WHO WAS CHOSEN TO BEAR THE DUKE'S GONFANON IN THE BATTLE.
Then the duke called for his good horse; a better could not be found. It
had been sent him by a king of Spain as a token of friendship[1].
Neither arms nor throng did it fear, when its lord spurred on. Galtier
Giffart, who had been to St. Jago, brought it. The duke stretched out
his hand, took the reins, put foot in stirrup and mounted; and the good
horse pawed, pranced, reared himself up, and curvetted.
The viscount of Toarz saw how the duke bore himself in arms, and said to
his people that were around him, "Never have I seen a man so fairly
armed, nor one who rode so gallantly, or bore his arms, or became his
hauberk so well; neither any one who bore his lance so gracefully, or
sat his horse and manœuvred him so nobly. There is no other such knight
under heaven! a fair count he is, and fair king he will be. Let him
fight and he shall overcome; shame be to him who shall fail him!"
The duke called for horses, and had several led out to him; each had a
good sword hanging at the saddlebow, and those who led the horses bore
lances. Then the barons armed themselves, the knights and the
lancemen[2]; and the whole were divided into three companies; each
company having many lords and captains appointed to them, that there
might be no cowardice, or fear of loss of member or life.
The duke called a serving man, and ordered him to bring forth the
gonfanon which the pope had sent him; and he who bore it having unfolded
it, the duke took it, reared it, and called to Raol de Conches[3]; "Bear
my gonfanon," said he, "for I would not but do you right; by right and
by ancestry your line are standard bearers of Normandy, and very good
knights have they all been." "Many thanks to you," said Raol, "for
acknowledging our right; but by my faith, the gonfanon shall not this
day be borne by me. To-day I claim quittance of the service, for I would
serve you in other guise. I will go with you into the battle, and will
fight the English as long as life shall last, and know that my hand will
be worth any twenty of such men."
Then the duke turned another way, and called to him Galtier Giffart[4].
"Do thou take this gonfanon," said he, "and bear it in the battle." But
Galtier Giffart answered, "Sire, for God's mercy look at my white and
bald head; my strength has fallen away, and my breath become shorter.
The standard should be borne by one who can endure long labour; I shall
be in the battle, and you have not any man who will serve you more
truly; I will strike with my sword till it shall be died in your
enemies' blood."
Then the duke said fiercely, "By the splendour of God[5], my lords, I
think you mean to betray and fail me in this great need." "Sire," said
Giffart, "not so! we have done no treason, nor do I refuse from any
felony towards you; but I have to lead a great chivalry, both soldiers
and the men of my fief. Never had I such good means of serving you as I
now have; and if God please, I will serve you: if need be, I will die
for you, and will give my own heart for yours."
"By my faith," quoth the duke, "I always loved thee, and now I love thee
more; if I survive this day, thou shalt be the better for it all thy
days." Then he called out a knight, whom he had heard much praised,
Tosteins Fitz Rou le blanc[6], by name, whose abode was at
Bec-en-Caux[7]. To him he delivered the gonfanon; and Tosteins took it
right cheerfully, and bowed low to him in thanks, and bore it gallantly,
and with good heart. His kindred still have quittance of all service for
their inheritance on that account, and their heirs are entitled so to
hold their inheritance for ever.
William sat on his warhorse, and called out Rogier, whom they call de
Montgomeri[8]. "I rely much on you," said he; "lead your men
thitherward, and attack them from that side. William, the son of
Osber[9], the seneschal, a right good vassal, shall go with you and help
in the attack, and you shall have the men of Boilogne and Poix[10], and
all my soldiers[11]. Alain Fergant and Aimeri shall attack on the other
side; they shall lead the Poitevins and the Bretons, and all the barons
of Maine; and I with my own great men, my friends and kindred, will
fight in the middle throng, where the battle shall be the hottest."
The barons and knights and lancemen[12] were all now armed; the men on
foot were well equipped, each bearing bow and sword: on their heads
were caps[13], and to their feet were bound buskins[14]. Some had good
hides which they had bound round their bodies; and many were clad in
frocks[15], and had quivers and bows hung to their girdles. The knights
had hauberks and swords, boots of steel and shining helmets; shields at
their necks, and in their hands lances. And all had their
cognizances[16], so that each might know his fellow, and Norman might
not strike Norman, nor Frenchman kill his countryman by mistake. Those
on foot led the way, with serried ranks, bearing their bows. The knights
rode next, supporting the archers from behind. Thus both horse and foot
kept their course and order of march as they began; in close ranks at a
gentle pace, that the one might not pass or separate from the other. All
went firmly and compactly, bearing themselves gallantly; and in each
host stood archers ready to exchange shots.
