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Front Page Titles (by Subject) No. V. (page 75.): National Song of the Anglo-Saxons, on the Victory of Brunanburgh. - History of the Conquest of England by the Normans; Its Causes, and its Consequences, in England, Scotland, Ireland, & on the Continent, vol. 1
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No. V. (page 75.): National Song of the Anglo-Saxons, on the Victory of Brunanburgh. - Augustin Thierry, History of the Conquest of England by the Normans; Its Causes, and its Consequences, in England, Scotland, Ireland, & on the Continent, vol. 1 [1856]Edition used:History of the Conquest of England by the Normans; Its Causes, and its Consequences, in England, Scotland, Ireland, & on the Continent, translated from the seventh Paris edition, by William Hazlitt (London: H.G. Bohn, 1856). In 2 volumes. Vol. 1.
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No. V. (page 75.)National Song of the Anglo-Saxons, on the Victory of Brunanburgh.Athelstan king of earls the lord, rewarder of heroes, and his brother eke, Edmund Atheling elder of ancient race, slew with the edge of their swords the foe at Brumby. The sons of Edward their board-walls clove, and liewed their banners with the wrecks of their hammers So were they taught by kindred zeal, that they at camp oft, ’gainst any robber their land should defend, their hoards and homes. Pursuing fell the Scottish clans; the men of the fleet in numbers fell; ’midst the din of the field, the warrior swate. Since the sun was up in morning tide, gigantic light! glad over grounds, God’s candle bright, eternal Lord! ’till the noble creature sat in the western main: there lay many of the Northern heroes under a shower of arrows, shot over shields; and Scotland’s boast, a Scythian race, the mighty seed of Mars! with chosen troops, throughout the day the West Saxons fierce pressed on the loathed bands; hew’d down the fugitives, and scattered the rear, with strong mill-sharpen’d blades. The Mercians too the hard hand-play spared not to any of those that with Anlaf over the briny deep in the ship’s bosom sought this land for the hardy fight. Five kings lay in the field of battle, in bloom of youth pierced with swords. So seven eke of the earls of Anlaf; and of the ship’s crew unnumber’d crowds. There was dispersed the little band of hardy Scots, the dread of Northern hordes; urged to the noisy deep, by unrelenting fate! The king of the fleet with his slender craft escaped with his life on the felon flood; and so too Constantine the valiant chief returned to the north in hasty flight. The hoary Hildrine cared not to boast among his kindred. Here was his remnant of relations and friends slain with the sword in the crowded fight. His son too he left in the field of battle mangled with wounds, young at the fight. The fair-hair’d youth had no reason to boast of the slaught’ring strife. Nor old Inwood and Anlaf the more with the wrecks of their army could laugh and say that they on the field of stern command, better workmen were in the conflict of banners, the clash of spears, the meeting of heroes, and the rustling of weapons, which they on the field of slaughter played with the sons of Edward. The Northmen sail’d in their nailed ships, a dreary remnant on the roaring sea; over deep water Dublin they sought, and Ireland’s shores in great disgrace. Such then the brothers both together, king and Atheling sought their country, West-Saxon land in fight triumphant. They left behind them raw to devour the sallow kite the swarthy raven with horny nib and the hoarse vulture with the eagle swift to consume his prey; the greedy gos-hawk, and that grey beast the wolf of the weald. No slaughter yet was greater made e’er in this island, of people slain before this same with the edge of the sword as the books inform us of the old historians since hither came from the eastern shores the Angles and Saxons over the broad sea, fierce battle-smiths, o’ercame the Welsh, most valiant earls, and gain’d the land. (Saxon Chronicle, by Ingram, London, 1823.) |

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