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• Advertisement.
• Biographical Notice of M. Augustin Thierry.
• Introduction.
• History of the Conquest of England By the Normans.
• Book I.: From the Establishment of the Britons to the Ninth Century. Bc 55—ad 787
• Book II.: From the First Landing of the Danes In England to the End of Their Domination. 787—1048.
• Book III.: From the Insurrection of the English People Against the Norman Favourites of King Edward, to the Battle of Hastings. 1048—1066.
• Book IV.: From the Battle of Hastings to the Taking of Chester, the Last City Conquered By the Normans. 1066—1070.
• Book V.: From the Formation of the Camp of Refuge In the Isle of Ely, to the Execution of the Last Saxon Chief. 1070—1076.
• Book VI.: From the Quarrel Between King William and His Eldest Son Robert, to the Last Visit of William to the Continent. 1077—1087.
• Book VII.: From the Death of William the Conqueror, to the Last General Conspiracy of the English Against the Normans. 1087—1137.
• Appendix.
• No. I. (page 10.): Arymes Prydyn Vawr.
• No. II. (page 18.): Decree of the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian, Relative to the Subjection of the Bishops of Gaul to the Pope of Rome. ( Ad 445.)
• No. III. (page 22.): Conference of the Catholic and Arian Bishops For the Conversion of the King of the Burgundians.
• No. IV. (page 44.): Speech of a Northumbrain Chief.
• No. V. (page 75.): National Song of the Anglo-saxons, On the Victory of Brunanburgh.
• No. VI. (page 164.): ‘song Composed In Brittany On the Departure of a Young’ Breton Follower of the Normans, and On His Shipwreck. 1
• No. VII. (page 175.): Poetical Narrative of the Battle of Hastings.
• No. VIII. (page 179.): Letter From M. Augustin Thierry to M. De La Fontenelle De Vaudore, Corresponding Member of the Institute.
• No. IX. (page 182.): The Valiant Courage and Policy of the Kentishmen Which Overcame William the Conqueror, Who Sought to Take From Them Their Ancient Laws and Customs, Which They Retain to This Day. 1
• No. X. (p. 185.): Details of the Surrender of London, Extracted From a Contemporary Poem, Attributed to Guy, Bishop of Amiens. 1
• No. XI. (page 190.): Names of the Provinces and Principal Towns of England As Given In the Saxon Chronicles.
• No. XII. (page 197.): Ancient List of the Conquerors of England.
• Note From the Abbe De La Rue’s Work, Recherches Sur La Tapisserie De Bayeux. Caen, 1824.
• No. XIII. (page 205.): Enumeration of the Lands of Brihtrik, Possessed By Queen Matilda. 1
• No. XIV. (page 206.): Narrative of the Imprisonment of the Saxon Brihtrik. 1
• No. XV. (page 227.): Extract From Domesday-book Relative to the State of the Towns Immediately After the Conquest. 1
• No. XVI. (page 263.): Narrative of the Exploits and Death of Hereward. 1

No. VI. (page 164.)

‘Song composed in Brittany on the Departure of a Young’ Breton follower of the Normans, and on his Shipwreck.1

