Winter, Geri, Wenoch, Grogan, one of
the Azers of Lincoln, were still with him. Ranald the butler still carried
his standard. Of Duti and Outi, the famous brothers, no more is heard. A
valiant Matelgar takes their place; Alfric and Sexwold and many another
gallant fugitive cast up, like scattered hounds, at the sound of "The
Wake's" war-horn. There were those among them (says Gaimar) who scorned to
fight single-handed less than three Normans. As for Hereward, he would
fight seven.
"Les quatre oscist, les treis fuirent;
Naffrez, sanglant, cil s'en partirent
En plusurs lius issi avint,
K'encontre seit tres bien se tuit
De seit hommes avait vertu,
Un plus hardi ne fu veu."
They ranged up the Bruneswald, dashing out to the war-cry of "A Wake! a
Wake!" laying all waste with fire and sword, that is, such towns as were
in the hands of Normans. And a noble range they must have had for gallant
sportsmen. Away south, between the Nene and Welland, stretched from
Stamford and Peterborough the still vast forests of Rockingham, nigh
twenty miles in length as the crow flies, down beyond Rockingham town, and
Geddington Chase. To the west, they had the range of the "hunting
counties," dotted still, in the more eastern part, with innumerable copses
and shaughs, the remnants of the great forest, out of which, as out of
Rockinghamshire, have been cut those fair parks and
"Handsome houses,
Where the wealthy nobles dwell";
past which the Lord of Burleigh led his Welsh bride to that Burghley House
by Stamford town, well-nigh the noblest of them all, which was, in
Hereward's time, deep wood, and freestone down.
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