DE KENT A GUILLAUME LE CONQUÉRANT

WIhii as the Duke of Normandy With glistering spear and shield,

H ad entered into fair England, And foil'd his foes in fleld :

Ou Christmas-day in solemn sorl

Then was he crowued liere , 13y Albert archbishop of York, With inany a noble peer,

Which being done, he changed çprite

The customs of tliis land, Aud punisht such as daily songht

His statutes to withstand :

And many cities he subdu'd

Fair London with the rest; But Kent did still withstand his force,

And did his laws deti st.

1 Evans' s olil Ballads bislorical and narrative; vol. I, p. 3-5.

To Dover then he took his way,

The castle down to fling Which Arviragus builded there,

The noble British king.

Which when the brave archbishop bold

Of Canterbury knew, The abbot of saint Augustines eke,

With ail their gallant crew :

They set themselves in armonr bright, Thèse rnischiefs to prevent

With ail the yeomen brave and bold That were in fruitful Kent.

At Canterbury did they meet

Upon a certain day, With sword and spear, Avith bill and bow

And stopt the conqueror's way

Let us not yield like bond-men poor To French-men in their pride,

But keet our ancient liberty, What chance so e'er bctido,

And rather dye in bloody field With manly courage prest,

Than to endure the servile yoke , Which we so much detest

Thus did the Kentish commons cry

Unto their leaders still, And so march'd fortb in warlikc sort,

And stand at Swanscomb-hill :

There in the woods they hid themselves

Under the shadow green, Thereby to get them vantage good,

Of ail their foes unseen

Ami for the Conqueror's coming therc They privily laid wait,

Ami thereby siuMcniv appâPfl liis lofty high cowsbU ;

For when they spyod liis apprnach

lu place as they did stand, Then marohed they te him with Spsed,

Each one à beragh iu liand,

Su th.it UlltO the QêflOjBfefèffi si-lit,

Amazed as, he stood

They seem'd te be ;i walking grovc, Or else a moving froud,

The shape of men he cnnld not see,

The boughs did hide them so :

And îiow liis heart with feai did çuake,

To see a forest go;

Before, behind, and on each side*

As he did cast his eye, He spy'd the wood with sober pace

Approach to him full nigh :

Buth wben the Kentish men had tlms

Enclos'd the conqueror round, Most suddenly they drew their swords,

And threw their boughs to ground ;

Their banners they display in sight,

Their trumpets sound a charge, Their ratling drums strike up alarms,

Their troops stretch out at large.

The Conqueror with ail liis train,

Were hereat sore agast, And most in péril, \vhen they thought,

Ail péril had pecn past.

Unto the Kentishmen he sent,

The cause to understand, For what intent, and for what cause

They took this war in hand ;

To whom they made this short reply,

For liberty we fight, And to enjoy king Edward's laws

The which we liold our right,

Then said the dreadful conqueror, You shall hâve what you will,

Your ancient customs and your laws, So that you will be still,

And each thing else that you will crave With reason at niy hand,

So you will but acknowledge me Chief king of fair England.

The Kentish mon agreed thereon, And laid their arms aside.

And by this means king Edward's laws In Kent doth still abide;

And in no place in England else Thèse customs do remain,

Which they by manly policy Did of duke William gain.

DÉTAILS SUR LA REDDITION DE LONDRES , EXTRAITS D'UN l'OEME CONTEMPORAIN ATTRIBUÉ A GUY, ÉVÈQUE D 'AMIENS1.

Intus erat quidam contractas debilitate

Rcnum , sicque pedum segnis ab offlcio; Vulnera pro patria quoniam numerosa recepit,

Lectica vchitur, mobilitate carens.

Omnibus ille tamen primatibus imperat urbis, (v. 685. 1

Ejus el auxilio publica res agitur.

\i ' Cuioniuues anglo-normandes, publiées par M. Francisque Michel, 1. 111, p. 31.

lluir, per legatum, clam rex potiora révélât.

Secreti , poscens quatenus bis faveat, uSolum îvx vocitetur, ait, sic conomoda regni,

« rt jubel Ansgardus1, snbdita cuncta regat.» (690.)

llle quidem cantos caute legata recepit,

Cordisel occulto condidil inthalamo.

Natu majores , omni levitate repuisa,

Aggregal , el verbis talibus alloquitur : « Egregii fratres, tum vi, tum saepius arte

(Est uhi nec sensus vester, et actus ubi ?) Cemitis oppi'essos valido certamine muros,

Et circumseptos cladibus immmeris; Molis et erectœ transcendit machina turres ,

Ictibus et validis mœnia scissarmint. (700.)

Casibus a multis, ex omni parte mina

Eminet , et nostra corda timoré labant ; Atque manus populi, nimio percussa pavore ,

Urbis ad airxilium segniter arma movet.

Nosque foris vastat gladius, pavor angit et intus ;

Et nullum nobis prœsidium superest.

Ergo, precor, vobis si spes estullasalutis,

Quatenus addatis viribus ingenium ; Est quum prœcipuum, si vis succumbat in actum,

Quod virtute nequit, fiât ut ingenio. (710.)

Est igitur nobis super hoc prudenter agendum ,

Et pariter sanum quœrere consilium.

Genseo quapropter, si vobis constat honestum ,

Hostes dum lateant omnia quae patimur, Actutum docilis noster legatus ut hosti

Mittatur, verbis fallcre qui satagat ; Servitium simulet nec non et fœdera pacis

Et dextras dextrœ subdere si jubeat. »

Omnibus hoc placuit; dicto velocius implent ;

Mittitur ad regem vir ratione capax , (720.)

Ordine qui retulit decorans sermone faceto

Utile fraternum , non secus ac proprium. Sed quamvis patula teneatur compede vulpes ,

1 L'orthographe saxonne de ce nom est Ansgar et quelquefois Asgar. L'addition de la lettre (/ provient ici d'une habitude française dont on trouve plusieurs exemples dans Guillaume de Poitiers, qui écrit Algardus pour Alfgar, et Morcardus pour Morkar. Voyez, sur le staller Ansgar, une note de M. Auguste Le Prévost, dans son édition d'Ordeiic Vital, t. II, p. 154.

Fallitur a rege fallere quem voluit.

Namque palam laudat rex , atque latenter ineptat

Quidquid ali Ansgardo nuntius attulerat.

Obcaecat donis stolidiim verbisque fefellit,

Praemia promittens innumerosa sibi.

Ille rétro rutilo gradiens oneratus ab auro ,

A quibus est missus talia dicta refert : (730.)

« Rex vobis paeem dicit, profertque saluteru ,

Vestris mandatis paret et absque dolis.

Sed, Dominum testor, crû rerxun servit imago,

Post dietum regem nescit habere parem ; Pulchrior est sole , sapientior est Salomone ,

Promptior est Magno largior et Carolo.

Contulit Etguardus quod rex donum sibi regni

Monstrat et affirmât, vosque probasse fefeffe Hoc igitur superest , ultra si vivere vultis ,

Débita cum manibus reddere jura sibi. » (740.)

Annuit hoc vulgus, justum probat esse senatus,

Et puerum regem cœtus uterque negat.

Vultibus in terra deflexis, régis ad aulam

Cum puero pergunt, agmine composite , Reddere per claves urbem, sedare furorem

Oblato quœrunt munere cum manibus.

Novit ut adventivm factus rex obvius illis,

Cum puero reliquis oseuîa grata dédit, Culpas induisit, gratanter donarecepit.

Et sic susceptos tractât honorifice , (750.)

Per fidei specicm proprium commendat honorem ,

Et juramentis perftda corda ligat.