HOW TAILLEFER SANG, AND THE BATTLE BEGAN.
Then Taillefer[1] who sang right well, rode mounted on a swift horse
before the duke, singing of Karlemaine, and of Rollant, of Oliver and
the vassals who died in Renchevals[2]. And when they drew nigh to the
English, "A boon, sire!" cried Taillefer; "I have long served you, and
you owe me for all such service. To-day, so please you, you shall repay
it. I ask as my guerdon, and beseech you for it earnestly, that you will
allow me to strike the first blow in the battle!"
And the duke answered, "I grant it." Then Taillefer put his horse to a
gallop, charging before all the rest, and struck an Englishman dead,
driving his lance below the breast into his body, and stretching him
upon the ground[3]. Then he drew his sword, and struck another, crying
out "Come on! come on! What do ye, sirs? lay on! lay on!" At the second
blow he struck, the English pushed forward and surrounded him[4].
Forthwith arose the noise and cry of war, and on either side the people
put themselves in motion. The Normans moved on to the assault, and the
English defended themselves well. Some were striking, others urging
onwards; all were bold, and cast aside fear.
AND NOW, BEHOLD! THAT BATTLE WAS GATHERED WHEREOF THE FAME IS YET
MIGHTY.
Loud and far resounded the bray of the horns; and the shocks of the
lances; the mighty strokes of clubs, and the quick clashing of swords.
One while the Englishmen rushed on, another while they fell back; one
while the men from over sea charged onwards, and again at other times
retreated. The Normans shouted DEX AIE, the English people UT[5]. Then
came the cunning manœuvres, the rude shocks and strokes of the lance
and blows of the sword, among the Serjeants and soldiers, both English
and Norman. When the English fall, the Normans shout. Each side taunts
and defies the other, yet neither knoweth what the other saith; and the
Normans say the English bark, because they understand not their speech.
[Illustration]
Some wax strong, others weak; the brave exult, but the cowards tremble,
as men who are sore dismayed. The Normans press on the assault, and the
English defend their post well; they pierce the hauberks, and cleave the
shields; receive and return mighty blows. Again some press forwards;
others yield, and thus in various ways the struggle proceeds.
In the plain was a fosse[6], which the Normans had now behind them,
having passed it in the fight without regarding it. But the English
charged and drove the Normans before them, till they made them fall back
upon this fosse, overthrowing into it horses and men. Many were to be
seen falling therein, rolling one over the other, with their faces to
the earth, and unable to rise. Many of the English also, whom the
Normans drew down along with them, died there. At no time during the
day's battle did so many Normans die, as perished in that fosse. So
those said who saw the dead.
The varlets who were set to guard the harness began to abandon it, as
they saw the loss of the Frenchmen, when thrown back upon the fosse
without power to recover themselves. Being greatly alarmed at seeing the
difficulty in restoring order, they began to quit the harness, and
sought around, not knowing where to find shelter. Then Odo, the good
priest, the bishop of Bayeux, galloped up, and said to them, "Stand
fast! stand fast! be quiet and move not! fear nothing, for if God
please, we shall conquer yet." So they took courage, and rested where
they were; and Odo returned galloping back to where the battle was most
fierce, and was of great service on that day. He had put a hauberk on,
over a white aube; wide in the body, with the sleeve tight; and sat on a
white horse, so that all might recognise him. In his hand he held a
mace, and wherever he saw most need, he led up and stationed the knights,
and often urged them on to assault and strike the enemy.
[Footnote 1: Bishop Guy, in his _Carmen de bello Hastingensi_, thus
describes Taillefer,
'INCISOR FERRI mimus cognomine dictus.'
He is there also called 'histrio,' but his singing is not mentioned.
'Hortatur Gallos verbis, et irritat Anglos;
Alte projiciens ludit et ense suo,'
An Englishman starts out of the ranks to attack him, but is slain by the
'incisor ferri,' who thus
'--belli principium monstrat et esse suum.'
Nothing is said as to his fate, which Wace also passes over.]
[Footnote 2: It has been contended that Wace misunderstood Taillefer's
song, which the Latin historians call 'Cantilena Rollandi;' and it has
been further conjectured that what was meant was a song of Rollo, or
possibly of Rognavald his father; that out of this latter name the
French minstrels formed Rolland; and that Wace confounded him with
Charlemagne's Paladin. See Sharon Turner's _History of England_; the
Abbé de la Rue's late work, vol. i. 143; and M. Michel's _Examen
critique du roman de Berte aux grans piés_, Paris, 1832. We must refer
the reader to these authorities on the controversy. The probability we
must say, however, appears to us to be, that the minstrelsy selected by
a French jugleor, to stimulate the army, (great part of which was, in
fact, strictly French,) would be French, both in subject and language.
Wace perfectly well knew the race of jogleors and their themes, which he
quotes; as in the case of William Longue-espée, of whose deeds he says,
'a jogleors oï en m'effance chanter.']
[Footnote 3: It has been remarked, as somewhat singular, that Wace
should omit a circumstance calculated to add to the poetic effect of his
story; namely, Taillefer's slight of hand exhibition, related by other
historians as having been played off by him in front of the two armies.
Perhaps Wace's abstinence, in this and other cases which might be
noticed, (after his history reaches the boundary of more authentic
evidence than his earlier chronicle had had to deal with), is in favour
of his credibility, under circumstances where he had the means of
obtaining accurate information.]
[Footnote 4: What _Benoit de Sainte-More_ says on the subject of
Taillefer's exploit will be found in our appendix, _Gaimar's_ account,
which will be found there also, is blended in the English paraphrase
given in the _Archæiologia,_ vol. xii. which is a compound of the two
chroniclers.]
[Footnote 5: OUT, In the MS. of the British Museum, a letter has
evidently been erased before 'ut,' the present reading. An addition to
the text, which is found in the MS. 6987 of the Bib. Royale at Paris,
seems to determine what word is meant:
Cou est l'ensegne que jou di
Quant Engles saient _hors_ a cri.]
[Footnote 6: Though the details vary much, all the historians attribute
great loss to circumstances of this sort. _William of Poitiers_
distinguishes,--and perhaps Wace also meant to do so,--between the fosse
which guarded the English camp, and other fosses into which the Normans
fell in the pursuit. The _Chronicle_ of Battle Abbey (MS. Cott. Dom.
ii.), speaking of the principal fosse, says 'quod quidem baratrum,
sortito ex accidenti vocabulo, _Malfossed_ hodieque nuncupatur.'
_Benoit_ attributes great loss to a report of William's fall, whereupon
he,
Son chef desarme en la bataille
E del heaume e de la ventaille.
Count Eustace is here introduced by _Benoit_ as strongly exhorting the
duke to escape from the field, considering the battle as lost beyond
recovery. He however rallies his men, and triumphs over the English,
whose ranks had broken in the pursuit. No stratagem in this respect is
noticed by _Benoit._]
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