Sisters,
Wulf and I have none; we are orphans both, and wards of Earl Harold,
who holds our estates until we are of age to take the oaths to him
and to lead our men in battle."
"And will you be barons like my father, or counts, or simple knights?"
"We shall be none of these things, Lady Agnes. We have our great
earls as in France you have your great dukes, but below that we
have no titles. We are thanes, that is land owners, who hold their
land direct from our earls. Some have wider lands than others, but
as free thanes we are all equal. As to knights, we have not in
England the titles and ceremonies which are so much thought of in
France and in other courts."
"That is a pity," the girl said gravely, "for the vows of knighthood
make a knight courteous and gentle to enemies and friends alike."
"Or rather, Agnes," her mother put in, "they should do so; but in
truth, looking round at the cruel wars we have had in Normandy, I
do not see that men have been more gentle or courteous than they
would have been had they never taken the vows or had knightly spurs
buckled on; and in truth it seems to me from the news of what has
taken place beyond the sea, that in the civil troubles they have
had in England men are much more gentle with each other, and foes
are far more easily reconciled than with us in Normandy, who are
supposed to be bound by the laws of chivalry. Had our duke been
cast upon the shores of England as Harold has been cast upon that
of Ponthieu, I think that he would not have been so dishonourably
treated by one of the English thanes as Harold has been by Count
Conrad.
Pages:
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129