The Chronicle of the Norman Conquest Part 13

[Footnote 8: ROGER, son of Hugh de Montgomeri. He was lord of Montgomeri, in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Lisieux; of Alencon and of Bellesme, in right of his wife Mabel; he became earl of Shrewsbury, of Chichester and Arundel, and died 1094. See _Introd. Domesday_, i. 479.

According to _Ordericus Vitalis_, A.D. 1067, Roger remained in Normandy during the expedition.]

[Footnote 9: Lord of Breteuil; seneschal of the duke as has been before mentioned.]

[Footnote 10: Poix in Picardy, and Boulogne-sur-mer. Wace seems to omit EUSTACE OF BOULOGNE, conspicuous in other historians. AIMERI was viscount of Thouars.]

[Footnote 11: 'Soldeiers' is used by _Wace_ in its strict sense, of men serving merely for hire.]

[Footnote 12: 'Gueldon,' as before.]

[Footnote 13: 'Chapels,' perhaps hoods.]

[Footnote 14: 'Panels.']

[Footnote 15: 'Gambais.' See before, page 22, as to cognizances and banners.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XVIII.

HOW THE MEN OF ENGLAND MADE READY, AND WHO THEY WERE.

Harold had summoned his men, earls, barons, and vava.s.sors, from the castles and the cities; from the ports, the villages, and boroughs. The villains were also called together from the villages, bearing such arms as they found; clubs and great picks, iron forks and stakes. The English had enclosed the field where Harold was with his friends, and the barons of the country whom he had summoned and called together. Those of London had come at once, and those of Kent, of Herfort, and of Essesse; those of Suree and Sussesse, of St. Edmund and Sufoc; of Norwis and Norfoc; of Cantorbierre and Stanfort; Bedefort and Hundetone[1] The men of Northanton also came; and those of Eurowic and Bokinkeham, of Bed and Notinkeham, Lindesie and Nichole. There came also from the west all who heard the summons; and very many were to be seen coming from Salebiere and Dorset, from Bat and from Sumerset. Many came too from about Glocestre, and many from Wirecestre, from Wincestre, Hontesire, and Brichesire; and many more from other counties that we have not named, and cannot indeed recount. All who could bear arms, and had learnt the news of the duke's arrival, came to defend the land. But none came from beyond Humbre, for they had other business upon their hands; the Danes and Tosti having much damaged and weakened them.

Harold knew that the Normans would come and attack him hand to hand: so he had early enclosed the field in which he placed his men. He made them arm early, and range themselves for the battle; he himself having put on arms and equipments that became such a lord. The duke, he said, ought to seek him, as he wanted to conquer England; and it became him to abide the attack, who had to defend the land. He commanded his people, and counselled his barons to keep themselves all together, and defend themselves in a body; for if they once separated, they would with difficulty recover themselves. "The Normans," said he, "are good va.s.sals[2], valiant on foot and on horseback; good knights are they on horseback, and well used to battle; all is lost if they once penetrate our ranks. They have brought long lances and swords, but you have pointed lances and keen edged bills[3]; and I do not expect that their arms can stand against yours. Cleave whenever you can; it will be ill done if you spare aught."

Harold had many and brave men that came from all quarters in great numbers; but a mult.i.tude of men is of little worth, if the favour of Heaven is wanting. Many and many have since said, that Harold had but a small force, and that he fell on that account. But many others say, and so do I, that he and the duke had man for man. The men of the duke were not more numerous; but he had certainly more barons, and the men were better. He had plenty of good knights, and great plenty of good archers.

The English peasants[4] carried hatchets[5], and keen edged bills[6].

They had built up a fence before them with their shields, and with ash and other wood; and had well joined and wattled in the whole work, so as not to leave even a crevice; and thus they had a barricade in their front, through which any Norman who would attack them must first pa.s.s.

Being covered in this way by their shields and barricades, their aim was to defend themselves; and if they had remained steady for that purpose, they would not have been conquered that day; for every Norman who made his way in, lost his life in dishonour, either by hatchet or bill, by club or other weapon. They wore short[7] and close hauberks, and helmets that over hung their garments[8].

King Harold issued orders and made proclamation round, that all should be ranged with their faces toward the enemy; and that no one should move from where he was; so that whoever came might find them ready; and that whatever any one, be he Norman or other, should do, each should do his best to defend his own place. Then he ordered the men of Kent to go where the Normans were likely to make the attack; for they say that the men of Kent are ent.i.tled to strike first; and that whenever the king goes to battle, the first blow belongs to them. The right of the men of London is to guard the king's body, to place themselves around him, and to guard his standard; and they were accordingly placed by the standard, to watch and defend it.

When Harold had made all ready, and given his orders, he came into the midst of the English, and dismounted by the side of the standard, Leofwin and Gurth, his brothers, were with him; and around him he had barons enough, as he stood by his gonfanon, which was in truth a n.o.ble one, sparkling with gold and precious stones. After the victory William sent it to the apostle, to prove and commemorate his great conquest and glory. The English stood in close ranks, ready and eager for the fight; and they had moreover made a fosse, which went across the field, guarding one side of their army[9].

