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De Gestis Herwardi Incliti Militis
The Deeds of Hereward, the Renowned Soldier
Based on an original English text
by Leofric the Deacon, a colleague of Hereward and
rewritten by
Hugh Candidus
with the inclusion of reports by
Hugh’s contemporaries.
Transcribed by
S. H. Miller, Esq.
from the text in Robert of Swaffham’s Book, then in the library of Peterborough
Cathedral and now in the Seeley Historical Library, University of Cambridge.
This translation by W.D. Sweeting
was originally published serially from 1895, in the periodical, Fenland Notes
and Queries:
Editor Rev. W.D. Sweeting.
Web page transcribed from FNQ by R.J. Penhey.
The Exploits of
Hereward the Saxon.
I.
Here begins the preface of a certain work concerning the
exploits of Hereward the renowned knight.
Some of us desiring to know of the
deeds of the noble Hereward, of the race of the English, and his renowned men,
and to hear with our ears his generous actions and doings, the brethren
of your house have assisted our ignorance by enquiring
if any man had left anything in writing about so great a man in the place where
he used to dwell. For when we declared that we had heard in a certain place
that a short account had been written about him in English, forthwith your kind
attention had that writing immediately sought for, and before long translated
into Latin, adding also those things which we had happened to hear from our own
people, with whom he was intimate, living nobly as a famous soldier. Desiring
therefore to satisfy these desires of yours, we applied ourselves to enquiring
in many places, and yet in truth found nothing, except a few scattered leaves,
partly rotten by damp, and decayed, and partly damaged by tearing. And when the
pen had been taken in hand we have with difficulty extracted from it his
descent from his parents and a few things and his character ; that is to say
the early achievements of the very famous outlaw Hereward edited in English by Leofric the Deacon, his priest at Bourne. For the
intention of this well known priest was to collect all the acts of giants and
ancient warriors from stories, or from trustworthy narration, for the
edification of his hearers, and for their remembrance to commit them to the
English language. And although not sufficiently skilled in
this, or rather incompetent to decipher what is obliterated of the unfamiliar language, yet we have
gathered concerning him that on his return to that place and to his own
ancestral home he found his brother slain. And we leave this raw material,
written in rude style, to your care, and to the zeal of some man’s trained
ability, to be composed and explained in simpler and plainer language. For we
have been able decipher nothing further of this, ever hoping for greater
results but as yet finding nothing thoroughly. For they, whom for a long time a
vain hope deluded, derived from some who said that in such and such a place
there is a great book of his exploits from the beginning, found nothing of what
they had been led to expect, although they sent to the place.* Wherefore abandoning altogether the search, we have
put away the work which had been begun. But from some of our men it would not
long be hidden from you ; and unexpectedly you have
kindly directed that that commencement at least should not be denied to you. It
was then an object of care to us, though not relying on the help of great
ability, that your eyes might see our incomplete work, to take up the pen once
more, and again to unfold to you a little book after the manner of a history,
concerning these things which we have heard from our own men, and from some of
his, with whom they associated from the beginning of his career, and were in
many things his comrades. Of whom we have often seen some, men (that is to say)
tall in stature and huge, and of exceeding courage ;
and you yourselves have seen also two men of them conspicuous for their form,
as we have heard from you, namely, Siwate, Broter [sic] of S. Edmund, and Leofric Niger, his knights,
although they lost the beauty of their limbs by enemies, being bereft of some
members by trickery, through envy. And indeed of these and others, whom we in
many things have proved and seen, if no otherwise, it were sufficiently given
you to understand of what valour their lord was, and how much greater were the
things that he did than what they reported of him. For besides, as we think, it
will conduce to the example of noble deeds, and to the practice of liberality,
to know Hereward, who he was, and to hear of his achievements and deeds, and
especially to those who wish to undertake a soldier’s life. Wherefore we advise
you, give attention, and ye who the more diligently strive to hear the deeds of
brave men, apply your minds to hear diligently the account of so great a man : for he, trusting neither in fortification, nor in
garrison, but in himself, alone with his men waged war against kingdoms and
kings, and fought against princes and tyrants, some of whom he conquered.
Concerning which things, beginning with his parents, everything has been
inserted by chapters, that what is here distinctly set down may be easily
remembered.
* The
Latin here seems quite corrupt. In many places, as will be observed, the
grammar is inaccurate: this is probably the fault of the scribe.
II.
Of what parents Hereward was born, and how from his
boyhood he increased in the splendour of his deeds, and why he was driven forth
by his father and country ; whence he was surnamed
“The Outlaw.”
Of the nations of the English many
very mighty men are recorded, and Hereward the Outlaw
is esteemed most distinguished amongst the distinguished,
and a famous knight with the more famous. His father was Leofric, of Bourne, grandson of Earl Radulf,
surnamed Scabre ; and his
mother was Aediva
great-great-granddaughter of Duke Oslac ; most nobly descended by both parents. For he was a boy
remarkable for his figure, and comely in aspect, very beautiful from his yellow
hair, and with large grey eyes, the right eye slightly different in colour to
the left ; but he was stern of feature, and somewhat
stout, from the great sturdiness of his limbs, but very active for his moderate
stature, and in all his limbs was found a complete vigour. There was in him
also from his youth much grace and strength of body ; and from practice of this
when a young man the character of his valour showed him a perfect man, and he
was excellently endowed in all things with the grace of courage and valour of
mind. For as regards liberality, he was, from his father’s possessions and his
own, bountiful and most liberal, giving relief to all in need
; although cruel in act, and severe in play, readily stirring up
quarrels among those of his own age, and often exciting contests among his
elders in cities and villages ; leaving none equal to himself in deeds of
daring and pursuit of brave actions, not even among his elders. While therefore
he in such youthful and more mature progress in courage advanced from day to
day, and as a youth greatly excelled in manly deeds ;
at times he spared no one whom he knew to be at all a rival in courage or in
fighting. For which reasons also he very often stirred up
sedition among the populace and tumult among the common people. Whereby
he made his father opposed to him and his parents very ungracious
; for because of his deeds of courage and boldness they were daily
contending with their friends and neighbours and amongst the country folk who
behaved like enemies and tyrants because of him, almost always protecting their
son when returning from sport or fighting with drawn swords and arms. At
lengths his father, not able to endure this, drove him from his presence. Nor
then indeed did he keep quiet, but taking with him those of his own age, when
his father was going to his estates, he sometimes went before him, and
distributed his goods among his own friends and supporters, even appointing in
some of his father’s possessions stewards and servants of his own, to supply
corn to his men. Wherefore his father begged King Edward that he might be
banished, making known everything he had done against his father and parents,
and against the country people. And this was done. Whence
forthwith he acquired the surname of the Outlaw, being driven from his father
and country in the 18th year of his age.
III.
How Hereward slew a great bear, from which he earned a
position amongst the Knights where he was staying.
When Gisebritus
of Gant heard of this, namely his banishment, he sent for him, for Hereward was
the godson of that rich man, and he set out beyond
Northumberland and came to him, abandoning his own province and paternal
inheritance, with a single servant, Martin, whose surname was Lightfoot ; and after he had been there not many days an
occurrence worthy of praise took place. For that rich man had a custom for
Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, to test the strength and courage of the young
men who were waiting for the belt and arms of knighthood, by leading savage
beasts from cages. And Hereward, having associated with these young men, at the
commencement of his visit, namely at Christmas, asked that he might be allowed to attack one of the
wild beasts, or at least that very large bear which was there, which men said
was the offspring of a famous Norwegian bear, and fashioned, as to his feet and
head, in shapes of perfect monstrosity, having the sense of a man, and
understanding the speech of man, and skilled in war : whose sire is reported to
have ravished a girl in the woods and to have become by her father of Biernus, King of Norway ; but
Hereward could not get permission, the lord perceiving the bravery of the young
man, but fearing for his youthfulness. But on he next day the beast burst
asunder its chains and rushed forth form the bars of its cage, rending and
slaying every living thing it could reach. But soon, when the lord heard of the
circumstance, he ordered the soldiers to get ready and attack it with lances,
adding that it could not possibly be taken alive. Meanwhile, Hereward came
across the blood-stained beast as he was returning to the lord’s chamber,
because of the shouts of the alarmed people, whither his wife and daughters and
the women had in fright fled, and the beast immediately wanted to rush upon
him. But Hereward anticipated it, driving his sword
through its head down to the shoulder-blades, and leaving the blade there he
took up the beast in his arms and held it out to those that followed. At which
sight they were much amazed. And truly he earned no little favour with his lord
and lady, as well as grievous hate and envy with the knights and boys of the
house. Therefore by reason of this deed he obtained position and honour with
the knights, although at the time he delayed being made a knight, saying that
he ought to make better trial of his valour and courage. And so the
country-folk extolled him, and the women and girls used to sing of him in their
dances, which was a greater grievance to his enemies ;
and because he daily increased, as in grace of body and age, so also in the
virtues of courage and hardihood, leaving none to equal him in the chase and
hunting, nor in games either of the common people or gentlefolks.
