Osric

“ I know thee, Thorold: I seek Dorchester and my father."
"Thou wilt hardly reach it or him to-day. Stand, I say, or we must take thee by force."
"No man shall make me go with him against my will," cried Osric, and drew his sword.
Thorold laughed and clapped his hands. Quick as thought five or six men dashed from the covers which had hidden them in all directions. Osric drew his sword, but before he could wield it against a foe who met him face to face, another mastered his arms from behind, and he was a prisoner.
"Do him no harm; he is his father's son. We only constrain him for his good. ”

“ And the Baron departed, accompanied still by Osric.
"Osric," said he, "thou hast often asked to visit the lower dungeons: thou mayst have thy wish, and see how we house our guests there; and also in a different capacity renew thine acquaintance with the torture-chambers: thou shalt be the notary."
"My lord, thou dost recall cruel memories."
"Nay, it was for love of thee. I have no son, and my bowels yearned for one; it was gentle violence for thine own good. I know not how it was, but I could not even then have done more than frighten thee. Thou wilt see I can hurt others without wincing. ”

“ Rudolph: Jarl Osric, curb thy wrath; Our names are sign'd, our words have gone forth. Hugo: I blame thee, Thurston. Thurston: And I, too, blame Myself, since I follow a knight so tame! [Thurston goes out.] Osric: The Saxon hound, he said I lied! Rudolph: I pray thee, good Viking, be pacified. Osric: Why do we grant the terms they ask? To crush them all were an easy task. Dagobert: That know'st thou not; if it come to war, They are stronger, perhaps, than we bargain for. Eric: Jarl Osric, thou may'st recall thy words— Should we meet again. ”

“ The society of the Parsons boys was of great benefit to Osric. They were brave, truthful, manly lads, good both at work and play, and they did their best to make a man of him. Every one noticed the improvement when Osric went back to school in the winter, and no one rejoiced in it more than Elsie.
Children, when any one tries to make you do wrong by laughing at or threatening you, remember that "the fear of man bringeth a snare," while "the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom," and that no man can really hurt you while you put your trust in him. ”

“ Round it went Osric and his men: but into it they could not break. For the Danes hewed the ash shafts of the spears, and near them no horse might live, for their axes would shear through man and horse alike.
Then Ealhstan shouted to Osric, bidding us stand. And right glad were we to do this, while ever the Danes shrank away from us.
"Trapped they are, Sheriff," said Ealhstan, when Osric rode up to him, bearing still a headless spear. "Let them bide till Eanulf comes. None can reach the ships."
"He is hard behind me with all the levy," said Osric. "Let us finish this without him." ”

“ Only he must remember that neither Brian nor Sexwulf had his advantages.
The service of the village church sounded sweetly in the ears of Osric that day. He was affected by the associations which cling about the churches where we once knelt by a father or mother's side; and Osric felt like a [Pg 102] child again as he knelt by his grandfather—it might be for the last time, for the possibility of sudden death on the battle-field, of entering a deadly fray never to emerge alive, of succumbing beneath the sword or lance of some stronger or more fortunate adversary, was ever present to the mind ”

“ The evening was spent at home, for there was no Vesper service at the little chapel—amidst the declining shadows of the trees, the solemn silence of the forest, the sweet murmuring of the brook. The old man slept in the shade, seated upon a mossy bank. Osric slept too, with his head pillowed upon his grandfather's lap; while in wakeful moments the aged hands played with his graceful locks. Old Judith span in the doorway and watched the lad.
"He is as bonny as he is brave, and as brave as he is bonny, the dear lad," she said. ”

“ He has been sometimes identified with the Osric, king of the Hwiccii, who is mentioned by Bæda as ruling that tribe at the time of the appointment of Oftfor [q. v.] to the see of Worcester about 691. Bishop Stubbs, however, considers the identity of the two Osrics to be very doubtful (Dict. Chr. Biogr. s.v. 'Osric' [2] ) . The Osric of the Hwiccii granted a charter to the abbey of Bath in 676, which was attested by Theodore [q. v.] ”

