Wulf the Saxon: A Story of the Norman Conquest

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XII.

  EDITH.

  Two days after the departure of the messengers from the castle the look-outgave notice that he perceived a large body of horsemen and footmen comingdown the valley, and half an hour later the banner of Gurth could be madeout. The garrison at once set to work to replace the planking of thebridge, and this was accomplished by the time that the Saxon earl,accompanied by several thanes, and followed by a strong body of troops,reached the platform at the other end. As he did so Beorn and Wulf crossedthe bridge to meet him.

  "You have done well indeed, thanes!" Gurth exclaimed. "You have made aconquest to be proud of; for as we rode along this place seemed to uswell-nigh impregnable. But your messengers have told me how you capturedit, and how stoutly you have since defended it. It was a daring thought,indeed, to attempt the assault of such a place with a handful of men. Youhave rendered a splendid service to the king; for with the capture of thisfortress, and of Llewellyn himself and his children, there is no fear thatthere will be trouble in this part of Wales for years to come. We, too, arespecially indebted to you, for had we been forced to besiege this place itcould only have been taken with a vast loss of life, and it might well haveresisted all our efforts. That seventy men should have taken it, even ifweakly defended, is wonderful indeed."

  "It is to Wulf, my lord, that the credit is chiefly due," Beorn said. "Itwas he who proposed and planned the attack; and though I have done my bestto support him, I have but acted as his second in command. He isquicker-witted than I am, and far more fitted to lead."

  Wulf was about to speak, when Gurth stopped him with a gesture of the hand.

  "At any rate, Beorn," he said, "you possess qualities that are by no meanscommon. That you are a brave soldier I know well, but so I trust are all mythanes; still, it is not every one who has the wit to perceive that anotherhas sharper wits than himself, still fewer who would have the generosity tostand aside and to give the major share in an exploit like this to another.What you may lose in credit by your avowal you will at least gain in theesteem of us all. Now, commandant," he said to Wulf with a smile, "show usthe way into this capture of yours."

  Before entering the castle itself Gurth made a detour of the walls, andupon seeing them was still more surprised than before at the manner inwhich the capture had been effected.

  "You see, thanes," he said, "the matter hinged on the possession of thesegates through the cross walls. That the rear walls should have been takenby surprise was a daring action, but it would have availed nothing had thegarrison had time to close even the second of these gates; for though, asit seems, no more numerous than our men, they could have easily held ituntil reinforced from the village below, and would then have turned thetables on their assailants. The capture was due to the quickness andboldness with which Wulf and Beorn, with the few men who had obtained afooting on the wall when the alarm was given, rushed forward and held theinner gateway until the rest came up."

  Gurth paused for a time on the wall above the point where the secretpassage came out on the face of the rock, and having asked many questionsas to how it was that they were so well prepared for Llewellyn and hisfollowers when they made the attack, he commended Wulf very strongly forhis conduct in this matter.

  "Others might have taken the castle as you did, young thane," he said, "butassuredly most would have lost it again, for having set guards on the wallsthey would have given themselves up to feasting and sleep, without athought that there might possibly exist a secret passage through this rock,which looks as if nothing short of a winged army could scale it. What sayyou, thanes?"

  The Saxons cordially agreed with the earl. They were stout fighters, butbetter in the field than in council, and it was in no small degree to theDanish blood in their veins that the sons of Godwin owed the vigour andintellect that had raised the family to so lofty a position among theircountrymen. On concluding his inspection of the walls Gurth entered thecastle, and after first examining the entrance to the secret passage, satdown with the thanes to a banquet, the preparation of which had been begunas soon as their coming was perceived. After that Gurth paid a visit toLlewellyn.

  "Your fate is not in my hands, prince," he said to him, "but in that of mybrother Harold. As, however, you have used your influence to persuade yourpeople to submit, I shall do my best to induce him to take a favourableview of your case."