And so they sought for a fitting time and place of killing him
; and when on a certain day their lord was by chance absent hunting in
the woods, the knights of the aforesaid household attempted to slay him with a javelin hurled by one who was very intimate with him, and
whom, three days before, he had delivered from death when he was caught by some
enemies. Having learnt this plot only just in time through his servant,
Hereward pierced with his lance the man who attacked him in the very act of
throwing the javelin. Having disclosed this to his lady, and desiring to avoid
such snares, he went away. But she in tears, and with many entreaties that he
would at least wait for the lord, or for the death of their sick son, declared
that if he would not go away he should become their adopted heir: but he would
not grant her request.
IV.
How he overcame a certain tyrant, and
took his famous sword.
From this place Hereward went to a
certain Prince of Cornwall, called Alef, where he found a most wicked and very haughty man, Ulcus Ferreus (Iron Sore) by
name, who had now for a long time been expecting, because of his wonderful
courage, to win the very fair daughter of the Prince. This man in the two
nations of the Scots and Picts,
from his relationship to them, was esteemed a very brave warrior, as though
there could be none to compare with him in any nation. For wherever he was
staying, many used to flock to him, as to some great sight, for the sake of
hearing of his achievements ; and he used readily, though untruly, to din these
into the ears of his hearers, boasting that no one man, nor any two or three,
could be a match for him. But as he often did this before the members of the royal
family and before the Prince himself, he was one day grossly abusing the nation
of the English as being without the virtue of strength, and worth nothing in
war, declaring that he had with one blow killed three men out of a number, on a
certain occasion. Indignant at this, Hereward in derision before them all
answered him : “Since you have imagined in your mind
those three men who you declare were slain by you, and have begotten those sons
not of a mother but of your own heart, it is quite right they should be slain
by one blow of your mouth.” At this his future wife, the daughter of the
aforesaid King, was dissolved in laughter. This gave great offence to the
tyrant, so that he forthwith threatened Hereward, “In truth you should soon lie
slain by my own hands, save only for the presence of the lord.” To whom
Hereward replied “See that so sturdy a knight as you boast yourself to be does
not use craft against a young man. Otherwise if you shall without craft pursue
him of whom you speak, you will always find me ready, so that your triumph, if
it comes, may be the more glorious.” He then, mindful of his words, by chance
met with Hereward, when he was unarmed in a neighbouring grove of the lord’s
aforesaid. “Lo,” said the tyrant at once, “now is the wished for time for
avenging myself on my enemy. To-day from a gift of your hair, she shall be
dissolved in laughter or in sorrow, who once was pleased at the insolence of
your words, and praised your head of hair, and face, and the arrogance of your
reply.” To which Hereward answered, “For one well provided with arms and
strength to crush the helpless, is no glory to a man of renown
; but yet if I fall, let your generosity, if you have any, grant me the
space of one hour, that I may give my property to the priest to bestow upon the
poor, and then I will come back.” And he assented with an oath, and took his
promise to reveal the affair to nobody. So he departed and armed himself ; for it was on that account that he began to speak
to him. Hereward then having soon returned, at the first signal of onset
pierced his javelin into the tyrant’s thighs, and struggling together for a
time they smote one another. Then the young man ever by advance and attack
avoided the blows, and kept falling back and retreating often inflicting blows
not expected or open. But when the execrable man saw the spirit of the youth,
he strove to grasp him with his hands for he was stronger and much taller. But
ever Hereward avoided him, until, as he was bending down and rather incautious
Hereward thrust his sword into his groin just beneath his breast-plate.
Whereupon he, drenched in blood, feeling that death
was at hand, said “Alas! alas! see
how I, so very strong, trusting in my strength, from lack of caution lie
overthrown by a crafty boy! Oh if that blade were now at hand, which I lately
handed to my future spouse, with which I overcame such mighty men, if fortune
befriended me, with one blow half-dead as I am I would at least avenge myself,
- that blade which I received from fighting with a certain tyrant.” Thereupon
the boys of the house, hearing the noise of arms ran to the spot and meanwhile
told the affair to their lord, who sent armed men thither to separate them,
fearing the young man’s death ; and when they came
they found, to their surprise the tyrant dead. Upon this Hereward was
apprehended, because that execrable man was already spoken of as the prince’s
son-in-law, and they took him to the prince. Then immediately the whole of that
hostile nation wished to rise against him, declaring that their mightiest man
had been slain by trickery. But the prince himself, that the young man might be
saved, restrained their wrath, and kept him in custody, as though intending to
decide what should be done with him. But his daughter, greatly delighted at
what had happened, as she excessively dreaded that terrible and misshapen man,
with great care ministered to Hereward in custody, and in the end, having
presented him with gifts and the aforesaid sword which had been delivered to
her, caused him to depart in secret desiring him to remember her, and sent him
not without marks and tokens to the son of the king of Ireland, informing him
by a letter how her enemy had been slain by him.
V.
Of the war which took place in
Therefore Hereward, when these things
were known, was honourably received by the son of the king of Ireland ; and
they made him remain with them for several days ; although he was unwilling,
because he wished, after delivering his message to return to his father’s house
and to his widowed mother ; for he had found two very distinguished men, Siward the White and Siward the
Red, sons of his own uncle, who told him that his
father was dead and that his mother was by herself in the inheritance consigned
to him. When he had been there no long time it was
announced to the king that a war against the Duke of
Munster was imminent. And so on an appointed day all the adherents of the king
in the neighbourhood begged and entreated Hereward with his men to take part in
the battle and to help them, since they had heard many instances of his
bravery, and how even in the short time he had been with them they themselves
had found out vary many things worth relating of him. And therefore Hereward
complying with their entreaties, with his elders most actively arranged and
disposed all things for the war, and in the very day of battle
; and he drew up the lines and led them, seven
of his comrades meanwhile being assigned the duty of attacking the leader of
the opposing army in the midst of his men, if the battle were doubtful, and if
their forces were at all giving way. And this they did :
in the midst of the wedges of the enemy, killing to right and left, they made
their way up to the leader’s tent, and found him lying down at the entrance
with two old men. To him Hereward quickly explained
the cause of his coming, that he must at once yield
and give honour to his lord, or else he must know that he would fall upon him.
But he did not consent, knowing that his men were acting bravely
; and defending himself with his own hand, he protected himself for a
short time, after the two old men had been killed, shouting for help as he was
surrounded by enemies. Then Hereward attacked and slew him by himself, while
others guarded the entrance of the tent. These suddenly returned through the
cohort, having the leader’s sword for a signal and a trumpet, for they had
closely surrounded them and had laid low one of their men, namely the king’s
grandson, in their retreat being almost overwhelmed, having as yet lost two
comrades and both of Hereward’s nephews being grievously wounded, at length
reaching their allies they blow the leader’s trumpet, upon which in great alarm
the enemy retreat. From this the name of Hereward in all the kingdom was highly
praised, and his fame round the neighbouring tribes
increased daily. Wherefore many very mighty men, and
sons of powerful men, at the news hastened to him to be instructed in arms and
courtesy. But he himself next with the king’s son, having gathered together a
band of soldiers, subdued the whole place and land that was opposed to the
king, and his enemies in the neighbourhood in the space of one year : nor could
the valour of any of his ancestors reach half way to this.
VI.
How Hereward in a disguise was sent by his lord to a
wedding, where he achieved a praiseworthy action, in killing the bridegroom and
carrying off the bride and conveying her to his lord.
While then in a remote part of the
land they were leading their band against
VII.
How he endured shipwreck on his return from
And how Hereward much inflamed with a
desire of visiting his dependants and his father* and mother, at last obtained
from the king two ships fitted out with arms and all naval
equipment, although the aged king himself long objected, so that he might
remain in that country and take one of his grand-daughters in marriage, or the
daughter of any rich man that he liked of that land, and receive a grant of
land. But Hereward would not accept these offers before he returned from his
own country. Having embarked he was driven by a storm to the Orkneys. And being driven hence by a hurricane to
* Qy. patriam.
His father was dead : see § 5.
VIII.
Of his first fighting in Flanders, from which, and from
his daily deeds of valour, he was at length discovered, when much enquiry was
made as to who such a man could be, or whence he could come.
Then because the Count of Flanders
was at war with a certain neighbouring Count of Ginnes,
when his men daily proceeded to single combats in front of the castles and
farms in the campaign, Hereward anxiously implored him
that he might at least be allowed to go out with them for one day. And this
permission he at length obtained. And as he was well trained in arms and
management of war, so he acted with prudence on that same day, for there was a
soldier lying overthrown by another far from the company, whom he by himself
defended, liberated, and brought back, killing four men who attacked him ; to the admiration of all, for they supposed both had
been taken prisoners. From this he was immediately made of very great account
in the palace of the prince, and reckoned one of their strongest men, from that
time going in and out with them, daily accomplishing fresh deeds of valour in
fight. But the prince of the land being ever much in doubt as to who or what or
of what country such a man could be, enquired of foreigners and merchants any news of him, if by chance his name or fame were
known in any distant land ; so that it was not long
before the much desired information was given to his enquiry. For someone said
that three years before he had seen such a man in Ireland,
and like him in valour and appearance ; and that he
had heard many things told about him, and that he was called by his name ; on
which discovery, Hereward being summoned, the aforesaid count with his only son
questioned him as to object in this deceit, and asked his name and country and
dignity and family, assuring him with an oath that he would regard him as a
very dear son. At length he admitted that what he had heard of him was true,
and he told his name and country, and how being driven forth by his father he
had come first of
IX.
