Chroniclers

"Igitur infra supradictum millesimum tercio iam fere imminente anno, contigit in uniuerso pene terrarum orbe, precipue tamen in Italia et in Galliis, innouari ecclesiarum basilicas, licet plereque decenter locate minime indiguissent, emulabatur tamen queque gens christicolarum aduersus alteram decentiore frui. Erat enim instar ac si mundus ipse excutiendo semet, reiecta uetustate, passim candidam ecclesiarum uestem indueret."

"Et nos in vitium prona caterva sumus. [We are but cattle prone to vice.]"

"It is of Inglis natioune The commone kend conditioune Of Trewis the wertu to forget, And rekles of gud Faith to be."

"Certum est enim, longos esse crines omnibus sed breves sensus mulieribus."

"Nam et escae execrantur quae saepius sumuntur."

"Among all the nations, there are some that possess a written law, while others simply observe certain fixed customs, for, among those devoid of law, their ancestral usage is accepted in its stead. To this class belong the Seres, who live at the end of the world, and apply as law the customs of their ancestors, which forbid them to commit adultery or incest, to steal, to bear false witness, to kill, or do any wrong whatsoever. The law of the Bactrians, called Brahmans or Islanders, which is derived from the forefatherly prescription, prohibits them for reasons of piety from eating meat, drinking wine, committing adultery, or doing any sort of wrong, solely in consequence of religious scruple. But among the Indians, who dwell beside them, are found murderers, criminals and doers of violence beyond all nature. In the most remote portion of their country, they practice cannibalism and kill travelers and, what is worse still, they devour them like dogs. The Chaldeans and the Babylonians have a different code, which allows them to marry their mothers, to commit carnal sin with their nieces, and to commit murder. They regard every shameless deed as a virtue when they commit it, even when they are far from their own country. The Gelaeans maintain other customs: among them, the women plough, build houses, and perform men's work. But they indulge in vice to the extent of their desire, for they are by no means restrained by their husbands, nor do the latter at all concern themselves about the matter. There are among them bold women who are capable of capturing wild beasts by virtue of their strength. The women have control over their husbands, and rule them. In Britain, many men sleep with one woman, and likewise many women have intercourse with one man. The people carry on without jealousy or restraint the vicious customs of their ancestors. The Amazons have no husbands, but like brute beasts they are filled with desire once each year in the springtime, and come together with the neighboring men. This season seems to them, as it were, a time of celebration and great festival. When they give birth to children and a male is born, they kill it, but if the child is of the female sex, then they nurse it and bring it up carefully."

"The ix. of July, at sixe of the clocke at night, in the Isle of Thanet besides Ramesgate in the Parish of Saint Peter under the Clift, a monstrous fish or Whale of the Sea did shoote himselfe on shore, where for want of water, beating himselfe on the sands, he dyed about sixe of the clocke in the next morning, before which time he roared, and was heard more than a mile on the land. The length of this Fish was two and twenty yards, the nether jaw twelve foote the opening, one of his eyes being taken out of his head, was more than sixe horse in a cart could draw, a man stoode upright in the place from whence the eye was taken, the thicknesse from the backe whereon he lay, to the toppe of his bellie (which was upward) was fourtéene foote, his tayle of the same breadth, betwéene his eyes twelve foote, thrée mē[n] stood upright in his mouth, some of the ribbes were xvi. foote lō[n]g, his tong was xv. foote long, his liver two cart loade, into his nostrels any man might have crept: the oyle being boyled out of the head was Parmasitie, the oile of his body was whitishe, and swéete of taste."

"Que vaut biautez, que vaut richece, Que vaut honeurs? que vaut hautece, Puis que morz tot a sa devise Fait sor nos pluie et secherece, Puis qu'ele a tot en sa destrece, Quanqu'en despist et quanqu'en prise?"

