BoAr:FNQ:HerewardXXVII

http:// boar.org.uk/ariwxo3FNQsupXXVII.htm                     Latest edit 5 Oct 2007.   

Web page © 2006 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.

XXVII.

Ubi Herwardus sic coarctatus est quod propriis manibus suum optimum equum occiderit, et quomodo porro exercitum quinque provinciarum devicerit.

In prędicto mare nunc Herwardus a gravi persequutione commoratus, a comprovincialibus et a quibusdam regalibus graviter obsessus est, ubi sic coarctatus est quod propriis manibus suum optimum equum de seipso desperans occiderat, ne aliquis imperfectus gloriaretur se adquivisse equum Herwardi.  Ac denique de isto periculo tandem cum suis profugam evadens, in Brunneswald transivit, et similiter in magnis silvis Northamtunę exhabitavit, terram igne et ferro devastans.  Qua de re denique ex jussu regis coacto simul exercitu istarum novem provinciarum, Northamtunę, Cantebrigię, Lincolnię, Holandię, Leycestrę, Huntedunię, et de Warwic, qui aggressi sunt pariter statuto die cum militari agmine capere Herwardum et suos, undique in silvis juxta Burch eum requirentes, ubi tunc temporis commoratus est, et ibi vallatus hostibus quum effugere manum eorum omnio tempus non haberet, in remotioribus partibus silvarum provincię ipsius hinc inde decessit, expectans suos et amicos, pro quibus ad auxilium suum miserat.  Interim ergo transverso modo pedibus equorum suorum ferrum fecit imponere, ut [non] perciperetur e vestigio eorum ubi pergere vellent aut ubi essent.  Hoc etiam amicis et commilitonibus mandavit pro quibus tunc miserat, ut sic facerent.  Quibus quidem unus post unum prout poterant venientibus, quum jam Herwardus intellexisset amplius non esse locum divertendi, quod bellum imminebat ei in circuitu, bonum ei visum est inire contra eos modicum certamen ad persequendum eos a tergo vel ante aut a latere eorum, antequam pręparentur ad bellum quum jam centum electi milites essent et ducenti robustissimi viri cum eo, pręter balistarios paucos et sagittarios.  Habebat enim tunc Herwardus illis diebus forte multos tam ex alienigenis quam ex provincialibus qui ad eum propter exercendam militiam venerant et in ea instruendi, relictis etiam dominis et amicis audita fama suorum confugerant, et nonnullis ex eis regis curialibus, ut experirentur an forte vera essent quę de eo audierant, ex fide et sacramento ab Herwardo tamen caute susceptis.  Nam maxima multitudo militum et peditum illarum provinciarum ibi erat, et Turoldus abbas de Burch et Ivo Taillebois ducebant exercitum regis ut omnes neci traderent. Tum Herwardus et sui ob multitudinem non exterriti, et licet undique graviter obsessi, pręparaverunt se et omnes suos sagitarios et balistarios inter arbores statuentes absconderunt, et telis prosequentes desuper clam inter robora lignorum statuerunt ut subtus bellantes in his protegerentur et sic defensarent, ne nimis super illos multimode irruentes ferre manus eorum non possent.  Ipsi vero sub saltu nemoris eminus progressi sunt in protectione sagittariorum suorum, Herwardo semper et ad cuncta pręeunte.  Quem statim sequebatur Rahenaldus dapifer de Rameseia et ad cuncta signifer ejusdem collega exercitus, aliique pręclarissimi milites a dextris et a sinistris directi consortiti, quorum enim pręclarissimorum nomina et virtutem in tam pręclaro certamine contra tantos pauci ob memoriam dignum duximus memorari.  Horum igitur primus et recte in militia et virtute animi prior habendus quidam Winter nomine a sinistro latere erat.  Hi igitur non inconsulte super equos in primis ad percutiendum egressi essent.  At in expeditione belli dum illi nimis confidentes dissociati contra in eos irruerent, primam aciem perforarunt et multos percusserunt, et sic in silvas suas damno peracto sicut in pręsidio revertentes, ne nimis super eos aggressi ferre multitudinem eorum nequirent. Tamen e vestigio ad eundem illi conversi pede tenus, sic tota die alio modo semper multoties egredientes et regredientes innumerabiles persequuti sunt, suis eos desuper telis semper protegentibus et in reversione conservantibus bene, dum valde usque ad nonam sic laborarent, equi adversariorum suorum et togati milites nimis lacesserentur, in fuga sequentes eos et armati tota die expectarent egressuros, castra tandem ab obsidione diverterunt.  In quos enim statim Herwardus cum suis omnibus uno impetu a tergo eorum veniens magnum certamen inierunt, ex quibus nonnullos quidem et majores quinque acceperunt et captos tenuerunt.  Inter quos prędictus Abbas de Burch captus est et alii pręclarissimi.  Qui vero ex adverso erant, hoc intelligentes debellare eos cessarunt, licet pariter congressi essent, ne illos quos acceperant male tractarent vel occiderent.  Adhuc quidem progressionis eorum ad pugnam ut supra modum contexuimus, ultimum certamen major plaga est facta in adversariis et cędes non minima, quo fessi valde erant a labore, et a suis castris dissociati jam reclinare inceperant.

