1. Find English equivalents in the text:

Казнить, феодалы, помещики, установление феодального строя, издавать законы, рыцари, иметь огромные владения, восстания, управлять страной, феодальное поместье, угнетать вассалов, попасть под господство, управляющий орган, собирать налоги, характерная черта, владения феодального поместья.

2. Suggest Russian equivalents to the following:

Under the pretext of; with varying fortune; the lawful heir; to grandlands to; to pacify the local population; to fall under the foreign yoke; distribution of lands among the Norman nobility; the weakening royal authority; the king's followers; to exist in a smaller degree; in just the same way; they were treated cruelly; both the upper and the lower classes ; to escape the oppression.

3. Pick out historical terms pertaining to characteristic features of feudalism.

4. Give definitions to the following:

The King's Court; villein; vassal; manor; follower.

5. Find derivatives of the word "to oppress".

6. Read the text and pick out sentences with the degrees of comparison of adjectives.

Interpretation of the text

1. Divide the text into logically complete parts writing out some topical sentences or two, which cover the general idea of each part (topical sentences ).

2. Look through the text for dates which are important for the general understanding of the text.

3. Answer the questions:

1. In what century was England conquered by the Normans?

2. Who led the Anglo-Saxon troops?

3. Did the Anglo-Saxon win the battle?

4. What did William promise to the Anglo-Saxon nobility?

5. What were the real intentions of William the Conqueror?

6. What completed the establishment of feudalism in England?

7. In what way did many people try to escape the oppression of the Normans?

4. Find facts to explain in what way the establishment of feudalism in England was completed.

Topical conversation

1.Discuss how William the Conqueror became the King of England.

2. Speak on the characteristic feature of feudalism.

Text 4

The formation of centralized state in England

The freed peasants paid the landowners fixed sums of money for the plots of land in their use. But this money was not enough for the feudal lords to build new castles, to compete with one another in magnificence of their clothes, adornments and weapons.

In order to increase their riches the English feudal lords continued the war in France. But the French people drove the invaders out of their country. When the Hundred Years' War was ever, the big feudal lords who commanded the English forces came bade home. They did not disband their troops, which consisted of paid soldiers and vassals, and with their help resumed internecine wars and highway robberies -

in England.

At the king's court the nobles were fighting fiercely for power, for the right to control the royal treasury. Two years after the end of the Hundred Years' War a civil war broke cut is England. The feudal lords were divided into two hostile groups each supported one of the two rivaling aristocratic families that straggled against each other for the throne. In the coat of arms of one of the families there was a red rose and in that of the other a white rose, that's why this war became known as the War of the Roses. As success changed hands, many feudal lords went over from one camp to the other in order to be always on the winning side, People used, to say mockingly that many seigniors want to bad at night as the supporters of the Red Rose to wake up in the morning as the champions of the White Rose.

The war lasted for 30 years and it was waged with extreme cruelty. The relatives of the killed took revenge on the familiar of their enemies, murdering everybody, even children. The atrocities committed by the feudal lords' gangs terrified the population of many towns and villages.

The war came to an end when nearly all the higher nobles were exterminated. Only small groups took part in the last battle on both sides. A distant relative of one of the fighting families, Henry VII the ruder, was the winner. He became the founder of the Tudor dynasty (1465) in England.

The War of the Roses undermined the power of big landlords in England. The new king was supported by smaller feudal lords and rich townspeople. A powerful king could protect the smaller feudal lords from the peasant rebels and defend the interests of the English merchants in their trade with other countries.

Nothing but strong royal power could put an end to the lawlessness of nobility. Henry II (1485-1509) ordered the nobles to disband their troops. With artillery fire he destroyed the castles of the feudal lords who tried to resume the civil war. At the king's order they were executed and their lands included in royal possessions.

Unlike France where the States General were hardly ever called since the end of the 15th century, in England the king continued to call the Parliament. Since most of feudal lords perished in the war, Henry VII introduced into the House of Lords the people whom he trusted. The knights and townspeople - members of the House of commons unquestioningly passed the royal bills. The House of Commons gave the king permission to introduce new taxes to replenish his treasury.

Key words and expressions

to compote with one another соревноваться друг с другом

in magnificence в великолепии

to drive the invaders out of выгнать захватчиков из

to disband troops распускать войска

to resume internecine wars возобновить междоусобные войны

royal treasury королевская казна

rivelling families соперничающиеся семьи

to struggle for the throne бороться за трон

coat –of-arms герб

to say mockingly говорить с насмешкой

extreme cruelty крайняя жестокость

to take revenge on отомстить за

to murder, a murderer убивать, убийца

to be terrified by the atrocities быть напуганным зверствами

to undermine the power подорвать власть

to perish in the war погибнуть на войне

to put an end to the lawlessness покончить с беззаконием

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