Late Medieval Books, An Account of the Standard

Therefore, with King Stephen occupied¹ in the southern parts, the King of the Scots assembled an innumerable army, not only those who were subject to his rule, but also summoning a considerable multitude from the islands and the Orcadians. He, advancing with great arrogance and fierceness, proposed to either subdue the whole of northern England to himself or to lay waste to it by slaughter and fire. The leaders of the Transhumbrans were not unaware of his arrival, and, urged especially by Walter Espec², of whom we will speak later, they decided to come together and resist his attempt.

Rege igitur Stephano circa australes partes occupato, rex Scottorum innumerabilem coegit exercitum, non solum eos, qui ejus subjacebant imperio, sed et de insulanis et Orchadensibus non parvam multitudinem accersiens. Qui cum maxima superbia et ferocitate progrediens, omnem borealis Angliæ partem aut sibi subdere, aut cede incendioque depopulari proposuit. Non latuit proceres Transhumbranos ejus adventus, qui hortatu maxime Walteri Espec de quo postea dicemus, in unum convenientes, ejus conatui resistere decreverunt.

Note 1. The title and opening words in P., the Cambridge MS., run, "Incipit descriptio viri venerabilis Aethelredi abbatis Rievallis de bello infer regem Scottiæ et barones Angliæ apud Standardium, juxta Alvertoniam. Amio Dominæ iticd Incarnatiojiis M°C°XXX°VIII.° " rege Stephano circa partes australes occupato." The far more corrupt Cottonian copy (C.) gives the opening passage thus: "Anno Domini M°C°XXX°8°, XJ, kl. Septembris ac etiam anno Thurstini archiepiscopi xx°iij°."

The age and authority of E., the Rievaulx copy, written about A.D. 1200, cause the variations of P. to have little interest, though the latter MS. conceivably represents an independent reading of the author's rough draft. All are therefore not given, especially as Twysden's edition excellently represents this copy.

C. is grossly inaccurate, but as there is some interest in the interpolations, these are given so far as they are not simply derived ftom Henry of Huntingdon. It is a 15th century copy.

Note 2. hortatu et summonitione T. archiepiscopi ei Walteri Espec, in a different hand and on an erasure; P.

Therefore, although small in number, but very strong in arms and strength, they gathered an army, and placing the royal banner, which is commonly called the Standard, in a very wide field near Alverton, they decided to wait there to face the enemies. Moreover, Archbishop Thurstin of York issued an episcopal edict throughout his entire diocese, commanding that from each of their parishes, priests, with the relics and banners of saints leading, should hasten to the nobles, so that all who were able to go to war might come to defend the church of Christ against the barbarians. In the southern army, therefore, the first leaders were William, Earl of Albemarle, a very young and vigorous man, highly trained in arms, bringing with him many soldiers from both the Morini and the Ponthieu, distinguished not only by military skill but also by the bravery of their hearts. Also, Walter of Gant, near the end of his life, a man gentle and pious, who, bringing a strong force of Flemings and Normans, greatly encouraged the rest of the army with his wisdom and the weight of his words. Ilbert de Laci, not slow and not coming with few, also came, who, having been an exile during the reign of King Henry, stood secure in this crisis as he had grown accustomed to the hardships and dangers of his previous experiences.

Igitur parvum quidem numero, sed armis et viribus robustissimum, exercitum adunarunt, regiumque signum, quod vulgo Standard dicitur, in campo latissimo juxta Alvertonam constituentes, illic hostes excipere decreverunt. Sed et Thurstinus Eboracensis archiepiscopus per totam diocesim suam edictum episcopale proposuit ut, de singulis parochiis suis presbyteris cum eruce et vexillis reliquiisque sanctorum, preeuntibus, omnes qui possent ad bella procedere, ad proceres properarent,® ecclesiam Christi contra barbaros defensuri. Erant itaque in australi exercitu primi principes Willelmus comes Albemarlensis, juvenis tunc strenuissimus et in armis multum exercitatus, habens secum, tam de Morinis quam de Ponciis, milites plurimos non minus astutia militar quam animi virtute præstantes Walterus quoque de Gant, morti jam ultima senectute vicinus, vir mansuetus et pius, qui et ipse validissimamn manum de Flandrensibus et Normannis adducens, tam sapientja quam pondere sermonum reliquam multitudinem plurimum animavit. Ilbertus sane de Laci non segnis nec cum paucis advolavit, qui tempore regis Henrici exulans, quanto fuerat laboribus arumpnisque assuefactus, tanto stabat in hac necessitate securus.