The Chronicle of the Norman Conquest Part 3

[Footnote 16:

De Costentin iessi la lance, Ki abati le rei de France.]

[Footnote 17: Maissy, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Bayeux.]

[Footnote 18: Creully, Croleium, or Credolium, in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Caen; celebrated for its castle, and the lords of the name, who also held among others the chateau de Gratot. _Mem. Ant. Norm_. ii. 251.

Thorigny and Creully pa.s.sed with one of Robert Fitz Hamon's daughters to Robert, Earl of Gloucester, natural son of Henry I.]

[Footnote 19: The Chronicle of Normandy says it was Guillesen, uncle of Hamon, who overthrew the king; William of Malmesbury says it was Hamon himself. There is some obscurity in the account of this a.s.sault on the king. The pa.s.sage marked with brackets looks like merely another version of the incident just before related; thus incorporating perhaps the various readings of two MSS. instead of selecting one.]

[Footnote 20: Notre dame d'Esquai is on the banks of the Orne, near Vieux. There is, however, another Esquai, a league from Bayeux.]

[Footnote 21: The Chronicle of Normandy calls him Bardon; Dumoulin says he was nephew to Grimoult. Another MS. reads Hardre.]

[Footnote 22: The Orne.]

[Footnote 23: Allemagne and St. Andre de Fontenay, both in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Caen. There was an abbey of ancient foundation at the latter.]

[Footnote 24: The Chronicle of Normandy reports the same.]

[Footnote 25: Brionne is on the Risle. The castle here described must not be confounded with the one whose remains still exist. There is no vestige of the old castle on the island. See an article on Brionne in _Mem. Ant. Norm_. iv. 415. Ordericus Vitalis says the siege lasted three years.]

[Footnote 26: Burgundy.]

[Footnote 27: The name Salle and Saulz occurs in this district in _Gallia Christiana_. There is a Saulx-mesnil near Valognes, the scene of the treachery planned against William.]

[Footnote 28: The charter of donation to Bayeux is in _Gallia Christiana_, and is dated 1074. Among the witnesses are Robert Fitz Hamon, son of one of the traitors, and Eudo Dupifer, one of Hubert de Rie's sons. The curious inquest of the possessions of the see of Bayeux, (taken temp. Hen. I. and printed in _Mem. Ant. Norm_. vol. viii.) of which the list of Bayeux knights in the Norman Roll of the Red book is only an abridgement, says, in speaking of Grimoult, 'in carcere regis apud Rothomagum mortuus est; et sepultus in cimiterio Sti. Gervasii extra villam; habens adhuc tibias in compedibus ferreis, in signum proditionis, de qua erat ab ipso rege accusatus.' In the roll, which agrees with the inquest, is this entry, 'Feodum Grimundi de Plesseiz erat fdum 8 mil. c.u.m terra de Bougeio et de Danvou, quam Grimundus dederat Willelmo de Albinneio c.u.m sorore sua in maritagio.' Further particulars are given in the inquest, and in the Bull of Eugenius III.

1144, also printed in _Mem. Ant. Norm_. viii. The word 'abbey' is probably only used here by Wace to suit his rhyme; though the Chronicle of Normandy, improving upon the error, says the abbey of Caen. Wace meant to allude to an appropriation of Grimoult's lands among the prebends; and in fact, in the Bayeux inquest, it is stated that Odo created out of them seven prebends; retaining in demesne Plessis, and the forest of Montpincon.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER III.

HOW CANUTE DIED, AND ALFRED FELL BY TREASON; AND HOW EDWARD AFTERWARDS BECAME KING.

He who made the history of the Normans, tells us that in those days[1]

Kenut, who was father of Hardekenut, and had married Emma, the wife of Alred[2], the mother of Edward and of Alfred, died at Winchester.

Hardekenut, during the lifetime of his father, by the advice of his mother Emma, had gone to Denmark, and became king there, and was much honoured. On account of Hardekenut's absence, and by an understanding with her, England fell to Herout[3], a b.a.s.t.a.r.d son of Kenut.

Edward and Alfred heard of Kenut's death, and were much rejoiced; for they expected to have the kingdom, seeing that they were the nearest heirs. So they provided knights and ships, and equipped their fleet; and Edward, having sailed from Barbeflo[4], with forty ships, soon arrived at the port of Hantone, hoping to win the land. But the Englishmen, who were aware that the brothers were coming, would not receive them, nor suffer them to abide in the country. Whether it was that they feared Herout the son of Kenut, or that they liked him best; at any rate they defended the country against Edward; and the Normans on the other hand fought them, taking and killing many, and seizing several of their ships. But the English force increased; men hastened up from all sides, and Edward saw that he could not win his inheritance without a great loss. He beheld the enemy's force fast growing in numbers, and that he should only sacrifice his own men; so fearing that, if taken, he himself might be killed without ransom, he ordered all his people to return to the ships, and took on board the harness. He could do no more this time, so he made his retreat to Barbeflo.

Alfred meantime sailed with a great navy from Wincant[5]; and arriving safely at Dovre, proceeded thence into Kent. Against him came the earl G.o.dwin[6], who was a man of a very low origin. His wife was born in Denmark, and well related among the Danes, and he had Heraut, Guert, and Tosti for his sons. On account of these children, who thus came by a Dane, and were beloved by their countrymen, G.o.dwin loved the Danes, much better in fact than he did the English.

