ebattleofhastings,onoctoberthe
fourteenthofthatyear,hedestroyedtheesofharoldofhelastoftheanglosaxonkingsandestablishedhielfaskingofenglandbutneitheorhis
successorsofthehouseofanjouandplantageregardedenglandastheirtruehototheheislanderelyapartoftheirgreatinheritanceonthentinentasortoflonyinhabitedbyratherbackthey
forcedtheiroiongraduallyhowever
the``lonyofenglandgaineduponthe``ther
untryofnodyatthesatithekingsof
francean
englishneighboursorethandisobedient
servantsofthefrenchcroeracenturyofwar
farethefrenchpeople,undertheleadershipofayounggirlbythenaofjoanofartheir
soiljoanherself,takenaprisoneratthebattleofpiegneintheyear1430andsoldbyherburgundiancaptorstotheenglishsoldiers,chbuttheenglish
nevergainedfootholduponthentinentandtheirkingswereatlastabletodevotealltheirtitotheirbritishpossessionsasthefeudalnobilityoftheislandhadbeenengagedinoneofthosestrangefeudsnintheddleages
asaslesandsllpox,andasthegreaterpartoftheoldlandedproprietorshadbeenkilledduringthesesocalledwarsoftheroses,iteeasyforthekingstoincreasetheirroyalpoheendofthefifteenthcentury,englandronglycentraliseduntry,ruledbyhenryvii
ofthehouseoftudor,ousurtofjustice,the
``starery,suppressedallattets
onthepartofthesurvivingnoblestoregaintheiroldinfluenceuponthegoventoftheuntryostseverity
intheyear1509henryviiceededbyhisson
henryviii,andfrohatntonthehistoryofenglandgainedaneportancefortheuntryceasedtobeadiaevalislandandbecaadestate
henryhadnodeepinterestinreligionhegladlyusedaprivatedisagreentany
divorselfindependentofroandke
thechurchofenglandthefirstofthose``nationalisticchurchesinhesasthespiritualheadofhis
subjeationof1034notonlygave
thehouseoftudorthesupportoftheenglishclergy,whoforalongtihadbeenexposedtotheviolentattaanylutheranpropagandists,butitalsoincreasedtheroyalpowerthroughthenfiserpossessionsofthe
nasteriesatthesatiitdehenrypopularhthe
rchantsandtradespeople,heproudandprosperousinhabitantsofanislandtherestof
europebyadislikefor
everything``foreignanddidnotanitalianbishoptoruletheirhonestbritishsouls
in1517henrydiedheleftthethroohissllson,agedtentheguardiansoftheode
lutherando
buttheboydiedbeforeheeen,andceeded
byhissisterry,thewifeofphilipiiofspain,whobuedthebishopsoftheneionalchurchandinotherpleofherroyalspanishhusband
fortunatelyshedied,intheyear1558,andceededbyelizabeth,thedaughterofhenryviiiandanneboleyn,thesendofhissixhehaddecapitatedwhenshe
nolongerpleasedhielizabeth,etiin
prison,andtherequestofthe
holyroneeror,ostrdialeneofeverything
catholicandspanishshesharedherfathersindifferenceinthetterofreligionbutsheinheritedhisabilityasaveryshreer,andspentthefortyfiveyears
ofherreigninstrengtheningthepohedynastyandininerryislands
inthissheostablyassistedbyanuerofnwho
gatheredaroundherthroneanddetheelizabethanageaperiodofsuchiortancethatyououghttostudyitindetailinoneofthespecialbooksofellyouinthe
bibliographyattheendofthisvolu
elizabeth,hofeelentirelysafeuponher
throneshehadarivalandaverydangerousonery,ofthehouseofstuart,daughterofafrenchduchessandasttishfather,isiioffranceand
daughterinlaediciwhohadorganised
therdersofsaintbartholootherof
alittleboyethefirststuartking
ofenglandshecatholicandawillingfriend
tothoseiesofelizabethherok
ofpolitiethodsployed
topunishhercalvinisticsubjects,causedarevolutioninstlandandforcedrytotakerefugeonenglishterritoryforeighteenyearsshereinedinengland,plottingforeverandadayagainsttheanerandwho
lastobligedtofolloheadviceofhertrusteduncilors``tocutteoffthesttishqueensheade
theheadteoffintheyear1587andcaused
abinednaviesofenglandand
hollanddefeatedphilipsinvinciblearda,aswehavealreadyseen,andthebloeanttodestroythe
pohetanticatholicleadersuedintoa
profitablebusinessadventure
fooanyyearsofhesitation,theenglish
ashedutchthoughtittheirgoodrighttoinvadetheindiesandaricaandavengetheillsheirprotestentbrethrenhadsufferedatthehandsofthespaniardstheenglishhadbeenangtheearliestsubus
britishships,ndedbytheveianpilotgiovannicabotoorcabot,hadbeenthefirsttodisverandexplorethenorthearicanntinentin1496labradorandnewfoundlandportanceasapossiblelonybut
thebanksofneothe
englishfishingfleetayearlater,in1497,thesacabothadexploredtheastofflorida
thenhadethebusyyearsofhenryviiandhenry
viiioneyforforeignexplorations
butunderelizabeth,ary
stuartinprison,thesailorsuldleavetheirharbourhoutfe