The Chronicle of the Norman Conquest Part 14

"He is a fool," said Gurth, "who believes in luck, which no brave man ought to do. No brave man should trust to luck. Every one has his day of death; you say you were born on a Sat.u.r.day, and on that day also you may be killed."

Meanwhile, a fresh company came in sight, covering all the plain; and in the midst of them was raised the gonfanon that came from Rome. Near it was the duke, and the best men and greatest strength of the army were there. The good knights, the good va.s.sals and brave warriors were there; and there were gathered together the gentle barons, the good archers, and the lancemen, whose duty it was to guard the duke, and range themselves around him. The youths and common herd of the camp, whose business was not to join in the battle, but to take care of the harness and stores, moved off towards a rising ground. The priests and the clerks also ascended a hill, there to offer up prayers to G.o.d, and watch the event of the battle.

Harold saw William come, and beheld the field covered with arms, and how the Normans divided into three companies, in order to attack at three places. I know not of which he was most afraid; but his trouble was so great that he could scarcely say, "We are fallen on an evil lot, and I fear much lest we come to shame. The count of Flanders hath betrayed me: I trusted to him, and was a fool for so doing; when he sent me word by letter, and a.s.sured me by messages that William could never collect so great a chivalry. On the faith of his report I delayed my preparations, and now I rue the delay."

Then his brother Gurth drew near, and they placed themselves by the standard; each praying G.o.d to protect them. Around them were their kinsmen, and those barons who were their nearest friends; and they besought all to do their best, seeing that none could now avoid the conflict. Each man had his hauberk on, with his sword girt and his shield at his neck. Great hatchets were also slung at their necks, with which they expected to strike heavy blows. They were on foot in close ranks, and carried themselves right boldly; yet if they had foretold the issue, well might they have bewailed the evil fate--cruel and hard of a truth--that was approaching. OLICROSSE[1] they often cried, and many times repeated G.o.dEMITE[2]. 'Olicrosse' is in English what 'Sainte Croix' is in French, and 'G.o.demite' the same as 'Dex tot poissant' in French.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The Normans brought on the three divisions of their army to attack at different places. They set out in three companies, and in three companies did they fight. The first and second had come up, and then advanced the third, which was the greatest; with that came the duke with his own men, and all moved boldly forward.

As soon as the two armies were in full view of each other, great noise and tumult arose. You might hear the sound of many trumpets, of bugles and of horns; and then you might see men ranging themselves in line, lifting their shields, raising their lances, bending their bows, handling their arrows, ready for a.s.sault and for defence. The English stood steady to their post, the Normans still moving on; and when they drew near, the English were to be seen stirring to and fro; men going and coming; troops ranging themselves in order; some with their colour rising, others turning pale; some making ready their arms, others raising their shields; the brave man rousing himself to the fight, the coward trembling at the approaching danger.

[Footnote 1: Holy cross. M. de la Rue's MS. reads 'Alicrot.']

[Footnote 2: G.o.d Almighty.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XX.

HOW TAILLEFER SANG, AND THE BATTLE BEGAN.

Then Taillefer[1] who sang right well, rode mounted on a swift horse before the duke, singing of Karlemaine, and of Rollant, of Oliver and the va.s.sals who died in Renchevals[2]. And when they drew nigh to the English, "A boon, sire!" cried Taillefer; "I have long served you, and you owe me for all such service. To-day, so please you, you shall repay it. I ask as my guerdon, and beseech you for it earnestly, that you will allow me to strike the first blow in the battle!"

And the duke answered, "I grant it." Then Taillefer put his horse to a gallop, charging before all the rest, and struck an Englishman dead, driving his lance below the breast into his body, and stretching him upon the ground[3]. Then he drew his sword, and struck another, crying out "Come on! come on! What do ye, sirs? lay on! lay on!" At the second blow he struck, the English pushed forward and surrounded him[4].

Forthwith arose the noise and cry of war, and on either side the people put themselves in motion. The Normans moved on to the a.s.sault, and the English defended themselves well. Some were striking, others urging onwards; all were bold, and cast aside fear.

AND NOW, BEHOLD! THAT BATTLE WAS GATHERED WHEREOF THE FAME IS YET MIGHTY.

Loud and far resounded the bray of the horns; and the shocks of the lances; the mighty strokes of clubs, and the quick clashing of swords.

One while the Englishmen rushed on, another while they fell back; one while the men from over sea charged onwards, and again at other times retreated. The Normans shouted DEX AIE, the English people UT[5]. Then came the cunning manuvres, the rude shocks and strokes of the lance and blows of the sword, among the Serjeants and soldiers, both English and Norman. When the English fall, the Normans shout. Each side taunts and defies the other, yet neither knoweth what the other saith; and the Normans say the English bark, because they understand not their speech.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Some wax strong, others weak; the brave exult, but the cowards tremble, as men who are sore dismayed. The Normans press on the a.s.sault, and the English defend their post well; they pierce the hauberks, and cleave the shields; receive and return mighty blows. Again some press forwards; others yield, and thus in various ways the struggle proceeds.

In the plain was a fosse[6], which the Normans had now behind them, having pa.s.sed it in the fight without regarding it. But the English charged and drove the Normans before them, till they made them fall back upon this fosse, overthrowing into it horses and men. Many were to be seen falling therein, rolling one over the other, with their faces to the earth, and unable to rise. Many of the English also, whom the Normans drew down along with them, died there. At no time during the day's battle did so many Normans die, as perished in that fosse. So those said who saw the dead.

