So rapid a change could only have been made possible by the temper of the conquered kingdoms.

To them the conquest was simply their transfer from one overlord to another, and it may be that in all there were men who preferred the overlordship of the Northman to the overlordship of the West-Saxon.

But the loss of the subject kingdoms left Wessex face to face with the invaders.

The time had now come for it to fight, not for supremacy, but for life.

As yet the land seemed paralyzed by terror.