Benoit Dawson

From entering and charging their ships fate did not dismay nor hinder, for the wind was so soft and mild here, that the sea was but slightly agitated. By nightfall all were within. As soon as the wind was in the right direction they unfurled the sails, signalled to the Duke and those in command, and joyously in fine calm weather, they arrived at Pevensey.

After, the story goes on to relate, he came to Hastings without delay ; and there, in a few hours, they set to work to fortify another castle. So many applied themselves to the work, that the wall became so high as in no part to offer an easy point of attack. There guards for security remained, and others were taken thither.

(There was) a valiant man, rich and prosperous, who was born in Normandy, but who was living in this land where he obtained the means to support himself in affluence, through not missing the chance of any reward such as he had in the battle where Harold killed his brother. A number of messages were taken by him, and promptly transmitted to the Duke. Before all the people, he said who he was, and whence he came, and who had entrusted him with the messages. Then he related how his lord had sent him ; how Harold had fought and vanquished the men of Norway, and killed his brother, the king and those he brought with him, of whom he had more than 20,000 ; and how that from this battle he had returned strong and proud, with more than a thousand armed soldiers ; with such an army was he accompanied. To encounter thee they have such desire that they do not think of the time to come. Beware, take counsel, do not be too confident, for perilous and hard is the undertaking. So much honour and glory hast thou had, beware lest now thou art overreached. Do not be in a hurry to fight, nor to put thy people in the field in an enterprise so foolish, in which they may be killed, or thyself disgraced or undone.' Friend, ' " ' thanks ! answered the Duke, ' many Well did thy lord to send, and heartily is he to be thanked. But this I still maintain, and may God be my witness, who hath a just and right and holy cause, instead of having honour and glory, valour and power and victory must needs be his, if he have faith in Him. In this matter I trust not in myself alone, I have rights to claim, and my rights I demand. If I conquer, God will decide ; for against Him neither force nor resistance, valour nor defence can avail. Let all be according to His will.

It is fitting and to the purpose that you show sense and judgement, so that you may have a fair chance. " ' One's evil deeds are soon brought to light in all their vileness and shamefulness. Weary art thou of fighting, and weary are many of thy people from the two contests which have just ended. They pine for a little repose. If thou command otherwise, many will remember what permission thou gavest, and know thatthou didst promise the crown and the kingdom, when in Normandy, to King William. Hast thou forgotten that thou art sworn to him ? Beware, lest thou expose thyself to perjury, and, by thy mis fortune and by thy great fault, defeat happen to our lines and to our people who have been much exhausted ; and so will they perish, even as thou hast counsel which is loyal, straightforward, and sincere. And thou, who art very rich and brave, will be for ever reproached, and by all cursed : because through thee was our end, and through thee we came to nought. Send me : neither for defiance, nor oath, nor covenant to the Duke am I accountable : nothingdo I owe him, neither have I done to him, the thing for which now thou art accused.' " ' Sire ! If thou dost command it, I will go with thy great company to the battle : it is but right that you should stay here. As soon as they see the need of action, with helmet laced, and sword in hand, they will go with me to contest the land, and to defend that which they have held. This much I say ; and, moreover, that to my wrong-doing you will not be able to attribute defeat if we fall : and if we conquer, all trouble will cease, and your kingdom will be at peace. If upon the field we meet disaster, my king at least will not be taken, nor all the nobility perish, nor the power be lost that the English have had in this kingdom. Now take care that thou be not deceived.' (On account) "of this speech and remon strances, made to Harold all in the presence of his friends, he was furiously angry ; he would not listen to counsel, but despised and insulted his brother, whom' he consid ered a fool for having thus meddled. He was (also) very angry with his mother, who dearly wished the two to remain, that she might retain both her sons ; and, whilst she was making a long prayer to this effect, Harold struck out his boot behind, so that he struck her in the belly. Hastily, in less than six days, the brave people of the whole country were gathered together, and they marched towards the field.

The night which hid them was dark, and they thought to surprise the Norman host at dawn of day. So the field had its people armed and its battalions divided. Out to sea they made people go, in order to take and to detain those who would attempt to rlee from the battle and come to the ships. Three hundred of them there were, and more. Henceforth, they thought, the Duke could not escape them. He must either be taken, or killed in the great battle. For this reason the Duke wished very much to be on the alert, that no man might sur prise him. As night advanced it became more obscure, so that all in consequence were in greater safety. He caused all to be ready armed until daylight appeared in its fullness.