“ Oh, grandfather, let us get off by the other side—at once—at once."
"Thou forgettest I am a cripple; but there may be time for you and Judith to save yourselves."
"Nay," said Osric, proudly, "we live or die together."
"Judith will stay with her old master," said the poor thrall, "and with her young lord too."
They were yet "lords" in her eyes, bereft although they were of their once vast possessions.
"Perhaps we are as safe here; their patience will wear out before they can penetrate the island. See, they are firing the reeds out yonder. Normans love a conflagration," said the old man. ”

“ They took him to Dorchester, and as he was unable to use sword or lance again, he consented to take the vows, and become a novice. He found his vocation, and is now, I am told, happy and useful, fervent in his ministrations amongst the poor and helpless; but he has never yet been here.
"And now, Osric, my son," for the youth sat as one stunned, "what is it that I hear of thee?—that thou art, like a cannibal, [25] preying upon thine own people; that thy hand is foremost in every deed of violence and bloodshed; that thou art a willing slave of the murderer of thy kindred. ”

“ Also, day by day, he bade the thanes who had seen fighting, train their men as well as they might, and they worked well at that. Moreover, he could teach them much, reading to us at times from a great Latin book of the wars of Caesar such things as seemed like to be useful, putting it into good Saxon as he went on.
Then, as the week drew to an end, there began to be questions as to who should be leader of the Dorset men. And many said that Osric should be the man, for he was an Ealdorman of Dorset. But when the bishop sent to Brent for him, and asked him to lead his men, Osric doubted ”

“ Here they paused.
"It is too strong to be taken by assault," said the Baron. "Osric, go to the gate with just half a dozen, who have English tongues in their heads, and ask for shelter and hospitality."
Osric, to his credit, hesitated.
Brian reddened—he could not bear the lad he loved to take a more moral tone than himself.
"Must I send Alain?"
Osric went, and feigning to be belated, asked admittance, but he did not act it well.
"Who are you? whence do ye come? what mean the fires we see?"
"Alain, go and help him; he cannot tell a fair lie," said Brian. ”

“ OSRIC (d. 634) , king of Deira, was son of Ælfric, the brother of Ælla, king of Deira, and consequently cousin of Edwin or Eadwine (585?–633) [q. v.] , king of Northumbria. Osric accepted Christianity from Paulinus [q. v.] , and, when Eadwine was slain in battle with the Mercian king Penda, succeeded him in Deira. At the time the people of the northern kingdom of Bernicia, who had been subject to Eadwine, separated themselves from Deira, and chose as their king Eanfrith, son of Ethelfrid or Æthelfrith [q. v.] , king of Northumbria, who was of their royal house, sprung from Ida [q. v.] ”

“ So I bowed, and then, thinking it foolish to waste time, begged her to forgive bluntness, and told her of the death of Matelgar and of the sore danger of the town, and of how Osric had hidden me take Alswythe to Glastonbury to the bishop, and how he would himself care for her own safety.
She was a brave lady, and worthy of the race of Offa from which she sprung. And she heard me to the end, only growing very pale, while her hand that rested on the table grew yet whiter as she clenched it.
"Can we not recover the body of the thane?" she asked, speaking very low. ”

“ But Osric knew: he remembered the chest half filled with sharp stones and its living victim.
"One Thorold succeeded, and they still maintain a precarious existence in the forests."
"I will seek them; I will yet be true to my country, and avenge my kindred upon Brian. But oh, grandfather, he has been so good to me! I am his favourite, his confidant; he was about to knight me. Oh, how miserable it all is! Would I had never lived—would I were dead."
"He has been thy worst foe. He has taught thee to slay thine own people, nay, to torture them ”

“ The setting sun cast a flood of glory on the vale beneath, on Jacob's Well.
Once more the sick man rose on his bed, and gazed on the sacred spot where once the Redeemer sat, and talked with the woman of Samaria.
"He sat there, weary, weary, seeking His sheep; and I [Pg 264] am one. He has found me. Oh my God, Thou didst thirst for my soul; let that thirst be satisfied."
Then to Osric—
"Hast thou not a priest in thy troop, my son?"
"Our chaplain is with us." ”

