Rufus in youth.
His filial duty. playing any. The policy of the Conqueror had kept his sons dependent on himself, without governments or estates.[1] We have a picture of Rufus in his youthful days, as the young soldier foremost in every strife, who deemed himself disgraced, if any other took to his arms before himself, if he was not the first to challenge an enemy or to overthrow any enemy that challenged his side.[2] Above all things, he had shown himself a dutiful son, cleaving steadfastly to his father, both in peace and war. His filial zeal had been increased after the rebellion of his brother, when the hope of the succession had begun to be opened to himself.[3] By his father's side, in defence of his father, he had himself received a wound at Gerberoi.[4] Such was his character beyond the sea;
- [Footnote: promptior surrexit," and William of Malmesbury (iv. 306), "Quomodo
adversarios rex Rufus vicerit." So again Wace (14496);
"Por devise del nom k'il out,
Ki à son pere ressemblout,
Kar chescun Willame aveit nom,
Out li filz poiz Ros à sornom."
Presently (14513) he is "li reis Ros." The use of the nickname in this way was the more easy, because Rufus was a real name which had been borne by other men, while nobody had ever been called Curthose. See on the name Martel, N. C. vol. ii. p. 280; vol. v. p. 569.
I do not know that any one except Matthew Paris has turned the Red King into a Red Dragon. He does so twice. Hist. Angl. i. 97, "Rex Willelmus, qui a multis rubeus draco cognominabatur;" and again,i. 167,"Rex Willelmus, draco rubeus—sic enim eum appellabant propter tyrannidem."]
- ↑ M. Gaston le Hardy, the apologist of Duke Robert (Le Dernier des Ducs Normands, Caen, 1880, p. 41), refers to the Monasticon and Orderic for the statement that William Rufus was called "comes" in his father's life-time. But I cannot find the places. Has he got hold of any signature of Earl William Fitz-Osbern?
- ↑ Will. Malms. iv. 305. "Emensa pueritia, in militari exercitio adolescentiam egit; equitari, jaculari, certare cum primævis obsequio, cum æquævis officio. Jacturam virtutis putare si forte in militari tumultu alter eo prior arma corriperet, et nisi primus ex adverso provocaret, vel provocantem dejiceret."
- ↑ Ib. "Genitori in omnibus obsequelam gerens, ejus se oculis in bello ostentans, ejus lateri in pace obambulans. Spe sensim scaturiente, jam successioni inhians, maximum post abdicationem fratris majoris, cum et tirocinium minoris nonnihil suspiceret."
- ↑ See N. C. vol. iv. p. 644.
