Harold : the Last of the Saxon Kings — Complete

There is an animated description of this “Battle of London Bridge, “which gave ample theme to the Scandinavian scalds, in Snorro Sturleson:

“London Bridge is broken down;
Gold is won and bright renown;
Shields resounding,
War-horns sounding,
Hildur shouting in the din,
Arrows singing,
Mail-coats ringing,
Odin makes our Olaf win.”

                   LAING’s Heimskringla, vol. ii. p. 10.
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Sharon Turner.

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Hawkins, vol. ii. p. 94.

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Doomsday makes mention of the Moors, and the Germans (the Emperor’s merchants) that were sojourners or settlers in London. The Saracens at that time were among the great merchants of the world; Marseilles, Arles, Avignon, Montpellier, Toulouse, were the wonted stapes of their active traders. What civilisers, what teachers they were—those same Saracens! How much in arms and in arts we owe them! Fathers of the Provencal poetry they, far more than even the Scandinavian scalds, have influenced the literature of Christian Europe. The most ancient chronicle of the Cid was written in Arabic, a little before the Cid’s death, by two of his pages, who were Mnssulmans. The medical science of the Moors for six centuries enlightened Europe, and their metaphysics were adopted in nearly all the Christian universities.

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Billingsgate. See Note (C), at the end of the volume.

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London received a charter from William at the instigation of the Norman Bishop of London; but it probably only confirmed the previous municipal constitution, since it says briefly, “I grant you all to be as law-worthy as ye were in the days of King Edward.” The rapid increase, however, of the commercial prosperity and political importance of London after the Conquest, is attested in many chronicles, and becomes strikingly evident even on the surface of history.

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There seems good reason for believing that a keep did stand where the Tower stands, before the Conquest, and that William’s edifice spared some of its remains. In the very interesting letter from John Bayford relating to the city of London (Lel. Collect. lviii.), the writer, a thorough master of his subject, states that “the Romans made a public military way, that of Watling Street, from the Tower to Ludgate, in a straight line, at the end of which they built stations or citadels, one of which was where the White Tower now stands.” Bayford adds that “when the White Tower was fitted up for the reception of records, there remained many Saxon inscriptions.”

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Rude-lane. Lad-lane.—BAYFORD.

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Fitzstephen.

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Camden.

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BAYFORD, Leland’s Collectanea, p. lviii.

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Ludgate (Leod-gate).—VERSTEGAN.

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See Note (D), at the end of the volume.

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Massere, merchant, mercer.

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Fitzstephen.

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Meuse. Apparently rather a hawk hospital, from Muta (Camden). Du Fresne, in his Glossary, says, Muta is in French Le Meue, and a disease to which the hawk was subject on changing its feathers.

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Scotland-yard.—STRYPE.

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The first bridge that connected Thorney Isle with the mainland is said to have been built by Matilda, wife of Henry I.

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We give him that title, which this Norman noble generally bears in the Chronicles, though Palgrave observes that he is rather to be styled Earl of the Magesetan (the Welch Marches).

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Eadigan.—S. TURNER, vol. i. p. 274.

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The comparative wealth of London was indeed considerable. When, in 1018, all the rest of England was taxed to an amount considered stupendous, viz., 71,000 Saxon pounds, London contributed 11,000 pounds besides.

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Complin. the second vespers.

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CAMDEN—A church was built out of the ruins of that temple by Sibert, King of the East Saxons; and Canute favoured much the small monastery attached to it (originally established by Dunstan for twelve Benedictines), on account of its Abbot Wulnoth, whose society pleased him. The old palace of Canute, in Thorney Isle, had been destroyed by fire.