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FNQ: Hereward XXXIV
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edit 30 Nov 2007
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De Gestis Herwardi Saxonis.
XXXIV.
Quomodo cum quodam milite de curia regis pugnavit,
et eum devicit.
Quidam enim e curialibus militum regis animo hoc
indignantes, grave ferebant homines externos et invisos sibi ad tantam gratiam
et honorem apud regiam majestatem sic repente pervenisse, conati sunt illi mala
inferre ; verum cum quodam præclarissimo milite ex collegio suorum, Ogger
nomine, secrete sermonem habuerunt, ut eum ad solitarium bellum invitaret,
scientes nulli homini dextram suam se prohibere velle, proterve vel superbe ab
aliquo provocatus ad pugnam vel ad fortitudinem. Ex hoc enim aliquod remedium
suæ invidiæ fore æstimantes, saltem si denegaret, præsentia regis veriti contra
eum manum erigere, aut potius superari eum a tanto milite peroptantes, quod
statura illo eminentior erat et ex solo intuitu oculorum multo robustior
videbatur. Propeterea concitaverunt in eum quasi indignando proterve provocaret
priusquam factum esset. Cui, dum ista semel et iterum exprobrando loquutus
fuisset, consensit tandem Herwardus. Ad quod ergo utique eminus sub saltu
nemoris statim discesserunt, cum tribus tantum utriusque partis sodalibus sub
sacramento compactis, nullum ex eis alicui eorum auxiliaturum sed tantum
præstolantes si pacificare vellent vel præliare magis eligerent. Et simul
congressi diu dimicabant. At Sæpe interdum Herwardus ut ab inceptis desisterent
admonuit, stultissimum esse tota die pro nihilo pugnare subjugens. Cujus verba ille miles non suscipiens, sed magis ex hoc in semetipso
confidens, æstimat eum illud sæpe repetere timore vel imbecillitate corporis,
aut potius victum se videre cernens. Idcirco quidem magis super eum ac magis
aggressus est, et quod ab eo jam semel et iterum declinare inceperat, unde eum
tandem vana spes delusit. Quod denique ferre non valens Herwardus restitit, et
sicut erat moris illius in bello et certamine in fine semper viriliter
præliare, fortiter contra eum stetit, et non prius destitit, donec eum victum
reddidit, brachio ipsius dextro graviter vulnerato.
The Exploits of Hereward the Saxon.
XXXIV
How he fought with a soldier of the King’s court, and
overcame him.
Now some of the King’s soldiers at his court were
indignant at what had taken place, and felt aggrieved that foreigners and foes
should have so suddenly come to such favour with the King’s Majesty, and
attempted to do Hereward some mischief : so they had a secret conversation with
a very eminent soldier of their company, Ogger by name, and arranged that he
should challenge him to single combat, knowing that he could keep his hand from
no man, if he were wantonly or haughtily provoked to a fight or contest of
courage1. For they thought they would get
some relief to their ill humour, even if he should refuse, as they were afraid
in the King’s presence to lift up a hand against him ; but they much hoped that
he would be overcome by such a soldier, for he was taller than Hereward, and to
one merely looking at his eyes he gave the appearance of being much stronger.
Wherefore they excited against him the aforesaid soldier, that he should
wantonly challenge him to fight, as though he had been insulted : but he was to
do it secretly lest it should be disclosed to the King or his men before the
combat took place. To him at last Hereward consented, after he had repeatedly
abused him. They immediately went to some distance to a grove, accompanied by
three companions only on each side, all bound by oath that no one of them
should assist either, but only standing ready in case they should wish to come
to an agreement, or should rather choose to fight it out. And so they engaged
and fought for a long time. But meanwhile often Hereward recommended him to
desist from his enterprise, adding that it was a most stupid thing to go on
fighting all day for nothing. But the soldier paid no attention to his words,
but feeling from it the more confidence in himself, as
he supposed Hereward often repeated his advice from fear or from exhaustion, or
rather making sure that he already saw him defeated. And so more and more he
attacked him, and once and again Hereward had begun to give way, upon which a
vain hope deluded him. But at last Hereward, unable to bear it, made a stand,
and, as his custom was in war and in single contest always to fight manfully to
the end, he stood up bravely against him, and did not desist until he had
conquered him, his own right arm being severely wounded2.
Commentary.
1. The challenger was one Ogger. It can
hardly be chance that the Domesday Book records the main land-holder in Bourne,
in 1086 as Odger the Breton. (Morris
42,1-6) Leofric Deacon will have known this: perhaps
he was lying about the challenge or challenger but why?
2. Apart from ‘scars that betoken some
slight wounds’ in Chapter X, this is the first time that mention is made of
Hereward’s having sustained an injury but it is not clear that it was Hereward’s
arm which was injured. The text refers to injury ‘to the right arm of himself’,
brachio ipsius dextro. But the last
person mentioned before this was Ogger. It could be that Hereward’s opponent
has sustained the injury and the phrase is included by way of explaining his
submission.
By translating the last sentence again and leaving it
in its Latin idiom we may be able to sort it out.
Quod because denique in short ferre
by hardness non valens it is not
effective Herwardus Hereward restitit hesitated, et sicut and as erat was moris illius his custom in
bello in war et certamine in contest in
fine in the limit semper always viriliter manly
præliare [This may be a misprint of præligare,
to bind up. Præligatus means obdurate
(Langenscheidt).], fortiter firmly contra facing eum him stetit he stood, et non prius and not first destitit he left off, donec while eum to
him victum being overcome reddidit he granted, brachio ipsius dextro the right arm of himself graviter vulnerato severely wounded.
Put into an English idiom, that might be: ‘In short, because being hard (or inflexible) is not effective, Hereward hesitated and as it was his custom, in war and in contest, when pressed to it, to ?gird up, he stood firmly up to his
opponent and was not the first to
leave
off ; his opponent acknowledging
defeat, his right arm being
severely wounded’.