"Timur undertook many of his campaigns in the interest of religious order, and we find that almost all mentions of Sharia in [Nizan al-Dim] Shami's Zafarnameh occur as justification for Timur's conquests. His campaigns against the kings of Georgia, the Shi'ite sayyids of Amul in Mazandaran [a province in northern Iran], and the non-Muslim populations on his route to India were all ostensibly taken for the preservation of Sharia; and Shami even invoked the sanctions of religion in explaining Timur's campaigns against the Ottomans. Before beginning his campaigns in the Middle East, Timur took care to get the blessing of Muslim men of religion."

"In the year of our Lord 1278, a fortnight after the feast of St. John the Baptist, the king held his parliament at Gloucester and issued what is called the statute of Gloucester, containing fifteen clauses. In August he made the statute of quo warranto. Soon after he disquieted some of the magnates of the land by means of his justices, who sought to know by what warrant they held their lands. If they had no good warrant, he took possession of their lands. Among the rest earl Warenne was summoned before the king's justices and asked by what warrant he held. He produced an ancient and rusty sword, and cried, "Here, my lords, here is my warrant! My ancestors came over with William the bastard and conquered their lands by the sword, and I will defend those same lands by the sword against any, whosoever he may be, who seeks to occupy them. For the king did not conquer and subdue the land by himself, but my ancestors were his partners and helpers." Other magnates adhered to him and his argument, and went off angry and in disorder. When the king heard of this he feared for himself, and ceased from his mistaken policy. Besides, soon after the Welsh rose in rebellion, and the king had great need of his magnates. So when the king was holding a certain parliament, and the sons of the magnates were standing in his presence at vespers, he said to them, "What were you talking about while I was in consultation with your fathers?" And one answered, "You will not be angry if we tell you the truth?" "No," said the king. "Sire, we were saying this: Le Roy cuvayte nos deneres E la Rayne nos beau maneres E le Quo Waranto Sal mak wus al to do." [The king desires our money, The queen our manors too, The writ of "By what warrant" Will make a sad to-do.]"

"The common folk of the land followed him as their leader and ruler; the retainers of the great lords adhered to him; and even though the lords themselves were present with the English king in body, at heart they were on the opposite side."

"And so, he who had terrified many with the sword of his tongue was himself slain with the sword: and the Scots flayed him, and divided his skin into little bits, non quidem ad reliquias, sed ad contumelias."

"My present object is to treat of what passes under our own observation, or we are called upon to endure. For it is fitting that as new events continually occur they should be carefully committed to writing, to the praise of God; and thus, as the history of the past has been handed down to us by preceding writers, so also a relation of what is going on around us should be transmitted to future generations by the pen of contemporaries."

"The physicians and others who were present, who had watched the king all night while he slept, his repose neither broken by cries or groans, seeing him now expire so suddenly and unexpectedly, were much astonished, and became as men who had lost their wits. Notwithstanding, the wealthiest of them mounted their horses and departed in haste to secure their property. But the inferior attendants, observing that their masters had disappeared, laid hands on the arms, the plate, the robes, the linen, and all the royal furniture, and leaving the corpse almost naked on the floor of the house hastened away. Observe then, I pray you, my readers, how little trust can be placed in human fidelity. All these servants snatched up what they could of the royal effects, like so many kites, and took to their heels with their booty, roguery thus came forth from its hiding place the moment the great justiciary was dead, and first exercised its rapacity round the corpse of him who had so long repressed it. Intelligence of the king's death was quickly spread, and, far and near, the hearts of those who heard it were filled with joy or grief. In fact, King William's decease was known in Home and in Calabria to some of the exiles he had disinherited, the same day he died at Rouen, as they afterwards solemnly asserted in Normandy. For the evil spirit was frantic with joy on finding his servants, who were bent on rapine and plunder, set free by the death of their judge. O, worldly pomp, how despicable you are when one considers that you are empty and fleeting! You are justly compared to watery bubbles, one moment all swollen up, then suddenly reduced to nothing. Behold this mighty prince, who was lately obsequiously obeyed by more than a hundred thousand men in arms, and at whose nod nations trembled, was now stripped by his own attendants, in a house which was not his own; and left on the bare ground from the hour of primes to that of tierce."

