[Norman Conquest 02] Winter of Discontent, page 38
part #2 of Norman Conquest Series
![[Norman Conquest 02] Winter of Discontent](https://picture.bookfrom.net/img/iain-campbell/norman_conquest_02_winter_of_discontent.jpg "[Norman Conquest 02] Winter of Discontent")
Three days later, a week before Christmas, Alan emerged from his delirium, opening his eyes to see in the candlelight that Anne was slumped in a chair next to the bed. “My lady!” said Synne, who been sponging the sweat from Alan’s forehead. Anne woke and bent over Alan, giving him a kiss.
“Praise be to the Lord! Blessed Lord Jesu and Mary have answered my prayers! Don’t ever do that to me again!” she instructed.
“What?”
“Get carried home on a stretcher. How do you feel?”
“Better to be carried on the sheet than be wrapped in it- and with God’s good Grace I hope to avoid that and keep the leg. Mortain’s churgeon, Guy of Lyons, wanted to cut it off. By the Rood, I’m weak, tired and thirsty!” He shifted slightly on the bed and gasped in pain before adding, “And I hurt all over.” He noticed he was lying naked on the bed, a thick and absorbent cloth under him soaked with sweat and a brazier with burning charcoal stood in the corner of the room, supplementing the heat radiating from the inner brick wall that was part of the hypocaust system that took the chill off the air in the Hall during winter.
“Leof has been tending you and seems to have a real skill for it. He’s been following Brother Alwyn’s instructions regarding the dressings and the medicines and we’ve been spooning that and chicken broth into you. Here’s a cup of the herbal infusion, now turn your head and drink this while I send Synne to heat a pint of chicken broth.”
When several hours later Alan again awoke it was daylight. Brother Aldwyn, the infirmarer of St Botulph’s Abbey at Colchester, had been called to attend and he was demonstrating to Leof how to make a poultice of comfrey, ivy and yarrow, and how to very carefully make a pain-killing tincture of the boiled bark of white willow. Alan at first declined a dose of poppy-juice, aware of the dangers of addiction, but relented and swallowed a dose after Leof had unwrapped the bandage on his leg, the sharp stabbing pain each time the leg was moved proving too much for him. He called for a mirror and inspected the wound himself. “Not too bad. I may yet prove Churgeon Guy wrong and keep the leg! It has only a little inflammation, thanks be to God! Thank you, Brother Aldwyn. You’ve done a good job, Leof! Now apply this unguent and then the poultice and loosely bind the bandage. It doesn’t need to be tight because I’m not going anywhere. Erghh!”
“What caused the wound?” asked Synne.
Alan paused to allow the pain to die down and to catch his breath, wiping from his forehead the sweat caused by the pain. “A spear-thrust. I didn’t see it coming. I was too busy killing the man to my left, who’d just killed Edric, and since it was a spearman who stabbed me the man on my right couldn’t reach him. The spear came up under the tail of the right leg of the hauberk. I don’t wear mail leggings as they encumber your movements too much. It’s hard enough to move carrying forty pounds of steel on your back. As you saw, it’s eight inches long and went bone deep, the spearhead sliding up the bone. There was no major bleeding, but the muscles were sliced.” After a pause he continued, “Has Edric been buried yet? He saved my life.”
“Yes, yesterday,” replied Anne. “We had a Mass said for him, and for Cuthbert and Wulfnoth. They’re buried in the churchyard. May Jesus and Mary protect their souls.”
“Take care of Edric’s woman and child. Make sure they’re well provided for,” instructed Alan. “When I’m a little better I’ll arrange for a headstone from the master-mason at Colchester.”
On Christmas Day, despite his busy schedule, Brother Wacian the priest attended to shrive Alan as he lay abed. Alan, sins forgiven, felt renewed and determined to recover and overcome his injury.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Thorrington January 1070
Alan winced as the Jewish doctor used his fingers to probe the wound in Alan’s leg, using firm pressure. The old man pursed his lips and nodded to himself. Alan was lying in a semi-raised position on his bed in the bed chamber.
“A bad wound, but healing as well as could be expected. When were the stitches removed?” he asked.
“Brother Aldwyn removed them a week ago,” replied Alan.
The Jew nodded again. “You seem to have avoided serious infection. The wound was deep and will take more time to heal. Keep applying the poultices. What medicines are you taking?”
“Willow-bark, comfrey, ivy, horseradish and yarrow in the poultice. Thyme, camomile, aloe and garlic juice in the unguent. An infusion of herbs to drink- willow-bark, camomile, lemon balm, comfrey. Raw garlic cloves to eat.”
The doctor, whose name was David and who had at Anne’s request accompanied her business manager Jacob from London on his current journey to report progress of her businesses, inclined his head in acknowledgment of the anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and analgesic nature of the various herbs. “Personally, I also like fresh ground liquorice root and I can provide you with some of that. It’s imported for Eastern Europe. Brother Aldwyn certainly knows his herbs. Do you like the taste of raw garlic?” He smiled when Alan shuddered and shook his head. “No, not many do! I have some capsules of the essence, which you may take instead. One capsule in the morning and one in the evening. Now let’s have a look at the ribs.”
