THE SCENE: Behold the passage below, where William the Conqueror’s harshest measures are described in the cutest possible terms.
THE TEXT: Truly in his time men had mickle swinking, and very many hardships. He let castles be wrought, and poor men to be sorely swinked. The king was so very stark; and he took from his subjects many marks of gold, and many hundred pounds of silver: and that he took of his people, some by right, and some by mickle unright,for little need. He had fallen into covetousness, and greediness he loved withal.
He set many deer-friths; and he made laws there-with, that whosoever should slay hart or hind, him man should blind. And as he forbade the harts, so eke did he the boars. He loved the high deer as much as if he were their father. Eke he set as to the hares, that they should go free. His rich men bemoaned it, and the poor men murmured, but he was so firm that he recked not the hatred of them all; and they must withal follow the king’s will, if they would live, or have lands or goods, or his favour.
Wa-la-wa! that any man should be so moody, so to upheave himself, and think himself above all other men! May almighty God have mild-heartedness on his soul, and give him forgiveness of his sins!
– Roman de Rou, Master Wace, 12th Century AD
