BoAr:FNQ:HerewardXXIII
http://boar.org.uk/ariwxo3FNQsupXXIII.htm Latest edit 25 Oct
2008.
Web page & commentary © 2007 R.J.PENHEY With thanks to the trustees of the
Willoughby Memorial Library
The Bourne Archive
FNQ
This thread begins with the title page
De Gestis Herwardi Saxonis.
XXIII.
Ubi de insula conquassi sunt, et quid fecerunt, et quomodo rex pacificare
cum eis disposuerat nisi sui quique hoc dissuaderent.
Hoc autem eo referente, ecce quidam ex illis militibus quos rex apud foveam1 de Rech
obsidionem facere constituerat, paulo ante superveniens, vix expleto isto
sermone, intulit : Num et vobis hæc incredibilia sunt, aut vana videntur ? hesterna die quippe et nonnullos ex insula egressos vidi, et
tamen non multos, nisi septem militari habitu et procinctu belli insigne
armati, quos omnes monachos esse præter duos qui et militiam sibi sicut cæteri
milites eos bene noverant, asserebant vindicantes, et militis jura exercentes,
injectis flammis in villa quæ [vocatur] de Burewell2, et
mala perpetrare undique, non solum nunc illi, sed et sæpe alii discurrentes.
Quos enim quidam ex nostris numero x. pervenire ante omnes nos qui illuc
obsidionem fecimus, inconsulte nimis accelerantes, eos captare æstimabant, quia
pauciores illi quam [nos]. Tandem erga prædictam foveam utique sibi invicem et
ictu lancearum sese obvios habuere. Et diu dimicantes, nostri omnes tandem
succubuere præter unum insignem militem, Richardus3
nomine, et ex cognomento, nepos vicecomitis videlicet Osberti4, cui
forte uni eorum extra comitatum, Wenochus vocabulo, adhæserat ut eum
expugnaret. His ergo duobus diu dimicantibus cum illi qui de insula egressi
sunt, neutrum eorum prævalere diutius præstolando perciperent, et nos cum
militari agmine eminus appropinquare conspicerent, eos dissociare Herwardus
magister militum5 fecit, et non ab aliquo ei aliquam
vim inferre permisit, indignum dicens esse duos aut tres contra unum præliare,
et de suis hoc se nullatenus fieri velle permittere, sicut a prædicti militis
ore percepimus. Tamen denique ad naves eorum eos usque persequuti sumus, et
unum ex nautis ipsorum jaculo peremimus, et alterum cepimus qui nobis
dignitates eorum recensuit et qui fuerunt peroravit, nomina eorum adjugens,
Herwardus magister militum, Wenochus, Turstanus6
juvenis, qui post Præpositus cognominatus est, Boter de Sancto Edmundo7,
Siwardus, Levricus8, et Acer Durus, quoniam durus erat
ad sustinendum laborem sic cognominatus. Hi vero, licet monachi, præclarissimi
in omni militia fuerunt, et cum Herwardo sæpe in virtute laudis experti et in
tirocinio valde probati. Rex autem quicquam non est loquutus ex his, nec verbum
aliquod boni vel mali intulit, indignum apud se ipsum dicens, viros exprobrare
magnanimiter agentes, aut inimicos ejus ante suos præferre laudibus cogitabat
cum illis pacem facere, insulam natura et præclarissimis viris munitissimam
sciens, et nullo modo eis ingressum et exitum prohibere non posse intelligens.