Here David gently prodded Alan’s chest. “They seem well enough. Now it’s what, six weeks since the injury? Let us unbind your left forearm and see how the break has resolved. I do hope that it has set straight, as I hate having to re-break and reset limbs. Good. That’s quite good- it’s not quite straight and with a slight bump, but well enough. We can leave the binding off.” The doctor felt the wasted muscles of the left arm. “I’ll give you some exercises to strengthen the muscles. Don’t do anything excessive or place too much strain on it for the next month at least or you’ll cause the join to break again.” The doctor paused for a few moments of reflection before continuing, “I’d say that you can now get out of bed and with assistance go downstairs to the Hall and to the privy. Don’t do too much too soon. You were very lucky to keep that leg. You’ll probably be able to put some weight on it in about another two weeks and then walk with a crutch for at least a month.”
“And the final outcome?” asked Alan.
David’s left hand unconsciously smoothed his short grey goatee beard before he replied. “I would expect that in probably six months you’ll be able to ride a horse again, with some discomfort. You’ll always walk with a limp. Even after the muscles are built up again you won’t be able to walk very far or very fast. I’d say that your campaigning and hunting days are over. Even riding to London will be difficult and you should take two days for the journey.”
Alan commented with a smile. “At least I won’t have to dance again! It’s worth it just for that!”
Anne gave him a gentle clip to the side of the head and commented, “Idiot!”
Having received permission from the doctor, Alan rose and with the assistance of two men made his way gingerly down to the Hall. There he sat for several minutes to allow the pain to subside before proceeding outside to the privy. On his return to the Hall the servants began to set a table for the mid-day meal, Alan being provided with a chair at the corner of the table where he was able to sit with his injured leg stretched out and supported by a padded stool. With deference to the dietary requirements of their guests, the meal consisted of mutton and vegetable soup, roasted beef with boiled vegetables in a spicy sauce, cheese and fresh wheaten bread. Over the meal Alan quizzed David about his medical training, as the old man had in his youth studied medicine with the Moors in Iberia and had some interesting stories to relate.
After the meal Alan and Anne had Jacob impart the news from the outside world. “You may know that instead of the usual Crown-wearing ceremony held in the south, King William ordered the royal regalia to be sent from the capital at Winchester and wore it with all pomp and ceremony at York on Christmas Day, to show the Northerners who really is king. The two castles at York have been repaired and re-garrisoned. His army has ravaged far and wide spreading a swathe of destruction to prevent the land being able to support another army of rebellion. Almost every village and cottage in the north has been put to the torch in the middle of winter. What livestock couldn’t be taken away or used as food for the army has been slaughtered in their pens, particularly the oxen required for ploughing and transport. Carts and ploughs have been burnt and seed-stock for the spring planting despoiled. Thousands will die of starvation. The main part of the Danish army slipped away into the marshlands of the Fens and couldn’t be brought to battle, using their ships to move whenever the king’s army approached. William has no navy to prevent this, so he’s bribed the Danes to remain inactive during the winter and to depart in the spring.”
Alan remembered the conversation that he’d had with Gundred in Durham, and gave a small smile of satisfaction that King William had followed the advice given to him by his counsellors and paid Danegeld to at least temporarily remove the threat from the north. While William would have been loath to resolve the problem other than with the sword, sometimes one cannot do what one wishes. The Norman army and its mercenaries had been in the field for nearly a year, and even with King William’s extortionate taxes the exchequer must have been bled nearly dry.
“So we’ll be able to resume normal trading with our ships in the spring?” asked Anne.
“Probably,” replied Jacob. “Assuming the Danes do what they’ve been paid to do. I don’t expect any problems with that, as they’re honest in that when they’ve been bought they usually stay bought and don’t cheat.” After a moment’s pause he continued with his news. “Interestingly, King William has maintained his standing army at York. I expect that in the spring he’ll march on Chester to chastise the Mercians and push the Welsh back over the border, if they’re still on the wrong side of the River Dee at that time. Then he’ll probably go to Normandy again to ‘stare down’ the Angevins or do something about the revolt in Maine. Fulk ‘The Ill-Tempered’ is being a nuisance again now he’s won his battle with his brother Geoffrey, and King William will need to look to protect his southern borders in Normandy. One interesting titbit of information, at least for my people, is that we’ve been told that William will be inviting more Jews to England, feeling a need for greater commercial prospects and more capital. The word is that we’ll even be offered the protection of having legal status, which would be good for us.”
Now up to date with the latest gossip, Alan lapsed into thought of what the future might bring.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bradbury, Jim: The Battle of Hastings. Sutton Publishing 2006.
