Part 20 (1/2)

Thus they lauded and extolled him greatly, and rejoiced in what they saw; but grieving also for their friends who were slain in the battle.

And the duke stood meanwhile among them, of n.o.ble stature and mien; and rendered thanks to the king of glory, through whom he had the victory; and thanked the knights around him, mourning also frequently for the dead. And he ate and drank among the dead, and made his bed that night upon the field.

The morrow was Sunday; and those who had slept upon the field of battle, keeping watch around, and suffering great fatigue, bestirred themselves at break of day, and sought out and buried such of the bodies of their dead friends as they might find. The n.o.ble ladies of the land also came, some to seek their husbands, and others their fathers, sons, or brothers[9]. They bore the bodies to their villages, and interred them at the churches; and the clerks and priests of the country were ready, and, at the request of their friends, took the bodies that were found, and prepared graves and lay them therein.

King Harold was carried and buried at Varham[10]; but I know not who it was that bore him thither, neither do I know who buried him. Many remained on the field, and many had fled in the night.

[Footnote 1: The enarmes were two thongs, or loops of leather, fixed to the inside of the s.h.i.+eld, by which it was borne on the arm. There was besides a leather strap and buckle, by which the s.h.i.+eld was, when not in use, strung to the warrior's neck. This extra strap was called the guige; and left the bearer the use of both hands, which were necessary when fighting with the battle axe.]

[Footnote 2: L'_Estoire de Seint aedward le Rei_ puts an energetic exhortation into William's mouth at this crisis:

Ke put estre, dist-il, ceste Cuardie, segnurs Normantz, Ki ancesurs avea si grants?

Rois Rou, ki as coups de lance Desc.u.mfist le rei de France, E le mata en mi sa terre, Par force de bataille e guerre; E ducs Richard k'apres li vint, Ki _li diable_ ateint e tint.

E le venquit e le lia.

E vus failliz, forlignez ja!

Sivet moi, ma gent demeine!]

[Footnote 3: _William of Poitiers_ and _William of Malmsbury_ give the following description of this gonfanon or standard: 'Memorabile quoque vexillum Heraldi, hominis armati imaginem intextum habens ex auro purissimo.' 'Vexillum illud ... quod erat in hominis pugnantis figura, auro et lapidibus arte sumptuosa contextum.']

[Footnote 4: _Benoit_ and the author of the _Estoire de Seint aedward_, describe the result of the battle and Harold's fall in a few lines. See appendix.]

[Footnote 5: Some discrepancy has been pointed out between the account here given by Wace and that found in _William of Jumieges_ and _William of Poitiers_. The Latin historians say more as to resistance to the last in the battle. There can, however, hardly be said to be any material variance. The fight being ended, all agree that the English army dispersed and ultimately fled; and what Wace dwells upon seems to have reference to the circ.u.mstances of this final retreat. _Benoit_ says,

Cele occise, cele dolor Tint tant c.u.m point i out deu jor, Ne la nuit ne failli la paine Ci que parut le Diemaine.

--si quide l'om bien e creit Qu'a cinc milliers furent esme Sol eu grant champ del fereiz, Quant qu'il fussent desconfiz Estre l'occise e la martire _Qui fu tute la nuit a tire._]

[Footnote 6: The author of the '_Chronicles of London Bridge_' has missed recording this notice of the early history of that structure; which seems till the reign of Hen. I, to have been of a very fragile character, probably a bridge of boats.]

[Footnote 7: _William of Poitiers_ and _William of Malmsbury_ mention three horses, as killed under William. _William of Poitiers_ states his prowess to have been hailed in songs, as well as verbal applause; 'plausibus et dulcibus cantilenis efferebant.']

[Footnote 8: _William of Jumieges_ makes it the middle of the night, before William returned from the pursuit; though his subsequent expression would rather imply daylight: 'ad aream belli regressus, reperit stragem, quam non absque miseratione conspexit.']

[Footnote 9: Other authority supplies the fact that free leave was given, expressly for the purpose of seeking and interring the dead; see _William of Poitiers_, and _Benoit de Sainte-More_ on the same subject.]

[Footnote 10: WALTHAM ABBEY, founded or restored by Harold. According to _William of Poitiers_, and _Ordericus_, the body was brought to William; and being refused to Ghita, Harold's mother, was committed to William Malet, to be buried on the sea sh.o.r.e. _William of Malmsbury_ has a different account: he says the body was given to Ghita, who bore it to Waltham. Perhaps this and other variations of the story were subsequent inventions, to suppress the dishonourable truth, as to William's revenge. The accounts in _Benoit_, the _Brut_, and _L'Estoire de Seint aedward_, are in our appendix. The story told in the _Waltham MS_. (Cott.

Jul. D. vi.) as to the pious offices of OsG.o.d Cnoppe, and Ailric the childemaister, two of its monks, and the more romantic legend, in Harold's life, (Harl. MS. 3776),--see our appendix,--are both quoted in Palgrave's _History of England_, 1831. As to the Editha brought to OsG.o.d's aid in discerning the body, and as to her being different from 'Eddeva pulchra' of Domesday, see _Introd. Dom_. ii. 79.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XXV.

HOW WILLIAM WAS CROWNED KING; AND HOW HE AT LAST FELL ILL AT ROUEN[1].

[The duke placed a guard in Hastings[2], from the best of his knights, so as to garrison the castle well, and went thence to Romenel[3], to destroy it utterly, because some of his people had arrived there, I know not by what accident, and the false and traitorous had killed them by felony. On that account he was very wroth against them, and grievously punished them for it.

Proceeding thence, he rested no where till he reached Dover, at the strong fort he had ordered to be made at the foot of the hill. The castle on the hill was well garrisoned, and there all the goods of the country round were stored, and all the people had collected. The place being well fortified, and being out of the reach of any engines, they had made ready to defend themselves, and determined to contest the matter with the duke; and it was so well fenced in, and so high, and had so many towers and walls, that it was no easy matter to take it, as long as provisions should last.