[Footnote 1: Huntingdon. When Wace's orthography is peculiar, we follow it. For _Bed_, which seems a repet.i.tion of Bedford, M. de la Rue's MS.

reads _Bedi_. Eurowic is York; Nichol--Lincoln; Salebiere--Salisbury; Bat--Bath; Hontesire--Hampshire; Brichesire--Berkshire.]

[Footnote 2: 'Va.s.sal.']

[Footnote 3: 'Gisarmes.' "Wace mentions the gisarme as an exceedingly destructive weapon, used by the Saxons at the battle of Hastings: but by the Gisarme he evidently means the 'byl,' to which he gives a Norman name:"--see _Hist. of British costume_, 1834, page 33. The Saxons used also the bipennis, or 'twy-byl.' The bill was an axe with long handle.

Benoit mentions 'haches Danoises,' which probably were the double axes.

See also Maseres's note on _William of Poitiers_, 129. Wace afterwards says of the hache of an English knight:

Hache noresche out mult bele, Plus de plain pie out l'alemele.]

[Footnote 4: 'Geldon.']

[Footnote 5: 'Haches.']

[Footnote 6: 'Gisarmes.']

[Footnote 7: Even down to the fifteenth century the Normans are said to have called the English 'courts vestus.' See the songs at the end of the _Vaux-de-vires_ of Olivier Ba.s.selin.]

[Footnote 8: This seems further explained afterwards by the description of the English knight's helmet:

Un helme aveit tot fait de fust, Ke colp el chief ne receust; A sez dras l'aveit atachie, Et environ son col lacie.

But the text is often so imperfect, and at such variance from the ordinary rules of Norman French grammar, that it is frequently hard to be certain as to the fidelity of a translation.]

[Footnote 9: _Ordericus Vitalis_ states that the spot where the battle was fought was _anciently_ called SENLAC. That word certainly sounds very like French, and as originating in the blood which flowed there: but his expression has been thought to carry the antiquity of the name, in his opinion at least, much earlier than the date of the battle. We think it right to subjoin Wace's original record of the privileges of the men of Kent and London; as to which see Palgrave's _Rise and progress of the English Common-wealth_, I. ccclxxii.

Kar co dient ke cil de Kent Deivent ferir primierement; U ke li reis auge en estor, Li premier colp deit estre lor.

Cil de Lundres, par dreite fei, Deivent garder li cors li rei; Tut entur li deivent ester, E l'estandart deivent garder.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XIX.

HOW THE THREE NORMAN COMPANIES MOVED ON TO ATTACK THE ENGLISH.

Meanwhile the Normans appeared, advancing over the ridge of a rising ground; and the first division of their troops moved onwards along the hill and across a valley. As they advanced king Harold saw them afar off, and calling to Gurth, said, "Brother, which way are you looking?

See you the duke coining yonder? Our people will have no mischief from the force I see yonder. There are not men enough there to conquer the great force we have in this land. I have four times a hundred thousand armed men, knights and peasants."

"By my faith," answered Gurth, "you have many men; but a great gathering of vilanaille is worth little in battle. You have plenty of men in every day clothes, but I fear the Normans much; for all who have come from over sea are men to be feared. They are all well armed, and come on horseback, and will trample our people under foot; they have many lances and shields, hauberks and helmets; glaives and swords, bows and barbed arrows that are swift, and fly fleeter than the swallow."

"Gurth," said Harold, "be not dismayed, G.o.d can give us sufficient aid, if he so pleases; and there certainly is no need to be alarmed at yonder army."

But while they yet spoke of the Normans they were looking at, another division, still larger, came in sight, close following upon the first; and they wheeled towards another side of the field, forming together as the first body had done. Harold saw and examined them, and pointing them out to Gurth, said to him, "Gurth, our enemies grow; knights come up thickening their ranks; they gather together from all around; I am dismayed, and was never before so troubled: I much fear the result of the battle, and my heart is in great tribulation."

"Harold," said Gurth, "you did ill when you fixed a day for the battle.

I lament that you came, and that you did not remain at London, or at Winchester: but it is now too late; it must be as it is."

"Sire brother," replied Harold, "bygone counsel is little worth; let us defend ourselves as we can; I know no other remedy."

"If," said Gurth, "you had stayed in London, you might have gone thence from town to town, and the duke would never have followed you. He would have feared you and the English, and would have returned or made peace; and thus you would have saved your kingdom. You would not believe me, nor value the advice I gave; you fixed the day of battle, and sought it of your own free will."

"Gurth," said Harold, "I did it for good; I named Sat.u.r.day because I was born on a Sat.u.r.day; and my mother used to tell me that good luck would attend me on that day."