How Hereward overcame a famous soldier, and led him safe
and sound to his companions.
There was occasionally present in the
party of the enemy a grandson of the Count of Ginnes,
by name Hoibrictus, a knight
glorious for courage and knowledge of warfare, who was accounted in the army
like a lion among a flock for bravery. Hereward by himself one day came upon
him beyond the company, and without recognising one another, out of excessive
valour, they mightily clashed together, and at the first onset their lances
were broken. Then they attacked one another with
swords, and Hereward dealt him an astounding blow under the ear. And while many
rushed to his assistance, Hereward, evading them all, took him to his
companions, although meantime he recovered his senses and strove to escape. The
Count of Ginnes wondered at this, and was alarmed and
grieved because of the downfall of his grandson, a renowned soldier
; and on the following day sent to offer due honour and service to his
prince, and also sent presents and hostages. For he had heard of he fame of
Hereward, so worthy of his praise, and what he had done in
X.
How Hereward is beloved by a certain girl, for whose sake
he went forth to combat, and there with his men proved victorious.
At that time there lived in Saint Admarus a young lady noble and
beautiful, much devoted to liberal knowledge, and skilled in mechanical arts,
whose name was Turfrida. She fell in love with
Hereward, having heard of his achievements ; and so
she displayed many of her accomplishments, as they say, for love of him ; and
thereby secured his affection for herself. But another man of the neighbourhood
was in love with her, a famous soldier, and grandson of a very powerful man of
Saint Walericus ; and he was
so desperately in love that he threatened some mischief, or even death, to
Hereward. And when Hereward was going to the contests which were held at the
Bridges and Pictavia,
together with the recruits of his lord, and was taking them to make their first
attempt at such competitions, he unawares came upon his adversary in a company
with his men, and advancing in the middle of the troops, carrying a token from
a girl’s chaplet, for his sweetheart’s sake, as though he had accomplished his
warfare. On seeing him Hereward immediately advanced upon him, and at the first
onset overthrew him, and took away his token and his horse.
And this he sent to the young lady
aforesaid, and other tokens on his own part, there being still three not
overcome by him, and several by his fellow soldiers, while he was always
accompanying and protecting each one.* And so being especially honoured with
his men by reason of his victory, above all, he confesses to his comrades that
he is greatly in love with the aforesaid young lady, but ignorant of how he
could approach her, dreading the snares of his many foes. Then he made his way
to her with very few of his companions, directing that his absence should be
made known to none.
But neither was his departure to this
meeting nor the cause of his coming concealed from his rival*; and so he
arranged ambushes in many places, with robbers and malefactors, to meet him : and of these one day 17 out of 40 robbers were
withdrawn, and he killed 25 of those who attacked him, and continued his
journey that had been interrupted. At last, though pressed by very many rascals
on the road, he arrived there, and said that he was a messenger of Hereward’s,
and indeed his nephew, namely Siward the White, bringing
a message and presents from his master to her, who in great delight immediately
kissed him. But looking earnestly at the expression of his eyes, and from his
comely face, and golden hair, and the vigour of his body, she at last
recognised him. And immediately she burst forth in these words
: "Lo ! I embrace in my arms the most excellent of all men, and see
with my eyes the most renowned soldier, and now, though late, I am in the
presence of the man most desired.” But he repudiated the suggestion, and said
that she was mistaken. But she, after strictly enquiring from him as to some
personal tokens, scars that betoken some slight wounds, maintained on the
contrary that he was her most beloved Hereward ;
whereby he was overcome, and admitted the truth. But while this was discussed
in private, she leads him away to the inside of the house, shewing
him all her father’s riches in gold and silver, or of other material, and many
things of her mother’s, and besides a corslet of excessive lightness and very fine work, and much
brighter and purer than any steel or iron, and a helmet of like beauty and
strength ; adding, about them, “There have been many rich and powerful men that
have made much enquiry about these, where they are, and offering gifts for
their production, desiring to get them for themselves or by trickery, or
threats, or force, or money, or by any artifice they could : but I have kept
them hitherto of my forefather’s possession, ever the dearest possessions of my
forefather, and grandfather, and father, that I might present them to my
betrothed. And now of all men I favour you for the suitable valour of your
courage and for your bravery, and it is very agreeable and right for me that
you should tell a suitable lover if you are glad of the gift. For I am willing in my own person to undergo anything, should
anything surpass them in steel or metal.” Hereward thanked her for them,
greatly delighted. And so they gave each other pledges of fidelity
; and afterwards at last he returns to his fellow-soldiers who are
waiting for him. But the same night in the guest house he unawares encountered
a foe in one of the attendants of the aforesaid soldier, who in the silence of
night went to attack Hereward with an axe, while he was sleeping
; but as it happened he turned round from his bed wide awake, and struck
him valiantly on the bed-clothes, and all his companions, being aroused, seized
him and cut off his right hand, when they found out whence and from whom he had
come. And from that time it was taken for a custom, for Hereward to rest near
his own bed, or else to lie in the bed of one of his men in a different place,
fearing the snares of his enemies. But on that night he arrived at his lord’s,
with his companions; and he greatly congratulated them, for he had heard from
them of his achievements, and what he had done at the fights, for which he
forthwith enriched them with rewards and honours. But yet Hereward would accept
nothing, till he should demand and receive the aforesaid young lady with her
lands.
* Some error in original scribe or in transcript.
XI.
Wherefore Hereward with a certain leader was sent into Scaldemariland with an army, and how he overcame the army
in front.
Moreover the Count of Flanders had sent ambassadors into Scaldemariland for tribute now for a long time withheld, and for the
rating of the land : and about this time in that place
these messengers aforesaid were reported to have been deprived of one eye, and
to have had the left foot cut off, to his great dishonour. It seemed therefore
opportune to the Prince and his men, to send Hereward to that region together
with an army and his own general, in order to receive fitting justice for them,
or else to punish the enemy severely. And that Hereward, although a difficult
matter, gladly undertook. With a fleet in their train
they arrived at the place with very favourable weather and a prosperous wind.
But it was not long before they reached a great multitude of the enemy, who
threatened to overwhelm them with their javelins, or to take them prisoners and
reduce them to slavery. At this they were greatly exasperated,
and very many were much alarmed and wanted to retreat. And so Hereward
strengthened the hearts of the waverers, in a
light-hearted fashion, declaring that from their experience in war they must be
void of fear, although they met† with an excessively
great multitude, and ill arranged, and rash audacity ; for this was the
confidence of rashness, and the arrogance of destruction. Whereby their courage
was greatly inflamed, and they stand up the more eagerly to the pursuit of them
against the army in front, four out of every forty ships and the whole army as
well being in the rear, so that if some fell others might take their place.
Then Hereward, while the others were rushing to the attack, demanded the centre
as his position, for the fight, so that the youths and boys might test their
strength, or that so they themselves exasperated at it, might be provoked to
the battle, or rather in such a way they might try their inferior valour in
war, before they proceeded to greater deeds : and as he directed this against
the opposing party, they perceived it with joy, confiding in their strength,
and they set one man in the middle, against whom Hereward very soon advanced ;
and so when he was overthrown, they sent others, one after the other, but to
them all it was the same occasion of death, for though armed they knew not how
to defend themselves, nor how to protect with their arms their awkward bodies,
but declaring that they were mocked, or rather thinking him a magician, all
endeavoured to rush on him at once. But then suddenly he turned round to his
companions, and they were incautiously separated behind him ;
but so he got them within reach, whereby they were at length overcome.
† Participle seems omitted in the Latin.
XII.
Of the second war at Scaldemariland,
and how that nation advanced to the fight, and with what arms
: and how Hereward arranged his army against them.
Immediately then all that dangerous
nation and outrageous people, ordered the whole population of the country from
all sides from the island and the sea to come together, and to ravage and lay
waste their borders, and they command them to do so very thoroughly within 14
[sic] days, lest being so little secure they should be wholly driven out, or
rather become subject within that time to the foreigners, like the English
people to the French ; nor had they heard a false
report. And having gathered all together into one place by the army of the men
of Flanders, they gave orders that they should be cut off ; all the men who had come thither
might have their lives spared, but to lose everything else except a few ships
and their tackling and were to deliver up besides, Robert,
the leader of the army, and Hereward, the master of the soldiers, and the
tribunes of the companies, to them, to be put to death in the place of all the
others. For they had brought to the
same place waggons and chariots, so as to convey away
their
possessions and arms. Perceiving this, and at Hereward’s suggestion,
they
set all their chariots and cars on fire before the ambassadors ; and
would have ordered them to be cast into the flames themselves, had it not been
that the rights of intermediaries would seem to be broken, and the privilege of
an embassy to be violated. And therefore Hereward persuaded the army and the
chief men that these ambassadors should be detained for a little time, either
by force or by cajolery, and the rest meantime to get ready for fighting,
and arrange to take their lines, appointing likewise to each line a leader, an
appointed work, and a superintendent. All this in the event proved successful.
