SECTION V - KINGS, KNIGHTS AND WAR

Summary

THE CONQUEROR'S CHARACTER

It is impossible, within any reasonable space, to do justice to the picturesque side of this section; but here the reader has many firstrate authorities easily accessible; e.g. Berners's Froissart (Globe Edition, abbreviated), Adam of Usk (tr. Maunde Thompson, 1904), Sir Thomas Gray's Scalacronica (tr. Stirling-Maxwell, 1907), Malory's Morte d'Arthur, and Bohn's translations of Matthew Paris and many other chronicles. Apart, therefore, from a few extracts illustrating the relations between king and people, the reader will here find only documents which he would be less likely to meet with independently.

Trevisa's Higden, vol. VII. p. 315.

This William Conquerour was a wise man and a gileful, riche and coveitous, glorious, and loved wel greet loos; faire spekere with Goddes servauntes, and sturne to them that wolde them withstonde. In the province of Hamptoun, in the newe forest, in the space of thritty myle, he threw doun cherches and townes, and put there wilde bestes. So that who took there a wilde best schulde lese his oon yghe;… Kyng William was of skilful stature, to greet and fat of body, and sturne of face, bare of forheed, greet of strengthe in brawne and armes, so that unnethe eny man myght bende his bowe; bote he wolde on his hors strecche forth his senewes and bende hit esiliche ynow uppon his owne foot. He had skilful strengthe and gaf hym self to moche to hontynge, so that he threwe doun cherches and townes to make wodes.