the table, with a face like thunder and after a few moments Anne hurried in from the private rooms upstairs to welcome the guests. After a brief word of instruction a serving-wench hurried in with five quarts of ale and a pint of fruit-juice, the latter for Anne.
Brand had accompanied to Colchester the wagon loads of money and goods that paid the Hundred taxes due on Mid-Summer Day- 24th June, the Feast of the Nativity of St John. He and the other guards had then taken several days leave in the city, mainly spent drinking in taverns and whoring with ladies of negotiable virtue in houses of excellent repute. He waited until Osmund had taken his place before announcing, “I have ill news, my lord. Earl Waltheof has ridden north with 500 men. Many thegns from the midlands are also riding north. Harold’s bastard sons have raided from Ireland again, this time in Devon. They attacked Stanborough Hundred at the mouth of the River Tavy and were driven off by Count Brian and William Gualdi with the help of the local levies- as with the last raid they received no support from the locals.
“The Danes have raided Dover, taken or burnt most of the ships in the harbour, including the longships you gave to King William, and raided the countryside all about. The town walls kept them out. Then they went on to Sandwich and Canterbury. Merchant ships keep on disappearing off the south-east coast- five from Colchester and six from Ipswich in the last month. The crews of the cogs refuse to sail and goods brought from inland into the ports are piling up on the wharves. The merchants are whining and wringing their hands and claiming they are ruined. Longships were seen off Maldon two days ago.”
Alan exclaimed, “Holy Mary, Mother of God! Things move apace. The four children grow bold.” This was a reference to the fact that Earls Waltheof, Edgar and Morcar were all teenagers, as was Edgar the Aetheling- now crowned king by the Northumbrians in competition with William. “Leofstan and Edwold, we need to meet with the local thegns to discuss matters with them and prevent them from joining the rebels. Waltheof’s agents will soon be swarming to subvert the local men.”
Leofstan gave a small cough before saying, “You presume that myself and Edwold do not favour the English earls. Also, the agents were here last week, have had their say and gone.”
Alan frowned and replied, “Come on Leofstan! There’s no way on God’s Earth that four teenagers can arrange a successful rebellion, put an army in the field and lead it to victory against King William and his barons. The king, fitzOsbern, de Montfort, de Mandeville and the others have been leading armies and fighting and winning battles longer than the Aetheling and the other Earls have been alive. The earls lack the political savvy and the military knowledge to win. William will eat them for breakfast before spitting out their bones and taking an even tighter grasp of the reins!”
“Perhaps so,” said Edwold quietly. “But they have the sympathy of very many men. Not many are powerful men and not many have large retinues or experience of war- but the comprise many, many men. You’re right about lack of leadership. It is, for the English, a pity that all its capable earls except the Godwinsons were contemporaries, that Godwin, Siward, Leofric and Swein all died before Edward, and that Harold and his brothers perished in ’66. You are correct that there is no Englishman able to lead the battle. But some feel that a man must do what his conscience and loyalties dictate, irrespective of the probable outcome. And even if an Englishman can’t lead the battle, perhaps a Dane can. Swein Estrithson, the Danish king, has committed not only his ships but also his men to fight.”
Alan pulled a wry face and said, “Swein’s military record and that of the Danes is hardly in his favour. Harald of Norway and his men beat them like a drum every time they met, on the water or on the land. Yes, 4,000 Danes on the battlefield may make a difference, but if you think that if the rebels prevail that would mean an Englishman sits on the throne, I suggest that you are deluding yourself. Swein may not expect to sit on the throne himself, but I’m sure that one of his many sons is already polishing a crown in expectation.”
Leofstan gave a non-committal shrug and replied, “Perhaps you are correct. But what lies in the future is beyond the ability of any mortal to see, and most men just see that they are discontented with the present situation. I’m sure that the timing of Earl Waltheof’s ride north was influenced by the fact that this Quarter’s taxes were due on Mid-Summer Day. The taxes are again set high. Many cannot pay them and those who can are discontented to do so. High taxes at times of social discontent is not a good idea!”
“True enough,” said Alan with a nod of agreement. “I myself dislike paying the tax impost on my own lands, which are set in the same way as that payable by Englishmen, except I
“My sword still sits firmly in its scabbard,” replied Leofstan. “You are perfectly correct in all you have said and in your assessment of the likely outcome of any rebellion. My head says to stand clear and follow your suggestion to remain aloof from the situation, supporting neither side. There is no gain to me but also no risk of loss. My heart says otherwise, but my head rules my heart.”
Edwold gave a nod of agreement and added, “However, this is a decision that each Englishman must make for himself and I will not involve myself in trying to entice the thegns and cheorls to any particular cause. I expect not a few men from East Anglia, including from Tendring Hundred, will march north to join the ‘rebels’, for good or ill.”
Alan paused and thought for a few moments. “I accept your comments and their truth. I have perhaps been expecting too much from a logical and dispassionate assessment by every man, but I’m glad to hear that for both of you logic and reason means we will not stand opposite each other on the field of battle. I also, now I have heard your thoughts, understand I should not place my men in a conflict of loyalties in which I may be the loser, and will ask for volunteers to join Hugh and Roger when the king musters his army to move north.”
“Not yourself?” asked Leofstan in surprise.
Alan shook his head and said, “No, with the Danes on the loose and a probable invasion of the Welsh Marches, my place is here. If the Danes land in Essex it will not be an action of brotherly love to raise further men to aid the cause of the Aetheling. They always land with sword in hand and murder in their eye, similar to the Welsh in the west. Am I right in presuming that if ten longships row up Alresford Creek and 500 Danes land, that the fyrdmen will come to my call?”
Both Leofstan and Edwold nodded immediately and both started to talk together before Edwold gave precedence to his more senior colleague. “Certainly,” said Leofstan. “The people of East Anglia have no love of the Danes and also no trust of them. They’ve raided hereabouts for hundreds of years with their longships. If Danes, Welsh
Alan nodded, reached across the table and grasped the forearm of Leofstan, saying nothing as a tear of emotion rose in his eye. After a pause in conversation of perhaps a minute the ever-practical Alan said, “The huscarles, soldiers and fyrdmen need to increase their training, for we all know that the Danes
“And what of our esteemed colleagues, the Normans Gerard de Cholet of Elmstead, Roger de Montivilliers, Geoffrey of Rouen, both of Clacton, and Albyn of St Osyth? What will they do?” asked Edwold.
“De Cholet is actually a Frenchman and Albyn a Fleming. Probably both would object to being called Normans. It’s like calling an Englishman as being Welsh,” replied Alan. “Certainly, we Normans don’t appreciate French or Flemings being called Norman, particularly the wimpy French! I could also add to your list Engelric’s man Leax, an Englishman, for the lands he holds of St Paul’s Cathedral of London at Birch Hall. Who knows what instructions they will receive from their masters? I expect that Gerard, Roger, Geoffrey and Albyn and their men, nearly all Normans, French or Flemings, will be with the king’s army and not able to provide us with support. At least I hope so, as that will avoid considerable problems at the time!”
“You do appreciate that we English don’t like having foreigners, whether they be Norman, French or Flemings, as a neighbours?” asked Edwold.
“Indeed- but I would hope that you would also include Danes, Norwegians, Welsh and Scots in that category,” replied Alan. “To cry ‘England for the English’ is all well and good. But in the last thousand years or so, how many years has there been an English king? I would suggest less than half the time. And which English? Those of Saxon descent or those of Norse? You seem to be more interested in north and south fighting each other than