  The next day the main body of Gurth's force arrived, and encamped in thevalley. Llewellyn's chiefs all came in and made their submission, but thepeople for the most part took to the hills. As, day after day, news came ofthe terrible retaliation dealt out by the troops of Harold and Tostig theylost heart altogether, and sent in messengers craving to be allowed to comein and lay down their arms. Gurth at once accepted their submission, andhundreds returned to their homes. In other parts of Wales the feeling thatresistance was vain rapidly extended. Their most fertile valleys had allbeen turned into deserts, and even on their own hills and among their ownforests, where they had hitherto deemed themselves safe from attack, theywere pursued and hunted down by the now lightly-armed Saxons. From allparts, therefore, offers to submit were sent in, and as a proof of theirsubmission and regret for past behaviour, they seized Griffith their king,killed him, and sent his head to Harold, who thereupon granted them terms,and ordered his forces to withdraw beyond the border.

  The campaign had lasted less than three months, but so terrible had beenthe blow dealt to the Welsh that a hundred years passed before they againventured to renew their incursions into England. Llewellyn was pardoned,but great breaches were made in the walls of the fortress facing the hill,and these he was forbidden ever to repair. His children were taken toEngland, to be brought up there, and to serve as hostages for his futuregood behaviour. Harold, when he learnt the particulars of the capture anddefence of Porthwyn, expressed his approval in the warmest terms.

  "You have performed the greatest and most important feat of the war, Wulf,"he said. "Yes, it is right that you should give every credit Beorn for hisshare in the matter; but I know you both well, and am assured that Beornwould never have conceived and carried out the attack, and that had he doneso successfully, he and his men would all have been slain by Llewellyn thatnight. Beorn is a good youth; he is brave and kind-hearted; he is no fool,and will make and excellent thane; will become a favourite at court, and bealways loyal and staunch. But I shall look to see you more than this. Youhave a head quick to plan, readiness and decision in danger, and, as youhave shown, a genius for war. Study the writings of the Romans, thegreatest masters of war the world has ever seen, make yourself acquaintedwith the methods of Caesar and other great commanders, and do not neglectto ponder on their laws and customs.

  "When matters are settled here, travel to the various courts of Europe andacquaint yourself with the ways of peoples who are far more advanced thanwe in civilization, and you may come to stand some day among the mosttrusted councillors of the king, and as one of the best leaders of histroops. I see that the success you have attained while as yet so young hasnot puffed you up in any way. Always remember, Wulf, that though successmay be envied, those who are successful may yet be liked if only theythemselves do not seem conscious of success. I should say you had best notmake a long stay at court, but betake you, shortly, to your estate. It is agood school, and one who can rule his own people wisely has a soundpreparation for posts of larger responsibility. You will always find in theprior of Bramber a wise adviser, who will direct your studies, and will aidyou where your Latinity falls short.

  "It will be time enough in another five years for you to go abroad; but, ofcourse, I do not wish you to remain all that time away from court. It isnever good to be forgotten; therefore, come up two or three times a year. Itrust that there will be no fresh wars or troubles to hinder your studiesor interfere with your life; but remember that there is always danger fromNormandy, therefore always keep on foot your force of housecarls; and if,as I think, your estates can afford it, add to their number, so that iftrouble does
come you will be able to again play a prominent part in it."

  Wulf's contingent marched with the rest of the troops from the east as faras Reading, and there struck off by the nearest road to Steyning. He andBeorn accompanied Harold to London, and after staying there for a shorttime, and taking part in the fetes with which the conquest of the Welsh wascelebrated, Wulf returned to Steyning and took up the life he hadpreviously led there. Before starting he asked Harold's advice as towhether he should fortify Steyning after the manner of the Norman castles.

  "By no means, Wulf. Such castles are useful only against quarrelsomeneighbours. Wars are decided by great battles, and if these are lost acastle does but bring ruin upon its possessor, for it must sooner or laterbe taken. The man who, when a cause is lost, returns quietly to his homeand goes about his usual work may escape unnoticed, while one who shutshimself up in a castle is certain to suffer at last from the vengeance ofthe conquerors. Resistance maintained in forests and swamps, as was done bythe Bretons and Welsh, may weary out a foe, but a conqueror can wish fornothing better than that the defeated may assemble themselves in towns andcastles, where he can slowly, perhaps, but surely destroy them piecemeal."