Because that people, imprudent and inexperienced, seeing some
messengers heavily laden with presents, and eagerly coveting such things, in
great numbers made their way to them, each wishing to secure the best things
before the others. But three hundred picked soldiers under the leadership of
Hereward encountered these as they were running in front of the army to
reconnoitre, and made no small slaughter of them, and pursued some right up to
the tents of their comrades : whereupon all were
completely astounded, realising now that they had been taken unawares. And
accordingly with great anger and supreme indignation, they were advancing ready
for battle, vowing that they would not leave a single man alive. And they were
girt and protected with these arms : with coats of
felt dipped in pitch and resin and incense, or tunics strongly made of leather,
and in their hands spears studded with nails and twisted for thrusting and
pulling away, or for striking, and with three or four squared javelins for
throwing. And Between each couple so armed, one was always set with a sword or
an axe, bearing also a shield before the couple. For they had
an exceedingly large multitude, but badly arranged. Now the leader of the
Flemish army, and Hereward the master of the soldiers, seeing them
go down into the valley, drew up their army against them on the heights. And
when they came together, as little by little others came against them, they altogether retreated, since they wished to draw
them all away from their tents. For when they had advanced some distance from
their quarters, the men of Flanders ceased flying, and turned and stood to
battle, and Hereward with 1000 horse soldiers and 600 armed men killed those
who were guarding their camp, and so led his force to the rear of the men of Scaldemariland, where he came upon them all almost unarmed,
and being wholly unable to resist they were routed. But those who were in the
front lines, realising this unexpected occurrence, and seeing their men flying
in all directions, being inexperienced and untrained in war, at length found a
place of safety from their flight in a certain secluded spot. But in that place
the men of Scaldemariland kept being slain with
javelins and missiles up till nightfall. And the night, covering everything
with darkness, at last separated the armies, before the rising of the morning
star, the moon the same night shining very slightly. Hereward with 600 men,
whom he had left the day before to guard the ships, in the dead of night,
returned to the camp of the men of Scaldemariland,
without anyone perceiving it, and there killed many by hurling javelins, and
wounded a great number, including some of the officers. And this was to them
quite unexpected, and beyond all their experience in warfare. And when in full
daylight the armies on both sides had been drawn up in line for the engagement,
the men of Scaldemariland hastily sent ambassadors,
praying and entreating them to have mercy. And a bargain having been made, they
promised that they would do every justice for their wrong-doing then, and would
like slaves serve their lords, and if they should find favour with them, that
they would deliver over to their sway all the men who had laid hands on their
ambassadors, or who had consented to it, or who had offended in word or deed,
from the least to the greatest. And having received hostages, they gladly
accepted them arranging that they would send them an answer on the seventh day.
XIII.
Where Hereward got a mare of very great speed, and a colt
of conspicuous beauty, and what he underwent on the road.
Meanwhile as it was reported to
Hereward that there was a remarkable breed of very swift horses in an island of
he country, he proceeded thither with a few fellow-soldiers, and with some who
were well acquainted with the difficulties of the route, and he got from the
place a mare of very great speed, and a colt of conspicuous beauty, which he
named Lightfoot, and the dam in English he called Swallow.
But as he was returning from that place, he fell among a band of robbers, in a
certain secluded spot among the valleys, and hills,
and woods, where for two days he vigorously withstood their ambushes, and being
on the third day much weakened by hunger, and confused by the violence of the
robbers, on the sixth day, by making great speed, they arrive at their company,
who had to make answer the next day to the chiefs of that land concerning the
peace aforesaid for which they had prayed. For on Hereward more than on all the
rest depended the favourable nature of the reply and
all the result of the arrangement.
And so on the appointed day, the men of Scaldemariland came with all the most important men, and
with noble gifts, offering their service ; earnestly
begging and entreating for a renewal of the ancient treaties and services, more
than a confirmation of them as before in their father’s time, protesting that
they would do service under a most secure covenant from this time for ever. And
they accepted them ; and greatly enriched by presents
from the most important men of the country, and with the rating of the land and
the tribute doubled, they departed and returned to their own land, in great
delight at the reward of their valour and victory. But neither their lord, who
had sent them there nor his son, was found (on their
return), but a successor in the kingdom, and they bewailed the death of their
most beloved lord, affected with the deepest grief and sadness. But at length,
being consoled after their grief, they asked the chiefs of the country, and the
tribunes, if for their great trouble they would bestow upon them any benefit on
behalf of their lord, since they had brought back the subjection of the land to
which they had been sent, and then could shew them
hostages and gifts, and they were paying a double tribute from the land as the
price of their labour. And besides they said they ought to be remunerated by
them for the labour they had had. And when they at last perceived that they
were presented with no recompensation then, at
Hereward’s suggestion, the soldiers shared among themselves everything they had
brought from Scaldemariland. Which act afterwards caused
ill feeling between Hereward and the son of his lord
XIV.
How he returned to his country and to his father’s house,
where he found that his brother had been slain the day before, and of the grand
vengeance he took the same night.
When therefore Hereward spent a few
days of idleness in those places thinking this
disgraceful, he went away, and forthwith set out for England, desiring to visit
his father’s house and his country, now subject to the rule of foreigners, and
almost ruined by the exactions of many men, if perchance in any place any of
his friends or neighbours might be still alive, desiring to help them. And he
took with him as his only companion his own servant Martin surnamed Lightfoot,
and left his two nephews aforesaid Siward the White
and Siward the Red, with the wife above named whom he had lately taken. And then one evening he
arrived at his father’s mansion, called Bourne, and
was hospitably entertained by a certain Pirus, a soldier of his father’s, Asered
by name, in the suburbs of the same town, where he found him, the father of a
family, and the neighbours very sorrowful, and full of all grief, greatly
fearing that they were delivered over to the dominion of foreigners. And what
was more grievous to them than all else, they were bewailing that they would be
in subjection to the men who had the day before slain the innocent young son of
their lord, and who were the authors of the death of
their lord’s son, and the reason for it ; and they answered him : “It is to a
certain extent a help and a comfort in sadness to disclose our grief ; but not
to involve you, a noble man, as we see, in our misfortunes ; with whom rather
we ought to make merry for hospitality’s sake. But yet since you seem in
everything a famous and noble man, we regard you as some remedy to our sorrow,
and therefore we gladly explain the whole matter to you. There was with us a
certain youthful son of our lord’s whom his father at his death had commended
to his people, with his widowed mother ; and he would
be his heir, if his brother named Hereward, a man most vigorous and conspicuous
in every kind of valour, should not return, whom, while still a lad, his father
had driven from his face for his misdoings. And now, three days ago, some men
with the consent of the king attacked his inheritance, and took it for
themselves, killing our very light, the son and heir of our lord, while he was
protecting his widowed mother against them, as they demanded from her his
father’s riches and treasures, as well as because he slew those two who had
handled her discourteously. And they cut off his head, and set it up over the
gate of the house, by way of revenge, because he had killed two Frenchmen ; and there it still remains. Alas
! wretched men that we are, in that we have no
means of vengeance ! Would that his brother aforesaid, now, as we have often
heard, a very great man were here : for then, of a truth, every one of those
men, before the moon set and the sun brought forth the rays of its light, would
be lying dead like that son of our lord’s !” But Hereward hearing these words,
and sighing to himself, groaned deeply. At length
after their conversation, all being sleepy went to bed ;
and Hereward, after lying a little while on his bed, heard at a distance the
voices of persons singing, and the sound of the harp and viol, and the
merriment of those applauding. Summoning a boy, Hereward asked him what the
sound was that beat against their ears. And he immediately pronounced that it
was the merriment of persons applauding at the banquet, on the occasion of the
entering into the inheritance of their lord’s son, who was yesterday killed by
them.
And after a little while Hereward
calls for his servant and puts on his tunic, and took a breastplate and helmet
from beneath the black cloth under the cloak of a maid-servant, together with a
sword ; and so, with his servant in light armour, he
proceeded to the guests now overcome with drunkenness, designing to pledge
them, for his brother’s death, in a draught of a spear-shaft, and in wine of
sorrow. As he approached he found his brother’s head over the gate. Taking it down, he
kissed it, and wrapped it up in a cloth. After doing this, he advanced behind
the door of the building to search for the guests, and there by the fireside he
beheld them all overcome with intoxication, and the
soldiers reclining on the women’s laps. And there was
amongst them a jester, singing to a lute, abusing the nation of the English,
and in the middle of the room performing ungainly antics, meant in imitation of
English dancing. And at last he demanded for pay from their lord, something
belonging to the parents of the famous youth yesterday slain. But one of the
girls at the banquet, not enduring these words, made answer, “There is still
surviving a famous soldier, brother of the youth yesterday slain, by name of
Hereward, and well known in our country, that is in Flanders ; and if he were
here, not one of these things would be left here by day break.” Indignant at
these words the lord of the house thus replied, “I know the man, ad a thorough
scoundrel he is, for he stole the gifts which were sent to the prince of our
country from Scandemariland [sic], and distributed
them unfairly, when he had been by him appointed master of the soldiers. For he
would have suffered death upon a gibbet, if he had not provided for his safety
by flight, not venturing to dwell in any land this side of the Alps.” On
hearing this the jester repeatedly abused him as he
sang. But at last Hereward could endure this no longer, and leapt upon him and
slew him with a single stroke of his sword, and then attacked the guests. He
laid low fourteen of them, and their lord ; some being
unable to rise from being intoxicated, and others being unable to go to their
help from being taken unarmed : and this with the assistance of a single
servant, whom he had set at the door of the hall, so that whoever escaped the
hand of Hereward, might fall into the hands of the servant. And
their heads the same night he set up over the gate where his brother’s head had
been placed, giving thanks to the Giver of all grace that his brother’s blood
was now avenged.