Verum accersitis magnatibus et consiliariis, eis quod in mente conceperat
exponit, ut faciat cum illis pacem qui in insula sunt, asserens nimis grave
esse tales viros in medio terræ suæ a tergo relinquere quum jam contra
exercitum Danorum ire deberent et postea statim in Normanniam proficisci. Nonnulli
itaque majorum qui aderant et qui magis erant a secretis, hoc audito, confestim
dissuadebant regi ne fieret, quia res eorum multas qui in insula sunt
invaserant, et penitus omnes sibi partes de eorum possessionibus acceperant,
dicentes, Quomodo, si illos qui magis et diutius contra nimis insanierunt
regnum impune dimittitis et ad pacis donum convertere persuadeatis, quum hoc
humiliter et deprecanter non exorant, quum eis jura concessa ; omnes
excellentiam vestram subsannabunt, et taliter in vestro regno operari non
verebuntur. Quibus rex etiam cum ira respondit non se posse expugnare insulam,
nec locum ex virtute Dei naturaliter munitum. Ad quod quidam qui aderat, Ivo
Taelle Bois9 nomine, indignando intulit, Jam vero
ante diu novi etiam quandam vetulam, quæ si adesset, sola arte omnem virtutem
eorum et præsidium contereret, et illos omnes de insula timidos ejiceret :
verumtamen propter hanc se velle mittere asseruit, si rex acquiesceret. Quo
audito confestim omnes qui aderant hoc regi persuadebant, dicentes, non esse
renitendum, sed magis opem ferendum et donis maximis ditandum, si quis arte vel
ingenio seu quolibetcumque modo inimicos domini regis conteret. Rex autem eorum
persuasionibus et verbis obtemperans, anum statim adduci jussit, sed tamen
secrete, ne palam fieret. Ipse postea iterum in circuitu insulæ suum congregare
fecit exercitum ; et valde a foris illam undique munire, per semetipsum
huc atque illuc custodias faciens et obsidionem constituens, ne aliquis de
insula egressus, quid ad expugnationem eorum actitaretur ipsi intelligerent,
unde artem contra molirentur vel ingenium.
The Exploits of Hereward the
Saxon.
What they did when they were disheartened about the Isle,
and how the King was disposed to make peace with them, unless some of his own
men had dissuaded him.
As he was relating
this, one of those soldiers whom the King had appointed to make the blockade at
the dyke at Reach1, coming in a little before, as soon as the
man had finished his story, said : “Are these things
incredible to you ? and do they seem false ? Only
yesterday I saw some men coming from the Isle, not a great number, no more than
seven, in the dress of soldiers, and armed with proper equipments for war, all
of whom except two were manifestly monks, and they were well acquainted with
warfare like the rest of the soldiers, and claimed to exercise the rights of a
soldier, set fire to the town of Burwell2, and inflicted mischief in all directions,
and not only they, but others also, running about. And some of our men, ten in
number, before all of us who were engaged in the blockade, hurrying without
consideration to them, thought to capture them, because they were fewer in
number than ourselves. At length they came up with them by the dyke aforesaid
within distance of throwing lances. after long fighting our men at last
succumbed, except one fine soldier, Richard3
by name, and by surname grandson of the Viscount Osbertus4,
to whom by himself, apart from the main body, a man named Wenochus had stuck
closely, endeavouring to take him. While these were long fighting, and they who
had come out of the Isle waited and could see neither prevailing, and observed
us with a band of soldiers drawing near, Hereward, the leader of the soldiers5, caused them to be separated, and suffered no one
to offer violence to Richard, saying that it was a unworthy thing for two men
or three to be fighting against one, and that he would on no account allow such
a thing to be done by his men ; and this we learn from the mouth of the man
himself. Finally we pursued them to their ships, and we killed one of their
sailors with a javelin, and caught another ; and he recounted to us their
dignities and who they were, adding their names, Hereward the leader of the
soldiers, Wenochus, Turstanus6, a young man, who was afterwards surnamed
Warden, Boter of Saint Edmunds7, Siwardus, Levricus8,
and Acer the Hard, so called because he was hardy in enduring labour.” These
truly, although monks were most distinguished in all military knowledge, and
often with Hereward made trial of valorous deeds and were thoroughly approved
in their training. But the King spake nothing, no word either good or bad,
thinking to himself that it was an unworthy thing to abuse men who acted
valiantly, and yet unwilling to extol his enemies before his own men. But he
contemplated making peace with them, knowing the Isle to be protected both by
nature and by very brave men, and perceiving that he could in no way prevent
their going in and out. And so, summoning the nobles and counsellors, he
explains to them what was in his mind, to make peace with those in the Isle,
declaring that it was too serious a thing to leave such men in the middle of
the land in his rear, when they ought to be marching against the army of the
Danes, and after that to go directly to Normandy. Whereupon some of the elders
who were present, and most intimate with him, hearing this, straightway began
to dissuade the King from his purpose, because those in the Isle had invaded
many of their estates, and had taken to themselves shares of their possessions,
saying, “If you dismiss without punishment those who have long and vigorously
been raging against your rule, and agree to make peace with them without their
begging for it humbly and with prayers, and when rights are granted to them ;
how will all men mock at your superiority, and none will be afraid to act
likewise in your dominion.” To whom the King with anger replied,
that he could not take the Isle, nor any place so naturally by the power of
God. To this one who was present, Ivo Taillebois9
by name, indignantly answered, “I have known for a long time an old woman10
who could, if she were here, by her single skill crush all their valour and all
their defences, and drive them all in alarm out of he Isle.” And he declared
that he was willing to send for her, if the King consented. On hearing this at
once all who were present began to persuade the King to give consent, saying
that they ought not to oppose, but rather assist, and enrich with very great
presents, any one who could by skill, or ability, or
in any way whatever, crush the enemies of the King’s Majesty. And the King,
yielding to their persuasions, immediately ordered the old woman to be brought
to him, but in secret, and that it was not to be done openly. He himself,
afterwards, again made his army to enclose the Isle ; and to guard it from
without everywhere, himself appointing sentinels here and there, and ordering a
blockade, lest any one should come out from the Isle and discover what they
were themselves doing towards taking it, whereby they might contrive some art
or invention against them.
