Bourne Archive: FNQ: Hereward XXXIV
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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 1. 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. Propterea concitaverunt in eum quasi indignando proterve provocaret priusquam factum esset. 2 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 3.
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 courage 1.
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.2 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 wounded 3.
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. The
translation from the colon to this point is not represented in the printed version
of Miller’s transcription of the Latin text.
3. 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. Here ipsius would normally be taken as
referring to Hereward, the subject of the sentence, as Sweeting has done. But
Medieval Latin is very often indiscriminate in its use of demonstrative
pronouns and so it is commonly difficult (not to say impossible) to be sure who
or what is referred to. Here ‘ipsius’ is best taken as referring to ‘eum’ i.e. Ogger, for it seems most likely that
it was Hereward’s opponent who sustained the injury and that the phrase is
included to explain his defeat.
Translated into idiomatic English,
the last sentence of the Latin text might be: ‘At last, not being able to
endure this (i.e. acting on the defensive, and so seeming to be overawed by his
opponent), Hereward changed his tactics and, as it was his habit in war or in a
fight always to strive manfully to the end, stood up against him courageously
and did not desist until he had defeated him, by severely wounding him in his
right (fore)arm’ (FWP).