XV.
For what reason some fled from him in alarm
; and whence he chose for himself men of war.
But in the morning the men of the district
and the neighbours were filled with astonishment at what was done; and almost
all the French of that district, in alarm abandoned the lands that had been
assigned to them and fled, lest something similar should happen to them at the
hands of such a man, if he should become their neighbour. But the inhabitants
of the country, and his own kinsfolk having heard about him, flocked to him,
congratulating him upon his return to his country and to his paternal
inheritance, and advising him to guard it with caution, dreading the anger of
the king when he should become acquainted with his doings. And Hereward, not
unmindful of these things, established in the place 49 of the bravest men from
his paternal inheritance, and from his kinsfolk, equipped with all the
requirements of military armour, while he himself for a few days would proceed
to take vengeance upon some of his enemies in the neighbourhood, who still
remained at their own abodes.
XVI.
For what reason he wished to be made a knight in the
English manner, and where he was made a knight.
Therefore Hereward, when he perceived
himself to be the leader and lord of such men, and how he saw his band largely
increasing every day by fugitives, and men condemned and disinherited, called to mind that he had never been according to the
custom of his nation, girt with a sword and belt of a knight : and so, with two
of the most eminent of his men, one named Wynter and
the other Gaenoch, he went to the Abbot of Burgh,
whose name was Brant, a man of very noble birth, that he might gird him with
the sword and belt of a knight, after the English practice, lest, after
becoming the chief and leader of many men, the inhabitants of the country
should find fault with him for being no knight. And on the Feast of the
Nativity of the Apostles Peter and Paul he obtained
the honour of knighthood at the hands of the Abbot : and for his honour a monk
of Ely, Wilton by name, who was also warden (?)
and a friend of Hereward’s father, and faithful as a brother, made his comrades
knights. For so he wanted himself and his men to be made knights
; as he had heard it had been ruled by the Frenchmen that if any one
were made a knight by a monk or a clerk or by any ordained minister,* he ought
not to be reckoned among true knights, but as a false knight and born out of
due time. Hereward, out of opposition to this rule, desired nearly all the men
that served him and were under his rule to be made knights by the monks, so
that if any one would serve him he should receive the sword as knightly custom
demands at least from a monk, if from no other. And he often said, “If any man
received the knightly sword from a servant of God and a knight of the kingdom
of heaven, I know that such a servant displays his valour in every sort of
military service, as I have often found by experience.” And hence arose the
custom among the monks of Ely, that if any man there would be made a knight, he
ought always on the same day to offer his naked sword upon the altar at high
mass, and receive it again from the monk that was singing the mass, after the
gospel, the sword being put on his bare neck with benediction, and in that way,
by delivering the sword to the recruit, he was made full knight. And this was
the practice of Abbots in those times. Afterwards he entered the
* Latin
manifestly corrupt.
XVII.
How he was sought out by a certain man who desired to kill
him, and how Hereward slew him.
Returning to his own people he heard
that a certain Frederic had been extensively enquiring for him in many places,
(he was the brother of the old Earl William de Warrenne,) that he might take him in person into the king’s
presence, as we have mentioned above, to hand him over to punishment ; or else
that he might cut of his head, and set it up in he most public thoroughfare for
a sign, as Hereward had exhibited over the gate of his house the heads of those
men who had taken his inheritance and slain his brother ; and further that he
might drive into exile or maim all who still were on Hereward’s side, or
brought him any assistance. But Hereward with his men at once set about
anticipating him, designing to treat him in the same way, if by chance they
could meet with him. For Hereward had heard that he was in Norfolk with a band
of soldiers, so that when anything was heard of Hereward he might make his way
to the spot protected by a considerable force.* But what Frederic had intended
for Hereward happened to himself one evening ; while
he was plotting for the death of Hereward, the latter fell upon him and killed
him.
* Translation
very free. Meaning uncertain.
XVIII.
Why Hereward departed again into
After which he went into Flanders to
his wife whom he had lately taken, promising those whom he had left in
* Meaning
seems clear, but Latin, if correctly transcribed, very difficult.
XIX.
How on his return to
But Hereward, as he had promised to
his people, returned to
But when they were all assembled, all
were most eminent men, and not one of them to be esteemed worthy of knightly
dignity unless he had first achieved some memorable deeds. And these are their
names, making (with those we have named above) the whole number. Wluncus, The
Black, so called because he had once stained his face with charcoal and gone
unrecognised among some enemies who were in security, and had overthrown ten of
them with his single spear. And his mate was one Wluricus
Rahere, or the Heron, so called because he was once
by some chance at Wrokesham Bridge,
where four brothers who had done no wrong were condemned to be executed, and
terrifying the executioners, who called him a Heron in mockery, he manfully
caused the innocent men to be liberated, and some of their enemies killed.
Others too were associated with the more famous of Hereward’s knights, Godricus of Corby, nephew of the
Earl of Warwick, and Tosti
of Davenesse, kinsman of the same Earl, whose name he
took in baptism, and Ancere
Vasus, son of a gentleman near Lincoln, who owned the
tower of the city (?), and Lewinus
Mone, that is The Sickle ; so called because being by
chance in a meadow, when he was cutting the grass by himself, he was set upon
by a score of labourers of the place with pitchforks and spears in heir hands,
and alone among them all, with nothing but his sickle, he wounded many and
killed some, dashing among them like a reaper, and so put them all to flight.
In company with those was also one Turbentinus [sic], great-grandson of Earl Edwin,
and Lefwinus Prat, that is, The
Crafty, because though often captured by his enemies he had cunningly escaped,
many times killing his very guards, whence his surname. And with them moreover
others most experienced in warfare must be reckoned, Leofric the Deacon,
and Villicus* of Drayton,
and Turkillys, and Utlamhe, that is The Outlaw, Hereward’s cook, Hogor, his kinsman Winter and Liveret,
two men of mark, and Rapenaldus, steward of Ramsey ; these were standard bearers. So too were Wluricus, The Black, and Wluricus, The White, Wluricus Grugam, Ylardus, Godwinus Gille, Outi, and another also named
Outi, with those named before, and those two splendid
men, Siward and Siward, the
Red, who were Hereward’s nephews. With these then there were other very famous
knights, Godricus of Corby, Hugo the Norman, a
priest, and Ylardus his brother, Leofric the Deacon, Tosti of Rothwell, and Godwinus
of Rothwell, Osbernus, Alsinus,
Lefwinus Prat, Hurchillus, and Villicus** of Drayton. All of these were the most
renowned and splendid knights in the whole kingdom ;
and there were several others, whom it would be tedious to enumerate
individually.
* Perhaps
an officer, bailiff, not a name.
XX.
How the men in the
But the men in the Isle of Ely, who had begun to hold it against King William, who had won England in war, hearing of the return of
such a man as Hereward, sent for him, and by their messengers desire him to
come to them with all his men, and take part with them in defence of their
country and the liberty of their fathers, assuring him
that he would in every way be most highly esteemed among them. And these
messages they deliver more especially in the name and on behalf of Thurstan, Abbot of the Church of Ely, and his monks, whose
dominion was the Isle, and by whom it was put in defence against the King, more
particularly because he had designed to set a certain foreign monk over them ; one of those monks for whom he had already sent from
the French nation, to set as deans and heads in all the churches of the
English.
