1809.] 
streets in London, should stop up the 
passage for a few hours, what will he- 
come of the passengers, and who will 
not then wish themselves once more 
above ground, and in DAY LIGHT? 
eT 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
An account of wittiaM the con- 
QUEROR’s accession to the CROWN of 
ENGLAND; BATTLE Of HASTINGS; WIL- 
LIAM RuEFUS, &c. from the ROMAN DE 
BUSE, MANUSCRIPT in the NATIONAL 
LIBRARY at Parts, marked No. 6987, 
and 7567, by the late’M. DE BRE- 
QuUIGNY; now first published in ENG- 
LAND. 
“HE ancient Romances are known 
to be historical narratives on sub= 
jects of this kind, and therefore no more 
apology is necessary for introducing them 
as such, than those would be for consi- 
dering Robert of Gloucester, Harding, 
or Shakespeare’s Plays of our Kings,. 
fictitious, because written in verse. 
The first part of the Romance merely 
eoncerns the Dukes of Normandy, which 
T pass over of course, and proceed at 
once to the events connected with Eng- 
lish history. 
It is known that William, after the 
death of Edward the Confessor, pre- 
tended, that this prince, dying without 
children, had declared him his successor : 
some authors have written that it was by 
a will, Wace, (the author,) says only 
that Edward had an intention of making 
William -his heir. Some, he adds, have 
thought that Edward sent Harold, his 
seneschal, over to Normandy, on pur- 
pose to announce this’ intention to Wil- 
liam: but it is agreed, according to 
others, that Harold only came to obtain 
the delivery of his relatives, given in 
hostage to Edward, for conservation of 
the fealty of Godwin, whose daughter 
Edward had married, and with whom, 
(Godwin) be had quarelled. ‘These hos- 
tages had been confided to Walham. 
Harold had a gracious reception. <A 
conversation took place about the suc- 
cession of Edward’s throne, to which 
Harold had some pretensions. ~Wilham 
obliged him, not only to rendunce them, 
but to swear that he would ‘use every 
effort to secure the throne to William, 
In return, he promised Harold to give 
him one of his daughters if marriage, 
William, to corroborate the oath which 
he required, concealed some relics, upon 
which* Harold took the oath, without 
having seen them: but when the oath 
was pronounced, William exhibited them, 
Montury Mae, No, 184 
Account of Wilham the Congueror, Ke. . 329 
This interesting trait of the superstition 
of the age, proves at least, that William 
distrusted the plain and simple oath of 
Harold, and the event justified his dise 
trust. 
Edward died: it is admitted, that he 
had desired, that William should be his 
heir, but William was at a distance: 
Edward had left his barons at liberty to 
choose between William and Harold. 
The latter, who was on the spot, and 
who had great influence, easily acquired 
the preference. William in vain called 
upon him to perform his oath. Harold 
replied, that he would do nothing for 
him, and: would neither marry his daugh- 
ter, nor surrender the territory. Wilham 
declared war against him, and Haroldex- 
pelled all, the: Normans from England, 
whither Edward had drawn over numbers. 
This fact is related by our author and 
Guillaume de Junnegeés, but is very differ= 
ent from the representations of the Eny- 
lish historians: there is not also in the 
poem, a single word of any discourse of 
the barons, who, according to the chroni- 
cle,* demanded of Edward the nomina- 
tion of Harold, as his successor. 
The conguestt of England by. William, 
is so well known, says M. de Brequigny, 
that I pass it over. J shall only remark 
that Vace, on thisoccasion, reports many 
particulars relative to manners and cus 
toms: and I shall quote for ingtance, the — 
song of Roland, sung by the army of Wil- 
liam when it marched to charge the ene= 
my. [The reader will find this song, with 
the music, and a humorous English trans 
lation, in Burney’s History of Music. 
Transiator.| This fact, though not men- 
tioned in the chronicle, founded upon the 
poem, is attested by William of Malmes= 
bury,{ and is of some importance; be- 
cause the authors of the Literary History 
of France have concluded fromit, that 
the use of the Romance tongue was com= 
mon in the eleventh century. 
William demanded succours from the 
King of France, but though he offered to 
hold of him the crown of England, he had 
no success. The Pope, tewhom he made 
the same offer, accepted it, and sent him 
a gonfanon, or standard, and a ring, in 
which was a hair of St. Peter. 
The battle ensued: Harold advanced at 
the head of his army. The hst of the 
* Founded on the Poem. 
4 This word. is a /aw-term, signifying 
acquisition; and in this sense it is here useds 
See Blackstone. Translator. 
i De W. L, 3.<eTransar 
A x Norman 
