At the time of the death of Stephen, Henry was engaged in a desultory warfare against some of his rebellious vassals in Guienne. Secure in the strength of his party in England, and in the certainty that his succession would not be disputed, he remained in France to bring the affairs in which he was engaged to a successful termination, and then proceeded to take possession of the vacant throne. The news of his arrival, which took place six weeks after the death of Stephen, was received with general gratification by the people, who were induced to hope, from the lineage as well as from the character of the new king, that his rule would be just and impartial. The English race, faithful to their old traditions, dwelt with satisfaction upon the English blood which had been transmitted to Henry by his mother, Matilda. They forgot the haughty character of the empress-queen, and remembered only that she and, through her, their new sovereign were descended from Alfred the Great. Writers of the time, who either believed sincerely what they wrote, or were paid to influence the people in favour of their monarch, affirmed that England now once more possessed a king of English race; that already there were many bishops and abbots of the same race, while of chiefs and nobles not a few had sprung from the admixture of Norman and English blood. They therefore held that the hatred hitherto existing between the two races would henceforth rapidly disappear. The opinions thus hopefully expressed were not justified by the actual circumstances, nor were they realised for a considerable time afterwards. [Illustration: _Noble Churchman Yeoman Peasants Soldiers_ ENGLISH COSTUMES IN THE TIME OF HENRY II.]