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35

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45

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Canterbury was built, and many others also throughout England. Moreover, this land was filled with monks who lived after the rule of St. Benedict; and such was the state of religion in his days that all that would might observe that which was prescribed by their respective orders.

King William was held in much reverence. He wore his crown three times every year when

given to avarice and greedily loved gain. He made large forests for the deer and enacted laws therewith, so that whoever killed a hart or a hind should be blinded. As he forbade killing 5 the deer, so also the boars; and he loved the tall stags as if he were their father. He also appointed concerning the hares, that they should go free. The rich complained and the poor murmured, but he was so sturdy that he

the king willed, if they would live, or would keep their lands, or would hold their possessions or would be maintained in their rights. . .

he was in England: at Easter he wore it at 10 recked naught of them; they must will all that Winchester, at Pentecost at Westminster, and at Christmas at Gloucester. And at these times all the men of England were with him, archbishops, bishops, abbots, and earls, thanes, and knights. So also, was he a very stern and a 15 wrathful man, so that none durst do anything against his will, and he kept in prison those earls who acted against his pleasure.

He removed bishops from their sees, and abbots from their offices, and he imprisoned 20 thanes, and at length he spared not his own brother Odo. This Odo was a very powerful bishop in Normandy; his see was that of Bayeux, and he was foremost to serve the king. He had an earldom in England, and when William was 25 in Normandy he was the first man in this country, and him did he cast into prison.

He left three sons: Robert, the eldest, was duke of Normandy after him; the second, named William, wore the crown of England after his father's death; and his third son was Henry, to whom he bequeathed immense treasures.

4

William of Malmsbury

c. 1095-c. 1142

MALMSBURY'S ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF (From Gesta Regum Anglorum, c. 1120, translated by J. A. GILES)

Amongst other things the good order that William established is not to be forgotten; it was such that any man, who was himself aught, 30 might travel over the kingdom with a bosomful of gold, unmolested; and no man durst kill another, however great the injury he might have received from him. He reigned over England, and, being sharp-sighted to his own 35 Indeed I was so instructed by my father, that

A long period has elapsed since, as well through the care of my parents as my own industry, I became familiar with books. This pleasure possessed me from my childhood: this source of delight has grown with my years.

had I turned aside to other pursuits, I should have considered it as jeopardy to my soul and discredit to my character. Wherefore mindful of the adage "covet what is necessary," I

interest, he surveyed the kingdom so thoroughly that there was not a single hide of land2 throughout the whole, of which he knew not the possessor, and how much it was worth, and this he afterwards entered in his register.3 40 constrained my early age to desire eagerly that The land of the Welsh was under his sway, and he built castles therein; moreover he had full dominion over the Isle of Man; Scotland also was subject to him, from his great strength; the land of Normandy was his inheritance, and 45 he possessed the earldom of Maine; and had he lived two years longer he would have subdued Ireland by his prowess, and that without a battle.

which it was disgraceful not to possess. I g gave, indeed, my attention to various branches of literature, but in different degrees. Logic, for instance, which gives arms to eloquence, I contented myself with barely hearing. Medicine, which ministers to the health of the body, I studied with somewhat more attention. But now, having scrupulously examined the several branches of Ethics, I bow to its majesty, because it spontaneously unveils itself to those who study it, and directs their minds to moral practice; History more especially; which, by an agreeable recapitulation of past events, excites its readers, by example, to frame their

Truly there was much trouble in these times, 50 and very great distress; he caused castles to be built, and oppressed the poor. The king was also of great sternness, and he took from his subjects many marks of gold and many hundred pounds of silver, and this either with or 55 lives to the pursuit of good, or to aversion from without right, and with little need. He was

The hide, or family portion, was the old unit of land, and contained from 100 to 120 acres.

i. e., the famous Doomsday Book.

evil. When, therefore, at my own expense, I had procured some historians of foreign nations, I proceeded during my domestic Afterward, Henry I, King of England, 1100-1135.