Saturday it was, as I follow in reading. Then he took three very great legions, dividing them into three parts, and his other men he got ready archers, Serjeants, and infantry. When all was in order the ensign was unfurled that the Pope had sent from the Holy Church at Rome. This effected, and all being assembled, the whole of them, lances in hand, marched against their mortal enemies.

As wise, brave, and discreet knights, the Duke admonished them to remember their great reputation, and that, since they had had him for their lord, they had never been vanquished by any. Now was the time come that their valour was to redouble itself, increase, show forth and reach its consummation. For, to them there was no advantage in pillage, but with swords of sharpened steel they must defend their bodies and lives ; for, by so doing, the great work will be accomplished : here the battles will end and they will receive the great revenues that good knights ought to have : lands, fiefs, honours, more than had any one of their ancestors. By their valour, and by their prowess, they will have henceforth great riches, great holdings and fiefs. But the alternative was very perilous. If the victory were not theirs, and if they were not conquerors, dead they would be : they would have no chance of recovering them selves, for, by flight they would gain nothing; neither castles nor wooded lands would they receive. But let them be brave and wise and show a bold front ; and he, the Duke will be everywhere, helping, as guide, shield and defence. And, if one reflects, he will see that England little wishes to see the Normans conquerors and the English are able to defend her ; and also that they ought to under stand that victory may be so far certain, in that Harold was a perjurer. False, enslaved, coming to the battle with all his dishonour on his head, he will be vanquished and sent to his last account, and they shall live ever honoured by the great conquest they had made that day, when together with him they shall depart.

[Section missing]  ... prince. None contested nor strove any more, that the prize might be his the day of the battle ; for they had great doubt and fear of death, on account of the rescue of Walter Giffart. Of those whom few excelled that day, were Hugh and William of Warenne, who rode to conquer the kingdom with good and lusty knights. One Taillefer, thus saith the scribe, might have gained many great rewards, but he had been killed. So great was his endurance that in the press and crowding of their people he helped the others as if he had been safely enclosed within a wall ; and even when mortally wounded he was so good and kind, that never did knight of such gentle birth take such pity on them. Nor is this all that he did, nor all that is written in the early chronicles, of one (a rich and noble vassal) who met mortal hurt in the fierce combat. Too long would it be necessary to speak, did I wish to write their exploits : in three quires of parchment I should not come to an end : for I must finish the work lest some, bored, weary and unheeding, tire oflistening, as also may others who like nothing better than to hear and learn about good deeds.

Then when the Normans rallied their forces they were up to their knees in blood. Also of those who lay dead here, all soiled with blood, was King Harold, who had fallen struck on both sides by three sharp lances, and by the blades of two swords, which entered up to his ears, so that the hilts were all red. It was not at once perceived, for there were many who were then keeping foolishly separated from him. " From dawn of day, when they began to fight, up till late noon, the battle raged in all its fury, for nothing had as yet been gained. But when the thing was certain, and, among the English, it was perceived that Harold was really killed, and the greater part of his people, and his brothers and several barons, they did not wait any longer for succour. Miserable, feeble, help less, and faint from the blood that ran down their bodies, they saw that they were broken and scattered, and on all sides surrounded ; they saw their people dead and dying, and they saw that night was coming on, which discomfited them ; they saw the Normans regain vigour, and their force increase and redouble itself ; they saw that there was no protection in weapons, in concealment or in flight ; they were doomed to die : then they turned their backs, never to return and left their men to defend themselves. Such was their loss, and such their straits, that they were routed at one onslaught. Then there was such carnage, and so many victims, that I should never be able to tell of such butchery and such suffering. So it kept on until dawn of the next day, neither did nightfall cause the trouble to cease. As appeared on the morrow, that which the ground concealed was a thorny ditch which killed and destroyed more English (sic) than anything else had been able to effect. They stumbled and were overturned, and those on foot killed them. So that, neither have I known or read, or found in any history, that any such great nation was ever thus beaten. So in this way they perished : nor did any escape, or return from the abyss. So the battle was won on the first (sic) day of October precisely. And it was thought and believed that five thousand were counted among the killed and wounded in the rout which continued all through the night. On returning to the dead, our knights were seen to rejoice. But the Duke is full of pity; his face is wet with tears, when he looketh upon the slain : even though all were mortal enemies to him and his, among them were many good men killed, and though he ought to have had great joy at having thus con quered a tyrant, one who was perjured, false, and disloyal towards him, at the same time  he was sorry that the bravest and best, and all the flower of both kingdoms, should have thus perished, through his action and through his fault.