The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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Suetonious is in Roman Books.
To all the disasters and abuses thus caused by the prince there were added certain accidents of fortune; a plague which in a single autumn entered thirty thousand deaths in the accounts of Libitina;123 a disaster in Britain, where two important towns were sacked124 and great numbers of citizens and allies were butchered; a shameful defeat in the Orient, in consequence of which the legions in Armenia were•sent under the yoke and Syria was all but lost. It is surprising and of special note that all this time he bore nothing with more patience than the curses and abuse of the people, and was particularly lenient towards those who assailed him with gibes and lampoons. 2 Of these many were posted or circulated both in Greek and Latin, for example the following:
Nero, Orestes, Alcmeon their mothers slew."
"A calculation new. Nero his mother slew."125
"Who can deny the descent from Aeneas' great line of our Nero? One his mother took off, the other one took off his sire."
"While our ruler his lyre doth twang and the Parthian his bowstring, Paean-singer our prince shall be, and Far-darter our foe."
"Rome is becoming one house; off with you to Veii, Quirites! If that house does not soon seize upon Veii as well."
He made no effort, however, to find the authors; in fact, when some of them were reported to the senate by an informer, he forbade their being very severely punished.
As he was passing along a public street, the Cynic Isidorus loudly taunted him, "because he was a good singer of the ills of Nauplius, but made ill use of his own goods." Datus also, an actor of Atellan farces, in a song beginning:
"Farewell to thee, father; farewell to thee, mother,"
represented drinking and swimming in pantomime, referring of course to the death of Claudius and Agrippina; and in the final tag,
"Orcus guides your steps,"
he indicated the senate by a gesture.126 Nero contented himself with banishing the actor and the philosopher from the city, either because he was impervious p161 to all insults, or to avoid sharpening men's wits by showing his vexation.
Note 123. Venus Libitina, in whose temple funeral outfits and a register of deaths were kept; cf. Hor. Serm. II.6, 19.
Note 124. Camulodunum (Meldon [Map]) and Verulamium (St. Albans [Map]); according to Xiphilinus (61.1) 80,000 perished. The revolt by Boudica Queen of the Iceni.
Note 125. See the reference to the Rh. Mus. in the textual note. The numerical value of the Greek letters in Nero's name (1005) is the same as that of the rest of the sentence; hence we have an equation, Nero = the slayer of one's own mother.
Note 126 Referring to Nero's design mentioned in chap. xxxvii.3.