  The time passed quickly and pleasantly at Steyning. Wulf studied hard forthree or four hours a day, looked after his tenants, hunted and hawked,doubled the number of his company of housecarls, and often rode over to thepriory of an evening. He now took his place naturally among the thanes inthat part of the country, the reputation he had gained in the two warsgiving him a standing among them, to which, from his youth, he would nototherwise have been entitled. In accordance with Harold's advice he wentthree times during the year up to court, where he generally met Beorn, whospent the greater part of his time there.

  "How you can like all this formality and ceremony is more than I canimagine, Beorn."

  "I don't care either for the formality or the ceremony, but I like theamusement and the gaiety, and should ask with much more reason how can youlike to spend your time studying parchments and reading the doings of thoseold Romans, when you might be enjoying yourself here. The matter isaltogether beyond me."

  "I like it for itself, and I like it because it may some day be of greatservice to me."

  "You see you are ambitious, Wulf, and I am not. I don't want to be a greatcommander or a state-councillor, and if I did want it ever so much I know Ishould never be one or the other. I am content to be a thane, as my fatherwas before me, and seek no greater change than that of a stay for a monthat court. That brightens one up more than anything; and one cannot be allone's life hunting in the woods and seeing after the tenants. By the way,I had a quarrel the other day with your old Norman enemy, Fitz-Urse. Yourname was mentioned, and he chose to sneer offensively. I told him that youhad done more already than he would ever do if he lived to be an old man.We came to high words, and next day met in the forest and there settled it.He ran me through the arm, and I slashed his cheek. As quarrelling isstrictly forbidden he made some excuse and went over to France, while Iwent down home till my arm was well again. I fancy we hurt each other aboutequally, but the scar on my arm won't show, while I fancy, from what theleech who dressed his wound told me, the scar is likely to spoil his beautyfor life."

  "I am sorry you quarrelled with him about me, Beorn. It would have beenbetter to have said nothing, though I thank you for your championship."

  "Nonsense, Wulf. I know very well you would not hear anyone speak ill of mewithout taking up the cudgels for me."

  Wulf could not deny this. "Certainly not, Beorn; still it is a pity to makean enemy, and Fitz-Urse has shown in my case that he is not one whoforgives."

  The Welsh campaign had terminated at the end of August, and it was a monthlater that Wulf had returned to Steyning. Just a year afterwards hereceived a message from Harold to come up to London, and to order hishousecarls to hold themselves in readiness to start immediately onreceiving an order from him. Somewhat surprised, for no news had reachedhim of any trouble that could call for the employment of an armed force,Wulf rode for London alone, bidding Osgod follow with the housecarls assoon as he heard from him. When he reached the palace he heard news thatexplained the cause of his summons. Northumbria had risen in rebellionagainst Earl Tostig. He was accused of tyranny and oppression, and hadbeen continually away from his earldom, leaving it to be governed in hisabsence by a thane.

  The country north of the Humber had for a long period of years beenindependent, appointing their own rulers, who owed no allegiance whateverto the kings of the West Saxons. Although now incorporated in the kingdomof England the Northumbrians regretted their lost independence, and thisall the more, that the population were for the most part Danish, and viewedwith an intense feeling of jealousy the preponderance gained by the WestSaxons. Tostig at the time the revolt declared itself was hunting with theking--who had a great affection for him--in the forests of Wiltshire, andhad not arrived in town when Wulf reached the capital. It was not until theafternoon that Wulf had an interview with Harold. The earl had just comefrom a council and was alone.

  "Thank you for coming up so speedily," he said as he shook the young thaneby the hand. "You have heard the news, I suppose?"

  "I have heard that Northumberland has risen in rebellion."

  "Yes, that was the news that arrived four days since."

  "Is it serious?"

  "Yes, very serious; the rebellion grows each day. It is headed by severalof the greatest landowners in the north, both Danish and Saxon, and theworst part of the news is that the trouble has, as I hear, been stirred upby Edwin of Mercia and his brother. It is the old rivalry between the Houseof Leofric and ours. They are jealous of our influence with the king, andwould gladly rend England into two kingdoms again. We hear to-day that theNorthumbrian nobles have summoned a Gemot to meet, which amounts in fact toa rebellion, not only against Tostig but against the king."

  "If Mercia joins Northumbria it would be a more serious business than thatin Wales."

