HOW THE MEN OF ENGLAND MADE READY, AND WHO THEY WERE.
Harold had summoned his men, earls, barons, and vavassors, from the
castles and the cities; from the ports, the villages, and boroughs. The
villains were also called together from the villages, bearing such arms
as they found; clubs and great picks, iron forks and stakes. The English
had enclosed the field where Harold was with his friends, and the
barons of the country whom he had summoned and called together. Those of
London had come at once, and those of Kent, of Herfort, and of Essesse;
those of Surée and Sussesse, of St. Edmund and Sufoc; of Norwis and
Norfoc; of Cantorbierre and Stanfort; Bedefort and Hundetone[1] The men
of Northanton also came; and those of Eurowic and Bokinkeham, of Bed and
Notinkeham, Lindesie and Nichole. There came also from the west all who
heard the summons; and very many were to be seen coming from Salebiere
and Dorset, from Bat and from Sumerset. Many came too from about
Glocestre, and many from Wirecestre, from Wincestre, Hontesire, and
Brichesire; and many more from other counties that we have not named,
and cannot indeed recount. All who could bear arms, and had learnt the
news of the duke's arrival, came to defend the land. But none came from
beyond Humbre, for they had other business upon their hands; the Danes
and Tosti having much damaged and weakened them.
Harold knew that the Normans would come and attack him hand to hand: so
he had early enclosed the field in which he placed his men. He made
them arm early, and range themselves for the battle; he himself having
put on arms and equipments that became such a lord. The duke, he said,
ought to seek him, as he wanted to conquer England; and it became him to
abide the attack, who had to defend the land. He commanded his people,
and counselled his barons to keep themselves all together, and defend
themselves in a body; for if they once separated, they would with
difficulty recover themselves. "The Normans," said he, "are good
vassals[2], valiant on foot and on horseback; good knights are they on
horseback, and well used to battle; all is lost if they once penetrate
our ranks. They have brought long lances and swords, but you have
pointed lances and keen edged bills[3]; and I do not expect that their
arms can stand against yours. Cleave whenever you can; it will be ill
done if you spare aught."
Harold had many and brave men that came from all quarters in great
numbers; but a multitude of men is of little worth, if the favour of
Heaven is wanting. Many and many have since said, that Harold had but a
small force, and that he fell on that account. But many others say, and
so do I, that he and the duke had man for man. The men of the duke were
not more numerous; but he had certainly more barons, and the men were
better. He had plenty of good knights, and great plenty of good archers.
The English peasants[4] carried hatchets[5], and keen edged bills[6].
They had built up a fence before them with their shields, and with ash
and other wood; and had well joined and wattled in the whole work, so as
not to leave even a crevice; and thus they had a barricade in their
front, through which any Norman who would attack them must first pass.
Being covered in this way by their shields and barricades, their aim was
to defend themselves; and if they had remained steady for that purpose,
they would not have been conquered that day; for every Norman who made
his way in, lost his life in dishonour, either by hatchet or bill, by
club or other weapon. They wore short[7] and close hauberks, and helmets
that over hung their garments[8].
King Harold issued orders and made proclamation round, that all should
be ranged with their faces toward the enemy; and that no one should move
from where he was; so that whoever came might find them ready; and that
whatever any one, be he Norman or other, should do, each should do his
best to defend his own place. Then he ordered the men of Kent to go
where the Normans were likely to make the attack; for they say that the
men of Kent are entitled to strike first; and that whenever the king
goes to battle, the first blow belongs to them. The right of the men of
London is to guard the king's body, to place themselves around him, and
to guard his standard; and they were accordingly placed by the standard,
to watch and defend it.
When Harold had made all ready, and given his orders, he came into the
midst of the English, and dismounted by the side of the standard,
Leofwin and Gurth, his brothers, were with him; and around him he had
barons enough, as he stood by his gonfanon, which was in truth a noble
one, sparkling with gold and precious stones. After the victory William
sent it to the apostle, to prove and commemorate his great conquest and
glory. The English stood in close ranks, ready and eager for the fight;
and they had moreover made a fosse, which went across the field,
guarding one side of their army[9].
[Footnote 1: Huntingdon. When Wace's orthography is peculiar, we follow
it. For _Bed_, which seems a repetition of Bedford, M. de la Rue's MS.
reads _Bedi_. Eurowic is York; Nichol--Lincoln; Salebiere--Salisbury;
Bat--Bath; Hontesire--Hampshire; Brichesire--Berkshire.]
[Footnote 2: 'Vassal.']
[Footnote 3: 'Gisarmes.' "Wace mentions the gisarme as an exceedingly
destructive weapon, used by the Saxons at the battle of Hastings: but by
the Gisarme he evidently means the 'byl,' to which he gives a Norman
name:"--see _Hist. of British costume_, 1834, page 33. The Saxons used
also the bipennis, or 'twy-byl.' The bill was an axe with long handle.
Benoit mentions 'haches Danoises,' which probably were the double axes.
See also Maseres's note on _William of Poitiers_, 129. Wace afterwards
says of the hache of an English knight:
Hache noresche out mult bele,
Plus de plain pié out l'alemele.]
[Footnote 4: 'Geldon.']
[Footnote 5: 'Haches.']
[Footnote 6: 'Gisarmes.']
[Footnote 7: Even down to the fifteenth century the Normans are said to
have called the English 'courts vestus.' See the songs at the end of the
_Vaux-de-vires_ of Olivier Basselin.]
[Footnote 8: This seems further explained afterwards by the description
of the English knight's helmet:
Un helme aveit tot fait de fust,
Ke colp el chief ne réceust;
A sez dras l'aveit atachié,
Et environ son col lacié.
But the text is often so imperfect, and at such variance from the
ordinary rules of Norman French grammar, that it is frequently hard to
be certain as to the fidelity of a translation.]
[Footnote 9: _Ordericus Vitalis_ states that the spot where the battle
was fought was _anciently_ called SENLAC. That word certainly sounds
very like French, and as originating in the blood which flowed there:
but his expression has been thought to carry the antiquity of the name,
in his opinion at least, much earlier than the date of the battle. We
think it right to subjoin Wace's original record of the privileges of
the men of Kent and London; as to which see Palgrave's _Rise and
progress of the English Common-wealth_, I. ccclxxii.
Kar ço dient ke cil de Kent
Deivent ferir primierement;
U ke li reis auge en estor,
Li premier colp deit estre lor.
Cil de Lundres, par dreite fei,
Deivent garder li cors li rei;
Tut entur li deivent ester,
E l'estandart deivent garder.]
[Illustration]