Cates, William: History of England from the Death of Edward the Confessor…. Longmans Green & Co 1874.
Crouch, David: The Normans. Hambledon 2002.
Domesday Book: ed A Rumble. Phillimore 1983
Gravett, Christopher: Hastings 1066. Osprey 2000.
FitzStephen, William: Norman London. Italica Press 1990.
Freeman, Edward: William the Conqueror. Batoche Books 2004. http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/freeman/William.pdf
Howard, David: 1066 The Year of Conquest. Penguin 1977.
Montgomery, Hugh: The God-Kings of England. Temple Publications 2007.
Partington JR: A History of Greek Fire & Gunpowder. W Heffer & Sons 1960
Rex, Peter: The English Resistance. History Press 2004.
Sinclair, Charles: Wee Guide to St Margaret & Malcolm Canmore. Goblinshead 2004.
Williams, Ann: The English and the Norman Conquest. Boydell Press 1995.
LINKS
Calendar (Julian & Gregorian)
http://almanac.oremus.org/easter/
Misc Information
http://www.medart.pitt.edu/image/england/london/maps-of-london/london-maps.html
http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/sitemap.shtml
Wikipedia.org
www.battle1066.com
British History Online: www.englandandenglishhistory.com
Normans in Wales: http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/nelson/index.html
Discussion of Battle of Hastings www.angelfire.com/mb2/battle_hastings_1066/hastingsmaps/html.
Domesday Book:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/domesday/
http://domesdaymap.co.uk/
Anglo-Saxon Dictionary
http://home.comcast.net/~modean52/oeme_dictionaries.htm
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Iain Campbell is an English-born Australian lawyer living in rural South Australia. He has a love of historical detail, an expressive writing style and a dry wit. Apart from writing and research he also has a love of fine Barossa red wine, particularly old-vine shiraz, reading and karting.
OTHER BOOKS BY IAIN CAMPBELL
NORMAN CONQUEST SERIES
This is a trilogy setting out the history of England from 1066 to 1075 seen through the eyes of the young Norman knight Alan de Gauville. Alan participates in the invasion and subsequent subjugation of England. Enfeoffed as his reward he marries a young and beautiful Anglo-Danish widow and protects what is dear to him, seeking to retain honour and integrity amongst the bloody warfare, violence, corruption and political machinations of the time.
Wolves in Armour
Covers the period of 1066- 1067, the invasion and the social and political upheavals which followed
Winter of Discontent
1068-1069. The Welsh invasion of the Western Marches; the Great Revolt of the English; the Danish incursions of 1069; the Harrying of the North and the subsequent social and economic results.
Fire in the North
1070-1076. The incursions of the Scots into Northumbria, diplomatic negotiations with Eadric cild and King Malcolm III of Scotland. The crushing of the rebellion by Hereward the Wake at Ely. The Revolt of the Earls and their subsequent trials and punishments.
NIKOLAS OF KYDONIA EGYPTIAN MURDER MYSTERY SERIES
Nikolas is a Cretan-born pharmacologist studying at the House of Life scriptorium at Memphis Egypt in 1223 BC, who is appointed as a special investigator by Pharaoh Ramesses II- principally because of his expendability. Nikolas during his investigations and travels reveals the intricacies of the life and society Ancient Egyptian and the splendors which were the New Kingdom. The beauty of the land, from the lush green of the Nile Valley, the Faiyum and the Oases to the harsh wilderness beyond, reveal both their secrets and the animals and birds which inhabit the land- and some of the feral animals are humans!
Murder in the Palace
Prince Ra-em hotep, found dead in his apartment in the Memphis Palace and Pharaoh Ramesses demands answers. Unexpectedly inveigled into the investigation of the death, Nikolas soon has to use all his wiles to preserve the lives of himself and his assistants from the machinations of the plotters, and to both solve the murder and assist Pharaoh Ramesses to stave off rebellion.
The Tomb Robbers
Nikolas is presented with artifacts originating in the Valley of the Kings and, on advising Ramesses of the problem, is appointed to both find the perpetrators and recover the stolen treasures. The investigation proves both difficult and dangerous, with Nikolas travelling as far as Damascus in search of clues. Those responsible hide their tracks well and Nikolas has to take extraordinary steps to ensure that justice is served.
The Memphis Murders
A sadistic serial killer is at large in Memphis. Speed is essential as young victims are raped and butchered at each new moon and full moon. Nikolas and his associates enjoy the assistance of the gods, but struggle to solve the case before the next victim dies- and before Nikolas’ own family join the ranks of the dead.
WEBSITE
Iain Campbell has a website which provides extensive historical notes and maps associated with his books, as well as ‘Virtual Tours’ of Thorrington Manor and the Memphis Palace. Visit iaincampell.net to meet the characters.
Contact Iain on Facebook or by email at iain@iaincampbell.net.
Iain Campbell, [Norman Conquest 02] Winter of Discontent