"When the western nobles heard the good news about the famous champions who had set out on pilgrimage and triumphed gloriously over the infidels in the east, fighting in Christ's name, they and their relations and neighbours were inspired by the example of such achievement to a similar undertaking. Many were fired by enthusiasm to go on pilgrimage, to see the Saviour's sepulchre and the holy places. Fear of the pope's curse also forced some to go on pilgrim-age: for Pope Paschal II had publicly excommunicated and cut off from all Christendom all those who had freely taken the cross of the Lord and come back without completing their journey, unless they retraced their steps and devotedly accomplished their vows."

"Et dum transivimus per villam de Peronne muratam, quam propè relinquimus à sinistris nostris, comperimus equites Gallicani exercitûs se offerentes de villâ versùs nostros, ut nos fortè ad infra jactus hostiles et nocumenta traxissent; sed oppugnantibus equitibus nostris citò terga verterunt, oppidum repetentes. Et postquam pertransivimus villam, quasi ad milliare, invenimus vias mirabiliter tritas per Gallicanum exercitum quasi nos in multis millibus præcessissent. Et tunc nos qui fuimus residuus populus, ut de potestatibus taceam, timentes prælium imminens, corda et oculos in cælum levavimus, clamantes intimæ considerationis vocibus, ut compateretur nostri Deus, et à nobis de suâ ineffabili pietate Gallorum violentias declinaret."

"Many of the people, deserted by their leaders and fearing future want, sold their bows, took up their pilgrims’ staves, and returned to their homes as cowards."

"Who ever heard of such a mixture of languages in one army, since there were French, Flemings, Frisians, Gauls, Allobroges, Lotharingians, Allemani, Bavarians, Normans, English, Scots, Aquitanians, Italians, Dacians, Apulians, Iberians, Bretons, Greeks, and Armenians? If any Breton or Teuton wished to question me, I could neither understand nor answer."

"The material is scanty; the historian must read between the lines; he must above all avoid rash generalizations. It is evident that Arnold was right, human nature has not varied much throughout the ages. While it is not possible to form a picture of an average Crusader, as elusive a character as the 'economic man,' it is possible to form some concept of Fulcher's character and limitations, and through him of the acts and points of view of other Crusaders in the time of the First Crusade and in the years when the Kingdom of Jerusalem was still a strong and prosperous colony."

"Rex Angliæ procedit armatus, vexillum draconis terribile præfertur expansum, clangor tubæ post regem movet exercitum. Refulsit sol in clipeos aureos et resplenduerunt montes ab eis; ibant caute et ordinate, et sine ludo res agebatur. Griffones, e diverso, clausis januis civitatis, armati stabant ad propugnacula murorum et turrium nihil adhuc metuentes, et ejaculabantur incessanter in hostes. Rex, qui nihil melius novit quam expugnare civitates et evertere castra, permisit primo pharetras eorum evacuari, et sic demum per suos sagittarios, qui præibant exercitum, primum fecit insultum. Sagittarum imbre cœlum tegitur, protensos per propugnacula clipeos mille tela transfodiunt, nihil contra pilorum impetum poterat salvare rebelles. Relinquuntur muri sine custodia, quia nullus potuit foris prospicere quin in ictu oculi sagittam haberet in oculo."

"The industry of Gervase was greater than his insight. He took a narrow and monastic view of current politics; he was seldom in touch with the leading statesmen of his day."

"Gervase is not one of the great historians of his age, but he illustrates with fidelity the tone and temper of his monastic world. Much of what he writes has the value of contemporary knowledge and observation, or at least of personal recollection; and much bears the impress of recording the local tradition of the writer's religious house. Even that which is not original has at least the value of a contemporary or nearly contemporary corroboration of the statements which it repeats."