  "I think not that it will be so," Harold said. "Edwin has been alwaysconspiring. He stirred up the Welsh, he has encouraged the Norwegians, hehas intrigued in Northumbria. He and his brother have ever been a sourceof trouble, and yet he has never openly rebelled; he sets others to do thefighting for him, prepared if they are successful to reap the fruits oftheir victory. There is, of course, still hope that moderate councils mayprevail, but I fear that the Northumbrians will consider that they havegone too far to turn back. At present, at any rate, no steps will be taken.As long as no armed forces are set in motion there are hopes that mattersmay be arranged, but the approach of an army would set all Northumbria onfire. The Gemot is summoned to meet this day week--that is on the third ofOctober--and we shall wait to hear what steps they take. Messengers havealready been sent to a large number of thanes to be prepared for service. Iwould that all kept a force of housecarls as you do. I am going downto-night to my house near Hampton. Do you come down with me, Wulf. Edithwill be glad to see you."

  Wulf had in the days of his pageship several times accompanied Harold toHampton, and knew well the lady, who was known to the Saxons as Edith ofthe Swan-neck. She was by birth far inferior in position to Harold. Therelation between them was similar to that known throughout the middle agesas left-hand marriages. These were marriages contracted between men of highrank and ladies of inferior position, and while they lasted were regardedas being lawful; but they could be, and frequently were, broken off, whenfor politic or other reasons the prince or noble had to seek anotheralliance. The lady was of great beauty and talent, and exercised a largeinfluence over Harold. This was always employed for good, and she was muchbeloved by the Saxons.

  The alliance had been formed while Harold was quite a young man, and he andEdith were fondly attached to each other. His rise, however, to theposition of the foremost man in England, and the prospect of his accessionto the throne, rendered it probable that ere long he would be obliged tomarry one who would strengthen his position, and would from her high birthbe fi
tted to share the crown with him. William of Normandy was perfectlywell aware of the relation in which Edith stood to Harold, and had notregarded her as any obstacle to the earl's marriage with his daughter; andeven Harold himself had not attempted to give it as a reason for decliningthe offer of the hand of the Norman princess.

  As they rode down to Hampton the earl said, "I dare say you are somewhatsurprised at my leaving the court at this crisis, Wulf, but in truth I wantto keep my hands free. Tostig, you know, is rash and impetuous. I love himwell, but am not blind to his faults; and I fear that the people ofNorthumbria have some just cause for complaint against him. He isconstantly away from his earldom. He was absent for months when he went toRome, and he spends a great part of his time either at the court here orwith the king at his hunting-lodges. The Northumbrians are a proud people,and it is small wonder that they object to be governed by an absent earl.Tostig is furious at what he terms the insolence of the Northumbrians, andI would fain avoid all questions of dispute with him. It is not improbablethat the king and his councillors may be called upon to hear the complaintsof the Northumbrians, and to decide between them and Tostig. This will bebitter enough for my brother. He may return at any moment, and I greatlywish to avoid all argument with him before the matter is discussed incouncil."

  The house at Hampton was a large one, and here Edith lived in considerablestate. Grooms ran up and took the horses as Harold and Wulf dismounted. Sixretainers in jerkins embroidered with the earl's cognizance appeared at thedoors. As they entered the house, Edith came out from an inner room andfondly embraced Harold.

  "Who is this you have with you, Harold?"

  "What, have you forgotten Wulf of Steyning, who has, as I told you, turnedout a great fighter, and was the captor of the castle of Porthwyn, and ofits owner, Llewellyn ap Rhys?"

  "I did not know you again, Wulf," Edith said holding out her hand to him,"but now that I hear who you are I recognize you. Why, it is four yearssince I saw you, and you were then a mischievous little page. Harold hasoften spoken to me about you, and your adventures in Normandy and Wales. Idid not expect to see you, Harold," she went on turning to the earl, "afterwhat you told me in the letter you sent me yesterday, about the troubles inthe north. I feared that you would be kept at court."

  "Tostig and the king are still away," he said, "and he will return sofurious at this revolt against his authority, that, thinking as I do thathe is in no small degree at fault--for I have frequently remonstrated withhim at spending so large a portion of his time away from his earldom,--Ithought it best to get away."