“ Osric, king of Deïri and Eanfrid of Bernicia, returned to paganism; and the whole people seem to have returned with them; since Paullinus, who was the first archbishop of York; and who had converted them, thought proper to retire with Ethelburga, the queen dowager, into Kent. Both these Northumbrian kings perished soon after, the first in battle against Caedwalla, the Briton; the second by the treachery of that prince. Oswald, the brother of Eanfrid, of the race of Bernicia, united again the kingdom of Northumberland in the year 634, and restored the Christian religion in his dominions. ”

“ Poor Osric was terribly sore and stiff, and could not even walk gracefully; he was still able to join Alain in his laughter, but with less grace than at first.
But we must cut this chapter short; suffice it to say, that after a brief halt they resumed their route; camped that night under the shelter of a clump of trees on the downs, and the next day, at Devizes, effected a junction with the troops of Earl Robert of Gloucester, who, having left his sister safe in Arundel Castle, was on his way to secure Bristol, attended by only twelve horsemen. ”

“ This year Osric, whom Paulinus had formerly baptized, succeeded to the kingdom of Deira; he was the son of Elfric, Edwin's uncle. And Eanfrid the son of Ethelfrid succeeded to Bernicia. And this year also bishop Birinus first preached baptism to the West-Saxons under king Cynegils. Birinus came thither by command of Honorius the pope, and he there was bishop until his life's end. And this year also Oswald succeeded to the kingdom of the North-humbrians, and he reigned nine years ”

“ Enough, Maude, enough; I will start at once with a troop of a hundred men, and whatever they do in the rest of the forest, methinks I shall enforce respect for the hermit's cave—where we are told they are so happy. Osric, send Osborne to me for orders at once. ”

“ The first kings of whom we read were two brothers, Eanhere and Eanfrith, probably contemporaries of Wulfhere. They were followed by a king named Osric, a contemporary of Æthelred, and he by a king Oshere. Oshere had three sons who reigned after him, Æthelheard, Æthelweard and Æthelric. The two last named appear to have been reigning in the year 706. At the beginning of Offa’s reign we again find the kingdom ruled by three brothers, named Eanberht, Uhtred and Aldred, the two latter of whom lived until about 780. After them the title of king seems to have been given up. ”

“ One was that Osric would tell the story, when of course, he would be released very soon. As he considered the matter, he felt sure that Osric would not get back to the school-house before recess was over. Then, he would have to give an account of himself, and perhaps he would tell the truth. But then Osric was so afraid of being found fault with, and, besides that, he might not have known that Christopher was left in the vault. He might suppose him safe at home all the time. Nobody had seen the two boys, that Christopher knew of ”

“ The altar and sanctuary were alone respected: a screen then divided them from the nave, and the gate was jealously locked, opened only each day when the parish priest, who lived in the old tower above, still faithful to his duty, went in at dawn, and said Mass; while the poor wretched creatures forgot their misery for a while, and worshipped.
Osric passed, unquestioned, through the groups,—the church was a sanctuary to all,—and at last he reached the chancel gate. A youth of his own age leant against it. ”

“ IN the year of our Lord's incarnation 725, being the seventh year of Osric, king of the Northumbrians, who succeeded Coenred, Wictred, the son of Egbert, king of Kent, died on the 23rd of April, and left his three sons, Ethelbert, Eadbert, and Alric, heirs of that kingdom, which he had governed thirty-four years and a half. The next year died Tobias, bishop of the church of Rochester, a most learned man, as has been said before ”

“ His better feelings were aroused by the misery of those dungeons, and by the approbation of his better self, in the contemplation of the deliverance he had wrought.
While he thus pondered a soft hand touched his; it was that of the boy, the son of Thorold, who had been chained to the wall by means of the thumbscrew locked upon his poor thumbs. [27]
"Do your thumbs pain you now?" asked Osric.
"Not so much; but the place where the bar crossed them yet burns—the pain was maddening."
"Dip this linen in the stream, and bind it round them; they will soon be well. ”

“ At about the beginning of the seventh century, when the Saxons had spread so far westward as Dunscar and Avonmouth, and were practically masters of all the country round, a monk called Kolgan came over from Ireland with a little band of brethren, and prevailed upon Osric, the chief, or 'under king', of the district, to allow him to settle at Baldurstone. Those Celtic pioneers built a small monastery, and worked very earnestly among the people, some of whom they persuaded to become adherents of the Cross. ”