leisure, to inquire if anything concerning our own country could be found worthy of handing down to posterity. Hence it arose, that, not content with the writings of ancient times, I began, myself, to compose; not indeed to display my learning, which is comparatively nothing, but to bring to light events lying concealed in a confused mass of antiquity. In consequence rejecting vague opinions, I have studiously sought for chronicles far and near, 10 through the hurry of his attendants, he had

On the other side, the Normans passed the whole night in confessing their sins, and received the sacrament in the morning: their infantry, with bows and arrows, formed the 5 vanguard, while their cavalry, divided into wings, were thrown back. The earl, with serene countenance, declaring aloud, that God would favour his, as being the righteous side, called for his arms; and presently, when,

put on his hauberk the hind part before, he corrected the mistake with a laugh; saying, "My dukedom shall be turned into a kingdom." Then beginning the song of Roland, that the warlike example of that man might stimulate the soldiers, and calling on God for assistance, the battle commenced on both sides. They fought with ardour, neither giving ground, for great part of the day. Finding this, William

though I confess I have scarcely profited anything by this industry. For perusing them all, I still remained poor in information; though I ceased not my researches as long as I could find any thing to read. However, what I have 15 clearly ascertained concerning the four kingdoms, I have inserted in my first book, in which I hope truth will find no cause to blush, though perhaps a degree of doubt may sometimes arise. I shall now trace the monarchy of 20 gave a signal to his party, that, by a feigned

the West Saxon kingdom, through the line of successive princes, down to the coming of the Normans: which if any person will condescend to regard with complacency, let him in broth

flight, they should retreat. Through this device, the close body of English, opening for the purpose of cutting down the straggling enemy, brought upon itself swift destruction;

thus disordered, and compelled them to fly. In this manner, deceived by a stratagem, they met an honourable death in avenging their country; nor indeed were they at all wanting

erly love observe the following rule: "If before 25 for the Normans, facing about, attacked them he knew only these things, let him not be disgusted because I have inserted them; if he shall know more, let him not be angry that I have not spoken of them;" but rather let him communicate his knowledge to me, while I yet 30 to their own revenge, as, by frequently making

live, that at least, those events may appear in the margin of my history, which do not occur in the text.

THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS AND THE
EFFECT OF THE CONQUEST

(From the same)

a stand, they slaughtered their pursuers in heaps: for, getting possession of an eminence, they drove down the Normans, when roused with indignation and anxiously striving to gain 35 the higher ground, into the valley beneath, where, easily hurling their javelins and rolling down stones on them as they stood below, they destroyed them to a man. Besides, by a short passage, with which they were acquainted,

such a multitude of their enemies in that place, that they made the hollow level with the plain, by the heaps of carcases. This vicissitude of first one party conquering, and then the other,

The courageous leaders mutually prepared 40 avoiding a deep ditch, they trod under foot for battle, each according to his national custom. The English, as we have heard, passed the night without sleep, in drinking, and singing, and, in the morning, proceeded without delay toward the enemy; all were on foot, armed with 45 prevailed as long as the life of Harold conbattle axes, and covering themselves in front by the junction of their shields, they formed an impenetrable body, which would have secured their safety that day, had not the Normans, by a feigned flight, induced them to open their 50 ranks, which till that time, according to their custom, were closely compacted. The king himself on foot, stood, with his brother, near the standard; in order that, while all shared

tinued; but when he fell, from having his brain pierced with an arrow, the flight of the English ceased not until night. The valour of both leaders was here eminently conspicuous.

Harold, not merely content with the duty of a general in exhorting others, diligently entered into every soldier-like office; often would he strike the enemy so that none could approach him with impunity; for immediately the same

equal danger, none might think of retreating. 55 blow levelled both horse and rider. Wherefore,

This standard William sent, after the victory, to the Pope; it was sumptuously embroidered, with gold and precious stones, in the form of a man fighting.

as I have related, receiving the fatal arrow from a distance, he yielded to death. One of the soldiers with a sword gashed his thigh, as he lay prostrate; for which shameful and cowardly

action, he was branded with ignominy by William, and dismissed from the service.

