ot build up a strong, united kinigdom,
but they had to content themselves with establishing a number of petty
kingdoms which were constantly at war with each other. Later, the
whole of England became subject to a sing sovereign. But the chief
men of the separate kingdoms, which had now become simply shires or
counties, retained a certain degree of control over the government.
This prevented the royal power from becoming the unchecked will of an
arbitrary ruler. Finally, it may be said that the isolation of
England had much to do with the development of the strong individual
character of its people.

13. Influence of the Island Form on the Danes and Normans.

In the course of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh centuries the Danes
invaded England, but the sea prevented their coming all at once and
with overwhelming force. They got possession of the throne (S63) and
permanently established themselves in the northern half of the
country. The English, however, held their own so well that the Danes
were eventually compelled to unite with them. Even when the Normans
invaded England and conquered it (SS74, 107), they felt obliged to
make many concessions to both the English and the Danes. The result
was that every invasion of the island ended in a compromise, so that
no one race ever got complete predominance. In time all the elements
mingled and became one people.

14. Influence of the Channel in Later History.

Furthermore, the immense protective value of the Channel to England
may be traced down to our own day. In the great crisis when Simon de
Montfort was fighting (1264) to secure parliamentary representation
for the people (S213), King Henry III sought help from France. The
French monarcy got a fleet ready to send to England, but bad weather
held it back, and Henry was obliged to concede De Montfort's demands
for reform.[1]

[1] W. Stubb's "Select Charters," p. 401

Again, when the Spanish Armada swooped down upn England (1588) a
terrible tempest dispersed a part of the enemy's fleet. Many of the
vessels were wrecked (S399) and only a few were left to creep back,
crippled and disheartened, to the ports of Spain. When Queen
Elizabeth publicly thanked the leaders of her valiant navy for what
they had done to repel the Spanish forces, she also acknowledged how
much England owed to the protective power of wind and wave.

The same elements taught Napoleon a lesson which he never forgot. He
had carefully plann