Commentary.
This chapter consists entirely of
information reported from William’s side of the story. Hugo Candidus may have
fabricated it on the basis of subsequent events but by the time he was writing,
things had settled down over several decades and everyone was so to speak, on
the same side. There is no reason to suspect that a more or less informal
report had not come from William’s court via
one or several of Hugo’s informants.
Domesday Book references come from
the
1
↑ Reach
is at grid reference TL5666. It lies at the fenward end of the Devil’s
Ditch,
a very clear, major, artificial boundary across the low, broad ridge of chalk overlain
by glacial till, on which Newmarket Heath lies, between
2 Burwell is at grid reference TL5866: 2
kilometres east of Reach and like Reach, on the fen edge. There are castle
earthworks at TL587660.
3 A Richard is mentioned as being a
sub-owner under the Abbot of Peterborough, of Scotton (SK8899), Lincs (Morris 8,15).
Also under
Other
of Richard’s property is; in Notts, under Roger of Bully, at Perlethorpe
(SK6471) (Morris 9,37):
under Ralph son of Hubert, at Annesley, Notts (Morris 13,11): under Hugh son of
Baldrick, at Cuckney, Notts (Morris 22,2)
In post-conquest Nottinghamshire, Osbern son of Richard
held property formerly owned by Earl Algar (Ælfgar, Hereward’s half brother. (Morris 27) and in the far south-east of
Cambs, Thurstan son of Richard owned property under Robert Gernon, in Camps
(TL6343). These personal names need to be treated with care as there was a
pre-conquest Richard associated with Leofwine at
Eadgifu’s property in Lincs in 1066, was at Denton
(SK8632) (Morris 18,25): East Thorpe (Morris 26,26): Melton Ross (TA0610) (Morris 34,1): Messingham (SE8904) Morris 34,3): Kettleby (Morris 34,8): Grayingham (SK9396) (Morris 34,27): Grimsby (TA2709) (Morris 36,1): Thornton Curtis (TA0817) (Morris 36,2) and Stow St. Mary (SK8881)
(Morris 36,5). The church of this last
place was supported by Leofric, her husband (more danico) and his wife, (more
romano), Godiva. See the Anglo-Saxons
site.
4 In 1086, an
Osbert was a small estate owner in Marston (SK8943), Lincs (Morris 57,35) and East Stoke (SK7549), Notts
(Morris 11,6); perhaps also elsewhere but
not in Cambs (Morris). Both these parishes lie between
Grantham and
5 ↑ One of the
places in the text, where Hereward is clearly described as magister militum.
7 ↑ Bury St Edmunds,
8 Seward
(Chapter V) and Leofric the Deacon (Chapters
I and XIX), we have met before.
9 Ivo
Taillebois was a prominent landholder post-conquest, in
10↑ This is where the witch is introduced to the story. She
seems to give modern people trouble when judging the veracity of the text. It
is hard to know why – these eleventh century people were only a couple of
generations from first giving the new-fangled Christianity credence. A
Scandinavian form of Shamanism will inevitably have been in the
background of their characters.
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