g lost no time in communicating this message to the French and in
urging a compromise. But Regnault called him a traitor, and would have
none of his advice. He promptly attacked Rollo and his Norsemen, but
suffered an overwhelming defeat. His army was cut to pieces, and he
himself slain by a fisherman of Rouen who had attached himself to the
invading force. Rollo followed up his victory by sailing up the river
and laying siege to Paris; but the capital of France proved too strong
for him and he had to retire to Rouen, whence he continued to havoc the
surrounding country. He conquered the city of Bayeux and slew its ruler,
Count Berenger, whose beautiful daughter, Popa, he married. Instead of
organizing mere plundering expeditions, Rollo gradually changed his
tactics and took permanent possession of the towns that fell into his
hands. The peasants, too, who lived in the open country, found that it
was their best policy to seek his friendship and pay him tribute, rather
than rely upon the uncertain protection of the King of France. They had
discovered before this that Rollo was a man whose word could be
trusted--a lord of mighty will, who had a ruthless way of enforcing
obedience, but was open-handed and generous withal to those who would
serve his purposes.

It could no longer be said with truth, as the vikings had said to
Hasting, that they had no lord over them. Rollo, whose chieftainship had
hitherto been based upon his genius for ruling, was now formally chosen
king--a title which he later exchanged for that of Duke of Normandy. In
Norway, previous to the conquests of Harold the Fair-haired, each
province had had its king, who was not always hereditary, but was often
chosen by the peasants themselves, because he possessed the qualities
required of a leader. It was in accordance with the same custom that
they now conferred kingship upon Rollo, whose valor, sagacity, and
firmness of purpose had been amply proven. It was the power of the
man--the weight and force of his personality--which they respected, no
less than his clear-sightedness, his readiness of resource, and his
skill in the rude statecraft of his age.

[Illustration: Rollo the Ganger attacks Paris.]

Encouraged by his previous successes, Rollo now made larger plans, and
with the view to carrying them out, formed an alliance with some Danish
vikings who had managed to effect a lodgement and maintain themselves
for some years at the mouth of the Loire. Toge