Part 3 (1/2)
[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 s.h.i.+ps, and equipped their fleet; and Edward, having sailed from Barbeflo[4], with forty s.h.i.+ps, 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 s.h.i.+ps. 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 s.h.i.+ps, 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.