BATTLE OF HASTINGS

N° I Début du Premier Chant

Il a 564 Vers

O Chryste, it is a grief for me to telle How manie o nobil erle and valrous knyghte In fyghtynge for kynge Harrold noblie fell, Al sleyne in Hastings feeld in bloudie fyghte. O sea ! our teeming donore ^ han thy floude. Han anie fructuous entendement 2.

Thou wouldst hâve rose and sank wyth tydes of

bloude, Before Duke Wyllyam's knyghts han hither went ; Whose cowart arrows manie erles sleyne, And brued ^ the feeld wyth bloude as season rayne. 10

And of his knyghtes did eke full manie die, Ail passyng hie, of mickle myghte ech one, Whose poygnant arrowes, typp'd with destynie, Caus'd manie wydowes to make myckle mone.

Lordynges, avaunt, that chycken-harted are, From out of hearynge quicklie now départe ; Full well I wote*, to synge of bloudie warre Will greeve your tenderlie and maiden harte. Go, do the weaklie womman inn mann's geare^, And scond ^ your mansion if grymn war come there. 20

Soone as the erlie maten belle was tolde,

^ Prolific, benefactress. ^ Useful meaning. ^ Embraed.

* Know. ^ Dress. ^ Abscond from, quit.

And sonne was corne to byd us ail good daie, Bothe armies on the feeld, both brave and bolde, Prepar'd for fyghte, in champyon arraie. As when two bulles, destynde for Hocktide fyghte, Are yoked bie the necke within a sparre \ Theie rend the erthe, and travellyrs afïryghte, Lackynge to gage the sportive bloudie warre ; So lacked Harroldes menne to corne to blowes, The Normans lacked for to wielde their bowes.

10 Kynge Harrolde, turnynge to hys leegemen ^, spake : My merrie men, be not caste downe in mynde ; Your onlie lode^ for aye to mar or make Before yon sunne has donde his welke*, you'll fynde. Your lovyng wife, wKo erst dyd rid the londe Of Lurdanes ^, and the treasure that you han, Wyll falle into the Normanne robber's honde Unlesse with honde and harte you plaie the manne. Cheer up youre hartes, chase sorrowe farre av^^aie, Godde and seyncte Cuthbert be the worde to daie.

20 And thenne Duke Wyllyam to his knyghtes did saie : My merrie menne, be bravelie, everiche ^ ; Gif I do gayn the honore of the daie, Ech one of you I will make myckle riche. Béer you in mynde, we for a kyngdomm fyghte ; Lordshyppes and honores ech one shall possesse ; Be thp the worde to daie, Gad and my Ryghte ; jioubt but God will oure true cause blesse. *îie clarions ''' then sounded sharpe and shrille ; Deathdoeynge blades were out intent to kille.

30 And brave Kyng Harrolde had nowe donde his saie ^ ; He therew wythe myghte amayne^ his shorte horse-

spear :

The noise it made the duke to turn awaie,

* Bar, enclosure. ^ Subjects. ^ Praise, honour. * Finished

his course. ^ Lord Danes. "^ Every one. ' Trumpets,

' Put on his military coat. ^ Great force.

And hytt his Knyghte, de Beque, upon the ear, His cristede beaver ^ dyd hym smalle abounde ^ ; The cruel spear went thorough ail his hede ; The purpel bloude came goushynge to the grounde, And at Duke Wyllyam's feet he tumbled deade :

So fell the myghtie tower of Standrip, whenne It felte the furie of the Danish menne.

O Afflem, son of Cuthbert, holie sayncte^ Corne ayde thy freend, and shewe Duke Wyllyam's

payne ; Take up thy pencyl, ail hys features paincte ; 10

Thy coloryng excells a synger strayne.

Duke Wyllyam sawe hys freends sleyne piteouslie, Hys lovynge freende whome he muche honored, For he han lovd hym from puerilitie^ And theie together bothe han bin ybred :

O ! in Duke Wyllyam's harte it raysde a flame, To whiche the rage of emptie wolwes is tame.

On peut se faire une idée de ce qu'il a fallu de pénétration, d'aptitude, de savoir, pour écrire ainsi environ quatre mille vers, et se reporter, avec une 20 justesse de langage si parfaite, à l'époque où la langue française allait envahir la langue saxonne et se mêlait avec elle. De cette union est né l'anglais moderne ; et nous avons dans Jean de Wace {Roman de Rou) de vieux vers où semble se former cette alliance :

Quand la bataille fut mostré La noit avant le di quaté Furent Engleis forment hastie Mult riant et mult envesie ; Tote noit mangierent et burent, Mult le veiller démener :

Treper et saillir et chanter

' Crested helmet. ' Benefit, or service. ^ Childhood.

Lublie crie et weisseil

Laticome et drinck heil,

Drinc hindrewart and drinc to me,

Drinc helf and drinc to me.

C'est aussi la relation du débarquement de Guillaume le Conquérant, et Chatterton s'en est peut-être inspiré.

Début du Second Chant

Il a 720 Vers

Oh truth ! immortal daughter of the skies, Too lyttle known to wryters of thèse daies, 10 Teach me, fayre saincte ! thy passynge worthe to

pryze, To blâme a friend and give a foeman prayse. The fickle moone, bedeckt withe sylver rays, Leadynge a traine of starres of feeble lyghte, With look adigne ^ the worlde belowe surveies, The world that wotted ^ not it could be nyghte ; Wyth armour dyd ^, with human gore ydeyd *, She sees Kynge Harolde stande, fayre Englands curse

and pryde.

With aie and vernage ^ drunck his souldiers lay ; Hère was an hynde, anie an erlie spredde ; 20 Sad keepynge of their leaders natal daie !

This even in drinke, too morrow with the dead ! Thro' everie troope disorder reer'd her hedde ; Dancynge and heideignes ^ was the onlie thème ; Sad dôme was theires, who lefte this easie bedde, And wak'd in torments from so sweet a dream.

^ Of dignity. '^ Knew. ^ It should be spelt ' dyght,' clothed

or prepared. * Dyed. ^ A sort of wine. * Romping, or

country-dances.