William of Jumieges (Greenway)

Edward, king of the English, being, according to the dispensation of God, without an heir, sent Robert, archbishop of Canterbury, to the duke with a message appointing the duke as heir to the kingdom which God had entrusted to him. He also at a later time sent to the duke, Harold the greatest of all the counts in his kingdom alike in riches and honour and power. This he did in order that Harold might guarantee the crown to the duke by his fealty and confirm the same with an oath according to Christian usage. When Harold set out on his mission, he was borne along by the wind until he reached Ponthieu, and there he fell into the hands of Guy, count of Abbeville, who straightway threw him with his retinue into prison. When the duke heard of this he sent messengers, and by force caused him to be released. Harold thereupon sojourned with the duke for some time, and performed fealty to him in respect of the kingdom with many oaths. After this the duke sent him back to the king with many gifts.

In due course King Edward completed the term of his happy life, and departed from this world in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 1065. Then Harold immediately seized the kingdom, thus violating the oath which he had sworn to the duke. So the duke at once sent messengers to Harold urging him to desist from this mad jobs policy, and to keep the faith which he had pledged with his oath. Harold, however, not only disdained to listen to this message, but seduced all the English people away from obedience to the duke. In these days a star with three long rays appeared. It lit up the greater part of the southern sky for the space of a fortnight, and many thought that this portended a great change in some kingdom.

Prince William was thus compelled to watch the strength of Harold increasing daily at a time when it was the duke who should have been crowned with a royal diadem. He therefore hastily built a fleet of three thousand ships. At length he brought this fleet to anchor at St Valery in Ponthieu where he filled it with mighty horses and most valiant men, with hauberks and helmets. Then when a favourable wind began to blow, he set sail, and crossing the sea he landed at Pevensey where he immediately built a castle with a strong rampart. He left this in charge of some troops, and with others he hurried to Hastings where he erected another similar fortress. Harold, rejecting caution, advanced against this, and, after riding all night, he appeared on the field of battle early in the morning.

But the duke had taken precautions against night-attacks by the enemy, and as the darkness approached he had ordered his men to stand by until dawn. At first light, having disposed his troops in three lines of battle, he advanced undaunted against the terrible enemy. The battle began at the third hour of the day, and continued amid a welter of carnage and slaughter until nightfall. Harold himself, fighting amid the front rank of his army, fell covered with deadly wounds. And the English, seeing their king dead, lost confidence in their own safety, and as night was approaching they turned and fled.

The most valiant duke, returning from the pursuit and slaughter of his enemies, came back to the field of battle in the middle of the night. At first dawn, having despoiled the corpses of his enemies and buried the bodies of his dear comrades, he took the road which leads to London. They say that in this battle many thousands of the English perished, and that Christ thus recompensed them for the foul and unjust murder of Alfred, brother of King Edward. At length the most fortunate lord of battle, who was equally eminent in counsel, avoided the city, and taking a by-way to Wallingford, he there brought his troops safely across the river, and bade them at that place lay out a camp. It was from there that he advanced against London. W hen the advance guard of his army reached the central square of the city, they found there a large company of rebels who were ready to offer a fierce resistance to them. The Normans, therefore, engaged and inflicted upon the city a great mourning on account of the large number of young men and citizens whom they slew. At length the Londoners saw that they could hold out no longer. So they gave hostages and submitted themselves and all their possessions to their hereditary lord, to their most noble conqueror. His triumph was thus completed after so many dangers, and his wonderful virtues even our praise has not been able adequately to extol. He was chosen king by all the magnates both of the Normans and of the English on Christmas day; he was anointed with the holy oil by the bishops of the kingdom; and he was vested with the royal crown in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 1066.