[Footnote 1: Sent perhaps on the occasion of the betrothment of
William's daughter to the king of Gallicia, which has been before
mentioned.]
[Footnote 2: 'Gueldon' is Wace's word here and elsewhere; which M.
Pluquet interprets--a peasant armed with a long lance or pike.]
[Footnote 3: RALF DE CONCHES, in the arrondissement of
Evreux,--sometimes called de Tony, or Toëny, which is in the commune of
Gaillon, arrondissement of Louviers,--son of Roger de Tony, hereditary
standard bearer of Normandy. Ralf is a landholder in Domesday;
Saham-Tony in Norfolk still records the name. His father founded the
abbey of Conches. See Ellis, _Introduction to Domesday_, i. 493. In the
Norman roll in the Red book of the Exchequer, we find, 'de honore de
Conches et de Toeneio 44 mil. et 6 mil. quos Matheus de Clara tenet:
preter hoc quod comes de Albamarâ, et comes Hugo Bigot, et Hugo de
Mortuomari tenent de fœdo illo: ad servitium vero regis nesciunt
quot.']
[Footnote 4: WALTER GIFFART, lord of Longueville, in the arrondissement
of Dieppe, son of Osbern de Bolbec, and Aveline his wife, sister of
Gunnor, the wife of duke Richard I. In reference to the allusions in the
text to Walter Ginart's age, M. Le Prévost observes that it was his son,
a second of the name, who lived till 1102, having been made earl of
Buckingham. See _Introd. Domesday_, vol. i. 484; also vol. ii. 23, as to
an Osbern Giffart. In the Norman roll of the Red book, 'De honore
comitis Giffardi 98 mil. et dim. et quartem partem et 2 part, ad serv.
com.' He is also among the knights holding of the church of Bayeux '1
mil.']
[Footnote 5: William's customary oath. Wace has before said, vol. ii.
51:
Jura par la resplendor Dé,
Ço ert surent sun serement.]
[Footnote 6: TURSTINUS FILIUS ROLLONIS vexillum Normannorum portavit:
_Orderic. Vit._. Several Normans bore the name of Toustain or Turstin as
a baptismal name: but it afterwards became the family name of a noble
house in upper Normandy; who, in memory of the office performed at
Hastings, took for supporters of their arms, two angels, each bearing a
banner. A.L.P. Turstin Fitz-Rou received large English estates in
England. Besides Turstin there is a Robert Fitz-Rou in Domesday,
possibly his brother. See our subsequent note on Gilbert Crespin and his
family, to which Turstin belonged; and see _Introd. Domesday_, i. 479,
497.]
[Footnote 7: Bec-aux-Cauchois, in the arrondissement of Ivetot; not
Bec-Crespin, in that of Havre.]
[Footnote 8: ROGER, son of Hugh de Montgomeri. He was lord of
Montgomeri, in the arrondissement of Lisieux; of Alençon and of
Bellesme, in right of his wife Mabel; he became earl of Shrewsbury, of
Chichester and Arundel, and died 1094. See _Introd. Domesday_, i. 479.
According to _Ordericus Vitalis_, A.D. 1067, Roger remained in Normandy
during the expedition.]
[Footnote 9: Lord of Breteuil; seneschal of the duke as has been before
mentioned.]
[Footnote 10: Poix in Picardy, and Boulogne-sur-mer. Wace seems to omit
EUSTACE OF BOULOGNE, conspicuous in other historians. AIMERI was
viscount of Thouars.]
[Footnote 11: 'Soldéiers' is used by _Wace_ in its strict sense, of men
serving merely for hire.]
[Footnote 12: 'Gueldon,' as before.]
[Footnote 13: 'Chapels,' perhaps hoods.]
[Footnote 14: 'Panels.']
[Footnote 15: 'Gambais.' See before, page 22, as to cognizances and
banners.]
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