BoAr:FNQ:HerewardXXIV
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De Gestis Herwardi Saxonis.
XXIV.
Quomodo Herwardus figulum se finxit ad regis curiam pergens, ut
ibi exploraret quid circa illos agere vellent, et quosque delusit et nonnullos
in curia regis occidit, incolumis reversus.
His itigur ita a rege ordinatis, sic insula de foris
munita est, unde eis penitus omnis denegata est ingressionis facultas et
egressionis libertas, quod eis inopinabile detrimentum doloris et timoris pene
erat, nescientes quid contra illos actituri essent, vel modum
expugnationis, quoniam novum debellandi
genus regem didicisse circa eos audierunt. Qua de re inierunt consilium,
aliquem ullo modo foras ad explorandum mittere debere. Nec ullum penitus idoneum invenientes, Herwardo
tandem bonum visum est per se ad explorandum aut peregre proficisci, vel mutato
habitu ire, licet multum renitentes omnes huic voluntati ejus resisterent. Ac denique profectus est, assumpta tamen secum
sua equa Anglece Hyrundo vocata, quæ semper marcida erat et deformis aspectu,
de qua superius et quantæ velocitatis ipsa fuerit retulimus, et quantum ad
sustinendum laborem agilis. Egressus
autem habitum mutavit, tonso crine et barba, lubricaque veste indutus, et obvio
facto figulo, ollas illius accepit1 et figulum se finxit, ad regis curiam apud Brandune tendens. Quo
perveniens nocte eadem, forte illo ad domum cujusdam viduæ pernoctatus, ubi
illa venefica mulier de qua superius mentionem fecimus hospitata est, quæ ad
internecionem illorum qui in insula sunt fuit adducta. Illuc vero nocte eadem Herwardus etiam illas
colloquentes sibi invicem Romana linqua2 audivit, quomodo ad
debellandum insulam artem vacare deberent, rusticum illum æstimantes, et
inscium loquutionis. Porro in medio
noctis silentio illas ad fontes aquarum in orientem affluentes juxta portum3 domus etiam egressas
Herwardus percepit, quas statim sequutus est, ubi eas eminus colloquentes
audivit, nescio a quo custode fontium responsa et interrogantes et sui
expectantes in reversione denique pertinere illas satagebat, sed ejus conaminis
diuturna prævenit mora ut majora semper et plus auderet. Summo autem mane exinde, assumptis ollis,
Herwardus discessit, circumquaque penes curiam regis vagando clamabat more
figulorum Anglica lingua, Ollæ! Bonæ ollæ et urnæ! omnia
hæc fictilia vasa peroptima! Interea
quippe a ministris in coquinam regis adductus est, ut
ollas emerent. At quidam de præpositis
villæ forte superveniens, viso illo statim intulit, nunquam se vidisse virum
sic facie Herwardo consimilem nec instar staturam illius, sicut egens
assimilari potest ingenuo et rusticus militi.
Quod quidam audientes venerunt videre virum consimilem Herwardo, unde in
aulam regis inter milites et tyrones adductus est ut eum viderent. Et diligenter intuitus, alii dicebant hominem
tam mediocris staturæ non esse tantæ virtutis et fortitudinis sicut fama de eo
vulgata aliique inquirebant ab ipso si illum nefandum virum Herwardum
agnovisset vel vidisset. Quibus
respondit: Utinam ille vir Belial nunc hic inter nos adesset, mihi præ cunctis
mortalibus infestus, nunc ulciscerer ex eo.
Nam mihi quandam vaccam abstulit et quatuor oves, omnia quæ mihi erant
præter ollas et jumentum, unde huc usque mihi et duobus filiis sustentamentum
vitæ fuit. Interea quippe prandium regis
jussum est præparari, et Herwardus in coquinam recessit. Post prandium nempe
ministri coci et garcones coquinæ cum eis, vinum et siceram ei dabant bibere ut
eum inebriarent, illudentes eum in multis. Tandem madefacti vino, voluerunt ei
coronam radere et barbam ejus eradicare,
et ut ollas suas undique circumpositas ipsemet velata facie confringeret. Qui
eorum illusionibus non obedire volens, unus accersivit et graviter cum
percussit. Cui reconsignato ictu sub aure vicem illi reddidit, unde sicut
exanimis cecidit. Quod videntes socii, in eum omnes cum tridentibus et furcis
insurrexerunt, et arrepto de foco hastile, contra omnes sese protexit, uno
eorum interfecto, plurimisque vulneratis. Quo
facto, statim in palatio patefactum est, unde
apprehensus custodiendum traditur. Dum ergo in custodia esset, rege cum suis ad venabula egresso, quidam e custodibus adveniens, in
una manu compedes detulit, de quibus illum onerari minitatus est, et in alia
deferens gladium ex vagina. Quem statim Herwardus arripuit, et de proprio ense in eum
irruit , unde mortem gustavit, atque aliis ex eo usque
ad interitum propinavit. A quibus
siquidem per hoc liber effectus, per sepes et foveas
extra clam ad superiorem curiam domus descendit, ubi jumentum suum reperit. Quo ascensus, quidam de
pueris regis viso illo vocibus maledicis eum aggressus est, monens sociis ut
eum ministris regis sequi repente facerent, elapsum eum a vinculis asserens.