  "It is strange how Tostig differs from the rest of you," Edith said. "Youand Leofwyn, and Gurth are all gentle and courteous, while Tostig is fierceand impetuous."

  "Tostig has his faults," Harold said; "but we love each other dearly, andfrom the time we were boys together we have never had a dispute. It will behard indeed upon me if I am called upon to side against him. We havelearnt, Edith, that Edwin and Morcar have been intriguing with theNorthumbrians. These Mercian earls are ever bringing troubles upon thecountry, and I fear they will give even greater trouble in the future. Ifthey stir up disturbances, as they have done, against the king, who is kingby the will of the people, and also by right of birth, what will it bewhen--" and he stopped.

  "When you shall mount the throne, my Harold," Edith said proudly. "Oh, thatthis feud between Leofric's house and Godwin's were at an end. It bodes illfor England."

  "It is natural," Harold said gently. "It is as gall and wormwood to theearls of Mercia to see the ascendancy of the West Saxons, and still morewould it be so were I, Godwin's son, without a drop of royal blood in myveins, to come to be their king."

  "The feud must be closed," Edith said firmly, though Wulf noticed that herface paled. "I have told you so before, Harold, and there is but one way."

  "It shall never be closed in that way, Edith; rather would I lie in mygrave."

  "You have not to think of yourself, Harold, still less of me. It is ofEngland you have to think--this England that will assuredly choose you asits king, and who will have a right to expect that you will make any orevery sacrifice for its sake."

  "Any but that," Harold said.

  She smiled faintly and shook her head. Wulf did not understand theconversation, but there was a look of earnest resolve in her face thatdeeply impressed him. He had moved a short distance away, and now turnedand looked out of the window, while they exchanged a few more words, havingbeen, as he saw, altogether oblivious of his presence in the earnestnesswith which they both spoke.

  For a week Harold remained at Hampton. Wulf saw that he was much troubledin his mind, and concluded that the messengers who came and went every daywere the bearers of bad tidings. It was seldom that he was away from theside of Edith. When they were together she was always bright, but once ortwice when Wulf found her alone her features bore an expression of deepsadness.

  "We must ride for London, Wulf," Harold said one morning after reading aletter brought by a royal messenger. "The king has laid his orders on me toproceed at once to town, and indeed the news is well-nigh as bad as can be.The Gemot has voted the deposition of Tostig, has even had the insolence todeclare him an outlaw, and has elected Morcar in his place. It has alsoissued decrees declaring all partisans of Tostig outlaws, and confiscatingtheir estates. Two of Tostig's Danish housecarls were slain on the firstday of their meeting. Two hundred of Tostig's personal followers have sincebeen massacred; his treasury has been broken open, and all its contentscarried off. The election of Morcar shows but too plainly the designs ofthe earls of Mercia. They wish to divide England into two portions, and toreign supreme north of the Wellan. This will give them full half ofEngland, and would assuredly, even did we not oppose them now, lead to aterrible war. The more terrible as William of Normandy will be watchingfrom across the channel, ready to take instant advantage of ourdissensions. God avert a war like this. Every sacrifice must be made ratherthan that the men of the north and south of England should fly at eachother's throats."

  The earl scarcely spoke a word during the ride to London, but rode absorbedin his thoughts with a sad and anxious countenance.

  Day after day the news became more serious. Morcar accepted the earldom ofNorthumbria, hurried to York, and placing himself at the head of theNorthumbrian forces, marched south, being joined on the way by the men ofLincoln, Nottingham, and Derby, in all of which shires the Danish elementwas very strong. At Northampton, which had formed part of the government ofTostig, Morcar was joined by his brother Edwin at the head of the forces ofMercia, together with a large body of Welsh. They found the people ofNorthampton less favourable to their cause than they had expected, and inrevenge harried the whole country, killing and burning, and carrying offthe cattle as booty and the men as slaves.

  Harold bore the brunt of the trouble alone, for, regardless of the factthat half the kingdom was in a flame, King Edward and Tostig continuedtheir hunting expeditions in Wiltshire, in spite of the urgent messagessent by Harold entreating them to return. In the meantime, still hopingthat peace might in some way be preserved, Harold sent messages to all thethanes of importance in Wessex, ordering them to prepare to march to Londonwith the whole of their retainers and levies, as soon as they receivedorders to get in motion. But while he still tarried in Wiltshire the kingacceded to Harold's request that he might be empowered to go to Northamptonto treat in Edward's name with the rebels.

