Danes, Saxons and Normans; or, Stories of our ancestorsEdgar, John G. (John George)
History
Danes, Saxons and Normans; or, Stories of our ancestors
Edgar, John G. (John George)
Great Britain -- History -- Norman period, 1066-1154; Vikings -- Great Britain
Meantime, Ivo Taille-Bois, clad in his linked mail, and followed by
armed men, rode to the abbey of Peterborough. On being admitted to the
abbot's presence Ivo proposed an expedition to the Isle of Ely, to
destroy the Camp of Refuge and crush the insurgents. Turauld
sanctioned the expedition, but declined to take an active part in it;
and everything having been arranged, the Angevin viscount advanced
boldly with his men through the forests and willows which served the
Saxons as intrenchments, while the abbot, surrounded by Normans of
high rank, remained at what he considered a safe distance.
But Ivo Taille-Bois was destined to miss his foes, and Turauld to meet
those whom Ivo sought. Aware of the projects of the Normans and of
their movements, Hereward was on the alert. Contriving to escape
unobserved from the wood by one side while Ivo entered by the other,
the Saxon chief, leaving the Angevin viscount to pursue his search in
vain, fell suddenly upon the abbot and the abbot's Norman attendants,
seized them without difficulty as prisoners, and kept them securely in
the marshes till they paid a large ransom.
Nevertheless, the position of Hereward and his comrades became every
day more perilous. About this time, however, they were reinforced by
allies, whose presence inspired them with some hope of accomplishing
their country's deliverance. Indignant at his brother's conduct at
York, Sweyn, King of Denmark, fitted out a new fleet, and came in
person to the aid of the vanquished islanders. But the royal Dane soon
tired of an enterprise which he found was much less promising than he
had anticipated. After sailing up the Humber without receiving any
particular encouragement, he returned to Denmark.
But, however disappointed he might have been, Sweyn, while departing
from the shores of England, did not withdraw his fleet. Entering
Boston Wash, the Danish ships, by the mouth of the Ouse and the Glen,
succeeded in reaching the Isle of Ely. Hereward hailed with joy the
arrival of the Danes, and welcomed them as friends and liberators.
William was startled at the arrival of Danish auxiliaries, but he was
not particularly perplexed. Perfectly comprehending how to deal with
King Sweyn, the Conqueror hastened to send ambassadors to Denmark with
artful messages and costly presents. The successor of Canute,
completely won over to the Norman cause, did without scruple that
which he had, some months earlier, punished his brother for doing; and
Hereward and his comrades soon learned to their dismay that they were
once more betrayed by their Northern allies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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