Master Wace: William the Bastard's Epiphany

According to Master Wace, William the Bastard was not celebrating Epiphany when news reached him from England regarding the death of Edward. One would assume that the same spy network that reported Harold’s ascension was also capable of reporting Edward’s illness and decline. But Wace, who was writing a hundred years later implies that William had no knowledge of events in England which is suspicious if he were the designated heir. Surely he would have been closely following the doings of the English court and been invited to the ceremonies surrounding the completion of the Edward’s greatest achievement, the cathedral containing his tomb.  But William was preparing to hunt. The story of William’s receipt of the news and his response is contained in the continuation of Chapter IX.

“The duke was in his park at Rouen. He held in his hand a bow, which he had strung and bent, making it ready for the arrow ; and he had given it into the hands of a page, for he was going forth, I believe, to the chace, and had with him many knights and pages and esquires, when behold! at the gate appeared a serjeant,who came journeying from England, and went straight to the duke and saluted him, and drew him on one side, and told  him privily that king Edward was dead, and that Harold was raised to be king.”

What follows next is Wace’s imaginative account of the Bastard’s dismay at receiving the news.

When the duke had listened to him, and learnt all the truth, how that Edward was dead, and Harold was made king, he became as a man enraged, and left the craft of the woods. Oft he tied his mantle, and oft he untied it again ; and spoke to no man, neither dared any man speak to him.
Then he crossed the Seine in his boat, and came to his hall, and entered therein ; and sat down at the end of a bench, shifting his place from time to time, covering his face with his mantle, and resting his head against a pillar. Thus he remained long, in deep thought, for no one dared speak to him ; but many asked aside, " What ails the duke, why makes he such bad cheer?"

 William is comforted by his seneschal, William Fitz Osbern. The seneschal was the head steward of a medievil household. According to Wace, Fitz Osbern advised William not to try to conceal his embarassment, as the cat was already out of the bag regarding Harold’s treachery.

“Then behold in came his seneschal [William Fitz Osbern], who rode from the park on horseback; and he passed close by the duke, humming a tune as he went along the hall; and many came round him, asking how it came to pass that the duke was in  such plight. And he said to them,
" Ye will hear news, but press not for it out of season; news will  always spread some time or another, and he who gets it not fresh, has it old."
Then the duke raised himself up, and the seneschal said to him,
" Sire, sire, why do you conceal the news you have heard ? If men hear it not at one time, they will at another ; concealment will do you no good, nor will the telling of it do harm. What you keep so close, is by this time known all over the city; for men go through the streets telling, and all know, both great and small, that king Edward is dead, and that Harold is become king in his stead,  and possesses the realm."

Duke William confides in his steward and is advised by the home help to make an attack on England. There is no mention of Tostig, who is carefully written out of all William’s preparations. Fitz Osbern was later rewarded with the earldom of Hereford until his death in 1070.

"That indeed is the cause of my sorrow," said the duke, " but I know no help for it. I sorrow for Edward, and for his death, and for the wrong that Harold has done me. He has wronged me in taking the kingdom that was granted and promised to me, as he himself had sworn."
To these words Fitz Osber, the bold of heart, replied, " Sire, do not vex yourself, but bestir yourself for your redress ; that you may be revenged on Harold, who hath been so disloyal to you. If your courage fail not, the land shall not abide with him. Call together all that you can call ; cross the sea, and take the kingdom from him. A bold man should  begin nothing unless he pursue it to the end ; what  he begins he should carry through, or abandon it  without more ado."

In Edward’s Life, King Edward is reported as directing Harold to look after his Norman followers (see above). But Wace adds to Harold’s crime of perjury, the crime of persecution of the Normans remaining in England.

“Thus the fame of king Harold's act went through the country. William sent to him often, and reminded him of his oath; and Harold replied injuriously, that he would do nought for him, neither take his daughter, nor yield up the land. Then William sent him his defiance, but Harold always answered that he feared him nought.
The Normans who dwelt in England, who had wives and children there, men whom Edward had invited and endowed with castles and fiefs, Harold chased out of the  country, nor would he leave one there ; he drove  out fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.”

Master Wace makes a major error when he reports that Harold was crowned at Easter rather than in January.  This is the first indication that he gives regarding the timing of the death of Edward and he is clearly ill informed. He makes further reference to the terms of Harold’s oath, in which he is well schooled, but he is lacking in actual facts regarding the succession.

“Harold received the crown at Easter; [Christmas] but it would  have been better for him if he had done otherwise, for he brought nought but evil on his heirs, and on all the land. He perjured himself for a kingdom, and that kingdom endured but little space ; to him it was a great loss, and it brought all his lineage to sorrow. He refused to take the duke's daughter to wife, he would neither give nor take according to his covenant, and heavily will he suffer for it; he,  and all he loves most.”