  As soon as he received this permission Harold hastened to Northampton,accompanied by only half a dozen of his thanes, among whom was Wulf. He wasreceived with respect by the rebels, but when their leaders assembled, andin the king's name he called upon them to lay down their arms, to ceasefrom ravaging, and to lay any complaints they might have to make againstTostig before the king or the National Gemot, he met with a flat refusal.They would not listen to any proposition that involved the possibility ofthe return of Tostig, and boldly said that if the king wished to retainNorthumbria as part of his realm he must confirm the sentence of
theirGemot upon Tostig, and must recognize their election of Morcar to theearldom.

  In all this Harold perceived clearly enough that, although it was theNorthumbrian leaders who were speaking, they were acting entirely under theinfluence of Edwin and Morcar. All that he could obtain was that some ofthe northern thanes should accompany him to lay their demands before theking himself. Edward, upon hearing, by a swift messenger sent by Harold, ofthe failure of his attempt to induce the Northumbrians to lay down theirarms, reluctantly abandoned the pleasures of the chase, and proceeded toBretford, near Salisbury, where there was a royal house, and summoned aWitenagemot. As, however, the occasion was urgent, it was attended only bythe king's chief councillors, and by the thanes of that part of Wessex.

  Between Tostig and Harold the quarrel that the latter had feared hadalready broken out. Harold was anxious above all things for peace, andalthough the blow to his own interests and to those of his family, by thetransfer of Northumbria from his brother to one of the Mercian earls, was amost serious one, he preferred that even this should take place toembarking in a war that would involve the whole of England. Tostig was sofurious at finding that Harold was not willing to push matters to the lastextremity in his favour, that he accused him of being the secret instigatorof the Northumbrian revolt. The absurdity of such an accusation wasevident. It was as much to Harold's interest as to that of Tostig that thegreat northern earldom should remain in the hands of his family; but anangry man does not reason, and Tostig's fury was roused to the highestpoint by the outspoken utterances of many of the members of theWitenagemot. These boldly accused him of cruelty and avarice, and declaredthat many of his acts of severity were caused by his determination, under ashow of justice, to possess himself of the wealth of those he condemned.Tostig then rose and declared before the assembly that the whole rising wasthe work of Harold.

  The latter simply denied the charge on oath, and his word was accepted assufficient. The Witan then turned to the question as to how the revolt wasto be dealt with. The king was vehemently in favour of putting it down byforce of arms. Tostig was of all the Saxons his favourite friend, and heconsidered the insult offered to him as dealt against himself. Sodetermined was he, that he sent out orders for the whole of the forces ofWessex to march and join the royal standard. In vain Harold and Edward'swisest councillors endeavoured to dissuade him from a step that woulddeluge the country in blood, and might lead to terrible disaster. In vainthey pointed out that while all the thanes would willingly put their forcesat his disposal to resist a foreign foe, or even to repel an invasion fromthe north, they would not risk life and fortune in an endeavour to force agovernor upon a people who hated him, and, as most thought, with goodreason.

  The king was immovable; but Harold and his councillors took steps quietlyto inform the thanes that the Witan was opposed to the order, and that forthe present no harm would be done by disregarding the royal mandate. Theking, in his anger and mortification at finding himself unable to marchagainst the rebels with an overwhelming force, fell ill, and the control ofaffairs passed into Harold's hands; and the king, whose fits of passion,though extreme while they lasted, were but short-lived gave him full powerto deal with the matter as he thought best.

  Harold had done all that he could for Tostig when he went to Northampton,but had failed. There was no alternative now between a great war, followedprobably by a complete split of the kingdom, or acquiescence in the demandsof the men of the North. He did not hesitate, but in the name of the kingconfirmed the decisions arrived at by the Gemot of York--recognized Morcaras Earl of Northumbria, and granted a complete amnesty for all offencescommitted during the rising, on condition only that a general Witenagemotshould be held at Oxford. At this meeting Northern and Southern Englandwere again solemnly reconciled, as they had been forty-seven years beforeat an assembly held at the same place.