Cujus objurgantis verba Herwardus non ferens, quum ante illum contra seipsum
offenderet, gladio eum transverberavit. Quo facto multi sequuti sunt eum, sed
omnubus una erat persequutio tardior Herwardo vero fuga efficacior, insulam de
Someresham pertransiens et sic vespertino tempore et in noctu lucescente luna
et matutinali hora in insulam clam destino progressu perveniens. Ex illis
quidem omnibus qui sequuti sunt eum, nullus verbum de eo audierat, nec signum
aliquod viderat, præter unum qui forte ultra ad prædictam silvam4 progressus, ubi repente equus suus fessus succubuit, et ipse vix pedibus
subsistere valuit, super quem fortuitu adveniens Herwardus in terram
recumbentem peue sine anhelitu invenit. Quem statim Herwardus interrogat
quisnam ipse est, et ille, unus ex ministris satellitum regis qui quendam
fugitantem rusticum sequuti sumus a quo hodie unus e pueris regis dolo et
custodes hominis illius perempti sunt. Nam si aliquid audieris et videris, pro
Deo et gratia generositatis tuæ indica mihi. Nunc, inquit ille, quia pro Deo et
gratia generositatis conjurando requiris, scito me ipsum esse quem interrogas.
Et nunc, ut verius me ipsum agnoscas, et verissime te mecum esse loquutum
domino tuo regi asseras, gladium tuum pro signo et lanceam amittes, fidemque
dabis, ut hæc ita illi recenses, si ex vita gaudere peroptas. Ille autem prædictus
servus tandem reversus sicut ex fide promiserat regi peroravit, admirantibus
cunctis de Herwardo et rege etiam eum magnanimum contestante et præclarissimum
militem.
The Exploits of Hereward the Saxon.
XXIV.
How Hereward
dressed up as a potter and went to the King’s court to spy out what they meant
to do ; and how he cheated them, and slew some in the King’s court, and
returned unharmed.
These things being arranged by the King, the Isle was
so guarded from the outside that almost all power of going in or coming out was
stopped ; and this was an unlooked for source of grief and alarm, since they
did not know what the King’s men were going to do against them, nor what plan
of attack was being formed, since they heard that the King had learnt some new
fashion of making war. And so they decided that they ought somehow or other to
send a man outside the Isle to explore. But finding no one quite fit for the
purpose, at last it seemed good to Hereward to go himself in disguise, although
all objected strongly and opposed his decision. And at last he set out, taking
with him his mare called in English Swallow, a creature always lean and ugly in
appearance, whose speed we have described before, and how ready she was to
undergo fatigue. As he went out he changed his dress, cut his hair and beard,
and put on a dirty coat : and, meeting a potter, he took1 his pots, and assuming the character of a
potter made his way to the King’s court at Brandon. Arriving there the same
night, as it happened he spent the night at the house of a widow, where that
witch, of whom we have made mention above, dwelt, the witch who was fetched to
destroy the men of the Isle. There, at night, Hereward heard the women talking
to each other in the Roman language, how they were to contrive to vanquish the
Isle, regarding him as a rustic unacquainted with the language. In the middle
of the night Hereward saw them go out in silence to a spring of water that
flowed towards the east near the garden of the house, so he followed them
immediately, and heard them at a distance conversing, questioning, and getting
replies from some unknown guardian of the spring ; and he was designing to cut
them off as they returned, but their lengthy stay prevented the design, but
left him to undertake more and more magnificent deeds of daring. Next morning
Hereward took up his pots and departed, and roaming all about the King’s court
kept crying out in potter’s fashion, in English, “Pots! pots! good pots and
jars! first class earthenware!” Meanwhile he was taken by some servants into
the King’s kitchen, so that they might buy some pots. But one of the overseers
of the town coming by chance, on seeing him, cried out at once, that he had
never seen a man so like Hereward in face, nor so like him in bearing, as far
as a poor man could resemble a gentleman, or a country labourer a soldier. Some
men hearing this came to look at the man so like Hereward, and so he was taken
into the King’s hall among the soldiers and recruits, for them to see. Looking
intently upon him some said that a man of such moderate height could not be
posessed of so much valour and courage as common report assigned to Hereward ;
while others asked him if he knew or had ever met that scoundrel? To whom he
made answer, “I wish that man of Belial were now here among us, a man hated by
me more than anybody, for now I would wreak my vengeance on him. For he carried
off a cow of mine, and four sheep, and everything I had except my pots and
beast, whereby hitherto I have supported myself and my two sons.” But now the
