Battle of Hastings Part 1 (Poem)

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From The Battle of Hastings and Other Poems by Sydney Hodges.

The Battle of Hastings.

Part I.

The March.

1.

The day was fast declining,

The air was clear and still,

The golden sun fast gliding down

Beyond the western hill:

When hastening from the southward,

With spurs all bloody red,

Towards the ancient town of York,

A furious horseman sped.

The burning beam of even

Fell on his close-ringed mail;

It glanced upon a troubled brow,

A visage worn and pale.

Beneath the guarded gateway.

Beneath the minster grey,

With straining glance and Woodless lip,

The horseman held his way.

Up, up, the echoing causeway,

Along the central town;

Until he reached the palace gates

And straight to earth sprang down.

2.

Within the arching corridor

His iron footsteps fell;

He flung the heavy doors aside.

And passed within the hall.

A sudden blaze of splendour

Fell dazzling on his sight;

From end to end the massive walls

With glittering arms were bright.

The dark oak tables sparkled,

Beneath a sumptuous feast;

And gallant warriors stood around,

A noble thane the least.

And many a crested helmet

Gleamed bright with burnished gold;

And many a burnished corslet heaved.

O'er heart of warrior bold.

And there amid the nobles.

That graced that warlike ring.

Stood Harold of the dauntless heart,

Harold the Saxon King.

3.

He gazed upon the chieftains

With kindling glance and high;

The flush of recent conquest crowned

The splendour of his eye.

A golden goblet sparkled

Within his conquering hand;

The hand that gave great Norway's King

His seven feet of land.

The great Norweyan giant.

That fell by Derwent’s side,

When purple with the northmen's blood

Rolled fast the river's tide.

4.

A smile of kingly courtesy

Around his features played;

But when the pallid horseman came,

His lifted hand was stayed.

"Quick man, speak out thine errand.

What means this sorry plight?

Some tidings of our southern foes

Hath blanched your cheek to night."

5.

"My liege," the horseman answered,

"Thy heart hath augured right;

Great tidings of our southern foes

I bear to thee this night.

With three-score thousand warriors,

Seven hundred ships and more,

William the hardy Norman

Has reached our southern shore.

6.

“To bear this news I've ridden.

In haste by night and day;

And scarce have tasted food or drink

Upon my rapid way.

My foot was in the stirrup

Ere closed the even-tide,

When down the bay of Pevensey

We saw the vessels glide.

7.

"The fleet, a sailing forest

Came ploughing stoutly on;

And in the mellow even light

Their blazoned banners shone.

And foremost of the mighty fleet

Duke William's vessel sped;

With consecrated banner raised

High on her gilded head.

The three great Norman lions

Flashed on her yellow side,

Her broad sails swelled before the breeze.

With many colours dyed.

And as the night clouds gathered,

Full from her tall mast-head,

The sturdy Norman's beacon light

A glorious lustre shed."

8.

Then smiled the kingly Harold,

And joy was in his eye:

“What nobles! shall we hasten down

Another joust to try?

At once we hold our journey,

While yet our blood is warm;

And fresh with conquest from the north.

Disperse this southern swarm.

9.

“Now Gurth my noble brother.

Seek thou the scattered fleet;

And send seven hundred fighting ships.

To harass their retreat.

Haste Leofwin, I charge thee.

Gird on thy mail with speed,

And travel swiftly southward,

Upon thy fleetest steed.

Summon the stalwart citizens

Within fair London town,

And tell the worthy burghers

That straight we hasten down.

March Edgar with the Mercians,

That wait at thy command;

Let Morcar lead the gallant hearts

Of brave Northumberland."

10.

O'er all the ancient city

Had sunk the night’s repose;

But now from every silent street

The stirring tumult rose.

Forth came the gallant war-steeds

Caparisoned for fight;

The lightnings from their ringing heels

Lit up the gloom of night.

Forth came the chiefs in armour,

From head to heel encased;

Forth came the troopers horse in hand.

And mounted up in haste.

Five hundred torches flickered.

Five hundred trumpets brayed,

Five hundred knights went bounding by

In nodding plumes arrayed.

Here some more laggart horseman,

Swore out a parting jest;

Some weeping wife in last embrace

Here clasped her husband's breast.

Some trooper here with curses

Clung to a restive steed;

Here stragglers from some distant ranks,

Went hastening down at speed.

The distant gleam of torches,

The clang of countless feet.

The neighing of the gallant steeds

Died slowly down each street.

And feinter still and fainter,

The echoes seemed to swell,

While o'er the gloomy town once more

A double silence fell.

11.

Beneath the southern gateway

The marshalled columns passed;

O'er all the ranks the rising moon

Her silver radiance cast.

And as her beams climbed higher

Above the glistening trees,

Far off the footsteps rose and fell

Upon the midnight breeze.

And in the dark blue country,

When every sound was gone.

Like wandering rivers far away,

The silver hehnets shone.

And as the night stole onward.

And all was hushed and still.

At times a lonely gleam would rise

Out on the farthest hill.

A lonely gleam of moonlight.

From Saxon stout and bold.

As the fitful night-wind raised his plume

From his helm of steel and gold.

12.

But even these were hidden

As night still later grew;

Without a sound the broad, bright moon

Sailed o'er her ocean blue. And calmly rose the minster,

Into the silent night;

Around whose walls for days had rung

The stirring sounds of fight.

And calmly flowed the waters.

Old Ouse's waters grey;

Unmindful of the deeds of blood,

That choked with slain their silver flood,

Through many a dismal day.

Hodges, Sydney. The Battle of Hastings and Other Poems. Simpkin, Marshall and Co., 1853.

Sydney Hodges

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