"Excuse my hastiness, fair lady," said Oswald, "and permit me to say that I have not come to shed blood, but the reverse; I am come to solicit a truce, an honourable truce, and to treat for a cessation of hostilities and hatred; and I would fain you should be umpire between us this night, gentle lady." "What truce dost thou expect, Saxon?" said the Count. "There can but be one truce between the conqueror and a foe routed and beaten; and that is, that he should lay down his arms unconditionally and accept the clemency of the conqueror." "That is a condition which we shall not accept. We shall maintain our liberty at all hazards, and the Norman had better beware of harassing desperate men." "If thy arrogance were equalled by thy power, Saxon, thou wouldst do great things. But be thou well assured that I will root every mother's son of you out of your holes in the mountains within a month, if there is not unconditional surrender. But if thou and thy vassals return, and accept these terms, ye shall be entitled to my protection as my vassals and villeins. For thyself, if thou subscribe the oath of fealty, I will assign to thee certain lands, which thou shalt atone for by such services rendered to me as I please, as thy feudal lord." "Excuse me, noble sir; but these are impossible terms. In the first place, I am not going to submit to be a grovelling feudatory, wearing clumsy brogues and a vassal's collar, coming cringingly to thee for permission to make a journey or shoot a stag--to ask humbly if I may keep a dog; catch a fish; or marry a wife! I am not going to hold the stirrup for beggarly Norman adventurers, and say, Your most humble servant, By your leave, puissant sir, Crave your pardon, my lord, and all the rest of servile rigmarole, being afraid to breathe the breath of heaven, or tread mother earth; or say that I am a man; content to be numbered with thy cattle, or thy goods and chattels, and be spoken of as the loutish Saxon clown. Never! Let that be understood once for all. No drop of vassal's blood courses through my veins. No part of a vassal's spirit animates me. I have not looked upon the face of any man, Saxon or Norman, that I fear, and I will be vassal to no man. Leave me alone, with the handful of Saxons who follow me. Thou hast my lands and my home--take them as the spoils of war, but be content. There is land enough, and thou mayest leave us in peace. We will not come nigh thee, but be content to till a little land for sustenance; and we may be of service as thy allies. Probably many of the serfs will be willing to return to their lands and to vassalage; and all who are willing may do so freely."