"Most valiant of men, what availed the power of the Frank king, with all his people, from Lorraine to Spain, against Hastings, my predecessor? What he wanted of the territory of France he appropriated to himself; what he chose, only, was left to the king; what he had, he held during his pleasure; when he was satisfied, he relinquished it, and looked for something better. Did not Rollo, my ancestor, the founder of our nation, with your progenitors, conquer at Paris the king of the Franks in the heart of his dominions; nor could he obtain any respite until he humbly offered possession of the country which from you is called Normandy, with the hand of his daughter? Did not your fathers take prisoner the king of the French, and detain him at Rouen till he restored Normandy to your Duke Richard, then a boy; with this stipulation, that in every conference between the King of France and the Duke of Normandy, the duke should have his sword by his side, while the king should not be allowed so much as a dagger? This concession your fathers compelled the great king to submit to, as binding for ever."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Political leadersCatholics from FranceMonarchs from EnglandMilitary leaders from the United KingdomNormans
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Speech to his army before the Battle of Hastings (14 October 1066), quoted in Henry of Huntingdon, The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon, translated and edited by Thomas Forester (1853), p. 210
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_I_of_England
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
William I of England
William I (c. 1028–9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman monarch of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. He was a descendant of Rollo and was Duke of Normandy from 1035 onward. By 1060, following a long struggle to establish his throne, his hold on Normandy was secure. In 1066, following the death of Edward the Confessor, William invaded England, leading an army of Normans to victory over the Anglo-Saxon
9 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by William I of England →
Related Quotes
"See — I have taken England with both my hands."
"Ah! let any one of the English whom our predecessors, both Danes and Norwegians, have defeated in a hundred battles, …"
"I attacked the English of the Northern Shires like a lion. I ordered their houses and corn, with all their belongings…"
"He must be judged by his acts, but his acts are sufficiently illuminating. They leave no doubt of his greatness, but …"
"As a warrior, William was (perhaps inevitably) stained with blood. As a ruler, his avarice was notorious, and his tax…"
"He was harsh and rapacious, personally pious, courageous in adversity, and indomitably tenacious of purpose. He could…"
"It would, in truth, be difficult to deny to William the Conqueror a place among the greatest monarchs of the Middle A…"
"As a mere constellation of talent in different fields Anselm, Gregory VII and William the Conqueror were the greatest…"
"Huddar would have been 101 now had he been alive. But then centenaries are not celebrated only to register how old so…"
"I regret I was not there to listen to Balaji Huddar's speech [...] No matter how many times you listen to him, his sp…"