28. But they had built a castle close by, at Cam Bridge, and they brought boats and tried to make causeways by which they might get into the camp of refuge; but the English would go out in bands at night and destroy all that their enemies had done, and kept constantly on the watch for straggling parties, who were often attacked unawares, and many of them killed, while the English could always retreat to their camp, where they were safe from pursuit. 29. At last the Normans established a blockade of boats round the island, and provisions began to get scarce within it; so two or three bad selfish men, who lived in the abbey, went to the Normans at Cam Bridge, and said, they would show them the way into the island, if they would promise not to meddle with the abbey. 30. These men led the Normans secretly into the island, and a terrible battle was fought, in which almost all the English were killed. 31. When Hereward saw it was useless to fight any longer, he made his escape, and went to his own castle of Bourn, in Lincolnshire; where I believe, he afterwards made peace with the king, and was allowed to keep his estate. 32. I have given you a long history of the Conquest, because it was the most important event that ever occurred in the history of England, and was the last sudden and violent change made in this country by foreign invasion. QUESTIONS. 1. Explain the cause of the Norman invasion. 8. What was the battle of Hastings, and where was it fought? 9. Did the English make any further resistance? 14. How long was it before the conquest was completed? 18. How did many of the Norman lords obtain their estates? 20. What became of the English nobles? 23. How were the English treated by the Norman soldiers? 26. What was the Camp of Refuge, and by whom established? 31. What became of Hereward? CHAPTER VIII. THE NORMAN PERIOD.--1087 TO 1154. [Illustration: DEATH OF WILLIAM RUFUS.] 1. The Normans were a cleverer people than the English, and lived in a superior manner. They were better acquainted with the arts of agriculture and architecture, and they knew a great deal more about useful gardening; for all the convents in Normandy had good gardens, planted with vegetables and herbs; and the monks brought over plenty of seeds and roots to sow or plant in gardens here. 2. The Normans built stone castles, and strong houses of timber, with upper stories, so that their dwellings, in general, were higher and more substantial than those of the Saxons; and one great improvement was that they had chimneys; but their furniture was as rough and clumsy as the furniture used in the Saxon times, and their way of living was almost the same, except that they did not care so much about feasting, but preferred spending their time in hunting, hawking, and fighting in sport, for pastime.