• • Etré parrez Pouldrégat ha parrez Plouaré,
  • Ez-euz tudjentil iaouank o sével eunn armé
  • Evit monet d’ar brezel dindan mab ann Dukés
  • Deuz dastumet kalz a dud euz a beb korn a Vreiz;
• • Evit monet d’ar brezel dreist ar mor, da Vro-zoz.
  • Me meuz ma mab Silvestik ez-int ous hé c’hortoz.
  • Me meuz ma mab Silvestik ha ne meuz né met-hen,
  • A ia da heul ar strollad, ha gand ar varc’héien.
• • Eunn noz é oann em’ gwélé, ne oann ket kousket mad,
  • Me glévé merc’hed Kerlaz a gané son ma mab;
  • Ha mé sevel ém’ c’hoanzé raktal war ma gwelé:
  • —Otrou doué! Silvestik, pelec’h oud-de bremé?
• • Martézé émoud ouspenn trich’ant léo dious va zi
  • Pé tolet barz ar mor braz d’ar pesked da zibri;
  • Mar kérez béa chommet gant da vam ha da dad,
  • Te vize bet dimézet bréman dimézet mâd;
• • Té vizé bet dimézet hag eureujed timad
  • D’ar braoa plac’h dious ar vro, Mannaik Pouldrégat,
  • Da Manna da dousik-koant, ha vizez gen-omp-ni
  • Ha gand da vugaligou trouz gant-hé kreiz ann ti.
• • Me em euz eur goulmik glas tostik dious ma dor,
  • Ma hi é doull ar garrek war benn ar roz o gor;
  • Me stago dious hi gouk me stago eul lizer
  • Gant séiennen va eured, ra zeui ma mab d’ar ger.
• • —Sav a-lé-sé, va c’houlmik, sav war da ziou-askel
  • Da c’hout mar te a nichfé, mar té a nichfé pell;
  • Da c’hout mar té a nichfé gwall bell dreist ar mor braz,
  • Ha wifez mai d-é ma mab, ma maber buhé c’hoaz?
• • Da c’hout mar te a nichfe tré-beteg ann armé
  • Ha gasfez euz va mab paour timad kélou dimé?
  • —Setu koulmik glaz va mamm a gané kreiz ar c’hoat,
  • Mé hi gwell érru d’ann gwern me hi gwel oc’h rézat.
• • —Eurvad d’hoc’h hu, Silvestik, eurvad d’hoc’h, ha klévet:
  • Ama emeuz eul lizer zo gan-in d’hoc’h kaset.
  • —Benn tri bloaz hag eunn devez me erruo da vad
  • Benn tri bloaz hagg eunn devez gant ma mamm ha ma zad.—
• • Achuet oa ann daou vloaz, achuet oa ann tri:
  • —Kénavo did, Silvestik, né az gwelinn két mui;
  • Mar gaffenn da eskern paour tolet gand ar maré
  • Ha mé ho dastuméfé hag ho briatefé.—
• • Ne oa két he c’homz gant-hi, hé c’homz peur-lavaret
  • Pa skoaz eul lestr a Vreiz war ann ot, hen kollet,
  • Pa skoaz eul lestr a vro penn-da-benn hen frezet,
  • Kollet gant-hen hé raonnou hag hé gwernou bréet.
• • Leun a oa a dud varo, den na ouffé lavar,
  • Na gout pe géit so amzer n’hé deuz gwelet ann douar.
  • Ha Silvestik oa eno, hogen na mamm na tad,
  • Na minon, né doa siouaz, sarret hé zaou lagad!

TRANSLATION.

Between the parish of Pouldregat and the parish of Plouare,2 young gentlemen levy an army to go to war, under the orders of the son of the duchess,3 who has collected many people from all parts of Brittany.

To go to war, beyond the sea, in the land of the Saxons. I have a son Silvestik, whom they expect; I have a son, an only son, my Silvestik, who departs with the army, in the train of the knights.

One night that I lay sleepless in my bed, I heard the girls of Kerlaz singing the song of my son; forthwith I sat up, and said—Lord! Lord! Silvestik, where art thou now?

Peradventure thou art more than three hundred leagues hence, or perhaps beneath the waters of the great sea, the food of fishes. Hadst thou consented to remain with thy father and mother, thou wouldst by this time be espoused, well espoused.

Thou wouldst be espoused to the prettiest girl of these parts, to Mannack of Pouldregat—Manna, thy sweet fair one, and thou wouldst be with us, and have little ones playing and making a noise around thee.

I have there, outside my door, a little white dove that makes its nest in the hollow of the rock on the hill: I will fasten a letter to its neck, with my wedding riband, and my son will return.

Ascend, my little dove, ascend on thy light wings: fly, fly far hence, beyond the great sea, to learn whether my son is still alive.

Fly to the army, and bring me tidings of my poor boy.

Ah! here cometh my mother’s white dove, that used to coo in the woods around our dwelling; it passes through the masts of the fleet, it skims the waves.

Blessings on thee, Silvestik—blessings on thee! Hear me: I have here a letter for thee.

—In three years and a day I will return: in three years and a day, I will be once more with my father and my mother.

Two years passed away: three years passed away.

—Adieu, Silvestik, I shall never again see thee! Oh, could I but find some of thy bones on the shore, oh, I would gather them up, I would kiss them, and press them to my bosom.

She had scarce uttered the words, when a ship from Britain was cast upon the shore, a ship of the country, without oars, the masts broken, and filling with water. It was cast upon the rocks.

It was full of dead men; no one could say how long it had been straggling on the fierce waters. Silvestik was among these dead men: neither father, nor mother, nor friend had closed his eyes!

[1 ] Barzas Breiz, chants populaires de la Bretagne, publíés par M. Théodore de La Villemarqué, i., 104.

[2 ] Bay of Douarnenez, Lower Brittany.

[3 ] Alan or Alain Fergan, son of Havoise, one of the principal Breton chiefs who followed William the Conqueror into England.