint Stephen’s, Matilda’s Holy Trinity, now began to arise.  Yet, at this moment of reparation, one or two facts seem to place William’s government of his duchy in a less favourable light than usual.  The last French invasion was followed by confiscations and banishments among the chief men of Normandy.  Roger of Montgomery and his wife Mabel, who certainly was capable of any deed of blood or treachery, are charged with acting as false accusers.  We see also that, as late as the day of Varaville, there were Norman traitors.  Robert of Escalfoy had taken the Angevin side, and had defended his castle against the Duke.  He died in a strange way,