ing's fate, exclaimed
that, as the Conqueror had been guilty of extreme violence in expelling
all the inhabitants of that large district to make room for his game,
the just vengeance of Heaven was signalized in the same place by the
slaughter of his posterity. William was killed in the thirteenth year of
his reign, and about the fortieth of his age. As he was never married,
he left no legitimate issue.

In the eleventh year of this reign, Magnus, king of Norway, made a
descent on the Isle of Anglesea; but was repulsed by Hugh, earl of
Shrewsbury. This is the last attempt made by the northern nations upon
England. That restless people seem about this time to have learned the
practice of tillage, which thenceforth kept them at home, and freed the
other nations of Europe from the devastations spread over them by
those piratical invaders. This proved one great cause of the subsequent
settlement and improvement of the southern nations.

CHAPTER VI.

[Illustration: 86.jpg HENRY I.]

HENRY I.

{1100.} After the adventurers in the holy war were assembled on the
banks of the Bosphorus, opposite to Constantinople, they proceeded on
their enterprise; but immediately experienced those difficulties which
their zeal had hitherto concealed from them, and for which, even if they
had foreseen them, it would have been almost impossible to provide
a remedy. The Greek emperor, Alexis Comnenus, who had applied to the
western Christians for succor against the Turks, entertained hopes, and
those but feeble ones, of obtaining such a moderate supply as, acting
under his command, might enable him to repulse the enemy; but he was
extremely astonished to see his dominions overwhelmed on a sudden by
such an inundation of licentious barbarians, who, though they pretended
friendship, despised his subjects as unwarlike, and detested them
as heretical. By all the arts of policy, in which he excelled, he
endeavored to divert the torrent; but while he employed professions,
caresses, civilities, and seeming services towards the leaders of the
crusade, he secretly regarded those imperious allies as more dangerous
than the open enemies by whom his empire had been formerly invaded.
Having effected that difficult point of disembarking them safely in
Asia, he entered into a private correspondence with Soliman, emperor
of the Turks; and practised every insidious art which his genius, his
power, or his situation enabled him to employ, for dis