"Quippe de Saxonia quæ nunc uulgo Ealdsexe nuncupatur, id est 'Saxonia uetus', uenere tribus, quæ apud Anglos modo ita dicuntur, Eastsexan, et Suthsexan, et Westsexan...Anglia igitur de prouincia uenere iuxta Orientales Angli, Medii Angli, Mercii quoque, et tota gens Northanhymbrorum. Porro Anglia uetus sita est inter Saxones et Giotos, habens oppidum capitale, quod sermone Saxonico Slesuuic nuncupatur, secundum uero Danos, Haithaby. Ideoque Brittannia nunc Anglia appellatur, assumens nomen uictorum. Præfati enim duces eorum inde uenerunt Brittanniam primi: hoc est Hengest et Horsa filii Vuyhtelsi, auus eorum Vuicta, et proauus eorum Vuithar, atauus quidem eorum Vuothen, qui et rex multitudinis barbarorum. In tanta etenim seductione oppressi aquilonales increduli ut deum colunt usque in hodiernam diem, viz. Dani, Northmanni quoque, et Sueui...In tanta ergo fuisse perhibetur supra dictarum illa aduec-tio crescens, et nimium, ut et incolarum paulatim et habitationis nomen aboleuisset, qui cum muneribus eos traxere quondam gentium repentinæ. Magis stipendia poscunt; renuunt Brittanni; mouent arma; fit discordia nimis, et, ut ante præfati sumus, a finibus eos pellunt in arcta promontoria quædam, et ipsi possessores a mare ad mare usque in præsentem diem existunt. In nono etiam anno post euersionem Romæ a Gothis, relicti qui erant in Brittannia Romana ex gente, multiplices non ferentes gentium minas, scrobibus occultant thesau-rum, aliquam sibi futuram existimantes fortunam, quod illis post non accidit. Partem sumunt, in unda gregan-tur, dant uentum carinis, exules Gallias tenent partes."

"Engelond his a wel god lond · ich wene ech londe best · Iset in the on end of the · worlde as al in the west · The se geth him al aboute · he stond as in an yle · Of fon hii they dorre the lasse doute — bot hit be thorȝ gyle. Of folc of the sulve lond · as me hath iseye ȝwile · From southe to north he is long · eiȝte hondred mile · And tuo hondred mile brod · from est to west to wende · Amid the lond as hit be · and noȝt as bi the on ende · Plente me may in Engelond · of alle gode ise · Bote volc hit vorgulte · other ȝeres the worse be · Vor Engelond is vol inoȝ · of frut and ek of tren · Of wodes and of parkes · that joye hit is to sen · Of foweles and of bestes · of wilde and tame also · Of salt fichȝ and eke verss · of vaire riuers there to · Of wellen suete and cold inouȝ · of lesen and of mede · Of seluer or and of gold · of tyn and eke of lede · Of stel of yre and of bras · of god corn gret won · Of wit and of wolle god · betere ne may be non · Wateres he hath ek inouȝ · ac at uore alle othere thre · Out of the lond into the se · armes as thei it be · Ȝware bi the ssipes mowe come · fram the se and wende · And bring alonde good inoȝ · aboute in eche ende."

"So clene lond is Engelond · and so cler withouten hore, The veireste men in the world · ther inne beth ibore, So clene and vair and pur ȝwit · among other men hii beth, That me knoweth hem in eche lond · bi seȝte thar me hem seth · So clene is al so that lond · and mannes blood so pur · That the gret evel ne cometh naȝt ther · that me ciupeth that holi fur · That vorfreteth menne limes · riȝt as it were ibrende · Ac men of ffrance in thulke vuel · sone ne sueth amende Ȝif hii beth ibroȝt in to Engelond · ȝware thorȝ me may iwite That Engelond is londe best · as it is iwrite."

"Thus the English folk came to the ground for nought, for a false king having no right to the kingdom, and came to a new lord, whose right was greater: but neither of them, as may be seen, was entirely in the right; and thus was that land, I wis, brought into Norman's hand; so that it is a great chance if there is ever a recovery of it. The high men that be in England are of the Normans, and the low men of the Saxons, as I understand, so that ye see on either side what right ye have to it. But I understand that it was done by God’s will. For while the men of this land were pure heathens, no land and no people were in arms against them. But afterwards the people received Christianity, and kept but for a little while the commandments they had received, and turned to sloth and to pride, and to lechery, and to gluttony, and high men much to robbery; and it was as the spirits said in a vision to St. Edward, how there should come such misery into England on account of the robbery of high men and the fornication of clerks, and how God should send sorrow into this kingdom between Michaelmas and St. Luke on St. Calixtus day."

