Richard I of Normandy

Finally, a great pageant, starting like the city from the riverbank, unrolled the vast panorama of Norman history through streets whose very names re-echo its great figures.

Rollo and his Norse companions arriving in their Viking ships, the dukes, his successors, William Longsword, Richard the Fearless, Robert the Magnificent, William the Conqueror, the sons of Tancred of Hauteville, who drove the Paynim from Sicily, and that other Tancred who planted the banner of the cross on the walls of Jerusalem, all with their knights and heralds and men-at-arms, followed by another pageant of the achievements of Normandy in the arts of peace.

And on the last evening, the great abbey church of Saint-Ouen burnt red fire for the first time in its history till the whole mass glowed and every statue and storied niche stood out with some clear sharp bit of the Norman past, while its lantern tower, the crown of Normandy, shone out over the city and the river which are the center of Norman history and where this day the dukes wore again their crown.

In this transitory world, the thousandth anniversary of anything is sufficiently rare to challenge attention, even in an age which is rapidly becoming hardened to celebrations.

In this series of events, the central figure is, of course, William the Conqueror, by descent Duke of Normandy and by conquest King of England.

Of William's antecedents we have no time to speak at length.

Grandson of the fourth Norman duke, Richard the Good, William was the son of Duke Robert, who met his death in Asia Minor in 1035 while returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

To distinguish him from the later duke of the same name, he is called Robert the First or Robert the Magnificent, sometimes and quite incorrectly Robert the Devil by an unwarranted confusion with this hero or rather villain of romance and grand opera.

Banquet followed banquet, and toast followed toast till the cider of Normandy paled before the champagne of France.

Finally, a great pageant, starting like the city from the riverbank, unrolled the vast panorama of Norman history through streets whose very names re-echo its great figures, Rollo and his Norse companions arriving in their Viking ships, the dukes, his successors, William Longsword, Richard the Fearless, Robert the Magnificent, William the Conqueror, the sons of Tancred of Hauteville.

who drove the Paynim from Sicily, and that other Tancred who planted the banner of the Cross on the walls of Jerusalem, all with their knights and heralds and men-at-arms, followed by another pageant of the achievements of Normandy in the arts of peace.

And on the last evening, the great abbey church of Saint-Ouen burnt red fire for the first time in its history till the whole mass glowed and every statue and storied niche stood out with some clear sharp bit of the Norman past, while its lantern tower, the crown of Normandy, shone out over the city and the river which are the centre of Norman history and where this day the dukes wore again their crown.

In this series of events, the central figure is, of course, William the Conqueror, by descent Duke of Normandy and by conquest King of England.

Of William's antecedents we have no time to speak at length.

Grandson of the fourth Norman duke, Richard the Good, William was the son of Duke Robert, who met his death in Asia Minor in ten thirty-five while returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

To distinguish him from the later duke of the same name, he is called Robert the First or Robert the Magnificent, sometimes, and quite incorrectly, Robert the Devil, by an unwarranted confusion with this hero or rather villain of romance and grand opera.