monks mocked the rule of their order by fine vestments, and the use of every kind of food. The nobility, given up to luxury and wantonness, went not to church in the morning after 5 the manner of Christians, but merely, in a careless manner, heard matins and masses from a hurrying priest in their chambers, amid the blandishments of their wives. The commonalty, left unprotected, became a prey to the

William too was equally ready to encourage by his voice and by his presence; to be the first to rush forward; to attack the thickest of the foe. Thus everywhere raging, everywhere furious, he lost three choice horses, which were that day pierced under him. The dauntless spirit and vigour of the intrepid general, however, still persisted, though often called 10 most powerful, who amassed fortunes, by either

seizing on their property, or by selling their persons into foreign countries; although it be an innate quality of this people, to be more inclined to revelling, than to the accumulation

back by the kind remonstrance of his body-
guard; he still persisted, I say, till approaching
night crowned him with complete victory, and
no doubt, the hand of God so protected him,
that the enemy should draw no blood from his 15 of wealth. . .
person, though they aimed so many javelins at
him.

Drinking in parties was a universal practise, in which occupation they passed entire nights as well as days. They consumed their whole substance in mean and despicable houses;

This was a fatal day to England, a melancholy havoc of our dear country, through its change of masters. For it had long since 20 unlike the Normans and French, who, in noble adopted the manners of the Angles, which had been very various according to the times: for in the first years of their arrival, they were barbarians in their look and manners, warlike

and splendid mansions, lived with frugality. The vices attendant on drunkenness, which enervate the human mind, followed; hence it arose that engaging William, more with rash

in their usages, heathens in their rites; but, 25 ness and precipitate fury than military skill,

they doomed themselves, and their country to slavery, by one, and that an easy, victory. "For nothing is less effective than rashness; and what begins with violence, quickly ceases, or is repelled." In fine, the English at that time, wore short garments reaching to the mid-knee; they had their hair cropped; their beards shaven; their arms laden with golden bracelets; their skin adorned with punctured

after embracing the faith of Christ, by degrees, and in process of time, from the peace they enjoyed, regarding arms only in a secondary light, they gave their whole attention to religion. I say nothing of the poor, the mean- 30 ness of whose fortune often restrains them from overstepping the bounds of justice; I omit men of ecclesiastical rank, whom sometimes respect to their profession, and sometimes the fear of shame, suffer not to deviate from the truth: 35 designs. They were accustomed to eat till

they became surfeited, and to drink till they were sick. These latter qualities they imparted to their conquerors; as to the rest, they adopted their manners. I would not, however, have these bad propensities universally ascribed to the English. I know that many of the clergy, at that day, trod the path of sanctity, by a blameless life; I know that many of the laity, of all ranks and conditions, in this nation, were well-pleasing to God. Be injustice far from this account; the accusation does not involve the whole indiscriminately. "But,

I speak of princes, who from the greatness of their power might have full liberty to indulge in pleasure; some of whom, in their own country, and others at Rome, changing their habit, obtained a heavenly kingdom, and a saintly 40 intercourse. Many during their whole lives in outward appearance only embraced the present world, in order that they might exhaust their treasures on the poor, or divide them amongst monasteries. What shall I say of the multi- 45 tudes of bishops, hermits, and abbots? Does not the whole island blaze with such numerous relics of its natives that you can scarcely pass a village of any consequence but you hear the name of some new saint, besides the numbers 50 His severity, sometimes, include them both in

as in peace, the mercy of God often cherishes the bad and the good together; so, equally, does

captivity."

Moreover, the Normans, that I may speak of them also, were at that time, and are even now, proudly apparelled, delicate in their food, but

of whom all notices have perished through the want of records? Nevertheless, in process of time, the desire after literature and religion had decayed, for several years before the arrival of the Normans. The clergy, contented with a 55 not excessive. They are a race inured to war, very slight degree of learning, could scarcely stammer out the words of the sacraments; and a person who understood grammar, was an object of wonder and astonishment. The

and can hardly live without it; fierce in rushing against the enemy; and where strength fails of success, ready to use stratagem, or to corrupt by bribery. As I have related, they live in large