We’re so happy to be able to bring to you a series of pieces by Valentina Baciu which detail her research into Simon De Montforte’s descendants and genealogy.
The histories will appear as a series of Posts in our blog’s category titled ‘Valentina Baciu’s Genealogy’. Please feel free to comment on the work as it is posted. Thanks to Valentina for developing this fascinating material.
- katherine
In less than one month we will have 746 years of mourning! Simon will live as long as the representative democracy will lead the civilized world!
SONG ON THE DEATH OF SIMON DE MONTFORT
The poem is written on a fly leaf in a manuscript belonging to Caius College . On a fly leaf at the beginning of the volume occurs our song. The poem is written in minute letters, and hardly fills half the page. I must not pretend to have read through the whole of the Caius MS., but all that I have seen of it seems to favour the belief that this copy of the song was written within ten or twenty years after the battle of Evesham, while the last verses suggest that the song itself was composed very soon after the fatal day.
If we may judge from marginal notes, this volume belonged about the year 1270 to a certain Walterus de Hyda. If they are founded on fact, then we may gather from them that Walter had taken degrees in arts and canon law at Paris (tam in artibus quam in decretis laudabiliter rexit Parisius); also that though of gentle he was of illegitimate birth; also that some unnamed person had written to the pope asking that Walter might have a dispensation enabling him, though a bastard, to accept a bishopric in case one was offered.
SONG ON THE DEATH OF SIMON DE MONTFORT
2 Vbi fuit mons est vallis. Et de colle fit iam callis. Heus et strata publica. Non per sua merita. Bellicosus infirmatur, Alter Sampson3 trucidatur, Lamentatur Anglia. Symon pro simplicitate Marchionum4 feritate Cadit cesus framea. Die Martis5 bellum creuit, Cadit Hector6, Rachel fleuit Pro cesis in area. Comparatur hic Uluxi, Nam pro fide crucifixi Non timebat uilia. Rexit vigor in Achille, Sed et Symon talis ille Qui pugnat pro patria. Primus natus7 rexit frenum, Non permisit alienum Dare patri uulnera. Dum durauit non expauit Pater8 enses, sed certauit Propter pacis9 federa. In amore speciales Infra mundi climata. Abel Ade sociatur; Abel prius immolatur, Cadit Adam postea. In Henrico rosa vernat, Et in rosa si quis cernat Sat aperit10 lilia11. Martir fertur per ruborem, Virgo sine macula.
Comes regi sociatur. Extra bene vir armatur,Qui Oswaldus1 nuncupaturQuisquis videns hoc testaturEqua per certamina.Per signa bellifica. Nabuzardan subnervavit2. Loricatur subtus stricte;Et hunc vita superauitHanc non tulit miles ficteContinens ieiunia.Tendens ad celestia. Hic Robertum3 sequebatur. Nec contentus est hac veste;Cuius vita comendaturInvocato deo teste,Certa per miracula.Induit cilicia. Dictis eius vir obedit; Symon, Symon modo dormis!Fert Robertus, Symon credit Quam mors tua sit enormis De statutis talia:Clamat vox ad sydera. “Si verum confitearis. Ante tuum Christe uultum Et pro dictis moriaris Non relinquas hunc inultum Magna feres premia. Pro tua clemencia. “Quod vir iustus paciatur Hii6 coniuncti sunt victores, Satis liquet et probatur Et sunt vivis alciores Per magna tonitrua4. Nam vivunt in gloria. “Est lorica duplex ei. Firmiter sunt hii7 ligati Et examen huius reiQui nec morte separatiFit per eius spolia5.”Nec sunt in milicia. Pater prole confortatur, Proles patrem consolatur Dum durarent prelia. Non fuerunt duo tales Et per album fertur florem.
Et Radulfus, Basset dictus. Interfectis in agoneMiles eius est conflictusSpe mercedis et coronePaciens pericula.Christe dona grandia. Et de Baylol dictus Guydo. Symon, Symon si vixisses Signa feris corde fido Currere non permisisses Cunctis1 aparencia. Raptores in patria.Vires eius probitatis. Quis nos potest defensare? Vir in fide constans satisVenietne ultra mare Ostendebat dextera. Exspectata venia? Quando Symon fuit cesus. Custos pacis heu necatur Guydo sicut nondum lesus Et ad litus applicaturSignum fert in lancea.Nauis cum discordia. Signum iusti nunquam ruit. Incessanter Angli flere, Semper exaltatum fuit Modo possunt redolere, Inter tua brachia.Non habent remedia. Euasisse potuisti. Nisi Deus mittat eis Tamen magis elegisti Vindictam de dictis reis Symonis consorcia. Qui fecerunt scelera. Ne subuertant alieni stam terram dolo pleni, Super hanc considera.
7 Henry de Montfort. 8 Apparently pac’. 9 Corrected from patris. 3 Part of this word has perished, but it is fairly clear. 4 The Welsh marchers. 5 Tuesday, 4 Aug. 6 The H of Hector supplied above the line. 10 Apparently apererit. 11 A hole in the parchment; but I have little doubt of lilia