But a famous soldier, Brumannus by name, well acquainted with the coast, having
knowledge of this, met them by sea, dipped them all in the sea in a large sack
that he had attached to the prow of his vessel, and sent them back ; thus, for the time, delivering the monasteries of the
English and their friends from foreign rule. On receiving the message Hereward
was delighted, and at once set out on the journey, embarking at Bardney. Hearing this, the Earl of
Warenne, whose brother
Hereward had lately slain, prepared several ambushes
by his road in secret places near the marsh, and with caution put a guard round
the waters by the side of the land, hoping to take Hereward without serious
loss of his own men. But these designs were not hid from Hereward, some of the
guards having fallen in with some stragglers of Hereward’s force, and attacked
them. Sending to their assistance and capturing the attacking party, Hereward
ascertained from them that the ambush was formed by the Earl of Warenne, and that he himself was coming to Herbeche the next day. Whereupon
Hereward made haste, and stationed his ships and men at the spot, and hid some
armed men near the river bank ; and he himself with three knights and four
archers all well armed went close to the bank of the river, where the Earl with
his men had just arrived on the other side. On seeing them one of the Earl’s
men drew near and spoke thus : “Are you of the company
of that scoundrel Hereward, who by his cunning ruined such numbers, and has
drawn so many to himself to help his nefarious deeds? I wish the rascal could
be betrayed to our lord the Earl : if you will connive
at this he will deem you worthy of reward and honour. For this force of the
enemy, though not dangerous, may drive us to this, to dwell in a dismal swamp,
and to pursue one without arms through a muddy marsh, and among the eddies of
the waters and the sharp reeds, every one of them destined to death together
with the leader at an early date. For now the King has entirely surrounded the
whole Isle with his army, and has closed in the whole land, that he may destroy
all its inhabitants.” At these words one of Hereward’s men replied
: “How much longer, you wretch, will you try to persuade us to betray
and desert our master? Make haste and withdraw, lest you fall beneath our
fierce javelins ; and tell your lord that the man for
whom he is asking is on this side of the water.” At this intelligence the Earl
immediately presented himself, and at sight of Hereward urged all his men to
swim across the water with him, to avenge the death of his brother. But they
declared that this could not possibly be done, declaring that he had come there
for the very purpose of beguiling them in that manner ; whereupon with a groan
he addressed the men across the water : “Oh! that that
man of Belial, your master, were here now in my hands
; he should of a truth taste his due punishment, death.” Hearing these words
Hereward replied : “Yes ; and if by good fortune we two were by ourselves in
any place, you would not obtain your wish that I should be in your weak hands,
nor would you have reason to be glad of our meeting.” And Hereward, leaning a
little forward, stretched his bow and discharged an arrow with great strength
upon the breast of the Earl. And though it glided off the corslet
that protected him, yet he was almost killed by the blow.
Upon this his men, very anxious for
their lord because he had fallen from his horse at the blow, quickly carried
him away in their arms. And Hereward went away, and the same day arrived with
his men in the Isle of Ely, where he was received with the greatest respect by
the Abbot of the place and the monks ; and much honoured by the principal men
of the Isle, namely, by Adwin Earl of Leicester, and his brother Morkere, Earl
of Warwick, and another Earl, Tosti by name, who had all fled to the men in the Isle,
having suffered many wrongs at the hands of the aforesaid King, being worried
with many grievous exactions, with some eminent men of the country, whom the
like reason had drawn to the place.
XXI.
How the King attempted to take the Isle, where he nearly
lost his entire army; while no man, except one brave knight, entered it.
And so after the King heard of these things, he was excessively angry, and
impelled by great indignation, urgently attempted to take the Isle ; but he
moved all his army to Alrehede,
where it was not so wholly surrounded by waters and swamp : the breadth of the
position extended only four furlongs. After bringing
instruments and engines of logs and stones, and piles
of all sorts, they constructed a causeway in the swamp, though it was
comparatively useless and narrow, near to a great river
by the aforesaid place, namely Alrehede : they also
put into the water very large trees and beams bound together, and beneath them
sheep-skins tied together, turned after flaying and inflated with air, so that
the weight of men going over it might be better borne. When this was done, so
great a multitude rushed and came together on it, eager, among other things,
for the gold and silver which was thought to be hidden in plenty in the Isle, with
the result that those men who in their hurry had taken the lead were drowned
together with the road itself that they had made ; and
those who were in the middle of the company also were swallowed up in the
watery and deep swamp. A few indeed of those who followed last with the loss of
their arms, escaped with difficulty, tumbling out of the water through the sand. And so, though hardly a man pursued them, they perished
in great numbers in the waters and in the swamp ; and
of them many, up to this very day, are drawn out from the depths of those
waters, in rotten armour. And this we have sometimes ourselves seen. And of all those of whom we have above made mention,
not one got into the Isle, except by chance a single eminent knight, Dada by name, who went in the very front ;
but no man of the Isle was caught in the snare, for some men had made a heap of
sods on the bank of the river in front of the bulwarks and ramparts, laying
ambushes on the right and on the left. And the King observing all these things
from a distance, saw how his men in front were swallowed up in the swamp and in
the water ; and groaning from deep heartfelt sorrow
with those of his men who still survived, very few compared with the number of
those that were drowned, departed, laying aside all hope of making any further
attack on the Isle. But still he put a guard on there, and soldiers round about, lest they should have free access to lay waste the
district.
XXII.
Of a soldier who went into the
Isle, and resolved to be the first to give information to the King about the
Isle and its inhabitants.
That soldier whom
we have named a little while ago as having gone
into the Isle, was taken and led before the chief men and dignitaries of the
Isle in Ely. And when he was asked for the reason of his coming and for his
name, they found out that he was called Dada, and the reason of his coming was
as follows. The King, in the presence of his
followers, had made a bargain, that whoever should first make his way into the
Isle and inflict some damage, might ask of him any of the possessions in the
Isle, and he promised he should have it. Hearing this they praised his audacity
and valour ; and they caused him to stay with them for a few days, that he
might become acquainted with their valour, and see how
secure a position they held, being provided with the defence of a thoroughly
fortified place, and in no small degree strengthened by the companies of
distinguished soldiers. For, as he often declared in their presence, he had
many times heard that they were less proficient in war and less skilled in
military tactics than other nations ; but before he
departed he perceived that they were most excellent in all things, and
efficient in practice of warfare. So permission to go away was given him on
these terms, that he should report about them nothing else than what he had
heard and see, and this he had to confirm with an oath ;
and so at length, complimented with a present, he arrived at the King’s court ;
and everybody greatly congratulated him on his arrival, and the King himself
was glad. For he was a man of very great repute among the more distinguished of
the King’s knights : and when he was asked before the whole court, he declared
how he entered the Isle by some favour of fortune safe and sound. And while on
the road on which they had marched and which they had made, great numbers, as
we have narrated above, perished, he said that he
alone of them all had been conducted alive by Hereward the master of the
soldiers of the Isle into the Isle ;
and by him he asserted that he had been honoured among he most distinguished of
the bands of soldiers. Afterwards, on enquiry, he learnt the reason of his
going there, Dada explaining to him the King’s promise that any man who should
first go into the Isle and inflict some damage should be rewarded with very
great honour. Upon being further strictly questioned, he went through all the
dignities of he chief men of the Isle and their names ; and recounted the
grandeur of their works of defence, and how well strengthened they were by
troops of distinguished soldiers, and in no small degree protected by companies
of mighty men. And in the first place of dignity he put those three Earls whom
we have named above, that is to say, Adwinus, Morkere,
and Tosti, and the two
nobles, Orgar and Thrachitell, surnamed The Boy.
And in giving his description of them he extolled Hereward the Outlaw with his
men above themselves and above all knights whom he had ever seen in the nation
of
* Latin
very difficult. It seems to imply that the natural security of the position was
sufficient without artificial defences.
XXIII.
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 Reach, 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 Burwell, 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, Richard by
name, and by surname grandson of the Viscount Osbertus, 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 soldiers, 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 on 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, Turstanus, a young man, who was afterwards surnamed Warden, Boter of Saint Edmunds, Siwardus, Levricus, 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 Taillebois by name, indignantly answered, “I have known for a long
time an old woman 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.
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
took his pots, and assuming the character of a potter made
his way to the King’s court at
XXV.
How Hereward disguised himself as a fisherman, and cheated
the King a second time : and how the King attacked the
Isle and about their means of defence.
The King, as he had arranged, and in
pursuit of the object for which he had directed his march to the spot, when the
engines of war were got ready, attempted to carry out his plans, leading his
whole army to Alreheche ; he caused also to be
brought thither a large pile of wood and stones, and a heap of all kinds of
timber ; and he commanded all the fishermen of the province to come with their
boats to Cotingelade, so that they might transport
what they had brought to the place, and with the materials construct mounds and
hillocks on the top of which they might fight. Among these Hereward came with
the rest like a fisherman with a boat, and they carefully transported
everything that they had brought there. At last on the same day, the sun not
setting without some damage done before he departed, he finished his work, and
then set it on fire, whereby the whole was burnt up, and some men were also
killed by it, and some drowned. For he had gone with
head and beard shaven so as not to be recognised : employing different
disguises for the death of his enemies and destruction of his foes, more
willing to appear for a time in ungainly fashion, and to lose his comely hair,
than to spare his adversaries. And when this was reported, that he had with
impunity again got away, the King said it was a shameful thing that he had been
now more than once mocked by Hereward ; but yet the
worthy King among other things and above all gave orders to his men and charged
them Hereward should be brought to him alive, and that they should keep him
unharmed. And being much impressed with
the damage done on this occasion, the King’s men set guards over all their property
and over the works, night and day. So for seven days they struggled, and with
difficulty completed one work ; and they set up four
circular erections of wood on which to put the engines. But the men of the
Isle, erecting outworks and bulwarks to oppose them, made a vigorous
resistance. And so on the eighth day, all advanced to attack the Isle with
their whole strength ; and they put that witch before
mentioned on an elevated spot in their midst, so that she, being sufficiently
protected on all sides, might have free room for the exercise of her skill.