"Game of hounds and of wild beasts he loved well, and his forest and his woods, and the New Forest most of all, which is in Southamptonshire, for this he loved well, and stored full of beasts and pastures with great wrong, for he cast out of house and home a great multitude of men, and took their land for thirty miles and more thereabout, and made it forest and pastures for the beasts to feed on; he took little heed of the poor men he disinherited. Therefore therein befell much mischief, and his son was shot in it, William the red king; and also his only son named Richard met his death there; and Richard his only nephew broke his neck there as he rode a-hunting, and his horse chanced to kick. To such misadventure turned the wrong done to poor men."

"England is a well good land; in the stead best Set in the one end of the world, and reigneth west. The Sea goeth him all about, he stint as an yle, Of foes it need the lesse doubt: but it be through gile Of folke of the self land, as me hath I sey while From south to north it is long, eight hundred mile, And two hundred mile broad from east to west to wend Amid the land as it might be: and not as in the one end, Plentie men may in England of all good see, But folk it agult, other years the worse and worse be. For England is full enough of fruit and of treene, Of Woods and of Parks that joy it is to seene."

"In the countrey of Canterbury, most plenty of fish is, And most chase of wild beasts, about Salisbury I wis. And London ships most, and wine at Winchester. At Hartford sheep and oxe: and fruit at Worcester. Soape about Coventry: and yron at Glocester. Metall, lead, and tinne in the countie of Exeter. Everwike of fairest wood: Lincolne of fairest men. Cambridge and Huntington most plenty of deep venne. Elie of fairest place: of fairest sight Rochester."

"Kynge Henry beynge in Normādy, after some wryters fell from, or with his horse, whereof he caughte his deth: but Ranulphe sayth, he toke a surfet by etynge of a lāprey, & therof dyed...Than the kynges bowellys were drawen out of his body, & than salted with moche salte, & for to auoyde the stēche which had enfected many men, the body was lastly closed in a bulles skynne, & yet it was not all stynted. He yͭ clēsed the hed, dyed of the stench of the brayne. Than lastly the body was brought in to Englonde, & buryed in the abbey of Redynge, yͭ he had before foūded. Than the fame of hym was blowen abrode as it is blowen of other prynses, & sayd yͭ he passed other men in iii thynges, in wytte, in eloquence, & in fortune of bateyll; & other sayde he was ouercomen with iii vyces, with couetyse, wͭ crueltye, and with luste of lechery."

"The duke of Clarence and seconde brother to the kynge thanne beynge prysoner in the towre, was secretely put to deth and drowned in a barell of maluesye wythin the sayde towre."

"Fabyan's own merits are little more than those of an industrious compiler, who strung together the accounts of his different authorities without any critical capacity. He says expressly that his work was "gaderyd without understandynge," and speaks of himself as "of cunnynge full destitute." Nevertheless he deserves the praise which he has received as an early worker, and for having made public information which through Hall and Holinshed has become the common property of later historians, and has only recently been otherwise accessible."

"It is clear that there are as many different languages as peoples in this island. The Scots, however, and the Welsh, in so far as they have not intermixed with other nations, have retained the purity of their native speech, unless perhaps the Scots took something in speech from living together with the Picts, with whom they once dwelt as allies. The Flemish who live in the west of Wales have abandoned their barbarous speech, and speak Saxon well enough. Likewise the English although in the beginning they had a language of three branches, namely southern, midland, and northern, as coming from three Germanic peoples, nevertheless as a result of mixture, first with the Danes and then Normans, by a corruption of their language in many respects, they now incorporate strange bleatings and babblings. There are two main causes for their present debasement of the native language, one, that children in the schools against the practice of other nations are compelled since the coming of the Normans to abandon their own tongue and to construe into French, and, secondly, that children of the nobility are taught French from the cradle and rattle."