Hearken to the devilry that was now played; to the great treason and felony that were committed! G.o.dwin was a traitor, and he did foul treason; a Judas did he show himself, deceiving and betraying the son of his natural lord,--the heir to the honor (lordship),--even as Judas sold our Lord. He had sainted and kissed him; he had eaten too out of his dish, and had pledged himself to bear faith and loyalty. But at midnight, when Alfred had laid down to rest and slept, G.o.dwin surprised and bound him; and sent him to London to king Herout, who expected him, knowing of the treason. From thence he sent him to Eli, and there put out his eyes and murdered him dishonourably, and by treachery which he dared not to avow. Those too who came with Alfred (hearken to the foul cruelty!) were bound fast and guarded; and taken to Gedefort[7], where all, except every tenth man, lost their heads and died miserably. When the English had numbered them, setting them in rows, they then decimated them, making every tenth man stand on one side, and striking off the heads of the other nine; and when the t.i.the so set apart amounted to a considerable number, it was again decimated, and all that was at last saved was this second t.i.the.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Herout soon after died, and went the way he deserved; whereupon the men of England a.s.sembled to consider about making a king in his place. They feared Edward who was the right heir, on account of the decimation of the Normans, and the murder of his brother Alvred; and at last they agreed to make Hardekenut king of England. So they sent for Hardekenut, the son of Emma and Kenut, and he repaired thither from Denmark, and the clergy crowned him: but he sent for Edward his brother, the son of Emma his mother, and kept him in great honour at his court, and was king over him only in name. Hardekenut was king twelve years, and then fell ill.

He did not languish long, but soon died. His mother lamented over him exceedingly; but it was a great comfort to her that her son Edward was come; and he obtained the kingdom[8], the English finding no other heir who was ent.i.tled to the crown.

Edward was gentle and courteous, and established peace and good laws. He took to wife G.o.dwin's daughter, Edif[9] by name. She was a fair lady, but they had no children between them, and people said that he never consorted with her; but no man saw that there was ever any disagreement between them[10]. He loved the Normans very much, and held them dear, keeping them on familiar terms about him; and loved duke William as a brother or child. Thus peace lasted, and long will last, never I hope to have an end[11].

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Footnote 1: Canute died 12th November, 1035, or four months and a half after Duke Robert; so that Wace here retraces his steps to take up English affairs.]

[Footnote 2: Ethelred, Edward and Alfred are spelt by Wace, Ewart and Alvred.]

[Footnote 3: Harold.]

[Footnote 4: Barfleur. This expedition took place in 1036. Hantone is Hampton, probably Southampton.]

[Footnote 5: This port seems to have been Wissant, between Calais and Boulogne: see _William of_ _Jumieges_ and the _Encomium Emmae_. Alfred went by land to the Boulognese.]

[Footnote 6: Spelt Gwine by _Wace_.]

[Footnote 7: Guildford, in Surrey.]

[Footnote 8: Hardicanute died 10th July, 1042. Edward's conduct to his mother was not consistent with any sense of obligation towards her, nor indeed with his own generally received character. See an anecdote in _Roger Hoveden_, 1043.]

[Footnote 9: Or Editha. 'Sicut spina rosam genuit G.o.dwinus Editham.'

Ingulfs account of her kindness, literary tastes, and liberality, in giving him money, as well as access to the royal larder, may be seen in his chronicle, and is quoted in the collection of Norman historians by _Mascres_. As to her matrimonial position with her husband, Wace's words are

E co alouent la gent, disant Ki charnelment od li ne jut, Ni charnelment ne la conut: Maiz unkes hom ne l'aparcut, Ne mal talent entrels ne fut.

[Footnote 10: Wace seems not aware that Editha, at the time of the disgrace of her family, was stripped of all she had, and sent to a convent.]

[Footnote 11: Wace would appear here to be merely translating some cotemporary chronicle;--perhaps the same, as he begins this part of his story by quoting.]

CHAPTER IV.

THE REVOLT OF WILLIAM OF ARQUES; AND HOW HE AND THE KING OF FRANCE WERE FOILED BY DUKE WILLIAM.

William of Arches was a brave and gallant knight[1], brother to the archbishop Maugier, who loved him well. He was also brother on one side to duke Robert, being the son of Richard and Papie, and uncle of William the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He was versed in many a trick and subtlety, and plotted mischief against the duke, claiming a right of inheritance, inasmuch as he was born in wedlock. On account of his relationship, and to secure his fealty, the duke had given him, as a fief, Arches and Taillou[2]; and he received them and became the duke's man; promising fealty, though he observed it but for a very brief s.p.a.ce of time. To enable him the better to work mischief to his lord, he built a tower above Arches, setting it on the top of the hill[3], with a deep trench around on every side. Then confiding in the strength of his castle, and in his birth in wedlock, and knowing that the king of France had promised to succour him in case of need, he told William he should hold his castle free from all service to him; that he was in wrongful possession of Normandy, being a b.a.s.t.a.r.d and without any t.i.tle of right.

But the duke had now great power; for he was very prudent, and no man is weak who possesses wisdom. He sent for William of Arches, and summoned him to attend, and do his service: but he altogether refused, and defied the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, relying on aid from the king of France. He plundered the country round of provisions and stores of every sort, heeding little whence it came, and thus supplied his castle and tower.