The Exploits of Hereward the Saxon.

XXVII

How Hereward was reduced to such straits that he slew with his own hands his excellent horse : and how next he overcame the army of five provinces.

Hereward, after a period of freedom from severe pursuit in the aforesaid sea, was urgently besieged by some of his own province and of the King’s men, and reduced to such straits that in despair he slew with his own hands his excellent horse, so that no man of lower rank1 should boast that he had got Hereward’s horse. At last he escaped with his men from this peril, and passed over into Brunneswald2 ; and in like manner went on to dwell in the great woods of Northamptonshire3, laying the land waste with fire and sword. Wherefore at last by the King’s command an army was collected from these nine* provinces, Northampton, Cambridge, Lincoln, Holland, Leicester, Huntingdon, and Warwick, which all together on an appointed day with a host of soldiers attempted to take Hereward and his men, searching for him all about the woods near Bourne4, where at the time he was staying. Hereward, surrounded by his enemies, when he had no opportunity of escaping their hands, moved about from place to place in the more remote parts of that district, awaiting the arrival of his men and the friends for whom he had sent to help him. Meanwhile he caused the shoes on his horses’ feet to be reversed5, so that it could not be discovered from their track where they were going or where they were. He gave instructions also to his friends and fellow soldiers for whom he had just sent, to do the same. His friends having arrived one by one as they were able, when now Hereward had seen that there was no place to turn to, because war was close upon him all around, it seemed good to him to make an attack upon the enemy with a small number, either in their rear or van, or flank, before they could be prepared for fighting, since now there were with him a hundred picked soldiers, and two hundred very sturdy men, besides a few slingers and archers. For as it happened Hereward in those days had several men both foreigners and natives, who came to him for military training, and who, in order to be instructed in warfare, had left their masters and friends and betaken themselves to Hereward on hearing the fame of his men : and some men came even from the King’s own courtiers, to find out if what they had heard of him could perchance be true ; but Hereward received these with great caution, and imposed an oath of fidelity. For there was there a very great multitude of soldiers and foot-soldiers of those provinces ; and Turoldus, Abbot of Burgh, and Ivo Taillebois were leading the King’s army, so as to kill them all. Then Hereward and his men, not alarmed at their numbers, and notwithstanding that they were grievously beset on all sides, got themselves ready, and concealed all their archers and slingers among the trees, discharging their weapons from above, and secretly stationed themselves among the trunks of the trees, that when fighting below they might be protected by them and so make a defence, lest they should be unable to endure the onset when the violent rush was made upon them.** And so they advanced from cover of the thicket under the protection of their archers, Hereward in everything always leading the way. Immediately after him came Rahenaldus, steward of Ramsey, who always acted as standard-bearer in Hereward’s army, and other most renowned soldiers had positions given on right and left : the names of which most renowned men, and their valour in so famous a contest, in memory of what a few achieved against so many, we think it proper to record. The first then of them, and rightly held first both in knowledge of warfare and in courage, a man named Winter, was on the left side. These had gone forth on horseback not inconsiderately, to take the lead in the attack. But in the enterprise while they, becoming separated from the rest, were making a rush upon the enemy, they broke through their first line, and slew many ; and so, having inflicted some damage, returned to the woods for cover, for fear they should be unable to withstand the host of the enemy, if they attacked in force. But still after a time they retraced their steps and returned, and so all day long over and over again they came out and went back gain, attacking great numbers of the enemy, their own friends protecting them with their weapons hurled from above, and securing their safety when they retreated.6 While they thus strove up to the ninth hour, the horses of their adversaries as well as the soldiers in uniform were exceedingly provoked, pursuing them as they fled and waiting in arms all day long for them to come out ; until at last they withdrew from blockading the camp. And then immediately Hereward with all his men came upon them from the rear in one rush, and came to a severe engagement, and of the enemy they captured some, including five men of great importance, and kept them as prisoners. Among these the aforesaid Abbot of Burgh was captured, as well as others of the greatest renown. The adversaries, seeing this, ceased fighting, although they had got to close quarters, for fear they would illtreat or even slay those whom they had captured. We have previously described the extraordinary progress of their fighting : this last engagement proved a great blow and no small destruction on the adversaries, and they were utterly worn out with it and the fatigue, and being at a distance from their camp now began to make their way back to it.

Commentary

*        [Sweeting’s note] Novem: but only seven are named.

**      [Sweeting’s note] Grammatical construction in the Latin quite hopeless.

1.       An indication of Hereward’s rank, therefore by implication, of his father’s. An outlaw may acquire notoriety, loyalty or affection, even power but he does not acquire social rank of the kind implied here. So far as he has it, he had it before his outlawry.

2.       In upland Northamptonshire, between the rivers Ouse and Nene.

3.       Brunneswald (Bromswold) and Rockingham Forest, the latter, between the Nene and Welland in upland Northamptonshire.

4.       The Latin says Burch, which elsewhere in this text and others, means [Peter]borough.

5.       An oft-quoted trick which would not have fooled a half-competent tracker for a moment. It would not in the least, have helped the horse, though.

6.       Though the term was not coined until the early nineteenth century, this is typical guerrilla warfare, used by weak forces against strong, particularly where the weaker side has local support.

Contents                Chapter XXVIII