When she had got up she spoke out for
a long time against the Isle and its inhabitants, denouncing destruction and
uttering charms for their overthrow, and at the end of her talking and
incantations turned her back on them in derision. And when she had gone through
this disgusting ceremony three times, as she had proposed, behold, the men who
were hidden all around in the swamp, on the right and left, among the reeds and
rough briars of the swamp, set the reeds on fire, and by the help of the wind
the smoke and flame spread up against their camp. Extending some two furlongs
the fire rushing hither and thither among them formed a horrible spectacle in
the marsh, and the roar of the flames, with the crackling twigs of the
brushwood and willows, made a terrible noise. Stupefied and excessively
alarmed, they took to flight, each man for himself ;
but they could not go far through the desert parts of the swamp in that watery
road, nor could they keep to the path with ease. Wherefore very many were
suddenly swallowed up, and others drowned in the same waters, and overwhelmed
with arrows, for in the fire and in their flight they could not with their
javelins resist the bands of men who came out cautiously and secretly from the
Isle to repel them. And among them that woman aforesaid of infamous art, in the
greatest alarm, fell down head first from her exalted position, and broke her
neck.
And the great King himself, among the
few (compared to the number of the fallen) who had escaped, carried in his
shield, right up to the tents of his men, an arrow that had struck deep. Seeing
this his men were alarmed, supposing him wounded, and
loudly bewailed the accident. To remove their hesitation and alarm the King
said, “I have no wound to complain of ; but I do
complain that I did not take a sound design from all those that were submitted
to me, and this is why nearly all our men have fallen, deceived by the subtlety
of an infamous woman, and moved without knowledge of her detestable art, even
to listen to whom ought to have been for us an accursed thing, for so these
things would not have happened to us.”
At this time Radulfus
the Earl, surnamed Waer, having secretly gathered
together a very large army, had invited certain persons from the nation of the
English to his wedding, and had compelled them by force and trickery to bind
themselves to him by oath : and so he laid waste and
subjugated to himself the whole land from Norwich to Tedford
and Sudbury. Wherefore three Earls, named above, and all the elders who were in
the Isle, had now gone off to him, as though he meant to make a claim for the
kingdom and country, leaving Hereward by himself with his men to guard the
Isle.
XXVI.
How and wherefore the men of Ely made an agreement with
the King ; upon which Hereward wanted to burn the
church and town.
Notwithstanding all these
preparations the King, perceiving that his energy was of no avail to obtain
possession of the Isle by war or by force, and considering how many* of his men
he had now lost all at once, and also what great numbers he had previously
lost, made a decree to divide amongst his more eminent followers, although
outside the Isle, the lands of the church and the property of the monks, so
that they might only have to guard the Isle from without. Whereupon some of his
men appropriating to their own use the lands of the church that were near,
claimed them for themselves. Hearing which the monks of the same church,
adopting a more prudent plan in their undertakings, upon the return of he Abbot
who with the earls aforesaid had fled in disguise to Angerhale, with the ornaments and treasures of the church, asked
the King for conditions of peace, he to restore to them all the lands of the
church freely and honourably. This however was done on a certain day in secret, that it might not come to Hereward’s knowledge. The
messengers were received graciously by the King, and they made arrangements for
him to come at once secretly to the Isle, when Hereward should happen to have
gone forth with his men foraging, in order that the affair might be managed
without bloodshed and grievous slaughter. But yet one of the monks, Alwinus the son of Orgar, went to
him, to signify that they** had already received the King and made a covenant
with him. But he soon met him on the road coming from the bank with his men,
carrying torches to set fire to the church and town in consequence of what they
had heard. The monk with many prayers and entreaties opposed this design,
urging him rather to consult his own safety by flight, if unwilling to join
them in securing peace, adding also that the King with all his army was near Wychford, within a furlong’s
distance. Yielding at length to his persuasive words, because he had regarded
him as a friend and good comrade in warfare and in many of his necessities
efficient ; because also he was convinced by his arguments ; he decided upon
immediate action, and, with his vessels which he had well provided with arms to
guard the waters round about the Isle, withdrew to a certain sea called Wide, near Welle, a piece of water large and with ample channels,† and
having ready means of egress. And there he had
despatched some of his men to Cissahum to inflict mischief and lay the land waste with fire,
until the scouts that he sent, secretly should quickly lead them to him to
prevent their being captured. And when they were found at last in a little
island called Stimtencia, they thought Hereward’s
messengers were pursuing them, and hid themselves at some distance in the marsh
among the reeds. But two of them, Starcufulfi and
Broker, lurking together, thought that it might give them a better chance of
safety if they had the tonsure, like monks ; and so with their swords, in the
best way they could, the made a tonsure for each other. At last some words
shouted out produced mutual recognition, and all in one body retraced their steps
to their lord, Hereward.
* Latin corrupt.
** The Latin says “that he”; but the true
meaning must be as here translated.
† Meaning
uncertain.
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 rank
should boast that he had got Hereward’s horse. At last he escaped with his men
from this peril, and passed over into Brunneswald ; and in like manner went on to dwell in the great woods of
Northamptonshire, 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 Bourne,
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 reversed, 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 lace 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. 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.
* Novem: but
only seven are named.
** Grammatical construction in the Latin
quite hopeless.
XXVIII
How Hereward took vengeance upon the Abbot of Burgh.
After the aforesaid abbot of Burgh by
a ransom of thirty thousand pounds* had been delivered from the hand of
Hereward, and the nephew of the same Abbot and all the
others whom they had captured had been dismissed by one of Hereward’s kinsmen, Siward the White by name, (whom he had lately treated with
great hospitality,) out of respect for the Abbot ; remembering neither their
covenant nor the benefit received, they recompensed Hereward by making war upon
him and his men. For which purpose the Abbot spoken of granted many of the
possessions of the church to soldiers on condition that they supplied forthwith
military assistance to subdue Hereward, in respect to the trouble the abbot
experienced through him ; and he arranged that they
should attack Hereward as service for their lands. But
when Hereward heard those reports, and that a penalty was hanging over him for
his kindness, he did not long delay, but the same night, to avenge themselves,
went with his men to Burgh, and laid waste the whole town with fire, plundered
all the treasure of the church, and overtook the Abbot, although he with his
men would have escaped by hiding themselves.
* Manifestly
some error.
XXIX
Of a vision and a marvellous
occurrence seen by Hereward.
In the following night in his sleep
Hereward saw standing by him a man of indescribable form, old, terrible of
aspect, in all his clothing more remarkable than anything he had seen or
imagined, threatening him with a great key which he carried in his hand, and
with a terrible injunction that he should cause to be restored in their
entirety all those belongings of his church which he had taken on the past
night, if he wished to provide for his own safety and to escape a miserable
death on the next day. On waking he was seized with
holy terror, and the same hour took back everything he had taken away, and so
with all his men took his departure. And on their
journey they went astray, and lost the right road. And a marvellous thing
happened to them as they were thus straying, a miracle, if
in truth it can be said that such things can happen to men. For while in the
stormy night and darkness wandering hither and thither
through the woods they knew not whither they were going, a huge wolf came in
front of them, fawning upon them like a tame dog, and coming nearer on the path
walked before them. Thinking him, in the darkness, to be a white dog, because
of his white skin, they encouraged one another to follow the dog closely,
declaring that he had come from some town. And so they did, and in the midst of
the silence of the night, while they found that they had succeeded in getting
out of the by-way, and recognised their road, of a sudden there appeared
burning flames attached to the lances of the soldiers,
but still not very bright, but like those which the common people call Fairies’
Lights. Nor could any man get rid of them or put them out, or throw them away.
Whereupon in great wonder, though they were stupefied, knowing their road, they
proceeded under the guidance of the wolf. At dawn they all, to their
astonishment, found out at last that a wolf had been their guide. And while
they were in doubt about what had happened to them, the wolf disappeared, and
all the flames went out, and they came to the place they had intended, beyond
XXX.
Hereward had not stayed there three
days when he heard that an enemy of his would be in the aforesaid town, a man who had often attempted to ruin him and deliver
him to his enemies, although lately they had been faithless (?) ; whereupon to find
out the certainty of what he had heard he set out with only two men, and when
the man recognised Hereward on the road he immediately consulted his safety by
flight. Hereward directly followed on his track, from house to house, from
garden to garden, with his naked sword and a small shield in his hand, right
into a great hall, where many men of his own district were assembled at a
love-feast. And when he had nowhere to turn, Hereward being ever close upon
him, he fled into the inner part of the house, and there put his head through
an aperture* . . . and besought him to have mercy. Moved by
generosity, as he was always most liberal in all his doings, he did not touch
him there, nor did he inflict any damage in word or deed, but in the same way
as he had come in he returned and passed out through the middle of the house.
And no man of those that were feasting, all being stupefied, ventured even to
grumble, or to say anything opprobrious to him about the occurrence, as they
had nothing to hand except drinking-horns and wine-cups.
* See the Latin.