King’s dinner was to be got ready, and Hereward went back to the kitchen. After
dinner the servants and cooks, and the kitchen-boys with them, offered him wine
and strong drink to make him drunk, and made great fun of him. At last mellowed
with wine, they wanted to shave his head and pull out the hairs of his beard,
and to blindfold him and so make him break his own pots which they put all
about the ground for the purpose. As he was disinclined to submit to their
jests, one man drew near and gave him a severe blow. But he returned the blow
under the ear to such effect that he fell to the ground as it were dead. His companions
seeing this, rose against Hereward with three-pronged forks and pitchforks, so
he seized a brand from the hearth and defended himself against them all,
killing one man and wounding many more. This was forthwith made known in the
palace so that he was apprehended and delivered into custody. While then he was
in custody, the King having just gone out with a hunting party, one of the
keepers came up, bringing fetters in one hand, with which he threatened him to
be loaded, and in the other hand holding an unsheathed sword. At once Hereward
seized him, and fell upon him with his own sword, so that he tasted death ; and
after him Hereward killed several others. And being thus set free from these
people, over hedges and ditches he went down to the upper court of the house,
where he found his beast. As he was mounting, one of the King’s boys saw him
and upbraided him in bad language, giving warning to his companions to pursue
him at once with the servants of the King, declaring that he had escaped out of
chains. Hereward could not put up with his scolding words, and when he put
himself in his way struck him through with his sword. Whereupon many pursued
him, but the pursuit of all was too slow, and the flight of Hereward too fast ;
and passing through the
Commentary.
The only person to have witnessed the events of this
chapter in their near entirety was Hereward, himself. The report can therefore
best be accounted for as having been told by him to Leofric the Deacon, who
then put it into the third person. Details like King William’s admiration may
have come from this source – modesty is not mentioned as one of Hereward’s
virtues but in the likely event that the story was compiled significantly
later; sources from the king’s court could have added that information.
1. ↑ The translation of accepit
as ‘he took’ gives an impression of possible robbery. The word could equally
well, perhaps better, be translated as ‘he received’, ‘he got’ or ‘he
accepted’. But accipio also means ‘I
treat or deal with’. In other words, we could be considering the negotiation of
a purchase rather than a theft. This
would leave a less harsh impression on the reader’s mind. (Langenscheidt)
The word used by the Liber Eliensis at this point is suscipio: ‘quas suscipiens ab
eo, tulit eas in umeris suis’. (Fairweather footnote
513) In this case, the meanings given by Langenscheidt include ‘to take’ but are generally of a gentle nature.
This is the chapter in which his
Though sturdy, Hereward was not a large man (Chapter II), neither was he
equipped on this occasion, with a soldier’s arms or mail, except to the extent
that he may have carried his opponent’s sword with him. His pots were left behind. The mare was therefore,
not especially burdened. The only question lies in how or whether he got mare
and saddle together. A poor potter will not have had grooms rushing to attend
to his mount, so she was probably left saddled. She had been left from fairly
early morning to early afternoon. Presumably, she had found some forage.
It seems that Hereward knew or thought, that the
blockade would prevent his entry by a more direct and obvious route so he went
past the Isle and doubled back hoping that, early in the morning, William’s
guard on this unexpected route would be less alert and beyond the timely reach
of messengers warning of his escape. The route into the Isle from Somersham is
not one we would think of today, as it is blocked by
the Bedford Rivers
but these are a feature from the seventeenth century. On the western extremity
of the Isle, the road through Sutton is certainly, still directed toward
Somersham until redirected by the
Chapters XXIII and XXIV are paralleled in Liber
Eliensis Book 2, chapter 106 (Fairweather), though the
night ride is there, glossed over. Hereward’s indirect
route back into the Isle from
2. ↑ A printer’s
error which should read lingua.
3. ↑ A printer’s
error which should read hortum
(garden).
4. ↑ The ‘aforesaid wood’ adequately translates prædictam silvam but a wood had not been mentioned earlier. Ultra ad prædictam silvam might be better translated as ‘beyond the aforesaid wood’. This is an example of ultra and the noun in the accusative case. See Commentary, Chapter III. On this occasion though, it does not tell us much of use.