The varlets who were set to guard the harness began to abandon it, as they saw the loss of the Frenchmen, when thrown back upon the fosse without power to recover themselves. Being greatly alarmed at seeing the difficulty in restoring order, they began to quit the harness, and sought around, not knowing where to find shelter. Then Odo, the good priest, the bishop of Bayeux, galloped up, and said to them, "Stand fast! stand fast! be quiet and move not! fear nothing, for if G.o.d please, we shall conquer yet." So they took courage, and rested where they were; and Odo returned galloping back to where the battle was most fierce, and was of great service on that day. He had put a hauberk on, over a white aube; wide in the body, with the sleeve tight; and sat on a white horse, so that all might recognise him. In his hand he held a mace, and wherever he saw most need, he led up and stationed the knights, and often urged them on to a.s.sault and strike the enemy.

[Footnote 1: Bishop Guy, in his _Carmen de bello Hastingensi_, thus describes Taillefer,

'INCISOR FERRI mimus cognomine dictus.'

He is there also called 'histrio,' but his singing is not mentioned.

'Hortatur Gallos verbis, et irritat Anglos; Alte projiciens ludit et ense suo,'

An Englishman starts out of the ranks to attack him, but is slain by the 'incisor ferri,' who thus

'--belli principium monstrat et esse suum.'

Nothing is said as to his fate, which Wace also pa.s.ses over.]

[Footnote 2: It has been contended that Wace misunderstood Taillefer's song, which the Latin historians call 'Cantilena Rollandi;' and it has been further conjectured that what was meant was a song of Rollo, or possibly of Rognavald his father; that out of this latter name the French minstrels formed Rolland; and that Wace confounded him with Charlemagne's Paladin. See Sharon Turner's _History of England_; the Abbe de la Rue's late work, vol. i. 143; and M. Michel's _Examen critique du roman de Berte aux grans pies_, Paris, 1832. We must refer the reader to these authorities on the controversy. The probability we must say, however, appears to us to be, that the minstrelsy selected by a French jugleor, to stimulate the army, (great part of which was, in fact, strictly French,) would be French, both in subject and language.

Wace perfectly well knew the race of jogleors and their themes, which he quotes; as in the case of William Longue-espee, of whose deeds he says, 'a jogleors o en m'effance chanter.']

[Footnote 3: It has been remarked, as somewhat singular, that Wace should omit a circ.u.mstance calculated to add to the poetic effect of his story; namely, Taillefer's slight of hand exhibition, related by other historians as having been played off by him in front of the two armies.

Perhaps Wace's abstinence, in this and other cases which might be noticed, (after his history reaches the boundary of more authentic evidence than his earlier chronicle had had to deal with), is in favour of his credibility, under circ.u.mstances where he had the means of obtaining accurate information.]

[Footnote 4: What _Benoit de Sainte-More_ says on the subject of Taillefer's exploit will be found in our appendix, _Gaimar's_ account, which will be found there also, is blended in the English paraphrase given in the _Archaeiologia,_ vol. xii. which is a compound of the two chroniclers.]

[Footnote 5: OUT, In the MS. of the British Museum, a letter has evidently been erased before 'ut,' the present reading. An addition to the text, which is found in the MS. 6987 of the Bib. Royale at Paris, seems to determine what word is meant:

Cou est l'ensegne que jou di Quant Engles saient _hors_ a cri.]

[Footnote 6: Though the details vary much, all the historians attribute great loss to circ.u.mstances of this sort. _William of Poitiers_ distinguishes,--and perhaps Wace also meant to do so,--between the fosse which guarded the English camp, and other fosses into which the Normans fell in the pursuit. The _Chronicle_ of Battle Abbey (MS. Cott. Dom.

ii.), speaking of the princ.i.p.al fosse, says 'quod quidem baratrum, sort.i.to ex accidenti vocabulo, _Malfossed_ hodieque nuncupatur.'

_Benoit_ attributes great loss to a report of William's fall, whereupon he,

Son chef desarme en la bataille E del heaume e de la ventaille.

Count Eustace is here introduced by _Benoit_ as strongly exhorting the duke to escape from the field, considering the battle as lost beyond recovery. He however rallies his men, and triumphs over the English, whose ranks had broken in the pursuit. No stratagem in this respect is noticed by _Benoit._]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XXI.

HOW THE ARCHERS SMOTE HAROLD'S EYE; AND WHAT STRATAGEM THE NORMANS USED.

From nine o'clock in the morning, when the combat began, till three o'clock came, the battle was up and down, this way and that, and no one knew who would conquer and win the land[1]. Both sides stood so firm and fought so well, that no one could guess which would prevail. The Norman archers with their bows shot thickly upon the English; but they covered themselves with their shields, so that the arrows could not reach their bodies, nor do any mischief, how true soever was their aim, or however well they shot. Then the Normans determined to shoot their arrows upwards into the air, so that they might fall on their enemies' heads, and strike their faces. The archers adopted this scheme, and shot up into the air towards the English; and the arrows in falling struck their heads and faces, and put out the eyes of many; and all feared to open their eyes, or leave their faces unguarded.

The arrows now flew thicker than rain before the wind; fast sped the shafts that the English call 'wibetes'[2]. Then it was that an arrow, that had been thus shot upwards, struck Harold above his right eye, and put it out. In his agony he drew the arrow and threw it away, breaking it with his hands: and the pain to his head was so great, that he leaned upon his shield. So the English were wont to say, and still say to the French, that the arrow was well shot which was so sent up against their king; and that the archer won them great glory, who thus put out Harold's eye.

The Normans saw that the English defended themselves well, and were so strong in their position that they could do little against them. So they consulted together privily, and arranged to draw off, and pretend to flee, till the English should pursue and scatter themselves over the field; for they saw that if they could once get their enemies to break their ranks, they might be attacked and discomfited much more easily. As they had said, so they did. The Normans by little and little fled, the English following them. As the one fell back, the other pressed after; and when the Frenchmen retreated, the English thought and cried out, that the men of France fled, and would never return.