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Historical Lectures and Essays
aristocracy； or that there has been one； at least since the year 1215； when
Magna Charta was won from the Norman John by Normans and by
English alike。 For the first victors at Hastings； like the first
conquistadores in America； perished； as the monk chronicles point out；
rapidly by their own crimes； and very few of our nobility can trace their
names back to the authentic Battle Abbey roll。 The great majority of the
peers have sprung from； and all have intermarried with； the mons；
and the peerage has been from the first； and has bee more and more as
centuries have rolled on； the prize of success in life。
The cause is plain。 The conquest of England by the Normans was not
one of those conquests of a savage by a civilised race； or of a cowardly
race by a brave race； which results in the slavery of the conquered； and
leaves the gulf of caste between two racesmaster and slave。 That was
the case in France； and resulted； after centuries of oppression； in the great
and dreadful revolution of 1793； which convulsed not only France but the
whole civilised world。 But caste； thank God； has never existed in England；
since at least the first generation after the Norman conquest。
The vast majority； all but the whole population of England； have been
always free； and free； as they are not where caste exists to change their
occupations。 They could intermarry； if they were able men； into the
ranks above them； as they could sink； if they were unable men； into the
ranks below them。 Any man acquainted with the origin of our English
surnames may verify this fact for himself； by looking at the names of a
single parish or a single street of shops。 There； jumbled together； he will
find names marking the noblest Saxon or Angle bloodKenward or Kenric；
Osgood or Osborne； side by side with Cordery or Banisternow names of
farmers in my own parishor other Norman…French names which may be；
like those two last； in Battle Abbey rolland side by side the almost
ubiquitous Brown； whose ancestor was probably some Danish or
Norwegian house… carle； proud of his name Biorn the Bear； and the
ubiquitous Smith or Smythe； the Smiter； whose forefather； whether he be
now peasant or peer； assuredly handled the tongs and hammer at his own
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Historical Lectures and Essays
forge。 This holds true equally in New England and in Old。 When I
search through （as I delight to do） your New England surnames； I find the
same jumble of namesWest Saxon； Angle； Danish； Norman； and French…
Norman likewise； many of primaeval and heathen antiquity； many of high
nobility； all worked together； as at home； to form the Free moners of
England。
If any should wish to know more on this curious and important subject；
let me remend them to study Ferguson's 〃Teutonic Name System；〃 a
book from which you will discover that some of our quaintest； and
seemingly most plebeian surnamesmany surnames； too； which are
extinct in England； but remain in Americaare really corruptions of good
old Teutonic names； which our ancestors may have carried in the German
Forest； before an Englishman set foot on British soil； from which he will
rise with the fortable feeling that we English…speaking men； from the
highest to the lowest； are literally kinsmen。 Nay； so utterly made up now
is the old blood… feud between Norseman and Englishman； between the
descendants of those who conquered and those who were conquered； that
in the children of our Prince of Wales； after 800 years； the blood of
William of Normandy is mingled with the blood of the very Harold who
fell at Hastings。 And so； by the bitter woes which followed the Norman
conquest was the whole population； Dane； Angle； and Saxon； earl and
churl； freeman and slave； crushed and welded together into one
homogeneous mass； made just and merciful towards each other by the
most wholesome of all teachings； a munity of suffering； and if they
had been； as I fear they were； a lazy and a sensual people； were taught
That life is not as idle ore； But heated hot with burning fears； And
bathed in baths of hissing tears； And battered with the strokes of doom To
shape and use。
But how did these wild Vikings bee Christian men？ It is a long
story。 So stanch a race was sure to be converted only very slowly。 Noble
missionaries as Ansgar； Rembert； and Poppo； had worked for 150 years
and more among the heathens of Denmark。 But the patriotism of the
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Historical Lectures and Essays
Norseman always recoiled； even though in secret； from the fact that they
were German monks； backed by the authority of the German emperor； and
many a man； like Svend Fork…beard； father of the great Canute； though he
had the Kaiser himself for godfather； turned heathen once more the
moment he was free； because his baptism was the badge of foreign
conquest； and neither pope nor kaiser should lord it over him； body or soul。
St。 Olaf； indeed； forced Christianity on the Norse at the sword's point；
often by hor