ΒΆ Where (by the waie) would be noted the conscience which
Girth a yoonger brother made of an oth, not concerning himselfe
directlie, but his elder brother Harold, who had sworne the same;
meaning nothing lesse than the performance therof, as the sequele of
his dooings to his discredit and vndooing euidentlie declared, which
euents might seeme countable to him as due punishments and deserued
plagues inflicted vpon him and others, for his sake; sith he made no
reckoning of violating a vow ratified with an oth to a prince of
no small puissance, who afterwards became a whip vnto him for his
periurie; a sinne detested of the heathen, and whereof the poet
notablie speaketh, saieng:
[Sidenote: _Tibul, lib. 1_.]
Ah miser, & si quis primo periuria celat,
Sera tamen tacitis poena venit pedibus.
* * * * *
_After peace offered & refused on each side, both armies meete in the
field, the order of the Englishmens attire & araie, the maner how the
Normans were placed to fight in battell; the dissolute and droonken
behauior of the Englishmen the night before the incounter farre
differing from the Normans deuout demenour; duke Williams speech vpon
occasion of wrong putting on his armour, the battell betwixt him and
king Harold is valiantlie tried, the English by duke Williams politike
stratagem are deceiued, king Harold slaine, his armie put to flight
and manie of them slaine after a long and bloudie incounter, manie
of the Normans pursuing the English ouerhastilie procure their owne
death, they take the spoile of the English, the dead bodies of both
armies are licenced to be buried; the differing reports of writers
touching the maner of Harolds death, a description of his person, his
ambition did him much hurt and hinderance, the number that were slaine
on both sides, his bodie buried at Waltham, nothing dispraisewoorthie
in him but his ambitious mind, a view of his valiantnesse in a
conflict against the Welshmen, his rigorous or rather pitilesse
handling of them, his seuere law or decree touching their bounds, they
are vtterlie subdued, and (by the kings leaue) the Welshwomen marrie
with the Englishmen, the Saxon line ceasseth, how long it lasted, and
how long it was discontinued by the inuasion of the Danes.
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