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Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow No. X. (p. 185.): Details of the Surrender of London, extracted from a contemporary Poem, attributed to Guy, Bishop of Amiens. 1 - 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. X. (p. 185.): Details of the Surrender of London, extracted from a contemporary Poem, attributed to Guy, Bishop of Amiens. 1 - 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.

Part of: History of the Conquest of England by the Normans; Its Causes, and its Consequences, in England, Scotland, Ireland, & on the Continent, 2 vols.

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No. X. (p. 185.)

Details of the Surrender of London, extracted from a contemporary Poem, attributed to Guy, Bishop of Amiens.1

  • Intus erat quidam contractus debilitate
  • Renum, sicque pedum segnis ab officio;
  • Vulnera pro patria quoniam numerosa recepit,
  • Lectica vehitur, mobilitate carens.
  • Omnibus ille tamen primatibus imperat urbis,
  • Ejus et auxilio publica res agitur.
  • Huic, per legatum, clam rex potiora revelat
  • Secreti, poscens quatenus his faveat.
  • “Solum rex vocitetur, ait, sic eommoda regni,
  • Ut jubet Ansgardus,2 subdita cuncta regat.”
  • Ille quidem cautus caute legata recepit,
  • Cordis et occulto condidit in thalamo.
  • Natu majores, omni levitate repulsa,
  • Aggregat, et verbis talibus alloquitur:
  • “Egregii fratres, tum vi, tum sæpius arte
  • (Est ubi nec sensus vester, et actus ubi?)
  • Cernitis oppressos valido certamine muros,
  • Et circumseptos cladibus innumeris;
  • Molis et erectæ transcendit machina turres,
  • Ictibus et validis mœnia scissa ruunt,
  • Casibus a multis, ex omni parte ruina
  • Eminet, et nostra corda timore labant;
  • Atque manus populi, nimio percussa pavore,
  • Urbis ad auxihum segniter arma movet.
  • Nosque foris vastat gladius, pavor angit et intus:
  • Et nullum nobis præsidium superest.
  • Ergo, precor, vobis si spes est ulla salutis,
  • Quatenus addatis viribus ingenium;
  • Est quum præcipuum, si vis succumbat in actum,
  • Quod virtute nequit, fiat ut ingenio.
  • Est igitur nobis super hoc prudenter agendum,
  • Et pariter sanum quærere consilium.
  • Censeo quapropter, si vobis constat honestum,
  • Hostes dum lateant omnia quæ patimur,
  • Actutum docilis noster legatus ut hosti
  • Mittatur, verbis fallere qui satagat;
  • Servitium simulet nec non et fœdera pacis
  • Et dextras dextræ subdere si jubeat”
  • Omnibus hoc placuit; dicto velocius implent;
  • Mittitur ad regem vir ratione capax,
  • Ordine qui retulit decorans sermone faceto
  • Utile fraternum, non secus ac proprium.
  • Sed quamvis patula teneatur compede vulpes.
  • Fallitur a rege fallere quem voluit.
  • Namque palam laudat rex, atque latenter ineptat
  • Quidquid ab Ansgardo nuntius attulerat.
  • Obcæcat donis stolidum verbisque fefellit,
  • Præmia promittens innumerosa sibi.
  • Ille retro rutilo gradiens oneratus ab auro,
  • A quibus est missus talia dicta refert:
  • “Rex vobis pacem dicit, profertque salutem,
  • Vestris mandatis paret et absque dolis.
  • Sed, Dominum testor, cui rerum servit imago,
  • Post dictum 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 affirmat, vosque probasse refert.
  • Hoc igitur superest, ultra si vivere vultis,
  • Debita cum manibus reddere jura sibi.”
  • Annuit hoc vulgus, justum probat esse senatus,
  • Et puerum regem cœtus uterque negat.
  • Vultibus in terra deflexis, regis ad aulam
  • Cum puero pergunt, agmine composito,
  • Reddere per claves urbem, sedare furorem
  • Oblato quærunt munere cum manibus.
  • Novit ut adventum factus rex obvius illis,
  • Cum puero reliquis oscula grata dedit,
  • Culpas indulsit, gratanter dona recepit.
  • Et sic susceptos tractat honorifice,
  • Per fider speciem proprium commendat honorem,
  • Et juramentis perfida corda ligat.

[1 ] Chroniques Anglo-Normandes, publiées par M. Francisque Michel, t. iii. p. 31.

[2 ] The Saxon orthography of this name is Ansgar, and sometimes Asgar. The addition of the letter d arises from a French custom, of which we find several examples in Guillaume de Poitiers, who writes Algardus for Alfgar, and Morcardus for Morkar. See as to the staller Ansgar, a note of M. Auguste Le Prevost, in his edition of Orderic Vital, ii. 154.