|
|
Home
Pearsall Surname Project
Number of Pearsalls By Location
Maps by Family
Surname
History and Genealogy
of the Pearsall Family in England
and America:
Volume I
Front Cover
Inside Front Cover
The Motive
Thanks
Illustrations
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Appendix I
Volume II
Volume III
|
|
of
the Franks. On his return, Hastings
informed Ragnold that the Norman army consisted
of the flower of the warlike youth of the North, and counselled
him by no means to risk the unequal chances of battle with such a
formidable foe. A standard-bearer, named Rotland,
or Roullant, replied that this counsel might
proceed from a treacherous intrigue of Hastings
with his former countrymen, and as his intentions appeared to be
distrusted by the other Frankish chieftains, Hastings
retired in disgust from the council, quitted the army with his corps, and
soon afterwards left France.
Rollo
waited in his entrenched camp the attack of the Franks, which was made at
break of day. The Normans
ranged in order of battle, and covered with their shields repulsed the
enemy. Rotland, or Roullant,
who bore the gonfannon of the Franks, was
slain; and Duke Ragnold took flight with the
whole army. After this success, Rollo assembled his companions and
represented to them that the Franks having committed the first
aggression, nothing was now to be done but to march on and subdue their
towns and fortresses. The Normans
accordingly broke up their camp on the Eure,
marched along the banks of the Seine, and took Meuland
by surprise, where they put all their prisoners to the sword, and went on
ravaging the country to the walls of Paris. In the meantime, Duke Ragnold had collected another army, with which he
marched against the Normans,
and offered them battle. The sea-rovers formed their band in the shape of
a wedge, and penetrated the battalions of the Franks, prostrating all
before them, and taking a great number of prisoners, whom they dragged to
their barks. Ragnold was left among the slain.
During
the winter the Normans made an incursion
into Burgundy, but were repulsed by the
duke of that province, and compelled to return to the Seine.
Having learnt that Bayeux
was badly fortified, Rollo made a rapid movement towards that town,
pillaged the surrounding country, and laid siege to the place. The
burghers made a brave defense, and took prisoner a Norman chief, called Bothon. The Normans
offered a suspension of arms for a year, upon condition that Bothon should be released. The offer was accepted,
and Rollo retired along the Seine to the Marne, where he took possession
of Meaux, and pushed his excursions quite to
the Meuse. As soon as the truce had
expired, the Normans suddenly attacked Bayeux, took it by
surprise, and slew the governor, Count Berenger,
with a great number of the inhabitants. This count left a daughter of
great beauty and accomplishments, named Popa,
whom Rollo espoused after the fashion of his country, and who bore him a
son, William, and a daughter, named Adela. Rollo then retired to his
stronghold at Rouen,
where his companions elected him their permanent chief, and where he
employed himself in organizing his Norman colony. Under his firm and
vigorous rule, the blessings of order and peace were once more restored
to a country which had so long and so cruelly suffered from the
incursions of the Northern adventurers. He tolerated the Christians in
their worship, and they flocked in crowds to live under the dominion of a
Pagan and barbarian, in preference to their own native and Christian
prince, who was unwilling or incapable to protect them. There must have
been some-thing truly great and magnanimous in the soul of this ferocious
sea-rover, which thus elevated his views above those entertained by other
adventurers of the same
|
|
