Wager of Battle: A Tale of Saxon Slavery in Sherwood Forest

Wager of Battle: A Tale of Saxon Slavery in Sherwood Forest

It is, perhaps, unfortunate that the period and, in some degree, the scene of my present work, coincide nearly with those of the most magnificent and gorgeous of historical romances, Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. It is hoped, however, thatnotwithstanding this similarity, and the fact that in both works the interest turns in some degree on the contrast between the manners of the Saxon and Norman inhabitants of the isle, and the state of things preceding the fusion of the two races into onenotwithstanding, also, that in each a portion of the effect depends on the introduction of a judicial combat, or "Wager of Battle"the resemblance will be found to be external and incidental only, and that, neither in matter, manner, nor subject, is there any real similarity between the books, much less any imitation or absurd attempt, on my part, at rivalry with that which is admitted to be incomparable. It will be seen, at once, by those who have the patience to peruse the following pages, that I have aimed at something more than a mere delineation of outward habits, customs, and details of martial or pacific life; that I have entered largely into the condition of classes, the peculiar institution of Serfdom, or White Slavery, as it existed among our own ancestorsthat portion of whom, from which our blood is in the largest degree descended, being the servile population of the islandin the twelfth century, and the steps which led to its gradual abolition. In doing this, I have been unavoidably led into the necessity of dealing with the ancient jurisprudence of our race, the common law of the land, the institution of Trial by Jury, and that singular feature in our old judicial system, the reference of cases to the direct decision of the Almighty by Wager of Battle, or, as it was also called, "the Judgment of God." ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 45341
Author: Herbert, Henry William
Release Date: Apr 7, 2014
Format: eBook
Language: English