XXXI
How Hereward’s wife assumed the
habit of a nun at Crowland.
In the interval the wife of Hereward
before-named, Turfrida, had begum to turn away from
him, because he had at that time very often received messengers from a lady
most powerful from her wealth, (she was the wife of Earl Dolfinus,)
asking him to take her to wife after asking for license from the King,
which he could obtain for the mere asking, as she had heard from the King’s own
mouth, if he were peaceably disposed and were willing to give him his
adherence. For this purpose, and charmed with the beauty of the lady, Hereward
gave his consent, because there was no one more beautiful or comely in the
realm than she, and hardly any one more eminent in wealth. Wherefore he sent
messengers to the King and demanded the lady aforesaid, declaring that he was
willing to be reconciled with the King’s Majesty. The King received the
messengers graciously, and appointed a day for him, agreeing to what he had
demanded, adding that he had for a long time wishing to receive him into his
favour. But the real wife of Hereward, about whom we have just above made
mention, by reason of this went to Crowland, and chose
the better life, taking the veil of a nun. On this account many evils happened
to him, because she was very wise and helpful in giving advice (?) at an
emergency. For afterwards, as he himself often admitted, many things happened
not so fortunately as in the time of his success.
XXXII
How Hereward overcame a certain very eminent knight in
single combat.
When Hereward was quietly walking at
Brunneswold he met a certain
Saxon soldier, a man of great courage and very tall,
by name Letoltus. He from military skill and courage
was well known in many regions and much praised. Hereward, most courteous as he
always was, first saluted him and asked him his name, dignity and family. Not
taking his words and questions in good part, Leoltus
answered haughtily, calling him a simpleton and a boor. So in the end in anger
they came to blows. And not only these two, but their soldiers also at the same
time engaged, on the part of the warrior aforesaid five, and on the part of
Hereward three, namely Geri, Wenochus and Matelgar. And as they fought Geri soon laid low his
opponent, and attacked another of his mates. The other two soldiers also soon
afterwards overcame their adversaries. But meanwhile the eminent knight before
mentioned did not cease fighting with Hereward, though his men were overcome.
But Hereward did not allow any to help to be given him by any of his men,
saying then as always, when any man was fighting with one of his men or with
himself, that it was an unworthy thing for two to fight against one, and that a
man ought to fight with one man only, or else surrender. And as those two were
long fighting, the result of the combat being still in doubt, contrary to all
expectation, Hereward’s sword broke off at the hilt, and after turning round
where the other was standing in astonishment, at last fell down over his
helmet.* Immediately one of Hereward’s soldiers, Geri, because he addressed the
above saying to one of his fellows, asked him why he had forgotten what he had
close by his side at such an emergency, and added that he wished he would yield
to him the post against the foe ; at which, much comforted, Hereward drew from
its sheath another sword which he had forgotten, and attacked the fellow more
sharply, and at the very first blow, while he was supposed to be attacked on
the head, he pierced the middle of his thigh bone ;
and yet the warrior for some time defended himself on his knees, and declared
that as long as life was in him he would never be willing to surrender or seem
conquered, Seeing which Hereward in admiration praised his valour and courage,
and ceased attacking him, leaving him and going on his road. And he further
said about him to his men, “I have never found such a man, nor did I ever meet
with his equal in courage, nor have I ever been in such peril when fighting
against any man, nor have I ever had so much trouble in conquering a man”.
* This may be the meaning. The original
is perfectly hopeless.
XXXIII
How Hereward went to the King’s court with his soldiers.
But when he was making his way to
the King’s court with the three men aforesaid, as he drew near he reflected
that it would not be a suitable way of meeting the King, and immediately went
back. And on his return he led with him forty other distinguished soldiers, all
of very great stature, and efficient in warfare, and remarkable, if for nothing
else, for their mere appearance and equipment in arms. And he with his men was
received by the King with ample kindness and honour. Yet he did not allow his
company to remain among his own courtiers, but gave instructions for them to be
entertained at the next town, lest by chance any disturbances should take place
between them and his own men. Hereward, with three soldiers only, he received
in the palace, intending to treat with him on the next day concerning his
demands. On the following day the revered King himself went to see Hereward’s
soldiers, and caused them, both with arms and without arms, to stand and march
before him. And he was greatly delighted with them, and praised their handsome
appearance and height, and added that they were all bound to be very eminent in
warfare. And after this Hereward let them all go away to their own homes,
except two soldiers, and those with him hitherto ; and
waited to receive in its entirety his father’s land, after he had done homage
to the King.
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. 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 wounded.
XXXV
How Hereward was accused by Robert de Horepol
and put into prison.
While then these things had come to
the knowledge of some of his enemies, grudging his success, they came to the
court and brought to the King many false reports of Hereward
; and they craftily impressed upon him not to have near him any longer
such men, traitors of his realm and enemies, and that they ought not henceforth
to be admitted even to the terms of agreement, but rather to be handed over to
punishment, or else be kept in perpetual imprisonment. These words the
respected King did not indeed wholly listen to, but in order to satisfy them he
ordered him at once to be taken into custody, delivering him to a certain
worshipful man, Robert de Horepol, at Bedford, where
he remained for nearly a whole year, merely bound with fetters. And always the
Earl Warenne and Robert Malet and Ivo Taillebois opposed him and
dissuaded the King from letting him out of custody, declaring that the country
was not pacified because of him. And when they heard of it his men became
dispersed. But yet they often sent to their lord in disguise a certain clerk of
his, Leofric the Deacon by name, who was ever shrewd
in all his doings, and able to feign folly in the place of a man of learning,
and all the time to act with wisdom. With him once there went to the place,
disguised like a cook going to purchase milk, a man of excessive caution and
among strangers full of humour. In their presence one day the guardian of
Hereward before mentioned, among other things was commiserating him and said,
“Alas! Alas! a man formerly famous for his bands of
soldiers, and the leader and lord of so many very eminent men, is tomorrow to
be taken hence, through the subtlety of Ivo Taillebois, and delivered into the hands of a hateful man
and sent to the castle at Buckingham, Oh! that those men who formerly he enriched with presents, and
raised with honours, would follow the traces of their master, coming against us
on the march or in the Isle, and so set free their master and lord.” Hearing
this these two men of Hereward’s aforesaid, disclosed what they had heard,
after receiving tokens from their lord, to his soldiers and all his men ; and
fixing upon a spot, they all assembled there on the day of their passing for
they had taken secret observations of a wood through which they would have to
pass. And on their arrival immediately Hereward’s men
rushed upon them unexpectedly, and overthrew many before they could even take
up their light arms. But yet when others had taken their arms they made a brave
resistance, because they were numerous, in fact all the soldiers from the
castles around. And at last to nearly all this the cause of death, when they
could escape they refused to do so, and in the end they could not be surrounded
by them. And then among some who still survived, Hereward being set free from
ten chains, he shouted out that they must carefully save the band of his
respected master, and that his men must be let go unharmed, with Robert
himself, Hereward walking hither and thither among his men who were still
fighting, saying that Robert had saved his life, and so they at once ceased
from the pursuit. For as they came, they had marched last, forming the rear,
and Hereward was led in front surrounded and chained. At last his keeper
aforesaid wishing to depart with his comrades who had remained, Hereward
returned him very many thanks, because he had kept him in custody courteously,
and had uniformly treated him with honour : and he
asked moreover that he should intercede for him to the King.
XXXVI
How Robert of Horepol made a
good report of Hereward to the King.
Then the aforesaid Robert of Horepol after this immediately went off to the King’s
court, signifying to the King everything that had been done, and how Hereward
had by his own men been set free. Finally he delivered the message he had
brought, that he should avail himself of the King’s kindness, and call to his
mind how he had come to his court under his protection and safe conduct, and
that he had not rightly after that been put into prison and custody. But yet if
he would even now perform what he had then promised him, Hereward would serve
his most dear lord in every way, since he knew that this wrong had not been
done by him, but through the persuasion and craft of his enemies. After a
little reflection on these words the King replied that Hereward had not had
right treatment. And when Robert saw that the King had taken his words in good
part, he straightway related to the King many things worth the telling about
Hereward and his men ; adding that for a little cause such a warrior ought not
lightly to be driven from him and his realm, in whom there might be found great
fidelity and trust. And he declared for certain that he was rather inclined to
rely on his old resources, if a new disturbance arose in the land, unless in
the King’s eyes he could meet with favour rather than imprisonment, and should
receive from the King’s goodness his father’s land. Thereupon the King declared
that he ought by rights to have it, and gave command by his letters to Hereward
and the men of his district that he ought to have the land of his father and to
retain quiet possession of it; but that from henceforth he must be willing to
cultivate peace, not folly, if he wished hereafter to retain the King’s
friendship.
And so Hereward, the famous warrior,
in many places proved and well known, was received into favour by the King, and
with his father’s lands and possessions lived afterwards for many years,
faithfully serving King William, and wholly devoted to
his neighbours and friends ; and so at last he rested
in peace, and upon his soul may God have mercy. Amen.
END OF THE LIFE OF HEREWARD THE RENOWNED KNIGHT.