e to do with it?"

"A great deal. He claimed a right, real or pretended, to the English
throne. He crossed the Channel, and, in 1066, defeated Harold, King of
England, at the battle of Hastings."

"Both William and Harold were originally Danes, were they not?"
inquired Jack.

"Yes; I think Rollo, William's grandfather, was a Norman adventurer,
or sea-king, as these marauders were sometimes called. William, after
the victory of Hastings, proclaimed himself King of England and Duke
of Normandy, and assumed the designation of William the Conqueror."

"Then how did France get mixed up in the affair?" inquired Willis.

"William's grandfather, when he seized the dukedom cf Normandy, became
virtually a vassal of the King of France, though it is doubtful
whether he ever took the trouble to recognize the suzerainty of the
throne. As sovereign, however, the King of France claimed the right of
homage, which consisted, according to feudal usage, in the vassal
advancing, bare-headed, without sword or spurs, and kneeling at the
foot of the throne."

"Was this right ever enforced?"

"Yes, in one case at least. John Lackland--or, as the French called
him, John Sans Terre--having assassinated his nephew Arthur, Duke of
Brittany, in order to obtain possession of his lands, was summoned by
Philip Augustus, King of France, to justify his crime. John did not
obey the summons, was declared guilty of felony, and Philip took
possession of Normandy. Thus the first step to hostilities was laid
down."

"The English having lost Normandy, the vassalage ceased."

"Yes, so far as regards Normandy; but, in the meantime, Louis le
Jeune, King of France, unfortunately divorced his wife, Elenor of
Aquitaine, who afterwards married an English prince, and added
Guienne, another French dukedom to the English crown."

"So another vassalage sprung up."

"Exactly. All the French King insisted upon was the homage; but Edward
III. of England, instead of bending his knee to Philip of Valois,
argued with himself in this way: 'If I were King of England and France
as well, the claim of homage for the dukedom of Guienne would be
extinguished.'"

"Rather cool that," said Jack, laughing.

"'We shall then,' Edward said to himself, 'be our own sovereign, and
do homage to ourself, which would save a deal of bother.'"

"Well, he was right there, at least," remarked the Pilot.

"The King of France, however, entertained a different view of the
subject. Hen