the shaving of beards, the omission of the
Alleluia in Lent, were all brought forward as causes of offence. These
complaints were at once answered by Pope St. Leo IX, who tried, in a
most eloquent letter, to bring the deluded patriarch to reason. He
reminded him of the sanctity and inviolability of the unity of Christ's
Church, the folly and presumption of his attempting to direct the
successor of Peter, whom Christ had Himself confirmed in the faith, and
pointed out to him with what ingratitude and contempt he was treating
the Roman Church, the mother and guardian of all the churches. Lastly,
he urged upon the patriarch to set aside all discord and pride, and to
allow divine mercy and peace to prevail instead of strife. But the
paternal words were spoken in vain, and the legates also who were sent
by the Pope to Constantinople were powerless to move the obduracy of the
patriarch. He persistently refused all communication with them by speech
or writing. Having therefore formally laid their complaints in the most
distinct terms before the Emperor and Senate, they proceeded to
extremities. On the 16th of July, 1054, they appeared in the church of
St. Sophia at the beginning of divine service, and declared solemnly
that all their endeavors to re-establish peace and union had been
defeated by Cerularius. They then laid the bull of excommunication on
the high altar and left the church, shaking, as they did so, the dust
from off their feet, and exclaiming in the deepest grief, "God sees it;
He will judge." Thus was the unhappy schism between the East and the
West accomplished.

NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND

BATTLE OF HASTINGS

A.D. 1066

SIR EDWARD SHEPHERD CREASY

(Toward the end of the reign of Edward the Confessor the claims of three
rival competitors for the English crown were persistently urged. These
claimants were Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, whose claim was based
upon an alleged compact of King Hardicanute with King Magnus, Harald's
predecessor; Duke William of Normandy, and the Saxon Harold, son of
Godwin, Earl of Wessex. This Harold, born about 1022, became Earl of
East Anglia about 1045; was banished with his father by Edward the
Confessor in 1051, and restored with his father in 1052; succeeded his
father as Earl of Wessex in 1053--relinquishing the earldom of East
Anglia--and from 1053 to 1066 was chief minister of Edward.

Harold--probably in 1064--being shipwrecked on the coast of Normandy,
b